The July chapter meeting and breakfast were crowded. A large number of people had returned from OSH the weekend before and were eager to talk about what they saw. Jayson Presley, the Ray scholarship recipient, went to talk with the aviation colleges represented as well as to take in all the sights. Christian Sloat, the Cat summer intern, also attended. Both talked to the chapter about their time up there as did several chapter members.
At the breakfast before the August board meeting were two guests, Nick Sturm and his young son. Nick wrote later that week: "Please extend my thanks for the warm welcome my son Julian and I received when we came for your chapter meeting last Saturday." They hope to attend the regular chapter meeting in September.
The estate auction at the Pekin airport for late chapter member Al Lurie was well attended.
VMC and IMC Club
The IMC Club is planning a fly-out (VFR and IFR) on Saturday 9/14 to Alton. Their next meeting is this Sunday. The VMC Club met last Sunday.
Youth Programs
Jayson Presley, the chapter's Ray scholarship recipient, soloed the first weekend in August: Congratulations! Since starting the Ray program, he'd had about 18 hours with Peter at Allmond Aviation plus several hours before joining the program. With him having soloed, the scholarship program released another $4000 to be used on his flight expenses. Jayson is studying for his written test with Morrie Caudill's assistance. Once that is past, the final $2000 in the scholarship will be released. Jayson and his father stepped up on short notice to work the breakfast the third Saturday in August. Jason's own update:
I have been working with Morrie on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings to prepare for the written with promising results. I have flown and gotten some more hours and have begun checkride preparation so that I can finish quickly after I take my written.
Before the last board meeting, Jolene Miller described her time at the Air Academy at OSH, which the chapter had helped fund. She also sent along a hand written note regarding her experience, parts of which are transcribed here:
Thank you for this amazing opportunity I was given, to attend the Advanced Air Academy in Oshkosh, WI. The first two days I was able to go and spend a lot of time at Airventure. I got to talk to a lot of colleges, learn a lot about regional airlines, and gain a lot of info about the aviation industry. On the first day, we all went down to the "grounds" and got to sit in on a talk between two NASA astronauts who worked on the Apollo mission. Saturday we were able to watch the night show. Fireworks and planes usually don't mix well, but these pilots showed us how it was possible. Airventure was such an amazing expierence, and I hope to come back next year!
When Monday came around, Air Academy was in full effect. We started our classroom/workshop rotations, and I learned so much. In the classroom, we covered subjects such as airport management, schooling, finance, weather, how to use an E6B, and so much more! In workshop, we did things such as welding, fabrication, aviation science, sheet metal working, and wood working.
My goal in the near future is to earn my private pilot certificate. I hope to go into college with my certificate, and then work my way up to my commercial rating. Thank you, again, for this amazing opportunity! It was an experience I will never forget, and I will talk about it for years to come.
Sincerely, future pilot,
Jolene Miller
The board has agreed to fund another candidate next summer, and a $200 deposit has been sent to HQ. We will be seeking a suitable student, perhaps from the Marshall County high school where two kids have already taken their first flight lessons at the Lacon airport under the Charlie Allen memorial flight scholarship fund. The board has also agreed to contribute $500 to this fund. While the Allen fund is not enough to put a kid through flight training, the board hopes it will be a source of strong candidates for future Ray Scholarship candidates at 563.
Regarding the Ray scholarship program, HQ has floated a proposal that chapters wishing to lock in a Ray Scholarship again next year put up half the cost of the scholarship, namely $5,000. Those that do not—and our board does not wish to—will be placed back in the pool of chapters qualified to run a scholarship. This would allow chapters which did not get a scholarship grant in one year to have a chance the next year.
Treasury
At this quarter's board meeting, the treasurer reported no significant change in our financial position.
National
Ford is one of the sponsors for Airventure, and through January 2 they are offering discounts to EAA members. More information can be found here.
Breakfasts
We have cooks for September, October, and part of November. We need someone to organize this on a regular basis. While Andrew Barth is the board member for Programs, which nominally handles breakfasts, he has been unavailable this summer.
Elections
An officer's slate will be needed for the October meeting, ahead of the vote at the Annual Meeting in November.
Hangar
Bill Hounshell's collection of aviation books is ready to use. These books could be sold, or we could consider spending about $350 to buy bookshelves with doors to keep the collection free of dust. This question will be brought up at the next chapter meeting. A PDF catalog of the collection is found here.
The chapter has also received one large and one small lawn tractor. Both will be converted to serve as airplane tugs, hopefully to be sold to pilots on the field.
The board agreed to buy a whiteboard for use at the IMC and VMC club meetings. It was to be about $200 for one with a stand. Tom O'Toole from the IMC club arranged the purchase, and it was in place for the September meetings.
National has set aside funds to cover 30% of a chapter's purchase of tool crib items, when purchased new from a recognized supplier. A pneumatic rivet squeezer was mentioned, but no action was taken. Let the board know of any tools you think would be suitable for this.
Ron Vice sold his Stits Sky-Coupe stored in the hangar, and Tim Coverstone will bring his RV to its place. The airport authority has questioned leaving the twin currently in our hangar on jacks. The board will approach the owner about swapping his flying single with the twin.
Members
One of our newest members, whose name I managed to misspell in the last newsletter, has provided an introduction:
Hello EAA Chapter 563. My name is Charlie Cafaro your newest member. I am 61 years old, hold an ATP, and current as a CFIIMEL. I grew up in Dunlap and began my flying at 3MY in May of 1978 before my last year of college at Loyola University. Shortly after graduation under the encouragement of Gary Hamlen, my Mt Hawley private pilot CFI, I went to Tulsa, OK and enrolled in Spartan School of Aeronautics. My career has given me the privilege of flight instruction, flying Citations, B-727’s, and B-737’s. I am currently in year 36 with Southwest Airlines and have been an assistant Chief Pilot and currently a Check Airman. I also own a Super Cub which is currently hangared at 3MY. My wife is Suzanne and we have six adult children. I share my time between Dunlap and Hinsdale, IL depending on my work schedule.
Kip and I recently finished the rotary stand for the fuselage of our RANS S-20. For the most part it is built of material salvaged from the kit's shipping crate. We can wheel the fuselage around the garage and rotate it about the long axis. This should make covering easier come next spring, and this fall it should help when installing the cabin and other bits that go on the fuselage frame before covering. We have several sub assemblies done this summer ready to be installed this fall, and we plan to begin work on the cabin flooring and boot cowl this weekend. Our builder's log has about 450 hours in it, so we're getting in only about 1 man-hour per day between us. (I'm lazy.) More than half the time logged has been devoted to jobs besides assembling parts, including building this stand and other shop fixtures, fetching tools and parts, figuring out how to fix mistakes in the kit's parts and instructions, etc.
Airport
3MY
RLI is installing security fences between Hale street and the airport to guard their new solar panel installation. That installation might make for some interesting glare on approaches to 3MY.
Henry, one of the two airport authority employees at 3MY, has left his position to pursue a career in law enforcement.
This grand old 1931 Stinson Junior with a 225 hp Lycoming radial stopped at 3MY in late August to wait out a rain storm blocking his way west. He was surely headed to the Antique Airplane Association annual fly-in just west of Ottumwa.
Also stopping by the field in August was board director Ian Kempf in his crop duster:
Havana
On August 24th chapter 1420 gave a presentation on the original use of the buildings at their airport, for radar astronomy. Mike Perkins will give this again, to our chapter some time this winter.
