Annual Holidays Banquet
Again this year, the banquet will be held at Bernardi's on the far north side. The price is $17.92 including tax and tip, a bit less than last year. Supper will be pasta and fried chicken with sides, served family style, with tea and coffee included. As last year, we'll meet at 6:00 and the food will be served at 7:00. After supper, there will be cake and a brief awards presentation. Do let us know if you plan to be there.
VMC and IMC Club
The VMC Club seems to have settled in to the FBO lobby for their meetings, although if PIA operations is away from their phone, we'll have to rely on the WiFi in the hangar instead. The next meeting is this Sunday 12/1 and the presentation from Pilot Workshop is "That Erie Feeling":
Lowering ceilings and patchy showers have you pushing the limits of VFR along the shore of Lake Erie. The weather is much better along the north shore, but that’s Canada, and you don’t have a passport or permission from Customs and Border Protection. Will you press on, turn around, or cross the fence in clear—but foreign—airspace?
Kent Lynch gives the update for the IMC Club:
The members of the IMC Club met with representatives of Garmin and Byerly to discuss updates to the Garmin product line. About 15 members signed up, and over 20 attended, including two from the St. Louis IMC Club, who flew up for the meeting. It was held at Byerly Aviation at PIA. The presentation by Garmin Area Manager, Jim Laster, was well received and covered the majority of their aviation product line, and where it would fit into most panel upgrades. There were a couple of issues with past models, that didn't have satisfactory resolutions, some of that controlled by the aircraft manufacturer, or just obsolescence.
Due to conflicts with the Grace Christmas concert, the December meeting is moved back a week to Sunday, December 15, at 6 PM at the EAA hangar.
Youth Programs
Jayson Presley, the chapter's Ray Scholarship recipient for 2019, has received his free Lightspeed Zulu 3 ANR headset from their charitable foundation.
Jason has switched to Bradley Flying so that his winter flying will be from a hangar heated and much closer to his home. His instructor there is chapter member Dean Lake. Allmond Aviation was consulted and agreed to the change.
Changes will be minor for the Ray Scholarship program in 2020. They prefer the kids come out of Young Eagles and have their student license and 3rd class medical already. Kids who receive a scholarship will also need to have and maintain renter's insurance by the time they solo. There were 103 scholarships granted in 2019.
This year, we have received all $10,000 from the Ray program, of which a little over $4,000 had been spent by early November. The first $1,500 of excess can be spent on the scholar's flying after the pilot certificate is earned. How the rest will be disposed will vary with the chapter. They don't want the money spent to get another kid only half way through. The program has decided a 2020 candidate can start before the 2019 has finished.
The $500 sent to the Allen fund (at Marshall Co.) has been awarded to a boy taking lessons there. He may talk at an upcoming chapter meeting and will be a candidate for the 2020 Ray scholarship. So far, we have 4 potential Ray candidates for 2020—should our chapter be awarded a scholarship.
Treasury
Long term investments remain stable. Thanks are due all current and retired Cat employees who made donations towards chapter operations (Youth, etc.) in 2019: Caterpillar gift matching should be about $1300, to be received in 2020.
Hangar
The replacement for the replacement WiFi repeater is now working, and the WiFi link should be as stable as the down link from the FBO. The router name and password are posted in the bulletin board inside the hangar.
Donations
An old gasoline powered welder has been donated to the chapter and will be sold.
A nearly new, floor mount, electric winch has been donated for sale. It has a wired controller, and the unit looks something like this.
Lastly, a bicycle has been donated, but you will have to replace the front inner tube.
For any of these, contact Greg to make an offer.
Members
Over 40 members have renewed for 2020 so far this year. Have you sent in yours?
New member Joe Troglio has provided a brief introduction:
I always had an interest in aviation, just never got around to it until the kids got older and I had the time. In October 2018, the year before I turned 50, we bought a C172 (with a friend) and started learning how to fly. Nine months later, I had my private pilot license. My next step is to get my instrument rating by Spring of next year.
I like to build things and fix things. I am excited to join EAA and learn more about the trials and fun of building a plane myself. My only regret is not having started sooner. Thanks to everyone who has made me feel welcomed.
At the Marshall Co airport, a new EAA chapter might be formed. It's possible a few members of 563 will migrate there to be closer to their home airport. The fairly new Pekin chapter folded, and the former president is now a member of 563.
Airport
3MY
The airport authority is holding a holiday meet, with food, at the FBO on Thursday 12/12 at 4:30.