EAA Chapter 563
The Beacon
June, 2024
The VMC Club meets this coming Sunday in the hangar at 6:30. The IMC Club will also meet on its usual day, Sunday evening the 9th at 6:00.
In their May Chapter Video, HQ encourages each chapter to make a sign to point "this way" to their chapter's airfield. They will mount any signs received on a pole at OSH. They also pointed out again that membership in EAA provides you free, reciprocal admission to museums around the country.
A few tools around the hangar have been difficult to locate of late, and Greg LePine requests: "If you use EAA tools during the day, they all must be returned at the end of the day. No keeping of tools because you need them the next day."
Greg also notes the AN3 and AN4 stock has been going down. If you've been grabbing a few now and then, how about making a small cash donation to the chapter to recoup the $165 recently spent at Wick's to bring the inventory here back up.
Tim Threw's Lycoming rebuild continues:
Parts are ready in Tulsa. We plan to drive to Tulsa next week to pickup the crankshaft and case, and start putting her back together. Crank was ground down, M03. Hoping to have her broken in and flying in time for OSH.
On Saturday May 18th, Todd Moore hosted the chapter's Flying Start event. Dana McNeil and Joe Troglio helped with the presentations, and Todd and Joe provided the flights. While only two adults signed up this year, Todd summarized it: "Small numbers but went well!"
Todd Moore, Jeff Render, and Richard Lahood flew a total of 10 kids on May 11. There were smiles on kids, parents, and pilots. Todd, the chapter's coordinator, has scheduled the next Young Eagles event for Saturday June 1, and extra volunteer pilots and ground crew are always welcome, just contact him.
The Ray Foundation quickly approved our nominee for this year, Julian Sturm, for a full scholarship. All paperwork has been completed and the first check for his flight training should soon be received. He's our youngest scholarship recipient and will have until May 31, 2025 to complete his checkride. Given his age, this will be only weeks after he becomes old enough to take a check ride, so weather and other scheduling will have to cooperate.
In the monthly chapter video, headquarters noted that the program has now produced 500 Private Pilots after starting in 2019, and there are over 200 in progress this year.
The teens are still working on the tail feathers on their Zenith Cruzer. Greg LePine has assisted in forming the brackets tying the fin to the stabilizer. These will be mounted inside the fin instead of outside per the plans, for a more attractive appearance.
Another chapter member, Dean Lake, stepped up to solve a problem of difficult access to the bolt holes for the stabilizer. Such holes are best reamed, but the installation doesn't leave room for a power drill to get in line with the hole. Dean fabricated a 10 inch extension rod to hold the reamer. Two tight and beautifully round bolt holes were the result. This is the second time Dean has machined a tool to help in the assembly of this airplane: Thank you, Dean.
The right wing is nearly complete and now stored in the end cap. Work has begun on the last major subassembly for this airplane, the left wing, with assembly of the skeleton in progress.
In the engine bay and fuselage, layout of the fuel lines has begun, and the spark plug wiring is finished. The special fuel selector valve from England had to return to Portsmouth to correct a plate which had been installed in the wrong orientation. The manufacturer provided FedEx shipping both ways, the journey taking just over a day each way.
The first person to express interest in purchasing this project has asked if any other chapter members would be interested in forming a small flying club to jointly own the airplane. He already owns two airplanes and is willing to share ownership of this one. There is also a second potential buyer, but both have agreed on the avionics package (Dynon HDX), and so an order can now be placed.
Welcome to new member Kurt Ayres who's from Avon:
I first became interested in aviation—both civil and military—at a very young age (although I'm not exactly sure how). I took flying lessons as a teenager, and soloed a week after my 16th Birthday in 1976, earning my PPL late the next year. After high school, I went to A&P school, earned my IA, and worked as a mechanic and Part 135 Director of Maintenance for a Rockford FBO for several years. I always intended to make aviation my career and build an airplane myself, but my life was moved in a different direction, and I left aviation in 1985.
In 2018, I realized that I needed something that was "just for me," and getting back into building and flying was a natural choice. I began construction on an Affordaplane, which I completed in 2020, and am now working on a Hummel H5.
I have a part-time job at KCTK, and work every Saturday, so I won't be able to be as involved as I would like to be, at least for now. Still, I hope I will be able to contribute to the Chapter in helpful ways.
After nearly 20 years in operation, the Shumway grass strip (about 8 mi NW of Effingham) is up for sale. If no one buys it for an airpark, it will revert to farmland. They are having their final fly-in breakfast Saturday June 29 from 8 until 11, with Sunday as the rain date.
Starting at 9:00 June 8 and 9, the Peoria R/C Modelers are having an open house at their field off Old Galena road north of Caterpillar. "We will have trainers available to try out flying Radio Control."
Here at 3MY, Dave Jackson dealt the cards for chapter 129's (BMI) charity Poker Run on May 18. Keeping an eye out for airplanes just landed, he spied this one:
This 1947 Cessna 170 stopped by 3MY today for fuel, en route to Davenport, Iowa. That was the first year of the 170 production. This plane is still very original having fabric covered wings. Basically Cessna took a model 140 and expanded it to accommodate a rear seat. These were the start of the 170 and 172 models of the Cessna aircraft. The young lady pilot told me it had been in her family for 40 years. Beautiful airplane.
Lastly, a fine mid-May evening found three itinerant airplanes parked for overnight—unusual for this field.
eaa563.org
Mt. Hawley Airport, Peoria, Illinois