EAA Chapter 563
The Beacon
August, 2025
Breakfast and the chapter meeting are this Saturday morning in the hangar.
The VMC Club will be delayed one week this month and will meet on Sunday the 10th at the usual 6:30 time. Because this is the day the IMC Club meets, the VMC Club will meet in the FBO this month.
Greg LePine, Bill Larson, and Paxson Wooden have completed the refresh of the kitchen area of the hangar. Lights were added to a discarded canard from a VariViggen, and it was placed over the tables by the TV. They've also added new shelving over the kitchen to better accommodate the model airplanes stored there, and a number of discarded propellers have been hung on the wall over the clock. Dave Jackson contributed an old Phillips 66 windsock, and this is mounted over the TV. The worn out stereo speakers were also repaired. Thank you, gentlemen.
At the Oshkosh fly-in, the FAA announced the final MOSAIC rules. The empty weight limit is replaced, more or less, with a clean stall speed limit, one that is surprisingly high, at 59 kt CAS (68 mph). "With the appropriate training and endorsements" sport pilots will be able to fly airplanes with variable pitch propellers and retractatable landing gear. Night flight can also be earned, but night flight will still require a third class medical. Kitplanes has a good summary of the changes, especially as they relate to experimental airplanes, and AvWeb also has a concise summary.
The July rally had to be cancelled due to weather. The next scheduled rally is August 9, and additional volunteer pilots and ground crew are needed: "August is shaping up to be our largest yet—could use more pilots!"
The chapter helped fund Hope White's week at the Oshkosh Air Academy this year. Greg and Paxson prepared a direction sign to the chapter, and Hope installed it near the Chapters' Barn. A reciprocal sign—pointing to OSH—has been mounted in our hangar above the TV (see the kitchen refresh photo, above).
Hope provided this summary of her time at the Academy:
The EAA Air Academy was a wonderful opportunity for me to see what the aviation industry has to offer. During the regular camp portion, I learned how to do composites, weld, fly the Red Bird Simulator, and make a wooden airplane rib. It was a unique time for me to learn some of the fundamentals of building airplanes and see how those parts come together to create something beautiful. I also loved my roommates, who shared my enthusiasm for aviation.
During the Air Show portion, we walked all around, met some amazing people, and saw and heard some incredible airplanes. We visited the career center, and I had the opportunity to speak with a representative named Andy. He told me about the Mission Aviation Fellowship. I can't describe how it made me feel, but I knew that this is what God wants me to do. There were many blessings on this trip, and I am grateful for the support I received from you. Thank you for supporting this trip.
Hope is also our Ray scholar for 2025, and she gave this progress report:
This summer has been packed full of new experiences and adventures. My flight training has played a big role in that. This month, I have been working on cross-country trips and have discovered that I prefer exploring new places. We have flown to Fort Madison, Iowa, and Gary, Indiana. I have been getting better at staying on course and maintaining my altitude. We have not done that much flying this month because I went on a mission trip to Belize and then to the Air Academy. However, the flying I have done has been awesome! I am so grateful for this EAA chapter and all of your support!
As in July of last year, this July was a slow month for the airplane build. The throttles and pitot system are installed, and the aft wiring runs are in progress.
In last month's newsletter, Ross Hohulin introduced himself. On July 5th he soloed. Congratulations, Ross!
Connor Solsrud is here on a 3 month rotation from Caterpillar's Minneapolis office. He and his father finished a Glasair 1-TD, and he has joined the chapter to help with the airplane build.
The landscaping on the north side of the FBO has been completed. It doesn't appear the plantings removed from the west side will be replaced.
The Visitor of the Month was this nice Cessna 140 based south of Minneapolis. The pilot was a young man who'd flown to Alabama to visit his college friends, with a side trip to Florida. On the way home, he overnighted at the AmericInn here. Other visitors in the previous few weeks had included a Pilatus PC-12 and a TBM 930.
Later in the month, the owners of this attractive RV-7 out of Connecticut stopped for an overnight fuel stop on the way to the Oshkosh fly-in. They'd done so before on a cross country to the west coast. Asked why they didn't use a field closer to the tip of Lake Michigan, he replied that with an RV, there isn't much difference in time, and this airport has many nearby amenities.
The evening the OSH fly-in ended, there were a few unusual airplanes parked overnight on the ramp.
Again this year, the Galesburg chapter is looking for volunteers to man the Stearman fly-in which runs September 1 to 6. "Greeters will be the first line of contact with new pilot arrivals. You will show them where the parking area is, give them their arrival packet and point them in the direction of registration." Sign-up is on-line, and volunteers are entered into the daily raffle for a free Stearman ride.
Runway 13/31 is being resurfaced. From 7/29 until about 8/11, the intersection with runway 18/36 will be under construction, and so both runways will be closed. Updates will be found via NOTAM and AWOS.
eaa563.org
Mt. Hawley Airport, Peoria, Illinois