EAA Chapter 1541’s Second Saturday gathering is set for Saturday, May 9, and will feature our BBQ Lunch followed by a program that covers Air Operations Over Wildfires, presented by CalFire Air Operations BC David Krussow from the Grass Valley Air Attack Base. Topics to be covered include how CalFire operates over wildfires, what a Fire Traffic Area is, and TFRs around fires. Fire season is upon us, and this is good information for pilots flying in our area. Come out for our gathering…some good food, some hangar flying, and some good information for pilots flying this summer.

We’ll be offering our BBQ Lunch beginning at 11:00 a.m., and our Air Operations Over Wildfires presentation at 12:00 noon. Lunch will be burgers and fixings created by our excellent cooking team. $10 per person or $25 for families…and Gold Members eat for free! (For more information about Gold Memberships…ask at the check-in table on Saturday) If you plan to eat lunch, get in line early…we expect to close the grill at 11:45…so eat early and often.

Our Second Saturday Gathering is set for Saturday morning at 11:00 am. We are looking forward to a special presentation on an important subject for all aviators: Upset Prevention and Recovery Training. Loss of control continues to be the leading cause of general aviation fatal accidents. To prevent loss of control accidents, pilots need to understand the causes and contributing factors that lead to loss of control. Don Bradley and Dustin Jones are coming from Foothill Flight Center at Cameron Park to provide some basic information about loss of control and the Upset Prevention and Recovery Training course they offer to help avoid such situations. It should be an informative hour for pilots and everybody who wants a bit more insight on flying near the edge of the performance envelope.

We’ll be offering our BBQ Lunch beginning at 11:00 a.m., and our Upset Prevention and Recovery Training presentation at 12:00 noon. Lunch will be burgers and fixings created by our excellent cooking team. $10 per person or $25 for families…and Gold Members eat for free! (For more information about Gold Memberships…ask at the check-in table on Saturday) If you plan to eat lunch, get in line early…we expect to close the grill at 11:45…so eat early and often.

Our online pilot education meeting for April will have two “What Would You Do?” scenarios, both of which involve smoke appearing in the cockpit. The IMC scenario involves a night IFR flight where smoke appears from under the instrument panel and the avionics begin to fail in IMC conditions.  The VMC scenario involves a VFR flight where smoke appears, coming from an unusual location.

To join this online pilot education event, click this link at 7 pm PDT on Thursday, April 2nd:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81620040861

Fly safe!

Our Second Saturday Gathering on March 14, will feature a program that presents the story of the orange and white Kitfox build that graced our chapter hangar last year. A brief history of the project: it was begun in 2002, but ended up being stored for two decades before it was re-energized by owner/builder/chapter member Paul Cannon with the able assistance of our own technical counselor Dan Masys. The airplane was completed just in time for the government shut down last fall, which delayed some of the paperwork process. Happily, though, it took to the air for the first time on January 27 under the able control of chapter member and Kitfox pilot Bruce Estes. Come hear Paul, Dan, and Bruce tell different parts of the story about how this box of parts became an airplane.

We’ll be offering our BBQ Lunch beginning at 11:00 a.m., and our Kit Fox presentation will begin at 12:00 noon. Lunch will be burgers and fixings created by our excellent cooking team. $10 per person or $25 for families…and Gold Members eat for free! (For more information about Gold Memberships…ask at the check-in table on Saturday) If you plan to eat lunch, get in line early…we expect to close the grill at 11:45…so eat early and often.

Our March online pilot education meeting will focus on safety issues flying either IFR or VFR at night and in mountainous terrain.  CFII Scott Thompson will review recent accidents that involved terrain or obstructions, and the principles for remaining safe at night on final IFR and VFR approaches, with special emphasis on pilot responsibilities when flying below a Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) on an nonprecision IFR approach, and use of visual approach aids when flying a VFR approach.

To join the meeting click this link at 7 pm PT on Thursday, March 5th:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88458340241

Fly safe!

Tom Taylor’s presentation about his experiences flying the F/A-18 fighter, how carriers work, and the life of a Naval aviator is now available on our chapter’s You Tube channel.  The topics covered can be found on our Members videos page, so you can view the parts that interest you.

Our next Second Saturday Gathering is set for February 14, and we are  very pleased that one of our chapter’s new members, Tom Taylor, is going to provide our program presentation. Tom is a retired U.S. Navy fighter pilot who has spent the better part of the last 50 years involved in aviation. He flew F-18 fighters and other types from Navy aircraft carriers for twenty years, amassing 750 carrier landings with 3,500 hours of tactical jet flying. He later served as a Lead Simulator instructor for the F-18 teaching Navy pilots and weapons system officers in all aspects of flying and combat operations.

Tom will speak to his experiences as a Navy carrier pilot. He currently owns and flies an RV-7, and recently moved to Lincoln and, good for us, found our chapter.

We’ll be offering our BBQ Lunch beginning at 11:00 a.m., and Tom’s presentation will begin at 12:00 noon. Lunch will be burgers and fixings created by our excellent cooking team. $10 per person or $25 for families…and Gold Members eat for free! (For more information about Gold Memberships…ask at the check-in table on Saturday) If you plan to eat lunch, get in line early…we expect to close the grill at 11:45…so eat early and often.

This pilot education meeting will have two “What Would You Do?” scenarios for discussion.  The IMC scenario involves a night IFR flight where the engine fails and the closest airport within gliding distance has both runways closed.  The VMC scenario involves a daytime VFR flight into deteriorating weather by an inexperienced pilot who becomes spatially disoriented.

To join the meeting, click the link below at 7:00 pm PST on Thursday, Feb. 5th:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81063873601

Fly safe!

Our first pilot education meeting of 2026 will be held Wednesday, January 7th at 7 pm.  This meeting will have two “What Would You Do?” scenarios, both of which involve flying at night. The IMC scenario involves an IFR flight to an uncontrolled airport on an island, where a last minute complication occurs with the runway in sight.  The VMC scenario involves an instrument failure shortly after takeoff.

To join this event, click this link at 7 pm on Wed. January 7th:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82554442885

Fly safe in the New Year!

Our first Saturday gathering for 2026 will be a BBQ Lunch with a program set for Saturday, January 10, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Lunch will be burgers and fixings created by our excellent cooking team. $10 per person or $25 for families…and Gold Members eat for free! (For more information about Gold Memberships…ask at the check-in table on Saturday) If you plan to eat lunch, get in line early…we expect to close the grill at 11:45…so eat early and often.

Our free flight simulators will be up and running for young and old alike. Experience a bit of literal hangar flying.

Our planned program for January will be presented by chapter member and aviation historian Marty Maisel on Hollywood and Aviation – a review of the link from the early years to the current time. Program will begin at about 12:00 after a very short little meeting.