Fly-out to Nancy’s Airport Cafe at Willows/Glenn airport on Saturday, April 29th

We are holding our first chapter fly-out of the year this coming Saturday, April 29. The participants will gather at 9:00 am at the Gazebo, at KLHM and depart en masse, for a fine brunch at Nancy’s Airport Cafe located at the Willows/Glenn County Airport (KWLW).
 
For those aircraft not able to carry extra passengers or you just want to meet at Nancy’s, please plan to arrive at Willows at about 10:00 am. As noted below, we are trying to match chapter members who don’t have access to an aircraft a chance to participate also, so we want any pilots who can carry passengers to meet at the KLHM Gazebo at 9 a.m.

Willows is 64 fun-filled air miles northwest of Lincoln.
nancy's.jpg
 
We are also trying something new for this event. We are using SignUpGenius to see if this will help organize the fly-out. We are asking all who wish to participate to use this link to go to the sign up page, either as a pilot/plane or as a passenger. We’ll try to include as many non-pilot chapter members as possible as passengers…this will depend on how many pilot/planes participate and the ability to accommodate passengers. We are limiting the passenger sign-ups to just ten individuals. Please note that we cannot promise that we will be able to get all the passengers who sign-up on an airplane going to Willows.
 
This is the first organized chapter fly-out we’ve had post-COVID, so we are putting our toe in the water to determine the interest in this and future fly-outs. (As of right now, we are planning fly-outs for the five-Saturday months this year…that would be April, July, and September.)
 
Also, a word of warning: we are using the free version of SignUpGenius which is very advertisement-heavy. Verify what you are clicking on as you go through the signup process to ensure you are not actually clicking on an advertisement.
 
If this process works well, the chapter may spring for a paid, ad-less version of SignUpGenius.
 
Please email back to the chapter with any questions or concerns.
 
Scott Thompson
Chapter President

March BBQ Lunch and Program on Saturday, March 25, 11 am to 1 pm

Our chapter will be having our Fourth Saturday BBQ Lunch on Saturday, March 25, beginning at 11:00 at our hangar. This month, something special. We’ll have Pulled Pork sandwiches and all the other fixings available for a good lunch. The grill is hot from 11:00 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. when the grill shuts down, so come early. BBQ Lunch is $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for kids 12 or under, and $25 for families.

Our Program for March

This month we have invited ex-ATC controller Gary Veer for a presentation. Gary will talk from a controller’s perspective about both airspace and critical language.

Gary has a philosophy about airspace that is not widely circulated, but probably prevails among other controllers–In spite of the many classifications of airspace, there are really only two kinds of airspace:

  • Pilot’s Airspace
  • Controller’s Airspace

Gary will then discuss critical language. He’s gone to great lengths to find the wisdom that encapsulates critical language.  The point is clear – our words, although perfectly clear, have different meanings in different contexts. In aviation, for the well-being of both pilots and controllers, it is vital that both share the same understanding of the language.

Gary’s official aviation career began nearly fifty years ago when he became a pilot in February 1977. He joined the FAA in 1982 and went to work at an enroute center as a controller. He went to FAA flight check for a decade in the 1990s doing procedural and navaid checks, and then went back to controlling. He then returned to FAA flight check in 2012 when he ‘aged-out’ as a controller. He retired from the FAA in March 2019 and moved on to fly for Kenmore Airlines in Puget Sound and Axis Jet at Mather. He returned to the FAA in December 2020 again as a flight check pilot based at Sacramento. Also in his long career, he has done TERPS procedural design for the FAA and U.S. Army, and taught aviation and ATC courses at Green River College at Auburn, Washington. He also worked at the FAA Command Center, then at Herndon, Virginia. Gary brings his extensive background and aviation knowledge to us for what should be an entertaining and informative program. As a note…Gary is not speaking as an FAA representative for our program…he speaks as an ex-ATC controller with lots of real-world experience.

Come out Saturday morning to the EAA Hangar for some good food and good information. Remember…we’re only cooking until 11:45…

Pancake Breakfast Saturday March 11, from 8 am to 10 am

We will be having our Second Saturday Pancake Breakfast from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. in the EAA hangar, S-12 at the Lincoln Regional Airport.
We’ll be cooking pancakes, eggs, and other good stuff from 8:00 am to 9:30 am when the grill shuts down, so come early. Breakfast is  $10.00 per person, $5.00 per child under 12, or $20.00 per family.
Our chapter Board of Directors will be having its monthly meeting directly after the pancake breakfast, so you are welcome to stick around for that also.
Come on out and enjoy some
good food and hangar flying too.

Saturday Feb. 25th BBQ lunch and Program 11:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.

BBQ Lunch Program: Clyde, Walter, Lloyd, Clarence and William – The Creators  of the Cessna, Beechcraft, Stearman, Taylorcraft and Piper Aircraft Companies

Presented by chapter member Marty Maisel

In the two decades following World War I, numerous aeronautical entrepreneurs produced aircraft to meet the growing demand of civil aviation. A few of these industrialists made significant advancements to aviation technology and established businesses whose names are recognized today, nearly 100 years later. This is the story of some of those captains of the infant general aviation industry in the United States.

Our presenter, Marty Maisel attended the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (now NY State University) and the Hartford Graduate Center of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for studies in aeronautical engineering and space sciences. His ten-year Industry experience included propeller aerodynamic analysis and test for conventional and VTOL aircraft at the Hamilton Standard Division of the United Aircraft Corporation and the Helicopter Division of the Boeing Company.

In 1970 he joined the Army Aeroflight-dynamics Directorate at the NASA Ames Research Center, as a member of joint Army/NASA XV-15 Tilt Rotor Research Aircraft Project Office, and was responsible for aerodynamics and the development of aircraft subsystems. In that activity he worked as principal investigator for several flight and wind tunnel tests.  Following completion of the XV-15 project, Marty served as the Airworthiness Officer for Army flight test operations in support of joint Army/NASA rotorcraft technology research programs at Ames conducted on Army UH-60 Blackhawk, AH-1 Cobra and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters. He retired in 2002. Marty earned his pilot license in 1966 and has completed a homebuilt aircraft (but no longer has a current medical).

Our BBQ Lunch will start at 11:00 a.m. at the EAA Hangar S-12 at Lincoln Regional Airport (KLHM). We’ll have a short business meeting at about 11:45, and then Marty will present at 12:00. If you are going to attend the BBQ Lunch, please arrive at 11:00 as we will only be cooking and serving food until 11:45, with the program to start promptly at noon. Cost for our full BBQ Lunch is $10.00 for adults, $5 for kids and $20 for a family.

Pancake Breakfast from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11th

A reminder, we will be having our Second Saturday Pancake Breakfast from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. in the EAA hangar, S-12 at the Lincoln Regional Airport.  Weather forecast looks good for Saturday.

We’ll be cooking pancakes, eggs, and other good stuff from 8:00 am to 9:30 am when the grill shuts down, so come early. Breakfast will be $8.00 per person or $20.00 per family.
Our chapter Board of Directors will be having its monthly meeting directly after the pancake breakfast, so you are welcome to stick around for that also.
 Come on out and enjoy some good food and hangar flying too.

IMC/VMC club Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7pm PST

Our online IMC/VMC club meeting for February will be from 7 to 8 pm Pacific time this coming Thursday, February 2nd.  The IMC “what would you do?” scenario will involve a vacuum pump failure while on an instrument approach, and the VMC scenario will involve a Cessna 150 that becomes uncontrollable on final approach.
All pilots are invited to join in the discussion.  FAA Wings credit for this event is available by registering here.  The link to join the online meeting will be sent 24hrs. before the session begins.
Fly safe!

Lunch program on Saturday, January 28th 11:00 am to 1 pm

Our January Saturday BBQ Lunch Program on January 28 will dive into the ups and downs of flying in Europe, particularly Italy and Switzerland. Our presenter is chapter member Dave Magaw, an experienced pilot and builder based right here at Lincoln. He will talk about his experiences flying in Europe for the last nine years, and particularly in the last 4-5 years. Dave will cover some of the differences between flying in Europe compared to the USA, the airspace differences and some of the differences in the rules and regulations for flying. His experiences are only those of flying small private planes for fun and educational purposes (but mostly for fun and food), but he has pictures!

As a bit of background, Dave is 70 years old and received a U.S. pilot certificate in 1999. He received a European PPL in 2021 and an Italian Advanced Ultralight License in early 2022. He has logged in excess of 2,100 hours of flight time, about ¾ of which is in taildraggers. He towed gliders, mostly from the Byron Airport, though he retired from doing that in 2021. He flies Experimental and Light Sport aircraft, which are called Ultralights in Europe. His hangar at Lincoln holds his Pitts S1C and modified tailwheel Cessna 172, both of which he flies often.

Dave Magaw at a big European airshow at Friedrichshafen, Germany.
This is not Dave’s airplane.

Dave gets to Europe for a good part of every year and is part of a Swiss group doing a full rebuild of a Pitts S1C in Switzerland. He owns and files at Groppo Trail (advanced ultralight) based in Italy. His past U.S. projects include rebuilding a Thorpe T-18, building a Wittman Tailwind, and completing a half-built RV-4 project. He is a tool guy and, with his experience and background, has helped many in the Lincoln airport community with advice, knowledge, and hardware.

The BBQ Lunch will start at 11:00 a.m. with good food and hangar flying. We’ll have a short business meeting at about 11:45, and then Dave will present at 12:00. If you are going to attend the BBQ Lunch, please arrive at 11:00 as we will only be cooking and serving food until 11:45, with the program to start promptly at noon. Cost for our full BBQ Lunch is $8.00 for adults, $5 for kids and $20 for a family.

EAA Homebuilders Week begins January 23rd

EAA homebuilders week 2023 header
 

So You Want To Build An Airplane?

Are you building an airplane? Or maybe you are just wondering what is involved. In any case,you should be aware of the upcoming EAA Homebuilders Week running next week, from Monday, January 23, through Friday, January 27. This is a no-cost, no threat opportunity to view some online presentations that cover the gamut of building your own airplane. Each of the five days has six events scheduled throughout the day that you can attend online. But…be aware that registration is required and space is limited. More information can be found here: https://www.eaa.org/eaa/aircraft-building/homebuilders-week
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Saturday January 14 Pancake Breakfast no, but Coffee and Donuts yes!

Due to the rain and wind in the forecast for Saturday morning, we have decided to cancel the scheduled Pancake Breakfast that was to begin at 8:00 a.m.

But not to worry. For those dedicated enough to brave some IMC weather, we are still going to open the hangar and offer some hot coffee and donuts, plus the chance to do a bit of hangar flying. So please don’t let the weather deter you…come on out at 8:00 a.m. and enjoy some hangar-flying type touch and go’s.
Coffee and donut
And, Saturday morning offers a great chance to pay your 2023 chapter dues. Single and Family memberships are $30 for the year. These dues make the chapter work…we do have expenses that have to be met so if you have not yet done so, please bring your checkbook or cash on Saturday. You can also pay with a credit or debit card through PayPal by clicking here.
We do offer a Gold Membership for those who want to go a bit further to support the chapter goals. You get some special perks along with the Gold Membership. The annual dues for Gold Membership are $300.
Also of note: the monthly chapter Board of Directors meeting will still be held on Saturday morning in the hangar. We’ve moved the start time to 9:30 a.m. and expect about a 90-minute meeting. This is the first meeting of the 2023-2024 board and we’ll be discussing goals and schedules for the coming year. All chapter members are welcome to attend.

We hope to see you Saturday.

Scott Thompson
Chapter President

Pancake Breakfast, Saturday January 14th — we hope

Our first pancake breakfast of 2023 is on the calendar for this coming Saturday, January 14th from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. in the EAA hangar, S-12 at Lincoln Regional Airport.  It may or may not be another stormy morning, so in the best traditions of aviation we will make a go/no go decision when the forecasts become more certain towards the end of the week.  It would be great to be able to get together for breakfast and have an opportunity to chew and chat, so pencil it on your calendar and we will hope for a pleasant break in our current wet weather parade.
Happy aviating in 2023!