It’s the first Saturday in February this weekend (the 3rd), and we’ll be cooking breakfast and watching the movie “One Six Right” from 08:00 at hangar S12.

Mira Slovak was a noted aviation figure in from the 1950s through the 1970s but he is, surprisingly, largely forgotten today. He escaped from behind the Iron Curtain in 1953 while flying a plane load of passengers as an airline pilot. From there, he settled in the U.S. and became a well-known unlimited air racing and hydroplane pilot. He flew in a variety of aviation career fields including flying in airshows, doing crop dusting and flying air tankers, and eventually went back to work as an airline pilot with Continental Airlines. Join us for this program presented by Richard Pearl on the story of an unusual and talented individual.

BBQ lunch starts at 11:00 am; program starts at 12:00 pm.

Chapter 1541’s January Member Meeting will be held at Cattlemens Restaurant, 2000 Taylor Road, Roseville. Join us for the optional dinner beginning at 18:00, with a short business meeting to follow. We will then have a presentation on the Boeing P-26 Peashooter fighter by chapter member Marty Maisel.

The P-26 was a groundbreaking advance for the Army Air Corps when it was introduced in 1932 and remained in service into the early days of World War II. It marked the transition from fabric covered biplanes to all metal monoplanes for the Air Corps but was quickly surpassed by newer designs with enclosed cockpits and retractable landing gear in the fast moving 1930s of aviation technology.

For those ordering dinner, we will order off a special menu with included non-alcoholic beverage and pay $21.65 including tax and gratuity. Guests are encouraged and welcomed.

In early 1969, eighteen B-25 bombers and a large on-location crew gathered at a small Mexican airstrip alongside the Sea of Cortez to begin work on what became the iconic 1970 film “Catch-22.” Join us for a program that explores how Tallmantz Aviation put together the Catch-22 air force and what went in to making the film. BBQ lunch starts at 11:00; program starts at 12:00.

The January Board of Directors meeting takes place on Wednesday 3rd. It will be at the House of Pizza, 2270 Nicolaus Rd., Lincoln… dinner at 18:00, meeting at 18:30. All members are invited.

Agenda:
18:00 pm: Food and Stuff
18:30 pm: Meeting Start

1. Introductions
• Brief introduction of each board member with background and interests. No more than 3 minutes per board member
2. My Vision for How We Are Going to Do This and Board Expectations (Scott)
3. Short Term Goals for Chapter (Scott)
4. Treasurer Report (Jim)
5. Membership Report and Status of Dues Collection (Jim)
6. New Business
• Hangar Lease
• Review calendar for January and February
• Review how we communicate information and potential improvements
• Email Blasts
• Newsletter
• Facebook
• Social Flight
• Banners??
• ???
• Board Positions
• Program Coordinator
• Communications and Calendar Coordinator
• Food purchases for meetings (Tom)
• Board Discussion for Membership Levels
• Standard: Annual dues of $20
• Family: Annual dues of ???
• Gold: Sustaining Membership Level at $?? per month with special benefits
• Chapter food events (barbeques and pancake breakfasts)
• Gold nametag
• Life Membership??
• Young Eagles: Board discussion and decision on whether or not to move forward with a firm plan
• Other New Business: any other items for discussion or for addition to a future agenda?
• Long Term Goals for the Chapter (Scott)
• Toward the Future: Planning
7. EAA Trimotor: report from Jim Hughes
8. Monitoring the Planes of Fame initiative
9. Poker Run: board decision for short term
10. Well-designed Member Survey?

8:30 pm: Meeting Over

On December 12, the Lincoln City Council decided in favor of moving forward with the Village 5 development. Village 5 will build houses, schools, and businesses into the area south of the Lincoln airport. This development will eventually impact airport operations for both runways 15 (departures) and 33 (arrivals). The Lincoln Regional Aviation Association (LRAA) and others have been involved with the county and city in the long process leading up to this recent decision in a persistent attempt to highlight the aviation issues with Village 5.

But, along with the city’s approval of Village 5 over the concerns of LRAA and other aviation users, the city has also informally suggested to the LRAA that it is receptive to discussions to try and mitigate the impact of Village 5 to the Lincoln Airport and its users.
Time is of the essence as there will be discussions between LRAA and the city beginning in early January.

Rocky Green, president of the LRAA, has requested the opportunity to share information with chapter members in this process. LRAA also wants to hear input from airport users in our chapter. We have set up a roundtable meeting to be held at the EAA Hangar, S-12, on Saturday, December 30, at 10:00 am. Please join other interested EAA 1541 and LRAA members in this discussion and plan on attending. The decision by the city of Lincoln will have an impact on operations at the airport.

There are many powerful interests driving the Village 5 decision and aviators will have few remaining opportunities to constructively attempt to minimize its impact on flight operations. This is one of them.

more info;
The Village 5 plans by Richland are here, and specifically here.