By Darren Coomler
Welcome Chapter 1541 Members and Friends,

Oshkosh. Big trucks and airshows. For as long as I can remember I have associated the city of Oshkosh with both. I find it funny that many people refer to AirVenture as Oshkosh. Well, it’s finally my turn to take make my first pilgrimage to the holy grail of air shows. My wife will be accompanying me. She does not share the same interest in aviation that I do. She has never experienced the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds, so I’m hoping she will experience the same sense of awe when she sees aircraft the size of buildings flying by and the power and speed of our military aircraft. And my hope is that the chapter can put together a large contingent from our chapter to attend next year to represent the mighty 1541. For those of you who will be there this year and around on Thursday night of AirVenture week, Bruce Estes has arranged for a restaurant adjacent to the dorms – Kelly’s – to host any of us who wish to attend.

Speaking of the 1541, wow, we have had great attendance with our first few face to face breakfasts. We have had a great mix of existing members and many new families and individuals interested in participating in the chapter. The food (of course!) along with the new simulators are getting lots of attention. The chapter is poised to have a very memorable remainder of the year.

The Chapter Board along with other chapter members are very busy in implementing new ideas to make our chapter more visible, relatable and attractive to new aviation enthusiasts who someday may be the pilots of the next generation. So, I encourage you ‘senior’ chapter members to introduce yourself to any new face you see at our events, and share a little about your aviation journey.