Been gone for
over a week. Sorry for no updates. Austin was HOT !
Hunt County Fair
We worked for a week doing what we
could to get our message across. Now the 2009 Hunt County Fair
is a thing of the past. It was a lot of fun, but it's nice to
say that's it's behind us now!
"The
work goes on!"
"Thank you" seems so inadequate for all the work that went into the
Chapter's booth at the Hunt County Fair.
Next
time you see Lou Alvarez,
Charlie Miller, Garth Gadberry,
Bob Thomas,
Mandy Brown or Carl
Brown make sure you let them know they are appreciated. These
guys put in many hours in the hot and dust to get the word out about
our Chapter. Their dedication brought us 14 who are interested in
receiving our newsletter and another 14 who want Young Eagle rides
next time we have a rally.
Charlie Miller fabricated and brought in a large layout table which
made a lot of our demonstration work a whole lot easier. To show
what the group is all about we started fabricating the vertical
stabilizer and the wings for the BD5 (Carl's sheetmetal
assembly project). We also built numerous wood ribs and set up
the spars for an Easy Eagle (Lou's project). Mid-week we started
laying out the wing rib jig for a
Double Eagle (Garth's project).
If
you missed being there, you missed a great time to gain experience
in building. After all that is what EAA is all about.
Again, many, many thanks to those that endured the heat, the dust
and the long hours.
The Plane Fax is the official
newsletter of Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 914. Established in
1989, EAA Chapter 914 proudly serves the Greenville/Hunt County Texas area.
Every year, chapter members participate in numerous aviation events in the
Northeast Texas area and host an annual fly-in at Greenville Municipal Airport (GVT)
Chapter fees are $12.00 per year, which includes a subscription to the Plane
Fax, published 12 times per year.
June 2009
The Plane Fax
Volume 21 Issue 6
Inside This Months Issue
2009 Officers
Fly-In Update
Young Eagles
Fly Market
Calendar of Events
Chapter Officers (2009)
President
Lou Alvarez (903) 217-3549
E-mail - mudbuginc@netzero.com
President-Elect
Charlie Brown (903) 461-2796
E-mail - brownck@geusnet.com
Secretary
Bob Thomas (903) 457-4517
E-mail - Robert.S.Thomas@L-3com.com
Treasurer
Bill Collins (903) 457-4063
E-mail -
william.p.collins@l-3com.com
Appointed Positions (2009)
Newsletter Editor
LaNell Brown (903)454-9579
E-mail - eaa914@yahoo.com
Young Young Eagles Coordinator
Bob Thomas (903) 457-4517
E-mail- Robert.S.Thomas@L-3com.com
Event Coordinator
Carl Brown (903)454-1926
E-mail - cebrown4273@yahoo.com
Webmaster
Martin Linex (972) 494-5651
E-mail – tatshop@aol.com
Future fly-ins: Where do we stand?
By Carl Brown
The Greenville Aviation Expo and Fly-in was cancelled. This is old news. But
where does that put us as far as future events? The City of Greenville, in what
can only be judged as a brilliant move, has decided to get out of the Fly-in
business. And while I personally applaud that move, I also view it as a
potential disaster waiting to happen. Who will fill the void? How will general
aviation develop without fly-ins? What’s going to happen
to us as aviation enthusiasts?
Not to worry. The sun will still rise in the east and the world won't come to a
screeching halt. It will simply require a new approach to the same old problem,
how do you get someone hooked on flying?
Future fly-ins and aviation events will need to be simple. It’s already too
expensive to fly so there’s really no reason to make life harder on ourselves by
spending tons of money on a one or two day event that has the same effect as
watching paint dry. We need to make it interesting and interactive, which in
some ways means getting rid of the status quo.
I am planning yet another attempt at a fly-in. And yes I just heard everyone’s
collective signs. This time will be different. I’m not looking to the future for
inspiration, nor am I looking to the past for guidance. Instead I’m looking to
my fellow flyers for success.
We all have a wide and varied base of interest. But we have one thing in common:
aviation. And when aviators start talking, and the stories flow like wine,
that’s when it happens. Suddenly you have a fellowship that leaves you wanting
more. You develop friendships that grow over years and transcend the longest of
distances. And all that happens with the most informal of events. I’m not
interested in producing huge productions. I’m looking to the basics for the next
events. Right now, I’m looking at September as being the most likely time for a
gathering. But September is merely the beginning. But that story is for another
day.
Young Eagles:
Worth the effort, but can we really
support it.
An Editorial By Carl Brown
A heated discussion developed at our last general meeting over a comment that I
made regarding the Young Eagles program and having a sign-up sheet at our
display at the Hunt County Fair. I feel that my statement has been
misinterpreted and I want to set the record straight. I have absolutely nothing
against the chapter signing up Young Eagles. I believe in the Young Eagle
program. I want to see more young people involved in aviation. My only concern
is that we as a chapter are unable to seriously support the program to the
fullest extent needed. Our group is small and we have a very limited number of
active planes and pilots at our disposal. First and foremost, I believe we need
to change that before we can seriously consider ourselves Young Eagle ready. I
will readily admit to not doing everything in my power to commit to the task at
hand. I have let my currency laps, which means I don’t fly as much as want. I
don’t have a plane, which I would like to remedy if the bank will ever let me
get a loan. But the bottom line is I haven’t been doing my part. If we are to
take the Young Eagle program seriously, we need to be prepared to not simply
support
other groups with certificates and warm bodies, but by getting out and flying
kids ourselves. My only concern with a sign-up sheet at the fair display was
that we would have kids eager and ready to fly, and never get a phone call
because we don’t have the planes or pilots available. However, if the group does
have a sign-up, I will be more than happy to support the effort. I’ll even work
hard to get current and fly some Eagles myself. That’s the level of commitment
I’m willing to take. It is my plan, all things remaining even, to start building
a plane of my own within the next year. Although I’m not sure of what it will be
just yet, part of the mission profile that it will meet is that of a Young Eagle
platform. That means the aircraft will be available for all aspects of learning.
Young Eagle candidates can watch as the plane is built, test flown, and then
have the opportunity to take a ride in the aircraft itself. Updates will be made
available online and via e-mail so those that we sign-up can see honest progress
and maintain the since of wonder that drove them in our direction in the first
place.
But I don’t want to be the only one committed to this cause. If your willing to
fly an Eagle or share in the building process, then let the chapter leadership
know. Without all of us working together, we will accomplish nothing. Working
together, the sky is the limit.
Fly Market
EAA items for sale – Chapter
T-shirts for $10 each while supplies last. Sizes M-XXL. See
Mandy or LaNell for details or purchase.
EAA Calendars for sale - 2009
Calendars in. They are still only $10. Contact Bill Collins
903-455-3905 or
william.p.collins@l-3com.com
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
June 20 - Leander - Kittie
Hill/Sills Aviation BBQ Noon until food is gone.
June 27 - Denton Tex-Mex Fly-In
July 3 - 5 - Corpus Christi -
Freedom Flight on the Bay
July 11 - Lufkin - Fajiita
Fly-In
July 25 - Denton Tex-Mex Fly-In
