EAAers in action
in the spotlight
Everyone’s a Winner
EAA’s Share the Spirit Sweepstakes
Rotor Way A600 Talon
JIM BUSHA, EAA 119684
Have you had a chance to review the 2009 EAA Share the Spirit Sweepstakes prizes? What a selection! The sweepstakes has the makings of “Christmas in
August” for the handful of lucky recipients who will walk
away with one of this year’s unique prizes.
Wouldn’t it be nice to claim the Bose Wave music
system or a Canon EOS 50D digital camera kit with
lens? How about tooling around on a green and yellow
John Deere Select Series X700 Ultimate tractor or, better
yet, learning how to hover in your sleek RotorWay A600
Talon helicopter that includes a $20,000 student credit at
Rotor Way’s flight training facility? Or are you the type that
is holding out for the granddaddy package of them all—a
Flight Design MC (Metal Concept) light-sport aircraft that
includes a Chevron Alliance fuel card with a $10,000 credit
and 50,000 points in the FlyBuys rewards program?
A waste of time and money because you never win
anything, you say? What if I told you that everyone who
enters is a guaranteed winner? Now before you ask the
obvious question—how that can be when there are only
five prizes to be given away to countless EAA members who
enter—please let me explain. The sweepstakes program has
two key ingredients. First, it provides an opportunity for
every member who fills out a ticket the same chance at
winning one of the prizes. Second, the sweepstakes provides
a venue for EAA sponsors to build valuable relationships
with EAA members by supporting the EAA mission and
vision.
Flight Design USA decided to donate its newest aircraft
to the EAA sweepstakes because of its appreciation for the
creation not only of the sport pilot certificate, but also the
light-sport aircraft (LSA) category.
“I am proud to say I was there at the creation of the sport
pilot,” said Tom Peghiny, president of Flight Design USA,
“and at every turn in the road EAA was there to support
this program. We would not have light-sport aircraft, in
my opinion, or the sport pilot certificate without the
broad shoulders of the EAA. That is one of the reasons
why we decided to donate this brand new LSA to the EAA
sweepstakes.
“Another big reason is that the MC is one of the first
aircraft designed specifically for training use, and what
better place to showcase it than at EAA AirVenture. We
are holding serial number 1 for the winner because we
really want to give good value to both EAA and the person
who wins this aircraft. Even if you have only dreamed of
flight and never obtained a pilot rating or have countless
hours scribbled in stacks of logbooks, this aircraft will
give you the grassroots feel of flying with all the modern
conveniences of a glass cockpit at your fingertips.”
So what do you get if you win the MC? For starters,
you receive a two-place, day/night visual flight rules
(VFR), metal and composite tricycle-gear airplane valued
at around $130,000. The MC can operate from either a
backcountry farm strip or a 2-mile runway with ease
thanks to the sturdy 100-hp Rotax 912 ULS engine that
spins a three-bladed composite propeller. Once inside the
cockpit you realize this is not your standard trainer. The
MC has a 52-inch-wide cabin that can accommodate two
full-size adults. Leather seats and a Dynon glass panel
are just some of the finer things in life that accompany
this aircraft. Although the sweepstakes aircraft is VFR-
equipped, the winner could upgrade to an instrument
flight rules version at a later date. And if you’re the lucky
winner of this beauty you won’t have to worry about a
budget for fuel. Thanks to the great folks at Chevron, that
has been taken care of for you.
“In addition to promoting Chevron products and
programs, we have selected EAA as a partner because we
recognize them as an industry leader and support their
mission and youth initiatives like the Air Academy,”
said Robert Taylor, manager of branded programs and
communication for Chevron Global Aviation. “We are
excited about our relationship with EAA, and that is why
