EAA Sport Aviation - August 2009

four months—it takes that long mainly because most groups meet only once a month—at a cost of $300-$400, including application fee and insurance, local dues, and state fees.

Greg says he first called EAA headquarters to see how many EAA members lived within a 50-mile radius of him. He received not only the names and addresses of nearby members, but also postcards to mail out to them.

“I sent the postcards out and wrote that I was thinking of starting a chapter,” he says. “More than 40 people came to our first meeting. About that same amount came to our second meeting.”

Greg says the chapter already has officers, is building a chapter website, and is assigning committees. But while it has no place of its own to call home yet, the airport manager and the fixed base operator (FBO) owner have joined the chapter and are allowing the group to use their facilities—a conference room in the St. Joseph airport or an FBO hangar, depending on weather.

John says he ran into a lot of naysayers who questioned if he would be successful in starting a new EAA chapter. “But now all the naysayers are in the chapter. They all wanted it, but didn’t think they had the gumption to do the paperwork.”

As for others thinking of starting a chapter, John’s advice is simple. “Do it. You just need to be a catalyst to get it going.”

And what do you have to lose, he questions. “If you have the will, and think it will be good for your airport, do it. If it doesn’t work, you’re just back to driving to the next chapter. You can still go to the meetings when you have time.”

Greg says their chapter is planning a variety of events this first year, including a fly-in breakfast and a Young Eagles rally. In the long run, they hope to buy their own hangar and make their chapter a place where youth can be regularly exposed to aviation.

John Wisdom Paul Pakusch

Greg has already been in contact with counselors at the middle school and high school levels to introduce the Young Eagles program, plus he’s filled out the paperwork to become an aviation merit badge counselor for Boy Scouts of America.

Greg’s chapter also hopes to start a tool loan program and coordinate efforts of members who have planes in various stages of construction.

While 40 members are officially on the books, Greg is looking to keep the group growing, and made up business cards to pass out to those interested in joining. “Plus, I gave about 10 cards to each member,” he says. “That way if they run into someone who is interested, they have a card to hand to him or her that gives our contact information and our meeting time.”

Although Chapter 1475 is also young and small— about 20-plus members so far—chapter leaders have big plans and ideas, too. The chapter is partnering with high school shop classes, and their first project will be jointly

Members of EAA Chapter 1475 gathered for a hangar party in April 2009.

Chapter 44 member Dave Hurd drives the Plane Train with future Young Eagles along for the ride. The photo was taken at Chapter 44’s 50th anniversary celebration, Families Fly.

building and flying a model aircraft, complete with radio control.

“We figure it’s a good way to get youth involved in aviation,” John says. “If we get them building and flying an RC aircraft, a real aircraft will come in the future.”

Its first Young Eagles rally was scheduled for June, held in conjunction with the airport fly-in. In the long term, John also hopes to have a club hangar that has enough room to allow for multiple projects.

A club hangar that fits the need of chapter members will help a chapter grow, says Duane Huff, of EAA Chapter 690 in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He knows that from experience.

Chapter 690 was small when it was chartered in 1980. “But we’ve grown to over 200 members annually,” he says, noting that much of the growth has occurred since 1995 when they moved into their chapter-owned hangar.