EAAers in action
chapter hangar
Reaching Out and Working Together
Charlotte chapter participates in GA Serves America event
CHUCK PORTER, EAA 825647
Ireceived an invitation from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) in early July to attend the Charlotte AOPA and NATA General Aviation Town
Meeting on July 20. Since I had previously read that EAA and
the AOPA had joined forces to protect, support, and grow
general aviation, I was surprised that EAA was not included
in the event. The date coincided with our monthly EAA
chapter meeting, and after discussing my idea with other
chapter directors, I volunteered to coordinate with Wilson
Air to ensure that EAA had a presence at this event. Wilson
Air said it would allow us to have a promotional booth in
the static display that included a new RV- 7 aircraft if we
would volunteer a dozen chapter members to direct traffic
and secure the doors to the ramp.
Randy Utsey, an EAA Chapter 309 director, got
permission from AOPA to display his RV- 7, which served
as a backdrop for the chapter’s EAA table. More volunteers
showed up than had signed up to be part of the first General
Aviation Serves America event! I knew that EAA staffers
were busy getting ready for AirVenture, but they sent us
a 10-foot Spirit of Aviation banner and a huge box of our
EAA magazines and handouts, including EAA Young Eagles
program and sport pilot brochures.
More than 200 people attended the event, which
included remarks from AOPA President Craig Fuller and
James Coyne of NATA discussing the current shape of
general aviation and what can be done to get it moving
forward again.
EAA Chapter 309 members display Randy Utsey’s recently completed RV- 7.
