by J. Rion Bourgeois
Breakfast Report
We served 217 at the October 7, 2023 breakfast, compared with 251 at the September breakfast, 218 at the August breakfast, 260 at the July breakfast, and 257 at the June breakfast. Fall has fell, so 217 will probably be about average until Spring. Our regular volunteers receive personalized monogrammed Aileron Café aprons. There are still some regular slots available for the 9 to 11 a.m. shift if you want to commit and earn an apron. Contact Cliff Gerber at breakfast@eaa105.org if you want to volunteer as a regular or just for the next breakfast as needed.
Monthly Chapter Meeting
The October 12 (second Thursday) monthly meeting program at Hangar G1 at Twin Oaks Airpark was a two part presentation by immediate past president Chris Riedener. Chris first discussed the final phase of the chapter’s Cessna 120 project which is on track to complete the wings and hopefully re-assemble the engine before the end of the year. We then broke for a supper of DIY sandwiches (fixings supplied by Benton Holzwarth), followed by Chris’ concise and informative slideshow presentation on back-country flying. Chris owns an Interstate Cadet and an interest in an RV-12. He has developed an interest in backcountry flying and has attended three different mountain flying courses and obtained a float rating. He gave a history of “bush flying”, a description of the various designs of backcountry aircraft (STOL, utility, tailwheel, floats, and skis), outlined the techniques and philosophy of backcountry flying, described some backcountry destinations in Alaska, Idaho, and Utah, and described the costs, training, and resources available. His slideshow included many photographs from his own experiences.
Build and Fly Program
The first model has been flown and is undergoing refinements to make it more controllable before being turned over to the students. There are about seven regular students attending the Sunday sessions at hangar G1 at Twin Oaks.
Calendar of Upcoming Events
The annual membership and election meeting will be held at the breakfast hangar at Twin Oaks Airpark on November 9, 2023, followed by the annual Pie Auction. Our bylaws provide for a minimum of four and a maximum of fifteen directors. The current board at the October meeting can nominate a slate of up to twelve directors and also nominate the four officers who are also directors. At the October 19, 2023 board meeting, the board nominated twelve directors: J. Rion Bourgeois, Bill Jepson, Benton Holzwarth, Jennifer Hickman, Clifford B. Gerber, Greg Hughes, Bruce Rose, Richard Van Grunsven, Jerry Van Grunsven, Chris Riedener, Ken Howe, and Mike Whelan. The board nominated as officers, J. Rion Bourgeois for president, Bill Jepson for vice president, Benton Holzwarth for Secretary, and Jennifer Hickman for treasurer. Up until and during the annual meeting of the members in November, members may nominate alternative officers, and alternative and additional directors so that up to fifteen directors may be elected. All nominees must accept the nomination at or before the annual meeting of members. A member may volunteer to run for director at the annual meeting of members if there are fewer than fifteen directors nominated. There is a monthly board of directors meeting via Zoom on the third Thursday of every month. The meetings last one to two hours. We have on occasion not been able to produce a quorum at the monthly meeting, so please don’t volunteer to be a director unless you intend to attend the directors’ meetings.
At the October 19, 2023 director’s meeting, the board passed a resolution by a vote of 8 to 1 that the pie auctioneer’s stories can not exceed one minute in length, so if you were hoping to hear the conclusion of the history of the Quaker Oats Instant Poem Contest, you are out of luck. The good news is that the auction will be shorter this year.
The Holiday Banquet will be held on January 12, 2024., and the First Saturday of Every Month Pancake and Grits Breakfast will occur on the first Saturday of every month. Details of the breakfast are on the chapter website EAA105.org under the “Calendar” tab. I hope to see y’all at the next Saturday breakfast on November 4, 2023. Regularly scheduled Young Eagle Events are concluded for the year. A total of 101 kids were flown from our hangar at Twin Oaks during 2023. The Cessna 120 project group meets on Saturdays or Sundays and the Build and Fly youth program meets on Sundays at the chapter’s project hangar G1 at Twin Oaks. Details and contact information is available on our website.