From the Left Seat

As the days grow longer, and the warm breezes of spring begin, it turns our thoughts to flying our personal aerocrafts wherever we want. What a freedom we have! Although Lisa and I are still in Lower Slower Delaware (LSD) (sometimes it feels like that), I have connected with local aviators and find the bond of aviation is strong all across this nation. Around the time you’re reading this, I will be flying to an aviation gathering in the cockpit of “Buttercup,” an Alon Aircoupe owned by a new friend I met here.

I was sorry to have missed the Northwest Aviation Conference and Tradeshow last month. I saw many of our members in the pictures from the conference. I hope a lot of you got an opportunity to attend.

As you will read in Barry Halsted’s report, the tech counselors looked over Rick Stoffel’s RV10 project with great success last month. We’re looking for the next victim!

If you saw the email about the MiniMax project, you will be pleased to know that Dave Woodcock is following up with discussions about finishing the airplane at his KCLM hangar. That should be a fun build.

Deb Cox has donated several numbered prints of Alaskan airplanes, which will be put up for sale, with the proceeds going to our scholarship fund. Look for more information in the future, and hopefully you’ll be able to view and purchase them at our Gathering on March 26. The program in March will be “How to do a condition inspection on a one-of-a-kind aircraft,” and we will be meeting in the Fairchild Airport International Conference room.

Get ready for all the young-uns who would like to experience aviation at our first Young Eagles rally of the year on May 21, at the Port Angeles Airport Appreciation Day. Following the monthly gathering on May 28th, we will host our first Flying Start program for people who want to learn how to get into aviation. Start thinking and reaching out to invite people you know who might be interested in learning what it takes to get a pilot’s license and fly your own plane. Following the presentation, we would like to offer Eagle flights (sometimes called Bald Eagle flights), and will need some aviators to fly them later in the day.

We continue to celebrate our 50th anniversary this year with a new banner shown in this newsletter. What a great history of service the chapter has provided aviation in the Sequim/Port Angeles area. It’s an honor and privilege to be a part of this great chapter. Ray