Gathering Minutes: April 29, 2023

Date: April 29, 2023

• Meeting social and sign-in 0930.
• Chapter President Ray Ballantyne called the Membership Gathering to order at 1009 at Sequim Valley Airport, Hangar 15
• Ray led The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag with 31 members and 15 guests attending
• Guest(s): Peter Craig and daughter Jessica, who earned her PPL in 2017, attended UWA and now works on rocket engines at Blue Origin! Also, David Fargre, Al Mundy, Dale Hannaly, James Noble, Kollette Beckert, Tamara Burns, Sid Vandiver, Steve Priest, Norm Nelson, Nathen Nelson and Bill Collier
• Washington Pilots Association, President Jerry Barkley, and Western Region Vice President Rick Beckert gave briefings on the association’s work, including the successful activities and membership outreach to defeat short-sighted legislation to hastily ban aviation fuel at key Washington airports and quite soon thereafter, the entire state.
• March Gathering minutes were approved as written.
• Correspondence: EAA HQ (Ray)
• Flying Start, Build N Fly
• Arranged for related PSA’s in Peninsula Daily News.
• Another LT-40 R/C model kit was ordered for Build N Fly.
• Old Business
• Tracy reported the chapter financial condition - the Scholarship fund has $10,400, General fund has $4,400, and the Building fund has $459. There are 98 current [dues paid] members and 19 members who have lapsed in 2023.
• Richard Howell gave an update on Build N Fly. Kids and parents are attending, participating and having fun, as are the program volunteers - Rick Vaux, Mike Niewiarowicz and Kevin Tracy. The kids are good builders and the wings, tail and fuselage are taking shape!
• Barry Halsted reported that the April fly-out to Bremerton (originally, Skagit) was attended by 21 people, 10 aircraft. Skagit is now expected to be the destination for May.
• Another 3D printer workshop is tentatively expected for mid-May. Contact is Erik Petersen.
• The Lite Flyers Breakfast attracted more than 20 guests who were treated to presentations by Bruce Burris, Doug Brundage and Andy Sallee. Sam Siphers showed off his Zenith 601.
• New Business:
• Ray shared about our EAA chapter survey results and they were quite favorable. Ray went on to report many of the specific responses to the question about The One Thing to Improve… among the most popular - attracting and engaging younger folks and having a permanent chapter facility.
• Dave Miller found a new propane grill/griddle for the chapter, to replace the charcoal fired one. The old grill found a new home right away.
• A coffee transport container has been acquired to make it easier to get freshly brewed coffee to the meeting and have it available when folks begin to arrive.
• Our first Young Eagles mission of the year will be Sunday May 21 at Wm. R. Fairchild Intl.

Airport Terminal, in Port Angeles - 11am - 3pm.

• Our Flying Start event will be Saturday May 20, also at the airport terminal in Port Angeles, beginning at 1pm. Come for informative presentations about learning to fly and to get (or schedule) a free introductory flight!
• Speakers include Dave Woodcock and Cecilia Aragon.
• Pilots and planes are needed, so please contact Ray Ballantyne to volunteer.
• A memorial service for George Lewellyn is scheduled for this afternoon at 2pm.
• A new home for the tool crib is needed as Rick Stoffel has sold his hangar. Please contact Rick, or any of the chapter directors, if you could and would be our new Tool Crib director.
• Project Reports
• Ray - GlaStar, adding auxiliary fuel tanks
• Richard Howell - Sling 2, ready for weight and balance
• Harry Cook - Sonex Waiex B, wing structure and covering left wing
• Dave Moffitt - RV-12 Classic, looking for DAR for “Light Sport”.
• James Russell - Cozy Mk. IV, metal parts
• Bill Shepard - Yak-3, new canopy, ready to fly
• Norm Coote - Quickie Q2, ready for engine start
• John Johnson, Swift engine IO-360, motor mount for SNJ-5
• Collette Miller - Sonex, ailerons
• Quick Announcements - don’t forget
• Norm Coote has a couple of R/C model kits he’d like to find a good home for - a P-51 kit and a J3 Cub, please let him know if you or someone you know is interested
• Ray adjourned the business portion of the gathering at 1052.
• Bill Collier presented his unique experiences in Vietnam - Air America
• Thanks to Ray Ballantyne for hosting our Burger Bash, with special thanks to Tracy Halsted, Joan Miller, Charlene “Charlie” Tracy, Dave Miller and others.

Respectfully submitted, Richard Howell, EAA 430 Secretary