Gathering Minutes: Nov 25, 2023

Date: Nov 25, 2023

• Meeting breakfast social and sign-in 0930.
• Chapter President Ray Ballantyne called the Membership Gathering to order at 1005 at Wm. R. Fairchild Airport, terminal conference room.
• Ray led The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag with 25 members and 1 guest attending.
• Guest(s): Rich Lyon (visiting from Scottsdale, AZ).
• Ray jumped us right into the introduction of and presentation by Izzy Briggs, via Zoom link from Lawrence, MA. EAA Chapter 106. Izzy shared his remarkable story - Defiant Defiant - about his acquisition of two Rutan Defiant aircraft, that were located in Norway, and his adventure of preparing and then flying one of them home - across the Atlantic Ocean.
• Correspondence:
• Annual recognition related exchanges for certificates and pins.
• Chapter renewal paperwork has been completed and submitted by our Chapter Treasurer Tracy Halsted. Final acknowledgement for EAA HQ is pending and expected soon.
• Our chapter application to EAA HQ for approval to mentor a Ray Foundation Aviation Scholarship candidate is in process, with effort by Dave Miller and Ray Ballantyne.
• EAA HQ has posted a chapter survey and our Chapter President, Ray Ballantyne, invited all members to please participate by completing the survey. Let the board know what things you like and what you would hope to see happening as we venture into 2024.
• DART news - Alan Barnard extended an invitation to see the new operations center that has been established in the terminal building at Wm. R. Fairchild Intl. Airport. The FAA has approved a communications frequency and transponder “squawk” code for use by the Disaster Airlift Response Team.
• October Gathering Minutes were approved as written.
• Old Business
• Ray reported that no significant action has occurred regarding acquisition of a building/hangar.
• Ray reported the treasury has total funds of $14k, including $8k for scholarship and $0.7k in the building fund.
• Membership director Erik Petersen reported paid chapter membership now stands at 103.
• Fly Out Director Barry Halsted reported that the November flyout to forks attracted 11 aircraft and was lots of fun. Looking at Arlington (AWO) for December.
• New Business:
• The list of Class I and II directors positions was read and the candidates were introduced. There were no new applications. As there were no contested positions, Chapter President Ray Ballantyne called for a show of hands by the attending membership to approve the Class I directors and acknowledge the Class II directors for a 2 year term. All hands were in favor, none opposed. President, Ray Ballantyne. Vice President, Rick Vaux. Treasurer, Tracy Halsted and Secretary, Richard Howell.
• Logo Apparel - Lisa Ballantyne has offered to collect apparel items from chapter members and take them to Copy Cat Graphics, in PA, to have them embroidered. If you would like to participate, please contact Lisa. You can also take your items directly to Copy Cat.
• Ray offered for sale, a hat and a XL shirt with the EAA 430 logo already embroidered. Please let Ray know if you’d like either or both of those items.
• Flying Start - Our ground school course group has been meeting regularly - about every other week. Everyone seems to be learning things and having fun at the same time.
• Holiday Party - Saturday, December 9th, Cedars at Dungeness.
• We can look forward to entertainment from our own Bud Davies [and friends].
• Please consider bringing an unwrapped toy for Toys-for-Tots donation.
• Project Reports
• Rick Stoffel - Vans RV-10, working on wings and fuselage.
• Rick has been hosting the tool crib at his home hangar and requested that he be kept in the loop as to the use and location of the chapter’s aircraft scales. Each transfer and use of the scales should be recorded in the log book and the current borrower made known to Rick.
• Harry Cook - Sonex Waiex B, working on tail brackets.
• Erik Petersen - Cozy Mark IV, working with James, Sid, Norm and Nathan. Completed pickling the engine for the winter and while some extended work is being done.
• Colette Miller - has decided to purchase completed wing spars from the factory, rather than attempt to build them from parts.
• James Russell has been working on engineering drawings for remediation and improvements to Erik’s Cozy canard structure.
• The business portion of the gathering was adjourned at 1215.
• January Gathering - Sat Jan 27th, 10:00am - Port Angeles, Fairchild Airport conference room.
• Thanks to Kevin and Charlie Tracy, Joan Miller, Bud Davies, Tracy Halsted and others for organizing our coffee, treats and breakfast feast!

Respectfully submitted,

Richard Howell, EAA 430 Secretary