EAA Chapter 430 Membership Gathering Minutes

Date: Oct 25, 2025

• Our gathering kicked off with a delicious breakfast buffet. Thanks to our Hospitality team of Kevin and Charlene Tracy and other generous volunteers.
• Chapter President Ray Ballantyne called the Membership Gathering to order at 1018, in the Wm. R. Fairchild Intl. Airport terminal conference room.
• Ray led The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag with 30 members and 3 guests attending.
• September Gathering Minutes were approved as written.
• Welcome Guests - Nicolena Hutchins, her daughter Evangeline and Robert Fuller.
• Ray introduced Corrina Johnson and her daughter Paisley, representing Olympic Christian School - as they were collecting entries for their fundraising drive, featuring the prize of a local scenic airplane flight, to be donated by an EAA 430 chapter member.
• Correspondence
• Announcement - LASAR, a Mooney aircraft parts and service center in Oregon
• Safari Helicopters - Received notice that the company is for sale
• Sequim Valley Airport - wrapping up communications regarding lease negotiations Old Business
• Treasury Tracy Halsted - (Ray) Our chapter funds are reflecting $4800 for scholarship, $2315 operating and about $233,500 in our building fund.
• Our Chili Bingo night was attended by 31 and added $1320 to our scholarship funds.
• Membership Tracy Halsted - Paid membership is now at 115.
• Build and Fly - Richard Howell reported that we had a nice event, attended by 4 kids and their parents on Saturday October 11th. Kids and parents worked to successfully build and fly balsa wood, hand-launched gliders. A couple of kids got some hands on flying of an R/C model before a technical issue grounded things until another day.
• Young Eagles Bud Davies - (Ray) shared that we flew 155 kids, with 3 rallies - including two at Sequim Valley and one at Fairchild airport in Port Angeles. 15 pilots, including several from neighboring EAA chapters, generously donated their time and personal airplanes to make our 2025 season a success.
• Fly-out Barry Halsted - Aiden Lara is Barry Halsted’s designated flyout coordinator (DFC) for October. Aiden arranged for an October 16th flyout, lunch and a Cub Crafters factory tour in Yakima, WA - happily attended by 4 people in 3 airplanes. Aiden is also anticipating another fly out to nearby Roche Harbor on the 27th.
• Our hospitality team is circulating a volunteer signup sheet for breakfast helpers with the November 29th gathering, here at Fairchild airport terminal conference room.

New Business

• Election Update - The slate of nominees for our chapter Board of Drectors has been included in our most recent newsletter. Most of our existing board members have agreed to serve again, for another 2 year term. There will be some switching of hats for Secretary, Scholarship, Newsletter and Website editors. All positions only have 1 nominee each, at this time. If this doesn’t change, our chapter bylaws require only a confirming show of hands by a majority of those present to be recorded during our regular Membership Gathering in November. If you have interest in serving on the chapter board of directors, please let any board member know.
• New Aviators Update
• Sid Vandiver - has logged about 19 hours of flight training experience. Sid graduated “top of the class” in his ground school training class.
• Jazmin Stamper - (Ray) working to prepare for the “long cross country” portion of her training requirements.
• Genna Nickel - has completed her training and received her Private Pilot certificate.

She’s exploring opportunities for scholarships and funding to continue training towards her instrument rating.

• Kevin Tracy - has accumulated about 75 hours of flight training time in his Ercoupe and is preparing for the cross country portion of his training.
• Nathan Nelson - (Norm) flew in a Champ, part of the Port Townsend Aero Museum collection, from Jefferson County (0S9) to Sequim Valley (W28).
• Projects
• Erik Petersen - Cozy Mk IV working on drawings and engineering approvals for repairs.
• Cenk Ozer has received his newly overhauled engine and is hopeful he’ll have his RV-4 back in the air within 30 days.
• Harry Cook - Sonex Waiex B, AeroVee engine assembly and firewall forward tasks.
• John Ward - has new digs for his Pipistrel Sinus motorglider – a hangar at Jefferson County Airport!
• Our EAA Chapter 430 Christmas Holiday party is planned for Saturday, December 20th - 5:00pm.

Tickets are expected to be $50 per person.

• The Business portion of the gathering was adjourned at 11:02.
• Today’s program - Rob Stephens, VL3 Journey (all about Rob’s adventures, choosing and acquiring a brand new JMB VL3 aircraft).

Respectfully submitted,

Richard Howell, EAA 430 Secretary