EAA Chapter 430 Newsletter, July 2026

From the Left Seat with President Ray Ballantyne Happy July! The 250th celebration of our nation was a spectacular event, including the many flyovers of the evolution of aviation in the US. Over 120 years ago two brothers announced they could fly. It turns out they were Wright. It’s been a busy month for EAA430. We substituted the VMC/IMC club meeting this month for a fund raiser to purchase a propeller balancer. We had a blast determining the best chili (Jeanne Hansen), Aidan kept winning all the prizes, and the jokes were just sublime. The generous people attending the event donated almost $1600 for a top- notch balancer which will benefit chapter members for years in the future. A couple of days later, we introduced 44 Young Eagles to the skies above. As you will read, many volunteers made a delightful event for these perspective aviators and their parents. I am proud to report that I just received a certificate and polo shirt for flying over 100 Young Eagles. That was done pretty much one- at-a-time in the GlaStar. The Sportsman is much better! The following day Rob and Joanna Stephens hosted the 2nd annual dinner for the Board of Directors. It was a fabulous event at their house and even included a clinic on how to win at Corn Hole. Breaking News! The annual Poker Run is on! See the announcement in this newsletter for more information. Aidan is planning to get stamps at every airport on the list. Get in on the BIG poker game at the August Gathering and win big prizes. Here’s an update on some of our new aviators: Jazmin recently received her Private Pilot License, Sid just solo’d, Gunner is on the last stage of his Certified Flight Instructor, and Aidan has applied for the Horizon Air Pilot program. How exciting is that? EAA Chapter 430 Serving Northern Olympic Peninsula July 2026 — Newsletter Chapter Membership Gathering Saturday, July 25 at 0930 Sequim Valley Airport, Hangar 15 (lunch) https://eaa430.org 😀

July 2026 EAA Chapter 430 - Newsletter Lisa and I will miss you again at the July Gathering as we will be representing the Chapter at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI. Ernie will also be out, so Richard Howell is stepping into the breach to lead the Gathering. The Larrance’s from O l y m p i c F i e l d w i l l p r o v i d e t h e presentation. Here’s hoping for blue skies and tailwinds, Ray Young Eagles Rally, July 11th with Tracy Halsted For our second rally of the year, weather was perfect and we had a neatly manageable group of 42 kids show up. The event all went very well. Kevin and Charlene Tracy provided a nice lunch of homemade sandwiches for the crew. We had a great group, and having a few less kids show up, made for an easy event. Pilots: • Ray Ballantyne (3 flights) • Harry Cook (3 flights) • Bud Davies (1 flight) • Stanley Hall (3 flights) • Ernie Hansen (3 flights) • Erik Petersen (3 flights) • Lane Gormley, EAA 84 (3 flights) Flight Line: • John Meyers • Dave Miller • Barry Halsted • Norm Nelson • Nathan Nelson • Charlie Tracy • Richard Howell Administrative Functions: • Lisa Ballantyne • Tracy Halsted • Joan Miller • Linda Priddle • Linda Runion • Kevin Tracy • Jazmin Stamper • Alejandra Stamper I particularly want to point out Bud’s static airplane display. The kids were very interested in what he had to say and it contributed nicely, during their wait time. Thanks, Bud! And thank you for flying the one kid that showed up late, after the event was closed down! Tracy More Young Eagles Event Photos on our chapter website eaa430.org/young-eagles Pilot Safety Briefing

July 2026 EAA Chapter 430 - Newsletter Fly-out to Olympic Field, June 10th with Barry Halsted Our fly-out this June was to Olympic Field, located just west of the south end of Discovery Bay. This airstrip is unique in that it includes a seaplane float pond next to its beautiful grass landing strip. This fly-out was unusual in that i t b e g a n b y j o i n i n g i n a m e e t i n g o f Recreational A v i a t i o n F o u n d a t i o n (RAF) members and guests at the south end of the field, and then continued with aviation enthusiasts attending the annual Olympic Field Fly-in at the north end of the field. Olympic Field has been noticed and r e m e m b e r e d b y many pilots in the a r e a d u e t o i t s seaplane float pond, but few have visited it. This private airstrip is owned by Ryan Larrance and was constructed by his father, opening in 1994. Before the grass grew, the lone a i r p l a n e l a n d i n g there was a Cessna 310. Today the turf runway is smooth as a baby’s butt, and a good landing will leave the pilot wondering if he is really on the ground. We’ll hear more about Olympic Field in a chapter presentation. Three more Young Eagles about to take flight in a Cessna 172

July 2026 EAA Chapter 430 - Newsletter Our fly-out group made up only a part of those enjoying this event. And in addition to Cessnas and other airplanes that flew in, there were loads of taildraggers and even a couple of aircraft that operated off the water. The fly-in itself featured hamburgers and soft drinks as well as pot luck offerings. Live music provided additional entertainment. EAA Chapter 430 members attending included Richard Howell, Norm Nelson with his wife Myla and son Nathan, Scott Brooksby, Emiley Westcott, Aidan Lara and his grandfather Jim Pedlar, Ernie Hansen, Kevin and Charlene Tracy, Steve and Maria Emley, Mark Long, Doug Medema, John Cuny, Jay and Francois Pearlman, Bud Davies, James Russell, and Evangeline Hutchins with her father Wells. Ray and Lisa Ballantyne attended and also hosted the RAF volunteers. Terry Smith and Tracy Halsted came with me. In addition to a great day among friends and fellow fliers, the opportunity to fly into and out of a grass strip as pristine as this one doesn’t come often and it was a delight to all who were able to do it. Barry More Fly-out Event Photos on our chapter website eaa430.org/fly-outs Amazing Journey — Private Pilot with Jazmin Stamper and family Jazmin Thanks to my parents for homeschooling me. I have always been interested in the unusual things, when it comes to art, music, and random facts. In 2016, my Mom and Dad brought me to my first Young Eagles, and I loved it. It was new and different than anything else. For me, flying gives me a feeling of freedom, from gravity, and any thoughts or worries I may have. To be flying and enjoying the moment, focusing on the task at hand, and being free. Starting from Young eagles, then Build and Fly, getting the Ray scholarship, and going to the Air Academy (which I also got to go to Air Venture too). I’ve learned so much and have made many friends along the way. I’m so unbelievably grateful for everyone who has helped me along the way. I’m also very grateful

July 2026 EAA Chapter 430 - Newsletter that I have been able to experience this support and love from the people around me, and I hope to be able to give back in ways I can. For instance, I have been able to help with Young Eagles starting this year and many many more to come. Tomorrow (Tuesday, 7/14) I will be flying my parents for the first time as a Private Pilot. Thank you all for the support that you have given me, and I hope you all have wonderful evenings. Thank you, Jazmin Stamper Mom and Dad We decided to homeschool Jazmin. We w a n t e d h e r t o l i v e a n d h a v e experiences outside of a mainstream, normal life. That led us to always be looking for new experiences and unusual routes of education. We found Young Eagles in that long ago summer of 2016. We were so excited to see her fascinated with flight and took her back every opportunity we could. We would like to thank EAA 430 and everyone involved for supporting her through Young Eagles, sponsoring her trip to The Air Academy, Build and Fly, and for helping her get her Ray Scholarship. We could not be more blessed than to see her accomplish all she has. Our hope for her has always been to live an extraordinary and unusual life, and she is well on her way. As you know, she now has her Private Pilot’s License. She will be taking us on our first flight together this Tuesday (7/14). We are so happy with who she is becoming and are excited for her future! Thank you, Justin and Alejandra Stamper … PS: mi mundo es mi familia y con cada paso que dan yo los sigo y admiro, mis hijos mi hija quien son lo mejor de mi. Gracias por la constante atención. Gracias Alejandra Stamper …

July 2026 EAA Chapter 430 - Newsletter Achieving a private pilot certificate is no small accomplishment. It’s huge. It takes levels of dedication and commitment that are often beyond anything anticipated at the beginning of the process. Congratulations to Jazmin. Great job! Congratulations to her parents Justin and Alejandra for the steadfast support of their daughter on her amazing journey. EAA Chapter 430 members can be proud too. We have been fortunate to be able to contribute with mentorship and a $12,000 EAA Ray Foundation Aviation Scholarship award. That’s certainly a big boost, but the final push, up to and over the top, came from Jazmin and her parents. That’s just so cool. Well done. — Editor Airpark Living with John Meyers I was invited to write something about “airpark living” aka “living with your plane”. It’s a fine lifestyle for someone who is an airplane “geek” and/or wants handy light plane transport from their garage/hangar for sure. One might pay a premium to indulge in such real estate holdings, … or maybe not. I can speak with some experience … with 30 years of said lifestyle in 3 different locations. I was also a “geek” … and loved the light plane ownership …with easy access at home. Background: As a young, single flight crewmember for United Airlines (age 23), I came to be based in the SEA area. I was, at some point, informed of the Pacific NW option of homeownership airpark properties based on cockpit conversations among crew on trips with (“wealthy”) Captains. More than one of Private Pilot - ASEL

July 2026 EAA Chapter 430 - Newsletter them was speculating that airpark homes would be the thing of the future, and they were buying building lots as investments. The airport/airpark names were CREST, SHADY ACRES, EVERGREEN, SOUTH PRAIRIE, and more. I was an apartment dweller at the time and could only aspire to home ownership when my pay would be advanced by seniority and promotion. As it turned out, I became acquainted with some contemporary airline colleagues (young single guys) who heard the same cockpit conversations. We found out that there was a solo vacant home for rent at Crest Airpark (now S36) … and we were off to the races. That was 1969 … and we enjoyed the airpark “wilderness” for about 6 months. I called it “wilderness” since Crest was way out in the woods, …not much civilization nearby at that time. Most of Crest property was unplatted but slow work was in progress to develop east and west sides for homesites. The property owner/developer (a family operation) used the airport office as a real estate office… with a map of the p l a t s . T h e K n e c h t e l f a m i l y w a s “financing” potential buyers. My roommate signed up about the time the owners wanted their house back. So, my roommate soon soured on the idea of this property and I bought his interest… something like $1500 equity and $150 bucks a month, $6500 total. This was 1970. To shorten the story, here’s the evolution of my life at Crest Airpark: In 1971, I built a hangar with apartment. In 1972, I latched onto a nice lady… who obviously would need a proper house, so we built one adjacent to the hangar in 1973. Life was good with lots of flying and social connections… and new homes being built with flying families moving in (congenial neighbors). Despite general regional malaise (Boeing layoffs, fuel crisis, Viet Nam), life at Crest Airpark was good. There was an informal HOA early on but mainly we had an agreement for airport access (20 years) as part of the original land purchase. We lived there until 1978. There were rumors that the family was selling the airport which consisted of airstrip and commercial corner, fuel, tiedowns, hangars, etc. I was accepting a promotion which meant a domicile move to Cleveland. I was primed for this… having learned of a nice airpark d e v e l o p m e n t w i t h i n commuting distance to the Ohio airport. The Crest house got sold easily. We designed and built a new house

July 2026 EAA Chapter 430 - Newsletter (again), hangar attached this time. This airpark arrangement had a commercial strip, fuel, hangars and tiedowns. The adjacent homes with rights-of-way to the airstrip paid $15/month per airplane for access. There was no HOA since we had no common ownership. Again, we enjoyed the ambience, camaraderie and the socialness of our community near Wadsworth Ohio. The airstrip was WELTZEIN SKYPARK, now 15G. And it was handy to my airline base at CLE. The CLE era was boom then bust for United. There was a big industrial sag in the early 1980’s. Our region earned the nickname “rustbelt”. I promoted myself out of CLE base and left Ohio with a pilot assignment back in Seattle. It took time to sell the Ohio property but we got clear of it eventually. No one goes to Cleveland area to enjoy the climate so the buyers were few… and buyers with airplanes even fewer. T h i s b e g a n a p e r i o d o f 2 0 years when we did not live in an airpark or have home access to airstrip. Viola’… after a 36-year career w i t h U n i t e d A i r l i n e s , I decided to retire slightly early. We lived in Denver area at the time and had enjoyed the high country … even owning horse property and a ski-condo in Breckenridge for a while. Without local employment, there was no reason to remain in Denver area. My wife and I discussed possibilities of moving … and came up with 3 attributes that might be worth buying into. 1) waterfront, 2) horse property, 3) airpark(again). It seems that we were led back to Pacific NW … and Sequim area specifically based on real estate ads in aviation trade journals. That’s how we acquired airpark house #3 in summer 2003. Did I mention that I got a post-retirement job in Korea at that time? The joke was… that we moved from Denver to Sequim so that I could be close to work. The RAKES GLEN (WA59) property met our attributes, two out of three… the horsey part, and the airpark part. We actually skipped the horsey part, … despite having 5 acres of grass. I commuted to/from Seoul Korea for 82 months. I built a Harmon Rocket… with a

July 2026 EAA Chapter 430 - Newsletter lot of help from some pro’s. Fortunately, my wife Alliree liked to ride a mower and cut the grass… for most of our 20 years in residence there. The airpark was conceived to use the airstrip as a street (or vice versa). We had an appropriate HOA to take care of our common access…which was the gated street. The gate made us seem like an upper-crust property but the practical aspect of success here was our small population (10 owners) and minimal ground traffic and minimal air traffic… which allowed low-risk traffic mix on our 1600’ airstrip. The street was our lifeline for autos, FedEx deliveries, dog-walkers, and invited guests. By now, I regret to say we have “aged- out” of the flying community. It was especially great to sell our “treasure” to another aviation-minded family who can add value to RAKES GLEN AIRPARK for years to come. We live nearby in a retirement community. I can visit any time and feel good about borrowing fruit from the orchard that we planted 20- some years ago. Airpark Living Summary: Best part… if you are at the airport, pull the ship out of the hangar… and forgot your keys to the plane… well guess what? John Meyers Sequim, WA June, 2026 Chili Bingo Fundraiser, July 8th where do prop balancers come from? We had a most enjoyable evening with great food and fun. Thanks to every who came. A lot of effort went into the fixings - not just the chili. So, thanks to everyone who contributed. We all appreciated the details. Jeanne Hansen won the tasting competition. Well done! The event was intended to raise some money for a tool, that would not only benefit those that use it, but also become an ongoing means of funding EAA Chapter 430 scholarship awards to deserving young students. Dynamic propeller balancing is something every airplane needs, but few Jeanne Hansen sporting the EAA Chapter 430 chili cook-off, perpetual trophy uniform Visit the EAA Chapter 430 website eaa430.org

July 2026 EAA Chapter 430 - Newsletter owners will spend the time, effort and money to get it done. It tends to be a task that, more often than not, eludes attention and action. The tools are expensive and expertise may be hard to come by. Scheduling time to take an airplane someplace to get the work done, can be a hassle, also expensive, and unfortunately often, not completed as effectively as it could or should be. A wise old sage (probably Barry) once said, “If you want something done right — do it yourself.” Great advice, if one happens to have the right tool for the job. Well guess what? EAA Chapter 430 now has the right tool for the job. … The instrument we selected for our tool crib is the DynaVibe GX3 from RPX Technologies. It is the most capable and easy to use tool available. … We raised $1,585 at Chili Bingo night. Ernie Hansen has already performed two prop balances (Ken Brown and Ray Ballantyne) at $200 donation each. We have reimbursed Ernie the $3,793 that the tool cost, plus I’ve submitted a r e i m b u r s e m e n t r e q u e s t t o E A A headquarters for $300 toward Tool Crib purchases. So, our current balance of $1,808 should be paid off pretty quickly, as more requests for prop balancing come in and are completed. Once we have reached a zero balance (money fronted from Operating Fund), further prop balancing donations will go into our Scholarship fund. Thanks, Ernie, for all your w o r k o n t h e p r o p balancer and the tool crib! Tracy Halsted

July 2026 EAA Chapter 430 - Newsletter First Solo Flight — Sid Vandiver pilot in command, 12 July 2026 It’s time to congratulate Sid on his first solo — truly a meaningful milestone. As newsletter editor I recently had the opportunity and pleasure to ask Sid a couple of probing questions to gain insight regarding key aspects of his recently logged flight experience: Q: How do you feel? A: Good! Q: What was it like? A: I was nervous. 😛 There you have it!! … Sid has been doing whatever it takes to manage work, home life in Sequim, and FAR Part 141 flying lessons in Olympia. Fantastic job, Sid. Congratulations! — Editor Membership Gathering June 27th — meeting recap Our June meeting featured our EAA Chapter 430 Vice President, Ernie Hansen stepping in to lead while President Ray Ballantyne was away, attending the annual G l a s a i r A i r c r a f t O w n e r s Association Fly-in at Smily Creek, ID and then flying on to other b a c k c o u n t r y v e n u e s a n d activities in his Glasair Sportsman. Chapter 430 member Cecilia Aragon presented her talk — Dancing with Gravity — as we imagined ourselves spinning towards the Earth and gracefully recovering from such thrilling maneuvers. Once again our magnificent hospitality team organized tasty treats and a burger lunch to enjoy. And thanks, to Bud Davies for the use of his hangar. — Editor Sid Vandiver and C-172 Discover our EAA Chapter 430 Events Page eaa430.org/events

July 2026 EAA Chapter 430 - Newsletter Academic Scholarship Updates with Dave Miller Recently, former and long-time chapter scholarship director, Dave Miller reached out to our academic scholarship recipients to see how they’re doing. Noah Kaser: Hi, David. For the moment I am still a student at the University of Washington and I have a little over another year left. My current plans are to build experience in technical matters through my club and to focus on building connections and securing an internship. I am a member of the hardware team of Washington Aerial Robotics, WAAR, and I am enjoying my work so far. I’m not certain about my plans post- graduation at this moment as there is a lot that can and will change in the following year. Sincerely, Noah Kaser Henry Brown: Hello David, As of now, I am on the search for any pilot-related jobs. I have mostly been applying to CFI jobs, but have extended my search to other piloting or airplane related jobs in the midst of a highly competitive job market for low-time pilots. That being said, if you hear of any related opportunities, please send them my way! Thank you again for their [EAA 430] academic scholarship, it has been extremely helpful for paying budgeting my aviation degree! Best regards, Henry Brown EAA Chapter 430 - Membership Gathering Presentation - Ryan Larrance and Family About Olympic Field (WA45) Saturday, July 25, 2026 - 0930 Sequim Valley Airport Hangar 15 (lunch)

July 2026 EAA Chapter 430 - Newsletter EAA Chapter 937 - Orcas Island Fly-in chapters.eaa.org/eaa937/orcas-fly-in

July 2026 EAA Chapter 430 - Newsletter Hello All, The 2026 Poker Run playoff will occur at the August EAA Chapter 430 meeting (August 29). The playoff is open to participants qualifying by flying to at least five of the airports listed on the Poker Run Entry Form during the months of July and August. The entry form and rules are attached and the contents are shown below. This event helps the chapter fund our scholarship program and provides a fun thing to do! Looking for a reason to go flying? Here it is! Grab a friend and go! Barry By now, you should have received the entry form in your email inbox. If you don’t have it, you can download it from our EAA 430 website. … ENTRY FORM - POKER RUN 2026 This Poker Run is open to all EAA members and their friends. During the months of July and August, pilots and friends may qualify to enter by flying to any five qualifying airports below (each of which has a Washington Pilots Association Passport station with passport stamp), and stamping the reverse side of this form (or other medium) with the passport stamp. It is not necessary that all stamps be obtained in one day or on one flight. POKER RUN QUALIFYING AIRPORTS POKER RUN EVENT Prizes will be given to four winning hands! The event ends at the beginning of the August Chapter 430 meeting (Saturday, August 29). Participating pilots and passengers turning in this form (with passport stamps) and donating $20 to the chapter will receive a seat at the Poker Table, where four poker hands will be played. For each hand, the dealer will deal five cards to each participant. Any player wanting to better his/her given hand may replace up to three cards by donating an additional $5 per card. The winner of each hand will be the participant having received the highest poker score. Participants (or someone representing the participant) must be present at the August Chapter meeting. BONUS: Participants in the Poker Run can receive a single bonus card by participating in a specified flyout. This year the bonus card will be given to fliers participating in either the May or August flyout. The dealer will add the bonus card when handing out the five cards for the first hand, and at that time one of the six cards is to be returned to the dealer. These participants can then replace up to three cards as explained above if desired. PLACE PASSPORT STAMPS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THIS FORM PARTICIPANT TO FILL OUT THIS INFORMATION • Anacortes (74S) • Apex Airpark (8W5) • Arlington (AWO) • Bremerton (PWT) • Centralia (CLS) • Concrete (Mears Field - 3W5) • Darrington (1S2) • First Air Field (W16) • Harvey Field (S43) • Jefferson County Int’l (0S9) • Norman Grier (S36) • Olympia (OLM) • Pierce County Thun Field (PLU) • Spanaway (Shady Acres - 3B8) • Tacoma Narrows (TIW) • Packwood (55S) Participant’s Name Poker Run Entry Form (here)

July 2026 EAA Chapter 430 - Newsletter EAA Chapter 430 – General Membership Meeting Date: June 27, 2026 10:02 am call to order by VP Ernie Hansen • Pledge of Allegiance • Minutes approved from May 2026 • Correspondance None • Guests welcomed Old Business • Treasurer/Membership no report • Communications: none to report • June Flyout to Olympic Field WA45 28 members from EAA 430! • Building: nothing new to report. • Young Eagles next event July 11th & Sept 19th , pilots sign up with Bud • Chili Bingo fund raiser for Prop balancer July 8th @ PA 5:30 pm (no IMC/VMC) • Visit EAA430.org schedule New Business • Jasmine passed and achieved her private pilot • Tool crib proposal by Ernie • New aviators gave update of their respective progress Project Reports • No reports Meeting adjourned 10:44. Presentation: Cecilia Aragon, Dancing with Gravity Important June 2026 Dates ● July 8th VMC/IMC Club, CANCLED ● July 17th @ 9am BOD, Mariners Café ● July 25th General Meeting @ SVA Hanger 15 ● July 11th Young Eagles in PA ● July 8th Chili Bingo fund raiser @ KCLM Conference room @ 5:30p Respectfully submitted, Robert Stephens, EAA 430 Secretary