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Experimental Aircraft Association April, 2001

Big Country Chapter #471, Inc.

News Flash !!!! from Gray

Just got back from Rotary - We are $1,000 richer! Rotary has given us $1,000 toward our building project on behalf of Abilene Motor Sports. Since the races displaced the aviation community at Abilene, they made the gracious donation.

President's Message -

As the days go by it seems that our local chapter 471 has more events going than I can remember. To recap and forecast in short: Abilene Aero graciously invited us to share booth space at the Business Expo. This was great exposure for our chapter and many people were interested in the Young Eagles, SWRFI, and building of planes. It was a fun day and many thanks go to Billy Tucker, Michael Agnello, Tim McMurray, and Felix Thomas who manned the booth and promoted our chapter. (Please thank them personally)

I am currently working with the City to pay for the paint and materials to paint our EAA hangers. This has been passed by the airport board of improvement and I am securing written paint and material quotations. We will schedule the membership (Labor) and have a painting party in the near future. This will be the focus on the next article written to Sport Aviation.

Our local chapter has accomplished many things and working with the City of Abilene to improve the looks of AOUR@ hangers in worthy of a feature article according to EAA Nationals. We will make certain to take lots of pictures to submit.

Work progresses on our new hanger. The footprint has been painted for the building we can currently afford with fundraising still in the works for a larger facility. Details will be covered in the meeting April 19th.

As the membership may know fund raising has been in process for the building project. Last Friday the Rotary Foundation grant committee made a donation of $1,000 toward our building. We have a great beginning. Let's press on!

Poker Run

Last month's Poker Run was well attended. We had a good time flying to Brownwood, Coleman and Sweetwater. A few of us aborted the Sweetwater run when we encountered visibility problems over the hills by Buffalo Gap. We chose discretion over valor and ran

for home where Don Bledsoe, Dennis Mathison and crew had a great hamburger cookout for us. Good job men!! (photos by Tiny Malm)

View from a Visitor

After the Poker Run we received a copy of this RV flyer's impression of our club.

From: "Larry Pardue" To: <rv-list@matronics.com>

Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2001 6:33 AM

You have to hand it to those Texans, they do have pride of place.

The Abilene EAA folk had a breakfast, poker run, and hamburger lunch yesterday. I made it over late, just in time for the burgers, despite the tower neglecting to amend the ATIS from clear to the 1,500 overcast it actually was.

These Texans know how to set up an EAA Chapter. They don't have an EAA hangar, they have an EAA section of the airport. Everyone just calls it the northwest side. They have rows and rows of hangars they lease from the city and lease back, at a very very low price, to the airplane owners. It makes for a very nice gathering place for all the airport bums.

A highlight was meeting Caroll "Buffalo Gap" Bird, a lister who completed his 4 at the same time I finished my 6. Caroll enjoyed building his MicroMonitor and MicroEncoder so much he built them for Rocky Mountain Intruments for a while. His panel is almost entirely digital

Larry Pardue

Carlsbad, NM

(I did not know that about Carrol. Did you? How about a newletter article Mr. Bird? Tell us what else you've been up to.)

Calendar of Events -

contributed by Wes Hays

April

7-15 Marfa, TX, Marfa Spring Thermal and Wave Camp.972-239-5462

8-14 - Lakeland FL - Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In <http://www.sun-n-fun.org/>

21 - Conroe TX - EAA Chapter 302 SpringFly-In Contact: Mike Singleton281-376-1630

21-22NAS Corpus Christi, TX Blue Angels, Open House

21 - Red Wing NM - 7th Annual Twin Cities RV Forum Contact: JimLenzmeier

651-633-8488

April27-27 Gladewater, TX Ch614 SecondAnnual Fly-In

April28-29 - GALVESTON, TX - Lone Star Flight Museum sponsors the 11th Annual

Spiritof Flight Airshow, 409-740-7722

April28-29 - NACOGDOCHES, TX - East Texas Airshow & Military Appreciation

Days,888-564-7351, info@visitnacogdoches.org mailto:info@visitnacogdoches.org

28 LaGrange, TX Kolache Fly-In and safety Meeting 806-242-5630

April 28College Station TX Texas A&M Flying Club Fly-In Breakfast Kari

979-693-4869or karbear@tamu.edu

May

May11-12 La Grange, TX Fayette County Air festival 979-249-4200

May 12 LevellandTX EAA Ch 19 Fly-In/Drive-In Breakfast 8am-10am 806-794-7336

May12 - MOUNT VERNON, TX- Chapter 834 Fly-In at Franklin County

Airport,903-785-6839

May12 - GRAHAM, TX - Chapter 945 Fly-In, wnicklas@brazosnet.com<

mailto:wnicklas@brazosnet.com>, 940-549-6415

May 19 Slaton, TX The Texas Air Museum-Caprock Chapter,South Plains Airshow

a7bsaver@yahhoo.com

May19-20 Beaumont, TX Southeast Texas Regional Air Show 409-983-5973

May19 Greenville, TX Annual Majors Field Fly-In 10am-3pm 903-455-8170

May26 - RANGER, TX - Chapter 956 Annual Spring Fly-In, 254-647-1855

June

June 2 - Waxahachie TX - Mid-Way Airport PancakeBreakfast Fly-In <i

style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Contact: Juan Martinez972-923-0080

June 2-3 Dallas,TX Dallas Air Show 2001 214-350-3600

June 10 Cannon AFB,N.M. Thunderbirds

9-10 Virginia StateEAA Fly In Petersburg-Dinwiddie, VA

16 Snyder, TX Fly-InBreakfast 8-10am. Gas $1.60

23-24 Rocky MountainEAA Fly In Longmont, CO

July

14 Plainview TX FlyIn

11-15 Northwest EAAFly In, Arlington WA

15 San Angelo, Texas Thunderbirds

24-30 - Oshkosh WI - EAA Airventure 2001 http://www.airventure.org/

March Meeting

as reported by Jim Snelgrove

EAA Chapter 471

Regular Monthly Meeting

March 15, 2001

@ TSTC Classroom

1. President Gray Bridwell brought the meeting to order at 7pm.

2. The minutes of the last meeting were read and accepted by the members.

3. April Fly-out The target city is Quanah. Date = Saturday, April 14.

We start with our breakfast and then those going on the fly-out will be on the way to

Quanah. Lunch will be Chicken Fried Steak. Why not show Quanah that 471 is one of

best EAA chapters in the State of Texas??

4. Young Eagles - The second Saturday in May has been chosen for our Young Eagle

Day. We looked at the television add used last year. President Bridwell ask for the member=s opinion. We will use television and radio for our promotion. Our own Wayne McCormick will try to help with a news release.

5. Poker Run - The Poker Run made $20. President Bridwell and the members who

took part in the event let us know how much fun and experience was to be gained. A

vote was passed on to allot $90 to buy hats for the people who helped with the run.

6. Business Expo - Business Expo was held on Tuesday, March 27. We were very

fortunate to be allowed to share Abilene Aero=s booth. Members Tim McMurry and

Felix Thomas were manning the booth when I visited. It was a excellent presentation

of EAA Chapter 471=s contribution to aviation and the Big Country.

7. New by-laws were discussed. Chris Ulibarri, Billy Tucker and Tom Neeb have been

working on our new by-laws. Copies of the by-law corrections were made available.

We will vote on the amended by-laws at the April 12th regular meeting.

8. Club Hangar - President Bridwell announced the beginning process of building the

hangar that has been an idea for a long time. It is now a reality. Discussion on the choice of a 30_ X 50_ or a 30_ X 40_ structure was brought before the membership. At present, the smaller structure is favored. I suggest you look at the ground that has been marked by President Bridwell. 30_ X 40_ looks very small.

We have $12,500 in our building fund - $9,800 in our general fund. The hanger fund has $7,500 in a CD and $2,200 in the bank. We have a challenge grant of $5000.

As you see, we have several avenues to pursue to raise the needed money to build.

Billy Tucker made a motion to consider a 30_ X 50_ hanger. This would give us the option of adding on at a later date without undue extra expense.

Discussion on the need for an apron for our hanger ensued. Bobby Nichols offered an extra $1000 to help with this objective. Clyde Fletcher announced that he would match Bobby=s offer. Any other brave souls who want to advance their idea may follow Bobby and Clyde to the winner=s circle.

Please come to our next meeting with some serious thought on the hanger.

9. Our next meeting will be Thursday, April 19. Please try to bring a prospective new member.

Upcoming Events

April 14th -

8 am Northwest Side- Light Saturday Breakfast - donuts and coffee followed by fly-out to Quanah for lunch.

April 19th -

Regular Monthly Meeting TSTC Hangar 7pm.

EAA 471

Chapter Officers

President Gray Bridwell

Vice-President Felix Thomas

Secretary Jim Snelgrove

Treasurer Hobby Stevens

Director Barry Cotner

Director Dennis Mathison

Director Hank Castle

Director Billy Tucker

Past President Carroll Bird