President’s Message (October 2007)

Hey Flyboys (and girls, too), The colors are brilliant! There are still a few good days left to enjoy the seasonal array. We could still use some more pictures to put in the calendar, so if you would like to submit a picture of your plane, bring it to the meeting on the 8th. If you don’t have a pic, call me and we may be able to schedule a photo shoot with Dave Meinke, especially while we have such a colorful backdrop.

We had a good meeting last month with Tom Kraschen from MDOT-AERO speaking on LSA certification. He even gave us a choice of topics. This month's meeting will feature a gentleman who is working on the project of compiling a directory of all the airports in Mich that are not listed on the chart or in the Mich directory. He is always looking for new ones that he has not represented yet, so if you know of some obscure strip somewhere, bring all you know about it so he can include it.

We had a nice flyout to Double JJ Saturday, with 7 planes leaving......but only 6 returning. A total of 15 people enjoyed a fine breakfast. Dave Meinke was a "late show" so he missed the meal, but not the beautiful flight. Oh, I would like to thank my good friends, Larry and Kevin for helping me retrieve my plane the next day, and thank Tom, Dennis, and John for hauling me and my passengers back home. See you at the meeting.

-Vic Johnston

September (2007) Meeting Minutes

EAA Chapter 704 held it regular monthly meeting on September 10, 2007 at the Sparta Paul C Miller Airport pilot’s lounge with 20 members and guests present.

The meeting began with a presentation by Thomas Krashen from Michigan D. O. T. Aviation Division. He showed slides and held and spoke generally on the subject of Sport Pilot license and Light Sport Airplanes. It was of particular interest because several of our group are now flying in that category.

The minutes of previous meeting were approved as printed in the newsletter. There is $1979.09 in the check book with all bills paid.

President Johnston reported on the recent “Pork on the Hoof’ program held at our airport recently. Paul Zimmer reported that 71 Young Eagles were flown that day with around 130 people in total received airplane rides thanks to several pilots who participated--there were 7 airplanes being used that day. Paul announced that there were still 13 applications for Young Eagle flights to be given rides as soon as possible.

Our thanks to Scott Richmond who ramrodded the event to the benefit of the Big Brothers/Sisters of Grand Rapids program.

President Johnston announced that several of our group participated in a Fly-out to the Double JJ Ranch a few days ago.

EAA Calendars are now available at $7.50 each when purchased in quantities of25. There was a discussion of photographing some of our own airplanes and creating our own calendar as we had a couple of times before. If this were to be done the pictures would have to be taken soon. Paul Meinke has agreed to work with this.

Meeting adjourned 8:30 p.m.

Jay Dean Sec/Treas EAA Chapter 704

President’s Message (September 2007)

Good meeting!..... We heard some interesting and exciting Oshkosh episodes, project updates, and a look at John Gill's new top secret method of doing rolls from outside the airplane! Also P.J. was not present to bask in the "sitting ovation" he and Doc Dean received for the fine jobs they do.....maybe we'll to reenact that one.

The "Pork on the Hoof" event went very well, thanks to all of you who helped with the event. I know "ol' wot's his name Freetz hauled, setup and took down a lot of tables and chairs. Also, the Young Eagles portion was kept busy all day, so Paul Z may give us an update in the totals and suggestions to streamline this activity in the future.

Coming up on Sat. Sept. 8, I am planning a flyout to Double JJ Ranch for breakfast or lunch (pending weather), so call or email me if you are interested. Let me know if you prefer a breakfast or lunch event so I can make arrangements with Double JJ.

On the 10th, our meeting will feature Tom Krashen from MDOT-AERO with a presentation on either "10 things every VFR pilot should know", or " Making Sense of FAA Regs." Either one will be great, as Tom Krashen is very comprehensive and dynamic in all his presentations. Lets have a good attendance for him.

Until the 10th,...Vic Johnston

August (2007) Meeting Minutes

EAA Chapter 704 met at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 13, 2007 for it's regular monthly meeting . President Vic Johnston called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

The treasurer's report showed $1566.04 in the check book and the minutes of the previous meeting were approved as printed in the newsletter.

President Johnston reported on the success of the recent fly-in pancake breakfast and stated we had received a check for $600.00 from the Lion's club for our share of the proceeds. It was voted to give $150.00 to the Boy Scout Troop 704 for their help in the project.

President Johnston called attention to and asked chapter appreciation for the work of the newsletter editor, P.J. Bevelacqua and Jay Dean, Secretary/Treasurer.

Paul Kovalak reported his work on the tail section of his RV-7 project and said he is getting ready to start on the wings.

Dan Bauman has the canopy pretty well fitted in place on his RV-9. The engine is all ready.

Dave DuPerron took his beautiful yellow Super Cub project go Oshkosh and was given an award for outstanding workmanship.

The group shared several stories about their experiences at Oshkosh.

President Johnston spoke of the upcoming "Pork on the Hoof' event scheduled for Saturday August 18. There are a number of different sorts of activities on tap in addition to the pig roast dinner. Among the events are a classic auto show, a motorcycle riding demonstration,
racing car display, helicopter rides, and a Young Eagles program providing rides to youngsters ages 8-18. The proceeds from this program are to benefit the Big Brother/Big Sisters of Grand Rapids
program.

Visitor John Grimer from Wayland was introduced to the group.

Ken Mosley showed pictures of a device he had welded together and attached to John Gills RV project allowing it to be rotated for ease of accessing the under side of the fuselage.

After the business meeting we adjourned to John Gill's hangar and look at the apparatus. It was a very clever and professional looking framework housing a jack and post which attached to the propeller flange on the engine. The attachment allowed for rotation of the aircraft with the aft end fitted via a rod through a "hole in a board" arrangement. It can be imagined that John will strap himself into the cockpit and practice snap rolls in the near future.

Meeting Adjourned 9:00 p.m.

Jay Dean Sec/Treas EAA Chapter 704

President’s Message (August 2007)

Dear EAAers,

Well, the Oshkosh Event is well underway as I am writing this (Jul28), so many of our members will be returning with some exciting AIRPLANE stories......I believe there is one feller with one of them there yeller aeroplanes that may have a special story to tell. With most of summer activities that can seriously interfere with our “plane-talk” behind us, it will seem good to return to normal.

I understand the Paul C. Miller fly-in breakfast event was successful. Thanks to all those who participated in the setup and teardown. I apologize that I had to leave right after the tables and chairs were in place, but I had some family obligations.

Tom Krashen from MDOT-AERO will be joining us perhaps on our September meeting for a special presentation. He always does a great job of informing and entertaining us.

See you Aug 13....bring your stories and a friend.

-Vic Johnston

Pork on the Hoof 'Fly-in, Drive-in, Trailer-in or Walk-in!'

Inaugural Pig Roast to benefit Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Grand Rapids on August 18, 2007 from 9:30am to 4:00pm at the Sparta Municipal Airport. Visit the newly renovated Sparta Airport with FREE plane rides for kids and a Car and Motorcycle show!

A family friendly festival with free plane rides for children (ages 8 - 17), helicopter rides, flight simulators, games and treats for children. Meet IHRA funny car driver, Tim Stevens. An opportunity for pilots, car enthusiasts and motorcycle riders to gather together on the grounds of the newly remodeled airport. Proceeds will benefit the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program. Call 616-887-5744 for details! We will see you then!

August 18th, 2007 - 9:30 am-4pm *
* Rain date August 19th, 2007 with same times.

Location: Sparta Municipal Airport
9100 Vinton Ave, Sparta, MI 49345

July (2007) Meeting Minutes

Meeting Minutes July 9, 2007

EAA Chapter 704 held its regular monthly meeting on July 9th, 2007 at the Sparta Paul C Miller Airport pilot’s Lounge with 18 members and guests present.

The treasurers report shows $1641.04 in the checkbook. The minutes of the last meeting were approved as printed in the newsletter.

President Johnston led a discussion on the upcoming pancake breakfast/flyin. There was a very mixed feeling over the location of the event with the final decision to proceed as before in providing the necessary tables and chairs as promised with each individual having the option whether to attend or not.

President Johnston mentioned the upcoming Short Wing Piper Flyin at the Grant Airport on August 4. Brunch is to be held at the Grant Depot Restaurant at 11 am hosted jointly by Vic Johnston and the Koopman’s. He stated you could attend whether you flew in or not.

There is also going to be a “Pork On The Hoof’ pig roast at the Sparta Airport on August 18 to benefit the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Grand Rapids program. It will continue from 9:30 am til 4 pm.

After the business meeting we retired to Dave DuPerron’s hangar and viewed his newly completed Piper project. There are not adjectives available to describe this aircraft —It is beautiful beyond imagination. He will take it to Oshkosh with hopes of attracting the judges attention.

Meeting Adjourned

Jay Dean Sec/Treas EAA Chapter 704

2007 Pancake Breakfast/Fly-in

Sparta Paul C. Miller Municipal Airport

Pancake Breakfast/Fly-in

July 15, 2007
7:30 am - 11:30 am

Pancake Breakfast in conjunction with Sparta Town and Country Days.
Sponsored by EAA Chapter 704, Sparta Lions Club, and Sparta BSA Troop 704.

Questions?
Contact Vic Johnston - 616.696.2895

President’s Message (July 2007)

Dear EAAers,

Let’s all thank John and Ken for such a dynamic, interesting, and informative presentation on the progress of John’s RV-7. It was also very pertinent for Jeremy and I, as we were working on JJ’s RV-3 at the time and many of our problems/questions were answered in their presentation. Would you believe that they threw that program together in less than 24 hours!?

For our meeting on the 9th we hope to have a tour of Dave Duperron’s SUPER Cub, and hopefully some dialogue from Dave to share with us some of his expertise. I think we should offer a prize to anyone who can find a flaw in the aircraft. Bet you can’t.

Also we has some unfinished business to cover regarding the Dawn Patrol Breakfast...mainly, which building we will have it in. John’s hangar does not have potable water, which is a concern of the Lions’ Club and the County Health Dept.

I will again have ol’Blue rolled out to give any Olde Eagles who missed the last meeting, an opportunity to sample some airspace before the meeting. If anyone else would like to give rides to some of our “grounded flock” have your plane(s) on the ramp at 6 pm.

Until next time,

-Vic Johnston

June (2007) Meeting Minutes

Meeting Minutes June 14, 2007
EAA Chapter 704 met on Monday, June 11, for its regular monthly meeting. The meeting was held at the Sparta Paul C Miller Airport pilot’s lounge with 25 members and guests present. The meeting was called to order by president Vic Johnston at 7 p.m.

The treasurer reported $1669.02 in the check book with all bills paid. We had received $270.00 from the village of Sparta for their 1/2 of the costs to provide cable internet service into the lounge to supply weather data etc.

P.J. (Newsletter Editor) was asking for current or corrected e-mail addresses from the membership and sent around a sheet to facilitate this. His idea is to send the newsletter by e-mail to as many as he can to reduce the postage costs.

Paul Zimmer agreed to serve as the Young Eagles coordinator to replace Kathy Hakeem who had to resign for personal reasons.

President Johnston stated we were sill looking for a Boy Scout troop coordinator to replace Glenn Holt who had to resign for health reason. John Gill announced he would be willing to fill this position.

John Kozal, Boy Scout leader for BSA Troop 704, reported on the activities of the troop. He stated that they had started out with 8 boys in the troop and have just added 5 more. They are going to BSA Camp Gerber in a few weeks and have had several camp outs all ready as well as some service projects. One of the parents has agreed to become assistant scout master. Kozal announced that the troop does not meet during the summer but will begin again in August. BSA Troop 704 is sponsored by EAA Chapter 704 and appears to be doing well under John Kozal’s leadership.

Paramount Aviation has made a request to be included on the 704 Chapter web site along with the others that are listed. The discussion that followed indicated that the web site is owned by P.J., Newsletter editor for EAA 704, for the use of the members of EAA 704 to provide information within the group. Those listed on the web site are members of the chapter whereas Paramount is not a member and is therefore not invited to be listed on the site.

A discussion was held relative to the July Pancake Breakfast.

The Sparta Pilot’s Association is holding a STOL contest on Saturday, June 16, at the Sparta Airport in conjunction with the open house being held that day from 11:00 a.m. til 3:00 p.m.. The STOL contest is being organized by Kathy Hakeem who is urgently seeking participants.

John Gill and Ken Mosely presented a program showing a selection of pictures depicting the complexities of the wiring of his RV-7 project. John and Ken have been faced with an awesome task as John is putting a very sophisticated electronic package in his airplane. As the pictures indicate and their comments confirm, they have done the near impossible in getting all the components in place and the associated wiring routed in proper fashion. They have made a very ambitious prediction of having the airplane flying in August —and they might just do that.

Meeting Adjourned

Jay Dean Sec/Treas EAA Chapter 704

President’s Message (June 2007)

So what’s new?.....that’s what I’ve been wondering about our next meeting. I think it will somewhat resemble the old school hot lunch menu on Fridays which was a surprise cochophony of leftover dishes we had experienced the previous week (or two?) all mixed together. If you have any suggestions for topics in future meetings bring your ideas along.

I personally appreciated getting re-acquainted with some of our “Olde Eagles” last month. We all appreciated Kevin’s account, his and Dennis Wass’s sojourn to Sun & Fun. And we should all give a special thanks to the “2-Pauls” for offering their beloved Cardinal as a sacrificial lamb on the FAA altar. As it turned out, The FAA-sent angel in human form (that being Tom Kozura) was very forgiving and no aviation sins were judged. Thank all three men for making it a great presentation.

Also, John Gill helped out topping off the meeting with a static display of his RV with some of his latest innovations with the baffling and plumbing of the engine.

We will see you June 11, if I am back from camping at Ludington S.P., as will start organizing for the Dawn Patrol Breakfast in July. Vic

-Vic Johnston

May (2007) Meeting Minutes

The regular monthly meeting of EAA Chapter 704 was held on May 14,2007 at the Sparta Paul C. Miller Airport pilot's lounge. There were 27 members and guests present.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved as corrected.

President Johnston held a discussion of old business. It was announced that Kathy Hakeem wished to resign as Young Eagles coordinator due to health problems. Glenn Holt asked to be relieved from responsibilities as Boy Scout representative also for health reasons. Replacements for both these positions are being sought.

Gary Miesch, president of Greenville Pilot’s Ass’n was present and mentioned a Young Eagles day next month at Greenville working through Kalamazoo EAA Chapter 221.

There has been an invitation to attend a pancake breakfast at Ottawa Exec Airport on 6/30/07 at 8:00 a.m.. This comes from Chet and Patti Unicapher. The cost is by donation and the money will go to the Aviation Education Scholarship fund.

President Johnston urged everyone to write to their U.S. Senators and/or Representatives to protest the FAA user fee concept.
Kevin Wheeler told of his experiences flying to Sun ‘n Fun. He said they had encountered a 52 mph tail wind on the way down resulting in over 170 mph ground speed in a Cessna Buck and a Half (150). He said the trip down took just short of 7 hours —the return run took 14 hours. He had to pay as much as $5.15 per gallon for fuel.

Several members spoke of having been to Sun ‘n Fun.

Guest speaker, Tom Kozura from the FAA, conducted a typical Ramp Check on one of the member’s airplanes and described the various things the inspector would be looking for. We then visited The John Gill hangar to look over John’s RV project which is coming along very nicely.

Meeting Adjourned

Jay Dean Sec/Treas EAA Chapter 704