Hello Chapter Members and Friends,
The weather is becoming just like Fall, and the leaves on the trees are slightly changing colors, but not quite like Northern states. This is a very nice time to swim in the Barton Springs. Why? Because the difference between the air and water temperature is minimum and it doesn’t shock your body like summer time. It is also a great time to fly with much shorter take off!
The Ford Tri-Motor Tour is a great tool to raise the community interest in aviation and also to raise funds for our own Chapter 187 hangar. However we need to cover $4000 expenses for a weekend tour before we get our share of $5 per seat. So far, we managed to have free hangar for the aircraft and free crew car for the week, free hotel, and 300 gal. fuel donation. We still need financial sponsors to satisfy the requirements to receive that $5 per seat commission unless countless people are making reservations right now. EAA is offering one free flight (10 seats) for $1500 donation. We have sent out the invitations and information to all Ford dealers in Georgetown, Round Rock and Austin but none responded to the call except the repeated new car quotes. They don’t even know the Ford history. If you could take some posters to any establishments with this offer, we might be able to make some profits. Ford dealers have their co-op money that will cover 50% of their donations. Businesses can use this offer for their promotion or employee and customer appreciation tool. Please talk to your friends and acquaintances. You will never know where you can find these people. I went out yesterday and placed 20 posters along Hwy 183 and along the McNeil Rd. BMW dealer manager said they couldn’t put the posters up in the showroom but they can have posters in the employee’s lounge. Our neighbors are flying and they are very excited to be a part of the history. Could we do one more push?
Thank you so much for your overwhelming response and support to the call for volunteers at the AirFest, the Ford Tri-Motor Tour and the Young Eagles Rally! On Saturday morning,November 8 all the activities coincide and total of 22 chapter members are working simultaneously. What a great group we have here in Austin, TX! EAA founder, Paul Poberezny believed in community, power of people, volunteer work, and inclusiveness. He mentioned at one time, "Through EAA, I’ve learned much more about people than I ever have about airplanes." His saying, "Airplanes bring us together, but friendship keeps us together." shows his belief in camaraderie and we are the living proof of that.
Great news for this month is that Mr. Curtis Benkendorfer, GTU current airport manager announced that the new hangars replacing the hangar A and B (and possibly C) might be coming a bit quicker within a year and it is becoming a real possibility to have our own hangar, club house at an airport. The proposed plan is on the managers’ desk of City of Georgetown as we speak. As the number comes out, we can start planning and discussing about it more. It is essential to have our chapter hangar to flourish as a full fledged active EAA Chapter. It will bring more activities we could not do in the library. Let’s move forward, everyone! My personal great big appreciation to you all!
Haruko Reese
EAA Chapter 187 President