Experimenter

DEC 2014

Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.

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2 Vol.3 No.12 / December 2014 TOWER FREQUENCY ALL RESEARCH SHOWS that a majority of us who fl y have a family member who is also a pilot or is deeply involved in aviation in some other capacity. It could be a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, or even a more distant relative. But the link is solid. Families have been very successful at passing down the excite- ment and challenge of personal aviation. But what about people who are not born into an aviation family? How can we best show them the great joy and feeling of accomplishment we all draw from personal aviation? EAA can be a big part of that solution. EAA is, after all, one really big family made up of people from all walks of life who love aviation. Our Founder Paul Poberezny repeated countless times that "airplanes bring us together, but friends we make keep us together." Nothing could be truer. Our biggest family event happens at Oshkosh every summer where we get to meet and greet old friends, and more impor- tantly, make new friends. Oshkosh welcomes anyone with an interest in aviation into the EAA family and shows them up- close and hands-on what personal aviation is all about. Our nearly 1,000 chapters certainly function as families throughout the year meeting to share experiences, dispense advice learned from building all sorts of airplanes, and pro- mote the value of personal aviation to the community. And the nearly 2 million youngsters who have gone fl ying in our Young Eagles program now know the freedom and excitement of personal fl ight fi rsthand. And they also have new family members—the pilots and chapter members who organized the Young Eagles rally—who can guide them to a future in aviation. I think about our EAA family at this time of the year because Rose and I are fi nalizing plans to celebrate the joy of the season with our own children and grandchildren. And I bet you are doing the same. We have done our best to pass on our values and passions and traditions to our kids and grandkids, and experiencing per- sonal aviation is a big part of that. Actually going fl ying is an important part of that tradition, but so is telling aviation stories, reliving the experiences we have had over the years, and even passing on the tales from earlier generations. Shared experi- ences, shared traditions, and shared interests are what bond families and any other group of humans together. To keep the EAA family and what it means to all of us going, we need your help. Volunteers are essential for almost every EAA activity whether it be at a chapter event that welcomes the community or among the many thousands who make our annual convention at Oshkosh possible. Young Eagles fl ights are possible only because so many thou- sands of you donate your time, your airplane, and pick up the costs. And I thank each of you. But to continue our work of growing the aviation family EAA also needs donations. Your gift of any size will be very helpful. Many members are including EAA in their planned giving in the same way they plan for the future of their families. There are many opportunities to support EAA, and in every case your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Personal aviation faces many challenges, and EAA works every day to resolve threats to our freedom to fl y. But in the joyous holi- day season when we gather with family and friends to share, I ask you to please think of EAA as part of your family. Together we can be certain the excitement, challenge, and fun of personal aviation carries on to the new generation the same way all families cele- brate the experiences and traditions they hold most dear. Rose and I, the EAA board of directors, and everyone at our Oshkosh headquarters wish you and yours a very merry Christmas, a happy New Year, and a joyous holiday season with your family close and together. Help Give the Gift of Flight BY JACK J. PELTON The Pelton family and their Cessna 195: Jack, Rose, Christine, Ryan, and Christy with grandsons Noah and little Owen.

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