Upcoming Events at EAA

Welcome Thanks for checking out the EAA Spirit newsletter! EAA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping members inspired and growing participation in aviation. As you read, we hope you’ll find a story that inspires you — one that compels you to seek out aviation adventures, again and again. Because no matter your level of interest, we’re here to help you explore your passion. So, do you have planes on the brain? Well then, welcome home! Never forget, you’re what keeps aviation strong. If you’re ready to become a member of the EAA family, we’d love to have you! Join Today

Around EAA   Ray Aviation Scholarship Fund Finances Training for Pilots The Ray Foundation of Naples, Florida, is supplying $1 million for a youth flight training scholarship program that will work through EAA chapters. Read more → Oshkosh in the Backcountry There might be a tad more dust and desert in Nevada than in Wisconsin, but the atmosphere, camaraderie, and love for aviation felt all over the dry lakebed at the ninth annual High-Sierra Fly-In had quite the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh convention feel. Read more → AirVenture Heats Up After the Air Show! EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is filled with nonstop action and activities throughout the day, but it doesn’t stop there. Once the sun sets, the fun heats up with a concert, fireworks, Twilight Flight Fest, and a balloon glow. Watch video → Flight of the Condors The story of two volunteer pilots and their extremely unusual passengers. How did two long-time Palo Alto Airport Association volunteers find themselves coincidentally flying out of Boise, Idaho with California condors? Full story → Hitting the Beech (Party) With EAA EAA staffers Jim Busha and Hal Bryan spent a few days in Tullahoma, Tennessee, working on a feature about the Beechcraft Heritage Museum and its annual Beech Party fly-in. The full story will be in an upcoming issue of Sport Aviation, but, in the meantime, thanks to the magic of cellphones, here are some of the sights and a few of the sounds they experienced. Watch video →

News   From Young Eagle to Airline Pilot Alan took Renée on a Young Eagles flight when she was 13, and now she’s an airline pilot. Full story →   Young Eagles Co-Chairman Highlighted by Fox Sports Jimmy Graham, EAA 1139302, in addition to being an avid pilot, is also a tight end for the Green Bay Packers. Read more →   EAA Chapter 1202 is Teaching Through Building EAA Chapter 1202 is helping students learn STEM skills in Virginia by having the students help build a Zenith. Full story →

Upcoming Programs SportAir Workshops: November 3-4: Indianapolis, IN November 17-18: Oshkosh, WI November 17-18: Philadelphia, PA December 1-2: Houston, TX December 8-9: Oshkosh, WI View complete schedule → Webinars: November 7: Operating Oversquare November 13: Ray Aviation Scholarship – A Flight Training Fund for Your Chapter November 14: Charting Your Course: Deciphering the VFR Sectional Aeronautical Chart Recent webinars posted online: How to Prepare for an Unknown Aerobatic Sequence View complete webinar schedule →

Schweiss Doors Has Class

Bifold Garage Door from Schweiss Doors Has the Class to Match Cars Kept Inside

As a 30-year pilot in the captain’s seat for Continental and United Airlines, Kirk Simonds has been a part of many successful landings. In retirement, his landing spot is in The Woodlands, Texas, about 30 miles northwest of Houston.

Simonds hired the services of Vanderwal Architects and contractors Harry Hammond and Brett Chamberlain to execute a complete remodel of his garage, which ended up with a Schweiss Doors 18-foot by seven-foot bifold liftstrap door. It’s equipped with an automatic latch system and remote opener. He can operate the door with his backup generator in the event of a power outage.

The backup generator nearly became the main source of power. The door was installed just before Hurricane Harvey started on its $200 billion wave of destruction when the eye passed over Rockport and Houston in Aug. 2017. In nearby Spring, Texas, cars were floating and streets were flooded more than four feet high.

“The water level came within six inches of entering the house,” Simonds said. “We had 47 inches of rain and 25-30-mph winds during that event. We got the door installed the night before the hurricane hit, so timing couldn’t have been any better. We’ve told neighbors that if there ever was another hurricane here, they are welcome to come and stay in our garage!

“I believe, initially, I found out about Schweiss through an Internet search for a bifold door. A lot of the examples that were illustrated there, I’d say 70 percent of them were labeled as Schweiss Doors. I am highly impressed with the Schweiss Doors, we did not do any further searching and got the specifications and price on the door.

”Having three vehicles and space for a two-car garage, Simonds decided to make the roofline higher on one side to facilitate a lift and make it a three-car garage.

“What I like best about my door is the mechanical operation,” he says. “It’s amazing and very well built. On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s an 11. I like to watch it go up and down, it’s very impressive, and the structural integrity is just overwhelming. It surpassed my expectations. That is one heck of a door.”

Simonds, along with Hammond and Chamberlain agreed the door installation went well despite some challenges.

“Roy Weisinger was fantastic and chosen as our number one recommended installer from Schweiss Doors,” Simonds said.

“He was probably the easiest to work with and the best installer I’ve had in 45 years of construction,” added Hammond.

Simonds says it was great working with Jeremy and Brent at Schweiss Doors, the duo that kept him informed on delivery times. Simonds added the bifold door arrived in good condition and on schedule.

Schweiss Doors is the premier manufacturer of hydraulic and bifold liftstrap doors. Doors are custom made to any size for any type of new or existing building for architects and builders determined to do amazing things with their buildings, including the doors. Schweiss also offers a cable to liftstrap conversion package. For more information, visit www.bifold.com . 

Kirk Simonds of The Woodlands, Texas did a complete renovation from the slab up on his garage. Attached to the garage is an 18-foot by seven-foot Schweiss Doors bifold liftstrap door. The door is equipped with an automatic latch system and remote opener.

New Sling TSI

THE NEW SLING TSi - THE HIT OF OSHKOSH!

If you missed AirVenture 2018, you missed the debut of the first-in-the-world Sling TSi.  It was hands-down the hit of the show and the TSi has already garnered industry accolades including the “Best New Sport Plane of 2018” awarded by Aero-News.net!  But don’t fret.  This new Sling lives with us here in Torrance, California so now you have another great reason to come visit us in sunny Southern California to take a demo flight in this amazing 155-knot + speedster!

THE ULTIMATE BUILD-ASSIST According to Matthew Toddun: “When my dad, Wayne Toddun, decided to purchase a new Sling aircraft for us to learn to how to fly, he went for the very best - the brand new Sling TSi!  When he decided on the build assist program he wanted the best assistance that we could get. That is when our life-changing opportunity came about: to travel to South Africa to build the first conforming Sling TSi.  We spent a little over two weeks working side-by-side with the experienced factory crew: learning the ins and outs of our new plane, and assembling it piece by piece. The result - the sleek yet aggressive Sling TSi that was revealed at Oshkosh 2018!”   Stay tuned to our Facebook page for the complete story!

Life is grand in Carson City, NV at the Sport Aviation Center! Paul Hamilton says: “This has been a great year for flight training in the Sling. We have had a number of Sport Pilots go through the complete course from start to finish and successfully take their check ride.     We are also teaching private pilots in the Sling LSA and now we have three successful Private pilot training and checkrides in the Sling.  Additionally, two CFI long-expired certificates were reinstated with Sport Pilot CFI checkrides per 61.427. The Sling has been a reliable and tough workhorse and everybody loves how it flies up in the mountains.”  Check us out at: www.sportaviationcenter.com

Midwest SkySports Builds Custom Sling Panels!   One of the first things people look at when they see an airplane is the panel. The complicated layouts and wiring make it very hard for the average builder to tackle on their own. This is the one area where it pays to let an expert help.   Midwest Sky Sports specializes in Sling panels and avionics. They can design and build a custom laser etched panel that will finish your Sling off with style. Their 95% plug-n-play system includes the panel and a wiring harness that integrates the entire aircraft electrical system into one nicely bundled harness ready to lay into your airplane.   Give Midwest a call to find out how they can help build a panel to be proud of. 810-356-3447 or visit us online at: www.midwestskysports.com.

CALLING ALL INSTRUCTORS The Sling Flying Club in Torrance, California is looking for a couple of great instructors.  We are about to grow so if you think you have what it takes as an excellent teacher with super people skills, we want to talk with you! So give us a call: 424.241.0491

Lancair Mako Great Lakes Event

KOZW  |  Howell, Michigan | October 21, 2018 2018 Lancair Mako Great Lakes Event

Join Us - SUNDAY, OCT. 21st Howell, MI  |  12 - 4 pm Livingston County Spencer J. Hardy Airport (KOZW) 3399 County Airport Dr.  |  Howell, Michigan 48855 Don’t Miss It… RSVP NOW Join Lancair’s VP of Sales Sean Fidler for an in-depth introduction to the most exciting 4-place composite aircraft in years. From noon to 4 pm, Sean will dive into the details of Mako’s design, performance and much more. Learn why experimental-class aircraft offer nearly limitless customization and exceptional value. Discover the latest on Lancair’s comprehensive Builder Support options and Mako’s “little brother” - the new 2-seat Barracuda. You’ll also have a chance to meet with other Lancair aircraft owners and learn why these sleek, sexy aircraft are widely regarded as the “Ferraris” of the high-performance singles market segment. Find out what Lancair owners and pilots think about their airborne “works of art.” About the Mako: Mako’s sleek design features numerous refinements to optimize performance and utility. Among these are dual gullwing cabin doors for easy access, low-drag “scimitar” wingtips with LED lighting and a fully automatic retractable nose gear. The nose gear is  fully automatic and requires no action by the pilot. Inside the cabin, the Mako offers a center control stick with throttles on both sidewalls, improving ergonomics and cabin width and allowing piloting from either front seat. A variety of affordable avionics suites are available, including a dual Garmin G3X/GTN-750 “Cumulus” package. Other options include freon air conditioning, full de-ice protection, articulating seats and a BRS  parachute recovery system. MAKO easily outperforms comparable aircraft in climb rate, range and useful load. Turbo Mako offers as much as 1000 NM range (with reserve). Normally aspirated models can exceed 1200 NM. About Lancair: Lancair International has been doing business for more than three decades, manufacturing advanced composite aircraft structures, and has established proprietary relationships with hand-selected vendors in the USA, Europe, Australia and South Africa. Lancair’s class-leading aircraft hold nearly 100 speed, endurance and altitude records around the world. Their innovative high-performance designs almost single-handedly spawned the “Sport Class” Race Division at the annual Reno Air Races, where Lancair models have won a record 45 times! Worldwide, Lancairs are owned and operated in 34 countries on 5 continents. There have been more than 2,200 Lancair kits sold around the world. Over a thousand owners are flying various Lancair airplane models, with tens of thousands of flight hours logged. Lancair continues to promote the highest standards of safety in the industry. Lancair’s renowned Builder Assist Program is available to help buyers rapidly advance their aircraft to completion. Conducted at our Uvalde, TX factory, the program allows new owners to completely close out critical airframe structures, providing fixtures, supplies and one-on-one training and support. LANCAIR.COM

Planes of Fame Presentation Oct. 20

SPECIAL PRESENTATION SAT. OCT. 20th, 2018 ‘Women in World War II: 1938 - 1946’ Female members of the Education Programs team will provide an up-close look at the many roles women played during World War II in helping to achieve victory.    SPECIAL PRESENTATION: SATURDAY, October 20th  ~ 10am Planes of Fame Air Museum (Chino, CA) presents a special presentation on Saturday, October 20, 2018, entitled, “Women in World War II: 1938 - 1946.” EVENT SPEAKERS: Female members of the Education Programs team will provide an up-close look at the many roles women played during World War II in helping to achieve victory.  From their experiences in the workplace to their duties in the military and in particular, the aviation roles women played, this presentation will tell one of the “lost” chapters of the Second World War. READ MORE…  (Schedule subject to change)   Planes of Fame ~ Chino Airport 909.597.3722 ~ www.planesoffame.org Museum is Open to the Public, General Admission: $15, 11 yrs and Under $6, Ages 4 and Under : FREE! (excludes special events)   BRING THE KIDS School and Group Tours Available -Click Here   ‘MOUNTAIN MIKES PIZZA’ WILL BE SERVING PIZZA SLICES AT THE SPECIAL PRESENTATION!  CLICK HERE TO SAVE $2 ON ADMISSION   JOIN US FOR THE 12TH ANNUAL TASTE OF FLIGHT GALA    TICKETS ON SALE NOWCLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ONLINE OR IN THE GIFT SHOP.    Gift Shop Specials All Kids T-shirts $5 Clearance Adult T-shirts $5 (In-store only while supplies last) OR Free shipping online with code POFFALL18 exp. 11/30/18 Click Here to Shop Online Now   Keep up with the latest Happenings! FREE Special Presentation Admission for Planes of Fame Members!    BECOME A MEMBER OF THE PLANES OF FAME AIR MUSEUM! Planes of Fame Air Museum, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. By becoming a member today you help us sustain our efforts to Keep ‘em Flying!  Click Here for Info www.planesoffame.org 909-597-3722 info@planesoffame.org