EAA’s Type Club Coalition Meets at AirVenture 2022

EAA’s Type Club Coalition (TCC) is an umbrella organization for groups of aircraft owners and builders referred to as type clubs. Many aircraft types such a Cessna 150 or a Velocity have a club or member organization, which is often the best resource for information, socialization among owners, and documentation related to the aircraft type. The TCC meets annually in the EAA Founders’ Wing during AirVenture to review member initiatives, share best practices, and interact with both the NTSB and FAA.

According to Type Club Coalition Chairman Coyle Schwab, “The Type Club Coalition discussed alternatives to continue its support of continued improvement in fatal accident rates. Our biggest challenge — diversity of needs and means — is also a powerful attribute.

“Over its 11-year history the TCC has assembled a significant number of aircraft-specific organizations, known as type clubs, to explore ways to enhance safety of operations for personally owned and operated aircraft,” Schwab said. “There has been a strong focus on improved training, and programs have been put in place to increase its effectiveness. A solid foundation has been created and will be built upon in support of safety goals.”

The group also reviewed annual fatal accident statistics, presented by EAA’s Government Relations Director Tom Charpentier. A key area of focus for the TCC is improved safety, especially for experimental amateur-built and small general aviation aircraft.

A new TCC initiative is using EAA’s Flight Test Cards to determine aircraft-specific data for vintage airplanes that may not have data from the manufacturer due to age, or after extensive modifications over time. An example is using the test cards to determine VX (best angle of climb speed) and VY (best rate of climb speed) by flying a specific profile and recording data.

Additional information about the TCC can be found at EAA.org/eaa/aviation-interests/type-club-coalition.