VMC and IMC Clubs for EAA Chapters

William P. MacCracken, Jr. was issued the first pilot license by the Aeronautics Branch of the U.S. Department of Commerce on April 6, 1927, by Herbert Hoover, secretary of commerce of the United States. I often wonder if Secretary Hoover offered William the age-old favorite statement that DPEs (designated pilot examiners) love to say with a gleam in their eye…

“This is not a license to fly… It’s a license to learn.”

It may be cliché, but throughout the entire world of aviation it is the truth. If you don’t believe that learning never ends, ask any NASA scientist how a wing provides lift. The response will go far beyond the Bernoullian and Newtonian answers required on your private pilot knowledge exam. In fact, the physics involved are still being studied by NASA as we speak. One NASA publication I found on the subject features nine pages in the table of contents alone. The easy answer is, “wings are decorative and lift is accomplished by magic.” Hmmm...maybe I should keep learning.

Speaking of a great place to learn, the VMC Club and the IMC Club are wonderful. It is a free activity where you can sharpen your skills and knowledge. It provides a place where hangar talk flows freely. Expertise is realized, and friendships — trustworthy friendships — are made.

At EAA Chapter 40, we invite all levels of aviator to our VMC Club and IMC Club meetings. Our VMC Club and IMC Club announcements state:

Please join us regardless of whether you are an…

Enthusiast, student pilot, sport pilot, private pilot, commercial pilot, or Skunk Works test pilot.

As “iron sharpens iron,” we become sharper, more efficient, safer, and more knowledgeable pilots.

In the year that we have had the privilege to host our VMC Club, I myself have grown, and I have already corrected a false assumption that I had been taught. I believed that as a pilot with glasses, I was REQUIRED by the FAA to carry a spare set of glasses and keep them within reach while in flight. The July 2025 video question “Blown Away” and the resulting VMC Club discussion of the applicable FARs and advisory circulars quickly brought the truth to light. Apparently, I was wrong. “With my head in the clouds, I had no idea.” The truth is, this is not required by the FAA. IT IS, HOWEVER, A REALLY, REALLY GOOD IDEA and is even required by most commercial operators. So, I will continue to carry a spare set of glasses and keep them within reach. We realized at this meeting that as a whole, pilots tend to make very good, educated choices, even when it is not required of them.

The discussions we have in these gatherings are fun and range in application from E-AB homebuilt aircraft to commercial aircraft and how they interact with these scenarios. We discuss current aviation events, and it is a perfect forum to discuss personal flight experiences that we have recently encountered.

The Purpose and Benefit of a VMC Club or IMC Club

My daughter is a martial artist with a third degree black nelt. Watching and helping her train over the years, it became clear that even a black belt can learn from a white belt. I observed with the agreement of a tae kwon do master that “Even a black belt should be willing to learn from a white belt. The white belt also must seek wisdom from the black belt recognizing and respecting their experience and skill.” In the same way, I would not hesitate to invite to our VMC Club and IMC Club aviation legends (aviation black belts) like John Glenn, Patty Wagstaff, Eddie Rickenbacker, Nellie Wilhite, and the Wright brothers. We definitely couldn’t help but learn from their impressive experience and great insight, but additionally, with all their experience, they might pick up on an observation made by a sharp-eyed student pilot. Then we will all benefit from their application of that newfound knowledge. In this way, whether you are a “sky gazer,” student pilot, or Skunk Works test pilot”, everyone has the opportunity to put yourself in the pilot seat and come to your own conclusion on what you would do.

Both programs support each other, and at EAA Chapter 40 we meet at the same location and time. The skills of VMC pilots are foundational for IMC pilots, and the IMC Club discussion brings new skills and tools to the VMC pilot as they progress in their aviation journey. We begin with our VMC Club and immediately move right into the IMC Club. Everyone is given the opportunity to grow and learn something new, which makes us all better pilots.

The Foundation

It really is simple to start these programs. You need one or two coordinators that are interested in hosting a monthly meeting. EAA will provide you with the monthly question and answer, then you simply build from there. You send out an email to your members with the question for the month so they can contemplate and look for the answer. As a bonus, these clubs are a great way to advertise your chapter. So, I strongly suggest including local flight schools and clubs, inviting them to join EAA and your chapter. Our November meeting saw seven new people joining the program.

When we held our first meeting of the VMC Club, I honestly questioned how well it would be received. With two hours scheduled and 45 minutes’ worth of content, we started promptly at 6 p.m. discussing the first of two scenarios. It was a full 45 minutes later that we looked at the second scenario, and at 8 p.m. discussions were still going strong. I had to interrupt and call the meeting to a close so the facility could be secured for the night. Some scenarios are more straightforward than others, but the discussions are always fun, lively, and informative.

We are blessed to have a number of instructors including CFIIs, CFIs, AGIs, and even a DPE that support these programs. Your coordinator does not have to be an instructor, so don’t let that stop you. However...

“All EAA IMC and VMC Clubs require a club certified flight instructor (CFI) to be listed as a functioning member. A CFI or a ground instructor will act as a subject matter expert and advisor guiding the group and program coordinator if necessary. They need to be available, but they don’t have to participate or be present during the meeting.”

Your coordinator will initially have a short online meeting with a trainer at EAA who will show them where to find the necessary resources. They will help them get set up and give them tips on how to facilitate the discussions. EAA leadership is always ready to support you and provide answers to your questions. You will then set a monthly meeting time, apply for your meeting insurance with EAA Risk Management, and lastly, you will send out the invitation/meeting announcement which will include your first “VMC Club: Question of the Month.” EAA provides  monthly video scenarios where you as the IMC/VMC coordinators may select one or numerous scenarios to watch and as a group, arrive at a conclusion asking questions of the scenario: “What would you do?”

A Bit of Free VMC Club-Style Advice

I share one last bit of advice similar to something that we might discuss at a VMC Club meeting. As a pilot, I believe strongly in the use of personal minimums. One of my own personal minimums that will never change is that I will not fly with someone, that is acting as pilot in command (PIC), until I have had a cup of coffee with them. Proverbially speaking, I want to know enough about the pilot to know that they never use the phrase “close enough,” and more importantly, that they are still open to learning. Together, as iron sharpens iron, we learn more with each shared flight experience and become “...sharper, more efficient, safer, and more knowledgeable pilots.” The VMC Club and IMC Club is a place where you can find that “cup of coffee” to share. Their very presence at the meeting begins to answer the question of whether they are still learning — which is a must.

This program is amazing and an easy gathering to organize. I highly recommend your chapter begin your VMC or IMC Club soon.

For VMC Club and IMC Club program support, email imcvmc@eaa.org.

Learn more about EAA’s pilot proficiency and education programs.