Chapters — Our Strong Point

May 2020 – The strength of any organization is its members. EAA's members are a diverse collection of enthusiasts. You only need to attend AirVenture once to realize that a broad range of diversity exists within EAA. At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh there are the following sections: Homebuilt, Warbirds, Vintage, Ultralights, Rotary, Classics, New and Contemporary, Aerobatic, Floatplane, Jets, UAVs, Models, and the list goes on.

Another great strength of an organization is the ability for its members to benefit from that diversity and experience. This is a key benefit of the chapter network. Chapters connect enthusiasts of all interests and all backgrounds on the common theme of aviation. Pilots and enthusiasts come together under the umbrella of aviation and share knowledge, experience, and stories. They assist and encourage. They remove hurdles or barriers to aviation. Chapters share the AirVenture energy locally and year-round.

Last month we listed all the current chapters in Canada, along with some basic information about each of the chapters — who the executives are and how you can contact them, when and where the chapter meets, and the chapter’s website address.

Over the next few months, we will dive deeper into the profiles of each chapter. I have asked the executives from each chapter to provide a couple of paragraphs about their chapter. They will share some of the events or activities they part in. They might even share some of the unique personalities and experiences that make their chapter what it is.

We're going to start these reviews with an article in this issue from Chapter 65 from Hamilton. Chapter 65 is one of the oldest chapters in continuous existence and celebrated its 60th anniversary last year. I loved reading about their chapter build nights to teach and support members on building skills and the chapter's encouragement of "buddy flights." What a great way to promote aviation and provide the opportunity to share that experience.

I look forward to learning more about all the other chapters. I suspect there are activities that each chapter can learn from. If you're not a chapter member, or not a regular attendee, I encourage you to look up your local chapter and attend their next event.