EAA Chapter 227 Finds a Way to Make Life Easier

June 15, 2016 - You know how it works when your chapter hosts an event: you load all the equipment needed in the back of pickups, haul everything to the site, and when it’s over, do it all over again and head back. For years, the members of Chapter 227 in Waterloo, Iowa, have moved equipment and supplies from a storage room to event locations and then back again. This typically involves loading tables, chairs, crowd control barriers, barbecue grill, and boxes of supplies in several pickup trucks twice, once for the trip out and once for the trip back, unloading and reloading everything at each end point. Handling all the paraphernalia has been at best inefficient and at worst frustrating. 

With the proceeds of hosting a B-17 Aluminum Overcast tour stop, Chapter 227 recently purchased an enclosed trailer to address this challenging process. It’s 7 feet by 16 feet, equipped with a ramp entry at the back and a door on the right side. Outfitting the interior is still a work in progress, but at this point, there’s a bin in the front for stanchions with a large shelf on top, slotted rails with straps on both sides to tie down two folding chair dollies, tables, and grill. The chapter logo was added to the sides and rear of the trailer to dress it up and advertise EAA and the chapter. It was put to work right away to haul equipment for a chapter picnic and made unloading easy and efficient!