Chapter 237 at Weeks Hangar: Airplanes, Fun and Birthdays!

February - EAA Chapter 237 from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area has always been an active, hands-on group, and its trip to Oshkosh on January 30-February 1 maintained its reputation. It was the first EAA chapter to organize a weekend work party to Oshkosh in 2015, with its mission helping at the Weeks Hangar.

First assignment: restoring the B-25 recently moved from the AirVenture Museum by polishing the acrylic windows, buffing the engine sheet metal and making the airframe look like new. Afetr a long day’s work, the chapter enjoyed EAA staffer Chris Henry’s presentation on “B-17 The Final Mission.”  Many Chapter 237 members had a hand in helping maintain the B-17 through the years. Chris shared stories of veterans and their family members who got to experience another memorable flight on the B-17, connecting the chapter’s hard work to the positive effect on many lives.  

It was also also special weekend for one Chapter 237 members, as. Al Eke (EAA  56571) celebrated his 80th birthday. Al has been attending weekend work parties for more than 10 years and he said he "couldn't think of a better place to celebrate" than Oshkosh.

Weekend Work Parties are a great way to build camaraderie, touch a piece of history and experience new opportunities. An example: one exchange student from France, Sammy, attended the Weekend Work Party at Weeks Hangar. He has a passion to become a pilot and during the week worked on the B-25 engine and sheet metal for the very first time.

A huge thank you to Chapter 237 for their time and hard work! There are opportunities at Weeks Hangar year-round for you, too. If you are interested in volunteering at Weeks Hangar, please contact John Hopkins at jhopkins@eaa.org.