EAA Chapter 187, Dec 2022
Dick Gossen explains that a cylinder is kind of a hollow, round thing.
Educational Videos by Our Guest Speakers
Dick Gossen, June 10, 2023: How to destroy a perfectly good solenoid
Bill Elliott & Johnny Sublett, July 3, 2023: Flight Over Lake Georgetown
Dick Gossen, July 8, 2023: Don't Pull That Cylinder!
Richard Brown, Aug 12, 2023: Aircraft Cleaning & Detailing
EAA 187 Meeting, Aug 12, 2023
We met from 10:00 to 11:00 on Saturday morning, August 12, 2023, at Georgetown Airport’s terminal. Pres. Ken L. Matthews presided. Twenty-six people attended, including 3 visitors.
VP Justin could not attend. Scott brought doughnuts. Brian was applauded as our new, additional Tech Counselor. Darrell talked about Tango Flight, which has built 4 or 5 airplanes over the years. Ed is selling some helicopter and other aviation parts in hangar TT18 at GTU.
Ken and Bill gave some highlights from the July 18 Google Meet board meeting. Ken showed photos of his trip to Airventure in Oshkosh, July 24-30. Several members met up with Ken during the airshow. Michael will share his video of landing at Oshkosh later.
Sec. Bill Elliott took minutes and recorded the speaker, Richard L. Brown, who owns Austin Aircraft Detailing. He travels in the Central Texas area to clean and detail aircraft inside and out. Most jobs are above $300. He discussed the products he uses and his methods, which involve a lot of elbow grease. He advises pilots of maintenance issues he finds on each plane (he is a pilot too). His 18-min. video has been posted on our website. Call him.
William R. Elliott, EAA 187 Secretary, 8/18/2023
EAA 187 Meeting, July 8, 2023
We met from 10:00 to 11:30 on Saturday morning, July 8, 2023, at Georgetown Airport’s terminal. Pres. Ken L. Matthews presided. Twenty-nine people attended, including 3 visitors! At least 8 of the folks are planning on going to Oshkosh/AirVenture July 24-30, and another EAA member from Georgetown is going. [Full minutes are posted in the Members Area.]
VP Justin Jones provided food and drinks again. Sec. Bill Elliott took minutes and recorded the speaker (see photo above). Member Dick Gossen, spoke about “Don’t Pull That Cylinder”. Dick’s 47-min. video has been posted on our website. Good job!
Other News
Our President, Ken L. Matthews, became an EAA Lifetime Member on May 8. Congratulations Ken!!
We received a notice about a medical study that will be done at Airventure. The study involves volunteer pilots taking computerized cognitive tests for four hours. The pay is $300 to $500 depending on the level of medical certification. Payment comes upon completion of the tests. Pilots’ names will not be given to FAA; the study is conducted by a third-party contractor for FAA.
The FAA is looking for 960 participants, and the information gathered during the study will be used to establish a normative dataset representing what is usual or expected in a representative sample of pilots. The outcome of this research will help ensure that FAA processes for aeromedical decision-making are consistent with best clinical practices for aerospace medicine and current scientific knowledge.
Recent Experimental Aircraft Video at Georgetown
Akaso EK7000 mounted on lift strut
Bill Elliott and Johnny Sublett have been doing more tests with Bill's small action cams mounted on Johnny's Bellanca Citabria 150S. Johnny flies Young Eagles in this plane, an excellent sightseeing plane with two tandem seats. On July 3, 2023, we rigged the plane with 2 cameras inside and 1 on the right lift strut. Plus Bill had another small camera on a stick roving inside the cockpit. Audio was recorded from the intercom into a small Sony recorder. The camera mounts were all very stable. Bill edited all this into a 13-min. mp4 video that you can see on Bill's Dropbox at this link:
Flight Over Lake Georgetown
Dick Gossen likes aviation solenoids!
EAA 187 Meeting, June 10, 2023
Twenty-nine folks met from 10:00 to 11:30 on Saturday morning, June 10, 2023, at Georgetown Airport.
Pres. Ken Matthews presided. VP Justin Jones provided food and drinks as always. Sec. Bill Elliott took minutes and recorded the meeting on two video cameras (see photo above). We had two members speak at our meeting. Scott Fish spoke about “Experimental Flight Testing” (50 mins.) that he has been doing on his Cozy MKIV plane. There were lots of questions and discussions. Dick Gossen, spoke about “How to destroy a perfectly good solenoid” (28 mins.). Automotive starter solenoids are not built for the prolonged and heavy cranking that an aircraft engine often needs, and will fail in a fairly brief time. Dick also is a UL Power engine dealer, popular on experimental planes. Dick's and Scott’s talks are posted on the members-only area of our website.
Young Eagle Rally, June 3, 2023
Georgetown, Texas Airport
Our 6 pilots flew 9 Young Eagles!
Audry Patterson with Tom Paxson
Caleb Patterson with Patrick O’Malley
Cody Patterson with Haruko Reese
Frankie Lovell with Patrick O’Malley
Jared Chen with Tom Paxson
Luke Halko with Haruko Reese
Sophia Foster with Justin Blackburn
Victoria Foster with David Hayek
William Lovell with David Hayek
Updated 6-14-23: See Justin Jones' and David Hayek's photos!
Meeting on May 13, 2023
Thirteen members met from 10:00 to 11:20 on a rainy Saturday morning at Georgetown Airport. Ken Matthews presided. Our planned speaker could not attend, so our members provided the entertainment. We had food as usual. Sec. Bill Elliott recorded the meeting on two video cameras as an experiment. Gary Hamilton led the Young Eagle pilots on May 6; we flew 10 kids. The radar was out because of a lightning strike the night before, so the tower spaced the planes out. Gary got to visit the tower and discuss the control plan that the controllers used during the radar outage. Bill Bennett talked about an issue that has appeared with cracks around rivets in the horizontal stabilizer in some RV planes, most models except the RV-12. Robert Reese reported on progress with building the plane at Tango Flight, in cooperation with Georgetown ISD. Bill Elliott talked about how to attach small action cameras (GoPro and Akaso) on airplanes. He previewed a video of Johnny Sublett flying a Young Eagle on May 6. We also watched the EAA monthly chapter video.
If you are a paid, registered member, you can see the full minutes with a photo and link to a YE video in the Members Area.
Young Eagle Herbie Love & pilot Johnny Sublett look to the skies!
Young Eagles Rally at GTU, May 6, 2023!
Our latest Young Eagles event was Saturday morning, May 6, 2023, at GTU. Our 4 pilots flew 10 kids, although the cloud deck was a bit low. Most were boy scouts, and troop leader/Mom Deanna Johnson provided us with many great photos. We ran from about 9:15 to 10:45 am.
Thanks to our volunteer pilots: Johnny Sublett [video], Gary Hamilton, Haruko Reese, Shane Torgerson.
https://www.dropbox.com/home/YE%202023-May%206
Meeting on April 8, 2023
We will hold an in-person EAA Chapter 187 Meeting on Saturday, April 8th, 2023 at 10:00 am at the Georgetown Municipal Airport at 500 Terminal Dr, Georgetown, TX 78628.
We are grateful to have John Mahany give a presentation on "Loss of Control in Flight". John has 45 years experience as a pilot, 43 years as CFI. He's a 7-time Master CFI. Many different makes and models of aircraft flown. Founding member, SAFE (Society of Aviation and Flight Educators), partner of a 1953 CE 180 and owner of a 1970 Cessna 150, both based at KLGB. Experience with FAR 135 & 121 operations as pilot and dispatcher. Involved with FAASTeam as Lead Representative, Long Beach FSDO.
His presentation is on the NTSB's Most Wanted List for 2016, and "Loss of Control In Flight" is #1 on the list. He will be providing his presentation remotely. You can learn more about John and his flying credentials at JohnMahanyCFI.com.
Another Young Eagles Event at GTU, April 1, 2023!
YE photos 2023-04-01
A Photo Collage of 2022-2023 Events
Here's a big collage of EAA and Devil Dog events, contributed by David Hayek. Click on the thumbnail below to see the big picture. 3/22/23
Meeting on March 11, 2023
The minutes have been sent out (see Members Area if you are a paid member). We had Will Cutter from Cutter Aviation to speak about their FBO operations at KGTU, the services they provide, and his experiences running the company. We met at Georgetown Airport terminal building, 10-noon.
If you have not paid your dues for 2023, now is the time to do it, as the new roster will be out soon.
Young Eagles Event at GTU, March 4, 2023!
We are hosting a series of four small YE events this spring, on the first Saturday of the month: March 4, April 1, May 6, and June 3. To pre-register your youngster, ages 8-17, contact our YE Coordinator, Michael Garel, at 512-289-4031, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We will fly only 10 kids each day. Let us know!
Our Chapter's History
EAA is a growing and diverse international organization with a wide range of aviation interests. Originally founded in 1953 by a group of people involved in building their own airplanes, through the years it has transformed into a wide group interested in everything aviation.
EAA Chapter 187 is a tight group of folks located in the Greater Austin Metro Area interested in building custom aircraft, flying, aviation, and beyond. We come from a great range of backgrounds, but share a common passion for the skies. We have regular scheduled meetings and events. We engage other events in the area, helping represent EAA and Experimental Aviation. We hold regular Young Eagles rallies, allowing kids age 8-17 to experience their first flights in a small airplane.
Want to find out more? Come join us at one of our regular meetings and introduce yourself. You will find that our members are open, friendly, and have a great deal of interesting things to talk about. Interested in building your airplane? You're in the right spot! We have builders assistance, tools loan programs, first flight assistance and counseling, and much more.
Program for Feb 18, 2023 Meeting
Our meeting room at Georgetown Airport accidentally got scheduled by the airport to someone else on Feb 11. So, we postponed the meeting to Feb 18 at the usual place, 10 am. We will have a speaker, monthly EAA video, news, and reports from members. The library books and videos will be there too.
VP Justin Jones arranged for the KGTU airport manager, Matthew Sommerfeld to speak at our 2/18 meeting about the Georgetown airport and topics related to airport management, including requirements that may be unknown to pilots. He was asked to update us on the airport master plan, airport facilities and aircraft hangers. Justin will be out of town that day. Please come!
New Members & Their Projects
These projects are featured in the Aircraft/Member Aircraft/Current Projects folder. 3/8/23
Jan 14 banquet was a success
Our banquet at Pok-E-Joe's on Jan 14 was lots of fun, with 38 attending for a buffet meal of brisket, sausage, chicken, green salad, potato salad, pinto beans, and peach cobbler. Deene Ogden presented a slide show about Seth Hancock and Tony Bingelis. Chapter awards were given, and we'll try to post a list of them soon. Later, Bill Elliott uploaded 21 banquet photos to his private Dropbox for the chapter to see. Let Bill know if you still need access to those, please (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). See photos below.
Ken Matthews, President, officiated the awards with VP Justin Jones.
Deene Ogden spoke about Tony Bingelis and Seth Hancock.
December 10th Chapter Meeting, No Young Eagles Rally
We met on Saturday, December 10th, 2022 at 10:00 am at the Georgetown Municipal Airport at 500 Terminal Dr, Georgetown, TX 78628.
Because of poor weather (low overcast and rain), our YE Coordinator, Michael Garel, called off our Young Eagles Rally. We will reschedule for another event in the spring. Thanks for watching the weather forecast and coordinating, Michael!
We had some interesting reports from members and visitors. William Bennett demonstrated how our chapter's prop balancer works (it is available to paid members). Mark Petrosky is in a Piper Sport flying club out of Spicewood, and they are looking for more owner-members. It is a 2010 model with autopilot, a very nice light sport aircraft. Also, a Rans S-19 (EAB) is for sale in Conroe, TX for a good price. Contact Mark at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Visitor Frank Carleton took a basic sheet metal course at the McGregor AP, which was very good. Bob Elliott related an incident in June in which a Mooney 201 had to be set down in a field near Kyle. An IFR student was flying under the hood (eyes covered) while the instructor directed. The engine quit and the instructor took command. The plane had some damage but the two men were not hurt. A truck and crane took the plane back to San Marcos Airport, where it was repaired for a breathtaking sum, but insurance paid for it.
There will be no meeting on Sat., Jan. 14, 2023, but don't forget our Chapter Banquet that evening, 6-8 pm, at Pok-E-Joe's BBQ in Georgetown! Bring a spouse, partner, or friend.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Young Eagles Rallies in 2022
In 2022 we held Young Eagles rallies on May 14 and October 22, and we flew a lot of young people for free. Next time we will try and use the meeting room in the terminal building for registration. While you and your kids wait, we will show some entertaining, educational videos about Young Eagles and the basics of flight physics. Watch this space for a new YE event in the spring!
Tango Flight
TangoFlight is a STEM (Science,Technology, Engineering, and Math) program for students at both Georgetown and East View high schools.
The centerpiece of this program has students build a Van's Aircraft RV-12 two-seat Light Sport Aircraft.
EAA Chapter 187 is co-sponsoring this project, providing experienced aircraft builders as mentors for the students. The aircraft is being built on the East View High School campus, with final assembly and operation at Georgetown Municipal Airport.
Funding for the project is primarily from charitable donations.
Visit Tango Flight on the web at tangoflight.org, and follow their Facebook page.
Rockdale Tiger Flight: help us build a Zenith CH-601
Rockdale Tiger Flight is a group organized by several EAA 187 members in Rockdale, TX.
The group is focused on teaching mid- and high-schoolers airplane building skills. We're done with the tail of RV-6, and have switched over to putting together our full kit for Zenith CH-601. We get together every Saturday at 10 AM, and focus on building those airplanes. We also offer weekly Young Eagles rides to kids, subject to weather and aircraft availability.
This weekly event is free to participants, and we are looking for help! Both kids and adults are welcome!
For more information, log on to rockdaletigerflight.org, or check out our Facebook page. If you have questions, contact us.
Mailing List
To subscribe to our mailing list, please send a request to Sec. Bill Elliott at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. You must be a paid member or a recent visitor to the meetings.
Member Roster
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