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Vol. 12, No. 1 - January 2010
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:
Calendar of
Events
:
Speakers
Bureau
: Chapter
Locator
: Resource
Forms
: Labels
and Lists
: Promotional
Materials
: Reference
Papers
: Online
Insurance Form
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Email chapters@eaa.org
: Phone 920-426-4876
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Jan. 22-24, 2010
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Feb. 26-28, 2010
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Mar. 26-28, 2010
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Sept. 17-19, 2010
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Oct. 15-17, 2010
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For reservations or more
information: chapters@eaa.org
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Sport Air Workshops
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: January 31, 2010 - Oshkosh,
WI - ELSA
Airplane Repair-Inspection,
Composite
Construction,
Discover
Aircraft Building,
Electrical
Systems & Avionics,
Fabric
Covering,
Gas
Welding,
Sheet
Metal,
Test
Flying Your Project,
What's
Involved In Kit Building
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Welcome to the January
Edition of EAA Chapter e-Gram |
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Most days, when I arrive at
work, I pass by Mark Forss' office. Mark, who takes care
of the SportAir Workshops and AirVenture forums, among
other duties, has a small AirVenture countdown clock
outside his door. That little clock can evoke a wide range
of emotions. Today, I was struck by the fact that there
are only 188 days until AirVenture 2010. It made me smile
and think of warm summer days. I will admit that as the
clock counts down to opening day, I don't smile quite as
much as I worry about all the things that need doing
before opening day. But that's a story for another day!
The point is, the calendar
has turned on a new year and we are getting closer and
closer to another EAA family reunion.
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It really is not too
early to being thinking about being a part of the fun this
summer. So far, it is shaping up to be a good year, with
the reunion of DC-3s, the return of the Lt. Dan Band (with
Gary Sinise), the 75th anniversary of the first flight of
the B-17 and the overall theme of "A Salute to
Veterans."
As we plan for EAA
AirVenture 2010, you and your fellow Chapter members
should also be looking at your calendar year and begin
putting together your local schedule of activities. Be it
a pancake breakfast, Young Eagles rally or annual Chapter
picnic, it is never too early to start the planning
process to ensure your success. No matter what you have
planned, don't forget we have a number of resources you
can draw on from reference papers to promotional materials
or just an ear to listen to your thoughts and some advice
on how other chapters have been successful.
This month, we have a
variety of items in Chapter e-Gram. We'll feature two more
outstanding newsletters; bring you up to speed on some
AirVenture news; remind you about some important awards
and a change in policy from the NTSB; among other items.
As always, please send us any suggestions on what you'd
like to see in the publication or any tips or hints you
think might be valuable to other chapters.
Steve Buss, Manager, EAA Chapters |
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CHAPTER
RENEWALS |
| Just
a reminder that Friday (Jan. 15) was the deadline for
your chapter renewal. Many have already submitted their
information for 2010 and those renewals are currently
being processed. If you have not returned your renewal
or have questions, please contact us as soon as possible
so we can assist you in completing the renewal.
920-426-4876 or chapters@eaa.org. |
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| HAVE
YOU SEEN THE NEW SPORT AVIATION? |
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The inaugural edition of the
re-launched EAA Sport Aviation arrived in mailboxes
last week with extensive upgrades and changes based on the
input of more than 20,000 EAA members gathered over the
past 18 months. The January issue, featuring a stunning
cover photo of the Pitcairn PA-18 autogiro, is the
culmination of the most significant makeover in the
publication's 57-year history. The larger magazine format
encompasses a new design and bold graphics that highlight
knowledge and information EAA members seek.
We have already received
feedback from hundreds of members and the overwhelming
percentage of the comments (better than 95 percent) have
been positive toward the new look, design and content. There were also some good
suggestions that will be addressed in coming issues. For
instance, February's magazine cover will use thicker paper
to counter the "floppy feel" some readers
mentioned. From the samples handled, that will help
significantly. Also, type sizes will be increased
beginning in March to help the readability of the great
new features.
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We appreciate all the
feedback, and hope that the conversation about your
magazine will continue in the future. Let us hear your
reaction to the new format via e-mail to feedback@eaa.org,
or leave a voice message at 800-946-6088.
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EAA
CHAPTER LEADERS ACADEMY |
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On Friday, we'll welcome a new
group of chapter leaders to Oshkosh for a Chapter Leaders
Academy weekend. These sessions are extremely valuable for
any chapter officer, but can be of great value to newly
elected leaders. We encourage your chapter to consider
participating. Past attendees have been overwhelmingly
positive in their reviews and would recommend attendance
to other chapter members. As in the past, we'll cover your
expenses once you arrive in Oshkosh including food,
lodging, and transportation. You'll be responsible for the
travel expenses to Oshkosh, but don't let that stop you.
If travel is an issue, let us know and we may be able to
assist you.
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There are spots open for
our February (26-28) and March (26-28) sessions. Don't
fear the Wisconsin cold or snow either. We'll make sure
you stay warm and dry! If you or someone in your chapter
is interested or would like more information, please
contact us at chapters@eaa.org.
Learn
more here. |
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| IRS
FORM 990N |
Tax
season is just around the corner and chapters should be
thinking about record keeping for their annual filings.
Most chapters are only required to file a 990N
e-postcard with the IRS to keep them in compliance. The
good news is that help is available to those chapters
that feel they need some additional support. Patti
Arthur from the EAA Legal Advisory Council will assist
with 990N filing for free if your chapter meets the
following criteria:
- The chapter has annual
gross receipts NORMALLY under $25,000.
- (c)(3), (4) or (7)
OFFICIAL status (in other words, the chapter has
filed 1023 or 1024 and have a letter of
recognition).
- Provide a EIN, “Care
of” person (an officer’s name) and an address.
If your chapter meets the
above criteria Patti can be reached at arthurlawoffices@aol.com.
If your chapter has never
filed a 1023 or 1024 application then you will need to
do some groundwork for filing the 990N for the first
time. Many chapters did this last year but for those
that have not you will need to do the following steps:
- An OFFICER of the
chapter must call the IRS at 1-877-829-5500 and
explain the following:
a. You are an officer
of EAA Chapter XXXX
b. You would like to
file the 990N
c. You are a small
chapter of a larger organization
d. EAA Main HQ does
NOT have a group exemption letter and has no
intention of filing for one
e. Your FEIN is: XXXX
f. Your annual gross
receipts are under $5000 per year
g. You consider
yourself a (c)(3), (4) or (7)
- You will need to
explain to the agent that you are not required to file
1023 because your gross receipts are under $5000
annually
- The IRS will “re-set”
their system and you can file your 990N ePostcard online
at www.irs.gov in 8 weeks (Note: Search on 990N in the
search field in the upper right corner.)
The 990N ePostcards are
due to the IRS the 15th day of the fifth month of your
fiscal year which for most chapters is May 15.
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LEARN TO FLY DAY, MAY 15
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| During
AirVenture 2009 EAA and numerous other aviation
organizations declared May 15, 2010, as International
Learn to Fly Day. To help support this effort, EAA is
encouraging chapters to hold some activity on that day
that will introduce the general public to the idea of
learning to fly.
Learn to Fly Day events
do not need to be complicated or extensive. They can be
as simple as taking someone for an introductory flight
and then introducing them to a flight instructor. Plans
might include an airport open house, a fly-in breakfast,
or even a mall show. Use your imaginations and keep us
posted as to what you plan to do so that we can share
your ideas with other Chapters.
We’ve also established
a special e-mail
address for Learn to Fly day suggestions, plans or
questions. We will also be posting ideas and progress on
the development of International Learn to Fly Day on EAA
Web pages.
The following are some
ideas to get you started. Remember, these are just
suggestions, so use your imaginations:
- Airport Open House
- Chapter Hangar Open
House
- Intro flight
- Presentations to other
organizations
- Program swaps with
other organizations (example model airplane club)
- Mall shows
- Cooperative program
with flight school
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| FROM
THE FOUNDER'S DESK |
| In
1992, EAA founder Paul Poberezny wrote a letter to EAA
Chapters encouraging them to participate in the (then)
newly launched Young Eagles program. Now, nearly 18
years later, many of his thoughts on the program
remain relevant. As you begin planning your annual
schedule of events, Paul wanted to re-emphasize the
importance of bringing new faces into aviation. Read
the letters |
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| WINTER
FLYING AND FROST |
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With much of the country
locked in an unusual "deep freeze," it seems
appropriate to share the following article from the
November/December FAA Aviation news magazine. Paul
Pellicano's article "On
Thin Ice" reminds us all of one of the hazards of
winter flying.
In fact, the
entire issue features some useful information for
winter flying…and this year, it seems that covers a good
chunk of real estate! |
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FEATURED
NEWSLETTERS
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This month we feature
newsletters from EAA Chapter 105 and 35. Chapter 105,
located in Portland, is one of the few newsletters to
utilize a horizontal, rather than vertical format. But
don't let that throw you, the newsletter
is filled with nice photos and an interesting story of a
man and his Auster.
EAA
Chapter 35, located in San Antonio, features a wide
range of articles, from local to national interest, and
some great Young Eagle pictures as a bonus. Happy
reading!
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| EAA
AIRVENTURE 2010 UPDATES |
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| Newsletter and web
editors note: please feel free to share these articles or
any EAA content in your newsletters or web sites. EAA
Chapters are authorized to reprint these materials, we
just ask that your credit the original source. |
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| CALENDAR
OF EVENTS |
| Here's
a friendly reminder to make use of your EAA Calendar of
Events, which research shows is one of the top five most
visited pages on the EAA website. Pilots and aviation
enthusiasts use the calendar quite a bit when looking
for things to do or places to fly. So how can you help?
The calendar is only as good as the content. Please have
someone (or a committee) responsible for posting your
events on the calendar. We encourage you to post all of
your chapter's events - from monthly meetings to your
annual fly-ins and Young Eagles rallies. You can also
spread the word by reminding others at your airport to
post their aviation-related events to the calendar. It
is easy to post an event and you don't have to be an EAA
member to make use of the calendar. Visit
the website for more information.
By the way, International
Learn to Fly Day is May 15 and International Young Eagles Day is June
12, 2010. |
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| EAA
CHAPTERS IN THE NEWS
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| The
following news items appeared in local media outlets
recently:
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| NOMINATIONS
OPEN FOR BINGELIS, SPIRIT OF FLIGHT AWARDS |
| Is
there an extraordinary tech counselor in your chapter?
Or a pilot whose accomplishments and dedication to
aeronautics have so far "flown under the
radar"? Perhaps they may be appropriate recipients
for two annual awards given out at EAA AirVenture 2010,
the Tony Bingelis Award and the Spirit of Flight award.
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The Tony Bingelis
award honors the memory of the highly regarded
homebuilding authority and EAA Sport Aviation columnist.
Created in 2002, the award recognizes people who have
made significant contributions to the encouragement of
aircraft projects for fellow EAA members, the promotion
of safety, and for maintaining the values of EAA. A
nominee must have been an active and current EAA
Technical Counselor for five consecutive years.
Download
the nomination form
Read about the 2009 Bingelis Award winner
The Spirit of Flight
Award was established in 1997 by the Society of
Experimental Test Pilots and Scaled Composites to
recognize an EAA member who best exemplifies the spirit
of research, development, or flight-testing. They
promote air safety by presenting a pilot's opinion,
strengthening the influence of the test pilot on
aeronautical progress and continuously evaluating the
adequacy of flight equipment.
Download
the nomination form
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| Please call the EAA
Safety Programs Office at 888-322-4636, ext. 6864 if you
have questions. The deadline for both award nominations
is February 1, 2010. |
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SHARE YOUR STORIES
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| We'd
like to ask for your help in bringing positive attention
to the EAA community and EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Let's
share our story through the news media. Let's showcase
the good things happening at your chapter and the
activities of your members in preparation for this
year's AirVenture. What's going on at your chapter that
could translate into a great local-community news story
or feature shining a spotlight on the terrific things
occurring in your area. As a chapter leader, you know
the stories within your chapter. Whether it's someone
building an airplane to fly to Oshkosh; a grandfather
and grandson making their first Oshkosh trip together; a
special Young Eagle who was inspired by your chapter; or
a member planning an unusual flight route to AirVenture
... basically anything you'd like to share, we'd like to
hear.
Please put your thinking
caps on. In the next couple of weeks, you may hear from
Nadia Farr in EAA's communications department to discuss
ideas. Also, some of the chapters who will host our B-17
aircraft tour in the weeks ahead will be hearing from
our friends at Willems Associates not only to coordinate
the tour promotions and activities but also to discuss
ideas for publicizing your chapter activities and
AirVenture.
In the meantime, please
don't hesitate to share any thoughts or ideas you might
have. Feel free to email Nadia at nfarr@eaa.org
or call her at 920-426-6573.
We look forward to
hearing from you as we continue to spread the word about
the joys of personal flight and share The Spirit of
Aviation! |
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| ANNUAL
REPORT TO CHAPTERS NOW AVAILABLE |
| As
mentioned above, the renewal packages were recently
mailed to all chapters. Included with the renewal
paperwork is a copy of the Annual Report to Chapters. It
highlights some of our accomplishments during the past
year and looks ahead to next year. You can read
the complete report here. |
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| NTSB
UPDATES REPORTING REQUIREMENTS |
| Last
week, (Jan. 7), the National Transportation Safety Board
issued a final rule document in the Federal Register
that modified when a pilot must report an accident or
incident in accordance with 49 CFR Part 830. This change
will become effective on March 8, 2010. All aircraft
accident/incident reporting to the NTSB should be
completed using NTSB Form 6120.1 - Pilot/Operator
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report. We encourage you to
share this information with your fellow Chapter members,
in whatever way is appropriate. You can locate your
nearest NTSB office for filing the accident/incident
report here. Read
more |
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