• Help Celebrate Paul's 90th Birthday September 11
• EAA Welcomes New Homebuilders Community Manager
• Another Webinar Set to Get Your Chapter Website Launched
• Get Your Applications In to Host Iconic EAA Aircraft
• Registration Open for Early 2012 Chapter Leaders Academy Sessions

Leadership Changes for AirVenture, Publications
Recently, I announced some changes to leadership team responsibilities at EAA as we improve the organization’s design as part of implementing our five-year plan. Adam Smith will be assuming the role of Vice President, AirVenture (Features and Attractions). Adam has previously worked in this area as part of his overall responsibilities. He will now have the opportunity to focus on this important element of EAA's culture throughout the year and make it even more collaborative and successful. Many of those AirVenture responsibilities were directly handled in past years by Tom Poberezny prior to his retirement. As part of that transition, Adam will transfer responsibility for EAA publications. I'm pleased to report that former FLYING Magazine Editor-in-Chief Mac McClellan, who joined EAA as an editorial contributor about a year ago, has agreed to serve as Director of Publications. Mac will lead the daily management of our publications as well as moving forward with EAA's vision for Sport Aviation and our other publications. Both AirVenture and our publications are important parts of our mission and among the most valuable elements of EAA to our members. These changes will strengthen each of those areas and further enable the EAA vision.

In South Dakota With Other GA Leaders
Last Wednesday, EAA Vice President of Government Relations Sean Elliott and I were in Pierre, South Dakota, as I participated in a general aviation rally organized by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. The presentations also included leaders of AOPA, GAMA, and NBAA, as well South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard and U.S. Senator John Thune. The rally highlighted the importance of general aviation to South Dakota and was an impressive gathering of the nation's GA leaders. Read more

EAA Expertise Teaching Investigators
Sean Elliott also spent part of last week with EAA Government Relations Director Randy Hansen instructing aviation accident investigators at the EAA Aviation Center as part of the amateur-built aircraft accident investigation course organized by the Department of Transportation and its Transportation Safety Institute. The courses give these investigators a more thorough knowledge of amateur-built aircraft and better equip them for studying accidents involving these aircraft.

PHP to be Honored by Flying Octogenarians
EAA Founder Paul Poberezny will receive another honor recognizing his long and renowned aviation career. The United Flying Octogenarians (UFOs), a group of active pilots age 80 and above, will make Paul their first honorary member later this month. The UFOs will make the presentation at their annual meeting on Sept. 22 in Hartford, Connecticut, coinciding with the annual AOPA Summit.

Tough Weekend for Air Show Performers Recently
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of three air show performers who were killed in separate incidents recently. On August 20, a British Red Arrows pilot died when his aircraft came down after a performance in England. Later that day, EAA and IAC member Bryan Jensen was fatally injured in an air show accident in Kansas City, Missouri. On August 21, wing-walker Todd Green died in an air show accident at Selfridge Air National Guard Base near Detroit. These mishaps are a reminder of the risks in air show performances, but their rarity also reminds us of the extensive safety precautions taken by all performers.

Find a Chapter Near You
EAA's new Chapter Locator uses the power of Google Maps to list the geographic location of every EAA chapter. Want to see what chapters are in a particular area of interest? Simply click the corresponding dot for more information such as meeting times and a link to the chapter website. Click here to check it out!

Next issue of ChapterGram will be delivered on Tuesday, September 20.