EAA Chapter 1218 Completes Deceased Member’s EAA Biplane

February 2019 - Eugene “Gene” Pascoe, EAA 59899, joined EAA and attended EAA Oshkosh in 1971. He purchased plans, attended many workshops, and began his EAA Biplane in 1972 while living in California. He continued work on the project after a later move to Kansas City. Still later, he built a retirement home in the Ozarks near Dora, Missouri, and a vintage hangar complete with a vintage brick floor took priority. In 1999, Gene was instrumental in establishing EAA Chapter 1218, in Gainesville, Missouri, where he held the office of chapter treasurer for several years. He was a Young Eagles ground crew member and assisted with the construction of the chapter hangar after it was relocated to Willow Springs, Missouri, in 2001.

Following his death in 2009, the family donated the EAA Biplane project to Chapter 1218 with one stipulation: They wanted to see it completed and flown. The airplane was completed in 2018 with the first flight on December 17 — the 105th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight.

Over the years the project was put aside while other projects took precedence. Work was supervised by William “Bill” Ghan, EAA 10880, who was a 1997 EAA Homebuilders Hall of Fame inductee, and chapter Technical Counselor Berlin Batesel, EAA 351135. Dedicated Chapter 1218 members meet one day weekly to work on chapter projects. Along with completing Gene’s EAA Biplane, members have built a Pietenpol, restored a Zodiac 601, and assisted with a three-quarter-scale Jenny. The current chapter projects are a Starduster Too and a Citabria.

(See Gene’s early project photos in the March 2006 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine on Page 41.)

For more photos, visit www.1218.EAAChapter.org  and click on Chapter Projects.