Bob Coverdill

Bob has been around aviation his entire life, as his dad was a pilot in WWII and his family owned a Cherokee and a Tri Pacer while he was growing up. But after a four year enlistment in the US Air Force, life got in the way of his learning to fly until around 2014 when he began flight instruction using a friend’s Cessna 172C. Bob earned his PPL just short of his 60th birthday in February 2016 and has now accumulated over 800 hours in multiple airplane types. He is working on both Instrument and Commercial ratings, as time allows.

Bob lives in central Illinois and retired from the University of Illinois as a mechanical engineer. He is now co—owner of four startup companies involved in precision aerial agronomy, using airplanes and sophisticated sensors to image and analyze farm fields throughout the “corn belt.”

He is in his fourth year as president of EAA Chapter 29 in Champaign County, IL. Under his leadership, membership has grown 4-fold, and the chapter is heavily engaged in sharing aviation with the community, especially kids via Young Eagles Rallies and other outreach programs. Future chapter plans include starting a chapter build project with local aerospace engineering students, hands-on build activities for youth, and Flying Start events for adults.

Bob interacts extensively with the EAA Chapters Office and is very appreciative of all the support that the Office provides to Chapters. He volunteers at AirVenture in both Kids’ Venture (propeller shop) and the Blue Barn. He attends almost every Chapter Leadership Academy to help other chapter leaders learn how to growth their chapters. Participation in EAA activities is a very meaningful way for Bob to share his passion for aviation.