EAA Chapter 186

A big thank you is in order for Michelle Gill. New members in the last year, Michelle and husband Josh Chambers offered that if we came up with the paint, she would refurbish the chapter house deck. She spent a couple days, with her parents helping, pressure-washing and scraping our very old deck. Then a day of replacing a handful of boards and painting along with the help of Jorge Botero, Rori Ross, Moheb Keddis, Josh and Michelle’s parents. This will help our old deck last longer while we wait to learn when and where we will move in the next 2 to 20 years.

I have not talked flying inthis column for several
months. Instead, I have been using this space to
update our membership on various Chapter happenings. This month I want to talk a little about maintaining safe habits as we fly in this busy area.Most pilots based at
Manassas know the “unwritten” rule about arriving/departing VFR to/from the FLUKY gate, i.e.,
stay on the correct side of the train tracks while in the SFRA. This helps deconflict this busy traffic area. I propose we should extend that concept a few more miles westof Warrenton airport, KHWY. The acrobatic box and parachute activity are two reasons to never overfly KHWY so stay on your side of the tracks until west of KHWY. While departing KHEF there is not enough time to tune in to KHWY AWOS (it has a phone number to call in advance) so it is best to assume those are both active. ATC does not have time to remind you of those activities.

We all need to occasionally review the AIM for traffic pattern procedures for pilot-controlled fields. If the desired route of flight is left, your climb should continue straight ahead until within 300’ of the pattern altitude. Turning left sooner puts you in conflict with downwind traffic. Any right turn should not be made before reaching pattern altitude, at least. An earlier right turn conflicts with traffic entering on the crosswind leg. It is amazing how many creative pattern procedures we can observe in one session of pattern work. The often-heard call from an aircraft arriving several miles out usually has too much information in it. Traffic in the pattern does not need to hear 20 to 30 seconds detailing your plan to over-fly the field, head southeast, descend to pattern altitude, do a 180° turn and head northwest to enter the pattern. A simple “10 miles west landing XXX” will suffice. Update us when you are closer.

I was recently at my hangar late enough that aircraft could get in their night currency landings. A Blackhawk helicopter showed up to do just that. At the time there were no other aircraft in the pattern and I have no doubt they were making all their appropriate calls on CTAF but it got me thinking a light aircraft could easily show up to do a couple landings and become quite surprised by a torrent of wake turbulence from the Blackhawk, The repetitive hovering, go around and normal pattern maneuvers by this Blackhawk reminded me of the need to review again the wake turbulence we should expect from helicopters. Wake turbulence is addressed in AIM 7.4 but the only specific helicopter reference is the mention that light aircraft should maintain a distance of at least three rotors from a helicopter in a hover or in a hover-taxi. Think of rotor lengths varying from 25’ for an R-22 to 53’ for a Blackhawk. So, we should stay 75’ to 160’ away from a hovering helicopter, depending on its size. Is a helicopter in a hover over the grass next to the runway far enough away? Probably not. If it is hovering over a parallel taxiway, it may or may not be far enough away for you to use the runway safely. The AIM does not specifically mention how much distance to allow for a helicopter in forward travel, but the FAA recommends the “3-3-2 Rule.” That is 3 rotor discs, 3 miles and 2 minutes, so keep a hoveringmhelicopter 3 blade lengths away and when passing behind a moving helicopter, give it a 3 mile and 2 minutes buffer.

Every pilot needs a Flight Review within the past 24 months to fly. Historically we usually wait until the 24th month (or later) and look for a CFI to fly with. You do not see the term biennial used much anymore. The FAA would like pilots to consider doing a more ongoing method of staying current rather than getting a flight review in the 24th month. Under the FAA Wings program, if you attend three Wings credit classes (Ch 186 does two every month with our IMC Club and VMC Club meetings) and fly three one-hour Wings flight exercises with a CFI, your flight review expiration date will move forward two years. Yes, this is more work than the
minimum one hour of ground and one hour of flight required for a flight review but much more comprehensive. Look in your account on faasafety.gov for more Wings program info.

Blue Skies,
Bob

For the 2026 Air Academy we have spent our credits available to help with the tuition for two campers that are going in June and July. One is going to the Explore Camp Session 1 in late June and one is going to Session 2 in early July.

The EAA Air Academy offers away-from-home aviation themed camps. For 2026 there were two separate camps: Explore Aviation Camp and Navigating Horizons Camp for either of two age groups, 14 to 15 and 16 to 18. The information (dates, course content, ages, tuition costs)for the 2026 camps is available at https://www.eaa.org/eaa/youth/eaa-aviation-and-flightsummer-camps and the info for the 2027 camps and on-line registration will be posted here in September 2026.m Once registered and accepted for a camp, you can apply directly to the EAA for an EAA campership which may help pay for the tuition. EAA Ch 186 has also provided tuition assistance in the past couple years. If you are already registered for an Air Academy camp, let us know and we may be able to help with tuition assistance. Transportation to and from Air Academy is the responsibility of the parents. Room and board are included in the tuition.

Ray Aviation Scholarship

Chapter 186 was approved in February by EAA to grant a $12,000 Ray Aviation Foundation Scholarship for 2026, our 8th consecutive year. We have chosen Rori Ross as our Ch 186 Ray Scholar for 2026 and EAA recently approved our selection. Rori has been on several Young Eagles flights and has been volunteering on the ground crew at ourmYoung Eagles rallies. She soloed at the USAF Aim High Academy, a three-week introductory flightm academy. Rori is now taking flight instruction at Elevation Aviation on the east side of the field at Manassas.mShe will graduate this June and plans to attend Oklahoma State University’s aviation program.

The Ray Scholarship pays $12,000 toward the flight training costs of obtaining a Private Pilot Certificate. Note that total costs will most likely exceed $12,000. It is funded in three installments: $4,800 up front, $4,800 after first solo and $2,400 after written exam completion. The required milestones are:

-First solo flight within three months,
-Pass the private pilot written exam within six
months,
-Pass the Private Pilot check ride within one year
of receiving the initial funds. The EAA asks for
two hours per month of volunteer time at the
chapter during training.

Possession of an FAA medical certificate is required for scholarship consideration. It does not suffice to merely plan to get an FAA Medical if chosen as a scholar. EAA will not allow us to put forth a scholar for their consideration if he/she does not already have a medical (minimum of FAA Third Class certificate).

We flew 47 kids with 8 aircraft at the April 11 rallyat Warrenton. Our May 9 Young Eagles rally is also planned for Warrenton Airport from 1100 to 1500.

Pilots: In an effort to push the total of Young Eagles flown to 2.5 million kids, EAA has announced Mission 2.5 where Young Eagle Pilots have an incentive to fly 25 kids between 10/1/2025 to 7/31/2026. Any volunteer pilot that rises to the challenge and flies 25 Young Eagles or more from October 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026, will be issued a limited-edition commemorative hat courtesy of Sporty’s.

Below are our current totals through Feb 2026 for
each Young Eagles pilot:

Chris Berg 12
Dan Botzer 26
Matthew Friedman 8
Joseph Fry 3
Dave Huss 3
Michael Iachini 8
Allan Osborn 20
Michael Osmers 6
Grant Peterson 2
Bob Prange 32
Brian Roy 17
Paul Schafer 13
Curtis Smith 11
Jeff Swedo 9
David Taylor 4

Our next Young Eagles Rallies are:

May 9 – Warrenton at 1100
June 13 – Manassas at 0900
July 11 – Manassas at 0900

Young Eagles flights are available for kids between
ages 8 and 17. We normally hold our rallies on the
second Saturday each month. Parents can register
at eaachapters.org beginning at 8:00 AM on the 1st
of each month.

Chapter 186 Young Eagles Coordinators
David Richards
Bob Prange

Tuesday April 28
IMC Club Meeting at 7:00 PM
VMC Club Meeting at 8:00 PM

Join us Tuesday night for one or both of our monthly safety meetings.  IMC Club and VMC Club meetings are usually on the fourth Tuesday of the month.

Attendees receive one FAA WINGS credit for each session.

Optional 5:30 PM dinner (Dutch treat) at Panera Bread on Bristow Center Drive.  Near the fountains visible from Route 28.

IMC Club meeting topic:
The IMC Club’s purpose is to promote instrument flying, proficiency, and safety. The intent is to create a community of pilots willing to share information, provide recognition, foster communications, promote safety, and build proficiency in instrument flying.

VMC Club meeting topic:
EAA/VMC Club provides organized “hangar flying” focused on building flying knowledge and skills.  This meeting offers an opportunity to share in-flight experiences and valuable safety tips.

EAA Chapter 186
10629 Aviator Avenue (old Observation Road)
Manassas, VA 20110

Do not park in the spaces marked “FAA.”  The first double row of spaces closest to the tower are faintly marked and are “tow-away” spaces.

Saturday April 25 Member Gathering
1000 Guest Speaker
Coffee and Doughnuts at 0920

National Capital Chapter
10629 Aviator Avenue (formerly Observation Road)
Manassas, VA  20110

Please join us this Saturday.  This month our speaker is Dick Genaille, President of the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society (VAHS).  The VAHS is committed to preserving aviation history and educating the general public of the many contributions Virginia has made and is making to the development of aviation and aerospace.  Last year Dick presented “Aviation Firsts Along the Potomac” where we witnessed the findings of his thousands of hours of research into many historic aviation events along the Potomac River from Washington to Quantico.  Dick has discovered some items in VAHS archives that will make for a very interesting presentation.

Saturday March 28 Member Gathering
1000 Guest Speaker
0920 Coffee and Doughnuts

Please join us Saturday.  Our own Paul Schafer will present on the development and operation of the A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthog.”

Paul Schafer has a degree in aeronautical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and earned his private pilot certificate after graduation. Commissioned through Air Force ROTC, he started his 32-year USAF career in 1980 and primarily flew A-10 Warthogs. An outstanding graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School, Paul won the Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award for his combat command in Southwest Asia, and flew more than 40 combat missions over southern Iraq. He retired as a major general and is a defense and leadership consultant in Washington, D.C. He is chairman of the EAA Museum Committee.

Paul started homebuilding when he was an undergraduate. He was a project leader for a student team that designed, fabricated, and tested a self-launch composite glider. He is currently building an Onex in his garage. He holds a commercial pilot certificate with more than 3,000 hours. Paul is a volunteer pilot for Patient Airlift Services. He flies Young Eagles, and is the Eagle Flights leader for EAA National Capital Chapter 186. Paul and his wife live in Fairfax, Virginia.

Membership:  We are now finalizing the 2026 membership renewal process.  This will culminate in our annual Chapter 186 Directory.  If you have not renewed yet please mail or bring the attached renewal form to the meeting.  We also have renewal forms at the Chapter House.  You can pay by check or Zelle or PayPal.

***Park in the lot by the Control Tower but do not park in the faintly marked “FAA” spaces.  Walk through the pedestrian gate toward the EAA186 sign. ***            

EAA has once again granted Chapter 186 a Ray Aviation Foundation Flight Training Scholarship for the eighth consecutive year. This pays up to $12,000 for a scholar working on the Private Pilot-Airplane certificate. The program is intensive, requiring the scholar to commit to completing flight training from beginning to checkride in one year. A couple of our past scholars had already soloed prior to applying for the scholarship. In that event EAA pays $7,200. If interested, see the Ray Aviation Scholarship article in this issue.

We are fortunate to have a highly engaged chapter membership which keeps us eligible to earn the right to give another Ray Scholarship. EAA has informed us that we have earned the Gold status recognition level for 2025. We earned 10 points on their scale. EAA criteria include whether a chapter owns or leases meeting space, maintains a tool locker, attends leadership training, has growing or steady membership, offers IMC or VMC Club programs, participates in Young Eagles, Air Academy and the Ray Scholarship, has FAA- approved Flight Advisors or Technical Counselors, holds public events and participates in the annual chapter member survey.

We have spent our Young Eagles credits for our 2024 flights on tuition assistance for two kids going to Air Academy this June and July. See more info in the Air Academy article in this issue.

In addition to EAA Chapter 186, of course the best aviation organization, there are other aviation groups and clubs in the area, such as Flying Club 1, VAHS, Smokehouse Pilots and booster clubs at each airport. When time permits, I enjoy attending these other organizations’ events. That leads to knowledge sharing and helps bridge the community. The VAHS has extended to all Chapter 186 members a free and open invitation to their annual meeting in May at Horse Feathers Airport (53VA). See the article in z previous post.

A member in EAA Chapter 1099 has been plodding through the bureaucratic process with EAA and DMV to get approval for a specialized EAA license plate. I believe he is getting close. We will let you know if, and when, it becomes available.

Blue Skies,

Bob

ONLINE APPLICATIONS

https://eaa186.org/events/eaa-chapter-186-
membership-online-application-2025/

NAME TAG

https://eaa186.org/events/eaa-chapter-186-name-tag-order-form-paypal-only/.

CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP FEES
$30 Jan–Dec Single Member Dues
$35 Jan-Dec Family Member Dues
$15 for Name Tag and postage
$12 – hard copy of Directory (printing & mailing)
$2 surcharge if paying by PayPal
DID YOU CHANGE YOUR E-MAIL?
Please advise Meredith Martin-Richards, 703-594-1281 or meredithm.m7@gmail.com if any of your membership directory information changes.
Thanks!