From the President

Happy New Year! Thank you to our outstanding Chapter membership for making 2024 a fun and successful year. Our speaker program continued to enlighten and inform us in a wide variety of aviation topics. Last year we helped create
another Private Pilot through the Ray Aviation Scholarship, our fifth in five years, and selected a sixth Ray Scholar. We flew over 350 Young Eagles, including three rallies at Warrenton Airport and participated in a four-chapter Young
Eagles workshop at Shannon Airport. Kids, and adults, spent countless hours on our two PCs with flight simulator and RC flight simulator software. We spent our Young Eagles credits earned from EAA to help towards tuition expense for two kids to attend Air Academy in Oshkosh. Chapter 186 had two homebuilt first flights: John Fontaine’s RV-12 (late 2023) and Bob Corriveau’s RV-8, and quite a few more getting close. In June, several members
helped staff the Women Can Build workstations at the Women Can Fly event.

Members continued to use our project trailer and extensive tool crib including aircraft scales, prop balancer and numerous power and hand tools. We sponsored the Ford Tri-Motor in September earning $1,300 in commissions. Chapter 186 conducted monthly flight safety meetings through the IMC Club and VMC Club, open to the aviation community. We held several Friday night movies, held a couple pancake breakfasts and met for Tuesday morning breakfast at AirVenture, held a Chili cook-off in October and a Holiday party in December. Our technical counselors, flight advisers and DAR continued to assist and educate homebuilders and certified aircraft operators to keep our fleet safe.

Our website, membership directory, monthly Stick and Rudder Newsletter were supplemented with increased postings of our Facebook page. We managed to keep a warm and welcoming Chapter House in our aging facility. Best of all we have had wonderful fellowship throughout in our participation in these programs.

All this was possible only because our member volunteers continued to do their part to keep Chapter 186 successful and growing. Your volunteerism is priceless. I look forward to another productive and fun year with all of you. Please
give us your ideas on where we can improve our Chapter and programs.

We are still in need of a webmaster. The EAA186.org website needs maintenance so that we can keep our membership informed and up-to-date with announcements, calendar items, membership renewal screens, sign-up sheets, etc. Please let us know if you would like to help in this area.

We are in the annual Chapter 186 membership renewal process. Chapter membership is for the calendar year. If you renew now, you will reduce our postage expenses and mailing efforts. Click here to renew on line https://eaa186.org/events/eaa- chapter-186-membership-online-application-2025/ and here to order a name tag https://eaa186.org/events/eaa-chapter-186-name-tag-order-form-paypal-only/.

If you prefer, print and fill in the 2025 membership renewal form in this newsletter and mail it with your payment. Each renewal done now will preclude our mailing you a renewal form. Or bring your form and payment with you to the Jan 25 meeting. We will be glad to process your renewal on the spot. We also have renewal forms at the Chapter House.

Bob Prange

The following are the updated prices and links for membership dues, name tags, and the directory; effective immediately:

Young Eagles

We flew 32 kids at the Dec 14 rally at Manassas. We had several aircraft and over 50 kids registered for Jan 11 but cancelled for high winds and icy ramps.

Our next Young Eagles Rallies are:

Feb 8 – 12:00 Noon at Manassas
March 8 – 12:00 Noon at Manassas
April 12 – 12:00 Noon at Manassas

We are now using the EAA’s new website for event management for our Young Eagles Rallies. To become a Young Eagles volunteer, ground or pilot, proceed to events.eaachapters.org and use the “sign-up” feature. That just gets you on the list of possible volunteers. Let Bob know you have signed up so we can send you an invitation to volunteer for a specific event. If you volunteer without being signed up, you will not get importantchanges/updates about the YE rally.

Ground and Pilot Volunteers: About two to three weeks prior to a Young Eagles Rally, we prompt
the events.eaachapters.org system to send an email to everyone in our Young Eagles volunteer database, inviting you to click on “confirm” or “will not attend.” This helps us determine the staffing level so we can set the number of kids that
can register for a ride. Expect an automatic reminder email on Wednesday three days prior to the Young Eagles Rally asking you to confirm again that you are still planning to volunteer. This gives us updated staffing level info.

Young Eagles flights are available to kids between ages 8 and 17. We normally hold our rallies on the second Saturday each month. We use two time slots 12:00 Noon and 2:00 PM in the colder months. Parents can register at events.eaachapters.org beginning at 8:00 AM on the 1st of each month.

Pilot Volunteers: EAA requires current EAA membership and current Youth Protection Program training and background check to fly Young Eagles. Unfortunately, no notice is given before your 3-year YPP training expires, so it can be a surprise to discover you are not eligible just before a Young Eagles Rally. Please go to your EAA.org account and look under “My Account” and “Training Information” to see your YPP date of expiration. When training is needed,   a link will take you to the training module.

Ground Volunteers: EAA requires a minimum portion of our ground volunteers to have current Youth Protection Program training and background check. Please go to your EAA.org account and look under “My Account” and “Training Information” to see your YPP date of expiration. When training is needed, a link will take you to the
training module.

Young Eagles flights are available to kids between ages 8 and 17. We normally hold our rallies on the second Saturday each month. We use two time slots 12:00 Noon and 2:00 PM in the colder months. Parents can register at events.eaachapters.org beginning at 8:00 AM on the 1st of each month.

Chapter 186 Young Eagles Coordinators
David Richards
Bob Prange

January Gathering

Our planned speaker at the Saturday January 25 membership gathering is Chapter member Dan Botzer (DB). DB will present information on the option of renting aircraft and flying club ownership. Dan has been a member of the FAA Flying Club for years and previously owned a Piper Comanche so he has experienced both ownership and flying club rental. Dan has held Chapter 186 Secretary and Treasurer positions and is a Young Eagles Pilot. Join us at 10:00
AM for the meeting and 9:20 AM for coffee and doughnuts.

If you have not renewed your 2025 membership renewal yet, please bring your payment and the form printed from this newsletter to the meeting. We can process your renewal on the spot. This will save us postage and supplies expenses and will expedite our renewal season. We also have forms at the Chapter House. You can also renew on line now at https://eaa186.org/events/eaa-chapter-186-membership-online-
application-2025/.

Ray Aviation Scholarship

In January 2025, Chapter 186 will apply to EAA to administer a 2025 Ray Scholarship for a $12,000 flight training scholarship. If we are selected to give another Ray Scholarship, we will begin a search in March for a motivated youth aged 16 1⁄2 to 19 who would like to participate in a concentrated one-year effort to acquire his/her Private Pilot License. The selection process will begin with reviewing questionnaire responses from scholar candidates. We look at a candidate’s motivation, participation level in Chapter activities, level of completion in the Sporty’s Learn-to-Fly video
series, participation in Young Eagles flights and Oshkosh Air Academy and any accomplishments toward flight training preparation. Possession of an FAA medical certificate is required for scholarship consideration. That is, a scholar hopeful should already have an FAA medical certificate in March for us to consider him/her. We cannot propose a Ray Scholar candidate to the EAA without an FAA medical certificate.

The scholarship gives $4,800 to start flight training, then requires soloing within 4 months to receive the next $4,800 and then requires completion of the FAA Knowledge Exam within 4 more months to receive the last $2,400. The Ray Aviation Foundation has partnered with EAA’s chapter structure to find and mentor flight training scholars with the goal of an 80% completion rate. Chapter 186 is 5 for 5 with our Ray Scholars beginning in 2019 when the program began. Thanks to all of our Chapter 186 volunteers who keep our Chapter active and visible. That helps us earn the privilege of administering this scholarship.

Young Eagles EAA Air Academy

If your child has been accepted to any 2025 Air Academy session, please let us know. We may be able to help with tuition expense.

EAA Air Academy is a series of camps designed to introduce young people ages 14-18 to the aviation world. Kids stay at the EAA Air Academy Lodge in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Experienced aviation instructors help them delve into flight through studies, hands-on demonstrations, flight simulation, and other exciting activities. Campers will receive
a ride in a Cessna Skycatcher or Skyhawk or a helicopter, weather permitting. Most of themsessions are already full and only accepting waitlist registrations. However, EAA Chapter 186 has three spots reserved for kids who would like to
attend. We can pay $500 of your child’s tuition. The child’s family will be responsible for transportation to and from the lodge. Find additional information on course content, lodge
accommodations and registration here.

Explore Aviation Camp
*Session 1 (ages 14-15) – June 20 – 25, 2025 –
$1,300
Session 2 (ages 14-15) – June 28 – July 3, 2025 -$1,300
**Session 3 (ages 16-18) – July 15 – 23, 2025 –
$1,650
Session 4 (ages 16-18) – July 25 – August 2, 2025 –
$1,650

Discover Camp
Session 1 (ages 14-15) – June 12 – 17, 2025 –
$1,300
Session 2 (ages 16-18) – July 7 – 12, 2025 – $1,300

*Chapter 186 has reserved spots for two campers in Session 1 of Explore Aviation Camp (Age 14-15).
If interested in sending your child to this camp, contact president@eaa186.org.
**Chapter 186 has reserved a spot for one camper in Session 3 of Explore Aviation Camp (Age 16-18). If interested in sending your child to this camp, contact president@eaa186.org.

Bob Prange

IMC and VMC Meetings

We meet on the 4th Tuesday each month. IMC Club at 7 PM. VMC Club at 8 PM. Come for one or both sessions; we usually meet beforehand at 5:30 PM for informal dinner at the Panera Bread at Bristow Center. The IMC Club’s purpose is to promote instrument flying proficiency, safety and education through a community of pilots sharing information and fostering communications.

You don’t have to be instrument rated to come to the IMC Club. The VMC Club, for pilots wishing to improve their VFR flying proficiency, is modeled after the popular IMC Club providing organized “hangar flying” with a focus on VFR procedures, regulations and publications.

TR Proven and Chuck Kyle are our facilitators for these meetings but the attendees are encouraged to participate with their knowledge and experience. Each one-hour meeting earns you one credit toward the FAA Wings Pilot Proficiency program.

Pilot Deviations

PILOTS, Please read the below message from Sarah Patten concerning a recent up-tick in Pilot Deviations with ATC. Sarah is a local Beech Bonanza CFI and works ATC at Potomac TRACON.

One of the managers at Potomac TRACON pointed out that over the past couple weeks, there seems to
be an increase in pilots being deviated due to airspace violations, particularly involving the SFRA and P-40. Pilots are being deviated if they violate the airspace by even one foot, and pilots loitering directly outside the SFRA boundary while squawking 1200 are now being labeled as Tracks of Interest, which draws even more attention. This
increased attention is coming from outside the FAA, and controllers and managers at Potomac do not get any say in whether security decides a particular aircraft is a concern. In one recentinstance, a pilot departing an airport within the

SFRA, on an IFR clearance, received an IFR re-route; their system swapped their IFR transponder code for a 1200 code when the pilot updated the routing. The controller caught this as soon as the pilot checked on and corrected it, but the aircraft was still issued a BRASHER.

We were hoping you could send a heads up to your email lists to help us spread the word about the increased scrutiny in the area around security-related airspace boundaries. We don’t like seeing pilots receive violations if there is a way to avoid it! Please, if you’re departing from an airport within the SFRA or FRZ, triple check your transponder before you depart to make sure that you are not inadvertently squawking 1200. If you are outside the SFRA and call to get your code to enter, please make sure you have your code set into your transponder well before you cross the SFRA boundary; we recommend a 3-5 mile buffer, if possible. And if you’re doing air work or maneuvering near the SFRA boundary, please give yourself a 3-5 mile buffer if possible, or call Potomac to get a squawk code to avoid an inadvertent airspace violation if you get distracted while maneuvering. We appreciate our local pilots, and we want to see all of you stay safe and violation-free while enjoying our airspace!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out; you can reach us at 540-349-7586 or 540-351-6129.

Thanks!
Sarah Patten
Potomac TRACON Air Traffic Controller
PCT Pilot Outreach Group

We have unique airspace complications with Class B, SFRA, Restricted, Prohibited and TFR airspace. When in doubt find a CFI and operate in, out and around the SFRA to get more comfortable. File a DC SFRA VFR from HEF to WOOLY and plan on getting a Class B clearance and using STAYO HUSEL for fixes to go up the east side of IAD. Take a break at FDK and return. Go enjoy the view and the airspace.
Bob

Smithsonian Internships

Sorry; Smithsonian doesn’t offer any internships in piloting aircraft. But people may not realize that
there are a lot of other opportunities on offer for students with an interest in air and space, spanning a wide range of educational backgrounds and future career interests.

From now until January 31, 2025, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) is accepting applications for its PAID summer internships for college and graduate students. All the information is available here: https://
airandspace.si.edu/get-involved/internships.

These are 10-week-long, full-time positions with the museum, providing a $7,500 stipend to recipients. They run the gamut from projects in planetary geology and spectroscopic analysis to social media communications, graphic design for marketing and publications, military archival research to support new gallery exhibits, and developing education programs. Needless to say (but I’ll say it anyway!), work experience with the Smithsonian looks very good on a resume when students apply for future real-world jobs – possibly including permanent museum positions!

The museum also has its Explainers Program, offering longer-term, part-time positions for both high school and college students. Full information on the Explainers Program is available here https://airandspace.si.edu/getinvolved/student-jobs. Explainers engage museum visitors of all ages with
hands-on activity carts and interactive demonstrations on such aerospace topics as how airplanes fly, how being in space affects humans, and how gravity affects light. Trust me, the best way to reinforce your own learning on a subject is to try teaching it to someone else!

College-level Explainer positions open for applications on the first day of each month, closing on the fifteenth. High school-level positions recruit seasonally, with the next batch of applications opening February 15, 2025, until March 15, 2025, for positions tentatively scheduled to begin this summer. Explainers need to be at least 16 years old and enrolled in a degree-granting or diploma program, maintaining a GPA of at least 2.7. Once hired, they must maintain active status by working at least 15 hours each month. Positions are available at both the museum in DC and at the
Udvar-Hazy Center. The moral of the story here is that educational and job opportunities are everywhere; be creative when you look for them!

Mary Dominiak

MEMBERSHIP

The following are the updated prices and links for membership dues, name tags, and the directory; effective immediately: