EAA Chapter 25

This month’s Chapter Meeting will occur on Wednesday, November 17, 2021. Grill will be fired up at 6:30 pm, followed by a short business meeting at 7:00 pm and a presentation at 7:30 pm. This month’s presentation will be an update on the recent experiences and status of the Zenith 701 build project. Reggie Roorda will be the featured speaker with the assistance of the other members of the 701 group. Hope to see you there. Please bring a dish to pass and a $5 donation for the meat, staples and beverages.

The October, 2021 Chapter meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 10/20/2021 at 7:00 pm.

EAA Chapter 25 is sponsoring their annual Aviation Banquet on Sunday, October 03, 2021 at the Crystal Lake Golf and Banquet Facility in Lakeville, MN. It includes a social hour at 5:30 pm, a buffet dinner at 6:30 and our guest speaker at 7:30. Our guest speaker is Gary Powers Jr. Gary’s dad, Francis Gary Powers, was the U-2 pilot shot down over Russia in 1960. The movie “Bridge of Spies” was an excellent production regarding the incident which had major worldwide ramifications.

Questions can be directed to Pat Halligan at flyinghool[email protected] or 651-341-9264.

The February, 2021 Chapter meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 2/17/2021 at 7:00 pm. It will be a virtual Zoom meeting due to COVID-19 precautions. If you have not yet participated in a Zoom internet conference meeting, navigate to Zoom.com and download and install a free version of the Zoom software. The Zoom software can be downloaded to a PC, laptop, iPad/Windows/Android tablet or smartphone.

See the Upcoming Events page for the Zoom link, Meeting ID and Passcode. Contact Mike York at [email protected] or Kim Johnson at [email protected] if have technical questions.

This months presenter is Colonel Richard Graham, (Ret). Richard will do a presentation regarding his flying the SR-71 from 1974 – 1989.

Colonel Richard Graham (Ret.) graduated from the University of Akron, Akron, Ohio in 1964. In 1977 and 1979, he was subsequently awarded master’s degrees in Sociology and Public Administration from Pepperdine University, Los Angeles, California. Colonel Graham graduated from Air Force pilot training in 1965 at Craig AFB, Selma, Alabama, and remained at Craig as a T-37 Instructor Pilot and Flight Examiner until 1970. Upon completion of F-4 “Phantom” fighter training, he flew 210 combat missions over North Vietnam and Laos in 1971-1972 and as a “Wild Weasel” pilot in 1972-1973.

Colonel Graham was selected to enter the SR-71 strategic reconnaissance program at Beale AFB, California in 1974. He flew the SR-71 for the next seven years, piloting the world’s fastest and highest-flying jet aircraft. In 1980, he was selected to be the SR-71 squadron commander at Beale, where he served until his assignment to Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama.

After a tour of duty at the Pentagon, during which he was promoted to Colonel, Graham was appointed Vice Wing Commander of the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale AFB. In June 1987, he became the 9th Wing Commander, and during that time was afforded the opportunity to fly the SR-71, U-2, T-38 and KC-135Q concurrently for over two years.

During his 25 years of Air Force service, he amassed 4,600 hours of flight time, retiring in 1989. His military decorations include the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Air Medal with 18 Oak Leaf Clusters.

Please plan on attending this excellent presentation from wherever you happen to be.  See you Wednesday night, February 17, 2021!

Ch. 25 Pietenpol Build Project – The 3 owners of the Pietenpol are working on painting the airplane.

Thursday Evenings – CH 701 Build Project  – The CH 701 Build Project has been postponed until further notice due to COVID-19 virus precautions. Contact Reggie Roorda at: [email protected] or Jerry Schirro at: [email protected] for more information about the project.

The January, 2021 Chapter meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 1/20/2021 at 7:00 pm. It be a virtual Zoom meeting due to COVID-19 precautions. If you have not yet participated in a Zoom internet conference meeting, navigate to Zoom.com and download and install a free version of the Zoom software. The Zoom software can be downloaded to a PC, laptop, iPad/Windows/Android tablet or smartphone. An e-mail was distributed recently to current members with a link to join the Zoom meeting. Contact Mike York at [email protected] or Kim Johnson at [email protected] if you would like the link or have technical questions.

This months presenter will be

This month’s presenter will be Colonel Richard
Graham(Ret). Richard will do a presentation on
his experience in Vietnam. In February he will do
a presentation on his SR-71 experience.

Please plan on attending this excellent presentation from wherever you happen to be.  See you Wednesday night!

Ch. 25 Pietenpol Build Project – The 3 owners of the Pietenpol are working on painting the airplane.

Thursday Evenings – CH 701 Build Project  – The CH 701 Build Project has been postponed until further notice due to COVID-19 virus precautions. Contact Reggie Roorda at: [email protected] or Jerry Schirro at: [email protected] for more information about the project.

The November, 2020 Chapter meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 11/18/2020 at 7:00 pm. It be a virtual Zoom meeting due to COVID-19 precautions. If you have not yet participated in a Zoom internet conference meeting, navigate to Zoom.com and download and install a free version of the Zoom software. The Zoom software can be downloaded to a PC, laptop, iPad/Windows/Android tablet or smartphone. An e-mail was distributed recently to current members with a link to join the Zoom meeting. Contact Mike York at [email protected] or Kim Johnson at [email protected] if you would like the link or have technical questions.

This months presenter will be George Erickson.  George is the author of 5 books about his aviation career.  As a special bonus George is giving away the pdf version of his best seller “True North”  The PDF version of his book has been e-mailed to Chapter members.  Please plan on attending this excellent presentation from wherever you happen to be.  See you Wednesday night!

Ch. 25 Pietenpol Build Project – The 3 owners of the Pietenpol are working on painting the airplane.

Thursday Evenings – CH 701 Build Project  – The CH 701 Build Project has been postponed until further notice due to COVID-19 virus precautions. Contact Reggie Roorda at: [email protected] or Jerry Schirro at: [email protected] for more information about the project.

The May, 2020 Chapter meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 5/20/2020 at 7:00 pm. It be a virtual Zoom meeting due to COVID-19 precautions. There is a practice Zoom meeting on Tuesday, 5/19/2020 at 7:00 pm to allow members to become familiar with how a Zoom meeting operates. If you have not yet participated in a Zoom internet conference meeting, navigate to Zoom.com and download and install a free version of the Zoom software. The Zoom software can be downloaded to a PC, laptop, iPad/Windows/Android tablet or smartphone. An e-mail was distributed recently to current members with a link to join the Zoom practice meeting. Members must use the link to register in advance for permission to join both the practice meeting and the actual meeting on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. When you use the link, a meeting registration form will appear for you to complete and submit with your name and e-mail address. You can contact Dave Volker at [email protected], Mike York at [email protected] or Kim Johnson at [email protected] if you have technical questions.

The May 20, 2020 meeting will be hosted on Zoom by Mike York, Ch. 25 president and Dave Volker of Chapter 54 at Lake Elmo. Dave flew the USAF B-52 from 1968 to 1975. He flew several models of the B-52 in both the U.S. and SE Asia. During his two combat tours, he piloted 42 combat missions. One of those missions in the Fall of 1971 involved the only fully documented combat encounter between a B-52 and a MiG-21. Dave was privileged to visit Vietnam in 2018 and met his former adversary, the pilot of the MiG-21, Col. Vu Dinh Rang. Dave’s presentation will tell the story of the two encounters almost 47 years apart and how he became friends with Col. Rang.

Be sure to mark your calendars for these upcoming events:

• Wednesday, May 20th: A virtual Zoom internet conferencing Ch 25 Meeting

“I dwell in possibility.”
Emily Dickinson,
poet

Wednesday Evenings* – Ch. 25 Pietenpol Build Project – The Pietenpol Build Project is postponed until further notice due to COVID-19 virus precautions.

All Chapter 25 members are invited to come and work on the Ch. 25 Pietenpol Building Project once such an activity gets government COVID-19 regulation clearance. You can learn the art and craft of building a homebuilt airplane from Ch. 25 members who have hours of experience building airplanes. We are working at Dale Johnson’s (MAHOF) shop. Contact Kim V. Johnson, Ch. 25 Membership Coordinator, at [email protected] if you would like directions. *unless notified otherwise and with the exception of the 3rd Wednesday of the month, which is Chapter 25 Meeting night.

Thursday Evenings – CH 701 Build Project  – The CH 701 Build Project has been postponed until further notice due to COVID-19 virus precautions.

All members are welcome at the Thursday evening build sessions once such an activity gets government COVID-19 regulation clearance.  Contact Reggie Roorda at: [email protected] or Jerry Schirro at: [email protected] for more information and directions.