PRESIDENT’S LETTER – – June, 2020

EAA92 Members and Friends,

Here we are late in our fourth month of COVID-19 “distancing” and other safety measures, and although we see various activities beginning to open up, the daily confirmed new infection rates still continue to set new record high levels both in California and in Orange County.  We hope you are all doing well and staying safe during the current epidemic, and finding activities that allow you to remain safe while partially loosening the tight restrictions we have been under.  As before, our current and upcoming chapter meetings and events continue to be impacted for the indefinite future.

We have had several on-line Zoom sessions and webinars to replace the normal monthly meetings, and will continue to do so as long as group gatherings remain inadvisable.  We had a Zoom session in May – an IMC Club session with Doug Stewart; a Zoom session in June – a VMC Club session with Jay Mason; and have a webinar on the schedule for July 7 – Benefits of Home-Based Simulators, with Gary Schank.  Check the Events page on our website and sign up for Gary’s webinar.  If someone has additional ideas for webinar content, or would like to make a presentation via Zoom or webinar for our chapter, please let us know and we will get it set up.

As mentioned in our previous newsletter, both Planes of Fame and Yanks Air Museum closed their doors in April during the lockdown.  Planes of Fame has now re-opened on a limited basis, but Yanks remains closed.  Other aviation events, including the Reno Air Races and the AOPA September Fly-in have recently been canceled, so the event cancellations continue to spread into the Fall season.

Our Young Eagle events are also on hold until the crisis passes.  We still have an October Young Eagle rally on the calendar, subject to change if needed.  I have followed news from EAA on chapter activities, and watched local chapter news, and I do not see any indication of resumed Young Eagle activity so far.

The one thing we can all still do is fly – provided we do it solo or with a family member or with someone we are already in close contact with.  There is nothing better to clear your head and remove the effects of cabin fever than some time in the air.  Traffic is still extremely light, but picking up in the last month, and airport restaurants are now generally open for distanced seating and with extra sanitation precautions.

Flight schools have re-opened, with extra sanitation measures in the aircraft and the FBO office, and independent flight instructors are flying with selected students, so you can probably get a flight review or IPC if you need one. The AME’s are once again doing aviation medicals, and A&P’s in California have been considered an essential occupation since the beginning of the restrictions, so you can get your aircraft annual or maintenance done as needed.

The big news is that EAA is going to present a “virtual AirVenture” during the period the real AirVenture would have been held. So if you have never been to Oshkosh, this is your chance to go without moving out of your easy chair.  For those who attend every year, this won’t be the same as the real thing, but it will still whet your appetite for 2021.  Check the EAA website for details.

Stay safe, thank you for all your support and we look forward to seeing you at future events.

My virtual ink bottle is again running low, so I will close until next time.  – – – – Jim Randall, President, EAA92