About Us
EAA Chapter 92 is a non-profit group comprised of men and women who love aviation. We’ve joined together to help make general aviation available to anyone who has been bitten by the “bug” and has the passion to make their dreams into reality. Some, like our founders, build their own airplanes. Others join to introduce youngsters to aviation through our wonderful Young Eagles Programs. Still others work on restoration projects for Chino’s fine aviation museums [some even helped rebuild a 1903 replica Wright Flyer currently on display in the Planes of Fame Museum]. Yet others simply enjoy being around these amazing machines and our wonderful community of flyers and builders. We’ve acquired a “Builder Center” where our builders can economically rent hanger space to carry out their projects while learning and sharing with each other.
Everyone is welcome; people of all ages, singles and families, with or without flying or building experience. We enjoy numerous social functions including parties and barbecues where we enjoy each others company while sharing and learning. Many of our members volunteer in helping to sell our famous bratwursts and dogs at area air shows; raising funds to send our scholarship winners to EAA’s Air Academy located in EAA’s headquarters in Oshkosh Wisconsin. The only requirements to join us is a love of aviation and membership in the EAA national organization found at www.eaa.org.
We hold free monthly meetings where our presenters speak on a broad variety of subjects: aviation and flying safety, how to build airplanes [and even engines], flying around the country in open cockpit airplanes, flying a blimp, and many other topics. Many of our programs are authorized by the FAA for WINGS [continuing education] credits. Our programs are always enlightening and entertaining. We invite all who are interested in aviation to attend our meetings. If you are interested in aviation, try us; we guarantee that you will find a home at EAA 92. Find out more about our meetings here.
About Our Namesake
Chapter 92’s namesake, Don Taylor, built a very special aircraft a Thorp T-18 for a specific purpose: to complete the first around-the-world flight in a homebuilt aircraft. Don studied many homebuilt plans and performance figures and decided that the Thorp T-18 would be the most adaptable. He encountered more than the usual homebuilder’s problems because of the unusual requirements of the proposed flight. A Lycoming 180 hp engine was chosen for the powerplant and Don crowded a full set of IFR instruments into the small panel and also found space for a 360 channel VHF with localizer head, ADF and a transponder. Don named the plane “Victoria” after the only ship of the Magellan fleet to complete the first world-circling trip. Next came more rigorous testing by attempting various speed records within the US, all-weather flying and continuous improvements to the plane. After meticulous planning, he felt quite ready to take on the globe circling challenge.
Don donated his T-18 to the EAA during the 1983 annual Oshkosh Fly-In and Convention and you can see her on a wall where she is mounted in EAA’s AirVenture Museum.
