July 22nd 2025 - Tuesday
No Chapter Meeting this month

August 6th 2025 - Wednesday 7:00 PM
Board Meeting

August 9th 2025 - Saturday 9:30 AM
Chapter Breakfast Get-Together

Jun 24th, 2025 - Meeting and BBQ at Bernie's

Thanks to Bernie and & Jeanette for hosting our annual summer picnic, and thanks to all who brought great food and friendship. Enjoy your summer, and we’ll gather again in August.

Jun 14th, 2025 - Young Eagles Day

EAA Chapter 42 had a beautiful day to fly Young Eagles! Many thanks to the pilots: Ed White, Wally Parks, Rod Hanson, Jim Moss and Dave Swartz for flying 16 new Young Eagles. Also many thanks to the ground crew: Scott McEwen, Chris Gill, Sandy Melin, Tom Lawhorn, Al George, Chuck Hosack, Dave Baldwin, Paul Rupple, Rick Eiben and Rick Henry.
If you have any more photos you can send them to me to add to these. Thanks again to all the volunteers!

May 31st, 2025 - EAA 42 at 2025 Merrill Field Celebration

May 27th, 2025 - Meeting to see Mark Frischkorn's Kitfox Project

We enjoyed seeing Mark Frischkorn's Kitfox project this evening.

May 9th, 2025 - Greg Miller's Glasair III

Yesterday Greg Miller fired up his Glasair III at Birchwood and did some short taxi testing.
Greg's plane is looking great and sounds fast!

May 7th, 2025 - Board Meeting

We had a large turnout at our Board Meeting tonight and discussed this summer's plans.

May 5th, 2025 - Merrill Field Summer 2025 Construction - website

Several members of our Chapter attended the briefing regarding the closure of runway 7 / 25 at Merrill Field this summer for reconstruction.
I thought the briefing was very well done and would emphasize that anyone planning to fly in or out of Merrill spend time studying the detailed information available. If you missed the briefing, you can watch the video recording of the full presentation. It can all be accessed at:
https://mri725rehab.com/
They emphasized that NOTAMS need to be checked frequently and even content on their web site may be frequently updated. Because of that, I’m not attaching any documents, just the main website link so that you can help yourself to the most recent versions.

Highlight links:
1) Merrill Field Summer 2025 Construction Pilot’s Handbook
2) Taxiway Diagram
3) Users Briefing (Powerpoint presentation)
4) ForeFlight Content pack
5) Users Briefing presentation recording

Rick Henry

May 5th, 2025 - Merrill Field Construction Notices

Merrill Field Construction Notice pdf

May 4th, 2025 - EAA Chapter 42 at The Great Alaska Aviation Gathering

THANK YOU Robb Smart, Ed White, Cliff Belleau, Sara Maurer, Al George, Isaac Smith, and Mark Frischkorn for volunteering in the 40' x 75' Youth Aviation Center tent at the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering in Palmer on Saturday and Sunday this past weekend. Also, THANK YOU Bob Lee for supporting safe air ops at the temporary strip on the Fairgrounds.

All 6 of our stations attracted many, many kids, parents, and adults. This is the 5th year Chapter 42 has supported the Gathering since its move from FedEx's hangar to the Alaska State Fairgrounds (& Palmer Airport) in 2021.

Below, Cliff Belleau helps a young mechanic use a drill press to make a spark plug key ring. At this particular station, the PowerPlant station, Cliff, Ed, & Isaac used a 4-cylinder Continental cut-away engine to introduce young folks to an aircraft spark plug, explaining what it is, where it goes in an aircraft engine, and what it does--demonstrating the 4 strokes of a piston engine.

May 4th, 2025 - EAA Chapter 42 at The Great Alaska Aviation Gathering

Bernie Willis, John Davis and Rick Henry gave a presentation: "Building Your Own Airplane - From Blueprint To Flight".

Apr 17th, 2025 - AK FSS new phone number

Notice from the FAA about the new phone number to call Alaska Flight Service Stations: 1-833-252-7433

Apr 8th, 2025 - Birchwood Airport Master Plan

Birchwood Airport Master Plan
The Capitol Improvement Plan which describes and diagrams the changes to be made on the ground begin on page 144 of the pdf.
Birchwood Airport Master Plan

Apr 6th, 2025 - Tom Lawhorn Teaches Intro to Aviation Maintenance

Tom had an opportunity to instruct a group of youth at Swoop Flight Training Center on the Orca Street side of Merrill Field. Swoop provides mentorship and aviation career training to underserved Alaskan youth and owned/operated by Jamie Klaes. Jamie says Swoop is "The only aviation training facility in Alaska offering professional career training AND training for entry level jobs in the aviation industry."

Tom says, "I just completed teaching my first week long class, introduction to aviation maintenance. It was exhausting but very rewarding. Working with a non profit that brings Alaska native kids to Anchorage to expose them to what is involved in being an A&P mechanic. We toured Airglas, Lynden’s air cargo, and Alaska Airlines maintenance shop. Spent half the day in the classroom and the other half in the shop doing a lot of hands on. The students learned about aircraft structures, how engines work, did a fiberglass lay-up, drove rivets, preformed a 100 hour inspection, even weighed a plane. Being a teacher is a lot of work, developing the curriculum, creating review worksheets, and making sure you have all the tools and materials needed to keep them busy all day. I salute every person who has ever been a teacher. I definitely will be teaching more classes."

See Tom's Facebook page for some great photos!

Mar 25th, 2025 - March Chapter Meeting @ CAP Polaris Squadron

A half-dozen of us attended the March meeting at the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Polaris Composite Squadron.

Maj Lance Brunner (Squadron Commander) briefed us on the mission of the CAP, including search & rescue, cadet programs, and education.

Maj Caleb Newville (Deputy Sqdn Cmdr) provided a great "walk-thru" of the National Weather Service Alaska Aviation Weather Unit (AAWU) website. He also discussed preparations for the potential Mr. Spurr eruption.

Feb 25th, 2025 - February Meeting to see Tom's Glastar on skis

Tom Lawhorn hosted our February meeting at his hangar to show us his ski installation on his Glastar and treated us to chili. Tom is planning his first flight this Spring after he gets some transition training. All 20 of us greatly appreciated the craftmanship of both aircraft and chilli!

Jan 28th, 2025 - January Meeting

We had a great meeting last night with about 20 attendees to see Greg Miller's nearly completed Glasair III.