EAA Chapter 180 of Manasota
Serving Sarasota / Bradenton, Florida
New EAA180 Board for 2024
Ray Deer President, Ed Ripper Vice President,
Ute Kegal Secretary, Ron Handley Treasurer,
Bob Jones Director, Susie Majesky Director and Jaime Robledo Director. Thank you for volunteering!
Our Mission and Objectives
Our Mission
EAA180 advocates for aviation and public awareness-involvement, building aircraft, mentoring aircraft builders and owners, provides safety programs, membership education, and flying activities. Everyone is welcome!!
Objectives

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Advocate for aviation and public awareness-involvement
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Liaison with SRQ to represent EAA Chapter 180 at their monthly meetings.
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Cultivate contacts with video, newspaper, and radio media to advocate for general aviation.
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Provide Young Eagles youth (ages 8-17) exposure to aviation including a free flight.
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Be inclusive to adopted and foster youth in the Young Eagles program.
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Educate the public about aviation.
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Provide aircraft experiences to the general public so that they may touch, feel, and fly in the (RARE) EAA B-17 and EAA Ford Tri-motor historic aircraft.
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Build aircraft
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Schedule Show-N-Tell of builder’s projects.
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Visit aircraft manufacturers in Florida to learn their techniques.
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Visit aircraft paint shops to evaluate “best practices”.
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Conduct workshops to demonstrate best practices for epoxy, metal fabrication, kit assembly, and wiring.
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Support and mentor the Teen Aircraft Factory of Manasota (TAFM).
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Mentor aircraft builders and owners
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Encourage groups independent of EAA180 to build aircraft.
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Activate Tech Counseling and Flight Counseling.
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Emphasize the importance of pilot fitness.
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Provide guidance selecting and using new FAA mandated avionics.
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Social
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Conduct cookouts and potluck socials.
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Schedue excursions to Sun-N-Fun, Fantasy of Flight, aircraft manufacturers in Florida, etc.
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Provide a dynamic and educational Monthly Meeting Program including inviting outside speakers.
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Sponsor appreciation dinner for Young Eagles pilots.
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Schedule Pilots & ATC annual social mingling.
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Invite home-built aircraft to our Fall Cookout & Fly-In
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Coordinate with Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation to give rides in their Stearman biplane (and invite other bi-planes to this event) at the Jubilee Year Spring Cookout & Fly-In.
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Safety programs
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Promote FAAST/Wings programs by presenting FAA created programs to educate pilots.
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Checking fuel flow and carb-heat.
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Establish multiple venting of fuel tanks to prevent siphoning of fuel (features of Monarch fuel cap).
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Fundraising to support programs
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Link with Amazon.com.
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General Public flights/walk-arounds of RARE EAA B-17 and EAA Ford Tri-motor aircraft.
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Consignment sales posted on Chapter web-site.
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Organize a “Try-N-Buy” fly-in for consignment sales.
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Expand the sponsor support platform for EAA Chapter 180 Missions & Objectives and for EAA aircraft tours.
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Recruit new members
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Identify interested prospects, retired aviation professionals, and active aviators.
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Advertise using posters at surrounding airports and promoting word-of-mouth.
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Publish and maintain an interactive and dynamic website.
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Recruit from EAA National membership roster.
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Utilize social media (e.g., Facebook, Social Flight. Meet-Up, etc.) to reach new markets of aviation enthusiasts.
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Flying
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Brunch-Bunch Fliers encouraging non-pilots to accompany them as guests on outings.
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Pilot proficiency events.
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Training to optimize flight altitudes, and tips for flying into non-towered airports.
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Membership education
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Preparation for making “First Flight” in homebuilts.
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Education and compliance with FAA policy of dual pilots on first flights.
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Cooper-Harper scale testing methods for ergonomic flight-control handling.
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Proficient-efficient piloting.
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Optimal transitioning to Glass panel from steam gauge avionics.
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Flying with icing conditions.
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Membership active involvement
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Strive to have each member volunteer to voice her/his ideas and actively participate in the direction and improvement of our Chapter.
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Make job functions available for members to be Coordinators of Core Objectives.
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