EAA Chapter 237 was founded in 1965, and has been growing ever since. We have our own Chapter Hangar at Anoka County Airport (ANE) in Blaine, MN and recently completed a major renovation of the interior of the building.
Our members are building or flying a wide variety of aircraft. One member’s homebuilt was the cover story in Sport Aviation earlier this year. Many fly various models of Cessnas, Pipers from the venerable old Cub to Cherokees, Mooneys, Luscombes including the little known T8-F, Aeroncas of all varieties and some lesser known marks. Some also fly Boeing and Douglas heavy iron. Completed and flying projects include RVs, Glastars, Glasairs, Jodels, Thorp T-18s, Zeniths and a Pietenpole.
Builders are working on several of Van’s RV series of aircraft, Fly Babys, Glastars, Glasairs, Jabirus, Kitfoxes, Sonex, Stits Playmate, Taylor Coot, Thorp T-18, War P-51, Zenith Zodiac 601s. Restorations include an N3N, a Stinson 108 and two Aeronca Chiefs. Several members are on their second or third homebuilt airplane.
We are a busy building and flying group. There is a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience available from the members. This is the foundation of the EAA. Sharing information, hints, tips and gotchas is what the EAA is all about. Toward this end the Chapter has four Technical Counselors whose experience ranges from a career with the FAA to having built several home built airplanes to certificated A&Ps. These folks are very willing to share their experience and knowledge with builders and restorers of airplanes.
We are also active in a number of events during the year.
We have five or six Young Eagles Rallies during the summer months. The Young Eagles program offers an opportunity for youngsters from 8 to 17 to have a free flight in an airplane. The EAA Young Eagles program has flown over one million young people.
The Chapter has an Outreach Program that visits various schools in the area to give presentations to students.
In January a number of pilots fly or drive to Oshkosh for the Annual Ski Plane Fly In. Later in the spring work parties to Oshkosh help with the maintenance of the EAA’s B-17, the Ford Trimotor and other aircraft projects. After winter loosens its grip a week end work party in June does building and grounds maintenance at EAA headquarters.
Our big event is a pancake breakfast and a lunch served during Blaine Aviation Days, an airport open house event, the weekend or two before Memorial Day.
All in all our chapter is very active in a wide variety of aviation related activities and we manage to have a lot of fun.
