Warren County Tennessee Chapter 1700, the newest Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) chapter in the United States, recently bestowed upon Denny Sheets an Honorary Lifetime Charter Membership as well as the 2023 Donor of the Year award for the local Chapter.
Mr. Sheets has been instrumental in the local EAA chapter starting its service to Warren County education and training of young people in the aviation industry by donating his Piper PA-28-140 aircraft for use by the chapter. The aircraft will be used to familiarize members with aircraft flight controls and usage, techniques to service and repair mechanical issues, and aircraft instrumentation.
“Few new chapters have the opportunity to start with such a complete project aircraft to begin training on,” says Jerry Lassiter, president of the chapter, “and we are excited to begin offering young people from ages 9 -18 free memberships in the chapter by completing a free Young Explorers flight with our experienced pilots in private aircraft. The opportunities to take the free flight is in the planning stages and will be offered within the next few months according to Lassiter.
Discussions are in progress with a private company not affiliated with the chapter to begin providing flying lessons at Warren County Veterans Memorial Airport as well.
EAA began in 1953 as a small fly-in in the Midwest and has now grown to the largest gathering of aircraft and participants worldwide. The seven-day display and airshow in Oshkosh, Wis. hosts over 500,000 visitors and 10,000 aircraft attending each year. Many fly the aircraft they built as a member of their EAA local chapters in the airshow.
The chapter will meet once monthly or more for educational and fundraising events such as aircraft displays, pancake breakfasts, poker runs and other interesting and entertaining events that will be open to all Warren and surrounding county residents. In addition, members will have the opportunity to build and fly their own aircraft, model aircraft and drones. As the group grows, there will be opportunities for young people and adults to have free introductory flights. Young people up to 18-and-a-half can receive a free EAA membership and adults can receive sixmonths-free memberships after free Young Eagles and Eagles flights are taken. There are other exciting plans for the organization which will benefit Warren County and the surrounding area as well as the airport.
Chapter membership currently includes pilots, non-pilots, experienced technicians and simply folks interested in aviation and airplanes. National EAA.org membership is $48 per year for single membership. National membership is required to join the local chapter whose dues are $20 per year for single membership.
Anyone interested in joining the club can email information.eaa1700@use.startmail.com or call Jerry Lassiter at (931) 716-7042. If there is no answer, please leave a voice mail.
