How many EAA Chapters with an UL focus?

[Bob Furr]

I am trying to figure out if I just got very lucky... There are two EAA chapters in Omaha one with an UL/Light Sport focus. Nationwide how many EAA chapters are focused on the very light aircraft? I do not know how I would have gotten so far in my quest to get back to flying if it hadn't been for the help and encouragement of the guys here in the UL group.

[martymayes]

I am trying to figure out if I just got very lucky... There are two EAA chapters in Omaha one with an UL/Light Sport focus. Nationwide how many EAA chapters are focused on the very light aircraft? I do not know how I would have gotten so far in my quest to get back to flying if it hadn't been for the help and encouragement of the guys here in the UL group.

I don't fly ultralights but if there was a chapter like that near me, I'd join in a heartbeat.

[Bill Berson]

I don't fly ultralights but if there was a chapter like that near me, I'd join in a heartbeat.

Yep, me too.

[1600vw]

I would join one, in fact I would like to start one. If you are in the Central IL. area and want to do this, contact me.

[Hal Bryan]

Here's a list of chapters that have "officially" identified themselves as having an ultralight focus:

http://eaa.org/chapters/locator/SearchResults.asp

Looks like about 30 or so.

Personally, I'd love to see more chapters look at ultralights. I'll never forget my first hop in a weightshift Quicksilver at age 14, back in the early days of 103...

[Bill Berson]

Hal, that link is blank on my end.

[Hal Bryan]

Sorry about that - I thought it would carry the search term with it.

Go here:

http://eaa.org/chapters/locator/

And select "Ultralights Chapters" under "Chapter Types" and you'll see the list.

[martymayes]

Wow! 2 states (IL & WI) comprise 20% or 1/5 of the list!

[1600vw]

Wow! 2 states (IL & WI) comprise 20% or 1/5 of the list!

I know of a couple clubs on this list that are not active clubs. They hold monthly meeting for the members and maybe a breakfast a couple times a year but that is about it.

I bet if the EAA had a set of rules an active club had to follow in order to remain an active club, we would see the EAA chapters cut in half if not more.

[Ken Finney]

I've admitted this before, but I was one of the people really pushing for Sport Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft (SP/LSA), and I got into a fair number of arguments on-line with Chuck Slusarczyk over his belief that SP/LSA would not change things much, but would kill ultralights (ULs). I'm sad to say that Chuck was about 99% right and I was only 1% right. EAA (and I love EAA) really put their emphasis behind SP/LSA and left ULs to fade from memory. Now, we are 8+ years into SP/LSA, and while they have had some positive impact, my guess is that killing ULs has had more of a negative impact. I've seen some evidence that EAA is realizing the ULs still exist, and I'd like to see EAA ramp up their UL promotion.