Doing things a little bit different at EAA Chapter 1246

[FunInAviation]

For a few years now, we've been having our First Saturday Coffee and Donut Fly-in at the McKinney National Airport in McKinney, TX. It has grown into the kind of crowd we attract now, as you will see in the video. This has now become our Monthly Chapter Meeting. We gather at the same hangar around 8:30-9:00 AM and have social time, then around 10:15-10:30 AM, we have announcements and a drawing for prizes. Then we tell the crowds that we have a presentation (or a video) in the hangar next door. We give everyone there the choice as to whether they want to stay in the Coffee/Donut hangar to socialize or attend the presentation. It's all about giving the visitor free choice. We have noticed that this type of venue attracts not only pilots, but their spouses and kids (and even the family pets). This is working! Food, Fun and Fascinating stories (some of which may be true!).

We didn't have a lot of airplanes fly in at this particular event, because the wind was 20-25 mph (gusting to 30 mph).

Enjoy the video:

Smitty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDm-XQ8BS1Q


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDm-XQ8BS1Q

For more info, check out our Coffee/Donut Page:
http://www.eaa1246.org/coffeeanddonuts.asp

[L16 Pilot]

We do roughly the same thing at our little grass strip the flying club owns. We meet every Saturday morning for coffee and folks bring doughnuts, rolls, and baking. Have a nice little deck on the front of the clubhouse so we judge landings, tell flying stories and look at airplanes. Usually 5-15 fly in depending on weather. I'm not sure how it started but it certainly has 'snowballed' the last few years. Not EAA affiliated though but many are members. I think maybe Saturday morning works better than a night time meeting which is just an observation.

[FunInAviation]

Thanks guys!


We're also crazy about promoting Aviation to young people. Here's a video where we flew 79 kiddos in one day:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7zP13M2b_A


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7zP13M2b_A

[Bret Steffen]

This is a fantastic idea -- I will be sure to share it with other chapters!!

Don't be afraid to put these sorts of things in the chapter threads -- it would be fantastic if the forums area became a go-to place for ideas for all things chapter related!

[FunInAviation]

Thanks Bret! Will do! This venue is really working for us and it's so easy to do. Even if we don't have a presentation, we still get the same number of visitors. It's all about hanging out at the airport and sharing a cup of coffee with your friends and meeting new people.

http://www.eaa1246.org/