EAA Chapter 1536, the only active EAA chapter on the Delmarva Peninsula in Delaware, has an active Young Eagles program. Last year it flew more than 60 youths and looks to increase the number this year. Specifically, the chapter anticipates a greater number of young girls — mostly Girl Scouts from the Chesapeake Bay Girl Scout Council. More than 50 Girl Scouts learned about aviation in general, women in aviation, and the history of aviation in Delaware through participation in an airplane building project.
The directors of the Friends of Bellanca Airfield, the trustees of the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame, EAA Chapters 1536 and 240, the Delaware chapter of The Ninety-Nines, and the Chesapeake Bay Girl Scout Council joined forces to support Bruce Lambrecht, EAA 1022922 — president of the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame, a director of the Friends of Bellanca Airfield, and treasurer of EAA Chapter 1536 — as he built a full-size, nonflying replica of Giuseppe Bellanca’s 1911 parasol monoplane. Bruce built the airplane in his garage without any specifications or diagrams other than three photographs from 1911 as the original materials had been lost. To construct the engine, a small museum in England sent him pictures of the correct engine, an Anzani three-cylinder radial. Bruce constructed the replica engine mainly from plumbing materials. Sales people in Lowe’s and Home Depot would ask what he was building but would quickly disappear when he said an airplane.
From the very beginning, he envisioned ways to engage young women in the project. Given the shortage of pilots, especially women, he contacted The Ninety-Nines and the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) coordinator of the Chesapeake Bay Girl Scout Council to enlist their help in not only getting the Scouts to learn about aviation, but to also have hands-on experience in building an airplane. After several sessions, Bruce provided the Scouts with wing ribs and asked the girls to sand them. He explained the purpose and function of the ribs and asked each girl to sign her rib after she finished sanding it. They were an enthusiastic group!
In April 2018, a celebration was held at the Bellanca Airfield Museum in New Castle, Delaware, for the official unveiling of the full-size, static display replica of the first airplane that Giuseppe Bellanca built in the United States. The replica now resides in the Bellanca Airfield Museum as a permanent display. Sen. Tom Carper and Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long welcomed the crowd of approximately 200 people including members of the Bellanca family who traveled from Italy for the event. Resolutions were presented by the senator, lieutenant governor, and the mayor of the City of New Castle. Troop members of the Chesapeake Bay Girl Scout Council who assisted in creating the wing ribs enjoyed posing for pictures in front of the aircraft. A large poster next to the airplane listed the names of the 51 Scouts who participated in the project.
To further instill an interest in aviation, members of EAA Chapters 1536 and 240 plan to welcome those Scouts who express interest in a free flight to participate in the EAA Young Eagles program. Chapter 1536 looks forward to flying many youths including aviation-informed Girl Scouts.