By Rick Ernst, EAA 418493
I am a serial builder, having completed about 250 Van’s RV-6s and 150 Zenith 750 Cruzers over the past three years.
The first weekend of June, Clow International Airport in Bolingbrook, Illinois, puts on Cavalcade of Planes, our yearly airport open house and air show.
In the EAA Chapter 461 hangar, we have a number of activities for our visitors (mostly nonaviation-focused residents of Bolingbrook and surrounding towns), including “How Do You Build an Airplane in Your Garage?” presented by my wife and me. Claudine shows folks the steps in constructing an aluminum airplane (cutting, drilling, dimpling, riveting, etc.), while I build souvenir aluminum airplanes with them, allowing visitors to squeeze the rivets.
I tell people that there is no charge for the airplanes, but they are obligated to listen to me talk about aviation. This is a fantastic opportunity to tell the nonflying public of all ages what we do as pilots, builders, and EAA members.
If you’d like details on how you can do something similar at your chapter or airport, contact me at rick.ernst@eaa461.org.