By Ian Brown, Editor, Bits and Pieces, EAA 657159
There has been some confusion lately about two aviation association chapters in British Columbia, both with the same number. How did that happen? Well, it turns out that when the EAA chapter in Delta, British Columbia, decided to abandon its membership of EAA and become a Recreational Aircraft Association of Canada (RAAC) chapter, it decided to maintain its description as Chapter 85. More recently, when the Comox Valley, British Columbia, group of pilots in Courtenay Airpark requested a chapter number for their newly formed EAA chapter, the were given 85 by EAA, which had no knowledge of the RAA’s use of the number. Fundamentally, there is no confusion; one is an EAA chapter and the other is not, but historically both locations will wind up having items of clothing with EAA Chapter 85 on them. I’m guessing that other chapters in the U.S. have also inherited chapter numbers from localities that have closed. It does give some continuity for local pilots loyal to EAA.