Young Eagle pre-registration will be available during the Community Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, May 20^th, 2012 for Young Eagle candidates.

Our Young Eagle rally will include flights (pre-registered) and activities to learn about aviation, including pre-flight ground schooling.

The Young Eagles Rally will begin at 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 20^th, 2012.

More information about the Young Eagles program can be found at www.youngeagles.org

Pilots, sign up now to help with our 1^st Young Eagles Rally of the year and become part of the world’s largest log book with over 1.6 million Young Eagles flown.

Members of Brodhead Area EMS and Brodhead Fire Department learn about small airplane fuel systems at the 2011 training session.

Small Aircraft Familiarization & Rescue Training will be held in conjunction with International Learn to Fly Day on Saturday, May 19^th, 2012, and International Young Eagles day, Saturday, June 9^th, 2012.

This training program is intended for emergency rescue volunteers or personnel of local Fire Protection Districts and Emergency Medical Technicians.

If you are a member of a local fire department or an EMT, consider attending to learn about some of the peculiar and particular aspects of small airplane design and rescue techniques. You’ll also learn about Brodhead Airport operations and what to expect if you are ever called to our facility. Members of the Brodhead, Juda, Orfordville, Durand and other local safety agencies will find useful information at this training session.

Contact EAA Chapter 431 at events431@eaa431.org for more information or to reserve your seat.

We received word that Don McMakin passed away Tuesday night, April 17, 2012. at age 93. Services will be held Saturday April 21, 2012 at McCorkle Funeral Home, 767 N Blackhawk Blvd., Rockton, Illinois. A visitation will be held at the funeral home from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Think of a story or make a comment about Don, as this will be an audience participation service.

Don’s obituary is HERE.

Don McMakin in his hangar, summer, 2011

Don is a long-time fixture at Brodhead Airport as well as the early history of aviation in the Wisconsin/Illinois state line area. Locals and visitors to the airport will remember Don’s 1929 Butler Blackhawk, the 10th built out of a total of eleven. Don bought the airplane in 1942 to build time in a 200+ hp airplane in order to be a civilian flight instructor during WWII. After the war, the airplane was sold, but many years later was re-acquired by Don and son Kent and fully restored to flying condition.

Don McMakin's 1929 Butler Blackhawk

In later years, Don was commander of the airport’s garbage barge during fly-ins and work days. Anybody who has attended a recent fly-in at Brodhead Airport has heard the putt-putt of Don’s ubiquitous antique John Deere tractor pulling the trailer full of garbage cans and volunteer garbage chuckers.

Don McMakin driving the garbage patrol during a 2011 work day.

Don remained active in antique restoration right to the end, working on several Wright J5 engines and other aircraft projects on a daily basis. His presence at the airport will be missed.

Jeff Taylor from the Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics will be our guest speaker at the regular monthly meeting on April 7th. Jeff’s presentation is called, “The Approach and Landing Challenge“.

The program will focus on improving your knowledge and skill during the most critical phase of flight – Approach and Landing. NTSB Statistics verify that the vast majority of accidents and incidents occur in the approach and landing phase of flight. Learn about ways to avoid having your name published in one of their reports.

The meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. in the Chapter building. Bring a guest!

Despite a week of melting snow and mild temperatures, the runway stayed firm enough for about a dozen airplanes to make the trip to Brodhead and make our chili (non)ski-fly-in a success. Thanks to everybody, flying or driving, who made the effort to come out.

Here is a video of a flight around the patch in Gene Calkins’ O-200 powered Kitfox. Click on the direct YouTube link to watch in HD.

[youtube]yo8De5yXfoc[/youtube]

…and member Bob Pokorney’s photo album of the day’s happenings is HERE.

This Aeronca Sedan came up from Lake in the Hills, Illinois.

Cessna 185 with wheels and skis.

Piper J-3 Cub