Fly-In Lunch raises funds for future pilots

Aug. 28—EFFINGHAM — Continuing its mission of inspiring and supporting the nation's next generation of pilots, Chapter 16 of the Experimental Aviation Association held another Fly-In Lunch Sunday at the Effingham County Memorial Airport

The president of EAA Chapter 16, Doug McDevitt, helped put the event together that featured barbecue and ice cold drinks, as well as a wide range of unique aircraft from the area. McDevitt has been with the EAA for 12 years and has been flying for 40 years since getting his pilot's license in college in 1983.

McDevitt said his local EAA chapter is just one of more than a thousand throughout the United States and beyond. He said Chapter 16 has been around since the early 1970s.

"It might've been longer than that," he said.

EAA Chapter 16 has members from throughout the area, including places like Olney and Shelbyville.

"I'd say almost 30-40-mile radius," McDevitt said.

Each chapter is different, according to McDevitt. Chapter 16 is more focused on providing scholarships for young pilots while others spend more time building planes of their own.

"We don't build anything," McDevitt said.

Last year, the Fly-In Lunch took place at the Shumway Innernational Airport, but the venue changed to Effingham County Memorial Airport this year due to ongoing maintenance there.

McDevitt said turnout at the Fly-In Lunch and Breakfast has gone down a bit since the EAA changed venues.

"It's been down slightly," he said regarding the number of aircraft involved. "At the breakfast in June, I think we had 36 or so. We've had as many as 62 in the past."

He suggested it could have something to do with how much attendees seemed to enjoy the grass runway at Shumway Innernational Airport.

"There's some novelty in flying into a grass strip," McDevitt said. "A lot of people enjoy that."

But he believes people will get used to having it at the Effingham County Memorial Airport.

Another EAA member and pilot who helped at the event Sunday was Gary Rogers of Effingham, who managed to get Air Evac Lifeteam members from the area involved in this year's Fly-In. He said they were "happy to come," and the group arrived in a helicopter they landed on the runway during the event.

Rogers hopes someone who doesn't know much about that line of work might become interested in it after talking to members of the team about what they do.

"At this current time, I think just trying to get young people into aviation is paramount for the simple fact that the need for pilots is off the map," he said.

Not only does the Fly-In allow young people from the area to get acquainted with the world of aviation, it also raises between $1,000 to $2,000 with each event, and all those funds allow EAA Chapter 16 to fund both the scholarship program and the Young Eagles program, which provides free plane rides for children.

"Generally, we usually have several $1,000 scholarships that we provided to high school students that are choosing a career in aviation," McDevitt said.

"It's pretty phenomenal, and it's all volunteer," Rogers said of the Young Eagles program. "The whole purpose of the club is to generate interest in aviation to the younger crowd, and the main event that the EAA chapters do are these Young Eagles Fly-Ins."

At the Young Eagles Fly-In events, Rogers said the EAA has been able to provide anywhere between 80 and 125 rides for kids who signed up. Anyone with a child who is interested can sign up through the EAA's website.

"We will likely schedule one in Flora, Illinois, at the airport in mid to the end of October," McDevitt said. "The kids have to be ages 8-17."

Nick Taylor can be reached at nick.taylor@effinghamdailynews.com or by phone at 618-510-9226 or 217-347-7151 ext. 300132.