Tom Maxwell
Well Known Member
This is slightly off topic but it does involve a couple of RVs so stick with me.
My wife, Connie, and I traveled by car to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit family. We both grew up in the Rapid City area and love it for its natural beauty. Rapid City (KRAP) is nestled at the base of the Eastern slope of the Black Hills. This is where you will find Mount Rushmore and the work-in-progress Crazy Horse memorial. To the east about 50 miles are the beautiful bad lands. Further east, South Dakota turns into gently rolling grazing land and then into flat farmland. White tail deer, mule dear, elk, antelope, and pheasant are abundant in this area.
With some time on our hands, I contacted Rick Belsas and made arrangements to visit his partnership RV10 project. Rick's partner in crime is Jerry Peterson a retired educator. Together Rick and Jerry also own a completed and flying RV9A. The RV10 is going to be a very nice plane indeed! It will feature a Chelton dual screen flight system and air- conditioning. They have the engine mounted and were working on wiring when we visited them.
During our project visit, we learned that EAA Chapter 39 would be having their Young Eagles day the following Saturday. I asked if we could help and were graciously invited to the event. As it turns out, I wasn't much help as I spent most of my day snapping photographs. Connie helped out on the ground crew delivering newly printed Young Eagles certificates to a hard working young man who in turn ran them out to the returning planes for pilot signature and presentation.
This was our first involvement with the Young Eagles program. It was quite exciting to see the eager faces of the children as they restlessly anticipated their turn to fly in a real airplane. From the looks on the pilots' faces, I think they were equally excited and seemed to have just as much fun as the children.
We were fortunate to meet a couple of Uncle Sam's finest as well. Chapter members David Marten and Kyle Wilson both fly B1 Bombers out of Ellsworth AFB located just a few miles North of KRAP. Unknowingly, we may have snapped some pictures of them in flight during our visit to the South Dakota Air and Space museum two days earlier. The museum is located just outside of the main gate of Ellsworth AFB and is a great half day activity.
Overall we had a great time and our first experience with the Young Eagles program was outstanding. If my recollection is accurate, EAA Chapter 39 flew 93 Young Eagles this year. This is down from about 130 last year. But considering the first scheduled day was rained out, I think it is a notable accomplishment.
We managed to spend some time in the Black Hills enjoying the cool dry air, tall straight pines, glistening lakes, and the sweet smell-o-pine. But the highlight was definitely our opportunity to be involved with the Young Eagles program and EAA Chapter 39. If you have never been involved with this program then you are missing out on a great deal of satisfaction and the opportunity to positively impact a number of young minds. And if you have never visited the Black Hills area then you are missing out on a great opportunity to see some beautiful country as well as one of our nations greatest monuments. Viewing the Hills from the air is great, but to fully enjoy the hills, one must get back on the ground and spend some time amongst the trees and sites.
Many thanks to Rick and Jerry and all of the members of EAA Chapter 39 for making us feel welcome into their chapter and for letting us be a part of their Young Eagles day.
To view some pictures of Rick's and Jerry's RV9A as well as some Young Eagles, museum, and B1 Bomber pictures click on the following link.
www.heirloomi.com/eaa39/index.html
My wife, Connie, and I traveled by car to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit family. We both grew up in the Rapid City area and love it for its natural beauty. Rapid City (KRAP) is nestled at the base of the Eastern slope of the Black Hills. This is where you will find Mount Rushmore and the work-in-progress Crazy Horse memorial. To the east about 50 miles are the beautiful bad lands. Further east, South Dakota turns into gently rolling grazing land and then into flat farmland. White tail deer, mule dear, elk, antelope, and pheasant are abundant in this area.
With some time on our hands, I contacted Rick Belsas and made arrangements to visit his partnership RV10 project. Rick's partner in crime is Jerry Peterson a retired educator. Together Rick and Jerry also own a completed and flying RV9A. The RV10 is going to be a very nice plane indeed! It will feature a Chelton dual screen flight system and air- conditioning. They have the engine mounted and were working on wiring when we visited them.
During our project visit, we learned that EAA Chapter 39 would be having their Young Eagles day the following Saturday. I asked if we could help and were graciously invited to the event. As it turns out, I wasn't much help as I spent most of my day snapping photographs. Connie helped out on the ground crew delivering newly printed Young Eagles certificates to a hard working young man who in turn ran them out to the returning planes for pilot signature and presentation.
This was our first involvement with the Young Eagles program. It was quite exciting to see the eager faces of the children as they restlessly anticipated their turn to fly in a real airplane. From the looks on the pilots' faces, I think they were equally excited and seemed to have just as much fun as the children.
We were fortunate to meet a couple of Uncle Sam's finest as well. Chapter members David Marten and Kyle Wilson both fly B1 Bombers out of Ellsworth AFB located just a few miles North of KRAP. Unknowingly, we may have snapped some pictures of them in flight during our visit to the South Dakota Air and Space museum two days earlier. The museum is located just outside of the main gate of Ellsworth AFB and is a great half day activity.
Overall we had a great time and our first experience with the Young Eagles program was outstanding. If my recollection is accurate, EAA Chapter 39 flew 93 Young Eagles this year. This is down from about 130 last year. But considering the first scheduled day was rained out, I think it is a notable accomplishment.
We managed to spend some time in the Black Hills enjoying the cool dry air, tall straight pines, glistening lakes, and the sweet smell-o-pine. But the highlight was definitely our opportunity to be involved with the Young Eagles program and EAA Chapter 39. If you have never been involved with this program then you are missing out on a great deal of satisfaction and the opportunity to positively impact a number of young minds. And if you have never visited the Black Hills area then you are missing out on a great opportunity to see some beautiful country as well as one of our nations greatest monuments. Viewing the Hills from the air is great, but to fully enjoy the hills, one must get back on the ground and spend some time amongst the trees and sites.
Many thanks to Rick and Jerry and all of the members of EAA Chapter 39 for making us feel welcome into their chapter and for letting us be a part of their Young Eagles day.
To view some pictures of Rick's and Jerry's RV9A as well as some Young Eagles, museum, and B1 Bomber pictures click on the following link.
www.heirloomi.com/eaa39/index.html
