EAA309

2009 Chapter Officers

		President 2009 - Fred Darnell   Fred Darnell earned his Private Pilot Certificate (Private Pilot Single Engine-Land) in 1996 and his Instrument Rating in 2003.   In 1998 he purchased his Murphy Super Rebel kit, an all metal high-wing, 4/6 seat bush-plane manufactured by Murphy Aircraft of Chilliwack British Columbia, Canada. Construction was completed in 2008 and test program completed just in time for his first family cross-country trip for Thanksgiving.   Fred has been a member of EAA since 1994 and a member of the Charlotte Chapter 309 since early 1996.   Contact Info: 980-722-6356 fadarnell@bellsouth.net
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		Vice President 2009 - Bob Thayer Bob's first flight was to Havana, Cuba! He is a past president of Chapter 309.   He has his private pilot's license with glider endorsement and is a member of Glider Club which is based at Bahnson Gliderport near Mocksville.   He built a 1/2 VW engine which will be mounted on the Hummel Bird that he is scratch building from plans.  Contact info: 704-664-6097 rthayer@carolinas.org
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		Secretary 2009 - Chuck Porter   I was raised in Dayton, Ohio, The Birthplace of Aviation, and remember in the early 1940’s my first visit to the local museum that housed the Wright Flyer.  My Grandfather was a barber that regularly cut the Wright Brother’s hair.  I will never forget the first time my Dad took me to Wright Field and experienced my uncle starting his T-6 based there. So at a very young age I was hooked!  I graduated from Ohio University in 1963 with an Industrial Engineering Degree but more importantly a Private Pilots Certificate.  I was able to enjoy aviation in my 7 years of military service but did not fly much afterwards until the mid 1980’s when I bought a Piper Saratoga and later moved to a more affordable Piper Arrow.   I currently have a Piper Archer II and my son Charlie and I will decide at Sun-N-Fun which RV we will build! I am a specialist in Wire Electrical Discharge Machining with a career that has spanned over 28 years, working with many Fortune 500 companies as well as small shops,  matching our unique technology of machining complicated intricate parts in tolerances of +/-.0001" with the requirements of industry, many times finding a less expensive approach to a better part solution.  When I turned 65 we moved our business to our country home site north of Monroe, NC. Contact info: 704-296-5512 chuck@edmspecialists.com
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		Newsletter Editor 2009 - Lisa Peterson
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		Treasurers 2009 - Ron and Kandy Murray   Ron and Kandy Murray are both Private pilots, with instrument ratings.  Ron is also an EAA Technical Counselor.  We live at Lake Norman Airpark, overlooking the end of runway 14.  We built our home and hangar in 1992 and have enjoyed the aviation “good life” here since that time.  We are the proud owners of a Van’s RV-9A which we built from a “slow build” kit starting in 2001.  The plane first flew in December 2004 and has provided us with many fun and trouble free hours of flying. We first got serious about aviation in 1978 when we purchased our first airplane.  It was a new 1978 Piper Warrior.  We both received our private pilot’s license in this plane.  In 1980 we made a move up to a brand new fancy T-tail Piper Arrow.  Since we lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, we had many trips up and down the west coast, exploring places like the Grand Canyon and other exciting places along our way.  In 1984 we flew into the Travis Air Force base aviation event and Kandy spotted one of the first Trinidads brought to the US.  After lusting for this plane for a number of months, the dealer made us an offer we could not refuse.  So in May 1985, we journeyed to Annapolis, Maryland  to pick up our sparkling new airplane.  A crazy Frenchman had flown it across the Atlantic from the factory in France.  We then completed the cross country trip to California, which turned out to be the first of several coast to coast  trips we made in the Trinidad. After 15 wonderful years, we finally decided to downsize and get in to a smaller, less complicated airplane.  So in 2001, we sold the Trinidad and bought the empennage  kit for the RV-9A.  This was the beginning of a great chapter in our life, building the RV-9A.  It truly was a very satisfying and rewarding experience.  After 3 years and 8 months, and 2500 hours of build time, the plane finally flew.  To say this was one of the highlights of our lives would be an understatement.  We would encourage anyone with the desire and commitment to build their own airplane, to go for it.  You won’t be sorry. Besides our flying, we love to go boating, motor homing, traveling and playing with our grandkids.  We are also very active in the music department at our church.  One of Ron’s loves is singing bass in a southern gospel quartet.   Contact Info: ronald_p_murray@msn.com
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		Young Eagles Coordinator 2009 - Hal Schwab   I have been interested in aviation as long as I can remember.  My dad would always take me to the local airport (GSO) to watch airplanes.  I joined the CAP and started learning to fly when I was 13.  I would do odd jobs at the FBO for flight time. I did not pursue it to the license though.  I joined the Army at 17 and attended helicopter maintenance school.  After that I flew as a flight engineer on the H-54 Skycrane for two US assignments and one Vietnam tour with the 101st Airborne. Well, a lot of years passed without flying except for the occasional ride with someone.  I kept flying model helicopters and airplanes though.  I put the time to good use getting an education and marrying above myself.  We have two great children Stuart and Sarah. Stuart has the aviation gene like me. Sarah thinks that airplanes are something that you have to tolerate while getting somewhere. When EAA 309 brought in the B-17 to Concord in 2003, I heard about the new Sport Pilot license and was encouraged to build an airplane.  So I ordered a set of Sonex plans and Stuart and I got to work. Two years and three months later I was licensed, the Sonex was finished, so there was nothing left to do but test fly N808SX.  It flew great and Stuart and I are having a great time flying. Contact info: (704) 651-7768 hschwab@mindspring.com
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		Technical Counselor and First Flight Advisor 2009 - Dale Ensing   Like many EAAers, I realized a passion for aviation at a very young age. I didn't live near an airport where I could hang out and see airplanes nor was my family sympatric to my need to fly in an airplane. Best I could do was read aviation books and magazines until I managed to get my first airplane ride at age 10 from our local Chevrolet dealer who owned a Cessna 172. That was my total exposure to aviation, other than building gas powered models, until college. The passion for aviation had not diminished over the years and I decided I wanted a career in marketing and selling GA airplanes. After graduating from Western Michigan University School of Aviation with a dual major in Marketing and Aviation Technology, it was apparent that timing was not good to enter the business of General Aviation. It was on the decline because of large jury awards to people suing anyone and everyone connected to an airplane accident. Some manufacturers had already stopped production of small aircraft. I was very happy to accept a position with the Dow Corning Corporation, Aerospace Division. It wasn't my first love of small airplanes but I got to work on some very interesting projects including the F4 Phantom, Gemini space capsule, and Apollo/Lunar Lander/Lunar Rover. To reconnect with GA I joined EAA and started dreaming again about owning a small airplane. About that time the FAA came out with the Part 103 Ultralight category. This resulted in several new companies introducing "flying machines" that met the 103 regulations. I jumped on this new opportunity and built one of the first MiniMax kits. Since I was an SEL pilot, I built it as an Experimental with a larger engine, larger fuel tank, some other things that put it over the weight limit.. The MiniMax is a fun little machine and I still have it but have not flown it since completing the RV-6A. Van's Aircraft introduce the RV-6, their first side be side airplane, about the time I was feeling the need for more speed. We had looked at a friend's RV-4 earlier but my wife said she had no desire to fly cross country looking at the back of my head. Couldn't disagree! The RV-6A passed the domestic test and I placed an order for the 6A tail kit. When the EAA introduced the Technical Councilor in the early '90s, I signed on to the program having both the building experience and some related education. And when the EAA Flight Advisor program was introduced in 2003, I attended an EAA training session to become an FA. I have enjoyed helping others complete and fly their dreams. Call me if you think I can help you. Contact info: densing@carolina.rr.com
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		Technical Counselor 2009 -
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