Category: Build Reports

Click to view: On Your Wing, Meet a NAFI Member, by Patrick Howell
Published in the July/August 2023 issue of the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) Mentor magazine
Reprinted with permission, July 10, 2023.
https://navinet.org/

HAWK balloon glow at 26 & H Roads in Grand Junction, CO where Christmas light viewer traffic was streaming by, and stopping to watch. The balloons belong to Erik Cornelison. HAWK students and mentors assisted as crew.

The Balloon Glow

This year our OSH trip was very much like everyone out there’s crazy year. Our Cherokee came due for an engine change and wasn’t able to fly to OSH and at the last minute our pipistrel motor glider had an oil pressure sensor failure so it couldn’t fly to AirVenture either. Everyone traveled by ground. The one highlight was our hot air balloon was able to make it and was able to do the Night Glow display on Friday evening. Thanks to Eric Cornelison our Balloon guy. He is carrying on the Balloon tradition of our late founder Eddie Clements. It is an all hands on deck participation of youth and adults. We received many positive comments especially when people found out we were a Youth Aviation group. It was a great week with I believe 12 youth from HAWK Aviators and the HAWK adults and some parents of the youth also.
Bruce Erickson, CFI

HAWK Leaders at AirVenture 2021:

Britton’s Photos from AirVenture 2021:

Other AirVenture 2021 Links:
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021: Facts and Figures for an Outstanding Year, https://www.eaa.org/eaa/about-eaa/eaa-media-room/airventure-news-releases/2021-08-03-eaa-airventure-oshkosh-2021-facts-and-figures-for-an-outstanding-year
EAA AirVenture, https://www.eaa.org/airventure
AirVenture Highlights, https://www.eaa.org/airventure/features-and-attractions/airventure-highlights
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, https://www.eaa.org/airventure/eaa-airventure-news-and-multimedia/eaa-airventure-news/eaa-airventure-oshkosh?
WarBirdsNews, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 – A Look Back at the Final Stats and Figures, August 4, 2021, https://warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/eaa-airventure-oshkosh-2021-a-look-back-at-the-final-stats-and-figures.html
EAA AirVenture 2021 Google Image Search, https://www.google.com/search?q=airventure+2021
EAA AirVenture 2021 Gallery, Flying Magazine, https://www.flyingmag.com/story/photos/eaa-airventure-2021-photo-gallery/
Best of OSH21, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, https://www.flickr.com/photos/eaaairventureoshkosh/sets/72157719705128132/
EAA The Spirit of Aviation, https://www.facebook.com/EAA/

Above Photos Courtesy & © Bruce Erickson, Photographer

Weather permitting, the Hawk Board of directors has decided that our program will start operating again this coming Saturday March 6. We will be relying on the ability to meet and work with the Hangar doors open, in order to provide the safest environment for our participants. We are anticipating the need for temperatures to be above about 50 degrees Fahrenheit and light winds in order to provide the open air environment that is needed for our members safety. Program start time is 9:00 AM Saturday mornings, and finishes just after 1:00 pm in the afternoon. Reopening the High Country Aviation Workshop for Kids

Note:
The Annual Hawk Members meeting will be held on April 17 at 1:00 PM, just following the April 17, EAA chapter 800 meeting at the Mack Mesa Airport hangar. Members must be in good standing, and have paid their yearly membership dues in order to be eligible to vote at the meeting. Adult membership costs are $35.00 per year discounted to $25.00 per year for EAA members, and $10.00 per year for Junior members. We want to thank you for your patience through these challenging months and look forward to seeing you again real soon.
Reopening the High Country Aviation Workshop for Kids
Thanks again,

Bruce Erickson, Secretary

NEW SONEX KIT
A builder in Cheyenne, WY made a partially completed Sonex kit available to HAWK for a price we could not refuse. Two of our members have Sonex aircraft, so this is a craft with which we are quite familiar. It comes with a Jabiru motor mount, but no motor. Coincidentally, a couple years ago another builder in Green River, WY gave us a Jabiru motor with 500 to 600 hours on it. We hope to make an aircraft from these two transactions.

Since AirVenture 2020 was cancelled due to the Pandemic, our Junior Members missed their out-of-town trip this summer. As a substitute trip, General Manager Tim Allen took a half dozen of them in the bus on the overnight trip (including camping at the airport) to retrieve this kit and bring it home.