Chapter 237 Continues AirVenture Contribution

EAA's local chapters are about people, bringing together individuals interested in learning more about aviation as well as sharing their own knowledge.

The national organization considers Minnesota Chapter 237 a "go-to" group when it comes to getting things done. The chapter is based at Anoka County-Blaine Airport (Janes Field).

Chapter members are involved in a variety of social and educational activities, including Young Eagles rallies, fly-ins, building seminars, and more, to build awareness in the community.

Member projects have been featured on the cover of EAA's Sport Aviation Magazine. Chapter 237 took a key role in restoration of the EAA's B-25, Berlin Express.

"We got the ball rolling [with the project] while staging aircraft in 2014," said Chapter 237 President Kevin Sislo. "We brought the nose section to our chapter shop where we restored it."

Upon returning the section to EAA, Sislo said Chapter 237 was invited to monthly work parties in the Weeks Hangar at Wittman Regional Airport.

About 12 months later, the chapter was coordinating multi-chapter work parties, he said.

"Ultimately, we saw the completed restoration four years later," Sislo added. "In 2017 we were awarded the inaugural AirVenture Chapter Grand Champion award."

It takes Chapter 237 about two months to plan and prepare for AirVenture each year, Sislo said.

This includes coming to Oshkosh to stake out campsites, tallying volunteer hours, populating a spreadsheet with camper locations, and most importantly, having about 12 members arrive the week before to stage and tie down airplanes.

The airplanes are moved from Pioneer Airport, the EAA museum, Exhibit Hangar C, the Weeks Hangar, and the Jack Mark Hangar.

"Our camping area expanded from 40 sites to 46 sites this year," Sislo reported. "We had a disco dance inside our tent Tuesday (July 27) and Friday night, July 30."

A spaghetti dinner was served Thursday night (July 29) to chapter members and friends from all over the U.S. Chapter 237 Campsite Coordinator Curt Stolz first attended the Oshkosh gathering in 1975. In an early Facebook post to chapter members, Stolz reported individual campsites were much bigger than before, making it easier to accommodate larger recreational vehicles.

Most campers were expected to stay for the full week of AirVenture, so Chapter 237 didn't anticipate having many (if any) sites available later in the week, Stolz posted online.