Episode 17 Jeff Reacker

Cliff Brown tells us an amazing story of how a single event in his childhood led to a lifelong fascination with aviation which ended up compelling him to get his private pilot certificate along with the combination of using that certificate throughout his work life. Believe it or not, Cliff tells a great story about how his ability to fly an airplane saved the world from a meltdown disaster. We end the podcast with the latest chapter news and announcements. Happy New Year!

If you have ever wondered how the chapter found a home at Harvey Field in Snohomish Washington or how the chapter acquired such a premium hangar on Harvey Field then you will enjoy our talk with the man responsible for it, Tom Mahon. Tom was a member of the chapter for many years, along with being Vice President and Secretary, so he has an abundant amount of history to share with us. Once again, we conclude the podcast as I bring you the latest Chapter 84 news, including updates on meetings and events.

Captain of the Queen of the skies Rex Smith joins me this month to share his aviation life story. From his time in the Air Force, to his career as a Captain in a major airline and most recently a builder of an RV9, Rex Smith has earned the title of aviator. We conclude the podcast as I bring you the latest Chapter 84 news, including updates on meetings and events.

From humble beginnings to amazing adventures and along the way some unexpected luck, our guest this month is long time chapter member Tom Williams. Tom has some great memories to share, from early life on a ranch in Nebraska, where he had his first aviation encounter, to an unforgettable student pilot prank. Tom shares some great advice and sentiment along the way. His determination to complete a project is what experimental amateur built aviation is all about. You can find him in the chapter hangar these days working hard to finish his Starduster 2 project.

Our guest this month has been a member of the chapter for over 10 years and should be a familiar face to anyone who regularly attends the general meeting. Mark Morse talks with us about his unique path to finding his aviation passion. How that path led him to choose the airplane he is currently close to completing and some of the trials and tribulations along the way to where he is at now. We wrap up with some chapter announcements and big news from EAA HQ regarding a new flight testing program. Make sure you smash that LIKE button!

We are back this month with a fantastic podcast featuring a guest that has so many accomplishments it’s hard to talk about all of them in one episode. I think you will greatly enjoy the interview with retired colonel Eileen Bjorkman and coincidently the daughter of world record holder Arnold Ebneter. You are in for an incredible interview of what I think is one of the best hidden gems we have in the chapter. We once again we conclude the podcast as I bring you the latest Chapter 84 news, including updates on meetings and events.

This month as I bring you an interview with Chapter member Tracy Hach. As many of you know Tracy has been building a plans-scratch built aircraft that started off as a Banty ultralight but in true Tracy Hach fashion he has re-engineered many aspects of the aircraft into something that no longer meets the ultra-light category but instead is a much more capable experimental category aircraft. Tracy also lets the chapter in on a little secret about what has been going on in his personal life and why we haven’t seen much of him lately. I think you’ll find it very inspiring.

We have a great interview for you this month, long time chapter member Charlie O’Neil. Charlie shares with us his experience in building and test flying his Zenith 701. He tells us how his training and planning paid off early during an in-flight emergency. Charlie is a man of many nuances, his attention to detail and high standards are apparent throughout this interview. Finally some chapter news and my report on the Stihl National Air Races in Reno Nevada.

We are back after our Oshkosh break. Our guest this month is the newest member of the chapter to have finish, certified and flown a SeaRey amphibious seaplane. Jeff Reacker and I chat about all things including his youth, career, love of flight and even Russian scientists. This one is a long one but there was just too much good stuff I just couldn't leave it out. We wrap up with some quick chapter news along with BIG news for general aviation. 

In this episode we talk to well known local pilot Rocky Kyle. Born and raised in the Puget Sound, Rocky has some history to share with us about aviation in the area. Today Rocky and his brother Sandy fly out of their personal airstrip in Snohomish Washington. Rocky shares with us how that private airstrip came to be and a very unique way to make the approach into the Kyle airstrip. From adventures in South America to start up businesses here in the Northwest, Rocky has an adventurous soul and he shares a lot of history with us (including some insight into the locally famous Harvey Field Shamrock Club). The podcast wraps up with Chapter news and events.