One of the stops along the original Chisholm Trail in Wellington, Kansas, is now home to the state’s newest chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).
EAA Chapter 1631, The Chisholm Trail Chapter, is based at Wellington Municipal Airport (KEGT) and already boasts more than 30 members from around the area, which is just south of Wichita, according to officials.
“EAA is a great organization that brings people together,” said Chapter Vice President Matt Wiebe, who is also KEGT airport manager. “We have a very active aviation community around Wellington — we have 32 aircraft on the field — and there was a lot of interest in starting our own chapter.”
“We’re excited to have the new Wellington chapter join the other Kansas chapters working to further EAA’s mission to grow participation in aviation,” said Jack J. Pelton, EAA’s CEO and Chairman of the Board. “Wellington, with its wealth of aviation companies, not only plays an important role in keeping Kansas a leader in the global aviation industry, it has a very active aviation community. We know it’s going to be a valuable addition to the EAA family.”
EAA’s annual AirVenture in Wisconsin, often referred to simply as Oshkosh, is billed as the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration and attracts more than 500,000 EAA members and aviation enthusiasts from 80 countries and brings in more than 10,000 aircraft for the week-long event. This year’s event is set for July 22-28.
According to Wiebe, the new chapter’s initial goal is to host a regional fly-in in Wellington and at least two Young Eagle events.
Membership is open to anyone interested in aviation. The new chapter meets at the airport every second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m.
“We have a lot of different interests in the chapter – some just like to fly and others are really in to building aircraft,” Wiebe said. “We all just like the fellowship.”
The Chisholm Trail Chapter is led by President Keith Rhea, Wiebe as VP, Mike Kelley, treasurer, Steve Turner, secretary, and Ryan Bulger, Young Eagles coordinator.
For more information, contact Keith Rhea at 316-640-8897 or Matthew Wiebe at 316-323-3876.