The challenge: Repair a C-150 to teach kids to fly

Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 534, based at the Leesburg International Airport in Florida, has launched a fund-raising campaign to repair a donated Cessna 150 as part of the chapter’s Aviation Youth Program.

The idea is to repair the plane to flying status so it can be used to launch a flying club that provides flight training for the Aviation Youth Program participants.

The campaign was boosted significantly when a White Knight appeared. An anonymous person stepped up and offered the chapter a $5,000 challenge grant for the completion of the Cessna 150 — if the fund-raising challenge could be matched or exceeded by March 31, 2020. 

This motivated the chapter’s leadership into action by setting up the EAA Chapter 534 Aviation Youth Fund Raising Drive. The money in this fund will be set aside and used only to cover the cost of restoring the Cessna 150 to flight status.

The 1964 Cessna 150D was donated to the chapter last summer for repair by the Aviation Youth members. Its fuselage and wings are in reasonably good condition. In other words, it had good bones, chapter officials note.

It is hoped that this plane, which needs an engine, avionics, general repairs and some cosmetic work, can be brought back to flying status and become the nucleus of a flying club associated with the chapter. It will then be used to teach the kids how to fly. 

The young people are already hard at work doing the cosmetic and general repairs. 

Unfortunately, as time went on volunteer adult chapter mentors could not find engine parts or avionics at prices that the chapter treasury could bear.

Engines and avionics are quite costly and, considering how the plane would be used, they did not feel comfortable trying to do this “on the cheap” in the interest of safety, officials said. Because of this, the adult membership had decided to suspend this project in favor of other less expensive ones.

But this would mean they would not have an airplane to give flight instruction to their youth members. This was going to be a big disappointment for the kids, as well as the adult members — until the White Knight appeared. 

EAA Chapter 534 has had a successful Aviation Youth program for several years. They have been working with kids teaching them how to build and repair donated damaged airplanes and uncompleted aircraft kits under the watchful eye of chapter members who have expertise in aircraft construction and maintenance. Other projects include a Mini-Max, a Thatcher CX-4, and building a BD-6 from a kit.

When completed, these airplanes are put up for sale and any profit is ploughed back into the Aviation Youth account to sustain it. These projects provide a lot of education, but little money is made, chapter officials opine.

The Cessna project is the biggest and most expensive project the chapter has ever undertaken. On top of that, the plane will be used for teaching the kids how to fly, so it won’t go on the market when completed.

That led to the current fund-raising campaign. The chapter members are in the midst of trying to meet the matching grant now.

Anyone who would like to donate can contact the chapter treasurer, Mark Banus, at 1140 Harley Circle, The Villages, Florida, 32162, or at [email protected]. The chapter is non-profit, so donations are tax-deductible.