Some of the members of the Rock City Experimental Aircraft Association are veterans who flew in times of war. Some are just hobbyist pilots, obsessing over any and every plane they can get their hands on.
But all of them, all 25 members, love aviation.
The club is entering its sixth decade of fellowship and has a schedule full of events lined up.
As always, members are looking for others young and old who may be interested in sharing their love of aviation with a community of pilots.
“We want to do our best to grow our group and reach out to more people,” said David Smith, president of Rock City EAA. “We are a unique community and we really stick together.”
Rock City EAA is a chapter of the national Experimental Aircraft Association based in Oshkosh, Wis. The local group includes members from Signal Mountain to McDonald.
They may have planes of their own, may be building or working on their own aircraft or just love to fly. The club fosters their passion, Smith said.
“We’re always talking about planes and helping each other work on things,” he added. “Some of these projects start at home, in your garage or in your living room even, and you need help.”
The group has a Young Eagles Flight program through which the group provides aircrafts, pilots and instructors for an instructional look at flying. The young members of the club are even eligible for scholarships.
“We’d really like to get young people involved so we can keep the spirit alive,” Smith said.
The group meets once a month. The next meeting is Saturday, Feb. 21 at 9.m. at the Golden Corral on Shallowford Road.