What's up with the NAA?

[bwmatz]

Dear NAA Members,

Now nearly one year since the 2004 NAA Convention, many of you are asking "What exactly is up with the NAA? For starters, please see http://www.aeroncapilots.com/BoardLetterSunNFun.htm for a copy of the letter that was given to members who attended Al Nase's Sun'N'Fun Aeronca forum.

Much of the content of this letter is the same as the last letter we made available here. We have, however, made progress in some areas. If you are reading this, you already know about the changes to the NAA website and this forum. Just this past weekend, for the very first time, the NAA was invited to and represented by members at the opening of Pioneer Airport at Oshkosh http://www.eaa.org/communications/eaane ... oneer.html We have also arranged for and are in the process of collecting registrations for 18 reserved parking spaces at this year's AirVenture 2005 and already have a little over half of the spaces spoken for http://www.aeroncapilots.com/OSHParking.htm by NAA members and their Aeroncas.

Progress is also being made behind the scenes. We now have access to the membership database which we have been trying to get since the 2004 convention. It was kept on an old Apple computer in Terra Haute and we have since imported the information into a newer database format. Our biggest challenge is to verify the information we have. We cannot continue sending out club information and magazines to old addresses and people who are no longer with us. We urge you again to help us with this effort by sending us updated information. If you know someone who is a member that may not have seen this request, please let them know. We need everyone's help with this. We cannot move on to our next plan with a member database full of incorrect data.

We are still trying to get the NAA merchandise from the Terra Haute office so that we can begin selling it online and at regional Aeronca events around the country. For some reason, this has been more difficult to accomplish than expected. It's a matter of coordinating a time for several individuals to travel to Terra Haute and we'll work it out at some point.

In regards to the antique Aeronca owned by the NAA, the 1939 65C, NC22389 http://www.aeroncapilots.com/Photos/10NAC/nc22389.jpg is being stored safely in the large hangar at Hook Field in Middletown. Any NAA member is welcome to drop in and pay it a visit. The aircraft is usually on display at the NAA Convention, however in 2004, it was stuck in the hangar behind a large aircraft that was immoveable due to some extensive maintenance being performed on it. NC22389 is currently out of annual and I don't believe it has been flown for quite some time. Unfortunately, with the other tasks we have before us, it is not currently a priority, however getting this aircraft back into shape is on our long list of To Do items.

Finally, there are many of you reading this who are very active on the NAA forum. We'd like to say "thank you." It would not be the valuable resource it has become without your participation. We are looking for active members who would be interested in helping us push the NAA into becoming the active type club it should be. We are primarily looking for your ideas. If you have business experience or have done work with similar organizations, that would be a plus. Please contact us at nationalaeroncaassociation@yahoo.com if you are interested and we'll fill you in on exactly what we need.


While we wish we could have accomplished much more in the last year than we have, we are not giving up on the NAA and we thank all of you for your ongoing support.

Hope to see many NAA members at Oshkosh. Fly Safely!

[bwmatz]

Sorry...left out an answer to one of Ray's questions. The 2006 National Aeronca Association convention is tentatively scheduled for June 15-18, 2006.