EAA Chapter 15

EAA Chapter 15 Our mission: to share and educate current and future pilots, while having fun. Join us.

Located at Lewis Airport in Illinois, we are Chapter 15 (Un-officially known as the ‘Just-Wing-It’ and the ‘Cookout’ Chapter) of the Experimental Aircraft Association.

Not many pictures were taken tonight at the Sonex build with the Saint Rita high school students as we were split up in ...
06/03/2026

Not many pictures were taken tonight at the Sonex build with the Saint Rita high school students as we were split up in two groups, one working on the canoe and the others were fabricating the seat and firewall. The bottom was fitted and everything is lining up real nice.
Our goal was to have it done by the end of July but we’re taking it nice and easy and making sure everything is done right. We’re hoping for some sometime in the fall to have it completed and hopefully flying by Christmas.

Also, would like to reach out to anyone in the area that could possibly help us. We were donated a break and the edges are really chewed up as you can see in one of the pictures. We would like to find a shop in the area that we could take the “fingers “to and have them machine them down evenly. We’re getting by, but we still have some more pieces to bend and we don’t want to mess anything up.

Taco Wednesday! The weather is looking great. Flying in? Let the tower know you're headed to the North Side. Need drivin...
06/02/2026

Taco Wednesday! The weather is looking great. Flying in? Let the tower know you're headed to the North Side. Need driving directions? DM us.

Here’s something to think about over the weekend. And the newly formulated spice mixture made especially for EAA Chapter...
05/29/2026

Here’s something to think about over the weekend. And the newly formulated spice mixture made especially for EAA Chapter 15.

We know we’re a day late with the post about the Wednesday Cookout, and we also know we forgot to take pictures!To catch...
05/29/2026

We know we’re a day late with the post about the Wednesday Cookout, and we also know we forgot to take pictures!
To catch everybody up, decent crowd for our first Cookout of the year, about 40 people enjoyed the chicken tenders and the mistakenly bought chicken nuggets. That’s what happens when you don’t read the label on the boxes.
But no harm, they were some of the best and freshest nuggets we’ve ever had. They were thick and plump, unlike the nuggets you get at these cheap fast food restaurants. Again, you’ll have to take our word for it since we forgot to take pictures. Not much was left of our red white and blue sheet cake, maybe just a little less of a quarter was left at the end of the night.
But like we always say, it’s not about the food (OK, the food gets you out there) but it’s about the people that come out each and every week. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or it’s your first time out, it’s great to sit amongst friends and family that have an interest in Aviation.
So if you didn’t show up this week, plan on next week cause it looks like we’re going to have another awesome day with no rain. Menu? Ummmm, maybe some tacos 🌮 Sorry Kamelya, best you can do for a vegan option is not putting on any🥩 🐣 🐖 .

We finally had the hangar door open while working on the St. Rita student Sonex build. And, it was great to see the stud...
05/27/2026

We finally had the hangar door open while working on the St. Rita student Sonex build. And, it was great to see the students back in action after being away for finals last week. We couldn’t have asked for better weather. Well, the canoe is coming along nicely and they’re starting to get it all squared up. Still a lot of work and hopefully they’ll ramp it up soon as time is ticking.
They should have a pretty good chunk done by the time our Chapter Pancake breakfast rolls around in just under 3 weeks on June 13th. The kids will have their progress on display and hopefully they can raise just a little more money to help acquire the motor to get her in the air later this year. Hopefully there’s an angel out there somewhere 😇

Finally!! First cookout of the season.Menu: Chicken Tenders & FriesWhen: May 27th 6:00pm Where: KLOT (Northside hangars)...
05/25/2026

Finally!! First cookout of the season.

Menu: Chicken Tenders & Fries
When: May 27th 6:00pm
Where: KLOT (Northside hangars)
Donation: $10 (we're trying our best to keep the cost down)
If you have anything to add, such as desserts, feel free to bring something.

If flying in, let the tower know you’re heading to the north side. If driving, access off of Airport Road via Route 53, FOLLOW the signs and park north of the hangars in the grass area.
Again... NO PARKING on the side facing the runway. Only tenants with planes facing runway 9-27 may park there, NO EXCEPTIONS! You may drop people off but must park in the grass on the north. Please park far enough back from the blacktop to leave room for planes to taxi by.

Things are starting to come together on the Sonex. With the high school students getting ready for finals, it was in an ...
05/20/2026

Things are starting to come together on the Sonex. With the high school students getting ready for finals, it was in an all adult day. While coach and Bob were working on the ‘canoe’, Darren was working on part of the tail. Both of these sections will be fitted together within the next two weeks, marking a huge milestone: looking like half an airplane. The students will be getting back on track next week and we’ll see how much they can get done before the pancake breakfast on June 13th.

This Thursday the IAM is hosting an FAASTeam seminar about aeromedical factors. Aviation Medical Examiner Dr. Ken Yokosa...
05/19/2026

This Thursday the IAM is hosting an FAASTeam seminar about aeromedical factors. Aviation Medical Examiner Dr. Ken Yokosawa will be hosting a Q&A for anyone who wants to ask about the FAA medical exam, current and new changes, allowed medications, etc. This will be a very informative presentation for current and aspiring pilots. Bring your questions and learn how to be a safer and healthier pilot!

Illinois Aviation Museum
Clow Airport, Hangar 1
Thurs, May 21 7:00PM

Well, another TBM Avenger Reunion event is in the books. We want to take a moment and say THANK YOU to everyone that sto...
05/17/2026

Well, another TBM Avenger Reunion event is in the books. We want to take a moment and say THANK YOU to everyone that stopped by our concession trailer this weekend. We saw a lot of familiar faces from years past. We can't even count on all of our fingers and toes of how many people mentioned that they've been waiting for our donuts AND that how they had them the previous years. The hardcore 'fans' even mentioned the previous location spots we had throughout the years... and that even surprised us. The preparation for these events are long and tough, BUT, when the day starts and we see the smiles on everyone's faces, it makes it worth it. Trust us, we never knew a mixture of cinnamon and sugar on a donut could make people happy. And we're sorry for those who gave their young children these donuts before their bedtime, we're sure their motors were running :)

We also would like to thank the TBM Reunion Committee for inviting us out each and every year. The aviation community as a whole is small but we all stick together for the common goal: bring more exposure to the past, present, and future of aviation. TBM shows us the past and the present, and our chapter is helping with the future. The young people you see working the trailer are our future pilots of America. They volunteer their time and effort each year, helping raise funds to expand our youth programs. Part of this weekends proceeds are going towards our student airplane build, current a Sonex Waiex, which they are part of.

Ok, many questioned us about where we will be next. We're sorry to say, we will not be at Cavalcade of Planes as we have in years past. Maybe next year??? But, our next event is our 49th annual Pancake Breakfast on June 13th at Lewis University Airport (our home). This year, we invited the Air National Guard out of Kankakee, IL to join us with one... maybe two, Blackhawk helicopters. We also have at least 3 Stearmans that will be in attendance along with some other surprises that may fly in. Weather permitting, one of the Stearman's will be offering rides (nominal Fee) during the day BUT the Blackhawks will not :(
But all we can do is hope for great weather.

Address

1 George J Michas Drive
Romeoville, IL
60446

Telephone

(815) 838-9497 Ext 322

Website

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