Members of the Blue Hills Flyers, also known as Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 631, fly the skies above Northwest Wisconsin — from Cable to the north, Bloomer to the south and in between from Tony to St. Croix Falls. The grassroots aviation club is flying high as it wings into its 45th year and celebrates the 32nd season of its Young Eagles program which offers free airplane rides to youths.
Chapter President Jeff Potocnik of Trego said the chapter originally was formed at the Rusk County Airport in 1979 and is unique in that it does not have one home airport — it has several.
Potocnik explained that in June 2020, Chapter 631 adopted a geographic chapter footprint, which includes a seven-county fly zone of Bayfield, Washburn, Sawyer, Polk, Barron, Rusk and Chippewa, based on membership and the location of other EAA chapters.
"In general, we decided that this is the area from which we would select recipients to assist with flight training scholarships, cover some costs to help youth attend EAA camps at Oshkosh, etc.,” Potocnik said. “We agreed there could be exceptions to the footprint on a case-by-case basis, and the map may change slightly over time by membership vote."
The grassroots aviation club welcomes anyone who is interested in any aspect of aviation to join or be guests at chapter gatherings.
“No need to be a pilot,” Potocnik said, “but of course that is the most fun part, so we encourage that!"
Chapter 633 is in full flight mode from spring through fall and does not even idle during the winter months when business meetings, potlucks, hangar talks and camaraderie continue.
"We enjoy and help with fly-ins such as pancake breakfasts," the chapter president said. "We enjoy and thrive on aviation camaraderie — our chapter is as much a network of friends as it is anything. We encourage and attempt to provide aviation education to our members and the public, much of this aviation safety oriented.”
Dave Nielsen, a member of the chapter, has spearheaded the establishment of VMC/IMC “clubs” within the chapter, Potocnik said. These are separate meetings for people to concentrate on topics such as flying techniques and safety.
Some of the chapter members are home builders and people who restore aircraft, Potocnik noted.
“Some of our members are quite talented at such and sharing their knowledge, tools, tips, tricks as part of the fun,” Potocnik said. “We take very seriously the mission of introducing community members to the joys, excitement, safety of recreational flight."
Young Eagles
The Blue Hills Flyers chapter has been involved in EAA’s Young Eagles program — which offers free flights to youth between ages 8-17 — since its inception in 1992, Potocnik said.
"Our chapter celebrated its 10,000th Young Eagle ride in 2022," he said. "Our little rural chapter ranks 17th in the world for the number of Young Eagle rides given."
He commended Chapter 631's Young Eagles program coordinator Jack Langland of Shell Lake, who has given more than 1,800 Young Eagle rides himself, leading the program by example.
"Our chapter typically schedules eight-plus events per summer,” the Blue Hills Flyers president said, “while most chapters schedule one or two events."
Also available by request are Eagle Rides, which are free flights and introduction to aviation for adults.
In addition to the free airplane rides, Potocnik said the chapter promotes aviation among youth any way it can.
"We have spent some time in local schools to do some aviation education — but, we need to get back to that because, as they say, ‘you don’t know what you don’t know.’ We need to get more word out to area youth that aviation is happening right here and everywhere. It is fun and challenging and rewarding."
Scholarships
Chapter 631 also awards scholarships to those seeking to pursue their interest in aviation.
"Our chapter has a history of modest scholarships to area youth who have pursued their pilot’s license," Potocnik said. "This has typically been $500 or $1,000 assistance. We realize that in today’s age where the pursuit of a private pilot license costs $10,000 on the very low end, and up to $15,000-plus on the higher end, a scholarship of $1,000 or less basically just pays for a few flight lessons."
Hard-working chapter members have rolled up their sleeves through the years, and the chapter has accumulated a fund specifically for scholarships of roughly $25,000, Potocnik said.
“We’ve had discussions in the last couple of years — should we be spending more of this vs. should we be investing a big chunk of this to have it grow to fund more small investments in area youth?” the chapter president said.
"Historically, we’ve both provided small monetary scholarships to student pilots,” he said. "We also use the fund to pay the way substantially to EAA weeklong Air Academy camp at Oshkosh for selected youth. These are typically Young Eagles that come to multiple 631 Young Eagle events per year."
The club also has been able to latch onto Ray Foundation scholarships for up to $11,000 to a student pilot via EAA headquarters, he said.
“They have been a gift from the sky,” Potocnik said.
"Chapters apply to HQ to try to latch onto a Ray scholarship,” he said. “We have latched onto eight to date and hope to latch onto more in the future. Our sixth Ray Scholar is now a private pilot. Our five before that completed their private pilot licenses successfully and are now out there in the world starting to make their mark as an adult. Three have their eyes set on careers in aviation. One, due to a health situation, had to switch from pursuing a fly-for-hire career but plans to continue to fly recreationally.”
Three of the six Ray Scholarships Chapter 631 has received were for 100% of the $11,000. The others were “25/75” scholarships where the Ray Foundation paid up to $8,250 and the Chapter paid up to $2,750 to match.
"The 25/75s have been a way for the Chapter to do more than modest $1,000 scholarships recently while having a huge impact on the life of an aspiring pilot,” Potocnik said. “We have been super blessed to have these Ray Scholarships."
Chapter highlights
Founding member Jerry Elling of Ladysmith said one of the chapter’s highlights over the years was when it was a host sponsor for one of the foreign teams competing in the 1980 World Aerobatic Contest.
"We applied for and were selected to host a team here at Rusk County Airport," Elling said. "As such, we arranged housing and other services for the BritishTeam to stay at Mount Scenario College and provided for any other of the team's needs. That meant also that RCX saw the Brits daily practice sessions for an incredible week which culminated in a wonderful airshow they put on for the last Sunday they were here before they went on to Fond Du Lac for the competition the next week."
As some chapter members were always available at the airport throughout the week to assist, a few formed friendships with some of the BritishTeam members that lasted many years.
“A framed Union Jack flag signed by all the team members is still on prominent display in the Elmer and Floy Wisherd RCX airport terminal,” Elling said.
When EAA Chapter member and secretary Brad Volker of Rice Lake started taking flying lessons, he said his mentor Gerry Winch of Shell Lake, who currently serves as the chapter’s vice president, gave him his flying orders.
“‘You are going to become a member of EAA. They do a lot to advocate for our freedom to fly and keeping the costs in aviation tolerable. They also are huge in promoting/educating safety in aviation,’” Volker recalled Winch saying. “Well. I'm glad Gerry pushed me into joining. The parent organization does do all that, and in the local chapter I've gained many additional lifelong mentors, advisors and friends."
Many of Volker’s lifelong mentors, advisors and friends donated a tremendous amount of time and expense to expose youth and adults to aviation.
“Without a doubt, EAA Chapter 631 has made a difference in nurturing area youth/adults to launch and stick with exciting aviation journeys — some of them as hobbyists, some for a career,” he said. "Also — for anyone in this area who has even just the slightest interest in aviation — you have to go experience EAA's annual AirVenture if you have not already. We are blessed to have it close by in Oshkosh. Folks travel from all over the nation and world to experience it."
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