What is Chapter 838?

The mission of EAA Chapter 838 is:

To promote the sport and hobby of General Aviation among the Chapter members and the community at large.
To provide continuing education opportunities for current pilots in order to help them maintain or increase their skill level.
To provide introductory and ongoing education to youth in order to promote careers in aviation and aerospace.
To foster the camaraderie among the Chapter members through activities and events.

Who We Are:

Chapter 838 is a local organ of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), an International organization established to promote the passion for general aviation. Our operation and activities are member driven and our chapter is active in promoting aviation interests and education to the community at large. Based at Batten Airport (RAC) in Racine, Wisconsin, we currently we have almost 500 members, and we gather once each month as a group for fun, food and aviation presentations. We have an active Shop Night, sponsor Young Eagles Rallies, host periodic ground school classes, as well as maintain our Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame. That is only a portion of our activities and events which we sponsor on a regular basis.

EAA Chapter 838 is also the major sponsor for the Root River Rollers as well as Troop 161, Pack 161, Aviation Explorer Troop 218, a Scout-affiliated organization for teen-aged youth who are passionate about aviation and aerospace and are considering a career path in these fields.

Our History

A group of aviation enthusiasts, led by Quin and Barbie Rench, organized Chapter 838 in September, 1984. Quin Rench subsequently acted as the chapter’s first president. Initially, Chapter 838 met in various locations around the Racine Area including member’s homes, hangars, and basements. The premier issue of the chapter newsletter Contact went to print in July of 1985.

In December, 1987 the Chapter embarked on an ambitious building project: a permanent home. On March 9, 1992, the Chapter held a ground-breaking ceremony and began construction of one of the finest chapter facilities throughout the entire Experimental Aircraft Association. Also that month, we signed the charter for the Southeast Wisconsin Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame. In 1999, we expanded the chapter building as part of our museum growth. In 2002, we established our presence on the world wide web and we have not looked back ever since.