The Palm Springs Chapter of the Air & Space Forces Association proudly serves the greater Palm Springs area. The Chapter’s active program supports Air Force members of all ranks and grades, addresses Air Force issues in advancing aerospace technology and professional and personnel issues, and reaches out to the Coachella Valley community. Thank You!
Congratulations to our friends at EAA Chapter 1116, Jacqueline Cochran Airport, Thermal, California, on an extraordinary milestone. In January, the Chapter flew its 5,000th Young Eagle!
For years, EAA Chapter 1116 has been giving young people in the Coachella Valley something that can make a lifelong impression: the opportunity to get into an airplane and experience flight firsthand.
With 5,000 Young Eagles flown, this is by far the most established, successful and accomplished program in the Coachella Valley for introducing young people to aviation. Behind that number are thousands of individual experiences that may have sparked an interest in flying, aerospace or a future career.
Our AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134 is proud to now be involved with EAA Chapter 1116. As we expand our education efforts throughout the Coachella Valley, working together opens even more doors for students to explore STEM, Cyber Education, the Air Force and Space Force, and the many paths available to them.
Five thousand Young Eagles is a remarkable accomplishment. Congratulations to the pilots, volunteers and everyone at EAA Chapter 1116 who made it possible.
We are proud to be working with EAA Chapter 1116 as they head toward 10,000 Young Eagles.
There is a lot happening at AFA Palm Springs, and the best way to be part of it is to join us today, Wednesday, September 9, for our Air Commandos Lunch.
We will be gathering at 11:30 a.m. in our “Ready Room” at ROC’s Firehouse Grille in Palm Desert for good food, aviation conversation and a chance to continue the discussions that came out of our very successful Chapter meeting last week.
We are expanding our communications, moving forward with Cyber Education, continuing our Teacher of the Year program, developing our relationship with EAA Thermal Chapter and Young Eagles, reaching out to Civil Air Patrol Palm Springs and local veterans organizations, and working on new programs and ideas for our 519 Chapter members.
But all of this becomes more meaningful when more of our members participate.
Our Air Commandos lunches are an opportunity to sit down together, exchange ideas and help shape what comes next. You don’t need to be an officer or volunteer for a program. Come have lunch, meet some of your fellow members, listen to what is being discussed and tell us what you think.
If you have not been to one of our lunches in a while, come back. If you have never attended one, this is a great time to start.
The lunch is informal, everyone is welcome, and you only pay for your own lunch and beverage.
Can’t make it to ROC’s? Join us online. We want our members to participate wherever they happen to be.
Air Commandos Lunch Wednesday, September 9 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
ROC’s Firehouse Grille 36891 Cook Street Palm Desert
Tomorrow is another Air Commandos Lunch at our “Ready Room” at ROC’s Firehouse Grille in Palm Desert.
We get together at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 9, and as always, everyone is welcome. There is no charge to attend. You only pay for your own lunch and beverage.
Our Air Commandos lunches are intentionally informal. They are an opportunity to get together, enjoy lunch, talk aviation, Air Force and Space Force, and whatever else happens to come up around the table.
But there is certainly plenty to talk about this time.
Following our very successful Chapter meeting last week, we will continue the conversation about all of the new things happening at AFA Palm Springs. We have new leadership, a much larger membership than many of us realized, improved communications, year-round operations, expanding Cyber Education, our Teacher of the Year program, and plans for stronger relationships with local schools and colleges.
We are also looking forward to more aviation activities through our relationship with EAA Thermal Chapter and its Young Eagles program, along with building relationships with Civil Air Patrol Palm Springs and local veterans organizations.
And there is much more in the planning stages as we modernize the Chapter and look for new ways to Educate. Advocate. Support.
Most importantly, we want to hear your ideas. The future of AFA Palm Springs is not something that should be decided by just a few people. These lunches give us a chance to sit around the table, talk about what we can do, and find ways for more of our members to participate.
So come have lunch with us, bring your ideas, and be part of what is happening at AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134.
Wednesday, September 9 at 11:30 a.m. ROC’s Firehouse Grille 36891 Cook Street, Palm Desert
The September 2 meeting was much more than a regular business meeting. It was a very successful first meeting under our new leadership, with some new faces around the table and members also joining us remotely. It was our first opportunity to bring everyone together to talk about the changes already underway and where AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134 goes from here. Our new President, Ian L. Sitren; and our new Secretary/Treasurer, Frank Iain Parsons.
The discussion began with AFA’s mission and its three central areas: Educate. Advocate. Support. That mission provides the foundation for what we want to accomplish as we move forward.
One of the biggest surprises has been the actual size of our Chapter. We now know that AFA Palm Springs has 519 members, including 333 free Mission Members. A major priority will be doing a much better job of communicating with that membership and giving people more opportunities to participate.
Communications are already being expanded. Our website has been revitalized and is being updated regularly, and we are increasing our presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. We are also moving to year-round Chapter operations rather than going dark during the summer.
Cyber Education will continue to be an important part of what we do. The Chapter conducted a very successful Cyber Camp this summer, and we are now working to continue and expand our Cyber Education programs and opportunities for young people.
We are also continuing our successful Teacher of the Year program. AFA Palm Springs has had three consecutive honorees go on to be named AFA California State Teacher of the Year, an extraordinary record that we want to continue.
Aviation will become a larger part of our activities as well. We are developing our relationship with EAA Thermal Chapter and its Young Eagles program, which introduces young people to aviation and gives them an opportunity to experience flight firsthand. We also plan to build a stronger relationship with Civil Air Patrol Palm Springs and explore other ways our organizations can work together.
Behind the scenes, we are modernizing how the Chapter operates. Records are being digitized, administrative systems are being updated, and information will become much more accessible to our members. We are also beginning the process of updating our Chapter By-Laws to better reflect how an active organization should operate today.
As new programs and activities develop, we will be looking for members to serve as Program Leads. This gives people an opportunity to take responsibility for something that interests them without creating unnecessary additional officer positions.
And our regular gatherings will continue. We meet for lunch every two weeks in what has become our “Ready Room” at ROC’s Firehouse Grille in Palm Desert. Once each month that gathering includes our formal Chapter meeting. The other lunches are casual, and everyone is welcome.
There is a lot happening at AFA Palm Springs right now, and the success of our September 2 meeting was a very encouraging start. Seeing new people around the table, longtime members returning, and others participating remotely showed us what is possible as we reach out to more of our 519 members.
With new leadership, better communications, expanding programs and new relationships throughout the Coachella Valley, we have an opportunity to build a much more active Chapter.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 2, at 11:30 a.m., we will gather for a very important AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134 meeting and lunch at ROC’s Firehouse Grille in Palm Desert.
We have a lot to talk about.
We will announce our new Chapter officers and discuss the direction of a Chapter that now has a much larger membership. We will look at planning and modernization, improved communications, the future of our Cyber Education programs, and new ways for members to participate.
We are also expanding our aviation activities through our relationship with EAA Thermal Chapter, including opportunities to become involved with the Young Eagles program and introducing young people to aviation and flight.
A larger membership gives us more opportunities, but it is participation that will make those opportunities happen. We need our members there and taking part.
Come to the meeting. Bring your ideas. Ask questions. Get involved. Help us build what comes next for AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134.
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 11:30 a.m. ROC’s Firehouse Grille 36891 Cook St. Palm Desert, CA 92211
There is no charge to attend. You only pay for your own lunch and beverage.
If you cannot attend in person, join us by Google Meet:
Today we want to congratulate EAA and the thousands of volunteer pilots, chapter members, and supporters who have reached an extraordinary milestone: 2.5 million Young Eagles flights. Since 1992, the Young Eagles program has introduced millions of young people to the wonder of flight, often sparking a lifelong interest in aviation and aerospace.
Here in the Coachella Valley, we’re especially proud of our friends at EAA Chapter 1116, who conduct Young Eagles rallies almost every month, giving local young people the opportunity to experience their very first flight in a general aviation aircraft. Their dedication has made a lasting difference in our community.
As Frank Brabec, President of EAA Chapter 1116, recently wrote in the chapter newsletter, aviation needs more than pilots. It needs mechanics, technicians, engineers, cybersecurity professionals, and many other talented people who will design, build, maintain, and protect the aircraft and systems of tomorrow. That vision closely aligns with the work our Chapter is already doing through Cyber Education and the Air & Space Forces Association’s CyberPatriot program.
We are excited about the growing relationship between AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134 and EAA Chapter 1116. Together, we have an opportunity to inspire young people, introduce them to aviation, and help them discover the many career paths available throughout aerospace and the Air and Space Forces.
Congratulations again to EAA, EAA Chapter 1116, and every volunteer who has helped make Mission 2.5 such a remarkable success. We look forward to working together to inspire the next generation.
What does a remarkable airplane at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh have to do with the future of AFA Palm Springs? More than you might think.
As another record-breaking EAA AirVenture Oshkosh comes to a close, more than 734,000 people attended the world’s largest annual aviation gathering. More than 10,000 aircraft, 1,600 forums and workshops, 1,021 exhibitors, 6,000 volunteers, and an estimated $257 million economic impact made AirVenture 2026 another extraordinary success. From vintage aircraft and warbirds to military aviation, homebuilt airplanes, aerospace innovation, education, and the future of flight, Oshkosh remains unlike any other aviation event in the world.
Among the aircraft attracting attention this year was the remarkable Gee Bee QED, a modern recreation of the famous 1934 cross-country racer. It is an extraordinary aircraft, powered by a 1,425 horsepower radial engine and built as a faithful recreation of one of aviation’s most recognizable racing airplanes.
As impressive as the airplane is, the most compelling story surrounding it isn’t found in its performance specifications. It’s found in the people working around it.
In an interview at Oshkosh, Kelly Mahon, Director of Operations for the Mid America Flight Museum, explained that while preserving aviation history and honoring veterans remain central to the museum’s mission, another equally important mission is mentoring young people. High school students were invited into the restoration shop to learn, contribute, and become part of the project. One of those students later attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and completed engineering work that directly contributed to the aircraft.
One story stood out in particular. A mother initially became involved simply by bringing baked goods to the restoration team while her daughters participated. Her interest grew into a passion for aviation, and she eventually earned her Airframe and Powerplant mechanic certificate and became a member of the restoration team herself.
Mahon also challenged one of aviation’s most common assumptions. While much of the conversation focuses on a shortage of pilots, he argues that aviation has an equally urgent need for aircraft mechanics, technicians, engineers, and other skilled professionals who will build, maintain, and advance the aircraft of tomorrow.
His message was both simple and compelling:
“We’ve got to get them to the airport, and we’ve got to get them excited.”
Those ideas reinforce an important opportunity for AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134.
The Air & Space Forces Association has always been committed to supporting Airmen, Guardians, veterans, and aerospace education. As our Chapter continues to expand its Cyber Education initiatives, we also recognize that aviation itself remains an essential part of inspiring the next generation. Through growing relationships with organizations such as EAA Chapter 1116, Young Eagles, Civil Air Patrol, College of the Desert, local schools, and other STEM partners, we have an opportunity to introduce young people to aviation, aerospace, engineering, aircraft maintenance, cybersecurity, military service, and many of the careers that support our nation’s Air and Space Forces.
The future of aerospace depends on far more than pilots. It depends on the people who design, build, maintain, protect, and innovate the technologies that make flight possible.
Aviation has always inspired people to look beyond the horizon. The challenge today is making sure the next generation has the opportunity to discover that same inspiration. Whether that journey leads to the cockpit, the maintenance hangar, an engineering laboratory, a cyber operations center, or military service, it begins by giving young people the chance to experience aviation firsthand.
That is why aviation outreach remains an important part of the mission of AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134.
We encourage you to watch Kelly Mahon’s interview. The Gee Bee QED is a remarkable airplane, but the ideas behind the project may be even more inspiring.
Introducing young people to the experience of flight. AFA Palm Springs is developing a growing relationship with EAA Chapter 1116 at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Thermal, California, supporting common interests in aviation, education, and opportunities for young people.
With all of our recent discussion about Cyber Camp and our Cyber Education programs, at the last Air Commandos lunch, our member Lee Cohen asked a very insightful question: What are we doing in the area of flying, specifically introducing young people to flying?
That question actually takes us back approximately three years.
At one of our Air Commandos lunches, I brought up the idea that AFA Palm Springs should become involved with our local EAA Chapter 1116 at Thermal Airport. I already knew they were successfully operating the EAA Young Eagles program locally and flying approximately 20 to 40 or more young people each month.
For our members who may not be familiar with EAA, it is the Experimental Aircraft Association, founded in 1953, an international aviation organization with a strong grassroots network of local chapters. Its members include pilots, aircraft builders and restorers, aviation enthusiasts, and people who simply share an interest in airplanes and flying.
One of EAA’s most significant youth programs is Young Eagles.
Launched in 1992, Young Eagles was created specifically to introduce young people ages 8 through 17 to aviation by giving them a free introductory flight in an airplane. Those flights are provided through the generosity of EAA member volunteers. EAA describes the mission of the program very simply: introducing and inspiring young people in the world of aviation.
And the numbers demonstrate just how extraordinary that effort has become.
As of today, July 21, 2026, EAA Young Eagles has flown 2,500,246 young people. That number continues to grow as Young Eagles flights take place across the country.
The experience also does not necessarily end when the airplane lands. EAA provides Young Eagles with opportunities to continue exploring aviation, including free EAA student membership and access to additional learn-to-fly resources.
Now bring that forward to today.
What we first discussed approximately three years ago has developed into a growing relationship between AFA Palm Springs and EAA Chapter 1116 at Jacqueline Cochran Airport in Thermal. We are now actively working on a framework through which our two organizations can support our common interests and missions.
And there is already a very tangible connection between our organizations. Frank Brabec, President of EAA Chapter 1116, is now Vice President of AFA Palm Springs.
This is no longer simply an idea about two aviation organizations finding something they might do together. There is already a relationship, and now we are working on determining what that relationship can become.
Cyber Education introduces young people to one increasingly important part of the future of the Air and Space Forces. Young Eagles can introduce them to something much more fundamental: getting into an airplane and actually experiencing flight.
Those two things fit very naturally within what AFA Palm Springs should be doing with young people.
So Lee’s insightful question, “With everything we are doing in Cyber, what are we doing about flying?” already has the beginnings of an answer.
Something has been developing, and now AFA Palm Springs and EAA Chapter 1116 are working together to determine where we can take it next.
