Chicago Executive Pilots Association

CEPA IMC Club - January 2021
2021-01-27 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | IL
PWK IMC Club presents Invisible Assassins – Rick Durden on Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

As we embark on some winter flying, we are probably going to be using the heaters in our aircraft more often. This poses a risk to us as pilots. A common way for Carbon Monoxide to enter the cockpit is through the airplanes cabin heating system. Being odorless and colorless, Carbon Monoxide is almost impossible to detect without the use of specialized detectors, and no, not the little card often seen in rental and training aircraft. In fact, we will be talking about why relying on one of those is just as dangerous as not having a quality detector at all.
On January 27th, Rick Durden will discuss with us the dangers of Carbon Monoxide poisoning and what we as pilots can do to prevent it and its serious consequences.
Rick Durden was once described as aviation’s Renaissance Man. He is Airline Transport Pilot rated with experience in some 200 types of airplanes, a practicing aviation attorney who has been involved in hundreds of aircraft accident cases, writer, aviation magazine editor, FAASTeam safety counselor, flight instructor, volunteer pilot in remote areas of the U.S. and Central America, and has been the executive director of a nonprofit conservation organization making use of aircraft and volunteer pilots throughout much of North America.

IMC Club: The IMC Club’s purpose is to promote instrument flying, proficiency, and safety. The intent is to create a community of pilots willing to share their perspective, provide recognition, foster communications, promote safety, and build proficiency in instrument flying. An IFR rating is not needed to participate in this excellent forum where we think through the various options from the comfort of your chair, firmly on the ground… before it is you sitting in the cockpit.
We meet monthly when pilots (and would-be pilots) network and share knowledge and experiences to keep our heads in the game.
For FAASafety WINGS credits, complete the online meeting attendance form; the meeting code will be provided at the end of each of the meetings.
To attend meeting, go to https://join.freeconferencecall.com/pwkpilots
Online meeting ID: pwkpilots
Dial-in number (US): (720) 740-9630
Access code: [REDACTED]*
Sponsored by Chicago Executive Pilots Association (CEPA).
If you aren’t a member of CEPA and enjoy programs like this please consider joining CEPA; visit us at www.PWKpilots.org/membership/ Your dues help pay for these safety seminars.

CEPA IMC Club - February 2021
2021-02-24 18:30 - 19:30 | IL
PWK IMC Club presents: It’s Snowing! – Dr. Warren Bruhl leads a discussion on inadvertent flight into IMC
You are going to make a short hop to get your IFR-equipped C152 back to your home drome and it’s snowing! But, it is VFR. Flying VFR in the snow is okay as long as it isn’t wet, right? It’s only 35 miles and the weather is 10sm and OVC080. That’s pretty good, right? What the heck, let’s go!

Warren Bruhl, DC, DICCP, CFI, CFII, is a chiropractic physician, author, philanthropist, and aviation educator. He has lectured around the world and appeared on television and radio teaching people the secrets to optimal health and fitness using natural health care practices. He is the director for Dreamweaver International, an international 501c3 charity, that provides education, healthcare, and compassion care. He has traveled to Africa 14 times in the last seven years and is responsible for launching Little League Baseball in Kenya, East Africa. He also has a desire to help young pilots develop in Kenya through his youth empowerment program.
Dr. Bruhl has an extensive interest in improving the lives of people he works with and now combines his passions as a healer and aviator to help pilots improve their skills and health. His extensive background as a chiropractic physician provides a unique point of view to help pilots enhance their focus, fitness, and skills. Dr. Bruhl’s “Fit for Flight” concepts are one of the key areas of aviation that are not discussed enough and may be a missing piece for some pilots to improve their skills, aid their health, and provide more enjoyment from flying.

IMC Club: The IMC Club’s purpose is to promote instrument flying, proficiency, and safety. The intent is to create a community of pilots willing to share their perspectives, provide recognition, foster communications, promote safety, and build proficiency in instrument flying. An IFR rating is not needed to participate in this excellent forum where we think through the various options from the comfort of your chair, firmly on the ground… before it is you sitting in the cockpit.
We meet monthly when pilots (and would-be pilots) network and share knowledge and experiences to keep our heads in the game.
For FAASafety WINGS credits, complete the online meeting attendance form; the meeting code will be provided at the end of each of the meetings.

To attend meeting, go to https://join.freeconferencecall.com/pwkpilots
Online meeting ID: pwkpilots
Dial-in number (US): (720) 740-9630
Access code: [REDACTED]*
Sponsored by Chicago Executive Pilots Association (CEPA).
If you aren’t a member of CEPA and enjoy programs like this please consider joining CEPA; visit us at www.PWKpilots.org/membership/ Your dues help pay for these safety seminars.

CEPA IMC Club - March 2021
2021-03-24 18:30 - 19:30 | IL
PWK IMC Club presents What Are Your Intentions? by Dave Klopfleisch
In the clouds, ready to shoot the approach, all your nav equipment fails!

You are taking your reliable workhorse, a Mooney M20, on a night cross country and you will be stopping for fuel in order to complete the trip. On the second leg, you experience an equipment failure in IMC. Unable to shoot an RNAV or ILS you are left stranded in the clouds with ATC your only lifeline, you need to make a decision… what is it going to be?
Dave Klopfleisch started flying in 1966 at Roselle Airport, now called Schaumburg Airport in Schaumburg, IL. He served in the Navy 1968-1974 with his last duty station at Miramar, CA. In the Navy, Dave flew the TA-4 single-engine attack jet. Afterward, Dave worked for various corporate flight departments and served as the Safety Officer at the NAS Glenview Flying Club from 1993-1996. Flight Qualifications include CFI and MEI, ATP, Part 121 Flight Dispatcher, current Safety Officer at Chicago Executive Flight School.
Dave also teaches an Upset recovery course in his aerobatic Beechcraft Sundowner, helping pilots increase their skills and attain a better understanding of why stalls, spins, and spirals occur and how to safely recover from them.

IMC Club: The IMC Club’s purpose is to promote instrument flying, proficiency, and safety. The intent is to create a community of pilots willing to share their perspective, provide recognition, foster communications, promote safety, and build proficiency in instrument flying. An IFR rating is not needed to participate in this excellent forum where we think through the various options from the comfort of your chair, firmly on the ground… before it is you sitting in the cockpit.
We meet monthly when pilots (and would-be pilots) network and share knowledge and experiences to keep our heads in the game.
For FAASafety WINGS credits, complete the online meeting attendance form; the meeting code will be provided at the end of each of the meetings.
To attend meeting, go to https://join.freeconferencecall.com/pwkpilots
Online meeting ID: pwkpilots
Dial-in number (US): (720) 740-9630
Access code: [REDACTED]*
Sponsored by Chicago Executive Pilots Association (CEPA).
If you aren’t a member of CEPA and enjoy programs like this please consider joining CEPA; visit us at www.PWKpilots.org/membership/ Your dues help pay for these safety seminars.

CEPA IMC Club - April 2021
2021-04-28 18:30 - 19:30 | IL
PWK IMC Club presents Ryan Jaros from Chicago TRACON ATC
IFR-related scenarios in and around the Chicago Class B

The April IMC Club‘s meeting brings Chicago Approach controller, Ryan Jaros, back to the frequency. Ryan will moderate a discussion about IFR-related scenarios in and around the Chicago Class B as well as field questions from our members about IFR flight from a controller’s perspective, but he is one of the special ones who is also a pilot. If there was something that you had wanted to do but didn’t know how to request it, when the best time, or maybe you just want to learn more about Air Traffic Control and how they make their decisions.
Speaker bio: Ryan Jaros is an Air Traffic Controller at the C90 TRACON (or Chicago Approach, as we know it) in Elgin, Illinois. He began his career working as a controller in Miami, Florida, in 2007. Ryan is also a private pilot.

IMC Club: The IMC Club’s purpose is to promote instrument flying, proficiency, and safety. The intent is to create a community of pilots willing to share their perspective, provide recognition, foster communications, promote safety, and build proficiency in instrument flying. An IFR rating is not needed to participate in this excellent forum where we think through the various options from the comfort of your chair, firmly on the ground… before it is you sitting in the cockpit.
We meet monthly when pilots (and would-be pilots) network and share knowledge and experiences to keep our heads in the game.
For FAASafety WINGS credits, complete the online meeting attendance form; the meeting code will be provided at the end of each of the meetings.
To attend meeting, go to https://join.freeconferencecall.com/pwkpilots
Online meeting ID: pwkpilots
Dial-in number (US): (720) 740-9630
Access code: [REDACTED]*
Sponsored by Chicago Executive Pilots Association (CEPA).
If you aren’t a member of CEPA and enjoy programs like this please consider joining CEPA; visit us at www.PWKpilots.org/membership/ Your dues help pay for these safety seminars.

CEPA IMC Club - May 2021
2021-05-26 18:30 - 19:30 | IL
PWK IMC Club presents Ken Peters – IMC Blues
Topic: In the clouds, ready to shoot the approach, some of your instruments start to fail! What would you do?

Your instrument currency is about to expire. The solution? Rent a nice, IFR equipped Cessna 172 and go shoot some approaches. It’s a day with some real IMC, but not quite to minimums. What could possibly go wrong? In this month’s IMC Club meeting, we will be discussing instrument failures, what we can do when they happen (no, you can’t just remove the post it notes that your CFII put over them back in training), and how we can recognize the symptoms before a problem becomes an emergency and really ruins our day.
Speaker bio: Ken is an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic with an IA, he also holds a Private Pilot certificate with an Instrument rating and is working on his Commercial certificate. Ken is local to KPWK and is the Chief of Maintenance at AAR. As a professional in the corporate aviation industry he has obtained extensive experience in heavy and line maintenance operations, project management, aircraft management, Part 145 repair station management, team leadership, and Part 135 aircraft operations. He also serves the local GA community if you’re lucky enough to get on his schedule.

IMC Club: The IMC Club’s purpose is to promote instrument flying, proficiency, and safety. The intent is to create a community of pilots willing to share their perspective, provide recognition, foster communications, promote safety, and build proficiency in instrument flying. An IFR rating is not needed to participate in this excellent forum where we think through the various options from the comfort of your chair, firmly on the ground… before it is you sitting in the cockpit.
We meet monthly when pilots (and would-be pilots) network and share knowledge and experiences to keep our heads in the game.
For FAASafety WINGS credits, complete the online meeting attendance form; the meeting code will be provided at the end of each of the meetings.
To attend the online meeting, go to https://join.freeconferencecall.com/pwkpilots
Online meeting ID: pwkpilots
Dial-in number (US): (720) 740-9630
Access code: [REDACTED]*
Sponsored by Chicago Executive Pilots Association (CEPA).
If you aren’t a member of CEPA and enjoy programs like this please consider joining CEPA; visit us at www.PWKpilots.org/membership/ Your dues help pay for these safety seminars.

CEPA Combined IMC Club and Safety Meeting - June 2021
2021-06-23 18:30 - 20:30 | IL
PWK IMC Club and CEPA Safety Meeting – NTSB Case Study – Ed Malinowski
Topic: ‘My engine was well maintained but it had a power loss accident?’ – The evolution of a Critical Service Bulletin

This June we are changing up the format of our usual IMC Club and Safety meeting. Instead, we are encouraging all pilots to attend right from the start as we are extremely fortunate to have Ed Malinowski, a former NTSB accident investigator, present the findings of an accident in which a well-maintained Cirrus suffered a loss of power, resulting in the deployment of the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) and saved the life of the pilot. Ed will walk us through how the NTSB conducts its investigations, some ideas for us on operating the airplanes we own or rent. He will also be discussing Service Difficulty Reports (SDRs) and how the findings of this unfortunate accident led to a Critical Service Bulletin (CSB). In addition, Ed will walk us through an FAA presentation on how to access the SDR database via the FAA’s website.
The flight in which the accident occurred was under IFR; however, we believe the information in this presentation will be relevant to all pilots, renters and owners alike.

Speaker bio: Since 1999, Ed has investigated the facts, circumstances, and conditions associated with aviation accidents and has produced factual reports regarding them. He has 31+ years of US Air Force reserve service (Lt. Col. with Logistics Commander, Squadron Commander, Aircraft Maintenance, and Readiness specialties) which includes Key Positions as an aircraft maintenance analyst for senior AF leadership in the Crisis Action Team in the Pentagon, Deputy Commander of an Enroute Group, Deputy Commander of the largest combat deployed maintenance Wing, and Officer In Charge of the AF Division during the 56th Inaugural Parade. His experience as an airline transport pilot with air taxi/carrier operations along with experience as the airport manager of an airport certified under FAR 139 (Meigs Field) has also rounded out his background.

IMC Club: The IMC Club’s purpose is to promote instrument flying, proficiency, and safety. The intent is to create a community of pilots willing to share their perspective, provide recognition, foster communications, promote safety, and build proficiency in instrument flying. An IFR rating is not needed to participate in this excellent forum where we think through the various options from the comfort of your chair, firmly on the ground… before it is you sitting in the cockpit.
We meet monthly when pilots (and would-be pilots) network and share knowledge and experiences to keep our heads in the game.
For FAASafety WINGS credits, complete the online meeting attendance form; the meeting code will be provided at the end of each of the meetings.
To attend the online meeting, go to https://join.freeconferencecall.com/pwkpilots
Online meeting ID: pwkpilots
Dial-in number (US): (720) 740-9630
Access code: [REDACTED]*
Sponsored by Chicago Executive Pilots Association (CEPA).
If you aren’t a member of CEPA and enjoy programs like this please consider joining CEPA; visit us at www.PWKpilots.org/membership/ Your dues help pay for these safety seminars.

CEPA IMC Club - July 2021
2021-07-14 18:30 - 19:30 | IL
PWK IMC Club presents Dr Warren Bruhl – Below the grade or not?
Topic: On an approach and ATC issues a Low Altitude alert! What would you do?
After waiting for your plane, a 2008 Cirrus SR-22tn, to have some new equipment installed, multiple delays and deteriorating weather conditions, you fly back to your home airport KPWK. On the approach, your instruments tell you that you are 100ft above the DA but ATC issues you a Low Altitude Alert. What would you do?

Speaker bio: Dr. Warren Bruhl, DC, DICCP, CFI, CFII, MEI is a chiropractic physician, author, philanthropist, and aviation educator. He is the director for Dreamweaver International, an international 501(c)(3) charity that provides education, healthcare, and compassion services. He is the co-founder of The Fit Pilot, a company dedicated to improving the health and safety of pilots. Dr. Bruhl flies and owns two aircraft, a Cirrus SR22 Turbo, and an Extra 330LX. He is currently working on completing his ATP course work and hopes to have his ATP certificate later in 2021.

IMC Club: The IMC Club’s purpose is to promote instrument flying, proficiency, and safety. The intent is to create a community of pilots willing to share their perspective, provide recognition, foster communications, promote safety, and build proficiency in instrument flying. An IFR rating is not needed to participate in this excellent forum where we think through the various options from the comfort of your chair, firmly on the ground… before it is you sitting in the cockpit.
We meet monthly when pilots (and would-be pilots) network and share knowledge and experiences to keep our heads in the game.
For FAASafety WINGS credits, complete the online meeting attendance form; the meeting code will be provided at the end of each of the meetings.
To attend the online meeting, go to https://join.freeconferencecall.com/pwkpilots
Online meeting ID: pwkpilots
Dial-in number (US): (720) 740-9630
Access code: [REDACTED]*
Sponsored by Chicago Executive Pilots Association (CEPA).
If you aren’t a member of CEPA and enjoy programs like this please consider joining CEPA; visit us at www.PWKpilots.org/membership/ Your dues help pay for these safety seminars.

CEPA Combined IMC Club and Safety Meeting - August 2021
2021-08-25 18:30 - 20:30 | IL
PWK IMC Club and CEPA Safety Meeting – Unable – Michael Baraz
Topic: You descend out of the clouds and cancel IFR, ATC gives you unsafe instructions! What would you do?

You have just canceled IFR to get better routing for your compassion flight, when ATC gives you an instruction that puts you out over Lake Michigan at 2000′ MSL. To make matters worse, you comply in your single engine piston airplane.
In this month’s IMC Club meeting, we will be discussing PIC decision making and situational awareness.

Speaker bio: Michael Baraz is an accomplished pilot holding an Airline Transport Pilot rating, Advanced Ground Instructor rating and he is soon to be a CFI, Michael also founded a STEM Aviation program at Lindbloom Math and Science Academy. He flies Angel flights and Pilots ‘n’ Paws missions regularly in his own Mooney M20k. As most of you already know, Michael is also the President of the Chicago Executive Pilots Association.

SAFETY MEETING: PUBLIC BENEFIT FLYING – PLANNING A SAFE MISSION
Invited speaker from Lifeline Pilots

IMC Club: The IMC Club’s purpose is to promote instrument flying, proficiency, and safety. The intent is to create a community of pilots willing to share their perspective, provide recognition, foster communications, promote safety, and build proficiency in instrument flying. An IFR rating is not needed to participate in this excellent forum where we think through the various options from the comfort of your chair, firmly on the ground… before it is you sitting in the cockpit.
We meet monthly when pilots (and would-be pilots) network and share knowledge and experiences to keep our heads in the game.
For FAASafety WINGS credits, complete the online meeting attendance form; the meeting code will be provided at the end of each of the meetings.
To attend the online meeting, go to https://join.freeconferencecall.com/pwkpilots
Online meeting ID: pwkpilots
Dial-in number (US): (720) 740-9630
Access code: [REDACTED]*
Sponsored by Chicago Executive Pilots Association (CEPA).
If you aren’t a member of CEPA and enjoy programs like this please consider joining CEPA; visit us at www.PWKpilots.org/membership/ Your dues help pay for these safety seminars.

CEPA IMC Club - September 2021
2021-09-22 18:30 - 19:30 | IL
PWK IMC Club presents Ryan Jaros – Chicago Approach – Insider edition
Topic: You’ve heard the voices, join us to learn all the inner workings of Chicago Approach.
The September IMC Clubs meeting brings Chicago Approach controller, Ryan Jaros, back to the frequency once again. Ryan will moderate a discussion about IFR-related scenarios in and around the Chicago Class B as well as field questions from our members about IFR flight from a controller’s perspective, but he is one of the special ones who is also a pilot. If there was something that you had wanted to do but didn’t know how to request it, when the best time, or maybe you just want to learn more about Air Traffic Control and how they make their decisions. Join us to learn everything you wanted to know about Chicago’s Air Traffic Control system.

Speaker bio: Ryan Jaros is an Air Traffic Controller at the C90 TRACON (or Chicago Approach, as we know it) in Elgin, Illinois. He began his career working as a controller in Miami, Florida, in 2007. Ryan is also a private pilot.

IMC Club: The IMC Club’s purpose is to promote instrument flying, proficiency, and safety. The intent is to create a community of pilots willing to share their perspective, provide recognition, foster communications, promote safety, and build proficiency in instrument flying. An IFR rating is not needed to participate in this excellent forum where we think through the various options from the comfort of your chair, firmly on the ground… before it is you sitting in the cockpit.
We meet monthly when pilots (and would-be pilots) network and share knowledge and experiences to keep our heads in the game.
For FAASafety WINGS credits, complete the online meeting attendance form; the meeting code will be provided at the end of each of the meetings.
To attend the online meeting, go to https://join.freeconferencecall.com/pwkpilots
Online meeting ID: pwkpilots
Dial-in number (US): (720) 740-9630
Access code: [REDACTED]*
Sponsored by Chicago Executive Pilots Association (CEPA).
If you aren’t a member of CEPA and enjoy programs like this please consider joining CEPA; visit us at www.PWKpilots.org/membership/ Your dues help pay for these safety seminars.

CEPA IMC Club - October 2021
2021-10-27 18:30 - 19:30 | IL
Monthly IMC Club at PWK – Marc Epner – Severely Shaken by Richmond
Topic: Even the best plans can fall apart, Ice and then turbulence, what would you do?

It’s been a brutal flight. Every smart move to evade the ice, and then the turbulence, worked at first and then fell apart. You make the smart move to divert, only to find the weather relents on final approach. Now you’re on the ground wondering if one more “smart” move would bring victory or catastrophe.
Speaker bio: Marc Epner is a 2,200-hour instrument-rated pilot, who earned his initial pilot rating in 1976. After a 25 year hiatus, he rekindled his love of aviation in 2004, became a partner in an SR-22, helped to start Leading Edge Flying Club, and co-hosts the Simple Flight Radio show, a podcast now in its tenth season. Marc shares his passion and his advocacy for general aviation through his presentations, writing, and flying. Marc will present an IFR situation and lead an audience discussion of “What Would You Do?” different, better, safer, smarter. Join in and help us all learn.
A Safety Meeting presentation by Kyle Lewis (AOPA) will follow the IMC Club.

IMC Club: The IMC Club’s purpose is to promote instrument flying, proficiency, and safety. The intent is to create a community of pilots willing to share their perspective, provide recognition, foster communications, promote safety, and build proficiency in instrument flying. An IFR rating is not needed to participate in this excellent forum where we think through the various options from the comfort of your chair, firmly on the ground… before it is you sitting in the cockpit.
We meet monthly when pilots (and would-be pilots) network and share knowledge and experiences to keep our heads in the game.
For FAASafety WINGS credits, complete the online meeting attendance form; the meeting code will be provided at the end of each of the meetings.
To attend meeting, go to https://join.freeconferencecall.com/pwkpilots
Online meeting ID: pwkpilots
Dial-in number (US): (720) 740-9630
Access code: [REDACTED]*
Sponsored by Chicago Executive Pilots Association (CEPA).
If you aren’t a member of CEPA and enjoy programs like this please consider joining CEPA; visit us at www.PWKpilots.org/membership/ Your dues help pay for these safety seminars.

CEPA IMC Club - Flooded in the Air - January 2022
2022-01-26 18:30 - 19:30 | Chicago Executive Flight School, 1098 S Milwaukee Avenue, Wheeling, IL, 60090, United States
PWK IMC Club presents Dave Klopfleisch
January 26, 2022, at 18:30-19:30
Flooded in the Air will, in an IMC Club format, address what might happen next after a twin-engine Beech 18S (Twin Beech) equipped with nearly the original steam gauge cockpit and two VORs flies through areas of heavy precipitation. As the big twin approaches its destination – Baltimore International Airport – a significant amount of water begins leaking through the windshield and soaks all the instruments. Electronic gear begins failing. Single or twin, this could be you and we have to answer the IMC Club question always asked, what would you do?
And following the IMC Club, through the WINGS Program and the FAA, we will celebrate Dave’s lifetime achievement when he will be awarded The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. We would like to invite all attendees to participate and congratulate Dave on this incredible accomplishment.
Speaker bio: Dave Klopfleisch
Dave started flying in 1966 at Roselle Airport, now called Schaumburg Airport in Schaumburg, IL. He served in the Navy from 1968-1974, with his last duty station at Miramar, CA. In the Navy, Dave flew the TA-4, single-engine attack jet. Afterward, Dave worked for various corporate flight departments and served as the Safety Officer at the NAS Glenview Flying Club from 1993-1996.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI and MEI, ATP, Part 121 Flight Dispatcher, current Safety Officer at Chicago Executive Flight School

IMC Club: The IMC Club’s purpose is to promote instrument flying, proficiency, and safety. The intent is to create a community of pilots willing to share their perspective, provide recognition, foster communications, promote safety, and build proficiency in instrument flying. An IFR rating is not needed to participate in this excellent forum where we think through the various options from the comfort of your chair, firmly on the ground… before it is you sitting in the cockpit.
We meet monthly when pilots (and would-be pilots) network and share knowledge and experiences to keep our heads in the game.

Online Registration
In Person

Click here for more information on FAASafety WINGS.
To attend the online meeting, please register by clicking the blue button, above. To join the meeting, go to https://join.freeconferencecall.com/pwkpilots
Online meeting ID: pwkpilots
Dial-in number (US): (720) 740-9630
Access code: [REDACTED]*
Sponsored by Chicago Executive Pilots Association (CEPA).
If you aren’t a member of CEPA and enjoy programs like this, please consider joining CEPA; visit us at www.PWKpilots.org/membership/. These safety seminars save lives, and your dues help pay for these safety seminars.

CEPA IMC Club - Preflight Briefing
2022-03-23 19:00 - 20:30 | Chicago Executive Flight School, 1098 S Milwaukee Avenue, Wheeling, IL, 60090, United States
Our March IMC Club moderator is local CFI Tim Miller.
On March 23rd at 7 pm, he’ll lead us through what happens to a pilot on a perfectly normal VFR night flight from an airport in Wyoming to Rapid City, South Dakota, and return. Suddenly the non-instrument-rated pilot encounters an unforecast snowstorm.
Join us in the Chicago Executive Flight School’s training room at 1098 South Milwaukee and watch the plot thicken.
Speaker Bio: Before becoming an Advanced Ground Instructor and Certified Flight Instructor Tim Miller spent 30 years teaching calculus, differential equations, number theory, algebra, and geometry at Niles West High School, and Loyola Academy. In addition to a long career in teaching, Tim was an aeronautical engineer with Lockheed in Silicon Valley designing controls systems for military satellites.

Election of CEPA Officers & Directors, State of the Airport, and IMC Club with Tim Miller, CFI
2022-11-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Crowne Plaza Northbrook, 2875 N Milwaukee Ave, Northbrook, IL, 60062, United States
Floor nominations will be taken and ballots will be counted, then we will announce the CEPA officers and directors for 2023.

Then Jeff Miller, now in his second year as Executive Director of Chicago Executive Airport, will present the State of the Airport.

Finally, Tim Miller, CFI, will lead the IMC Club meeting at PWK. He will lead the discussion:
Stuck Fuel Selector – Why you should never switch tanks at low altitude unless it’s an emergency.
You’re preparing getting ready to land. The checklist says “fullest tank,”.so you switch tanks. Then the fuel selector handle breaks off in your hand!

IMC Club at PWK
2023-03-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
Details coming!

Aaron Barclay of Chicago Approach C90 Tells All
2023-04-26 19:00 - 20:30 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
If you’ve flown in Chicago airspace, you’ve probably talked to Aaron Barcley getting in or heading out. Most ATC Controllers are not pilots, but Aaron is. In fact, Aaron is a CFI/CFII. Aaron will share some tips on making the pilot-controller partnership work well.

Scholarship Awards, Hangar Party, IMC Club
2023-07-12 18:00 - 21:00 | Atlantic Aviation, 1011 S Wolf Rd, Wheeling, 60090

CEPA Annual Meeting, Chicago Executive Airport update, and Pilot Safety Meeting
2023-11-29 19:00 - 21:00 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
Please join us for a full evening of events.
1. We start off with elections for the Chicago Executive Pilots Association Board of Director at-large seats.

2. Jeff Miller, Executive Director of Chicago Executive Airport, will give us an update of happenings at the airport (hint: there is some very good news coming for IFR pilots!) and answer your questions.

3. Monthly Safety Program: Loss of Airspeed Indicator and Loss of Control – Continue the Approach, Go Missed, or Divert?
Loss of control on an approach is a terrifying thought—and you just recovered in a valley with limited visibility and no airport in sight. Is it better to climb to safety with a known issue or scud run a few hundred feet above the ground to find an airport and some terra firma? How is your partial panel proficiency?
What would you do?

Where Did Those Pesky Electrons Go? - CEPA Safety Seminar at PWK
2025-01-22 19:00 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
It was supposed to be a challenging but fun training flight… until it wasn’t!
That first approach worked out pretty well. Then you see your Aspen PFD tells you that you’re running on backup battery power! The nearest VFR is over an hour and a half away.
How well do you know (and trust) your equipment? What do you do and when?

Speaker Bio
Michael Baraz is ATP-rated and holds CFI and CFII certificates. He is an FAASafety Team Lead Representative helping people stay current and proficient by encouraging continuous training with WINGS achievements. Michael has owned two Mooneys, currently has a Rocket 305, and enjoys flying all kinds of planes. He is a member of various flying clubs and pilot associations around Chicago and is currently the treasurer of CEPA.

Flight Simulators Have A Role In Training
2025-02-26 19:00 - 20:30 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
There are a variety of of flight simulators around. Some are mostly for fun. On the other end of the spectrum, highly realistic Full Flight Simulator Level-D simulators provide an incredibly accurate experience of flying an airplane. Your laptop with a joystick maybe not so much. In between we’ll look at FTD, BATDs, AATDs, when an instructor is required and how much sim time is allowed.

PWK Bedtime Stories: Navigating Airspace, Approaches, and ATC - Aaron Barclay, CFI/CFII/ATC C90 - June CEPA Safety Meeting
2026-06-24 19:00 - 21:00 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
Master PWK airspace, practice approaches, and ATC comms through real local stories.
Whether you’re dodging the O’Hare “shelf” or trying to squeeze in one last practice approach before the sun goes down, flying out of Chicago Executive can feel like a high-stakes thriller. Join us as we crack open the “Big Book of PWK Bedtime Stories” to learn how to keep your flight from becoming a cautionary tale. We’ll dive into the nuances of our local airspace, the “to call or not to call” dilemma, and the secret language of asking for favors in a busy corridor. From the best way to file your flight plan to those legendary “did he really just say that?” moments, we’re covering it all. Come for the survival tips on who to call and when, and stay for the open forum where no question is too basic and no “there I was” story is too strange. Let’s ensure your next trip off Runway 16/34 ends with a smooth landing, not a phone number.
Speaker: Aaron Barclay, ATC Specialist, CFI/CFII
A Chicago native and 2007 Embry-Riddle graduate, Aaron has been a C90 Approach Controller in the radar room since 2008 and a CFI/I since 2012. When he isn’t managing the arrivals, he is actively instructing and flying with the Naperville Flying Club (LL10).
A true hands-on hobbyist, Aaron loves motorcycles, working on cars, and figuring out how things work. He is married to his 5th-grade sweetheart, and together they are raising four wild boys (like himself) between the ages of 9 and 15. Whether he’s on the scope, in the cockpit, or in the garage, he is always looking for the next challenge.
