Chicago Executive Pilots Association

Annual Business and Safety Meeting, CEA State of the Airport - November 2024
2024-11-13 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
Our November meeting is a three-fer.
First, we will hold the election for our officers and directors. Members have been sent ballots via email. If you are a member and
Second, we will get an update on what’s going on at Chicago Executive Airport (CEA) from the supervisor of airport operations, Norm Mackey.
Third, we will review the delights and perils of winter flying.
Safety Meeting – Winter Flying: Forecasts, Preflight, Go/No-Go
Speaker: Michael Baraz, CFI/CFII

If you’re thinking, “I got new gloves, I’m ready for winter,” there might be a just a few considerations that you might want to think through. No doubt, the cold air gives us better performance; however the visibility and icing potential are often a concern, maybe VFR into IMC? We will explore these and a whole lot more winter flying topics together.

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.

March Safety Meeting - Safety Risk Management (meet at Chicago Exec Airport Office)
2025-03-26 19:00 - 20:30 | Chicago Executive Airport, 1020 Plant Rd, Wheeling, IL, 60090, United States
Topic: Safety Risk Management
Program: Joe Long will present a program on risk management. With about 2000 hours over 30 years as a pilot, Joe will bring his unique perspective to this presentation. His past as a KC-135 Boom Operator and a Chicago PD Lieutenant should make it an especially interesting evening.
Speaker Bio: Joe Long (Commander, Palwaukee Composite Squadron, IL Wing CAP Standardization and Evaluation Officer). Joe has 2000 flight hours. He has CFI, CFII, and MEI instructor certificates. Joe has been flying for over 30 years. He spent time as a KC-135 Boom Operator in the Air Force and ANG. Joe retired last year as a Lieutenant with the Chicago Police Department and is currently the Commander of the Palwaukee Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol and the Illinois Wing Standardization and Evaluation Officer.
WINGS credits will be awarded at the end of the presentation for those who attended at lease 50 minutes of the program.
Location: Please note the change of venue: Chicago Executive Airport office. Our traditional spot, Harper College, is closed for Spring Break.

"Say Intentions" with Aaron Barclay, CFII, ATC Approach Controller - April Safety Meeting
2025-04-23 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.

May Safety Meeting - Collisions and Near-Misses are Happening, What's Your Plan?
2025-05-28 19:00 - 20:30 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
Collisions and near misses are the talk everywhere. While a disproportionate number of aviation mishaps are done but us – light GA aircraft – this problem crosses the whole of aviation. Even the record holder for safest of virtually anything measured, U.S. carriers are now showing up with way too many near-misses, and for the first time in decades, some actual mid-air collisions, as well as many too many on the ground near misses.
This can be managed. It starts with you. Let’s talk about how we become the subject of the safety story and not the NTSB report.
Speaker Bio:

Michael Baraz holds ATP, CFI, CFII, AGI, and IGI certificates. He is an active flight instructor and FAA Safety Lead Team Representative. He loves helping people achieve their flying goals and staying safe, current, and proficient by continuous training with WINGS credits. Michael has owned two Mooneys and currently owns a Rocket 305, he enjoys flying fast. He is a member of several flying clubs and pilot associations around Chicago and is the treasurer and past-president of CEPA.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Day - Jerrold Seckler - June Safety Meeting
2025-06-25 19:00 - 20:30 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
Two of the most hazardous threats to aircraft are thunderstorms and icing. Dr. Seckler discussed the risk and management of icing last January. Now, he will take on the beast of unfathomable energy, thunderstorms. One thunderstorm was measured at about 1.3 billion volts with a charging time of only 6 minutes. Jerry will explain how they form, forecasting where they’ll be, and how to avoid them in flight.
Speaker Bio:
Jerrold Seckler has been flying for over 58 years. During that time, he has amassed over 8,000 hours in various General Aviation aircraft and personally flown a GA aircraft on all seven continents. Jerry holds ATP, CFII, AGI, and IGI certificates. He has been named a Master Ground Instructor four consecutive times by the National Association of Flight Instructors.
In a previous life, Seckler was a Urologic Surgeon and an FAA Aviation Medical Examiner.
In 2017, Jerry received the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for 50 years of safe flying. Seckler has almost 4,000 hours on his Cirrus SR22.

2025 Pilot Appreciation & Scholarship Dinner
2025-07-30 18:00 - 21:00 | Chicago Executive Airport – Hangar 5, 1115 S Wolf Rd, Prospect Heights, IL, 60090, United States
Members free

Register guests

How many guests (non-members)?

Just one $10.00 USDTwo more $20.00 USDThree more $30.00 USDFour more $40.00 USD

Collision Avoidance Workshop - Jason Groh, CFII - August Safety Meeting
2025-08-27 19:00 - 20:30 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
The Collision Avoidance workshop is a fast-paced, one-hour safety session designed to help pilots navigate Chicago Executive’s busy Class D environment with confidence. It covers local collision risk areas—including jet and GA traffic mixing, and nearby airport conflicts—along with proven visual scanning techniques, smart use of ADS-B, and effective communication with Tower, Approach, and CTAF. Using local maps, real ATC audio, and an actual near-miss case study, pilots will learn practical strategies to see and avoid traffic, manage high-density operations, and prevent midair conflicts.
Speaker bio:
Jason Groh is a CFI/CFII with a passion for helping pilots train with confidence and safety in mind. He brings years of experience in guiding students from their first flights through complex instrument procedures.
In addition to instructing, Jason is the founder of The Pilot’s Discord, an online training and networking community that connects pilots nationwide for checkride preparation, career development, and mentorship. He also produces educational aviation content on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, and Discord, sharing tips, techniques, and industry insights with thousands of pilots and students.
Whether he’s flying in the pattern with a new student, coaching an instrument candidate through an approach, or hosting a safety workshop, Jason’s goal is always the same—build skilled, confident aviators who fly smart, stay safe, and enjoy the journey.

Daddy, I Really, Really Gotta Go! - September Safety Meeting
2025-09-24 19:00 - 20:30 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
Young and old alike, when you gotta go, you gotta go! And there are all kinds of urgent situations that pop up. And these can create these in unexpected, sudden, and urgent ways! No problem, there’s an airport nearby. The issue is the two other aircraft in position to land ahead of you—both of whom happen to be gliders. Flying into non-towered airports is one thing, but when you’ve got gliders and ultralights mixed into the traffic pattern, things get way more complicated!
Continuing with the theme of safety with mixed traffic, let’s discuss the thinking about diversions, traffic flows, priorities, and (always) risk management!
Speaker Bio:

Michael Baraz holds ATP, CFI, CFII, AGI, and IGI certificates. He is an active flight instructor and FAA Safety Lead Team Representative. He loves helping people achieve their flying goals and staying safe, current, and proficient by continuous training with WINGS credits. Michael flies a Mooney Rocket 305 because life is too short to fly slow. He is a member of several flying clubs and pilot associations around Chicago and is the treasurer and past-president of CEPA.

MOSAIC What's In It For Me? - October Safety Meeting
2025-10-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
Light Sport Pilot and Light Sport Airplanes will soon mean entirely different things from how you know them. “Light” used to mean significantly reduced privileges and capabilities, respectively. The Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (aka MOSAIC) regulation is going to fix most of that. And, by the time we meet, the first set of changes will kick in on October 22nd, for pilot certification. By next year’s AirVenture, on July 24, 2026, the aircraft rule changes will kick in. What’s in it for you?
Speaker Bio:

Michael Baraz holds ATP, CFI, CFII, AGI, and IGI certificates. He is an active flight instructor and FAA Safety Lead Team Representative. He loves helping people achieve their flying goals and staying safe, current, and proficient through continuous training with WINGS credits. Michael flies a Mooney Rocket 305 because life is too short to fly slow. He is a member of several flying clubs and pilot associations around Chicago and is the treasurer and past-president of CEPA.

CEPA Election, Annual Meeting & November Safety Meeting
2025-11-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
Evening topics:

CEPA Director’s Election
Annual Meeting
November Safety Meeting: Ice and Aspects of Winter Operations

Speaker:
Lou Wipotnik, Master CFI, CFII, MEI, has earned his Master CFI designation for the 10th time and was the 1996 National CFI of the Year. Holding the Master CFI designation continuously since 1998, Lou was granted Master Instructor Emeritus (MIE) status in 2016, following his induction into the Illinois Aviation Hall of Fame. This recognition was given in appreciation of his many years of commitment to excellence, professional growth, service to the aviation community, and quality aviation education. He has taught for several distinctive flying schools during his aviation career and has logged over 15,000 hours as PIC in over 60 years as a pilot. Lou also served in the Civil Air Patrol, flies Young Eagles, and is a recipient of the distinguished FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.

7 Times Lucky - How to Survive a Low-Altitude Engine Failure (Hopefully)
2026-01-28 19:00 - 20:30 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
Join CFI Daniel Feldman for an exploration of low-altitude engine failures and the lessons he has learned after seven of them.

Speaker Bio:
Daniel Feldman is a CFI Sport with more than 3,500 hours of dual given and over 5,000 total flight hours. He is the owner of Foxtrot Aero, which specializes in light sport instruction in both fixed-wing and gyroplanes with a focus on vintage and experimental aircraft.

Flight Following Or Go Rogue?
2026-02-25 19:00 - 20:30 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
You take off for your VFR one-hour cross-country. You’re about to head into a TRSA, so you call for flight following. It’s crazy hot and bumpy, so you tell them your destination, and you are climbing to 8,500 feet. Unfortunately, that’s not what ATC has in mind. They say maintain at or below 3000′. Whoa! What do you do?
Speaker Bio:

Michael Baraz holds ATP, CFI, CFII, AGI, and IGI certificates. He is an active flight instructor and FAA Safety Lead Team Representative. He loves helping people achieve their flying goals and staying safe, current, and proficient through continuous training with WINGS credits. Michael flies a Mooney Rocket 305 (because life is too short to fly slow). He is a member of several flying clubs and pilot associations in the Chicago area and is the treasurer and past president of CEPA.

Situational Awareness: How Good Pilots Lose It, and Get It Back - Penny Levin, PhD, CFI
2026-04-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Harper College, 1375 S Wolf Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070, United States
Join Penny Levin, PhD, CFI, for Situational Awareness in Single-Pilot Flying: How Good Pilots Lose It, and Get It Back. This practical program for general aviation pilots will explore how distraction, workload, routine, and cockpit screens can erode situational awareness in small airplanes, and what pilots can do to recognize the signs early, stay ahead of the airplane, and fly more safely.
Speaker Bio:

Dr. Penny Levin has combined her two professional passions-psychology and aviation. She presents on flight instruction, flight safety, and pilot mental health. She is a member of the Olympic Mental Health Registry. A longtime member of the Civil Air Patrol. Dr. Penny has flown as an instructor, a mission pilot, and a mission pilot instructor, and as the Pennsylvania Wing Assistant Director of Safety, responsible for creating an innovative aircrew safety seminar series. She is an instructor in the AOPA Flight Instructor Refresher Course
