Experimental Aircraft group on solid ground
SUN PHOTO BY AL HEMINGWAY
The renovated headquarters for the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 565 of Punta Gorda. The building once was used for sighting in the machine guns for fighter planes that flew in World War II.
PHOTO PROVIDED
The concrete structure circa 1942. The walls were filled with sand and the inside walls were lined with lumber to prevent penetration and ricocheting of the bullets from the machine guns.
PHOTO PROVIDED
A photo of Dale Turner, taken about 1981, working on his Acey Deucy, which took him two years to complete.
SUN PHOTO BY AL HEMINGWAY
EAA Chapter 565 president David Jones stands in front of his Vans RV-10, which he built with help from his friend Vic Babyak.
PUNTA GORDA — While driving around Port Charlotte one day more than 30 years ago, Dale Turner happened to catch a glimpse of something unusual in a garage — the unmistakable shape of the wing of a Mustang 2 airplane.
That’s when he met fellow aviation aficionado Chandler Sarles, who was building his own aircraft. From that day forward, the two developed a strong friendship not only as fellow pilots, but also as members of the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 565 of Punta Gorda.
