Presidents Corner
Eugene R/C
Aeronauts
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---
PRESIDENT'S CORNER, December
2008
Khoi's
Corner:
In the coming year, I plan to resusitate Khoi's
Corner for the newsletter and at monthly meeting. The goal is to
share information about different aspects of our hobby and promote more
interaction at club meetings. At the January meeting, I will
bring my newly completed Yellow Aircraft Starfire ducted fan jet for
show and tell and discuss DF segment of the hobby. I will also
collect input from members for discussion at future Khoi's
Corner. For Feb, I've already invited Bill S. from South Lane
club to speak at Khoi's Corner about float flying; how to convert a
trainer into a seaplane and share information about Dexter lake weekend
flying.
At the January meeting, we will also put a
budget together for approval. Please attend the meeting to
provide input for club improvement for upcoming year. I promise
to keep the monthly discussion about budget/accounting short and sweet,
to allow more time to talk about the cool aspects of our hobby.
Khoi
Tran
ERCA President 2009
---
PRESIDENT'S CORNER, November
2008
This is the last time I'll be writing as your President. Looking
back at the last two years, I'm very satisfied with the club's
accomplishments. We have 105 members in good standing and our
savings account is slowly growing. The meetings are still not
attended as well as they should be, however, and that is one area I
would like to see improved. That is where YOU come in. I
don't think there is anything your club's leaders can do, within
reason, that will significantly improve meeting attendance.
Perhaps the low turn-out means that folks are so satisfied with the way
things are going that they don't feel the need to attend the meetings.
At the November meeting, we will hold our annual election. Please
try to be there.
Our newsletter editor is finding that we have a lot of people qualified
to write an occasional column, whether it be technical, editorial,
anecdotal, etc. However, only a couple people are making
contributions. Please consider writing an article for your club,
even if it's just one time.
I'm going to cut this one short, but I want to say "Thank you" to you,
the membership, for the last two years of support. I've enjoyed
my time as the President and perhaps I'll run again sometime in the
future. And, an even bigger "THANK YOU" goes out to the new
E-Board members for their willingness to commit their time and energy
for the good of this club.
Patrick Willis
ERCA President 2007-2008
---
PRESIDENT'S
CORNER, October 2008
I'm writing this month's contribution in a state of sleep deprivation
in order to make sure I turn it in on time, so if I ramble or make odd
statements, I'm blaming that.
First and foremost, please consider running for your club's E-board for
next year. If not you, then please think of someone who you think
would make a good officer for the club. It is not a huge,
life-altering time commitment, nor is it an enormously stressful
experience. We have plenty of members who are able to fill the
positions, and you are probably one of them. Do you think that
paying your dues is enough? I've heard that from plenty of our
members. What if everyone felt that way? Would Doug McWha
be out there mowing, watering, cleaning, and doing all the little
Doug-things that Doug does? Would Jim Corbett be maintaining the
web page, creating the newsletter, maintaining the lawn mowers, and all
the little Jim-things that keep Jim busy? Would Al just be paying
his dues instead of keeping our treasury meticulously documented and
our bills paid? If Frank had felt that way, would we even have a
field? I could go on, but I think you get my point.
Go to the October meeting and nominate someone for office, or nominate
yourself!!
The turn-out for the September meeting was very sad. We've tried
incentives such as raffles, door prizes, etc. in the past, and I've
decided that at the next meeting with a low turn-out, I'm going to
bribe the members present and have someone make a motion for a
Presidential salary, which will unanimously pass, of course, and then I
will start receiving a paycheck. Thank you in advance for
that. Seriously, please do your best to make it to as many
meetings as you can. I hear from people frequently about the
motions that pass or fail and how they want one thing or another for
the club. There's only one way to make that happen, and despite
past practice, there is nothing in the by-laws about a proxy vote or
absentee vote being acceptable for any club business.
Starting next year, I've agreed to write a monthly column in the
newsletter with stories, tips, tricks, etc. I am by no means a
huge wealth of information, but I was asked to continue to contribute
after my term in office, and I may have some things to share given how
much I read about how to build, balance, modify, construct, snap, slip,
flip... again, you get my point. Our newsletter editor says that
he would like more content to give the readers, and since I like to
write, it may work out just fine. I'm no Chuck O'Donnell, (there
is only one!) but hopefully it will be better than nothing!
I've had a lot of people ask me about 2.4 GHz, since I fitted my Futaba
9C system with the XPS module and receivers. I'm happy to report
that in the year that I've had it I have had no issues with the
exception of one receiver failing to respond, (on the ground, during
pre-flight). That receiver was replaced at no cost by XPS.
I have also seen that Airtronics is trying very hard to get back into
the airplane market with their 8 channel computer radio on 2.4
GHz. This is a dedicated full-time frequency hopping DSS system
that is, perhaps above all, very affordable. They are selling the
radio system with two receivers for a mere $229.99 through Hobby
People. If you have thought about upgrading, this may be a very
good time to do so. Futaba's receivers are also becoming more
affordable, and the Spektrum equipment is abundant and proven. I
plan to do my first technical newsletter contribution on the 2.4GHz
trend and what it means to you, the consumer, with a comparison of the
mainstream systems out there.
My 1/3 scale Yak is back and now sports a 3W85xi turning a Xoar 27X10
prop. Even at this early stage in the break-in, (gas engines take
2-4 gallons to fully break-in) with only six tanks of fuel through it,
the power is fantastic. No, it's not overpowered according to the
manufacturer, this is just the top-end of the recommended engine
range. Is it overpowered according to rational, reasonable
people? Um, YES! And, it's a lot of fun that way for crazy
pilots like me. I've also upgraded the tail servo to two Hitec
5955TG's (333 oz./in. of torque on each) on a metal tray with a
bellcrank to take the pull-pull cable tension off the servos. The
rudder now can flap back and forth like a fish's tail with its
diabolical 666 oz./in. of torque on the rudder alone.
Until next time, may your rolls be axial and your loops round...
PATRICK WILLIS
ERCA PRESIDENT 2007-2008
---
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
September 2008
The big news right
now is that our very own Frank Blain had his
workshop, located in the River Rd. area, burglarized. Several
airplanes were taken and several sets of wings were taken, leaving
almost all of his remaining fleet without wings. They took both
of his JR radio systems, his flight/tool box, and numerous other
things. The planes had engines in them. His P-51 that he
built from a kit had about $2000 invested in it alone. The total
loss was well over $10,000. I am asking all of you to keep your
eyes open for people trying to sell things that could have belonged to
Frank. I would also like you to keep an eye out for airplanes
flying in the more rural areas, if you happen to live outside the city,
that may be the stolen planes. I have been feverishly checking
all the places you may suspect to find such things for sale with no
success as of yet. If we all keep our eyes open, we may just be
able to find the bad guys and recover some of Frank's treasured planes.
As I approach the
end of my second term as your club President, I am
hoping that I can encourage YOU to take on a position on your club's
executive board. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in this
position, but I am going to pass the torch on.
Please consider
running for a position. The elections are right
around the corner. If you have any questions on what the
posiitons entail, feel free to ask me, Mel, or Al.
Thank you.
Patrick Willis
ERCA President
2007-2008
---
PRESIDENT'S
CORNER
August 2008
Our annual Fun-Fly
event
is August 16-17 and could be our biggest and
best yet. There is sure to be a lot of fun and a lot of potential
new members will be there with questions and interest, so let's make
them all feel welcome! Please do your best to make it to the
event. It is especially important that all club safety officers
be there to assist in making sure that we have a safe event. I
look forward to seeing you all there. I actually got the day off
from work on Saturday, so I'll be there both days to help with the
event and hopefully have some fun.
The official
flying
season is almost over, believe it or not! It
seems like we've been haunted by the wind gods this summer, because
almost everyday we've had gusty, blustery conditions that keep a lot of
planes grounded. I encourage you to seize the opportunity to
practice flying in the wind and get as much time in it as you
can. It will make you a more skillful, more confident pilot, and
you won't be so nervous about it as you get used to flying in those
conditions. Don't be afraid to spend your entire flight
practicing landings and approaches.
My apologies once
again
for not being at a meeting. I always
swore to myself that I would never miss a meeting while I was your
president, and now I've missed two! This time, the meeting fell
on the day after I had surgery on my throat to get rid of extra tissue
that was causing sleep apnea. I had hoped that I could at least
make an appearance, but I was in absolutely no condition to do
so. Regardless, I apologize.
At one of the
meetings,
there was a discussion about the officers of
the clubs that don't pay dues. If we can afford the luxury, I
believe that we should comp the dues for all officers, because the
amount of time and effort they put into the club is worth much more
that the cost of a year's dues. Unfortunately, with six safety
officers on the roster, that did hurt us a little bit. Perhaps in
the future we can resume the practice of exchanging dues for labor with
those folks. In the discussion, the Vice President was put into
that same group. This part I don't agree with. I have
witnessed the amount of time and energy that our current VP has put
into the position, and he has truly earned his keep. Did you know
that in our by-laws the VP is also the contest director? It has
been Mel's job to organize events this year, which can be a daunting
task. He also keeps track of the minutes and meeting
attendance. He prepares a written summary of both for me and the
newsletter editor. I can't help but feel like we have
inadvertently, unintentionally minimized Mel's efforts this year with
that discussion. I submit my sincere gratitude to Mel for
everything he has done.
I had the
opportunity to
attend the Oregon International Airshow up in
Hillsboro on August 10th. Among the full-scale demonstrations,
there was an R/C demonstration by two skilled pilots and their 40%
Extra and Edge aircraft. It was a great display and I imagine
their club will benefit from all the attention, (the club was the
Oregon Miniature Aircraft Squadron in Banks, where yours truly learned
to fly R/C 21 years ago). I think our club could benefit from
having an aerobatic team as well. If anyone is interested, please
let me know. If nothing else, it could be a lot of fun.
That's all for
now. As always, if you have questions, concerns,
comments, etc. about the club, meetings, policies, or whatever, please
come talk to me.
Patrick Willis
ERCA President
2007-2008
---
PRESIDENT'S
CORNER
June 2008
The flying season
is
officially here! Unfortunately, so are
allergies, so go get your shots, take your meds, and meet me at the
flying field...
I recall an
incident
when I was flying through somewhat blurry vision
as the wind in my face brought an unknown type of allergen across my
eyeballs, causing my eyes to water and my eyelids to involuntarily
close, (known in the medical field as blepharospasms). Then, to
add some insult to the injury, a hornet flew up my shorts and stung me
on the upper leg, (hey, it could have been worse!!). This was one
of the times that Bill H. and I were flying combat. I'm thankful
he didn't call me "chicken" when I landed with the streamer on my
airplane still intact.
I went out this
past
Monday, (6/16) and with the sun on my face and
only a light breeze, the handful of us that braved the UV rays took to
the skies and had a great time. I've been practicing harrier
landings with my Yak and my Giles. This is definitely a crowd
pleaser, I'm finding, since it looks like I may crash anytime.
I've been lucky so far, but don't look away or you might miss something
quite spectacular. So far, only my tailgear has been damaged.
The runway is
looking
more and more like a golf course. My thanks
to Doug, Jim, and the handful of others that are putting out the time
and energy to make it great for all of us.
I must offer my
sincere
apologies to you folks for not being at the
last meeting. My son came down with a stomach bug a few hours
before the meeting, and even though he said I could go, I just couldn't
leave him. My thanks to Mel for taking my place. You may
have also noticed I didn't make it to the Big Bird Fly-in. That
one was not my fault. I normally work on Saturdays, but I did ask
for the day off in advance. Unfortunately, because of low
staffing levels, I was denied the time off. I have also been
denied the time off for day one of the annual Fun-Fly, but I will be
out on day two for sure.
The next meeting
will be
held out at the flying field, so show up
early, bring a plane, (or chopper!) and join your fellow club members
for some flying before the meeting. Until then remember, you can
only tie the record for the lowest fly-by...
Patrick Willis
ERCA President
2007-2008
---
PRESIDENT'S
CORNER
May 2008
The nice flying
weather
is upon us. Some of these overcast days
are the best, when there is little to no wind and it's not too hot or
too cold! I'm thoroughly looking forward to getting some serious
flying in during the fair weather flying season. I flew my 29%
Giles G202 the other day and had a blast, even though, (as a few
witnesses will tell you) I almost crashed it getting a little too
confident. Sometimes it's nice to fly the one that has been
collecting dust. I remembered exactly why I liked that plane so
much last summer. My little T-Rex 450 actually flew 5-6 times in
one day. I almost crashed that one too, but it also made it back
in one piece.
And, then there's
the
sad T-Rex 600N that for some reason can't seem to
stop wagging its tail. Unlike a puppy, it's not wagging the tail
out of joy, but out of discontent for some unknown reason. I've
been chasing the problem for about 2 months now, and no matter what I
try, I can't seem to fix it. My most recent attempt was to
decrease vibration in the airframe by replacing the bearings in the
O.S. .50 engine. I never knew how easy it was to replace the
bearings and really make the engine purr. The old bearings had a
gritty feel when I took them out, and the rear bearing was really
rusty. This engine is actually only about a year old and has seen
after-run oil many times. The piston and liner were both very
varnished and the crankshaft had rust spots. After an overhaul,
the engine was running very quietly and happily; however, the tail was
not as content. Alan Wellentin, (now an official field rep for
Dee Tee Enterprises) is going to help me figure it out.
Al recently came
up with
a budget for 2008 listing all of our
expenditures, and it's more clear now than ever that we need to be very
cognizant of our spending. Gasoline to run the irrigation pump is
going to be very costly this summer. The driveways are going to
need a few loads of gravel. Our landlord will want to be
paid. When the end of the year comes, we are most likely going to
have less than $2000 if things continue the way they are. Why,
you ask? Well, last year we had a sudden influx of new members,
each paying that handsome one-time field improvement fee of $100.
This year, we will probably not have that many new members. So,
with that in mind, my recommendation is that we continue to be somewhat
frugal with our funds. As much as I would like to have a new
clubhouse with a solar panel assembly and running water, it just is not
within our financial means. For now, I think our services are
pretty darn good considering we pay $5 per month to be members, (okay,
as the Pres, I don't pay, but I make up for it!!).
We really need to
save
up our funds for the unexpected. Any day
now the rug could be yanked out from under us, and we could find our
club in a very bad position. I've had one person threaten to sue
us already this year, (the suit was without merit, but still...) and we
need to be prepared by maintaining a substantial emergency fund for the
"what if..." scenarios that we could face in the future.
Those of you that
want
more services from your club may not like what I
have to say now, but in a few years if/when an emergency need comes
along, you may be very happy that I made the recommendation to SAVE
SAVE SAVE our precious funds for the future.
Now, I have some
good
news on the glow fuel front: Eugene Toy and Hobby
is going to start stocking Cool Power 30% Helicopter fuel. This
is great news for all of you that have helicopters, (yeah, I know
that's only a handful of you, but still...) but even better news for
those looking to give their 2 or 4-stroke airplane engines some extra
muscle. This really is a great fuel, and I think you'll notice a
difference if you try running this fuel instead of the stuff you're
running now.
Dee Tee
Enterprises at
1821 Crescent Ave. in Eugene now has Cool Power
airplane and helicopter fuels in stock just for local pilots. Why
is Cool Power the fuel that everyone is stocking? Try it and find
out...
As you can see, I
really
want our club to support our local hobby
shops. It keeps your money working for you locally, and it makes
the things you need available now rather than whenever it's delivered
by UPS. It's also just the right thing to do. There is
going to be a third player in the Eugene hobby shop playing field in
the near future as well... More on that when it gets a little closer.
Thank you to all
the
members that are making a conscious effort to
follow the new smoking-permitted-only-in-your-vehicle rule.
May your rolls be
full
of torque and your landings happy...
Patrick Willis
ERCA President
2007-2008
---
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
April 2008
I
don't
know about you, but every
weekend I
anxiously check
the weather forecast to see if I may get a couple hours of time without
hurricane-force winds or downpours. Unfortunately,
those opportunities have been few and far
between lately
with Mother Nature making up for a somewhat dry Fall.
I'm hoping that I will start getting more
chances to buzz around the flying field in the coming future, and
hopefully
I'll see you there!
A
couple
weeks ago some folks got to
witness
how your club
president reacts when he crashes his helicopter. I
think they were surprised and maybe a
little perplexed when I laughed after my little T-Rex 450 hit terra
firma at a
high rate of speed and descent. The
white plastic canopy broke into tiny pieces and gave the illusion of a
small
snowstorm over a muddy mess of broken plastic and metal parts. Really, it was no laughing matter, but if I
let myself get upset about it, I would not have been able to enjoy the
rest of
the flying day. I was having so much fun
with that little rotary bird before it happened that I at least felt
like it
was worth the amount it would cost to fix it.
Okay,
back to fixed wing! I'm looking forward to
seeing all of your new
projects
that have been
taking shape during the past several sour weather months.
I've heard rumors of some nice scale projects
coming along and I can't wait to see them... even the Piper Cubs and
Mustangs!! I personally do not have any
new fixed wing aircraft to play with. After
I crash a few, I'll have enough room to buy a new
one, but until
then I'll keep flying my 33% Yak 54 and 29% Giles G202.
The Yak flies so well that I just cannot
imagine being satisfied with anything else now. It's
funny to think that the full-scale Yak 54 is
apparently somewhat of
a heavy, under-powered dog according to the full-scale aerobatic
pilots'
gossip.
I'll
leave you with some comments
about
recent issues
brought to my attention by your fellow flyers. First
of all, smokers can only smoke in their vehicles now.
This was decided by the membership at the
most recent meeting. This is not
negotiable and it is in effect all year round. I
know that some of you are not going to like that, but
the membership
spoke, and it's now a rule you are expected to follow whether you agree
with it
or not. Second, no pets are allowed at
the field, NO PETS AT ALL! It's in our
lease, it's in print on the sign on the side of the clubhouse. No exceptions.
May
your
take-offs be swift and your
landings soft...
PATRICK
WILLIS
ERCA
PRESIDENT 2007-2008
---
PRESIDENT'S
CORNER
March 2008
The flying season,
(for
those of you that don't fly all year long) is
right around the corner. We spent some time this month installing
some new mats down in the pit area to keep the mud under control.
My thanks to Doug McWha for helping us to obtain the mats and to the
handful of members that showed up to help nail it down. The
runway is still looking fantastic and, thanks to the well and sprinkler
system and all of Doug's hard work, it may never be brown again...
Which leads me
once
again to recommend that you try to make it to the
work parties that happen a few times a year. I know that the word
"party" is used loosely in that scenario, because there's not much
booze, dancing, or women, but on the plus side, you don't get hungover
afterward and your club benefits greatly from it. If you can't
make it to the work parties, consider offering to help Doug mow the
lawn. It doesn't take long, and he really appreciates the help.
Jim Corbett is
going to
make some more 2.4 GHz frequency pins and plans
to replace the other frequency pins on the board. For those of
you on 2.4 GHz, you are still required to go grab a pin and put your
AMA card or your club member card in the slot.
The club has six
Safety
Officers now. If one of them happens to
bring up a rule that you may have broken, please treat them with
respect. They are trying to keep you and everyone else safe and
in compliance with the rules that the membership has approved.
Some of the more common violations are flying over the pits or in
another no-fly area, smoking in the pits area or outside a vehicle
during the fire season, not putting your AMA or club card in the
frequency board, and flying without AMA membership. I know that
sometimes folks may find themselves wanting to bring a friend out to
try out R/C aircraft. Keep in mind that, unless you're an intro.
pilot, you cannot let them fly, even on a buddy box or with you
standing there assisting. Remember that the club recently voted
at a meeting to suspend people from being able to fly at our facility
if they fly without AMA. That may apply to the member in the
preceding scenario, so please just find an intro. pilot or consider
becoming one yourself! Talk to Al Barrington if you want to
become an intro. pilot.
I have finished my
revisions of the club By-Laws and
Constitution. I made the revisions based on what the club has
previously voted on and I'll be bringing a few copies to the next
meeting. They will then be put in for approval at the following
meeting assuming there are no issues raised or revisions needed.
The Big Bird
Fly-in was
cancelled due to wet weather from what I'm
told. I had to work that day, unfortunately, but my thanks to the
VP for handling the event.
I'm off to get
some time
on the sim. For those of you that have
seen me fly a helicopter, you already know that I need the practice...
Happy Landings...
Patrick Willis
ERCA President
--
President’s
Corner:
December, 2007
Thoughts
from the Pres:
2007 was a fantastic
year for the ERCA. The legacy left by the
departing officers, (who toughed it out during the loss of the prior
two fields) made my job much easier than it would have otherwise
been.
I certainly take no credit for the booming success. It belongs to
the
usual 10 or so folks that were/are doing about 95% of the work to keep
our flying site the top-notch facility it is. Please, tell these
folks
"THANK YOU" the next time you see them. More importantly,
however, is
consider what you can do for the club besides just paying your
dues.
Just showing up to the meetings on a regular basis is a HUGE step in
the right direction. Our meetings started out strong at the
beginning
of the year and ended up weak at the end. This decline is
something
that I will take credit/blame for. The manner in which the
meetings
are conducted is my responsibility. Please let me know how I can
make
them better!!
2008 promises to
be an
even better year for our club. Our
treasury is
becoming more stable as our membership grows and our field is now
nicely established and the runway's surface is similar to that of a
golf course, (thanks Doug!!). Technology is also continually
getting
better as well. In case you missed the last newsletter, I talked
a
little about making the switch to 2.4 GHz. I elected to upgrade
my
Futaba 9CAPS by installing an XPS module. The receiver has one
small
"nub" antenna coming out of it, and that's it. It's very small
and yet
it is full-range. I've tested it in my helicopter, (Align T-Rex
600
Nitro) and my 29% Giles G202 and I have had no glitches, hits,
fail-safes, etc. Basically, it has worked great for me.
Please feel
free to inquire further if you're thinking about making the switch.
The club has adopted a "No AMA card, no flying" rule. If
someone
does
not have an AMA card with them, they simply don't fly. This
applies to
guests and other non-members with no exceptions. It applies to
club
members; however, if someone is on the most recent roster as having
been verified as being covered by the AMA, we can make an
exception.
The members who have been at the meetings have adopted sanctions for
those folks that do not obey the rules regarding AMA coverage.
Please
don't fly or let anyone else fly without AMA coverage. It is
against
the club's rules and we are all responsible for enforcing it.
If someone does not have a card and is not on the roster as a
verified
AMA member, they don't fly, period.
I welcome your feedback folks. Let me know if you have
ideas,
comments, etc.
I'm going to close with a big THANK YOU to all of you for
allowing me
the opportunity to serve you last year and another big THANK YOU for
the privilege to serve you again in 2008.
Patrick Willis
ERCA President
---
President’s
Corner:
November, 2007
The
year is almost up and my term is likewise almost
over. I have thoroughly enjoyed being the president of this club and I
certainly look forward to the possibility of doing it again. I
encourage everyone to be part of the Executive Board of this club. It
can be challenging, but it is also very rewarding.
At
the next meeting we will be holding our annual
election process. We determined the candidates at the last meeting, and
I thank every one of them for being willing to take an active role in
the future well-being of the club. I would also like to thank Bill
Hollingsworth for stepping up to the plate and taking the role of Vice
President and Newsletter Editor for the year. Al Barrington has done an
excellent job as the Secretary/Treasurer and will run unopposed for the
next term, (thank you Al!!). Our Field Marshals, Frank Blain and John
Bowhan, were kind enough to step up to the plate during the year to
take over for Doug McWha, who had a little too much on his plate at the
time. All three of them deserve my gratitude and yours for the work
they've put in for the club.
On a
completely unrelated topic, I recently took the
plunge and purchased a 2.4 GHz module and three receivers for my Futaba
9C transmitter. After a lot of research, and weighing the pros and cons
of the main three systems available, I went with Xtreme Power Systems,
(a.k.a. XPS). They are not quite as popular as the Spektrums or the
Futaba FASST systems, for they only sell module-based systems for
existing transmitters. However, XPS has some great features such as
telemetry capability, one short solid antenna, and a much more
affordable price. I will hopefully have no major issues with this
system, and next time you see me if you want more information about it
and how it is working for me, just ask.
There
was finally a helicopter crash that made my
Raptor crash into the parking area not so memorable. The unfortunate
Sceadu .50 met its demise when a coupler on the main rotor head decided
to come loose and the swashplate was allowed to twist about 90 degrees.
This made the chopper
uncontrollable and it landed about 8 feet from me after striking the
pilot's vehicle. I looked behind me and found one member sprawled out
on the gravel. He was smart. I just stood there thinking, "Wow, that
thing looks like
it may hit me". No one was hurt and the unnamed pilot was not at fault.
The pilot was more upset about the heli's damage than that to his
vehicle, stating that at least when someone asked him what happened to
his truck, he could say, "A helicopter ran into it".
My
friends, it has been a great year for this club.
I know I'm not the only one who had a lot of fun. Until next time we
meet, keep your tail down and your airspeed up...
Patrick Willis
ERCA President
---
President’s
Corner:
September
2007
The
year is already nearing its end, but the flying
season is still
going strong. Now is about the best time of year, because it's not too
hot, it's not too cold, and the wind seems to be dying down quite
nicely. I've been going flying on Mondays and Tuesdays more often than
on Sundays. So, if you haven't seen me for awhile, that's probably
why...
At
the last meeting I asked for a volunteer to be a
safety officer
for the club, for I felt that with the size of our membership it would
be best to have two safety officers. I was astonished by the lack of
volunteers. It may not be the most fun job, in fact it may require some
"work", but it is necessary. There are many people in this club that
simply pay their dues. If everyone did that, our club simply would not
survive. I've been noticing lately that there are about 10 people doing
90% of the work, and that is just unfair. There was a recent article in
Model Aviation about clubs that have done some pretty drastic things to
get their members to contribute. The fact is, however, that if you
volunteer to do something, you may find that the satisfaction you get
from helping out your club is enough of a reward to make you want to do
more in the future. Please keep that in mind next time. With that said,
a big THANK YOU to Frank Blain for volunteering for the position of
Safety Officer. He and John Bowhan, I think, will make a great team.
Their responsibility is to make sure your safety, (and mine!) is
protected while we enjoy this hobby. Please treat them with respect and
courtesy if they call you on a rule violation. They're not telling you
that you're in trouble, just that you need to do something differently
next time.
At
the October meeting, we will be making
nominations for next
year's club officials. This would be an excellent opportunity for any
of you who have thought about what else you can do for your club. I,
for one, have thoroughly enjoyed my time as your president, and I hope
I have served you well. Please consider running for office. I guarantee
you won't regret it.
Until
next month, happy landings.
Patrick Willis, ERCA President
---
President’s
Corner:
Aug 07
This
year's annual ERCA Fun-Fly was not as big as it
was last year, but a good time was had by all. I had to work on
Saturday, so I couldn't make it, but people still managed to have a
good time despite my absence! Many thanks to Doug McWha, (as always,
right?) for helping to make the event happen. Our gratitude is also
deserved by Mike Burgess for the sturgeon he provided on Saturday, Al
Barrington for cooking on Sunday, Chuck Jenkins for assisting Doug with
the many pre-event tasks, and Trump's Hobbies for their donations and
discounts on the prizes. We didn't have much interest in any contests,
so we'll likely save the prizes for the club auction or for prizes at a
different event. We did not discuss the event much as it was
approaching, so I believe that a lot of people may have just forgotten
when it was. I also think that next year we will make it a one-day
event on a Saturday rather than a two-day event. Stay tuned for an
announcement regarding our next event. . .
On a
less fun note, I spent a considerable amount of
time a couple weeks ago picking up trash at the field. There were paper
towels, pieces of airplanes, drinking cups, fast-food wrappers, and
other items strewn about in the pits area and on the edge of the wheat
field to the south. I also removed a bunch of trash from the 5 gallon
buckets inside the club house where someone decided to deposit their
garbage on top of club property being stored in those buckets. My
friends, this is simply unacceptable. I'm beginning to think that we
should reconsider getting an account with the local garbage pick-up
company and have a garbage can out there. It is not fair that some of
us are spending our time to pick up others' garbage and then take it
home. I know I'm not the only one.
On an
even LESS fun note, my big Yak 54 suffered a
catastrophic wing failure in flight a couple weeks ago. I was
performing a snap roll when the left wing decided to twist up and then
tear off. The airplane continued normally for about 100 feet before the
pilot seemed to look out of the canopy to the left, do a double-take,
curse, and then spin the airplane into the ground. The cause was an
inadequately glued plywood brace where the wing's anti-rotation pin
inserted into the fuselage. The airframe was a total loss, but most
everything else can be salvaged. I've been working a lot of overtime to
pay for a new airframe, which should be coming soon to a flying field
near you...
Until
next month, may your flights be smooth and
safe, and your landings uneventful.
Patrick Willis,
ERCA
President
---
President’s Corner:
My
term in "office" is already halfway over, and I
hope that you feel like you have been well-represented so far. There
have been some important issues raised during the past several months,
and I've heard many of your comments and concerns about these issues
and the direction the club is going. I've said it before and I'll say
it again: I welcome your input on how I am doing as the ERCA president,
so please let me know if you have something to say.
A
recent disagreement at the field over flying area
boundaries caused our Field Marshall to go research the AMA's official
position on the matter. Basically, the AMA requires that we establish
our flying area and adhere to it. At the June meeting, we voted on some
different flying area scenarios. As more people gave input, it appeared
we would have to make more and more rules. I am not one for making a
rule or regulation for every given scenario possible. All of you have a
responsibility to use common sense and courtesy when operating your
aircraft, whether they be small electrics or 150cc aerobats. More rules
would mean more restrictions on our ability to have fun, and I
certainly don't want that.
The
new flying area that you must adhere to is as
follows: As always, there is NO flying over the pits area or vehicles.
Aircraft can fly north of the runway's south border, (a.k.a. the
"flight line") as far as the eye can see. Aircraft can fly south of the
runway only when west of the runway's west end, and then as far as the
eye can see. An exception is in place for helicopters and electrics
utilizing the heli-pad allowing such aircraft to be within the
no-fly-zone but still maintaining a position west of the east end of
the heli-pad. There is also NO flying over any houses, including but
not limited to the Burgess house to the north-northeast. There is NO
flying permitted over any vehicles, occupied or unoccupied.
This
new flying area is what we're going to use
until the membership votes otherwise. You must adhere to it now that it
has been established, according to the AMA.
For
those of you that missed the June meeting out at
the flying field, the July and August meetings will also be held there,
so please come and make your voice heard. My thanks to the numerous
members that were present at the June meeting.
Happy
landings, Patrick Willis--ERCA President
--
New Helicopter
flying
area and heli-pad
You may have
noticed
some brown spots on our nice green runway.
Well, it turns out that some of the glow-powered helicopters are
causing that to happen. You may have also noticed that there are
more helicopter pilots now than there used to be, and the heli-style of
flying conflicts somewhat with the airplane pattern.
At the April
meeting I
made a motion to the membership that we use the
north/south runway project, (located directly west of the benches, and
south of the main runway) which ended up not working out too well, as a
helicopter flying area. This way we can minimize the brown spots
on the main runway and there will hopefully be less conflict when
airplanes want to land and take off and helicopters are hovering near
the runway.
The members at the
meeting unanimously approved it, and so that is now
how it is. I think this will be good for airplane pilots and
helicopter pilots alike.
Patrick Willis
ERCA President
---
From your
ERCA President:
On March 31st we
had our
first Annual Big-Bird Fly-in. This was
an
in-house event that I initiated back before I was the President and
just the Events Organizer/Public Relations Officer. The weather
was
sour in Eugene the morning of the event, and I had my doubts as rain
was drenching my airplane when I loaded it into the car. However,
as
is often the case I'm finding, the weather out at the field was
completely different, even though I live only 15 minutes away.
Sure,
there was some wind, and we did see some occasional rain drops, but
overall it was not too bad and we had about 30 members turn out for the
event. Those that participated seemed to have a great time and I
don't
recall seeing any aircraft meet a devastating end. I had my new
Lanier
Yak 54, (87" wingspan) which had only flown once prior to the
event. I
believe there were only 3-4 planes that were actually large enough to
meet the IMAA guidelines of 80" or greater wingspan for monoplanes, or
60" or greater for bi-planes, but hey, we had fun, so who cares?! My
thanks to Doug McWha and Bill Hollingsworth for their assistance in
getting the event put together.
Some safety
concerns
have been brought up lately that deserve our
attention. First of all, notice that my Yak had been test-flown
BEFORE
the event. AMA rules make it mandatory for all aircraft to be
successfully test-flown prior to being flown in front of
spectators.
We only had a handful of non-flyers for this event, but we had one
member with a brand-new airplane there. By the time it was flown,
the
event was winding down and I don't believe there were any non-flyers
around, so it was a non-issue this time, but just be aware of that rule
for any future events.
Another incident
in
which a member's plane was taxiing out to the
runway from behind the pilot boxes resulted in the aircraft running
into the inside of the pilot box/fenced area, startling the pilot who
was occupying the box. Although I don't believe it is written
down
anywhere in our by-laws, I want to stress the importance of either
carrying, or physically guiding by means other than your radio, your
airplane beyond the rear of the pilot boxes when the boxes are occupied
by other pilots. No one was injured and no planes were lost, but
it
serves as a gentle reminder for all of us that we need to adhere to
that procedure for the safety of other pilots and planes. Also,
please
do not taxi into the flight line past the pilot boxes from the runway.
Also, it seems we
are
getting out of the practice of communicating when
we send a plane out onto the runway or bring one in for landing.
If
you are going to have your plane or yourself on the field, make it
known to those that are flying. Guess who is going to be buying a
new
plane for the guy coming in and landing when you are on the runway
without announcing yourself? All you have to do is yell "Coming
out!"
or "LANDING!" It's simple and it works.
At our most recent
meeting, we found that several members had not paid
their dues and some were not current with their AMA
certification.
While we cannot take any risks with members not being in the AMA, (in
other words, no AMA = no flying!) we have been pretty easy-going with
the folks who have not paid their dues in the past. Well, the
members
at the meeting were in favor of making those who have not paid their
dues among the non-flyers until the dues are paid. Why?
Simply
because it seemed unfair that people be permitted to go enjoy our great
facility for free when the rest of the membership has to pay.
Please,
if you have not paid your club dues, do so as soon as possible, or you
may find yourself on the non-flyer list, and we don't want that!!
The
membership spoke strongly about this, and I have to agree with their
reasoning.
Our next event
will be
the Sportsman Primer on May 12th. Practice
your
Sportsman sequence and come have some fun in this friendly competition
with your friends at the field! So, you don't have a pattern
plane?
Come try it anyway, you'll probably improve your basic piloting skills
just working on the sequence.
Until next month,
fly
safely and courteously, and have fun!
Patrick Willis
ERCA President
---
President's
Corner:
First
and foremost, I would like to once again thank
our departing officers for their years of hard work and dedication. We
certainly would not have such a great flying site and club if it were
not for their efforts. In addition, thanks are once again owed to Doug
McWha. Why you ask? Doug mows the runway whenever it needs it, which is
sometimes more than once per week during the summer months. This takes
a long time, even on a riding mower. Doug also does many other unseen,
undocumented tasks to help keep our field looking great. Please pat him
on the back and tell him thanks next time you see him.
A
little about your new president's experience in
R/C: I started flying R/C planes
was about 10 years
old
at the Oregon Miniature Aircraft Squadron in
Banks. My first plane was a Balsa USA Swizzle Stick/Stick Trainer .40
with no ailerons that was given to me by a member there that didn't
like to fly the planes he built. Eventually, I added a new wing with
ailerons and, after I learned how to do an aileron roll, I started
trying every type of aerobatic maneuver that flat-bottom airfoil could
handle, and then some. I went through two Ultra-Sport .40's, a Super
Sportster .40, a Great Planes Decathlon, an Aeromaster bipe, and some
others made by companies long out of business. I have been in the hobby
on and off for about two decades now. I was a member of this club when
it was at the Short Mountain flying site, but I ended up selling almost
all of my planes and equipment to put toward the purchase of a
full-scale airplane. I found out quickly that full-scale aircraft, even
a basic Cessna 150, are very expensive to maintain, and I sold the
plane about three years ago. So, here I am today enjoying smaller
aircraft once again.
Which
brings me to today, which was a great example
of how well our club is doing. Last year at this time, when it was
freezing cold out at our new flying site, I was one of 2-3 people that
would be out flying on a Sunday, if I had any company at all. I was out
today, 1/28, and we had so many people we ran out of parking! We had
one new member join today, Ivan "Rich" Richardson, and two others who
planned to join as soon as they get their AMA.
We
have been getting several new members lately, and
I encourage you all to go introduce yourselves to the new folks. They
are going to need our help to succeed, so please make yourselves
available to share your expertise and experiences with them.
With
all the new field improvement fees being turned
in by the new members, I'm hoping to have more parking area covered
with gravel in the next few months, when the weather dries out and our
budget is prepared. This improvement was approved by the membership
late last year, and it is desperately needed to support a growing
membership. In the meantime, please do not drive off the gravel at all!
The grassy areas are muddy and you will get stuck!
Lastly, we have two events coming up: Big-Bird
Fly-in March 31st and Sportsman Primer May 12th. The Big-Bird event
challenges you to bring out your biggest aircraft to show off and fly.
However, if you don't have an IMAA legal plane, bring whatever aircraft
you want and fly it! The Sportsman Primer is going to be a lot of fun,
and the participants will certainly leave as better pilots than they
were before the event. Skilled pattern pilots will spend the first half
of the day assisting participants with learning the Sportsman aerobatic
sequence and practicing. The afternoon will entail a low-key
competition in which the participants will fly the sequence and be
scored. This is for fun and learning, so don't worry if your loop isn't
a perfect circle, just go have a good time.
I
look forward to seeing you all out at the flying
field. Here's to a great new year!
-Patrick Willis
---
December
2nd, 2006
At
the
November meeting we elected
new
officers. I am going to try and fill the big shoes of Frank Blain
as your new club President. Bill Hollingsworth is your new Vice
President, and Al Barrington is the new Secretary/Treasurer. I
would like to express my gratitude to Frank Blain, Ray Tatum, and Mark
Stafford for their outstanding work guiding our club through the
turbulent past few years. It is because of them and some other
active members that we still have a club and now a fantastic flying
site. Also, special thanks to Doug McWha for his past and current
work maintaining the field and adding on to it. Doug puts out a
lot of time, and I offer him my thanks.
My
primary goal is to keep our
current
flying site through safety, respect, and promoting our great
club. Safety is the most important factor
when we fly, fun comes second. Please keep it safe out
there! Avoid flying near the Burgess' home to the
northeast. There is a lot of open sky to the north and northwest,
so let's use it. Also, please make sure that
everyone flying at our club is an AMA member or is assisted by a
designated club Intro Pilot, no exceptions! Why? Because we
need to protect our club from civil liability.
Our
future as a club is promising,
but we
have to continue to be pro-active to keep this flying site. We
are leasing the land from Mike Burgess, a fellow R/C pilot and club
member, and his family. We need to remember that our site could
be lost again if we do not respect him, his family, and the land.
I've heard an unconfirmed report of a member becoming confrontational
with Mike, and that is simply not acceptable. If there is an
issue, please let me know so I can address it; however, let's do our
best to avoid any issues with the Burgess family, who has been very
gracious with us.
I
have
scheduled three events in an
effort to bring everyone together, have fun, and promote our
club. Please see the calendar in the forums of www.eugenerc.com for the specific
details. I encourage every club member who has or can obtain
access to a computer to join the forums and participate. It is a
great way to communicate with other members and me.
Our
first event for 2007 will be
the
Big-Bird Fly-In in March. I've posted in the forums about it, so
check it out!
So,
with that in mind, let's all
have a
safe, fun year!
Patrick
Willis
---
January 16, 2005
I would like to take this opportunity to wish
you all a very happy New Year. I hope this one is better than the
last one for our club.
I
took a
little trip to the old field last week just to
see if our equipment was still intact. Everything was fine.
The field was just beautiful and my heart was truly saddened at our
loss of it.
But,
enough
mourning the past and on to the future.
First, I have been talking to Bud Allender about his land on McKenzie
View Dr. It looked very promising until I talked to his
daughter, who is in charge of leasing the land. She recently
signed a 1-year lease to a specialty-seed farmer who plants and
harvests a very sterile type of grass. Apparently, if we ever
crashed a plane on his part of the field, we couldn't retrieve it from
there. So, this wouldn't be a practical place for us to
fly. On my way to the property I also thought about the
possibility of a lease with Mr. Allender and realized that he is 85
yrs. old and not in very good health. In the event of his
passing, his heirs would want to sell that land and we would lose
another field. So, maybe, we dodged a bullet.
At
present,
we have permission to fly at the Cinderella
Field near Creswell. It's not the best situation, but until we
find another site, it will do just fine.
I
would
like for each of you to be proactive in seeking a
new site. It is a problem that concerns all of us and everyone
should be involved for the good of our club. We do still have
some other possibilities, so I will continue to work on them, but I
need your help.
My
thanks
to this year's slate of club officers:
Mark Stafford - Sec. Treasurer, and Ray Tatum - Vice-President.
My challenge for this next year is to keep our club together
while we search for a new field. I hope you all stick with me.
Our
next
meeting will be held at the EWEB building on
Tuesday, the 25th, at 7:00 PM. Please come to the meetings so
that we can hear your concerns and questions about our situation and do
some brainstorming.
Thank you,
Frank Blain,
President
---
October 20, 2004
At our next
meeting we
will be discussing the situation about our
flying field possibilities. I have a little bad news about the Beacon
Drive property north of Eugene. I was informed by the person who heads
up the Wastewater Management of the City of Eugene that because of so
many federal and state regulations regarding waste water and its
contact with the public, it would be impossible for us to have a flying
field on that site. Therefore, that field is gone. I attended the
Central Lane club meeting and talked to them about our using the
Cinderella Field at Creswell. The field is in pretty poor condition
because they haven’t been using it for quite a while. Doug McWha and I
borrowed Mark Stafford’s mower and did a rough mowing of the field and
pit area. Doug will mow if closer as soon as the weather permits. We
can start flying at the field now. We also cut down some blackberry
vines at the end of the field. With a lot of work, the field will do
nicely until a new one can be found. I am meeting this Friday with the
Sec-Treasurer of the Central Lane club concerning an agreement for our
use of the field.
I have been
finishing my
scratch-built GlasAir plane. It has been quite
a project. I hope to have it done for Show & Tell at the meeting.
It looks like the rains are here and that means time to build that new
plane you have waiting. I want to encourage you to bring in your
projects for showing the rest of us.
I am sure that
there
will be lots of questions concerning the future of
our club, so I hope you will come and express your thinking and
possible suggestions about how we can best acquire a site soon. I am
sure that something will work out before long.
See you Tuesday
evening
at 7:00 p.m. at the EWEB building.
Frank Blain
345-7449
---
September 21, 2004
Well, as most of
our
club members know by now, our flying field has
been sold to Marty Smith. He apparently made an offer to Otto Glausi
that couldn’t be passed up. So, our last day to fly will be Thursday.
September 30. We have been looking hard for a different piece of land
that would work for us. So far, we have just a few possibilities.
I have contacted
the
person in charge of the City of Eugene Open
Spaces. Johnny Medlin. He has been very helpful in checking out the
various areas that are possibly available. I have an appointment with
him and the waste water management supervisor of the City of Eugene. We
have located some property on Beacon Drive in Santa Clara. It would be
a perfect spot for a new field. They haven’t said “No!” so far and are
willing to discuss the situation. I will show them some pictures of the
old field and try to sell them on our low impact uses. In the
meanwhile, if any of you know of some land in this area that we might
lease, please let me know.
We will be having
our
meeting this month at the EWEB building on Tues.,
September 28, at 7:00 PM. I hope that we have a good turnout so that we
can discuss the future of our club and the status of a new field. I
also hope very much that we will stick together as a club and fry to
work out these problems. We are optimistic that we will be flying at a
new field as soon as possible.
Frank Blain
345-7449
---
Aug. 20, 2004
Summer is fading
day by
day and now it is time for another monthly
meeting and our final barbecue for the season. It will be hosted by our
club Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 6:30 PM at the field. Come out early and get
in some flying time before the meeting.
We have purchased
40
yards of gravel for the parking lot and driveway.
Mark Stafford will be leveling it out for us with his tractor. It
should get us by for the winter. I don’t want to spend too much on
those areas until we know exactly what the status of our field will be.
The dry summer
weather
has caused many cracks in our runway, so I have
had 10 yards of sand brought in. Doug McWha and his pit crew have been
filling the cracks with it. By the way, whenever you go out to fly,
please fill several buckets with sand and put if into the cracks. If
everyone does this, we can keep them under control.
We will be talking
about
any new information we have about the problems
we have had with the neighbors (Mr. and Mrs. Marty Smith). I want to
thank all of you who have gotten new mufflers arid quieter engines. I
believe that we are doing a much better job of keeping the noise level
down. Please remember to not fly near the Smith’s property. If you will
fly from the trees to the west toward the road, they will have a hard
time hearing us.
I am looking
forward to
seeing you at the meeting. I hope that we have
a great turnout.
Frank Blain
345-7449
---
May 20, 2004
Spring is rapidly
fading
into summer, during which many great sunny
flying days will be upon us. The field is in terrific shape, thanks to
Doug McWha and others who have been faithfully mowing and trimming as
necessary.
Gary McClellan
arid
several other members successfully moved the van
box onto the trailer. Thank you, Gary, for your two wreckers. This
should solve the problem with the County.
We have received
two
more letters complaining about the noise at the
field. I cant express strongly enough how serious This problem has
become.. I know that many of you have addressed the noise problems with
better mufflers and flying only during the requested hours,
particularly the 9:00 a.m. starting time. I want to continue to
challenge each of you members to try to have the quietest plane at the
field. There is plenty of technology out there to meet our needs for
quiet flying. Also, flying over the road area will keep us as far as
possible from the Marty Smith residence. I know it will be difficult to
satisfy Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but I have talked to several other
neighbors and they feel we are trying to be considerate of them. The
later starting time has made them much happier.
At this next
meeting, we
will be discussing what else we can do to
cooperate with the neighborhood’s concerns - I think that we will be
able to save our field if we police ourselves.
Otto Glausi has
suggested that we have a meeting involving our club
officers and a committee of neighbors to discuss any problems that the
surrounding residents may have and how to solve them. This would seem
to be a good idea. We will be addressing this at The meeting next week,
to be held at the EWEB Building at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 25. Bring
your planes for Show and Tell. See you then.
Frank Blain,
President
345-7449
---
April 22, 2004
If you didn’t
attend our
Sportsman Primer on April 10th, you missed a
great time! Gary McClellan and his friends from his pattern-flying club
did a wonderful job of organizing and running a fine primer contest. We
had about 15 participants and many more spectators. The meet started at
9:00 a.rn. and continued until about 4:00 pm. It was truly enjoyable. A
special thanks goes to Bill Broich and Doug McWha for mowing the runway
and surrounding grassy areas. Also, kudos to Mark Stafford who brought
the hamburgers, hot dogs and pop, and the ladies who provided the
cookies, brownies and salads. Congratulations to the 3 winners of the
contest: 1st place - Spencer Harris, 2nd place - Grant Sharp. 3rd place
- Steve Harris.
Now, for some
less-favorable news. Mr and Mrs. Marty Smith are very
upset about our noise and flying too near to their property. They want
us to leave our flying field badly enough that they have been
contacting the other neighbors to get then to write protest letters to
Otto Glausi, our landlord. He forwarded them on to me. It appears from
the letters that we have been flying planes that are much too loud, we
start flying too early and keep it up too late. Last Friday, I visited
four of the people and asked Them how we could in prove the situation
short of vacating. I was told that if we could start flying at 9:00
a.m. and quit by 5:00 pm. it would help very much. We seem to have
several planes that are particularly noisy. I assured them that
we would address these matters and correct them if at all possible. For
this purpose. I will purchase a decibel meter so That we can test our
planes for excessive noise. Any that are over 90 decibels will have to
have a new muffler applied to them or they will not be allowed to be
flown at our field. I cm sorry that this has come up, but our only
other choice is to lose our field. We will be discussing this and other
problems at the meeting, so I hope we have a large turnout for it. Come
with ideas on how to rebuild some bridges with the neighbors there. The
meeting will be Tues. April 27 at 7:00 p.m. at EWEB building. Bring
Show and Tell items.
Frank Blain,
President
345-7449
---
March 18, 2004
Spring is here and we are all looking
forward to some sunny days. Last week was a good one. Dan Brandt flew
his 1/3 scale Sukoi that he had bought from Mrs. Darrel Cheshire. It
was a blast to see that big, beautiful bird go through its paces! Good
job, Dan! Many of you have responded to the sale of Darrel’s planes and
equipment. Thanks for helping Mrs. Cheshire out. I am going to her home
sometime this weekend to box up the remaining RC equipment and bring it
to the meeting Tuesday night. Please be sure to bring your money and
pick up some good bargains.
I have been
battling
Lane County about our storage shed. It appears
that they are calling the van box a commercial building and making it
almost impossible for us to keep it at the field. I will be filling you
in on all the frustrating details at the meeting.
I want to give a
special
“Thank you!” to Doug McWha for mowing and
reseeding the runway. It has started to grow and it should fill in soon.
The meeting is
going to
be at the EWEB building at 7:00 PM, March 23,
2004. Please bring any unpaid dues with you. Bring your Show and Tell
projects. See you there!
Frank Blain
345-7449
---
February 17. 2004
We
have had
a mix of rain, fog and some sunny days so far
this month. Several members have been flying on the good days, even
with the added challenge of muddy ground, but the runway has been
pretty dry and smooth for the winter. I am looking forward to being
able to get the field in shape for our flying season.
Mrs.
Cheshire has asked for some help in selling all of
carrels planes and equipment. If you have interest in some of these
items, please give me a call. I am going to talk with her this week to
see if we can try to help her with them.
Paul
Schmitt has contacted me to see if someone in the
club may have interest in buying his SIG Somefhin’ Extra N.I.B. kit
with an OS LA 40cc engine. 2 props, tank, wheels and a 4-channel Lazer
FM Hi Tec radio, all for $200.00, new in boxes. His phone no. is
935-9547.
Mark
Stafford will be handing out name tags for the
meetings, so now we (I) will know names and faces. Please don’t wear
them out the door. We will be collecting them after the meeting to be
used for the upcoming ones, too.
I am
building a scratch-built 1/4-scale Glasair from R.C.
Airplanes plans. It is quite a challenge because the plans don’t show
all the formers and leave most of the details to your imagination. it
is still a lot of fun to try. I am sure if will fake awhile to complete.
Our
next
meeting will be held at the EWEB building,
Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7:00 PM. Gary McClellan will be giving a
demonstration on aerobafic maneuvers. Be sure to bring any of your
interesting planes or equipment for Show and Tell. See you therel
Frank Blain,
President
345-7449
---
January 20, 2004
I
would
like to wish a very happy 2004 and a great flying
year to all of our club members!
Our
elections in November of last year produced the
following slate:
President - Frank Blain
Vice-Pres. - Steve Harris
Sec/Treas. - Mark Stafford
Field Marshall - Doug McWha
This has been a
pretty
wet winter so far. but there have been a few
good flying days, too. The runway is still fairly firm, though a little
bumpy with the grass knobs. The pit area is a muddy mess, so please be
careful when you are there.
This
week
we will attempt to roll the runway with a roller
and, as soon as it warms up, we will over-seed and fertilize. I am
checking on getting some straw to put over the muddy pit area. It is
cheaper and I think it will do the job. We won't be able to blow the
bark on until it dries up, because the truck would destroy our driveway.
We
had a
little flooding about the first of the year with
little or no damage to the field. I think we should, however, raise the
truck box about 12" to eliminate water getting inside of Dan
Thomas has volunteered to head up a building project for a shed to
cover the old lawnmower. He said he could get the materials and all we
would need are some helpful hands and a little sunshine.
With
the
arrival of the new year, it is time to renew your
club dues and card. If you haven’t paid your $100.00 field assessment,
you have 6 months to do so. Also, at the November meeting, it was
approved to allow associate non-flying memberships for those members
who do not fly and still want to be a part of our club. They do not
have to pay the field assessment. Any member who is finding he is
unable to pay current financial obligations to the club in full, will
be considered for a special circumstances allowance so that he can
continue to fly without being totally current with regard to his club
debt. This will be handled under complete privacy and is at the
discretion of the club president. We want to make your membership as
enjoyable as possible and keep our club together.
I am
so
very sorry to have to inform our members of the
sudden and very un-expected death of Darrel Cheshire during the holiday
season. He was an enthusiastic flyer and a truly wonderful man. We will
miss him greatly.
Our
next
meeting will be held at the Eugene Country
Club, 255 Country Club Road, Eugene, Oregon. Enter the main doors in
front of the clubhouse and proceed through the door to the left off the
entry. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. instead of 7:00 p.m.
on Tuesday, January 27, 2004.
Please
bring your new planes with you for Show and Tell.
See you Tuesday
Frank Blain
345-7449
---
November 21, 2003
The
final
meeting of the year is coming up next week,
Tuesday, Nov. 25.
It will be at the
EWEB
building at 7:00 p.m. We will be voting on the
slate of officers for 2004, including nominations from the floor. The
nominees at present are: Sec. /Treasurer - Mark Stafford,
Vice-President - Steve Harris, and President - Frank Blain. We would
appreciate the names of any others you feel would like to serve in
these positions for the coming year.
At
the last
meeting the motion to change the By-Laws
concerning all members paying at feast $100.00 for the development of
the new field was passed by vote of the membership. This is a one-time
assessment. Members will have a 6-month period in which to pay. At this
next meeting. I will be bringing up for discussion and a possible vote,
having a non-flying membership availability for those wishing to
socialize but not fly. These memberships will be exempt from the
assessment, if passed.
The
rainy
season is now here and we wilt be looking
forward to those occasional sunny days for our winter flying. I have
noticed that the field is getting greener and the cracks are closing
up. We hope to do some over seeding and fertilizing in the early
spring. I am sure that the grass will fill in nicely for the spring and
summer seasons.
This
is a
perfect time to be building your new projects -
a new kit or even an ARF for next year. So, let’s get busy and bring in
some of your planes to Show and Tell in January.
This
year
has really been a busy one for our members and,
at times, quite challenging. We should be very thankful for our new
field and expecting a lot of fun next year.
I
hope you
all have a Happy Thanksgiving and a warm
Christmas and holiday season!
Frank Blain,
President
345-7449
---
October 22,2003
Our flying season
is
drawing to a close. Though we have definitely had
a very long hot summer, we know that the fall rains will be here before
we are ready. I believe that our members have enjoyed flying at the new
field and will be raring to take off again next spring.
Doug McWha has
fertilized the field recently and did a light
over-seeding as well. The grass is getting green again and, next year,
should be thicker and much easier to take off and land on than it was
this summer. Thanks, Dougi
Last week, I
ordered a
load of gravel to be delivered and spread. Now
we can get to the impound area this winter without getting overly muddy.
Our next meeting
will be
Tuesday, October 28, at 7:00 p.m. at the EWEB
building. This is a very important meeting because we will be
nominating club officers for 2004. Voting on this slate of officers
will take place at the November meeting. We will also be counting the
mail-in ballots concerning the By-Law changes. Carl tells me that the
ballot returns have been very light. If you have not sent your ballot
in to Carl, please get them mailed or delivered to him before this next
meeting. You may also bring them to the meeting. This is very important
to the future of our club and is a voting privilege for our membership.
Please let your vote count, yes or no.
It has been great
to see
the enjoyment of our members in the fun of
flying together and having a beautiful environment in which to do so.
We expect to see even more members join with us in these good times.
See you Tuesday!
Frank Blain,
President
345-7449
---
September 16, 2003
Seems like fall is
here.
The weather is cooler and the colors have a
definite golden cast to them. The rainy days will soon be upon us. We
were able to purchase 100+ yds. of gravel for the driveway and parking
lot. It is only a bout 4” thick, but it should get us through the
winter if we are careful.. I would ask that you drive only on the
graveled driveway and park in the area facing the creek, since the
matting is beneath those places and should hold up during the wet
season.
At the meeting in
August, Jim Smith brought a motion for an assessment
to cover the field improvements. It was voted upon and passed by the
members present. It will have to be ratified by a 2/3 majority vote
because it will require a change in. our By-laws. This is the amendment:
1.
All
club members over the age of 18 will be
assessed $100.00 to be placed in a field-improvement fund. Families
with more than one member will be assessed only $100.00. Prior
contributions of $100.00 or more to this fund will constitute
fulfillment of this obligation.
2.
The
assessment for current members must be paid in
full by June 30, 2004, or the member will be dropped from the club.
3.
New
members will be assessed $100.00 for this
fund, to be paid within six months.
4.
All
funds collected shall be kept in back account
with general club funds, but in a separate category.
5.
These funds are to be used only for field
improvements to be determined by a majority vote of the Field
Committee, made up of the club officers and two club members elected by
a majority of the members present at the October 2003 meeting..
6.
A
vote for this assessment is also a vote
authorizing the Field Committee to use any of the se funds for the
designated purposes without any further vote by the membership at large.
7.
The
club treasurer will make monthly reports to
the members at teach meeting on the status of this account.
Plans for the
spring
will consist of fertilizing and some over-seeding
of the new runway. I hope the winter rains and spring sunshine will
help establish the grass and, maybe, we will have a few less cracks
next year.
I will be
selecting a
nominating committee who will choose a slate of
officers for 2004, to be voted on at the November meeting. If you are
asked to be a nominee, please consider that it is an honor to serve
your club in this capacity. If you haven't served before1 this will be
your opportunity to take part in making our club even better.
Our summer
activities
were a huge success. Everyone seems to be
enjoying the new field. A special "Thanks!" goes to Gus Phillips, Mark
Stafford, Steve Harris and Chuck Jenkins for all the help at the field
dedication and Fun Fly. The weather and food were great and the flying
was (okay). (Maybe more practice would help before the contests!) We
must
have had well over 100 flyers and visitors there. I think everyone had
a great time.
The next meeting
will be
7:00 PM, Tuesday, Sept. 23 at the EWEB
building. See you then!
Frank Blain
345-7449
I am requesting
that
each member vote YES or No on the attached ballot.
Cut it off and mail it to: Carl Henson, 2853 Maesner St., Eugene, Ore.,
97404. The ballots will be counted at the October meeting and the
results will be announced at that meeting.
From
the ARCHIVES
Presidents
Corner 1998
---
Posted 12/14/98
Dear Aeronauts,
I hope that you
have a
wonderful and safe Holiday season. This
has been a very busy year for us and I look forward to another bustling
New Year!
Speaking of which,
please join us crazies as we invite all flyers
to our first annual Polar Bear Fly-in. We will be serving some
hot food and beverages and will betaking pictures of you and your
favorite aircraft. The landing fee is a mere $10.00
Don't forget to
secure
your AMA membership right away if you are
planning to fly with us Polar Bears! It's probably too late to do
it via mail, so get ahold of a fax machine and a credit card and you'll
be all set. Be sure to request a fax confirmation in case your
card doesn't show up before the end of the year.
I have been in
contact
with the county regarding the procedure for
locking the gate. I will provide any information I receive at the
next meeting or check out our web site for the latest
information. I am still perplexed how the county can require us
to lock the gate (using any procedure) when there are often times no
locks to be found - at all!
Oh well, I am very
thankful for the wonderful friends I have made in
the club and wish you a Happy Holiday.
Mark Stafford
---
Posted 11/17/98
Our meetings are
held on
the fourth Tuesday of each month. Our
next meeting will be November 24th . Carl Henson will be giving
us a demonstration on cutting foam core wings. We will also be
voting in our officers for next year.
We have been asked
by
the County to change the way we lock the gate
during the closed hours. It will now be necessary to lock the
gate with the locks under the protective guard AT ALL TIMES. Why
the change. The Bozo contractors at the new sediment site are
constantly leaving the gate completely unlocked. The county
officials believe that if they change a rule and apply it to everyone;
perhaps it might stick. This is the same philosophy my Jr.
high school coach had when a small group of kids went to complain
about Fred Swindleís B.O. problem. He then made everyone
start to where deodorant.
It didn't do any
good.
Fred still stunk. Oh well, we live in a
bureaucracy and under the grace of the County management.
Pilot
Certification/Review? We learn to fly by adding skills and
experience gradually. When certain matters become habitual, we
can go on to the next step and add complexity. Because flying is
so complex we must form good habits from the beginning or at some point
our deficiencies will show up and hinder progress if not compromise
safety.
If we take a
hiatus from
flying, our skills atrophy as well. How
many of us have a difficult time making an approach from the west at
the beginning of the year? In the past the Aeronauts have
had a pilot certification program which gave new pilots a guide to
improve their skills and a goal to become certified. I am not
convinced that all of us who are now considered experienced pilots
could now past these tests which were created as a base line.
The old rating
system
required a pilot to perform the following:
1. A straight
takeoff
and roll out.
2. Fly
inverted
3. Make an
Approach from the right and the left.
4. Fly a box
pattern
5. Fly a
circle
pattern
6. Make 3
consecutive landings and takeoffs without killing the
engine.
Should we require
all
pilots to perform a pilot review? Should we
reinitiate our old pilot rating system with student and certified rated
pilots? I hope you will attend our next and last meeting of the
year to discuss this important subject.
On January
1st you
are officially invited to attend the Eugene
Aeronauts first annual polar bear flying. Come celebrate the new
year by flying in whatever weather we shall encounter.
We will be giving
away
prizes from the local hobby shops and rumor has
it that we will be dining for lunch on black-eyed peas and corn
bread. Have a Aeronaut Espresso (served by yours truly) or
be adventurous and try some Canadian Army Coffee. What a great
way to start the new year. Hope to see ya all there!
Mark Stafford
---
Posted November
18, 1998
• Locking the Gate
The county has
complained to us that the gate we all use is not being
locked up properly, or at all. After a thourough discussion at
last months meeting, we came to the conclusion that we were being
unfairly blamed. Nonetheless, as "guests of the county" we must
all ensure that our members take proper measures to ensure that the
gate gets locked up properly (see below).
In addition, if
you
should ever come to the gate and find it unlocked,
or locked improperly, please report the following information to either
Mark Stafford,. The date, time, and whether you observed any other
people or cars in the surrounding area (not limited to our field area).
Proper way to lock
gate:
Locks must always
be
locked under the protective guard (INSIDE of metal
box) at ALL times. Never leave the padlocks on the outside.
Mark
Stafford
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