This month’s picture shows what happens to your favorite plane when you are not looking…
Another great month behind us!
Independence day was a great success! I would like to start by thanking the volunteers that helped control access at the gate during the critical hours between 6 and 9 PM. Jeff Struthers, Bryan Respess, and Hoang Tran did a great job! As I saw it there were NO unauthorized vehicles on site all day long. Next a shout out to Big Skips BBQ for providing the whole roasted pig and enough beans and potato salad to make everyone happy. Skip and his helpers were all very friendly and we enjoyed them hanging out with us into the evening.
Again, Please throw a “Thanks!” to John Weaver at Discount Hobby Warehouse for giving the club a great discount on the raffle prizes for the 4th as well as the gift certificates for the monthly fun fly’s on meeting days. He always gives us great prices to make our events more valuable! For our Independence day raffle, every member that attended received one ticket . The big winners ( each won a bind and fly warbird from E-flite) were Hoang Tran, and John Laird. Board members (me included) won 3 of the 4 gift certificates. There were some grumbles, but I can assure you we each had the same number of tickets (ONE) as everyone else. I like Jim’s take on the situation. Volunteering for the board of directors = good Karma! If you want to win more, run in the upcoming election! On that note, there will be one, possibly two, positions on the board that will likely be vacated at the end of this year. I would like each of you to consider taking a hand in the direction of the club over the next year or next few years if you so desire. The majority of us will keep the same positions if you will have us, and a few may shift a bit, but stay with the board. If you want your name in the hat, please approach me or Jim prior to the October meeting when we will announce candidates for the November election.
Last month I handed out 14 more fire extinguishers to new members, and members that have a routine presence at the field. Please remember to bring extinguishers with you if possible. I would prefer to have multiple on site when our field is in use. The outlying field has dried out and could cause a problem if we are not prepared.
Myself and another
A quick note on the OTHER Skip – yes, that one… No blood this month, but there were a few instances of planes sliding around in the pits and in the back of his vehicle. Remember, if your transmitter does not have model match technology ( Hitec, Futaba, Airtronics ) if you do not unplug your flight pack after your flight, when you prep another plane the original one will power up on the ground when you least expect it – even if you switch models.
When you have a few minutes, take a look at the new tables that recently went in at the rotorplex area. Very nice tables of slightly different design. We will see how they work and when the tables at the main runway need replacing – may go that way. Again, thank you to the volunteers that assisted in auguring out the holes for the bases, and actually setting them up. One of our local vendors agreed to re-imburse our costs, so expect to see a few logos on the new tables.
Myself and a member pitched in and bought some new chairs a couple of weeks ago, and they are still there! I purchased chairs that DAVE can’t lean back in so hopefully they last more than a few months. We are still looking for more chairs, so if you have some taking up space in the backyard as summer ends, we will gladly take them off your hands.
We are still receiving new applications for membership each week. The last number reported by Isabel was 397, so we are on track to exceed last year. I really appreciate the way you all promote a welcoming environment to spectators and people coming for information. Helping each other succeed in this fine hobby is one of the best parts! I have heard a couple of members state that they know people that want to try it, but don’t want to shell out initial money. I will toss out a reminder that the club has a couple of completely set up training aircraft with buddy box capabilities. If you have a friend, neighbor, or relative that would like to try flying model airplanes, and you are a competent trainer (or enlist the aid of one) you can check out the clubs gear and get someone the first steps without them having to pony up a couple hundred bucks before they are sure this hobby is for them.
There are already people stepping up to plan and execute our holiday banquet. If you want to be part of it please let me know. We will firm up the committee in a few weeks and get them started. This year will be better than last year – and last year was amazing – so make sure you RSVP online when the mail to do so comes out.
This month’s club meeting will be held on the 23rd at the field. The fun fly – BOMB DROP!! YEAH!!!, will start around 10:00 AM and will be followed by the meeting and beef hot dogs for lunch.
