Hey Guys,
There are a couple of items to discuss this month so I’ll roll right into it.
With all of the fires in California this month, I would like to remind everybody to be extra careful, extra vigilant, and bring a fire extinguisher with you to the field. The entire area is extremely dry and one accident could take down the whole site. If a plane goes in hard off of the runway it is a good idea to bring a “just in case” extinguisher on the walk of shame to avoid having to run back for one in the event of a fire. If there is an incident that seems to be getting out of hand, I need the members actively involved and calling 911 to direct emergency vehicles to the scene. Officially, smoking is not allowed in Mission Bay Park. I know we still have some smokers in the club, please practice your activity well into the parking lot area where there are no flammable materials.
There are some people we have not seen since January, and some new faces that have come along after starting a new hobby while locked inside for a few months. For those that are staying home, we miss you! For the new members, welcome! If you are returning after an extended break or just entering the hobby, please ensure you talk with current members about safety procedures and authorized flight areas at our site. We have had some past members return to the hobby recently who claimed that in “their day” they were allowed to fly over the fence, pits and parking area. I have been with this club for quite a few years and don’t remember that! [I have been with the club much longer than Brad and am sure that has never been true – Steve B.]
Please keep all flight activities over the runway and the field, but always staying south of the sidewalk and foot path near the beach. Also please keep all high speed activities north of the centerline. Failures and accidents do happen.
One thing I’ve noticed this month at the field is a number of 2019 members arriving and flying with their 2019 badges that have not renewed for 2020. While I do understand that Covid kept us away from the field for three months, we do still need to pay dues if we plan to use the site. Please catch up and pay your 2020 dues if you are expired and would like to continue to fly for the remainder of this year.
We recently signed an updated copy of our letter of agreement (LOA) with air traffic control at Lindbergh Field. While we have not made progress and restoring or increasing our current altitude limit to go above 200 feet, there is some progress as once this edition of our LOA is filed – we will be officially listed as a recognized AMA flying club with the FAA. This will give us a little bit more ammunition as we fight in the future for more altitude. Thank you Quan for running this to ground for us.
As we approach the final quarter of 2020, it is time to start thinking about 2021 Board Of Director members. Quite a few of the current board members have stated their intention to run for the Board next year. That being said, all positions are open for competition. We are always looking for members to bring new thoughts and ideas to keep the club fresh! If you would like to become involved in guiding the club next year, please approach any of the board members or send me an email within the next month and I will announce nominations in the October newsletter. Voting for the Board of Directors will be held in November.
I will ask Quan ( Voluntold! ) to figure out some way for us to vote online because we will likely still be under social distancing restrictions.
While on the subject of social distancing, the Electro-glide contest is still on hold, as are our club meetings at the field and the monthly fun-flies. I am thinking at the moment that these will not resume until next year. Since we don’t have as many competitors as last year, pylon racing has resumed on the second Saturday of each month. We are not taking score so it is bragging rights only. Steve, our race master, has stated his intention to hold T28 races for October November and December this year. We are still hoping to have some kind of post-holiday Banquet this year, but at the moment the odds are getting worse.
The gate… I have really enjoyed not being blasted by dirt, dust, and asphalt grindings when random people roll in off of the street at 50MPH and realize they are in the wrong place. I understand how much of a hassle it is to open and close it with every entry/exit and as of this newsletter will revert to leaving it open while members are on site. The last person out MUST take the responsibility to close and lock the gate. If there are empty cars on site, lock them in, they will figure something out. If we start having issues with an unoccupied site with open gate which leads to overnight theft and vandalism, we may have to reinstate the closed gate policy…
That about wraps it up for this month, I hope everybody stays safe and enjoys the rest of the month!
Brad
