Daily Archives: August 27, 2021

19 posts

Chairman’s Corner for Aug – Sep 2021

Hey flyers,
Right off the bat I would like to touch on the pandemic status in San Diego County. As most of you know, there has been an upward trend of positive cases over the last 2 months. The number of fatalities has thankfully remained low. There were never statements that the vaccines were 100% effective, so even vaccinated persons can still contract and spread Covid 19. Reliable medical officials state that vaccinated persons generally do recover faster with less of the serious side effects that unvaccinated persons are still suffering from. The Pfizer Vaccine has recently received FULL FDA approval, I hope this helps if you have still been on the fence… Please do what you feel is necessary to keep your loved ones, and associates safe. As before – stay home if you feel sick.
 We are halfway through summer, with potential for another 90+ heat wave or two expected before things start to cool off. I do notice people drinking lots of water on site and am happy to see that. During previous summers I have seen numerous folks get shaky from heat exhaustion and dehydration. Since we spend several hours on site at a time, portable shade canopies and beach umbrellas are still recommended along with Minimum SPF15 sun block to protect you from harmful rays. There are a couple of members having biopsies on “questionable” moles this month. At least we could attempt to wear a hat.
Along with the suns effects on us, the outer field area is EXTREMELY dry. The tiny bits of moisture we have seen this month was of no help. I have recently seen a few members carry extinguishers into the field when a crash occurs ( Thanks Jovi and Jeff! ), and suggest we continue this practice for the remainder of the year.
 Thanks go out to Quan and Dennis for procuring and driving the equipment to wet and roll the main runway this month. Dennis was on the roller for 7 hours straight – like a BOSS! Quan also had the water tanker driver soak the parking lot area, which will reduce the dust from the ‘Andretti’ like persons speeding through our lot. While thanking Dennis, I would also like to highlight him for the hours of weed abatement and random trash removal he does for us. On top of all of this, I see him helping others with their projects for hours at a time – sometimes not getting in a single flight on his own planes all day. Such sacrifice!! Thanks again Dennis!!
We continue to look at ideas for improving the surface of the main runway. We thought we had a way ahead with stabilized decomposed granite, and the park manager was agreeable with the idea. Sadly, once the local contractors found out we were attempting to upgrade city property at Mission Bay, they assumed we were funded by the city and the cost estimates became astronomical. While we would all like a more consistent surface, the BOD will not bankrupt the club to do so… Steve Neu and Carl Cox have recently approached some contractors that are friendly, so there is still hope of reasonable resolution.
 Quan has again volunteered to head up the end of year banquet committee. If you would like to join him in planning efforts, please let him or Jovi know. While the pandemic kept us home last year, the years prior were stellar events – also coordinated by Quan. Sadly the Harbor House is no longer available as a venue, we are looking for alternative locations. In the past we have enjoyed dinners that were served as well as buffet style. We are already discussing some pretty awesome raffle prizes, more to follow as we finalize plans.
Membership is close to pre-pandemic numbers and we should end the year with around 350 members the way things are going now. As people tend to ask this time of year – Sorry, we do not pro-rate membership rates. The $50.00 initial fee and $10.00 family member fee applies no matter which part of the year you join. I feel there is incredible value if you participate in the monthly events, and especially if you attend the banquet! 
 On a safety note we have some newer members that are now good enough to be dangerous. That being said, while you have the ability to do high speed passes directly over the fence, please refrain. While you have the confidence to come in at 90 degrees to the runway – aiming directly at the pit area at full throttle, with the plan to yank it away at the last possible second…, please refrain. One wrong input or a failed servo has the potential to put your plane into a fellow member, spectator, or vehicle. Some people may remember past BOD member, Scott F. – he took one to the temple a few years ago. It happened so fast the pilot had no time to react. You could see the specific cuts the full throttle propeller made to the bill of his cap as it hit him. Luck was with him, and he didn’t need to be hospitalized, but the potential was there. Please consider the safety of all while determining your flight path! I saw another near incident last weekend when two pilots were flying from gates one and two. The gate two pilot called “landing” way early. While gate two pilot was still on his 3 minute landing approach, the gate one pilot landed in the weeds at the end of the runway. He failed to notice the other guy was ( finally ) on final – and stepped out directly in the path of the plane now 10 feet away and headed directly at him. While he stated he called “on the runway”, if the guy at the next gate can’t hear you – you need to find your “ Man voice”. A few take aways : Please call landing when you are actually on final – not 2 or 3 passes away. If you need to go around – call it so others know what is happening ( they may need to land and could be waiting for you). Also, LOUDLY announce any time you are stepping on the runway surface AFTER (AFTER) carefully looking in all directions to ensure it is safe to step out. As a final safety note, if you are losing control of your aircraft – YOU should be the one warning others with a loud “HEADS UP!” announcement. 
 There will forever be homeless people in Mission Bay Park. There are no fences to keep people on foot and on bicycles out of our area. No matter how many e-mails I receive stating that it is somehow my responsibility to get them out of the field, the reality is that it is beyond my control. Periodically the city comes through and moves them out, but they come back within a day or two. There was an incident late in July where a homeless individual loudly approached a lone drone pilot screaming at him for “ spying on him “. The pilot quickly packed his items and left, which is what I recommend if you feel at risk. Again, if you are there alone, it is your decision to fly or wait for others. If you fly FPV, you are required to have a spotter at all times anyways – so you should never be ‘under the hood’ while by yourself. There are commercially available items such as pepper spray that you can keep on you or in your flight box if needed. Immediately call 911 if you or your property is injured or damaged in any way. A picture of the aggressor is recommended if possible.
It looks like efforts from our editor, Steve – and his tech support, Quan, have our For sale by members area of the website operational again. If you would like to sell items to make room for more ( of course ) please send your submissions to Steve at editor@sefsd.org. Include a description if the model, components, condition, price, contact information, and a pic or two.
3 or 4 of you have personally mentioned that you were thinking of nominating yourself for a position on the Board Of Directors for 2022. We will start taking nominations in October with voting in November. If you would like to sit in on a meeting let any BOD member know. The next meeting will be on September 8th
This months Fun Fly event and club meeting at the field will be this Saturday, the 28th and will start at 10:00AM. Jovi has been going a great job of selecting and running events since we re-started them. If you have a fun idea, let him know maybe your event will make the calendar! For August, the event will be Altitude Quest, which is a favorite because any pilot that is past solo stage can play and it’s fun to see how accurately people can judge their height. Thanks go to Jovi, Mark, and Carl for coordinating and executing the hot dog lunch to follow the meeting.
See you there!
Brad

President’s Corner for Aug – Sep 2021

Welcome to the Dog days of Summer.  August club meeting is just around the corner and what a fun time our last event was, Poker Fly (more soon).  I was also happy to see how many members showed up, great to see you all and as always looking forward to see more of you out at the field.  Thanks Mark and Carl with prepping the Hot Dogs and all the goodies that came with it.  Looking forward for our August meeting!!!

A few notes:  The surrounding area around the field is very dry.  If an aircraft goes down, I know we slowly walk out to it, thinking all is good, which in most cases has been good.  Let’s not take it for granted.  Fire Extinguishers are more important to have now with the field being dry.  Costco had them on sale, not sure if they still are sale.  Please, if you’re able to, bring a fire extinguisher with you.

In the last meeting, we had this one question come up a few times about the gate and being the last person and I just want to make sure (no names mentioned here, right Alan) very member is aware of…. You’re the last one out, Lock the Gate behind you as you leave the field!  This will maintain the integrity of our field!

Poker Fly

28 members joined in the fun.  All were able to draw their first 3 cards.  Just like in Vegas, you get a lousy first three cards, some got a pair like Ty with pair of Kings, good for fifth place, way to go Ty!  But even with a pair you still need to collect your two remaining cards.  Right after receiving your three cards, it was time to fly, come back get your fourth card.  Fly come back for your fifth card.   Then you had the opportunity to discard a card, fly receive a card and if you still needed too, discard a second, fly get your last card and hopefully you got the had you wanted.  So, without further delay here are the winners:

  • As mentioned, congrats to Ty for taking fifth place with a pair of Kings – $10.00
  • Fourth place went to Scott with two pair threes and sixes – $20.00
  • Third place went to Nick with three eight’s – $30.00
  • Second place went to Jia with three nines – $40.00
  • First place went to George Horper drawing just five cards with a Flush, Hearts! – $50.00

Congratulation to you all!

This Month it’s Altitude Quest.  Here is how it’s going to go.  Any airplane may play.  No Drones allowed.  You will be able to drawn, spin to get you altitude anywhere from 25 to 199 feet.  A device will be mounted on your plane and will record the altitude you are to achieve.  You are going to be judge on your height your aircraft achieves.  The closer you are to you mark, wins.  Prize will be TBD.

Looking forward to seeing you all at the field!

Jovi

Club Event for August 2021

This month’s Club Event:
Saturday August 28, 10:00am

Altitude Quest!

One of our easiest games to play,

Simply spin the game spinner to get an altitude target,
then take off and try to fly your plane
as close to that altitude as possible.

 We use the JollyLogic Altimeter One device
to see how close you get!
$150 in Prizes awarded, 1st through 5th place.

 Monthly Meeting, and Hot Dog Lunch served afterward.

Modelers are the Best!

Two recent instances:

First

Just want to tell you about what occurred at the field this past Saturday Aug. 21st.

Upon landing my Maule, (a perfect landing of course) one of the main landing gear wheels came off. The wheel is held on by a very, very small c-clip, (Jesus clip) which because of the hub design is difficult to get back on. Watching me struggle with it Jim, Rick, Jovi, Other Brad, Fredrick, and a few others I can’t remember right now, came to assist me and get the wheel reinstalled.

This may sound like a small thing but it highlights how our club members are always ready, willing, and able to help a member out. This is one of the things that makes SEFSD such a fantastic flying club.

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Brad who mentored me back into being a fairly competent RC pilot with the assistance of Jovi at times.

Best regards,

Alan Isaacs

Second

A group of us fly at a place with lots of obstacles.  One is a kin to Charlie Brown’s “Kite Eating Tree”.  On a windy day recently it reached out and grabbed my UMX Waco.  Naturally it was about 25 feet up.  Everyone stopped flying and came to the rescue.  A few of us fashioned a long stick that we used to whack and coax the recalcitrant Waco from the clutches of the tree.  We beat poked and prodded.  Seemed everyone was keen to get a turn at whacking my poor little plane.  During this time I suggested we use Bob’s car to ram into the trunk of the tree and try to shake the plane loose.  If that didn’t work then we could back the car up and try again, and again, until it fell out.  Bob was not sure he liked the idea.  The Waco whacking continued until it slowly got lower and lower in the tree.  Finally, Bob stood on Jim’s tailgate and beat it with a metal pole until the completely thrashed little plane fell into Randy’s arms.  Thanks guys for your help!  It probably took a half hour to get it out.  Modelers really are the best.  A very short video:

Steve B.

Tanking by the Bay

M4 Sherman 05

By Bob Stinson

Back in July some of you may have noticed a couple of members – me and Scott V – piloting something different than planes; tanks! Steve B was there to take some photos and published them in our newsletter. More recently, you may have seen me “playing in the dirt” at the east end of the runway. So, what was all that about?

Radio control tanks is a niche hobby that nevertheless enjoys an international following. There are forums dedicated to it and aftermarket suppliers throughout the world.  As in our hobby, advances in electronics and battery technology have greatly expanded choices. The most common scale for these tanks is 1:16, which makes them about 12 to 18 inches in length.

A basic r/c tank runs on 2.4ghz, which controls two motors driving each side’s tracks. A motor operates the turret traverse and another controls the main gun elevation. Some tanks have airsoft pellet firing capability and some have infrared emitters and receivers enabling drivers to battle. Many have both. Tanks can have sound and exhaust smoke generators, headlights and taillights. Models span early WW2 through the latest MBT’s currently operating.

An entry level tank is mostly plastic. This includes the body, wheels and tracks. There are metal upgrades for all of these, as well as additional details to enhance authenticity. There are advanced radios, transmission gears and main control boards. The extent of customization is governed only by imagination and your pocketbook! A full setup – tank, transmitter and a battery – can be as little as $200 or north of $1500. Most use Lithium Ion batteries, but upgrades may include Lipos or Nimh’s. Weight, which is an airplane’s nemesis, is actually an advantage for tanks. It increases traction and realism. Painting, detailing and weathering if desired are all potentially a part of the hobby.

Clubs exist to, among other reasons, provide opportunities for “tankers” to battle each other. using IR capabilities. A tank will receive a number of hits and will stop when this is achieved. You’ll be a dead hulk until a scenario objective is achieved or only one tank survives. Los Angeles and San Diego both have battle clubs. Some battlers travel for hundreds of miles to participate. “Hobby Squawk” is a forum that includes a number of local participants. “RC Tank Warfare” is another forum based in England with members from all over the world. Google will direct you there and undoubtedly reveal more.

I’ve attached some photos of these pocket monsters. Check out SoCalBobS on Instagram and the Hobby Squawk website and Robert Stinson on Youtube for more information about this hobby, or talk to me and Scott V at the flying field.

Bob Stinson

T28 racing Report for August 2021

We had good turnout of 11 pilots show up for T28 race day. Prior to the start of racing Otto Dieffenbach and I hosted a short talk on useful “tips and tricks” for pilots looking to improve their racing results. We can do this again if there is interest—let me know.
Racing started a little after 10 with the usual 3 preliminary rounds. We had some exciting  and close races—once the dust settled the scores were totaled and the flight order was set for the 10 lap cup race round. The results were as follows:
Bronze class:
1) Ty 
2) David
3) Larry
Silver class:
1) Steve M
2) Alfred
3) Bob 
Gold class:
1) Steve N
2) Brad
3) Alex
4) Otto
5) Randy
The gold class race was rather crowded as there was a 4-way tie in the preliminary results for second place—so the race dictator (me) decided that a 5-plane heat would be a fun. The race was pretty rough with 4 of the pilots recording at least one cut and one clipping the pylon resulting in a busted prop and an early off field landing—no real damage done.
Mark your calendars for the next race on Sept 11 at 10am. Email me if you need a race number sneu@mac.com
Steve Neu
Click the pic for the whole album of T28 Racing pics:

Safety Corner for August 2021

We have had a pretty mild summer with lots of good flying days at Mission Bay. For the most part everyone has been using common sense and flying safely. There are however a few things that I see starting to be issues. In no particular order here are things we all need to work on:
1) Call out ‘takeoffs’ and ‘landings’ in a clear loud voice so people up and down the flight line can hear!
2) Takeoffs and landings should be aligned with the long axis of the runway and into the wind—taking off across the width of the runway is just plain bad practice which risks not only your model but others who may be landing.
3) When there are other people, flying please follow the standard “race track” pattern with the upwind leg aligned with the near edge of our runway and the down wind leg 100-200 feet further out. This helps avoid mid air collisions. 
Regarding the entry gate—please follow these simple guidelines:
1) First person in opens the gate and should leave it open for other members or visitors.
2) Last member to leave should inform any visitors that the gate is going to be locked when they leave and that they should leave to avoid being locked in.
3) There maybe situations where the gate should be closed after every entry or exit to prevent the flying area from being used as a parking lot for special events—if this is to be implemented members will be told in advance.
Homeless people—We have some homeless camps in the areas near our field and there have been a few cases where our members have had some physical altercations with persons that clearly were having some mental issues. Try to avoid these people and if you feel threatened call 911. Let the police deal with the problem—retreat to your car and avoid contact. No good will come from any physical interaction with these people!
Stay safe and enjoy nice flying weather!
Steve Neu

Electroglide Report for August 2021

 We had a pretty fun Electroglide last Saturday. It was an overcast morning with a light wind at 10:00 a.m.  Most flight times were on the short side but the real fun was watching the competition between Alex Sutton and Scott Vance.

 First launch had four aircraft take to the cloudy sky. Scott Vance had the longest flight with a time aloft of 4:48 minutes with a 30-point landing. Alex Sutton was close behind with a flight of 4:15 minutes and a 20-point landing. Stephen Treger was third with a flight of 2:39 minutes.

 Second launch had Scott and Alex again in close competition with Scott flying 3:08 minutes with a 30-point landing and Alex flying for 3:03 minutes, also getting a 30-point landing. Dennis LaBerge was third at 2:30 with a 30-point landing.

 Third launch again had short flight times, Alex having the longest at 3:30 minutes with another 30-point landing. Scott flew for 3:09 minutes but landed short of the target circles. Stephen came in third for that launch and picked up a 10-point landing. I managed a 20-point landing.

 For the fourth and final launch the wind, which had been gradually building during the first three launches, now brought some lift. It still took a Radian glider to take advantage of this lift, which both Scott and Alex were flying.  Scott had the long flight, flying for an impressive 8:17 minutes with a 10-point landing. Alex came in second at 7:35 minutes and nailed his third 30-point landing. Dennis came in third at 5:54 minutes.

 The winner with the most flight duration and landing points was Alex Sutton at 222 total points. Scott Vance was second at 187 total points. Dennis LaBerge came in third with 159 points.

 It was really fun watching all the pilots fly so well in such marginal conditions and hats off to Alex and Scott for scoring so many bonus point landings.

Thanks to Frank Sutton for the pictures of the event.

Next Electroglide will be on September 18th. First launch at 10:00.

See you there,

Jeff Struthers

Roy Orbison – Modeler

Bob M.

Roy Orbison grew up very poor.  Many don’t know that his hobby was model airplanes.  He was apparently very detail oriented when building them, although I can’t find any good photos of the models.  I read somewhere that a B-17 he built was very nicely done.  Here are a few photos I found.  I also read in a model plane magazine that even after he became wealthy when he was between tours he still visited his local hobby shop frequently and he still drove his old beat up pickup truck that he loved.

He died at age 52, but the contributors to his early death were no exercise, little sleep, eating burgers, fries, sodas and shakes on a daily basis between performances and chain smoking.  In this B&W Pretty Woman video with Bruce Springsteen you can see the lounge is fuming with cigarette smoke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PLq0_7k1jk

SEFSD Classifieds Now Working Again

With Quan’s expert help, we have our For Sale By Members area of the website operational again. If you would like to sell items to make room for more ( of course ) please send your submissions to Steve at editor@sefsd.org. Include a description if the model, components, condition, price, contact information, and a pic or two.  To view ads, click the link on the website, see below: