[Your Editor asked Ray to submit something about his tenure on the SEFSD BOD]
This is a brief sketch of the 10+ years I have served as our club`s liaison with the city of San Diego.
I have given up this position in order to travel in a different direction. About 10+ years ago several of us decided to make our club more visible after encouragement from a city planner. Back then, Steve Manganelli and I attended a city-planning workshop in Mission Valley for the purpose of informing city planners that we existed, and flew electric models in South Shores Park. In addition we attended many meetings of the Mission Bay Park Volunteer Committee, at times outnumbered 30:1 by the “dog owners” in the audience.
The result of these meetings was the issuing by the city of an ROE [Right of Entry] permit. [This ROE is to be distinguished from “Rules of Engagement“]. The 2014 ROE was due 9/14 but it had a “boilerplate” flavor that did not suit our club, so a revised permit will soon, if not already, be signed. This ROE comes up for renewal every two years and we are most fortunate to have the use of a multimillion-dollar airpark for a very reasonable cost.
After building good relationships with city employees, we have been able to extend our runway east, thus avoid flying over the blue gazebo. We have limited unauthorized use of our ground space by placing boulders and logs in strategic places, with erection of caution signage. The “Chief” and others, too numerous to mention, have constructed and installed functional tables and have made positive runway improvements.
So to conclude, the future will probably see us establishing a good working arrangement with Lindberg ATC, even in this age of crowded airspace.
Best to you all,
Dr. Ray Fulks
