Brad’s Corner for Aug/Sept 2016

Hey Flyers!!!
I would like to start off this month’s note with a few safety concerns. As we finish August and move into September we can expect the temps to remain pretty high. This brings a couple of things to the forefront. Fire safety needs to be in the daily thought processes of all persons utilizing our site. With the fires in the area lately, you can imagine what will happen if an accident gets out of control… I handed out a few more fire extinguishers in the end of June. The idea is to always have a few on hand every day of the week. Please do not be afraid to use them when needed! Also, with how warm it has been lately, please ensure you bring plenty of drinking water and stay hydrated. One of our members ended up in stage 3 kidney failure this last month due to dehydration. It’s not a bad idea to bring a few portable pop-ups and some hats to provide shade.
I am again going to put out a general call to members to LOCK THE GATE if you are the last one out. There has been some dumping happening that I suspect has been going on while our site was unoccupied and the gate was open. A couple of the early morning crowd has reported that quite often the gate is either open, or closed – but not locked. Please help keep our site safe!
Thanks to Tom and Chief for their continued efforts at keeping the weeds from reclaiming the runway and pit area. They have been spraying and chopping during the week. As we talk about field maintenance, there are a few soft areas between gate 3 and 6 that have developed over the last few months. Some folks have had their landing gear ripped off or had a plane flip over after a decent landing. Jim plans to rent the water truck and roller after he returns from vacation. To help prep the field for this, I would like to have a follow up to our “ Get your Rocks off” event we did in February.  On Saturday the 27th, prior to commencing our monthly Fun Fly, I would like members to bring brooms and sweep of the rough areas. Maybe 1/3rd of the field will need to be swept.
 Brad Alix recently donated a brand new 5 MPH sign for the driveway into our site, this one is larger and will be more visible. We still have the general public blowing into our site at 30 MPH or above, and I continue to ask them to slow down, maybe the new sign will help… However, about half of the people kicking up dust are members that are so excited to get to their respective area that they seem to have blinders on and literally race to their parking spot. Please keep your fellows in mind and don’t dust everyone out.
Membership is now over 400. I believe this is largely due to our general members being welcoming to new people and willing to answer questions or share quality information. All I can say is “THANK YOU!” to all of you. Thanks also to Isabel for her diligence in keeping track of all membership and AMA happenings. As a usual note, please keep wearing your badges at the site, and don’t be upset if you are not wearing it and someone asks to see it. On that note, you do not have to be a member of the board to ask people to verify they are members. You pay for access – why should others play for free? Please do not force a confrontation, but remember that if they are not members, it’s likely they do not have AMA either. These people put our entire site at risk. If they cause damage and just leave, the fingers will point at us.
You will hear this same topic from me over the next few months.  While most of your current board of directors have agreed to continue representing you during 2017, there are a few that have indicated they would like to move on. Please consider taking a hand in the direction of the club for the next year or two. ALL of the positions are open to nominations, and if you feel you have something to offer I would like you to throw your (or your buddy’s) name into the hat for nominations in October. Sadly we have heard a couple of comments from members that “I don’t want to get involved, I just want to have fun!” While I understand this position, it still takes guidance to keep a club this large from having a TON of drama and issues, and making the FUN happen! Some of you have come over from other local clubs and know EXACTLY what I mean.
I appreciate those of you that have brought chairs to the field! We could use a few more, but we are quite a bit above where we were at the end of June. Also still accepting used carpeting if you are having yours replaced.
 Our Monthly Fun Fly and club meeting day will be this Saturday, 27 August. If you attend, please bring a broom! This month’s event is Jet Day. The event will kick off at 10:00 AM, with general flying restricted until all jet pilots have logged their flights. All jet pilots will have a chance at $150.00 in prize money.  Traditionally jet day lasts between 60 and 90 minutes, and will be followed by our monthly meeting and a hot dog lunch.
 
Brad