Hey Fliers!
I guess this heat is what we get for complaining that it was still cold and cloudy in June!! Remember, during the heatwave, bring a portable shade device, Sunscreen, and plenty of liquids to the field with you. As stated before, it’s not fair to others to arrive without and then ask others for water. They may give you theirs – then have to pack their stuff and go home.
As Jovi mentioned, we ended a successful fundraising raffle on July First. Dennis won the Grand prize -the iX14 radio, and Jovi procured additional funds to put towards more raffle prizes at the end of year Banquet which will be held on Jan 12th. A Win for Dennis, and a Win for the club!!
I am continuing raising money with the 50/50 being held in conjunction with the 3 monthly events. I have reached my initial cash goal which will allow me to offset ticket prices for every member as they purchase their Banquet ticket, and now I am raising funds for a “special” raffle prize. Each 50/50 day there is a member walking away with CASH and a grin! You have to play to win!
Our plans to wet and roll the field are contingent on the schedule of the water truck operator. She is doing a lot of work around the county and cannot get to our tiny slice of heaven for a few weeks. Quan is investigating other sources, but the heat wave is making it difficult.
We are keeping our ears open for notification that our FRIA request has been processed by the FAA. There are already online sites selling transponders for 40-90 bucks depending on your planned usage, but they will not be required at a site recognized as a FRIA. I would recommend not buying anything until we hear of the official ruling which is due on September 15th.
There are quite a few new members in the last few months, and we find ourselves repeating some of the safety requirements – so I’m going to state some of them here for all. Please LOUDLY announce your take offs, intention to land, and any time you are going to step on or cross the field. LOUDLY folks means that people 2-3 gates away should hear you. If your plane is on the field and unable to taxi back, please walk in the pits to the gate closest to your plane, then call “On The Field!” and step out to retrieve it – immediately walking back to the closest gate. Lately I have seen people step out at gate one and walk down the centerline to gate 4 to retrieve their plane – then take a slow stroll all the way back while others are crashing in the weeds with dead batteries. Please respect the common sense pattern we promote at the field. Take off and land into the wind. Upwind passes should be between the centerline of the runway to approximately 30 feet into the weed area. Downwind passes should be 50-100 feet out over the weeds. Back and forth continuous passes over the weed line at full throttle is hazardous to everyone and increase the chance of a mid-air. Figure eights over the runway are extremely discouraged as downright dangerous. Don’t fly within 50 feet of people or animals in the field. At no time should you fly over the fence, pit area, or parking lot. If you have lost control of your plane and it is in an unsafe orientation YOU must call out to let others know of the danger.
We close out July with our meeting and Fun Fly event on the 22nd. The event is another club favorite – Spot Landing. Straight down counts – but you get 3 chances to earn points so don’t do the lawn dart thing on the first try…There may be some interesting changes this month so come prepared for a great time, to be followed by a hot dog lunch.
Have a GREAT August!
Brad
