Hey Sport Flyers,

 

I'm quite excited right now.  As I type I see that it is February 9.  One month from today Daylight savings time starts.  Another hour at the end of the day means the Wednesday evening flying starts.  Not that you can't fly any other time of the week, but it's a day to plan on.  A great way to relieve a bit of stress in the middle of the work week.  For those that are retired and don't work, it's a great way to them old bones up off the couch.  I know you may miss Oprah so get that video recorder turned on and load up a plane or two and come out and fly.

 

A couple weeks ago a group of us showed up at the Bolivar High School gym for an evening of indoor flying.  Huge thanks to Terry Jackson for getting that set for us.  Hopefully we didn't scare anyone so bad they won't let us back in there again.  I got some good video footage.  As soon as I get a Firewire card for my new computer I'll make a video and have it uploaded to our homepage.

 

I was glad to see a good turn out at our last meeting.  Several members showed up to meet Chris Holt.  He now owns the land our club uses.  There were great discussions.  In a nut shell we must continue what we've always done.  Keep the field clean of trash, maintain our buildings and especially be courteous to our neighbors.  Chris plans to upgrade the runway at some point in time.  There will most likely be a full scale hangar built just south of where we are now.  Chris plans to develop the land for commercial purposes so we shouldn't have much worry about noise bothering anyone.  At some point in the future the land we sit on could possibly be sold for hangar space.  I asked Chris at the meeting if there was a chance of the club purchasing the land.  He said we could.  We need to discuss it as a club and make a decision.  So, in my opinion we have nothing to worry about for a while.  Go out and enjoy yourselves and don't worry about the future of the clubs current flying site.  Please don't start rumors!!  Unless it's printed in the newsletter, or you hear it directly from me or Chris himself, don't believe it to be true.

 

Next month I'm going to look in to running an add in the Bolivar paper to try to stir up some interest in the club.  I bet there are several people that don't even know our club exists.

 

I had a discussion with Terry Jackson.   We really need to get the kids on the sticks and get them some hours so they can solo.  As soon as the weather settles down enough to fly we'll be burning fuel.  Thru the week and on weekends myself and a volunteer or two need to make time to get them flying.  With an instructor, wind shouldn't be a major factor. They need to fly in the wind as much as the calm.  Randy and I would like some pictures taken and we'll write up an article that will hopefully be published in Model Aviation.

 

See you at the meeting this Thursday!  Think about the mowing situation.  Another month things will be greening and growing.  We need a plan.

 

Adam Quennoz

BSF President

 

Treasurers report - $1285.00

Adam called the meeting to order at 6:25.  

Adam requested that we all think about what we want to do for lawn mowing this year.  We are open to just about any option.  Some options suggested were to purchase a mower and set up a mowing schedule or hire it out if we can find someone that will do it for a price we can afford.

March 15^th and 16^th are scheduled as work days with a rain make up the following day

Spring fly in, March 26^th

Heli event the weekend after Mothers day and the Pro Bro the last weekend in June.

New business:

Discussion on the new Park Flyers.

Helping Herb Hines wife sell Herbs R/C equipment

26 January -Indoor Flying at the Bolivar High School.  Recommend a rubber nose cone.

Chris Holt and his wife, our new land owners were in attendance at our meeting.  He is happy to let us continue to use the field, and asks that we be good neighbors and take good care of the place.  He is very interested in just about any form of aviation. 

TIPS FOR CLUBS

from the Fort Worth Thunderbirds Radio Control Association Inc., Fort Worth, Texas

How Much Land is Really Needed?
When a club needs to find a new RC flying site, the logical question must arise as to how much space is really needed. Negotiations with site owners will usually require this kind of information. Having been through this process with our own club, here are some approximate numbers to help you determine the space required. In every case, it can be argued that much more land is required or that much less land can suffice, but here is a place to start.

Assume that your RC flying site will have a runway of 400 feet in length and 50 feet wide. A club will normally mow about 400 feet or more on each end for approach and departure clearance. To lay out a comfortable spectators area with a shelter, parking lot, a flightline and pilots positions, the runway and some mowed area on the other side of the runway, all laid out in accordance with recommended AMA safety standards, will require a total field width of roughly 600 feet. While a smaller field width might be possible, be careful to maintain an adequate and safe separation of spectators from flight operations and pilots from the active runway.

Using these dimensions, a total of 16.52 acres is required for ground operations. In addition, an overfly area of 40 to 60 acres will be used by average fliers.Q

From the Central Arizona Modelers, Inc., Sedona, Arizona