Issue #19 Fort Bragg, California January, 2006
I got to spend the Holidays in Seattle! I hope you fared better!
Returned to California and sunshine and discovered someone went for a joyride at our flying field.
They ran over our safety fence, bashed a couple of flight tables, knocked down our flag pole and smashed our frequency "pin" box.
In one hours time Dick Lucas, Cory, Cheri and myself had the broken stuff off the field, the fence posts straightened and the fence back up!
Back to flying and lying and enjoying the sun!
A new guy named Lee showed up with his Christmas present. We talked him into saving it for another day and giving our club trainer a try!!
Soon Lee was on the buddy cord with Dick Lucas instructing.
Cory's wife Cheri has been coming out, helping fix and pick up things around the field and has shown an interest in flying!
Bingo! Dick had her on the buddy cord! And then Cory's friend Chris shows up and wants to fly too.
So! The new year is off to a great start with three new people showing interest in joining our club. Instructor Lucas has his work cut out for him!!
As for Cory...., last month he soloed with the club trainer. Now he shows up with a low wing ARF he bought, powered by a four-stroke!
We all try to talk him into letting someone who knows what
they are doing take it up the first time; at least see if it flies, get it
trimmed out....
Nope! He wants to do it himself.
Well, okay.....
Fly it he does!! His first time up with a brand new plane with a brand new four-stoke and, after some loops and rolls, he is doing low, inverted, high-speed passes! E-gad! His grin in the photo tells the story!
Ron 2 and I have gone back to the drawing board to rethink our approach to model
aviation!!
This just in from club member Jack Casey:
On January 19th I attended the meeting on the "Status of Regional Park and Golf Course" . I met with a few of the committee members, and they suggested that I share my thoughts. So, having gone prepared, I presented an overview of the document attached. As such, the primary person who is driving the Golf Course/Regional Park effort (Jim Hurst), introduced himself, and stated that he was interested in my input and proposed that we meet to discuss it further, which I will attempt to do today. As he commented though, he thought that anything we would be interested in, would be futuristic, in contrast to "soon"! My thought though, is that we still need to pursue whatever we can, that will provide us greater "community positive" exposure.
I've attached what I made my overview from, and what I provided him a copy of.
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A FLYING SITE FOR MODEL
AIRCRAFT IS NEEDED
AND BENEFICIAL TO FORT BRAGG
I represent the local remote control flying club, The Fog Busters, here in Fort Bragg. This club has been in existence for over 15-20 years. They have maintained a low profile most of this time, with only periodic demonstrations, and shows, etc. They have had a good relationship with the former GP Group, and now continue with the current lumber company, and have been using a spot in a meadow owned by the lumber companies. Unfortunately, the site is remote and doesn’t lend itself to other RC activities. Currently our club is starting to grow, and faces the possibility of losing our flying site, with all the changes taking place with the lumber companies.
We would like to propose a partnership with the Regional Parks that will benefit our community by offering model airplane activities, which supports the mission of the Academy of Model Aeronautics. Their mission is to: (Make aero modeling the foremost hobby in the world through promotion, development, education about, and general advancement of modeling activities.) The AMA is a National non-profit Organization.
The Academy asserts that Model Aviation is educational and career building and serves an alternative to other less beneficial activities practiced by today’s youth. There are no physical barriers to aero modeling – it is open to people of all ages, from juniors to senior citizens.
We have found that, in appropriate instances, Superfund sites may offer land for new recreational activities, like RC Fields, when open space is becoming harder to come by. One of those sites might be the GP Bark Site, if the appropriate actions were explored and initiated.
As such, if it could be developed for this purpose, we could create a location for RC airplanes, Cars and Boats, all in one location! It is my understanding that this potential site parallels the Regional Park Site!
Each of these modeling categories have an organized agency that dictates guidelines for conducting activities in a safe and orderly manner. The proposed site would enforce existing rules/guidelines as a requirement for use. Enforcement would be stressed thru the individual club memberships such as the Fog Busters do now, as members of the AMA. Through membership and adhering to rules and safety practices, we even carry individual flight insurance.
This proposal is made for your consideration, to include us in your future planning. We’ll be very happy to contribute in any manner reasonable.
Respectfully…..Jack Casey
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Okay, that's about it for now. February is almost upon us and the weather is iffy but "if" there is a break we will be out at the field Saturday and Sunday mornings, Nine to noonish. Weekdays the field is closed due to logging.
Your humble editor, Ron Bloomquist