PLANE AND SIMPLE

NEXT MEETING MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2003

Pizza at 6:30 p.m. and meeting starting at 7:00 p.m.

Geauga County Airport pilot’s lounge.

Meeting agenda will be new officer introduction, club business and THEN…..

The first annual mini junkyard wars event:  remote control blimps—

Two teams will battle to build flyable radio controlled blimps around an obstacle course in the heated hangar out of materials that will be provided at the clubhouse.  Does that sound like fun or what?

PRESIDENT’S AIRSPACE

January has been a tough month for aerospace/aviation.  Nationally, with the first commercial plane crash in a year in Charlotte, the loss of the Columbia, and the looming threat of war, it sometimes gets hard to focus on the good things to talk about.  All this, in addition to the nice weather we have around here, can get some people down.

A couple of positives this month though: 

Ken was kind enough to show us his Skyraider ultralight he is building (pictures will be on the web site soon).  I think all members present would agree that Ken is extremely meticulous and holds quality to a high standard, which is a good thing when you fly.  One of the nicest “workshops” I have ever seen!  The aircraft is about ready to cover and mount an engine on it.  Hopefully, we can help/encourage Ken to get into the air this year.

I also was lucky enough to go to Seattle and take a Boeing tour at their Everett facility where they make the 747, 777 and 767.  Very impressive, although you can tell the wide body assembly line is down due mostly to the weak Asian market.  They can assemble a 747 every ten days.

While in Seattle, I also went to the Boeing Museum of Flight.  This museum is based around Boeing’s first building (which is pretty much a red barn), surrounded by large modern facilities with an impressive array of aircraft.  Kind of a West Coast air and space museum.  Neat to see how much aviation has grown in a short 100 years.  The museum is full of great aircraft and spacecraft, eager volunteers, retired Boeing employees, and lots of children’s activities and classes for the area school children.  Check it out:  http://www.museumofflight.org/

Unfortunately, the museum became a beacon for a lot of people in the Seattle area the next day after news of the Columbia disaster in the morning.

We hope to see everyone at the next meeting in February which should be very entertaining.  If anyone has an aviation related experience or great story for the newsletter, please feel free to send either me or Naomi an e-mail (NAOMI4815L@HOTMAIL.COM).

GREAT WEBSITES

www.homebuiltairplanes.com

Basically a discussion forum centered on homebuilt aircraft and techniques for building and flying them.  Swap ideas, share stories, post pictures, add links, publish technical data and simply chit chat.  Also a classified section.

www.aopa.org/asf/ifradventure/

on-line IFR refresher.

http://virtualskies.arc.nasa.gov/

cool website.

http://www.sportair.org/schedule.html

detailed information on SportAir workshops including cost, course description and how to register.

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS….

Mark Schaden is still working feverishly on his Pitts.  Can’t wait to see the finished product!  Tim Connor’s First Wings Cessna 150 is now history and in its new home near Cincinnati.  Wayne Link is up and flying again!  The St.Julian’s are boasting a new interior on their Cherokee 180. 

REMINDERS

Dues are OVERDUE.  Please make sure you have paid up and see Clair Stotlar if you are in doubt to your good standing with this chapter!

Have you done your bathroom duty?  Just because we have had numerous sewage back-ups in the pilot’s lounge, is no reason to fluff off your bathroom duty.  Contact Wayne Link if in doubt as to your scheduled clean-up.

UPCOMING EVENTS

February 15, 2003 – Mason, MI at the Mason Jewett Airport (TEW), EAA 55 is having a leadership workshop.  Cost is $25 per person and reservations need to be made immediately.  For more information, check out www.eaa.org/chapters/activities/leadership/workshop_mason_mi.asp

April 2-8, 2003 – Sun n’ Fun (YEHAAA!!!)  Spring is on the way!