Blast from the Past
Reply
Category Archives: Uncategorized
In Lieu of Minute of the Meeting, 10 March 2020
We held a very informal meeting 10 March, 2020. No minutes were taken, but I do have some notes both from the meeting and learned since then.
The regatta that was scheduled 14 March was delayed due to weather. Tentatively rescheduled for the Saturday following the next meeting, April 18.
We will be having a picnic at Hillcrest Park on Saturday, May 16.
Two up-coming events of interest. (Thanks to George Ellison for information)
March 28, 7:30AM until done, RC Flyers Unlimited, 28th Annual Spring Swap Meet. Oakdale CA. (about 80 miles and an hour and a half from Concord) See the flyer here.
The West Coast Giant Scale Fly-In (formerly held at the former Castle Air Force Base) will be held in the City of Reedley sponsored by the Clovis Area Modelers (clovisrc.club) in coordination with the Central California Model Flyers. (About 200 miles and three hours from Concord.)
Full details here: https://clovisrc.club/events/reedleygiantscaleflyin/
The Venue Details
- Dates: May 20-25, 2020
- Location of the Event – Reedley Municipal Airport
- Hosted by: Clovis Area Modelers RC Club – AMA Club #5405
- Reedley Municipal Airport, Fresno Cnty – Frankwood Ave/Central Ave.
- “IMAA” Legal Turbines Welcome
- Helicopters are Welcome
- Open Flying after 5PM daily
Fees, Camping, and Parking
- Overnight Camping – No Hookups
- No charge to Registered Pilots for Airplane Trailers, Tow Vehicles
- Pilot Vehicle Access – $5 for the entire event
- RC Model Landing Fee – $35.00 (unlimited aircraft)
- RV/Camping Fee – $40; or $60 for front row (limited – 1st come basis)
- Spectator Auto Parking – $5 per day
In lieu of minutes of the Jan. 14, 2020 meeting
Attendance at the Jan. 2020 meeting was sparse with only myself and six other hardy members, so we really did not take minutes, but there were two notable discussions and distribution of a lot of hobby materials free for the taking, rather than our normal raffle.
The primary topic of discussion was the FAA notice of proposed rule making requiring remote ID of “UAS,” or unmanned air systems which by their definition includes all radio controlled aircraft. I will address this concern in more depth below.
The other topic was discussion of an opportunity to view a remarkable HO scale model railroad club lay out, the Carquinez Model Railroad Society (CMRS) which is located in Crockett. This is only about 25 minutes from the Church Gym where we have our meetings.
This is their website: http://cmrstrainclub.org/
2020 Open Houses (All Open Houses are from 10 AM to 4 PM. Requested Donation – Adults $5, kids are free)
Sunday January 26th
Saturday and Sunday March 14th & 15th
Saturday and Sunday May 16th & 17th
Saturday August 8th
Saturday and Sunday October 17th & 18th
Saturday and Sunday December 12th & 13th
Below is a video of their lay out. Toward the end it seemed to intermittently loose the sound, but if gives you a good view of the operation of the layout. Crockett is an interesting place to visit anyway.
Below is a copy of a statement and plea from the AMA website. https://www.modelaircraft.org/about-ama/advocacy
On December 26, the FAA release a proposed rule for remote identification of UAS. There are several areas of concern with the proposed rule that AMA will be pushing back on and we need your help advocating for change.
While the proposal does include AMA’s request to exempt flying sites, the rule should also provide community-based organizations (CBOs), like AMA, more flexibility to establish and maintain fixed flying sites that satisfy remote ID compliance. Second, the rule should create a pathway for remote ID compliance at AMA events and competitions, which may not take place at fixed flying sites. Third, the rule should account for situations where there is no internet connectivity, as many safe places to fly are in rural areas with little or no service. Finally, the rule should not require modelers to register every aircraft individually.
The FAA is accepting comments on the remote ID proposal until March 2, 2020. We have also requested an extension on the comment period to give everyone more time to weigh-in. To help us achieve the best possible outcome on the final rule, it is critically important that everyone submit a comment.
To submit a comment, go to the remote ID proposal page on the federal website here. Click on the “SUBMIT A FORMAL COMMENT” button at the top of the page. You can copy and paste the template in the blog below into the comment box, edit it to include your personal experience, or create your own message entirely. Complete the form and click on the “SUBMIT COMMENT” button at the end. Please note that comments and information provided are public knowledge.
When writing your comment, please identify your concerns with the proposed rule. It is very important to provide a summary of how your concern will impact your model aircraft operations and include data to back up those concerns. For example, use numbers and address the financial impact the proposal will have on you and suggest alternative solutions.
Thank you in advance for your advocacy. If you are interested in reading a more detailed summary of the FAA’s remote ID proposal, visit our blog here.
Personally I think we could make a good case for excluding aircraft that have no autonomous navigation capability for the requirements for remote Identification.
–
Below is the template for response Dennis Romano referred to during the meeting. Feel free to copy and paste as much or as little as you feel inclined.
–
This proposal is very disturbing. It is a violation of our right to privacy and personal freedoms by requiring remote identification of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). I am deeply concerned that some elements of the proposal could impose significant costs on the model aviation community and unnecessarily restrict existing, safe model aircraft operations for recreation as a hobby.
First, proposal includes an option to comply with remote ID by flying at an approved fixed site, I am concerned that the rule arbitrarily limits the number of approved sites and prohibits the establishment of new sites. As such, the rule appears designed to phase out these sites over time, rather than treat them as a viable long-term option for complying with remote ID. I encourage the FAA to review fixed flying sites and to amend the rule to allow for the establishment of new sites in the future. These sites should not be tied to a CBO, if you own property you should be able to apply for a fixed site approval as a land owner.
Second, the FAA must create a pathway for remote ID compliance at model airplane special events and competitions, which may not take place at fixed flying sites. These events take place in defined locations for a short period of time, like an air show. For remote ID compliance purposes, they should be treated like fixed flying sites. I encourage the FAA to create a simple process for event organizers to apply for, and receive, waivers from remote ID requirements for these special events and competitions, many of which support local charities.
Third, the rule must consider hobbyists who fly in rural areas with little or no internet connectivity. As I read the proposed rule, there is a requirement for standard and limited classification to have an internet connection even if flying at an approved fixed flying site in a rural part of the country. Unfortunately, some rural areas don’t have adequate cell service, which means we could not be able to fly. Rural locations are frequently the safest places to fly because they are away from people, other aircraft and structures. The FAA needs to provide a solution for these areas, such as the ability to comply from home or other WIFI-enabled locations, or the ability to operate a standard or limited classification aircraft within a FRIA without using RID broadcast. .
Fourth, the annual cost of adding RID equipment to a cell phone account that will require a Smartphone with annual subscription of a service provider are just additional financial burdens on the hobby. We have enjoyed this hobby safely since the 1940’s without the use of RID or the complexity of connecting to the internet while flying model aircraft. Our hobby is line of sight non autonomous flight.
One of the stated purposes of this rule is to improve safety by providing situational awareness to the manned and unmanned aircraft that are operating in the NAS. This rule does not provide any ADS-B type signal for manned aircraft or ATC. RID for commercial drone operations should be just like manned aircraft based on ADS-B, not the internet. Commercial UAS aircraft should be equipped with software like “Geo Fencing” to prevent flight near congested airspace.
Finally, the FAA should reconsider the proposal to register each aircraft, which will impose a cost and compliance burden on the recreational model aviation community. While individual aircraft registration may make sense for beyond line of sight commercial and autonomous operations, it is an unnecessary requirement for aircraft designed to be flown within line of sight for recreation. We build and fly model airplanes because it is a passion; and many of us own dozens of aircraft of different shapes and sizes, some of which we fly infrequently. The time and cost involved in registering each model individually would be substantial and runs counter to the current registration framework for recreational operators. Also, aircraft that are built by hand do not have serial numbers, which makes individual registration more difficult.
Again, I urge you to carefully consider and address my concerns about the remote ID proposal. Model aviation is the natural precursor to careers in aviation by stimulating young minds, including commercial pilots and engineers and more – jobs which the U.S. desperately needs to fill. Model aviation supports a $1 billion hobby industry responsible for thousands of existing U.S. jobs. We simply cannot afford to further harm the model aviation hobby with overly burdensome requirements.
First, proposal includes an option to comply with remote ID by flying at an approved fixed site, I am concerned that the rule arbitrarily limits the number of approved sites and prohibits the establishment of new sites. As such, the rule appears designed to phase out these sites over time, rather than treat them as a viable long-term option for complying with remote ID. I encourage the FAA to review fixed flying sites and to amend the rule to allow for the establishment of new sites in the future. These sites should not be tied to a CBO, if you own property you should be able to apply for a fixed site approval as a land owner.
Second, the FAA must create a pathway for remote ID compliance at model airplane special events and competitions, which may not take place at fixed flying sites. These events take place in defined locations for a short period of time, like an air show. For remote ID compliance purposes, they should be treated like fixed flying sites. I encourage the FAA to create a simple process for event organizers to apply for, and receive, waivers from remote ID requirements for these special events and competitions, many of which support local charities.
Third, the rule must consider hobbyists who fly in rural areas with little or no internet connectivity. As I read the proposed rule, there is a requirement for standard and limited classification to have an internet connection even if flying at an approved fixed flying site in a rural part of the country. Unfortunately, some rural areas don’t have adequate cell service, which means we could not be able to fly. Rural locations are frequently the safest places to fly because they are away from people, other aircraft and structures. The FAA needs to provide a solution for these areas, such as the ability to comply from home or other WIFI-enabled locations, or the ability to operate a standard or limited classification aircraft within a FRIA without using RID broadcast. .
Fourth, the annual cost of adding RID equipment to a cell phone account that will require a Smartphone with annual subscription of a service provider are just additional financial burdens on the hobby. We have enjoyed this hobby safely since the 1940’s without the use of RID or the complexity of connecting to the internet while flying model aircraft. Our hobby is line of sight non autonomous flight.
One of the stated purposes of this rule is to improve safety by providing situational awareness to the manned and unmanned aircraft that are operating in the NAS. This rule does not provide any ADS-B type signal for manned aircraft or ATC. RID for commercial drone operations should be just like manned aircraft based on ADS-B, not the internet. Commercial UAS aircraft should be equipped with software like “Geo Fencing” to prevent flight near congested airspace.
Finally, the FAA should reconsider the proposal to register each aircraft, which will impose a cost and compliance burden on the recreational model aviation community. While individual aircraft registration may make sense for beyond line of sight commercial and autonomous operations, it is an unnecessary requirement for aircraft designed to be flown within line of sight for recreation. We build and fly model airplanes because it is a passion; and many of us own dozens of aircraft of different shapes and sizes, some of which we fly infrequently. The time and cost involved in registering each model individually would be substantial and runs counter to the current registration framework for recreational operators. Also, aircraft that are built by hand do not have serial numbers, which makes individual registration more difficult.
Again, I urge you to carefully consider and address my concerns about the remote ID proposal. Model aviation is the natural precursor to careers in aviation by stimulating young minds, including commercial pilots and engineers and more – jobs which the U.S. desperately needs to fill. Model aviation supports a $1 billion hobby industry responsible for thousands of existing U.S. jobs. We simply cannot afford to further harm the model aviation hobby with overly burdensome requirements.
Minutes of the October 8th Meeting
Minutes of the October 8th Meeting:
To: Chuck Hill, President, CME
President, Chuck Hill called to order our meeting October 8th, 2019, at 7:29PM.
Roll Call of Officers: 4 officers were present (Chuck, Dennis, Ron, and Maurice) plus 7 Members.
Treasurer’s Report: Chuck stated we have $855.28 currently in our Treasury to date. This includes a $100.00 expenditure for our meeting site’s November rent.
Old Business:
Maurice read the October 8th, 2019 CME Meeting Minutes. They were voted on and accepted and approved by the membership as read.
Several members commented that our regatta at the lake was a success! There will be discussion in the coming months of scheduling another one in early spring (weather permitting.)
New Business:
Instead of a raffle Richard Patterson’s items were given away. The church where we hold our membership meetings may be unavailable for our future use in about a year. The building site may become rental units. The Membership will be informed once the exact date is determined. If anyone knows of a potentially appropriate future meeting location, please let Chuck know. It is agreed by those present that it is wise to start thinking about this now.
There was discussion regarding where the best areas are to fly our model aircraft (R/C and free flight.) Ron will find out if and when Hillcrest Park will be mowed. Also there was a question raised about who is responsible for the park’s maintenance. It was noted that excessive plant overgrowth is not conducive to flying our planes. It was also noted that flying model aircraft at or near the Willow Pass Weapons Station space was not a good place to fly model aircraft either.
Maurice also invited those who are interested in sailing on his 45 foot sailboat to contact him directly at mauricelieberman@comcast.net. He sails all year around (weather permitting) and all members are welcome!
Future Events:
There will be a Christmas Party at Chuck’s TBD in December. There will be more discussion and event planning at our next membership meeting. Everyone was pleased that Chuck’s wife is recovering and doing nicely
There was discussion on FAA’s 400 Feet Altitude Rule for flying R/C planes. Manned aircraft can fly no lower than 500 feet and/or 1,000 feet in populated areas. This rule is strictly enforced unless there is a “defacto” agreement in place for a specific flying event. Also discussed was there is now a written test requirement being developed for an Unmanned Air Vehicle License (UAV.) and recertification.
Parade of Plans and Boats:
Chuck displayed his R/C sailboat.
Chuck adjourned our October CME Club meeting at 8:27 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Maurice Lieberman
CME Club Secretary
Minutes of the Sept. 10 Meeting
Minutes of the Sept. 10 Meeting
To: Chuck Hill, President, CME
President, Chuck Hill called to order our meeting Sept. 10, 2019, at 7:33 PM.
Roll Call of Officers: 3 officers were present plus 6 other Members.
Treasurer’s Report: Chuck stated we have $955.25 currently in our Treasury.
Old Business:
Maurice read the August 13th, 2019 CME Meeting notes. They were voted on and accepted and approved by the membership as read.
New Business:
Maurice and Jerry will be hosting a second club boating event at Newall Park lake off Boxer Bulvd, due to the success of our last one. Our second Regatta event has been rescheduled to the 5th of October. Again, they will have several R/C sailboats available for members to enjoy sailing on the lake. Also they will also have some new boats to display and sail as well (including the steam and tug boats.) Bring your lunch, and a folding chair, and plan to spend the afternoon. They will start setting up around 11:00 AM as before and the boats will run as long as there is interest and/or until everyone’s boat batteries run low! Now is the time to start building guys, so you too can display and sail your boats on the lake. Chuck stated he is presently working on a boat to bring and sail on the lake.
One of the reasons this change was made was due to the threat of poisonous algae that is presently growing in our local lakes, tributaries, and some delta waterways. Skin exposure has been reported to make people very sick and kill animals (dogs) that lick their paws after being exposed. It is expected that the weather will cool down enough, so the water will be relatively safe again. Apparently hot weather stimulates its growth and cool weather kills it off. Since our night temperatures around October are cooler, it is anticipated this will be enough to render the algae harmless. The algae was reported to be in Ellis Lake. None so far has been reported at Newhall Park, but that does not mean it is not there. It is advised to use rubber gloves and wash your hands well when working with your boats on the lake. Maurice will have his model docks in the water for those of you that want some docking practice.
Future Events:
Our annual club picnic will be a pot luck, scheduled for October 12th at our usual flying spot. George will be there with his trailer, coffee and donuts in the morning. We will be flying control line and park flyers weather and wind permitting.
10/11,12,&13/2019; Free Flight Championship, Lost Hills, California (southern.)
10/18,19.& 20/2019; World Free Flight Championship, Lost Hills, California. You must pre-qualify in order to compete in this event, based on prior competition placement(s.) Lodging is limited to only 2 hotels available; Days Inn @ $240.00 nightly rate, and Motel 6 @ $52.00 per night. There will be very skilled pilots with sophisticated aircraft. Some are anticipated to be valued at $5,000.00 or more and will have features such as folding wings and “geared” motors.
09/27-09/29 ; Steamboat Festival in the Delta at B & W Resort in Isleton. Life size antique steam boats from the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s will be on display. Some boat owners will be offering rides and ther is a restaurant and public conveniences on the premisis. Maurice and Jerry will be ther with their model steam boats as well on Saturday th 28th. It is a really fun and historic event! B & W Resort is located at 964 Brennan Isle Road, Isleton, California.
Notice: We still have a blue “Pure Alaska” Large size jacket at one of our prior membership meetings. Please claim it or the jacket will eventually be donated to charity.
Parade of Plans and Boats:
Chuck showed a Spektrum STX2 2.4GHz two channel pistol grip style radio and water resistance receiver, the pair reasonably priced at about $55 delivered on Amazon. Chuck cautioned that these are not compatible with other Spektrum systems.
Chuck adjourned our September CME Club meeting at 8:40 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Maurice Lieberman
CME Club Secretary
Minutes of the Meeting, May 14th, 2019
CME Secretary Report: May 14th, 2019 Meeting Minutes
President, Chuck Hill called to order our meeting May 15, 2019, at 7:30 PM.
Roll Call of Officers: Chuck and Maurice were present: 8 Members and guests (spouses.)
Treasurer’s Report:
Chuck stated we have $1,195.08 currently in our Treasury as of this evening with 4 cents earned in interest to date.
Old Business:
April Minutes were not available as Secretary, Maurice was absent last month.
New Business:
Chuck invited the CME Membership to attend a summer party at his house that he and his wife will be hosting July 13th. More details will follow. Thank you Chuck for yours and your wife’s hospitality!
Memorial Day Weekend: The Castle Air Museum swap meet and large scale model air show will be held the weekend of May 25th. Open cockpit days will be held on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. CAFB is located in Atwater which is about a two hour drive from Concord. George will be bringing his trailer and providing coffee and donuts for us on site. Thank you George!
Due to the expected rain that is expected this weekend it was proposed by Chuck that our upcoming picnic that was planned for this coming weekend be postponed. It was decided to hold our event on a later date when the weather will presumably be more cooperative. A motion was made, seconded, and carried to have our picnic on June 15th instead.
This event will be held at our usual place (Hillcrest Park), situated off Olivera Road. You can fly control line and RC at low altitudes due to the close proximity to the airport. If you wish to park inside the parking lot, the code is 55777 to open the gate
Maurice announced to everyone present he and Jerry would like to host a second club boating event at Newall Park lake off Basset Lane, due to the success of our last one. A motion was made to hold our second Regatta event on September 14th. The motion was voted upon and carried with one member opposed (due to the fact he cannot make it.) Again, they will have several R/C sailboats available for members to enjoy sailing on the lake. Also they will also have some new boats to display and sail as well (including the steam and tug boats.) Bring your lunch, and a folding chair, and plan to spend the afternoon. They will start setting up around 11:00 AM as before and the boats will run as long as there is interest and/or until everyone’s boat batteries run low! Now is the time to start building guys, so you too can display and sail your boats on the lake with them!
New Model and Model Building Supply Sources:
J.M. Hobbies is on Laurel Street in San Carlos specializing in nautical supplies, as well as airplanes, railroad, and other hard to find items.
Cornwall Hobbies website is situated in Cornwall, England. They have several hard to find and unique models and model supplies. It is surprisingly simple and relatively inexpensive to order items form them despite the long distance, so it is certainly worth checking out their website.
Delta Hobbies is located at 1400 West 10th Street in Antioch (L Street off of Highway 4), open at 11:00 AM daily except Mondays. They offer a wide variety of model airplane, car, drone, and other kits, batteries, spare parts, glues, fuel, props, etc. What makes them especially unique is they specialize in model cars and have a race track on the premises.
RC Country is in Sacramento. You can “Google” the address.
Aero Micro Hobby Shop is located at 2090 Duane Ave in Santa Clara.
Ages of Sail in San Lorenzo has both a retail store outlet and a website where you can order models and model building supplies. They have very large inventory on hand of high end ship models to choose from. The staff is not very knowledgeable, but it’s no problem for an experienced modeler to find what you need if you explore what they have in the store. It’s worth a trip just to see the large variety of ship models at all skill levels they have in stock.
Misc. Discussion and Membership input:
Chuck announced that we will not be losing our present meeting location sometime between May and July as originally thought. It appears that the church will not be setting up their school on the premises as they originally had planned. Instead they may eventually sell the property due to financial concerns. However the good news (for us) is there are no immediate plans to sell the building. So, for now we still have our meeting place until further notice.
Parade of Planes and Boats:
Dennis displayed two vintage plastic model kits he is in the process of constructing. One model is the historic PT 109 and the other model kit he brought was a classic Cris Craft motor yacht from the 1960’s. He stated he was inspired to dust off these old model kits because of our first CME Model Boat Regatta held a few months ago at the lake. We look forward to seeing the finished products!
Maurice brought his model docks to display, and explained how he revamped and updated them. He thanked and expressed his appreciation to those that gave him plenty of closed cell Styrofoam to utilize in remodeling his docks.
After George conducted our raffle, Chuck adjourned our May CME Club meeting at 8:37 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Maurice Lieberman
CME Club Secretary
Minutes of the Meeting, 12 March 2019
Jon Lee took home this beautifully crafted 44″ span Banshee
CME Secretary Report: March 12, 2019 Meeting Minutes.
President, Chuck opened our meeting March 12, 2019: Called to Order: 7:30 PM.
Roll Call of Officers: All officers present: 8 Members, 1 guest (spouse.)
Treasurer’s Report:
Chuck stated we have approximately $1,154.99 currently in our Treasury, plus member dues collected as of tonight.
Old Business:
Secretary Maurice read the February Minutes, and they were approved as submitted.
Chuck is still working on our AMA Charter. The charter year begins 4/01/19, so it makes sense to submit our Chapter paperwork with the 4/1 effective date. It was noted that DVRC was not on the charter list to date.
Motion: A motion was made and seconded to approve the Chapter spends $80.00 to insure the Hillcrest flying site. The liability coverage will provide up to $2.5 million with no deductible. Basically this coverage will protect the city of Concord which is the owner of the property. Club officers are covered for their liability actions, under the blanket policy as well, through our AMA charter membership. Other advantages were discussed, such as increased public visibility on-line. This could potentially create more interest in joining our local CME organization.
The motion was then voted upon and passed unanimously. Subsequently, the Membership approved Chuck to move forward on this, and submit our AMA Charter application with the $80.00 check attached from our CME Treasury (with an April 1st effective date.)
New Business:
FAA now requires proper labeling of model aircraft registration numbers on remote controlled (RC) aircraft.) This includes drones as well. It does not include control line planes. It was further suggested that members Google “FAA” regarding specific rules governing model aircraft, as they may be strictly be enforced in the future. The rule is; no flying above 400 feet above ground level, and not within 5 miles from an active airport without express permission from qualified airport personnel.
George reminded us on the following dates for swap meets and other related activities:
April 27, 2019: Swap meet; “RC Country” model shop in Folsom. For details please contact them directly
April 28, 2019: Swap meet: “Jake’s Hobby Shop” in Rhonert Park. Modelers from the Redwood Empire Model Club will probably be displaying their models there as well.
Maurice and Jerry reminded everyone present they will be hosting our first “club sanctioned” boating event at Newall Park Lake off Basset Lane March 16th. Jerry passed out maps with directions to the lake They will have several R/C sailboats available for members to enjoy sailing on the lake. These will include two V-32 sailboats. 1 44″ sailboat, 1 “Footie” 12″ sailboat, 1 Ketch and “Atlantis”, a 55″ schooner. It is a very rare specimen and well worth seeing gliding around the lake. There are only two known “Atlantis” functioning boats in the United States. Also they will bring other boats as well (3 steam and a “rescue” tug boats.) Weather permitting, they will fire up the live steam boats first, then we will all sail their boats as the wind comes up in the afternoon.
Please bring your lunch or snacks if you like, non alcoholic beverages/water, a folding chair, and plan to spend a relaxing and fun afternoon. They will start setting up around 11:00 AM. Come join them and try your hand as model skippers! It will be a lot of fun!
If you have not already none so, please remit $20.00 for CME 2019 dues to Chuck Hill, 1382 Deerfield Court, Concord, Ca. 94521 at your earliest convenience.
New Sources:
Maurice brought a copy of Fine Scale Modeler Magazine. It is loaded with building tips for all kinds of models. It is published monthly except for June and August.) It’s a great resource!
Parade of Planes and Boats:
Dick Hanson displayed his (now fully functional) Atlantic RC tug.) He will bring it to our boating event at Basset Lake on Saturday.
George conducted our raffle. John won a beautifully crafted Banshee with a 44″ wing span.
Chuck adjourned our meeting at 8:30 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Maurice Lieberman
CME Club Secretary
Link to Regatta Photos
Here is the Link to photos Dennis took at the clubs recent regatta.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/eund873dag4yuz0/AAC_ZRoinjpegaj1iLguYYfqa?dl=0
Minutes of the Meeting of 12 Feb. 2019
Photo: Howard Joseph displayed his Golden Falcon and Japanese Zero that he built.
President, Chuck opened our meeting February 12, 2019: Call to Order: 7:28 PM.
Roll Call of Officers: All officers present: 8 Members, 2 guests (spouses.)
Treasurer’s Report:
Chuck stated we have approximately $1,234.91 currently in our Treasury, plus member dues collected as of 2/12/2019.
Old Business:
Secretary Maurice read the January Minutes, and they were approved as submitted. Chuck told us the October, November and January Minutes were added to our web site recently. December was dark due to our Xmas party.
Chuck is still working on our AMA Charter. It is a long and involved process but Chuck assured us it will get done.
New Business:
We welcomed back returning member Lonny Retzloff into our fold after a long absence. He retired in 2006 and likes to fly his 125 control line aircraft at the soccer field in Martinez, and at Hillcrest Park. We’re glad to have you flying with is again!
George will provided the following dates for swap meets and other related activities:
March 16, 2019: Fresno Sabatini Swap Meet. It will include a large selection of just about anything that mechanically moves (airplanes, cars, boats, etc.)
March 30, 2019: Woodward Reservoir swap meet in Oakdale is scheduled. More details to follow.
Tentative Date; April 20, 2019: Jake’s Hobby Shop in Rhonert Park will be hosting an indoor flying event. The alternative date may be changed to 4/29/19. As soon as a firm date is confirmed it will be posted either on the CME web site and/or next month’s CME Minutes report.
May 11, 2019: Evil Monkey Swap Meet at Alameda Naval Air Station. It is hosted by George and several misc. items will be offered for swap and sale. Hot dogs, hamburgers and possibly other culinary items may be available for sale as well.
Memorial Day Weekend: Castle Air Museum swap meet and model air show. Due to new regulations, this event is subject to FAA approval.) More details to follow.
June (exact date TBD): An “Aeronuts” Swap Meet at their flying field may be scheduled. They may have a Marciano flying contest as done in past years if there is enough interest. FYI, Walt Marciano is 94.
Maurice and Jerry reminded everyone present they will be hosting our first club boating event at Newall Park lake off Basset Lane March 16th. They will have several R/C sailboats available for members to enjoy sailing on the lake. Also they will bring other boats as well (steam and tug boats.) Bring your lunch, and a folding chair, and plan to spend the afternoon. They will start setting up around 11:30 AM.
It’s time to pay your club dues! If you have not already none so, please remit $20.00 for CME 2019 dues to Chuck Hill, 1382 Deerfield Court, Concord, Ca. 94521 at your earliest convenience.
New “Sources.” : Nothing entered for this month.
Misc. Discussion and Membership input:
Jerry and Maurice visited the “Devil’s Gauntlet” pirate ship being built on the Delta. Walt Disney plans to film a TV series about sailing the Caribbean with “pirate” influences. The cast members will be dressed as pirates and will be sailing and living the lifestyle in a sort of modern way. The crew will be former vets that are recovering from battle. Once the ship reaches the Caribbean, it will be sold to Princess Cruise Lines. They will be using it as an attraction for “pirate” ship excursions for their passengers. It will be leaving soon so it is suggested that you look up the “Devil’s Gauntlet” website on Google, and drive out to get a look at it before she departs.
Ron spoke about his experience working with the crew of the Red Oak Victory ship docked in Richmond. It will be awhile until she is actually ready for sea, but you can come aboard and experience “living” history aboard a live WW2 war ship vessel.
Maurice helped Charlie Moran with the haunted house he built for the Creature Features set. As a result they were invited to “the Poulter Mansion” for a taping of some of the shows.
Parade of Planes and Boats:
Howard Joseph displayed his Golden Falcon and Japanese Zero that he built.
Jerry brought his “footy” RC sailboat and Maurice displayed his V-32 RC sailboat as well.
—
Chuck announced that we will be losing our present meeting location sometime between May and July. If anyone has any ideas and suggestions for a new meeting place, please notify Chuck ASAP.
After George conducted our raffle, Chuck adjourned our meeting at 8:26 PM.
Jerry brought his “footy” RC sailboat and Maurice displayed his V-32 RC sailboat as well.
Pirate ship Jerry spoke about.
Maurice’s with the Creature Features cast.
Charlie’s Haunted house. He built it and Maurice did the colorizing and aging. The gentleman with us is the Producer/Director of the Creature Features show. We promised that we would not reveal that it was a set. Creature Features host, Jeff Bodean (Vincent) wants to leave the impression with his viewers that the haunted house actually exists on a cliff by the sea in Sonoma.
January 8, 2019 Meeting Minutes
President, Chuck opened our meeting January 08, 2019: Call to Order: 7:30 PM.
Roll Call of Officers: All officers present: 6 Members, 1 guest.
Treasurer’s Report:
Chuck stated we have $1,134.91 currently in our Treasury, plus member dues collected as of 1/08/19.
Old Business:
We all thanked Chuck for his and his wife’s hospitality hosting our Xmas party at their home in December. As the December “meeting” was our party, no minutes were read into the January meeting.
New Business:
It was unanimously agreed that more model flying, boating and social events should be scheduled this year. This would include:
1.Hilcrest Park gas Control Line, and park flyer aircraft. Proposed dates would be scheduled in May and October (1/2 day events, to include a picnic.)
2. Court Lane R/C flying with Chuck on Sundays around 4:00 PM. Flying conditions during he summer may be limited due to high winds and gusts. However it is an excellent venue for catapult rubber, free flight, and electric air craft in calm conditions. No gas propulsion systems are allowed.
3. Joining the Aeronuts control line flying events in Alameda at their air strip.
4. Chuck’s wife wants to schedule a party at their home for us sometime this coming summer (tentative date: 7/13/19/ alternate date 08/17/19.
5. Fall Picnic: 09/14/19; alternate date 10/12/19 at Hillcrest Park in Concord.
6. George will provide dates for July and or August swap meets.
7. Potential group trip to a flight museum. More details to follow.
8. Maurice and Jerry will be hosting a boating event at Newall Park lake off Basset Lane March 16th. They will have several R/C sailboats available for members to enjoy sailing on the lake. Also they will bring other boats as well (steam and tug boats.) Bring your lunch, and a folding chair, and plan to spend the afternoon. They will start setting up around 11:30 AM. They will be there until late afternoon (or whenever all their servo batteries die, which ever comes first.) It should be a really fun day so please come join them and try out your sailing skills on the lake!
9. Giant scale R/C Flying event on Memorial Day Weekend in Atwater, at the B-52 air base. It is sponsored by the Modesto flying club. Several flying activities are planned to include jets, WW 1 and 2 war birds. There will be a swap meet and opportunities to buy and sell planes, boats, etc. Putting together some car pools were discussed. More details will follow soon.
Jammers from airports will be an increasing problem. It was discussed that caution should be used when flying and to keep our planes altitude below 400 feet when flying near airports.
It’s time to pay your club dues! If you have not already none so, please remit $20.00 for CME 2019 dues to Chuck Hill, 1382 Deerfield Court, Concord, Ca. 94521 at your earliest convenience.
New section: “Sources.” In this section of the minutes new sources will be posted on where to obtain just about anything model related. If you have a good source please share it with Chuck and we’ll make sure your information is shared with the membership. This month includes:
RC Microworld Magazine (thank you Dennis Romano.)
CME Website: Publications and video library. Check it out! (Thanks Chuck.)
After the parade of planes and raffle Chuck officially adjourned the meeting at 8:30 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Maurice Lieberman
CME Club Secretary
concordmodelengineers.org 