Presidents Corner          Eugene RC Aeronauts   Each week thousands of people fly an airplane without ever leaving the ground.   The Eugene RC Aeronauts welcome you to the incredible sport of remote control aviation.       Mickey Cohen

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July

The past month has brought some glorious weather to the Willamette Valley and has certainly delivered on one of the elements we all crave when we go flying. The sun has been bright and the temperatures very nice. Unfortunately the wind has come up in force in the afternoons for the past couple of weeks creating some havoc, which I personally have experienced with the total destruction of my favorite Pulse 125. To be up front I am not really sure if it was wind, sun or that common problem of head up and locked. On the bright side it looks like we will soon have some shifts in the wind making our summer flying great.

Mike, Brad and Pat have been very busy making final preparations for the upcoming Monster Fest. There are GREAT prizes for the participating pilots so be certain to have your aircraft ready to go. It’s going to be great fun. As the event has grown and with guests from other clubs in state and out we have to call on our members for some dedicated help with this event. In the past we have asked at the monthly meetings for volunteers to help make the event a success and have received good response. The only problem with that method is the folks we ask for help come from a small pool of folks that attend the monthly meetings. This event being more significant in size I must make a plea to the entire membership for their help, we have 86 members at this time and need your help. If you are willing to help out for part of the weekend PLEASE email me and someone will call you to see what time frame and tasks works best for you. Remember the event is August 17th and 18th.

I read something the other day and would like to share with all of you.
QUESTION:  What is the most important decision any pilot can make?
ANSWER:   When not to fly ……
EXPLANATION:  If the pilot isn’t ready, if the equipment isn’t ready, or if the conditions aren’t right ………. do not fly!

See you at the field and don’t forget the sunscreen.
Mickey

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June

As most of you know the Memorial Day fly-in was a no-go due to the rain. We know that date is very risky here in Eugene but it’s always worth a try to have that as our kick off event of the year.

Coming up on the 25th is our first meeting at the field, come early do some flying and enjoy a burger or dog from Captain Al’s kitchen. Feel free to bring a side dish or desert to share and of course don’t forget Food for Lane County.

For those of you that haven’t been to the field recently there has been some additional field improvements completed. Brad was able to provide a great deal on concrete as well as some very talented concrete finishers and now the field has concrete pads for the big bird A/C. Our same group of reliable workers showed up to help dig out the pads, set the forms and help spread the wet concrete. A BIG thanx to all who stepped in to help once again. Also Safety Roger has installed a runway centerline and a line indicating the edge of the runway and taxi area. It looks great, way to go Roger.

We have our next event coming up on the 29th; it’s the Swap and Fly. Be certain to bring out that extra stuff and try to sell it so you can convert it into new stuff. We will have great weather and this will be a super opportunity to spend time with our fellow club members.

Some proposed changes to the ERCA Constitution and By-Laws have been presented at the last two meetings however because attendance is sparse I wanted you all to have an opportunity to vote so JR was able to post the proposed changes on the forum and allow you to vote on the forum. We will take a vote count at the meeting as well.

That’s it for now, fly safe and with someone.
Mickey

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May

The time has come, the first five months of 2013 have flown by and its time for our first “Fun Fly”. Brad Werneth, Mike Winklepleck and Pat Willis have a great event planned for Memorial Day so lets plan on participating and kicking off this year with some great flying and camaraderie.
The field is looking good, Doug McWha has the runway in great shape, the bleachers have been painted at the expense of Donny Krenz’s back and as always Jim Corbett is always doing something to improve the field. We held a work party at the field last month and completed a lot of spring cleanup. Thanx to all who came out and pitched in.

I would also like to give a big thank you to Wayne Wahrmund who has stepped up to help promote our club as a community member. I had received a call from Willamalane who needed someone to teach folks how to fly indoors for a new program they are offering in the fall and Wayne jumped right in to help. I also received a call from a non-member who during transport of an airplane that had sentimental value as it belonged to his father was damaged and needed repair, again Wayne stepped up when asked.

There were some proposals for changes in the ERCA constitution and by-laws presented at the April meeting and will be reviewed again and voted on at the May meeting so be sure to attend the meeting and participate.
Looking forward to seeing you all at the field and meetings.
Mickey

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March

Spring officially moves in this week and even though we had a fairly mild winter it will be welcomed with open arms and visions of many great flying days.

Much hard work with great results has taken place since we last met. I want to thank JR Graham for the creation of a super forum for club members to share information and communicate. If you haven’t signed in and investigated this site I encourage you to do so. A big thanks goes out to Mike Winklepleck and Jim Corbett for the creation and implementation of the new look to our club website. It’s GREAT!

Out at the field changes include a major cleanup of scrap material that had accumulated at the entrance to our field near the mower shed. A big thanks to Jim Corbett and Doug McWha for their work. It’s been hard for me to imagine but Mike Winklepleck sold the old trailer for $300 and it’s gone. Thank you Mike. Some other changes include: A set of bleachers that were built by Jim Corbett with wood donated by Wayne Wahrmund. A new flight line table is currently at the field and six more were built waiting to be delivered to the field. Frank Blain not only donated the material but also built a table. Mel Graham and Jim Corbett took advantage of a damp Saturday and assembled five more tables made from material purchased with the money from the trailer sales.
Once again THANX to all!

There has been a lot of activity taking place in an effort to change the language in the proposed Oregon Senate Bill 71 to eliminate any reference to model airplane enthusiasts. An alliance made up of myself, Retired Senator Bill Fisher, Van Moore, Bill Fisher Jr., Rich Dunn, John Stroup of the Salem R/C Pilots Association, Gregg Marshall of the Sky Nights R/C Club and Randy Henry from the Mt. Silverwood R/C club have been working on letter writing campaigns and writing testimony that will be presented at the public hearing on the 20th in Salem in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. There has already been some success as the bill presently in at revision 4. I feel confident we will prevail and will report more at the meeting on the 21st.

That’s it for now, take advantage of the good weather and get the cobwebs off of those thumbs. FLY SAFE.
Mickey

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February 20

When I look at the calendar I am in disbelief that the end of February is already here. The time for build more fly less will be coming to an end before we know it. I like many have been working on a couple of new projects in the shop. This is also a great time to be doing inspections and maintenance on our current aircraft in addition to spiffing them up for a great year of flying.

If you have had the chance to look at the website you can see there are always some brave souls at the field and in the sky. But soon the foggy, chilly and wet weather will yield some breaks and it will be time to flight test the new birds, validate the winter maintenance we completed, get the cobwebs off our thumbs and find a cure for the RC withdrawals.

There has been a lot of activity regarding the proposed Oregon Senate Bill 71. Senator Floyd Prozanski of Eugene drafted the bill. The language in the bill could be very damaging to our hobby and could possibly make a criminal out of you if it ever was to become law. I have been working on the issue and have written letters to every State Senator, the Judiciary Committee as well as the Governor. The Salem club has been very active regarding this proposed bill. There is a link on our website for the Salem clubs “Model Aircraft and Oregon State Law” page where you can see their efforts. I have also been in contact with the regional VP and National AMA who are working on these proposals with all the states that are trying to pass some sort of drone legislation.

We have finally established dates for our four events this year. The first event again this year will be on Memorial Day followed by a Swap and Fly on June 29th, then this years Big Bird on August 10th, closing out the year with a Club Fly on Labor Day. This year we are working hard to make the Big Bird the marquee event for ERCA. The club will be doing considerable planning, advertising, etc. with Brad Werneth’s guidance in an effort to attract many flyers from other clubs throughout the state and beyond. It would be great if our club was known for this annual event and word of mouth encouraged its growth every year. Of course these events cannot be successful without the support and help of our membership. This year will be different from last in that we will be looking for more help from the membership to accomplish our goals. To be successful we need YOU to become more involved in the preparation and participation in these events. There will be more information as the events begin to take shape.

If you get a chance take a look at “Club Deals” on our website, we are starting to get some vendors to give discounts to club members. Its just getting started and limited but will be growing so if you need something that is offered try to support these folks.

I am also looking forward to larger involvement and attendance at our meetings this year.

See you at the meetings or at the field.  Have fun and FLY SAFE!

Mickey

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January 22

Now that the 2012 flying season is behind us I would like to thank everyone for his or her involvement at ERCA over the past year. While our membership level was down a bit this year we did have many successes. Our events this year were very much improved for those that participated as well as spectators. We had a higher number of spectators thanks to the signage at intersections as well as the exposure the club got with the media. The intro-pilots did a great job and completed a significant number of intro flights, which certainly raised an interest in our hobby and even generated some new members. There were work crews that helped with field maintenance and as always Doug McWha kept the runway in great shape. A special thanks to Jim Corbett for the construction of the charging tables, what a great improvement as electric flying is expanding.

Al Barrington was successful in gaining status for our club with AMA. ERCA is now a GOLD LEADER CLUB; we are now in the top 15% of all clubs in the United States. Be certain to get your personal pin from Al.

With 2013 here its time to head into that cave and work on those new Christmas gifts or just clean up and make ready the fleet for a super year of activities. Remember to check and inspect all the hardware, installations and batteries. Rechecking weight and balance isn’t a bad idea either. It will be a good year for us to enjoy our super hobby and be with friends and family.

I am looking forward to serving ERCA as the president and am looking forward to having members get more involved in our club through participation in committee’s and improved attendance at our monthly meetings. I would like to get your input regarding what’s important to you, what would make the club more satisfying for you, changes you would like to see or committee’s you would like to volunteer for.

Remember to fly safe and not alone.

Mickey

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PRESIDENT Elects' CORNER, December 15,  2012

Now that the building season is upon us we can look back at the great days we had this year for flying. I would suspect for most of us the flying season came and went way too quickly. As the holiday season passes,  we will start thinking about and planning for the New Year. Some of us will build additions to our fleet, others will be checking their airplanes over and preparing for another great year.

I am looking forward to serving as your president in 2013. I have several goals that I will work on this year which include growing our membership, increasing attendance at our meetings, developing more youth involvement and field maintenance and improvements. I am certain that most of you have some great ideas as well.  I would like to hear about your thoughts and idea's so that we can discuss and evaluate them at the meetings. If you would like to send your suggestions to me prior to the meetings I can add them to the agenda. My email address is mcaviation@comcast.net and my phone number is 541-.  I look forward to hearing  about your thoughts and suggestions. 

My responsibility as the president is simply to be a resource for you to make all of our club and flying experience's as enjoyable and satisfying as possible.

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season & a healthy New Year!

Mickey Cohen
541-
mcaviation@comcast.net

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March

I would like to talk about the technical side of our club’

First and foremost I would like to mention that Jim Corbett has spent countless hours building and maintaining our website and I for one would like to thank him!

As you all are aware if you own a cell phone, a computer or anything electronic things change very quickly.  Website technology changes just as fast and with that Jim and I thought it was time for a major website overhaul.  We have designed and created a new site that will have replaced the old site by the time this newsletter has been published and mailed.  We hope that you enjoy the new format and it’s one you can be proud to show your friends and family as you talk about this awesome hobby.  We also are hopeful that it will show the public that we are an active club and we are keeping up with the times. Please take the time to look at the site and send us your comments and feedback.

Along with that JR has lead a major effort to keep the club connected through the use of the new ERCA Forum (http://www.eugenerc.org/forums/).  I have enjoyed using the forum and look at it every day.  If you have not registered for the forum yet please do so.  I consider it pure joy to talk with other members of the club all week long about RC topics.  Thank you JR for all the hard work and continued efforts!

Mike

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February 22

February marks the end of the winter flying hours and the beginning of one fun flying year!  Planning is already in full swing for this years events and flying site clean up/maintenance. Your leadership team spent several hours this past Sunday surveying the field and what we can do to make it better for you.  As we discuss the different projects we are asking that you set aside a few hours and work along side us.  In short we need you the membership to volunteer a few hour of your time.  Please make an effort to attend next weeks meeting and sign up for something.

Special thanks to Brad for stepping up to lead the events committee.  Brad has done an amazing job in the past organizing the events and will no doubt do a fantastic job again this year.  I have volunteered to help Brad with the events and look forward to serving.

A special note to everyone that the field is still very wet.  It may look dry but it's still very soft.  I have first hand experience a few weeks ago as I performed a decent landing then turned at the end of the run way to taxi back only to have my left wheel get buried in the mud 6-8 inches and tear off my landing gear causing structural damage to the fuselage and right wing.  It was a sad sight!  But it's all repaired now and I flew it last Sunday and had a blast.

Also, as you all are dusting off the planes and getting them ready for this year take some extra time to inspect those planes and radios.  You never know what has happened from the time you put them all away to now.  Somehow my trim for my ailerons was moved all the way right and it made for a very exciting first flight.  I had not messed with my trim at all so I had no reason to think that was the problem and my mind raced to the previous flight in which the gear had come off and gone through my wing.  All I could think about was something was seriously wrong and I seriously doubted I would be able to land without a fatal crash.  I called Al Wellington over in a panic only to discover my trim was off.  Whew, thanks AL!

That's it for now.

See you all at next week's meeting!

Mike

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January 22

Wow its 2013!  As I get older I am reminded that life is short and we have but just a sliver of time to enjoy life to the fullest.  For me part of the enjoyment of life is flying.  While I have always wanted to be a pilot and had a short stint learning to fly sailplanes in Arizona and a brief few minutes behind the stick of a Piper Cherokee I have not been able to pursue my dreams of flying full time due to being color blind.  I even tried to cheat the flight physical when I joined the Army in 1990 but there is no cheating colored yarn!  I learned later in life that RC Airplanes can be a great substitute and quite exciting.  That being said I can’t wait for this weather to clear up and get in the skies!

A week or so ago your President and I met to discuss what 2013 could be for our club.  We have some great goals and will outline those at this week’s meeting.   As with anything though we cannot be successful without your support and help!  We are desperately in need of people to step up and lead or volunteer to be a part of one or a couple groups we will be forming this week.  We absolutely have the best club in the Willamette Valley and possibly all of Oregon.  We also have a great airfield that has some huge potential.  One of the goals I will touch on is field improvements.  If we want to continue to attract new members and have the same or higher caliber events this year we need to have a field that we can say is the best in all of Oregon.  When you the members (and your guests) and visitors come to our field I want them to feel comfortable and say wow this field is amazing!

·         Tables need to be worked on and weatherized.

·         The club house needs a thorough cleaning, paint and inside we need to hang some real boards for notices etc…

·         We also need to think about how we can improve our port-a-john.  Last year when we had the public come out and enjoy the festivities many (mostly females) were disgusted by that part of our field.

·         We need a new sign to greet people as they enter the great Carl Henson field.

·         We need to consider a better place to store the various stuff next to the lawn mower shed.

·         Some fields paint the runway to look like a real runway which I think would be cool.  Maybe this would be done for our events if a permanent solution cannot be found.

·         A fire pit has been discussed which would be great for the cold chilly days.

·         A flag pole has been discussed as well which could display our great Nation’s flag along with a Eugene RC Aeronauts flag below it.

·         Continue talks about the additional North/South runway

·         Bleachers!

·         Expansion of the charging table

I’m sure I missed something so at the meeting tomorrow please let me know what you think we can do to improve our field.

As groups form please join one!  If everyone helps out it will make it that much easier for everyone.  If you are unable to donate your time maybe you have a connection to some of the supplies we will need for the improvements.  Please come and talk with Mickey and or myself and let us know how you can help.

More to come at Januarys meeting as this is just a glimpse into our goals for this year.

Mike Winklepleck

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Vice PRESIDENT Elects' CORNER, December 17,  2012

  First and foremost I want to say we have been blessed to have had such a great leadership team with Brad and Mike at the helm for so long and I intend to keep their vision and momentum moving forward to make our field a must see/fly destination.  I want to say "Thank You" to both of these gentlemen for there hard work, tenacity and a job well done, your work has not gone unnoticed!  That goes for Al as well but since he is a gluten for punishment he gets to stay and work with us this year.

  As I ponder the past year all I that comes to mind is that it has been quite the year for our club.  With all of the events, visitors and TV exposure it made for a jammed pack full of fun 2012.  We also had to call out our local member fire team twice to take care of a lawn mower and a electric plane fire, I am still having nightmares about that one.  It just goes to show that without our dedicated club members, volunteers and significant others we would not have the field and fun that we do today.

  I also would also like to thank each and every member for there vote of confidence in me for the office of Vice President.  I look forward to serving in this position as Mickey Cohen's right hand man and your go to guy for input and ideas.  Please feel free to contact Mickey or myself for anything as we are here to serve you.

  Well for myself I have been trying to get out to the field and do some flying but this weather is just not cooperating like last year winter.  Thanks to all of the guys (Pat Willis, JR, Mel, Brad, Donnie, Chick Foster and Mike Vaughn) I moved up to a 50cc Yak 54 this year that keeps my adrenaline pumping like crazy.  All of these guys have saved my butt a few times each with this plane.  And thanks to Frank it's a beautiful again and just waiting to be flown.  For those of you that don't know Frank saved my plane from the recycle bin in August of this year, that runway is just not as long as I thought. 

  In closing there is a lot of fun to be had in 2013.  Happy Holidays!

Mike Winklepleck

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NOTES: Annual membership dues of $60 per year (plus an initiation fee of $25 and a one time Field Fee of $75) apply to each adult. There is no membership fee for ages 9 to 16.  Active and drilling military free membership and initiation. Furthermore, membership in AMA ($58 per year) is mandatory for all fliers (no exceptions!).   Please note that AMA membership for minors (up to 19) is only one dollar per year.

Mailing address: Eugene R/C Aeronauts • P.O. Box 26344, Eugene OR 97402
Email address:   albarrington@msn.com

January 22

ERCA ended 2012 with $6,050.68 in the bank and 84 members.  As of this report, only half of the 2012 membership has renewed both their AMA and ERCA memberships.  Members are reminded to avoid the late fee or reinstatement fee by renewing by the February meeting (Feb 26th).  I will contact those not renewed after the January meeting to make sure of your status and intentions.  That is a lot of work so please help me out.
Our current bank balance is $5,250.68.  We are feeling the hit of all the usual annual bills such as the field lease, AMA Charter, Insurance, etc, which will rapidly eat away at our reserve.  We welcome member input for ideas on fund raisers.  The club can not fly on dues alone.
The ERCA 2012 annual Income and Expense report shows that we had $9,039.00 in income for the year and our expenses totaled $9,039.97.  We went 97 cents into the red for 2012.  Such is life in the non-profit world.  The detailed report will be available at the meeting or on request.
All members are encouraged to read or re-read the Constitution and By Laws page of the web site or contact me for a copy to be familiar with its contents and be aware of changes.   We welcome your input to help make improvements.
If you have not received your AMA Gold Leader award pin, see me at the meeting or please contact me.  I am trying to catch each 2012 member possible to congratulate you in person and present you your pin.  Those I am not able to reach in person will receive theirs by snail mail.
We greatly appreciate the contributions of all members who step up and take part in club operations.  Your generous contributions of your resources to support ERCA are critical to its success.  Please consider serving on a committee or volunteering when help is needed for events or work parties. Thank you in advance.
Happy Landings.
AL Barrington
Sec / Treas, ERCA

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January 18, 2013

It’s official.  ERCA has been given the gold level of the AMA’s Leader Club award.

Photo of the framed certificate, the gold (brass) plate,
 

and the photo of the pin to be issued to each 2012 ERCA member.

The criteria we had to meet to get the award are as follows:
Required Activity
1.  ERCA #530 has been a Chartered club with AMA for more than five years.
2.  ERCA is open to all members and is not limited to a certain number.
3. ERCA has posted safety and operational rules at our flying site and on our web site - www.eugenerc.org
4.  ERCA has filed a copy of the safety and operational rules at AMA HQ.
5.  ERCA has a separate area for fliers and spectators indicated by signs, seating and protective fencing.
6.  The AMA safety code is posted and visible along with the safety and operational rules.

Leader Club Electives
1.  ERCA has implemented and enforces a frequency control plan that allows for all RC channels including 2.4 GHz using a frequency pin checkout process and radio impound for transmitters not in use.
2.  ERCA members donate Model Aviation magazines to schools, Boy Scouts, Civil Air Patrol, and the general public during events.
3.  ERCA conducts a review of the AMA safety code at least once a year and discusses it and operational rules with the membership during each monthly meeting.
4.  ERCA sponsors many events during the year beginning with the Memorial Day Fun Fly, Big Bird Fun Fly July, August Fun Fly, and Labor Day Fun Fly.  ERCA also participates in shows for the Eugene Air Museum, Boy Scout Jamboree, Schools, and Retirement / Senior Centers.
5.  ERCA has available sound level measuring equipment to monitor field activity for compliance with the 90db at 9 feet requirement.
6.  ERCA has an information brochure we hand out to the public during events, shows, demos and hobby shops.
7.  ERCA participates in the annual fund raiser, American Cancer Society Relay for Life and donates to the Food for Lane County program.
8.  ERCA has a formal lease for the land where the flying site is located and enjoys a great relationship with the land owner and surrounding neighbors.
9.  ERCA maintains a group of dedicated members who make themselves available as flying instructors for new or prospective members.  They use the AMA Introductory Pilot program and follow the students through solo flight and provide support following.  During events, the instructors take the public for Intro Flights using a "buddy Box" or on a computer RC flight simulator.

Congratulations to all who made this award possible.
 
AL Barrington
Sec/Treas, ERCA

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