Sweet!!   Calling in from London to say I am the man!!

Ok--so it won't last long. But even so.  I am the man!!

Koh

That's good.  My plans changed too, but for the worse.  Drew and I are out but at least the Paul's will still be represented.

Paul

Sounds like fun.  Drew and I will be there.

Paul

Heya, John

Well, at least you didn't hurt the cowling!!

The recipient of the Official Aircraft Obituary Award was named at the Christmas party last night.  It was a tough choice.  A lot of folks that that Wylie had it locked after losing his giant SBach in the vineyard, but you will notice that the photos didn't make it into the thread. Mike Cracchiolo also received heartfelt condolences when he dumped his big P47 into the gully.

Even without John Reade's effort to squeeze in one more crash at the last minute, he locked up the style points with the great corkscrew crash seen at the beginning of this thread. Greg Huemann ran a close second by straining his plane through a tree at full bore. 

But after reviewing this thread a few times, a theme began to emerge.  It became clear that there were several flyers working in concert in an effort to secure this great honor. This group was Clan McDonald.  These guys posted not one but two spectacular multi-McDonald midairs and fantastic pylon racing disasters on multiple occasions.  Three generations were involved including Charles, Tony, and Jake.

Congrats!

I forgot to take a photo of the plaque, though.  Perhaps one of the proud champions could post one up[?].

As the club pres, I've been getting a bunch of odd things emailed to me lately.  One of the better ones has been this RC product review website. 

Koh



Hi Paul

My name is Martin, a keen modeller from Bristol in the UK.
I am contacting you because I have developed a searchable RC database which will feature every RC product in the world.

www.rcreference.com

I think the site would be an invaluable resource for the members of Wine Country Flyers, and it would be great if you could let them know about it.

We are asking modellers to get involved by:
•   Suggesting brands and products we have missed
•   Adding photos / videos for the products they own
•   Adding field reports for the products they have used
•   Filling in missing product data.
RCReference.com has been built as a labour of love. It is currently unfunded and is indepe ndent from any particular manufacturer or retailer. At the moment the site features over 5000 products (mainly planes and helicopters) with more being added all the time.

If you require any further information, or have any feedback or suggestions, please get in touch. I would love to hear from you.

Many thanks and best wishes
Martin Turner
Email: support@rcreference.com

Hi Jacob,

I agree that the Parkzone Warbirds would make a good intermediate class.  Have to admit that it seems odd to include the Mosquito in that group since it is so different, but I'd love to see one mix it up with a field of several other types.

When we discussed the 2014 race season at the club meeting last night, we encouraged people to weigh in with their thoughts on what they would like to see regarding race classes and rules beyond just the Parkzone Warbirds.  Just thought I'd mention that here since I think that you are looking for broad feedback.

I really liked the idea of an endurance race that was proposed for 2013 but fell by the wayside.  At one time the proposal was that a "pro" would be teamed with a novice and each would have to complete a certain number of laps.  Sounded like a fun way to get people working together.

I'd also like to see a Quickie 500 race or two.  I know alot of them are out there, including a half finished one that Drew picked up.  I heard a few guys say that they were pretty loud so we might not want a whole season's worth, though.

Koh

Limbo, baby!

Sounds like a blast, Tony!   Drew and I will be there.

Thanks for kicking this off,

Koh

You may have noticed that Patrick has posted a flyer on the front page regarding the Sonoma Jet Center Aviation Day event.  Its coming up this Saturday.  The event is heavily geared toward kids, and has quite a few learning opportunities.  It is also coordinated with the EAA's Young Eagles program.

Our club staffed a table at last year's first inaugural SJCAD, and it was a fun day.  We got to do some demo flights in the morning, but only because it was too foggy for the Young Eagles flights to get in the air.  Our recent weather makes it much less likely that we will fly, but its still a great opportunity to show off some models and talk RC with kids and parents. 

Add cheap lunch and a $45 fullscale helicopter ride, and I'd call it a fun day.  I have asked for 3-4 tables and will be bringing a few planes to show off.  Let me know if you are interested in coming, too.

Here is the text from an email that I just received from the event organizer:





Hi all,
Thank you very much for participating in this year's Aviation Day!  We are looking forward to a great event!  I wanted to keep you informed of a couple of things:

SETUP PARTY: FRIDAY OCTOBER 4 @ 1700
Yes, a party!  If you are able, we prefer to setup the event on Friday night.  Bring your setup, equipment, boxes, tents, and/or airplane over on Friday night 1700-1900.  We will start the fun with some pizza, beer, and wine- bring anything else you would like.  Stop by for just a few minutes or stay longer- enjoy the great community of people at KSTS!

We will provide a 6' rectangular table and chairs for all of the organizations- unless you have told me otherwise. 


Event
Here is the timeline for Saturday, October 5th:

0800: Inner/Porch security rope fence line will be erected.  All Young Eagles participants, families, and any other attendees should remain within the porch security rope fence line while the remainder of the ramp setup is completed. 

0830-1300: Young Eagles will begin flying from the Sonoma Jet Center ramp. 

0830-0930:  Any organization setup not completed on Friday night will be completed. 

0900-1300: Twizzle the Clown will arrive to help entertain waiting Young Eagles families restricted to the porch from 0900-1000 and then all the participants when Aviation Day opens.

0930: Outer security rope fence line will be erected

1000-1400: Aviation Day open

1400: Outer security rope fence line will be removed.  Breakdown of event. 

Operations
We have been reminded by the Airport Administration and TSA about the secure badge operations for this event.  There will be a rope fence line around the event on the apron.  Please help us respect the TSA rules/restrictions regarding large events such as this and our own safety requirements.

Marketing/Publicity
Press releases were sent to all the local and bay area publications.  Posters have been printed and posted around town- we will continue to do so this week.  Let me know if you would like posters delivered to you.  Aviation Day has also been featured in a few local newsletters.  And, we continue to spread the word through friends and family by email- so please feel free to pass the word on!  Here is a blurb that can help you get started in crafting your own message:

____________
Don't miss this year's Aviation Day this Saturday, October 5th from 10A-2P.  There will be great interactive activities and experiments to inspire the whole family hosted by local aviation companies and organizations.   There will be FREE flights for kids, helicopter rides, and introductory flight lessons!  And, you can test avionics, experiment with the forces of flight, make radio calls, rivet metal, tour the air traffic control tower, earn your Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge in Aviation, and much more! 

The event is free to attendees but some activities REQUIRE advance registration and some require payment.  Go to www.sonomajetcenter.com for more information and the latest updates!

Aviation Day
Saturday, October 5th
10A-2P

Sonoma Jet Center
6000 Flightline Drive
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

The Pacific Coast Air Museum will be offering its famous $5 Hot Dog Lunch!

Jon, you rock!  I've been dying to see the video.  I'm stoked with the result.

Koh

Here's Drew's Polaris, Bill coming back in, and Adam's Fun Cub.

Here's Jon's GoPro powered glider and Jake Boatman's SeaTrojan.  Jake got crossed up on take off with Jon trailing him, and things looked hair for a second.   

Also shown is Steve Koll's PBY.

Had a good time this morning at the Labor Day Float Fly.  That's all we have scheduled at the pond for 2013.  Here are a few pics from later in the day.

Conditions were really nice, but the weeds had gone mad since July 4th and the water was quite a bit lower making launches were a bit precarious.  Plenty of good flying, though, and even a few major splash downs.

Feel free to post up anything you've got from any of this year's Float Flies.  Here's my shots from today starting with Bill Walters' big 4-stroke Cub.

Paul

Heya Jake,

Team McD wants this trophy in a bad way! 

Koh

Hi Larry,

Thanks very much for hosting last night's PCAM intermission BBQ.  That was a great way to unwind after a day in the sun. 

The potluck dinner was excellent!  Particular props go to Jake C. for his feta green beans and Anne McGregor for the best apple pie I have had maybe ever. 

My best,

Koh