HELP NEEDED FOR RUNWAY PAINTING!
I heard from Shelley Humble this morning asking if we could help out with repainting the Creswell Airport runway on Monday, October 5. The runway will be closed that day for the continuation of AWOS work. So far I have Bill Dewey (if he’s back from California), Virgil Pratt (if he’s over his cold) and me. Shelley would like 4 or 5 people total. Please call me if you can help (541-914-8605). Thanks!
President Gary
CHAPTER 31 MEETING – WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2015!
Our October meeting is this coming Wednesday! As usual, BBQ at 6 p.m. and the meeting following at 7 p.m. We don’t have a formal speaker for this meeting but we have a couple of very interesting chapter videos to watch. One features Burt Rutan and all the aircraft he has designed and built, and the other one covers John Moody and the world of ultralights. Both are very interesting. We also have a number of things to discuss, among them is planning an appropriate celebration of life for Hal and Milo Skinner. We also need to decide how we’ll handle this year’s holiday festivities. I believe it’s our turn to host a joint Chapter 31/1457 Christmas party should we choose to go that route. It’s also not to early to begin thinking of the upcoming chapter officer elections. This may be (sadly for me) my last meeting as your president. I leave on Thursday morning, the day after our November meeting, for a month in New Zealand and Australia. Quite possibly, I will still be doing last minute things the night of the November meeting and will be unable to attend. We usually don’t have a December chapter meeting but, instead, have the Christmas party. January is when our new president, John Kuehl, will take office.
Discussions at the meeting will include the status of the RV3 restoration project (coming along well!), the Honor Plaza brick program (7 new bricks installed this week!) and the Creswell AWOS currently being installed. I’ll give you an update on recent Airport Commission happenings and the confusion and anger over the recent changes to the Salem Class D airspace. Hopefully, Ray Morse will be in attendance to give us the latest on the successful completion and sign-off of his beautiful AcroDuster Too biplane which happened last month.
President Gary
BREAKFAST THIS COMING SATURDAY!
The weather is looking good for our breakfast this coming Saturday, September 19! I think we may also get some of the British sports car people again. They’ve been lots of fun to have as visitors! Virgil and Bridget won’t be around so those of you who volunteered to help (and any others that are available) please come out around 8:00 to help with preparation. Thanks!
President Gary
I just saw on the news that the second person in the plane was Hal’s grandson, Milo, who apparently was also a pilot.
President Gary
For those of you who haven’t heard, there was a fatal airplane crash at Creswell Airport this morning. Killed in the crash were Hal Skinner and his son (or possibly his grandson). Hal was flying his Luscombe and had just taken off when witnesses heard a “pop” and saw the airplane enter a left turn, stall and crash just west of the run-up pad for runway 15. A fire consumed the airplane. I’ll post more if I hear more but you’ll probably get as much from local news coverage.
President Gary
Corrections to September 2, 2015 Meeting Minutes
There are two minor corrections to the subject minutes. Steve Digman is not Gary’s student but a new friend met through EAA. Steve is a long-time pilot who first soloed at age 16 but got away from aviation for many years while life got in the way. Ray Morse is working on the main landing gear strut fairings for the RV-3.
Thanks, Randy, for your diligence and dedication to the chapter and for getting the minutes out in a timely manner each month!
President Gary
Just a quick reminder regarding tomorrow’s Chapter 31 meeting. BBQ at 6 p.m. Meeting starts at 7 p.m. Our featured speaker is Lauran Paine, EAA Sport Aviaition Magazine columnist (Plane Talk). Hope to see you there!
President Gary
Larry Lowencron prepared the draft letter shown below to be sent to Senator Merkley and Congressman DeFazio. It is self explanatory. I think that Larry is right on track and I applaud him for taking the initiative to prepare this letter! I recommend that all in attendance at next Wednesday’s chapter meeting sign the formal letter. I certainly will. I hope to see you all there for Lauran Paine’s presentation as well as great food and great hangar flying!
President Gary
One more shot at the Pilots Bill of Rights 2 from the Willamette Valley
I am sure that all of you have been getting numerous emails from various aviation organizations for you to contact legislators and ask that they support the Pilots Bill of Rights 2. Many of us have written letters already, and got rather nebulous responses from Senator Merkley and or Congressman DeFazio. Rather than write another form letter, I am asking pilots in the Southern Willamette Valley to all sign this one, brief letter (copy below) to both of those two members of Congress requesting that they commit now to supporting the bill.. I will be bringing the actual letter to be signed to the next EAA Chapters 31, 1457 and 1524 meetings.
The intent of the letter is quite frankly to tell them to get off their duff and commit to supporting the bill. It is not a long letter explaining the benefits of the bill. They (or their staff) have already been bombarded with form letters from EAA or AOPA explaining it. Rather, this one letter is a not too polite letter that will be hand signed by the legislator’s constituents!
Dear Senator Merkley and Congressman DeFazio:
We are writing you to ask that you commit to supporting the Pilots Bill of Rights 2 (HR 1062/S 571). We are all your constituents. Many of us have previously written to you and asked your support. Your response to us has been, quite frankly, to reiterate the bill (so we know that you understand it) and to inform us that you will look in to it. The bill has languished in Congress long enough. It is time to move on it.
To date The House bill now has 126 bipartisan cosponsors and the Senate bill has 57. Senator Wyden has already signed on as a supporter. From what we understand, you have not yet committed to supporting it. As our elected representative, we are asking you to commit now to supporting that bill.
Respectfully your constituents,
Larry Lowenkron, Eugene, Oregon
Hopefully a couple of hundred more signatures!
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