Jul 30

IT’S MEETING TIME AGAIN!

The August Chapter 31 regular meeting will be held this coming Wednesday, August 5 with a BBQ beginning at 6 p.m. and our meeting starting at 7 p.m. Our own Alan Wieder will give us a presentation on the ins and outs of ADS-B. Even if you don’t have an airplane, or don’t plan on installing ADS-B hardware in your plane, the presentation should be really interesting to you. We also should have time for this month’s EAA Chapter Video. The weather forecast for our meeting date is a high temperature around 84 degrees so it should be reasonably plesant in the clubhouse by meeting time.

Progress continues on our RV-3 project. Alan Wieder and I pretty much finished up fitting the cowling to the airframe today. I have a request into Van’s Aircraft to find us a prop spinner. We’ll shortly begin fabricating an assembly to mount the propeller refinished by Virgil Pratt on the airframe. Since we won’t have an engine under the cowling a special, simple, assembly will need to be designed and mounted to hold the prop in place.

Bill and Dee Dewey and Doug Kindred have completed the installation of the Honor Plaza sprinkler system. Very timely due to our very hot weather! Bill managed to get the National Guard to dig the trench for the sprinkler line. Doug then installed the sprinkler system and Bill and Dee filled in the trench. Great job and a big thanks, guys and gal! Now it’s up to Randy to get our next order in for bricks. He will order two bricks in memory of Dave Heisley (one from our chapter and one from the Lane County RC Modelers), and is planning to see if Shelley Humble is ready to order bricks for Jug and Crash.

Don’t let the heat get you down. Come to the meeting and spend some time with some really COOL people!

President Gary

Jul 06

YOUNG EAGLES DAY FOLLOW UP

As I figured might happen, I forgot to mention an important contributor to our Young Eagle Day event so I would like to heartily thank the adult leaders and cadets of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) who spent the day helping with crowd control and other thankless but important functions!

President Gary

Jul 05

JULY 4 YOUNG EAGLES DAY SUMMARY

It sure seems to me that we had a really successful YE Day! We flew a total of 101 kids. Ninety-six flew as Young Eagles and five flew as Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadets. The following pilots, listed in alphabetical order, participated: DON COLE (C-182), BILL DEWEY (C-172), BRUCE GUSTAFSON (C-120), GARY LUDEKE (RV-6A), VIRGIL PRATT (C-172), RANDY STOUT (J-3), ALAN WIEDER (RV-9A).

Four pilots participated in our traditional parade fly-over at 11:00. They were: JIM BEAL (RV-9A), GARY LUDEKE, RANDY STOUT, ALAN WIEDER.

At the risk of leaving someone out (if this happens I’m truly sorry!) the following people played key roles on the ground to make everything happen as safely and as efficiently as was reasonably possible:

BRIDGET PRATT handled the unenviable task of seeing that all the YE forms were filled out by the parents/guardians of the YE’s. She also produced all the YE certificates and saw that each YE received a certificate and YE logbook.

KEN SCHMIDT was responsible for getting all the YE’s matched up with a pilot/airplane. I’m sure this can be a very stressful task since some kids want to fly in a particular airplane; some want to fly with a sibling or a friend, and some want to fly but may be extremely fearful of going up with a total stranger, particularly if they are a first time flyer! Then there’s the stress of finding the kids in the crowd when it’s their turn to fly!

TOM CUNNINGHAM again used his airplane as the parade float representing EAA Chapter 31 and promoting the Young Eagle program. Tom also did a lot of “behind the scenes” work such as representing the chapter at Creswell Chamber of Commerce July 4 coordination meetings, preparing his airplane (Kolb Firestar) by getting it washed and mounting our Young Eagles banners on the wings. He also towed the plane in the parade (using Hal Skinner’s generously offered vehicle), then moved it to the car show for display, and then brought it back at the end of the event.

And finally, there are all the people who just stepped forward to help in any way they could. A probably incomplete list includes JIM BEAL, DAVE EASON, STEVE RILEY, CHARLIE WALKER and my wonderful wife SANDY.

The list would not be complete without a special thanks to Airport Manager SHELLEY HUMBLE and our airport aviation fuel supplier, WORLD FUEL SERVICES, who provided $500 worth of aviation fuel for the Young Eagle pilots!

A sincere thanks to all! I’m sure we changed the lives of some young people for the better. I am very honored to be serving as your President!

Gary

 

Jul 02

Meeting Minutes from the 7/1/2015 meeting

EAA Chapter 31 Meeting, July 1st, 2015
The dinner portion of the meeting started at 6:00 PM hosted by the wonderful Virgil and Bridget Pratt. There was angel hair spaghetti with meat sauce, great French bread, green salad along with 2 types of brownies and a drink for only $5. What will they think of next month!!

The business and entertainment portion of the meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM by President Gary Ludeke, with V.P. John Kuehl and Secretary / Treasurer Randy Stout also present.There were 18 members in attendance. No guests this time

After the pledge of allegiance, President Gary spoke about the RV-3 project. It still needs a cowling, but it appears that Van’s may be making a special light weight one for us. Jim Beale is working on the tail wheel. Ray Morse will blast the bigger parts. Alan Weider has been working hard on the fiberglass and fixing a bump on the fuselage. Virgil Pratt has refinished the Prop. The project is at the rear of the clubhouse for everyone to see the progress.

Doug Kindred then gave an “OAHS in Cottage Grove “Wings and Wheels” fund raising event report. Due to the excess heat, the event was not as well attended as last year, but still a great time. Chapter member Matt Northway won Peoples Choice award with his Interstate Cadet, which includes a certificate and a Gift card for a free $50 lube. The Shelby Cobra won the Peoples Choice for the Auto.

Next Chapter breakfast is July 18th, and that will coincide with the OACAC quarterly meeting at Cottage Grove. Come out to the clubhouse in the AM and pay $5 for an all you can eat breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, OJ, coffee and camaraderie!! Starts at 9:00 and runs to about 10:30 or so. Bridget Pratt will be here along with Virgil, so it should be good!

Randy was asked to call Shelly Humble and find out about the bricks she said she will be ordering for Jug and Crash. We want to get the Dave Heisley and South Lane Modelers bricks ordered and installed ASAP. Speaking of the Honor Garden, Dave Eason and Bill Dewey will be digging a ditch (when the temperature dips below 90!!) to be able to place a pipe for irrigation water. Doug Kindred will then help with the installation of a irrigation device to keep the plants alive.

President Gary then spoke about our Young Eagles event this year on July 4th. Tom Cunningham will be displaying his FireStar airplane and asked for (and received!) help in cleaning it to get it ready for the parade. We will not do a lunch for this event, but Ken Schmidt has found a food cart to come out and provide food for the pilots and YE families. There was talk about the coordination that will be needed with the pilots who will fly over the parade, and the National Guard’s F-15 fly over. Gary will coordinate with them to be sure we don’t get “bumped”. Hal Skinner has volunteered his Pickup to pull the trailer with Tom’s airplane on it.
Gary also noted that Shelly has been offered $500 worth of Gas from the FBO’s supplier to YE pilots, and we will display a banner on the clubhouse in thanks for this gift.

Ken Schmidt said that the pilot briefing for all the YE and Parade Pilots will begin at 11:00, but may be moved to accommodate later or early arrivals. He went over the qualifications necessary to be a YE pilot, and noted that there will be a sheet for each pilot to sign attesting to their meeting these qualifications. Lets all be safe and legal!!

Gary noted that in the August meeting, Alan Weider will be giving a presentation on ADS-B and that Lauren Paine will give a talk during our September meeting. If you have read Lauren’s monthly articles in Sport Aviation, you know that you don’t want to miss this meeting (or Alan’s!!)

It was noted that HR1062 (To amend the Pilot’s Bill of Rights to facilitate appeals and to apply to other certificates issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, to require the revision of the third class medical certification regulations issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, and for other purposes.) is still in committee. Contact Peter DeFazio to express support for this important bill.

Alan Weider, a chapter 1457 member along with a Chapter 31 member, mentioned that 1457 will have their YE flying day on August 29th at Eugene Airport. It will be held along with a 5K on the Runway and pancake breakfast. They would love to have some Chapter 31 pilots join them, just as Chapter 31 would love some of their members to help out with our YE day on the 4th.

There being no other business, President Gary suggested we view the Chapter Video on the new RANS S-20, but most people were at that time too hot (90 degrees in the clubhouse) to enjoy it.

The meeting was then adjourned at 8:15 pm
respectfully submitted, Randall Stout, Secretary/ Treasurer