Summers Last Fling

It is sad to say, but summer seems to be coming to an end. You can feel it in the cool air of the evening, and the mornings don’t warm up as quickly as once was enjoyed. This summer has been my favorite thus far. It started with the trip to New Brunswick that was almost seamless in its moment. Then there was the Bishell breakfast, the AJ breakfast, the Kirkby breakfast, and a number of other memorable flights that made this summer one of my busiest. Many of these flights were with those that I have not flown with before. There were many photos of places I have never been.

I was privileged enough to be invited for a flight over the rocks to Mabel Lake, BC, with Troy. That strip is one of the smoothest and best-kept strips I have ever seen or felt. What you see is exactly what is found on the website: green grass, tall trees, and nature at its finest. As one of the locals put it, “When making a runway, make sure you have guys that do golf courses build it.” We then went to Vernon for fuel and flew over the Rockies, giving us a view that was a vision of beauty. I’ll have more on that later. Many of you have seen some of the pictures that Troy had sent of the city skyline taken while cruising around the city one evening. You know that he has got it made when he can pass that off as a ‘Date Night.’

There are other pilots who have flown more. Warren Arnholtz, for example, has logged over 70 hours since May. Stu and the Dragonfly’s seemed to be on the go most weeks. Linden had its fair share of restaurant patrons this season. Ken Beanlands once again made the journey to Oshkosh and had many photos to prove it. All in all, it has been a very successful season.

I am very glad to report that John Kerr is in great shape even though his plane is not. He will report the details at the next meeting. To show the great spirit of a true pilot, he now has another plane and the same wife.

We have been given a donation of a Cavalier kit which is open to bids. It has many boxes of hardware and can be seen at Ron Rebitt’s hangar. The fuse and wings are just about complete. The results will be given at October’s halftime break where the highest bidder will be acknowledged. To place a bid, send it to my email address prior to Oct. 6, 2006.

By the time you read this, we will be in the midst or just finishing Aviation Days at the International. A special thanks to Al Belyk from the Aerospace Museum for the invite and Ken Beanlands for the recommendation.

Many hangars have been sold, swapped, or otherwise this year. Congratulations to Dan Mitchell, Ron Labey, Allan Tippman, and Arnim. They are the proud new owners of hangars at Indus.

A word to the wise: never assume that the plane is just fine. I had noticed a problem while I was checking the landing gear on the Corsair. It wasn’t tracking true and looked like the axle was bent, yet if it rolled the right way it would correct itself. Upon closer inspection, I found that the down tube had crushed and was twisting, depending on which way it was pushed. There is now a new weld and bracing that is much stronger than before. This could have had a much different ending, and I am grateful for the bit of good fortune thrown my way.

If any of you have a topic for one of the meetings, please let the executives know and we’ll try to accommodate your request. I am off to DC and hope to make it to the Smithsonian. I intend to have many pictures.

Wishing you tailwinds and no bumps.