Our next Ultra-Light Club meeting will be at Husky Haven (Zaverton Field ) in South Montrose, on the 15th of this month at around 12 Noon.  Tom Lewis will see to it to provide the club with pizza and drink.   I have been holding off till the last moment to get more facts on our Rhinebeck trip and the flood has not helped us on attendees for the trip.  

DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR CHAIRS!

DON’T FORGET TO BRING YOUR ITEMS FOR OUR FLEE MARKET!

    This meeting will be the organization of getting the group together and planning the trip to Old Rhinebeck.  The biggest part of the planning will be how many are going and which car will we go in.  Jim Croisant (our new President) will communicate with Old Rhinebeck today and the last time I talked with him it wasn't a problem with obtaining the group rate.  So if you are interested in going to Old Rhinebeck please make a showing at this next meeting.  The planned date of departure will be on Sunday the 23^rd at 6:30 am.  I just received a note from Jim saying we can have a guided tour as a group if we want.  This will also be discussed at our next meeting.

   Directions to Husky Haven:  Go south on route 29 out of Montrose to South Montrose.  South Montrose has a blinker light.  Continue up the hill.  At the top of the hill you are almost there.  Start going down and turn left at a white sign advertising helicopters. 

    Many Thanks to Mel McKinney for supplying the food for us and to Dave Schwartz for supplying the hanger for the meeting place.

    We had 10 people come to the last meeting, many of the regulars went to an ultralight meet in Pa.   Our former President Mel McKinney started off with the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag. 

    Our officers for the ensuing year were elected.  I nominated Jim Croisant for President and it was unanimous, he got the head office.  Our new three directors are Dave Thomas, Gil Aitchison and Tom Lewis.  Gil Aitchison said he will keep his post as treasurer.  Mel Wightman would continue being secretary as well.  Tom Lewis will maintain his other job as Publishing Manger.

    Mel McKinney said, he enjoyed the job as our President and the different places we went; he had a lot of fun.

    The club now has two new members Merle Jones and Bob Johnson.  Welcome aboard!  Merle isn't a pilot but did take many lessons as a Student Pilot. His instructor had passed away and he now would qualify easily as an Ultralight Pilot.  Bob Johnson has a genuine interest in flying also both of these guys were members of the National War Museum and had extensive experience in maintaining a B-17 in Elmira , to FAA specifications.   They have a wealth of knowledge in mechanics and will have something to contribute or pass on to others in homebuilts. 

    We talked about the airshow that didn't happen at The Greater Binghamton Airport.  Because of the lack of Medical Emergency Crews that may be needed for the show it was canceled.  The flood of 2006 interfered with the airshow activities.  I found out this morning this flood was 3 feet higher than the flood of the last century in 1936.  Just think if we didn't have the Whitney Point Dam or the East Sidney Dam the water would have drowned many more and there would have been more homes to bulldoze under.  I heard through Duane Ross that Mel McKinney may have lost his home and both airplanes the Woody Pusher and the Ultralight.  Mel's friend George Newberry, had extensive damage done on his seaplane; it hung up in the rafters of his hanger. Mel was on our list to go to Old Rhinebeck.  I hope he will be able to go.  He may need help in cleaning up that is if he knows where to start.  Some people are so overwhelmed in the devastation that they don't know where to start.  Let's hope FEMA can give him a good break. 

    Tom Lewis said he had 300 hours on his Rotax 582 it is about due for an overhaul he said, it would cost around 16K to get a Rotax 912 so he will probably just overhaul the 582.  Tom has been doing quite a bit of flying.

    Dave Thomas is still flying his ultralight and mowing the Husky Haven runways.

    Dave Schwartz is overhauling his engine and is running into all kinds of stumbling blocks on the way a company has discontinued, I believe he said, roller bearings in one part of his engine.  So now he has to take a more expensive route to complete his re-build.

    Mel McKinney had spent a lot of time mowing his runway and getting things ready for our get together which we do appreciate.

    Jim Croisant has been painting his wheel axle on his Phantom.  He finally took advantage of a couple not so humid and rainy days.  We had our share, that is for sure. 

    Harry Henderson has been flying every day that he can and enjoying every bit of it.

    Al Osterhout has been caring for his folks who have had various forms of sickness.  He also has suffered many different forms as well.  He also said, his father said to say hi.

    The meeting was over around 3 PM and everyone present enjoyed the day.  We didn't do any flying but we spent time (hanger flying) and ate a real good lunch with great company.

    Your Secretary,