Newsletter
Issue #99 USUA Club #66
Richard E. Miller Chapter
September/October 2002
The next meeting of USUA Club #66 meeting will be held on October
19th at Tom Hettig’s place. Directions to T. Hettig's Home: From Great Bend, Pa., take route 11
North, just outside of Great Bend, Pa., turn right onto Randolph Road, continue
straight on Randolph Road to Honeyhollow Road, and Turn Right. Continue on Honeyhollow Road a little over
two miles, and turn left on Anne Road.
T. Hettig's home is the first house on the right, mailbox number 482.
September Meeting Notes
The meeting was held September 21st at the Zaverton Airport
in South Montrose. There were 17
members in attendance. Dave Schwartz
flew his plane in for the meeting.
President Paul Nulton called the meeting to order.
We are searching for an airpark where we can keep our planes.
Butch Osterhout reported that the Kirkwood airport may be available at a price
of about $350 per year. The club itself
did not show interest in paying, but the consensus was that members should deal
directly with the airport owner.
Butch volunteered to keep up with the Kirkwood developments.
Mel McKinney says his place might be open to club members.
Frank Snyder’s membership has been
reinstated. His name has been added to
the Members section of our web site.
A suggestion was made to put our web site address in the newsletter. Here it is - http://www.geocities.com/rans18801/index.html.
Tom Decker has volunteered to scan pictures for our web site, so get your pictures
to Tom Decker and he will send them to Tom Lewis.
Guy Roszel
News
Item
As Butch promised, here is some Kirkwood follow-up email I (Tom
Lewis) received from him. Butch showed
the email to Linda and said he received Linda’s permission to publish it in our
newsletter. Here it is unedited:
.
“Tom,
I had a nice talk with Linda Lewis on Monday 9/30/02.
Linda Expressed a sincere interest in Joining the USUA, and Becoming a
USUA registered UL Pilot (herself). She is going to need your help Tom,
(I gave her your name/phone number) and I explained to her, that you could
instruct her in your Rans S-12 XLS, but you go to Florida around Thanksgiving
every year. Linda would also like to make the old part of the
airport, which was about 1800 feet of grass on her house and hangar side
of the current GA 3,000 ft. runway, into a USUA directory listed Air-Park.
It's would mean hangar space would be available, but she is going to ask the
fair going-rate (USUA Air-Park) for hangar space and tie-downs, No more nickel
and dimming her on this stuff! Linda, and I didn't get into temporary
hangars, or trailers with UL's in them, being tied down on the field during the
summer flying season. I'm sure she would keep the charges in-line with
other USUA airparks going-rates for these things. Linda did show an
interest in having UL fly-ins, over-nite camping, and barbecues to generate
more revenue to assist in keeping the grass mowed, and the taxes paid. We
didn't get into insurance, but she may insist all pilots using the field to
hold USUA pilot registrations, or be working towards getting their USUA pilot
registrations. Linda wants her children and herself involved, with this
endeavor, and she'd like all the (positive) assistance/support we members
of the USUA club #66 and area Ultralight pilots could provide. No
(negative) individuals Please! She owns the airport, and all the
land, that this endeavor would consist of, and she doesn't have to lease
anything from anybody to make it all happen. She is an airport owner,
that wants to get back to enjoying flying, other flying people in the
area, and keeping the air-park alive, like it was when her late husband (Chuck)
first started the Kirkwood airport quite a few years ago. She
explained, that she will not get many of these things done this year, but she
is certainly considering all of what I've explained in the article for next
year with her children involved as well.
Lets all give Linda, and her family all the positive support they need to
make this endeavor become a reality. It would be a win/win situation
for UL flyers in our area, and elsewhere a like, it will provide a good UL
training field, to sprout new UL Pilots, and USUA Club # 66 Members, and
Kirkwood Air-Park will stay alive, and active for flying enjoyment by us
all. Enjoy, Enjoy!
Tom, If you can Fly over to Kirkwood and take Linda for her Introductory
UL Flight. She will pay you what ever you get for this Flight. Call
her before going she would prefer early morning, or late afternoon to keep
things a smooth ride, but if the day is nice and not too windy/bumpy she would
go with you any time.
Come on all you good members, lets give Linda all the encouragement we
can on this entire deal, and save another airport from going under in our area!
Sincerely,
Al Osterhout”
I
subsequently talked with Linda and will fly to Kirkwood and give her
instruction in a week or so. I offered
to take her children for rides as well.
We will see what happens. Tom
Lewis
For Sale
Squadron SE-5A
Biplane replica. Asking $6500. Contact
John Torta or Al Osterhout.
Howland H-3 Pegasus. Asking
$12,000. Contact Ray or Al Osterhout.
Note: For each of the Ultralights
listed above, current club members will receive special pricing consideration
if conditions are met. Please see Ray,
John or Al at the next meeting or call 570-853-3316.
Flying and Building
Last month’s
question was “when (under what circumstances) is it permissible to operate an
ultralight 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sundown?”
The answer is 1) Your ultralight must have an anti-collision light which is
visible for at least 3 statute miles and 2) the flight must be conducted in
uncontrolled Class “G” airspace.
Uncontrolled airspace east of the Mississippi means flying 1200 ft AGL
or lower. The visibility and cloud
clearance in uncontrolled Class “G” airspace is 1 mile and clear of
clouds.
Next question: When turning from a
headwind to a tailwind condition, does the relative wind increase or
decrease? Why is this important to the
ultralight pilot? Tom Lewis