Our next meeting will be our Thanksgiving and Christmas meeting combined.  That’s a week early because of Deer Hunting to take place on the third Saturday.  Another reason for the week early meeting is for the benefit of our snow birds who will be heading South very soon.  The meeting will take place at Baron's Inn in Greene , New York on November 11, at around noon.  We are hoping for complete participation, we would like to have all the wives and significant others to come take part in this event.   We would like 40 or better to come.  Like many restaurants they specify what they can do and we try to comply.   If we have less than 40 show we may have to do one of two things, increase the meal price or take care of the balance through the treasury.  We need 40 or better to pull it off.  So bring some friends if you want, the more the merry!  Each meal will be approximately $11.00 plus tip and it sounds like a buffet will be provided and I have to say my wife and I went to one this past Saturday Night and it was fantastic!  It was a mix of sea food and hoof.  Very Good!  They also said, if you want to order off the menu that would be another option. 

    Our last meeting took place at Gil's and Liz's place in Fenton and we had a total of 17 guys come out.  Jim Croisant (our President) brought the food and yours truly assisted in the cooking part of it.  We got done cooking and Gil closed the hanger and fired up his furnace to help us get warm; it must have been about 40 to 45 degrees and a lot of wind.  It seems that we just can't get the weather to fly on the 3rd Saturday of the month.  Everyone had their bellies full and lots of stories to tell.  Many thanks to Gil for allowing us to meet at his place and also to the head chief for supplying the food.

    The meeting started by our president Jim Croisant immediately after everyone ate - about 1 PM.   We started off witth our salute to the flag and then discussed where we were going next time.  We chose Baron's Inn on the 11th 2nd Saturday of the month and decided to have the ladies to take part in the luncheon for the Christmas and Thanksgiving combination.  Every lady will get a rose if they come (keep this part a secret) just tell them there will be a nice surprise if they come.  We have to keep them guessing a little.  It's always the little things that make a difference you know....Lou Palombo made a phone call to Baron's Inn and made the reservations on the spot with his cell phone. 

    First of all we congratulated Gil for his LSA accomplishments and presented him a cake to share with the rest.  We were going to get him a steak but felt it would have been unfair for the rest.  So the treasury sprung for the cake.  Since Gil is in charge of the treasury it wasn't a problem.

    Norm Dibble made an announcement to come to Windsor for his birthday party.  He will be 80 on the 28th.  He gave directions and I believe most everyone made it because about 100 people showed up.  Jim Croisant, our President, presented him with a gift from the club and a card. He enjoyed the gesture and the gang.

    Mel Wightman is just looking at aircraft trying to get an idea of what to purchase.  I recently spent my aircraft money on a 490 foot drive way. I was thinking of putting the numbers 27 at the end of his drive way but was afraid some one might try it out.

    George Smith got N-numbers for his quicksilver so it is now registered so it is no longer an ultralight.  It is classified as a LSA.

    Paul Muhlig has been doing some re-wiring and re-doing things on his hawk that he didn't care for from the last owner.

    Kent Gazlay found his way to our meeting for the first time.  We hope he enjoyed the gathering and will come again.  He has a J-3 Kitten and said they were just thrown off the Monticello Airport so he had to take the wings off.

    Matt Garbett has been flying a Beechcraft Sundowner and a C-150.  He went into Towanda Airport and said it was beautiful there.  He also had just gotten back from Virginia and experienced some problems with the family car.  The car ended up on the rack and its transmission was on the floor.  The car had way over 100 k miles on it and was talked into spending money on a nice new Ford 500 so there goes his airplane money for awhile.  Well at least he gets to drive it on windy days when maybe the ultralight would be in the hanger.

    Allen Huntley gave his Cessna 150 a base coat.  A stripe was put on when it was too cold and had to come back off because it orange peeled.  Lately he had more pressing things to do like clearing up the water in his tractor's oil.  You guessed - it a new head gasket job!

    Duane Ross will have about 100 hours in this year.

    Dave Thomas was talking about his close call with a force field landing but managed to keep her going and landed fairly fast at the field because he didn't dare throttle it down for fear it would kill the engine all together.

    Tom Botheuser remembers using a drive way for a take off - I guess it was fairly short.  He said he has been too busy doing other things and just didn't do too much of anything on aircraft this last two months.  His dad died not too long ago and has had some family feuds to contend with.

    Norm Dibble has 10 hours in his Flightstar.  He said his wings fold up and he's got it put away in the trailer.

    Bob Johnson use to fly in a B-17 when it was available at the museum in Elmira NY .  He was the passenger specialist.

    Jim Croisant has his aircraft almost ready to fire up and fly. He's checking weight and balance and found out the battery was dead on his scales.  Once he changes the gear box oil and uses some safety wire he'll be ready to crow hop.  He went to Harris Hill and was watching the tow planes tug gliders up to altitude.  He saw an Ag Cat being used. He said it was really hot roding around - let loose on the tow and he'd peel off and in for a landing real fast to tug another glider.

    Lou Palombo has been looking at ultralight helicopters and is going after his physical.  He said Jim Dennis is building an 800 foot runway in Otego.  He'll have an ultralight of some kind soon.

    Gil Aitchison has been too busy spending money on his LSA and is behind on his normal flying of ultralights for this time of year.He would have probably 125 hours in by now.

    Rick Padden came from Oxford and has an interest in ultralights.  He has been scuba diving, skiing, and snowmobiling now it's time to try something else.  He's trying to get his wife involved also.

   Gary Pressler Has been looking at the Generac Vtwin 38 hp. ultralight STOL also been looking at the Zener 701.  Going fixed wing.  He may look at Elmer Zaverton's craft.

    Tom Lewis had the chance to fly a Hawk with a 447 Rotax.  He learned a lot about the craft as a test pilot.  He also was asking who can do the inspection on his aircraft?  He also needs an Airworthy Certificate.

    The meeting was adjourned at 2:30 PM.  Jim Croisant received a call from his wife to come home.  His daughter was involved in an auto accident and had hurt her foot.  I'll leave the rest for Jim to tell at our next meeting.  

        Your Secretary,

            Mel Wightman