The October 6th event was a lot of fun. I think everyone had a great time flying, eating, talking and a little bit of line dancing. Thanks to Jeff and his wife the food was outstanding. Dickey topped off the meal with ice cream to go along with the brownies Jeff’s wife made. Although we had rain, there was a lot of flying and very little crashing. The field is shaping up very nicely and is now sporting an official windsock. The runway is getting better every week. This past Saturday several of us went back for a second day of awesome flying. I am so excited about the field now, I can’t wait to get back from my trip this weekend so I can break in another aircraft at the new field. So far, I have flown a Cub, 60 Stik, and a Giant Stik. On my next visit I am shooting for my 40 Stik, and the Edge 540. That Saito 180 is purring like a kitten, and I am roaring like a tiger to fly it at our new field.
Our new home is developing nicely as we continue to improve. Recently we added a canopy to protect our members and guests from the sun and rain. Thanks to a few of our members for making this happen. In addition, we now have starting tables and pilot stations. Again, thanks to all of you who invested your time and effort to make these improvements possible. The grass has filled in very quickly in the last two months. Recently we installed a temporary wind streamer and hope to launch our permanent wing sock very soon. One of the advantages I find at our new site is a long approach area to the 55 X 400 feet runway. In addition, the wide open flying area affords flying in both the morning and afternoon. Yes, you can fly from either side of the runway. I recently flew one afternoon and enjoyed flying with color verses only a silhouette and no sun in my face. You will notice two areas for pilots on the west side of the runway. Simply move one of the pilot protection stands to the area of your choice and enjoy.
We hope to make some additional improvements shortly. First we will add a few directional arrows to take you right to the field once you enter the farm. A port-a- potty is currently under consideration by the club’s leadership. To further enhance the runway we are discussing the use of sand to make your take offs and landings smoother.
Finally, I want to inform you that this a working hay farm. From time to time there may be a truck and trailer in the area to pick up hay. This actually has an added benefit. Because the drive trail is grass and has been packed by these vehicles, the ground is really solid even after a moderate rain. I visited the field several times after a couple of rainy days and had no problems. Happy landing!