In this issue:
January 12th, Monday, 6:00 PM Board Meeting @ Birdcage Lounge
February 9th, Monday, 6:00 PM Board Meeting @ Birdcage Lounge
. . . (more to follow in later newletters)..
Friday, December 5th at 6:00 PM we will have our Holiday Party at Ernesto's in Plymouth. Make sure you RSVP to Dave LaPointe before Tuesday (Nov. 25th) because that's when Dave needs to turn in the guest count to Ernesto's. In addition to being a fun get-together, the Holiday Party is also when we hold our annual election for President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. Currently we have the following nominations:
President: Robb Butts and Dino Dinatale
Vice-President: Dave LaPointe and John Keck
Secretary: Bob Scott
Treasurer: Joe McEvoy
Other nominations may be submitted right up to the day of the Party. In January the Board will appoint the maintenance officers, the Safety Training Officer, and the Operations Officer. The current holders of those Offices have all expressed an interest in continuing in their Office, however other interested members should contact the Board as well.
The following statements are provided by the candidates for Vice-President..
From Dave LaPointe: I am currently serving in the Office of Vice-President. I took over this position mid year so as to fill the spot vacated by Kevin Grammes. I have been a member of MANG since 1996. Over that time period I have been the Operations Officer for several years and your President for three years. Getting involved with the Club as I have over the years has made me a better pilot. And has also given me a much better understanding of the operations of one of the best flying clubs around. As your Vice President I am the first point of contact for many new members. Having the knowledge of the club's operation helps me encourage would-be members to join. So I ask that you consider me as Club Vice President for 2009.
From John Keck: I currently serve as the Safety/Training Officer and have helped make our organization the best flying club in the area. In addition to my regular duties as Safety/Training Officer, I have organized “Movie Nights” which were a success (more frequent & better when fuel was cheaper), have supported club comradeship by introducing club shirts, ball caps and vehicle stickers. I have supplemented our meetings with multimedia presentations, and have helped generate greater awareness for (and of) the club as a whole. As Vice President, I look forward to continuing with these “extra” duties, continue to seek ways to reduce the cost of flying and of course, look forward to performing the duties as Vice President. I respectfully ask for your support.
We have three new members: David Brent, John Souther, and Scott Souther. That brings our membership back up to the Club limit of 55. Welcome to David, John, and Scott!
Fuel Surcharge Reduced to $8/hr - Starting Now!
The drop in fuel prices has finally started to reach aviation fuel. Starting right now, and continuing into December, the Fuel Surcharge will be $8/hr. Therefore the total charge for flying hours is:
|
Cessna and Warrior: |
$75 + $8 surcharge = $83 / hour |
|
Archer: |
$80 + $8 surcharge = $88 / hour |
Winter air is not usually as turbulent as summer air, so flying can be a smoother experience. Take a look at Schedulemaster and see how free the schedule is. You can often decide on the spur of the moment to go flying and there will be a plane available - even on weekends! Our planes all have working cabin heaters, so once the plane is warmed up, you will be comfortable. However, let's keep the following in mind during the winter:
1. Because you car picks up road salt, don't bring your car into the hangar in the winter. The salt drips off your car and ruins the hangar floors. Leave your car outside the hangar.
2. The engine heaters are now in use for the winter. When you come to the hangar you should find the plane is plugged in and warm, all ready for an easy start. When you are done flying, please plug the engine heater back in so the engine will stay warm all winter. When it gets really cold, you may also find a blanket placed over the engine. If so, then replace the blanket when you are done flying.
3. Be careful about shock cooling the engine. Avoid prolonged power-off glides. Descend gradually, or in steps, with some power still applied to keep the engine from getting suddenly cold.
Here are the statistics for October 2008:
|
(Total HOURS) |
54115 |
43755 |
33149 |
All Aircraft |
|
October: |
13.7 |
9.6 |
10.9 |
34.2 |
We had 19 pilots flying. Here are the top flyers in terms of flight hours for the month:
|
Michael Stier |
6.6 |
|
Ron Rose |
4.3 |
|
Paul Plumley |
3.0 |
|
Michael Smith |
2.6 |
|
Joe McEvoy |
2.5 |
|
Sam Mekled |
2.3 |