Saint Louis Radio Control Flying Association News

Rotate Newsletter is Back!

Lawrence Leuchtmann — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 06:16:29 GMT

ROTATE - The SLRCFA Newsletter
September 2025

Welcome to the new SLRCFA newsletter! Keep your eyes here for the latest news and updates from around the club!

Route 66 Jet Event

The SLRCFA Route 66 Jet Event on September 5^th – 7^th was a blast! Thanks to all the Members and Pilots who participated and to our Volunteers (especially Contest Directors Dennis Chivetta and Larry Leuchtmann).

Raffle Winners:
David Jones - A10 Thunderbolt
Mike L. - Holy Smokes Jet Smoke pump
Jeff Adams - Prime Membership (donated by Larry Collins)
Mark Stellern - 64mm ducted fan assembly
Larry Leuchtmann - TitanRC airplane stand
Jay Wilson - Sennheiser headphones (donated by David Jones)
Kolten Spies - Massager (donated by David Jones)

Welcome New Members
Phil Best
Billy Seitz
Reid Stellhorn
Ben Baker

Mark Your Calendars:

Toys for Tots Chili Cookoff and Fun Fly

The SLRCFA Toys for Tots Chili Cookoff and Fun Fly is scheduled for Saturday, October 11, 2025. Bring a pot of your favorite Chili to share, a toy to donate to Toy’s for Tots (in lieu of a Pilot Fee), and Planes to fly!

SLRCFA Christmas Party

The Annual SLRCFA Christmas Party will be held at The Timbers in Eureka on December 11^th.

Bring a wrapped gift to participate in the White Elephant Gift Exchange. Membership renewals will also be collected to those members who prefer to pay at the Christmas Party instead of online.

SLRCFA Christmas Party tickets are $25 will be available on the SLRCFA Website (beginning in October) and at the door. Dinner is included. Merry Christmas!

Safety Minute

Please practice Flight Line Etiquette when flying –

- Announce your Intentions to other Flyers (takeoff, landings, etc.)

- Follow the Established Pattern

- Don’t Interrupt or Crowd other Pilots and their Spotters on the Flight Line

- Never enter the Runway or Grass to retrieve an Airplane without making other Pilots Aware and getting permission!

QuickStart

What do all our members have in common? All of us were beginners and had to learn to fly RC Airplanes! Our Club continues to have a robust Quickstart Training Program for new RC Pilots, meeting on Tuesday evenings. It is how we continue to grow our club and pass on our hobby to the next Generation.

Thanks to this year’s Instructors and to those members who have shown up Tuesday nights to share their expertise, stories, and patience!

We have had many students go through the program this year, so you may notice some new faces around the club. If you see a new pilot while you’re out flying, be sure to introduce yourself and be ready to lend a hand, or your favorite flying tip!

We are always looking for volunteers who are willing to help and become Instructors. If you have questions on how to help, please reach out to Larry Leuchtmann.

Volunteers are Needed!

Here’s a BIG THANK YOU to those Members who volunteered during 2025! To those members who didn’t have a chance to volunteer this year, please consider volunteering your time and talents to the Club for our remaining 2025 events and in 2026.

Our ability to keep the Airfield looking great and conducting club events like the Camp and Fly, 3D, Warbirds, and Jet Events are only successful and fun if we have Club Members support these events by helping as a Volunteers and as Participants (either as a Pilot, Spectator, or just to come and hang out with other club members!). These events also generate interest in the Community, which can translate to additional income for the Club (which helps us defer increases to membership dues despite significant increases in expenses).

We are considering what events we can support for the 2026 Flying Season, watch for communications in the coming months and thank you in advance for volunteering and participating!

Board of Director Nominations

The Board of Directors election is coming up soon so if you are interested in giving back to the Club, please consider running for the Board. Details on how to submit nominations will be communicated to the Club Membership soon via email and the Club Facebook page. Club Members who are Full or Prime Members are eligible to be nominated and to vote in the election.

Indoor Flying Strarting in October
Our annual indoor flying season starts Friday October 3rd at Eureka’s Central Baptist Church gymnasium. 6 to 9pm. Join us for some fun and challenging indoor flying fun. $5 per session.

Field Cameras

Did you know you can now visit the field anytime day or night, virtually, from your favorite device? Our new field cameras let you peek at a live video feed of what’s up at the field (video only, no audio). Check out the fun you’re missing or see if anyone’s out flying before you make the trip out to the field! Details on setting up the camera on your device can be found in the members section of the website under the menu heading Members > Field Camera.

Have Something You’d Like To Add?
Have news you’d like to share with the club, interesting new RC flying information, or maybe a plane for sale…? Let us know and we can publish it here in our newsletter. Send an email to SLRCFAWebmaster@gmail.com!

SLRCFA Establishes Legal Defense Fund Amidst Civil Lawsuit

Dennis Chivetta — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 20:21:30 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

St. Louis RC Flying Association Establishes Legal Defense Fund Amidst Civil Lawsuit

ST. LOUIS, MO – June 13, 2025 – The St. Louis RC Flying Association (SLRCFA) today announced the establishment of a legal defense fund to address significant legal expenses resulting from a civil lawsuit filed by a former club and board member. The lawsuit names both the St. Louis RC Flying Association and nine of its current and former board members as defendants, seeking monetary compensation, along with court and attorney fees.

The SLRCFA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the hobby of radio-controlled flying in the St. Louis metropolitan area. For decades, the club has provided a safe and welcoming environment for enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels to enjoy this exciting pastime. The current legal action, however, threatens the financial stability of the club and its ability to continue its mission.

“We are deeply saddened and concerned by this lawsuit, which we believe is without merit,” said Dennis Chivetta, President of the SLRCFA. “Our board members are dedicated volunteers who have tirelessly contributed their time and effort to serve the club and its members. This legal challenge places an undue burden on their personal finances and the financial health of our organization.”

To ensure the continued operation of the SLRCFA and to protect its volunteer leadership, the club is urgently requesting support from its members, the broader RC flying community, and the general public.

How to Donate:

Donations to the St. Louis RC Flying Association Legal Defense Fund can be made through the following methods:

Online: Thru our website www.slrcfa.com select the Donate Tab, or thru PayPal using slrcfa.eureka@gmail.com
Mail: Checks made payable to “St. Louis RC Flying Association” indicating it’s for the “Legal Defense Fund” can be sent to: Larry Collins – Treasurer, 2322 Rising Sun Drive, Wildwood MO 63011

The SLRCFA is committed to transparency and accountability. All funds raised will be exclusively used to cover legal expenses directly related to this lawsuit, including attorney fees, court costs, and other associated litigation expenses.

Importantly, any residual funds remaining after the conclusion of the litigation will be allocated to pay for future Director & Officer (D&O) Insurance premiums for the St. Louis RC Flying Association. This proactive measure will help protect the club and its volunteer leadership from similar legal challenges in the future.

“We are hopeful that with the support of our community, we can successfully navigate this challenge and continue to provide a thriving environment for RC flying in St. Louis for many years to come,” added Mr. Chivetta. “Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a significant difference.”

The St. Louis RC Flying Association thanks its members and the public for their understanding and support during this challenging time.

About the St. Louis RC Flying Association:

The St. Louis RC Flying Association (SLRCFA) is a non-profit organization established to promote the hobby of radio-controlled aircraft flying in the St. Louis area. The club provides flying fields, training, and a community for RC enthusiasts of all skill levels.

Media Contact:

SLRCFAwebmaster@gmail.com

FIRST FLIGHT 2019

Marshall Henley — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 17:41:09 GMT

Another FIRST FLIGHT in the books. We had eight fellows show up, Morgan Klussman drew the first flight. Pretty cold and windy, but always worth it!

Morgan's flight: https://www.facebook.com/slrcfa/videos/1947585505549555/

SLRCFA QuickSTART Point-of-Sale Display at Schaefer's!

Marshall Henley — Sat, 07 Apr 2018 20:31:49 GMT

We just placed our first Point-of-Sale display at Schaefer's Hobbies counter for our wildly-successful QuickSTART first-year RC membership, "LEARN TO FLY RC."

If you have or know of a business where you think the clientele might benefit from this offer (and like a boost to the bottom line with a little extra margin), reach out to us. Contact info here .

Stan King passing

Marshall Henley — Sat, 10 Feb 2018 18:57:32 GMT

Stan King, our long-time SLRCFA president, passed away this week. Stan was a ground-breaking RC pilot who flew even though he was a quadriplegic. Click below for a great autobiography on Stan kept by the AMA.

https://www.modelaircraft.org/files/KingStantonStan.pdf

Stan's memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 17, at 11am CST at:

Webster Groves Baptist Church
308 Summit Avenue
Webster Groves, MO 63119
(314) 962-6868

If you wish to make a donation on Stan's behalf, the two charities specified by the King family are:

Webster Groves Baptist Church, the King family church
https://wgbaptist.com/

St. Vincent De Paul, the charity that purchased Stan's wheelchair lift.
https://svdpstlouis.org/donate

SLRCFA is making a donation to both charities.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Marshall Henley — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 15:58:45 GMT

Actually, it would take a whole lotta chicken dinners to pay for this sharp jet!

John Reed won the EARLY BIRD raffle by renewing (or setting his account up for auto-payment) by December 31st. This year, every FULL member who didn't let their membership expire got a ticket. PRIME members got two tickets. Only ticket holder were allowed to purchase additional tickets.

John attended the January 2018 Club Meeting where he won the fantastic Freewing Avanti S 80mm EDF Ultimate Sport Jet - PNP.

John has now maidened the plane with three spectacular flights on Sunday, January 28, 2018, and is shown above shortly afterwards.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the EARLY BIRD renewals/new memberships. It's make a big difference... we had a record amount of cash to start the year, which mean's we're not scratching our head on what the budget will be this year. We also paid our big field bills (lease and property taxes) in mid-December due to the EARLY BIRD program from both December 2017 and December 2018 pulling our cash forward. Basically, we need our money on Jan 1, so we ask you to renew by December 31, and it's a big deal!

SIncerely,

Marshall L. Henley, SLRCFA President

Awesome Scale Warbird DEMO - January 2018 Club Meeting

Marshall Henley — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 01:00:00 GMT

Well, the show lived up to the hype! Denny Spark's did a fantastic job welcoming us to his shop, demonstrating his approach, and showing us his many, many, many planes.

CLICK HERE FOR SLIDE VIDEO OF THE NIGHT

Don't miss our next meeting! We'll have Paul Appelbaum doing a builder's clinic. Click here for more information.

Bummer - Hobbico bankrupt

Marshall Henley — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 21:58:34 GMT

Click here for article

A Special Thank You

Marshall Henley — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 18:12:26 GMT

Mr. Know-It-All

If you fly at SLRCFA, you'll know Jonathon Hendrickson. He's the (relatively young) guy who flies just about everything and knows a lot about all types of aircraft. Jonathon is a go-to guy for electric flight, FPV, drone photography, racing planes, battery maintenance, charging equipment, engine tuning, full-scale pilot licensing and even riding mower repair. He even created our Pilot Instruction program.

He's "Mr. Know-It-All" in the best way possible. On top of all that, for the last two years, he was the ultimate go-to guy: the SLRCFA President.

Jonathon stepped down as President in 2017 after serving on the board since... well, I think since 2007 (I'm not the best record-keeper that far back). The last two years would have been a challenge for any leader, with two floods and a sea-change in our cost structure (and subsequently, dues) due to a large property tax increase. Beyond that, changes in leadership are always potentially difficult, and Jonathon took over from Stan King, who had been President for well-past a decade (Stan was honored with a plaque for service and a lifetime SLRCFA membership in 2016, along with long-time Treasurer, Ron Lawson).

Clearly, Jonathon stepped up during 2015/2016 to a multi-year stint that required a great deal of change. During his tenure, Jonathon led the following successful changes:

The field never looks better, despite two 500-year floods requiring thoughtful repair with an eye to "it could happen again" - and it did! We now have a modular approach to our electrical de-installation/re-installation that saves us literally thousands of in the event of a flood
Implementation of the QuickSTART program with his Pilot Instruction methodology adapted from a successful RC training regime. We brought on 21 people under this program in 2017.
Growth of the club back to 102 members - 36 of them were new in 2017!
The introduction of the premium PRIME Membership, with 24 electing PRIME in 2016 and 28 electing PRIME in 2017
2017 ended with an increase in cash in the bank of about $3k, despite the 2017 flood which topped the 2016 flood.
...any many other successful changes too numerous to mention.

As outgoing Vice President, I can say that Jonathon was a joy to work with, having a brilliant mind that grasps problems and finds solutions quickly. I truly enjoyed serving with him. Never one to fear some experimentation when change is needed, Jonathon led us exceptionally both as a Newletter Editor, Director and eventually as our President.

As incoming President, I'm ecstatic to say, we won't have to miss Jonathon: he's continuing as a PRIME member and co-leading our Pilot Instruction Program! Look for him to say "THANKS," personally, on January 1 at our FIRST FLIGHT and in May at our club meeting where he'll be providing an FPV Primer.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Jonathon Hendrickson!

--Marshall L. Henley, 2018 Incoming SLRCFA President

SLRCFA 2018 Board of Directors Announced

Marshall Henley — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 17:26:55 GMT

The Old and the New

December 2017 rolled around and only 12 nominees for the Board of Directors were nominated. All 12 accepted nomination, and all 12 are qualified to serve on the board. The 12 were the 11 already serving, plus a new Director nominee, Kurt Seiter, the owner of HolySmokes smoke pumps, a long-time member and frequent sponsor of SLRCFA events and activities over the past three years (picture at right).

Because only 12 Directors and Officers were serving / nominated, there was no membereship vote needed or held to determine which 12 would serve. Let's change that in 2018!

Following the Christmas Party, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to elect Officers, as follows, for 2018. Because the SLRCFA Constitution is in the process of being re-written to allow direct-vote for officers (assuming it passes a vote by the Board and the Members), this is likely the President / Vice President vote that will be made directly by the Board:

Incoming President: Marshall L. Henley (also serving as webmaster, formerly the Vice President)
Incoming Vice President: Shane Eisenbach, formerly serving as Secretary
Incoming Secretary: John DeLuca, formerly serving as a Director
No change - Treasurer: Dennis Chivetta

Click here at any time for a complete list of your Board of Directors.

2017 Christmas Party a HIT!!!

Marshall Henley — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 20:29:25 GMT

Our December 21st Christmas party was one of the best ever. 45 members were in attendance. We had a celebration of the year, with all its good news, to include:

102 members - 103 as of the party (one more joined)!
36 new members - 37 as of the party (one more joined)
Of those 20 new QuickSTART and JUNIOR members that were more-or-less new to the hobby - 21 as of the Party with a new QuickSTART added.
Ended the year with more cash than we began
Three major, successful events: Big Bird & Jet Fly-In, Warbirds Over St. Louis, SuperFly 2017

Activity

We had lots of food on-hand as people brought goodies to share.

We kicked off the fun with a QuickSTART raffle - the experienced guys brought used or NIB planes that they weren't using and the newbies were able to win. Ken Merrill brought three radios and matching receivers, so several who won planes also won radios to match! Only QuickSTART members from 2017 were eligible to win.

Next we did our Dirty Santa gift exchange, which was hilarious. With 45 guys there, it took a while. We'll change the rules to speed things up in the future.

Finally we wrapped up with our Christmas Party Raffle. Thanks to Schaefer's Hobby's for four NIB planes (Waco RTF biplane, two EDF jets, and one P51 RTF with retracts).

A Good Night

The club made money on the raffles and gave $100 to the Eureka food pantry charity and $40 to the Central Baptist Church in Eureka for facility use.

Next stop, 2018 with our FIRST FLIGHT event on Jan 1. Going to be the coldest in memory, so even more fun!

RCJudge.com Scholarship Opportunity - MAY 21 DEADLINE

Marshall Henley — Fri, 05 May 2017 14:43:07 GMT

Looking at scholarships for college, or know someone who is? Consider supplementing them with an RCJudge.com scholarship. Learn more here! http://rcjudge.com/scholarship/

Information Packets at the Field for SLRCFA Visitors

Marshall Henley — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 19:45:01 GMT

Have you been out at the field and had a visitor ask you about the Club? Sure we all have had this happen. SLRCFA now has a Flyer holder located under the pavilion near the Electrical Panel. This container is filled with upcoming event flyers and club brochures, flyers, and Business Cards. Please utilize this to give our guests information about our club.

FLYIN IS BACK!!!!

Marshall Henley — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 19:43:19 GMT

The 2017 SLRCFA Giant Scale and Jet Fly In is June 3^rd and 4^th.

This event is open to all Giant Scale, Jet Aircraft, and Large Rotorcraft. The Landing fee for the weekend is $25 that includes a voucher for lunch on Saturday and Sunday, as well as Dinner at Saturday’s pilot dinner. Your landing fee also includes FREE snow cones. Sanctioned Flying is from 10am-5pm each day. We encourage open flying in the evenings as well as Night flying under the lights on Saturday.

For additional details and registration visit http://www.slrcfa.com/2017FLYIN

New Field Rules, Operating Procedures

Marshall Henley — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 19:41:56 GMT

Over the last several years, SLRCFA’s governing documents have been edited many times. This has left the documents with several holes and discontinuity. The 2017 SLRCFA Board of Directors and its sub committees (Teams) have tackled of an overhaul of all of these documents except the constitution already this year!! The goal is to streamline all the governing documents while accommodating for the future.

The updated Field Rules, Operating Procedures, (Newly adopted) Pilot Communication, and AMA rules have been prominently posted at the field in the newly installed Bulletin Board, which is located on the opposite side of the circuit breaker panel structure. Please review the new documents on your next trip to the field, online, or on the last pages of Rotate.

100cc 330LT Rebuild

Marshall Henley — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 22:46:22 GMT

By Marshall L. Henley

In September 2016, I crunched my first 100cc plane, which I had purchased the previous year at Joe Nall, a 3D Hobby Shop 108” Extra 330LT, yellow and black. I had been practicing low hovering and then powering out and flipping it over with down elevator to an inverted harrier and then back to hover, a maneuver I always thought looked pretty cool when the 3D guys do it.

This flight, I forgot to fill up the gas, and as I flipped it over, and then throttled back up – that was it. As soon as it died, the 330LT pendulumed straight down; I had about 30 feet of altitude because of the power-out after hover. That was only enough to rotate the plane back to about 30 degrees with very little forward airspeed.

THE CARNAGE

Needless to say, something broke. Unfortunately, it was the entire fuselage. Fortunately, all other damage (wings, tail, gear, motor box) was minimal.

So, the guys there who had rebuilt big planes, like Kerry Eisenbach and Mark and Mike Stellern, started saying they thought it was fixable. I rolled my eyes mentally, thinking they were probably just trying to cheer me up… a little to much, because it seemed crazy. The plane looked awful.

However, the more they talked, the more I started to see their point. The motor looked OK. No crank shaft bend. The muffler stingers were broken, but that’s nothing that can’t be fixed or replaced. The fuselage wreckage was isolated primarily to an area starting in front of the wing tube and stopping at the back of the canopy area. I became a believer… it could be fixed!

AN OFF-PUTTING MESS

Like the Beatles song, I get by in RC modeling with a little help from my friends. I wasn’t very motivated to work on the problem, so Mark Stellern invited me to come over to his house and to bring my plane. He’d invite Mike Stellern over, who is also a great builder, and we’d get a start on things.

However, when I got there and we pulled the plane from my trailer, it looked a little worse than I remembered at the field. During the attempt to transport it, the fuselage had finally given up the ghost and cracked completely in half. I had save almost all the pieces, but things were daunting. Mike’s eyes got pretty big. If Mike was worried, I was worried.

Once in the workshop, Mike and Mark methodically identified the path forward: the “ladders” structure that makes up the fuselage was really where the damage was. If we could get enough pieces glued back in, we could pull it back into alignment, then I could take it home and beef things up before finishing repairs.

It worked! We had enough pieces, fabricating a few, to get it back to a self-sustaining ladder structure, with good alignment. I say “we” – but I was mostly watching the masters.

By the time we were done, I still had a lot of work to do on my own once I got it back home. With the holidays, a lot of business, and not feeling really confident, I found myself putting off the repairs (again). When I would see Mark & Mike, I was sheepish about my progress… “Zip, Nada, Nil” is a rotten answer to “How much progress are you making?” after guys spent four hours on a week night getting you started.

BACK AT IT

So, in January 2017, I got back at things, and during the course of the rebuild, decided to make a few improvements:

Install Kurt Seiter’s Holy Smokes system
Install the fuel and smoke tanks directly on CG
Paint the motor box and install aluminum baffling, ala Kurt Seiter with a cowl flap to create outflow suction. My engine had ran hot (over 300 degrees) on harriers.
Cut out my wheel pants to show off the “bling” wheels, ala Kerry Eisenbach.

I also wanted to keep things inexpensive, so I paid Valley Park Welding $70 to weld back my muffler stingers (instead of buying new mufflers). I repaired the cowl, with some damage still evident, if you look closely enough, and added the air flap to create outlet suction.

All in all, was able to complete all repairs for $150.

IT’S ALIVE!

On March 28^th, I re-maidened the 330LT and it flew awesome. Kurt’s Holy Smokes system worked flawlessly first time out. The wheel pants looked great with Kerry-style cutouts. The engine temp never got over 150 (using telemetry) on left/rear cylinder!

That’s why RC is a “team sport.” It’s a heck of a lot more fun and productive when we work together. I’m still fiddling with the CG and found a couple of other adjustments, but I’m back to flying a really nice plane I thought I had lost.

SLRCFA’s Documents

Marshall Henley — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 22:45:41 GMT

Over the last several years, SLRCFA’s governing documents have been edited many times. This has left the documents with several holes and discontinuity. The 2017 SLRCFA Board of Directors and its sub committees (Teams) will be tackling an overhaul of these documents throughout the year.

The goal is to streamline all the governing documents while accommodating for the future.

First up are the Field Rules and Operating Procedures. These documents will be overhauled before the flying season kicks off. The updated Field Rules and AMA rules will be prominently posted at the field sometime in April.

The SLRCFA Board of Directors has formed a Constitution team to overhaul our clubs constitution. The team is made up of both board members and club members. We are still looking for a few more volunteers for this team due to the size and complexity of this job. If you would like to join this team please contact Jonathon Hendrickson slrcfa.rotate@gmail.com

Official SLRCFA Pilot Communication

Marshall Henley — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 22:37:06 GMT

The SLRCFA Board of Directors unanimously passed this document listed below in order to improve awareness, safety, and communication while flying. This document not only includes the recommended callouts, but also includes runway priorities and protocols. Click here for the Rules & Safety page.

---

Pilot Communications (callouts) are verbal announcements that are required to be used between you and other pilots anytime you or your aircraft enters the runway operations area (grass or paved runways and taxiways beyond the white lines). All Communications must be acknowledged by all pilots before proceeding with your intentions. Fly as close as practical to the other pilots already flying to improve communication.

Use the following Pilot Communications, and make sure you get confirmation from 100% of all other pilots in the air before proceeding, unless you need to land for safety’s sake:

• "Coming out" as you prepare to place your aircraft on the runway or taxing to the runway.
• "Taking Off" aircraft is on the runway and ready for takeoff roll.
• "Setting up to land" as you begin your downwind leg gives others time to clear the area for you.
• "Landing" as you are on final approach.
• "On the runway" if your aircraft stops dead on the runway.
• "Off on the far side” or “In the grass" if your aircraft veers off on the side away from the pilots' stations
• "Crossing the runway" Anytime you have to cross the runway (in either direction).
• "Runway clear" after you have retrieved your errant aircraft, or if it has been taxied off the runway on the pit side.
• "Dead stick" when your engine dies while in the air. Other pilots will pass this announcement down the line as it is a signal for everyone to immediate clear the runway.
• "Touch and go" or "Slow fly-by" (note that high speed low passes and acrobatics over the runway when other pilots are at stations are forbidden-these may only be performed out past the runway over the grass).
• “Low Pass” is a high or low speed pass a low altitude over the border between the asphalt and grass runways.
• “Aircraft down” followed by the general area. An aircraft has crashed.
• "Don’t have it" A loss of control. The pilot will announce that he has a problem as soon as possible, other observers may be able to get a fix on the plane if it goes down. If you do get a fix, such as a certain tree, etc., do not move. Call for another person to stand beside you and show them the point you fixed on. Even turning around and back can lose the fix.

Runway Protocol/Priorities allow multiple aircraft operating in close airspace to land and/or maneuver on or over the runway in an orderly and safe manor. This list below is in order of priority.

1. Declared “dead stick” landing has priority over all other flight activities. The runway must be cleared for him. If more than one happens at the same time, generally, the first declared has the right-of -way, or he may yield to a lower other aircraft at his discretion.
2. Declared “equipment problem” and needing to land ASAP.
3. Declared normal “landing”
4. Declared “touch and go”
5. Declared “takeoff”
6. Declared “slow fly-by” or “Low Pass”

High speed low-passes over the paved runway are never allowed and must be performed past the far edge of the paved runway.

Per the FIELD RULES, the established flight pattern must be maintained. 3D maneuvers over-the-runway (like hovering and “Harriering) by definition, breaks the pattern, and therefore is allowed only if all pilots in the air have acknowledged and allowed you to do so. These Maneuvers may not be performed any closer than the paved runway center line. If you are alone hovering, you may exit the PILOT ZONE to get closer to your aircraft. See the Field Rules for specific rules governing establishment of a pattern, changing a pattern, and when hovering is allowed. Hovering or “Harriering” beyond a line established 30 feet away from the far side of the runway is allowed at all times.

Trailer Solutions

Marshall Henley — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 14:18:04 GMT

George Biderman’s driveway slopes away from his garage, so he needed a way to help him move his new plane trailer in & out of the garage. A local welding shop made a bracket that an ATV winch could side in & out of it.

George then mounted that bracket on the floor at the front of his garage. His Warn ATV winch has a wireless remote control button that lets George ease the trailer out of the garage while gravity does all the work. A strategically placed big wheel chock pivots the trailer 90 degrees to line it up with his car. Reversing this procedure pulls the trailer effortlessly back into the garage!

Pilot Communication

Marshall Henley — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 14:17:19 GMT

Pilot Communications (callouts) are verbal announcements that are required to be used between you and other pilots anytime you or your aircraft enters the runway operations area (grass or paved runways and taxiways beyond the white lines). All Communications must be acknowledged by all pilots before proceeding with your intentions. Fly next to the last pilot in the air in the PILOT STATION BOX to improve communication, loading from the inside of the box towards the outside.

Use the following Pilot Communications, and make sure you get confirmation from 100% of all other pilots in the air before proceeding, unless you need to land for safety sake:

• "Coming out" as you prepare to place your aircraft on the runway or taxing to the runway.

• "Taking Off" aircraft is on the runway and ready for takeoff roll.

• "Setting up to land" as you begin your downwind leg gives others time to clear the area for you.

• "Landing" as you are on final approach.

• "On the runway" if your aircraft stops dead on the runway.

• "Off on the far side” or “In the grass" if your aircraft veers off on the side away from the pilots' stations

• "Crossing the runway" Anytime you have to cross the runway (in either direction).

• "Runway clear" after you have retrieved your errant aircraft, or if it has been taxied off the runway on the pit side.

• "Dead stick" when your engine dies while in the air. Other pilots will pass this announcement down the line as it is a signal for everyone to immediate clear the runway.

• "Touch and go" or "Slow fly-by" (note that high speed low passes and acrobatics over the runway when other pilots are at stations are forbidden-these may only be performed out past the runway over the grass).

• “Low Pass” is a high or low speed pass a low altitude over the border between the asphalt and grass runways.

• “Aircraft down” followed by the general area. An aircraft has crashed.

• "Don’t have it" A loss of control. The pilot will announce that he has a problem as soon as possible, other observers may be able to get a fix on the plane if it goes down. If you do get a fix, such as a certain tree, etc., do not move. Call for another person to stand beside you and show them the point you fixed on. Even turning around and back can lose the fix.

1. Declared “dead stick” landing has priority over all other flight activities. The runway must be cleared for him. If more than one happens at the same time, generally, the first declared has the right-of -way, or he may yield to a lower other aircraft at his discretion.

2. Declared “equipment problem” and needing to land ASAP.

3. Declared normal “landing”

4. Declared “touch and go”

5. Declared “takeoff”

6. Declared “slow fly-by” or “Low Pass”

Runway Protocol/Priorities allow multiple aircraft operating in close airspace to land and/or maneuver on or over the runway in an orderly and safe manor. This list below is in order of priority.

High speed low-passes over the paved runway are never allowed and must be performed past the far edge of the paved runway.

SLRCFA’s Youth Outreach to CAP Cadets

Marshall Henley — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 14:09:30 GMT

SLRCFA’s Youth Outreach Program was developed last year as part of our club’s new Mission and Goals to bring new people into the hobby and our club. George Biderman volunteered to spearhead this effort and to recruit other club members to assist when opportunities were developed.

In January, George, Kerry Eisenbach, and Geoff Biderman responded to a local Civil Air Cadets Education Officer’s request to show his cadets how to fly R/C Airplanes and to `talk about what R/C flying means to experienced flyers. Additionally, the Cadets wanted to hear firsthand about our local club and our resources available to them.

The cadets hold their meetings at the Rockwood Summit High School in Fenton (just off I-44) and its huge, basketball court sized atrium offered a perfect place to fly some of the same foamies that Kerry, Geoff and George fly in the gym in Eureka on Friday evenings.

Kerry and Geoff brought an amazing variety of models to generate interest in our hobby ranging from 35” foamies, to some crowd pleasers like Kerry’s Superman and Flintstone flyers, and even Geoff’s big 50cc gas model airplane. George brought an Apprentice and urged the cadets to come to our field on Saturdays this spring for some free flying lessons. The Education Officer said he’d for sure bring the cadets. Later that evening we received the following email:

Mr. Biderman,

Thank you so much for the R/C flight display tonight! The Cadets were very impressed with it. Several of the Cadets are now VERY interested in joining you all for some R/C flights. I very much appreciate the time and effort you all showed the Cadets tonight. The variety of planes was impressive. I have attached a few photos from tonight. Again, thank you!

Respectfully,

2d Lt Benjamin Weaver

Assistant Director of Aerospace Education, Missouri Wing, CAP

Aerospace Education Officer, River City Composite Squadron, CAP

Field Diagram

Marshall Henley — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 15:49:46 GMT

Using his drone, Jonathan Hendrickson has put together our field diagram to be used for rule explanation and rule-making going forward. It's very easy to see the logic behind our Field Rules and Safety Checklist with it in view. Future versions of our rules will contain and refer to this diagram and it's revisions. Check it out!

First Flights of 2017

Marshall Henley — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 01:31:00 GMT

Click here for pics and video.

It was a frigid 27 degrees Fahrenheit at 9 am, January 1, 2017, as the few brave souls began to gather on the frozen tundra of SLRCFA field. Cold hands assembled cold planes, flipped switches on transmitters, and pulled warm batteries from their LiPo bags to ready for their first flight at 9:30am. Coffee cups were de rigueur, streaming steam around the sippers’ heads as they stomped feet near the hastily-lit bonfire.

The moment of truth came -- lots were struck from the list of men assembled. Once again, Jim Henke agreed to be the first man in the air, powering up his CarbonZ Cub and quickly taxing for a burp of throttle in the air made thick by cold. In a moment, he was up, steadying his freezing hands while bringing it around for a touch-and-go. The soft tires, now stiff with cold, thudded a little louder than usual, signaling the moment when the first plane was “down” – the “all fly” signal.

As plane after plane lifted skyward, it was as if the heated electric motors and gasoline engines were churning the air and infusing some temperature. Now above freezing by 10 am, and the air was almost comfortable. A few stragglers showed up to renew and get their DA-70 raffle ticket privileges, or the new PRIME membership for 2017.

Amid the growing buzz of conversation, motors and engines, an all-too-familiar thud was heard. Like an upside-down Icarus story, one pilot had flown too low to the frozen grass while inverted and had reaped Icarus’ fate. Well, it’s New Year’s Day 2017, and there’s plenty of time to get new stuff ready by Spring.

Buder Park Rules (from GLSMA) - IMPORTANT

Marshall Henley — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 23:28:22 GMT

Reposted from GLSMA e-mail. Click here for attachment (St. Louis County Order).

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G.S.L.M.A Notice - December 10, 2016

Attention flyers:

GSLMA recently met with St. Louis County Parks Department. The following new County Council Order with Attachment A was approved by the County Council. Attachment A are updated Buder Park flying field rules showing that both AMA and a Buder Park Permit (for a fee) are required to fly at Buder Park.

Effective January 1, 2017, St. Louis County Park Rangers will be checking for current AMA membership and a current Buder Park Permit. If you are flying without AMA and/or a Buder Park Permit, a citation may be issue.

AMA membership is available at www.modelaircraft.org and the application for a Buder Park permit can be found at www.gslma.com.

Please contact GSLMA with questions.

Tony Vitiello

epasta1@charter.net

PRIME MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES!

Marshall Henley — Sun, 11 Dec 2016 09:57:28 GMT

2017 Ushers in the Exclusive, new

PRIME MEMBERSHIP…

SLRCFA is proud to announce our new Prime Membership starting Jan 1, 2017. We’ve been talking about adding value for those members who attend our events, so Prime is your ticket if you’re in that crowd.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN/RENEW

With your Prime Membership you get these
PRIME MEMBERSHIP EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS:

Free pilots fees for all three 2017 events (Fly-In, Show-Me-3D and Warbirds), plus any others we announce (Toy’s for Tot’s excluded – the landing fee is a gift for the kiddos). This Prime Membership Benefit includes the food, event raffle tickets (with registration) and pilot prizes/awards that the other non-Prime pilots will be paying for! This alone is a $75 value!
Two, yes 2 free tickets for our 2017 Desert Aircraft 70cc Twin raffle. $50 value! $850 value if you win!
The ability to purchase more DA-70 raffle tickets – only those who are members by 1/1/2017 are eligible to purchase tickets at $25 each.
Your special Prime Membership card with the PRIME Logo
2018 PRIME RATE GUARANTEE: Your 2018 Prime Membership Dues will not increase. You’re locked in to renew at $250 for a 2018 Prime Membership (as long as you renew by Jan 1, 2019).

Remember, to get all these PRIME MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS, you need to be signed up and paid by Jan 1, 2016. Better yet: come to the December 15 Christmas Party and get it all done then: we’ll have your DA-70 raffle tickets and membership card printed there on the spot! For those of you who have already renewed, you can move up to PRIME for only $55, as long as you do it by Jan 1^st (contact Marshall or Dennis).

EARLY BIRD 2017 DA-70 ENGINE RAFFLE

Marshall Henley — Sun, 11 Dec 2016 09:56:33 GMT

Join or Renew by January 1^st for a chance at DA-70!!!

Get in on the action for a Desert Aircraft 70cc Twin engine with the EARLY BIRD 2017 DA-70 RAFFLE! For every new or renewing FULL or PRIME membership that signs up and pays by January 1^st, 2017, we’re entering you in a raffle for a brand new DA-70 (two tickets for PRIME). You’ll also have the option to purchase more raffle tickets… BUT ONLY IF YOU’RE A FULL OR PRIME MEMBER BY JAN 1, 2017!

Everyone likes the chance to build a new plane with the best, and a DA-70 on the front of your latest 60cc aerobat or warbird is gonna pull like a tractor (or maybe a jet if you prop it right)!

Just go to www.slrcfa.com/2017renew and get in on the action. There you will find the opportunity to:

· Sign up or renew for a 2017 Early Bird Full or upgrade to a Prime Membership (read about the new “Prime Membership Privileges” in this issue.
· With your payment for your 2017 Full or Prime Membership, you’ll receive one or two raffle tickets for the DA 70, respectively. Each raffle ticket is worth $25 each… you’ll be getting yours for free!
· Plus, ONLY folks who have renewed or joined by January 1^st will be able to purchase more raffle tickets for the DA 70 at $25 each. When you sign up, you’ll have chance to go to the DA70 RAFFLE PAGE AND PURCHASE MORE.
· BETTER YET: COME TO THE CHRISTMAS PARTY ON DEC 15 AND SIGN UP, GET YOUR RAFFLE TICKETS AND BUY MORE TICKETS FOR THE DA-70 ON THE SPOT.

We will conduct the DA 70 raffle at the first Spring club meeting in April (at SLRCFA field), or whenever we hit 100 tickets sold, whichever comes first.

For questions regarding 2017 renewals, PRIME memberships and the DA-70 raffle, contact Marshall L. Henley at webmaster@slrcfa.com.

SLRCFA Dues Increase

Marshall Henley — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 20:46:16 GMT

SLRCFA Annual Dues will necessarily increase for 2017. Prior administration slated for the dues to increase to $180 in 2017, but the current Board determined that a more accurate and necessary number to have a surviving club would be $195, a $25 increase from 2016. After surveying other area clubs the board also eliminated the all membership levels except Full, Junior, and Associate.

2017 Membership Dues

Annual Dues $195
Junior Dues (23 years old or younger & No Voting Rights) $25

Associate Member (75+ miles away & No Voting Rights) $95

Discussing Dues

Marshall Henley — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 20:45:44 GMT

Marshall L. Henley, SLRCFA Vice President

I have my own business as a management consultant. I used to work exclusively with small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) and not-for-profits. The biggest single problem I run into with these folks is that they don’t have a realistic plan that gets to the end of the year with some money in the bank.

Not for profits need to make some money

Not-for-profits are usually very good at watching costs. Many, including SLRCFA, don’t assume the need to create net asset increases, which would be called profit in the for-profit world. A generally accepted range for a not-for-profit would be to put away (increase net assets) by 10%-20% of expected expenses each and every year, by plan. This means that their annual budget plans to take in 11-12 cents for every dime they spend. So, yes, not-for-profits need to make “profit” – they just don’t give it to equity holders.

And, without increasing net assets by design, when something like our flood happens, or when you need to take steps to maintain growth, the money’s not going to be there.

Not keeping up with inflation

SLRCFA held full dues at $150 since the year 2000 for many year. If you use the CPI Inflation Calculator with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the equivalent dues using the same cost structure in 2016 would be $210. Two years ago we started increasing dues, but too slowly ($10 a year), so that full dues were $170 by 2016.

What’s the problem?

So if this is a problem, why haven’t we talked about it earlier? Well, it’s been masked a bit by the following:

· We dipped into our savings account on occasion
· We have used our net earnings from events and shows, about $2,000 a year, to fund our operating income.

Figure 1 - 2012 Estimated Gross Income from Dues, below, shows that we basically would have lost money each year without income from our events ($2,000 a year, which is low, is assumed because we do not have records of actual event income by year):

Figure 1 - 2012 Estimated Gross Income from Dues

First of all, notice in Figure 1 that we had net losses for the four years ending in 2015. We made money in 2012, but we spent it in 2013. We made money in 2014, but we more-than-spent it in 2015.

Second, notice that if we reduce our income by $2,000 a year, the highlighted columns yield numbers generally less than $15,000 (with the exception of 2015). Our expenses were never lower than $12,917 (in 2014), but were generally much, much higher.

What matters is OUR inflation

Of course, it doesn’t really matter if inflation is at 4% if your family is spending 20% more this year. The breadwinners will have to bring home more than a cost-of-living increase in earnings or they’ll be short, significantly, by the end of the year.

In 2016 our share of the property taxes went up to $3,745. Our lease is $2,000. Mowing is generally between $6,000 and $8,000 a year (and that’s at a great price to get the field mowed, $200). We cut the budget to the bone in order to keep costs down, but that’s not smart in the long term.

Moving Forward

The board desires to make sure SLRCFA is on a solid footing moving forward. To that end, we’ve put the following principles and practices in place:

· We have a written Mission & Values: as part of that, we want to continue to be the best club and field available in St. Louis. You can break down our resulting Vision statement into the following three categories:
o FUN – we want to continue developing a reputation as the friendliest, most fun club in St. Louis for folks who are serious RCers (3D, jets, electrics, warbirds, giant scale)
o FIELD – we want to maintain and improve our status as the “country club” of RC flying fields in the Midwest
o FUTURE FIELD – we want to put away money to purchase either our current field in the future, purchase another field in the future, or improve our current field in the future.
· As part of our Mission & Values, we do not want you, our members, worrying about mowing our grass, with some rare exceptions. Furthermore, our mowers are used for late-season and event clean-up mowing.
· Because events are not a reliable source of income, we do not want to budget annual operating income based upon anything other than our dues structure. Event income can help build our FUTURE FIELD savings.
· As good stewards, we want to put away 10% - 20% of expected dues income each year. Our dues structure should allow us to fund our budget and save 10%-20% of budgeted expenses (without using event income).

Having said that, Figure 2 - 2017 Budget Ranges, below, shows the basic math of our situation. On January 1, 2017, we’ll need a dues structure that provides over $16k as a bare minimum to operate the field. A healthier, more realistic budget that matches our Mission & Values is close to $21k. Adding to that either 20% for the “Slashed” budget range or 10% for the “Recommended” budget range gives us a total between $19.5k and $23k.

Figure 2 - 2017 Budget Ranges

2016, for example

A basic analysis shows that our dues structure has been too low to generate enough operating income to run the club without using event income, and certainly too low to put money into the bank each year for a rainy day. Figure 3 - 2016 Actual Dues, below, shows that it’s impossible to generate enough income to even meet our SLASHED budget for 2017, not to mention putting money in the bank.

One part of the problem is that while our full members pay $170, many pay far less with equal access to the field, and equal impact on field upkeep costs.

Figure 3 - 2016 Actual Dues

So what do we do with dues?

After a year of discussion by the board, it was clear we need to…

1. This year, opt for a middle-tier increase to $195 (instead of $210) for full members, trying to properly fund the “Slashed” budget but saving 20%, or about $3,300. This should replace the money spent on the flood repairs in 2016, and put us on a good footing for the following years.
2. Eliminate the many tiers of memberships, with the exception of youth at $25, and the associate membership for folks over 75 miles away.
3. Stimulate early membership payment and renewal: therefore we’re limiting full memberships to 100 at this time (we had full, senior, family and dual memberships this year.

Moreover, we are working diligently to provide value to you as an SLRCFA member. We’re trying to create more low-cost, FUN events and activities for you. We are planning for folks who sign up and pay their dues electronically by January 1^st to get free event landing fees AND free event pilot raffle tickets. We are still working on building successful events, but trying to get more out-of-towners so we’re not dependent upon the same St. Louis guys. We want to show off the field.

Sometimes, change is good

We ask you to consider the following statements…

· Other fields in the Midwest with our field quality are charging around $300 a year, often with 150 members or more.
· Having right-sized dues isn’t something new the club is creating; it’s an overdue requirement of our budget to enjoy the field we already operate.
· For most of us, a servo or two costs as much as $195. Frankly, most of us feel like $195 is a bargain for the quality of field we operate.
· Most of us will spend far more on an oil change or two than we will on the 2017 increase.
· We can all work together to make sure you get the most value out of your membership. Why not hit the field on a Thursday night with the crew? What about hitting breakfast with us Saturday mornings before you fly? How about starting your own affinity group within SLRCFA (like the CombatONE guys or the 3D guys) and getting out more often?

The board remains committed to understanding your needs while making the necessary changes to keep the club active and healthy. Feel free to contact any board member!

NOMINATIONS

Marshall Henley — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 20:45:12 GMT

Nominations are officially open for the 2017 SLRCFA board of directors. To be eligible to serve as a director you must have been an “open” member for at least one year by the date of the election. Directors serve a term of ONE year. We are also accepting nominations for two officer positions, Vice President and Treasurer. To be eligible to serve in an officer you must have served on the board of directors for at least one year or be an “open” member with a ¾ majority vote of acceptance by the current board of directors. Officers serve a term of TWO years.

Nominations will be closed at 12am December 1^st.

Elections will be held at the December 15^th Club Meeting.

Current Nominations Include:

Vice President: Marshall Henley, James Speelman

Treasurer: Dennis Chivetta

Directors (8 needed): Jim Beerman, Geoff Biderman, John K. DeLuca, Barry Klussman, Allen Main, Mark Stellern, Mike Stellern, Doug Thompson, and George Biderman

Please make nominations in our members only Forum: https://slrcfa.wildapricot.org/page-18139/4304638

SLRCFA Visitors

Marshall Henley — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 20:44:41 GMT

Have you been out at the field and had a visitor ask you about the Club? Sure we all have had this happen. SLRCFA now has a New Flyer holder located under the pavilion near the Electrical Panel. This container is filled with upcoming event flyers and club brochures, flyers, and Business Cards. Please utilize this to give our guests information about our club.

A Few Good Men

Marshall Henley — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 20:43:52 GMT

Marshall L. Henley, SLRCFA Vice President

From our Mission and Values (adopted in 2016), our annual Vision & Goals is put together. This year, we had some interesting, but possibly premature goals. I say “premature” because we needed good folks to lead those efforts before we committed to the goals.

As part of the 2016 Vision, we wanted to create the following teams with associated leaders. A team lead could be a board member, and many teams are led by board members, but does not have to be led by a board member. The teams (and leaders) are:

Already in existence in 2016

· Vision Team (Marshall Henley)
· Field Team (Mike Stellern)
· Sound Team (Allan Main)
· Safety Team (John DeLuca the younger)

New Teams with Assigned Leaders

· Marketing & Communications Team – Marshall Henley
· Youth Outreach Team – George Biderman
· Training Team – Jonathan Hendrickson
· Finance Team – Dennis Chivetta
· 501c7 & Taxes –Dennis Chivetta

However, we still need leaders for three teams, created and (hopefully) ready-to-go by the end of 2016:

· FUN Team
· Events Team
· Future Field Purchase Team

If you feel like you can help us with some team leadership for one of these three teams, let us know by contacting Marshall Henley, webmaster@slrcfa.com. Some basic team / leaders descriptions follow to help you understand the roles:

FUN Team

The FUN Team is exactly what it sounds like: keep the club having fun and don’t get bogged down by the stuff we have to process on the board. The leader of the FUN team will…

· Conceive, promote and implement fun activities that generate club enthusiasm and outreach to potential club members and RC flying enthusiasts.
· Conduct various fun flying events (separate from the “big four”) that require less coordination, provide a lot of fun, and allow those to participate who are not our every-day flyers. CombatONE is an example.
· Coordinate FUN at every club meeting: we want standing-room only at the club meetings. Think outside of the box, and NOT about club business. Leave that to the board.

EVENT Team

The EVENT Team leader will put together individual teams to run each of our major events. Right now, those consist of:

· June Model Aviation Airshow and Fly-In
· 3D Fly-In
· Warbirds over St. Louis
· Toys-for-Tots / Chili Fly

We want our events to sparkle, and attract new members to SLRCFA and enthusiasts to the hobby. Each event should be well-run, with a volunteer / responsibility list, lesson-learned after each event, spectator and pilot surveys (when appropriate), pamphlets and hand-outs for the club, and more than anything else, LOTS of pilots from out of town and lots of St. Louis Community visitors.

We may need to break this up by event, but a single EVENT Team Leader could still oversee those guys running each individual event so we get continuity.

An important goal is to get the 2017 events on the calendar and get AMA sanctions by mid-December, and get publicizing and organizing them starting in January 2017. Find the right guys and delegate is the key! We had over 40 different event volunteers in 2016!

FUTURE FIELD Team

Whether we purchase the field we currently lease, look for another field for 10 years down the road, or make long-term field improvement plans for the current field, we need someone to lead the effort to consider our options. The FUTURE FIELD Team leader should have a good understanding of what it takes to do this sort of analysis, and be able to create presentations and speak before the board and the club.

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If you think you might be a good fit for one of these roles, contact marshallhenley@webmaster@slrcfa.com

Thanks!

Nominations

Marshall Henley — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 21:22:58 GMT

Nominations will be closed at 12am December 1^st.

Elections will be held at the December 15^th Club Meeting.

Current Nominations Include:

Vice President: Marshall Henley

Treasurer: Dennis Chivetta

Directors (8 needed): Jim Beerman, Geoff Biderman, John K. DeLuca, Barry Klussman, Allen Main, Mark Stellern, Mike Stellern, and Doug Thompson

Please make nominations in our members only Forum: https://slrcfa.wildapricot.org/page-18139/4304638

FACEBOOK

Marshall Henley — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 21:22:36 GMT

facebook

SLRCFA has an ACTIVE facebook page managed by Jonathon Hendrickson, Marshall Henley, and Geoff Biderman. Happenings at SLRCFA’s page are constantly being updated with up to the minute news and even LIVE streaming video. Don’t miss out on what is happening at the field. Be sure to check out our facebook page and “like” it if you are a facebook user.

PILOT STATIONS

Marshall Henley — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 21:22:11 GMT

Many SLRCFA members have requested clarification regarding the rules pertaining to pilot’s stations.

Excerpt from the Operating Procedures:

“All pilots must fly from one of the 6 designated pilot stations for the given traffic pattern that is dictated by wind direction. The established pattern must be followed. Takeoffs and landings will all be in the same direction unless the wind changes and all pilots agree to reverse the pattern”

Excerpt from the Field Rules:

“7. Takeoffs and Landings are permitted on the paved or grass runways only. Taxiing out onto the runways is permitted, provided it is past the white lines at either end or center of the taxiway. Pilots must stand at a pilot station when flying.”

ALL pilots must fly from a pilot’s station. It is advised that if another pilot is already flying from a pilot’s station that you fly from the station nearest to them to improve communications. If a member is handicapped and wishes to fly from the handicapped flight station, they should notify the other pilots that they are going to fly from the Handicapped flight station.

Call out your intentions or difficulties to others that are flying. Some examples are: “Taking off”, “Coming in/Landing”, “Touch and go”, “On the field”, “Off the field”, “Dead stick” or “Lost control”.

Pilot Communication Refresher

Marshall Henley — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 18:14:06 GMT

by Jonathan Hendrickson

Many of us could use a little refresher on runway communications and protocol. This system keeps our pilots and aircraft safe and prioritizes runway use.

Runway Communications are verbal announcements required to be used between you and any other pilots anytime you or your aircraft enters the runway area (grass or paved).

· "Coming out" as you prepare to place your aircraft on the runway or taxing to the runway.

· "Taking Off" aircraft is on the runway and ready for takeoff roll.

· "Setting up to land" as you begin your downwind leg gives others time to clear the area for you.

· "Landing" as you are on final approach.

· "On the runway" if your aircraft stops dead on the runway.

· "Off on the far side" if your aircraft veers off on the side away from the pilots'stations

· "Crossing the runway" Anytime you have to cross the runway (in either direction).

· "Runway clear" after you have retrieved your errant aircraft, or if it has been taxied off the runway on the pit side.

· "Dead stick" when your engine dies while in the air. Other pilots will pass this announcement down the line as it is a signal for everyone to immediate clear the runway.

· "Touch and go" or "Slow fly-by" (note that high speed low passes and acrobatics over the runway when other pilots are at stations are forbidden-these may only be performed out past the runway over the grass).

· “Low Pass” is a high or low speed pass a low altitude over the border between the asphalt and grass runways.

· Aircraft down..... ''(followed by the general area).

· "Don’t have it" The pilot will announce that he has a problem as soon as possible, other observers may be able to get a fix on the plane if it goes down. If you do get a fix, such as a certain tree, etc., do not move. Call for another person to stand beside you and show them the point you fixed on. Even turning around and back can lose the fix.

Most SLRCFA members are fluent in runway communication, but new members and guest may need a little help.

Runway Protocol/Priorities allow multiple aircraft operating in close airspace to land and/or maneuver on or over the runway in an orderly and safe manor. This list below is in order of priority.

1. Declared “dead stick” landing has priority over all other flight activities. The runway must be cleared for him. If more than one happens at the same time, generally, the first declared has the right-of -way, or he may yield to a lower other aircraft at his discretion.

2. Declared “equipment problem” and needing to land ASAP.

3. Declared normal “landing.”

4. Declared “touch and go.”

5. Declared “take off.”

6. Declared “slow fly-by.”

High speed low-passes over the paved runway are never allowed and must be performed past the far edge of the paved runway.

Hovering over the paved or grass runway is NEVER allowed while there is an established pattern. If there is no established pattern or you are the only pilot flying, you may hover no closer to the pilot’s stations than the paved runway center line. However, if you are the only pilot flying and all other pilots present approve, you may move from the pilot’s station to get closer to your aircraft.

If more than one pilot is flying, the established pattern must be followed. Takeoffs and landings will be all in the same direction unless the wind changes and all pilots agree to reverse the pattern.

Constitutional Amendment

Marshall Henley — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 02:08:55 GMT

The SLRCFA Board of directors has approved an Amendment to the SLRCFA Constitution for the general membership to vote on. This Amendment will be voted on at the August 18th Club meeting @ 7:30pm. Officer positions use to be a permanent position and now are elected for 2 year terms. This amendment was deemed necessary to outline when the officer elections would take place.

The proposed change is highlighted in yellow.

ARTICLE 6 – ELECTIONS

Section 1. Election to the Board of Directors shall be conducted during the first regular meeting in December of each year. Officer elections shall be held immediately following the Board of Directors’ election. The Newly Elected Board of Directors vote for officer positions.

FACEBOOK

Marshall Henley — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 02:08:40 GMT

Volunteers Needed

Marshall Henley — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 02:08:09 GMT

SLRCFA is seeking volunteers for the RedwingRC Show Me 3d Fly In September 18-19^th.

We need volunteers for:

· Parking

· Pilot Registration

· MC / Announcements / Music

· Greeting guests/Handing out club Information

· Running RC Simulators

· Running Raffles (50\50, Spectator)

If you are willing to volunteer for any of these positions, please contact Jonathon Hendrickson slrcfa.rotate@gmail.com

Pilot Stations Clarification

Marshall Henley — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 02:07:01 GMT

Many SLRCFA members have requested clarification regarding the rules pertaining to pilot’s stations. While the Safety Team is looking into possible future changes, for now these are our procedures and field rules:

Excerpt from the Operating Procedures:

Excerpt from the Field Rules:

Visitor Literature

Marshall Henley — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 02:06:36 GMT

Business Cards

Marshall Henley — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 02:04:30 GMT

SLRCFA members now have an Official business card. The business card has a spot for each member to insert their contact information. It also allows members to always have information about the club with them.

Front

Back

Business cards will be available at the SLRCFA Club and Board meetings for members to pick-up. A few additional business cards will be available in the brochure holder under the pavilion.

CombatONE Speed Build Jig Prototype

Marshall Henley — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 18:08:08 GMT

by Marshall L. Henley

CombatONE Speed Build Jig Protype Ready-to-Go

I finished and tested the prototype of the CombatONE Speed Build Jig today. Click here for a video of the CombatONE Speed Build Jig prototype.

It was a lot harder to make than I thought, due to the three-dimensional angles. A bit of trigonometry was required, followed by some hard-core rasping to get the profile I wanted.

I built a left-side one and will build a right-side one next. The reason for building the right-side one is not because we an only build left side wings -- the wings are symmetrical both aerodynamically and structurally, so all we need is one jig to build a wing.

I'd like right side jig so we can build two wings, and then slide them together for the glue joint. Even without that, we can have two jigs running if there's more than one user.

The jigs run off a vaccuum from a shop vac. I think a small one would work, but I'm using my big shop vac right now. In addition to building a right-side version, I have a few improvements I'd like to make:

I build the jig slightly over-size so small differences in wing-skin cuts won't affect it's use. I'd like to add a rear-edge registration device of some sort to dial in the skins when they're cut right.
I would like a top-side, hinged press to push the top skins down onto the spar and rib during assembly. That's a nice to have; perhaps even an "unnecessary." I'll use Chivetta foam as the contact surface for the top side if I do this.
Finally, if I get the right-side wing done, I'd like to align both wings on a sliding bed where they would come together with competed wing halfs to speed and make more accurate the wing-center gluing operation. I can do this easily without the folding top half concept.

I'm shooting for something that would let us do a group build in an assembly-line type fashion, or even build a plane if we crash during an event.

Let me know if you want to give the jig a try!

Fire Extinguishers

Marshall Henley — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 23:47:54 GMT

SLRCFA has Two fire extinguishers available for members to use if an emergency arises. One is near the Transmitter Impound area and the other much larger extinguisher is located INSIDE of the largest grill. Please contact a SLRCFA board member if one of these extinguishers are used so that it may be recharged or replaced.

Pilot Zone

Marshall Henley — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 23:45:35 GMT

by Jonathon Hendrickson

For many years Pilots at SLRCFA have used the 6 individual pilot stations (at each end) to fly their aircraft from. This setup was implemented to reduce interference when multiple pilots were flying at the same time using 72mhz transmitters. Often this distance between station 1 and station 6 made it extremely difficult to hear pilots making callouts like “LANDING!!!” Now fast forward to 2016, most of our members fly with 2.4ghz and this separation is no longer necessary.

What is the greatest benefit that can be gained to promote safety and comradery while flying at SLRCFA? COMMUNICATION!! What we are going to try out are called “Pilot Zones.” These “Pilot Zones” consist of the center 2 pilot stations combined at each end of the runway. The “Pilot Zones” are clearly marked as the area inside of the white fences. Pilots may stand anywhere inside of this zone while flying.

Effective immediately, pilots must fly from ONE “Pilot Zone” (boxed area) and the zone used will dictated by wind direction. Pilots are permitted to stand nearer to the END of the runway for take-off and landing ONLY (e.g. warbirds, jets).

During all other phases of flight, pilots should fly from the “Pilot Zone."

Let’s give these new “Pilot Zones” a try, promoting camaraderie while increasing safety through clearer communication.

Board meetings now on Wednesdays

Marshall Henley — Tue, 31 May 2016 22:56:08 GMT

In order to make it feasible to use computers and discuss issues without plane sounds (or asking people not to fly), we've moved our SLRCFA Board meetings to the first Wednesday of each month at the Eureka Library. However, the next board meeting on June 1st, 2016 (Wednesday) will be held at the field, due to library unavailability.

2016 Spirit of St. Louis Air Show & STEM Expo

Marshall Henley — Tue, 17 May 2016 03:58:37 GMT

by Jonathan Hendrickson

Several SLRCFA members volunteered at the air show. SLRCFA had a 20x30 booth displaying a variety of aircraft. Volunteers answered questions and promoted the hobby. 25+ spectators were interested in coming out to our field for an Introductory Flight. SLRCFA also distributed flyers, promoting our June 11-12^th Big Bird Fly In. All volunteers were treated to free admission to the air show and were able to watch the entire show from the booth at show center.

New SLRCFA Logo

Marshall Henley — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 18:37:59 GMT

A change in concept, not just design.

By, Marshall Henley

Big news! The board recently approved a logo change for SLRCFA effective March 24th.

From Goals to Concept

The goals for the new logo were straightforward. We wanted to create a logo that:

1. Matches our brand, and connects with our membership,
2. Better enables web, social and other electronic forms of communications,
3. Looks contemporary, but has “staying power” for years to come.

To accomplish this, we ended up coming up with an “adaptable logo concept” that changes with context, but maintains our image. The new logo concept is a “filled donut logo”, meaning that the image within the logo may be approved to change in context with logo usage (see rightt). The great part about this was we already had an excellent candidate for the logo “donut” based upon something that Rodney Adams had cut on his vinyl machine for a few folks.

While the logo “filling” can change, here’s our default logo for all communications (this is also for the AEROBATICS / 3D context):

Now, the “filling” concept adapts because the aerobatic plane silhouette can be replaced with other approved silhouettes, depending upon the context of usage. Any new “fills” for our logo can be submitted to the board for approval through the President, Vice President or Webmaster and can be approved by those three, so we can adapt it easily.

At this time, we’ve also developed four additional logos for specific contexts:

JETS	WARBIRDS
HELICOPTERS	MULTIROTOR

We also have some variability on color schemes, in addition to black on white (as above):

· Reversed (white on black).
· Color on white (any color replacing black in above with white above remaining white).
· Black on background (black as above with white area being transparent).
· Reversed on background (Black above is white, with white area above being transparent).

Vinyl on Glass

Soon, we will be offering vinyl logos for your planes and your vehicle. The idea behind the new logo provides for multiple logos based upon what you fly. You’ll be able to proudly represent your club, your hobby and what you fly with any or all of the specific logos. Stay tuned for this on our website and in ROTATE.

If you have any questions on logo usage or have a new idea for a logo “filling,” please contact our webmaster, Marshall Henley at webmaster@slrcfa.com.

We want to extend special thanks to Rodney Adams for coming up with the original logo vector graphics!

Updated Operating Procedures - check it out

Marshall Henley — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 18:01:15 GMT

We've updated our Operating Procedures to help board meetings run more smoothly. The main change to the document is the last item, indicating how board meeting will be run (and referencing our rules of order for those meetings). We're trying to maintain decorum and keep things efficient. Click here for the simple one-page document on how things are being run.

Thank you!

Updated Field Rules - Make sure you're aware

Marshall Henley — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 17:13:33 GMT

From time to time, SLRCFA updates our field rules. We changed them in April to make them a little more clear, and to make sure that we emphasize that folks shouldn't rip the prop.

Click here now to bone-up on this simple one-page set of field rules.

Thanks!

Poem inspired by our Fly-In

Marshall Henley — Fri, 15 Apr 2016 19:55:07 GMT

Poem inspired by our Fly-In

Mid-to-Long Term Planning

Marshall Henley — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 16:33:21 GMT

The SLRCFA board of directors have formed a committee to come up with a 2-5 year plan for our club. The committee will be sending out several surveys to poll the entire membership as well as prior members and hobby enthusiast. The surveys may include inner club events, training days, fun fly activities, flying site amenities, and so on. Please do your part on answering the surveys so that we get the most complete data possible. We may also opt to call you and have a conversation.

If you have any questions, please contact Marshall Henley, webmaster at webmaster@slrcfa.com.

HELP WANTED for June Fly-In

Marshall Henley — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 16:32:30 GMT

Our June 11-12 fly in is fast approaching. Help is needed to organize the event. If you would like to volunteer help plan/organized the event or would be willing to volunteer at the event please contact Jonathon @ 1320turbo@att.net.

Get Published!

Marshall Henley — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 19:34:00 GMT

Have an interesting aviation or hobby related story/experience you would like to share? Want to let fellow members know about your latest build? Or perhaps a tip or technique that could help everyone out?

Get it published in SLRCFA’s Rotate newsletter. It’s simple, send your story and pictures to SLRCFA’s newsletter editor via e-mail to slrcfa.rotate@gmail.com and it will be published in the next month’s issue.

IMPORTANT: Membership Renewal Extension

Marshall Henley — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 19:46:27 GMT

The board has extended the deadline to get your membership without an extra fee. Make sure to renew before March 31, 2016, and avoid the $25 late fee.

Renew today using PayPal or your Visa!

The Field is In Great Shape

Marshall Henley — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 19:45:43 GMT

FEB 25 2016: While our field was flooded in December 2015, it’s back to normal, except for electricity. Many have flown in the last two weeks with the beautiful Spring-like days we were able to enjoy. We’re looking at solutions for electrical work that make sense, long-term. In the mean time, bring charged batteries or a small generator. The porta-potty is en-route and should be there soon.

We finished a work day on Saturday, February 20th, so things are looking good. Look for the usual work days to get the field into ship-shape for Spring as well as our big June Fly-in.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, do not hesitate to email SLRCFA.Rotate@gmail.com.

Our field is in great shape and still beautiful… so grateful that our workday got everything back into place! –Marshall Henley

sUAS Registration

Marshall Henley — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 14:00:00 GMT

Author: Jonathan Hendrickson

You may have heard on the evening news something about drone registration and thought, I don’t fly a drone so that doesn’t apply to me…Think again, they were really talking about Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). So what exactly is a sUAS and what actually has to be registered?

A UAS is the unmanned aircraft (UA) and all of the associated support equipment, control station, data links, telemetry, communications and navigation equipment, etc., necessary to operate the unmanned aircraft. A sUAS is under 55lbs maximum takeoff weight. This is any aircraft that flies with a control system, so ANY RC AIRCRAFT.
All sUAS that weigh more than 0.55lbs or 250grams bust be registered to legally fly in the USA.
Anyone 13 or older must register their sUAS. Anyone younger than 13 must have the sUAS they are operating registered by an adult.
All sUAS must be registered by February 19^th, 2016. You may not fly ANY sUAS over 0.55 pounds up to 55 pounds) unless it is registered after this date.
Failure to register an aircraft may result in regulatory and criminal sanctions. The FAA may assess civil penalties up to $27,500. Criminal penalties include fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three years.

ALL SLRCFA members will need to submit their FAA registration number to Dennis Chivetta for club records.

All aircraft must be marked with your registration number before ANY further flights. The registration number may be hand written or a decal and must be accessible or visible without the use of any tools.

sUAS Registration Link: http://www.faa.gov/uas/registration/

sUAS FAQs: http://www.faa.gov/uas/faq/

Model Aircraft Operations: http://www.faa.gov/uas/model_aircraft/

Do’s and Don’ts: http://www.faa.gov/uas/publications/model_aircraft_operators/

Near Airports: http://www.faa.gov/airports/special_programs/uas_airports/model_airplane_faqs/

Know Before You Fly: http://knowbeforeyoufly.org/

New SLRCFA President

Marshall Henley — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 02:00:00 GMT

Jonathon Hendrickson is the newly elected president of SLRCFA. We share his letter published in ROTATE here...

“As the new president of SLRCFA I would like to personally thank the former president of SLRCFA, Stan King and Treasurer, Ron Lawson for their many, many years of service to our club. Ron has retired from his position and his famous Ron Dogs will be greatly missed along with much, much more). Stan will continue to serve on the board of directors and I admire his untiring commitment to serving our club. Dennis Chivetta has been elected as SLRCFA’s treasurer and has hit the ground running. Dennis is only the 2nd treasurer in our club’s history (Ron was the treasurer from the beginning). He has done a tremendous job absorbing the task of treasurer, organizing 30+ years of information into a format that he can understand and share with the club. Treasurer is the most time consuming position on the board and I appreciate him stepping up to the plate.

Safety, fun, and comradery are the reasons all of us join a club like SLRCFA. My intentions as president are to improve all these areas and some more than others. The opening article of Rotate shows the destruction that the flood caused, yes it will cost us to restore the field, but we will be able to incorporate new ideas and make improvements during this restoration process and this in turn should boost accessibility and fellowship between members. Several ideas were discussed at the January board meeting and will be further discussed at the February board meeting. I encourage all members to attend and participate in this process.

Clubs all over the country have several fun flys and open houses on a monthly basis. Last year, Ken Merrill, our vice president suggested that we incorporate more events like this promoting fun and comradery. I would like to implement this idea. The events do not need to be sanctioned or even run by a contest director. They could be as simple or complex as the organizer would like. It could be open to any AMA member or just our club members. It doesn’t have to be a fund raiser either. However, the burden of organizing these events cannot fall on one individual. We need several members to step forward and each take on one event.

Field improvements (curb appeal and safety), events (fun), and comradery will in turn grow our club. It is common for the general public, our neighbors, and fellow aviation enthusiast to be spectators at our club on any given day.

All too often I see members pass them buy instead of engaging in conversation with our guest. Make it a point to talk to them, they came to our field to watch us fly and already have an interest in our hobby. They are potential new members and friends, greet them and make them feel at home. Put them in touch with one of our introductory pilots (instructors).

Our club averages between 100-115 members each year. Even members that frequent the flying field have never met everybody. If you see someone at the field that you do not recognize, introduce yourself and ask them if they are a member if you do not see their membership card on their person. (Last year a rule was passed that all members must wear their membership chard when flying. You will notice that your 2016 membership card has a rectangular hole in it near the end. There are clips available to all members free. We will have them available at all meetings and at the field in the brochure holder in the pavilion.) Make it a point to know as many members as possible.

Lastly, I want everybody to know that I am open to all ideas and suggestions. If you have anything to say about anything, speak your mind. I want open communication, constructive, respectful discussion and problem solving. I want to grow this club’s comradery and membership simultaneously.”

Your President and Newsletter Editor Jonathon Hendrickson

AMA: Advocacy Updates with UAS Registration

Marshall Henley — Fri, 01 Jan 2016 14:00:00 GMT

Direct (quoted) from the AMA on 1/11/16

“As you know, we have been working with our legal counsel and the FAA to find a solution for our members on the registration rule. To date, FAA has agreed in principle to several proposed initiatives that will help ease this process for our members. Specifically, they are:

· AMA and the FAA are working to streamline the registration process for AMA members whereby those who register with the FAA will be able to use their AMA number as the primary identification on their model aircraft, as opposed to adding a new federal registration number.

· In addition, AMA members’ federal registration will automatically renew provided membership remains active and current. We are working with FAA in negotiating the renewal fee, but in any case it is envisioned the renewal process will be provided as a member benefit.

· In the future, federal registration will automatically be accomplished upon joining the AMA, eliminating the need to register with both AMA and the FAA.

These initiatives are a step in the right direction. However, we want to emphasize that this is not the end of our efforts to protect AMA members from this overreaching regulation. We are continuing to explore all legal and political options available, but these conversations may take time and a definitive solution is unlikely before the February 19 registration deadline.

Currently, registration is free of charge until January 19. If you would like to take advantage of this free period, you may want to register before that day. But please note that you have until February 19 to register in order to avoid violating the federal rule.

We also want to encourage our members to submit comments to the FAA about the registration rule. It is critical that all AMA members are heard loud and clear on this issue. The deadline for submitting comments is Friday, January 15. Additional instruction is available here.

Thank you for your patience as we work to find the best path forward on registration. We are committed to doing everything possible to protect our hobby and ensure that future generations have the opportunity to fly.”

sUAS Registration

· A UAS is the unmanned aircraft (UA) and all of the associated support equipment, control station, data links, telemetry, communications and navigation equipment, etc., necessary to operate the unmanned aircraft. A sUAS is under 55lbs maximum takeoff weight. This is any aircraft that flies with a control system, so ANY RC AIRCRAFT.

· All sUAS that weigh more than 0.55lbs or 250grams bust be registered to legally fly in the USA.

· Anyone 13 or older must register their sUAS. Anyone younger than 13 must have the sUAS they are operating registered by an adult.

· All sUAS must be registered by February 19th, 2016

· Failure to register an aircraft may result in regulatory and criminal sanctions. The FAA may assess civil penalties up to $27,500. Criminal penalties include fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three years.

For more information about sUAS visit http://www.faa.gov/uas/

To register your sUAS visit https://registermyuas.faa.gov/

2015 December Club Meeting & Christmas Party

Marshall Henley — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 01:30:00 GMT

SLRCFA had a great turn out for its December Club meeting, over 35 members attended. There was an unexpected amount of quadcopters in the gift exchange, 7 to be exact.

Dennis Chivetta pas presented a plaque along with a well thought out certificate detailing our gratitude for his years of service as SLRCFA’s secretary.

Several new constitutional amendments were voted upon and passed. You can see the updated constitution on our webpage.

( www.slrcfa.com ) From the home page select the Documents tab, then SLRCFA Documents, then SLRCFA Constitution.

SLRCFA welcomed a new Director to the Board, James Spellman.

After the Meeting several members flew in the gymnasium while several watched.

Need Storage Location - Anyone?

Marshall Henley — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 23:52:04 GMT

SLRCFA is in need of some storage space for the club’s PA system, foldable tables, coolers, and a few other items. If you would be willing to store some of the club’s items, please contact slrcfa.rotate@gmail.com

SLRCFA Meetings

Marshall Henley — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 18:51:24 GMT

SLRCFA general club meetings will resume for the warmer months. SLRCFA Club meetings are the 3^rd Thursday of each month. The first club meeting of the season will be Thursday May, 15^th at 7:30pm. All members and perspective members are encouraged to attend.

The SLRCFA Board meetings are held on the 1^st Thursday of each month. Usually, in May, we start holding board meetings at the field. Otherwise, e-mail rotate.slrcfa@gmail.com to find out where the next board meeting will be held. All members and perspective members are encouraged to attend.

Warbirds Over St. Louis a GREAT event!

Marshall Henley — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 01:23:43 GMT

Author: Jonathan Hendrickson

SLRCFA’s warbirds event was greeted with a cold and WINDY Saturday, was concluded with a slightly warmer and little less windy Sunday. Few pilots braved the sky on Saturday as the winds were 15-18mph gusting 25mph+ at about a 75-90 degree crosswind to runway 31 (Taking off and landing Right to Left). .

Saturday afternoon was the Pilots prize giveaway and Lunch.

Overall the Event was a success. We had an increase of pilots, great prizes, and great flying. We are hoping for better weather next year!!

You can view pictures from the event on our facebook page. www.facebook.com/slrcfa

Board of Directors Nominations

Marshall Henley — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 01:17:51 GMT

Please submit your 2016 SLRCFA board of directors nominations by E-MAIL to SLRCFA.Rotate@gmail.com Please title the email “SLRCFA Board” and include your nominees and your name.

Requirements: Nominees must be a SLRCFA club member for over one year.

All nominations must be received by November 30^th, before midnight.

Toys for Tots / Chili Fly

Marshall Henley — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 14:00:00 GMT

This year’s annual Chili Fly was combined with our Toys for Tots toy drive. It was held on Sunday, October 18^th and was a great success. SLRCFA members and guests were able to donate over $750 in cash and two large boxes of toys. Those in attendance enjoyed superb flying weather, excellent food, and great deals at the charity auction.

SLRCFA would like to thank all who attended and made this charitable event a success.

Life Down Under

Marshall Henley — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 01:34:50 GMT

Author: Jonathan Hendrickson

Ken Merrill has been in Australia for work for the past few months. Since then he has found a RC club nearby to fly at and has started taking flying lessons. The other day he reached a milestone and had his first solo flight. He shared this moment with us by sending this picture.

Ken is flying a Bristell LSA. For more information about this aircraft visit their website. http://www.bristellaircraft.com/slsa/

Ken is expected to return home sometime in January with his Australian pilots license.

Ken Merrill Down Under

Marshall Henley — Sat, 22 Aug 2015 01:02:17 GMT

Ken Merrill, SLRCFA Vice-President, will be in Australia for 6 months for work. Since he left, he has found a local club, the Bendigo Radio Controlled Aircraft Club to fly at while away. Les Davis from the Bendigo Radio Controlled Aircraft Club stated, ” Ken wasn't any more than 1 hour on the field before he was having a flight, he was very lucky as most Aussie flyers are mode 1, but this day there was a mode 2 flyer with his Phoenix Low wing Scanner, and they offered Ken a flight he couldn't refuse, so Ken has now been flying down under, sounds funny I know...”

If you would like to check out the club that Ken is flying at down under, visit their website.

http://www.brcac.asn.au/

¼ Scale Ted Smith AEROSTAR

Marshall Henley — Tue, 26 May 2015 01:09:06 GMT

Author: Stan Burak

In the mid 1940's, Ted Smith and some guys designed the Aero Commander. It was done in a small hanger, part time as Ted was the project engineer of the Douglas A-20 bomber. Twenty years later in 1963, Ted left Rockwell Commander with a new idea, similar to the Jet Commander except piston power. The Ted Smith Aircraft Company was started in the San Fernando Valley in Northridge in 1965 to design the structure and build the proto type. In March of 1965, I was employee number 7. I designed structure until July of 1966, when I left for TWA. I had to build a model. The Aero Commander is well known, but the Aerostar is not. Four companies built it, with Piper the last one ending in 1984 after 1010 built.

My model is 1/4 scale, 110 inch span, 37 pounds and powered by DLE35RA's. It has not flown, but hope to fly it this year. It should be available in kits. Laser Design Services is now looking at the drawings for possible selling of the drawings and laser wood kits. I am starting the fuselage plug for giantscaletwins.com to make the production molds for his fiberglass and foam kits. I have flown the Aerostar and if my model flies as well, that will be fabulous!

If anybody in the club is interested in building one, please contact me. (Stan can be located in the Members Directory - you must be a member to see his contact info).

Stan Burak

Work Day May 23 2015

Marshall Henley — Thu, 21 May 2015 01:13:34 GMT

A field work day is scheduled for Saturday, May 23^rd at 9am until finished. The field will be closed while work is being performed. Several cracks have developed and need to be repaired. Other items include: general grounds cleanup, trim bushes, repair flight stands, roll high traffic areas and grass runway/runway ends and so on. If you can help and/or have tools to get the job done faster, we will be glad to see you there.

5/23/15 at 9:00am

2015 Joe Nall - My Pics

Marshall Henley — Fri, 15 May 2015 23:23:24 GMT

Click here for a link to some fun pics and video from 2015 Joe Nall. What a blast! We were on the 3D Flight line.

AMA's Response to the FAA's sUAS NPRM

Marshall Henley — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 01:04:58 GMT

Author: Jonathan Hendrickson

On February 23, 2015, the FAA published its proposed regulations for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) as a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). This began a 60-day period during which the public can comment on the proposed regulations. When finalized, the proposed rules would become the safety regulations for operating small, non-recreational, unmanned aircraft.

In accordance with the Special Rule for Model Aircraft (the AMA amendment) established by Congress in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-95), the new regulations would not apply to model aircraft operated within the safety programming of a nationwide community-based organization. This is good news for AMA members; however, the FAA has said that to be exempt from regulations, model aircraft operators must operate within the parameters of the Special Rule set out by Congress in 2012.

The NPRM references FAA's June 2014 interpretation of the Special Rule. As indicated in detail in updates to our members last summer, the AMA has taken exception to several aspects of FAA's interpretation. The main areas of concern are that the FAA's interpretation:

• Asserts model aircraft to be "aircraft" and effectively makes model airplanes subject to all regulations applicable to full-scale aircraft.
• Makes model aircraft subject to airspace requirements that have never been applicable in the past and with which it is impossible or impractical to comply.
• Effectively changes the criteria for operating within 5 miles of an airport from the requirement of providing prior "notification" to a requirement of obtaining prior permission.
• Narrowly defines "hobby and recreation" and puts in question the activities of the supporting aeromodeling industry and AMA's educational programs.
• Rigidly defines the requirement to operate within visual line of sight and targets the use of a specific aeromodeling technology/equipment, namely first-person view (FPV) goggles.

Overall, the AMA views the proposed sUAS regulations as a positive step. With one exception that may impact model aircraft manufacturers, it essentially takes the language in the 2012 Special Rule for Model Aircraft (the AMA amendment) and places it in the federal aviation regulations.

We encourage members to submit comments commending the FAA for appropriately separating model aviation from the new regulations. However, AMA would also encourage members to include in their comments the need to resolve the discrepancies stemming from the Interpretive Rule before finalizing the sUAS rule. In any case, it's important that our members provide their comments in support of the proposed rule. It's possible that there will be members of the public or aviation industry who will be opposed to a rule that protects the model aviation hobby, and we need to make sure that our voices are heard in support of continued community-based self-governance.

Comments on the proposed sUAS rule can be made by clicking here. Read the proposed rule carefully, particularly the sections concerning "model aircraft," and submit comments on areas where you have a concern as well as thoughtful and productive comments in areas where you feel there could be improvement. AMA has created a suggested template for comments, which we strongly encourage you to edit and personalize. Unless extended, the deadline for submitting comments is 11:59 p.m., Friday, April 24, 2015.

Template Comment for AMA Members

I am writing in response to the FAA's proposal to regulate small unmanned aircraft systems, including model aircraft. [Insert personal introduction details such as: I am a [job/profession], a member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, and have been safely and responsibly flying model aircraft for _ years. I am also a model aircraft club officer/educator/designer, etc.]

I support the exemption of recreational model aircraft from the regulation of unmanned aircraft systems. As Congress recognized, self-governance under community-based safety guidelines has worked exceptionally well for decades, and should remain in place. However, I have the following concerns about the FAA's proposal: [choose all that you feel apply, and feel free to add other comments]

The FAA has repeated its June 2014 statement that model aircraft are "aircraft" subject to all existing aviation regulations. The FAA must revise this interpretation so that it is in agreement with what Congress directed in 2012, which is that recreational model aircraft are subject to community-based safety guidelines, not aviation regulations. Similarly, the regulatory proposal excludes ultralight vehicles, moored balloons, kites, amateur rockets, and unmanned free balloons from the FAA's aircraft operating regulations but neglects to expressly exclude model aircraft. The proposed regulation should make it clear that model aircraft meeting the criteria established by Congress are not subject to aviation regulations.

Also, the proposal leaves out the part of the statute that excludes "an aircraft being developed as a model aircraft" from aviation regulations. This exclusion must be added to the regulations. Companies in the model aircraft industry should not be regulated as if they are aircraft manufacturers.

The FAA bases its proposal on its June 2014 interpretation of the law concerning model aircraft. There were 33,000 comments submitted last summer concerning that interpretation [including mine]. The future regulations for model aircraft should not be based on incorrect interpretations of what Congress wrote. Some of the interpretations that should be changed to the extent they form the basis for any current or future regulation include:

• Making model aircraft subject to airspace requirements such as air traffic control clearance, that have never been applicable in the past and with which it is impossible or impractical to comply. Congress indicated the maximum obligation, which is actually stricter than what the FAA's guidance has been for the past 34 years: notifying the airport when operating within five miles. That is the most that model aircraft hobbyists should have to do.
• Rigidly defining a requirement to operate within visual line of sight and that calls into question the use of a specific technology or equipment, namely first-person view (FPV) goggles. The language of the 2012 statute concerning "within visual line of sight" indicates how far away a person should fly the model aircraft, not what method of control may be used for the recreational experience. The proposal for commercial unmanned aircraft acknowledges that an observer (spotter) can be used to ensure airspace safety, just as the AMA's community-based safety guidelines do.
• Narrowly interpreting the words "hobby or recreational use." You should not regulate people who are flying model aircraft in connection with the hobby just because they receive payments. For decades, enthusiasts have participated in contests and competitions that have cash prizes, have been paid to instruct others on how to safely fly models, and have received compensation for aerobatic displays. These payments incidental to the hobby do not change the underlying recreational purpose of the activity or make the hobby any less safe, and regulating these activities would be highly disruptive to the hobby without any benefit.

Respectfully,
[Name]
[Optional] AMA Member Number: _______

Spectators Welcome

Marshall Henley — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 01:03:45 GMT

Author: Jonathan Hendrickson

As the weather continues to warm, the ground is thawing, trees are budding, and our friends, neighbors and guests are watching us from the spectator fence line. Please make every effort to take a minute to greet these people, they are watching us fly and have an interest in our hobby. All of these spectators share the same common interest as all of us and are potential new members to SLRCFA. Talk to them, ask them if they fly (R/C, full scale,…), or have a relative interested in R/C flying. Inform our guest that we have instructors available and give them a brochure. (Brochures are located in the pavilion in a plastic flyer holder on a support post near the electrical power panel.) The brochures have all of the required information to guide these individuals to our website and to get in touch with an instructor. This quick talk could get you a SLRCFA membership discount for the following year. If a NEW (to SLRCFA) paying member joins SLRCFA and list you as their personal reference, you will receive a $50 credit towards the following year’s dues.

Take a minute and talk to guests, it pays.

2015 First Flight! Alan Main wins the frigid honor.

Marshall Henley — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 15:30:00 GMT

A few SLRCFA members arrived at the club field on the morning of January 1^st. Most brought aircraft to fly and entered the raffle to have a chance to have the first flight of the year at SLRCFA. Unlike New Year’s Day last year, most members had to jump from their car grab a quick flight and leave. It was a cold one.

The raffle for the first flight was held and Allen Main’s name was drawn. He had the honor of the first of the year flight last year with the same Parkzone T-28

Allen flew for a few minutes and then was joined by several other eager pilots; Jim Henke, Jim Beerman, Bob Scheppele, and Ron Lawson. Each grabbed a couple of flight and left. It was simply too cold to fly.

Club Meetings Suspended Until Spring

Marshall Henley — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 02:00:00 GMT

SLRCFA general club meetings are suspended until spring, with the exception of the annual December Christmas party/elections. All members and perspective members are welcome to attend the SLRCFA Board meetings on the 1^st Thursday of each month.

The January SLRCFA board meeting will be held at 7 PM at McDonalds at 101 lamp & Lantern Village, Chesterfield MO 63017 (just north and west of 141 and Clayton rd.)

First Flight of the Year - 2012

Marshall Henley — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:16:13 GMT

January 1^st 2012 was a windy start to the New Year. With a steady cross-wind at 16mph gusting to 26mph+, two brave souls braved the wind while a few watched. Bob Scheppele won the coin toss and put his Yak-54 in the air.

Shortly after landing, Jim Henke took his Multiplex Fun Cub up for a “fun” flight. They both flew a couple of flights, packed up and left as winds increased as time passed.

Saint Louis Radio Control Flying Association News

Rotate Newsletter is Back!

SLRCFA Establishes Legal Defense Fund Amidst Civil Lawsuit

FIRST FLIGHT 2019

SLRCFA QuickSTART Point-of-Sale Display at Schaefer's!

Stan King passing

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Awesome Scale Warbird DEMO - January 2018 Club Meeting

Bummer - Hobbico bankrupt

A Special Thank You

Mr. Know-It-All

SLRCFA 2018 Board of Directors Announced

The Old and the New

2017 Christmas Party a HIT!!!

Activity

A Good Night

RCJudge.com Scholarship Opportunity - MAY 21 DEADLINE

Information Packets at the Field for SLRCFA Visitors

FLYIN IS BACK!!!!

New Field Rules, Operating Procedures

100cc 330LT Rebuild

THE CARNAGE

AN OFF-PUTTING MESS

BACK AT IT

IT’S ALIVE!

SLRCFA’s Documents

Official SLRCFA Pilot Communication

Trailer Solutions

Pilot Communication

SLRCFA’s Youth Outreach to CAP Cadets

Field Diagram

First Flights of 2017

Buder Park Rules (from GLSMA) - IMPORTANT

PRIME MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES!

2017 Ushers in the Exclusive, new

PRIME MEMBERSHIP…

EARLY BIRD 2017 DA-70 ENGINE RAFFLE

Join or Renew by January 1st for a chance at DA-70!!!

SLRCFA Dues Increase

Discussing Dues

Not for profits need to make some money

Not keeping up with inflation

What’s the problem?

What matters is OUR inflation

Moving Forward

2016, for example

So what do we do with dues?

Sometimes, change is good

NOMINATIONS

SLRCFA Visitors

A Few Good Men

Already in existence in 2016

New Teams with Assigned Leaders

FUN Team

EVENT Team

FUTURE FIELD Team

Nominations

FACEBOOK

PILOT STATIONS

Pilot Communication Refresher

Constitutional Amendment

FACEBOOK

Volunteers Needed

Pilot Stations Clarification

Excerpt from the Operating Procedures:

Excerpt from the Field Rules:

Visitor Literature

Business Cards

CombatONE Speed Build Jig Prototype

CombatONE Speed Build Jig Protype Ready-to-Go

Fire Extinguishers

Pilot Zone

Board meetings now on Wednesdays

2016 Spirit of St. Louis Air Show & STEM Expo

New SLRCFA Logo

From Goals to Concept

JETS

WARBIRDS

HELICOPTERS

MULTIROTOR

Join or Renew by January 1^st for a chance at DA-70!!!