Electric Model Club

Started by the giant, September 07, 2003, 06:51:33 PM

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bald warthog

The concept of EMFSO having an electric field is fantastic!!! Michael, well done! And thank you also to everyone else who stuck their neck out for this (Andre etc etc). At a time when there are very few flying spots in the GTA, here we actually see growth happening. One of the magic things is the WINGS program coupled with e-flight! I'm sure that each one of us in emfso in the GTA can contribute somehow to this project. And it will be a model project (bad pun) for other cities in the emfso umbrella to get their own "electric" fields; one thing we have going for us is that e-flight is QUIET !
Stouffville is about a one-hour haul for me from Etobicoke but I work in Aurora so flying at 3:30 pm is a real possibility. I look forward to flying with persons of like mind (no castor oil in the handshake!).

Rod



Edited by - bald warthog on 08 Oct 2003  7:29:33 PM
Rod Clark C.E.T.
MAAC 69870
EMFSO 801
TEMAC 47

Helmut

Wow an electric only field thats great news and I am ready to join and I am also willing to give some finacial support to TEMAC let me know how and when

 

bald warthog

Fifty-six years ago today I was six weeks old and living in Stouffville; I awoke this morning and I thought "it's about time that Terri-Lynne saw where I started this adventureous life".

We found the TEMAC field without incident altho Michael's, Robert's and Andre's directions all helped very much. The pickup camper (sans pickup) is the important marker. We drove in the laneway until it widened into a field, got out of the car, and surveyed the scene; it looks VERY good! No one was flying, there was NO wind ! and NO ONE was flying ! A monster tractor dragging a horrendous harrow was parked on what I imagined would eventually be our runway. In fact, maybe this behemoth had already begun preparation of the grassed airfield ? WOW ! This is going to be fantastic! Thank you !



Edited by - bald warthog on 18 Oct 2003  8:38:19 PM
Rod Clark C.E.T.
MAAC 69870
EMFSO 801
TEMAC 47

piker

I was up there this past Monday with Ben and Richard.  Ben had his hand held GPS, so we pased out the 400x300 dimensions.  we found that the area that had been turned over, that strip running north/south from the row of small trees, is actually the dimensions of the 400x100 foot runway.  The remaining area over to the large tree line on the west side will be for pits and parking.  

Ben and Richard were very excited about the possibilities, and I was even more excited than before when I realized how nice and large an area we'll have.

Michael, with the help of Jack Humphreys and Andre Wedseltoft, has done a great job of negotiations.  Something that cannot be taken granted for, especially in the T.O area.

We're going to have a top knotch field when it's ready.

Here's a thought.....we're moving forward, in a big way, with the advent of this flying field.  Why not start building aircraft worthy of the flying site.  I would like to see more larger planes with larger power systems.  

Robert


Bigstik

Sounds great! Which corner of Kennedy/Stoufville intersection? Is the field that obvious when driving in the area? Is a map available yet?

Alan

Bigstik

Michael

It is about 1/2km (or slightly less) east, on the south side from the intersection.

I will have photos and a map up by next weekend. I will have membership forms and brochures ready before the next EMFSO winter workshop. (Membership will be $80 including 2004 EMFSO membership).

According to André (The Giant), we should be able to fly from a finished field some time in May 2004. Before that we may be able to fly, but most likely by handlaunching and belly landing.

Michael
Michael

piker

South Side.

Look for the camper.


Michael

Oops, yeah, right, ... south side. Thanks Robert. I went back and edited and corrected my previous post.

Michael
Michael

bald warthog

Yes, the camper is the big clue. As you drive east on the Stouffville Road from Kennedy, you'll pass a church, then a planing mill. Slow down, the driveway into the field is barely noticeable and the yellow pickup camperback is a few hundred feet south of Stouffville Road. From the entrance, you're going to wonder where the field is. Proceed in the driveway, past the camperback which will now be on your east (left) side as you head south, and drive past the line of low trees that will be on your left. Suddenly you'll enter a field, you'll have high trees between you & the planing mill, and the low line of trees will be to the north. You're now ON the field, in the parking area. To the east will be first the pit area and then next the runway (which has been ploughed). Its a beautiful site !

Rod Clark C.E.T.
MAAC 69870
EMFSO 801
TEMAC 47

the giant

Update on field preparation:

I have spoken to a landscaper friend of mine who is of the opinion that at this late in the year we are unwise to try to proceed with any field preparations.  We are best to leave the soil loose through the winter.  In the sping, we will try to either get the farmer who is already doing preparations to the surrounding field to make a few passes over the flying area. Or we will hire a landscaper with the appropriate equipment to assist us.  We will still have to come out with our rakes and work with them to get the "table top" smooth surface that we are looking for to fly from.  With any luck we will be able to do this early in the spring so that we can be flying from the field by mid to end of May.  

Keep your fingers crossed for an early spring.

Andre


Michael

Sounds great, André!

Thank you very much for taking care of this.

I'm preparing membership brochures and cards. I'll start accepting memberships on Wednesday evening at the Nov. 5 EMFSO Winter Workshop. Cost is $80 and includes 2004 EMFSO membership.

Low or specific membership numbers are available upon payment.

Michael
Michael

bald warthog

"Low or specific membership numbers are available upon payment"

Michael, maybe the Club could surcharge this, just like vanity licence plates, and make a little extra $$ from whomever wants #7 or some other special or "lucky" membership number. I bid $20 for #47

Rod

Rod Clark C.E.T.
MAAC 69870
EMFSO 801
TEMAC 47

Michael

Actually several people have suggested different ways to raise money: having a club initiation fee, asking general members for donations, etc.

For now, I'm trying to avoid asking for too much money. It's true that the costs for getting this club and field up-and-running are high, and field maintenance will cost a lot too, but at first, I'm hoping that the money we've invested so far and memberships will cover expenses.

Since flying will likely start mid-spring 2004 (early May, hopefully before), I will certainly appreciate as a vote of confidence all the people who purchase a membership in the club.

As mentioned earlier, memberships will be accepted starting the evening of Nov. 5, at the EMFSO Winter Workshop.

Michael
Michael

njones

I live in Kitchener, so it's unlikely that I'll join TEMAC although I will probably pay a visit or two thoughout the summer even though it's way over a one hour drive to the field. I have never been a member of a club, am a self-trained pilot, MAAC member and have studied the MAAC wings program documentation and MAAC safety guidelines. I feel that I am a competent pilot, but I have never "officially" earned my wings.

I suspect that there are a number of e-pilots and park-flyers who are in the same situation and would like to get their wings.

May I suggest that TEMAC develop an MAAC Wings testing program for experienced pilots with valid MAAC memberships - primarily involving a "final exam" flight test where the candidate flies under the supervision of an instructor and demonstrates the skills required to complete the normal wings program.

I personally would not have any problem paying the normal field fee plus a testing fee and $10 for the wings pin. A total fee in the neighbourhood of $30 for a flight test seems reasonable to me. I'm not sure how many flyers would take advantage of this so it may or may not be a source of revenue for the club.

My other options are: a) keep flying without my "official" wings b) join TEMAC, get my wings and then hardly ever fly there or c) join a local glow club and hopefully convince them that I can demonstrate adequate skill on a 16oz aircraft.

This is clearly a minor issue compared to starting a new club from scratch - I don't expect an answer anytime soon - but hope this idea goes into the "job jar" for the future ...

Nick Jones
Kitchener, Ontario
EMFSO #780
Nick Jones
Kitchener, Ontario
EMFSO #780

Michael

There would be no fee to acquire your wings at the TEMAC field. As long as you show one of our designated instructors that you can fly a simple requested pattern safely, we will give you your wings pin and a certificate stating that you are allowed to fly your electric model aircraft, on your own, without supervision, at the TEMAC field. The reason the certificate will state "at the TEMAC field" is since someone can earn these wings by flying a GWS Tiger Moth, this doesn't mean they are then able to fly a heavy gas-powered quarter scale model at another club.

This is available to anyone who joins TEMAC. We would be honored and grateful to any out-of-town members who join.

Michael
Michael