San Gabriel Valley Radio Control League

Results of meeting with the Park Superintendent 6/2/09
Jerry Swaim and Jim Riccio attending.

“There are a few things that are going to change at our flying site.  The biggest thing is the reopening of the BMX track with a Seven Year Contract and a crash that happened to end up in the BMX track.  The crash happened at 2:10 PM on Saturday the 23rd of May.  Starting in July the field will be closing every Tuesday and Thursday at 6pm.  On Saturdays the field will be closed at 2pm. This will include all flying activities and all types of aircraft.  Special club sponsored events will be exempt from the closing times.  The BMX track will be operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.   BMX racing will start at 6 PM on Tuesday and Thursday and start on Saturdays at 12 noon.  Our field working days (Now on the first Wednesday) are changing to the second Monday of the month. There is to be no flying while the park staff is on the field doing their thing. And as always there is no flying during the lawn cutting.  Float flying is ok at the lake on these Mondays.  These changes are mostly the result of some of the afternoon fliers that seem to think the rules are not for them and insist on flying over the gun range and BMX track. The park cannot take a chance of another airplane crashing into the BMX track while it is occupied with children. The park will be posting notices at the field. Also the park will be locking the gates.”

Jerry Swaim,  SGVRCL Field Representative

From Ken Meade

For our field here’s how I read this Notam that closes our field this week during the posted times.  Note, please correct me if I got it wrong!

The 10 nm radius Area’s do not include our field according to the map link, so only the 30 NM area’s affect us. This is Area 1,3 and 5.  These 30 nm radius Areas overlap and all these Areas include our field so 1,3 and 5 can be lumped together as far as were concerned.

Field closed 5/27 and 5/28, Wednesday 1 PM afternoon through early Thursday morning ending at 8 AM.  (1:05 PM Wed to 8:00 AM Thur.)

Reading between the lines the 10 mile stuff is for the Presidents Heli’s and the 30 for AF One.
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A new FAA NOTAM/TFR has been issued for the greater Los Angeles, CA and San Fernando Valley areas starting Wednesday, May 27, at 1:05p until 8:00a PDT, Thursday, May 28. The TFR is issued for security purposes to cover VIP movement in this area. Model aircraft operations are prohibited in this area during the specific time periods of the TFR. See the link to the TFR below for more detailed information regarding the restrictionsFAA Notam

Area 1 (5/27, 1:05p – 2:10p PDT)
(30nm radius from Latitude: 33º56′33″N, Longitude: 118º24′26″W)
Area 2 (5/27, 1:05p – 2:10p PDT)
(10nm radius from Latitude: 33º56′33″N, Longitude: 118º24′26″W)
Area 3 (5/27, 1:15p – 5/28, 7:40a PDT)
(30nm radius from Latitude: 33º04′49″N, Longitude: 118º24′44″W)
Area 4 (5/27, 1:15p – 5/28, 7:40a PDT)
(12nm radius from Latitude: 33º04′49″N, Longitude: 118º24′44″W)
Area 5 (5/28, 6:55a – 8:00a PDT)
(30nm radius from Latitude: 33º56′33″N, Longitude: 118º24′26″W)
Area 6 (5/28, 6:55a – 8:00a PDT)
(10nm radius from Latitude: 33º56′33″N, Longitude: 118º24′26″W)

TFR – 9/0460

Map View of the TFR

Regards
Gregory Hahn
Technical Director
AMA

Break out your racing gear and polish up you pylon skills. Pylon Racing returns to Whittier Narrows on May 15 through 17.

Sponsored by San Gabriel Valley Radio Control League, the races will be held at Whittier Narrows Regional Park located at the junction of the 60 Freeway and Rosemead Blvd. in  El Monte.  Exit north on the Rosemead Blvd. offramp. Turn left into the park approximately 1/4 mile from the freeway. You  must show your AMA card at the gate or you will be charged an entrance fee.

There will be a half day practice session on Friday, May 15, and races will be gin PROMPTLY at 9:00 AM sharp.

Races classes include 424, (APRA), 422,and 428. Races will be flown on a 2.5 mile course with the format of two (2) one day races. The order of classes will be 424, 422, and 428 respectively each day.

Maximum number of 3 per frequency/group (in each class).

Click HERE to download the application form
The entry fee is $25.00 per class per day.
You must show youir proof of AMA membership at sign up on Saturday and Sunday.

Pre-registration is preferred or you may email Dave Gavin at dgavin9448@aol.com with you info.

Registration and inspection will close at 8:30 AM Saturday and Sunday

Pilots meeting at 8:s0 AM followed promptly by the first race at 9:00 AM

NO PRACTICE SATURDAY OR SUNDAY UNLESS YOUI HAVE REGISTERED AND HAVE BEEN INSPECTED!

CD: Steve Lopez
AMA #8013
562-908-4429 email: stevelopez@verizon.net

Co-CD Don Schelling
AMA #9076

Well, we had three great opportunities to celebrate the holidays at the the club.

The first chance was at the December club meeting. We held the annual FREE raffle. Everyone gets one ticket for free. We had some great items this year including planes and even a 2.4 GHz radio system. Ken Meade got that one. I don’t remember if Skip Adams’ luck held for this raffle or not. I’m sure somebody will remind me.

The second event was the annual Christmas Dinner which was held at the Covina Bowl. They did a nice job. Carl Balmer was the MC for the ever popular “steal somebody else’s favorite gift” exchange. The hot gift (which really made the rounds and which I almost got) was an RTF helicopter.

Not quite equal in popularity was the body butter which Paul Moren got. How many great combinations can YOU make with b*tter body butter. More than a few were suggested including “better battered bitter body butter” along with others that suggested how Paul might use it. Needless to say, a good time was had by all. If you missed it, bad on you. You would have had a blast.

Finally, we capped the year with the annual Toys for Kids drive. It went well with donations of lots of toys. We had 50 pilots signed up to fly and a number of members who brought toys but didn’t fly. Thanks to all of you for your support.

Another great part of the Toys for Kids drive is the opportunity to introduce fathers and sons to the hobby.

It’s club membership renewal time again. Click on the following link to download a PDF Membership Application. An application was also included at the end of the November newsletter for your convenience. You can mail it back in or bring it with you to the January club meeting. On your mailing label it will indicate if you have renewed already (2009) or not (2008.) The renewal fees are $30 for a paper version mailed to you, or $20 for the electronic version where you print it out for yourself.

Well December the 7th is a Club important day this year, 2008. As a group we spend a lot of money on our own toys and now is the time to share what we spend. So we really need to consider doing just a little of the same for the other younger kids in the area that may not be as fortunate. We have upwards of three hundred guys flying at Whittier during the course of a year. Is there any reason we shouldn’t collect upwards of three hundred toys?

Not a one! But only about half of the Whittier users read this or the ad’s we place at the field. Too many will ignore the occasion– unless. Unless each one is individually approached and asked to come down to the field, Sunday Dec the 7th. So if you are friendly with any modeler that flies at Whittier, speak up. Let’s get a huge turn out. This year most or maybe all of the toys we collect will be turned over to the Park for distribution during the course of the following year. And the Park gang is one group we sure want to empress!

A toy donated is better than cash–but we will sure take cash if offered! Try to come down to the Field before 1 or 2 PM, that’s when we usually conclude the planned operation. Operation? Well, actually it’s just a normal Sunday of flying with the only difference is the toy donation requirement to fly. There may be some special interruptions for demo flying–will see. So remember Dec the 7th, this year it’s kind’a special special!

Click here to download the flyer in PDF format, print it out, and put them up where you think someone will notice and be moved to help.

This has been a very fast year; here we are at the end of October. We have had 4 very successful contests and made a few bucks for the club. The runway got a new top coat and looks good. All we need to do is have fun at Toys-for-Kids in December to close out the year. Next year you will have a new president and I will become the past president, and I’m looking forward to that. The best partis you will not have to suffer through my newsletter articles next year.

The last big racing contest has been completed with good results. The club will have made about $1000 or so. The pilots who flew in the race were happy. It was three days of lots of work, thanks to all you members, we had enough workers to man all the flight stations and we got it done. Lee has a number of items that were donated to him to give to you guys who worked the contests. For every day you worked during the three contests a ticket with your name on it will be in the raffle. Lee will have a drawing at the October club meeting, good luck to all the workers. You don’t need to be present to win.

Toys-for-Kids is coming up on Sunday, December 7th. This is a fun day and we hope to get lots of toys to give to kids who are down on their luck. Pick up a $10.00 toy for boy or girl, unwrapped, and bring to the Toys-for Kids. We will also accept your $10.00 bill.

If you have been to the El Monte airport you have seen the signs about the construction work that is going on from Oct. 26th to Nov 6th. They will be replacing all the flooring in the terminal building. As our club meeting is on the 28th we will be meeting on the patio of the restaurant. If there is any change we will pass it on to you via the club “E” group and club web site (sgvrcl.org). There will be someone at the terminal building the night of the meeting to direct you where to go.

The plans for the 2009 AMA show are coming along. Your show team is Ted Holdredge, Steve Lopez, Skip Adams, and Zak Caldwell. They are working on the booth layout, and making a list of workers for the show. If you would like to work in the club booth see one of these guys.

The Club Christmas party will be at the Covina Bowl on Friday night December 5th. The cost is $25.00 per ticket. Get your ticket from Larry Chapman, Ken Meade at the field or any board member. The dinner will be at 6:30 PM with Happy Hour before that. Take part in the gift game by bring a wrapped gift worth about $10.00, and put your name in the pick box. The game is very simple. If you want to play bring a wrapped gift put it on the gift table. Put your dinner ticket stub with your name on it in the pick box. I hope Carl Balmer will be the game host again this year. Carl will pick a stub from the box. When your name is called you will come to the gift table and select a gift, open it and show it to everyone. Carl will call the next name from the box. That person can either pick a gift from the gift table and open it, or take one that has already been opened. If you lose your gift you will go to the gift table and select and open a new one. This goes on till all the gifts have been open. It is great fun, with lots of gifts moving around the room.

The time has come to start thinking about the 2009 board of directors. Some of the present board members may chose to remain on the board for 2009. They will ask you to reinstall them on the 2009 board and you as members must by simple majority vote do that. Any present board member may be rejected by a vote of the membership. The board openings that are vacant will be filled by nomination from the club membership in the October or November general club meeting. These nominees and the returning board members will be voted in at the November general club meeting. That will make up your 2009 board of directors. The new
board will meet with the 2008 Board at December board meeting and select the 2009 President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer along with all the remaining club officers. Most of the returning board members will remain in their 2008 jobs.

By now you have seen the 2009 pilots ID information that is in this newsletter. I hope you find it okay.