The March Meeting

Chuck Paulson called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. SCRC welcomed Craig Miller, a former SCRC member who was visiting and Larry Brown, who came to join the club.

1.   The minutes from the February 5th meeting were approved.

2.   Al Jones read the Treasurer’s report which was approved by membership. Payment of club dues accounted for all recent receipts. $90 was paid to the AMA for club charter fee. The renewal of insurance coverage for the Garbrick property was taken care of. Currently, there are 30 paid SCRC members.

3.   Old business –

·         Al Niessner updated us on field search progress as discussions took place among the members in attendance. Al showed aerial views and ground-level photos of the sites proposed by Paul Bittengle. The committee spoke with John King and viewed the land in Hublersburg. There are several areas on the King property that have potential. Mr. King is receptive to our interests and flying on Sundays would not be problem. Chasing down more leads, Paul spoke with John King’s brother, Joe, who may also have land to rent. The committee took snapshots of the Walizer property behind Nittany Valley Hardware on Route 64. The land is now owned by Barry Gensimore and leased by Jim Walizer. SCRC must now contact Mr. Gensimore to verify that this site is still a possibility.

·         Chuck reminded us of the importance of paying club dues as the deadline is here.

·         Woody Struble advised that the frequency board is in need of repair. One of the posts is cracked and both posts are loose in the ground causing the structure to twist and lean. Woody recently did a temporary repair to help prevent the board from falling. He advised that we should wait for better weather in April before organizing a work detail to fix the problem.

4.   New Business –

·         A Jones advised that our payment to lease the Garbrick property is due next month. A motion to offer $500 was approved.

·         Sam Stitzer was contacted with a request for SCRC to participate in the Relay for Life event at the Grange Fairgrounds on June 28th. The organizers were very impressed with our club last year and have promised even more room for our static displays. This year, they will try to provide a better site for our flying demonstrations. A group of us attended last year and it was a great public relations opportunity–and a lot of fun! Please contact Sam if you’re interested.

·         Chuck Paulson encouraged more participation for programs during the winter months. Please Contact Chuck or Curt if you have an idea for a program that you would like to present.

5.   Program –

·         Peter Caddick flies model helicopters and is involved with an aerial photography company owned by his friend, Craig Peck of Lancaster.  Peter put together an impressive slide show on the subject and he shared his knowledge with SCRC members. As the pilot, he does not accept payment for his services but feels lucky to have the opportunity to fly four company-owned helicopters of various sizes. The largest model will handle up to 8.3 pounds of payload. Peter brought along a sophisticated camera mounting system to show us and we viewed some great aerial shots. Peter offered his expert commentary and SCRC sincerely thanks him for presenting an excellent program. For information, visit Craig’s Flying Media website, http://www.flyingmedia.net/

Here is Peter Caddick’s camera mount. It straps to the landing skids of his R/C helicopter.

6.   Show and Tell –

·         Once again, George Gurney brought along his dragonfly R/C Ornithopter. This time, it flew around the room for a lap while everyone ducked. Then the large, foam insect made a near-perfect landing on Al Niessner’s computer!

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM. Nathaniel Rice won the 50-50 drawing, splitting $18.00 with the club.

“Faiths”

   I am writing this newsletter on the evening of Good Friday, a sad and somber day in the Christian faith, soon to be followed by Easter Sunday, a glad and triumphant day! At this time of year, the paths of Christianity and Judaism seem to cross, since Jesus was himself Jewish, and the Last Supper with his disciples was a celebration of the Passover meal.

   What does this have to do with flying R/C models, you ask? Well, I see a parallel of different “faiths” in our hobby.  We have the aerobatics faith, the scale model faith, the 3D faith, the glider faith, the gas power faith, the electric power faith, and so on.

   Yet, unlike so many places in this world, all these “faiths” coexist peacefully at the flying field. We all appreciate the aircraft, abilities and activities of those who fly something different than we do. No Jihads against infidels here!

   Many of us don’t fly helicopters or 3D planes, but We admire the skills shown by those who do. We celebrate their success, and grieve when they crash, and they do the same for us. Now, isn’t that the way everything in life should be?           Maybe the world could learn a lesson from R/C modelers! Tolerate, embrace, and enjoy the diversity of interests while celebrating the unity of our common bond – that of the sheer enjoyment of making things that fly! Do I hear an “amen”?

 

That’s all for now.

Sam Stitzer  814‑364‑9530

samstitz@yahoo.com