We weathered the winter and now the start of another flying season is upon us. I hope everyone has gotten their plane’s in shape, because it is going to be an incredible year, especially with the conditions of our field.

For those who have not had a chance to see the progress on our field, please stop down and take a look for yourself. I think you would agree that the work effort has exceeded everyone’s expectations. I know mine was.

There is still some work to do, do get involved in any way possible. See you at the field.


Message from the prez……
Tremendous is the only word describable for our new field. The bulldozer was on the job and finished the last portion of the work. While Ray Macilino was manning the dozer, we had the York Raking cleaning up. Also great thanks to the morning crew! They bought and laid down the seed the next day. We should be seeing some grass in the next few weeks. Arrangements have been made for delivery of the wood chips for the pit area. And transportation has also been arranged for the delivery of the spools for the pits as well. We will have pretty much a brand new flying field.

What’s next?? The field and the new sections will require rolling which can’t be accomplished until the last week of April / first week of May. This really depends on the amount of rain we have. After the rolling in the first weeks of May the new road will be installed (any sooner the stone will just fall into the mud). This will include the rip rock at the foot of the bridge and the road. Being mindful of our budget if the parking lot has to wait until next year so be it.

What’s left? We will need to get together on the new portions of the field, form a skirmish line and pick up as many stones as possible…… Before the field rolling. Lastly spreading of the wood chips. I’ll have them dump the loads along the pit areas so all we’ll need to do is spread it out. Finally ……. FLY !!FLY!!!FLY!!!!!!!!!!

At our next meeting we will be reviewing the AMA’s 		   
proposed 2005 recommendations for safety co-coordinator . We’ll discuss our existing description , review the new one and find what fits our needs as ECSF The board and officers have convened and will make a recommendation to the membership regarding this issue .

Mark Castiglione, ECSF President


Message from the VP………
Well a group of ECSF members have been very busy down at the field. A lot has been done. I visited the field today, Sunday April 2, with rake and spreader in tow. The North end of the field was raked and seeded. I also seeded a lot of the bare spots. It should help in landings not ripping your gear off. Mark spent the Day on the york rake tractor leveling off all the new areas. John Z was running his chain saw cutting up debris. The field looks twice as big. Ray was down again with his bulldozer and tractor. We can't thank him enough for all his work.

The building contest is set for the May meeting this year. Planes must have been built this year. If you built something and want to fly it before the contest go ahead. We will allow Planes that have been flown but they must be new this year.

The Skiing this winter was Great. I had some successes racing. Silver in the CT State Downhill and Bronze in the Senior Olympics Downhill. I also had the privilege of Skiing with Tommy Moe, the 94 Olympic Gold medallist in the Down Hill and Silver medallist in the Giant Slalom.

Happy flying. Well see you at the New Field!

Steve Ludwig, ECSF Vice President


Treasurer‘s Report…
We will start off 2006 with a significant amount of money. However, we also have some lofty goals for this year, which will consume a good portion of our working capitol.

The proposed budget has expenditures for Field Mowing, Porto let, Picnics, Get Well Baskets, Christmas Party, Newsletters and Mailing, Field Maintenance, Field Rolling, Field Improvement, Road Maintenance, AMA Insurance and Emergency Fund.

The good news is that we can even consider doing all these things. Holding down costs by the board, having two successful raffles and all the volunteers pitching in for the betterment of the club allowed this. We will also maintain our commitment to fund our rainy day fund and finance the field improvements from the general fund.

Who knows Marks and Ernie V’s fantasy of a lobster party at the field might come true one day.

Joe Malec, ECSF Treasurer


Upcoming Events…
April 19 - E.C.S.F. Meeting. 7:00 p.m. @ Foxon Community Center
April 25 - E.C.S.F. Flight Training.4:30 p.m. @ E.C.S.F. Field
April 27 - E.C.S.F. Flight Training.4:30 p.m. @ E.C.S.F. Field


Minutes…
The meeting commenced with Mark showing some different engine choices for your planes.

The first order was a discussion around our field reclaiming. At this juncture, nearly 85% has been cleared with stumping and chipping to come next. As of the time of this distribution, the clearing, stumping and chipping is almost 100% complete. There is still more to do, and it all needs to be done before our first picnic. This included york raking, hay seeding and road / lot 		    maintenance.

The next discussion centered around picnics. This year, there are plans for 5 picnic / events. These include a Memorial Day Picnic (5/28), Boy Scout Picnic (6/25), Campout / Combat (7/15-7/16), Neighbor’s Picnic (9/10) and Christmas Party (12/20).

We have a tremendous opportunity to give back to our community and make some new friends along the way. This being the Boy Scout Picnic. We have invited roughly 40 Boy Scouts, and their family, to take part in a day of flight / aerodynamic orientation, simulators, flight demonstration and finally buddy box time. Sounds like a great opportunity for all to get involved.

The Foxon Community Center has asked that everyone who uses the center be mindful of other who want to use their place. They have been subject to damage in the past. To help them out, our organization is donating 4 tables to get them back in shape.

Our club will hold 2 raffles this year. One at the neighbor’s picnic and one during the winter. Most likely the Christmas Party. Our 1st raffle will be for a Hangar-9 Piper Cub PNP. The 2nd raffle for Great Plane’s G3 simulator.


From the Flight Line…
Our Flight Training program will commence on April 25th @ 4:30 p.m. with a brief pilot’s meeting to get this year underway before the actual flying occurs. We will continue with Groups 2 and 3. Hopefully the cobwebs can be shaken quickly and we can get right back to business. Currently, the date for Group 2’s exam will be held on Saturday, June 24th. Group 3’s has be tentatively set for Saturday, September 7th. This schedule is also based on how quickly pilots get back to where they ended last year. It should also be mentioned that any pilot who excels, can test along with the new members who are existing pilots.


Any Group 1 pilot wishing to aide in the training program can do so by getting involved ground / taxi training, plane and radio setup, engine break-in and tuning and starting procedures. This is a good opportunity to give back and keep this momentum going.

The chipping and cutting on our field is nearly complete. The effort has exceeded our outcome. We basically applied some plastic surgery to make this place look 20 years younger. Thank you to everyone for their efforts, equipment, fuel, food and anything else that contributed to our success. The membership response to has been nothing short of complimentary. I look forward to continued success and a great flying season.

At this point, we still have raking and seeding. This new area will provide us with the buffer we need to be able to safely handle short dead sticks or plane run-offs.

As part of the field safety, signs ill be established, on the road, warning cars of the potential for low flying aircraft. Thanks to Bowman Sign, who has committed to donating the signs we need.

Chris Petriccione, ECSF Head Flight Instructor / Safety Officer


Safety Officer Code . . .
The Safety Office/Field Marshall shall be responsible for the overall safety environment at the Flying field. He has the responsibility and the authority to bar individuals, whether club members or not, from using or continuing to use the club flying field if they do not adhere to the AMA and club Safety rules and procedures.

Any person so barred from the use of the flying field may not fly from the club field until arrangements have been made with one or more of the club officers to correct the unsafe situation that caused him to be barred. The Safety Officer/Field Marshall must approve these arrangements before he may again use the field. 		   
The following are proposed additions to the current description.

The Safety Officer shall promote safety awareness on the part of all members and provide a means by which important safety information can be shared between club members. This person will act as a communications liaison between the club and AMA Headquarters to ensure timely distribution of safety related material.

  1. Provide a communications link between AMA and clubs in matters related to safety
  2. Act as a safety advisor and resource manager for the club and its members
  3. Assist AMA in the establishment of a national safety program to reduce accidents/incidents
  4. Develop, promote and encourage a climate of safety awareness within AMA clubs Safety Coordinator activities may include the following:
    • Inspect operational areas for proper signage and safety equipment as applicable.
    • Distribute AMA Accident/Incident Report Forms and assure they are properly used.
    • Conduct safety awareness training and related programs during club meetings.
    • Conduct, at least annually, a safety audit of club facilities, equipment, and grounds to ensure everything is in good working order and safe for normal use by members and the public.
    • Act as a liaison with the local EMS/Fire Department.
    • Establish a club emergency action plan to handle serious accidents/incidents.
    • Coordinate appropriate first aid training for members using qualified instructors.
    • Develop an appropriate communications plan to assist club officers and members.
    • Review emergency procedures (fire and rescue) with club members on an annual basis.
Until next time ... Happy Landings!