WV FUN FLYERS
November-December 2004
Happy Holidays
New Years Day Fly
There will be no meeting for January, but join us for our traditional New Years Day flight on Saturday, January 1st (makes sense, huh?). The February meeting site (as well as date) has yet to be decided. We will let you know, but it will probably be an evening dinner at a local (Charleston, St. Albans, etc.) restaurant, as we have done in the past at River’s Edge, St. Albans, etc. If anyone has any suggestions or preferences, contact Dave Groff.Christmas Party / December Meeting
This year’s Christmas party was held at Leon Elementary School , and the dinner was catered by the school cooks. Club members furnished desserts and soft drinks. A wonderful meal of turkey, ham and all the ‘fixins’ was enjoyed by all. Curtis Pack set up a flight simulator program in one corner of the gym, projected onto a large screen, for the enjoyment and entertainment of the attendees. The George Washington Middle School band and choral group provided entertainment after the meal, performing songs of the season. Santa Clause was there, with gifts for the children, and we had our traditional gift exchange for the adults.A brief business meeting was held, including election of officers. It seems we can’t give these jobs away, as the officers remain:
President Dave Groff
Vice President Mickey Watson Treasurer Laura Jensen Secretary/Newsletter Ken Skeen (with Laura helping with distribution)
The ‘Eagle Award” for the year was presented to ‘Doc’ Curtis and Kathy Pack, for all they have done for the organization the past year.
New Pilot
We now have a new trike pilot among our ranks. Congratulation to Tim Casto, of Charleston, who has recently soloed, under the tutelage of Mickey Watson.
New Tbird in Progress
Mickey and Gretchen are coming along well in the construction of their new Tbird I. Gretchen has a very nice write up, including lots of pictures, of the project on the WVFF website. Check it out at wvfunflyers.com and see the link under ‘Members’ and ‘Gretchen’, or from the ‘News Flash’, scroll down to ‘November 2004’ and click the ‘TBird I Construction’ link. They are putting in a lot of time and effort in creating this fine looking plane, and I am sure they are anxious for completion. Look for it soon in a sky near you.
Carlson Sparrow at Leon
Tom Bloss, of Nitro, recently trailered in his new acquisition, a fine looking white and blue Carlson Sparrow. This is the original Sparrow, winner of ‘Best New Design’ at Oshkosh in 1986. It has, however, undergone a few modifications since it’s debut at Oshkosh. It originally was powered by a Rotax 277, but now sports a smooth running ½ VW, and while it was once a tri-gear, it is now a ‘proper’ aircraft, with it’s tail dragging the ground as it should. Tom has been taxiing the plane at Leon, getting used to the handling characteristics. Look for it soon in a sky near you.
Winter Flying
While activity has been down at Leon during recent weeks, a few die-hards have braved the cold temperatures to enjoy the skies. The open cockpit folks have donned their (multi) snowmobile suits, face masks and heavy gloves, and put their trikes, chutes and planes into the great lift of the frigid air (I put on a jacket and driving gloves). While we have had some pretty good winds, they have been relatively smooth, and straight down the runway. What a fun time to fly!! (Even so, I’m ready for spring. I hate cold weather.) Now with hunting season and Christmas behind us, I look forward to getting to the airport more often. Don’t forget to join us New Years Day, and get in the air if you can, even if it’s just a trip around the pattern.
For Sale: Fisher 303 Project Kevin Pauley 304 926 8429
or see Kevin at airportDon’t Forget………..
Send articles, events, classified ads, etc….. Ken Skeen P.O. Box 128, Evans, WV 25241
Kskeen2@citynet.net 304-372-5252