Hear Ye!

The official newsletter of the :
Valley Forge Signal Seekers
Radio Controlled Model Airplane Club
November, 1995

From The Editor
by Price Dempler

Many thanks! Yet another month of great submissions for the Hear Ye! Not only do we have Chuck Karr's thoughtful and well written article (my apologies again, Chuck), but we have other entertaining reading as well. Additionally, the Web page has been a busy place of late - check out the stuff we've been getting from all over the world. As I become more familiar with the Web and its offerings, it is clear to me that we have one of the best R/C home pages out there. We all owe Michael Myers a big thank you for all of his work. Anyone interested in responding to any of the notes that are printed in the Hear Ye, please feel free. If you are not equipped to respond directly on the 'Net, send me a file on a diskette and I'll forward it for you.
Also, thanks to George Bond for his offer to help with the Hear Ye. George, I will be in touch after I get back from vacation.

Found:
One Tower Trainer Airplane - call Ed Snead and describe model to reclaim

Club Sponsored Trip In December
from Joe Weiser

There will be a club sponsored bus trip on December 2nd to the Smithsonian's Garber Restoration Center in Maryland. This will be an all day affair with food and refreshments served enroute to and from the destination. Since the cost of the trip is being partially subsidized by the V.F.S.S., the costs for club members will be $15.00 and $30.00 for non-members. There is room for 40 people so reserve your space soon, it will be on a first come first serve basis. Those interested should mail a check for $15.00 payable to Joe Weiser.
The Deadline for reserving your space is November 18th. The payment is non-refundable

Don't Forget The Upcoming Elections!!

The elections for the 1996 Board of governors positions will be held at the December general meeting. If you know anyone who is interested in serving on the B.O.G. or if you would like to serve on the board either come forward at the next general meeting or contact Ted Ferrant. Nominations will also be taken for the Doug Davison and Special Achievement awards. If you know of a worthy club member, nominate him or her.

The Confused Pilot
by Chuck Karr

I am very disappointed to see an article in our club newsletter by a confused uninformed, and/or unsociable RC pilot. I have lived my life under the assumption that if you can read a book and talk to people, you can accomplish almost any task in life. So far in my thirty-four years of life I have done many things - from building an addition on my house, to building a race car made of welded pipes, to building and flying F15 Eagle R.C. aircraft.
I would like to address all of the issues raised in the article entitled "Training Program", which was published in the September newsletter.

Paragraph 1 - The individual indicates how experienced and knowledgeable he is, and how unknowledgable others are.
From my experience, everything he pointed out in the first paragraph is covered by reading instructions that are supplied with various component parts of an aircraft. Example: Any specific action given to a control stick on the transmitter has to have some effect on the aircraft. These are covered in the final adjustments in just about all ARF instruction books. If they are not understood, it is very evident as soon as someone with experience looks at the plane during the pre-flight check. Then we explain how and why they are adjusting control linkages as they do it. The part about somebody not knowing about a needle valve is confusing to me because that is covered in most engine instructions. The instructors do not have time to read each student the instruction book that came with their particular model. That is their responsibility. However, we do see situations where future pilots purchase aircraft built by another person. These situations are evident well before the person tries to start the engine. These rare situations are handled differently than a person who builds his own aircraft. People who build their own aircraft must read the instruction book supplied with the kit. I don't understand how anyone can build a kit, install the engine and servos, and hook-up control surfaces without understanding any of it, if they don't understand they can come to the field, or go to the local hobby shop for help.
We do see a lot of planes set up incorrectly when they come to the field, but during a pre-flight check all controls are checked. If any controls are wrong, the student fixes them and they generally get an explanation of why they are doing what they are doing. If a plane comes out to the field ready to fly, all surfaces are adjusted correctly and aligned. The person must have some idea of what they are doing or he would never get them correct. Case in point - in 1994, I personally test flew 102 new and rebuilt aircraft. I know Ed Casson had approximately 80-90 test flights. What I am saying is IF I adjust all those planes without explaining what and why, I would spend all year adjusting airplanes. We sometimes have previous students who help new students set up planes and check them out so we can continue instructing our assigned students. This is a big help due to the number of instructors and the number of students that come out in a given year. (Special thanks to those previous students. It's a great help!)
The author of the article also needs to understand that we see a lot of the same trainer planes which are built from the same instruction book with many, many variations in finished product. It doesn't seem to matter whether it is an ARF or a kit. I believe the reason for this is that people interpret directions differently. This is by no means a put-down to anyone who brings a new aircraft which needs work to the field! It's all part of the hobby.

Paragraph #2 - This individual talks about his experience with getting an instructor. He didn't know who his instructor was; something about his name; and he didn't feel welcome.
From my experience, getting an instructor is a simple process if new pilots read the membership form, ask any instructor at the field, or talk to the Treasurer when they come to the monthly meeting to join the club. They will have no problem understanding how it works. Remember, we accept no mail-in membership forms for new pilots or members. Unfortunately, new members don't get copies of old newsletters (like the one in beginning of the season when we ask for new people to instruct).
This summer has been different for many reasons. We have no list of people waiting for instruction. Instead of a list, a lot of new pilots come out on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Ed Casson and I take these people up to fly between flights of our assigned students. When we had the old waiting list, I found many people did not want to wait for an instructor, so they tried to fly the plane themselves, resulting in crashed planes. This is more discouraging than the way we did it this year. I had three students last year who, when called to start formal instruction, had no plane because they tried to fly themselves and crashed the plane instead of waiting for us.
I feel that using no waiting list is not a bad way of doing it, because many new pilots can have a lot of fun flying and socializing with other people until a spot opens up so they can start formal training.
As for the part about asking his name, I always introduce myself when I meet someone for the first time and, generally, the other person responds accordingly. If they don't, it is usually best for all parties if I don't get involved!

Paragraph #3 - In paragraph three, he says there was no explanation of flight skills or what was to be accomplished in a given session.
From my experience, the first thing we need to determine is whether the individual was assigned an instructor or was just flying with one. Then we can determine whether he was receiving formal training or just stick time. (there is a BIG difference!) However, due to the nature of this unusual article, we may never know, unless the author identifies himself.

Paragraph #4 - In paragraph four he tells us that his work scheduled changed and he was assigned a different instructor. He then goes on to say that he met the required number of landings and was soloed by his instructor; then he was told by another instructor he was not allowed to fly solo.
I have been in contact with several instructors and the head flight instructor, Ed Casson. No one has any knowledge of a student who was enrolled in the formal training program and changed instructors because of work schedule, etc. Ed is the only club member allowed to assign students to instructors. Therefore, I doubt this individual was ever in the formal program. This is not to say our program could have a loophole in it that needs to be fixed, but it's hard to fix a problem if nobody knows what the heck happened to this person. As for the rest of the article, I will not respond to what seems like derogatory comments by a confused flier.
All instructors have a formal training program! No two people do it exactly the same way, but the end result is the same. Just to inform or reminder all club members of our documented procedure, here it is:

1) All students must contact Ed Casson to enrolled in the student training program.
2) Students will be assigned an instructor based on days available and student backlog.

3) Once a student is assigned, his instructor will then supply them with a program folder containing:
a. student membership card
b. diagram of all practice maneuvers
c. all key terminology (words used by instructor with definition)
d. student flight log for personal use
e. AMA qualified pilot status form
4) A student may fly solo after they learn:
a. club rules
b. aircraft preflight check
c. engine start procedure
d. taxi and observation procedure
e. take off procedure
f. rectangular pattern
g. horizontal figure 8
h. touch and go landings
I. approach and landing procedures
j. aircraft return to the pit area
5) The student must then demonstrate to their instructor that they know the ten steps listed above. They must safely demonstrate control of aircraft, then sign an AMA qualified pilot form, which is then signed by the instructor and turned in to the head flight instructor. Only after all the above has taken place can a student fly solo (legally).

I personally don't make a habit of patting a lot of backs, but I will tell you that my students have a lot of fun while learning. If there is any doubt, come to field on Saturday and ask any one of them. Most of them fly weekly in our little group. For many people who soloed awhile ago, you will still see me hooked up to a buddy box teaching inverted flight and advanced maneuvers. I have not yet turned down any person who has asked if I would fly with them or help them.
I believe the author of the article has a real communication problem since he obviously doesn't communicate well with others. I have been in this club for five years and have met hundreds of the nicest people who are always willing to help anyone, or at least point a person in the right direction.
I am really disappointed that this article was printed without anyone looking into all of the allegations that are obviously not true. It really makes me feel like I am wasting between 450-600 hours per year helping people and enjoying the hobby. I think other instructors will agree with me.
Please remember one thing - volunteers, whether they are RC flight instructors, hospital candy stripers, or a coach of your child's sports team are sacrificing personal and family time to help others. Try to appreciate their efforts.
Just one more thing. There are many good books available on advanced maneuvers - how they're done and so on. Also, the club has quite a few video tapes in their library on all types of topics. What I am saying is instead of spending time writing poison pen pal notes or articles, let's talk to people, get involved in the club, and find out what options are available to all members. It's a great hobby. Let's enjoy it!

P.S. - We are still looking for quality flight instructors. If you have time, a lot of patience, and a great sense of humor, we need ya! Please contact Ed Casson. Remember, the pay is great, the benefits are excellent, and spots are limited!

VFSS Fun Fly
by Ed Snead

Date: September 30,1995
Place: Valley Forge Historical Park
Temp: 76(inf) and sunny, 46% humidity
Wind: Dead calm to 3 mph out of the West
Food: Hoagies, potato chips, pretzels, and lots of birch beer

We could not have asked for a better mixture of ingredients for a Club fun fly. 30 flyers and 51 airplanes provided enough enjoyment for members and spectators alike. The 'Breakfast Club' members were there before 8am setting up stakes and stringing ropes for spectator protection.
Joe Weiser and Joe Yalove showed up with two coolers full of hoagies. Bud Klopp brought tables for the transmitter impound and refreshments. Buzz Kleine brought the birch beer and ice for keeping it cold. 'El Presedente' Ted Ferrante brought the PA system. With the arrival of Austen Gutman to handle the transmitter impound, the fun got underway.
Everyone was having a great time flying and watching other members 'do their thing.' There were a minimum of aerial accidents and flights beyond 'the box.' Joe Yalove and Katsuro Hamada had a dispute with Mother Earth but as usual, she won the argument - scratch one 'Nutten Special' and one 'Ugly Stik.'
We had our helicopter expert, Matt Meier, put on one heck of a demonstration. I didn't know that helicopters could be used for trimming grass, but he showed us how it is done. Rom Boutin dropped lollipops from his Senior Kadet for the youngsters to pick up. There were prizes given to members who were in the air at a specific time so that the more they flew, the more prizes they got.
The highlight of the day (if you could call it that) was the disappearance of the 'Witch,' one of those unexplained mishaps that can and will occur in this hobby, As we stood and watched in awe, for whatever reason, she disappeared over the trees and did not return home for three days. When she came back, we all could swear she had a 'hickey' on her neck and a big smile (it pays to have your I.D. in your model.
In all, this was a well run Fun Fly, well prepared and enjoyed by everyone who participated. With everyone having so much enjoyment, we are now thinking of having two Fun Flys a year - one in early summer and one in early fall. The big invitational 'Open Fly' will still be in mid-July. We have to remember that it was the Club members who made this a successful outing - 'you have to love the hobby.'
Thanks and a big round of applause to you who made it such a fun-filled day!

Raffle Winners
By Joseph Pasquini

At the October General Meeting at least $225.00 worth of prizes were taken by winners. The top three winners and the prizes they won are:

Jonathan Jacobs - A sport T-34 kit
Bill Sunick Jr - An ASP 40 Engine
Charlie Swope - A TME Trickle Charger

Several smaller prizes were also won by a number of people. Next months raffle will have prizes of equal value including another kit and engine.

News From The Internet
compiled by Price Dempler

From: steve@ice.net.au (steve j doering)
Date: Sat, 2 Sep 1995 22:03:27 +1000
To: mhmyers@netaxs.com
Subject: re in awe!!

Great home page, unlike the sad lack of clubs in tasmania, australia it seems you guys have the most professional setup & attitude that i,ve ever read about. Although my experience is very self taught (in other words i build,fly & teach myself how to fly r/c) just reading and viewing your home page gives me great enthusiasm, keep up the great work... by the way know of any great plans services or anyone with say piper j3 cub plans or similar?

anyway hope you do get the chance to reply
steve

From: Marcel Martel <martelm@cdrive.canadorec.on.ca>
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 95 14:23:42 -700
To: mhmyers@netaxs.com
from andreas ritter
376 richard road nothr bay ontario
p1b 3c7
canada

read your news letter , very interesting. i my self fly rc. big 8 foot ugly stick with a q35 for power. if interested to corespond please send letter
sicerly andreas

From: rps@mat.uc.pt (Rui Pedro Mendes Salgueiro)
Date: Fri, 8 Sep 95 3:14:35 MET DST
To: mhmyers@netaxs.com (Michael)
Subject: Your home page

Hello
I was looking at your home page again (I had seen it some months ago) and I found the pictures of your friend Joe flying objects. I found them extremely funny ! Specially the flying doghouse. I also like the other photos, but I found these very original.

rps

From: pjm@cs.kyungpook.ac.kr
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 95 12:27:11 KST
To: mhmyers@netaxs.com
Subject: To purchase helicopter In South Korea

HI .. Dear
I'm netscape visitor to your site in South Korea and thinking you the master of R/C aircraft.. And I'm beginner at R/C Aircraft so,, I need some advice for R/C helicopter and wish to purchase your helicopters..
Please give me information about the cost, specifications, controlling..
Thank you.. Bye.

pjm@kashtin.kyungpook.ac.kr or pjm@cs.kyungpook.ac.kr
Jongmin Park

Subj: Interest in R/C Helicopters
Date: 95-10-18 00:03:59 EDT
From: caley@fast.net
To: GeeBeeR1@aol.com

Hi Price,
My name is Scott Caley. I live about 40 minutes from Valley Forge (at Morgantown - Exit 22). I am not a Helicopter pilot (yet!), but am interested in watching some people flying them. I read on the Signal Seekers home page that there was a planned Helicopter fly last Sunday (October 15), is there any chance it was moved to this Sunday (October 22) because of the wind? If not I would be interested in visiting the field sometime and see who might be there. Is there much helicopter activity? Are there names that you could pass on to me of active helicopter pilots at Valley Forge?

Thanks!

Scott B. Caley
e-mail: caley@fast.net

B.O.G. REVIEW
By Sam Andreas, Secretary

The October meeting of the V.F.S.S. Board of Governors was called to order by the President on 10/17/95 at 7:40 PM.Present were: The Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary,7 Board members and the Chief Field Marshall. The following topics were discussed:
1-Rob Caso provided each board member with a copy of his analyses of the club's cash receipts and disbursements covering a six month period ending June 30, 1995. The audit shows that all is in order. The board voted unanimously to accept the audit.
2-The Treasurer reported the clubs financial status.
It was decided that food and refreshments will be sold at the upcoming club auction. We will be serving: Hot dogs, Hoagies, Sodas, Coffee and Donuts.
4-The subject of a whether or not the club should partially subsidize the cost of club trips was raised. The trips in question are the WRAM show in February and the trip to the Smithsonian's Garber Restoration Center scheduled for mid-November. A special meeting of the B.O.G is scheduled for 10/24 to decide on this matter.
5-It was decided that the two remaining Board meetings this year will begin at 7:00 PM instead of 7:30. The Meeting was Adjourned at 8:58 PM.

Special BOG Meeting Minutes
submitted by Sam Andreas

Following are the minutes from the Special board meeting held on 10/24/95. The President called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM.
The subject in question was partial subsidization of the club trip to the Garber Restoration Center in Maryland on Dec 2nd, 1995. After a lengthy discussion and analyses of the coste stimates provided by Joe Weiser it was decided to partially subsidize the cost of the trip. The Board voted unanimously to allocate a maximum amount of $600.00 towards the overall cost. The concensus was there should be an increase in member participation in club social events and perhaps such club trips will help to that end. The question of subsidizing the WRAM trip in February will have to be voted on by next year's Board of Governors. The meeting was adjourned at 7:42 PM.

Special Notes
by Sam Andreas

The next meeting of the B.O.G. will be held on November 21at 7:00 PM at the Church. Please note: the two remaining B.O.G. meetings this year will begin at 7:00 pm instead of 7:30.

Anyone who is working on or has completed a new and interesting building project bring it to the general meeting for show and tell.

Treasury Problems?
By Jim Myers

Over the past year or so, I have noticed in the Hear Ye that our treasurer, Walt Pierzchala,reports very nice balances in the Club's checking and savings accounts. Recently, this was mentioned at our monthly meetings, and presented as an open question to the membership: how might we best make use of our surplus? I decided that maybe I could suggest a few possibilities for our members' consideration. I would not want to suggest that we go on a lavish spending spree. We must always remember to keep enough cash on hand for major expenditures, such as tractor/mower repairs, meeting room rental, field equipment, Fun Fly prizes, etc. So, my recommendations are fairly modest.
1. Reduce the dues of the general membership. A few years ago we raised our annual dues from $25 to $30. Maybe we can afford to reduce them back to $25 or even $20 now.
2. Award free memberships to all who served the club in a substantial way the preceding year. I would include all elected and appointed officers, BOG members in good standing, flight instructors, grounds maintenance crew, sailplane winch keeper, Hear Ye editor, Fun Fly and Auction organizers, and winners of the Doug Davidson and Technical Excellence awards! I believe most members realize that most of the club's work is performed by relatively few of the members. Wouldn't it be a nice gesture to reward those people by excusing them from paying any dues for the year following their service? Making this a reality would probably require an act of congress, or in our case, a change in our bylaws, voted on by the general membership.
3. Provide travel expenses for expert speakers to make presentations at our club meetings. I believe this is not new. However, if more members knew of this possibility, maybe we could get some leads on presentations that would draw a crowd.
4. An annual Free Raffle. The club could purchase some major items from our Hobby shop advertisers, and draw names from the entire club membership. You would not have to be present to win.
5. An annual good will donation to Valley Forge National Historical Park. It always helps to stay on friendly terms with the people whose land we use. OK, those are my ideas for using our funds. What do you think? Come to a meeting and give your opinion.


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