As in 2015, this year's fly-in was hindered by fog and low ceilings until after noon. The weather was especially poor to the north, preventing home built aircraft from the Chicago area from attending. The Grumman Avenger was also kept away by the weather. In the morning, only a helicopter and a Mooney made it in. Two hot air balloons inflated, one (both?) by member Kathy Arkwell, but the wind soon rose, and both had to be put away. Late in the afternoon a few planes arrived from Marshall Co., just as the exhibitors were leaving.
Information tables were set up by the Peoria R/C Modelers, the local Aviation Explorers Post, LifeLine Pilots, Kent Cook Aircraft, Lincoln Land College's Aviation Program, Wicks Aircraft Supply, the Greater Peoria Honor Flight, the Civil Air Patrol, and EAA Chapter 563.
Fort's Toyota from Pekin made a generous donation to the chapter and had two off road vehicles on display. Besides offering rides to the public, Kent Cook also provided a nice donation.
Titan Aircraft did not show, but not because of the weather. Earlier this week, we tried to contact them to see if they planned to arrive Friday or Saturday. They would not reply to messages either by phone or e-mail, despite having agreed more than once over the summer to attend and show one of their T-51 airplanes.
Besides the fog, the weather was unseasonably hot and humid, and with a lack of pilots attending, the exhibitors began to leave between 2:00 and 3:00. Both Sonex presentations were cancelled due to lack of interest. Only four pilots attended Dr. Chien's morning presentation on the recent aero-medical reform legislation.
The Journal Star wrote up this event several days before, but the attendance by the public was also less than we hoped. It turned out several other events for the public were on across the Peoria area that day, and combined with the heat, this perhaps explains the attendance. Despite the poor turn out, several of the exhibitors said their time had not been wasted.
Kent Cook was offering rides to promote his new flight school at 3MY, and fortunately his planes were kept busy most of the afternoon, after the low overcast cleared out.
With almost no planes flying in (several airplanes kept on the field were taxied to the north ramp), only one of the prizes Wicks provided was given away. The remainder will be held for next year, or perhaps raffled off. Maybe 1/6 of the three boxes of free Wicks catalogs were picked up. Copies will be available in the hangar at breakfasts and chapter meetings.
From the eight member planning committee for this fly-in goes a "thank you" to the members who volunteered to help set up and take down the equipment that Saturday. Most were available only in the morning, and there wasn't quite enough work to keep everyone suitably busy, but the help was needed all the same.
Haddad's served about 45 mealsWinds soon had the balloons put away
Youth Programs
Gene Olson, head of the airport authority, discussed the Boy Scout Camporee coming this month, October 14 through 16. It is just for the Peoria area Scouts, with upwards of 150 kids arriving, plus all the adults. It is structured towards earning a Merit Badge for aviation. A tent city will be in the NW corner of the field and along the fence. Other activities will be on the north ramp, around The Black Mooney. Their areas will be taped off. Merit Badge activities are arranged as "stations," which include forming a flight plan, a flight simulation per that flight plan, a pre-flight on a real airplane, and possibly a flight. It was hoped that between the Boy Scouts and EAA / Young Eagles there is sufficient paperwork in place, for that required by the Scouts for a flight is too lengthy for the time remaining. Don suggested it might be treated as any another YE event and should fall under the EAA umbrella; parents would simply need to sign. However, at the fly-in, Gene said there will be no flights offered to the Scouts. Still, an airplane will be needed for the pre-flight station. Also, they'd like to tour the EAA hangar and see airplanes under construction. It was agreed we would help with this event on Saturday, 10/15.
Gene also thanked us for the help with the CAF stop over.
An offer to donate basic materials and tools to start a chapter airplane project remains on the table, contingent on youth participating in the build. Send a note to the chapter e-mail if you would be willing to supervise the kids in this.
Donations
Regarding the ATC-510 IFR simulator received from R.L. Wheeler: It's not fully functional, having sat in an attic for a decade, and some of the cockpit controls are missing. A manual will have to be found, and the missing bits can be bought on eBay. It has the controller and recorder. Are any of the members familiar with the construction of this machine?
Mr. Wheeler has also kindly donated O-200 parts to sell.
Treasury
We are still within $300 of budget this year, but another airplane has moved out of our hangar to permanent space elsewhere on the field.
Elections
A nominating committee is needed before October's chapter meeting in order to have a vote in November--there is no chapter meeting in December. Don Wolcott is contacting members for volunteers.
From National
This was mentioned in a recent Sport Aviation, but in case you missed it, EAA has obtained a license for members to use the SolidWorks drafting package. This could be used to, say, prepare drawings for a water cut part.
Corrections
Several spelling errors were in the first released copy of the previous newsletter. A spell checker is usually tried before release but obviously not last time.
The new "maintenance" building at 3MY was mentioned in that newsletter. For the older members now living out of state, this may have created the wrong impression. At PIA this building is called "operations," which perhaps is a better description of the building's purpose. It houses grass cutting and snow removal equipment plus the pick-up truck and the vacuum. It's located behind the hangar attached to the FBO; a picture is below. Also seen are the new, self-service fuel pumps. Barely visible over the tanks is RLI's new building, filling what was once a grassy field with two rows of trees along Bird Blvd.
The new operations garage
Members
Please welcome new member Ron Henson. When asked about his interests in aviation, he wrote:
I have been flying for over 30 years, with approximately 3,000 hours total time. I have been at 3MY since about 2002 with two Piper Arrows and currently a Cessna-T310R. I am intrigued with experimental from low and slow to crazy fast. I have no idea what project is in the future, too many options and interests. I have learned a lot over the past few years from the daily Chapter 563 residents (Greg, Ron, Bill, Marty, and Rich) and thought I needed to leap into the local membership.
Congratulations to Don Wolcott on the completion of his Sport Pilot license. His Sonex Waiex sport pilot airplane is nearing completion and was on display at the fly-in.
Airport
3MY
The airport will be closed to traffic from 10/3 to 10/7 in order to repair a sink hole that has developed on a taxiway on the north end of the field. It is hoped the repairs will be complete before 10/6, but you might check before leaving for the airport.
Kent Cook has acquired Allmond Aviation and has begun offering rentals and instruction again at 3MY. They offered the rides at the fly-in.
On August 23 several local officials joined Congressman LaHood as he received questions regarding general aviation in the area. About 40 people were present, but about one fourth were the poobahs and their minions. Of the remainder, about half were chapter members. A number of pilots flew in for the discussion. LaHood spoke for less than 10 minutes and received questions for another 20 or so. Several pilots questioned the extent of the TFRs surrounding Obama's frequent flights to Chicago and the disruption this makes on general aviation. Further information can be found in brief articles at AINonline and Midwest Flyer.
Director Greg LePine attends the Airport Authority meetings to present our chapter's concerns with 3MY. Please let us know what concerns you have regarding 3MY, and what is their priority. Issues include:
refilling of cracks on the ramp
sealcoating the aged areas of the blacktop
refresh the lines
brush and vacuum of the hard surface (some are seeing sandblast damage to tail areas)
Please welcome new member Ron Henson. When asked about his interests in aviation, he wrote:
