In late 2000, the Friends of Waegell fund was established to financially secure the preservation of what we have had for the last 60 years or so. This is the only field currently available in Northern California suitable for holding free flight contests. After a letter was sent out that established the Fund and explaining how membership in the Fund would help to ensure the use of Waegell Field, the response was outstanding. The first year, 70 people contributed $50 each to the Fund and became members for the year of 2001. In succeeding years many continued to contribute, (some for much more that $50), and many of whom never flew a flight at the field but contributed to help support a sport they've lived and loved for a lifetime. This is even more important as the field rental has gone up $500 to $2500 a year. We need to keep a cushion in case of any serious downturn in members, (now standing at 37 in 2019), as well as for possible mowing and other site work. For example, the stiles, which allow easy access to the North field, designed and partially donated by Ed Decker. George Waegell seems to be happy with us being there; just keep the gates closed as usual. Since we do not have a real sense of how many will renew their membership each year, the decision was made to start the membership at $50 and review each year. For 2020 the first increase ($10) has been added. The FWF fee now stands at $60 and as before, members fly free and non-members will pay a field rental fee of $5 at each contest.

As a result of the very generous gift of many motors and a large number of assorted kits by the late Craig Stout, the Council now has a special fund which stands at $5783.35. At the time Craig had asked Doug Galbreath to dispose of the Motors and kits on E-Bay. After a lot work on Doug's part this was accomplished along with some assistance from Walt Ghio and Fred Terzian.

With membership in the Fund slowly decreasing, it was decided that clubs would pay for their porta-pottys during 2019 and this resulted with income and expenses holding much closer to even as opposed to the $2000 drop in 2018.

Our change to Category III seemed to work well with the slightly longer maxes (two minutes from 90 seconds) resulting in slightly longer retrieves, mostly felt by some of our older members; but now we are on the "same page" as everyone else. Flyers are extremely grateful for the support of the "Friends of Waegell Fund: As before, checks for 2020 membership are to be made out to the SIERRA EAGLES (not FWF fund or Chris Borland) and mailed to: Chris Borland, 1520 - 40th St. Sacramento CA 95819.

The NCFFC contest calendar for the 2020 flying season is published online. Below are shortcuts to all contest flyers. 

Feb 29, 2020 - 022920_SGMA_Spring_Contest_2020.pdf

Mar 28, 2020 - 032820_Sierra_Championship_2020.pdf

May 1-3, 2020 - 050120_31st_Annual_NorCal_2020_OD.pdf

Jun 6, 2020 - 060620_Western_States_Championship_2020.pdf

Sep 12, 2020 - 091220_SGMA_Combo_Contest_2020.pdf

Nov 7, 2020 - 110720_SGMA_Fall_Contest_2020.pdf

Hope to see you all at the Waegell field. Please remember to pay your "Friends of Waegell" membership fees, and help us to keep the field accessible for free flight use for years to come.

Thermals and gentle breezes!

Congratulations to the winners! 

Click here for the results.

Malcolm Campbell in Australia is the current editor of the great quarterly publication called "Free Flight Down Under", the newsletter of the Australia Free Flight Society. The publication contains many pages of free flight activity, all in color. He is offering an online PDF copy for free to international (meaning us) customers. If you'd like to be included in the distribution list, please send an email to Malcolm at actrain@ozemail.com.au.

Here's Malcolm's original email:

I’m taking details from interested parties to receive a quarterly free flight newsletter I produce called Free Flight Down Under. Our national body, the AFFS, have decided to make it free to international subscribers. Here’s the September copy.

If you like it, I can add you to the international distribution list – remember, it’s free."

Regards,

Malcolm Campbell
77 Freshwater Circuit
FOREST LAKE Q'LD 4078
Phone: +617 3278 7164
actrain@ozemail.com.au

OCD club member Ates Gurcan has run static thrust test on an E-20 electric propulsion package and summarized the results in a document and a video. 

On July 25th, 2019, OCD Honorary Member Hank Cole was a guest speaker at the monthly meeting of SAM 21, in Saratoga CA. He talked about his professional experience and involvement with full scale aviation and with the Apollo Space Program, and his personal and professional association with Neil Armstrong. Click the link for the complete video. The handouts Hank shared in the meeting are available here. 

For those of us who have ordered a Chieftain kit or decided to build one from the plans, SAM-27 published their tentative schedule of flying days, as listed below.

• April 18, 2019 Trimming (Weather Permitting)
• April 20, 2019 Trimming (Weather Permitting)
• April 25. 2019 Trimming (Weather Permitting)
• April 27, 2019 Trimming (Weather Permitting)

• Every Thursday starting May 9, three flights of one minute.
• Also will fly at Jerry Rocha’s small model contest and Oakland Cloud Dusters combined event.

Suggestions received gladly.

Rod Persons
rpersons@comcast.net
707-894-5788

Charles "Chuck" Dorsett

10/14/27 – 3/23/19

The Dorsett family cordially invites you to services we have planned in honor of our beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Chuck, on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Military service with Navy honors will begin at 9:30am sharp and end at approximately 10:00am at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, California. A reception will follow at the home of Chuck and Dorothy Dorsett, 2645 San Benito Dr., Walnut Creek, California, from 12:00pm to 5:00pm. If you are planning on attending the military service in Dixon, please carpool if possible due to limited parking, and arrive approximately 15 minutes early at the administration building to allow enough time for parking and proceeding to the ceremony site. We very much look forward to seeing you.

We have gotten information via John Pratt that OCD member Chuck Dorsett passed away last week. The family may want to have services. This may take place in several weeks to a couple of months. Please check back the OCD web site for further information as we receive it. 

Here are some photos of Chuck along with those OCD members that were able to be on board the boat that scattered Carl's ashes outside of the Golden Gate Bridge a few years back. Members present were Chuck and Dorothy Dorsett, Carmen Critchlow, Ding Zarate, Roger Gregory and Fred Terzian. Also present were about five family members of what Carl called his "out-laws" (as opposed to "in-laws"!).

  

 

Please see excerpts form email exchanges between frequent Waegell flyers on gate locks. Your cooperation is critical and would be very much appreciated by all who fly at Wagell. 

> Ed Decker

> P.S. I was the last one out of the field Sat.Feb. 23 and stopped and talked to the cattle cowboy rancher.

> He said he has noticed the combo lock combination not cleared on the lock at the gate a few times..!

> He wanted to make sure everyone clears the numbers before leaving....!!

> Fred Terzian
> Also, his highlighted warning about the gate lock is very important. We do not need to have people trashing the field with trash or

> abandoned cars. Worse yet is that the cattle could get out and cause a serious problem on Sunrise Blvd. If you are the first to arrive for a
> contest or test flying, make sure the lock code is no longer displayed, and of course clear it when you are the last to leave as well.

> Ben Tarcher

> Sounds like a good idea to me. If there is a problem with the lock we can add another one in series so if the first one doesn't

> work the second would . This is just a fail safe pecaution but works.

> Chris Borland

> Positive clearing of the lock is a good idea. I was out there last Tuesday and cleared the numbers but the tumblers hadn’t

> moved until I squeezed the lock and made sure that they were cleared. This word should be passed around to the several

> clubs. Users should test and MAKE sure that it wont’t open after closing! PULL TEST IT! A second lock should not be

> needed as long as everyone knows how to make sure the gate is actually locked.