Sonoma Wings Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
September 18, 2002
The meeting was held at 7:30 p.m. at Greg Sugg’s home and was attended by Larry Roberts, Ernie Camacho, Leo Jones Matt Jagelka, , Jon James, and Greg Sugg.
Sonoma Wings Bulletin Board:
In order to maintain order and to avoid problems in the future, the committee decided to establish a basic policy for Bulletin Board use as follows:
1. No profanity.
2. No personal attacks.
3. Non-Club members shall post using their full names.
4. The moderator will from time to time delete outdated topics.
5. The moderator will share the password with at least two other club members to so that the Bulletin Board can be maintained in the unforeseen absence of the moderator.
6. The moderator will strive to moderate the Bulletin Board according to the general will of the club members.
Club and Executive Committee Meeting Minutes:
The minutes of Club meetings and Executive Committee meetings will be posted on the web site.
Awards and Contests:
Currently there are six awards presented at the Holiday/Christmas party:
1. The Most Improved Pilot award.
2. The Club Service award.
3. The Go-For-It award.
4. The Coffee Can award.
5. The Best Flight award.
6. The Turkey award.
Regarding the Go-For-It: All goal flights will be straight line flights, no distance around turn points.
The Committee would like to institute a new contest and award called the Red Tail Award. This competition will be for the five best flights from local sites. Local sites will include Hull, St. John, St. Helena, Elk, Mt. Diablo, and possibly other local sites. The detailed rules for the Red Tail are not yet finalized. The Red Tail will start next year.
St. Helena:
The keyed lock, which we used to have a key to, has been changed. Currently the only way we have to get through the gate at the bottom of the mountain is to use the combination lock. That lock is difficult to use in the dark or when an aged club member doesn’t have reading glasses with him. Since the club has a legitimate right to access up the mountain and pays for a use permit, we shall push for a key to the new lock.
Stonyford Area Landing Sites:
1. Efforts will continue to secure the Dolphin LZ at East Park Reservoir.
2. We will try to meet with David Brandenberger who leases the land adjacent to the Dolphin. A new air strip has been put established in the field on the north side of the road to East Park on the land he leases. This field might be a good temporary alternative to the Dolphin.
3. Both Leroy Walkup and the man he leases his fields to for grazing are glad to have us land in those fields (on the south side of the road to Fouts Springs across from the Walkup home). We will try to get permission to drive vehicles into those fields for glider retrieval.
4. Matt met the owner to the old air strip on the north side of Road 308 out of Elk Creek. This is not the dirt strip back in close to the mountain, but the one a mile or two out with an old hanger at it. His name is Ben Butler, and he said it is fine to land on that property.
Mass Out-landing At Hull:
Jon James will contact Tim West, who is also our Regional Director, to find out why so many out of town pilots landed out, why they didn’t find out from local pilots the ins and outs of the site before flying, and what can be done to prevent this type of thing from happening again. Most troublesome is the fact that CDF was drawn into the situation needlessly. Apparently everyone knew the pilot who landed at the wood pile was all right, except for his driver who contacted CDF. The whole incident stemmed from lack of good judgment and lack of responsibility.
St. John Pilot Requirements:
Due to the presence of a H-2 pilot, with 15 hours total air time and a single surface glider, who planned to fly at the recent St. John get-together, Greg Sugg will contact the Mother Load Sky Riders to let them know that they should only bring pilots with solid H-3 skills to fly at St. John. This is of course for the pilot’s safety and for site preservation.
Submitted by Greg Sugg, Secretary