October Association Meeting

Next Association Meeting

THURSDAY, October 6th, 6:00 PM at the field house

Member attendance is requested.
We will be discussing safety policy, ideas for next season events, and member responsibilities.

Heli Video

Member Mike Unger shot some great footage of his flight over the MRFA flying field earlier this month using a GoPro camera on his Mostro helicopter. Here's an excerpt of his video, which will be uploaded in full and shared on the Photos page:

Mike's Wild Heli Ride

New Runway & Sunday Flying

Dick K. flew over the new runway today with his camera drone. Check out the new strip:

Great weather today- not too many left before the rain and cold rolls in!

Association News

The following items were discussed at the September Association meeting:

• Members in attendance: Dick K., Mark M., Bill H., Chuck M., James L., and Bill A. 
• Future meetings will be held on the first Thursday of each month.
• Field Closing Day is tentatively November 5th.
• We have replaced the wood on two of the field benches, and the third will be repaired soon.
• The geotextile runway idea has been voted down, due to durability and cost concerns.
• Mark M.is creating a supplies list for the new clubhouse deck- to be completed this season.

Association News

This Wednesday is the Association meeting. An important part of membership is sharing in the Association decision process, so please plan to attend. 

In other news, President Dick K. and Secretary Rob C. attended the AMA warbird event in Muncie, Indiana today. There was an unbelievable number of scale warbirds on the flight line and a spectacular WWI and WW2 flying display.

 

The AMA has a geotextile runway section at the Muncie, Indiana headquarters. We were able to get a close look at it, and would like to share our observations and how they might influence our plans to install a similar runway at MRFA field at the next meeting.

Set Up and Test Flights

One of the ways MRFA helps our fellow modelers is by providing help with setting up an aircraft and doing the maiden flight. If you have an aircraft that you need help with, please feel free to contact us and we'll arrange a time to check out your aircraft and conduct a test flight.

Help us help you. If you arrange an appointment, we ask that you please make sure that you have the following items or have performed the following checks:

Before we will help set up an aircraft-

• Have your batteries (transmitter, receiver, and main) fully charged.
• Bring the documentation that came with your radio and your aircraft.
• If going to the field for a set up, bring any tools or materials you may need.
• If it is a combustion engine that needs checked, bring fuel, glow igniter, starter, and your field tools. A spare glow plug (and wrench) would be helpful too.

Before we will do a maiden flight you need to verify that-

• all batteries are fully charged.
• all your controls and servos work correctly, and that the proper throws have been set.
• all mechanical linkages, fuselage parts, and hatches are properly secured.
• prop(s) are the correct size and pitch, balanced, and tightened correctly.
• landing gear functions properly.

We do not test fly planes with retracts, high-speed models, or do 3-D tests. We do test helicopters. 

When one of our pilots agree to test fly your aircraft, you accept full responsibility for its airworthiness. Unsafe or malfunctioning aircraft will not be flown. We suggest that you bring your tools or spare parts with you if you want to make any corrections to your aircraft after the initial test flight.