AGM and Fun Day 20 November

Please note that the Annual General Meeting will be held at the clubhouse at 14:00 on 20 November 2010.  An agenda will be distributed within the next few days, with the main item being the election of a new club committee for 2011.  Please keep the date open, as the intention is to combine it with fun events (egg drop, spot landing etc.) with a braai later the afternoon.  Please bring your own chairs – the club will provide the charcoal etc.  As this will be the last newsletter before the new committee takes over, we would like to thank the current committee for all their commitment and work this year, and our members for their support under difficult circumstances.  Also thanks to Theo and the other guys that ensured that the criminals at our club were arrested!  Although there have been no further incidents of crime at the club (other than toilet doors stolen) we requests members to be vigilant when flying in small groups.

Runways

Thanks to the generosity of two of our members the extension of the main runway is in progress.  The contractor is also patching the existing runways, where after a new surfacing layer will be applied.  In order to allow the bitumen to dry members are requested not to make use of the runways this weekend (will be ready by next weekend).  As we do not have the use of our runways this weekend, members are encouraged to make use of the invite to fly at the municipal airfield in Warmbaths this weekend.  Their runway is about 100m wide (and very long!) and has recently been resurfaced.  A few members attended their fly-in last year, and had a great time at a well organized and enjoyable event.  The airfield is about 3km before Warmbaths on the old main road from Pretoria.   

Other Club Maintenance

Ramps to load the club mower has been made and a grass box purchased.  Weed killer is sprayed on a regular basis, and it seems that we are getting the weeds, grass and shrubs invading the runway under control.  It should be noted, however, that it is a challenge to keep the verandah clean as some inconsiderate members park their aircraft on the tiles, resulting in oil spillages.  Please remind members that aircraft should not be stored in this area!    

It has been proposed that an additional heli pad be provided on the southern side of the clubhouse, and that concrete edge beams be installed next to the runways to prevent the ingress of grass under the runway and provide a smooth run-off area for those not-so- perfect landings. We also need a clear demarcation from the public and flying areas, but fencing is not an option due to theft.  The toilets are in a working condition again, and the doors replaced, but it seems that even short doors are tempting to thieves.  The further repair/improvement of club facilities will be on the agenda for the AGM, and will depend on the availability of funds.

Safety

Although we have had no further incidents club members are urged to be vigilant, and not to fly on their own for safety and security reasons.  It may also be a good idea to have some protection if you are only a small group.  Some guys carry hardware when at the club, so follow their example or fly when they are at the club!

Website

Thanks to High Flyer that have offered to sponsor our club website again.  Gert has redesigned the website and it us up and running again. Any contributions to the club website (articles, photos etc.) will be welcome!  Details will be forwarded to all the members via the website mail system, so have a quick look around.  

Regards,

Andre Kilian
(IRF Secretary)

Ps.  Nuusbrief is in engels, aangesien nie al ons lede Afrikaans magtig is nie.  Enige afrikaanse bydraes vir die volgende nuusbrief of club website sal verwelkom word!