Dry Creek Airport is proud to be the home base of EAA Vintage Chapter
2.
The chapter normally holds its meetings at Dry Creek Airport every 4th
Sunday at 2:00 pm.
Houston Antique Flyers
From the Prez.....Clark Morong
June, 2008 Our June 22nd gathering will be to experience the wonders
of astrophotography. Steve Grimsley will be sharing some his very
impressive images and materials. We will start at 2:00pm at the home of
Keith & Renata Newman at Dry Creek airport (TS07 - N29-59'10.7"; W
095-41'08.2") www.ts07org . Their home is on the east side of the
airport at 14301 Dry Creek Drive. If driving, the entrance to use to the
airport (Skinner Circle) is off Skinner Road 1.25 miles north of US-290.
Turn right onto Skinner Circle, go about 300 yards and turn left on Dry
Creek Dr (over the bridge). The Newman’s is the first “house” on the
left. See you there.
CHAPTER NEWS:
A few chapter members made it to the Kingsbury Spring Fly-in in May.
The aircraft and ground equipment are rare and will take you back in
time. The flight demos got everyone’s attention.
Attendance at the AAA Texas Antique Airplane Fly-in was light but the
chapter was still able to decide on a Chapter Choice. The award went to
a beautiful, polished 1946 Cessna 120 (N89530) owned by Stuart Neilson
of Cleburne, TX.
The raffle for the 1940 Air Terminal Museum’s Cessna 140 is still on.
Tickets are available from Ken Dwight or the Museum. The aircraft will
be awarded at the July Wings & Wheels event at the museum just in time
for the winner to fly it to Oshkosh.
Please use the contact info in the block above to let your leaders
know how we are doing and to share any ideas.
VERY IMPORTANT - Think about being part of the leadership of the
chapter. The election of officers is coming up in November. Volunteers
are also needed for the newsletter, Young Eagles, and the activity
committee.
Clark
SPECIAL STUFF ....
Received the following from Keith Newman. It is a great read and
something for all of us to think about.
The high price of passion.
Ever since gas got to be five bucks a gallon I’ve found myself less
eager to get my aircraft back together. (The wing tips are off, seats
and side panels out, various inspection panels pulled and generally
looking as if an annual was underway.) I’ve begun looking at other
things that need attention, sagging motor mounts, chaffed cowl,
corrosion on the underside and not least buttoning up the wings after
having installed extra gas tanks. It seemed a really good idea last year
after having hopped back from California in the decidedly short-legged
Grumman Lynx. An extra hours’ worth of gas makes a world of difference
when deciding on land here or go there. Although I had two and a quarter
hours worth of gas aboard all legs coming from San Diego were 1.7 or 2.5
so I made the short hops, many, many of them.
Just buying the tanks was a cost I had to budget and the follow-on
wheel pants (that actually got installed first) were totally off the
books but my desire to go faster for less (boy there is a misnomer if
ever was one) won out and in fact I do get there five knots quicker than
before.
So far I’ll have to fly another thousand hours to pay back all this
go faster farther improvements but what the hey, at least I’ll feel
better not having to make a precautionary top-up landing when headed a
couple of hours away and I’ll be cruising there either quicker or
sipping less gas depending on how I want to squander that extra 5 knots
of ‘free speed’ at cruise.
In the end I hope not to put off going there, anywhere, just because
gas is as much as a super duper latte at Starbucks. I still have the
personal agenda of seeing my sister and daughter more often; they are
120 and 240 miles away at different cardinal points. Living at the
‘Creek has allowed me to get to each in half or less than the time to
drive and a whole lot less bother than swapping lanes on Eye Ten or
Forty-Five.
My passion for flying does cost something but it also provides
something, a joyful life. If you don’t do you can’t reap the benefits of
the labor. It is a chore to balance the costs of flying with the comfort
of financial security. My retirement years are neigh and a cautious
person might choose to save every nickel towards that end. I have
decided to hedge that bet, yes I’m still paying into my 401k but I’m
buying 100LL every month if not weekly, heading to Brenham for lunch or
just trying to find that ‘right’ combination to just kiss the grass on
landing. Either way I’m flying, living and enjoying. It is a passion and
as passion goes it is both challenging and satisfying, I wouldn’t have
it any other way.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES for 2008:
- July - no local meeting - Oshkosh
- August 24 - Movie night - Pot luck
- September 28 - Fly-in Breakfast at Dry Creek Airport
- October - no local meeting - Flying M Ranch, Reklaw
- November 23 - Business/planning meeting - Elections
FUN STUFF...
1940 Air Terminal Wings & Wheels event at Hobby Airport on the third
Saturday of each month. The next event will include the awarding of the
Cessna 140. If you don’t have your ticket yet, get with Ken Dwight or
the museum. AirVenture starts in less than six weeks.
CHAPTER LEADERS:
- President: Fred Ramin (281-255-4530),
- VP: Clark Morong (281-353-7004),
- Secretary/Historian: Grace Chantos (281-373-5296),
- Treasurer / Membership Chairman: Mary Morong (281-907-7689),
- Newsletter: Clark Morong (281-353-7004)
- Program Committee: Ken Dwight (281-440-7919), Rob Fowler
(713-461-5756)
- Technical Counselors: Cleo Bickford (281-373-0700), Jim Fowler
(719-742-5763)