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I love to watch the reaction of a new student after they've had their first training flight. Even better is the look of pride and accomplishment on their face when they complete their solo attempt. Some are more outwardly excited than others, but what's common to all is that quiet moment when you can almost actually see the phrase "I did it!" flash through their minds.
... As of the February meeting, we have the pleasure of welcoming three new members into our fraternity. I had a brief opportunity to chat with all three, and found them anxious to learn and participate. We also have several returning members who are still patiently working up to solo this season.
... This brings me to a long-overdue public thank you to all of our members who give of their time and talents as model aircraft flight instructors. Every one of us has had the opportunity to work elbow to elbow with one of our more experienced pilots, some of us learning quickly that we needed a whole lot more that a couple of "refresher sessions" in order to fly on our own. Confidence and experience are essential requirements for a good instructor, as well as the right combination of explanation, demonstration and letting the student make his own mistakes. It also takes a special person to be willing to sacrifice his or her own flight time in order to instruct someone else. These members have been an essential part of our club's evolution over the years...and without them our roster would be static at best.
... We're fortunate to have several dedicated members who have been instructors for many years. If you are new to MMAC, take a moment to read through the "New to the Hobby" section on the club website. There you will also find our list of flight instructors and their contact information. With the 2006 season almost upon us, this would be a good time to connect with an instructor and review your plane, radio and support equipment so that you are ready to go when the weather breaks.
... I'm also pleased to announce that Ted Zaborski will be accepting students this year. I applaud Ted's decision and want to thank him for making this commitment to the club.

Keep up your airspeed!
Jim McCoy

EDITOR'S NOTE: Tom Howland, MMAC's eldest member and WWII veteran, is recuperating from some health issues at The Carlisle House, 462 Winter Street, Framingham 01701. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him down at the field in the spring.

Club Meeting February 28, 2006

Club president Jim McCoy brought the meeting to order at 7:30PM. A motion to accept the January secretary's report was made and seconded. The motion passed unanimously. The treasurer's report was read by Dave Seale. A motion to accept the treasurer's report was made and seconded. The motion passed unanimously. As of February 28th the 2006 membership count stands at 39 members.
... Peter Mandeville volunteered to repair and/or add reflective tape to the gate at the flying field in Medfield. This is in response to the President's Perspective column in the March 2006 issue of Model Aviation. In his column Dave Brown states that three people have been killed by hitting a gate or barrier that they didn't see. He has asked that all clubs check to insure that their field gate is highly visible both in the day and at night.
... Hobby USA has moved from Bellingham to Ashland. The new street address is 316 Pond Street (Rt. 126).
... It was reported that the Medfield field condition has not changed since last month's meeting. The field requires some repair due to the damage from the snow plowing and it needs to be rolled. It is still too early to set a date for the spring cleanup.
... Winter Projects night is scheduled for April's club meeting night (April 25). If your plane hasn't been shown before, plan on bringing it to Winter Projects night.
... The SAITO 72 Golden Knight engine raffle has gotten off to a great start. Bill has sold about half of the tickets. A winner will be picked after the 100 tickets are sold. A chance will cost you $5.00. Contact Bill at 508-473-4441 if you are interested in purchasing a ticket. You do not have to be present at the drawing to win.
... The club has donated a subscription of Model Aviation to the Millis Public Library. Bill Lloyd reviewed the 2006 AMA Safety Code with members present at the meeting. The club has met the requirements of and will be applying for the Lead Club Award, silver level.
... Scott Annis made the point that the frequency control board at the flying field will need to be updated to include the new wide spectrum radio channels. The update will be necessary so that the number of aircraft in the air may be controlled and monitored, not for frequency interference reasons.
... The yearly key exchange took place at tonight's meeting. If you didn't get a new key at the meeting contact the club VP Bill O'Donnell.
... The meeting was adjourned and followed by the monthly raffle. After the raffle Dave Seale showed a DVD of the AMA District 1 fly-in held last summer. Dave has the DVD in the library if you missed the showing and want to check it out.

A big thanks again goes to Dave Seale for bringing
coffee and donuts to the meeting.

Roger Gilman
MMAC Secretary

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Welcome Aboard !

Phil Barton and Shawn Vann of Framingham. Phil was an MMAC member back in the late '80s. With his Dad, he built a plane and proudly won a trophy on Winter Projects Night. For nearly 20 years RC was always in the back of his mind while life made other demands on his time. Recently he stopped by Bob Rice's Hobby USA where he picked up the club's info card. His plane had been sitting idle for all these years so now he is in the process of upgrading the electronics and servicing the engine. After a long telephone chat with Jim McCoy, he and his friend Shawn Vann showed up at February's meeting where they renewed friendships with Bill Lloyd, Jack Squier and John Holcomb.

Peter Jordan of Harrisville, RI. A late welcome aboard. Pete was at his Dad's side when they flew their Mambo Special in the late '60s. After looking into other area clubs, he felt MMAC and he would make a good fit. He is also in the process of upgrading his plane with new Futaba components and is looking forward to taking instruction once it warms up in the spring.

MMAC Video Lending Library

Just added is 1st AMA District 1 Fun-fly and Air Show at Gardner Airport Ð 2005. A well done, 2-part DVD produced by the Green Mountain RC Club of Essex Junction, Vermont. Run time 60 minutes. Contact Dave Seale for a complete list of what's available or to arrange to borrow a tape or DVD from our collection.
... Also, please remember to return borrowed videos so that others will have a chance to see them. Currently there are 6 items that have been out for well over a month, with some much longer.

AMA District 1 News

Last year the 1st AMA District 1 Fun-Fly and Air Show, hosted by the Wauchusett Barnstormers Club were held Sept 16, 17, and 18th at the Gardner Airport (See Yankee Flyer, October 2005). Ed Faria, AMA Associate Vice President and CD of the event, has personally invited MMAC to participate in the 2nd annual event in September of 2006. "Events are free of charge, which means no landing or pilot registration fees...imagine that, something finally for nothing," says Ed. He donated a well done, 2-part DVD produced by the Green Mountain RC Club of Essex Junction, Vermont. We enjoyed watching Part 1 Air Show highlights at the February meeting. Part 2 may be seen by checking the disc out from the MMAC library. It features half-time 3-D demonstrations by Eli Houayes (pronounced "who-sane") and by Mitch Buckley. Also, WWII Warbirds performed formation flying.
... As of press time, Ed says, "We have not established dates for this [2006] event, however, keep in mind it may not take place at Gardner due to the fact that it's a District Event and we would like to spread it around to different sites or states in our region, so other clubs may have a chance to host it. Which ever site is chosen, it will be centrally located in the District." Also, Ed says they plan to do reviews of the aircraft with the pilots along additional aerial shots.

The AMA District 1 website is still under development, but be sure to check out what's been done so far and bookmark it for the future.

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Millis librarians Cecilea Mancini and Joan Dikun accept their first issue
of Model Aviation from MMAC Treasurer, Dave Seale.

Leader Club

Our club's board voted to bequeath a gift subscription of Model Aviation to the Millis Public Library, Linda Stetson, Director. On February 23, librarians Cecilea Mancini and Joan Dikun accepted the first copy. The library is located at 25 Auburn Street, the road off Route 109 that becomes Ridge Road where our original field was located. Leader club elective Number 2 requires the spreading of the AMA faith to schools and libraries.
... During the presentation, a third librarian, who declined to appear on camera, told of a library reading group she conducted in which John Glezellis attended at age 4. Even at that tender young age "John expressed an avid interest in aviation." Now at 20, the former MMAC member and nationally known competitor is considered "By some, [that] he may already be the best in the world," so says Sandy Walts of Dave Patrick Models.

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The Model Shop

Before getting started on a Winter Project for this season, I've been kept busy checking out and upgrading a fleet of planes acquired this winter:

Leaking fuel tanks and plumbing systems has been a biggie. Aluminum pipes are proven to be unreliable. They should be replaced with new brass lines. All silicone lines are to be replaced, also. To insure a tank system is airtight, carefully test it in a deep vessel such as a flower vase full of water. I know, I know...water in the fuel tank! Be careful. Pressurize by blowing into both lines continuously before submerging the assembly. Keep the pressure up until it is completely withdrawn and dried off. Even the smallest pin hole or leak is readily observable. Only by conducting a positive test will you be sure to have the absolutely airtight system required for proper running of the engine across the entire rpm range including a reliable and smooth idle. Readers are invited to disagree provided they enlighten us with an equally alternative method which will be published in the newsletter.

Another task has been cleaning up engines with baked-on caster oil varnish. Use a paint remover that contains methylene chloride, such as Klean-Strip KS-3 Premium to clean off the varnish. Let it do its work, even up to 45 minutes. Apply it carefully as it will take the blue paint off OS LA engines and it will eat any plastic parts it contacts. Note: Cooper Fuels has a product reported to be less dangerous and just as effective called "Demon-Clean." However, I have no experience with this model engine varnish remover, yet. Better methods are solicited.

Finally, it looks like the DH60 Gipsy Moth quarter-scale will have to wait another year. Winter Project this time is modifying a Hobbistar 60 per Frank Granelli's series of articles that appeared in Model Aviation August - November of 2005.

Safety in the Workshop from AMA National Newsletter

It's winter and the building season is in full swing. Just as the safety coordinator focus on flight safety during the flying season, he should not forget about shop safety during the building season. Below are some general tips to share with your club:

Keep it Clean
Many injuries result from poor housekeeping in the shop. Trips, slips, and falls account for the bulk of these mishaps. Scrap material and wrappings, loose parts, scattered tools and equipment, or oil spills can cause injury. Debris should be swept up and disposed of. Parts should be kept on work benches. Tools should be placed where they cannot fall and cause damage or injury. Oil spills should be covered with absorbent material and cleaned up.

Lighting, Heating and Ventilation
Enough windows and overhead lights are required for a good level of overall illumination. Additional lighting should be available over benches and stationary tools. When supplemental heating is required for winter workshop operations, the heating unit should be located to provide an adequate, even distribution of heat; but should not cause a fire hazard. Adequate systems are needed to vent smoke, fumes and exhaust gases. Open windows and doors may provide enough ventilation in the summer. Special systems may be needed to remove exhaust fumes and other gases during the cold-weather months.

Little Things Can
Make a Big Difference
When working on your next building project do not forget the safety precautions: face mask, ear plugs and safety glasses...etc.

"Remember folks...2 Minutes a Day! 2 Minutes a Day!"

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Bill Costello showed me a neat trick down at BMFF the other day. He had to remove his fuel tank for field repairs. Getting the fuel lines back into the plane without removing the engine is always problematic. With no stiff wires to guide the fuel lines through the firewall, he used the glow plug starting cable with its 2 banana plugs. The outer contacts were slipped off the pins and then he passed the cable through the wall and pulled it through on the inside with pliers. The pins were the right size to fit into the ends of the fuel lines. As the tank was put back in place, the lines were pulled through the wall by the cable. Slick!

Thanks again to Mike Mauricio for building "JACK'S RACK." What a back-saver for us old guys, especially when making field repairs. (And thanks, too, to Jack Squier for letting us use it).