District I Report - 2004/12
Associate Vice Presidents
I have named the following Associate Vice Presidents (AVPs). Their contact information is in the column header.
- Robert Langlois — AVP for the New Hampshire area.
- Patrick Libby — AVP for the Vermont area.
Something New
Usually we hear about a field loss; this time, perhaps, we have gained a field. I received the following letter and spoke with Darren — this sounds like a good deal. It has been a while since I talked to him, so if this is something that may interest you, call him and see how he is progressing.
“My name is Darren Shumbo and I live in East Haddam, Connecticut. I just thought I'd let you and all the readers know that I just bought a 40-acre farm in Colchester, Connecticut, that I am using to build a model airplane flying site. We have three runways that are 600 feet long. A hobby shop and clubhouse are being built on the site, and there will be year-round flying.
“I bought this property just for use as a flying site because we all keep losing sites to housing developers. It is also the site of my personal home. People with campers are welcome to come there for a small fee and stay the weekends and just enjoy themselves and fly all day if they desire.
“For information, they may contact me at Box 741, Moodus, CT, or call (860) 873-9585 at my home or my cell phone at (860) 575-7020. I am also offering flight instruction for airplanes, jets, and helicopters. I am a full-scale pilot flying airplanes and helicopters as well as being an aircraft mechanic licensed by the FAA.
“Thanks for your time. Let everyone know that we have just gained a site, not lost another one!”
Thanks, Darren Shumbo. The site location is 612 Westchester Rd (Route 149) in Colchester, Connecticut. It is roughly 1/3 mile from Route 16 heading toward Moodus on the right side of the road.
Cape Cod Airport Open House (report by Carl Vogel)
Carl Vogel, president of the Discover Flying R/C Club on Cape Cod, sent the following report. It shows how an airport manager and a club can work together very well.
“Cape Cod Airport Open House: Absolutely superb weather (couldn't have paid for better) presided over the Cape Cod Airport Grand Reopening Open House on Saturday, August 7, and the airport was open for all of aviation and the general public as well.
“Free food and beverages were provided for everyone who attended. Approximately 100 airplanes from practically everywhere—including a DC-3 from Plattsburgh, New York—made their way there for this occasion. Roughly 600 to 700 spectators came to celebrate the airport's reopening festivities.
“Because our club has its flying field located on this airport, we were specifically invited to participate. We had a magnificent area right in front where we set up four tents and tables, along with a protected area to display our airplanes. Approximately 40 club members attended with roughly 40 airplanes. Many of our friends from the OTIS club brought airplanes and helped us answer myriad questions from the visiting public.
“Scores of people were keenly interested in our airplanes and the club. They asked tons of questions, especially about how to get started, where to buy them, where we fly them, etc. There were many families making inquiries about getting started for themselves and their children.
“We provided handouts about the club, AMA, and copies of our newsletter. I hope we were able to provide the attending community a substantial overview of what model aviation and our club are all about. We were exceptionally well received by the public and I predict that we will see many of these people at our flying field in the not-too-distant future.
“The official town functions began at 3 p.m. with skydivers who opened the official event with a flag jump and a member of the Barnstable Fire Department who sang The Star-Spangled Banner.
“The town program included speeches by John Klimm, David Chase, and several other town and state officials who were responsible for the reopening of the airport, which had been closed for two years. Representatives from several newspapers were present with photographers to record the event.
“This was an excellent opportunity for our club. In our efforts to secure our flying field for the future, it gave us the perfect occasion to demonstrate to our town officials and the public who we are, what we do, the necessity of our flying field, how it operates and coexists with the airport, and how it is a benefit to our community. We explained that we try to interest the public and its youth and to encourage them to pursue model aviation as an alternative to the many other — and often undesirable — choices they face.
“Thank you to Chris Siederwicz, the Cape Cod Airport manager, for his consideration in inviting our club and for his belief and commitment that our club is an important function of the sport and recreational theme of the Cape Cod Airport and the community. And thanks for his continuous enthusiastic and dedicated support of our club.
“I especially want to thank Jim Fournier, Nick Squillante, and Jeff Nemec for their efforts and hard work on behalf of our club, and Jim McCormick, Bill Lopes, and the OTIS club in assisting us in our endeavors. It's nice to know, although we are two separate clubs, we continuously support each other in our common interest of the furtherance of the sport of model aviation on Cape Cod.”
I have a few more pictures, but they will have to wait until next month.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
