****** WELCOME TO THE NEW YEAR ******

If you are reading this, you made it through the first year of the new millennium.  It has been a very difficult year for some and much has changed in 12 months. Because of the  terror attacks, personal aviation is threatened more than ever.  It's very important that we fly responsibly and be aware of airspace restrictions.  Club members continue to fly and build and we have lots of activities on tap for the new year.   We will need your participation and support even more this coming year.

Annual membership dues of $25 will be collected at the January meeting.  With the various projects we plan this year, your dues are more important than ever.  Please send your dues to our teasurer Lea Amdor if you cannot attend.

JANUARY MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

The next meeting will be held Saturday January 19th at the Red Wheel Restaurant, 741 Broadmeadow Rd. in Rantoul.  The location is on the west edge of Rantoul on Rt. 36 about one block south of the Amoco station.  Join us for dinner at 6:00 PM and meeting about 7:00PM.

NOVEMBER MEETING AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS

The November 17th meeting was called to order at 7:20PM with 14 members present.  We discussed the EAA memorial wall and our plans to sponsor a memorial for Carl Bleichner.  About 7 members have already contributed to the effort but we need more.  Also Mike Ostrander reported that EAA has announced that lifetime memberships are now available.  They had discontinued it for a time.  Mike says it's a good deal if you plan to be
a long term member.

We discussed plans for the club's 20th anniversary Fly-in to be held in June at the Busbooms.  We may invite fly-in participation from nearby clubs and discussed the idea of having an evening meal catered there at the Busbooms.  It is hoped we can get Paul Poberenzy or other EAA officials to join us.

The treasurer reported a balance of $474.70.  We awarded the officer certificates and pins for the officers for 2001.  It was reported that Leland Mcwhorter is recovering OK from his broken leg.  Mike Ostrander still has about 20 club sew-on patches left if anyone did not get one.  Dan Grunloh reports that he will retire from the Univ. of Illinois in August of 2002.  Also Dave Patrick suggested we begin making plans for a group of members to fly to Oshkosh this next coming year.

The final business was the election of officers.  All of the officers for last year were re-elected by unanimous voice vote.  The appointed position of Safety Officer was assigned to Dave Patrick.  His experience and attention to detail should serve as an example to all.  Greg Sellers was appointed membership chairman.  Meeting adjourned 8:33PM.

SPORT PILOT NPRM

The Sport Pilot Notice of Proposed Rule Making is due out any day now.  Some thought it might stall due to the war on terrorism but it should be in print by the time of our next meeting.  We hope to have a copy or a summary of what is actually in the proposed rule at our meeting on Saturday.

This is not the best time to propose new rules which will make it easier to become a pilot.  The news media are telling the public that private aviation is the biggest security risk in our country.  Many people want fewer pilots in the air, not more.

It is very important that we support this rule and support our member organizations that work to help us.  If something like this can't be adopted, then general aviation will continue to shrink.  Once published, there will be a 90 day comment period.  Anyone who might take advantage of the new rule should send a comment in support and explain why you think it's needed.  The 90 day comment period goes by very quickly.

QUICKSILVER INSTRUCTION

Good news!  It's not official yet, but local BFI Raymund Theron will soon offer 3-axis instruction in a 2-seat Quicksilver Sport.  It's a like-new basic model, orange and black with very low hours.  Raymund flew Quicksilvers in South Africa long before he came here and began teaching in trikes.  Now he can offer flexwing or 3-axis training at the Paxton airport.  Several members of our club are in need of training.  I would like to get checked out myself as I've never actually flown a Quicksilver.

FIRST FLIGHT OF 2002

Did any members fly the first day of 2002?  Following up on the previous report, the first reported flight in our club for the new year was by Raymund Theron when he flew his new Quicksilver from Paxton up to the Grunloh airstrip in Loda, for a New Years Day visit.  It was great to see him and the Quick really looks sharp with it's bright orange rudder pedals.  I will have photos from the event.  This flight was about midday so if any members flew early morning January 1, the title of first flight may be yours.

DANVILLE BALLOON CLASSIC UP IN THE AIR

Club president Mike Ostrander reported news that the annual event at the Danville Airport may be canceled due to financial problems.  They lost their major sponsor, Oldsmobile, and did not come out well last year.  It's a shame because we had such a good time flying there last year and they really welcome the ultralights.  We should try to participate in whatever type of event they might have this year to show our support.

CARL BLEICHNER MEMORIAL

Our members are moving forward with plans to sponsor a permanent memorial for Carl Bleichner at the EAA museum memorial wall.  Treasurer Lea Amdor is collecting donations and pledges.  We need more contributions and must get everything submitted by the February meeting so we can make the deadline for inclusion in this years ceremony which will take place during Airventure.  Please contact Lea Amdor and make a donation.

ILLINOIS ULTRALIGHT SEMINAR

Please don't forget to plan for the annual Ultralight seminar to be held in Springfield on February 23rd.  This is the longest running and one of the largest gatherings of it's kind in the USA.  It's always educational and also fun to meet and socialize with your fellow pilots from around the state.  We will have the schedule of speakers  next month.

LATE NEWS

Lorretta Busboom's mother passed away recently.  The club sends our sympathy and condolences.

The long awaited SPORT PILOT Notice of Proposed Rulemaking has been released. The public comment period ends May 6th.  This is the biggest proposed change in aviation regulation for the last 50 years.  It covers airman and  aircraft and includes many changes to existing regulations.  We will have a printed copy at the next meeting and hope to be able to explain and discuss the details.  If adopted, it will greatly change the way we currently operate 2-seat ultralights.  See the details at www.sportpilot.org.

The next meeting will be held THIS Saturday February 16th at the Red Wheel Restaurant, 741 Broadmeadow Rd. in Rantoul.  The location is on the west edge of Rantoul on Rt. 36 about one block south of the Amoco station.  Join us for dinner at 6:00 PM and meeting about 7:00PM.  We have many important things to discuss and a busy year is planned so please try to attend.

The 22nd Annual ILLINOIS ULTRALIGHT SAFETY SEMINAR in Springfield is February 23rd,  just one week after our meeting this Saturday.  This is the original and longest running seminar of this type.  The event will be held at the State fairgrounds in the Illinois Building which is the first building on your left as you enter the fairgrounds.  Admission is free and it's always educational and fun.   Seminars start at 9:00 AM and will cover a wide range of topics to include the new Sport Pilot Proposal.  Come early to view the exhibits and displays.  Car pool arrangements will be made at the club meeting his saturday.

The January 19th meeting was called to order at 7:12PM by president Mike Ostrander with 18 members present.  The meeting began with introductions around the room so new and old member could get acquainted.  Several new guests were present including Richard (Doc) Lively from Villa Grove. We collected dues and also donations for the Bleichner memorial.

Members were reminded about the ultralight safety seminar coming in February and EAA Ground School in March.  Dan Grunloh had a few EAA calendars for sale and reported on a midair collision between two ultralights which was reported on the internet.  We also discussed briefly the soon to be released Sport Pilot NPRM.

Mike Ostrander gave a report on plans for our 20th anniversary fly-in whch we hope to have in May or June.  Debbie Cassels volunteered to help with the planning.  Her expertise with computers and the internet will be helpful as we try to locate some of our long lost members from the past.

ILLINI SKYRIDERS 20th Anniversary Fly-in has been set for May 18th at the Busboom Airstrip, St. Joseph, ILL.  We want to invite all our past members and friends to a fun fly-in and picnic at the airstrip where our club began.  There is much work to do and it's only 3 months away!  The exciting news is....

EAA founder Paul Poberenzy has accepted an invitation as honored guest at our Club's 20th Birthday Party and Fly-in.  This quite an honor for an ultralight club but it was EAA that first allowed those "flimsy" ultralights of the early days to fly at their big event.  Paul has always been a supporter of grass roots aviation.  His presence will certainly increase the attendance at our fly-in.

CARL BLEICHNER memorial fund has almost reached it's goal.  There is room for a few more contributors.  To learn more about this permanent memorial at Oshkosh to be sponsored by friends and members of Illini Skyriders, see this link on the internet...

Last month we reported that Raymund Theron had acquired a new 2-seat Quicksilver to be used for training and will be based at Paxton airport.  We have just learned that Dave Patrick sold his Kolb Firestar to some friends from Chapter 29 and has bought a Kitfox!  Its a very low time early model with a 532,  tundra tires, and full panel including Loran and artificial horizon.  Taildragger time anyone?   Also Joe Taylor has bought back his Challenger which he sold before he bought the Aerolite.  You just can't keep a good plane down!

Having done it twice, and found it to a very rewarding challenge, I thought I would share what I have learned with anyone that thought it would be fun to do it themselves, or better yet, as a group. It's easy!

Joe Taylor, a fellow ultralighter, invited me to fly along with him to Oshkosh 2000.  Frankly, I thought it was far too crazy of an idea to even consider, but he assured me it was not that big of a deal.  I had fantasized about flying into Oshkosh for years, but thought it was simply far too busy and risky.  He showed me how it was really practical!

We met at Gibson City and we were off!  With a hand held radio, GPS and a Chicago sectional, navigation was a snap, especially since he had done it before.  We took small hops of about one hour apiece, or less.  If we saw something worth dropping in or wanted a break, we did. Approaching Oshkosh airfield was done as per the information sheet.  It is very clear and easy to follow.  Landing is on a grass strip close to the main runways.  We are never close to the heavy iron.

I suggest we start at Danville Thursday morning July 25th at 9:00 am and return Monday July 29th.  Total flight time will be about 4 hours at 60 mph for 240 statute miles from Shertz or Paxton. This makes it very relaxed and weather permitting, very easily achieved in one day.

I suggest we agree to always stay as a group, use radios and fly at the speed of the slowest plane in the group, and land as a group when we arrive.  If you have a trike, MX to a Titan, we should find a way to stay as a group.  Sandy will follow in a car. She will have a hand held radio so we are always in close contact. Safer flying is a result of better planning!

Camping is best at Oshkosh and since we fly in, we are allowed camp on the runway.  Very cool!  The facilities are excellent!  great showers with lots of hot water and so on.

Personally, after landing and getting out of my little plane, it was one great feeling to have flown into Oshkosh.  I hope I can help others to enjoy the rush, the satisfaction of doing it.  It's the best air show in the world. I suggest we make commitments now so we can plan as a group so we can work out details together.

The next meeting will be held THIS Saturday March 16th at 6:00PM at the home of Marion Evans.  See directions below.  Come early and visit his new workshop which will be the birthplace of his new airplane.  It's a Zenith Zodiac 610 HDS and will be powered by a Subaru engine.  The all metal side-by-side STOL 2-seater sports a bubble type canopy.  For more info see the website at zenithair.com.  Marion has finally finished his new workshop so construction on the kit can begin immediately.  Come join us and see the kit components.  Using flat panels and pre-drilled and matched rivet holes, it has been shown you can build a 135mph 2-seat airplane in 400 hours.

>From Champagn-Urbana go south on the Philo Rd (State Rt 130) until you reach the junction for Sidney (County Rd 1000N).  Turn right or west and go one mile west to CR1500E and then about 1/2 mile south.  His house is on the right and has a new arch-type metal building.  The address is 961 CR 1500 East.  Phone 217-684-2047.

The March meeting is very important for the planning of our 20th Anniversary Fly-in to be held May 18th.  There is only one more meeting between this saturday and the May Fly-in.  We need to get as much accomplished as possible this saturday.  Some of us will be gone for a week in April to go to the Sun-N-fun Fly-in in Florida.

The February 16th meeting was called to order at 7:20 PM at the Red Wheel restaurant in Rantoul by president Mike Ostrander.  There were 22 members and guest  present.  We introduced new members and guests.  Mike reported we have reached our financial goal for the Bleichner memorial.  Next we must decide on the actual wording of the inscription before the deadline at the end of March.

Mike also gave an update on the details of the Poberenzy visit to our 20th Anniversary fly-in on May 18th and we discussed details of the plans for the fly-in. We estimate 75-100 people will attend and 25-35 aircraft.  The club will provide for the meat and beverages.  There will be a potluck style picnic in the afternoon.  We will arrange for an extra Porto-potty and we will need tables and chairs.  Diane Ostrander will make signs.

It was confirmed the Danville Balloon Classic has been canceled.  Dan Grunloh gave a reminder about the Springfield Ultralight Seminar.  Pat Gallahue reported the EAA B-17 will be at Rantoul Airport May 13-15 and that volunteers will be needed to help with the visit.

Mike Ostrander discussed the SAA Fly-in to be held at Frasca Field and the possibility that Illini Skyriders might be able to attend.  It was advised that we would need a meeting with Rudy and Tom to work out any details involving ultralights at Frasca.  New member John Seversen offered to help in that area.

Dave Patrick presented his plans for a group flight to Oshkosh this summer. He and Joe Taylor have pioneered the way with trips in previous years.  Dave provided copies of  the planned trip marked out on sectionals showing all the stops.  He emphasized that anyone in our group could do it. The longest leg on the journey is 55 miles.  A ground vehicle will be available to haul your gear. Lets do it!

The meeting closed with discussion of the new Sport Pilot proposal.  Dan Grunloh summarized what it could mean for pilots and for aircraft if adopted.  The rules for FAR103 single seat will not be changed

The Sunday after our February meeting was forcasted to have excellent weather.  Dave Patrick said he planned to do more flying and testing of his new Kitfox at Paxton Airport.  My FunRacer trike was back together after an engine rebuild so I flew down from Loda in the afternoon for a visit. It was nice to be back into the air on a warm spring-like day.

As I approached the airport there is a whole gaggle of aircraft parked below.  I recognized two trikes, and two fixed wings from the Kentland Fowler Indiana area including Jeff Budreau and John Anderson.  The four had flown down to see Dave's new Kitfox.  With John Severson's Kolb and my trike we had seven ultralights and a few GA planes coming and going.  Later a very large scale RC model was flown in aerobatics including hanging vertically on the prop at very low altitude.  We all shared the same airspace and I flew almost two hours that afternoon.  Lesson:  When there is good weather on a weekend, check the local airport for a fly-in.

It was a good turn out at the annual UL seminar February 23rd.  Several of us car pooled to the event with John Severson.  It saves gas and gives much more time for visiting with fellow pilots.  Quite a few of our members attended.  Mick Schumacher and Greg Sellers displayed a Challenger kit.  The speakers included KZ Zigatis on hardware maintenance and safety.  KZ is a  an engineer who has built and flown fixed wings, powered parachutes, and gyrocraft. Popular author Dennis Demeter gave a talk on pilot decision making or "stupid pilot tricks".  A young airline pilot, Jeff Goin told the story with pictures of his adventures flying powered paragliders.  These portable craft emphasize everything that ultralights are about.  Too bad we don't all have the knees and legs for it.  EAA Ultralight chairman Jamie Key gave a talk on the details of the new Sport pilot proposal.

During the break we were surprised to meet Fred Lamkey, the trike pilot from the Henry area who had the back injury.  He is doing great but it has been a long recovery.   Fred has moved to New Hampton, Iowa.  He has a new job (still a banker) and can be reached at flamkey@ssbank.net.

Carl's headstone has finally been placed. It took me a very very long time to design it to my satisfaction, but it is finally done, placed and is perfect. I hope many of you can go see it. He was buried at Craw which is 1 1/2 miles east of our home in the country near Sadorus and 1 mile north. He is on the north end and it is a very shiny black headstone.  I do have the ultralight on it among other things. Miss you all, Christy Bleichner.

Illini Skyriders go to Florida for the Sun-N-Fun Fly-in with snow flurries in Illinois, and come back a week later bringing summer with them!  It's warmer this week in Illinois than it was last week in Florida.

Flying Season Begins with our first Fly-in meeting of the year to be held this Saturday April 20 at the Paxton Airport at 5:00 PM>  This important meeting is our last full meeting before the big anniversary fly-in to be held on May 18th.  We need everyone to attend to help finalize our plans.  After the meeting, those interested in dinner will go to the nearby Monicals Restaurant.

The Illinois Skydiving School currently at Rantoul hopes to move their operations to the Paxton Airport and take over the city owned hanger as the FBO.  If approved it would be a great boon for the airport which would be open every day for aircraft fueling and service.  It is also believed that the restaurant could be opened again.  Skyriders, local pilots and drive-in customers would certainly make it successful.  The move is expected to occur soon.

Rantoul Airport will host the WORLD FREEFALL CONVENTION for skydivers August 2-11.  The event, billed as the largest skydiving event in the world, was held in Quincy Illinois for the last 12 years.  It is expected to draw 3000 skydivers and as many as 15,000 spectators.  The organizers are seeking local volunteers.  This is the ideal time to get involved with a fun and entertaining event.  To get involved call the World Free Fall Convention hotline in Quincy 217-222-JUMP or go to the convention website at www.freefall.com.

MARCH MEETING REPORT

The March 16, 2002 meeting of the Illini Skyriders was called to order at the workshop of Marion Evans near Philo, Ill by president Mike Ostrander.  Members had a chance to examine wing and tail components of Marion's Zenith 601 kit.  We were also amazed at the extensive collection of musical instruments which are housed in the heated workshop.

After thanking Marion for hosting the meeting, Mike showed an example of the invitation he is developing for our 20th Anniversary Fly-in.

Mike has also scanned and archived 20 years of Skyrider newsletters onto a CD which will be available at the fly-in.  The plan is to have a second CD of pictures of past and present ultralights in our club.  Additional photos may surface at the fly-in so this CD could be produced later.

We discussed the upcomming Sun-N-Fun Fly-in in Florida and 4 or 5 members said they plan to attend.  Dale Busboom hopes to fly down but the rest of us will drive or take commercial flights.

We discussed the Bleichner memorial inscription which must be selected within the week.  Final suggestions will be circulated via email.  The treasurer is autherized to write the check for the memorial.  The April 20th meeting of the Illini Skyriders was set for the Paxton Airport and the June 22nd meeting will be at the Tuscola airport.

Dan Grunloh summerized our plans for the May 18th Fly-in.  We discussed the possibility of souvenir bottled water with the club logo.  Marion Evans will arrange for the porto-potties, Mick Shumacher has paper plates and cups covered, and Mike has worked up some nice name tags for our fly-in guests.  Dan listed the neighboring clubs which will be invited.  Specific assignments for food will be made at the April meeting.  Dale will look into getting tables and chairs.  The meeting was adjorned at 7:50 PM.

News from Sun-N-Fun 2002

At least five members of the Illini Skiriders attended the big Fly-in at Lakeland Florida and two were week long volunteers.  Club president Mike Ostrander was seen there, Dan Grunloh worked in judging, Dave Patrick drove down for his first Sun-N-Fun visit, and Dave Nicholson worked in aircraft parking.  He probably had the best job as it gives you a chance to saee all the action up close.  We are going to want a first hand report from him.

The GA side of the show had a few serious accidents early on but the ultralight area, known as Paradise City, fared very well.  There was one landing accident involving a failed nosegear and flip over but no one was injured.  The number of ultralights was down some from previous years but this allowed for less crowding on the runway and in the pattern.  The number of powered parachutes and paragliders continues to inclease.  Paraski brought a big twin engine version which they built "just for fun".  In winter they leave off the parachute, put on skis, and run it at "extreme speed" on the frozen lakes.

Some of the fun of Sun-N-Fun is meeting old friends and the camaraderie with pioneers of the ultralight movment.  Just about every UL designer and manufacturer is present at this show.  John Moody was flying his Easy Riser as usual and there was an Eagle XL there shown by his son.  The Eagle won an award for Best Antique Ultralight.  A big suprise was finding Larry Newman at the CGS Hawk party.  Larry produced the Eagle, and Falcon, but has not been seen for 15 years.

Another good part of the fun is seeing the show with a friend, so the appearance of Dave Patrick was most welcome.  It was his first time, so he got an experienced guide with a golf cart (me) who knows where to find the hidden gates, and where to find the parties.  Dave really knows his airplanes so I leared a lot just going around with him.  A lot of people know Dave because of his RC connections and the coincidences we ran into were unbelievable.  We really had a good time.  You will have to see his pictures of the helecopter in Choppertown which was "playing" with a four foot diameter yoyo.

There wasn't many new ultralight designs on the flight line but all the established regulars were represented.  The emphasis is still on big heavy expensive 2-seaters and there were some exotic imported models.  In the world of "real" ultralights the only unusual entry was the Reserve Grand Champion which was a beautifully built Dream Classic.  It's a high wing tractor monoplane with old timey looks that ca be bult cheaply.  It seemed to fly just fine.  We continue to see new engines offered but it takes time for them to become available and to be proven.  Some Italian 2-strokes are looking very competitive.

This was my seventh Sun-N-Fun and well worth the time and money to me.  Florida is great in April, no bugs and not too much heat.  There are a lot of things to see and do in Florida besides the airshow.  More of you should try it...... Dan Grunloh

THINK SAFETY FIRST

At this time of year it's very important to emphasize the importance of good safety habits around our ultralights.  Pilots are often lax and forgetful after a winter of inactivity.  I recently caught myself almost forgetting important items prior to takeoff.  Please go slow and take care you don't make a mistake.  There is a higher incidence of pilot error in the spring when pilots are rusty and some are flying new planes.  I believe this is why the Sun-N-Fun fly-in always seems to have more than it's share of accidents.  Rusty pilots flying unfamiliar aircraft.  Lets make a point of stressing safety at our upcoming fly-in.  Extra safety is only a slight inconvenience.  We must be extra careful with ground handling and propeller safety as we don't want anything to spoil our fly-in.  There will be many spectators and aircraft on hand so we must be extra alert.  PLease think about safety before you do any thing.

The Illini Skyriders 20th anniversary fly-in and picnic is this Saturday, May 18th at the Busbooms airstrip 2 miles west of St. Joseph, ILL.  Preparations are well under way, but there is a lot of important information in this newsletter.

1.  There will be a work party and setup session Friday afternoon starting about 2:00PM.  We will be hauling in tables and chairs and will need some hands to help with setup.

2.  The picnic will be held on Saturday inside a large hangar starting about 3:00PM, RAIN OR SHINE.  There is no rain date.  You must come and eat the food.  The weather forecast actually looks excellent as  predicted by Dale Busboom, so we will have a beautiful day.

3. Current members are asked to bring a covered dish if possible.  Contact Sandy at 815-457-3140 or email <Girlflyer@aol.com> to coordinate the effort.  Past members and other friends only need to bring yourself, and a guest, and be prepared to have a good time.

4.  We are seeking photographs to document the club history.  If you have not already submitted pictures, please bring them with you to the fly-in.  All pictures will be scanned and returned to the owner.  The entire collection will be distributed later as a photo CD.

5. Please observe signs and directions from volunteers about auto parking if you are driving in.  The driveway entrance must be kept clear at all times in case of an emergency.

6. Please bring lawn chairs.

The most important mission we have this weekend is to have a SAFE fly-in.  Be sure to check out your aircraft closely and please keep a lookout at all times for other traffic.  You can expect "heavy" and light arrivals at all times.   Please be extra careful with ground operations and prop safety during startup.  One important tip is to never get in a hurry.  Go slow.

Note there is overlying CLASS C airspace which begins southwest of the Busboom airstrip.  You should stay under about 1300ft. AGL when southwest of the field, to avoid entering CLASS C airspace.

The Busboom airstrip has powerlines on the east end, near the farmstead.  They are well marked so you shouldn't miss them, but be aware of their presence.  The pattern is always in the left hand direction and we will use 123.45 on the radio.  Be on the alert for landings and takeoffs to occur in BOTH directions in calm or direct crosswind conditions as pilots try to minimize back-taxiing.

Unfortunately a few of our members are not currently flying because they are rebuilding, not yet completed their new plane, or they are still in the pre-solo stage.  We want you to bring your plane too for a static display if possible.  Give someone a call and we will help you to trailer it there.  We want every plane possible to be in attendance.

It has been reported that Greg Sellers Challenger rebuild has been completed and the ultralight has been flown.  If everything checks out OK, it will be at the fly-in this Saturday.  Greg and Mick really put the work into it over the winter and set an example for the others in the club who are still looking at a bare wing frame or pile of tubing.  Way to go Greg!

Saturday May 4th marked the first weekend of joint operations with the skydiving school and the ultralights at the Paxton airport.  It's great having them there and cool to watch them floating down from the seat of your ultralight.  Their activity will provide a terrific boost to the airport.

All pilots must now be extra alert in the area of the Paxton airport.  Some of you do not operate with radios and even if you have one, you might not hear the call from the jump plane.  The jumpers are aiming for the grassy area in front of the hangars.  Expect parachutists to appear in front of you on final approach during south operations.

The owner of what was once the Milford Airport called to say he has two Whing-Ding ultralights which must be moved.  The airport has been closed many years but sadly the runway where Dave and I landed last year has been plowed.  These particular ultralights are really only suitable as collectors items.  The Whing-Ding is fragile, extremely under-powered, and hard to fly.  Though many were built,  few achieved any substantial flying hours.  One of the craft is completed but damaged and the other is a a complete kit which could be used for repair. These craft should NOT be considered for flying. Contact Randy Crow 815-889-4711.

The April 20th, 2002 meeting of Illini Skyriders was called to order at the Paxton Airport  at 5:35PM  by president Mike Ostrander with 12 members present.  It was too windy for flying, but the airport lounge provided a nice location for the meeting.

Mike reported the insurance is in for the fly-in, he has completed the printed invitations, and the Bleichner memorial has been approved.  We discussed plans for our picnic at the  Busbooms and Dale confirmed we can get tables and chairs from the St. Joseph Lions.  We discussed the need to bring coolers for drinks and ice.  Also we want to make it possible for visiting pilots at the fly-in to get fuel for their return trip, so we need to bring extra fuel cans for Saturday.

A mysterious and very substantial donation which was received by the club has just been explained. The generous benefactor is our very own Lea Amdor who donated many hundreds of dollars worth of electrical and metal salvage materials.  The infusion of cash makes a big difference especially at this time.  Thanks very much Lea and Shauna.

Saturday, June 22nd at 6:30 PM at the Tuscola Airport which is about 1-1/2 mile west of I-57 on Rt 36 and then 1/2 mile south.  The paved 2000 ft runway runs east-west and the unicom is 122.9   Be on the lookout for unexpected arrivals of warbirds or other GA  airplanes.  On the longest day of the year, we can fly from 5:00AM to nearly 9:00PM.

SAA Gathering at Frasca Field is this weekend June 14-16.  The Sport Aviation Assoc is a small group headed by retired EAA founder Paul Poberezny.  The purpose is to support grass roots aviation, past present, and future.  The event runs from 9:00AM Friday to noon Sunday.  Registration is $20 for the weekend and there is a nominal membership. There is no formal airshow or flyby activities.  It is a gathering of enthusiasts and supporters.  Fly-in and drive-in attendees are expected from all over the country.  If the weather is good, there could be a large turnout of homebuilts, antiques, and warbirds.  See more details at www.sportaviation.org.

Our 20th annual fly-in at Busbooms on May 18th was a big success in spite of strong winds during much of  the day.  Fortunately, the rain stopped in time fore the weekend.  Mike Ostrander got in a flight early before the winds pick up but the conditions (crosswind 15-20) kept away many flyers.  We did have some fly-in visitors from as far away as Pana, and Mattoon IL.

Dan Grunloh and Mike Ostrander trailered to the event. Local fly-ins included Mick Schumacher flying Greg Seller's recently completed Challenger, and Dave Patrick who landed his Kitfox perfectly in a VERY strong crosswind while everyone (including Paul Poberezny) watched.  Yeah Dave!

The best part was a good turnout of members,  past members and friends. That's what the fly-in was really about.  So many of our early founders still look the same and haven't aged much in 20 years.  Based on seating and food consumption we estimate about 80-90 people were present during the day.

We took some group pictures around our club  banner and plan to make copies for everyone.  All the photos from the day and the collection of past photos which were displayed, will be put on a CD sometime later.

Late in the day the wind died down and Mike and I had a wonderful time buzzing around with our ultralights.  It was just like it was on this day 20 years ago, when the club had it's first fly-in at this same airstrip.

Yeah, I know, I've been president for almost 4 years and I finally write my first letter. I just wanted to let everyone know that the fly-in celebration was a huge success.  Paul and Audrey Poberezny were pleased as well.  When I saw them to their car they mentioned that they would like to do this again sometime.

I think it's safe to say that the Illini Skyriders left a good impression on the friends and guests that came.  It was fun to meet some of the founding members of the Illini Skyriders. The way things looked, and the conversations that I heard, I had the impression that we recreated what it was like in the 'good old days'.

I do need to take a moment to give a big THANK YOU to all the people that put in so much hard work to make this party happen.  I do want to mention a few people by name, forgive me if I miss anyone, I have to admit my day was spent in a tizzy making sure everything worked out ok.

First off, thank you to Dale and Loretta Busboom for opening up their property for us to hold this event. A huge word of thanks goes to Dave and Sandy Patrick for organizing the food that the members brought in.  Marion Evens came to the rescue by getting us some portapots for the weekend.  Thank you Marion.  Thank you Emmet and Blanche Berhens for the flight line barrier and shelter.  Thank you to Mick Shumacher for the utensils and suggestions on organizing the party.

Thank you to Dan and Diane Grunloh for getting the Longhorn BBQ staff to supply the meat for the party.  Thank you Rob Steiger for the turkey you brought, that was good stuff!  Thank you to Lea and Shauna Amdor for the donation that helped make this all happen.

I also wanted to thank everyone that helped with serving the food and drinks, the people that helped with the set-up and tear-down, and any other thing that anyone may have done to contribute to the success of the party.

Ultralights and Skydiving are regular activities now at the Paxton Airport.  Raymund Theron is instructing in trikes and 3-axis, the skydivers are "diving" and there is the regular local traffic (myself, Dave, Rob etc.)  Any nice weekend you must come and join us.

There have not been any traffic problems because everyone is using radios.  It's more fun and much safer that way.  "Paxton traffic jumpers away, jumpers away!".

We want to promote the skydiving school and hope they stay.  Your first jump, a tandem skydive with instructor takes about one hour of ground instruction and cost $169.  A video tape of your first jump is available.  Once you are trained, altitude costs $15 for 10,000 ft.

The next meeting will be Saturday, July 20th at 6:30 PM at the Paxton Airport.  This will be our last chance to get together before we leave for Oshkosh Airventure.  If you want any supplies brought back, or want us to check out any new planes or products, come to the meeting and let us know.  Dan Grunloh and Mike Ostrander will trailer up to the show and in fact Mike and Diane  will leave early and miss our Saturday meeting.  Vice-president Mick Schumacher will chair the meeting instead.   It is not known which if any members plan to fly to Oshkosh.  Dave Patrick has intended to fly there in his Kitfox but a new Rotax 582 blue head engine is on order.

For a meeting program Dan Grunloh will give a brief talk on competition flying.  Not the simple bomb drop and torpedo run but the serious FAI style which occurs at national and world level events.  There are navigation tasks, deadstick landings, and limited fuel events.  Learn about the kinds of skills and equipment that is needed.

CAUTION:  When flying at Paxton remember to watch out at all times for the skydivers.  You might not hear the radio call or you might not have a radio so please be on the alert!

The June 22nd Meeting of Illini Skyriders was held at the Tuscola Airport with 14 members and guests present.  The meeting was called to order by president Mike Ostrander.  Secretary Dan Grunloh was not present as he was home baling hay.   Meeting notes provided by Mike Ostrander.

Mike showed pictures taken from our May 18th Anniversary Fly-in at Busbooms. Group pictures were taken with several cameras and we need to get them all together. We have received parking passes for the July 28th memorial wall dedication at Oshkosh.  All Skyriders at Oshkosh Airventure should try to attend the Sunday morning dedication of our memorial to Carl Bleichner.  The SAA fly-in at Frasca Field was discussed.  The next meeting of Illini Skyriders is July 20th at Paxton.  The August meeting will be at the Beherns Airstrip 2 miles west of Loda.

No decision yet on the location for our September meeting.  Possible hosts suggested were Dan Grunloh, Dave Patrick, Joe Taylor, the Busbooms, or the airport at Elliot.

The first Sport Aviation Assn Fly-in at Frasca field was a success.  The number of drive-in or walk in attendees was low but the number of fly-in aircraft was very good.  It was not intended that this be a mass public event.  There were some very unusual and interesting aircraft from warbirds to ultralights.  It was also a great chance to meet and spend time with EAA founder Paul Poberezny.

Mike Ostrander displayed his Quicksilver MX with all new bright blue fabric.  It almost sparkles.  Mike was given permission to fly his ultralight around the pattern on Saturday even though ultralights are not normally welcomed at this field.  Winds were fairly strong on Saturday. There were a number of other ultralights present which had been flown in from the Peoria area.  Those craft were more like real airplanes and so were not as conspicuous as Mike's MX.

On Sunday morning Dan Grunloh and Raymund Theron flew into Frasca from the Paxton area. By that time many of the planes were beginning to depart.  Raymund and I stayed only a couple of hours and then headed back home.  We heard later than after our departure there was a fatal accident of takeoff involving a Vari-viggen, a high performance homebuilt.

Come to the July 20th meeting to find out the latest news but here is what little we know so far.  President Mike Ostrander will trailer his Quicksilver there, stay the whole week and fly every day.  Vice-president Mick Schumacher will work as a volunteer in the EAA Ultralight Information Center.  That is the small building in front of the Ultralight barn we call the "chicken coop".  Secretary Dan Grunloh will trailer his trike there, stay the whole week and can be found working in the seminar tent.  Emmet and Blanche Beherns will be there with there fifth wheel camper.  There are many more members planning to attend but we have not had a chance to coordinate.  Let us know of your plans at the next meeting.  We might like to arrange a "chapter night" where we all get together for a meal.  We could go out to a restaurant or all show up at Mike's camper.

Web Editor's Note:  Come on over.  We can chow out and tell tall tales.  You can find us in the ultralight campground across from the UL runway.  I also have finished making signs that can be displayed on the planes celebrating our 20 years as an EAA chapter.  There are three available so if you fly in, come on over and get a sign.  --Mike--

Mick Schumacher reported that new member Tim Goby of Newman ILL has soloed his new SkyRanger.  Mick said he soloed it also and it's a very nice flying plane.  This 2-seat side-by-side high wing plane is a well proven and popular design outside of the US.  The engine is the 80HP jabiru.  Congratulations to Tim!  He has the plane hangared at his own airstrip near Newman. We hope to see the SkyRanger at future fly-ins.

The club sponsored memorial to our departed member Carl Bleichner will be dedicated during  Oshkosh Airventure.  There is a ceremony on Sunday July 28th 11:00AM at the Fergus Chapel near the EAA museum.

The subject is competition flying.  Not simply the fun type of Bomb drops and torpedo run, but real competition flying.  Elsewhere around the world ultralight enthusiast get together for tests of navigation, endurance, limited fuel and power off spot landings.  When international events are held, the US team always has a shortage of good pilots.  That's because we drop bean bags and toilet paper rolls while others practice real pilot skills.

Typically 50% of the score is from Navigation.  You must fly cross country with map and compass but no GPS.  Scores are based on accuracy, time, and the ability to find confusing landmarks or sometimes just a marker in a field.  In some tasks the signs on the ground gives you your new heading so it becomes like a scavenger hunt.

A limited fuel task may give a list of easily spotted landmarks and your assignment is to fly to as many of them as possible and make it back home without running out of fuel.  It requires that you know your fuel consumption exactly, can fly conservatively, and properly estimate the effects of any winds.

Power off spot landings are conducted with prop stopped at 1000 feet followed by a precision landing to a 330 ft landing deck below.  You must land inside the deck and not roll out of it or you get zero.  Top score results if you touch down in the first 16 feet of the landing deck.  One foot short and you also get zero.  Incidentally all takeoffs are also made within the landing deck.  All competitors must take off in 330 feet with their full load in order to compete.  This keeps the fast motorgliders from pretending to be ultralights.  You can expect to see more of these kinds of competitions here in the US as there is a growing interest in competition.  There are already events taking place here in the midwest.  Member Raymund Theron has had experience competing and organizing such events when in South Africa.  I think we will try to stage such competitions in this area with Paxton or Elliot as possible locations.

The next meeting and fly-in will be Saturday, August 17th at 5:30 PM at the Beherns Airstrip near Loda, IL.  A picnic lunch will be at 3:30 PM with chicken provided by our hosts, Emmet and Blanche Beherns.  Beverages will be provided by the club.  Please bring a covered dish if possible.

A special surprise is planned for about 4:00PM so don't be late.  Instead come early and make a day of it.  Emmet will bring in his camper on Friday night.   Whoever has our bean bags, please bring them and we will have a bomb drop contest.  The most urgent business for this club meeting is to set the location for our September and October meetings.

The Behrens airstrip is about 2 miles west of Loda on the Bayles Lake Rd. and it's on the south side of the road.  GPS to 40-30.55N / 088.07.31W.    Call  217-386-2706. ---------------------------------------------------------------------

The July 20th Meeting of Illini Skyriders was held at the Paxton Airport  with about 10 members and guests present.  Dan Grunloh and Lea Amdor flew in.  Dave Patricks Kitfox was in the middle of an engine change and so did not fly.   President Mike Ostrander was already on his way to Oshkosh so the ranking officer was VP Mick Schumacher.  There was no formal business meeting but lots of good scocializing and some beautiful weather.

The most exciting news was that Ariana Carmin, wife of member Wayne Carmin from Hoopeston, ILL decided she would take her first tandem skydive with the instructor there at Paxton.  It was a jump from 12,000 ft while strapped to the instructor and it's the quickest way to get started.  Ariana said later she loved it, and wants to do it again.  I was circling nearby in my trike, listening to the radio and hoping to see the jump but with sunset coming I had to head back home.  Now that she has shown the way, who is next?

Well, I did it once, I just had to do it again.  Dan asked if I could write something for the newsletter so here I am.  I can report that the Illini Skyriders were well represented both on the ground and in the air.  I can't speak for Dan, but I managed to log almost 6 1/2 hours in the UL pattern (it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it).  All I can say is if you've never flown the UL pattern at Oshkosh, you are missing out on a lot of fun.

The service at the Memorial Wall went very well. Carls family and Christy were pleased with the memorial.  The service was about an hour with refreshments served after everything was done.  There was a missing man formation that flew over while the names were read, it was quite a special time.  The memorial books from past years were on display along with the current one for everyone to see.  I want to thank everyone that helped to make this possible.

Dan and I were volunteers this year. Dan as Forum Chairman and I tried to work the UL flightline.  Be sure to say thaks to Dan, this was his 18th year as a volunteer.

EAA had a tent for the first fly-in near show center.  There were a number of origional planes that were at the first one.  They also had the annual patch jacket contest there.  I was recruited to enter my jacket in the patch jacket contest.  I tied with five others for first place for number of consecutive years (31 patches).  Could I be that old?  Naw.

There was a slight down side where the planes were tied down where the general public has access.  One of the judges caught up to me and took me down to my plane.  On arrival he pointed out that there was a safety cir-clip that was missing from my left elevator pin.  Had this not been discovered by others or by preflight (I had been flying the pattern for 3 days already), it would have resulted with the elevator failing with probable fatal results.

My plane was not the only one that had 'problems'.  A weed hopper's left wing tip was damaged when some kid jumped on the wing with the parents present (the wings were let down in the event of storms).  One row farther back, a Condor had it's rudder cable broken in two.  I am of the opinion that this can be traced back allowing the general public who are not familiar with aviation to have access to the flightline.

Camping in the UL campground was fun as usual.  There was grilling almost every night, it seemed like we fed a small army, the steaks and sweet corn were great.  Anyone from the club always has an open invitation to drop in while during the fly-in for eats and tall tales, so those who took advantage got good grub.  There'll be more details at the meeting and maybe pictures from the fly-in.  See you then.

Dave Patrick and I attended the Fly-in at Westfield Indiana on August 10th hosted by the local ultralight club, the Indy-Flyers.  I went there by truck and trailer and camped on the field Friday night.  Dave flew in with his Kitfox on Saturday afternoon.

The airport has about 40 ultralights and GA planes hangared there and nearly 40 more attended the fly-in.  There is a lot of activity and local traffic and everyone is very careful about pattern rules and radio usage.  You can see the downtown Indy skyline while in the landing pattern.

Early Saturday morning I flew to breakfast at the nearby Elwood airport (another sod airport) which claims to have the first ever Fly-in/ Drive-in Restaurant.   My guide was club veteran Dean Batman who has been flying hang gliders and ultralighs for over 25 years.  I had a great time and plan to go back to Westfield next year.   I won first place in their bomb drop contest!  See their info at http://indyflyers.org/i72fly-in.html.

DIRECTIONS to Tommy George's Lake Sangchris Fly-in August 23-25.  Coming from North on I-55, take Rt 29 exit #96A toward Traylorville.  Go 4.5 miles to Rochester, turn right at 2nd stop light (Walnut St.) Go 5.5 miles to 4-way stop at New City.  Turn left and go 5.3 miles to the airpark which is located behind Cooke's bait shop.  The north-south sod strip is shown on your sectional and is located at 39-39.07 North by  089-27.52 West.

Next weekend,  September 14th is the Heart-of-Illinois Fly-in at the Lincoln, ILL Airport.  This is the largest and longest running ultralight fly-in in Illinois.  It's easy to drive or fly there.  Don't miss it!

The next meeting of Illini Skyriders will be Saturday September 21st, 5:00PM  at the Patrick Airstrip, 1811 East 400 Rd North, Milford, ILL.  Location: N 40- 32.714 W 087- 46.901  About 6 miles NORTH and 5 miles WEST of Hoopeston, 1 mile South of Goodwine.  >From Paxton ILL.  take route # 9 East  10 miles to Route # 49.  Take route # 49 NORTH. After 6 miles, ROUTE # 49 will make a right 90 degree to go east, and then left 90 degree to go back north.  Do not go back North, go straight EAST.  That becomes 400.  Stay on 400 east bound for about 5-6 miles and you will see the house on the right, just past the railroad tracks and stop sign.  Phone  815-457-3140.  Set radio to 123.45.

The August 17th meeting was held at 5:00PM at the Beherns Airstrip with 23 members and guests present.  Thanks go to Emmet and Blanche Beherns for hosting the fly-in and providing the chicken.

Next was an Oshkosh report and discussion of the plane damage and tampering by some spectators.  Mick Schumacher talked about a takeoff he witnessed of a Zenith at Oshkosh.

There was a report about an RC Fly-in? at Rantoul ( I suspect they were trailered in).  Also Dave Patrick gave a report on the fly-in at Westfield Indiana.  Don Loudermilk reported his Chinook rebuild is almost done.  The wing span had to be clipped 3 inches to fit the new fabric.  Gary Buck has bent his Phantom after an engine out.  Mike Ostrander reported he bought a composite construction practice kit.

The September meeting will be at the Dave Patrick Airstrip near Milford on the 21st. The October meeting will be at the airstrip of new member Tim Goby (Sky Ranger) at 2592 E 925North, Newman ILL 61942.  The strip is 1100 ft sod and about 16 miles east of Tuscola.

Sorry I missed seeing you all at the August meeting.  I was attending the World Powered Parachute Championship at Greenville, IL where I volunteered to work as a landing judge.  I wasn't flying my trike or any powered parachute,  just enjoying my recent retirement and having fun watching all the action.

It was a terrific event with 51 pilots competing over the four day period, even though it was a bit windy at times.  There was a lot of flying activity and I estimate that I judged about 250 landings from real close up, watching where the tire hit or dodging the occasional errant machine.  The contest tasks were very challenging and included a deadstick landing.  Many of the pilots were very skilled.

It was a enjoyable four days even though I was working hard and getting up early for 5:15AM briefings.  Chute out on the Prairie is a small event compared to Oshkosh or Sun-N-Fun but a lot more fun without all the large crowds and traffic lines.  I'll be going back next year.

A new trike is flying in the Paxton area. It's an Aerotrike with a blue and white Wizard wing.  Pilot Curt Shoaf is from the Watseka area and has taken his training from Raymund Theron.  The trike is hangared at Paxton.  Curt soloed a couple of months ago but has already flown about 80 hours. He just recently took, and passed his BFI check ride.  Curt has landed several times at my home airstrip near Loda and we recently went on a trip over to see his place near Watseka.

The FAI Colibri Badges are international standards for achievement and proficiency in ultralight and microlight flying.  The FAI is the world sport aviation governing body and it recognizes the U. S. Ultralight Assn as the sole representative in America for the supervision of badge flights, record  attempts and contests.

The qualifications for colibri badges are the same in every country and they do not require renewal.  Badge holders receive a bronze, silver, or gold lapel pin and a certificate suitable for framing that acknowledges the accomplishment.

The Colibri program becomes important to yours truly, Dan Grunloh, because the basic bronze award is an entrance requirement for contests at the national level.  I plan to compete at the 7th U.S. Nationals in Kentucky in mid-september.  It's the first true national contest in almost 7 years.  It will entail four days of hard flying in contests of navigation, fuel economy and deadstick landings.

The Bronze Colibri requires two witnessed triangle cross country flights of at least 46 miles.  You must arrive at each turnpoint within 15% of your estimated time and the flight and the plan must be witnessed by an approved USUA observer.  It should be flown with map and compass, no GPS allowed.  Also 3 landings within 33 ft of a target (with power) and one landing within 66 ft from 1000 ft at idle power must be witnessed.

These are not difficult requirements and any decent pilot should be able to meet them if they are safe to leave the local traffic pattern.  I am pleased to announce that two of our club members have been approved as official USUA Observers.  Mick Schumacher and Dave Patrick can sign for, and witness badge flights, official record attempts, and competitions.

With Dave's help, I have completed the Bronze tasks as of September 1 when I did the final spot landings at Paxton.  Mike Ostrander was also there doing deadstick landings.  Mike was also a witness for one of my cross-country flights a week earlier.  I want to thank everyone who helped, especially Dave Patrick and Sandy Walts.

I am now ready to enter the U.S. National competition and I am excited about flying in an event which will be run in a manner similar to the world level  competitions.  Also I can think about the Silver Colibri which require four 93 miles XC flights and two deadsticks within 16 feet of a line.

New member Tim Goby has invited us to have our last fly-in meeting of the year at his private airstrip near Newman, ILL.  Because the days are getting shorter we will have our club meeting at  3:00 P.M.  this Saturday October 19th.  Some of us may have to leave as early as 4:30 in order to fly back home before sunset.

Please come early,  this is an afternoon fly-in and meeting.  Tim says he will have food and refreshments.  There is a heated shop if it should get cold, and fuel will be available for the return trip for those that may need it.

Newman ILL is about 16 miles east of Tuscola on Rt. 36.  The rural address is 2592 East 925N Rd and the location is about 1/4  mile SE of the Newman.   From Rt. 36 take the main road south out of Newman which is 2580E After about 0.3 miles the road turns left (east) and becomes 925N.  It will be the first place on your left (north side of road).  Tim's phone number is 217-837-2664

The airstrip is 1100 ft. sod and direction is east-west.  That would 09-27 for you pilot types.  The GPS coordinates are 39-47.317 North  by 87-58.864 West.  See you there!

The Illini Skyriders had a very excellent meeting on September 21st at the Patrick Airstrip near Milford, ILL.  Pilots attending included Grunloh, Ostrander, Patrick, Goby, Gustafson, Nicholson, Emmet Beherns, Curt Shoaf, and Joe Grover.  Five ultrlaights were flying there.  Joe Grover is the new owner of Joe Taylor's Challenger and he flew it up to Milford from Tim Goby's airstrip near Newman.

The meeting was called to order at 5:10PM as we sat in lawn chairs out on the grass surrounded by our ultralights.  It was perfect.  Mike mentioned Dan Grunloh' s photo on the back cover of the September issue of EAA Experimenter magazine.  The photo shows a takeoff at Oshkosh 2002.  The pilot was not named but Dan said it's better that way.

Mike Ostrander said we need to get all the pictures together from our Anniversary Fly-in at Busbooms.  The pictures are to be added to our photo CD collection and could be used in an article we hope to submit for publication.

Dan Grunloh talked about his win in the contest in Kentucky and showed the medal and the map of the contest area.  As reported earlier, it was navigation that earned the gold medal.

Dave Patrick talked about his flight to Mexico, MO where he and Sandy visited the Zenith factory and attended a builder workshop.  Dave is considering building a 601 or possibly 701. On the flight back they encountered rain and were held up for two days.  It was suggested that the November meeting and election of officers be held at the Red Wheel in Rantoul.  The possibility of a Christmas Holiday Party was mentioned.  The meeting adjourned with a cake provided by Sandy to celebrate Dan's victory and Dave's recent birthday.

The Peoria ultralight club had a good turnout for their annual flyin.  Four members of the Skyriders showed up to check out the fun. Gary Buck flew in with his Challenger,  Mick Schumacher flew in with Greg Sellers in Gregs Challenger, and I trailered in with my MX.

The weather was fair, but a bit gusty, making the spot landing a bit harder to do.  After some prodding, Mick decided to give competing a try, which would pay off later.  With the winds up, only 10 people entered the contest.  As defending Top Gun, my performance was a little off, but managed to place third in spot landing and 2nd in Top Gun points, but only top score counts.  Oh well, maybe next year.  Mick on the other hand did very well, placing 2nd in torpedo run, not bad for the first time out there.  All in all we had a good time and look forward to returning next year.

Dave Patrick flew down to the Barnstormer Days Fly-in at Percival Springs near Effingham in his Kitfox on September 28th.  Mike and I planned to attend but didn't make it. We should get a report from Dave at the next meeting.  Later that day He and Sandy flew on to the Antique airplane fly-in at the Shelbyville airport.  Dave says it was a terrific fly-in with lots of very interesting airplanes, including a few ultralights.  He said this fly-in is not to be missed.  We should watch for it next year.  The trip home started late so Dave and Sandy got as far as Tuscola and had to spend the night.  Such are the adventures of  flying cross-country in a small airplane.

It seems hard to believe but it's true.  I can claim this title at least for a year or until the next National Ultralight Championship.  I went to Kentucky with the hope of doing well but never expected to win the event.  But I won it fairly, and with a good margin, and the other pilots knew they had been beaten.

My FunRacer trike was the slowest ultralight at the contest but I proved that speed alone is not needed to be competitive.  All the practice I did at home with navigation and spot landings paid off.  The terrain was very difficult with a myriad of twisting roads that looked like spagetti, rolling hills stretching to the horizon, and lots of little tiny towns that looked alike.

The first Nav task was a circle route to find a marker somewhere along the line.  It was very turbulent, no one identified the marker and almost everyone got lost and returned to the starting point.  One pilot had to unseal his GPS to find his way back home and we all got a zero for that task.

The second Nav task was a 69 mile XC with 8 turnpoints that must be found in the correct order and you had to return home at a set time or get a penalty.  I correctly located 6 of the turn points whereas the next best pilot only found 2 of them.  It was tough, but I credit my win to a lot practice with compass and clock.

I also did well in the spot landing contest but this was expected as slow draggy ultralights like my trike are easier to land accurately.  The fastest plane in the contest, a Rans S-14 easily won the speed event but didn't do so well in the spot landings.

The biggest surprise for me was in the endurance event in which I had expected to do very well.  Our fuel tanks were drained and we were given exactly 20 lbs of fuel and told to fly as long as possible.  There weren't many thermals so I simply "boated" around at 4300RPM on my Rotax 447 with the assumption that would win the event.  Surely my little trike would easily beat a Challenger, CGS Hawk, Hyperlight, or a fast trike like the Prowler.

I was wrong, deluded, and did not fly the event aggressively enough.  I knew for instance that I had 16 oz of unusable fuel and also I did not run the tank completely dry. An out-landing always gets a zero so I wanted to play it safe.  I learned later that some of the planes were staying in the air at only 4000 RPM.  The winner, a CGS Hawk  got about 1.4 GPH with his 447.  I've learned my lesson and next time I won't be so easy to beat in this event!

Saturday November 16th at  the Red Wheel Restaurant 741 Broadmeadow Rd in Rantoul, ILL.  The location is on the west edge of Rantoul on Rt. 136 about one block south of the Amoco station.  Please join us for dinner as early as 6:00 PM.  The meeting will start at 7:00.

I'ts time once again to meet, select officers for the coming year, and begin work on our calendar of events.  See the calendar of meeting dates later in this newsletter.  Please consider dates where we might meet at your home or airstrip. The first couple winter months are good indoors but after that we like to have a place we can fly-in and land.  This last meeting of the year is also a good time to share your photographs from the year.  Please bring any we haven't seen.  Expect to see some stacks of give away magazines.  2002 was a good year for us with no serious accidents and quite a few new planes and pilots.  Let's meet this Saturday and celebrate a good year!

Well, it looks like another successful flying season is in the books.  I would say that it's been a very busy one to say the least.  Now that the chapter's 20th year is coming to a close, we need to start planning for the following year.

The first item in November is the chapter election of officers.  I want to say a BIG Thank You to the people who served this year.  I want to start with saying thanks to Greg Sellers (Membership Coordinator),  Dave Patrick (Safety Officer), Lea Amdor (Treasurer), Dan Grunloh (Secretary/Newsletter), and Mick Schumacher (Vice President).  Great job guys, Thanks for the hard work.

Now don't think just because you're not a chapter officer, that there's nothing for you to do.  There's always room for another set of hands to help contribute to the chapter in some way.  Also, if anyone desires to give an officer position a try, that's great!  Come on in, the waters fine.  It's a good thing for everyone in the chapter to serve in a position at one time or another.  So don't be bashful.

As I said up above, where do we want to go from here?  Based on the letters I received from Paul Poberezny,  he and Audry would like to come back to another fly-in at the Busbooms.  There are a number of fly-ins. That were a lot of fun this past year that we may want to participate in as well.  We want to hear from everyone who has ideas or suggestions, so lets have a good turn out at this meeting where we can begin to plan the next year.

The meeting was called to order October 19th at 3:20 PM at the Tim Goby Airstrip in Newman, ILL by President Mike Ostrander.  There were 12 members and guests present.  Five aircraft at the fly-in meeting including Quicksilver, FunRacer trike, Challengers, and Sky Ranger.  Also Lea Amdor and later Dale Busboom did a flyby but did not land.

Mike reminded us we need to begin work on the article about our 20th Anniversary Fly-in for Experimenter magazine.  He hopes to have all the pictures on the photo CD soon.  The treasurer Lea Amdor reported we have $1238.91 in the bank.  If anyone has any expenses not submitted from the fly-in contact Lea or Mike.  Mike also said we have only a few Illini Skyrider sew on patches left.  Get yours now.

There was a report about the Lincoln Fly-in where several of our member attended and competed in the contest.  Mike didn't win top gun this year, but Illini Skyriders made a good showing, and had fun.  In other news Mike reported his Dad (Charles) is building a Legal Eagle Ultralight.

Just wanted to drop you a quick note and tell you and everyone that attended the October meeting at my airstrip/shed in Newman that I had a good time and enjoyed it a lot.  It was fun to see other planes landing here and flying around and to see the others that "buzzed by" (too bad they couldn't stop for the meeting).  Also, I was chastised a bit for my lack of social graces during the meeting.  I was informed that I (we) were not very good at introducing new people (guests and members).  I am probably the worst of the bunch, so I will belatedly introduce you to my wife (well, sort of anyway). Her name is Jayne and she wanted you toknow that she enjoyed the afternoon very much as well.

We have another trike in residence at the Paxton Airport. Curt Shoaf of Watseka has purchased a second trike since he got his BFI.  It's an Aerotrike with Spirit15 wing which is a bit faster than the Wizard wing on his first machine.  His son who has been flying with him a lot will fly the older trike and Dad gets the newer one.  It's a father and son team.

Also we heard that Don Loudermilk has completed the rebuild on his Chinook and it has seen air under it's wheels again!  Congratulations Don, it will be great to have you back in the air again.  Some changes had to be made to make the new fabric fit the old airframe.  It was a poor fit until he realized his ribs had flattened out.

Incidentally, if you happen to fly over to Sherts Field near Elliot here Don and others hangar you will notice the runways have all been marked with an "X" to indicate the airport is closed.  Don says that does not actually apply to "us" in part because we are ultralights.  Supposedly you can land, at your own risk, and there are no services.  Same as before.  We don't know what is happening with this airport but it would be a shame to loose the hangar space which is so hard to find.

Change you carb needle, get out your gloves and prepare for fantastic performance.  Your plane will fly so much better than in the hot summer.  Beware of shear turbulence in cold winter air.  Snow skis anyone?  ....Dan, with 127 hours logged since January of this year.