President's Message

    August has been quite an interesting month for the board. Let me give everyone a brief summary. First of all, the 2-33 (88S) was involved in an off-field landing mishap in early August. Jim Greggerson landed out just shy of the Heber airport. The sailplane sustained some damage and Jim got banged up a bit (mostly his back). Jim is doing fine now, but is required to wear a brace for a while. The sailplane was taken to Morgan for repairs, and was returned to Heber by August 28. It was assembled on Saturday, September 5. Parke Byron towed the 2-33 to Morgan, and Lee Steorts returned the sailplane to Heber.

    On or about August 15, damage was noted on the Grob's left wing as indicated by buckling of the skin near the inboard edge of the aileron. On August 19-20, the Grob was trailered to William's Soaring Center in Williams, California (about one hour north of Sacramento, about 750 miles from Heber) for repair. Rex Mayes at Williams Soaring was able to repair the Grob the week of August 24, and the sailplane was trailered back to Heber on August 30-31. Parke Byron did the towing in both directions sandwiched around a backpacking trip in Kings Canyon National Park. I also took a soaring flight in an ASK 21 with Rex. More about that in next month's newsletter. The Grob was reassembled September 3, and returned to service.

    All in all an amazing month for having two aircraft taken out of service and returned promptly during the height of the season. I do not wish to repeat the experience again under any circumstance! There were emergency board meetings, trips to Morgan by board and club members, innumerable phone calls (promoting both communication and miscommunication), lots of driving, and not a little anxiety. I am pleased with the overall response of the board and club members with regards to the excellent suggestions made and the solutions developed. Now, let's fly!

    September 26 has been selected for the fall BBQ date at Heber. Please note that the club will provide the grilled items such as hamburgers and hot dogs, and drinks. We are requesting that each member bring a side dish, or dessert, etc. The EAA Fly-in is still scheduled for September 19-20. Organizations at the (Heber airport, including Soar Utah, are putting on this years' event as the Salt Lake EAA Chapter has dropped its normal role Dave Robinson could use some volunteer help in this regard. I think it is an excellent opportunity for us new guys to learn something new about general aviation. I hope to see a nice turnout of club members, new or other wise, volunteering some time to help out the Heber airport effort. Please contact Dave Robinson to see where help is needed. As for me, I understand I will be parking cars with David (and some people question my flying ability - wait until they see me park!).

    The next board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday September 16. Please contact any board member regarding any issues you wish to have presented to the board. See you all at the BBQ!

    Parke Byron