I. Call to order: 10:00 Members: 13 to start with, 19 by end of meeting
II. Announcements from the floor: Please contact Dick Wareham to purchase “Stinkin Badges”. Only $10.00.
Dick says, he only has about 6 badges left. For the new members, the badges are a good way to let everyone know who you are.
III. Visitors and new members Newest member: Allen Jones, “Welcome Allen”
IV. Officer reports
Interim President: Mark Huntley Present
Interim Vice President: Neil Gates Not Present
Secretary: Al Doucette Present
Treasurer: Greg Hennifer Not Present
Field marshall: Randy Laney Present
Safety coordinator: Richard Arceo Present
Webmaster: Neil Gates Not Present
V. Old business: Nominations for Club Officers Mark Huntley, President, Neil Gates, Vice President, Al Doucette, Secretary, Mitch Biddle, Treasurer, Randy Laney, Field Marshall, Richard Areco, Safety Coordinator, Neil Gates, Webmaster.
VI. New Business: Voting for nominated Club Officers: After a short discussion. It was decided that a onetime vote for all the nominees, would be sufficient for election. Don B. made a motion to that effect and Dick A., seconded it. The motion was carried. The vote for officers was taken, and there were no abstenions. It was suggested that members be thinking about nominations for the Jeff Chapman award for the next meeting.
VII. Show and tell: None
VIII. Awards:
Name that Plane: Hughes XF-11: Redesignated XR-11 in 1948. A prototype military reconnaisance aircraft designed and flown by Howard Hughes and built by Hughes Aircraft, for the U.S. Army Air Forces. A hundred were ordered in 1943, but a delay in the program beyond the end of WWII, renderd the aircraft surplus and the contract was cancelled. Only two prototypes and a static test mockup were completed. During the first flight of the XF-11, in 1946, piloted by Hughes, the aircraft crashed and was destroyed. The second prototype was flown in 1947, but used only briefly for testing before being stricken from inventory in 1949. The program was conttroversial from the beginning, leading the the U. S. Senate to investigate the XF-11 and the Hughes H-4 Hercules flying boat in 1946-47. ( A side note: last sum-mer I took a trip to McMinnville, OR, where the Hughes H-4 Hercules flying boat, the “Spruce Goose” is located, in museum that was built around it. I even got to sit in the pilot’s seat, where Howard Hughes sat, when he took the aircraft off the water, for the first and last time. The bird is awesome and so is the museum.)
Ace: Nominations: Mitch B, had a power failure to the receiver, which rendered half of his controls inoperable, with skill and finness, he was able to safely land his airplane.
Oops award: Nominations None
Fence award: Nominations: Dr. Bob K. had a little problem during the “Turkey Shoot” balloon bust. From what I heard, his airplane glanced off of a stick and ran into the fence.
Adjourn & raffle Meeting adjourned at 10:33 am Raffle delayed until next meeting which will be February 4th.
As a reminder, there will be no club meeting for January. Next club meeting will be Saturday, Feb 4th, 10:00 am at the field.
On another note: For those who haven’t heard, our treasurer, beloved Greg Hennefer passed away, unexpectedly on the 9th of December. A memorial service for him is scheduled at the Vineyard Chapel, at Cherokee Memorial Park, 14165 W. Beckman Rd. Lodi, CA on 5 Jan, 10:00 AM. see link below:
Greg Hennefer — Cherokee Memorial Park & Funeral Home
Al Doucette, Secretary