SAM 27 Has March Meeting in Napa on the 20th

Redwood Middle School Classroom of SAM 27 Member Rocco Ferrario Site of Gathering

At right is the Howard DGA-11brought by our guest speaker (and new SAM 27 Member) John Gomez III (left) from SAM 32 in the Dublin area. He spoke eloquently about how he prepares for Old Timer Free-Flight events and showed his philosophy of carving propellers (he uses medium to medium-hard balsa instead of the conventional wisdom of using only the lightest balsa possible) . Your webmaster first met John at the Two Rocks Coast Guard base at one of the early annual SAM 27 "Crash & Bash" meets flying Pacific Ace challenge. Since your webmaster is an ex-Air Force C-141 pilot, John was an immediate "sympatico" presence since he used to fly C-130s for the same agency before he retired to teach in San Ramon. An outgoing, friendly and helpful person, John is nonetheless a feirce competitor in Free-flight events.

First Flight Record--Success !

At left is a photo of Ed Hamler just prior to the first flight of his new Playboy Junior at 358 Sq. Inches for Class A Ignition with a replica Elfin 2.49 diesel engine and Class A Glow with a Super Tigre .15 Cross-Scavenged glow motor. Flight was Saturday March 16 and took place behind the Domaine Chandon Winery in Yountville. Eddie will be testing this new competitor at Taft at the SAM 49er Spring Contest. (March 22-23) For more details of the test flight and additional photographs, click on the arrow below. (be forwarned, there's some heavy graphics on this page)

One of Rocco's students, Cassie Caulfield, shows her Cloud Chaser that she built and plans to fly in a contest soon. Junior OT'ers from Rocco's classes are enthusiastic and usually build good-flying planes. Show and Tell at the meetings give them the opportunity to get feedback on their craftsmanship and encouragement. Cassie won a partially completed Guillow B-17 in the raffle.

Ron Keil shows off his Luton Buzzard II (a 1935 ultralight design from England) 1/2A Texaco Scale model at the meeting. Ron is known for modeling difficult and unusual subjects---and making them fly extremely well. This looks like another winner for Ron who drives down from his home in Clear Lake for the meetings. (check out the models hanging from the ceiling of Rocco's classroom. We all should have been so lucky to have our 8th grade classroom this cool----or our 8th grade teacher this hip!)


 
A Pacific Ace dives out of the clouds of Rocco's Ceiling --A wonderful place for a SAM meeting.

 

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