Memorial Day Fly-By Event Planning

February 11, 2008

 

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM by substitute chairman Al Cleveland since Tom Ritchey was still on the freeway from Portland.  Present were: Lynn McDonald, Pete Weber, Andy Andersen, Robert English, Trish Hanna, Dave Smith, Larry Weber, Doug Davis, and Paul Gilman.  Gary and Elaine DeVore, as well as Tom Ritchey, arrived while the meeting was in progress. 

 

MINUTES: The previous meeting minutes were passed around and read.  Pete Weber made the motion to approve the minutes as read and Doug Davis seconded.  All approved by voice vote.

 

WHO DOES WHAT AND WHEN: Setting out signs and barricades were first on the agenda.  Doug and Pete volunteered to help set them out.  If there was a shortage of signs, which are currently in storage at the EAA hangar, the AmVets volunteered to help print up some more.  The EAA hangar may not be available for dining if the room is still being used for project construction by Memorial day.  The generator trailor with the flagpole may not be available this year either, as it's going to DRMO, so some alternate plans were discussed.  Putting a pulley on the beacon tower was one possibility, and Larry said he would find out if ODA could mount something permanent on the structure before Memorial Day.  The Powers' hangar could be used for the Community Picnic like last year.  Generators to help with the electrical requirements, since that was a problem before, were also discussed. 

Dave Martin (who could not be here this evening) passed word that he would assist with the Fly-By Pre-Flight briefing.  The local aviation explorer scouts may not be available, but the Browns are still involved with the Boy Scouts so Al volunteered to call them to see what the situation was.  Rental of the PA was something that all present were hoping to avoid, though it was still as a last resort.

The F-15 has been requested, and while the plane is not scheduled until later in the year we are "on the board".  Harry Malette is providing porta-potties for the event.  The Police Department says they only have one cadet, and there aren't the number of volunteers that the Department has been able to call on in the past.  Paul Gilman said that the Civil Air Patrol, however, has several cadets who can be trained in time to help handle parking.  The spa's parking lot is available, and the Baptist Church van with a driver is also available.  The YMCA van is being requested by Dave Martin and we should know about that by next meeting.

The list of those who will be honored at this year's event for the first time was read, with a brief bio of each.  The memorial vases for the women, and flags for the men, are normally presented by Airpark So-n-Sos and Darlene Hooley though it was uncertain if Ms. Hooley could attend.  Volunteers from the EAA might help with traffic control, along with the Police chief who said that they would help with that.  The Farnsworth mortuary will be available to print up the program as they have in years past.  Larry said that the ODA newsletter was going to go out soon for Spring, and if someone would write an article they would be glad to print it.  IMAGE usually does a write-up for us.   Getting an announcement into the Statesman Journal and the Itemizer-Observer as well as the weekly insert on 'Polk County' would be ideal.  Trish said she could write something if she had the facts to put into it, and those present agreed to help out with that.

 

TENTATIVE PROGRAM: The rescue demonstration by the Coast Guard last year was seen by very few people since most folks thought the event was over and drove away.  An announcement about that demonstration was requested to be added to the MC's duties (slated to be Tom Ritchey).   Reverand Bob Roach is scheduled for the invocation.  Dan Clem has agreed to open the ceremonies, as is John Bruning to give the pilot's tribute.  At the beginning of the tribute about ten years ago, the stipulatin was for "Oregon pilots", and the number of deceased pilots in Oregon covered by that is getting out of hand and there may need to be a further limitation on who is honored at our event (say, to the greater Willamette Valley, or to Airpark Residents who had a record of military service). 

Margeret Wilson is going to coordinate the women pilots memorial with the So-and-Sos.  Steve Springer, who did the recording of the military songs at last year's event, is being asked again this year.  Lynn McDonald said that there would be about ten airplanes involved in the local and private aircraft Fly-By.  There is a BT-13 that flies in at the Cafe sometimes and nobody seems to know who owns it - word went around to ask the owner if he was available to put the plane on static display at the event along with other local aircaft. 

Ice cream will be sold by the 99s this year again, though the bottled water will be sold by others so as to not compete.  Bulletin boards for the picture displays are available from the EAA as well as the Gabel's.  A motorcycle or an ATV was considered a good idea to help with traffic control.  Ron Hanna will be doing the mobile tower duties with some assistance from Debra Plymate when Ron takes a break.  The Coast Guard has been asked to be here at 10:30 with a departure around 1 PM.  The status of the model airplane display is not known since Dave Martin was not present. 

 

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM.  Next meeting is scheduled for March 17th, 7:00 PM, at the Gabel's hangar.

 

Respectfully submitted by Robert English, secretary.

 

 

Meeting0211.doc