NW Skyraiders question.

Is anybody familiar with this club? I visited the web site and dropped and e-mail to the president and have not received a response. They web site mentions that the next meeting is Dec 11th. I was curious if visitors are welcome or do you have to be sponsored? If this club is active I would to visit and join if I like what I learn at their meeting.
Next, I guess I should do a short introduction. I’m old, bald, fat and perpetually look like I’m in a very bad mood… . Hence the moniker “Curmudgeon”. Most of the time everyone is safe, I'm usually in a good mood… especially if I’m riding my motorcycle, building, or flying. It’s been a number of years since I've gotten to fly, in fact just a couple of years ago we sold our home and property. I had almost three acres and could fly anytime I wanted to. Too much land and not enough house so we sold and built a new home on a small lot. Now I need to find a circle and collect some more ukey stuff to replace what the ex stole...
So thanks for the help..
Just the crabby new guy… Larry

Larry,

The NW Skyraiders is very much an active club. Steve Helmick is on here all the time, in fact he maintains the web site you visited, in between working his rear end off for us at contests.

Steve, jump in here and introduce yourself!

LAST EDITED ON Dec-01-04 AT 10:27 PM (CST)
 
Jeez, I was about to try to find ol' Curmudgeon and see if he'd like to come out to the Swap Meet on the 11th. Anybody is welcome, even Dirt will show up occasionally, to sell some of his fine, but obsolete models. In fact, if you get there early, you can set up a table (BYO) and sell stuff. Our esteemed/steamed El Presidente has been working a lot of OT, and only checks email on a weekly basis. Email me any ol' time. Check out the maps to local flying sites. Some have limitations...mufflers, only on weekends, only special occasions, etc. RiverView isn't too far from Edgewood. Mostly not mowed this time of year, ya understand.

By the way, I got a notice from SSW that Bob Ellis put me on his "Buddy List", but darned if I know who Bob Ellis is, or what I did to deserve such an honor. Howdy, Bob. Maybe 'cause I sent Dirt some cute smiley faced icons.... Steve

Edit: Fixed smiley face icon for Dan.....
Edit2: I just added and changed a bunch of '05 dates on the Events Page. Bladder Grabber, Prairie Fire Stunt, VGMC Western Canadian Stunt Champs, NATS, Fall Fallies, McMinnville's 1st Stunt contest, all added, changed, or repaired as required.

Larry,
All Modelers are welcome. Please attend our next meeting. It probably is the swap meet. Fun for all.
John Leidle Past President

Steve, Don,
Thanks for the reply. I've cleared my calendar for the 11th and if work or family doesn't interrupt my play time I will show up. Since I'm trying to build my CL collection back up, I won't be needing a table... but, if I see something I need, I will probably snap it up...
Riverview looked really interesting. I have to stop by and check it out.. a lawn mower will fit in the back of my truck.. I used to fly at Marymoor, and Carkeek many years ago.. I see Carkeek is still going.. I think the Velodrome or something killed the circles at Marymoor..

Thanks guys...

LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-04 AT 00:56 AM (CST)
 
Larry, From your description, sounds like you are Dirty Dan's long lost twin brother. Hehehe.

Steve,
I have met Bob Ellis and flown with him many times. He is a great guy with a good family and lives in Kingsburg, CA. He flew Expert in the late 80's and early 90's even went to the Nats a few times. Recently though, at least since I've known him, he is been relatively inactive in competitive CLPA and concentrates mostly on FF. Sometimes he will hang out at the field with us other 'Central Valley Flying Guys' and pit or judge for us.

Olive you keep
on flyn'

I’m old, bald, fat and perpetually look like I’m in a very bad mood…

Geez...you just described a whole bunch of us!

greetings curmudgeon,
we both sound a little alike both old and grumpy and both having flown a lot at carkeek i started off with the original skyraiders in the late 60's when they met in the greenwood area at jack shanes house guys like george brownfield and steve steveson made sure a young boy had a handle in his hand as much as possible a visit to steves place was like a museum and you never left empty handed .he used to buy mcoy engines by the box and bring them to carkeek along with some still useable planes and hand them out it was a good way to generate interest. the crowd pleaser was always him flying 3 at once!! it seems people like this are rare today or maybe it is the lack of interest in the younger set i'm not sure i have visited with some of the new club when they still flew at the space center one good way to clean out your clutter is to donate to some of these kids and help them along you would be surprised! i work and live in alaska most of the year so i do not fly as much now when home i live in cashmere and fly at the city park there and it is surprising how many people approach and say " i used to do that too" what years did you fly at carkeek?? maybe we know each other have a good holiday smitty

Larry,

You used to fly at Marymoor? If you were involved in our world-famous Wednesday evening flying sessions, you'll recognize PTG, Rush, Dirt, and some other good souls as still being after it.

Dirty Dan

Dirty Dan, Smitty, you guys are cruel. You hurt my feeling! ;-> I thought I was doing good just to remember the names of some of the places here in Washington that I used to fly at. Now you want me to remember names and dates! I think… ah.. well lets see… it seems to me that … ah crap… this is hard… hmmm… how bout the late 60’s and early to mid 70’s.. I think.. Dang, I said, old, fat and bald! Back then my dad had us moving back and forth from Arizona every year or so.. Every year of high school was spent in a different school.. Marymoor was close to our home, we flew there a lot. Carkeek was tougher, had to find someone to give us and our gear a ride. Maybe flew there a dozen times, compared to hundreds of times at Marymoor. In Glendale, Arizona it was always a schoolyard. A short 5 minute walk from our house.

Any Good flyers in that club??

Steve Thanks for the up-date on the web page.