District I Report-2004/12

December 2004 157
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENTS: I have
named Robert Langlois as an associate vice
president (AVP) for the New Hampshire area
and Patrick Libby an AVP for the Vermont
area. Their contact information is in the
column header.
Something New: Usually we hear about a
field loss; this time, perhaps, we have gained
a field. I received the following letter and
spoke with Darren and this sounds like a
good deal. It has been awhile since I talked to
him so if this is something that may interest
you, call him and see how he is progressing.
“My name is Darren Shumbo and I live in
East Haddam, Connecticut. I just thought I’d
let you and all the readers know that I just
bought a 40-acre farm in Colchester,
Connecticut, that I am using to build a model
airplane flying site. We have three runways
that are 600-feet long, a hobby shop and
clubhouse are being built on the site, and
year-round flying.
“I bought this property just for use as a
flying site because we all keep losing sites to
housing developers. It is also the site of my
personal home. People with campers are
welcome to come there for a small fee, and
stay the weekends and just enjoy themselves
and fly all day if they desire.
“For information, they may contact me at
Box 741, Moodus CT or call (860) 873-9585
at my home or my cell phone at (860) 575-
7020. I am also offering flight instruction for
airplanes, jets, and helicopters. I am a fullscale
pilot flying airplanes and helicopters as
well as being an aircraft mechanic licensed
by the FAA.
“Thanks for your time. Let everyone
know that we have just gained a site, not lost
another one!”
Thanks, Darren Shumbo. The site
location is 612 Westchester Rd. (Route 149)
in Colchester, Connecticut. It is roughly 1/3
mile from Route 16 heading toward Moodus
on the right side of the road.
Carl Vogel, who is president of the
Discover Flying R/C Club on Cape Cod,
sent the following report to me. It shows
how an airport manager and a club can work
together very well.
“Cape Cod Airport Open House:
Absolutely superb weather (couldn’t have
paid for better) presided for the Cape Cod
Airport Grand Reopening Open House on
Saturday, August 7, and the airport was
open for all of aviation and the general
public as well.
“Free food and beverages were provided
for everyone who attended. Approximately
100 airplanes from practically everywhere—
including a DC-3 from Plattsburg, New
York—made their way there for this
occasion. Roughly 600 to 700 spectators
came to celebrate the airport’s reopening
festivities.
“Because our club has its flying field
located on this airport, we were specifically
invited to participate. We had a magnificent
area right in front where we set up four tents
and tables and such, along with a protected
area to display our airplanes. Approximately
40 club members attended with roughly 40
airplanes. Many of our friends from the
OTIS club brought airplanes and helped us
answer myriad questions from the visiting
public.
“Scores of people were keenly interested
in our airplanes and the club. They asked
tons of questions, especially about how to
get started, where to buy them, where we fly
them, etc. There were many families making
inquiries about getting started for them and
their children.
“We provided handouts about the club,
AMA, and copies of our newsletter. I hope
we were able to provide the attending
community a substantial overview of what
model aviation and our club are all about.
We were exceptionally well received by the
public and I predict that we will see many of
these people at our flying field in the nottoo-
distant future.
“The official town functions began at 3
p.m. with skydivers who opened the official
event with a flag jump and a member of the
Barnstable Fire Department who sang The
Star Spangled Banner.
“The town program included speeches by
John Klimm, David Chase, and several other
town and state officials who were
responsible for the reopening of the airport
which had been closed for two years.
Representatives from several newspapers
were present with photographers to record
the activities.
“This was an excellent opportunity for
our club. In our efforts to secure our flying
field for the future, it gave us the perfect
occasion to demonstrate to our town
officials and the public. We explained who
we are, what we do, the necessity of our
flying field, how it operates and coexists
with the airport, and how it is a benefit to
our community. We explained that we tried
to interest the public and its youth and to
encourage them to pursue model aviation as
an alternative to the many other and often
undesirable choices they face.
“Thank you to Chris Siderwicz, the Cape
Cod Airport manager, for his consideration
in inviting our club, and for his belief and
commitment that our club is an important
function of the sport and recreational theme
of the Cape Cod Airport and the community.
And thanks for his continuous enthusiastic
and dedicated support of our club.
“I especially want to thank Jim Fournier,
Nick Squillante, and Jeff Nemec for their
efforts and hard work on behalf of our club,
and Jim McCormick, Bill Lopes, and the
OTIS club in assisting us in our endeavors.
It’s nice to know, that although we are two
separate clubs, we continuously support
each other in our common interest of the
furtherance of the sport of model aviation on
Cape Cod.”
Chris Siederwicz, the airport manager and
a true friend to our club, thanks everyone
for attending and participating.
This is a view of our information area and
its relative location.
Antique airplanes graced the main
entrance adding to the nostalgic elegance
of the reopened airport.
I have a few more pictures but they will
have to wait until next month.
District I Report
Associate Vice Presidents
James Gilliatt, 533 Lexington Road, Concord MA
01742-3714, [email protected]
Robert Langlois, 7 Columbus Avenue, Concord
NH 03301; Tel.: (603) 225-9759
Patrick Libby, Box 494 Ascutney VT 05030; (802)
674-2311
M.C. McGuffin, 116 Hillview Avenue, Houlton ME
04730-2312
Richard Sherman, 30 High Street, Plymouth NH
03264-1223
Bob Wallace, 91 Sylvan Street, Avon CT 06001-
2230
Frequency Coordinator
Joel Chappell, 21 Billings Street, Milford NH
03055-3906; (603) 673-6240
Connecticut / Maine /
Massachusetts /
New Hampshire /
Rhode Island / Vermont
Don Krafft
Vice President
PO Box 1828
Duxbury MA 02331-1828
(781) 934-6248