PASCO Board Meeting Minutes

Minutes from Meeting – May 11, 2009   7:12PM

Board Members Present:

• Peter Deane

• Mike Mayo

• Karol Hines

• Bruce Roberts

• Joel Klein

• Hans van Weersch

Regional Directors/Governors present/FAA Liason present

• Jay McDaniel

• Rolf Peterson

• Marc Ramsey

Completed Action Items:

  1. Bruce: Finalize 2008 banquet expenses. Status: Done, (but need confirmation w Hans)
  2. Hans: Officer list filed with state? Status: Done
  3. Karol Include details of 200 wind monitor towers in Westwind including details from Fred Status: Done
  4. Fred: Contact Donald Brooks/Steve Norcross about status of nationwide transponder code for gliders. Status: Done -- (Rolf: The code is more likely to be 1201 instead of 0000. Karol: Cindy posts info on SSA government page if there are any updates on topics like this.)
  5. Marc: Put together plan for LLC for winch launch - Can PASCO put up money, but not be liable? Status: Done (The answer is yes, see discussion below.)
  6. Peter: Make Pasco reimbursement for Alby award public ($1.3K) on web site and March WestWind Status: Done
  7. Larry: Write the first monthly update for the website & put on Web. Status: Done (Peter wrote, Larry put on web)
  8. Mike: Put together proposal/ideas for glider pilot network building event(s) in lieu of the Cross Country Seminars. Status: Done (Mike has been doing Pilot's Lunches in Bay area.)
  9. Fred: Contact FSDO about getting how to set up a presentation as a WINGS seminar Status: Done (Rolf: Fred is in the process of becoming a safety advisor with safety program with Reno FSDO, so he should be able to figure this out in that capacity.)
  10. Peter Check with Marc to see if he needs/wants help looking into Winch LLCStatus: Done
  11. Joel Contact spiritwear manufacturer to discuss possible design Status: Done
  12. Joel: Minutes from 2/23 board meeting onto Web siteStatus: Done (Peter forwarded to webmaster, who still needs to post it.)
  13. Joel: Minutes from special bd meeting 3/9 onto Web siteStatus: Done (Peter forwarded to webmaster, who still needs to post it.)

Rollover Action Items:

  1. Bruce: Finalize venue for 2009 banquet. Status: Open (see discussion below about progress)
  2. Peter: Solicit for MC for 2009 banquet Status: Open
  3. Hans: Organize official financial audit with external CPAStatus: Open
  4. Hans: Find out how to get Peter as a signatory, and get him bank material & info. Hans to verify where signature card can be updated, then Peter & Hans to meet at lunch to get it done.Status: Open
  5. Rob: Create PASCO promotion strategy for ASI (Karol, Stu, Robert Stoney) Status: Open -- ( Karol: Should check with Stu as he's there all the time.)
  6. Ty: Create membership promotion plan for Westwind and PASCO website Status: Open--Peter will follow up with Ty.
  7. Fred: Provide Peter w details of 200 wind monitor towers on ridges that are known to be commonly used by gliders so that we can have a centralized location for that info
  8. Status: Open
  9. Peter / Joel: Two spirit ware items available by July 2009 Status: Open. (see below)
  10. Mike: Conduct general membership survey (What do members want: from the seminars, outside of the seminars, annual meeting, safety content, annual presentation of awards, other topics?) Start by putting together a straw man.Status: Open
  11. Karol Work to find a new editor to replace herself for Westwind. Status: Open.
  12. Peter Call Rob Stone about assuming a board position.Status: Done – awaiting response
  13. Joel: Research Sport Pilot-related events for possible PASCO displayStatus: Open
  14. Bruce: Call Sully, is he willing to be guest speaker? Status: Open (Bruce: Number not listed. Will try snail mail.)
  15. Fred: Write article about flight to Susanville & return (made on 4/13). Status: Open.
  16. Peter: Call Rex about someone from Williams being on board.Status: Open
  17. Stu: Call Roger Harris about assuming a board position.Status: Open (Peter reminded Stu by email this past weekend)

New Action Items

1. Peter: Call Rolf & Fred to get input to put together straw man for proposed updates to PASCO Reno Procedures.

  • Goal is to both make the PASCO procedures much easier to read, as well as make changes to the content.
  • Rolf: Put together straw man plan on how best to approach NORCAL regarding glider ops out of Byron & Hollister.

2. Treasure’s report

  • Hans: No transactions in past month. Some checks in from Ty, some $175 in dues, still to be deposited.

3. Banquet & Seminars Preparation -- Site, speaker, topics

  • Discussion:
  • Bruce: How did the Heller Museum work out in the past?
  • Peter: Very well--but we have to do catering ourselves, which requires a greater volunteer effort. Might be better to have it at a hotel if the cost works out.
  • Bruce: will check out hotel in Dublin (near intersection of 580 & 680). Will have input for next meeting.
  • Peter: Need to start thinking about who will we have as seminar speakers.
  • Speaker/Topic Suggestions:
  • Paul Hansen--he's into vintage soaring scene. He will be at Tehachipi. Also Walt Cannon too.
  • Morgan Hall (Avenal) has put together webcams & cheap soaring computer ($99) using share-ware XCsoar and a "Personal Navigation Aid" (PNA--inexpensive automotive GPS device).

4. Membership Issues and Promotion

  • a.) HMB airshow update:
    • Peter: Displayed his glider at Half Moon Bay Airport's Dream Machines show. Also helped by Mike & Nancy & Bruce. Good day! Huge amount of interest. Peter had more people around glider than all other nearby displays. Talked with people the whole day. He made up some poster boards of longer flights adn technical info about the gilder--those worked very well. Low budget: Used $6 posterboard and printed out flight traces at work. Handed out a lot of flyers. Talked up a storm. Very enjoyable.
  • b.) Spiritwear: Joel has contacted supplier, is awaiting catalog & pricing, and also is re-creating PASCO logo art.

5. Communications

  • a. Website
  • Peter: scholarship info-up, monthly update-up, (Peter needs to do another update soon), agm presentation for membership--not yet up; Peter has re-sent to Larry. Monique had requested this specifically so that they can link to it from their (NCSA) site.
  • b. WestWind
  • Karol: Will be done this week. Will send to Peter for conversion to PDF and give Hans the heads-up that it's coming.

6. Safety Issues

  • Reno Airspace team updates (Fred, Karol. Peter)

a) FSDO/FAA meetings, ,

b) Talk to NorCal/Oakland about Hollister glider traffic

c) FSDO/FAA meetings,

  • Rolf: Harlo Vorhees is the Regional FAA Flight Safety standards team member responsible for writing the report on the near-miss incident. In prep for meeting on 4/21 with PASCO and RENO Tracon Harlo met with Doug Lent & Doug Brown in Sacto on his way up for info on Truckee Ops, then met with Lee Edling and Rolf at Air Sailing for a briefing, Had already met with Fred LaSor, then met with John Hammond Mike Moore at Minden after the meeting.
  • At the 4/21 meeting they discussed approaches and some of the things that can be done. Donald Brooks sent out letter to airman that is really a copy of the PASCO procedures, and will get it published by FAA Safety Publication Network.
  • Two aspects in Harlo's report:
  • 1) safety briefing for air carriers and GA operators for Reno, Tahoe, Truckee, Carson City & Minden going into hazards associated w/glider operations in the Reno vicinity, what the regulations are, and
  • 2) Proposing special flight rules in RNO vicinity that will recommend requiring transponders in gliders above 10K, except for an area around Truckee, where there will be a cylinder up to 12K with no xponder requirement (for ride gliders.)
  • Also would require that glider pilots operating in the area get the PASCO briefing and get it logged in the "pilot record" (intentionally vague) and also that they have the PASCO communications card on board.
  • Peter: Team One Activity--make sure that the PASCO briefing is up and available at all the locations.
  • Rolf: Also PASCO should come up with some recommendations that are more emphatic that pilots who are in the area get RNO ATIS and know the altimeter setting and what runways are in use. Make contact and get transponder check, or w/o transponder make a position report. Need to make it a normal procedure for glider pilots to be talking with RNO approach when above 10K and in areas where there are approach corridors.
  • Rolf: Harlo expects to make his report by the end of the month. This is just the first step in a long process as it makes its way through the FAA. The process going well. Harlo has realized that Temporary Flight Restrictions are for scheduled events, not for a long-term solution.
  • Peter: Darryl Ramm was going to write up a summary of issues regarding ADSB...
  • Discussion: Thoughts on revising the PASCO procedures-- Needs to go out to ALL glider pilots in the region, not just PASCO members. Mike: Involve the site champions at Soar Minden, Soar Truckee, Air Sailing to take existing briefing and add emphasis to it.
  • b) Talk to NorCal/Oakland about Hollister glider traffic
  • Peter: Also have an issue with Hollister and Byron gliders. Perhaps we should contact NORCAL approach to work with them. We should be pro-active about this.
  • Rolf: Will have to get some contacts at NORCAL. Peter: We should put together some flight traces-- those who go out to Tiger Country, to give NORCAL a sense of what the scope of operations is. Rolf: There was a good write up on contacting NORCAL on the HGC Group.

7. Contest Updates – Regionals and Nationals

  • Peter: Avenal--spring contest cancelled, trouble getting tow pilots.
  • Crazy Creek--regionals next two weekends going ahead with five or six people. Will end up being sports class and fun flying.
  • Montague--sign up small but starting to pick up. Open Class has 10, Stnd Class has 10. Peter is going for sure. Probably have 15 gliders per class; a bit on the low side, but it's a long way from the center of gravity for standard class, which is east coast.
  • Air Sailing--no info

8. Winch activities progress

  • Marc: PASCO could support a winch club, that's the point of an LLC. As long as PASCO doesn't set up rules, regulations, establishing procedures or actively determining who can and cannot fly. Source: Friend who's a corporate lawyer who doesn't want to be involved however.
  • Now working with Bob Korves to design a winch that can be constructed with a smaller budget. Currently finishing off CAD drawings. Rex has offered to let him build it in his shop. Most components will be purchased from SkyLaunch in UK, source engine here. Current budget is $20K, he'll put up half, Bob 1/4, and they'll find the rest. Not currently interested in a PASCO contribution at this time.

9. PASCO Director positions

  • Peter: Sent a note to Stu about Roger Harris and has contact Rob Stone. Waiting for feedback.

10. SSA updates

  • Jay: Convention for 2010 in Little Rock--they gave us a phenomenal deal.
  • Alby landed in Jean yesterday. Marty Eiler flew from Cal City 175 miles in 5 hours. Next from Jean to AZ. Saw Marty on the SPOT and drove out to the airport to watch him land!

11. New Business

None.

Meeting Ended 9:10pm

Next Meeting: Monday June 8th

2009 Goals Reminder

1. Fill all the board & committee positions

2. Complete website information infrastructure and content – monthly updates

3. Increase activity of site champions (through promotions chair)

4. Increase air show promotions to 3/year.

5. Increase use of the private pilot glider support program.

6. Consolidate FAA relationships. Build on good relationships to date

7. Two Westwinds per year March & September

8. Clarify Pasco’s position & capacity to promote winch launching

9. Increase PASCO visibility to clubs and FBO’s – membership drive

10. PASCO Spirit wear

11. Banquet, seminars, safety issues info and dissemination

12. Financial audit and budget