President's Message (Reprinted from the Winter 2008 Thermal Journal Newsletter)

What Goes Around Comes Around......
As I was thinking about the upcoming contest season and what my summer flying plans would include, I did a little mental calculation and determined that my gas bill for my usual three trips to Muncie would probably top $1200. This distressing number made me pause to think of alternatives to this traditional plan. Those, in turn made me think about the past when travel was not a big part of FF competition. In the late fifties and early sixties when I was a kid, we had many local contests. I went to Clyde (Clyde Balsa Bugs), Elmira (MAAWNY), Pike(Olean Model Airplane Club) and a couple others in places I can't recall. This was very exciting to a 13 year old kid who had to beg his mother to take him to these meets after he had left a trail of balsa through the house and had carved up the coffee table making his latest winged creation. Nevertheless, this was great fun for not much money and not much travel. This gave me pause to wonder if a return to local flying would be a possible. I think it is possible, but only if us local modelers make it possible. This is where everyone in the club can become involved, by planning or helping to plan a local activity. Maybe we can in some small way return to the time when many of just enjoyed the simple pleasure of a local get together or contest. If you get involved you may be surprised to find that FF is as much fun now as it was when you were a kid. Help us recapture some of the fun!! Volunteer to help!

Brad Bane