OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE VINTAGE AIRCRAFT GROUP, INC.
This is a special Newsletter that is being sent to current and former members of Vintage Aircraft Group. We hope all will enjoy the update of the activities at VAG, Pine Hill Airport and Pine Hill Flying Club.
As we near the close of 2009, I thank all members for their support of Vintage Aircraft Group. A very special thanks to those members who have volunteered to work on restoration projects, mowing the grass, plowing the snow, working in the office and all the other tasks required at VAG. Without this support and your dedication, we could not continue our work.
As we all know, tax season is nearly upon us. VAG works on a very limited budget. Now is the time to make donations. Since VAG is a not-for-profit organization, donations may be deductible on your income tax. In the past we have had a raffle or a lottery drawing to help with expenses. Since we have not sent you any raffles or lottery tickets this is a good time to dig a little deeper and make a donation. Every dollar donated is used for the benefit of the Vintage Aircraft Group. We have no paid personnel.
As many of you know, preparing and mailing a newsletter is time consuming. We would like to have a more regular publication. We would like to get input from others to complete and publish a newsletter. We welcome ideas and stories for the newsletter from our members. It would be best if submissions were prepared with MS Word or MS Word Pad. We also can convert e-mails to MS for our publication. Perhaps a war story or a Home Front story.
You may have received this newsletter by reading it on our web site at www.vintageaircraftgroup.org. We are notifying members, that have email addresses, that the newsletter is on the web site. This will save considerable money in printing and postage. We have included pictures of the work on aircraft and the facilities at Pine Hill. Any one that would like a printed copy can contact VAG and a printed copy will be mailed.
We still have a lot of summer visitors that come and watch the skydiving and to enjoy the hometown airport atmosphere. There have been some unscheduled remote control aircraft flying from the airport. It is amazing how real some of the jet models sound and look. I was also surprised that some can cost nearly as much as a small two seat aircraft.
Wednesday remains our main volunteer day. Carl Yunker arrives about 6AM. I tried to beat him but gave up. Now I seem to arrive about 8:00 AM. Roger Townsend and John Pratt always seem to be working when Bob Lusk and I arrive. Bill McCandlish, from Lockport, Larry Morgot, from Medina, and Bud Strabel, from Clarendon, arrive a little later. Larry Smith, a charter member, recently retired from his business and is now helping on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. It is great to have new people helping with the restorations. Just a word about Bill McCandlish. Bill handles the office accounting and prepares the Wednesday lunch. I can’t say enough about the help Bill has been. I doubt I would have been able to keep up with out his volunteer time.
We invite all members to come to the airport and volunteer or just visit. Come on Wednesday and enjoy lunch and discuss the problems of the world and VAG. We solve all types of national and world issues during lunch.
Membership
In the past this was the time of the year when we ask everyone to renew his or her membership. We have found that this reminder has not been as productive as we had hoped. We will be sending an invoice when dues are payable. It is hoped this will spread out our membership revenues over the year. Your dues, and hopefully a donation to help with our increased costs, should be mailed to the above address. If you need information on your membership, please send a e-mail to Vintage26@aol.com and we will answer as soon as possible. Changes in e-mail addresses are also important to keep our records up to date. Our data is as up to date as we can maintain it. Please advise if any information is incorrect or incomplete. You may advise us by e-mail, letter or phone.
Financial Information
Part of the requirements to maintain our not-for-profit status we must advise our members that you may, during office hours, view and/or have a copy of our financial statement and copies of any tax reports we have filed. We have records stored covering at least 10 years.
We have continued to make improvements in the buildings. The new heating plant installed two years ago has reduced our heating oil use by nearly 1/2. The furnace has paid for it self in less than two years. The reduced price of fuel has also helped with grounds upkeep. All large mowers are diesel and we have saved considerable money since we sold the gas powered tractors. The Land and School taxes, part of our rent on the airport property, have increased. We completed paying off the loan that covered VAG’s portion of the new runway overlay. This was $14,000 + and gave us a few financial pinches during the two years it took to complete payment.
Fly-in Breakfast
During 2009, we hosted the Pine Hill Fly-In Breakfast in June and September. The June attendance was very good with over 850 attending on a beautiful day and 550 enjoyed the September breakfast. This would not be possible without the volunteers that clean the hangar, set up, cook, and clean up. I want them to know everyone appreciates their volunteer time. Without this help, the breakfast could not be continued. This year we had volunteers from Texas. Bill & Debbie Wilson & Mike & Dianna Madar, friends of Jack Kriss. Jack and Cathy’s son Brian and his new wife Sophie also came from Texas to enjoy the breakfast. Since they were married the week before this was their (first) honeymoon. So you will not feel bad for them, Brian, a C-130 pilot, had a deployment to Afghanistan and the real honeymoon was delayed until he returned. Jack and Cathy Kriss and Jim and Cheryl Kriss traveled from Orlando, FL to help. Jack and Jim are part owners of the airport land.
Over the years, these events remain a morning to meet friends and enjoy a great breakfast. We hope to continue this fine hometown event for many years to come.
Aircraft Sales
In September 2008, VAG started a marketing program to sell aircraft. When we announced that all our aircraft were for sale, some thought we were selling out the members. Well, have no fears, we have yet to sell any aircraft. We continue to market all aircraft and projects. We hope to sell one or two to help pay off some loans on the aircraft. Seems that we are not in the best aircraft market. Perhaps as the stock market goes up there will be more activity in the aircraft market. Our hangar remains pretty full. We have sold or otherwise disposed of non-aircraft items to make the hangar more useable. This has helped make room for flyable aircraft and allowed us to rent space for two non-owned aircraft. We also charge, the owner, rent for the L5-G and the blue and yellow PT as they are not owned by VAG but they are available for VAG pilots.
We will continue to market all aircraft and projects in hope of selling one or two additional aircraft, this would leave time and money to move forward with our other restoration projects.
Tom Gibala recently sold his home and has donated more items to VAG. We want to publicly thank Tom for his generous donation of tools, supplies, books and other items that are useful in the aircraft restoration process. We have already put some of the tools to work.
Security
The installation of a video surveillance system with video cameras located inside and outside the airport buildings has been helpful. We have two people that watch for undue activity at the airport. Remember, those with computers can check the cameras by going to our web site www.vintageaircraftgroup.org and clicking on the webcam block. We hope to be installing new lights in the hangar that will be part of a motion alert system At present the video at night is almost black We have motion lights in the lobby that are very effective. Motion also causes a recorder to start recording what action takes place. This allows the video taping of anyone in the building. There have been no thefts of coffee and pop money since the cameras have been installed.
Please give a big welcome to two new volunteers. Dave Parsons and Larry Smith have joined the ranks. Boy, they are young. Under 70 I think. Welcome aboard.
Our restoration crew has been busy this summer working on the third PT-19 projects. This aircraft will be painted in one of the U.S. Army Air Corps color schemes. The fuselage is blue and the wings yellow. The rudder stabilizer has red and white stripes with a blue vertical line at the hinge point. John Pratt, Carl Yunker, Roger Townsend, Jim Barney, and Bob Lusk have been working on this project. The hard part is nearing. This is the installation of the wood covering on the center section and one wing. Bending the plywood around the leading edge is tricky. With a good soaking and maybe some steam the work can be completed. Hopefully, the plane will be ready to fly in the spring of 2011, unless someone purchases the project.
The L-5G, which belongs to Gene Haines and Jim Kriss, has been completed and is part of the VAG aircraft fleet, if you call three aircraft a fleet. It is a beautiful flying aircraft.
The PT-26 that we have been flying needs painting and grounded for maintenance now the PT-19 is flying. We can remove the wing panels and take the aircraft into the shop for a final coat of paint and we will put on the Canadian insignia.
Boshart Aviation, at Batavia NY, installed radios in the PT-19 so that aircraft is ready for long trips.
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
John Pratt has taken on the project of renewing the runway light system. We received a donation of light fixtures to replace the 30 year old light system. The fixtures are being modified by John so that our type light bulbs can be used. Now that winter is approaching, finishing the project will wait for spring.
Larry Morgot, Bob Lusk, Roger Townsend and Bill McCandlish have worked hard on the mowing of taxiways and general lawns. Jim Barney and Cody have been keeping things looking great around the buildings. Lots of work, too few hours. This year was exceptional due to all the rain. Grass never stopped growing in August as we would normally expect. The offices and the display cases have been set up with some of our books and WW II items. The new lobby has some uniforms on display along with a prop and the many books we have. These are available for loan and research. We still have the old rug. Please don't concern yourself about how the rug in the new lobby area looks. It was free and since we have very limited funds, we felt a free used rug was better than no rug at all.
Now that winter is near, snow removal takes the place of mowing. So far, a great early November. No snow up until today, December 3rd.. Oh, how I hate to think of what we will get during the balance of the winter. I have learned to dislike snow.
VAG still could use a powered floor sweeper, a wood chipper and a powered floor polisher. Perhaps, someone knows of such equipment available for donation or possibly with a low enough price so we could purchase it. Also, we can always use tools for the shop. We would be grateful for ANY donations made to VAG and, if you itemize deductions, you would save on your income tax.
Thank you for reading our newsletter. We hope you found it informative and interesting..
Gene Haines
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Vintage Aircraft Group, Inc.
4906 Pine Hill Road, Albion, NY 14411