Past Newsletters

2024 - Lucy Ooi, Editor
December 2024Jim VanKirk flies his PPC to Sky Bryce. Challenger II build project. Jim Hill's Fisher Celebrity.
November 2024Effect of mosaic rules on our kind of flying. Challenger II build moved to Shawn Lillemo's house. JJ Campbell supports the Girl Scout merit badge event at Chesapeake Sport Pilot.
October 2024Thke Club meets at Horse Feathers. PPG pilot Bob Eaheart dies. Steve Beste volunteers at Operation Airdrop.
September 2024Status of our airplane project. An offer of a Challenger II kit. Long's Airport closes. Salvage sale items.
August 2024Call for volunteers for our airplane program. Lucy Ooi retires as newsletter editor. Oshkosh pictures.
July 2024No newsletter this month.
June 2024Grover McCall remembrance. Mark Barron's month–long RV & PPG road trip.
May 2024No newsletter this month.
April 2024Reliability of 2-cycle engines. OK fuel for our plane. Fun for Pilots website.
March 2024No newsletter this month.
February 2024Condition inspection on the Breese. Weight & balance. Mark Barron flies a PPG in Costa Rica. 40-year membership statistics. Board meeting minutes.
January 2024About batteries for your handheld radio. Best 2023 pictures from gyro pilot Kurt Mohr. Refueling our Breese.
2023 - Lucy Ooi, Editor
December 2023A year of miracles getting a Club airplane. Steve Beste's trike trip to far southwest Virginia.
November 2023The Ultimate Hangar Door. John Lewis is planning a trip to Key West in his Kolb. OBX PPG Trip. Avoiding fuel contamination.
October 2023Wings on the Breese, what's next? 3 members get their Ambassador leather jackets. Chuck Tippett gets Horse Feathers. Mark Barron flies the Wingman Challenge (Part 4)
September 2023Rates we'll charge to fly our new airplane. Insurance. The Deal. The 3-day road trip to fetch the new Breese.
August 2023The club finds an airplane! 2023 Poker Run. 1st annual AirDogs Poker Run.
July 2023Newbie Alex Horton's dad flew Weedhoppers when Alex was a kid. Progress on the new Flying Club 1. Mark Barron flies the Wingman Challenge (Part 3).
June 2023Progress on the new Flying Club 1. Procedures for flying into Maples (VG57). Mark Barron flies the Wingman Challenge (Part 2).
May 2023The NEW Flying Club 1 that owns airplanes—the concept, the plan. Procedure for flying into Maples (VG57). Mark Barron flies the Wingman Challenge (Part 1).
April 2023A thriving ownership ultralight flying club in Michigan. Flying Club 1 leaves 7VG0. Pictures from Sun ′n Fun.
March 2023You can now renew online. New runway at Gordonsville. Tom Simmons dives the Spiegel Grove. Story: maintenance styles on a round-the-world solo sailing race. Sunshine in US vs. Europe.
February 2023Airlie's airfield – from 1965 to its recent closure. Lucy Ooi flies Rudolph to Sky Bryce, Tangier Island, and Elkins (twice!).
January 2023What it cost to fly my trike for 17 years. Lucy Ooi & Allen Whatley fly to First Flight.
2022 - Lucy Ooi, Editor
December 2022Mark Barron shows his new electric PPG. Alan White and a proposed flight to West Virginia backcountry fields. Why aviation electric motors are flat.
November 202240 years of Flying Club 1. Construction at Upperville airport. Seasonal pictures. Answers to bridge quiz. JJ Campbell gets more airport stamps.
October 2022Bridge Quiz: name these bridges over the Potomac. Lucy Ooi's Oshkosh, and her flight back.
September 2022Grass airfields open to us—the varieties of ″open″. Lucy Ooi flies to Oshkosh.
August 2022Steve Beste's overnight trike trip to Bermudian Valley, Laura's Landing, Keymar, Eyler's, and Stolcrest. Detailed description of Franklin International.
July 2022Remnant of a poker run. Mark Barron gets his wife aloft.
June 2022Women Can Fly event at KHWY. Jim Hill's Fisher Celebrity. Mark Barron's flamping adventures. Hangar roofs blown off at KHWY.
May 2022How to spread cremains from your aircraft. Fly-in at Bear River. Girl Scouts Youth Aviation Adventure at Bay Bridge.
April 2022Know how to use your radio & GPS. Slow-motion video of a carburetor venturi in action. Lucy Ooi flies her mother to a pumpkin drop at Breezewood.
March 2022Lenn Bros. changes hands. Non-directional beacon NAILR. Lucy Ooi visits Hagerstown airport's restaurant & museum.
February 2022The Trevor Jacob video stunt. Mark builds an AMAZING toy hauler, Part 2.
January 20222021 in review. Mark Barron flies Melbourne Beach in his PPG. Mark builds a toy hauler, Part 1.
2021 - Lucy Ooi, Editor
December 2021Flying while pissed off. The Celebration of Michael O'Daniel's life. Landing pattern quiz discussion.
November 2021The first years of the club — 1982-1986. Keymar and Breezewood fly-ins. Landing pattern quiz. JJ visits Mid-Atlantic Soaring (W73).
October 2021Interactive map of local airport restaurants. Scout aviation merit badge. Wheels for the grill.
September 2021How CALF hosted 6 fly-ins this year. J.J. Campbell lands at Norfolk International. Photo quiz.
August 2021Permission to fly at the Airpark. JJ Campbell flies to 16 airports for a leather jacket. Tim Loehrke is our new cooking czar. Tom Simmons writes a book, A Death in the Keys.
July 2021Steve Beste misses a maintenance clue. The HKS engine. Pictures of the Piper fly-in at Lock Haven. Mark Brown's paracamping trip. 2021 Poker Run.
June 2021Matt Christensen buys the Warrenton Airpark. Kurt Mohr flies his new gyroplane from Albuquerque to Frederick.
May 2021Sean Roe moves to Front Royal. John Franklin's gyroplane. Larry Walker obituary. FAA Wings program and how to get started with it.
April 2021Best PPG video. Ken Wallis flies at 96. Aeronca Chief engine switch, installment completed. History of Daylight Saving Time.
March 2021Where we can land—all Northern Virginia airfields described. Aeronca Chief engine switch, installment #3. Mystery field near Lenn's identified.
February 2021Making videos. Lucy Ooi crosses Canada and tours Michigan grass airstrips.
January 2021Video showing trike in turbulence. Wing loading comparison chart. Monty Betts replaces the engine in his Aeronca. Fixing a runway light controller.
2020 - Lucy Ooi, Editor
December 2020 Barrier to ultralight training: Grass Roots Flyers is now buy-before fly. Monty Betts swaps out the engine on his Aeronca Chief. Quiz: Where's this? Ghost of holiday parties past.
November 2020Color Runs. Guess where this picture was taken. Grumman OV-1 Mohawk.
October 2020Jim Birnbaum steps down after 17 years. Fabian Georges steps up. Mystery location. Paracamping in the Shenandoah Valley.
September 2020Cloud clearance and low-flying rules. Flugschule Dolmar, a club like ours in Germany. Two local uncharted airfields: Boyd and Szabolscky.
August 2020Caleb Kenna's aerial pictures. Mike McMellon takes his daughter for a flight. Mark Barron: You never forget your first solo.
July 2020Steve Beste flies past Dahlgren. J.J. Campbell masters the SFRA. The pleasure of sharing: Mark Barron takes his son and his father on PPG flights. Poker Run pictures.
June 2020Turns around a point. Fort Valley International. How one instructor lets students solo who don't own an aircraft.
May 2020Meeting by Zoom during the pandemic. New rules for Fox Acres. More ideas to fight cabin fever. Member flights last month. Helping each other fly safely. How to use Zoom.
April 2020Staying home. Michael O'Daniel remembrance. Ideas to fight cabin fever. J.J. Campbell decides not to get a gyroplane after all. He buys a Tecnam.
March 2020Website redesign. Sean Roe installs ADS-B in his Challenger.
February 2020Flying past the Dahlgren restricted area. J.J. Campbell earns his Sport Pilot license. Mastering crosswinds.
January 2020PPG trikes and training. Martinsburg (KMRB).
2019 - Lucy Ooi, Editor
December 20192019 Color Run. Mark Barron's 360-degree PPG videos.
November 2019Steve Beste flies his trike to southern VA airports getting Ambassador stamps. Chart: effect of wind on round-trip flights. Online E6B.
October 2019Toledo Buzzards - inexpensive flight training. Robert Meadows flies his Piper Vagabond to Kitty Hawk.
September 2019Three West Virginia grass airfields. Aircraft fllying in to the August meeting. Quiz time: LZ Blackhorse. North American & European Cities Transposed.
August 2019Henry Scott flies an ultralight to Oshkosh. Oshkosh Seaplane Base. Oshkosh in pictures from Lucy Ooi.
July 20192019 Poker Run. Windy.com. Missing Man formation at Conrad Miller's interment. Frank Noe & Kurt Mohr show gyros at the Udvar-Hazy. How to talk on the radio like a pilot.
June 2019History of Shreveport North fly-ins. Library display. Ed Olbon at Springfest. Virginia Airheart flies. The Traveling Salesman problem solved.
May 2019Eastern Shore flight & estimating the duration of a trip. Around the world in an autogyro. Autogyos at the Airpark. Misconceptions about flying #11 - Tools for low & slow navigation.
April 2019A perfect jerry can. Sean Roe & Rob Donato. Local airports with restaurants!
March 2019Sales of new light aircraft compared. Misconceptions about flying #10 - Visual guides to navigation.
February 2019Club website statistics. Misconceptions about flying #9 - GPS continued.
January 2019Tory Tippett got married. Misconceptions about flying #8 - GPS.
2018 - Lucy Ooi, Editor
December 2018New website showing LSA data. Upperville Airport. Tom Simmons' blog - Old Guy Diving
November 2018Fake flying videos. Tom Simmons says farewell. Sky Bryce.
October 2018Flight to Altoona, Horseshoe Curve, and the Allegheny Portage Railroad. Larry Walker thank you. Shannon Air Museum.
September 2018xkcd comic about borders. Misconceptions about flying #7 - air density. Oshkosh photos.
August 2018All about gyroplanes. What you need to know about ADS-B.
July 2018Tom Simmons, Pat Tyler, & Rob Doak move on. Tom Simmons' last flight. John Lewis & his airfield. Misconceptions about flying #6 - weight & balance 2.
June 2018Horse Feathers airport. Misconceptions about flying #5 - weight & balance 1.
May 2018Sun 'n Fun. How to measure the height of trees. Misconceptions about flying #4 - downwind turns.
April 2018Maker Faire. Misconceptions about flying #3 - overbanking.
March 2018John Williams. 66 airports - the Ambassador program. Wind speeds last year. Member map. Hangar availability. Misconceptions about flying #2 - stalls.
February 2018Could you land an airliner? French birdman flies with geese. Misconceptions about flying #1 - how a wing really produces lift.
January 20182017 volunteer awards. Dick Martin's ADS-B out solution. 2018 schedule.
2017 - Lucy Ooi, Editor
December 2017Flying the 3/4 Scale SE5A British Fighter. The Great American Eclipse.
November 2017Shenandoah Valley poker run. Lucy Ooi's travels in her Bellanca.
October 2017Kitty Hawk flight. South Carolina Breakfast Club.
September 2017Shenandoah Valley Airfields. Robert Meadows' 3/4-scale 1917 fighter.
August 2017Club 4 4th of July. Eyler Field. Harrison Field. Leaky Carbs. Trenton Flyers Candy Drop.
July 20172017 Poker Run. Tom Simmons' plans for circling the Statue of Liberty. Local airfield update.
June 2017The Dunning-Kruger Effect. Upcoming flight to Kitty Hawk. Funny tool descriptions. Greenville, SC flying.
May 2017Conrad Miller and Fox Acres. Bing carburetor float problem.
April 2017Tree cutting at Front Royal. Go/No-Go Decisions. Navigation as a way to touch the transcendent
March 2017Warm-winter flying. Air Force jams GPS. Are downwind turns really any different from upwind turns?
February 2017Instructor Dan Wroe on getting access to an airplane and learning to fly. Gliders in Germany's Fulda Gap, before the war and now.
January 2017Holiday party. Member map. Gross weight & LSA.
2016 - Lucy Ooi, Editor
December 2016Swastika in the trees. Aviation museum at Shannon. Color Run.
November 2016Building Air-Cams. Tom Richards and Naga Talluri fly to Alabama and back.
October 2016September meeting was at Shannon. Hummel Fly-in. Quiz time - which historic estate is it?
September 2016Tom Simmons flies around the Statute of Liberty. 1940 logbook found; airplane still flying.
August 2016Steve Beste & Peter Richter rebuild their trike. Frank Thompson's birthday. Abid Farooqui warns against a scam.
July 2016Poker Run. Lee Fox's Grand Tour of the US in his Mooney.
June 2016Luther Taylor, master machinist. Airpark History, aircraft incidents 2002 - 2016. Aeronautical charts online.
May 2016What happened to Gyrocopter guy and the aerostat. Airpark History, 2004-present. Angkor Wat by air.
April 2016Navigation aids in 1920. Airpark History, 1992-2004. Mountain wave turbulence.
March 2016Trike rebuild (1). Airpark History, 1963-1992. Field trip to Udvar-Hazy museum.
February 2016On things breaking. Airpark History, 1948-1962. No.VA Pilots' Town Hall.
January 2016Chuck Tippett honored. Jim Heidish retires. Airpark History, 1936-1948. Tree removal at the Airpark.
2015 - Lucy Ooi, Editor
December 2015Selection bias. Jim Hill solos! Airpark History, part 1: Overall timeline.
November 2015Three crashes.
October 2015Map vs. turn-by-turn navigation. Drive-in movies. Two-cycle engines & ethanol.
September 2015West Virginia trip. Jim Hill solos! Airpark area to avoid. Quiz time - Drive-in movie. What is civil twilight?
August 2015Danger Jet. Electronic log books. Carbon monoxide hazard.
July 2015Poker Run. Dick Walker memoriam. South African Helicopter Flight. Portable fuel containers.
June 2015Shannon airport. Plastic funnel ignites while refueling. Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot
May 2015Gyrocopter guy lands at the Capitol. Lucy Ooi flies to the Antique Airplane Association fly-in. Monty Betts' Aeronca Chief. Danger from small towers.
April 2015In praise of partnerships. Prepare your plane for spring flying. Map stuff: Antipodes; Island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island.
March 2015How low can you fly? Tom Simmons flies into Dulles. West Virginia adds aviation to recreational use law.
February 2015Trike tourism. Tom Richards flies to Birmingham & back. How to overlay Sectional data on Google satellite view.
January 2015Holiday Party & awards. Tall corn narrowed the runway; accident. Pyramid quiz answer.
2014 - Lucy Ooi, Editor
December 2014Manufacturer Allistair Wilson fixes Don Sheehan's Astra trike. Quiz: Pyramid. 2013 Color Run.
November 2014Color Run. AOPA fly-in.
October 2014Hummel fly-in. Middletown Aeronca fly-in.
September 2014Hangar homes. Tennis courts of Fauquier County. Pete Bastien, CFI.
August 2014Rich Ramos flies the Delaplane valley in his PPG. Lucy Ooi and the Somerset, PA, fly-in. Flight training: are we teaching what we should?
July 2014John Franklin's gyro. Poker Run! Lucy Ooi reaches home.
June 2014New Club 1 flyers. FPV drones. Track your flights on Google Maps. Electronic map. Lucy Ooi flies her Aeronca Champ to Arkansas.
May 2014Join the aviation advocacy organizations. Letter to the FAA. Check your safety directives! Culpeper Airport. PPG flying.
April 2014Snowy winter. HKS quits. Flight school says no. John Corradi flies T-6 & Mustang. Stafford Airport. Ravi the Aviator. Hackerspace.
March 2014Plans for a shared-ownership club. Cost-of-ownership spreadsheet. Gordonsville Airport. Lucy Ooi reaches Page, AZ, heading east.
February 2014Addicted to your GPS? Warrenton-Fauquier Airport. The obstacles to getting started with ultralight airplanes.
January 2014Jake Riley to Scaled Composites. Terri Sipantzi exits. Lee Fox arrives - his story. AWOS technology.
2013 - Lucy Ooi, Editor
December 2013Local AWOS phone numbers & frequencies. Proposal for a computer projector. Class D tower talk. Lucy Ooi flies Arizona.
November 2013Propeller fell off. Airpark work party. The impossible turn. Navigation by rainbow. Poker Run in the ADIZ.
October 2013Replace both or just one? - the Waddington effect. Airplane title cautionary tale. New fire extinguishers. J.D. Ingram.
September 2013Fly-by-wire Challenger. Agama PPG water rescue system. Rich Ramos, new PPG pilot. Local train tracks.
August 2013Gotta Fly 2013. Chart coverage while flying. AWOS deployment schedule.
July 2013Become A Pilot Day. Women-Can-Fly Day. Shreveport Fly-in. Fallen Oak Fly-in. Historic Spitfire film.
June 2013Lenn Bros. field. ADM (part5). Lucy Ooi reaches Arizona, heading east.
May 2013Wing fabric testing with a Bettsometer. ADM (part 4). Lucy Ooi flies her Aeronca Champ from California.
April 2013Virginia wind map. Frederick tower closing. Woodridge Airport (VG52). ADM (part3). Don & Melodee Sheehan fly the Nazca lines in Peru.
March 2013Flying to the Fallen Oak B&B. Ultralighting in Peru. Aeronautical Decision Making (part 2).
February 2013FAA threatens to de-certify Virginia weight-shift DPEs. Aeronautical Decision Making (part 1). Lesson about cheap parts.
January 2013Lucy Ooi, newsletter editor. Flying into the FRZ and the isolated "DC3"airports.
2012 - Autumn Aceto, Editor
December 2012Tom Dymond's PPG crash. Tom Richards' new projects. 2012 Color Run finally run. No market for trikes $30K-$55K.
November 2012Bing carburetor mixture adjustment for winter. How to replace the tires.
October 2012The PPC vs. the radar in West Virginia.
September 2012Wounded Warrior Nick Vogt. Understanding lift.
August 2012Liability for passengers. Tower practice at Frederick.
July 2012Poker Run. Father's Day Fly-in. PPGs at Campbell Field
June 2012Games day pictures. Passports by luft-trike. Getting around Frederick Class D. Gyro lesson.
May 2012A ride in the skydivers' airplane; its flight path. Ian Coristine's book.
April 2012What will replace the Rotax 447 & 503?
March 2012Virginia shields airport owners from liability for recreational aviation.
February 2012Frederick going Class D. How to shoot down an ultralight. Harris airport for sale.
January 2012Flights to Gordonsville, Lake Anna, and Sky Bryce.
2011 - Autumn Aceto, Editor
December 2011Ian Coristine. Underwater mystery.
November 2011Visitor stats. PPG cross-country from Pickles to the Airpark. Dick Martin transits the SFRA to Cambridge.
October 2011FAA proposes changes to the Dulles Class B airspace.
September 2011Latitude & longitude formats.
August 2011Propeller safety. Ground Observer Corps. Ultralights in law enforcement.
July 2011Parachute clinic. Dick Martin on LSA flying and his flight to Kitty Hawk.
June 2011The Dept. of Justice promotes light flyers. Gyroplanes.
May 2011Gordonsville Airport. Pat & Linda Tyler flying in South Texas
April 2011R&D. Invitation to test ADIZ security in November.
March 2011Getting retrieved when you land out. How hang glider pilots do it. SPOT GPS device.
February 2011Heated clothing. PPG-balloon collision. Dick Martin & Pete Bastien fly to Tangier Island.
January 2011Holiday Party. Jay Aceto story.
2010 - Autumn Aceto, Editor
December 2010Lake House. FAA re-registration plan.
November 2010Dick Martin's report of the Color Run, with pictures.
October 2010PPG weekend on the Shenandoah. Trikefest East.
September 2010Picking a field - lessons from hang glider pilots. PPGs with balloons. Flight planning over hazardous terrain.
August 2010FAA re-registration dates. Lloyd Peterson's flight to Campbell Field on the Eastern Shore.
July 2010Diversion to alternate. Father's Day Fly-In. Pat Tyler flies the Bay. Jay Aceto gets his license.
June 2010Sharing the Airpark with the sky divers. Memorial ceremony. Everytrail.com.
May 2010Corrosion and foreign matter in Bing carburetors.
April 2010Pat Tyler trike video. Cool PPG pictures by Keith Dowgewicz.
March 2010Gorgeous winter pictures of the Airpark. Larry Walker Cessna flight.
February 2010Denny Demeter article from 1996.
January 201022-year-old Jake Riley. Greg Palmer flies his 172 to Lancaster, PA.
2009 - Kim Alt, Editor
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October 2009PPGs in the mountains: Front Royal to Woodstock
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2008 - Kim Alt, Editor
December 2008Airlie
November 2008Trike crash (no injuries)
October 2008 
September 2008Loyd Peterson flies to Oshkosh again
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July 2008Testing for alcohol in fuel
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March 2008PPG Flying Circus, Francisco Grande, Arizona
February 2008Flying the SR-71
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2007 - Kim Alt, Editor
December 2007Trike & trailer shakedown trip
November 2007Loyd Peterson flies to Kolb homecoming in Kentucky
October 2007Safety Officer Dave Riedel's engine out forced landing
September 2007Loyd Peterson flies to Oshkosh
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2006 - Lew Clement, Editor
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2005 - Lew Clement, Editor
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July 2005Fly-in at 7VG0 with spot landings and bomb drops. Meetings still in the evenings, now at Centreville High School.
2004 - Lew Clement, Editor
March 2004Beatley Field (later the Warrenton Airpark) is for sale. [Bought in April by Tom Richards.]
February 2004After difficulties, insurance for ultralights is now available through USUA and First Flight.
2003 - Lew Clement, Editor
December 2003Three club members died in two crashes.
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April 2003USUA membership has steadily declined until it is now $47,000 in debt. Club 1 memberships remains about 50.
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1990 - Tom Simmons, Editor
December 1990Complaints about how few members volunteer. The return flight from Jimmy Stewart field. Year-end member roster.
November 19909 members flew 5 flights or more this year. Median: 8. Engine out on take-off.
October 1990"1990 saw a resuscitation of the club" The club will host a 2nd fly-in at Whitman's. Flight to Jimmy Stewart Field (KIDI).
July 1990Club 1 fly-in at Whitman's a success. Excitement about the prospective flight to Corning. (Although the newsletter recounting that flight is missing, it DID happen, memorably.)
June 1990Interesting Flight stories #2, 3 & 4. Tom Simmons dreams of an overnight trip to Kitty Hawk.
May 1990Flight into invisible electrical wires (no injuries).
April 1990A program of Mystery Flights started - destination chosen when the flyers gather. Plans for an unsupported trip to Corning, NY, in July. Building a Rans S-9. Airports that welcome ultralights.
March 1990USUA Club 6 has these 12 fly-outs scheduled this year. The first of several "interesting flight" accounts - scary flights.
January 1990Ed Whitman spars successfully with the Fauquier County Board. (Not for the last time.)
1989 - Rob Brooke, Editor
December 1989More on radios in ultralights.
November 1989Members urged to get radios. Insurance is now available through USUA. Club 6 fly-in at West Point.
October 1989Dangerous hot-dog flying at recent fly-ins. Flight to Tangier Island.
September 1989Non-fatal crash. 6 ultralights fly 90 miles to Kentmorr.
August 19895 ultralights fly to Shannon & Maryland Airport.
July 1989Just go. The weather may be better than forecast. Propeller safety.
June 1989Fly-out to Club 6 in Tidewater - how another USUA club works. Cross-country to Harford, MD.
May 1989Tom Simmons crashes his new Quicksilver. Ferry flight from Clearview. Orange County cross-country.
April 1989 Accident report (no injuries). Building a Rans S-9. More on Flight Simulator. Update on Whitman vs. County.
March 1989Ed Whitman recovered. Details of the dealings with the county re. the field. Cross-country flights are the top interest of club members. 1989 plan: 12 fly-outs & 2 fly-ins.
February 1989Ed Whitman suffers serious illness. Club members involve themselves with the county on his behalf. Microsoft Flight Simulator 3.0.
January 1989Whitman Strip re-opened.
1988 - Rob Brooke, Editor
December 1988Whitman Strip closed until Ed Whitman & the county sort out their issues. Rob Brooke flies his newly-built Firestar to Clearview (2W2) and back.
November 1988Flight to Mexico Farms (1W3).
October 1988USUA folds its registration operations. AVEMCO stops insuring ultralights. Club 1 ultralights no longer welcome at EAA fly-ins because no insurance.
September 1988Suggestion to require USUA licensing of pilots at Whitman's. Cross-country to Luray.
August 1988USUA tells FAA that people are not getting USUA registrations & checkrides.
June 1988Six flyers go the Winchester fly-in despite 25mph headwind and running out of gas. 7 planes to Orange Cty. Buddy system described. Final on the Firestar project.
May 1988Using your airspeed indicator. Members urged to lobby for AOPA's alternative to the Mode C veil rule. Stits aircraft dope. Firestar project.
April 1988 Using your altimeter. The big EAA 186 fly-in at Winchester. FAA proposes the Mode C veil rule. [As eventually passed, it exempts aircraft with no "engine-driven electrical system".] Firestar project.
March 1988Using your compass. More on the Firestar project. The 1988 flying schedule: 7 fly-outs, 3 fly-ins at Whitman.
February 1988New hangars at Whitman Strip. More on the Firestar project. Navigating with a sectional chart [in an era before GPS].
January 1988A call for more ultralight instructors. Should we own a 2-place trainer? Progress on Rob Brooke's Kolb Firestar.
1987 - Rob Brooke, Editor
December 1987More concern about irresponsible flying at Whitman Strip. New rules. Appeals for members to change their attitude when flying there.
October 1987Rob Brooke builds a Kolb Firestar - the first of several reports.
September 1987Ed Whitman is getting fed up with irresponsible "sensational" flying behavior. The new rules for Whitman Strip.
August 1987The fly-in at Whitman had a dozen ultralights, 3 Cessna 140s and a Cessna 170. We need to stop flying like idiots at Whitman.
July 1987Marriage as a hazard to ultralight flying. Flight to Sky Bryce (65 miles).
June 1987Thwarted by rain, flyers to Winchester landed at Upperville and Harris.
April 1987Club 1 plans 3 fly-outs and 3 fly-ins planned. Plus a trip to the Air & Space restoration facility.
March 1987Building a pole hangar at Whitman's. Flight from Whitman's to Easton, MD at 40mph.
January 1987Tom Simmons debuts as safety officer. Membership roster (68 members).
1986 - Rob Brooke, Editor
December 1986A great year! Summary of successes. Kudos to Ed Whitman. Care of wooden props.
November 1986Clothes for flying in cold weather. Virginia requires airmen to be licensed with the state.
October 1986Why members should join USUA. The Colibri badge program of the National Microlight Association - requirements for Bronze, Silver, and Gold badges.
September 1986We leave EAA as they won't allow co-membership with USUA. Members vote on WHAT THE CLUB'S PURPOSE SHOULD BE. Ten ULs fly to Galesville and get stuck there. USUA's proposed changes to Part 103.
August 1986Report of the July fly-in at Whitman's. Map of new IAD/DCA airspace. Picking a good landing-out field when your engine dies. New: Rules for flying at Whitman's.
July 1986Quicksilver stolen from Whitman's. Flying Circus Spring Ultralight Festival poorly attended. The joy of fly-ins.
June 1986Account of the April competition event. 13 planes showed up. Plans for another competition at Whitman's in May. Engine failure in ultralights. Power-off landing exercises.
May 1986Agenda for a big fly-in, competition, and camp-out at Whitman's in April.
March 1986Joined USUA as Flying Club 1, the first USUA chapter. Lots of fields, not just Whitman's. Most members own a plane. Construction of two ultralight hangars at Whitman's. Wind chill chart.
1985 - Bob Breedon, Editor
December 1985The club is looking for a catchier name than just EAA UL Chapter 44. Charlie Maples buys a Cessna 140. The ultralight insurance picture.
November 1985An account of the Fauquier County hearing that got Ed Whitman a 3-year OK for his airfield.
October 1985Ed Whitman opens his field to us. Whitman's work with the county to get the field approved.
March 1985Agenda and pilot qualifications for the 3rd Annual Spring Flying Circus Ultralight Festival. Member Pat Derry climbs his Quicksilver to over 20,000', setting a record.
February 1985NTSB says it will cease any involvement with ultralights. AOPA washes its hands of ultralights. Chapter plans for the coming year.
January 1985John Ballantyne leaves AOPA and founds the U.S. Ultralight Association. Reprint of the first newsletter of the new USUA.
1984 - Bob Chapman, Editor
December 1984The letter from AOPA Air Safety Foundation (ASF) transferring all of its ultralight operations to the newly-formed United States Ultralight Foundation.
November 1984Fly-ins at Winchester and Shenandoah Valley (6 club members flew in). Rumors continue of more regulation of ultralights. CB radios for ultralights.
September 1984Bob Chapman flies his 11hp Lazair 65 miles to the College Park Air Fair. Chapman reports on 1st FAA review of Part 103 - manufacturers & states call for more regulation.
July 1984Calendar. For sale. No articles.
June 1984Letter to Paul Poberezny summarizing the ultralight world here: misunderstood, not always welcome, no unified voice to the FAA or airport managers, uncertainty about FAA's next moves.
May 1984Agenda and pilot qualifications for the 2nd Annual Spring Flying Circus Ultralight Festival. EAA's Paul Poberezny warns about fat ultralights, endorses an FAA ultralight license.
April 1984Sun 'n Fun report. Letter from EAA's Paul Poberezny advocating for the FAA to register ultralights as aircraft to pre-empt local restrictions.
March 1984Static display of a Weehopper at Tysons Mall. John Ballantyne on AOPA's work to get its certification system in place.
February 1984EAA now offers UL insurance. Pressure on the FAA to require training to operate an ultralight. How to crimp cables.
January 19842 members purchase Phantom ultralight kits. A year ago Woodbridge Airport refused ultralights; now they have a Phantom dealer there.
1983 - Bob Pendleton, Editor
September 19831st Annual Flying Circus Ultralight Festival. >12 ultralights competed. Then 7 flew over as part of the Sunday airshow. All Sunburst, Weedhopper and Eagle IIs grounded pending parts replacements.
August 1983Elections will be held in October.
May 1983Arcola/Glascock field welcomes ultralights - but caution: it's close to Dulles.
April 1983NTSB is pushing FAA strongly for a standardized accident reporting system for ultralights. EAA's insurer drops ultralights. AVEMCO adds them. Photo of your ultralight wanted for the bulletin board.
March 198340 people at the last meeting. Many programs launched: educational, fly-ins, mall shows, audio-visual ground school. EAA 186 invites us to a fly-in at Harbor View Airport/Marina.
February 1983AOPA rep presented their rules for AOPA-sanctioned ultralight competitions. AOPA claims 5,000 members in its ultralight division.
January 1983New Virginia require 5 hours of training for ultralight pilots. Ultralights must be registered with the state. FAA, EAA, AOPA and states meet to figure out how to do this.
1982 - Bob Pendleton, Editor
December 1982The club created and incorporated as EAA Chapter 44 with 23 members. First meeting November 4, 1982. Goals: 1) Represent ultralight interests. 2) Find an airfield for flying and storage of ultralights.

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