10/9
Winter is coming and so are the Grassfield monthly meetings. Join us this Friday, October 10th, at the Osseo Community Center, 415 Central Ave, Osseo, MN 55369 7pm-9pm. The topic for the meeting will be preparing for winter! Batteries, engines and airframes need winter prep in order to survive the ravages of Minnesota weather. Bring your suggestions and questions, and join in sharing your insights on winter prep. Sean Haugen will be leading the meeting.
Naturally, there will be a raffle to benefit the activities of the club. The airplane choice this month will be the Hangar 9 J3 Cub and the EFlite 4site flat foamie. In addition there will be a lot of other goodies to choose should your lucky number get called.
Show and tell is always fun at the meetings. If you have something new to show or have an experience to share please do so.
Good news on the legal front. 5 Sons and 2 Daughters LLC (the land owners) have been totally dismissed from any legal liability. They face no threat of legal action going forward. Grassfield has had 2 counts of liability dismissed as well. We still face some legal challenges that will be negotiated in the future.
Unfortunately for me, I will not be able to be with you as I am forced to inspect the interior of an Airbus A330-900 while winging to a vacation. I will see you at the November meeting if not at the field later this month.
Ciao!
Charly
9/30
Greetings!
Summer is over and what a summer it was. Our events went quite well with outstanding participation from club members and spectators. At the Big Bird event poor Greg Hempkin and his daughter couldn’t keep up with lunch orders. Our $5 lunch is a good money maker for the club. Because we are getting more and more spectators at our events, it was decided at the last board meeting to take advantage of late season sales and purchase a Blackstone griddle to increase the food production capabilities during events. It was $150 off and it arrived yesterday.
Please be aware that Grassfield will be closed to everyone Saturday Sept. 27th until 3pm due to Pylon Racing.
Tuesday September 30th will conclude Tuesday Night Training for the season. We had a very busy training season with over 20 individuals learning to fly.
October 1st, the annual membership renewal portal will open on the website. It will remain open until March 31st. If you do not renew your membership by April 1st, the joke’s on you as you will incur an initiation fee. Marc Salzl has worked hard to prepare the membership badges and is ready for mass mailings.
Friday, October 10th is our first winter indoor meeting. It will be at the Osseo Community Center starting at 7pm. Sean Haugen will be leading the meeting. Our topic will be “Winterization – How not to Burn Your House Down from Lipo Fires and Other Important Stuff”. It will be a good review of standard practice or great information for those of you who are new to this hobby. Coffee and snacks will be offered and there will be the usual raffel with some cool items up for grabs.
One final note: Mark Reagan, the landowner, likes to see the field neat and tidy especially as winter approaches. I would like to enlist everyone’s help in organizing and stacking chairs after you use them to prevent them from blowing around in the wind and getting frozen in snow drifts. It is important that we keep the landowners happy. October 31st, garbage and PortaPotty service will end. Please take any trash home with you and refrain from using the PortaPotty after Halloween. Thank you.
Blue Skies;
Charly
9/4
Welcome to meteorological fall!
As our summer comes to an end, I hope everyone has had a good summer and looks forward to a fantastic fall flying season complete with lots of pumpkin spice in everything. Speaking of pumpkins, they are getting big. Should you find yourself out in the pumpkin patch looking for a wayward air machine, please use utmost care and not step on the vines as it will cause the attached pumpkins to be robbed of essential nutrients. When the pumpkin harvest commences, it is our policy to halt all flying over the harvesters. We cannot afford to have an out of control airplane injure a farm worker.
We have two more events for the season. The Fall Swap Meet this Sunday, September 07, 9am-1pm. If you have unwanted items, turn it into cash. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Finally we have our annual Big Bird Fun Fly, Saturday September 13th Flag drop is at 9:45. Dust off the biggest bird you have and join in the fun. There will be a raffle, 50/50 and of course $5 lunch. I hope to see everyone come out to fly and help out with the tasks involved in running an event. My wish is to see a larger turnout than we had for National Model Aviation Day,(we had great club participation for that event)! There should be a good spectator turnout to wow with your flying skills.
Finally, we are trying to come up with winter club meeting ideas. If you have some information/skills to share with the club or have a subject matter you would like to have someone cover in a presentation, please let us know. There are 5 meetings during the winter where we have the ability to share information. Construction techniques, radio programming, aeronautical theory, history etc. are all great subject matter. Please give us your ideas.
Blue Skies
Charly
8/10
Good Morning!
I was notified yesterday that Kare 11 News would like to cover our event with live segments from 8am-10am (I think 3 different times). I would like FULL participation and have the PITT area filled with planes and lots of pilots committed to being there by 8am! Joey has a tentative performance schedule set up and I will be working on getting commitments from the pilots doing the performances. In between the performances, we will be sending up buddy box trainers and have open flying so the skies have planes in it the entire time. MY GOAL is to have 50 members show up and fly next Saturday.
I am also looking for 2 additional laptops with RealFlight installed, with either a corded transmitter or a wireless dongle paired with a transmitter and manned for public/kids to try their hand at RC simulated flying. Mine will be available and I hope to get two more up and running.
Drone Flyers!!!! Can we get some demos of drone flying and some footage of our event to use on our social media? THANKS IN ADVANCE!
In the event the parking gets congested, The church across the street has graciously agreed to allow us to use their parking lot. If it gets to that point we will need someone to coordinate overflow parking.
We will also need volunteers to sell raffle and 50/50 tickets as well as a BBQ team to cook and serve lunch.
I would love this to be a huge event and show the Twin Cities what the largest RC club in the midwest has to offer. If you will commit to helping out next Saturday (Aug 16) please give me a quick email at ctskalbeck@gmail.com (so as not to clog the club’s email), indicating you will be there.
Thank you!
Charly
ctskalbeck@gmail.com
7/8
Good Morning!
Yesterday the NMAD planning team got together to further plan in detail our August 16th show for the community.
The purpose of the show is to bring attention to our unique hobby and showcase our club, promoting model aviation in conjunction with AMA. This year AMA has chosen Wounded Warrior Project as their partnered charity. A portion of receipts will benefit military veterans who served our country. We are reaching out to local news outlets to see if any would like to cover our event. We are coordinating with the Civil Air Patrol to have them demonstrate their search and rescue capabilities as well as showcase their organization with a booth/tent. There is a possibility for local flight schools to also have a presence.
The main showcase for the public will be ongoing flight demonstrations using our club members and their planes as the stars of the show. Joey Mattson has put together a schedule for the show. I’m asking for firm commitments from our club members (approx. 190 members) to help us fill up the sky with airplanes. As the schedule states, we need people to fly their planes using their specific interests that showcases the diversity of our club activities. If you are interested, please email Joey Mattson (joemattson216@gmail.com) asap to let him know of your commitment to flying at the event.
In addition to flying commitments, we will need help with general set up, announcements/audio, food prep, raffle sales, 50/50 sales, and Wounded Warrior donations. There are plans on setting up 2-3 Realflight simulator computers with dongles for people to try RC flying with simulators. My computer will be there and I would like others who have a laptop and RealFlight with a wireless dongle to consider helping with that booth. The computers will need volunteers to constantly monitor the booth and give instruction
Between flying acts, we are planning on having 3 aeroscounts giving buddy box demos to the public with 5 min flights. The instructors will take off and land the aeroscout and hand the plane over to the student, taking over control when needed. You will need to bind an aeroscout to your Spectrum radio and use the wireless trainer program to bind to the student radio. I can teach volunteers how to do that as well as give some “how to train/when to take over” tips. Grassfield has 2 sets of radios as well as a few DXE’s to use in the training. Additional radios for use that day would be welcome. Please email me (ctkskalbeck@gmail.com) if you would like to be part of the buddy box team.
I hope we can get a huge turnout of club members helping out with this event. I thank you in advance for your commitment.
Next Event: mark your calendars for Saturday July 26th and come fly and help out at our 4th annual Jet Fun Fly.
Any jet is eligible to participate. The main raffle prize will be your choice of airplane, featuring the EFlight
Habu XS (eXtra Sport) 80mm EDF BNF Basic with AS3X+ and SAFE Select
See you at the field.
Charly
6/22
Good Morning!
It’s been a busy month so far. I was able to finally fly the MB330 jet down in Owatonna during the Jet funfly last week. The Saturday TCRC invasion was a washout with fog, drizzle and winds. Lunch was good but unfortunately the flying was minimal.
Next Saturday, June 28th, is our very own Warbird Funfly. Along with some fun flying of warbirds of any size, shape or color, there will be the usual $5 hamburger/hot dog lunch, 50/50 drawing and a fundraising raffle. The main raffle prize is the 20cc, 67 inch Hangar 9 P-47 ARF designed by Ali Machinchy, as well as many other items.
(https://www.horizonhobby.com/product/p-47d-thunderbolt-20cc-arf-67/HAN2990B.html)
Make space in your summer for Grassfield RC Club’s 4th annual Jet Fly, July 26th. Come fly your EDF, turbine, flat foam jet or any other flying object that is made to look like a jet. The raffle prize will be…. you guessed it, a JET. The E-Flight Habu XS (eXtra Sport) 80mm EDF BNF Basic with AS3X+ and SAFE Select EFL02450
August 16th is National Model Aviation Day and Grassfield is hosting the public with an airshow that will feature many aspects of our hobby. Joey Mattson is putting together a schedule of flying “acts” that will showcase our skills and hobby. Once we finalize a show outline we will be asking for volunteers to fly some sort of routine for the public. We are also formulating plans to have simulator stations that will allow the public to try their hand at flying and possibly, instructors buddy boxing with the club’s AeroScouts. This show will highlight Grassfield RC Club as one of the largest clubs in the US and one of the few remaining clubs in a major metropolitan area.
On a somewhat somber note, someone driving on HWY 169 reached out to the club wondering if anyone was able to recover their orange and white plane from the northbound lane of 169. Increasingly, I, as well as others, are witnessing airplanes flying over the roads, both 101st, 169, and the 610 on-ramp. Flying over the roads is a violation of AMA Regulations and club rules. It puts the club and the pilot in a very serious legal situation should there be an injury or property damage. It jeopardizes the very existence of our 40+ year old club. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, tighten up your flying pattern and stay within the FRIA boundaries. If you need help with your flying skills we are always happy to review techniques, offer advice and instruction. Thank you for your attention to this issue.
See you at the field.
Blue Skies
Charly
5/11HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!
Between drowning worms on Fishing Opener and celebrating Moms on their day (quid pro quo, = time allowed at the field), the field is looking pretty barren this weekend. The field itself is in great shape and the new layout is seeming to work well.
We are now officially allowed to fly up to 700ft AGL. Due to our close proximity to many Twin Cities satellite airports and hospital helipads, we often get low flying general aviation traffic overhead. In EVERY case, manned aircraft have the right of way. It is OUR responsibility to see and avoid manned aircraft. A good habit we should get into is loudly calling out such traffic just like we do with takeoffs and landings. This 700 foot increase is site specific and is only valid during sunrise to sunset. If you are flying at a park you are still restricted to 400ft.
May starts our summer flying season and our event season. At least once a month through September, Grassfield will be hosting an event open to any AMA member. I have sent out an email to clubs throughout the 5 state area inviting them to our events. The first event we will be hosting will be our spring swap meet. If you have stuff you want to get rid of, please come out on May 18th and display your wares. Remember someone’s junk is someone else’s treasure! The following Saturday, May 24th, is our flying kickoff, the annual Del Berryman Memorial Fun Fly honoring those who have flown west and taken their final flight. As always there will be lunch available, raffel and lots of flying and music. Please consult the website for the dates of the rest of our events. If you would like to volunteer and help us run our events please show up (or contact us) and ask us how you can pitch in. Thanks!
The Racers are starting their season in May with 7 races throughout the summer. The first race is May 17th and the rest of the race dates are posted on the event schedule on the website (https://grassfieldrc.org/?page_id=28). Due to an abundance of safety, the field will be off limits to spectators until 3pm on race days. If you are looking for flying opportunities on May 17th, Bob Breisemeiser, from TCRC called and invited us to join them at Bush Lake for their Float Fly. It could be a lot of fun (https://tcrconline.com/events.php).
Pencil June 14th in on your calendars and plan a little road trip to Jordan. TCRC has invited Grassfield to invade their club for an interclub Fun Fly. I’ve never been to their field and am excited to experience flying on the river bottom. This will be the second year for the interclub fly-in.
The weather is getting better by the day. Tuesday training is now available. For those new members who need a checkout, please show up on Tuesday evenings so we can get you checked out and enjoy full flying privileges. The checkout is very informal and quick. The instructors are usually there by 3-4pm. If Tuesdays do not work for your schedule please feel free to contact me by text or voice (218-310-4507) and we can arrange a time to meet.
I hope you have a great Sunday spending time with the mothers in your lives. See you at the field soon.
Blue skies,
Charly
4/13
Happy Sunday!
Yesterday we had a large turnout for spring clean up and a lot was accomplished. Detritus that accumulated over the winter was cleaned up, Junk in the woods was cut apart and organized, ready to take to the recyclers to help the clubs coffers. Thanks to everyone who worked hard yesterday
You will see some changes in the field and layout of the field. The frequency board was taken down as it was obsolete and obstructed the view of the flight line. Currently the first aid kits are located on a post in the lean-to until a cabinet can be constructed to house them. The broken up barrier fences were eliminated and the flight line was moved back about 10-15 feet. This was done in conjunction with a reorganization of the flight line and pit area. Over the course of the winter, Safety Coordinator George Hausler, came up with a plan to make the flight line, start areas and pits safer and simpler. A diagram of the new layout is attached to this email. In a nutshell, the entire infield is the Pit with NO operations allowed at any time. We are asking that all aircraft, fuel and electric, be brought out to the start box and started or armed within the confines of the start box. We especially ask that electric planes be plugged in at the start line to avoid accidental unintended motor startups that could injure people in front of the plane. All set-up tables have been fitted with restraints should you need to plug in a battery to lower gear etc. If you plug a battery in on the set up table please use the restraint to secure your plane prior to energising the system. The use of a throttle cut switch is highly recommended. Please DO NOT run up any motors on the tables in the pit/set up area.
If you need to tune an engine or perform run-ups, we ask that you do so on the south side of the start box or past the white, combat demarcation line.
A new addition to the field is the installation of permanent tie downs for restraining your fuel planes for starting. These are 2 foot long corkscrew tent tie downs that no model plane could ever pull out. They are evenly spaced on the interior white line of the start box and are orange in color. In the next week or so we will be fashioning web strapping to work with the tie downs. In the meantime, feel free to use your own strap. You are always welcome to use your own tie down system within the start box.
As mentioned in an earlier post, Grassfield has now installed a battery disposal can. If you have a damaged or dangerously puffed battery please feel free to put it in the salt water bucket located in the can marked for battery disposal. Doing so will hopefully reduce the potential of a catastrophic fire in your home or car due to unstable batteries.
Finally, next Friday April 18th, 7pm at the Osseo Community Center is the annual builders show. Bring in those models you have been working on all winter to vie for an award and the coveted BEST OF SHOW and that prestigious spot showcasing your model on the 2026 membership badge. I hope I can get mine finished in time.
See you all Friday!
Blue Skies
Charly
4/9
Greetings;
As you might know, Saturday April 12th is the start of Passover as well as Grassfield RC Club Clean Up Day. Clean up activities will start at 10am.
We invite you all to bring out rakes, shovels, carpentry tools, wheelbarrows, chainsaws and yourselves to spruce up, fix up and reorganize the field.
We have a couple of ambitious projects planned for the day and are in need of battery powered sawzalls, drills, squares and levels as well as basic carpentry skills.
I hope to get a good turn out as many hands make light work.
On an unrelated note, Friday Apr 11, a commercial 107 pilot who is not a club member, will be out at the field at 12:30pm to perform some recurrent training and calibration of her drones. She is an AMA member and is fully covered by AMA and commercial insurance. She has done this before and it should not interfere with anyone wishing to fly simultaneously.
Blue Skies,
Charly
3/21
Greetings!
Grassfield RC Club is looking for some volunteers for two projects. The first is a community outreach project helping club member Tim Pettman who is a middle school teacher at Jackson Middle School in Champlin MN. In April, Tim’s aviation club will be assembling multiple foam cord planes. Wrangling a bunch of pre-teens is a tall task for one person and Tim is looking for a few club members to help him out. If you are interested please contact Tim at : phantimm@yahoo.com.
The second project is looking for a planning committee to organize an airshow and public display of our club on National Aviation Day, August 16, 2025. The idea is to put on a show for the public and media to highlight our club (the largest in the midwest and the only one in an urban area) and provide community outreach. I am looking for 4-6 people who would be willing to brainstorm and organize this event. If interested, please contact me at this email or at my personal email; ctskalbeck@gmail.com. You can also call/text me at 218-310-4507.
Please remember to put Sat. April 12th for spring clean up. Mobilize your rakes, shovels and brush clearing tools. In addition to sprucing up the field, we will be reorganizing the field layout, making it safer and easier to manage. We will need tape measures, squaring/layout equipment.
Friday, Apr. 18th is the Annual Builder’s show. Bring your winter projects to the meeting and vie for bragging right with your awesome models. The categories are: Sport-Scale, Military-Scale, ARF, Electric, Racing/Competition and Giant Scale/Turbine, and the all coveted BEST OF SHOW. All active club members are eligible to enter and vote on their favorites.
Finally, March 31st is the deadline for renewing your membership. On April 1st you will get pranked into renewing as a NEW member and incur the associated initiation fee. Get your registration in soon.
Thank you for your consideration in these matters. See you at the field.
Blue skies,
Charly Skalbeck
Greetings
Tomorrow you get to Spring Ahead with daylight savings time! Yea- that means my dog will expect breakfast at 8am instead of 7am!
I’ll need that extra hour of sleep after I watch the Moorhead Spuds take on the Stillwater Ponies.
Just a quick reminder that next Friday, March 14th, is our club meeting at Osseo Community Center.
The meeting starts at 7pm. The meeting will start with a presentation by our club Safety Coordinator, George Hausler. George has been working on a plan to make the field/infield layout safer and easier to navigate.
He will be explaining his ideas and asking for input for possible refinements.
Phil Zuidema will then give a presentation on FAA 107 certification and commercial UAV operations.
I am looking forward to seeing what that entails! Show and Tell is always welcome. Bring in something cool to share with the group.
Naturally, there will be a raffle…. these raffles are club fundraisers so empty your bank accounts and wallets and you might win some glue.
. Seriously, there are some cool raffle prizes.
Coming in April is the Builders Show. I know everyone has been working hard all winter preparing to vie for top honors with their projects.
There are 6 categories: Sport-Scale, Military-Scale, ARF, Electric , Racing/Competition and Giant Scale/Turbine.
Builder of the Year will get the honor of having their creation gracing next year’s membership badge.
I hope to see lots of cool models in April.
Finally, there are about 50 members that have not renewed their memberships for 2025.
The deadline of 31 March is fast approaching. Please do not wait until the last moment to renew as it puts a lot of work on Marc to get the cards out. As always, please remember to have your current membership card visible when flying.
See you Friday or perhaps earlier at the field.
Blue Skies,
Charly
