2024 ACE Academy Dates Set

This years ACE Academy (camp) will take place the week of Monday July 29th through Friday August 2nd.

A few organizational details to firm, but we expect to open up the application process within the next two weeks (we are updating the online applications process now).

NESA volunteers – please mark your calendars. More to follow soon.

Safety Meeting – Save the Date

The annual safety meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 6, from 9 am until noon, in the Springfield airport terminal building and online. We will send out an invitation with a link. The plan is to have lunch and then assemble a couple club gliders after the meeting. If the weather cooperates, we will begin conducting currency flights.

2024 Annual Meeting Recap

Greeting, NESA folks!

The annual meeting was this past Sunday, January 21, at the Crown Point Pub in Springfield. Almost 50 club members and guests attended, enjoying a social hour, buffet dinner, and member meeting. The meeting minutes will be posted to the club website after they are approved at the next board meeting.

Jim gave the President’s report, noting that the club welcomed seven new members in 2023, and thanked the twelve club members that either towed, instructed, or both. Jerry Smith presented the Treasurer’s report on a very successful year. A brief slideshow on the 2023 year in review was followed by the annual awards presentation. Winners were:

Uplift Award: Ava Saemann (presented by last year’s winner, Jim Malecha)

Cross-Country Award: Pieter Schwarzenbach (presented by Bob Morehardt)

First Solo Award: Ava Saemann

President’s Award: Jerry Smith

The club members present constituted a quorum, and voted in favor of the ballot of club officers and directors:

President: Jim Malecha

Vice President: Larry Perry

Secretary: Andy Kozak

Treasurer: Jerry Smith

Directors: Bill Batesole and Dave Carton (Steve Hurd and John Watkins begin their second year of a two-year term)

The attendees voted on monthly member meetings. They will be on the last Saturday of each month, April thru October. The meetings will be at 10 am, except for May and August, which will be a 4 pm picnic, provided volunteers organize those two events. Keep an eye on this space and your email for details as those dates approach.

Fundraising was discussed. T-shirts are available in yellow, orange or gray (sizes S thru XL) and polo shirts may be available, if there is adequate interest. Club members, watch your email for details.

The other club officers and I are looking forward to the upcoming season.

Thanks, and hope to see you out there!

JiM

Junior Scholarship Applications for 2024

There are numerous SSA junior scholarships available for 2024 ranging from the Discover Soaring scholarship to pre-solo and post-solo scholarships. Now is the time to review and work on your applications – the deadlines for most are March 31st.
The WSPA also has several scholarship opportunities. Most of these have deadlines of March 15.

AOPA also has a number of scholarship opportunities.

https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/students/aopa-flight-training-scholarships

Several NESA juniors have received SSA scholarship awards. While there is no guarantee, you definitely won’t receive one if you don’t apply. So, use the winter to put together an application or two.

Scheduled operations now closed for the season.

Regularly scheduled operations and introductory flights are now closed for the season.

Thanks to everyone that came out and flew this year. It was certainly a challenging year for weekend weather, but some good soaring was had too.

Members can use the club email lists (nesa and/or midweek) to coordinate any off-season flying and/or towing.

Information about the clubs annual winter meeting and dinner will be sent out soon.

October Member Meeting

Saturday, October 28th is the big day and the weather looks excellent!

As we now close into the end of our soaring season, the sailplanes need a wash before hibernation. Starting at 10am we will get all the gliders clean followed by a burger/dog lunch. After our bellies are full, we will start the spot landing contest.

Spot landing is closest to the touchdown point (not before but beyond) and stopping closest to the stopping cone. The Grand Prize will be a free 2500’ tow. Second place a SSA bucket hat and third place you get to drive the golf cart.

Cost of spot landing flight is a pattern tow, but no flight (glider use) fee. Pre-solo students can compete with CFIG on board.

During the day, a clean 2-33 will be available for flight instruction.

Come one, come all and show off your washing, eating and precision flying skills!

Colby is a Private Pilot!!!!!

Colby VonKannewurff earned his private pilot certificate today, completing a checkride with NESA member Daryl Smith in a Connecticut Soaring 2-33 at Windham airport, down in CT. Alasdair Crawford was the recommending instructor. Most of you know Colby as a NESA fixture at KVSF for the past several years. He just started his freshman year at UConn. Way to go, Colby!

October Member Meeting, Glider Wash & Spot Landing Contest

The October Member Meeting is scheduled for the 28th and is the final meeting of the soaring season. We will wash the gliders, have a spot landing contest (Contest Rules), and grill burgers. This month the meeting will have a rain date of Sunday the 29th, as we want to get the ships cleaned before they go into their trailers for the winter.

Additionally, if we are able to fly into November, Sunday the 19th will be our last day, again assuming the weather cooperates.

We have up to 7 more weekends of flying. Hope to see you out there!