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April, 2004: Construction of the covered pit area (CPA) is continuing, being coordinated by Mike Kinsey and Mike Stephens. The big push on the weekend of April 17th & 18th brought out about 30 members. Thanks to everyone that has contributed to this project. Below are some shots of the project, with pictures contributed by Bob Hewlett, Jack Davis and Gregg Johnson. Gregg's friend Kip, landed with his ultra-light and also provided the overhead shots. Mike Kinsey has indicated work will continue in the late afternoons and evening and more help will be needed as the work continues.
September 27, 2003: This weekend being scheduled for a two day work week-end got off to a great start. A truck load of sod was delivered Friday afternoon and another truck load Saturday morning. A total of 23 members showed up Saturday. Mike Kinsey with his New Holland machine made the task of laying that sod go exceptionally well. The others, in random order are Mark Cobb, Jim Connell, Jerold & Michael Cooper, Mike Hopkins, Dick Richardson, Chris Hinson, Dick Kohl, Mason Thompson, Randy Kauk, Don Whitaker, Marty Churilla, Russell Croteau, Charles Cataldo, Earl Partridge, Lou Melancon, Cory Hobbs, Ed Gregory, Tom Antle, Russell Reel, Bob Williams, Tom Gargano, Jack Fountain. Ed Gregory did the kitchen chores, at least cooking the burgers, but a special thanks to Ed's wife Martha for sending Ed out with all the fixings and making sure Ed didn't forget to bring everything. A sod runway of 400 x 40 feet was completed, and a taxi way, tapering from 150 feet to 50 feet was started. We have a little more sod scheduled to be delivered Monday in order to finish that runway. After we assure we are in compliance with all county rules and permits, we will then install an asphalt runway just beyond that grass runway. While the sod work was going full speed, there was also well drilling going on. We were in hopes the well would be completed and in operation by Monday or Tuesday so that we could put water on the new sod right away. The well digger had to quit before reaching water and plans to return Monday. Fortunately, just as the sod laying was nearly complete, maybe four rolls remaining to be laid, Mother Nature paid a visit. The remaining handful of workers were completely soaked with the rain. This was shortly after 6:00 p.m., and as we were leaving the site, the rains continued... quite heavily. As heavy as the rains were, we may get to view what constitutes the flood plain of this field. At this writing, the work detail for Sunday is still on, but it is possible the field may be too wet to get much work in. We're hoping to obtain a roller with which to roll the new sod. There's also a few scrap pieces of sod that can be used to patch the bald areas. September 9, 2003: Randy
Kauk, Russell Reel, Chris Hinson on site with bush hog equipment for
the second day. They made a pretty good dent in the weeds plus did
some dirt moving with a bob cat type machine. Neighbor Nolan Smith
showed up in the late afternoon with two hugh bush hog tractors, I mean
tractors with A/C enclosed cabins. Take a look at what they were
working with:
September 8, 2003: Thanks to David Crockett for these latest pictures from Saturday when Mike Kinsey was out with his New Holland clearing the runway. On Monday, Russell Reel and Randy Kauk are out with some heavy duty equipment to continue bush hoggin' and clearing the area.
September 6, 2003: The property owners have given verbal confirmation that they will enter into a lease agreement. Mike Kinsey began clearing the weeds for the runway. September 1, 2003: Initial clearing of the 50 +/- acres. September 1st, Labor Day, lived up to its name as a contingent of GMA Club members arrived at 8395 Old Federal Road, in Ball Ground, Georgia to carve a new flying site out of a field one mile long by a half mile wide. On Sunday afternoon (August 31), Earl Partridge and John Mashburn picked up and delivered a small Kubota tractor and bush hog and started to make a (small) dent in the thick weed growth. Realizing that more heavy duty equipment was needed, they picked up another, larger Massey Ferguson tractor on Monday and both units were in service by late Monday (September 1) morning. Mike Kinsey and Stan Erwin were already there when I arrived at 9am. Mike had been running that small Kubota Tractor and bush hog for an hour and a half cutting out lines and boundaries for a new flying site. Jerry Morris and his big red pickup arrived towing a low trailer with a generator, compressor, and high powered wind blower. All three of these items were needed to blow the radiators of the tractors clear of the dust, pollen, dirt and debris they were collecting in the nine foot high weeds. Frank Neubert was next to arrive followed by David Crockett and Tom Gargano who were there to see the new site. If you haven’t been to the site yet the photos should help tell the story. A dedicated and selfless group of GMA officers found this flying site and worked with the owners to get a favorable long term lease. Nestled in a curve of the Etowah river the flying field is flat as far as the eye can see and is located in an area that is not likely to support residential development for many years. The areas at the edges of the river are considered "wetlands" and therefore fall under the auspices of the US Army Corps of Engineers, the balance of the property is in a flood plain and is subject to state regulations. We are in the process of learning what our abilities and limits are now to developing the finest model aviation facility in the southeast. The first steps are to get the land into shape for us to fly from. We need a place to take off and land so that is our first priority. Work is moving along and the GMA Board is giving serious consideration to moving swiftly to get a basic flying site started. As you by now know, our current field "Georgia Model Aviators International" will close permanently at the end of the day Sunday, September 14th and never be used for model flying. This fact alone should make us all grateful for the hard work that many folks have put in on our behalf to develop a new flying site. Labor Day was also the inaugural flight
test day at the new field. Stan Erwin and Mike Kinsey put two combat
planes into the air to test the flight conditions. Hope you enjoy the
photos.
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