Tom Hunt
Sep 18, 2001, 09:46 AM
Dear E-flighters....
I personally, and all of SEFLI, would like to thank all of the 228 pilots, hundreds of spectators, and numerous vendors that attended this years NEAT Fair despite the terrible events that unfolded just one week ago. We also would like to thank the members of the Connecticut Silent Flyers and other individuals that helped the SEFLI gang though out the entire fair with set-up, impound, and breakdown. I think we left the area as clean as we found it, though some of the garbage barrels were overflowing.
Certainly the air was abuzz with the tragedy as well as model aircraft of all shapes and sizes throughout the 3 day fair.
Although we do not have the official counts yet, there were around 150 flights made on Friday, 375+ on Saturday and about 150 on Sunday. These numbers do not account for the numerous flights made before the impound opened and after is closed, not to mention the night flying. The weather could not have been better. Low winds, bright sun (after the early morning fog lifted) temperatures in the high 60's and low 70's all three days. Park and slow flyers could be seen in the air throughout the day. How often do you get to see two- 2 ounces models fly in the mid-afternoon sun?
We had 12 flight stations running, and it was not unusual to see them filled all day long on Saturday. We had our share of mid-airs, "reported" shoot downs, although many we talked to had single conversion Rx's.... including many GWS micros, which are not friendly to a dense RF environment. We only had one reported cut finger that required some assistance, and a couple of fly-aways into the woods. We did have one squashed EZ-up when the Raffle tent took to the air late on Friday from a "micro-burst".
All in all a great meet.
We hope to do it again next year.
Thanks again to all involved and those who attended....we know it was a difficult time.
In a few weeks we should have the finances done. At that time we will write a check to one of the disaster relief funds involved with the WTC disaster in NYC from the profits of the show.
It may take a little while before I can get the website updated at http://www.nyblimp.com/NEAT.htm I will post a message on these forums when that happens.
Just about recovered.....
Tom Hunt
I personally, and all of SEFLI, would like to thank all of the 228 pilots, hundreds of spectators, and numerous vendors that attended this years NEAT Fair despite the terrible events that unfolded just one week ago. We also would like to thank the members of the Connecticut Silent Flyers and other individuals that helped the SEFLI gang though out the entire fair with set-up, impound, and breakdown. I think we left the area as clean as we found it, though some of the garbage barrels were overflowing.
Certainly the air was abuzz with the tragedy as well as model aircraft of all shapes and sizes throughout the 3 day fair.
Although we do not have the official counts yet, there were around 150 flights made on Friday, 375+ on Saturday and about 150 on Sunday. These numbers do not account for the numerous flights made before the impound opened and after is closed, not to mention the night flying. The weather could not have been better. Low winds, bright sun (after the early morning fog lifted) temperatures in the high 60's and low 70's all three days. Park and slow flyers could be seen in the air throughout the day. How often do you get to see two- 2 ounces models fly in the mid-afternoon sun?
We had 12 flight stations running, and it was not unusual to see them filled all day long on Saturday. We had our share of mid-airs, "reported" shoot downs, although many we talked to had single conversion Rx's.... including many GWS micros, which are not friendly to a dense RF environment. We only had one reported cut finger that required some assistance, and a couple of fly-aways into the woods. We did have one squashed EZ-up when the Raffle tent took to the air late on Friday from a "micro-burst".
All in all a great meet.
We hope to do it again next year.
Thanks again to all involved and those who attended....we know it was a difficult time.
In a few weeks we should have the finances done. At that time we will write a check to one of the disaster relief funds involved with the WTC disaster in NYC from the profits of the show.
It may take a little while before I can get the website updated at http://www.nyblimp.com/NEAT.htm I will post a message on these forums when that happens.
Just about recovered.....
Tom Hunt