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EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION January 2002
BIG COUNTRY CHAPTER # 471, INC.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
- GRAY BRIDWELL
With the wonderful article that Billy Tucker composed last month I am at a disadvantage this month. He certainly has a talent commanding the English language that I lack. Billy's idea was great about the "Grey Eagles." We are a chapter whose primary goal is education in aviation. The seasoned can be a great asset to younger pilots (LIKE ME). I would certainly like to see several folks team up together to get back in the air. Airplane repairs go easier with two people sharing the work and so does flying! We seem to have several projects that are not moving due to lack of interest. Some that are just out of annual due to other things that come up in our busy lives. Team up and get back in the air!
I do feel that we are due for some change this year. I think the primary change will be MORE FLYING…….. We will be getting together in February to talk about possible functions for our upcoming year. We will be traveling to Sweetwater the second Saturday of January for lunch at Mrs. Allens. We will have ground transportation for about 20 people or more and we expect to leave the "T" hangers about 10:00am. On February the 2nd we will depart our "T" hangers about 8:00am, bound for Lajitas, Texas (See details). One of the things we will cover on the trip to Lajitas will be the activities for April and the May Young Eagles event. With the Young Eagle flights this year, sponsors will be added with fund raising taking place to defer costs. March will be the second annual poker run, which was well attended last year, despite the weather! As far as the rest of the year's outlook, it is wide open, ready for your suggestions.
The "T" Hangar Update!
Monday morning Dec-ember 24th, Tim and I met Rick Crider to discuss the "T' hangar lease. The city has added an escalator clause and it is based on the consumer price index compounded annually and adjusted every three years. This would make our rent double (about $85) in our 25-year lease vs. about $53 dollars compounded every three years. We have proposed to compound every three years. Tim, Hobby, and I can expect to meet with the airport development board to go over our proposal. We are playing heavily on the fact that no mention of the escalator clause was in the original bid documents. In light of the way Rick wants the lease termed, a fair compromise would be to compound every three years as we have counter proposed.
The Chapter Hangar Update
We need to schedule a City surveyor to spot the exact location for the legal description. This will be detailed in our lease. The lease agreement is complete and currently acceptable. This has slowed down due to the "T" hangar lease dragging along with unacceptable terms. When the "T" hangar lease is signable, we will finish the final touches on the Ground lease and construction will begin.
Lajitas (la-HEE-tahs) Fly-Out
Easy aerial access to the resort is provided by the private Lajitas airstrip (17XS), found on the El Paso sectional. Further study of the chart confirms that this southernmost point in Big Bend is truly remote: it is 100 road miles to the nearest interstate highway and 350 miles to El Paso, the nearest big city of. If there was ever a place ideally suited for a fly-in resort, it's Lajitas. Thorough map study is definitely the key for navigating to Lajitas, since the nearest VOR is too distant to be of much use in this mountainous area. If you don't already have a GPS, consider buying or borrowing one for this trip. As the name Big Bend implies, this region is surrounded on three sides by Mexico, and unannounced excursions across the border are frowned upon by officials of both countries. Fortunately, the border with Mexico is clearly defined by the Rio Grande, so stay north of the river and you'll be fine. Flying over Big Bend is beautiful. On our last flight south, we took time to sightsee the region's rugged mountains and steep canyons. This is perfect country for aerial exploration, since most areas are accessible only by horse, foot, or airplane. Big Bend is littered with airstrips. It seemed that around every hill we came across another runway carved into the desert floor--some abandoned, with a thin trail leading up to the remnants of a miner's mountainside shack, and others still actively serving ranches, stores, or motels. Mindful that we weren't the only snowbirds wintering in these parts, we avoided the sensitive nesting areas along the river (shown on the sectional chart), and maintained a respectful 2000 foot AGL over the national park The hotel is just a 4 miles east of town, a call to "Lajitas front desk" on Multicom 122.9 will dispatch a ride. There are two rental cars available for fly-in customers, both wonder-fully authentic "Cowboy Cadillacs." The Chevy Lumina rental blends in perfectly with its surroundings: no hub caps, worn shocks, and neither the trunk nor the drivers side door unlocks. Though this classic is a bit pricey--$45 a day with 150 miles per day--the freedom to explore that it presents is well worth the price. They also have a minivan to transport your whole crew and can make arrangements for a larger fleet of vehicles if you are planning a group fly-in. The climate in Lajitas is perfect for snowbirds. Fall and winter are excellent times to visit, with fall offering light wind and cool temperatures along with golden cottonwood leaves. Winter brings mild, crystal clear days and crisp, star-lit nights. Spring is another popular time of year to visit Big Bend, when the desert plants and wildflowers of the Chihuahuan desert are in bloom and the weather is equally delightful. Airplanes have populated the clear skies over Lajitas since 1919, when U.S. Army DeHaviland DH-4 biplanes on border patrol became a regular sight overhead. The patrols were necessary to defend American interests along the Rio Grande from Mexican bandits, including the notorious Pancho Villa. Prior to these raids the Lajitas area had remained pretty sleepy. Long considered the best river crossing of the Rio Grande between El Paso and Del Rio, Lajitas didn't see much activity other than the occasional rancher or quicksilver miner. That changed in 1916 when General "Black Jack" Pershing established a cavalry post at Lajitas to protect southern Texas from the raiding bandits. This tiny frontier town became one of the most remote outposts of the U.S. Cavalry. Today the resort community of Lajitas on the Rio Grande trades heavily on its cavalry post heritage. Many of the resorts hotel units are faithful reconstructions of the buildings which stood in Lajitas during Pancho Villa's day. For instance, the Cavalry Post motel is built on the original foundation of Pershing's army post barracks, and the Officer's Quarters hotel buildings are exact replicas of the original buildings, right down to the adobe bricks made on-site in Lajitas. Some of the Officer's Quarters rooms have fireplaces, and all have balconies or porches with views of the golf course and surrounding mountains. One of the few original buildings left in Lajitas is the historic Lajitas Trading Post. Dating back to 1899, it was built to serve the needs of the area's mercury miners and ranchers. It still serves as general store for resort guests as well as local residents from both sides of the border. Heeding the warning of the hotel's desk clerk about the foul tasting tap water, we stocked up on (surprisingly) reasonably priced bottled water at the trading post. "Lajitas--Don't Drink the Water" is a popular slogan for T-shirts and coffee mugs in the gift shops that line Lajitas' boardwalk. In addition to souvenirs, the boardwalk houses a handful of shops selling local art, Mexican and Guatemalan handicrafts, genuine western wear, a drug store, and the Lajitas version of a convenience store.
Lajitas Room Reservation as of 12/31/01
Room rates are $90 for double occupancy rooms with $10 for each additional person in the room.
1. Gray & Teresa Bridwell
2. Carol Bird
3. Charlotte Rhodes
4. Lon & Renatta Beasley
5 Wes & Becky Hays
6. Tim & Pam McMurray
7. Billy Tucker
8. Richard & Betty Baxter
9. Ray & Shirley Parrish
10 Chris & Debbie Ulibarri
11. Don & Jo Bledsoe
12. Rick and Sue Liles - Lubbock
13. Joel and Debra Spray - Lubbock
14. Dana and Kim Longino (Dana is a Delta Pilot stationed in Denver and lives in Littlefield.)
15. Greg or Edwin Harper and wife (Greg and Edwin (Son and Father) live
at Sudan and built an RV-6A
UPCOMING EVENTS:
January 12th -
NO BREAKFAST...
Leave "T" hangers at 10:00am for Mrs. Allens in Sweet-water. Ground transportation provided.
February 2nd -
Leave "T" hangers at about 8:00am for Lajitas. We will
stop in Ft. Stockton for fuel and a short break. Rooms have been
reserved for those who want to go. All members are encouraged to go for
the fun! We will also talk about the upcoming May '02 Young Eagle
activities during this escape to the Big Bend.
March 9th -
2nd Annual Poker run. "T" hangers ABI, More details to
come! Prizes, food, fun!!
Chapter 471 Builders List
Planning
Hank Castle - Director 672-3895
Tiny Malm 692-9292
Gray Bridwell 676-8294
Electrical
Carroll Bird - Director 572-3435
Clyde Fletcher 572-3005
Harold Cannon 673-1057
Lighting
Tim McMurray - Director 698-4921
Carroll Bird 572-3435
Plumbing
Harold Cannon - Director 673-1057
Hobby Stevens 673-6736
Gray Bridwell 676-8294
Chris Ulibarri 691-9887
Mike Agnello 677-3897
Concrete
Gray Bridwell - Director 676-8294
Billy Tucker 537-9526
Lon Beasley 698-1233
Steve West 572-4926
Billy Beaird 854-2656
Chris Ulibarri 691-9887
Frank Berg 698-7264
Bobby Nichols 672-6583
Building Erection
J.C. Lambert - Director 893-2519
Dennis Matheson 572-4921
Don Bledsoe 692-2088
Tim McMurray 698-4921
Lon Beasley 698-1233
Gray Bridwell 676-8294
Audie Gill 668-5044
Mark Rand 529-4521
Brian Bauries 691-9403
Bi-Fold Door Co-ordination
Loren Henson 692-4647
EAA 471
Chapter Officers
President Gray Bridwell
Vice-President Billy Tucker
Secretary Jim Snelgrove
Treasurer Hobby Stevens
Director Hank Castle
Director Barry Cotner
Director Wayne McCormick
Director Charles Screws
Director Steve West
Past President Carroll Bird