Good Morning Everyone,
Recent events have changed for the better and I would like to give an update to our timeline and runway project timeline.
Due to the constant efforts of Charlie Alexander, Precinct One has agreed to take a big brush hog and cut the grass surrounding our field and parking lot. I believe they were out there on Friday but may have been caught in the rain. I’m not sure if they completed all the cutting but I will be arriving tomorrow afternoon and will place a call for confirmation.
Additionally, Precinct One has also confirmed that they will be done with their other trash collection and park rehabilitation by the end of October. Thus, they will be able to complete our park upgrades the first week in November, pending any bad weather situations. Also, Charlie has contacted the owner of the Envirotac Product to confirm that it will work with the sandy substrate we have in our current runway. In short, the Dallas representative was misinformed. The product is used extensively in Afghanistan (all desert) as well as Palm Springs (all desert). If we proceed with our current plan of making a “sandwich” of substrate topped with Envirotac for several layers, we should have a “concrete” surface for our runway.
This is also good for the county because they don’t have to bring in the extra equipment and we don’t require 30 truckloads of dirt from Flood Control. However, we will still get permission just in case we need a few loads for whatever reason we deem. As far as the geotextile goes, the precinct has also offered to see if they can get a dump truck out to pick up the remaining product that is piled up in our parking lot.
I would like to try a test strip of material while we are in the holding pattern. Specifically, I would like to test the taxiway material to see how it binds up. The ratio of mixing is four gallons of water to one gallon of product. The orange 5 gallon buck from Home Depot should work perfectly. I need to get with Vernon Blackwood, who has the product, and setup a time and date where we can get together. I will be back in town Monday afternoon through Thursday. I hope to set something up on Tuesday this week.
The Precinct has also been made aware of the amount of trash that is collecting on our entrance road due to the truckers. Our Precinct One rep was onsite Thursday to witness first hand all the spare tires, motor oil containers, and other trash along side our road. They advised that a call was being immediately placed to Flood Control to get it cleaned up. Additionally, Precinct One also offered to regrade our road and get everything returned to “normal.” Also, regarding the topic of trash, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE make it a point to take your own trash from our field. I am working on getting Precinct One to initiate trash collection for us but in the mean time, take pride in our club and help keep it clean.
New HSF bylaws will be available by our November meeting. Major highlight for November is nominations for elections. The actual voting takes place in the December meeting and is effective Jan 1st for the new year. Those who want to run for positions, please make yourself known at the November meeting. I will be running for president, the vice president slot should be open (have to confirm with Skyler), the Secretary position (not sure if Ivan is running again), and the Treasurer (Billy is running again). The good news is I will still be based out of Houston for the next year at a minimum if not for the rest of my career. This will enable me to concentrate more on the club and get things back in order as they should be.
With the runway complete for 2017, and the fresh influx of 2018 dues, my future plans are to make improvements to our shelters and pits areas. I think we are need of fresh paint, a big “Houston Sport Flyers” title mounted across our main shelters, and a general clean-up or new build of starting stands and any tables in the pits area. I’d also like to have HSF meet the requirements for an AMA Gold or Silver Leader Club award. We need to set the schedule for 2018 fly-ins including something big to “relaunch” our new facility towards the beginning of 2018 (spring time BBQ??).
Finally, I’d like to thank all the HSF club members for your input, help, and patience. The 2017 year has been less than opportunistic and our best laid plans always seemed to encounter some sort of distraction. However, we always manage to work through it and have a successful outcome as only HSFs can. As always, if you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please let me, Skyler, Ivan, or Billy know how we can help.
Best Regards,
Jon Athans
President
Houston Sport Flyers