RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

Dave,
That's very sad news. Especially considering what great local comunity and airport support you have. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know. It's the dedication from people like you, that make the handful of events in a given area happen. Thanks for all the efforts in year's past, and I wish you the best of luck.

Lance

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

Thank you Lance.

I will be looking into trying to use the airport but may work on plan b- our grass field. I just hope those that have come before would return. I know the 71 would be one jet though that would not work on grass.

Dave

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

Dave, have you thought about writing your senator and represenatives? Can the airport be used for ultralights?

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

HOW ABOUT WRITING THE AMA>> GOING TO THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER>>HAVE YOUR LOCAL HOBBY SHOPS WRITE TO THE AIRPORT> TRY THE ELKS CLUB FOR HELP JUST ANY ONE YOU CAN THINK OF>>

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

Hi Dave,
I'm from the Northeast and went to a jet rally yesterday and had a ball. There are a number of families with children and they all had a great family day together enjoying the sport and may spark a interest in the youth to participate in the RC hobbies. I'm sorry to hear about the outcome of the meeting that's denying you access to the airport. My suggestion would be the least place a large ad in your local paper and appoligize to the families and children for not being able to continue your annual event due to the named politicians/ or persons denying access to the field for no reason/ or reasons not given to you. If you can word it in such a professional manner and embarass/ shame them into what they did. And the worse outcome would be you cannot use the field, but the families know what type of person there dealing with especially if there in a voted position, every vote helps them get into office.
Best of luck,
Pat

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

Dave the problem is MAC not the FAA. I can't hardly believe you have not had a problem before now. Minn. has taken the position that they don't want or need any activity at the airport other than full size. I think they do not realize most if not all modern aircraft fly as models long before they become a fullsize aircraft. I was thinking about Thanking Mac for their position on this matter we wouldn't want young people or others in Minn. possibly exposed to aviation in a positive light, they might become pilots, controllers, FAA personnel, or maybe the next Top Gun. I guess they are trying to protect their jobs. If anyone one from MAC would like to discuss this matter that has any clout I would be glad to visit with you.
Forestt

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

Hi Forestt,

Yes, MN seems to be quite against para-aeronautical activities. Disappointing. I am not sure we can salvage this, I am trying to talk with the airport commission to see if they are interested in seeing if the state has any wiggle room.

We are still planing a MN jets 2013, just will either be at our field or possibly at another site nearby -both are excellent model fields.

Dave

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

IS THIS JUST FOR JETS OR ALL MODEL PLANES

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

The issues with models at the airport is for all types of rc aircraft.

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

That is bad news Dave.
I will fly from grass, done it before, no problem for me.

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

can your club get a lawyer to write the city a letter?

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

Dave, are there any updates on the event?

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

Update:

The state seems to be the limiting factor and I can only ask the airport commission to do what they can or are comfortable doing. They are limited by funding and statutes.

While I can write and lobby the state, it seems somewhat useless without the combined approach with the airport commission. I hope to be bale to speak with the Rushford folks directly about it within the next month but given the email exchanges, it seems unlikley to me.

So, we will plan for the 2013 MN Jet Rally to be either at our field (marionrcflyers.org) or perhaps at SMMAC (very preliminary discussion with Tim at SMMAC seems possible -smmmac.com).

Fortunately, my club the MarionRc Flyers have graciously marked the weekend for us at our field. 675 runway E-W and about the same N-S. Two runways, 90 degrees apart. All grass but pretty nice. I hope to work with my club to seed/roll/fertilize aggressively to make it the best possible for August. We have a shed, structure for shade/shelter, fencing for spectators, some power. ALso a close location to Rochester (15 min), right off of 90 also. I am planing the UB, A10 and Skymaster Hawk for my planes for the event.
Plenty of room for parking and trailers.

If you would like to look at the field, take a look at marionrcflyers.org site. The E-W runway is in the middle of 2500+' of a grass full scale runway - so the approach is as unobstructed as it gets! North SOuth is clear as well. It is a great place to fly and we dont have any issue with full scale 99.999% of the time.


We will plan for dinner at the field Sat night. Will see about a fire at the field or back at my house!



Dave

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

Sorry to hear this Dave.

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

Thanks Joe.

We'll see, maybe I can move to CA!

Dave

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

Boy this brings back memories from about 2004-2005 when the Sullivan, MO event at their single runway airport went defunct...that started all this nonsense....I was there in 2003, I believe, and what a great event and site. All the while the event was going on, a very busy Skydiving operation functioned normally, actually giving us cockpit rides in the Jump Plane.....

As I recall, it related in some way to a private full scale pilot getting hot over not being able to takeoff when he wanted to with RC jets in the air. He then complained to the FAA..........it got very political very fast with attempts by local chamber of commerce, and a MO Senator trying to put pressure on the FAA.......this went nowhere, and in fact I was told really it P.O'd the FAA......

That eventually led to the demise of Superman, and all other events held at airports without a second runway that could safely remain open while the jet event was going on like Michigan Jets, or Route 66 jets....

As far as I know, the FAA has not budged on that regulation....guys might get away with it once or twice, but as soon as the Feds find out, the state DOT and FAA shut down any future events at single runway airports....

Now MN Jets is interesting in that the runway was never shut down to full scale traffic......local activity(almost nil, BTW) was monitored by several of us with AirBand Radios...Airport Manager, in full support of the event, was giving us rides in his gorgeous restored Fairchild....something else must be going on here that led the MN DOT to shuck Dave's event at one of the most beautiful sites for a jet rally on a mountain top that you will ever see.....

From local experience at our airport, you can only shut down the airport for an event if it is for a full scale airshow or in years past here at Fond du Lac, for the IAC Full Scale International Aerobatic Contest, and even then, you had to provide T.O and Landing times in the event NOTAM so that business jets and others could safely get in and out...

TA

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your thoughts. It is a shame, not to mention pure BS that this event cannot coexist with the usual airport activities. I hope the person in the state position is enjoying the fact that they have ruined a perfectly good event and now the airport and the town will have even less traffic, activity, revenue and exposure for young people to all aspects of aviation.

I have sent a few other notes to the folks at Rushford and I am sad to say that none of them have been answered. Perhaps oversight but it doesnt seem to be any good right now.

I will try to speak with all of them again in December or January, but in the meantime, my club http://marionrcflyers.org has agreed to host the event Aug 22-25, 2013. We really do have a great site for flying, 675 excellent grass runway, no obstructions. I have been flying my jets here since 2004. I hope everyone will still attend. We are closer to 90 which means a shorter trip fro most people and the site is already set with a structure, electric and fencing/parking.

I will update the mnjets.info site to reflect the change in location.

Dave

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

Glad the event is still going to happen. Either at the your club or Rushford I will be there for the first time. Looking forward to it.

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

Glad to hear it!
Dave

RE: Minnesota Jet Rally - new location
 

hoping to hear from others that have attended in the past. The field should be fine for everything I have seen fly at the event except for Lance's SR71....drat. Kingcats, F15, F22, UB, A10, Bandit, Hawk, Boomerang and all subtypes....all should be fine! We have flown F15, A10, KC, BC, UB out of here before as well.

DD