The Businessmen's Flying Club held its monthly worknight and meeting on Tuesday, September 7, 1999 at the Naper Aero clubhouse. Flying members Jim Barna, Ken Best, Tom Carr, Mark Clements, Nick Davis, Hubert Elsen, Matt Forsberg, Andrea Hoyt, John Jurek, Matt Kenner, Ray Kvietkus, Mike Leavy, Tom Lechner, Ken Leibach, Jack Lindquist, Craig Matteson, Mike Pastore, Don Patterson, Saeed Razfar, Dan Rolfs, Bert Toppel, Joe Weston, and Reza Zarafshar attended the meeting. Wait List members Carl Price and Rich Widdicombe and guest Paul McCraken were also present.

A motion was made, seconded, and passed to accept the newsletter as the minutes of the last meeting.

The details of the Treasurer’s Report can be found at the end of this newsletter.

A motion was made, seconded, and passed to accept the treasurer's report.

	C150	C172	C182
Flying hrs.	38.81	0.0	33.9
SMOH	1643.74	1856.0	1684.2
TBO	1800	2000	1500
TMOH	156	144	-184
Club hrs.	1.14	0	1.0
Fuel, gph	5.5	0.0	11.8

SMOH -- engine time since major overhaul

TBO -- engine time between overhauls

TMOH -- engine time to major overhaul

150: It was reported that the white navigation light on the tail was out. This was checked after the meeting by Mike Pastore and Matt Kenner and found to be functioning properly.

Several pilots reported that the aircraft still had a tendency to drift off course (to the left) while in S&L flight, and it was suggested that the airplane might be slightly out of rig. It was also noted that the 150 is particularly sensitive to weight distribution, and without a passenger, the pilots weight on the left side of the aircraft might cause this drift tendency.

Thanks to the efforts of Mike Levy, it has been determined that the oil dipstick installed in the plane last year is incorrect, and reading high. A new dipstick has been ordered and will be installed.

Mike Pastore ordered a fuel pipette to help pilots determine the fuel quantity when the tanks are less than full. The new fuel level tester is now available for use in the 150. The calibration card is in the log sheet binder behind the fuel key. To check the fuel level, just insert the pipette (in the pocket behind the pilot’s seat) in the fuel tank until it touches bottom. Hold your finger TIGHTLY over the opening on the top, pull the tube from the tank, and read the level off the scale. Check the scale reading against the calibration card to determine the quantity of fuel in the tank. It is important to check both tanks.

Though the results of the calibration seem to be pretty accurate, all pilots are encouraged to use the tester only as a guide. At the very least, the fuel quantity obtained in the pipette test should be cross-checked against the fuel gauges. Mike recommends that we add a safety factor to the data obtained from the fuel check. For example, if you read 15 gallons total usable, use 90%, or 13.5 gallons for flight planning purposes.

Andrea Hoyt and Bert Toppel reported that on one recent flight, the radio master had been left on and the bugs not cleaned by the previous pilot. This, of course, is an absolute no-no. In the Mentor Flying Club, members are fined something like $200 if they don’t clean the airplane after each flight! Some type of fine was discussed as an option for our club as well. For now, it was suggested that we take it upon ourselves to contact the offending pilot whenever something out of order is noted during your pre-flight inspection. No need to threaten physical punishment - just a call with a firm yet friendly reminder to the "offending" pilot.

After the meeting, Mike Pastore was flying 66188 when he experienced a significant power loss on take-off. There have been three similar reports so far and in each case the power came back almost immediately. The plane was dropped off at Lumanair on September 16^th and remained most of last week and over the weekend. At the board meeting, Ken Best reminded us that he had a similar experience with 44WW that turned out to be a sticking valve. At that time, the problem was misdiagnosed and the engine ultimately had to be replaced prematurely.

Matt Kenner called me today (9/23) and reported that Lumanair rebuilt the carburetor and saw no power loss problems during test flights so they feel certain that they have the problem corrected.

172: The engine for the 172 is still at G&N in Indiana, and scheduled to be returned to Clow for installation in the airplane by October 10th. Tentatively, 9TU should be back in service by mid-to the end of October as reported by Matt Kenner. Mike Levy raised concerns that the aircraft is out of service much longer than the originally anticipated and that G&N is not meeting their delivery commitments. It should be noted that the dates quoted by G&N were based on receipt of the engine at their plant. There were substantial delays up front while insurance issues were resolved, and the engine removed from the plane and shipped to Indiana.

The GPS firmware update has been completed. Matt Kenner will re-install the unit. It will be ready when the overhauled engine is available.

Subsequent to the meeting, we’ve been told that the engine re-build is moving faster than they originally thought. We may see the –172 back in service by September 27^th!

182: The only squawk noted at the meeting for 44WW was that the taxi light was out. The taxi light was still out on 9/18 when Hubert and I flew practice instrument approaches.

Matt and Alison Kenner were on a VFR flight back to Naper Aero from Columbus, Ohio when the vacuum pump failed after less than 50 hours service. We knew that something was going on because this is our fourth vacuum pump since May. Matt asked Lumanair to replace all of the hoses and make sure that there are no carbon shards from the vacuum pump vanes in any of the lines. While they had the system apart, the mechanic noted that the bearings on the artificial horizon were worn to the point where failure was imminent. We decided to replace the unit with a new one before another pilot had a life changing experience. The plane was just returned to service on Friday, September 17^th,
 
 

Regarding the new 182, Matt Kenner and Nick Davis provided an update as follows:

• The FAA in Oklahoma City has caused the latest delay. Due to a backup in paperwork (or some other obscure problem possibly related to too many donut breaks) we have been unable to obtain title clearance. This is a nationwide situation that is affecting a lot of pending aircraft purchases. Misery loves company.
• All the appropriate papers have been signed on our end. No funds have transferred, and we simply waiting for the title to clear. We are hopeful that this will happen on Wednesday September 8^th at which point we can move immediately.

Subsequent to the meeting the entire deal was derailed at the closing. When we were asked to produce an insurance certificate, our carrier announced that the insurance rates for the new airplane had nearly doubled since our last quote in April. Due to the significant departure from the proforma approved by the club we did not complete the sale.

The Board of Directors met on Wednesday, September 15, 1999. The following members were in attendance: Mark Clements, Nick Davis, Hubert Elsen, Matt Kenner, Mike Pastore, Bert Toppel and Jim Williams. Guests attending included Ken "the Best" pilot and Ray "Duct Tape" Kvietkus. There were two items on the agenda for discussion. Ken Best’s Bylaw amendments were the first item on the agenda. The following paragraphs offer a summary of the proposed by law changes and the conclusions of the Board of Directors. Matt Kenner was asked to provide this written summary of the board’s deliberations:

"Ken Best has proposed the following changes to the bylaws. These proposed changes replace those previously suggested by Ken. The board has discussed these issues with Ken and is in full agreement with the proposed changes.

Strike all instances of the phrase "of a quorum as defined in Article IV, Section 4 of these bylaws." By law, voting can only take place when a quorum is present. This phrase is, therefore, redundant. Any vote will include all members present and those properly represented by proxy.

Change From:

Article VII - Parliamentary Authority

Section 1

Amendments to these Bylaws must be approved by a two-thirds vote of a quorum as defined in Article IV, Section 4 of these Bylaws.

Section 2

Any proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing, signed by the member presenting same, and must be read by the Secretary or the President at one of the Club meetings. However, no action shall be taken upon the first reading; it may be voted upon at any succeeding meeting.
 
 

Change To:

Article VII - Special Voting Provisions

Section 1

Amendments to these Bylaws, aircraft purchases or sales, loans, notes, mortgages, leases, assessments, investments (for maturities exceeding three (3) months) and changes to membership rights costs must be approved by a two-thirds vote.

Section 2

Any proposal pursuant to Article VII, Section 1 of these Bylaws shall be submitted in writing, signed by the member presenting same, read by the Secretary or the President at one of the Club meetings, and published in the next subsequent Newsletter. However, no action shall be taken upon the first reading; it may be voted upon at any succeeding meeting.

As a result of the recent discussions concerning changes in the bylaws there have been some questions concerning proxy voting and its execution. Once a quorum is present at a meeting (in the case of the BFC a quorum is defined as 20% or 9 people) voting can take place and proxies can be counted. The following paragraph from the Illinois General Not for Profit Corporation Act, under which the BFC is incorporated, should clarify proxy voting.

(805 ILCS 105/107.50)Sec.107.50. Proxies. A member entitled to vote may vote in person or, unless the articles of incorporation or the Bylaws otherwise provide, by proxy executed in writing by the member or by that member's duly authorized attorney-in-fact. No proxy shall be valid after 11 months from the date of its execution, unless otherwise provided in the proxy. Where directors or officers are to be elected by members, the bylaws may provide that such elections may be conducted by mail. (Source: P.A. 84-1423.)

Ken later commented via e-mail:

"On the day of the board meeting, I found a misprint in the Bylaws that affects this amendment. Article VII is really Article VIII. The error dates back to about 1989 and all of the Bylaws printed since then have omitted several paragraphs. I'll e-mail Mike Goin and Jim with the fixes."

On Friday, September 17^th, Ken did e-mail the following corrections to the Bylaws:

"At the board meeting this past week, I mentioned that the Bylaws had several paragraphs missing. This omission dates to a retyping of the bylaws (converted from Apple to PC) around 1989. Everything up until the words ARTICLE VII - Parliamentary Authority is fine. What should be inserted thereafter is:

ARTICLE VII - Parliamentary Authority

Roberts Rules of Order shall be the parliamentary authority in all Club matters when not inconsistent with the Club Bylaws.

ARTICLE VIII - Amendments

Section 1

Amendments to these Bylaws must be approved by a two-thirds vote of a quorum as defined in Article IV, Section 4 of these Bylaws.

Section 2

Any proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing, signed by the member presenting same, and must be read by the Secretary or the President at one of the Club meetings. However, no action shall be taken upon the first reading; it may be voted upon at any succeeding meeting.

Article IX - Incorporation

Section 1

The Club shall be incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois as a Not-for-Profit Corporation, and it shall be the duty of the Secretary to see that the charter is maintained at all times.

Article X – Special Provisions

Section 1 - Memberships

In consideration of the Bylaw provisions concerning family memberships in force when they joined the Club, the following pairs of members shall be entitled jointly to reduced monthly dues, equal to two (2) times the current monthly dues for an individual Club member, less ten dollars ($10), so long as both members of the pair remain members of the Club: Don and Signe Ferguson. These members are entitled to reimbursement of his or her total paid-in membership fee less fifty dollars ($50), when leaving the Club, provided the member is in good standing and a replacement for the member iss available. This "repair" of the Bylaws properly states the Bylaws BEFORE the voting on my proposed amendments. If approved, the amendments would revise the text shown above."

Thanks to Ken for his research and assistance in correcting Bylaws that have been corrupted for nearly a decade.

Mark Clements contributed the following summary of the board’s deliberations on the second topic by e-mail on 9/23:

"Official Board of Directors Position on Motion to Increase Members Equity Buy-in

Your Board of Directors is not in favor of adjusting the equity buy-in of the Businessmen's Flying Club, Inc. without adopting a long-range strategic plan. The issue at hand is how far does the equity need to be increased to achieve the future goals of the club. Your Board of Directors will complete a draft of a plan along with a recommendation within the next sixty days for presentation to the members for your input and commentary. When you approve this strategic vision, your Board of Directors will recommend an equity adjustment.

If you concur with the recommendation of your Board of Directors you should table the motion on the floor for approval to increase the equity buy-in until after the strategic plan is complete and approved.

If you have any questions about this official Board of Directors' position feel free to contact any Board Member or Mark Clements."

Nick Davis will once again be planning our annual Christmas Party on either December 5^th or the 12^th. Suggestions for the restaurant included Carson’s in Wheaton and Lorenzo’s at the Fox Valley Mall. Contact Nick if you have a suggestion you would like to have considered by the membership.

The slate of officers for next year was presented by Nick Davis. The candidates are:

President - Mark Clements

Vice President

& 182 Plane Captain - Nick Davis

Treasurer - Mike Pastore

Secretary - Jim Williams

Operations Manager - Matt Kenner

172 Plane Captain &

Board Member at Large - Reza Zarafshar

150 Plane Captain &

Board Member at Large - Hubert Elsen

Unfortunately, Mike Pastore has withdrawn his name from consideration. He travels extensively for extended periods and may be gone at the critical period at the end of the month when timesheets need to be collected and bills prepared.

Nick Davis STRONGLY urged all members to participate in the nomination process, and reminded everyone that self-nomination is perfectly acceptable.

Mike Levy suggested that our web-site be regularly updated to include more information such as aircraft status, slate of officers, and other issues/topics of interest to the membership. He also suggested that club financial information should not be accessible to web-site visitors unless they are club members.

It was readily agreed to move the financial data to the password-protected portion of the site. Mike Goin said he could take care of it PDQ. Regarding expansion of the format of the web-site, it was generally felt that all necessary information is currently available through the newsletter, phone-reservation system, etc., and that the addition of this information to the web-site would be redundant and difficult to manage logistically.

The timing on the mailing of the newsletter was discussed, with several members objecting to the rather late date the newsletters are received. Nick Davis took a quick "straw-poll" to get a consensus of the membership. The vast majority voted to have the newsletter mailed earlier in the month (within a week or so of the previous meeting).

Mike Pastore completed his Level 2 Wings certification.

Joe Weston heeded our call for updated information on BFR currency and sent in a previously unrecorded Wings Level 1 certificate.

Larry Bothe e-mailed the following note that I thought I’d share. "Well, "retirement" didn't last very long. Starting October 23rd I'll be the manager at a newly starting aviation operation here in Seymour called Pardieck Aviation. We'll offer fuel, aircraft rental and flight instruction initially, and if all goes well we'll add air charter and in-house maintenance later. When I started seriously planning to retire this past Christmas I knew I wanted to I wanted to work in aviation as a "retirement" job, but I figured that would mean part-time flight instruction. I had no idea this opportunity would present itself. But like they say, timing is everything. I'll be receiving a small salary, have my medical and dental insurance fully paid, and receive additional hourly pay when I fly. All in all it's not a bad deal. And it will be low-stress. The owner has already told me that the less he needs to be involved the better he will like it. He runs 3 other non-aviation family businesses out of a different office on a day-to-day basis.

In the meantime Pat and I will still be able to make our month-long trip out west. We'll be leaving around September 13th and returning in the middle of October. We're going out the northern route; Dakotas, Badlands, Yellowstone, cousins in Idaho and on to visit Pat's son Eric near Portland, OR. From there we go down the west coast; redwoods, San Francisco, Monterey, and then back east the central route including Mojave, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, 4 Corners area, Wichita, KS and on home."

This is wonderful news Larry! If you were here we’d put you on the refreshment list.

The BFC refreshment list was created as another way of recognizing special achievements. Criteria for membership vary with the length of the list. The person scheduled for refreshments should bring beverages and desert to the club meeting. If unable to attend, he or she should arrange to trade meeting dates with someone else on the list.

Hubert Elsen September, 1999

Bob Betyomaran October, 1999

Bob Betyomaran November, 1999

Mike Pastore January, 2000

Joe Weston February, 2000

John Harrison resigned his membership. Lonnie Horn was the fortunate individual to be next on the list of people present at the meeting. As an additional benefit, Lonnie brought his money with him! So, a motion made to accept Lonnie as our newest member, which was happily seconded and approved. Lonnie joins us as a class M3 member and has so many ratings that I had to make the column wider on the roster to fit them all in.

Paul McCracken of Naperville joined our meeting as a guest. Paul has quite an extensive aviation background with time as a Marine helicopter pilot, T-34 instructor, and corporate pilot. We’re sure getting some heavy hitters interested in the BFC these days…must be Mark’s work night cooking that’s doing it!

Membership waiting list:

Chuck Walton

Craig McCormack

Andree DeSas

Anthony Marchechi

Carl Price

Richard Widdicombe

Dave Irwin

Kevin Brady

No safety topics were presented at the meeting. However, Larry Bothe offered the following via e-mail:

How long has it been since you checked the air pressure in your spare tire? You know, the one under the floor of your trunk that many of you have never actually seen. Most spares these days are the compact (skinny) ones that require high pressure, typically 60 psi, to support the car. I checked mine recently after several years of neglect and found that it had only 21 pounds of air in it. After airing up that one I checked Pat's. (She admits to not having seen hers since the dealer showed it to her when she bought the car in 1991.) Hers was dead flat. Neither of them would have been much good out on the highway. And I actually had a flat tire in Mexico about a month ago, so they really do still happen. I suggest you unload the junk out of your trunk, pull up the carpet and floorboard, and check the air in that long-lost spare tire
 
 

The Businessmen's Flying Club will hold its next work night and cookout on Tuesday evening, October 5, 1999 at the Naper Aero clubhouse. Plan to arrive as early as you can after 4:30 PM. Work night credits are still in effect so be sure not to miss out on your $72 refund for 3 work night credits! October’s worknight is your last opportunity for 1999. The following people will never forgive themselves if they miss this chance: Mike Goin, Craig Matteson, Mike Pastore and Dan Rolfs.

Work Night Credits:

Jim Barna 5

Jeff Braxton 1

Mark Clements 4

Nick Davis 4

Hubert Elsen 5

Matt Forsberg 3

Mike Goin 2*

Russ Haack 1

Harrison Hooker 1

Andrea Hoyt 3

Matt Kenner 5

Ray Kvietkus 6

Mike Leavy 4

Tom Lechner 3

Ken Leibach 3

Jack Lindquist 4

Craig Matteson 2

Dan Michael 1

Mike Pastore 2

Don Patterson 5

Len Pirard 1

Dan Rolfs 2

Bert Toppel 5

Joe Weston 5

Jim Williams 4

Reza Zarafshar 5

INCOME

Billed charges, July, August Invoice:

Previous (-$504.74) $1,056.24

Dues, work night $2,025.00

July flying $4,285.40

Late fees $28.35

Social Members 24.00

Total billed charges $7,418.99

Credits:

Expenses (-$952.51)

Balance Changes (-$238.16)

Net Invoice (-266.58) $6,228.32

Receipts

Charges $5,290.63

Capital 350.00

Social 12.00

Interest (NOW) 17.77

Interest (MBNA) 238.31

Total receipts $5,908.71

PAYMENTS

Credits to members:

Fuel Away $210.42

Office 31.39

Postage 66.00

Operation 204.69

Social 440.01

Total credits $952.51

Payments to outsiders:

Ameritech $14.50

Luman

C150 Gyro, Tires 1,114.94

C182 Vacuum Pump 81.00

C182 Nose Strut 316.08

Radio Ranch

GPS Repair/DB Upgrade 355.00

Resignation

Miller 200.00

Naper Aero

Accommodations $267.00

Fuel $1,462.05

Total payment to outsiders $3,810.57

Credit, Naper (-$168.75)

Total expenses $4,931.83

Cash Gain $2,908.14

BALANCES

NOW account $19,036.15

MBNA money market $59,083.74

Cash Total $78,119.89

Credit, Naper Aero $337.50

Grand Total $78,457.39

Receivable $1,077.87

Liabilities -$418.15

RESERVES

Insurance $2,200

Work night (Old) $1,944

(New) $2,700

Engines

C150 $13,175

C172 $16,828

C182 $27,484

Annuals $4,550

Total reserves $68,881

RESERVE SUPLUS $9,576

Retained Capital (inactive) $4,150