Monthly Recap.   The Lunch-Bunch gathering in May went to a new and unusual setting, the Warner-Robbins Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame. Six aircraft and 14 people attended and had a great time. Members Dan & Carolyn Barta drove to the event and were very helpful with transportation. Thanks Dan and Carolyn!

Our May meeting was held at the EAA 690 hangar at LZU on Sunday May 20^th, where we socialized and enjoyed a wonderful presentation on internet weather resources by Paul Platt. Everyone, including the old, bold pilots, learned something new about locating weather information. Thanks Paul for preparing the program and giving us a great presentation. 

PDK Good Neighbor Day On June 2^nd was a great success. We watched the air show while talking to numerous prospective members.  Thanks to Sherri Platt and Dick and Katie Malone for supporting the effort to man our booth and share Georgia Flyer experiences with our visitors.

Trip News.  Our May trip was the annual Georgia Flyers’ pilgrimage to the Bahamas over Memorial Day weekend, this time to Green Turtle Cay in the Abaco Islands, just east of Treasure Cay where the airport is located.  We stayed overnight in Ft. Pierce, FL, on Thursday night where we socialized and had dinner at Mangrove Matties.  The group departed early Friday morning over the blue Atlantic toward Grand Bahama Island.  Except for the tricky 90 degree crosswind on landing at Treasure Cay, the trip was a blast and all 14 Georgia Flyers and guests had a wonderful time.  All of us got a chance to relax, get some much needed sun, catch up on our reading, and enjoy the clear, unpolluted air.  We even rented golf carts for a ride into the local (and only) town (New Plymouth) for ice cream, food and our favorite beverages. Along the way there were captivating views of the Atlantic Ocean, wild horses and chickens, and scenery distinctly different from the usual Atlanta background. On Monday morning we reluctantly departed our little paradise even though we all agreed we were just getting the knack of the relaxing.  For those who were not able to go along this year, plan on joining us for next year’s Bahamas adventure.

 

Our next trip is to Nashville on July 6-8. Paul and Sherri Platt are the trip coordinators. There is still room on the trip, but hurry and contact them at sherri@platt.org. Reservations must be made by June 16^th. You can sign up with Sherri right away or at the picnic at the latest. 

We are also still in the planning stages for the Destin October 5-7, and Pigeon Forge November 9-11 trips. If you would like to be a part of these trips, contact Keeley Miller for the Destin trip or Carolyn Deering for the Pigeon Forge trip. Hurry to sign up so that the coordinators can plan ahead and make the necessary reservations.

Annual Picnic.  The Georgia Flyers annual picnic will be held at Peachtree City Falcon Field (KFFC) on Saturday, June 16^th 11 am to 2 pm. The meal will be catered and we will have games and activities. We will have raffles, games, food and fun.  There will be no charge for the picnic, so all members will want to be sure to attend.  Be sure to bring the tickets you won at the May meeting.  This is a rain-or-shine event, so plan to attend despite the weather.  They will come in handy for the raffles. You may want to consider bringing folding chairs also, as there is not enough seating provided at the airport to accommodate everyone. Please make a reservation by Monday, June 11^th to rdeering1@comcast.net or by calling Carolyn at 770-321-9380 with the total number of adults and the number of children with a phone number where we can reach you.

Lunch-Bunch News.  The next Lunch-Bunch outing will be at on Saturday, June 16th at Peachtree City Falcon Field (FFC). This coincides with the Georgia Flyers annual picnic. This is our big event for the year that will include great food, games and prizes for adults and children. Make sure to get this on your calendar as you won’t want to miss it.

Meet a Member.  This month, we have the pleasure of hearing about members Carol Comer and Rick Januszewski, our hosts for the annual picnic.

Carol and Rick have been members of the Georgia Flyers for nine years. Both are pilots and fortunate to enjoy aviation not only has a hobby but as a profession as well.  

Rick, a native of Elyria, Ohio has worked in the avionics industry for more than 30 years. He is currently employed as a regional sales manager for S-TEC Corporation, where he works to promote sales of the company's autopilots and electronic flight display systems. Rick has also worked in sales and as a technical representative for BFGoodrich Avionics Systems; and managed avionics departments for Ohio State University in Columbus, OH and Raytheon Aircraft Services in Atlanta. Rick is an instrument-rated pilot and enjoys flying S-TEC’s company 182s to travel his territory.  

Carol, originally from Concord, NC, has been employed by the Georgia Department of Transportation as the state's Aviation Development Engineer for 10 years. She is responsible annually for managing more than $20 million in state and federal airport funds for construction of improvements to Georgia's 102 publicly-owned public-use airports. She previously worked for the North Carolina DOTs Division of Aviation. Carol has a commercial license with multi-engine and instrument ratings along with a flight instructors certificate. Carol has also served on the Programs committee and as President of the Georgia Flyers. 

Carol and Rick consider themselves fortunate to live in Mallards Landing a fly-in community on the south side of Atlanta. They have hosted the Georgia Flyers annual June picnic several years at their home in Mallards Landing. They currently own a 1974 Cessna 210 and a 1946 J-3 Cub. In 2002 Rick spent nearly a year totally refurbishing the 210. He stripped it down to bare metal inside and out and replaced everything - the wiring, the panel, the interior and the paint. Carol says every time she flies their 210, she says a special thank you to Rick - whether he's with her or not - for making their airplane so nice! And needless to say the 210 has an S-TEC autopilot! 

Rick, when he isn't traveling for work or flying the J-3, can be found in their hangar in the backyard riveting away on an RV-8 kit. We don't know for certain when it will be done, but if his handiwork on the 210 is any indication it will definitely be a work of art. Carol, who has stated that Aircraft Spruce doesn't make a rivet tool to fit her hand, spends her spare time on the golf course. 

Most of Carol and Rick's recreational flying takes them to North Carolina, Florida and Pennsylvania to visit family and friends. Their favorite trip with the Georgia Flyers is the annual outing to the Bahamas.