Key for scooter tow rig

[Kent Kendall]

Anyone know where the key is for the scooter tow rig. I was home last weekend and didn't see it anywhere. I don't have a spare so will have to figure out something before towing begins. I hope everyone is doing well after this long winter. It would be nice to see some chatter on here after so much silence. Kim, I hope your knee is healing and will be able to participate. I as well, hope to be in on the activities of our small group. Has anyone traveled to fly anywhere?

[Michal M.]

Hey Kent and everyone,
I am afraid I cannot answer your question about the key.

I hope to be more active this year than I was the last. Not just helping with the towing but flying myself as well. I'm planning a trip to Hanson's to start off the season in the next month or two. Of course, it will be a spontaneous weather related decision, and most likely will involve thursday night departure with flying on Friday and Saturday, returning Sunday.

My trike is undergoing an overhaul (at Rick's). I haven't flown it since May of last year. I am waiting on last batch of parts to install a new carb, and it is my understanding that is the last piece of the overhauling puzzle.

Kim, how is your knee? What's the status?

I am yet to resend the chapter renewal paperwork, hoping to get around to it soon.

[Kim Banker]

The key is somewhere on the scooter, I'm reasonably sure. I'm thinking we looped it over either the handlebars or more likely the loop that runs around the back of the seat. I'll check with James and Patrick since we were the only ones who used it last year, and see if they remember. Did you check to see if it was inside the scooter?
I'm afraid I will be out of flying most of this season, which isn't to say I won't be out to help out with towing. I pretty much blew my knee up in a big way. Fully disintegrated my ACL, high grade sprain of my MCL, strained FCL, and torn medial meniscus. Surgery is in my future at some point once I figure out how to make it happen. I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that I hate it more than anyone, but that is the sad reality that I'm now faced with.
Now for one more bit of bad news. After discussing it with Jeff Ater, we have decided to let Kentuckiana Soaring lapse into oblivion. He was not interested in continuing to be President, our Secretary, Keith Smithson recently wed and will soon be moving to Iceland. A general lack of interest from any of our southern contingent has put our numbers as such to make it rather silly to continue in the same manner as we have. I am not adverse to the future possibility of an Indiana Soaring Club, but in reality for the last couple of years that has pretty much been James, Patrick, and myself. I should have been more proactive about letting all the members know this was going on, but I've been a bit sidetracked since I found all this out myself. Jeff called me the night before my skiing trip, so yeah, I've had a lot going on!
I'll try to get ahold of James and Patrick to see if they can shed any light on the location of the key. I'll get back with ya'll once I hear back from them.

[Kent Kendall]

Thanks Kim, I didn't take the cover fully off, so the key might very well be there. Sounds like you will have a long road ahead to fix that knee. Sorry to hear that and hoping it will not be as bad as it appears. As far as the Club goes, I am not sure we need it to operate our little group. But I do like having the website for anyone searching for activity in the area. Maybe Facebook will serve our purpose for communication with each other just as well though, I don't know? Can we continue with the webpage as is? I haven't seen or heard anything from Patrick for some time now, so I hope he is doing OK.

[Kim Banker]

There is no reason the website can't stay up and running as long as Michal is willing. I had not seen Keith's reply on another thread until after I posted here. So I'm not sure exactly where the club now stands. It seems our lack of communication amongst board members has led us to where we are. I'm as much at fault as the rest. I was under the impression that Jeff had spoken with Keith about the intent to let the club membership lapse, but I was apparently mistaken.

[pzirnhel]

Hi Kent. Good to hear from you. About the key: I also remember it being either on the scooter or in its trunk with the chute.
The number of our flying members keeps dwindling, especially South of the border, but I refuse to consider the f#!*ing thing that happened to Kim's knee (I was unfortunatletly instrumental in setting up) should keep him grounded forever (we can start using the cart). What do you guys think of an Indiana soaring club?
Is it necessary to have a club to continue towing, especially if we do not ask for any money? Would our liability insurance protect us if we do not have official sites? I have no idea, but anyone knows who to ask?
I am not on Facebook but that could change if Michal stops operating the site.

[Kent Kendall]

Alan Abair's group is called, "Northern Indiana and Ohio Paragliding and Hang Gliding towing group". Though that may just be their facebook name. I think the sail plane club in Alexandria is called "Central Indiana Soaring Society". So if we have a name change, maybe it should state something more specific having to do with hang gliding. It does not bother me if we leave it as is. The logo speaks for itself with the image of a hang glider, but the word 'Club" might make it more complicated than it needs to be. I hope to get together soon for some long overdue altitude.

[Michal M.]

First of all, I apologize for the following, my keyboard is going and won't type the letter which comes after T and before V in alphabet, so I'll type 'x' in it's place. :-)

• The website can and will stay fxnctional xnder whatever name we want.
  
• To my knowledge we do not need an official clxb to operate
  
• To my knowledge this clxb was established to be listed on xSHPA to let peple know we're here and bring more people in
  
• If anyone is willing to be listed as the pres/vp/or whatnot to replace Jeff and Keith, we can keep the clxb's presence active. It's free, jxst once a year a form needs to be filled oxt.
  
• To my knowledge we all are individxally covered xnder oxr xSHPA membership, the optional site insxrance (which we are not xsing for any of oxr sites anyway) is to cover the land owner. So as long as land owner is willing (and I believe Mr. Crxzan is willing) we're free to operate
  
• Kim, I hope yoxr knee heels soon. Xntil yox're 100% able to xse yoxr own landing gear yox're free to fly my trike. And get really good at it. And then pxt a bigger motor on it and start towing xs. :-)