SLRCFA Newsletter

January 2026

SLRCFA New Year’s Day “First Flight of the Year”

We had a great turnout for our annual first flight of the year event, with over 14 pilots braving the early morning cold. Joe Summers had the honor of the first flight with his Freewing T-33. Soon after Joe's perfect flight, the whole crew joined in and the sky was filled with foamies. It was a fun morning—everyone flew until the fire died down and fingers started to get cold! Thanks to everyone who came out!

Spirit Air Show 2026

Mark your calendars for this year’s SLRCFA exhibit at the Spirit Air Show, June 6–7. Similar to 2024, we will be displaying aircraft and hosting a flight simulator table at the STEM exhibit. We are looking for volunteers willing to display their planes or help man the sim tables. This is a fantastic experience and a great way to spread the word about our club while enjoying everything the Spirit Air Show has to offer.

Any member wishing to help can get a volunteer ticket to the show for just $10. Volunteers should arrive at the beginning of the day and plan to stay for the full duration, as volunteer parking closes while the show is in progress.

If interested, please send an email to webmaster@SLRCFA.com.

Camp and Fly 2026

June 11–14 will be our annual Camp and Fly event! We hope you will come fly with us. All types of planes are welcome. We are planning something special this year, so be sure not to miss it.

Planning is in the early stages and we are looking for volunteers to help with a number of tasks—manning the grill, collecting parking fees, handling raffle sales, etc. If you are interested in helping, please reach out to Scott Meier or Larry Leuchtmann, or email webmaster@SLRCFA.com.

Winter Projects

It’s that time of year when snowy weather and cold temps mean we’re spending more time at the project bench than on the flight line! Here’s what some of our members are working on:

• Ronald Willenbrink is assembling his brand-new KAOS with a Supertiger 90.
• Dave Ludwig has a new look in mind for his Freewing F-4.
• Jeff Adams is studying the intricacies of the NX8+ and all its features.
• James Speelman is preparing his new PAU Extra 104.
• Ryan Schneider is building his first gas-powered plane—an Extreme Flight Raven!
• Denny Sparks is finishing up a Top Flite Zero and an HSD F-86.
• Bill Bierman is tracking down a project for his first balsa build and will be getting started soon!
• Steve Corio gave his EF Yak a PowerSafe receiver and upgraded the carburetor. He fixed some extension connectors in the wing, mounted the aileron connectors in the fuselage of his Kadet Senior, is converting his Valiant to electric, and fixed a bunch of random items on his Gee Bee. He’s been busy!
• Bill Ott always has a number of projects in the works. Some of his recently finished ones include a Flex Mamba and a 6.4m Cyclone glider!
• Larry Leuchtmann has been working on a 100-inch Phoenix Slick.
• And Bob Scheple gets an honorable mention for responding, “I could probably spend the rest of the winter just cleaning off my workbench.”

Safety Minute

As more members venture into the world of gas planes, we remind everyone to please keep all fuel containers out from under—and away from—the pavilion.

We also have a new safety officer this year. For any safety issues in 2026, please speak with Steve Corio!

Indoor!

Indoor flying has really taken off this year! If you haven't tried this fun way to fly, consider joining us for one of our indoor Fridays at Central Baptist Church in Eureka. We fly every Friday from 6:00 to 9:00 PM in the gymnasium. We've been having a stellar season with fantastic attendance—come join the fun!

QuickStart

We are still looking for trainers for the 2026 season. If you are interested in participating in the QuickStart program next year as a trainer, please reach out to Larry Leuchtmann (Loochy88@gmail.com).

Have Something You’d Like To Add?

Have news you’d like to share with the club, interesting new RC flying information, or maybe a plane for sale? Let us know and we can publish it here in the newsletter. Send an email to SLRCFAWebmaster@gmail.com!

Feb 4th Board Meeting

Feb 4, 2026
6:00 PM

Location
Daniel Boone Library
300 Clarkson Rd, Ellisville, MO 63011
( Daniel Boone Branch of the St. Louis County Library)