President's Message

As we prepare for flying season, we look forward to bringing our Red Star aircraft to new locations, making new friends, and perhaps even learning new skills.  With warmer weather and fairer skies across much of the nation, comes challenges. Are our planes ready
to fly after hibernating for the winter? Are we ready to pilot our aircraft after that hibernation?

Last issue I told you that I would make the following three items a priority during my term as your RPA President. 

• Safe operation of our warbirds




• Keeping our aging warbirds flying and

  display their unique qualities




• Recruit new RPA members

In the latest issue of Red Alert you will find articles that support these goals. We have several maintenance articles that will prove helpful as you perform condition inspections and prepare for increased flying. We have an article that highlights the differences between RPA and FFI formation standards when flying formation with pilots from other signatories.  This is especially helpful at clinics and airshows where dissimilar aircraft attend.

Aviation safety has been in the news lately, both in the GA and Air Transport world. While there is much disinformation out there, there is always one truth: aviation is unforgiving to a lack of judgement, knowledge, experience, or attention. Focus on the basics as you begin your spring and summer flying, and get then back into flying formation and aerobatics. Ensure you brush up on emergency procedures, and take the time to re-read your pilot's operating manual and the RPA formation manual (all available on flyredstar.org).

 

Finally, I encourage you to revisit the RPA website if it’s been a while since you’ve been there. We’ve added new articles to the library, and there’s always something new at the RPA store. Please forward onto us suggestions for the website and this magazine.  Send us photos of you, your plane, and events in your area and we’ll gladly use them. And as always, you can send feedback directly to me (my email is on the next page) or any of your RPA board members. I hope to see many of you at an RPA event this year.

 
Fly Safe and thank you for your dedication to the RPA,

Mike "Beav" Carter
RPA President

The History of the RPA

Originally started as the Yak Pilots Club (YPC) founded by Bud Harrell in 1993 with approximately 18 members operating the Nanchang CJ-6A aircraft. The membership expanded to over 200 by 1999 when leadership transitioned to Mike Filucci who established the organization as a non profit named the Yak Pilots Association (YPA) and signed on as signatory to FAST, the Formation And Safety Team program. 

The membership climbed to approximately 280 members, most operating the CJ-6 and Yak-52 aircraft. In 2002, Drew Blahnick was elected President of the YPA, and through a national referendum, changed the name to the RedStar Pilots Association (RPA) and modified the charter to insure the organization was fully inclusive of both prop and jet aircraft of all types. The RPA then ushered in a new set of bylaws and overhauled the infrstructure (web, magazine, online store) to form a regionalized organization to support growth. Membership has grown to over 450 with members operating all types of jet and prop aircraft. In 2007, Darrell Gary was elected President and Operations Officer by the Board of Directors for a three year term in accordance with the Bylaws. 

Following Darrell came Terry Slawinsky who served as president for five years.  Following Terry,  Hartley Postlethwaite served for three years.  Gil Lipaz, our most recent past-president, served for 5 years. Currently, membership stands at over 500.