I'm a new couper joining EOC because I like the job Skip and Carolyn are doing on Capers, and I hope they keep it up. -----Original Message----- From: Jerry Eichenberger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Sunday, January 24, 1999 2:31 PM Subject: Re: All electronic Coupe Capers/web site suggestion by Skip
>I would prefer to keep the hard copy Capers, but would suggest a few changes. I don't belong to EOC, but my partner in our airplane is the official member. >As an old airplane nut, I've owned a Cessna 170B and Comanche, among several other airplanes, over the years. The International Comanche Society has one of the best clubs and monthly publications going. The International Cessna 170 Assoc. is a close second. If you can get access to a Comanche Society magazine, take a look at it. It's worth some effort to get a copy. >Their magazine is first class, professionally printed, with a color cover and a few color photos. I haven't been a member since 1991, when we sold our Comanche, so I don't have any recent issues, but still have several years' worth in my library from the 80s and early 90s. >Personally, I would be willing to join an Ercoupe club that would "up-rate" its publication to include more technical info, and less "chit-chat". The chatting can be done on-line, in forums like this one for those interested in doing it. >The Short Wing Piper Club also has a professional magazine as part of its program for members. Both the SWPC and ICS magazines carry want ads from members and commercial suppliers, repair facilities, etc. >I can't remember what the dues are to ICS, but I think I remember paying around $45 per year. >I also don't know the relative numbers of airplanes still flying for Ercoupes as compared to C-170s and Comanches. Ercoupes are probably less, since ICS caters to all Comanche owners, single and twin versions. >Since SWPC serves many Piper airplanes, like Colt, Tripacer, Pacer, Clipper, and maybe another one or two I haven't thought of, their numbers are likely to be much higher than for Coupes. >In the end, you get what you pay for. I would recommend that an Ercoupe type club charge in the $40s or $50s per year, class up the publication, get more technical information out in the publication, have a real presence at Oshkosh and Sun N Fun, have a for real laison with FAA, etc. >Here's an eample of what ICS did for its members: In the 80s, there was an AD issued affecting all 4 cylinder Lycoming engines with a constant speed prop. Without going into all of the details, depending on how the metal oil line from the prop governor to the prop hub was mounted to the engine, many of the lines were condemned. >While not an expensive part, the line was nearly impossible to get, since demand for it, as a result of the AD, greatly exceeded available supply. ICS saw, in a few days, that many of the airplanes with condemned lines would sit for months waiting on the part. So, they went to work, and in a few more days, got the FAA to approve a high pressure flex line as an acceptable substitute for the hard to find metal line. Probelm solved, and my airplane was flying again in less than two weeks, as compared to about a six month wait for the metal line. I'd like to see us have an Ercoupe club like that. >Jerry Eichenberger >Columbus, Ohio >N2906H > >>>> Ed Burkhead <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 01/24/99 10:49AM >>> >In the January Coupe Capers, Skip wrote a front page editorial/article >saying some good things about the web sites many of you have made and >the valuable information here on the list. > >The issue of the Capers should get to the majority of you Real Soon Now. >Here are some of my thoughts on the issue: > >VERY interesting discussion starter Skip included on the front page. >Skip discussed the favorable dynamic of this list where someone asks a >question, many people reply and we get to the point where the correct >answer usually comes out. > >Based on this, Skip asked if we still need a printed Coupe Capers. The >printing and mailing costs are the club's biggest expense. Rough >numbers from when I was editor: $200/month for editor, $800-1000/month >for printing and postage. (When Skip was Editor before me, he got no >"Editor" pay. Just the "executive director" money he gets now and some >travel reimbursment. I asked for and was granted monthly pay for the >job and that carried on to Carolyn.) > >However, an article I read today said that 60% of households still don't >have internet access. 'Bout right. Our Ercoupers are a little bit >wealthier than the average in the U.S., but we also have a drain on our >finances most don't have. Our average membership age is probably 50. >These things affect computer ownership. I don't think that our members >yet have universal, convenient access to web-browsing/e-mail. > >Though I think we'll all be electronically enabled in 10 years for sure >and in five years maybe, I think we will still serve the community best >by continuing paper issues. > >Come to think of it, I tend to read my Coupe Capers in various locations >-- during breaks at work, at supper, in bed, whatever, and not in my >office in front of my computer. > >In addition, I try to keep the most recent copy with me in my briefcase. >This gives me access to advertisements and phone numbers when I'm at the >airport. > >I could, easily enough, simply print the pages I wanted from the >web-site on my printer for less than the cost of my share of the >commercial printing and mailing. > >The things I'd like to see on a members only (password access) portion >of a web site are: > Current articles (posted when editing is finished, > not waiting for the publication date) > Members Ads (posted as soon as received and typed in) > Commercial Ads (sell easy updates and the ability to do timely >sales) > Text of type certificates > ADs > STCs > Old Coupe Capers articles that are not outdated > >Things I'd like to see on a public access portion of a web site: > Sales propaganda as if we were the manufacturer > Realistic specs and performance of Coupes > Honest articles about the merits and drawbacks of each Coupe >model. > Articles like "Why to buy a Coupe," "How to buy a Coupe," > and "Pre-purchase inspection" > Stories that would promote Coupe ownership > Pictures > >The public page would be our showcase. The members only pages would be >our value added reason for having members. > >The mailing list of which we are members is a good discussion session, >kind of like a few minutes of daily fly-in. It's nice and it's had a >lot of good information over the 6-8 months I've been a member. But, it >is raw information. Taking the distilled good stuff from it and putting >it in Capers or a members web-site (which would require permission of >the authors) would be a big boon. Last summer, I sent a few such >distillations to Carolyn. Then I got too busy. (Now I'm 589 messages >behind on reading those messages. <sigh>) > >We might be able to manage a mechanism by which the Editor could easily >post stories and pictures to the web site. Ease of maintenance is >critical. > >Though we could save printing and postage money, we do want to put some >of that into increased Editor's wages. The Editor is the person who >takes the rough (often handwritten) submissions and makes them into >readable articles. When I was doing it, I also spent time finding and >supporting regular columnists, sending technical articles for review by >experts, doing my own research and more. To add web site hosting to the >Editor's job would, IMHO, merit a pay raise. Perhaps we should have a >web-page editor as well as the Coupe Capers editor. > >I might propose a $10 (?$15?) web/e-mail only membership as described >above and keep the paper-copy prices as close to the current ones as >possible. > >What do the rest of you think? > >-- >Ed Burkhead >East Peoria, Ill. >N3802H, 415-D > ! >! > ! >! > ! >! > ! >! > >
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