36 persons have expressed interest thus far. Some are flying, many are building.. a few are pondering the build. There are a few folks who HAVENT spoken up that I would really like to see do so... they have experience that is invaluable to the group.
 
As many of us have discovered, the devil is in the details.
 
Establishing direction and founding an organization can be akin to herding cats. I am a cat owner, by the way, and I meant that with respect. At this stage of the game, John has identified a key point: our small numbers combined with our geographical dispersion. Online is the way to go for the short term.
 
I would like to make the following recommendations:

1) delay formal incorporation until the participants can work together and establish solid "goals". Lets get to work. In the simplest of terms, we are still the same group of folks we were two weeks ago: builders and pilots helping each other in the name of safety. That is not going to change. Even if SOME of the flyrotary list incorporates, we will still all be helping each other.
 
2) At this point, and even in the initial phase after incorporation, I would suggest working with "zero budget". Right now, our "product" is knowledge. Raising funds, and then accounting for them, and figuring out how to spend them... will be secondary. In the short term, if you have the desire to donate something of material value to the group, hold off until formal incorporation as a 501C3 so that you can benefit from the donation. Again, this is not about making money, its about helping each other.
 
3) I would like to set up several teams of people working online in groups, based on your personal interests, your strong points and your professional expertise:

• Assembling a "boilerplate" engine manual/POH section for the 13B series engines in aircraft. This would describe theory of operation for the engine. Persons familiar with "Type specific" per-plans installations of accesory systems would be encouraged to participate in this. At the minimum I would like to see a Cozy and an RV flyer/builder participate in this process. I'd like to see someone representing each of the major ECU types IN USE participate here as well.  The reason for the type "input" is the desire to incorporate fuel system diagrams, ECU install diagrams. Once a few major templates are developed, other builders of varying types may be able to cut and paste as needed to develop their own manual.
  
• Assembling a maintenance/Troubleshooting manual for the engines with recommendations (or experiences) with certain consumables, filters, plugs, etc. Data would gleaned both from Commercially available books and manuals, as well as practical experience. Incorporation of ECU programming guides for the gamut of installs could be done here. Again, once a master template is established, individuals could cut and paste to make their own. Regular interaction with the POH guys on issues that cross over.
  
• Examining the needs/requirements of formal incorporation. Structuring. Limitations. Liability issues. Drafting an article of incorporation, drafting bylaws. Developing a plan for actually coming together and organizing. Someone with corporate law, IRS, Not for profit or similar experience would be beneficial here. Selection of appropriate venue for annual meeting.
  
• Assembling a ground test/flight test program, borrowing heavily from the FAA and EAA resources out there.
• Assembling archived data from the lists regarding performance, best practices, techniques that have failed. Techniques that have succeeded.
• Development of technical advisor program, in conjunction with or based upon EAA principles. Engine and combination airframe/engine advisors. Locate DAR's, FSDO, MIDO contacts
  
• Provision of webhosting services. Finding someone who is willing to provide, or obtain sponsorship for a website. Serve as webmaster of that site. Keep it maintained regularly. This would be a donated service for the forseable near future.
• Design of logo/trademark/service mark, group merchandise, internal marketing and sales to group members of "stuff" such as caps, cups, shirts, decals...  Any profits would go towards deferring costs of webhosting, or funding other outreach. Again, money will be a late issue, not an early one.. but getting some tentative designs made and available for review would be fine.
• Development of a post-accident liason guideline. Establish qualifications for persons who wish to volunteer in this role. Develop behavioral guidelines and role expectations for the volunteer, as well as recommended minimum equipment. Obtaining information/policies from formal investigatory agencies would be beneficial. Interact with other type clubs regarding this sort of activity, and borrow policy and procedure regarding undertaking investigative liason work. The maintenance/troubleshooting master plan as well as the "POH" master plan can provide a comprehensive source of data for participants in this role to refer to, rather than having to "wing it". This is about accountability and documentation.
• Professional Outreach: Interaction on a collegial level with kit manufacturers, FAA, EAA, AOPA and other alphabet groups, as well as type clubs. Once we establish some inertia, set ourselves up to publicize the group. I would like to have a formal "unveiling" within a year of this years OSH.. so July 06. Coordinate with the tech advisor group regarding outreach to tech advisors, FSDO/MIDO/DAR's
  

I want to establish this in increments and suggest:

• 30 day goals: Establish participants in each area of interest, establish informal leadership in each area BY those participants. Look at what each area really entails, and make divisions of the percieved workload.
  
• 90 day goals: Have in each area a working plan for developing each area of interest, and have significant data collection efforts begun. Rough outlines with significant data in each outline area. Web Presence should be established by this time. Seek expertise from outside the community where applicable, such a general workmanship issues. Ongoing peer review as needed.
  
• 180 day goals: Have much of the documentation in each area essentially done. Submit your work to other groups for peer review, readability, content and feedback. Submit completed or near-completed work outside of the informal organization for proofing. Have "investigative liason" section near complete, with recommendations for training and experience for prospective volunteers.
  
• 270 day goals: Publish our data online, in a user protected area. All members would have access to documents. Plan for formal incorporation. Have draft documents reviewed by pro-bono counsel. Plan for formal press release/media invitation. Seek inclusion in trade publications. Plan for production of merchandise, establish tentative budget planning. Membership fees if applicable.
  
• 1 year goal: Formal incorporation. Election of officers. Public Coming Out. Formal notification to regional NTSB and FAA MIDO/FSDO and watch offices of our existence as a resource. Formal provision of technical advisor services by qualified individuals. If enough core goals are met well prior to this point, the 1 year goal can be implemented when the group is ready.
  

Ok.. that should be enough to stir some emotions for a bit. Suggest other areas, modify existing ones, elect to participate in something. Interact with others..
 
Also, everyone so far who has "elected" to participate, I have gleaned your email address and will be sending a mass email in the next 48 hours for the purpose of sharing individual emails with the group members en-masse. Those with mass mail spam blockers, be aware that it will be coming. If someone sent me their email OFF list and does not desire broadcast, re-contact me within the next 36 hours, and I will remove it from that mass email.
 
As for communication, I am NOT advocating taking us off list.. Marv's forum is an excellent place to keep things talking, sharing ideas, talking about the builds.. all the things that we all want to do anyways. Actual committee-specific stuff would be better off-list unless you think it is data that the community at large would benefit from, then by all means please share it with FlyRotary. This is about SHARING info, not keeping it. With an exception or two, so far, all I am asking for from the majority of everyone is a donation of TIME.
 
My take on it is.. if for some reason, the group loses focus or falls apart prior to goals being met, the individual products of the individual committees will live on.. and be shared, and added to.
 
Ok.. thats enough for now. I have work tonight.. and I need sleep.
Dave Staten