Attention! Buder Park Fliers

[Dan McEntee]

   I went by Buder Park this morning for a few flights, and discovered that they cut down our main shade tree. It was in pretty bad shape, with a big split right down the middle of the trunk all the way to the ground. There was a very real danger of it falling down on someone's car or worst case righ on some one!
   They have cleared away all the limbs and brush, but there is a large pile of stumps and short logs stioll there. I brought home one as a souvenir and remembrance. That tree has been there as long as I can remember. I was a main gathering place for us when fun flying, and many a pilots meeting has been held under it. We used to hide behind it when certain people were flying Perky models of suspect structural integrity! I guess we'll have to resort to trusty old Easy-Ups for shade now for contests and long flying sessions. Thousands and thousands of patterns have been bench flown and real patterns watched from there. I think it is the end of an era!
   If any of you other guys think you might like a log for some sort of keep sake, I would head down there this weekend before they come back for the rest of it!
   HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!!
    Dan McEntee

[Larry Fruits]

Hi Dan,
 Yep, that sure was a big tree and nice to get under for some shade on those "warm and sunny" days. I liked to park my truck under it for the late afternoon shade. It wasn't as warm when getting into it for the trip home. It won't be the same.

 I felt kind of the same way when the tower was removed after flooding of the park. Someone used to get up there and announce stunt flights with a P.A. system years and years ago. It's been gone for a long time. Do you remember it?
 
 The park sure looks different after 46 plus years of flying there. Times change.

 Happy Fourth;
    Larry

[James Mills]

Is that the tree that made the winds so interesting on the square pad?

James

[Sean McEntee]

Is that the tree that made the winds so interesting on the square pad?

James

One of many...

[Fred Cronenwett]

Yeah that tree was in bad shape, we noticed the crack back in Feb and it recently got worse, it was starting to become a safety issue

http://lafayetteesquadrillecl.wordpress.com/lafayette-esquadrille-cl/control-line-buder-park-st-louis/

Fred

[wwwarbird]

 You guys should grab a section, carve up a nice club sign out of it, and hang it on or in the pavilion.

[john e. holliday]

I guess I don't get down there enough as they keep changing things.   I see there is still a couple of trees along the fence line.

[Sean McEntee]

You guys should grab a section, carve up a nice club sign out of it, and hang it on or in the pavilion.

^like

[John Stiles]

Too bad they cut it down, I have a huge Redoak tree at one of my flying fields,,,it's over 100yrs. old....it split right down the middle, but I rescued it by wrapping a log chain just below the crown and hooked in itself tightly. The tree is still there and the chain is mostly grown into the tree. Beautiful tree, and still very healthy!

[Jim Kraft]

There is nothing like a large shade tree for cooling. It can be 15 to 20 deg. cooler under a tree because of evaporation of the tree. Artificial shade can never equal a tree.