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Hate to say this but this is just bad news all around.
A couple of points. (And yes, I was a longtime member of the NM Wing up until several years back now.)
1) It is sad to hear that the wing has made this decision. Really sad. Because if you knew more about the wing, it was what the current CAF management really was looking for in regards to their whole "airbase" idea. The CAF hangar in Hobbs was/is huge - it easily could hold (and I've seen it hold) 10-12 airplanes. At one point in time, it held a B-25, the C-45, our ME-108, two of the Vals, a L-5 and some other visiting aircraft from time to time. It also housed a huge "parts" warehouse, an O'Club, a small museum area and VOQ quarters.
2) A wing cannot operate without membership. I'm not sure what the current membership is/was. But up until two years ago, they still continued to bring their fajita booth to Airsho to raise funds for the C-45 and I'm sure their ANNUAC. The fajita booth took 20-30 members to run the thing, so I know they still had people then. However, as time goes on it only points to dissatisfaction of maybe paying just general CAF dues. I dropped my membership to the wing only because we formed the sponsorship group here. And honestly, by the time I paid my national dues, the wing/squadron dues this just all adds up.
3) I've heard their annual ANUAC bill came out to be around $4400. That's pretty steep for a wing that is struggling. I too am concerned about our sponsorship ANUAC fees this year (about $1800 for both the airplane and the sponsorship group). That is all before required insurances (static insurance or flying insurance, pilot insurance, etc.) and general maintenance costs (annual inspection, additional restoration costs, etc.). Even without flying the aircraft, our group is going to pay out around $6500 without even flying the airplane! When we do put it back into active flying) status that means even more money for insurance. I wonder just "how long" we can continue to fund our airplane. I recognize that airplanes take lots of money. But the costs are beginning to be "too high." In New Mexico, the "mean" population is one of the poorest in the country. (Not Hobbs.) But the NM Wing membership is just not only "Hobbs."
4) For all of the discussion regarding dissatisfaction of CAF HQ (and the decision for the move for CAF HQ) it all boils down to this. Maybe the wing's demise is more related to a "lack of faith" towards the management of CAF HQ than anything else. Without berating the decision, it just sure seems sad that the CAF General staff has continued with this move despite nearly half of the CAF's general membership still thinking it was a bad idea. I realize Mr. Brown won. But I would have taken under advisement (had I been a General Staff member) that almost half the membership still thought it was a bad idea.
5) Costs to the individual wings/sponsor groups in the form of ANUAC are supposed to help support operations at CAF HQ. I can agree with a small administrative cost. But it sure seems like it just keeps going up. What happened to "development funds" (grants, etc.) that are supposed to offset these costs? What are the actual costs to operate CAF HQ? Maybe we should look at "cutting back" as opposed to raising ANUAC fees to the individual units/wings. The economy stinks. So why are we expanding our administrative costs while the rest of the nation struggles?
6) I (personally) resent paying administrative costs. I know they are a necessary evil. But this was and/or has been an organization that was built on the volunteer. Since I've been a volunteer for almost 30 years now, I know personally just what kind of an effort and cost that entails. I'd like to know the salary that we pay Mr. Brown. I'd like to know what his travel costs were/are. I would like to know just "how much" this move is costing us even before we've left Midland. It is costing "us" right now. Not the future "host" city. If we are not getting the development funds (grants, etc.) then why are we continuing to pay for a development person? I know some positions are vital to the CAF. (And this isn't an attack on CAF HQ staffers (many of which are very dedicated, hard working folks and friends)). Is the tide turning? Are we hiring more people to take on the work? If so, we are lazy, and we should be ashamed of ourselves.
Trying really hard to keep personal feelings out of this. And would rather try to ask the "hard" questions instead. It can/and is very personal to me to see a wing (any wing) die. Personalities aside, seeing a wing close up it doors is never a good thing.
Hearing the wing's current situation, makes me ashamed of myself for not paying my dues. I wish I knew what kind of dire straights they were in before hearing this news.
The New Mexico Wing was once a thriving and yes #1 wing for the CAF. It's just a sad, sad day for us all.
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