BIG BEND FLYER

Official Newsletter of EAA Chapter 445 WWW.EAA445.ORG

Tallahassee, Florida

 In this issue :
June 2003                                                       

       

 

President             Frank Smith   
576-3312

Vice President  Gar Braun

Secretary           David Williams

Treasurer             Dave Schamber

 

 

 

EAA - Not just for Homebuilders click here to find out more.

 

To change the address of your pilot certificate, and other related certificate issues  click here to go to the FAA registry website.

 

The FAA discovered in a  survey of average passenger weights,  that passengers today weigh an average of almost 21 pounds more than in 1995 at the time of the last survey, and they are carrying heavier luggage. As a result the agency has ordered an increase in the average weights used in calculating aircraft weight and balance.

. Are you searching for an Aircraft STC? You can look it up here

Are you searching for an Aircraft AD? Look for it here

The CAP will be washing aircraft the first weekend of every month, schedule permitting at the wash rack at Flightline around 10:00 AM as a money raising project for the Cadets.  For more information call Tom Baldwin at 850-575-0596 or Kevin Smith at 671-6716 to reserve a time slot . They we would appreciate a contact number to use in the event that they have an active mission and must make a schedule change

June 2003
EAA Desktop Calendar



Riding into the sunrise: a trio of New Standard D-25s juxtaposed before a background of contrails provides a terrific computer desktop for the month of June. To get your copy, visit the EAA website and click on the picture to select a size for your desktop.


 

Tower: "Variable, 120 to 180, 22 gusting to 32."
Pilot: (With sarcasm) "Oh, that sounds like fun."
Tower: "We've got the cameras rolling."

 
The 33 Greatest Lies in Aviation..

1. I'm from the FAA  and I'm here to help you.

2. Me? I've never busted minimum’s.

3. We will be on time, maybe even early.   

4. Pardon me, ma'am, I seem to have lost my jet keys.

5. I have no interest in flying for the airlines.

6. I fixed it right the first time, it must have failed for other reasons.

7. All that turbulence spoiled my landing.

8. I'm a member of the mile high club.

9. I only need glasses for reading.

10. I broke out right at minimum’s.

11. The weather is gonna be alright; it's clearing to VFR.

12. Don't worry about the weight and balance -- it'll fly.

13. If we get a little lower I think we'll see the lights.

14. I'm 22, got 6000 hours, a four year degree and 3000 hours in a Lear.

15. We shipped the part yesterday.

16. I'd love to have a woman co-pilot.

17. All you have to do is follow the book.

18. This plane outperforms the book by 20 percent.

19. We in aviation are overpaid, underworked and well respected. 

20. Oh sure, no problem, I've got over 2000 hours in that aircraft

21. I have 5000 hours total time, 3200 are actual instrument.

22. No need to look that up, I've got it all memorized.

23. Sure I can fly it -- it has wings, doesn't it?

24. We'll be home by lunchtime.

25. Your plane will be ready by 2 o'clock.

26. I'm always glad to see the FAA.

27. I fly every week-- I don't need recurrent training.

28. It just came out of annual -- how could anything be wrong?

29. I thought YOU took care of that.

30. I've got the field in sight.

31. I've got the traffic in sight

32. Of course I know where we are.

33. I'm SURE the gear is down.
  

 

May was a busy month for EAA445.  It started with the 30th annual Quincy fly-in , which was a huge success. Frank Smith, David Lecornu and David Williams did a great job organizing it.  They received a lot of help from other members who pitched in when needed to set everything up, cook breakfast and lunch, park airplanes and then clean everything up. Marc Dupuis, a cook by trade, not only helped cooked breakfast but also lunch.  A special thanks goes out to the Civil Air Patrol who helped out with parking cars and planes.  Close to 50 airplanes flew in. including an  L-39  flown by Terry Fregly Jr. and Col. Yevhen Derevyansky. The club brought in over $1,000.00 which will be used to further promote our cause.  You can click here to see pictures of the Fly-in.

 

Unfortunately, I was stuck in New York on business and was unable to attend; however, I did get a chance to fly for the first time in a glider.  Click here if you want to see pictures of my flight.

 

May 24th was the “Young Eagles Rally” held at Capital Avionics.  Jeff Owens and I flew 14 kids, most of whom had never been up in a small plane before. Twelve of the kids were boy scouts and this flight, along with some great ground instruction by Al Ingle, Gar Braun, David Lecornu, and Frank Smith, qualified the boys for an aviation merit badge.  Al and Donna Ingle, who are very involved in Boy Scouts, hosted the event and a generous donation to Chapter 445 .   Jim Curasi of  Eagle helped support the event by offering a discount on the rental of their 2002 172SP.  Click here to see pictures of the rally.

 

I  want to extend a warm welcome to several new members: Terrance Fregly Sr. and Jr., Van Wieman, Ken Mattson, Winston Scott, Gordon Hutchinson, Ed Copes, Francis Copes, Joe Strickland, Peter Prinz, John Ficklen, Isaac Lang, Yevhen Gerevyansky, and Ed Willoughby.  This brings our paid membership to a total of 41 people.  Frank Smith will be putting together a directory soon, and information about the new members will appear on the web page by the end of the week.

 

I hope to see you at one of the many activities scheduled  in June.

 

Take care,

 

John Sivyer

Newsletter Editor

NAME THAT PLANE 

No new plane ideas this month!

Congratulations to last months winner Craig Hiers.   Craig built an RV-4 and is currently building an RV-7.

Craig wrote ""It's a Maule of course. That specific plane is an M-4, it is noted by the rounded vertical stabilizer. The last M-4 was built in 1973. However, Maule just built an M-4 and put a 100HP Rotax 912S on it. The purpose was to try and get it into the sport pilot catagory. But alas, a local source told me they did not make the weight, and it only went about 80MPH at full throttle. Maybe they can strip it down, and work on drag reduction."

Maules factory is in Moultree, Ga.

If you have any ideas for next months name that plane please click here

COULD IT HAPPEN TO YOU? Smart Pilots Learn from their mistakes-Wise Pilots learn from the mistakes of others!
 
Captain Dick Norman Shares a Hairy Experience  
 
In regard to the problem with my DC-10 flight out of JFK a few years back....as I explained to the members the center tail engine blew around 12,000 ft. altitude in a climb configuration heading south out over the Atlantic to South America. We leveled immediately and advised JFK Departure Control of the emergency, the emergency shut down check list was completed. The engineer announced to me and the first officer that there was no fire and the engine had probably "corned cob" horizontal.....all the turbine blades separate and exit out the tail......The rational to this was there was no loss of hydraulic fluid. If the blades had exited vertically they would have damaged the hydraulic lines and we would have lost control of our systems. There was no other emergency, thank the Good Lord, with the exception we had to dump 12,000 pounds of jet fuel due to overweight landing. We were given a orbit clearance to dump fuel  out over the Atlantic Ocean then return to JFK. We had the two under wing engines operation normally and with plenty of power, no asymmetrical conditions, so we flew back to JFK, normal landing, taxed back to the ramp with fire and emergency equipment following.....we then released them to quarters and parked at the terminal and deplaned. Passengers were routed to another flight to continue. I later found out that the subject engine was due for a boro-scope inspection in 100 hours. They use a pirates glass to look at each turbine blade for accumulation of kerosene soot deposit. There evidently had been a heavy burner deposit on a number of blades that caused a out of balance and destruction of the engine. The burner flow nozzles have to be monitored on a regular scheduled bais.. 
 
This was just one of many incidents during my 34 years of airline flying. I guess my career was very...very lucky.
 
Capt. Dick.
 

Experimental Aircraft Association—Chapter 445-

Abridged Minutes of the  May 29, 2003  Board Meeting

 

The fifth board meeting of the year was held on May 29, 2003 at Flight Line’s “old terminal” facility building.  Members present: Frank Smith, President; Gar Braun, V. President; J. David Williams, Secretary; and at-large board members David LaCornu, Scott O’Brien and John Sivert, E-news letter editor.

 

Frank delivered the treasurers report:  $4,666 in savings account; $2,040.40 in checking account.

 

Discussion continues on the possible use of the “old terminal” as the future meeting site for the chapters general meetings.

 

The chapter now has forty-one members.

 

The board approved a maximum expenditure by Frank Smith of $200 for printing and other expenses to publish a membership roster/book with a target date for distribution in three months.

 

No further business was enacted.

 

David Williams, Secretary

 
The Big Bend Aviation Safety Counsel is made up of several area pilots who invest  their time, motivation, and enthusiasm to share their aviation expertise with other airmen. They work closely with the FSDO Safety Program Managers to administer  FSDO Safety Programs.  Although ASCs provide their services on a volunteer basis, make no mistake, it is a working position. They periodically take part in some of the following activities: conduct safety seminars, plan or support  safety seminars, counsel airmen, attend recurrent counselor training, and  volunteer as safety pilots. 
 
Click here for a list of the  Big Bend Safety Counselors. 

Big Bend Flying Club

The Big Bend Flying Club meets on the first Wed of each month @7PM at various resturants around town. There are no membership dues and no real rules except to show up and enjoy some good presentations put on by other local pilots.   If you are recieving this newsletter you are already on the list to be notified of club meetings and activities.   

Our next meeting will be Wed June 4th. 7PM at Julies place on N. Monroe St.

Ace Tidwell will be sharing some of his experiences as a  40+ year pilot, CFII, flight school owner and FAA DE. 

FROM THE TOWER by Ron Fisher

Things at the tower are the same, Orange Security Level and no operational changes worth noting at this time. This is typically our slow air traffic time. I will say that we still have a few controllers that might want to take a flight, so give the supervisor a call if you have an empty seat for a local flight.


A question: If while flying cross-country you fly through Controlled Airspace (Class D, C, B or Surface E IMC conditions) and forget to contact ATC.  First, is it possible that ATC will be able to identify your
aircraft, second if they do, is the FAA required to notify you, the pilot, that a airspace violation has been file on the airspace incursion? What should the pilot do if the pilot realizes after landing that he/she
penetrated the above airspace?


Answer: Yes, if it is possible to follow the target, the FAA will call the airport and request the aircraft number and/or pilots name. The FAA ATC facility is NOT required to notify the pilot of the possible airspace incursion, it notifies the FSDO that in turn sends a letter to the pilot of the alleged pilot deviation. A pilot should immediately call the facility (supervisor) to verify the possible incursion, if you feel lucky forget the call, then fill out a NASA form. If you are an AOPA member, make the call and request their guidance.

PICTURE OF THE MONTH

To all members of the local EAA Tallahassee Chapter. I was at the fly-in this past saturday and enjoyed my visit. I arrived in an Army T-41, # 96205. As I flew over the airport later in the afternoon, my passenger took this picture and he felt you may appreciate it. The picture was taken from 1000 feet and is a combination of two pictures side by side stitched together to make one larger picture.
 
 Again we thank you for the afternoon. Jan and Abram Karl.
        Jan can be reached by e-mail at : jantex@att.net.
 
For more pictures of the fly-in click here

 

If you have an interesting aviation related picture, please click here and attach it.  We will pick one and feature it in next months newsletter.  Include a short discription but please keep it to one photo ,  we are still using a slow dialup connection.

 
E- MAILS
 
Parting Words from the former TLH ATM
 
Just for info..... TLH was announced as Level 7 Facility of the Year in Southern Region, now in competition for National recognition. And, tomorrow (May 2nd) is my last day, going off into retirement to do a little sailing and who knows what.  Best to you and the group, it's been fun working with you folks!

Art C. Eickenberg, TLH ATM
(850) 942-9642
 
Letter's Battery
 I have something to add.  Several months ago I flew from Sylacauga, AL to Gainesville, and the next day my battery was stone dead.  Since it was about 12 months to the day that I bought it and my last one went out after exactly 12 months with a dead cell I thought it was done for.  The previous one was a sealed Concorde 35, with a 12 month warranty, of course.  The one I have now is a Gill 35 with a 24 month warranty, so there is about 11 more months left on the warranty.  I called Gill, and they said to follow a certain charging procedure with a constant current charger.  I took to Battery Quest and they put it in the charger overnight.  The next day when I returned, they said that it was very good, in fact impressive.  So the problem isn't the battery after all.  It is probably my voltage regulator, which I will have to replace.

 Since then I bought a Sears battery charger with a microprocessor that maintains the battery with a "Floating charge", i.e., it monitors the battery after fully charging it and gives it more charge as needed.  It is left on  the battery until I use the plane again.

 Daniel Peterson
 
Thanks Again from The Former Big Bend Flying Club Coordinator
 
I wanted to take a minute and say "Thanks!" one more time to the members of the Big Bend Flying Club for the nice send off I received before moving to Leeward.  I especially appreciate the overly generous gift certificate I received and wanted to let everyone know that I used it to update my transceiver.  Now my husband has my old transceiver in the house and he can tune in and hear my comings & goings.  He also reports to me when he hears particular people or planes in the pattern.  He has even been known to give a report on the winds and suggested runway!
 
I was sorry to miss you at the EAA Fly In last Saturday in Quincy.  The folks did a great job of putting this together and it was a very nice day.  I was so glad for the chance to see so many old friends and to even make some new ones during my visit.
 
As far as having a "fly in" here at Leeward, the "powers that be" have indicated there are problems because of insurance, etc.  Whatever.  I am learning about some means that others have used to get around this.  Given that summer is upon us with its afternoon storms, I am going to wait until fall, probably until after we move into our new house, but I promise I will have a "non fly in" get together for all my friends, some of whom just happen to fly down here.  In the meantime, please pass along the word that anyone who would like to visit is more than welcome to do so.  Just drop me a note first and I'll send all the info they need to make the trip.
 
Angela Green
 
For more information on Leeward Air Ranch see the article by Ed Copes in the March newsletter. http://www.eaa445.org/March2003.htm

New Subscriber Sends his Thanks 

I received my first News Letter from your chapter. As web master I think you are doing a first rate job.
Content , Presentation, the whole nine yards are excellent.
 
Its strange how you had a relative flying for Eastern as I had a cousin who flew for them for about 20 years.  He retired in the late 70's. George Stapley, from Rochester New York.
now living in the Boston Mass area.
 
Well I just wanted to say thank you.
 
 Walt Critchlow
 C/FRDF
 Canada
 
 
Big Bend Flyer welcomes your comments click here to send your thoughts or  suggestions on  aviation related items of interest or ideas to improve the newsletter!

 

LOCAL PLANNER
 
 
June 2nd  Chris Davey , Master Storyteller &Aviation Historian  7:00 PM Wesminster Oaks Clubhouse  Live the excitement and romance of the early days of flight…feel the atmosphere, the smells, the fright – and the delight of open cockpit flying and tail-dragger landings.  British author, Chris Davey has the ability to bring it all to life through his stories of hair-raising adventure centered around historical characters. If you don’t already love flying, you surely will after reading his first two books in a series titled "Will Turner’s Flight Logs", which follow the career and life of a pioneer aviator.
 
June 4th  Big Bend Fling Club meeting 7PM at Julies place on N Monroe St.  Our speaker will be Ace Tidwell.   Ace will be sharing some of his experiences as a  40+ year pilot, CFII, flight school owner and FAA DE. 
 
June 10th EAA445 Meeting 6:30 PM at the old terminal building.(Near Eagle Air Corps)

David Williams will lead an interactive presentation titled: Can the purchase of a light aircraft ever be considered a growth investment?  Are there any aircraft that have appreciated at a rate better than inflation?  Are experimental/home built aircraft a good investment?  How do you appraise aircraft—what resources are available?  Is there any way to project the future value of a particular model?  How do you buy aircraft cheap?  Is a “basket case “ or “fix-err-upper” ever a good buy?  What advertising media is most likely to give you top dollar on your sale?  How do you buy an aircraft that is hangered 1000 or 2000 miles from your home and not get taken?  What percentage or method do you use to discount the value of an aircraft that has been repaired after sustaining major damage?

 
June 21st
You are invited to join us for a Cessna Pilot Center Open House at the New Eagle Air Academy
9 am- 2 pm at Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH). ( South of the old Eagle Location in the newly remodeled  wing)
Get checked out to rent the new Skyhawk 172SP, equipped with color moving map GPS, Autopilot with altitude preselect and Multi-Function display. 

Food and refreshments will be served.  

11:00 AM - seminar on the tax benefits of owning a new Cessna and leaseback opportunities.

1:00 PM- Using the Bendix-King KLN94 GPS and KMD 550 multi-function display.

See the 2003 Skyhawk and Skylane presented by Air Orlando Sales, your Florida Cessna Dealer.
  
John Purner author of the $100 Hamburger, will be on hand to autograph books  and discuss his adventures flying around the country in search of great  places to land.

Questions?  Call Eagle Air at 850-574-3506 or e-maiil Robby Turner at Robby@Robbyturner.com
 
June 28th  EAA445 Drawing for L-39 ride 9am at Flightline.

 
  For an Updated listing of events all over Florida, click here   

Lighter Side

While taxiing at London Gatwick, the crew of a US Air flight departing for Ft. Lauderdale made a wrong turn and came nose to nose with a United 727.

An irate female ground controller lashed out at the US Air crew, screaming: "US Air 2771, where the hell are you going? I told you to turn right onto Charlie taxiway! You turned right on Delta! Stop right  there. I know it's difficult for you to tell the difference between 'C' and 'D', but get it right!"

Continuing her rage to the embarrassed crew, she was now shouting hysterically: "God!  Now you've screwed everything up! It'll take forever to sort this out! You stay right there and don't move till I tell you to! You can expect progressive taxi instructions in about half an hour, and I want you to go exactly where I tell you, when I tell you, and how I tell you! You got that, US Air 2771?"

"Yes, ma'am," the humbled crew responded.

Naturally, the ground control communications frequency fell terribly silent after the verbal bashing of US 2771. Nobody wanted to chance engaging the irate ground controller in her current state of mind. Tension in every cockpit out in Gatwick was definitely running high.

Just then an unknown pilot broke the silence and keyed his microphone, asking: "Wasn't I married to you once?"

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