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EAA TULSA CHAPTER 10JUNE 2001NEWSLETTER
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| Words From the
VP
Poker Run Australian Flying Who Brings Snacks? Young Eagles Calendar For Sale Hangar Insurance Hangar Use |
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EAA TULSA CHAPTER 10JUNE 2001NEWSLETTER
|
| Words From the
VP
Poker Run Australian Flying Who Brings Snacks? Young Eagles Calendar For Sale Hangar Insurance Hangar Use |
|
Bart Dalton
We have had several things happen since last month. I would first like to take a minute and tell everyone about our scheduled program for this month. Mac McCardy from the NTSB will be with us and present a very interesting program on all that they do and are involved in including crash investigation. This will be a meeting that you will not want to miss.
I received an E-mail from Bob Viet and he said that he is back flying his RV-6A. Bob unfortunately found some mud on landing at his strip and did a slow flip. Thank goodness that he was not hurt. He said he learned a great deal about how to exit an RV-6 upside down. Bob I am so glad to hear that you are back in the air. One problem that Bob is having and everyone else too with the 200HP engine is sufficient oil cooling. Van finally admitted that they did run a little warm and now sells a large cooler for the engine. Greg hale installed one on his RV-8 and said that it solved the problem. 230 degrees is too hot for the engine. I know that redline is 245 but it should be between 190 and 200 degrees.
I also had the pleasure to look at an RV-4 that Gary McNally is building. If Gary finishes the engine like he has the airframe and instrument panel I believe that we have an Oshkosh award winner in our midst. When I first looked at the plane my mouth dropped open and I was speechless trying to describe the work that Gary and his dad had done. Gary started the project knowing zero about building a plane and has done all this himself. It is really neat to see the advancement of his progress to this point. This is a good example of what EAA is all about. I am trying to get Gary to write a series of articles on his progress and I hope he will. I believe it will be a great inspiration for everyone.
Everyone come to the meeting and we will see you there.
Bart Dalton
Well, our treasurer/activity planner really had the rain gods in his hands on
Saturday May 26 @10:00am for
our poker run. The weather was just excellent - one of those extremely clear
beautiful days that we occasionally get in the spring. There was plenty of
activity at the hangar. We had a good turn out for the pancake breakfast and
many of them stayed to participate in the poker run.
Twenty-two people participated in the poker run and twelve planes flew. We started out going to Skiatook and we managed to create a lot of traffic delays getting in and out of Skiatook. After that we got a bit more strung out. From Skiatook we went to Sand Springs Pogue - my what a beautiful airport now. If you have not been to Pogue for a while, you ought to go it is really a first class airport. Our next stop was Cleveland (no, not Ohio). Many of the participants were getting tired of flapping their wings and jaws by then so they stopped and drank a soda and, I am sure, told some lies. The bunch in my plane kept on going to our next stop at Hominy. The sole person at Hominy was a crop duster doing some maintenance on his equipment. He was literally in awe at the sudden insurgence of traffic at his quiet and peaceful airport. By this time the "strung out" was getting quite pronounced as only four planes showed up while we arrived and left again. The final leg was back to Gundy's. Since this was our longest leg, Craig used his influence with the weather gods to arrange for a nice tailwind for our flight back to get our final card. About four planes showed up back at Gundy's and began our wait for the others to come in. We knew some of them were on the ground at Cleveland drinking a soda so we did not get concerned right away. After fifteen minutes we began to get a little concerned. Eventually the others showed up and explained that Ken Gates had broken his tail wheel at Cleveland and that had caused their delay.
Don Oden - 1st place
Jarod Armstrong - 2nd place
Paul Shireman - 3rd place
Several of us noticed that two of the winners were flying in Paul Shireman's airplane and figured there was something fishy going on. They strongly denied any underhandedness -------- hmmm I don't know!!!
After we got through giving everyone a hard time about their landing skills and the Shireman plane about their questionable integrity it was time to put on the burgers. We had about thirty people stay for burgers and hot dogs. --- What a great day!!!
by Donald B. Keith
When I was in Sydney, Australia in March, summer was ending and fall weather was beginning with occasional low clouds, showers and wind. I called the Australian AOPA for a recommendation as to where to best hire an aircraft and CFI for a do-it-yourself air tour. They recommended NAVAIR at Bankstown Airport, which was about 20 miles from my hotel. I called NAVAIR and reserved "the cheapest aircraft" they had on the line and someone to go with me. That was a Cessna 152, which was available the following Saturday afternoon for A$120 ($90.72 US) per hour with CFI.
There is a fairly straightforward procedure for having one's US pilot license validated for use solo in Australia. If you are a member, contact the US AOPA and they will send a packet of requirements plus some Australian airport and air tour information.
There were several reasons for me not to do so, time, money and the Sydney Air Traffic Control area would require a lot more study than I could manage in the time available. I would have also had to have a checkout by NAVAIR obviously. I planned to see a lot of New South Wales in the amount of time this would have required.
I stayed in a hotel within walking distance of my business appointment so that I wouldn't need a car. They drive on the wrong side of the road you know. Hourly shuttle bus service to downtown Sydney passed by Central Railway Station from which any part of Sydney or environs can be easily reached. If you are in Sydney don't hesitate to use the trains. They are safe, generally clean and a good way to explore the area. The 35-minute trip to Bankstown (13 stops enroute) cost the equivalent of $1.81 US. At Bankstown Station I caught a taxi for the short trip to the airport.
When I had left the hotel the afternoon weather looked very promising with the partly cloudy skies and 25 degree centigrade temperature that I had become accustomed to. As I arrived at the airport however, the wind began to pick up. The clouds looked closer together and the visibility toward the coast began to diminish. I was early; so hoped things would improve before flight time.
NAVAIR International Flying College Pty Ltd reminded me of a small Spartan with a flair for formality. The instructors wear simple uniforms complete with captain's bars on their shoulders. Of the four instructors I met, two were women and the young lady at the front desk worked an additional job while building time toward having bars of her own. It appears aspirations to fly are the same worldwide.
Jason Hepplewhite was to go with me, but was giving preflight instruction to a young student when I first arrived. When they came out of the briefing room the student went out to preflight and Jason asked if I, like other sightseers, wanted to see Sydney from the air. I told him I had seen plenty of Sydney from cars, trains, buses and a 747-400. He gave me a chart and suggested we go south to the coast then north-north-east back along the coast then west back to Bankstown.
Bankstown airport sits on the north edge of an RAAF restricted area which meant that we would have to fly west about 10 miles, turn south to Camden, then southeast to the coast at Wolongong. Bankstown to Wolongong by this route is 50 nautical miles. I liked the idea of going inland for a least few miles to see what rural New South Wales looked like.
Flying the coastline in the Sydney area is apparently common for local pilots. I talked to another American staying at my hotel who had flown it with a pilot friend the week before. He said there were a lot of other aircraft doing the same and all were at the same altitude, 500 feet. Sydney ATC may provide clearance through their airspace but it's see and avoid, as it should be, from clearance to clear. It's 59 miles from Wolongong to north of Sydney, and another restricted area, where we could turn west and start back to Bankstown. Twelve miles and we would enter the VFR corridor through Sydney airspace again and turn south for 15 miles to Bankstown.
Jason and his, now frazzled looking student returned and suggested we leave the 152 on the ground and take a Piper Warrior because it was really getting rough. Even at $117 US it would cost about the same as the 152 better speed and should be somewhat more stable in turbulence. The transcribed weather, similar to ATIS, was reporting winds of 24 knots with gusts to 30. Speed while seeing the country sounds contradictory to me, and I fly a Cessna so I liked the familiarity of the 152. A glance at the student and another look out of the windsock convinced me to go with stability no matter how incremental.
We preflighted Piper Warrior VH-FYN together and everything was ready to go. The tanks were full of fuel, which costs so much more than in the US that it accounts for a big portion of the difference in rental rates. All fuels, automotive as well as aviation types, are sold by the liter and cost, In Australian dollars, about what a gallon costs here in American dollars. That means the real cost is about 3.5 times as much to Australian operators. That makes a substantial difference even in a 152 or a Warrior.
Jason called the tower to establish contact as we began moving and we were cleared to taxi to runway 11 Left run-up area. The wind didn't seem too bad while taxiing, but in retrospect that was due to the difference in having a low wing versus the high wing I am accustomed to. With the run-up satisfactory Jason called the tower to report that we were ready to go. The tower responded, "FYN take position". I asked Jason "taxi into position and hold?" and Jason said "right". This was the last ATC transmission I would totally comprehend until "FYN cleared to land".
None of us should have trouble understanding Australians face-to-face but, in flight with the ambient noise, even with headsets, a CFI or local pilot companion could comprehend a lot that would leave us guessing. Neither the accent nor the phraseology is very hard to interpret but both simultaneously are cause for pause.
The wind was blowing almost straight up the runway and take off was uneventful. As soon as we were air born though, events began. The left wing dropped, the nose went up and my Warrior check out started before I was ready. It was turbulent!!
Departure was over suburban residences, which from the air looked like the outskirts of Tulsa. Subdivisions changed to scattered houses, which in turn became farmland and pasture. There were a lot of trees both in town and as hedgerows around the fields. Everything looked green and was very pretty.
Bankstown airport is under the Sydney Control Area so we had to stay at, or below, 2000 feet almost to Camden a distance of 15nm. Then we could climb to 4000 for 13 nm. Then 6000 for 15 nm. Then 8000 for 15 nm, then we would be off the chart. The Sydney Control Area's upside-down wedding cake has at least five layers. As soon as we were clear of the Bankstown Airport Area, Jason contacted Sydney and was assigned a transponder code. That is the last we heard from them.
At Camden we started climbing to see if we could find some smoother air. The Camden area is flat with scattered woodland, but to the west appeared to be rising terrain and over the nose were wooded foothills. We leveled at 3500 and it was considerably smoother. We tuned in the Wolongong NDB and with a course correction to the southeast started tracking it toward the coast. In about five minutes it was obvious that we couldn't stay at 3500. Ahead the clouds were lower and the haze was worse. We went back down and leveled at 2800, temporarily.
On our right appeared some substantial hills and ahead a long narrow lake began to take shape through the haze. The lower altitude and rising terrain made the turbulence even worse that it had been at Bankstown. When we got to the edge of the lake, Cordeaus Reservoir, we could see that it filled the valley between two Ozark-like mountain ranges. About five miles ahead the lake disappeared between two steep-sided little mountain peaks. Everything else also disappeared on the far side of these peaks and the clouds were closing in overhead - and it was rough. Between the peaks all we could see was a gray wall of haze.
Jason said, " I don't like the looks of this". I replied "I've had enough" and he said " turn around and descend to 2000". The left wing and nose had already dropped with no help from me, so I held what I had and we headed back toward Camden.
The flight back was a repeat of the flight out without the brief respite from the turbulence at 3500 feet. With Jason providing headings, we over flew Camden and skirted the RAAF Restricted Area and turned toward Bankstown. There is a racetrack on the approach to runways 11 Left, 11 Center and 11 Right at the approximate point where the turn from base to final should be started.
With the racetrack over the nose the airport began to emerge through the haze at 11 o'clock. Jason called the tower and we were cleared to 11L. I rolled out of the turn and lined up on the runway. The center runway is the largest, and mostly used by the larger transient aircraft. Naturally that's the one I saw first and lined up on. Jason said "eleven left"! By this time there were three runways, four taxiways and a lot of ramp concrete for me to aim at, and we were on short final. I was pulling the flap lever, reducing power, (neither control being where I reached first), checking airspeed and trying to think of excuses. Jason said, "that's a taxiway". With bank to the right then left I was finally where I was supposed to be.
At about five feet over the runway we began to float and float and float… all I could do was just hold it off and it worked. It was one of the smoothest landings I have ever made. Sometimes things work out without much help from us, and sometimes, like my sightseeing plans, they just don't.
The weather was crummy so I didn't even get close to the Tasmen Sea and
Australia's beautiful beaches. The aircraft and Jason cost US$117/hr and, even
though flying different types of aircraft is always enjoyable, under these
circumstances it was a lot more work than planned.
On the other hand, I found out I really like the Piper Warrior, Jason was great company, the people at Navair made me feel at home and I saw a lot from the bus, train and taxi. Do I want to do it again? You bet I do!
Below is a list of who brings snacks for each meeting. Because Last month was the picnic the M's had an extra month to come up with something really great for the June meeting. The pressure is really on the M's.
January A-C
February D-F
March G-H
APRIL I-L
June M
July N-P
September Q-S
October T-V
November W
by Bob Rothlisberger
At the recent Young Eagles flight in Bartlesville no one showed up to give the Young Eagles their flights. There were several reasons for this and no one can be blamed. It does point out the need for more members to volunteer to help Bob Rothlisberger with the Young Eagles program.
At the same time there was Young Eagles program in Okmulgee and I understand
Mark Laboyteaux and a couple of aviators from Riverside managed to give 35 Young
Eagles a ride. A great big thank you to Mark and the other aviators.
1st Monday Each month Board Meeting at the chapter hangar at Gundy's 7:00pm
2nd Monday each month Newsletter Folding at the hangar - Gundy's Airport 6:30pm
3rd Monday each month Chapter 10 EAA meeting at the hangar - Gundy's Airport
1st Saturday each month Ponca City Aviation Booster club Breakfast Fly-In.
1st Saturday after 3rd Monday - each month Pancake Breakfast - Gundy's Airport
May 20 EAA Chapter 10 Annual Picnic 1:00 at Gundy's Airport.
June 22-24 Rocky Mountain fly-in
June 24 Sandridge annual Hamburger fly-in
Aug 20 EAA Chap 10 Watermelon Feed/mtg.
Dec 08 EAA Chap10 Christmas Party.
Fun , economical Bi-Plane
˝ partnership -- $6500.
Hangared at Harvey Young Airport
742-7143 Jack Woodward
Sandridge - 2280 sq ft home with Airport Access.
Call Sallie - 272-7255
(note the URL)
(mark as favorite place)
Our web page address is:
http://www.geocities.com/eaa_chap10
Mark will email a notice to each member who chooses to use the WEB version of the newsletter a note stating that the newsletter is ready and on line. Of course those who do not opt for the WEB version will continue to get a hard copy.
The chapter encourages everyone to opt for the WEB version rather than the hard copy.
Please send me an email to scoltharp@aol.com stating that you want to use the WEB version of the newsletter if you opt for it.
One advantage of the web page based newsletter is that we can finally have good quality color pictures of airplanes and activities.
We have arranged for insurance on our hangar/meeting facility at Gundy's. Jerry Vaughn ( our secretary) has found a satisfactory arrangement and this provides us coverage on our hangar. We sure would hate to lose it to some accident or force of nature. Up until now we have been just doing without insurance because the cost has been too high.
As many of you know we occasionally let other people or organizations use our hangar for their functions. For other aviation related organizations we do not charge a fee unless it is in the winter and they have to use our propane to heat the building. For non aviation related organizations/people we usually charge a nominal fee and increase it for propane use. This has been working out quite well, both for our chapter and for the others that have used the hangar.
Recently there have been two cases where the hangar was left unlocked and things generally not cleaned up after someone's function. We have placed a list of things to secure when finished with the hangar on both exit doors but they seem to get overlooked.
We have discussed this problem and decided that we like the good will that is generated by letting others use our facility and would like to continue doing so.
To use our facility in the future it will be necessary to have ONE person from the other organization RESPONSIBLE to see that the hangar is properly cleaned and locked up.
Contact our chapter officers by e-mail
President: Bhrent Waddell bwaddell@tulsa.oklahoma.com
Vice President: Bart Dalton Planenutts@Worldnet.att.net
Treasurer: Craig Loomiller ccaloom@webzone.net
Secretary: Jerry Vaughn GVAUGHAN48@AOL.COM
EAA Chapter 10 Home Page
E-mail:eaa_chap10@yahoo.com
URL:http://www.eaa10.org/Newsletter/2001_06/index.htm
Contents of the EAA Chapter 10 newsletter and these web pages are the viewpoints of the authors. No claim is made and no liability is assumed, expressed or implied as to the technical accuracy or safety of the material presented. The viewpoints expressed are not necessarily those of Chapter 10 or the Experimental Aircraft Association.