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by Bhrent Waddell
I always look forward to the flight to AirVenture in Oshkosh. I carefully loaded my RV-6 with as much as I could for this year’s trip. With camping gear, clothes, mountain bike and a couple of maps, it was full. One of my neighbors saw me takeoff and asked me who went with me to Oshkosh. No one went with me. The front seat was just packed to the top! This year’s visit provided opportunities to see new airplanes and aviation products, to listen to interesting forum speakers, and to visit with friends and other pilots from all over the world. This year the new airplanes included the Zenith Zodiac CH650, demonstration flight of the F-22 Raptor, and others. The dozens of daily forums included EAA and FAA topics including discussions of the review of the 51 percent rule for experimental aircraft. Presentations by aircraft manufacturers, safety topics, travel destinations, aircraft construction and maintenance were also forum subjects. No final release of the “new” 51 percent rule was presented, but the forum gave EAA, FAA, builders, and manufacturers an opportunity to present their issues and positions.
In spite of high fuel prices, indications from EAA are that attendance was about 540,000. They estimate that about 10,000 aircraft landed at Oshkosh and supporting airfields. Because the RV-6 was so full for the flight up, I was concerned that loading for the return trip would be a problem. I needed to find room for a few bargain purchases that I just couldn’t pass up. (Did I mention that there are plenty of shopping opportunities at AirVenture?) Fortunately, Lynn Coltharp and Paul Shireman had convinced me that my cook stove had seen better days, so it didn’t make the return flight. Space gained made loading easier, and besides, it’s nice to be able to close the canopy!
The August Chapter 10 meeting will be the last meeting before the 2008 Tulsa Fly-in at Bartlesville. The new dates for the Fly-in are Friday and Saturday, September 12 and 13. Check you calendars to plan to attend. Also, Chapter 10 volunteers are needed to help with aircraft parking and registration.
In spite of everything we can do, the multi-talented Craig Loomiller still insists he is going to move to Houston later this year. Craig has passed the newsletter editor duties to Terry Boswell. The editor’s position is very important, and I appreciate Craig and Terry’s contribution to the Chapter 10.
This month’s meeting will be the annual watermelon feed. We’ll have a discussion of Oshkosh information before we carve the ice-cold melons.
See you at the meeting,
Bhrent
Hello!
I am replacing Craig Loomiller as your editor for the EAA Chapter 10’s Monthly Newsletter. Since I do not know all of you, I am Terry Boswell. First, let me express our deep appreciation for Craig’s devotion to our chapter. He has been our heart beat for many years. When Judy and I came, Craig was our Vice President. Since then he was President and now our previous editor. Most of us appreciate his verbal talents and auctioning skills but few are as devoted to aviation as Craig is. Please join me in expressing our admiration for all his contributions.
My computer skills are more limited than most so this will be a learning experience, but then we must all admit, flying is a learning experience or we become statistics before our last gear up when we wing our way to higher planes or is that plains? One can always execute a go around and try the pattern again! Believe me that has been my forte. If you have a story or an interesting tidbit from your aviation scrap book, please pass this on and we can publish it. One never knows who might learn a technique or execute a skillful recovery as a benefit of your “heart in your throat” time. Our thanks before hand. Regards, Terry Boswell
During the July meeting there were two individuals who asked about name tags. Name tags are $7 each. See any of the chapter officers and we’ll try to have your name tag by the next meeting. We would prefer that you prepay for these. Name tags are a real boom for those of us who have difficulty remembering names.
The previous article on Cross Wind landings had an unintentional error. It was discovered by the author after publishing. Craig was the judge, only one of your aviators identified this flaw. So, only one Atta Boy is awarded, recognition coming during the August meeting.
Terry
In the summer of `68 General Dickman buzzed me into his office. He was reading his early morning message file and noted that an Air National Guard (ANG) F-89 Scorpion had clipped the tail of his target during a practice rocket attack. (The crew of the target successfully bailed out following the midair and the F-89 landed.) The General had only flown F-106s and was unfamiliar with rocket beam attacks. He knew the F-102 carried rockets so he asked for a description of this attack mode as I maintained F-102 currency.
During a rocket beam attack the shooter was positioned in the 90° beam area with about 1500’ of lag for the rocket travel. The F-89 carried about 104 2.75” folding fin rockets as a secondary armament. This is akin to firing a shotgun at a duck. The F-89’s primary armament was a MB-1 Genie but that was generally fired from a stern position because it had much greater range.
The F-102’s firing position was a 110° beam attack with the firing signal coming at 1500’. Since I was current in the F-102 a lively discussion ensured. He then asked if it was possible to see a rocket beam attack. Certainly I replied because we would be going to Iceland within a few days where the F-102 equipped 57th Fighter Interceptor Squadron resided. The F-102 was in its waning days as an operational fighter; there may have been 10 squadrons of “Deuces” world-wide but most were in the ANG. There may have been two or three F-89 squadrons at that time, all in the ANG. Setting up a practice intercept with the General in the T-39 Saberliner would be easy as I knew several pilots in the 57th. He wanted a ringside seat and we decided to give him a ringside seat!
To help us understand the next events in this episode the 110° beam is the LOP or Line of Position the interceptor must fly to arrive at its optimum firing position with a 1500’ lag. The lag represents the distance the rockets would travel to the target after firing. When the interceptor pilot received the firing signal he would immediately break sharply up and behind the target. Since the rockets experienced gravity drop during their brief time of flight the interceptor would always be above any debris. The first radar intercept kills of the Korean War were made using rockets in a beam attack at night.
As you can imagine, if the target banked or climbed or descended it could easily fly out of the lethal envelop of a rocket attack. During practice missions it was incumbent for the pilot of the target aircraft to gain an early visual on the interceptor to ascertain if he was ahead of the LOP or hot or behind the LOP and cold. The interceptor also had to be sliding slightly aft because of the 1500’ lag at the firing signal. If the interceptor did not move on the canopy we knew he was on a collision course and that intercept was terminated. To the uninitiated a rocket beam attack seemed hazardous. To the trained, it was old hat.
Before we departed Iceland for the return flight to the states I briefed two F-102 pilots and the ground radar intercept director so General Dickman could see a rocket beam attack. We departed and climbed toward Sonderstrom, Greenland for our first stop. Two F-102s also took off to affect the practice intercepts once we leveled at altitude. We were all assigned the same radio frequency so it was easy to locate the Deuces as they turned in because they were contrailing. On the first set up they were a bit cold or behind the LOP. Both Deuces made several sharp turn to return to the ideal LOP. They appeared to be trying to catch up. When they achieved a firing position and broke behind the Saberliner the General was pleased. He thought a second intercept should be flown.
The second rocket beam was the opposite; both fighters were hot (ahead of the LOP) and made several turns to get back to the LOP. At five miles the General had the twitches on the yoke. I told him not to break up because that would ruin their attack. Yes, they were sliding slightly aft but not nearly as much as during the first attack, so we knew this would be a close, simulated firing pass. Naturally the firing signal came a bit late and both Deuces flashed just behind the Saberliner. General Dickman turned to me with his mustache sticking straight out and uttered a quaint phrase, “CAPTAIN, NEVER AGAIN!” I got the message.
After we returned to Stewart AFB both F-102 pilots called me for a recap. They were delighted with their delivery of a ringside seat for us. Even the radar controller was pleased to learn they had gotten our attention.
And yes, I never again tried to set up a rocket beam attack for the General to view. He had seen enough!
Terry
The attendance at Oshkosh from EAA Tulsa Chapter 10 was a bit low this year. However, in spite of “poor economy” and the high price of fuel the overall attendance appeared to be about the same as last year. There were only two airplanes from Tulsa on our chosen row 557. More about that later.
The weather at the event was the best I can remember. The temperature was quite mild and got a bit chilly each night. Sleeping was just great. Cool enough to get in the sleeping bag but no need to zip it up.
Paul Shireman and I left on Saturday morning at about 6:20 am. We had both checked weather before we started up and saw no thunderstorm. Our course to Lee’s Summit Missouri was right down the middle of Lake Oolagah. It was hazy and not good light yet and it took us a little bit to realize there was a large thunderstorm just north of the north end of Oolagah. Things looked somewhat “brighter” to go around it to the West but it soon became apparent there was lightning that direction so I turned to the east to get around it. Vinita was appearing before I got far enough east to turn north. We flew in light rain for a while before we finally got clear of the thunderstorm.
About fifty miles south of Kansas City a ground fog set in below us. I turned back to Fort Scott, Ks to check on the weather. Fort Scott was closed up tighter than a drum so I just topped off and got back in the air. Flight service in Kansas City told me there were sigmets for no VFR in Kansas, Missouri and southern Iowa with low clouds, mist and poor visibility and it was not predicted to “burn off” until 22:00. When I told her that I might as well go back to Tulsa she reported that the thunderstorms north of Tulsa had spread and I could not get back to Tulsa. As we were discussing my options Butler Missouri appeared below me and I landed there to wait a while. After an hour it did lift up some and I went on my way to Washington, Iowa for fuel. Later I learned that Paul had gone on top and landed at Lee’s Summit and then on to Washington, Iowa, just as we had originally planned.
The arrival at Oshkosh was pretty relaxed and I taxied on to row 557 and set up camp. Terry Hines and Paul were not there. I was the only one on “our row”. As I was relaxing and watching the arrivals I saw a fluorescent green tail sticking up on the other side of the runway. Surely there is another airplane painted the same color as Paul’s because Paul would not park way over there. In a bit the cell phone rang and it was Paul. Immediately I assumed he was stopped somewhere en-route because of weather. Nope… he was parked on row 523. He had made it to row 557 and they made him move. He was told “we must park in the order we arrive”. Somehow they let me and several other airplanes on row 556 slip through. They had caught Terry before he even got to 557 and blocked has path. He was parked on row 512.
Well, I thought, “this is going to be a pretty lousy Oshkosh if we can’t camp together and enjoy the camaraderie of our friends”. What a lousy deal!!!! We come a day early just so we can get our favorite parking area and they come up with some rule about “parking in the order we arrive”. In most peoples’ eyes this area is not a good place to park anyway because it is so far away from the show. We like it because of access to supplies for our camping activities. It is understandable if we arrive with the horde that arrives on Sunday that we could not have selected parking area. As a matter of fact Bhrent Waddell “arrived with the horde” on Sunday and did not ask for special parking. He got a spot four rows from 557 and that worked well. Paul got up early Sunday morning and “sneaked” over beside me. John Nys and his son Brock brought Mark Fridley with them and they brought their tents from the showplane area and camped with us. We managed to have a good get together in spite of an over zealous rule.
The weather for our trip home on Wednesday was very similar to the trip up with low ceilings and visibility across southern Iowa, Missouri and Kansas. We managed to make it through without altering our plans. Oshkosh weather was so nice and cool it was tempting to stay another day just to avoid the super heated weather in Tulsa.
Here are a couple of pictures of our camping/parking area. Note how the size of Brock's tent dwarfs my airplane. We hope to communicate with Oshkosh before next year. If we are not allowed in our favorite parking area by coming a day early next year…. this will be our last trip to Oshkosh. We have been parking on row 557(used to be row 57) for 11 years now it would be a shame to end our good times on a sour note.
In the beginning we flew thru the air and the other people walked on the ground, it was as simple as that.
The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline baggage.
Real planes use only a single stick to fly. That is why bulldozers and helicopters — in that order — need two.
The medical profession is the natural enemy of the aviation profession.
Before each flight, make sure your bladder is empty and your fuel tanks are full.
There are certain aircraft sounds that can only be heard at night!
Flying is a great way of life for men who want to feel like boys, but not for those who still are.
What is the answer pilots give for the question, “When are you boys going to grow up?” “Never.”
FOR SALE BY OWNER Glasair I/II RG 300 hrs TTAF Lycoming O-320 70 hrs SMOH Lightspeed electronic ignition High compression pistons Large rudder Dual sliding canopys Panel mount GPS, xponder, intercom and more New 3 blade MT propeller New custom interior Extended wing tips 80% completed Ready for your paint $55,000 See at Gundy's (O38), Owasso, OK Contact Mark Fridley @ 918-274-3574 or 9rmfridley@cox.net (NOTE: remove the leading 9 to make email work)
Franklin Aircraft Engine Model 4AC171 60 HP 37/8 bore x 33/8 stroke 6/2 C.R. s/n 2052 17/32 venturi Eisenman magnetos complete No log book $1000 Contact Ken Smith 698-4129.
Lycoming O-235-0 T.C. 223, 100 HP, 2600 RPM, SM 1571-15 Two magnetos, no carburetor, otherwise complete. No logbook $1,000 Contact Ken Smith 698-4129.
Lycoming O-290-D2 135 HP, T.C. 229, no magnetos, has vacuum pump engine damaged at L/H magneto mount area L/H crankcase broken out accessory case broken out data plate is titled Lycoming Aviation Engine No logbook $1,000 Contact Ken Smith 698-4129
Waco UMF-5 Biplane Waco UMF-5 218 hours TTAE 240 HP W-670 Radial Radio, intercom, and ELT 40 gal fuel 350 mi range 110 lbs baggage 3 place 25 awards: Grand Champion @ Bilplane Expo AAA Blakesburg, TX, Nebraska & Kansas, Oshkosh & Hondo, TX
This stunning beauty is built to Waco prints from
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9500 hour build time over 12 years.
Finished 2004.
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Contact John Hudec, 918-371-5029.
To list your aviation items for sale, contact newsletter editor Terry Boswell.
| Day of Week | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | August 18th | Chapter meeting and watermelon feed @ Gundy's 7:30pm |
| Saturday | August 23rd | Pancake breakfast @ Gundy's 7:00 - 9:30am |
| Saturday | September 7th | Ponca City Breakfast Fly-In |
| Friday - Saturday | September 12th - 13th | 52nd Annual Tulsa Fly-in @ Bartlesville Municipal Airport (BVO) |
| Saturday | December 13th 2008 | Christmas Dinner Party @ Gundy's |
To add an item to our calendar, get the information to the newsletter editor Terry Boswell. See the contact info on the home page for e-mail, phone, and mail addresses.
| Day of Month | What | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Monday | Board meeting | Chapter hangar | 7:00pm |
| 2nd Monday | Newsletter Folding | Chapter hangar | 7:00pm |
| 3rd Monday | Chapter meeting | Chapter hangar | 7:30pm |
| 1st Saturday | Ponca City Breakfast Fly-In | Ponca City | |
| 1st Saturday after 3rd Monday | Pancake breakfast & Fly-Market | Chapter hangar | 7:00-9:30am |
The August meeting includes our Watermelon Feed.
| Month | Initial letter(s) of last name |
|---|---|
| January | A-C |
| February | D-F |
| March | G-H |
| April | I-L (Brat feed) |
| May | Annual Picnic |
| June | M |
| July | N-P |
| August | watermelon provided |
| September | Q-S |
| October | T-V |
| November | W-Z |
| December | Christmas party (no Monday meeting) |
If you would like to receive the newsletter electronically off of the chapter web site (www.eaa10.org) every month, just send Secretary Bob Thrasher or our web editor Bob Minich an e-mail. This action saves the chapter money on printing and mailing costs, which in turn, helps keep your dues low. It's really simple to do. We send you a monthly e-mail notice when the latest newsletter is posted online. Just click on the provided link and you are there!
If you haven't taken a look at our web page lately, you should check it out! Bob has started putting a picture of the author along side the articles, which really adds a lot to the newsletter. Many organizations have gone to an all-online newsletter which really reduces costs. Hopefully, we can get our own chapter moving in that same direction. We are supposed to be a progressive-thinking organization, after all.
