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     Holding Aviation to a HIGHER STANDARD™

    April 2006

ISSN: 1930-0131

Spring Is Here

Due to warm weather and rain, the airports' existing and new grass is off and running. Because of this, we actually mowed the field the first time at the end of March. This has us unusually busy much earlier in the year and scrambling to keep up but we are making progress.

We recently purchased a batwing mowing deck that almost doubles our grass cutting capacity just in time for the crop of grass that doubles the amount to cut. Although the extension is not open yet, it will certainly be ready for the fly-in.

Those of you who fly in on a regular basis may have also noticed the southern end of the airport changing. If you haven’t figured it out, we have been cutting trees of all sizes on both sides and the end of the runway. These trees were not there years ago but due to the fact the area is unused, they managed to grow in to a point we didn’t like.

Furthermore, Rich really wanted to clear extra room for some of the planes with large wing spans that are scheduled to be here for the fly-in. So, he has been out cutting trees every day and has managed to cut down 200 trees and move the tree line even further back than required for a public use airport. Yet, since most of them were under four inches across it is not as obvious a change as it sounds. Amazingly, with all this cutting, he only had one trip to the emergency room for stitches.

With all the Spring activities and work around the airport, we apologize for being a little late with this issue.  However, we are excited to have so many new readers this month.  We are guessing that each of you know at least one other pilot that would like to see aviation continue for future generations to enjoy.  If you do, NORDO News asks you to please forward this newsletter to a friend and ask them to Sign-Up.  Together, we can continue  "Holding Aviation to a Higher Standard".

 Click Here to forward this issue to a friend.

Sinful Sundays for 2006
Initially, we had decided not to do Sinful Sundays this year because in years past we did so much to promote flying that we had no time to do any ourselves. But, after telling ourselves we were not going to do it this year, we realized how much fun everyone had with it last year and have decided to do it but on a reduced schedule of only three months instead of six.

This year, we will hold Sinful Sundays on the second Sunday of June, July, and August from 1:00PM until 3:00PM ESDT (or until we run out of ice cream). We hope you will all join us on these days for homemade milkshakes and sundaes.  Put these dates on your calendar and if you have problems remembering which Sunday is the right Sunday. . .remember they all start with S “Sinful Sunday is on the Second Sunday. . .
        June 11, 2006
        July 9, 2006
        August 13, 2006

www.LeeBottom.com

Increasing Involvement in Aviation
What if our aviation membership organizations could dramatically increase membership over the next few years? What if the number of airplanes manufactured and sold could increase over the next 10 years? What if more children were allowed to explore aviation as a career and/or hobby? Would it give us greater pull as we fight the battles against increased regulation and changes that lie ahead of us?

You bet it would but I’m afraid that many of you might be looking this “gift horse in the mouth” and missing it; afraid to approach it or not sure how to go about it.

What is this great secret we have been discussing for many years at Lee Bottom? Do we actually have a really great master plan to make this happen? We think we do; Get Women Involved!  Now before you go thinking this is some sort of crazy women’s lib kind of thing, let’s get something straight; we are strongly against the idea of getting women involved just to get women involved. Affirmative action style involvement is wrong as is giving jobs or positions to people because of their sex. But, there are great benefits to be had by being more open to women who might have an interest in aviation but have no idea how to pursue it.

O.K., I know flying has traditionally been a male dominated activity and that testosterone takes over to the point where it seems that “GIRLS FLYING PLANES” sounds like a name for a science fiction movie or a Ringling Brother’s exploit to increase attendance at their next circus production. But seriously, let’s look at some recent statistics and trends from the business world (read as everything other than aviation) that hires reputable and broad minded people.

Harley Davidson is heavily invested in motorbiking; another sport associated with “machoism”. But have you looked at their website, seen any of their commercials, shopped at a Harley store in the past year, or looked at the number of women on bikes on the road today? The marketing group at Harley Davidson should get a bonus for coming up with their latest strategy. They’ve been able to target women and it’s expanded over the past years to the point where women have moved from non-participants to back-seat riders to having their own ride. And, the sale of Harley’s has increased 10% because of it.

Shooting, yet another traditionally male sport, has also found the benefits of getting women involved. In the March issue of NRA, there was an article about a program sponsored by the NRA that teaches women to shoot. After one of these clinics, the number of members for a local club grew over 30% with an increase in enthusiasm and activities. The article also included one of the smartest and most logical comments we have heard in a long time. The quote came from Steve Canale who is president of the Virginia State Shooting Association and instructs for one of the “Women On Target” shooting clinics. He said, “I believe women are the future of the shooting sports. They determine which sports their kids are going to play. They also help determine whether there will be a gun in the house. Without women in the sport, we’ll never get juniors in the sport.”

Home Depot is another example of a company with young minds and good talent. Tim “The Toolman" Taylor may have made the saying “More Power” a popular household quote but when Home Depot looked to increase sales to a tapped out market, the company realized it needed to shift from selling power tools only to men and to include women who wanted more power. In fact, Home Depot now hosts seminars to show women how to do home maintenance and repairs themselves and partners with programs typically watched by women such as “Trading Spaces.”  With the explosion of similar shows, it is hard to argue they aren’t successful and creating the outcome desired by Home Depot.

Aviation is struggling to get younger people involved, but are we overlooking the need to get women involved so that kids will have a chance? Have you ever seen a kid sit on the sidelines at a Young Eagle’s day because his Mom wouldn’t allow him (or her) to fly in one of “those small airplanes”? Maybe, just maybe, if we looked at ways to get Mom excited about it, the activity could become a family event. I recently helped out during a Girl Scout aviation explorer badge event and was surprised at the interest held by the mothers of the scouts. It was obvious that these parents needed to understand the airplane and processes involved in order to give themselves the comfort level needed to encourage this sport to their children.

And, what about selling more airplanes . . . more woman involvement would result in more aircraft sold. . . Business Week recently reported that women make the final call on 85% of all household purchasing decisions. Yet, the demographics show men represent 94% or our sport. However,  with all these men out there in charge of their lives, I can tell you the number one obstacle to selling shares in a Time Pieces aircraft is the wife. In fact, we often joke that “I have to check with my wife” means I guess I’ll be taking a cruise instead. The wife has, without question, been our biggest challenge and although aviation wants to deny it, I know it to be a challenge for all and the statistics on who makes the purchasing decisions show us why. 

In a recent AOPA Pilot magazine, Julie Boatman wrote about a program called “Women Take Flight”. This unique and forethinking program completed extensive research into the reasons “why women aren’t involved in aviation”. Then, they took some of these issues and fears and created a seminar to address them on a level in which women could relate. When I saw this I thought, “finally, somebody is looking at it logically.” I have never been a fan of pulling in a segment, like women, just because they are women. This accomplishes nothing. Nor am I a fan or proponent of organizations that provide opportunities for women just because they are women - that’s not right. So, as you can imagine, I was excited to hear about Linda Castner’s program that offers alternative methods for getting women involved and expanding aviation with quality individuals. Yet with all her work, Linda, who has already spent a lot of her own money and time on this project, can’t do it on her own and continues to receive “deer in the headlight” stares from the “good ol’ boys network” that currently leads our aviation groups. So, without their blessing, in frustration she’s forced to modify and market her program to the same group the rest of aviation is marketing too – the professional leaders in the community with a rebranding of her product to "Leaders Take Flight"  www.leaderstakeflight.com. That’s really sad to hear!

We delved into this phenomena a little more. “Be A Pilot” is a non-profit organization that gives the appearance to the unsuspecting aviator that it is geared toward bringing more pilots into aviation. However, just as we are finding in all aviation groups, it is not really promoting aviation.  Instead it is composed of aircraft manufacturers who are focused on selling new planes to new pilots by targeting advertising to such places as Wings, Discovery channel, and Fox Sports. But does their marketing strategy make sense?   A recent Business Week article (a magazine I know that all pilots and potential pilots read because it is part of the “Be A Pilot” advertising campaign) recently reported that “In the past three decades, men's median income has barely budged -- up just 0.6% -- while women's has soared 63%. And, some 30% of working women out earn their husbands”. So, if you want more pilots and aircraft being purchased by a group that is obviously capable and untapped, what if we looked at aviation as a way to “bring balance” to a woman’s hectic life and found ways to sell flying to women as a stress reliever as well as purchasing advertising on programs like Dr. Phil and forming partnerships with Curves for Women? It may sound far fetched but as the saying goes . . .”Insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results.”

I was surprised to hear from Phil Michel, Communications Chairman for AOPA and VP Marketing for Cessna, that Harley Davidson spends more on marketing than all aviation groups and companies do combined. We always say that aviation is 30 – 40 years behind everybody else. So, let’s get out of this 1950’s mentality and actually do some “real marketing”.

I’ve learned that not all marketing costs “mega bucks”. Rather, it’s more a mindset and philosophy. So, showing a female or black person in an aviation ad is not a way to get these groups involved. Instead, look to what appeals to these groups. Harley Davidson will be using a technique that has been successful in marketing to women by hosting “Garage Parties.” It may sound familiar because it is very much like Tupperware Parties that were very successful in getting women to buy plastic food storage containers in years past. What about “Mother - Daughter Hangar Parties” hosted by every Cessna Pilot Center?

Before you think that this marketing hype is geared toward aircraft businesses and not relevant to the Average Joe Pilot, it can be something you do yourself.  It sure would be nice to see more females enjoying the flying experience – even if it is as a passenger. So, the next time you can’t go flying because the “honey do” list has you at home, use your time while painting the bathroom to think of a way to include your wife or girlfriend in your next flying adventure. Fortunately, there are a few savvy people out there who know how this works. We are always impressed how many of our Lee Bottom family members bring their wives or girlfriends for a romantic picnic at our airport. Amazingly, even those women that usually don’t fly with their husbands love the experience and almost always come back. Why not have a fly-out event where you include the spouses and go shopping or take your wife on a surprise romantic sunset flight? And, if you can't think of anything, our Sinful Sunday events which include ice cream and other sweet treats, have been a popular flying enticement for those special women in your life. If you come up with an idea that has worked for you, let us know so we can share them.  email your ideas to info@LeeBottom.com

Results of the survey

Last month our NORDO News survey was about EAA and how their membership voting process discourages membership voting. Although we did criticize the process, we also did something nobody else ever does….offered a solution. Now we don’t expect to see them change the process to our proposed method because it could mean some loss of control but we are hopeful. Why? Because 103 people voted and 94% of them said they would like it changed to our method. Only 3% said they like it the way it is, and another 3% said they don’t care. Judging by the numbers, we are guessing that seven EAA employees or Board Members voted and the rest of the votes came from plain old members. Although 103 may seem to be a small number, it is actually enough from which to draw valid statistical conclusions but even better (and quite humorous), it is 39 more than voted for EAA Board Members last year. What does that say for their process?

Mogas . . . is it for me?
This month’s survey is about a subject that concerns us all; the availability of inexpensive gas.   With the price of oil dancing around $70/barrel, avgas is sure to jump much higher.  Everyone knows this and therefore, more than ever, we are hearing people talking about using mogas (auto gas).   Although, we prefer avgas (but have used auto), we do not see a huge problem with it as long as it is fresh and clean but since our mindset is often a little different from everyone else’s, we would like to know what you think.   Please be honest with yourself and vote what you would really do and not what you “think” you would do.   

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE APRIL SURVEY

Aging Aircraft
Last month’s discussion about an idea floated by the EAA and their buddies over at the FAA brought a lot of mail to our inbox. Fortunately, the issue came out just in time for you to tell us how you felt so that we could pass it along at the Aging Aircraft Summit held in Kansas City. Unfortunately, you had so many concerns about this issue we were unable to address them specifically in the seven minutes given to us to speak. Therefore, we just called it how we saw it and passed along an interesting emotion expressed independently by many of you, “we are tired of being nice”. The response was mixed; pilots and aircraft owners agreed, and the FAA and possibly EAA were not too pleased.

Amazingly, there are some good things to report. We expected to hear a lot of garbage because of something I call “squeaky wheel syndrome”. This syndrome is affecting our entire country and is basically just what the old saying infers with one difference. That difference is that the people in this country have lost their ability to differentiate the squeaky wheel from a real problem and therefore all we get are odd and illogical changes created in response to squeaky wheels.

Think of the person who complains so much over and over about airplane noise that the airport changes aircraft operations in response to this one person. Yet, they never consider the number of people in the area who have not complained. We saw it locally a few years back when a local airport held a meeting to see what the pilots wanted to do with some extra money the airport had. What an amazing thing!  But, the loose nuts (squeaky wheels) showed up in force and one crossed threaded person said he preferred twelve windsocks over a runway extension because of the troubles his students were have dealing with the wind. Guess what the airport got; twelve windsocks of which six had to be placed in the middle of “rarely used” grass runways. This is a rampant problem and one we expected to see in Kansas City but to our surprise, and this is the good news, the true aviation people really had their stuff together and were pretty much on the same page. This was such a refreshing change and we want to thank almost every group for sending logical, educated, and passionate people to the conference. The only groups there who weren’t on the same page was EAA/FAA (read as one) and AOPA.  Need I say more?

So what does need to be reported? It has been really tough for us to decide what to include in this article. There were so many speakers and people present from all over the world and there were so many good ideas that we just can’t write about them all, so we have decided to give you some background on the aging aircraft program and include a few ideas mentioned as we go along.

First and foremost, it is important that everyone understand the first meeting held on this subject was around ten years ago and was not intended for aircraft the EAA has inadvertently included by offering their proposal to the FAA. Originally, people came together from all over the world to discuss issues with metal aircraft that sat six people or more. During the meeting they came to some great conclusions for continued airworthiness of these aging aircraft and every country agreed to implement it. Everyone then did just that; except for the United States. A few years later, the FAA brought the subject back up as if it were new and held a summit on the subject. Then after great discussion on the subject, they all went home to solve the world’s problems and did nothing. Many years later, the subject was brought up again, EAA proposed a solution (hey at least they are trying), and here we are. What can we learn from this? The FAA doesn’t need user fees. What they need is people with common sense, knowledge, and an innate sense of logic, a non-puppet administrator, and while they are at it a decent general accounting office would be nice.

Since we were not at the last meetings, we would like to give you a general feeling of how this one went. The meeting started out with the FAA and NTSB people expressing their carefully veiled ideas on the subject of aging aircraft. If you are a student of the media, or politics, you probably have a good idea how these introduction speeches went.  And, if you are such a student, you know that you have to really listen to the words these people use to understand what they are really thinking or from where they are coming. One of the best examples of this came from Kim Smith who is the manager of the FAA Small Airplane Directorate (Is this metal transports over six passengers???).

Kim introduced herself and expressed that she believed everyone was there because of their passion for aviation. Then in an effort to show she was one of those passionate aviation people, she told how she could still remember her first flight and that it was in “one of those old prop planes” and when she wanted to show how she understood the problems faced by those of us with aging aircraft, she mentioned “display systems” as one of the problems area.  As I then told the group when I got up to speak, not one person I know who is passionate about GA or aging aircraft would ever describe their first ride as being in “one of those OLD PROP PLANES” and they would certainly know that aging aircraft have instruments and not “display systems”.  Now to be fair to Kim, she seems like she really wants to accomplish something and solve problems…really, I mean it. But the issue here is that it seems they are all out to accomplish something for the sake of accomplishment and to solve problems that don’t exist.

As for our largest aviation groups, it was obvious they still are not and were not working together. Just like everything else in aviation, they are where they are because they couldn’t make it in politics so they dropped down to the minor leagues. Yet there is hope for one of them. One of the EAA representatives was so brazen at times in his attempts to run the show I think there’s a good chance he will someday be either a Senator or the guy on the microphone at Shoe Carnival where he really belongs. More importantly though, I decided one or both of these groups is getting my money just for the magazine. Very sad I have to say, but in AOPA’s defense, who would want to be onboard with EAA’s proposal? Having said that, at one point AOPA showed the statistics for aging aircraft and I was sure the room would break out in applause. Why? Because there are no problems; score one for AOPA.  What we really have is a few media clips of some old planes falling out of the sky after being firebombers, saltwater transports, or combat planes and a federal agency that has listened to some squeaky wheels and decided SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.

Alarmingly, it appears some of this crap is coming from engineers trying to be more than engineers. When the subject of combat schools came up and how to keep the rest of us from being punished because of a few abused aircraft, an engineer immediately spoke up and said that that was not right since the planes were not exceeding the G limits designed into them they were not being abused. Engineers are technical people and I’m glad they are, but they also very often have no ability to effectively communicate and this is a great example. If that guy’s son took his car and ran it to ten RPMs below redline in every gear every time he drove it, I think he would understand that this is abuse and that the car is not going to last as long as one that was respected, even though it was never taken over redline. But, engineers are often who the NTSB and FAA turn to solve problems and with this in mind, I wonder how often they end up with symptoms of accidents and not the root cause.

The warbird community should also be on alert. The NTSB was on hand to scare everyone with photos of broken firebomber wings but they failed to mention their very own findings on them. The broken wing on the Privateer is a great example. The engineer, who used this example, and I had a very heated but cordial conversation about the fact he didn’t mention the flaw created in manufacturing that led to the wing separation and all he could really say, over and over, was that this military aircraft was designed for 25 missions and was then intended to be scrapped or grounded. Listen carefully to what these people say. How many of you know where this guy is going with “intended for 25 missions and then was intended to be scrapped or grounded”?  And how many of you would be willing to guess how many of his pals at the NTSB and FAA think the same way?  And how many of you understand how incredibly poor this guy’s knowledge really is on this subject but understand he truly believes he is qualified to say these things because he is an engineer?

Now let’s get back to the FAA. During the two days of the meeting, one guy from the Flight Standards Office openly said he thought aircraft older than 20 years old should be restricted, and almost all of them brought up 7000 hours as a magic cutoff point at some point in the meeting or in conversation during a break. Can you see where all this is going? And these are the people with whom the EAA is having private meetings.

Adding fuel to the fire, one bigshot tried to calm a few people by admitting he wasn't really worried about the vintage aircraft because their owners had the financial ability to keep these things pristine.  Being out of touch about what constitutes a vintage aircraft and who owns them is a rampant problem
throughout aviation and someone, other than just us, needs to start being there for the little guys.  

Here’s the deal. The FAA wants to restrict vintage aircraft or remove them from the system all together and the EAA wants to solve a small problem by making really big ones. During the meeting, it was decided that a web forum would be posted for all of us at the summit to use for updates and communication but it is still nowhere to be found.  I’m not sure why it isn’t where it is supposed to be but I can tell you that one of the EAA representatives repeatedly tried to tell us all he would just take care of everything and we would find out what they decided on the issues when they make their announcement at Oshkosh. At Oshkosh huh? When I asked the other EAA representative why they would announce it at Oshkosh, he was shocked at how stupid I was and said, “Because that’s the largest gathering of pilots and owners”.   I guess that’s why they only had 64 people vote (during Oshkosh) for the Board of Directors last year.  If 64 pilots and owners are all that attend Oshkosh, maybe they should focus their efforts on getting more people into aviation .

It is unfortunate that I do not have the time to give this subject the amount of words it deserves as it is critical to the future of vintage aviation and aviation as a whole.  If you want to hear more, give me a call or better yet email us.  What I can tell you now is that no matter what you have seen or heard from EAA, every ounce of evidence I have says the only people that believe EAA’s idea is a good one is EAA. (See the comments section below to see some of the emails we received.) This is unfortunate for them but not crushing because they have the FAA’s ear. Go out there and check around with the type clubs and vintage organizations and you will see they are all against this idea. Then be sure to email and call EAA and let them know to drop this campaign that is so dear to them and ask why they are so willing to push for its approval even though their members are against it. Please make it clear you want them to let it go.  Under their plan, the planes would lose their standard certification status, would no longer be available for rides or instruction (as these are commercial operations),  would likely be uninsurable or at least very difficult to insure, and we are sure that most A&P's will not sign-off on the installation of a non-certified parts (and also note that their proposal does not allow for aircraft owners to maintain their aircraft as most EAA media reports would have you to believe).  Make it clear they should let it go.

Here’s our solutions to the issue of keeping vintage aircraft in the flying:
1. Develop a program to create and educate more DARs and DERs  for work on vintage aircraft (with assistance from type clubs) so that 337’s, one time STC’s, and STC’s area easier to acquire.  A similar program already exists for Amateur Built aircraft utilizing AB DAR's who have the FAA authorization to complete the final inspection and issue the airworthiness certificate and operating limitations for your amateur-built aircraft.   You can read about this under the EAA's website under the homebuilt section of the member's only section.  EAA (or some other vintage friendly group) could support a website that lists these people, what vintage aircraft and systems they have worked on, what they charge and if they volunteer,  where they are located, and contact information.

2. Allow any plane to be made straight experimental without going through the 51% program. This silly program is outdated, serves no purpose other than to restrict the production of experimental aircraft, and does not encourage safety or anything else worthwhile. Certified aircraft that go this route (which would be few) should be allowed to come back into standard with a conformity inspection or restoration.  This would also get rid of the extremely stupid (sorry no better word) and restrictive experimental exhibition category which is currently the only option for some aircraft.

3. It is time for a National Letter of Liability Release or Waiver.  Attorneys all tell me you can’t waive negligence but we can do whatever we want. An example is the proposed Life Flight Pilots Liability Bill that would release Life Flight pilots from any liability. If we can do it for one group, we can do it for all. The Good Samaritan law and Volunteer Protection Act are other examples. A national letter of liability waiver would allow anyone to sign a letter giving up all rights to liability claims against a person, persons, or corporations.

Time Change Change
Indiana has finally moved into the 20th Century! Unfortunately, for those of us who live in the state, it took six years of the 21st Century to accomplish it. What’s the big change?   Indiana now observes a time change each Spring and Fall.

For those of you who never really knew what time it was here don’t feel bad, neither did we. But now it should be a little easier for everyone. When in doubt what time it is here, the easy answer is that we are on the same time as the East Coast.  This will save many of you from showing up early or late or both to our events.

Another plus is that the amount of daylight flying time available to us will reach all the way to 9:00 PM. That’s a bonus many people never thought of here in Indiana. Now if we can only get the world to take up Ginger’s idea of everyone using Zulu time, conversion would be a thing of the past all together.

Yankee Doodle Dandy To Visit Lee Bottom

Great news!   The Yankee Air Museum has scheduled their DC-3 for a member fly-out to this year’s Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels Fly-In.   What is a member fly-out?   Fly-out days are days that 12 Yankee Air Musuem members can donate enough to cover the cost of their seat and fly in the DC-3 to great places and events around the country.   It’s a really great program and one we would like to promote.   

So, if you’ve ever dreamed of flying in a DC-3 and you think it would be even greater to fly in that DC-3 to an Antique and Classic fly-in held on a grass strip, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE.   If you become a member of the Yankee Air Museum you will be eligible for this trip to Lee Bottom.   The donation for the round trip flight from the Yankee Air Museum to Lee Bottom and back is 240 dollars.   We believe it is a very small price to pay for such an experience and also a chance to help out a great organization that could use your help.  

You may remember stories from 2004 about the great tragedy suffered by this organization when their hangar burned to the ground destroying most of their spare parts and engines, tools, and a rare WACO Glider.  We have met several people from this organization over the years and every one of them has been exceptional and we look forward to finding ways to help them out.  

Again, if you’ve ever dreamed of taking a trip in a DC-3, this is your chance.    You better hurry though, there are only 12 seats available.  http://www.yankeeairmuseum.org/c47.shtml

Keep your eyes peeled for more exciting fly-in updates…..

Celebrities in Aviation
Recently, we received an email update from AOPA asking people to take their survey on which celebrities they had seen involved in aviation. In fact, the email was opened as we watched an increasingly strange Tom Cruise give an interview in front of his P-51 (thus making him appear manly, a common tactic in aviation).

The very subject of celebrities in aviation had been brewing around Lee Bottom for some time and the combination of these events led to this small piece. It seems that aviation is just now joining in the incredibly ridiculous American infatuation with celebrities and I wonder what we plan to accomplish with it. I think it is safe to say that any good marketing person knows the value of a celebrity endorsement but what is not known by the talent weak companies employed by aviation is that any celebrity endorsement is not automatically a good endorsement. A great example of this is Harrison Ford.

Recently, everyone was all abuzz about Mr. Ford mentioning the Young Eagles Program on the Jay Leno show but it seems very few people actually saw the interview. Those of you who did would know he really didn’t seem that interested in talking about the program and it was Jay Leno who brought it up and pressed the issue. Now I don’t know about you, but if the person who I appointed as figure head of my biggest pet program didn’t take that opportunity to really talk it up, I would have canned him. But no, everyone in aviation was all amazed with themselves for getting aviation onto prime time programming. Yeeehaaw. Big deal.

What aviation needs is a few business classes and to read a few basic marketing books and leave the celebrities at home. If a celebrity really wants to play airplane, then tell them they need to give like the rest of us have and pony up some real endorsement material. Heck, these people love to speak their mind and they all hate George Bush, so you would think we could at least get these people to talk about the ridiculous restrictions placed on American pilots during his time in office.

Yet, there are two things standing in the way. Celebrities are phonies who go around dressed in airline uniforms while real pilots are looking for ways to get out of them and most of us in aviation don’t want some alien infused nut job talking trash about our President. So what could we do with all these celebrities that seem to be getting into aviation? How about “Flying with the Stars;” we take 12 celebs that are pilots, give them a Champ to fly, a compass and a chart, six gallons of gas, and put them 100 miles from six different airports in six different directions, forty-five minutes before sunset. The pilots that make it to one of the airports will receive our praise, and those that don’t oh well. Now that’s marketing!!!

Time Pieces Cub on final into Creve Coeur

Do you see what was altered with photo shop in this picture?

Thanks to Michael Weidhaas for sharing this photo taken by his nephew.

Do you have a favorite photo you'd like to see here . . . email it to us  info@LeeBottom.com

"My Aircraft is Underpowered"
Throughout the years, there have been a number of complaints I have heard from many different pilots about their aircraft.   Each group has its pets and one of the most common gripes heard from the antique and classic group is sluggish performance, or its more common verbal form, "underpowered".   I wish I had every plane that has been described as underpowered at some point in time.   I would have to buy at least another ten-thousand acres but hey, I would also have every aircraft in existence.  

But why is this term so common?   I think there are many reasons but most boil down to the owners desire for performance above that which exists in their aircraft.   If you take the word underpowered and break it down to a basic definition, you get “not enough power.”   Unfortunately, anything created to leave the ground on its own power and fly has enough power if it will do just that.   The rate of climb, the speed, and the distance of the take off run does not matter if it will leave the ground under its own power.    Granted, there are a few planes that have just enough power but I can assure you that only a handful of people out there have flown any of the planes that fall into this category. 

What most of today’s pilots, who describe a plane as underpowered, have flown is aircraft that have more than enough power to do the jobs they were designed to do.    This is the key.    Each aircraft is designed with a purpose in mind.   Let’s use a specific example, the Stearman:  If you own a Continental or Lycoming 225 powered Stearman TRAINER and say it is underpowered, you are admitting one of two things.   One, you have no idea what you are talking about and you bought this plane to look cool (which is a valid reason if you are willing to admit it) or two, by underpowered you mean it doesn’t climb as well and go as fast as you would like.  

The answer to number two of this specific example is a simple one and actually works for almost every antique in existence.   Go out front and look at the prop you have on the aircraft and find out its pitch setting.   Then, pull out your type certificate and see where your prop’s pitch falls on the certified climb to cruise pitch range for your aircraft.    After doing this, bang your head on the wall, slap yourself a few times, and admit that a Stearman was not designed for cross country travel and change that prop from a full cruise prop to something in the middle or more toward climb if it’s climb and better short field performance you are after.  

A large percentage of your horsepower comes in the last couple of hundred RPMs approaching redline and if you aren’t getting there, then you are likely operating this aircraft with less horsepower than called for by its design.   If you’ve been running a full cruise prop, you will be amazed at the difference in performance.   Unfortunately, those of you who bought your plane based on the many bogus max speed numbers found on the internet, need to re-evaluate your needs.   Antiques had all the speed they needed when people understood the purpose of these aircraft.   Yes, even back then they wanted more speed and soon figured out how to do it by building metal mono-wing aircraft.   But don’t confuse yourself by comparing yesterday’s planes with today’s numbers.   An antique is just that and me personally, I believe we should cherish the things that make them feel old.   An 85 MPH cruise is a great example.

Disclaimer:  No Stearmans were harmed in the making of this article.   The example used within this piece was not molded after or intended to resemble any actual people and any coincidental likenesses are just that and unintended.  Children, please do not bang your head on the wall or slap yourself without your parents permission.   Do not attempt any of the stunts contained in this piece.   Trained professionals were paid nothing to do these stunts and they are unsafe for anyone with little brain left to damage.   Please consult a knowledgeable person and then ignore them and call your buddy who is always willing to give you his “expert opinion” so that you can make more uninformed decisions.  If you end up with an underpowered aircraft after reading this article, you are on your own.

Are you an "adventure pilot" ?

maybe you should be
Many of our readers, after taking a look at the Adventure Pilot website, have emailed us to compliment our choice of partners. We appreciate your feedback and hope you will all continue to use their service. We really hope you go back to their website and add all your events to their events section. Sign on to list everything from your smallest get-togethers to the biggest events you know of. If you have an organization or club that wants to get the word out on any happenings in your area, this is the place to list it. As we said, these guys are great and they are there to help you out.

We know there are several events that our readers have asked us to promote in the past and we don't see them on the list yet . . . So, now's you chance for us to help promote your event.  By next month, I hope to see the Fly-In Cruise-In, Mike's Burger Burn, Mettel's Field Father's Day Fly-In, Taildragger Rendevous, Aeronca Aviators Fly-In, Midwest Aeronca Festival, Scottsburg Annual Fly-In, Paoli Aviation Day, Madison Airport Awareness Days, Galesburg Stearman Fly-In, Urbana SAA Fly-In, Thunder Over Michigan, Bartlesville Bi-Plane Expo, Waco Fly-In and many more on the list.

Become a member of Adventure Pilot  (it’s free) and submit your event.  These events will be listed in future NORDO News publications as well as available from our website in the near future. 

General aviation in china
I wonder how many of you ever thought you would see a day when every publication would be talking about General Aviation in China and wondering about how to keep it here? I know I never did but a few months back that was the hot aviation magazine topic.

Although much of the buzz was centered around Cirrus announcing the opening of a sales center in China, the overall topic was that of a growing market for GA in China. I can’t tell you how much this bothers me. The idea of GA in China is exciting but also worrisome. How many times throughout history have we become excited about a new market, sold them anything they wanted, and then were soon threatened by the very technology and goods we sent their way? But for me, that is not the real worry.

My concern is the tremendous amount of apathy present in the American people. Equally present in the aviation community, it is this apathy that leaves me in total disbelief. We live in a time where General Aviation is under attack from all angles and yet the average pilot marches forward in a stupor never stopping to speak out against what is going on. If the airlines successfully purchase congress and get user fees passed we will only have ourselves to blame. The target will lie solely on the shoulders of those of us in aviation who didn’t speak up and who allowed our organizations to run their same old failing ideas in an attempt to “protect us.”

The time has finally come where the people must speak up to all of their representatives in writing AND phone calls or loose something precious to this our country and the world; the freedom of flight. Our aviation organizations no longer have the power to stop regulation without your personal input and those who don’t give, will be responsible the loss of this great freedom we enjoy.

Purchase Historic Aviation Products Here
NORDO News is proud to offer Historic Aviation products directly from the NORDO News website. They have the greatest collection of historical aviation products we’ve ever seen and we are excited to have them as a presence here. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that anything you purchase from them THROUGH OUR WEBSITE earns us a small commission.

Since our publication is free, every little bit of income helps. So, the next time you need an aviation gift, go to NORDONews.com and click on the for sale button (or click on the icon below) . There you will find a window into Historic Aviation. There is something inside for everyone.

Insurance and Grass Runways

Remember our article and the great input we received from insurance companies about their policies on landing on grass? Well the other day, a guy flew into Lee Bottom while giving someone a checkout and stopped to say thanks. As it turns out, he owns a flight school and after seeing our article, called his agent and found out he was covered for landing on grass when all along he had thought otherwise. “Now,” he said, “you will be seeing a lot of me.” Thanks again to our insurance agent readers who offered their input and helped some people out.

Editors Notes:  As we have just recently started using advertising as a method to support this publication, Sutton James was our first advertiser in last month's issue.  Jamie Bluffington had this to say:

President to pakistan

How many of you remember W’s trip to Pakistan last month?

Did any of you hear him say that “nothing would keep him from visiting Pakistan?”  I did and I was seeing red. Many of you were sure this would eventually get political and that day has arrived so hang on.

First, I want to say I voted for our current President twice while quietly expecting little from him. Like most, I believed anything was better than whatever it is the Democrats have become and thought that a stammering blue blood redneck from Texas with a house in Maine who no longer drinks and once flew jets might provide some great entertainment while the parties figured out who they were and offered some real candidates in 2004. I was wrong. Both of our parties have shown themselves for what they are; excrement.

As an outcome, we now have a President who’s only message is the war on terror. A great idea I admit but unfortunately our war on terror is like a war on ants with one magnifying glass. In a real war designed to solve a problem, every citizen sacrifices in some form or fashion, a lot more stuff gets destroyed, and it is not a side note on the news; it is the focal point until it is over.

So where am I going with this? Our President recently insisted nothing would keep him from visiting Pakistan and he was right. Unfortunately, it is a slap in the face to many citizens of the United States. Here in our country, this very guy has placed more restrictions on the American people than on illegal immigrants, has created agencies full of corruption, has overseen huge amounts of wasted money on failed programs, has put us deeper in debt, and then told us that the FAA needs more money and we are going to have to take it from the little people so that his buddies in the airlines can have their way with the sky. What the hell?!

The White House should be buried in letters and the phone lines overwhelmed with calls for such ridiculous crap but people just sit at home and expect someone else to solve the problem. Yet, even that isn’t my problem. The real slap in the face is the fact that he would fly our property (how much is Air Force One worth) and himself into dangerous territory and feels safe to do so, yet in our country we are not allowed to be in the air within thirty miles of Air Force One. He believes he is soooo valuable and important to the future of this country that our citizens have to give up freedoms to insure his well being in America but he gladly takes himself, our property, and more of our people into harms way.

Or, maybe he believes Pakistan is safer than America? I wonder, did they restrict terrorists and shoulder fired missiles within thirty miles of his flight path into Pakistan? No, because they didn’t announce the path of Air Force One and neither do they do it in this country. If they want to protect this guy, then inconvenience him with the restrictions placed on American citizens while under his administration. For example, if he was visiting Indianapolis, he could fly into Louisville and go the rest of the way by car or helicopter to keep the evil citizens guessing. And if he really wants to show the world how strong the US is and that it is not running scared, then get rid of these stupid restrictions and let the world see him flying safely and unafraid in the American skies. What do you think?

YOUR THOUGHTS . . .

The comments, thoughts, and views from the last newsletter were too numerous to print all of them.  But, here are a few of those that inspired us. . .

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If you are referring to me in this months Nordo News, then I am both humbled and flattered, and I think you are correct ,and I am planning on rejoining the eaa. cheers brother !

- tb

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Note:  This next email is rather unusual.  Since we view all of our airport patrons and our readers as family members, we feel that everyone should pitch in to help each other out in a time of need.  Tim and Donna were the couple that got engaged at Lee Bottom and you read a note from Tim last Valentine's Day.  We are glad that Mom and Baby are doing well and offer our congratulations!

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Re "The Future of Vintage Aircraft" ...

"The EAA should push to get DARs and DERs the ability to approve 337's"

Only the FAA or an IA (with approved data) can approve a 337. But DERs with appropriate authorizations can approve data for a 337. That means an IA can approve a 337 using DER-approved data in the same manner as an STC.

- rr

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Ginger and Rich-

Wow! I hardly know where to start! First thing I should say I guess, is that I thoroughly enjoy, no, passionately love The NORDO News! I do not necessarily agree with every word spoken (written) therein, but for the most part, you are right on. Some comments on recent offerings:

1. EAA. Omigawd! I have been moved to write a couple of rather strongly worded letters to Tom myself, and he actually answered one of them. My contention is that the EAA heirarchy has been invaded by a bunch of Harvard MBA's who may (or may NOT) know about business, but whose appreciation of where EAA came from is a small brown steaming mound. Evidenced by the fact that what used to be the "International Convention and Fly-In" is now called "BusinessVenture"! (I think that's what it is now, right?) Hell with it! It's OSHKOSH!!!!!! I could go on and on, mostly through clenched teeth! But you are right! Don't bail! I still go to OSH (my 37th trip this year) and I still holler at Tom, sometimes in person. Did anybody besides me notice that they re-installed the OLD EAA logo on the Red Barn in the campground? Maybe somebody's listening!

2. Part 141 Schools. Omigawd part deux! I have a number of horror stories that would curl your hair! In my career as one o' them nasty Feds, I have presided over more checkrides than I can remember! And, these places should not be called "Pilot Factories"! Far from it! That name implies that they are turning out actual PILOTS! Sorry, the correct (if not politically) term is "license mill"! These folks get a piece of paper that identifies them as this or that grade of pilot, but they can't fly worth that same steaming brown mound!

On the other hand, it is the philosophy, not the FAR number, that determines the quality of the training. I started a 141 school from blank paper myself, and regularly beat up my instructors if they weren't keeping things at the quality level I wanted! In fact, my Fairy Godmother at the Seattle FSDO put me in for Flight Instructor of the Year back in the 70's, and the citation read, in part, that I was such a stickler for getting it right. So, I have to discount your generalization of ALL 141's as being far, far, FAR, too harsh. Ringing condemnation for the INDIVIDUAL license mill? I can tell you! But let's not throw the baby out with the bath water!

3. The FAA, AKA the Funny Acronym Administration. (Federation to Abolish
Airplanes?) Yeah, Yeah, we've heard a million of 'em! Sadly, many of them richly deserved over the years, if not currently. Gotta qualify for Omigawd Squared, especially when you get to see it from the inside! Better tread lightly here, lest I get myself fired! In all fairness, I do have to somewhat defend the FAA, because of a couple of things that have happened during my 20 years here. One, the budget. Persons on high keep demanding more of this and lots more of that, without fully thinking about the repercussions. Can you spell unfunded mandates? Actually had a position paper handed to me a few years back titled "Do More With Less"! Two, the airlines. Louisville has one of the larger offices in the country, even after COMAIR left to go under the wing of Delta. How come? UPS and DHL, that's how come. Nationwide, ATP's constitute just over 20% of all pilots, but Kentucky has over 30% of the pilot population as ATP's! Figure it out! Restricted budget, and the vast majority of that does not go to G/A!

Fully agree with the STC and or 337 process going more to DAR types. Sadly, gone are the days when the interested and experienced Airworthiness Inspector would come out and look at your homebuilt 5 or 6 times before that first flight! I have the logs for my Varieze, showing the ANNUAL, no less, signed off by one of our Inspectors in five consecutive years! Of course that was "back in the day", over 20 years ago! Oh well . . . . . .

Guess I could go on and on! Feel free to tack this on to the comments if you like!

- be

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Note:  This was an open letter to the EAA that was sent to us.

As an EAA member since 1989 (current) and a VAA member (current) and a flyer of old airplanes since 1966 and also a member of the Antique Airplane Association, Blakesburg, Iowa, I gotta tell you that I am NOT happy with the proposal or the statements that are being made by leaders of the EAA and VAA!

I can't figure out what's happened all of a sudden that would drive someone to surrender the type certificate to his or her antique airplane. We've been restoring old airplanes for a long time as evidenced by what I see in the pages of SPORT AVIATION and VINTAGE AIRPLANE and at the fly-ins at the National Antique Fly-Ins at Antique Airfield in Iowa. There are all kinds and vintages of beatifully restored airplanes. I can't imagine any of the owners giving up their type certificates to make their airplanes "safer".

The statement made 03-29-06; " Vintage aircraft never had a fatigue life limit set and a large percentage of the single-engine fleet is closer to the end of their fatigue life". With the EAA climbing into bed with the FAA and then making a statement like that doesn't make me feel like you're doing all you can to make life easier for the owners and flyers of old airplanes!

One last thought . . Tom made the statement concerning the Barnstormer's tour ending at Oskosh (Airventure never really did it for me). He said ... "EAA/Airventure, or course, is the most popular gathering place in the world for vintage aircraft each year." My suggestion to that statement is, Tom, come to Antique Airfield with your Dad this summer.

Oshkosh and EAA is not all there is . . .

KEEP THE ANTIQUES FLYIN' . . . and maintain the their type certificates!

-jb

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Rich & Ginger:

I have been meaning to write you about the March 2006 NORDO News.

I completely agree with what you said.

I joined the EAA in January 1995. I was tired of what I then thought were high AVGAS prices and they had just received the MOGAS STC. I saw that I could join and get the STC for the same price as a non member buying the STC. (I gave up on the MOGAS even before they started adding the alcohol) I was pleasantly surprised about the Sport Aviation magazine. I didn't know that the EAA was about anything but home builts, and they don't interest me. I later joined the Vintage part of the organization. After a few years it seemed to me that I was sending them too much money. Sport Aviation magazine seemed to have gone down hill so I quit getting it and just got Vintage magazine. Lately I have become disgusted with Vintage magazine and had decided to let my membership lapse.

Because of your last issue, I have decided to "give it another year" Lets see what happens.

I will never go to their Fly In. It is half way to Lock Haven from here and I would rather go there. I am the guy that "drug" your strip both ways last year on the way home from Sentimental Journey. I guess that I should have made a high speed (85 MPH) run down the strip so that you would have heard me. I am going again this year and if I go by my sister's place in Missouri in either direction of the trip I will stop
by. This time I will land if I don't see any activity.

I read your article in the Cub Clues about the spider. You are sure right about the "bolt on, it must be right" thinking. We had a guy here that bought a C90 powered Luscombe. He had the cowl off tinkering with the plane soon after he brought it home. I walked into his hangar while he was in the cabin. I looked at the engine and asked him, "what is with this carburetor?' He asked "what about the carburetor?" I said that I had never seen a Marvel Schebler on a Continental that didn't have an accelerator pump. The guy that had recently rebuilt the engine had installed a carburetor from a small Lycoming on it.

A while back I was told that one of the well known suppliers of parts had been selling bored out A65 spiders for C85/O-200. This may not be true but having bought things from this company in the past, it wouldn't surprise me.

A guy out here a few years back killed himself in a bipe with an O-200 engine on it that had a Bendix Stromberg carburetor installed on it. The local FSDO asked me to look at the magnetos and carburetor. The magnetos were so badly burned and melted that I couldn't tell much about them. The carburetor also had been real hot, but checking it I found that the venturi and jets were for an A65. It had been said that he had been working on the ignition system thinking that was the cause of his on going engine problems. He apparently just wasn't getting enough fuel to it. (But, it bolted on OK)

- lb

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I read your March 06 copy of NordoNews and it reminded me of the reason that I no longer belong to EAA.

Recall the so called "Celebration of Flight" at Kitty Hawk? Celebrated  with a 30 mile TFR? EAA lacked the moxey to step away from the plate on that and say "whoa". There was a perfect opportunity to make a statement, to take a stand, and EAA simply caved in and sucked up.

At the time, I lived in the Washington D.C. area and operated (sort of) out of Laurel Suburban (W18) right in the middle of it all. TFR's ruled my flying then and I'm still very bitter about the way EAA handled the Kitty Hawk debacle.

They'll never get my membership money again.

-ja

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I found your editorials in the "Pub" to be dead on. Keep 'em coming.

- ee

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I enjoyed the article I just read in the current NORDO News describing the lack of proper representation at the national EAA organization. I have similar feelings. I believe the EAA at the national level is a bit too concerned with with profit. Yes, I know the EAA is a nonprofit organization, but they stay a nonprofit organization by spending the money they acquire on things like officers' compensation. I suspect that
the more they make, the more they keep.

This country got all huffy about a tax on tea because it was taxation without representation. Other than the fact that nobody is actually forced to join the EAA, England taxing the colonies without representation and the EAA charging $40 a year in dues without any real representation are very similar.

I have three questions:

1) Where did you get the number .000376, beyond 64/170,000? In other words, where did the 64 come from?
2) Isn't it possible to actually vote by mail instead of assigning a proxy? I know that almost nobody does, but I thought it was at least theoretically possible.
3) I've looked at the EAA annual financial statement and I wasn't able to find officer compensations. Apparently they don't want that much detail in those federally mandated reports. Any idea how we can learn what the officers are being paid? It seems like a reasonable thing to ask when members each shell out a minimum of $40 a year, ($40 X 170,000 = $6,800,000 every year) and a few hundred more for each member if they attend Airventure.

Remember when it was "Oshkosh"? The EAA changed the name so they could get a trademark and prevent anybody else from printing T-shirts or otherwise making a profit from "their" event. Now, they prohibit the use of "Oshkosh", and charge everyone a licensing fee to use the term Airventure.

On the flip side, I think our local EAA chapter is typical of local chapters. It's nothing like the national organization. Our chapter operates under democratic principles and it's all about flying and sharing the love of aviation.

Thanks for the NORDO News. It's becoming a full fledged online magazine. It takes a while to read, and I have lots of work to do, but I read it all anyway because it's filled with interesting stuff with just the right mix of facts and editorializing for my taste. Of course, it helps that I generally share your editorial slant, even if I do fly a fiberglass plane that is not well suited to operations from a grass field. I'd like to get a second plane that will fly low & slow, and one that's good for grass strips. Then I'll pay you a visit. Actually, I've been talking up a trip to Lee Bottom with a couple of friends. One flies an Aeronca Champ, and the other flies a newly restored Cessna 140.

-bl

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Note:  Yes - No names please....... I would hate to lose my parking place (______) at Oshkosh !!!!!

Our Comment to this: When we asked this guy if we could include his comments about EAA's proposal this is what we got and although he said yes, it is extremely sad to see politics is the number one concern. Here is a guy thoroughly entrenched in vintage aviation, who is completely against the EAA's proposal, and yet he does not want his name printed because he is sure it would lead to petty political crap at Oshkosh. This is the same thing going on in our government. People elect unethical people to office so that if they ever need anything unethical they can get it done. Then when the elected officials do something they don't like, they are over a barrel because they can either speak up and loose their "in" or keep quiet. Sounds like Mob Rule doesn't it?

We think the world of this guy and can't blame him because we know how it works. It's like being forced to decide whether to hang out with the cool kids in high school or to do what you know is right. Somehow the human need to be part of a group often overrules just about everything, even the difference between right and wrong.

Ginger,

We really appreciated the call we received from you & Rich the other night........ Sorry we missed you.

I was interested in what you & Rich thought about this new Certification process............
I would be real reluctant to make this change. Even though I am pure non-commercial & have no plans to do anything in a commercial manner.... I would be reluctant to put my plane in this category for fear it could de-value the airplane for someone else.... in other words if it's not broke don't fix it thinking........... I talked to H.G. Frautschy about it last week (While doing other business) he says he is getting some pretty stiff resistance about it. Pretty strong resistance from some type clubs etc........ He also made it sound like this was something that he came up with (Grandstanding is what I call it) So it's interesting that it was originally a FAA proposal for 6 place metal airplanes..... I believe I would probably not do it unless forced into it. Much like Sport Pilot..... I am not interested in becoming a Sport Pilot until I have my first Heart Attack........ When it comes to non - PMA parts....... Somewhere on most Antique - Classic airplanes there is a non - approved part.

With liability..... Not just aviation - This country has to many lawyers... This country needs a national liability policy that says we all have to be responsible for our own actions..... for example if I wheel land on your airport and roll my plane up in a ball............. It's my fault I even flew in there in the first place..... not your fault that there was a bump in the runway or a clump of grass or I was just stupid...... These un-necessary law suits and litigation costs us all........... plus in Aviation Insurance............ I should be able to freely get quotes from several different sources.... they have that locked up so you can't shop around..... can you imagine doing that with automobile insurance or even purchasing a car? I am just rambling.... however I like the way you & Rich shake the bushes. I do get it.... I think !! I do appreciate what EAA has dome on many issues.... however I think they are pretty good at GRANDSTANDING also..... Seriously... on a commercial flight recently..... I heard from the horses mouth Tom Poberenzy offered the Pilot a autographed glossy of himself.............. (For free of course) That was disappointing to hear.

Rambling . . .jr

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Note:  This was another open letter that was sent to us.

I went online and read the entire EAA/VAA proposal.

My objection comes from many years experience with the EAA. Beginning with Paul Poberezny, there has been a certain level of contempt for the FAA. EAA's policy has continued to be that their members should have less constraints put on them and they should have to comply with less FAA rules, especially when it comes to construction, maintenance and inspection of their aircraft. EAA is about experimental aircraft and as for my opinion, they should stick to what the do best and stay away from standard category aircraft!

I could stop there! But you knew I wouldn't...

There are four main levels of concern I have with the proposal. I would be willing to go into depth on each, but here is a quick once over, in no particular order:

1. There is and needs to be a level of oversight. With current regulations that exists. It can be argued that the FAA is trying to step away from General Aviation; however, the regulations under which we operate our airplanes provides for this oversight, whether it is transparent or not. The STC process works! Field approvals work for most part. One problem is that the inspector's manual is under constant flux, and it is difficult to keep up with the changes all the time. Personally I have worked with 21 (just counted them) different FSDOs (some perviously GADOs). To say that I have never had an in-depth conversation with a specific inspector would be less than true, but as an IA, in 31 years, I have only had ONE field approval that I was not able to get approved (and to be honest it had no business being approved). Should the process be shortcut? Of course, it would help if simple installations of proven quality items, especially for safety, should get a pat on the back instead of a hard time. I say if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

2. Also somewhat similar to the above is standardization... I know, that is kind of topic of discussion in itself, but without the regulations we operate under, there will be nothing but chaos. Are there problems? You bet! But let's work on them from the inside, not the outside. Once the genie is out of the bottle, it will be impossible to get it back in!

3. Value of the airplane is important too. I feel that it is not economically sound to go from a standard category aircraft to something less! Again, I do not think the EAA proposal is really good for any airplane in that category regardless if it is an orphan or not.

4. The argument that parts cannot be made is blatantly untrue. Parts are made everyday by A&Ps, and they are legal. Sometimes there needs to be a 337 submitted for a Major repair, but I can't recall in my experience one being turned down with the proper documentation.

I say not only no, but HELL NO!

-sw

We'd love to hear your thoughts . . .

Email:   info@LeeBottom.com

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