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         Holding Aviation to a HIGHER STANDARD™

     Aug 2006

ISSN: 1930-0131

Happy national aviation day

If you need an excuse to go flying, August 19th is National Aviation Day.  It's a great reason to hang out at the airport, take a friend flying, or introduce someone new to your passion.  This holiday was purposed in the late 1930's with recognizing the contributions of Wilbur and Orville Wright and other flying pioneers. While a better date might have been December 17 since it is the day of the first flight at Kitty Hawk,  August 19 was Orville Wright's birthday. 

 Click Here to forward this issue to a friend.

Note:  I can't remember who sent in this cute animated graphic.  But, we thank the reader and the creator as it is a perfect fit for National Aviation Day.

Oshkosh Trip

Each year after returning from Oshkosh, Ginger and I ask ourselves if there is a reason to go back and the answer is always no. Yet, each year when the event rolls around, we find ourselves deciding otherwise. Unfortunately in years past, too many times that decision was based on business and thus we always found ourselves on the receiving end of broken promises and contracts, deceptive insurance agents, good old boy politics, and seven days gone with nothing to show for it. Still, we chose to review our experiences from previous years and found the one and only good thing common to each of them; friends old and new. So, when the opportunity came along to help a couple of friends get their aircraft to Oshkosh, we decided to go…just for flying and friends. It turned out to be a good choice.

It all started when our friend Charlie said he was taking his OX-5 powered Swallow to the show and wanted to know which plane we were going to use to make it a flight of two. We quickly decided it would be a fun flight and settled on the Cub. Not only would we be flying with a friend, but we would be helping him take a plane that represents the beginning of aviation in Wichita, one that is near and dear to his family, and one that would infer the question, “why aren't more of these planes flying?” The die was set and we began to make our plans.

A few months earlier, I had told a friend, Harry Clark,  that the Tiger Moth was to be featured at Oshkosh and that he should take his. I was trying to get him back in the air and saw it as a perfect opportunity for him to get back in the groove of flying, plus if he decided to sell it, as he had been considering, he would have a good chance of finding a buyer while there. Later, as we began to make our plans for Oshkosh, Harry called to see if we would take it up for him and said he would do his best to come up later in the week. It was obvious that he really wanted to get his plane to Oshkosh at least once and since it would be a great companion to the Swallow, we took him up on it. Now that the transportation was decided, we made plans for our gear. A big thanks goes out to Mike Foushee for getting our camping gear to and from Oshkosh.
 

Results of the last survey

Last Month’s Survey drew several great responses. One of them was from Tom Poberezny himself. It came late and on the day our internet dish was fried by lightning….strange…hmmmm? Tom had a great sense of humor about it all and included the emails of what were then potential board members. IF all goes well, I hope to have talked to each of them by the next newsletter so that I may share their stories with you. 

Why has Tom not responded to the email about interviewing prospective EAA board members?
1) I believe Tom is so busy working to save aviation as we know it, he has no time to email.		6%
2) I believe Tom is not answering because you ask the questions everyone else is afraid to ask.		7%
3) I believe Tom just hopes you will go away		8%
4) I believe the Ford that Tom drives may have broken down and he is stuck driving the John Deere which eats up his free time.		6%
5) I believe both 2 and 3 to be the answer		72%
Total Votes: 110 Thanks for voting

Who does your annual inspection?

August 2006 NORDO News Survey

We are curious what method is the most often used for annual inspections.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE AUGUST 2006 SURVEY

An often overlooked subject

The TAke-off in a tailwheel airplane
 

Often we fly with pilots who already have some sort of tailwheel training or experience. One of the most interesting things that we consistently see is that they want to put the tail way up in the air during take-off. Most pilots concentrate on the landings but we feel the take-off is just as important and an often overlooked topic.
 
Let's look at why we say the tail should be kept low during the take-off roll in a tailwheel aircraft. This starts with one of the basics of flight . . . angle of attack. In order to create positive or upwards lift, the wing needs positive angle of attack - right? So, the question is, what are we trying to accomplish during take-off? Isn't the objective to create enough lift to get off the ground?
 
OK, now that we all agree that angle of attack is needed to create lift and our objective is to create lift in order to get off the ground, let's look at the tailwheel airplane sitting on the ground. With the tailwheel lower than the mains, the wing is already sitting there with a built in angle of attack. Picture, in your mind, a tailwheel airplane sitting on the ground. Do you see it?
 
So, with an angle of attack already "built-in" while the tailwheel is sitting on the ground, why would you want to raise it up any higher?  The answer here of course is to reduce drag. But raising the tail also reduces the angle of attack.  When asked why people do this, some of the reasons that we often hear are "I need to be able to see over the nose", "________, the airshow pilot does it and it looks cool", "__________, the airshow pilot does it so I thought it was the right way", or "I need to build up enough speed to get the thing flying and this gives me more control.” These are very common replies and they, along with others, started with a morsel of truth. Unfortunately, like all other forms of gossip, they have taken on a life of their own and become stretched beyond use.
 
First of all, if properly trained, you do not need to see “over” the nose. How many people watch the ground to see where their feet come down for every step of every day? Heck, most people can even go up stairs, get on an escalator, or run without seeing where their feet are. How is that possible? Well, if you can find an instructor who can show you how, then you will find the techniques used to do simple things like climbing stairs are the very ones used to fly tailwheel aircraft properly. Among the many situational awareness tools they will teach you is lining up on the runway offset about 20 degrees to the centerline of the runway for a few minutes to take a peek (we also don’t see many people doing this so it might be a topic for another article). Do you see anything that looks like it could get in your way? If not, then put the stick to a neutral elevator position (which doesn't mean in the middle of the stick's possible travel) and start adding power to straighten yourself out while continuing to apply power for your take-off roll.
 
Now as your speed begins to increase and the tail wants to fly (you should be able to "feel" the tail wanting to fly) keep holding the stick at its neutral position and the tailwheel will fly off the ground on its own in a “tail low but off the ground position.” And now comes the hard part; just wait. Done properly, the airplane will fly itself off the ground and climb out at the perfect attitude with no additional elevator input from you. Remember, the plane knows how to fly, you just have to let it. When it has enough speed for control effectiveness, the tail will fly off the ground, and when it has enough speed and lift, it will fly itself off the ground. As a bonus, this method also produces a shorter take-off roll (over the tail high approach that needs more speed to create the necessary lift). So, you've minimized the time that you think you can't see by getting off the ground quicker, and also decreased the time that those mains are on the ground causing friction with the runway and the possibility of weathervaning. This all equates to less chances of having to call your local fabric repair person, or worse, your insurance claims adjuster.
 
Now, what about those airshow performers? Yes, I will admit that it looks cool and that they should be our mentors. But, do you do everything that an airshow performer does? I certainly don't. After all, they are there to entertain you and spectators that don't know any different. Instead, I prefer to apply the proper technique needed for each given situation. And, for a take-off in a tailwheel airplane, that usually means a tail low takeoff. I think it looks cooler to be flying in the air instead of ending up on your back or off the runway.
 
What about getting the airspeed built up? Let me re-iterate that if you keep the stick in the elevator neutral position, the rudder will take over from the steerable tailwheel when the force exists for it to do so, and the horizontal stabilizer and elevator will lift the tail when enough force exists for it to do so. If you force the tail in the air before it is ready, you will have created more drag on the aircraft and if you forced it high, you will have decreased the angle of attack of the wings and will now need to get to a faster speed before your plane is ready to fly. This ultimately means you are on the ground longer which creates more potential for damage to your aircraft. In fact, it is a well known fact that the majority of accidents that happen low and slow are due to loss of directional control on the ground. So, let's get flying sooner and minimize the risk. Planes were built to fly, not drive.
 
With that said, let me discuss one other advantage of this technique. It forces you to feel the airplane . . . to be one with the plane.  Too many pilots have gotten used to rotating (taking off) at a certain speed rather than "feeling" the plane and this is a major problem. In a Cub with a larger person sitting in front of you (applies to other types of planes as well), you often cannot see the airspeed indicator. By feeling for the moment the tail is ready to fly, feeling it fly itself up in the air, and knowing when the plane is ready to fly itself off the ground, you can save Rich from a lifetime of prison. You see, he has openly threatened to lop off the head of the next person that asks about Vr speeds for small aircraft.
 

How far will you fly for ice cream?

We recently ended our 2006 Sinful Sunday season with great weather and record crowds. Ginger renewed an old friendship with Bill VanPatten whom she had met years ago while flying a CAF PT-26. They met when Bill who had flown in PT-26's (among other planes) had Ginger take his picture sitting inside this plane. He claims he blew it up, cropped it, and still has it hanging on the wall. Bill received a 6 hour round-trip ride from Elkhart, Indiana to Lee Bottom in a champ with his friend.

With that said, we thought Bill and his friend were going to win the prize for most hours flown for a Sinful Sundae when in popped Cindy and Mark Beam. Cindy and Mark, have his and her shares in one of the Time Piece's cubs based St. Louis, Missouri. Although it took them 3 hours of flying time (and 3 stops) to get here, it was a longer trip home. After a restful nights stay in the Lee Bottom cabin and waiting for the morning fog to burn off, they bucked 20 mph headwinds the entire way home and had to circumnavigate a few storms....thus winning the longest trip award.

But let's back up. We originally started the year thinking that Sinful Sunday's were a thing of the past. Although they appear to be pretty simple to put on but they require a lot of preparation and work. Furthermore, it means we spend 2 or 3 days getting ready for it and miss out on some flying ourselves. So, we reduced the number for months that we made milkshakes and sundaes from 5 to 3 and now, at the conclusion of each event, we are so glad that we did them. Each time we see old faces and meet new people and everyone seems to have such a great time.

The year 2006 brought us a rainout for May but record crowds in July and August with 50 - 60 planes attending each day. Starting out last year, we were hoping for 10 or 12 planes so we've more than exceeded our expectations. We have served bunches of bananas, quarts of strawberries, and bushels of peaches during these events - not to mention the chocolate, whipped cream and cherries. We also noticed that we see more people bringing friends, relatives, sibblings, and co-workers with them. What a great way to introduce someone new to aviation!

OX-5 TO OSHKOSH  . . .

This year’s trip to Oshkosh rewarded me with hours of memorable flight time and two legs of a journey I will never forget. It all started when we decided that to get all the way to Oshkosh in one day, we would have to start at sunrise. The complications with leaving from two different airports were further compounded by the fact that our friend Charlie lives twenty miles North of the Tiger’s home base which happens to be forty miles North of where the Swallow was hangared. Combine this with Ginger and I living fifty miles South of where the Swallow was and you have a real issue with taking off at sunrise. Yet, there was an easy solution; Ginger and I would drive to the Swallow, take off a little before sunrise, and meet up with Charlie and the Tiger half a half hour later. Fortunately, Charlie also found this plan to be the most efficient option and offered us the symbolic first leg of the Swallow’s trip to Oshkosh. This turned out to be one of the two unforgettable legs of our journey.

Ginger and I arrived at the Swallow forty-five minutes before sunrise, dropped off our camping gear with Mike Foushee, listened to the music of dew dropping onto the bottom wing, and began a good once over of the aircraft. After a final “for good measure” oiling of the top end, I began the task of propping the airplane to life with Ginger at the controls. Fortunately, Mike Foushee was there to step in when my body began to ask, “do people really get up this early,” and soon he swung the engine to life. Once the OX-5 smoothed out into a rhythmical idle, Ginger and I swapped places and taxied for takeoff only minutes before sunrise.

Pushing the throttle lever open through an arc resembling a smile, I found myself hootin’-n-hollerin’ with the absolute joy of doing what I love to do most. Years ago, I actually dreamed of watching and listening to an OX-5 start and run and now I was at the controls of one bolted to the business end of a legendary aircraft, trusted to Ginger and I to move it, and offering us the unforgettable sunrise leg. Turning North toward Indianapolis, Ginger, myself, and the Swallow settled on an altitude of five hundred feet from which to watch the sunrise. Cruising along at a comfortable speed, we watched in silence as the sun revealed itself to a world sprinkled with trees piercing a layer of fog like toadstools through moss. Casting shadows across this blanket, the distorted profiles of mighty Oaks, highlighted the fact that above them was an unblemished blue canopy and visibility with no matter of fact words to describe it.

Move forward to the last leg of flying with the Swallow and we reach the second unforgettable flight of our journey; leaving Oshkosh for Brodhead. It had occurred to me a week earlier that since Charlie wanted to visit the Blakesburg and Brodhead events with the Swallow at the beginning of September that it might be easier to leave it at Brodhead and come back for it. After running it by him, he agreed it was a good idea and started working on it. The same day, he had temporary quarters in Brodhead.   Now we were set for a great flight.

When the show was over on Friday, Charlie, Ginger, and I were among the first to taxi out. We had calculated our flight time to Brodhead and the amount of time left to sunset and found we had only minutes to spare with the current and forecast winds. So, we spared no time getting out and ended up with a little extra time. Soon we were settled into a five hundred foot cruising height and a route that kept us away from densely populated areas and obstacles. That’s when I realized that having placed the Tiger Moth between Charlie and the sun, Ginger and I had a view I would never forget. The late day sun, clear sky, and farm fields below were working as one with the Swallow to transport my spirit back to 1927. One blink of the eye and there beside me was a barnstormer working his way to the next town. Spoked wheels, mud under the wings, and an exhaust stain down the fuselage conveyed everything needed, to know this person and his plane.  Impossible to capture on film, this moment is ours alone.

An hour later, stronger winds, and twenty minutes past sunset, Ginger and I watched as Charlie set the Swallow down on the long grass of Brodhead.   By the time we taxied to our tie down, it was dark.
 

Where have you seen

lee bottom apparel?

"You remember a while back you mentioned in "NORDO News" about the furthest traveled item of Lee Bottom clothing? I'd like to put forward the enclosed picture of one of your finest garments at Kuranda railway station in the far north of Queensland, a very remote mining stop in the tropical rainforest...Consider the gauntlet thrown down to the rest of the NORDO family! That's approximately 9,020 miles from Lee Bottom..."
Thanks to Nick Stroud for sharing this photo.

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

"Real crop circles" at an airport

Lee Bottom Weather
A big thanks goes out to Bill Renda for supplying us with the almost new computer that’s feeding our weather data to the internet. Now, you can log onto LeeBottom.com to see what the weather is here on the field. If you click on the window supplied by the online weather service, it will take you to additional and historical weather data for the field. It is a really great service so try to ignore their name and their logo.

This small piece of Lee Bottom is another great example of how much goes into something so simple. My family bought us the weather station for Christmas, Ginger and I searched far and wide for the mount, local welders modified it to work, and I spent a day painting and mounting it. Ginger then spent hours researching and setting up the newly used computer with a wireless device. Then she worked at downloading the program, and making the website accept it. Once that was all complete, I tested the system and moved it to the far side of the airport where it was mounted near the windsock. All told, roughly 30 hours went into the system with a grand total investment (from all involved) of $1500-$2000. Nothing is cheap and everything takes time
 

visit lee bottom in a dc-3

There are still some seats open on the Yankee Air Museum’s DC-3 for the flight to Lee Bottom. They need to sell ten seats to attend so if you’ve ever wanted to ride in one, this would be a great chance to do it.  This is the year, you can arrive at Lee Bottom in style.

If interested, please call or email.  c47flights@yankeeairmuseum.org 734-483-4030

oshkosh & international relations

One evening during Oshkosh, Ginger, Chuck, Charlie, and I found ourselves looking for a place to eat. Since it had been a long day and we were all worn out and hungry, we chose the closest option, the Campground Red Barn Café.  There we met with an interesting fellow from Iceland with a heart warming story.

The day before, he had gone to one of several ATMs on the field to get some cash for a ride in the Tri-Motor and in excitement, left his card in the machine. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize he had done so until the next day. Now, in a very concerned state of mind, he began to wonder how he would eat and get home. Imagine finding yourself in Iceland with no money and no credit card. Fortunately, but out of sheer hopelessness, he asked someone what to do and they told him, “Try lost and found.” In doubt, but out of options, that’s what he did. I think you all know where this is going.

When he got there, he was surprised to find his card had been turned in shortly after he left it in the ATM. It had not been used and was promptly turned over to him where in his excitement, he purchased a ride in Aluminum Overcast. Thanks goes out to the every day people of aviation who always seem to come through in times like these. Whoever turned in his card did more for international relations and goodwill than all the politicians combined. But, more importantly, you helped an unknown person simply because it was the right thing to do.

Sam Lyons Painting “Yellow Lure” Features Ginger’s Cub
Well sort of…

Ginger and I stopped in to see our friends Sam and Mindy Lyons at Oshkosh and while checking out his latest award winning painting titled “Yellow Lure,” we were surprised to find Ginger’s Cub (her N #) as the feature of the painting. We had seen the painting before and although the Cub in it had floats (Ginger’s has float fittings), we never thought it would be the plane in our hangar. If this were the case, this would be the second painting by Sam to include her aircraft. So to be sure we asked about it. The answer we got was “sort of.”

When Sam paints, he usually is working from something that inspired him. Sometimes it is something he witnessed at an airport, for others it’s a feeling someone asked him to convey, and yet others can come from almost anywhere. This one apparently came from a great picture of someone else’s Cub on floats and he was inspired to create this truly wonderful painting that’s sure to sell out. When putting the finishing touches on the piece, Sam put the N# of his last Cub on the plane; that’s the one we have.   So, to be totally accurate, although the aircraft in the painting does match the Cub that Ginger purchased from Sam, it is only partly her Cub….but hey, that’s good enough for her. So here it is; the latest Sam Lyons painting to feature N87734.

www.lyonsstudio.com

This month’s Most Ridiculous Item comes to us courtesy of something we read in Sport Aviation Magazine. Inside the EAA’s flagship magazine is a section titled, “What Our Members are Building & Restoring.” A while back, we voiced our concerns that the section has become nothing more than a free advertisement for Van’s and shortly thereafter, we noticed they changed it to also include other types of experimentals, vintage, warbirds, and ultralights. Who knows what really made them change but it did give us this month’s MRI.

The July issue had a person who had spent incredible amounts of time researching for blueprints, digging up hard to find parts, and rebuilding what sounds to be a basket case Culver. What is ridiculous about this? The guy says he is going to fly it a while and then donate it to the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum. That easily earns him the most ridiculous item award.

This just runs all over me. I happen to know someone who is trying to acquire a Culver and the hard to find parts to put it in the air and this other guy is going to give extremely valuable, hard to find parts to a museum that will likely hang it in the rafters or put it in storage. If anyone is really concerned about saving an example of a Culver Cadet, I believe there is already one hanging in the Columbus Ohio MegaNational Airport where thousands of people walk under it each day and show their total disinterest in the aircraft by never ever even looking to see what it is. Permanently grounding vintage aircraft and locking away hard to find parts by donating them to museums is getting way too common and someone has to say STOP! These museums, or airports, rarely display these aircraft in a useful way and most museums already have too many of them. Furthermore, by the time you are cooling off in the grave, the microscopic tag with you name (donated by:) on it is covered in dust and nobody seems to care where it came from.

Now don’t get me wrong, I understand what you are trying to do. So I am going to offer you a much better option that would benefit everyone. Take that $25,000 plane, that the museum was going to write you a $75,000 appraisal letter for, and sell it to some kid who loves vintage tailwheel aircraft and needs a starter plane. That person will cut their teeth on flying and maintaining aircraft on your beloved machine and you will have fostered some growth for the future of aviation. Then take the $25,000 dollars you made from the sale and give it to the museum of your choice. These groups and organizations need money much more than any aircraft and when they do find themselves needing aircraft, they might be able to buy some that match their focus instead of having to smile and say thank you and immediately start thinking of selling it to raise money for the general fund. This also gives you more leverage and offers you the chance to say, “Name your restaurant after me” or depending on the size of your contribution, “Name your water fountain after me and I will give you X amount of dollars.

EVERYONE WINS, the plane is still flying, you have fostered a small piece of the future of aviation (not the past), and you got to create a memorial to your love of flying by giving them money and getting your name on something substantial. Furthermore, the person who bought your plane will share the story of the great person who labored years to bring this aircraft back to life and then sold it to someone who would keep it flying. That’s what I call a living monument.

PS: For those of you enjoyed your aviation but still insist on grounding pieces of it from the next generation, at the very least, I hope you will consider making whatever museum gets your aircraft, sign a contract that states if the plane will be on static display, then they agree to sell or trade any part of the aircraft to someone “on the outside” who needs it to put one back in the air or the entire aircraft may be purchased back from them for $1. If the plane is to be flown, then at least give them enough money to operate it for another ten years. If you want your plane to be flown, give the organization enough money to operate it for another ten years. If you don't, you have only burdened them with the expense of taking care of it.

Giving During OShkosh
 

Since we are on the subject of giving, I wanted to share another interesting story about our trip to Oshkosh. Our friend Charlie witnessed one of the greatest examples of pilot’s desire to save aviation history and find a good home for it. While hanging out with the Swallow in the vintage area, Charlie was approached at least once every day by someone with the same story, “I brought this with me to give to the EAA and when I saw you here, I knew it belonged with you.” Each time, someone brought another interesting piece of Laird, Swallow, or Laird Swallow memorabilia to their airplane and with great excitement gave it to them. If any of you are on this list, congratulations, you have given these things to people who will cherish them for life.

The last page of Sport Aviation Magazine titled “EAA’s Attic,” always shows items like these that are locked away in storage. If Charlie had not been at Oshkosh, these items would likely have ended up with the same fate. Now I am not criticizing the EAA for storing these things but I am using it as another example of how organizations need money more than things. Your items would be better off being sold to a collector or being given to someone who would take care of these treasured items. Then you could give that or some other money to organizations like the EAA so they may properly preserve and display what they already have.
 

Some Parts Missing

The saga continues
 

Last month, we gave a short yet humorous synopsis of advertisements seen in aviation classifieds and what they mean. Carrying along with the same theme and humor, a reader sent us this email which had us laughing for days. .

"While helping a friend work on his plane, he mentioned something about talking with a guy who had been working on some sort of aircraft restoration. And this is the part I can’t remember because I got laughing so hard. I think it was some sort of old warbird that had been recovered from the bottom of a lake in Florida. When asked how the project was progressing, the guy said “It’s like pumping out an outhouse to re-build a roll of toilet paper.” To me, that sounds like a project! Not certain how that would fit in your “Some missing parts” Column, but it certainly seems to be a good description of a rather difficult task."

the cabin has been busy

Just like the rest of the country, it's been HOT in Southern Indiana. But, this hasn't kept people from enjoying the camping cabin at Lee Bottom - which doesn't have air conditioning. Caught while relaxing in the shade of a nearby tree is 8 month old Piper Frith and her dad Glenn (Kristin is the photographer). The Frith's are from Ft. Myers, Florida and are among the many visitors that have spent a night (or two) in the new cabin at Lee Bottom.

HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED ALL THE PLANNING?

I have to say that I am continuously amazed at how the EAA puts on such a great event. The amount of planning, coordination, and effort that goes into it is dizzying to consider and yet each year they pull it off. Thousands of aircraft, hundreds of thousands of people, thousands of vendors, and thousands of campers all show up and it works as close to perfect as you could get. Electricity, phone lines, golf carts, and ATMs all have to be arranged. Security, emergency crews, co-chairmen all have to be scheduled. Umpteen porta-johns, showers, and potable water have to be provided, yet it all works. Absolutely amazing. So much so, that I have come up with a solution to EAAs money problems.

I believe the EAA should divest itself of some of its surplus aircraft and start a Large Event Planning and Coordination spin off. This would enable them to profit even more from what they do best, Airventure. I’m serious. They could then use these profits to fund the non-profit side of EAA which would, in turn, use the money to focus on aviation instead of the fiduciary responsibilities that always come before flight. What do you think? Personally, I think they are missing a great opportunity.
 

Using gliders to learn math & Science

Ginger recently attended a workshop for math and science teachers along with Yvonna Thomas who is a middle school math teacher in our local school system.  The program was put on by AeroLab and was co-sponsored by Indiana State University, Indiana Department of Transportation, Aviation Association of Indiana, Indiana Department of Education, and Academy of Model Aeronautics.

The 30 teachers from 16 cities in Indiana were sponsored by their local airport so that they could learn how to use balsa wood gliders in their classrooms as a hands-on tool to teach Force and Motion while allowing students to practice important math skills to determine average speed and acceleration.  All the labs were geared toward Indiana state science standards so that the teachers could take the teaching aids back to the classroom to use immediately.  It was a great one-day workshop and the material was very impressive and well-thought out.  Additionally, each willing teacher was provided with an introductory flight in a "real" airplane. 

David Lucas won the Acrosport Grand Champion award and the Paul Poberezny excellence award at Oshkosh with his recently built Acrosport airplane.  David is a Time Pieces cub owner in St. Louis.  Congratulations David!

LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEMBERS

The American Military Heritage Foundation is excited about the possibility of bringing their Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon to Lee Bottom for the 2006 Wood, Fabric, and Tailwheels event.  However, with the rising prices of fuel, they have indicated that they would need to get some help with fuel expenses in order to make the trip. 

They are looking for 5 new members who would like to make a tax deductible donation of $200 to help bring the Harpoon to Lee Bottom. As a new member to the foundation, they will arrange for you to receive an orientation flight prior to leaving Lee Bottom.   (NOTE:  If there is an individual or a company interested in sponsoring the entire $1000, they have said they would provide a banner and proudly display it outside the plane during the fly-in event.)

This group has had a rough couple of years with the recent loss of an engine.  Your new membership will not only make the 10th annual Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels event memorable but it will help out a much worthy group and also provide you with a ride in a historic airplane.

If interested, you can email Craig Heavener cheavener@midwestgraphics.com

To read more about the group . . . www.AMHF.org

What is the Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels Fly-In?

The Wood, Fabric, and Tailwheels Fly-In was started in 1996 and was intended to be a relaxed event for pilots. The gathering filled a void that your typical county airport fly-in could not. . .Beautiful scenery and great great planes mixed to create something special.  Called Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels, the name says it all.  With models like Staggerwing, Great Lakes, Stearman, Swallow, and Tiger Moth, the line up is sure to please every enthusiast. Held the last Saturday of every September (September 30, 2006), the event is open to everyone.

Over the past 10 years, this event has grown from twenty six aircraft the first year to the current count of over 250 aircraft. As word has spread from neighboring pilots to those of further distance, it has grown from a single day event to one that includes many arriving on the Friday before. Often it is described as an experience that can't be explained. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so, sit back with a cup of coffee and enjoy the slide show of photos from our past fly-ins.  CLICK HERE FOR SLIDE SHOW

This year's event is sponsored by:

Jefferson County Board of Tourism

Mike's Hangar

Bowman Eagles

Louisville Executive

Classic Bi-Plane Tours

For $100, your business can be added to the list of general aviation supporters and fly-in sponsors.  Contact us info@LeeBottom.com

Fly-in guidelines

Through the years, as the traffic count to the "Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels Fly-In" grew, we often considered arrival and operational guidelines that would make everything flow a little easier.   This year however, as we began to hear about our own event from people far away, people who had no idea who we were, we decided it might be a good year to offer some suggested procedures.   So, that is what we are going to do.   But please remember, this is a public use airport and the airport does not close during the event.   Therefore, you are all responsible for your own safety just as you are at any other public use airport.  We are only offering these guidelines as suggestions and you are not required to follow any of them.   Your duty is to follow regulations and all methods available to you for a safe arrival and departure.

Since we are already on the subject of airport operations, we would like to mention some new things we are doing this year on the ground.   The obvious difference in comparison to fly-ins past will be the new runway and parking extensions.    We have added a 1000’ to the runway and room for an additional 200 plus aircraft.   Both areas were added for safety purposes and we will be putting them to good use.  

ABSOLUTELY NO AEROBATICS!!!  

Arriving Lee Bottom Flying Field
September 29th:
The Friday night cookout has become quite popular so be on the lookout for around thirty planes arriving between 6pm-8pm. The only guideline we offer is that you should land into the wind and that the steam from the power plant several miles Southeast of the field can be used as a wind direction indicator…..and no, the power plant is not Nuclear. People camping with their aircraft will be guided to the West side of the runway. Also, please note that if you arrive on Friday and want to do some local area flying or are willing to take our airport neighbors for a ride which we encourage.
 

September 30th:
As everyone who has been here before knows, there is almost always a thick fog over the runway every fall morning. This fog usually lies only in the river valley. This never seems to be a problem though as seven miles to the North you have Madison Airport as a place to set down to wait it our or get fuel. Historically, Lee Bottom is the first place in the river bottom where the fog burns off (really). Usually there ends up being one spot elected person who calls from Madison to find out when the fog lifts and that’s when the arrivals begin.

Suggested arrival on September 30th is as follows:
Arrivals start over the defunct Marble Hill Power Plant (2 miles SSW of the airport) at 2000’ msl. NOTE: This is the defunct power plant on the West Side (Indiana Side) of the river & NOT the smoke stacks on the East Side.
 

If traffic is landing to the North:

• Fly North from the Marble Hill Power Plant on a upwind leg for runway 35 over the hill just West of the airport.  

• Turn your crosswind over the North end of the runway and make your right downwind over the far East side of the River.  

• Extend your downwind as necessary to keep traffic flowing and appropriate distances between you and the aircraft ahead.  

• If you don’t feel comfortable or see something you don’t like, you can then continue around and enter the “track” again over Marble Hill Power Plant.

• All aircraft should turn off the runway to the right /  East unless you feel it unsafe and have room to turn left.  

• Once off the runway, taxi North until you reach or see a marshaller, then follow their directions to parking. 

• Do not go park yourself.

If traffic is landing to the South:

• Fly East from the power plant on a crosswind leg for runway 17.  

• Turn left downwind leg over the far East side of the river.

• Extend your downwind as necessary to keep traffic flowing and appropriate distances between you and the aircraft ahead. 

• If you don’t feel comfortable or see something you don’t like, you can then continue around and enter the “track” again over Marble Hill.

• All aircraft should turn off the runway to the left / East unless you feel it unsafe and have room to turn right.  

• Once off the runway, taxi North until you reach or see a marshaller, then follow their directions to parking.  

• Do not park yourself.

All Aircraft Take Note - Arrival Times for Fast Aircraft

There is a strong possibility we will have aircraft with approach speeds in excess of 100mph.   Therefore, everyone should be on special alert for these aircraft during the times of  10:00 – 10:15 and 11:00 – 11:15.   These are the times we are requesting they arrive so that everyone can have a heads up on accommodating them into the field.   They will fly straight in approaches or higher and wider patterns depending on their needs.   Please listen up for them and do your best to assist their arrival into Lee Bottom.

Radio Communication – Frequency 122.90

Everyone attending the Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels Fly-In should have at least a handheld radio.   Although we really prefer flight without radios, due to many reasons we don’t need to cover, busy aviation events are no longer a place that can be safely attended without one.   If your plane does not have a radio, please borrow a handheld and a headset so that you may hear and communicate what is going on around you.   If your radio dies on the way in, do your best to see and be seen and come on in if you are comfortable with it. 

With that said, Radios are not to be used for listening to yourself talk.   Report only what needs to be reported and nothing more.   Radios do not take the place of your eyes and the eyes of the person behind you.   

If you want to help everyone out and feel the need to add more words, how about adding the color of your aircraft?  Examples: Red Great Lakes Northbound over Marble hill, Yellow Fleet downwind 17, or Green Spitfire right base 35.  

Please do not ask for advisories over the radio.   Tune your radio as soon as possible and listen up.   You will soon find out which runway is in use.   If you still cannot figure it out.   Climb above everyone and out of the pattern so that you may observe what is going on.   Once you get your bearings, join the fun.

Aircraft Departures

If you need to depart Lee Bottom between 10am and 1pm on Saturday, you will need to get permission prior to starting.    Departures and local area flying on Saturday morning have repeatedly caused problems for arriving aircraft, so this year we are restricting take offs during that time period.   Again, there will be no departures or local flights originating from Lee Bottom between the time of 10am and 1pm, on Saturday, September 30^th.

Please note that we often have aircraft arriving after 5pm and that no matter how late or what level of arriving traffic there is,  you should take arrivals into consideration and depart so that you do not conflict with any possible arriving aircraft.

Aircraft Parking

In previous years, we always parked the training wheel aircraft (another friendly jab at our tricycle buddies) somewhere separate because they are not able to maneuver on the ground as well as taildraggers and their prop clearances are not as good.   After many years, we were able to find them a nice smooth spot that required little effort for parking but quickly realized having two different parking areas for two different configurations threw a wrench in the parking system.   Yet, we still felt it the best we could do considering what we had to work with.  

Now though, with the enlarged parking areas, we find ourselves able to do something we always wanted to do; park everyone together.   You see, I have never liked the segregation that goes on at airshows and fly-ins.   Me personally, I think we all like flying and we should all be parked together as we arrive.   Of course there are obvious problems with jets parked in front Taylorcrafts, but for our event, that is not something we have to worry about.    Yes, there is no doubt that our true love is for antique and classic aircraft and those are the aircraft for which this event was created and they always outnumber the trikes by ten to one.  But, we also feel that anyone who loves flying is a friend of ours and that anyone who flies their 172 into our field may be the next person we get to introduce to the joys of flying vintage aircraft.   And as for segregation, we will also be parking antiques and other the same way.  Everyone will be parked in order of arrival and if you arrive in a flight of twenty whatever, please don’t be upset if you are not parked together.   We’re all here to enjoy ourselves, meet new friends, and enjoy each other’s aircraft and that is what we intend to do.

Odds and Ends Lee Bottom Codes of Conduct.

1. If you need or wish to cross the runway during the fly-in, you must go to the North end of the runway to do so.   This applies to everyone but volunteers who have been instructed how to look both ways before crossing.   There are no exceptions to this rule.    When crossing the runway, you MUST be at the North end of the runway.   This does not mean the Northern most 2000.’   We mean the end of the runway.   There will be signs that point you to the crossing area.   With that said, you must also look both ways before crossing.   Safety above all…

2. It has been and will always be our creed that everyone who visits the field or fly-in gets treated just like everyone else.   We know that every regular who visits Lee Bottom knows this, but during Oshkosh a related subject came up that we have never really discussed.   Therefore, we will put it out there for everyone just this once.   If you are ever here at Lee Bottom and believe you have spotted a well known figure in aviation or even a celebrity, please treat them no different than anyone else.   Do not ask them for autographs, do not ask to have your photo taken with them, and above all, do not take photographs of them.   This is an aviation refuge; a safe place for anyone with a passion for flight.   Please treat it that way.   We are not saying to avoid them or shun them, merely, let them blend in to the group and be treated as a fellow aviator.

3. Be polite in the pattern and on the ground, if you scream in the air, I’ll scream on the ground.

4. Pet Policy - As much as we love animals, the fly-in has become too large for people to safely bring their pets.  So unfortunately, we have to ask you to leave them at home.   Ace wants you to know though, that at any other time, your pet and potential playmate are welcome.

5. Above all else, HAVE FUN.

Spectators at the Fly-In

If you plan to drive to the Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels event, this year we will be suggesting a $10 per family (1 or more) donation.  Although we enjoy having everyone here, this event is a fly-in and not a drive-in and we just don't have the facilities to handle a large amount of spectators. We have always worked hard to keep this an aviation event where owners feel comfortable bringing their aircraft. This ten dollar fee helps the drive-in enthusiast contribute to the fly-in and it keeps drive-ins down to mostly enthusiasts.

Automobile parking will be in the field East of the road. A local boy scout troop has agreed to help keep the traffic moving - please be courteous and follow their suggestions. No parking along the roadside.
 

Fly-In Camping

If you come in with the intention of camping with or leaving your aircraft overnight, please note that is must be tied down and that we do not have tie downs available.   Therefore, you will need to bring your own.   There is no fee to camp with your airplane.  We do have a single shower available for overnight campers.

There is a very limited amount of RV camping spots available in the field across the street - weather permitting.  Although we don't charge for this, a donation would be appreciated based on your experience. 

 FUEL FOR FLY-IN

We will have fuel available at the fly-in this year.  Many of you have just enough fuel to make it to the Fly-In and then have to make an extra stop for fuel prior to heading home.  As a convenience to the 2006 Wood, Fabric, and Tailwheel Fly-In participants,  Pardieck Aviation out of Seymour, IN will be onsite with a 100LL fuel truck this year.  We hope that you find this service to be beneficial and patronize them with your business.

www.pardieckaviation.com

Looking for Somewhere to fly?

Try one of these events scheduled over next 2 months . . .

Note:  Click on the event to see more information