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Holding Aviation to a HIGHER STANDARD™
May/June 2007
ISSN: 1930-0131
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Remember When ?
Take a look at this old Polaroid photo of Champ N3730E sitting at Lee Bottom way back when.
I love old photos like these for several reasons but the one thing I like about this one is that it shows Lee Bottom really hasn’t changed that much. Despite all the attention it has received in recent years, at heart it is still just a beautiful grass strip that opens its arms to planes and the people that fly them.
If you have an old photo of something going on here at Lee Bottom we would love to see it. If not, then bring your plane here, take a photo of it, hold on to it for forty years and then submit it to the NORDO News “Remember When” editor.
2007 Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels Fly-In September 29, 2007
We continue to get calls and emails from new groups or people who are planning to bring different aircraft to the fly-in for the first time. Some of them are quite exciting. I would love to say they will all be here but you know how weather and time work against us all.
We can say that the Herpa DC-3 will be back and will be bringing some people who plan to play Bluegrass at different times throughout the weekend. Other possible attendees are the Yankee Air Museum and their C-47, a Lockheed Lodestar, and a Black Cat PBY. Then, other than the twisting of the arm of a few Beech 18 owners, that just about does it for the heavy metal. The usual antique and classic aircraft are all planning to attend with new groups from Atlanta, Virginia, Florida, and Missouri showing interest.
Among the number of new attendees will be Sam and Mindy Lyons. They are coming merely to enjoy themselves so be sure to say hello and welcome them to the family. If we can arrange it, we also hope to have a display of Sam’s latest painting “Lee Bottom Bird,” along with the Swift that it featured.
As the fly-in has continued to grow, we have also continued to move closer to a three day event. It still isn’t a three day event but a growing number of those in the know, arrive on Friday for the cookout and stay Saturday night for the trip to Madison.
Things are starting to move along and if you or your group wish to attend, we can’t stress enough that you need to get your reservations now. The weekend of the fly-in coincides with a big arts festival in Madison and rooms are very tight.
We look forward to seeing all of you here.
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS:
To book reservations held under our name at the Clifty Inn ($99/night) . . .
Book online using our code of 0928LB call toll free 1-877-925-4389 or online at:
http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/properties/inn_clifty.html
RSVP for FRIDAY night dinner CLICK HERE (Booked at Max Capacity)
For current schedule of events CLICK HERE
2007 Sponsors:
The Tales from the Strip
I remember the day when I first offered to fly lead tractor in formation with a giant lawnmower at Lee Bottom. Having watched Fritz mow at painfully slow speeds for over a year, I couldn’t wait to get my turn at the wheel, or should I say gears.
Jumping on that tractor, I thought “this is one big MF (Massey Ferguson).” “I can’t wait to get this thing in gear and show Fritz that is doesn’t have to be so painful,” and then I got on that tractor, started down the runway, and quickly began down-shifting. What was it that made me slow down? Well it was the tracks of all the aircraft that had landed on the field since the last mowing.
These things were so intricate and interesting that I often found myself leaving five foot wide strips of uncut grass because I had been learning to read tea leaves instead of mowing. In fact, I found tracks in the grass to be almost as good as fingerprints once you learned how to read them.
There’s the Luscombe tracks that reveal slightly narrow gear, the scuffed grass marks where someone touched down with their brakes on, a long arcing path of two then three wheels that veer off the runway finally trading ends, and grass torn from the earth where someone turned around while going a little fast and dug up the ground as their outside wheel skidded under the force. Watch these marks for a while and you quickly learn to spot tricycle tracks, tailwheel tracks, bounced landings, and the small dimensions of a perfect S1 Pitts three point. Then when you reach the point identification is no longer a problem, you start to look at the performance. Again, those little Pitts marks are great but they’re even better when you see it took the pilot only 1000’ to land and turn off but it took that Cub 2500’ because they didn’t touch down until they were a thousand feet down the runway.
When you get really good, you can even tell if the plane in question had under or over-inflated tires. But that’s runway markings 401 and that’ll set you back 2000 hours of mowing.
Results of the last survey
Last month’s survey dealt with your opinions on how your local airport was serving your needs. I would give you the final numbers but during the switch to the new hosting service, the information was lost. What I can tell you is that it played out with about two thirds of those who took the survey saying their airport was serving the needs of GA and a third saying it wasn’t. Unfortunately I forgot to figure in the fact that a large portion of our readers live on private strips or airparks. So, take what you want from this one.
do you wear glasses while flying?
May/June 2007 NORDO News Survey
Yes this seems like a strange question for a survey but I have known many people who had problems with this very issue and until recently I did not understand it. Ginger recently found herself needing a set of bi-focals and instead of a single trip to the eye doc, she spent two months traveling five times back and forth from the office to get glasses that would work.
As usual, it was Ginger who figured out the problem and when she did, we realized what had been happening to the other people who had had similar problems with flying and bifocals. Here’s the deal. Bifocals are usually ground to focus somewhere around 18 inches for things such as reading. Unfortunately, if you plan to use these for flying, they likely will not work if you are planning to see instruments at the bottom of the panel or a chart folded and lying in your lap. For this you need bifocals ground to focus in the mid to upper 20 inch range. If you really want to get it right, sit in your plane, think of how you do things when flying, and measure the distances from your eyes to the things you want to see. Let the doctor know what you are doing and give them these measurements and you will likely have a better experience.
And, if you have successfully found progressive lenses to work for you, Ginger would like to hear from you. For her, the focus range was always very limited and narrow and everything else was very blurry leaving the peripheral vision completely out of the picture.
On one other note, since taildraggers sit nose high on the runway, improperly adjusted bifocals can cause some serious take off and landing issues. Be sure to get them properly adjusted if you wear them.
The Sweetwater Texas Beacon
A few months back, a friend of Lee Bottom called to offer us something we couldn’t refuse; the beacon from Sweetwater Texas. Although the beacon is itself a great aviation artifact, it also came with some history that made it a must have. You see, Sweetwater was home to the WASPs and was the field where these incredible female pilots were trained. When it became dark or gloomy, this beacon led them home.
The light was slated to be tossed away when “John from Sweetwater” called to ask us if we would be willing to take it. We of course said yes but then found ourselves with no time to go get it. We didn’t want to loose it but were getting worried when Dan Dixon stepped in to offer his help. A big thanks goes out to Dan for picking it up and to John for making sure it was saved and not thrown away. We’ll be bringing the beacon home in the coming months and hope to have it on display at the fly-in. Until then, here is a picture of it on the trailer.
Moondog’s Academy of the Air and Other Disasters
When a friend asked us if we had read this book, his look of disbelief to our answer of “no” prompted us to order it that very day. You know the look I am talking about; the one friends give you when you don’t know something they believe you should. That was the look and of course, he was right. We both should have read this book years ago but for some reason we completely missed it. And boy were we missing out.
If you grew up around aviation, ever worked as a CFI, or have done much of anything with airplanes, this book will hit home. Not only is it one of those books that has everyone looking at you as if you just escaped from the half-way house because of your erratic outbursts of laughter, it is also dead on the money correct and includes buried within the stories related, nearly every cardinal rule of aviation. I recommend it to everyone and if I had the power to do so, I would make it mandatory reading for every pilot in training, especially at 141 schools.
If you know someone learning to fly, get this book for them, make sure they read it, and then sit them down and break the news to them that this is what aviation is really like and that this is the commercial aviation bible. If you don’t believe me, here is one sentence from the book; "Brookside flight instructors joked –nervously—that Moondog’s fleet of six Piper Cubs was constructed from enough parts to make five".
See? I told you so. I bet you immediately pictured a specific flight school from your past. Anyway, trust me and order this book now. You will not be disappointed. To date, every person I have recommended it to has folded the corner, highlighted, or circled something on most every page. If you finish it and feel that you’ve missed something, then you certainly have. “Moondog’s Academy of the Air and Other Disasters”, by Pete Fusco, can be purchased at Amazon.com.
Fly-in sponsors
Are you interested in sponsoring one of aviations great old fashioned fly-ins? If so, then give us a call. Each year, we add a few additional sponsors and with the growing number of early fly-in inquiries, it looks as though a few more sponsors would help us handle the crowd. If we were to suggest something specific for you sponsor, it would be this year's fly-in shirt that will be handed out to all pilots flying in. On the front will be the Lee Bottom logo along with fly-in wording and on the back, will be the sponsor's logos. It's a great way to contribute to the event.
Official 2007 Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels Fly-In T Shirts:
Display your logo on the back of these shirts which will be distributed to 500 pilots & visitors during the event. Choose the package that fits you best as these shirts will be worn by pilots in all corners of the
US.
1. Large size logo $500
Includes 4 tickets to Friday night dinner.
2. Small size logo $250
Includes 2 tickets to Friday night dinner
email us if you'd like to be a part of the T Shirts
We recently managed to get away for a week to visit with friends in the UK and came away with some photos you might like to see. Among the 280 plus photos are shots of our hosts Nick and Amanda from Aeroplane Magazine, The Shuttleworth Collection, and The Battle of Britain birds at Duxford. There are also many other cheesy vacation photos that most of you could care less about but if you don’t scan through them all, you will miss some other random neat shots of aviation across the pond. If you have time, take a look. If I were to boil it down to a few things, it would be the following:
(1) The Shuttleworth Collection – You haven’t lived until you have been there. Imagine Rhinebeck with money.
(2) If you have friends, no matter how far away, do your best to stay connected to them,
(3) Everyone treated us extremely well and the entire trip was a great experience.
(4) If you have airline benefits, put them to use while you still have them.
GREAT PEOPLE
The other day, while working on an escape plan (from where I can’t tell), I was thinking of all the great people I have had the pleasure of befriending in aviation. Among them are a few famous folks, several societal rejects, a very few normal people, and about a dozen pilots with which I have shared a cockpit. All of them have their things that make them great but the dozen or so pilots that once flew or still do to my right, and the one that flew to my left, are the ones that I now think about most often. These people have made my career in commercial aviation fun despite all the things wrong with it. They taught me rules I didn’t know, listened when I did the same, and always made sure to laugh at me when I screwed up. Well, that last one isn’t quite true.
At first, one of them tried to make me feel better by making up an excuse for a poor landing; apparently a reaction learned from flying with the fragile ego found in so many Captains. Knowing it was total horse hockey, I said, “are you kidding, that was almost as ugly as the person you picked up in the bar.” This then was followed by a short bit of silence coupled to an outburst of laughter that brought tears to our eyes. So with one exception, they all knew to laugh at me when I screwed something up. Along the way, through all the wrong turns, late speed reductions, improperly secured cargo, and missed radio calls, we managed to get a lot of car plants back online and tens of thousands of people to their destinations without a single scratch. But more importantly, these people made it fun to come to work, were a pleasure to fly with both skillfully and mentally, and were capable of starting a conversation with something other than “FAR 121.205-b paragraph 2 says…” Strangely, one guy dropped completely off the aviation map, and with the exception of one, the others have gone on to upgrade and left me alone to train next the generation how to laugh and learn…..usually at my expense.
restoration part 2
A while back, I referred to an article in an automotive magazine that was about an auto restoration shop. I spoke of how amazing the parallels were and how aircraft owners could learn from it. I also said I would refer to it a few more times along the way to point out some of the things that are the same, and some of the things that should be. Here’s this month’s subject; choosing an aircraft to buy and or restore.
First, it is very important to pick the airplane you will purchase based on emotion. I know this goes against all common sense knowledge but hear me out. People who pay someone to restore a car typically understand the price will be well beyond that of its value yet decide to do so because it is the car of their dreams, childhood, or first sexual experience. Therefore, they don’t care what it costs because they aren’t going to sell it until they die or die in it. The fact that they would loose money if they were to sell it doesn’t matter because it is something they have worked toward for a very long time.
But potential aircraft owners always try to buy based on logic. Again, I know you think that goes against everything you believe but hear me out. Potential aircraft owners read everything in sight, ask all their friendly experts for opinions, sign up for the associated club and forums, find out how much insurance will be, and estimate their fuel cost for a year of operation. Then they narrow it down to three aircraft and start to work on them. They find out the engine time, the compressions, age of the fabric, if it has new tires, how many A.D.s the planes have, and if their friendly experts think it is hard to fly. Then when all is said and done, they choose the one with the prettiest paint job. This leaves them as the owner of shiny plane that fits a financial category and not much else. Six months later, the plane is a hangar queen in need of a top overhaul, electronics work, and someone who loves the plane enough to put the money into it. Had the person bought on emotion for the long haul, he would have bought something he loved that might have been a little worn but emotionally important enough to put money in when needed or to completely restore it.
So now that you have decided to buy based on emotion, I want to remind you that you can’t just ignore the costs associated with the restoration of an aircraft. Therefore, I am going to give you some simple guidelines that put things into perspective.
Antique/Vintage Aircraft rules of thumb. NOTE: real market value = price of an average flying example of that aircraft.
1. Cost of a complete project should run 25 – 35% of the REAL current market value of an average flying example of that aircraft. Examples: J-3 Cub project should cost $10,000 (33%) and a PT-17 Stearman should run around $28,000 (35%). Those of you with projects you would love to sell for more, please don’t call or email (unless you like to debate) to tell me otherwise, I said the REAL, not imagined, market value.
2. Cost of a complete nuts and bolts restoration, engine and all, at a professional shop should run 175 – 200% of the REAL market value for small aircraft and 150 – 175% for larger aircraft such as a Stearman. Examples: J-3 restoration would be $52,500 and a Stearman would be $120,000
3. The mentioned restorations depend heavily on condition of the project. IF the plane needs new spars, metal replaced or reproduced, or entire pieces have to be manufactured, then expect to add at least a 50% premium to these prices.
4. Those of you doing the math may think these are high numbers but I am basing these prices on the best shops who charge enough to stay in business and to do the best work. Admittedly, some shops do it for less. If you get QUALITY work for less, consider yourself lucky.
5. Price of an aircraft RECENTLY fully restored and flown should bring a 25% premium over the REAL (not imagined) CURRENT (not yesterday’s) market value.
6. Rarity actually makes a plane worth 25% less than a comparable aircraft built in greater numbers. Always avoid a classified ad with the word RARE in it. Example would be a Porterfield vs a Cub. The CP-65 Porterfield should be around $22,500.
7. Moral of the story: NEVER buy a project unless you are emotionally invested in the aircraft and love it like no other.
BOOK YOUR ROOMS NOW
Again, please book your rooms now for the 2007 fly-in as you can always cancel later. Because we are on the same weekend as the Chautauqua Arts Festival, rooms will be hard to find and this is the only location where we have reserved rooms. While you are at the fly-in, your significant other might enjoy the arts festival or perusing the shops in downtown Madison or you could spend an extra day and explore the town together.
Rooms are being held for 09/28/07 and 09/29/07
Book online using our code of 0928LB at:
http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/properties/inn_clifty.html
or call toll free 1-877-925-4389
If you do book a room and have to cancel, please let us know before canceling. We might have a list of people waiting for a room that it can be reassigned too. Otherwise it goes back into the general pool and anyone can get the room.
FROM ANTIQUES ROAD SHOW . . .
TO DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS
So there I was, flying along telling the story of this AVG (Flying Tigers) flag that some guy had on Antiques Road Show last night. The guy had this
perfectly preserved, silk, hand stitched flag from the AVG headquarters in China and the appraiser was about to pee on himself he was so excited. That’s how another one of aviations strange intersections started only a few days ago.
At the destination end of that leg, the First Officer and I made a run for food. We only had half an hour to spare so time was critical. Walking up to one of CVG’s finest food establishments, my friend and FO says to me “Check out that guy in the wheel chair. His cap says Distinguished Flying Cross Society on it.” So naturally, I had to go ask the guy what exactly is the DFCS at which point he told me with a kind smile, “It is for people who won the Distinguished Flying Cross.” When I asked if and where he had won one of those highly prized and respected medals, he told me, again with a very kind smile, “With the AVG.” So I said, “THE FLYING TIGERS!?!?!?” And with his very grateful smile, I knew the answer.
This is when I set out to find out as much as possible in the limited time I had. Unfortunately, he too was time limited and here’s what I got. He now lives in Hollywood, Florida, was on his way back from the AVG reunion (sadly the last), he was one of the originals, did not travel to China the same way as most, and was glad that I knew who the Flying Tigers were. Then as his wife, who was also smiling, quickly whisked him away so that he would not miss another flight because of talking airplanes, I stuck out my hand and told him it was a true honor to speak with him and he returned a very warm strong handshake. I do not know his name because it apparently was not a big deal to him and I did not ask.
What I do know is that I will never forget the few minutes he gave me on the spur of the moment after a long day of travel, to answer questions he had probably heard a thousand times. That’s why they were and are, the greatest generation.
kingfisher
Thanks to Graham Orphan at Classic Wings Magazine for these photos. A while back I emailed him to find out the latest word on an extremely rare Kingfisher that had been sold in Australia and he surprised me with great news. Apparently, there are now three Kingfishers going together with the intention of flight. Only a few years ago, it seemed as though there would never be another Kingfisher flight and now work is progressing on several for that very purpose. This is exciting news and you can look forward to seeing one of these rare aircraft in the air. If you don’t know what a Kingfisher is, during WWII it was the single engine scout seaplane of choice, and in recent years it was just an extremely historical aircraft with no real value since it wasn’t a TF Mustang. Therefore, nobody cared about them and most remaining survivors were used as sacrificial metal (a boating term – look it up) on the decks of Navy ships dispersed throughout the country. Fortunately for three collectors (Kermit Weeks, Jerry Yagen, and Murray Griffiths), since nobody else wanted them, they probably were able to secure the projects pretty cheap. Look for these planes in a few years.
airpark . . . to be or not to be????
YOU can help us decide
We are pretty much "airparked" out.
To make a long story short, this Winter we were having engineers work up preliminary drawings, talking to every necessary board, commission, or political player, and were arranging financing for all the above. And we had a great plan, and great momentum until one property owner threw us a curve. Yet we pressed on. We had already made an offer on one piece of land close to the airport and offered a big piece of it to many people, including those who had expressed interest in land near the airport and only one person seemed even moderately interested.
Yet, the emails continued to flood in, “let me know when you have lots”, “I would love a lot”, or how long until I can buy a lot” are they typical ones we received. They of course also were finished with “I’m very interested.” Then there were the few people who came by to look at which point I realized they didn’t belong here. One of them was so wrong I told him straight out this wasn’t the place for him.
I’m not sure why people who want the city in the country always try to find the city in the country but this airport has no need for them. It also has no use for someone whose spouse looks at the place in the same manner Hillary Clinton would look at a Denny’s. If you don't or your spouse doesn't like airplane noise early in the morning, you believe the place needs a paved runway, or that everything should be given to you, then this isn’t the place for you. These things pretty much say it all.
If you still think you are interested, here is what we have to offer. Nothing here is cheap. Lots, if we ultimately decide and can move forward, will run in the 69K-79K range. All lots would use wells and septic systems. There would be no “always on” security lights allowed anywhere. If you are afraid of the dark, then you can opt for one of the many cheap nighttime security camera systems on the market.
Homes would be limited to 1500 sq ft minimum and would have to be designed to visually fit what would best be called seaside design. There would be a $75 per month homeowners fee and $75 per month airport maintenance fee.
Hangar lot leases would also be available for 20 years renewable another 20. These leases would start at $100 per month and would rise annually at the national rate of inflation plus .5%. There would be an up front lease purchase of $5000 and you would have two years to have the hangar completed or the lease would be forfeited. Hangars would fall into the 48x56 size or 48x64 unless otherwise approved and design must match our vintage hangar design theme. There would be an airport maintenance fee of $75 dollars per month and no commercial activities permitted in the hangars.
Why are we telling you all of this? You see, we like living here and have pondered countless hours on whether to share our slice of heaven with others. We also aren't sure if people have expressed an interested because of the remoteness, quietness, and solidarity of the existing environment and wonder if that same feeling would be there if there were 25 houses and 50 hangars spread over the grounds. Although personally we'd like to keep it the way that it currently is, we realize that isn't the way things work. Before long, someone will be building on the lots around us and the likelihood that those people will like airplane noise is slim to none. So, we view this as a proactive way to keep the airport alive.
Therefore, people either want to live here on a truly aviation friendly airport or they don’t. If you are someone who really wants to live here and you realize the best places aren’t cheap, then be prepared to put down $5000 that will go into an escrow account. There the money will sit until we have eight “deposits” and or until one year has passed. If we get eight “deposits” then we will move forward. If not, then the money is returned.
Despite the long list of interested parties out there, I expect this to weed out the talk from the walk. But, if there really are that many people interested, we are fully prepared to do what we need to move forward. If not, then we will just keep moving forward as a quiet little strip frequented by great airplanes. Either way is fine with us. Again, you get to choose.
What You Haven’t Heard About User Fees
It seems every day now we get some new add or email about user fees from our loving alphabet groups, and although they always arrive with a new tag line, they also contain only the same tired points reorganized to look like an entirely new action item. I say tired because I’m tired of it all. I simply cannot take another word about how it’s going to kill all the VLJs (BS), or how it’s going to make it so expensive for you to fly. This stuff if driving me mad. What never seems to be said is that the middle class will take another huge hit if user fees are passed. Simply put, the fees associated with a flight in a $400,000 Cirrus or trip in a Falcon Jet that’s charged to a corporation and catered with $150 fruit trays will have little effect on the claimed target group. Yet, the corporations (airlines) and politicians know to push it this way because they know that even some GA people will bite if it sounds like user fees will stick it to corporate big shots. Unfortunately, this just isn’t true. These people will continue to fly as they always have. The middle class though, is another subject. As both a GA nut and an airline pilot (hurts even to say it), I have had a unique view of aviation as a whole. This brings me to what you never hear about the threat of user fees. ATC is not really a system for public use but a system designed for commercial operations (airlines primarily) that due to its use of public funds (taxes), must be OFFERED to the public. Let me explain.
If you pay a toll at a public highway toll bridge, you get to cross or by paying taxes you are able to drive on public roads. But, can you tell me what would happen if one or twenty of us decided we wanted to fly into LaGuardia Airport at 9 AM on a Monday morning? If you guessed we would be treated rudely, not answered at all by ATC, or refused entry, then you are correct. I hear it over and over again. I have even heard a pilot in a 172 near D.C. that had lost instrumentation on hazy day trying desperately to get some guidance to safety and away from the ridiculous airspace in Washington only to be told, “I don’t have time for you. You’ll just have to try to find a frequency that does.” That is an EXACT quote. This is quite typical of the treatment I have heard given to GA folks on the East Coast; basically, this airspace is for airlines, jets, or people who know what they are doing. But what about equal treatment; you know, the equal treatment the airlines and politicians are pushing for on the monetary level? It doesn’t exist and they don’t plan on changing it. Did you know airlines even have full time representatives who have input on which planes are allowed into busy airports when there are big back ups or delays? If equal treatment is what they are after with the use of user fees, then doesn’t it make sense to do away with the airline slots into PUBLIC airports and let it be first come first serve basis as long as each person pays their fifty cent toll? Do you think that would happen? No, it will never happen because the government refuses to let basic Darwinian economics happen with the airline industry yet insists we, as commoners, have to deal with the economics of the situation and buck up extra money due to demands on the system created by an excess of supply. An excess I might add, created from the continued bail out of airlines that have repeatedly failed to follow basic economic principles.
The really unfortunate part of all this is that the little guy cannot afford to pay for the airlines, and thus the entire system will ultimately suffer.
13,000' and STILL CLIMBING
IN A STEARMAN????
A while back, I was speaking to an acquaintance of mine when he asked about flying the Swallow. After discussing its flying qualities for a while, he mentioned he heard they were originally going to fly it home and that he couldn’t believe they would try to do such a thing as it surely wouldn’t get high enough to get out of Kalispell. It was at that point that I got a chuckle by filling him in on the fact I was the crazy person who was going to fly it out. Noticing there was silence on the other end of the line, I then quickly spoke up and said, “I had it well over seven thousand and was heading for eight on one test flight.” At which point my friend said he had no idea you could get one of those things that high and we discussed it a little more before moving on to something else.
I mention this conversation because vintage aviation is finding itself at a real crossroad. Even the most knowledgeable people out there have not been around enough old planes to have a broad knowledge base. By default we therefore are quickly becoming a club of people with a great deal of knowledge about one or two airplanes. This also means that vintage planes are quickly becoming more of a display and fly item than a fly and display item. Increasingly, they are no longer flown as planes but merely as antiques for the novelty of it. Thus, you get old but reliable planes that sadly never go past a fifty mile radius from home and pilots that are afraid or unequipped to do so.
A similar example is that of a friend that in his early years drove a WWII Jeep (just after WWII) to Alaska and back from Kentucky. Today most people would be afraid to do such a thing for fear it would break but I have to ask, why would a better than new restoration of that jeep break down today when it didn’t break back then? But that’s not the reason I set out to write this collection of words. My thinking has led me astray once again. But I think I can make it work anyway…..here goes.
Those of you who are afraid to take your planes on a trip are truly missing out on life’s great pleasures. Many of you may even be putting off doing such a thing because you have heard “experts” on forums telling everyone that you can’t do this or that and you thus have resigned yourself to that 50 mile radius of safety. But I want to give you an example of something you can do, that many will tell you otherwise. Here are two photos from my trip home with “Old Bess” back in 1996. The photos were taken over Monarch Pass in Colorado and clearly show the plane at 13,000’ and climbing. After my brother took the altimeter with VSI photo, he turned around to get me and the valley, where Gunnison lies, in the picture. The altitude is correct as we had just flown past Gunnison and acquired a recent altimeter setting. Up to that point, at least twenty people had told us a Stearman couldn’t do that.
Today, rarely a week goes by that I don’t think about that trip. What are you missing out on??? What are you waiting for? There are memories to be made.
sinful sundays
The first Sinful Sunday is rapidly approaching. If you are interested in attending one of these growing events, come see us on June 10th from 1-3PM (ESDT) or until the ice cream runs out.
Originally, we agreed we would be happy if we had ten airplanes show up and last year we had a few with over fifty. It’s a great way to get that other person in your life, your kids, or someone who hates pancakes to go flying. Start planning now to attend.
Other future dates to add to your calendar:
July 8, 2007
Aug 12, 2007
More information www.LeeBottom.com/sinful sunday.htm
KOERNER AVIATION
If you live in the Chicago area, be sure to attend the 80th Anniversary of Koerner Aviation at Kankakee Airport 3KK. This airport and small family flying service has been in the same place for 80 years. The place is full of history and I encourage you to attend their event on June 9th and then visit us for Sinful Sundays on the June 10th. Whenever I am going through the area ferrying some old stringbag, I make sure to stop in and say hello. A few years back, I was ferrying a Taperwing Waco and during my visit, found they had photos of that very plane performing in an airshow at the airport in the 30’s.
For info email: j3cub04@yahoo.com
( note: this photo is of a New Standard at Kankakee)
YOUR Donations keep flying in . . . .
With your help, we have already:
- Topped the trees on the South end of the runway
- Purchased a new mowing tractor
- Reseeded some bare spots on the runway and a/c parking areas
26% of goal obtained. . .THANKS !!!
The fuel level continues to rise as we strive to attain our 2007 goal.
A BIG THANKS TO THOSE THAT HAVE DONATED! See the list CLICK HERE
If you would like to donate to the airport operational expense fund CLICK HERE
LEE BOTTOM ONLINE STORE
We had such an interest in "The Bottom Line" apparel before the holidays that we had to put in a special order. Therefore, we have more of the "Winged T Shirts" including the ever popular "I Did It In the Grass" T Shirt.
Winged T Shirt - Half Fast Aircraft Asylum™
Winged T Shirt - Where Old Planes Go To Fly™
Winged T Shirt - I Did It In The Grass™
Note: Shipping is calculated on a per item basis and valid for United States shipments ONLY. Multiple item shipping discounts available - contact us info@LeeBottom.com.
DON'T FORGET OUR SPONSORS
These are the companies who help make this publication possible.
Be sure and thank them with your business.
The Flying Machines Company (an ebay store)
Let NORDO News help you advertise your business for $25 per issue or 5 issues for $100
email info@LeeBottom.com
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 would like you to forward this newsletter to a friend and ask them to Sign-Up. Let's grow our group that is focused on
"Holding Aviation to a Higher Standard".
Sign up for our FREE e-Pub, click here
NORDO News is published by:
Lee Bottom Flying Field Identifier: 64I 7296 S. River Bottom Rd. Hanover, IN 47243 812-866-3211
Contact Us: info@LeeBottom.com
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