This newsletter is created in html. It should be viewed while connected to the internet.
If your email system does not support html, you see strange characters, or you do not see the photos, click here
To view in your browser, copy and paste the following link to your address line: http://www.leebottom.com/nordo/Archives/nov2006.htm
Holding Aviation to a HIGHER STANDARD™
Nov 2006
ISSN: 1930-0131
| Advertising | About Us | Archives | Send to a Friend | Subscribe |
10th Annual Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels Fly-In
This year’s Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels Fly-In was a great success despite only a half day of good weather on Saturday. It all started on Friday night with a record number of early arrivals that lined the hillside with a fantastic sampling of aircraft. Set against the deep green backdrop, this display offered up a preview the fall colors that would show up two weeks later. Flying and riding in these planes were some of the most fun loving people you could ever meet. Fortunately for us, Ginger had arranged for smoke barbecue catering from The Thomas Family Winery that met with great praise. We believe it was this great food that led to the first annual midnight golf cart tent slalom races. “Here’s to internal combustion and wind in your face.”
Saturday greeted us all with an incredible blue sky and the first ever fly-in with no morning fog. Planes began arriving very early and we quickly realized the new runway extension and expanded parking areas were a great boost to operational safety and efficiency. As it turns out, the only drawback to the extension was how a lot of planes didn’t appear that way and many people were fooled into thinking we had a really low turnout. In fact, there were or had been 150 planes on the ground by 2PM when in years past we received over 40% of the fly-in traffic after the same time. It was lower than in years past, but nowhere near as less as it looked. Although we had expected close to three hundred aircraft, the weather did not cooperate with all those people who had planned to attend. Since we are only a one day event, those that had committed to show from farther distances could not justify it. Most of them were initially glad they stayed home when they heard the weather went South around 2PM and that everyone ran for home from the light rain showers and high overcast that took away all the sunshine. Unfortunately for all those that split, and those that didn’t show, the rain was no where near as bad as the weather channel made it out to be (there’s a surprise) and it quit shortly thereafter and the sun began peeking through only an hour later. Those that spent the night on Saturday were then rewarded to a great group dinner and a postcard perfect day of flying on Sunday. Many of our visitors even stayed to give rides to locals and it turned out to be one of the best days of flying I can remember in a long time.
Being that attendance was down due to poor weather, we were amazed how people reacted to the event this year. Even as the fly-in was still in progress, people were telling us the fly-in had arrived and was sure to be one of the great events in aviation’s future, that they would like to see it be a full weekend event, an that they wanted to help move it to the next level. This year more than ever, it was apparent that the people of this region are ready to have “their own” aviation event and that they felt this one was it. This of course was great to hear but it also means we are at a turning point; from here there is only forward or backward. To go forward means serious sponsorship and there just aren’t many sponsors out there who would go for our terms of low key sponsorship. A three day event also means hundreds of volunteers for several days, construction of restrooms and shower facilities, and electrical power for food tents and other facilities. Then there are the issues of crowd control, safety, and a growing attendance by non-aviation people. These things aren’t necessarily bad; they are just issues to overcome should we go forward. “You Grow or die” is something I have always believed to be true and thus should we decide not to go forward, I believe the fly-in would not continue much longer. We have never put on this event for ourselves and thus if we were not working to provide something better and greater for the pilots of the region, then I feel it would have already met its purpose and would no longer be worth the effort and financial burden. At that point, it would fall to one of our polar opposites who fit the “more dollars than sense” saying. Ultimately, the decision rests with the people who enjoy Lee Bottom as a refuge for aviation. Please email us to let us know what you think. info@LeeBottom.com
Dear Rich and Ginger;
Congratulations on a splendid Tenth Anniversary Fly-in - this really is what it's all about! To see such a diverse collection of classic aircraft is a real treat, and even more so to see types virtually unheard of or rarely seen in the UK - Spartan Executive, Stinson L-5, Laird Swallow, Globe Swift, Smokey the Super Cruiser - to name but a few. Lovely stuff! Thanks also for the great hospitality - the field is moving on in leaps and bounds and I have no doubt that the next ten years will see the realization of the inspirational plans you have to create a museum/heritage centre and home for classic and vintage aircraft. What you are achieving is becoming increasingly difficult in the skies over Europe, so I implore all US enthusiasts and pilots to "use it or lose it!" Aeroplane salutes you - keep up the good work.
Best wishes
Nick Stroud
Features Editor
Aeroplane
London
UK
(Lee Bottom UK Fan Club Member No 1!)
Lee Bottom - a Fly-In - and General Aviation Public Relations
by RICK BRAMWELL
A trip to southern Indiana to visit family and friends is one Jourdan and I enjoy every first Sunday in October. The Bramwell/Cline reunion is held at a remote Jefferson County park called Nevel's Grove. The park has changed very little since I was a child. When my daughter Jourdan, her friend Britney, and I checked in to the Madison Super 8 Motel at Madison, we were greeted by the manager and good friend Jim Smitley. He was wearing a Lee Bottom tee shirt. I learned, without asking, that there was a big antique airplane fly-in at this little grass air strip in the Saluda Bottoms along the Ohio River. Lee Bottom air strip has a website. "They have over 200 old airplanes there and are giving rides," said Smitley. That was all my thrill seeking daughter needed to hear. We were soon headed for Lee Bottom. The air strip was nestled at the base of a steep bluff and about 250 yards off the Ohio River. I shot my biggest buck ever along that bluff just a couple of miles upriver. There was no way anybody was going to get me in one of those contraptions. Some of those engines sounded more like tractors than airplanes. Just as we arrived, it began to rain. "We can't give rides while it's raining," someone said. What a relief, I thought. I took the girls to downtown Madison………….
………The girls and I checked out of the motel lat Sunday morning. My thoughts were on what to take to the reunion? Forgotten, were the Red Baron and his buddies at the river bottom, or so, I thought. "Dad, do we have time to go ride those old planes," Jourdan asked. Soon, we were back at the Lee Bottom airfield. Jourdan found a fellow to take her up in an old two-seater. Beyond the plane being yellow, I couldn't tell you what kind it was. The guy did all kinds of maneuvers and when he buzzed by, low to the ground, Jourdan waved with a big smile on her face. Britney and I decided that Jourdan was nuts. We had no intention of riding a John Deere with wings. When co-pilot Jourdan got out of the plane, the pilot asked me, "Are you next?" For some reason, my apprehension was gone. "Don't touch that stick between your legs," the pilot warned. He also had one between his legs connected to mine. It steered the plane. Soon, I was flying over the Ohio River and northern Kentucky. Many times, while hunting that Indiana bluff, I would look up at the buzzards, soaring overhead, and wonder what their view must be like. Now, I was finding out. It was fabulous. By the time we landed, Jourdan had talked Britney into go for a ride. That accomplished, Jourdan found another ride. This time, in an open cockpit airplane. Adorned in the skin-tight hood and goggles, Jourdan looked like she belonged. I left Lee Bottom, knowing I had laid to rest a big fear of flying in small planes. A fear I've carried with me since two of my friends lost their lives in a plane crash three years ago. The antique fly-in occurs every year the last Saturday in September at Lee Bottom. We were invited to come back next year and to pitch a tent along the edge of the strip with plane owners and other flying enthusiasts. The guy who owned the open cockpit plane lives in Frankton, Indiana and gives flying lessons. Of course, Jourdan wants to pay him a visit.
Results of the last survey
The results of last month's survey are quite impressive with over half of
the respondents assisting the mechanic with their annuals. Check out the results.
| ||||||||||||||||||
My Aircraft was last restored?
November 2006 NORDO News Survey
This month's survey comes in two parts. If you take part in one of them,
please take part in both as they are meant to compliment each other. Please
be as accurate as possible. The results might be eye opening.
Cirrus Makes Epic Contribution To The Antique & Classic Community
That’s right, without spending a dime to do so; Cirrus has given the Antique Community the Bonanza. But maybe not in the way you think. Although it is true that the Cirrus has rocketed to the forefront of modern general aviation with its clever application of available technologies, little about it is new. So how then has Cirrus made the Bonanza an antique; by being the best thing that ever happened to the Bonanza, that’s how.
Yes, it seems that all the glamour and gloss of the Cirrus has become irresistible to the typical Bonanza owner of years past and is drawing them in like rednecks to NASCAR. Unfortunately this also means Cirrus will soon have to deal with a dubious nickname lurking in the wings to replace “V-Tailed Doctor Killer” as the most repeated quote in aviation. That’s a real shame as I’m a big fan of Cirrus. But hey, also makes it much easier for diehards like myself to welcome the V-Tails (when restored to original form) into the Antique & Classic community and express our condolences for having to live with such a burden for so long. I hope you all join me in welcoming them to the community. Note: There was a nice V-Tail in classic early colors at the fly-in this year and everyone I asked said it really felt like a Classic airplane to them.
Celebrities in Aviation
You’ve probably noticed my reservations about welcoming celebrities into aviation. As much as I like the big tent idea of aviation, as much as I try, I just have a hard time welcoming celebrities inside. Do you remember when JFK Jr. became a pilot? I do and it brought about one of the most ridiculous rounds of ass kissing from the aviation world I can remember. Heck, I bet if you look back someone probably even gave the guy an “Aviator of The Year Award.” And do any of you remember what his contribution to aviation was? I do. It was a high profile accident that added to the perception of aviation as a sport of “kings” and death.
When celebrities die in aircraft accidents, the aviation press does its best to get out the word to the rest of the world that “they loved the freedom of flight” but if you look back, the celebrity themselves did not. Celebrities always want their opinions heard but they never apply that to their supposed love of aviation. Yet, I believe that celebrities really do enjoy the freedom of aviation because that is the only place they can get away from everyone. I just think that if they really do love the freedom of it, then they have a responsibility to the rest of us to promote it or at the very least to protect it from the extra risk they add by being involved.
Furthermore, I also think those that want to play airplane and become involved, like Harrison Ford with the EAA, they should be required to draw up a letter stating how much aviation means to them, how it is a great icon of freedom, that it is not any more dangerous than other forms of recreation, and that if they ever die in an accident that it be known as that, an accident. And that in remembrance, they hope others with take up the sport and enjoy the freedoms it offered them. With this, I would more than welcome them in. Remember folks, it was a Yankees pitcher (celeb.) that led to the loss of another VFR corridor. What happens when Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt or both crashes? The idiots of our world who spend more on US and People magazine than their own kid’s education will insist flying is done away with. You know it’s true.
SAA Last Newsletter
I was very saddened to receive an email the other day that turned out to be the last newsletter of the SAA. A while back, Ginger and I were recovering from working on a newsletter when the phone rang and “EAA” flashed across the caller id. Quickly, I put on my head gear and boxing gloves and answered the phone. Not expecting the friendly tone from the other end of the line, I was caught off guard when the gentleman asked if I was Rich Davidson and replied to my “yes” with “This is Paul Poberezny.” I was caught even more off guard when he said he loved what we were doing with our newsletter and that he hoped we would keep at it. Then after a long conversation about our favorite airplanes (much of it about Robins), where aviation was headed, and preserving vintage aircraft, we said our goodbyes and that was that.
The days following that conversation had me replaying and rethinking what he had said and before long I had drawn up a letter to him to inquire about taking the SAA and breathing new life into it. His response that it would not be possible was expected but disappointing. With the help of some of our friends, we were sure we could keep it going instead of creating something new but it seemed the decision about the future of SAA was already made. Those of you who never received any of the SAA publications really missed out. This was easily one of the last worthwhile publications for enthusiasts who sought real information and photos of real people operating real airplanes. It will be sorely missed. As for the SAA annual fly-in, it too is gone and is sure to also be missed. We hope that all of you, who made it a rule to attend the event, will accept our open invitation to join the Lee Bottom Family. SAA’ers will feel right at home here.
Aviation and Politics
Those of us, who love aviation and understand it, are continuously caught off guard by politicians making ridiculous statements, rules, and proposals that affect us all in a negative manner. We’re toppled by the disbelief that comes from hearing someone accused of being intelligent spew illogical and uneducated garbage. But have you ever wondered why they seem so hell bent to reign in aviation? So often in our aviation publications, you see someone made out to be a friend because they are or were a pilot. But if you look closely, more often than not, the only experience these people have comes from military experience. Yes that’s right; ‘Senator so and so flew F-105s in the Vietnam era’ sounds good on paper until you analyze it. To me, that says the only way this person has experienced aircraft is as a weapon of death and destruction. Do you really think this doesn’t play into their decisions? Heck most of them never flew again after they left the military. And can you tell me what pleasure is derived from flying aircraft that belong to the federal government? None! And, thus they have no experience with aviation. Their advisors are military people, their experience is military, and the only way they know aviation is as a weapon of war. So remember that the next time you read about a politician that is our friend because he flew in the military.
N-Numbers and More
A while back, Ginger found a brochure on eBay for an airport that once existed only a few miles from here but is now long gone. Thankfully, after fighting a hard battle with numerous other bidders and a long drawn out conflict lasting seven days, she came out on top for only nine dollars and change. As with all battles, to the winner goes the spoils and when it arrived in the mail, we were treated to a unique piece of aviation history. It appears to have bee
n a canned sales brochure that was made personal with only the addition of the airport’s name on the cover. Because of this, there is a great amount of general information from the day. After seeing it all, we decided to share part of it with you. Here is one of the more informative and interesting pieces on aircraft markings. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FILE and learn what a "C" means on the tail of this aircraft.
LEE BOTTOM REGULARS TO BE IN AAHS CALENDAR
One of Lee Bottom’s regulars, Bob Burns, recently emailed to let us know two of our flying field family members would be appearing in next year’s AAHS (American Aviation Historical Society) Calendar. The society had asked Bob to submit some photo for the calendar and they chose two. One of them is of Drew Middleton’s Super Cruiser, and the other is of the Laird’s Swallow. Congratulations to Bob for getting his photos in this great calendar and to the owners of these great airplanes for their appearance in the same. www.aahs-online.org
Humans and Logic
Throughout the years, I have known several pilots and non-pilots that quit flying after a friend was killed in an aircraft accident. The thing that’s always bothered me about this is the following; have you ever known anyone to quit driving or riding in cars after someone they knew was killed in a car accident?
THIS IS A PUBLIC USE AIRPORT
Everyone who’s ever dreamed of owning an airport has imagined all the great things that go along with it. But only those who ever do get to see all the obstacles standing in the way to growth. When you plan to expand an airport, there are many things you need to do before starting the expansion. Among these things is the basic element of traffic. If you want to grow an airport, you need more aircraft operations or “traffic.” One of the easiest ways to do this is to become a public use airport. This gets you placement on the charts and many other places as a public use facility. Since so many people today worry about offending anyone about anything, most pilots simply will not land at your airport unless they know it is ok. Public use certification gets rid of this problem. I better correct that; it should get rid of the problem.
We are continually amazed at the opinions people have of grass runways. Some people believe a grass runway automatically qualifies as a soft field, others are sure the grass becomes mud as soon as three drops of rain land on the property, and others believe grass rips off wheel pants better than airline executives do their employees. Yet, the one we continue to deal with is that a grass runway cannot be public use.
In fact, each year we have to go through a FAA sanctioned airport inspection just like every other public use airport in the country. We are required to have a public use phone, airport diagrams, proper windsocks, airport rules, restroom facilities, and a segmented circle. Anything on or near the airport has to be approved including things like buildings, approach paths, and runway markings. Furthermore, every single measurement you can think of has an official guide for proper limits and they all have to be met. These include distances buildings must be from runways, runway marking parameters, tie downs, tall structures limits, and displaced thresholds. And if an inspector happens to come by one day, when five minutes earlier a freak gust of wind has folded the windsock back onto itself, then you will be replacing that perfectly fine windsock and you won’t be arguing about it. That’s all part of having a public use airport. And I haven’t even mentioned the effort it takes to police the rules in place to restrict building near an airport. Did I mention our pattern lies in two states?
So what makes us different? Our airport is privately owned and it makes a world of difference. This year we have been asked, “How much does the city or county pay you to stay there?”, “What kind of funding do you get from the state or federal government?”, and “Who pays the bills?”. Well that last one was the best but I’m not sure they believed the answer which of course was us and our extended airport family. Yeah, we don’t receive any funding from the government, local or federal, and we aren’t eligible for any airport funds. We pay it, or it doesn’t stay here. So now you know the difference and you have a small idea of what goes into it. The next time you are flying cross country and are looking down at an airport that is public use but obviously privately owned, we hope you will reflect on how much that person or persons are putting into making that place available to you. And if you have time, stop in to say hello and thank them. It really means a lot.
There is a lesson (or two) in every flight
One of our good friends and readers said he would like to see more ferry flight stories in the newsletter and after thinking it through, I decided I had enough stories to tell that I would start including them. I hope you enjoy them and possibly learn from them. I am not attempting to glorify poor behavior or glamorize emergencies. When I include one of these stories, it will only be to talk about something that happened to me and if you are smart, you will try to learn from them. Here’s a good one.
Many years ago, a friend of mine had purchased a Tiger Moth and a Fleet out of a barn in Canada and I was taxed with flying them home to the US. The first to go would be the Tiger Moth and some local friends showed up to help us get it going. This was the classic plane in the barn story with a dusty old flying machine sitting in a dusty dirt floor barn, right next to a landing strip that was just long enough to almost get airborne. At some time in the past, the plane had been rebuilt, the barn had fresh paint, and the runway was twice as long but on that day, the plane was an old home for mice, the barn was needing attention, and only half of the yard was mowed…..wait, did I say yard? We’ll get back to that.
Looking the plane over, I decided it would make it home and I climbed in to get used to the aircraft and prepare for my friends to swing the prop. While they tinkered with it, the new owner expressed concerns about a hiss he heard in the engine but our more experienced friends said it was nothing to be concerned with and that “these engines always sound like that.” In retrospect, I think maybe their hearing wasn’t quite what it used to be. Anyway, with a little work the engine fired and I taxied to the end of the yard where they then picked up the tail of the plane and swung it around into position at the driveway near power lines. The field was bordered on the left by very tall corn and only a few hundred feet down the yard (runway, whatever) the right side was bordered by tall trees. This also coincided with the end of the cut grass and only a few more hundred feet ahead were more tall trees. The width of the strip was fifty to sixty feet. That day, there was a very strong left crosswind and with all the surrounding obstacles, my plan was to lift off, build up a little speed, and then turn left over the corn away from trees and circle my way up and out of there to put time on the engine without straying from such an obviously inviting private runway (yard, whatever). Looking back on this ferry flight, it is this one which contained the most lessons.
My first attempt at take off on this short strip would be my first Tiger Moth flight and many people had given me advice on flying it. Nearly everything I was told was wrong, except for one thing; it will not leave the ground in a three point position. This tip was dead on correct but I didn’t believe it and decided I would try a short field three point take off anyway. With my friend holding the tail, I ran the engine up, checked all the gauges, and gave the signal I was ready; off I rolled with wind rocking the plane. Rapidly approaching the deep grass the plane started to feel light and wind grabbed the plane and shoved me straight for the trees. All I could do was kick it into the wind to kill the drift and chop the power. Almost dragging the upwind wing, the plane came to a stop in the deep grass. Accessing what went wrong, my friend and I dragged the plane back to the starting point. This time though, we drug the tail off at an angle deep into the yard around trees to give me another 30’-50’ of takeoff roll.
The engine was swung to life, the gauges checked and off I went in a giant arc out of the yard toward takeoff. After a short roll, I eased the tail in the air, picked up speed, and then with a lot of correction, lifted off into a strong corn swirled crosswind just before the deep grass. With the trees rapidly approaching, I turned carefully into the wind and out over the corn to climb out of there. As the left wing crossed the first row of crops, I felt the engine loose power and started a frantic turn back to the yard. But shortly thereafter I decided it was an illusion created by the gusty conditions so I kept up my circling climb. I should note that this was a Canadian Moth with a canopy and although I had forgotten my headset, I decided to fly anyway since it would be a short flight to an airport nearby.
Finally, after circling for some time trying to decide if the engine was surging or not, I leveled off at 1500’ and began a better assessment. Round and round I went for ten minutes until I decided it was safe to leave the yard’s pattern. Down below, I could see my friends pull out of the driveway on their way to the nearby airport. Looking around, I made sure of my bearings and no more than tensed my muscles to move the controls when BANG!!! Like a shotgun going off in the cockpit, the noise rung my head and as I gathered my wits from the far corners of the cockpit and my hearing began to come back, I could hear the engine; ca CHUNK ca CHUNK ca CHUNK ca CHUNK. Fortunately, the engine was still barely running and I began my slow spiral back down to the yard to set myself up for an approach over the wires for a landing between the corn and trees with hopes of stopping before the crosswind could get me and the tall grass would snare me. I got lucky and glided over the wires, nailed the landing, turned into the wind and then only rolled far enough into the tall grass for the tail to come up as if it were going to go over and then drop back down to the ground. Inspection showed that the hiss in the engine had apparently been an intake leak that let one combustion chamber get so hot it melted right through the side of one cylinder with an explosive bang of molten metal.
A few weeks later, I was flying the plane home after repairs when I landed at a small Canpass approved airport in Ohio with a narrow paved runway. Up to that point, I had landed only on grass but had no reason to suspect this Tiger Moth would be difficult so I lined up for a landing into the wind. To my surprise though, when the three wheels had no more than grazed the asphalt, I had a tiger by the tail. This thing was insane with a mind of its own and I struggled to bring it to a stop facing thirty degrees off the runway with one wheel less than six inches from leaving the asphalt. The old man that ran the place must have thought I was an idiot but still he took time to show me around his airport, including an authentic Eastern Airlines DC-3 that he kept under shelter and started once a week to keep the engines in good running condition. It was a great little airport and I almost hated to leave but time was a wasting and off I went toward the next airport with a grass runway. From there on I had no more problems with the plane but have never been able to forget it. As I said, that one trip taught me a lot.
Let’s see if I can name them all; we were rushing to get the plane out of Canada before winter, lesson – don’t rush. Something didn’t seem right with the engine and experts said otherwise, lesson – if something feels wrong, it probably is, despite what the experts say. There is a lot of advice out there about flying old aircraft, lesson – although most of it is worthless, there can still be one morsel of truth that would help you out so listen and learn. I just knew that my way would be better for takeoff, lesson – humility. The runway was narrow, unmowed, surrounded by obstacles, and bathed in wind, lesson – bush pilots have a higher risk of death for a reason, leave it to them. A cylinder went bang like a shotgun, lesson – when something goes bang on a plane found in a barn, mouse poop flies everywhere. I didn’t wear my headsets for a short flight, lesson – things always go wrong when you aren’t prepared for them, always be prepared for everything. I circled overhead until I felt the plane was fine, lesson – even when things are going fine and all seems well, the engine can quit at any time. Furthermore, when in doubt, climb high and access the situation, planes fly just fine without their engines, it has worked for me many times. The Tiger went crazy on an asphalt runway, lesson – any plane that was built in any numbers is easy to land, if you get one of these and it is not, then your landing gear is probably bent and out of alignment, always check this on any tailwheel plane you purchase before flying it. The old guy running the airport must have thought I was nuts, lesson – he was right. Side note: This plane ended up being reworked to the point it qualified as Experimental and is now based only seven miles from Lee Bottom.
SAVE THIS AIRPLANE
There is nothing worse than an aircraft sitting and wasting away when someone would love to be flying it. Museums are doing a good enough job of removing vintage aircraft from the skies without help from those of us who love these machines. All too often, people hold onto the idea that some day they will restore an airplane in a desperate attempt to hold off accepting the fact they never will, thus giving up a dream. We will not be one of those people.
The plans for our airport are taking so much of our time that we simply do not have any spare moments to give this aircraft the attention it needs. Here is a link to the For Sale page
THE MOST OVERLOOKED INSTRUMENTS
While reviewing the concepts of rectangular patterns with a new student that had been flying for awhile with other instructors, he indicated to me he did not see wind correction as something that was important and then further explained how difficult this was for him. I had to find out more because “The Wind” is definitely a very important aspect of aviation. After several minutes of discussion, it became apparent to me; wind correction was difficult for him because there was not a cockpit instrument telling him the wind direction and speed. And beyond that, there wasn’t an instrument telling him if he was correcting for it appropriately.
It hadn’t really dawned on me until this point . . . BUT yes, there are no cockpit instruments telling you what the wind is doing and what it is doing to your aircraft. But, there happens to be one very important instrument not found in any aircraft but available to the pilot of every aircraft from the champ to the Cirrus and even the Boeing 757. It is a VERY, VERY important instrument . . . but you have to look outside the plane to see it . . . it is the windsock. Yes, there are even sources of additional wind indicators like Wind T’s, smoke, water ripples, flags, trees, etc and they are all equally effective instruments for understanding the wind and what it is doing. But that’s not it.
There is another very important “wind instrument” . . . This instrument is portable and happens to be in every plane that you fly. It is you, the pilot. But, wait a minute you might say, I don’t remember learning about this instrument during my flight training. I’m not surprised so I’d like to examine it. Let’s start by looking at an instrument and what it does and maybe it will make sense. Basically, an instrument is responsible for taking in sources of information from the outside and translating it into a format that is meaningful. If the outside information goes away or can’t be read, the instrument becomes useless. As a pilot, you should also be taking in cues and indications from the outside and turning it into useful information. If you aren’t looking outside, or listening, or feeling for information about the wind, the sole airborne wind instrument, you the pilot, is basically useless. Look at what the wind is doing to you as you take up a heading on a cross country, as you enter the downwind to land, and even while you are flying away from the airport on the departure. It is talking to you all the time so take a moment to look at it and don’t let it bully you around. Take control and show “The Wind” that you are in charge.
As a pilot, if you can’t read the wind and determine what it is doing to you, you just might find yourself blown off a very narrow course, at a low altitude, and in a situation where you need to make a 180 degree turn to reverse your direction of flight while in a very tight and narrow corridor of a large city that is surrounded by tall buildings. If you haven’t read or interpreted the wind indicators correctly then you might find yourself turning in the direction that puts the wind at your back which speeds up your ground speed and therefore requires you to turn at a bank that would exceed the limits for the plane before hitting one of those buildings. Isn’t this basically what you are practicing during the turns in your landing pattern? If not, it should be.
We could talk a little bit about flying without looking at the cockpit instruments and how much the aviation community has become accustomed to flying with instruments instead of outside cues but that takes us to a completely different although obviously related subject. However, let’s just leave this topic by suggesting to each of you to be a little more vigilant the next time you going flying. Read the windsock one extra time before you take-off (personally, I look at it at least 5 or 6 times and probably more), look at the windsock prior to landing and find something to tell you what the wind is doing while enroute. Don’t be fooled by what the previous guy just did, what the ATIS reported, what the person in the FBO told you on the UNICOM, what the weather guy told you before you left, or what wind was doing when you left 15 minutes ago. Just go out and practice the act and art of being alert and in control of the wind.
We received the following notice from a friend of ours who is heavily involved with the Challenge Air organization. Having looked at it closely, we believe it to be a great group and cause and we hope you will get involved. CLICK HERE for info on an upcoming event and follow this link to learn more about the organization www.challengeair.org
Rich, Why don’t you like Sport Pilot?
A lot of people were apparently blown away when I said that Sport Pilot was one of them most ridiculous rules ever laid upon aviation. With that in mind, I decided to give you a small bit of insight into my feelings. The Grand Poobah of the FAA, Marion Blakey, recently said “"The FAA must ensure that any future rule change, should it occur, provides an equal or better level of safety to passengers." She said this when talking about the potential of changing the age 60 rule but it does apply to my distaste for Sport Pilot.
Does the FAA really believe making pilots with only 20 hours flight time as safe as pilots with forty hours of flight time? It seems the FAA only says these things about safety when they need and excuse to deny something. I was going to say more but I am going to stop it here with this; Sport Pilot is great for people who want to fly with no medical and I think is about time we get this ability. Someday, I will probably use it myself. But ultimately, Sport Pilot is a great example of bureaucracy gone bad and it could have all been done by doing away with the medical requirement for the private pilot’s license. Yes what’s done is done, but I am tired of compromises when compromise isn’t due.
Great Collections In Danger
It never ceases to amaze how surprised people are when aviation museums go bad. It’s even more amazing when you realize the things that make them go bad always come from the “How To Kill An Aviation Organization” rule book and that this book contains only three things: 1. Let people buy their way into the board or positions of management and then remove the people with knowledge and passion 2. Locate the project in an area that is unfriendly to aviation 3. Mission statement should read “place planes in big building, removing planes from the air, giving friends tax write offs.
Knowing this, I have been keeping my eye on two organizations, The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, and The Cradle of Aviation Museum. Sadly Cole Palen’s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, that once was the envy of flying fields around the world, has started to come under attack from the rule book. A new board has moved in, the old time faithful who knew how to turn wrenches and fly airplanes have run screaming, and the collection is still located in a state that is unfriendly to aviation. This is very sad but not totally unexpected.
Next there is the Cradle of Aviation Museum. Very few Museums have done as much to remove unique aircraft from the air. Not that long ago, the museum, with the efforts of people with knowledge and passion, raised an ungodly amount of money to build a fancy new building to house aircraft. This was done through a lot of write offs and hard work. The building was then placed nearby a mall that sits on the site where Lindbergh took off on his historic flight. With my limited understanding of complex market research, I can only assume this location was indicated to be a logical parcel due to the massive amount of passionate aviation enthusiasts that can be found at malls that wiped out historic airports. Unfortunately for the volunteers who put in all the work, their research must have contained an anomaly that did not indicate to them that passionate aviation folk spend their time at malls that wiped out historic airports in states that don’t get rid of VFR corridors every time there’s an accident. So, when the expected attendance fell way short of market projections, things really started to hit the fan. Their solution? Find ten people who will pay, I’m sorry I meant to say contribute $100,000 to sit on the museum board along with other “super donors” that would only contribute money to get a write off. Are you seeing a trend here? What a shame. I will always miss what the Aerodrome used to be and I feel really sorry for the passionate volunteers who worked so hard on the Cradle of Aviation Museum. What they once envisioned, is likely gone forever.
Let’s recap, park planes in big buildings, let people buy their way in, and locate in an unfriendly place.
Thomas G. Flock GONE WEST . . . Our Condolences
ROCKVILLE- Thomas G. Flock, 75, of Rockville died at 5:18 a.m. Monday, Nov. 20, 2006, at West Central Community Hospital in Clinton. He was the retired owner of Flock Implement in Rockville. He was born Aug. 25, 1931, in Bloomingdale, to Carson Lee Flock and Flora Elizabeth Trimble Flock. On July 23, 1951, he married Barbara J. Malone Flock of Rockville; she died Nov. 23, 1999. On Sept. 28, 2002, he married Carolyn Kerr Potts Flock of Fort Wayne, who survives.
Other survivors include three daughters, Cathy Thompson and husband Norm, and Karen Hughett and husband John, all of Rockville, and Cindy Miller of Wolcottville; two step-daughters, Becky Madison and husband Steve of Carol Stream, Ill., Peggy Redmond and husband Dino of Fort Wayne; two step-sons, Jeff Potts and wife Clara, and Randy Potts and wife Pam, all of Fort Wayne; four grandchildren; 11 step-grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; six step-great-grandchildren; one brother, David Flock of Stanton, Calif.; three sisters, MaryLou Harmon of Rockville, Nancy Lewis and husband David of Crawfordsville, Martha Cornelison of Terre Haute; his father-in-law, Harold Malone of Rockville; three brothers-in-law, John Malone and Mel Teague, both of Rockville, Jack Malone of Terre Haute; many cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Charlie Flock, Robert Flock, and John Flock; two sisters, Sarijane Teague and Suemma Finan.
He was a 1949 graduate of Bloomingdale High School and attended Purdue University in 1950. He then served his country in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He was an aerial gunnery instructor, stationed at Lowery Air Force Base in Denver, Colo. He instructed gunners in B-29, B-36 and B-26 Bombers. A former Parke County businessman, he purchased the John Deere Dealership from Ray Bosley in 1960, in partnership with John Cummings and his father-in-law, Harold Malone. He had this dealership until his retirement in 1997. He was an avid supporter of 4-H and Future Farmers of America during this time. His love for flying began at an early age as he flew his first airplane at the young age of 13 and received his private pilot's license at the age of 17, fueled by a persistent love of airplanes, Tom began rebuilding vintage aircraft as a hobby more than 25 years ago. He restored seven Waco UPF-7 biplanes and one Piper J-3 Cub. His expertise on the design of planes made him well-known throughout the experimental aircraft community, worldwide. At the 1993 American Waco Fly-in, Tom was presented the Bob Poor Memorial Award for exquisite workmanship in the restoration of these biplanes. In November 1999, Tom was inducted into the Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame in Oshkosh, Wis. He was a member of the local chapter of Experimental Aircraft Association and the Indiana Antique Airplane Association. He was a member of Rockville First United Methodist Church, a past president of the Rockville Town Council and a past volunteer firefighter for Rockville Fire Department.
Services are 10 a.m. Saturday at Rockville First United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Jenny Charles officiating. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Gooch Funeral Home, and one hour before services Saturday, at the church. Memorial contributions, if friends so desire, may be made in his memory to Parke County Community Foundation, PO Box 276, Rockville, IN 47872; or Parke County Unit of the American Cancer Society, 112 W. Howard St., Rockville, IN 47872.
The Laird's Swallow on the cover of Vintage
Congratulations to our friends, the Lairds, for landing on the cover of EAA's Vintage Magazine. If you haven't seen it, find someone who has a copy and check it out. Furthermore, you should be able to see some good shots of it in a couple of other upcoming magazines. The plane is a wonderful piece of history that is being kept alive and flying by a family who refuses to let it be parked. In related news; be sure to look for the next Air Classics that should be on stands in just a few weeks.
LEE BOTTOM ONLINE STORE
We have a few items in our inventory as we wind down the season. . .
These items make wonderful Christmas presents. Sizes and Quantities are limited so place your order SOON.
Winged T Shirt - Half Fast Aircraft Asylum™
Winged T Shirt - Where Old Planes Go To Fly™
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.
If you didn't have time to view the fly-in photos before, here's the link again. . . .
DON'T FORGET OUR SPONSORS
These are the companies who help make this publication possible.
Be sure and thank them with your business.
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
Time Pieces
7296 S. River Bottom Rd.
Hanover, IN 47243
317-501-2773
Contact Us: info@LeeBottom.com
