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         Holding Aviation to a HIGHER STANDARD™

     Sept  2006

ISSN: 1930-0131

AS THE WIND SOCK BLOWS

The days of our lives continue

We had every intention of writing a special issue about the fly-in this month.  But, in the midst of preparing for the fly-in, Ginger fell off a ladder and is suffering with a broken foot.  Most of the agony comes from the fact that she is slightly immobilized and needs to use crutches to do anything. This little kink in the plans has left us scrambling for ways to get all the preparations done for the fly-in and has left very little spare time for either of us.  Thanks goes out to all of those that have chipped in, made meals, cleaned up, painted, mowed grass, gone shopping, picked up things, put up tents, and the list goes one. . .   The show must go on and you've all done a great job in helping us get ready. 

If you would like to see information about the fly-in, it is all grouped at the bottom of the newsletter and you can CLICK HERE to go directly to that section.   

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Results of the last survey

The results of last month's survey indicate that only 16% of our readers let a mechanic do all the maintenance on their aircraft. The other 80% at least help with the annuals and many do most or all of the work. These are amazing numbers and we wonder how many of those people do all or some of the work on their cars or how many pay the going auto shop rates of $50-$60 per hour. Whatever the case, we think it shows that antique and classic aircraft need caring and knowledgeable owners if they are to stay in the air.
 

What method do you use to accomplish your annual inspection? A mechanic does it all for me 16% I assist the mechanic 55% I am a mechanic and do my own 25% I do not own an airplane 4% Total Votes: 163 Thanks for voting

When I go flying, i typically?

September 2006 NORDO News Survey

We are curious how many of you take passengers with you when you go flying

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SEPTEMBER 2006 SURVEY

user fees

Well, by now everyone has heard about the Comair crash in Lexington, Kentucky and received over 1000 points of insight from people who know absolutely nothing about aviation, 121 flying, or ATC operations. But hey, that’s par for the course.

So what’s our take? Human Error, chain of events, and early morning fog ( mind fog ). Yet, that is not what leads us to mention this accident. We are here to make a prediction; this crash will come to be the backup excuse and another reason why the FAA will say it needs USER FEES.

Look around and we're sure you will see all the ridiculous stories about understaffed towers and how aviation is sure to come to a standstill within the next week if we don’t hire more controllers. But how can we afford to hire more controllers???? Well, impose user fees of course. You watch, it will happen and now is the time to put the brakes on; before it gets rolling. Have any ideas?
 

70 KNOTTER FLIES AGAIN 

Many of you have wondered and probably placed bets on when (or if) we would get "70 Knotter" flying again. Well it recently happened! Some of you may remember the spot where this plane parked every year at Oshkosh and how it always seemed to be a focal point for wayward aviation folk. Those of you who do will be glad to know she is flying again and flying well I might add. She’s light with an 85 HP engine and goes like crazy.

So what’s in her future? Ginger has made "70 Knotter" the official Lee Bottom Tailwheel Trainer. What better way to end up; teaching others the skills of yesterday.
 

isn't this fun?

A photo taken from the rear seat of a Pietenpol of retired United Mechanic/ IA John Hughes. 

John is doing the flying, Michael Cuy is snapping the photo over Strongsville, Ohio.
"John does GA annuals at our local airport now when he's not in Florida for the winter with his wife Jean. John will do an annual for a "wheelbarrow full of money" or in exchange for airplane rides for him and his grand kids. I've done both"
Thanks to Michael Cuy, in Cleveland, for sharing this photo.

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

HEAR RICH DAVIDSON VIA AN AERO NEWS NETWORK PODCAST

Every morning, we start our day with a cup of coffee and Aero News Network's emailed Propwash to see what is going on in the world of aviation.  This past month, they not only covered the upcoming 10th Annual Wood, Fabric, and Tailwheels Fly-In, but they also interviewed Rich about our airport and Sport Aviation.  If you have 30 minutes to spare, you should listen to the podcast.

http://www.aero-news.net/podcasts/casts/1/ann-special-feature-2006-09-12.mp3

A REVERSE BARN RAISING ! ! !

The runway extension is open

The runway extension was quietly and officially opened late in the day on September 15th. The first plane to land on it was a Super Cub and we’re not sure if they knew it was a new runway. Whatever the case, they did several take offs and landings.

Among the things we noticed was the fact we can no longer see how far it takes someone to get off the ground and that it is now a pretty good hike for us to either end of the runway. But, when people land it appears they will now be turning off closer to the house without having to taxi back and that it will now be much easier to operate multiple aircraft at the same time since there is more room for planes to taxi down the side of the runway.

Things are certainly changing. Without question though, a certain level of safety has been added with the longer runway. We hope you enjoy it.
 

Grass Seed Commemorative Stone Is Here

Remember those framed grass seed bags that many of  you received when you donated money for grass seed last year?   Well, all the bags were sponsored and to honor everyone who pitched in, we had a marker made with all your names on it.   It is now on display outside and we will have it somewhere obvious for everyone at the fly-in to see.   Thanks again to everyone who pitched in.   We couldn’t have done it without you.

Another successful ferry flight

Rich recently completed his latest ferry job

A few weeks back, Rich woke up at 5:00 AM to show for his last day of recurrent ground school at work. He was there at 7:00, took his test after lunch, drove to Mike's Hangar in Columbus, Indiana, gave the plane a final once over, and headed toward the west.  Rich hoped to get to Blakesburg, Iowa that night and on the next day finish the flight to Des Moines, Iowa and jumpseat home.

Here is how it played out. . . His first and only fuel stop was Frasca Field where he was greeted (as always) by Rudy Frasca himself. Rudy loves anything that is old and flies and apparently was quite excited to see this old plane land on a windy overcast day. Rich says he purposely landed in the grass that goes by Rudy’s office to offer him an excuse to get out of the office. I guess it worked as Rudy was still outside and giving a big two armed wave as Rich took off.

Enroute to his next stop, Rich discovered he had an amazing tailwind and while over Blakesburg decided he could make Des Moines before sunset with the fuel on board. So, with regret, he forged on.

Rich tells me that when he called approach they cleared him into the airspace and cleared him for the visual. It seemed as if everyone knew the plane was on its way. After landing and handing over the keys to the owners, he was told that this plane was the very first plane to land at the Des Moines airport way back when. A few hours after arriving, Rich caught a ride home on UPS and was back in Lousiville by 1:00 AM…..all that in one day.

As for this Waco UEC, Rich says it was one of the easiest planes to fly he has ever flown and that it jumped into the air in just a few feet and landed easier than a Cub.
 

we really struggled with this one

By now, all of you have seen at least ten different emails containing distasteful photos of the Avenger/RV accident at Oshkosh. We struggled when deciding whether or not to mention this accident. We really just wanted it to go away but we also knew that by the magazine cycles, you would soon be seeing a lot of garbage about this accident and we wanted to give you a point of view from someone who has been there, knows people who have been there, and who knows the definition of the word accident.

For those who haven’t looked at it recently, here is what Webster’s Dictionary says:
Accident – A happening; an event that takes place without ones foresight, or expectation; an event which proceeds from an unknown cause, or is an unusual effect of a known cause, and therefore, not expected.  A C C I D E N T – say it out loud, repeat it, and know it.

Now that we are all together on that, let’s put it into a sentence. Landing downwind, downhill, on a short runway and ending up on your back is not an accident, it is a stupid mistake ( we all make them ). Landing into the wind, on a long runway, uphill and loosing a wheel at the very time you are near the only obstacle within a mile, thus hitting the obstacle, is an accident.

Let me tell you what once happened to me. I was taxiing a Stearman and doing S turns when my friend behind me keyed his mic and said, “Hey Rich, you see that airplane?” This was soon followed by, “Stop!” As I came to a stop and one brake tugged a little harder than the other, the nose swung to the left and three feet from my prop was a Mooney.

Now to fully get you to understand how this could happen would take for ever but I will try to give you a quick rundown. As your nose goes left in an S-Turn, you look out the right side to see what is out there. Now imagine at the very time you are looking out the right, a plane taxis, left to right, directly in front of the plane as your start your S-Turn to the right to look out the left side. As the nose swings right, you transition to the left to look out and nothing is there…..oh but it is and that is exactly what happened to me. Perfect timing for everything; when I started the S-Turn, when turned off the runway, the time the Mooney began to taxi, and even when that guy was cleared to taxi, and to what runway he was cleared.  I never saw this guy and I was in a plane much smaller than an Avenger and a Mooney is much bigger than an RV-6.

Fortunately for me, the timing was right to have someone behind me who had the presence of mind to speak up. “But how?” you ask. How could you not see a part of the plane in front of you? Have you ever heard of a blind spot?  It happens all the time in car accidents and everyone is fine with it; why not aviation? Now what if you are in a plane so big that you simply cannot see that plane under your nose that somehow managed to get there due to perfect timing, and a blind spot or any of the other well documented human optical shortcomings?

Or how about the one nobody wants to touch; pulling a Yugo in front of a Semi Truck in stop and go traffic? Not always the smartest thing to do but if you were in a rush to get somewhere, you might try it. Have you ever seen the signs on the trucks that say, “If you can’t see me, then I can’t see you”?  We understand this stuff when we see it on the road so can someone tell me why it all goes out the vent when we get in an airplane? This Avenger / RV Oshkosh ACCIDENT was just that, an ACCIDENT; Perfect timing, and a classic chain of events coming together to make a bad day.

There are many ways we could attempt to prevent this from happening again, but in the end, accidents will always happen. Do you best to be vigilant, learn from the accidents of others, and above all, never send me photos of a deadly accident accompanied by words that are meant to convey the idea it could never happen to you.   You are doing a great disservice to the people lost in the accident and to those who have to live with it.  

Sport Pilot - laugh or cry
 

I’m going to drag my brother into this one with me just so he can take some of the heat for a change. Into what? The loss of sanity that was created when a great idea was turned into one of the most ridiculous rules ever placed upon aviation – Sport Pilot. It would take me days to explain all the ridiculousness associated with Sport Pilot.  But right here right now, I want to discuss one of the many funny but sad things I have seen come out of it.

Your favorite internet forum, that once contained valuable tidbits, now only contains the maniacal ramblings of people expressing things like the following, “don’t add that part as the rule says if you add that part and you have a certain engine, accompanied by a 337 for leather seats, then your Champ will not longer be Sport Pilot eligible and it will therefore no longer be worth $89,000 and will only bring $18,000.” I am convinced the people that write this stuff work for the FAA, have never flown a plane, or are addicted to gambling. The FAA is the only group that truly believes or knows what the Sport Pilot rule means, those who have never flown always love to express their knowledge of trivia, and those that are addicted to gambling would like to believe they are going to get rich and retire off the sale of the Champ they bought for $15,000 six years ago.

So how does my brother play into this? At least once a day, my brother and I talk to each other over the phone to discuss the next “most ridiculous thing we’ve ever seen” item. Lately, the small plane forums have become hard to beat. Let me share one posting I found online a while back. I watched for close to a month as this poor guy kept asking a serious question about his plane and finally it go sooo bad, he posted this; notice the exclamation points:

All:
I do appreciate your input for my question. However, I am not concerned with Sport Pilot eligibility and such. I was just curious as to the different handling characteristics between the "No Bounce" gear and the regular oleo struts. If anyone has any input related to this, I would appreciate it! Thanks again for all your help thus far!
Josh

Poor Josh. I felt so bad for him I emailed him with sympathy, tried to answer his question, and then I tried to trade him for his gear. Unfortunately for me, there is one part of aviation I have not been able to get the hang of; lying to get what you want. For those of you who believe stock Aeronca gear will make your Champ much more valuable, I have a set I would like to trade for your no-bounce set……honest, I really do.
 

Florida Stearmans Pass Through
There are now so many people who get NORDO News, we suspect we will never meet them all. But hey, we always hold out hope. Experience has told us the people who receive NORDO are the type of people you just like to be around. They are fun loving, easy going, airplane people and every now and then another one or two of them pay us a surprise visit.

The most recent of these visits was two guys from Florida who visited in two Stearmans. Having taken part in the annual Stearman fly-in at Galesburg and then visiting Brodhead, they decided to stop here on their way home. We are glad they chose Lee Bottom as one of their stops and hope to see them again in the future. If any of you are ever passing through and need a place to hang your scarf, drop in and we’ll do our best to take care of you.
 

GA Suffers Coordinated Attack
 

It has become apparent to us that aviation is under a thoroughly coordinated attack. Aging aircraft issues based on faulty information, Sport Pilot rules that forbid the tame Cessna 150 but allow almost all small taildraggers, User Fees to prop up Airlines running the world’s worst business models, ridiculous and unfounded Homeland Security airspace restrictions, and now a review of the 51% rule. A review of the 51% percent rule you say? Yeah, that’s right.

The FAA has decided the 51% rule needs to be reviewed and yeah, it is an attack. First of all, the 51% rule is ridiculous to start out with and only exists as a way for the FAA to deal with the perceived liability issues of allowing an American Citizen to put a flying machine in the air and I don’t think it is their job to police liability. I also certainly do not think a review of the 51% rule is needed. The government’s definition of “review” is “make more restrictive.”

Do not let this happen. Call and write the EAA, AOPA, FAA, and your representatives and let them know it’s fine as it is and that the majority does not need to be punished for the deeds of the few. If you are wondering why this concerns me so much, I’ll tell you. The current rules allow for use of major sections or parts of certified or other aircraft when building a homebuilt. Because of this, it also allows you do enough work, when rebuilding an antique aircraft, to make it qualify as a straight experimental. Now although everyone else seems to only think about now or tomorrow, I am thinking about ten, twenty, and even fifty years into the future. You can all cringe at the thought of experimental vintage, but I’m here to tell you, if you really do love these old planes, and you want them to survive AND FLY, in the future experimental is the only way you will be able to do it.

Heck, name me one vintage plane that isn’t already experimental. You know what I’m talking about. Yet, we’re all ok with that. Me personally, I would make every plane I have an experimental if I could because I have the knowledge to know and understand that although the paperwork would say “experimental,” they would still be a Stinson, Piper, an Aeronca. But, more importantly, twenty years from now while everyone is cleaning their grounded airplanes and watching value disappear because their planes are rapidly becoming unairworthy (worthless) due to parts availability and FAA approval, I will be out flying the Gullwing or the Champ. You may not like it, but in the future, it may be your only option. Do not let it go away.
 

Care Free Take Offs

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

Pilots love food, Right? Yeah, we thought so. So this year we have gone out of our way to make sure everyone is well fed.

Friday night (Sept 29). . . There will be a hog roast.  Thomas Family Winery has a tasty menu lined up that includes Pulled Pork, Texas Slaw, Cajun White Beans, Dirty Rice and various desserts.  They will also have a cash bar set-up to serve some of their famous Hard Cider that dates back to recipes created during the prohibition as well as wine and beer.  There is a $10 suggested donation for dinner.  Steve Thomas, the proprietor of Thomas Family Winery located in Madison, is anxious to bring his  father-in-law who flew gliders during WWII to our fly-in. In order to help us plan for the amount of food, please follow this link to RSVP.  We need the RSVP ASAP (Sunday evening is the cut-off)!  It sounds like there will be many people camping out so come and enjoy the fun!

Saturday morning (Sept 30) . . .  Anyone staying the night or coming early on Saturday should plan to eat breakfast here. West Street Bakery, a local bakery who makes awesome treats for your sweet tooth is going to bring home-made breakfast sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, coffee, and OJ.  We really hope you will spend a few dollars to get your early morning start from her. Her father was a pilot and having spent her childhood going to fly-ins, she is excited to offer her services.

Saturday afternoon (Sept 30) . . . Lunch will be offered and served by a local deli called The Red Pepper Deli and Cafe. They will be serving their top notch Chili and Sandwiches.  The owner's father also happens to be a local pilot and he too spent many childhood days flying to destinations with his family.

Saturday evening (Sept 30) . . .Anyone who wants to stick around on Saturday for dinner, should also let us know as we have reserved some tables at the Key West Shrimp House and we need to have some idea how many people want to go.  Email us info@LeeBottom.com to be included on the list or take your chances that there will still be seats available and sign-up at the Pilot Registration tent on the fly-in day.

welcome everyone to the family
 

We are excited to let you know that in addition to several of our good friends from several top notch aviation publications, Julie Boatman from AOPA will be on hand attempting to get a feel for what it is that makes this place and its visitors so special. If you have any idea, feel free to let her know. We should also mention that Julie and her husband Mike hope to bring their newly purchased Swift. Isn’t it great to know that AOPA has a Swift in the stable?

As for our other media friends we mentioned in a previous email, we hope you will all go out of your way to help them get some good material for their fine publications. They are here to give some coverage to the good people of the Midwest and we don’t want to let them down.
 

Be on the lookout for some exciting aircraft that will be visiting us for the first time. If you spot one of them, be sure to welcome them to the family.
 

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. 

MOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS FOR FLY-IN

If you are one of those individuals that prefers the comfort of a motel room over the floor of a tent, you had better hurry to make your accommodations for this year's fly-in.  There were only 3 rooms left for the fly-in at the Super 8 motel at the time of this writing and they are being returned to the "general pool" on Monday morning (that's the 25th).    This is the areas busy time of the year, so it is going to be hard to find anything anywhere else.  So, act now!

When, you call them you need to mention Lee Bottom otherwise they are going to tell you that they are sold out.  And, ask to speak with Jim if possible.  The number is (800) 981-7378 or (812)273-4443.

Enterprise has a special on rental cars . . . If you rent one for the weekend (3 days), you get it at 50% off.  That makes an economy car only $19/day.  Be sure and call the Madison office directly to get this special  812-265-6260.  There is a lot to see and do in the Madison, Indiana area - the entire town in on the National Historic Register.  So, why not enjoy the fly-in and tour the area at the same time.

 FUEL FOR FLY-IN

We will have 100LL fuel (only) 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

What else will you see at the fly-in

In addition to the wide array of aircraft at the fly-in, we have a few other modes of transportation that have expressed an interest in showing up this year. 

KILROY . . . is a Kentucky and Indiana based military vehicle restoration group.  They plan on bring a few vehicles and joining the fun and excitement. 

Last year, a few vintage automobiles made an appearance.  The rumor is that they had so much fun that they are returning again this year.

And . . . Maruice Finkel is making every effort possible to bring his Caliope that is reminiscent of the steamboats of yesteryear and he promises that if he is able to attend, we'll feel like we are actually floating down the Ohio River on a riverboat.

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.

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Lee Bottom Flying Field

Identifier: 64I

7296 S. River Bottom Rd.

Hanover, IN 47243

www.LeeBottom.com

812-866-3211

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