EAA Chapter 430EAA Chapter 430 Newsletter, April 2019
Full text of this issue (for search)
Serving the Port Angeles & Sequim Area EAA 430 FLYER April 2019 Dedicated to having fun with airplanes and promoting General Aviation CHAPTER CHATTER With Ken Brown April, the month of new beginnings with crocus and daffodils pushing the winter crust out of the way to break out of hibernation. Life has returned to the earth once again. After a long, cold winter there are necessary tasks to bring everything back to normal. We held our first GATHERING in hangar 15 (Bud Davies hangar) and had a very good turnout. As we move forward in the year, we are looking for even more attendees, presentations and lots of fellowship. Over a third of the chapter responded to the survey we sent out. Happy so many of you took the time to share your opinion with the board. It helps us when planning our roadmap and action items. Your involve- ment will be paramount to maintain the exceptional quality of our chapter. Look for opportunities to serve and be part of the evolution as we address the action items. The first Fly-out will be on the LAST TUESDAY (4/30) to Bremerton KPWT. Great buffet and an easy flight. Come meet up and fly down together or just meet up at KPWT. (1000-1400 $13.50 adults $10.50 seniors & kids) Hint: Take your dessert first and then get your meal. Desserts go fast. Looking out toward the horizon and planning where to go and what to do will be in the capable hands of the board of directors. If you would like to participate, please join us. BOD meetings are the Friday one week before the last Saturday. 4/19 5/17 6/21 7/19 8/23 9/20 10/18 11/22 12/20. Based on the survey results, the items for immediate action are PANCAKE FLY-IN (84% approval) followed by Obtaining a Hangar (68% approval). Both of these programs will require the membership to take a role in achieving these objectives. The key to success are VOLUNTEERS (you) taking the reins and accomplishing the task. Just like flying a plane, create a plan, take-off, communicate, execute, land and log it in the books. Along the way, we create a squawk list for improvements, corrections or changes. Are you ready to TAKE-OFF and embrace the season and change?
P a g e 2 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R IN THIS ISSUE Page Chapter Chatter (Ken Brown) 1 Table of Contents 2 VMC Club (Ray Ballantyne) 2 Calendar of Events 3 Airplanes R Us (John Meyers) 4 Getting to Know You (Harry Cook) 5-8 It Is a Fun Job Except For The Girls 8 Minutes of March Gathering 9 Taildraggers Suck! 10– 11 KCLM Appreciation Day & Fly-in 12 Balloon Rides 12 2019 Board & Officers 13 WHAT: VMC - Visual Meteorological Conditions (flying VFR - visual flight rules) Discussions involving flying airplanes visually led by Ray Ballantyne WHERE: Mariner’s Café 609 W Washington St. Sequim, WA Food and beverages are available for purchase during the meetings. WHEN: 2nd Wednesday of the month starting at 7:00 p.m. WHO: Anyone interested in flying is welcome to attend. It is a great place to meet new people and have some fun! WHY: The one hour meetings use real-world scenarios to engage members and allow a free exchange of information that improves awareness and skills. Designed to provide organized “hangar flying” focused on building proficiency in VFR flying. We hope to create a community of aviators willing to share practical knowledge, nurture communication, improve safety and build proficiency. Come be part of a community of pilots The first EAA 430 Fly-out will be on the LAST TUESDAY (4/30) to Bremerton KPWT. Great buffet and an easy flight. Come meet up and fly down together or just meet up at KPWT. (1000-1400 $13.50 adults $10.50 seniors & kids) Hint: Take your dessert first and then get your meal. Desserts go fast.
P a g e 3 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R CALENDAR OF EVENTS APRIL 2019 VMC Club Meeting April 10 7:00 pm Mariner’s Café JC Penny Plaza EAA Chapter 430 Board Meeting April 19 9:00 am Mariner’s Café JC Penny Plaza EAA Chapter 430 Chapter Gathering April 27 10:00 - 12:00 Speaker: Dave Woodcock, 50 Years With EAA MAY 2019 VMC Club Meeting May 8 7:00 pm Mariner’s Café JC Penny Plaza EAA Chapter 430 Board Meeting May 17 9:00 am Mariner’s Café JC Penny Plaza EAA Chapter 430 Chapter Gathering May 25 10:00 - 12:00 Speaker: Jeff Wells of Rite Bros Flying into and out of Canada 50 years of EAA membership A 50 year love of aviation began with the building of a Bowers FlyBaby. My interest in EAA started in 1967 and 1968 at the first Arlington Fly-in. I became active in Se- attle EAA Chapter 26 as a Chapter officer. I assisted Dick Baxter of EAA 84, then manager of Spencer Aircraft, with the organization, planning, and getting volunteers for the growing Arlington Fly-in. 1975 - 1977 Program Director and Chapter President EAA 26, Seattle 1976 - 77 Organized Arlington EAA Fly-in with EAA 84, 441 and 326; became first Fly-in Director (1977 to about 1985). Arlington grew during this time to the third largest EAA Fly-in in the US. SPEAKER FOR MAY SPEAKER FOR APRIL Dave Woodcock Jeff Wells of Rite Bros. Aviation, Inc. Flying into and out of Canada Aviation related milestones Started flying in 1976 Finished A & P School @ Everett Community College in 1980 Went into Air Force in 1980, Flew F-111D as aircraft commander & instructor Fighter lead-in instructor at Holloman Air Force Base Flew 1900C & D for United Express out of LAX & DEN Acquired Rite Bros. Aviation in 1998 COMM SEL/SES, CFI/II, ATP, A/M 135 Check Pilot EAA 430 Young Eagle Events May 18 10-2 W28 June 22 at KCLM July 6 at W28 Rain date of August 17
P a g e 4 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R COULD I PASS A PRIVATE PILOT FLIGHT TEST TODAY ? Really? From 2010 onward, I have been retired from air transport operations & training. At first, I thought it would be fun to spice-up my languishing CFI by taking on some Part 61 local students. Within that context, I got a few surprises … and rewards. For this “enterprise” I became aware of a small trickle of interest here on the Peninsula. Luckily, Scott Erickson (of Tailspin Tommy’s, PT) made a C-150 available (starting 2013-ish) for rental at Sequim Valley. Part of the modern era surprise was how expensive the learn- to-fly project had become, with good reasons. At best, $7,500 would be consumed to fin- ish the certificate, zero to about 50 hours (more by now, 2019). It would be a big savings if Grampa or Dad owned an airplane… but that’s another story. Over the years, the FAA had maintained PTS (Pilot Training Standards), a small pamphlet which was the core document for objectives and performance when presenting oneself to an examiner for the PP Certificate practical test. By now, the PTS is history… and ACS (Airman Certification Standards) is the replacement. Next surprise: This is no longer a pamphlet, this is a BOOK. The contents ? … another story. The historical PTS and modern ACS deal mostly with the Practical Test but let us not forget the WRITTEN TEST of academic knowledge. In my heyday (as a young CFI, hence an ATP in- structor), someone else instructed student pilots on “GROUND SCHOOL” subjects. My job was to strap in an airplane, go fly, and build upon the team approach to instruction. Almost every community college had Ground School courses. The modern equivalent of that is (surprise) ON-LINE courseware. Regardless of history, I found myself deep into Ground School subjects while trying to pro- vide full-service to my students of the 21st century. It had been a while since I pondered the dips and swings of a magnetic compass, or the nuances of FAR/AIM books. All of this may be a good story which causes us to reflect upon the simplicity of the ‘good old days’. It is remarkable that there is still interest in getting licensed to fly… regardless of the ex- pense and complexity. I can see this subject can be milked for several installments… and so it will be ! Airplanes R Us by John Meyers
P a g e 5 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R Getting To Know You Harry Cook, Treasurer Like many aviators my age, I grew up watching “Sky King” on TV. That show and movies like “The Flying Leathernecks” and “Strategic Air Command” made lasting impressions. John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart, among others, became my aviation movie heroes. For as long as I can remember I was always enamored with airplanes and the prospect of flying them. I grew up on a small lake in up-state New York which served as a base of operations for four float planes. I spent hours watching them take off and land, imagining myself at the controls. I read about airplanes, built model planes, flew (or tried to fly) control line models and, I’m sure, drove my parents nuts, talking endlessly about airplanes. In later years I came to find out my parents were not too thrilled with my growing enthusiasm for flying. My Grandmother, on the other hand, encour- aged me to pursue my dreams. In the late 1950’s my Grandmother took my younger brother and me to an airshow outside Rochester, NY. At the show, she bought us a ride in a Stinson. I can’t remember the model, I just remember it was a Stinson. It was my first ride in an airplane and if I wasn’t completely hooked on avia- tion before the flight, I certainly was afterwards. From that moment on I knew I wanted to be a pilot. In 1962, while still in junior high school, I actually wrote to United Airlines to ask them what the requirements were to become an airline pilot. To my utter amaze- ment they wrote back. Their letter listed the criteria they were looking for. I needed to graduate from high school, go to college and get a degree, preferably in a technical discipline, and in the mean time get as much flying experience as I could. They explained that the majority of their pilots came to them with a great deal of experience, mostly from the military. This letter served as a guide for the next several years of my life. In the summer of 1962 my family moved to northern New Jersey. My new school had a curriculum for col- lege bound students so, following United’s advice, I got on that track and did my best to stay on it. As soon as I reached driving age (17 in New Jersey) I got my driver’s license and immediately started driving around looking for airports. I found a great little airport in East Hanover, NJ and on April 15th , 1967 I had my first les- son. I soloed a couple months later, on July 8th , 1967. Continuing to follow United’s advice, I entered Newark College of Engineering in the fall of 1967. It fit the requirement for a technical discipline and had the added bonus of hosting an Air Force ROTC program. Be- tween studying and working part time to help pay for college and flying lessons it took almost a year, but on June 21st , 1968 I received my private pilot’s certificate. I graduated from college and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force on June 3rd , 1971. About five weeks later I reported to Moody AFB, Georgia for pilot training. The Air Force turned out to be a good fit for me. I spent the next 20 years as an Air Force pilot. I have flying time in the T-37, T-38, T-33, F-4E, OV-10A and A-10A. While in the Air Force I continued to fly GA aircraft in flying clubs at nearly every base I was stationed. I received my civilian commercial and instructor certificates while still on active duty. At my last duty station, in Alaska, I bought my first plane, a 1952 Cessna C-170B. I retired from the Air Force in 1991 and remained in Alaska until 2015. Upon leaving the Air Force I went back to school to earn an Airframe and Powerplant certificate. After a short stint as a university instructor I returned to flying professionally flying Piper Navajos, and Beechcraft Be -99s for a Part 135 operation, Frontier Flying Service, in Interior Alaska. I continued my commercial aviation experience with a Part 121 operation, Everts Air Cargo, flying cargo in DC-6’s. Everts also had a small Part 135 operation where I flew Piper Navajos and Cessna Caravans. I remained with Everts as their general man- ager until my second retirement in 2008. (continued on following page)
P a g e 6 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R (continued from previous page) After this second retirement I began working as a part time freelance A&P (working mostly on my own air- craft.) In addition to the C-170B I have also owned and refurbished a 1966 Cherokee 6, a 1976 Cessna C-172M and, most recently, a 1956 Piper PA-22/20. I have been a pilot over 50 years and an A&P with Inspection Authority for over 25 years. I have over 7000 hours of flying time. And now … the rest of the story: Harry’s story continues after an interview with the newsletter editor. During his time at Newark College of Engineering, Harry was a cadet in the Air Force ROTC program. It was in this program he received his first “jet ride” in a T-33. From that moment on he knew he was on the right track. His goal of becoming a fighter pilot was beginning to materialize. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation from college in 1971 and received his pilot training at Moody AB in Georgia. Training consisted of three phases. First was a short flight indoctrination program in the T-41, a slightly modi- fied Cessna C-172. This was followed by six months training in the Cessna T-37 basic jet trainer and then an- other six months in the T-38 advanced jet trainer. His first assignment was as a flight instructor in the T-37 at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, Texas. Before moving to Texas, he married Kathie, who he had met in his senior year of college at a New Year’s Eve party. While in Texas, not only did Kathie continue with her education, they started their family, a daughter named Hillary. They were stationed in Texas for the next three years. When it came time for Harry’s next assignment pilots were returning from Vietnam, filling most of the pilot positions. The Air Force offered him an as- signment as a civil engineer. However, with this assignment came the possi- bility of never returning to a position as a pilot. To avoid this, he applied and received a special duty assignment, choosing to become a recruiting officer, which meant he could eventually return to flying. Harry and Kathie spent the next three years stationed at Hanscom Field in Massachusetts. During this assignment their second child, Christopher, arrived. After recruiting, his next flying assignment was in the F-4E Phantom, sta- tioned at Ramstein AB Germany. The training for that assignment sent him to a three month tactical school in New Mexico flying the AT-38 and then to a six month school at Homestead AFB, Florida for the F-4 training. After three years at Ramstein he transitioned to the OV-10 (Bronco). This was an airborne Forward Air Con- troller assignment and was located at Sembach AB, also in Germany. After two years, he went back at Ram- stein for a two year desk job. Looking for a way to get back in the air, he joined a German soaring club, learn- ing to fly a glider. One of his more interesting missions in the Air Force was flying an F-4 (one in a flight of six planes) from Ger- many to Florida non-stop with air-to-air refueling by 6 tankers. The trip took eleven hours and 20 minutes. Another time, when he was at Sembach AB, he flew another transoceanic flight in the OV-10. This trip took him hop-scotching through several European countries and across the North Atlantic to deliver the plane back to the US. (continued on following page)
P a g e 7 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R (continued from previous page) After seven years in Germany, he was given an A-10 assignment with a choice of going to England, Louisiana or Alaska. He and Kathie thought Alaska sounded the most interesting. After training at Davis-Monthan AFB the family drove to Fairbanks, Alaska and were stationed at Eielson AFB. Kathie taught first grade in Fairbanks and ultimately became a principal at the school. After retiring from the Air Force, Harry was an instructor for three years at the University of Alaska. He then flew commercially in a Piper Navajo Chieftain for four years. He said, “I probably had more hours fly- ing Chieftains than I did flying planes in my military career.” Following that job he flew DC-6s with Everts Air Cargo for many years before deciding it was time to move back to the “Lower 48.” After Kathie read The Wildwater Walking Club by Claire Cook, (a story about a road trip to Seattle for a laven- der festival) they spent time exploring the Pacific Northwest before settling in Sequim. They bought property, built a home and Harry joined EAA Chapter 430 where he has served as treasurer for the past two years. He flew Young Eagles when he was a member of EAA Chapter 1129 in Fairbanks and has been a member of EAA since 1976. He has been to Oshkosh EAA AirVenture three times. He recently completed restoring a Piper Pacer and is considering building a plane “from scratch.” (continued on following page) EAA members helping install the wings on the Piper Pacer after moving it from his workshop to the hangar
P a g e 8 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R (continued from previous page) He enjoys woodworking projects and is presently building a kayak. He and Kathie enjoy their motor home, traveling to California frequently to spend time with their 3 grandchildren. It Is a Fun Job Except For The Girls (Written by a ten-year-old future pilot) I want to be a pilot when I grow up…because it is a fun job and easy to do. That is why there are so many pilots flying today. Pilots do not need much school. They just have to learn numbers so they can read instruments. I guess they should be brave. They will not be scared if it is foggy and they cannot see or if a motor falls off. They should stay calm so they will know what to do. Pilots have to have good eyes to see through the clouds and they cannot be afraid of lightening or thunder because they are closer to it than we are. The salary pilots make is another thing. They make more money than they can spend. This is because most people think plane flying is dangerous except pilots do not because they know how easy it is. There is not much I do not like except girls like pilots and all the stewardesses want to marry pilots so they always have to chase them away so they will not bother them. I hope I do not get air sick because I get car sick, and if I get air sick, I could not be a pilot and then I would have to go to work. Thanks Ray Ballantyne for sharing this. No, he is NOT the author!
P a g e 9 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R EAA Chapter 430 Monthly Gathering Minutes Date: March 30, 2019 Call to Order @ 10:06 Location: W28 #15 Pledge Allegiance: Introduction of Guests – Jocelynn and Derek Smith from the Aviation Explorer Post of PA, Joe Lancheros, Linda Wheelen, Jim Pulliam, Scott Fitzgerald, George Kuhrts, Tom Roorda, and our presentation guests: Tom Cox and Don Bohr. Dan Gase and Dave Boerighter have rejoined our esteemed group after an absence. There were about 50 people present for the meeting. Treasurer report: Status is we’re still in the black. Financial reports - posted on web after a board meeting. Young Eagle (YE): Bud Davies A Presentation of Award pins and certificates to YE pilots of 2018. YE dates for 2019: May 18 at W28, June 22 at KCLM, July 6 at W28, with a rain date of August 17, 2019. Recognition of Dan Donovan received his Private Pilot License recently. Way to go Dan! Ken also recognized the Vans RV-14 builders Dave Miller & Bill Benedict with the Awesome AV8R award. Birthdays this month were recognized. Ken announced that long time aviator and EAA430 member Jack Piggott had gone West. Project Reports: Don Meeham described his experience with the installation of a ADS-B out Uavionix wingtip Skybeacon. Keith Turner described his experience with traveling to Kamloops, BC to Aerosport Power to build the new engine for his RV- 7. Richard Howell is getting ready to build a Sling 2. Scott Brooksby reminded everyone they can build a Stratux ADS-B in receiver for a low cost. Donna Sommer said she has a Smith Mini Biplane for sale – make an offer. Announcement: Meeting at KCLM 4/4 1300 Airport Appreciation Day Fly Out schedule - Barry Halstead will have more on this in the coming months. Tech Counselors – Ken recognized the chapter tech counselors Harry Cook and Ernie Hansen. Barry Halsted and Rick Vaux were not present. 50/50 Scholarship Raffle added $30 to the Scholarship fund. Program Introduction by Deb Cox of Air Traffic Controllers Tom Cox and Don Bohr. They gave a presentation with an overview of the ATC system nationwide and locally. There was quite a bit of discussion about ADS-B and ATC. They also presented a description of enroute centers and tower and radar approach controls interjected with entertaining “war stories”. Next VMC Club April 10, 1900 Mariners Cafe Next Chapter Board of Directors Meeting will be on April 19 at 0900 Mariners Café Next Chapter Gathering will be the same place on April 27 10:00 am The meeting wrapped up at 11:37 am Respectfully submitted, Ray Ballantyne. EAA430 Secretary
It was a typical spring day in Minnesota, warm and clear at last, but with a brisk south wind blowing across the runway. I’d just driven 45 minutes to fly the Cub for the first time since November, and I thought that the wind was still within the plane’s capability. Once I broke ground and was promptly churning sideways through the maelstrom, though, it did- n’t seem like such a great idea after all. I climbed above the bumps and did a bunch of stalls, slow flight and steep turns, reacquainting myself with the old bird’s handling and psyching myself up for the dismount. Back at Airlake Airport, I sur- prised myself with an artful crosswind landing and was feeling pretty good as I taxied off the runway. Then a mighty gust caught the little J-3, it weather vaned to the right, and my frantic jabs at the left heel brake had little effect. A large and sturdy-looking taxiway light appeared in the path of my spinning propeller. In desperation I threw in a bootful of right rudder, looping the tail around and avoiding an expensive prop strike. I sheepishly gunned the power to clear the runway for the following airplane, whose occupants no doubt witnessed my low-speed escapade. To my sur- prise, it was a Flight Design CTLS, an airplane that is nearly as light as the Cub. Naturally, the pilot made a textbook crosswind landing and taxied to the ramp with military crispness. Such is life as a taildragger pilot. You’ll generally survive, but you’ll also embarrass yourself on a semiregular basis — sometimes in dramatic public fashion, sometimes when only you know how close you came to the edge of control. Eve- ry landing is a challenge when you fly an airplane with fundamentally unstable ground handling. This is due to the sim- ple fact that the center of gravity is behind the main landing gear, whereas it is forward of the mains on a tricycle-gear airplane. Once a swerve develops in a taildragger, it has a tendency to worsen until the plane rotates rapidly around its pivot point — a “ground loop.” Doing this at any speed greater than a fast taxi usually results in significant damage. Thus the tailwheel pilot has two primary concerns during takeoff and landing: keeping the airplane tracking straight at all times, and correcting any de- veloping swerves in a quick, smooth and precise manner. A crosswind increases the challenge, especially if it’s gusty. Most taildraggers have large control surfaces with more than enough authority to maintain positive control at landing speed. It is in the later stages of the landing roll, as the controls lose effectiveness, that most ground loops occur. Some taildraggers are known to be more demanding than others, particularly those with stiff, narrow main gear and a short-coupled fuselage. The Luscombe 8 series has a reputation for sporty ground handling; the similar Cessna 120/140 featured improved landing gear and is more docile. Piper Cubs have a long fuselage and forgiving bungee shocks, mak- ing them among the gentlest of teachers, though their light weight and limited visibility present their own challenges. The Pitts biplane is infamous for being a handful on landing, though many other aerobatic aircraft share its lightweight construction, naturally unstable aerodynamics and compact, short-coupled landing gear. When I bought my Piper Pacer last December, I knew of its squirrelly reputation and was a bit intimidated. I now have 66 hours in the plane and have actually found it pretty well-behaved. It’s certainly short-coupled, but exhibits no ten- dency to head for the weeds on its own. Its heavier weight and higher wing loading make it steadier in a crosswind than the Cub. It does, however, sport a large, extremely effective rudder — mostly a good thing but easy to overuse, especial- ly under the influence of a sudden shot of adrenaline. It took some getting used to after flying the Cub for several years, and I still remind myself “small corrections!” before every landing. Ironically, my airplane spent its first 30 years as a Tri-Pacer, an easy-handling, tricycle-gear design borne of the Pacer’s twitchy reputation. By the year my plane was built, 1953, the Tri-Pacer outsold the Pacer 7-to-1 despite the notably awkward appearance that earned it the “flying milk stool” moniker. Tri-Pacer sales even bested the Cessna 170 despite the latter airplane’s metal construction, more spacious cabin, graceful art deco styling and gentlemanly manners. Cessna finally admitted defeat and slapped a nose wheel on the 170 in 1956, thus creating the world’s most popular airplane: the C-172. (continued on following page) P a g e 10 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R Taildraggers Suck! And the old-timers knew it. By Sam Weigel FLYING magazine September 18, 2015
Taildraggers Suck! (continued from previous page) It’s worth noting that the old-timers who lined up en masse to buy Tri-Pacers and early 172s were nearly all experi- enced taildragger pilots; the only previous light trikes of note were the Ercoupe and the Beech Bonanza. Most aviators of the day had learned to fly in Cubs, Champs or similar conventional-gear trainers. These folks were intimately familiar with taildraggers’ charms, quirks and demands — and they apparently couldn’t wait to ditch them for more modern, better-behaved airplanes. By 1960 the vast majority of light airplanes being produced were equipped with tricycle landing gear. The market demanded it. How, then, does one account for taildraggers’ continued relevance more than half a century later, much less their re- cent resurgence in popularity? Who would’ve expected that one of the hottest airplanes of 2015 would be a lightened, reimagined -Super Cub (CubCrafters’ Carbon Cub) that competes with no fewer than four other Cub-like designs? How do you explain the time and money my airplane’s previous owner spent converting his docile Tri-Pacer into a cantan- kerous old Pacer, or the fact that such conversions nearly outnumber original Pacers? Some of the taildragger mystique is undoubtedly aesthetic (almost certainly the reason so many ungainly “milk stools” have been relieved of their third leg). They just look right poised for flight with nose pointed skyward. Some of it is like- ly nostalgia for a simpler time with simpler airplanes. Practically speaking, taildraggers are better suited to short- and rough-field operations. Then there’s the fact that so many of the most affordable small airplanes — especially in the LSA segment — just happen to be vintage taildraggers. It helps that these old birds are ridiculously fun machines that, while short on cross-country capability, are perfect for puttering around and terrorizing the local grass strips. The Cess- na 150 is a fine airplane, but it will never, ever be a Cub. Honestly, though, I think that a big part of these airplanes’ continuing appeal is their demanding nature. Tailwheel pi- lots are essentially members of a self-selecting masochists’ club and take a certain sort of pride in their machines’ anachronistic faults. There’s an elitist dynamic at work: You can watch only so many 172s being artlessly driven onto the ground without wanting to set yourself apart. Flying taildraggers gives you instant street cred, a presumption of competence that opens up new opportunities. As a Luscombe-owning acquaintance says, “I get handed the keys to people’s nose dragger airplanes all the time, but the reverse never happens.” The reality is that taildraggers don’t fly or land that much differently from a well-flown tricycle-gear aircraft. Full-stall landings are identical, though in a taildragger you touch down on all three wheels simultaneously (“a three-pointer”). Basic crosswind control is the same: Use rudder to keep the airplane aligned with the runway and ailerons to cancel out drift and keep the upwind wing pinned. In crosswinds many pilots use the “wheel landing” method in which each tire is landed independently: the upwind main, then the downwind main and, once speed has decayed, the tailwheel. This is similar to proper crosswind technique in most tricycle-gear airplanes. The real difference is that tricycle gear can tolerate and mask a great deal of sloppiness, whereas most taildraggers make even a small amount of imprecision abundantly clear. They are the equivalent of a perfectionist CFI riding with you on every flight, relentlessly critiquing your landings. This enforced precision does wonders to strengthen stick-and-rudder skills. At work, I actually notice a difference in the quality of my landings in 160,000-pound McDonnell—Douglas airliners based on whether I’ve flown the Pacer or Cub lately. Taildraggers teach you to use peripheral vision and pay attention to the seat of your pants. They make you “fly it till you park it.” They reward watchfulness, discourage complacency and prime you to go around (usually the only cor- rect response to a botched touchdown). Most of all, taildraggers enforce humility, because even the best pilots are regularly faced with clear evidence of their fallibility. Which brings me to my confession of a dark and terrible secret: The week after my low-speed taxi-loop, I ground- looped the Cub for real with a good friend in the front seat. It didn’t take much, just a moment of inattention and an inopportune gust as the tailwheel was coming down. I got lucky and the plane wasn’t damaged, but it was violent and shocking and embarrassing, one of the worst days of my flying career. Just then taildraggers really did suck, and I un- derstood why the old-timers deserted them in droves. Ultimately, though, it was a valuable lesson learned at a cheap price. The fun and challenge of tailwheel flying makes it worth the extra risk to wallet and ego. You just have to keep your wits about you at all times, and in aviation that’s hardly a bad thing. P a g e 11 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R
P a g e 12 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R FAIRCHILD INT’L AIRPORT APPRECIATION DAY AND FLY-IN Saturday June 22nd 0800 - 1000 - Lions Club Pancake Breakfast at the terminal building 0900 - 1600 - Scenic airplane rides available to purchase through Rite Bros. Aviation. 0900 - 1600 - Helicopter rides available to purchase. 1000 - 1600 - Rides available to purchase in a WWII T-6 1000 - 1600 - Balloon rides with Capt.ain-Crystal Stout 1000 - 1600 - Olympic RC Modelers flight demonstrations and static displays 1000 - 1400 - The EAA 430 Young Eagles program offering free airplane rides to the youth. 1000 - 1600 - Kokopelli food truck on site Static display of aircraft available to view including USCG helicopter, Life Flight Network fleet of aircraft, Cascade War Birds, corporate jet aircraft and amphibious seaplanes. More to announce as confirmations come in. Don’t miss this! Join us for the next planning meeting on May 2 at 1:00-3:00 pm in the Airport Terminal Meeting Room. FREE Balloon rides for Vets with Captain-Crystal Stout
The world is expanding for our little nonprofit balloon which oper- ates mostly out of Sequim Valley Airport. Captain-Crystal Stout, our local hot air balloon pilot and Executive Director of the Dream Catcher Balloon program, will be having Veterans and their Fami- lies Ride FREE on May 11 from 8:00 - 10:00 AM at the field across from the Shipley Center off East Washington and Hammond Street in downtown Sequim. This is open also to the general public, sen- iors, and mobility challenged individuals for a modest donation of $10 per person. There will also be another Veterans Ride FREE event in Chehalis on May 17. For more information on this amaz- ing program which gives everyone a chance to fly, see their web- site at DreamCatcherBalloon.org which also has a link if you want to donate. Facebook.com/DreamCatcherBalloon will be listing all the upcoming events including to Salt Lake City and Carson City at the end of this summer. The Dream Catcher Balloon will be on display at Aviation Days at the Alaska Airlines hangar in Seatac on May 4 from 8-5 PM. This is a free event for the kids and a chance to experience many types of aircraft up close. Then our balloon team will take Dream Catcher to the Horizon Operations hangar at Portland International Airport for their Aviation Day on May 18. This is also free to the pub- lic. Should be a fun time. For more information on both of these events see https://alaskaair-aviationday.org/launchpad/seattle/ You can also watch Dream Catcher Balloon 2018 recap at youtube.com/watch?v=y5p0-3NlVIg
2019 BOARD AND OFFICERS Chapter Phone Toll free 877-EAA-0430 (877-322-0430) Position Name Phone Ext Email Address President Ken Brown 1 president@eaa430.org Vice-President Ernie Hansen 2 vicepresident@eaa430.org Secretary Ray Ballantyne 3 secretary@eaa430.org Treasurer Harry Cook 4 treasurer@eaa430.org Class II Directors Membership Bob Hicks 5 membership@eaa430.org Programs Deb Cox 6 programs@eaa430.org Newsletter Mary Brown 7 newsletter@eaa430.org Scholarship David Miller 8 scholarship@eaa430.org Young Eagles Bud Davies 9 youngeagles@eaa430.org Tech Advisor Harry Cook techhc@eaa430.org Tech Advisor Barry Halstead techbh@eaa430.org Tech Advisor Ernie Hansen techeh@eaa430.org Tech Advisor Rick Vaux techrv@eaa430.org P a g e 13 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R