EAA Chapter 430 Newsletter, February 2020

Serving the Port Angeles & Sequim Area EAA 430 FLYER February 2020 Dedicated to having fun with airplanes and promoting General Aviation CHAPTER CHATTER With President Ken Brown February is traditionally considered the last month of winter. The groundhog has seen its shadow. Bill Murray has completed the longest day and is now driving a Jeep. In addition, WE here in the rain shadow are getting the rain and not the shadow. As you know, if you open the emails from EAA 430, we are asking you to take our survey on a home. Your input is vital to making a decision that reflects the desires of the club. “Speak now, or forever hold your piece” as is mentioned in a traditional wedding ceremony. The Northwest Aviation Conference and trade show this year is February 22-23. Great place to see many aviation goodies and hear presentations. Education in aviation is as important as fuel. 37th Annual Northwest aviation and trade show EAA 430 is GOLDEN. See the editor’s notes (p.2) on our achievement. As we progress into 2020, I am looking forward to many good aviation days and adventures. I would encourage the members to explore the area regardless if this is an organized fly out or an impromptu “let’s take a flight to ABC” with one or more flying friends. We have the planes … we need to use them. We still have some cold weather to contend with at our Gatherings, but the heaters get it warmed up and the PIZZA arrives hot and ready to eat. Do not let the cooler temperatures keep you from the fellowship of AV8TORS. We all speak the same language. Our membership directory has pictures of about ½ of the membership. We will put up a link so you can download the latest version and please check your data. If you are missing a pic- ture or your data is wrong, please send the picture or corrections to membership@eaa430.org so it can be included in the next addition. Until next time, FLY SAFE and Tail winds always.

P a g e 2 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R Gold Chapter Recognition: This program was created to recognize chapters that have demonstrated outstanding commitment to general aviation. It is based on 10 criteria that are consistently found in active and engaged chapters. Each is worth a point and there are 3 levels of recognition: Bronze (7 out of 10), Silver 8 out of 10, and Gold (at least 9 out of 10). EAA 430 has 10 out of 10. We also received a banner; look for it in the hangar at our next February Gathering, February 29th. We are also encouraged to use the Gold emblem in chapter correspondence and promotional materials. Chapter 430 is one of 62 US Chapters receiving this recognition. Chapter 84 (Snohomish) is the other Wash- ington Chapter receiving this award. Contact Ken if you want to download this emblem. president@eaa430.org And do you, Brenda, promise to love and honor and allow Donald to attend the Oshkosh Fly-in?”

P a g e 3 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R IN THIS ISSUE Page Chapter Chatter (Ken Brown) 1 Why we are a Gold Chapter 2 Calendar of Events 3 Airplanes R Us (John Meyers) 4 - 5 Welcome New EAA 430 Member 6 - 7 Getting to Know You (Rick Vaux) 8- 9 Minutes of November Gathering 10-11 VMC Club (Ray Ballantyne) 11 Board & Directors 12 February 2020  VMC Club Meeting Feb 12 7pm - 8pm 2nd Wednesday of the Month Mariner’s Café JC Penny Plaza  EAA Chapter 430 Board Meeting February 21 9:00 am Mariner’s Café JC Penny Plaza  EAA Chapter 430 Chapter Gathering February 29 10:00 - 12:00 Sequim Valley Airport Hangar #15 DON’T FORGET February 22-23 Northwest Aviation Conference & Trade Show Puyallup Fair Grounds March 2020  VMC Club Meeting March 11 7pm - 8pm 2nd Wednesday of the Month Mariner’s Café JC Penny Plaza  EAA Chapter 430 Board Meeting March 20 9:00 am Mariner’s Café JC Penny Plaza  EAA Chapter 430 Chapter Gathering March 28 10:00 - 12:00 Sequim Valley Airport Hangar #15 FEBRUARY PRESENTATION: PASS THE MIKE “What I’ve learned and am willing to share.” The subject could be flying, building, maintenance, travel, flight planning or an experience that needs to be shared so others can learn from your experiences. All EAA 430 Chapter members are invited to attend Board Meetings, held on the third Friday of the month @ Mari- ner’s Café 9:00 - approximately 10:30. This is where we discuss ongoing programs, financial reports, and anything of interest to the Chapter. It’s an opportunity of you to see what goes on behind the scenes and also give input to your ideas. Many of our Board officers and directors order breakfast served during the meeting.

Airplanes R Us by John Meyers P a g e 4 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R AIRPLANES I HAVE KNOWN (EXPERIMENTALS, HOMEBUILTS) I must admit to a sheltered life in aviation. My airline flying began at an early age (21) which led me directly to safe and sane flight operations. I maintained an interest in general aviation, which added a bit of spice to flying activities. For these paragraphs, I will inspect my old logbooks to reveal my exposure to “EXPERIMENTALS / HOME- BUILTS” with a few comments about each. For simplicity of writing, I will call the certification category “E- AB” which is the modern term (experimental, amateur-built). SMITH MINI-PLANE: Although I solo-ed in 1961 (age 16), I didn’t actually fly an E-AB until late 1969. The sin- gle-seat Smith Mini-plane belonged to a neighbor. He likely wanted me to buy it and encouraged me to fly it on several occasions. It was my 1st open cockpit and was sporty indeed… but I ended up buying a Citabria instead. I liked the idea of flying with a passenger, and staying dry while aloft. STARDUSTER TOO SA-300: Old friend Barry Halsted built this one. It was a beautiful example of the type, just barely a “kit”, mostly a fabrication from very raw parts. My log entry is June of 1971. I can’t recall if I flew it solo but I logged it as PIC. It was a nice flyer and good performer, and was sold much too quickly. I had exposure to a second Starduster Too, N3531, built by Herm Reese in Seattle. In late 1971 and 1972, I flew this one a bit. It was the only plane I crashed (so far). Barry Halsted and I ended up as partners on this ship and re-engine-ed it with a Continental 0-470. It was quite a performer with that horsepower. I flew it SEA to Oshkosh in 1974. A small beer keg in the front seat provided aux fuel. PITTS SPECIAL S-1: Just one flight in the type according to my log. This one in Feb 1975, Greenville MS cour- tesy of my enduring friend Barry Halsted. It was quick and snappy. Good entertainment but not inspiring me to acquire or build the type. SORRELL HYPERBIPE: In Feb. 1977, I got an intro flight with Mark Sorrell in Hyperbipe, acro included. That led me to buy a kit and begin construction. That plan was interrupted by a career relocation. Kit was sold. No Joy. HALSTED SAFFIRE 1990’s: Again, old friend Barry Halsted appears. I knew of his huge effort to create what became Saffire. We crossed paths at OSH in 1991, the debut of finished plane, so I had a good look. In July 1995, Barry was making a sales call in the Denver area where I lived. He was using Saffire as his transport. We connected and he insisted on me taking a demo flight, SOLO! Amazingly, I accepted his offer and flew that wonderful ship… and wanted one! Barry recommended otherwise, and more specifically the HARMON ROCKET, which came into my life later on.

P a g e 5 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R (continued from previous page) The RVs. During the late 1990’s, I got a few rides in RV-6’s. Old friend Barry promoted the idea of me acquiring a kit or finished version (vs the SAFFIRE). In 1998, Barry introduced me to Jerry Scott of Chino, CA. We hatched a plan for Jerry to prefabricate a HARMON ROCKET for me, and so it happened. HARMON ROCKET: E-AB’s take a while to organize, assemble, and fly. The Rocket is not exactly a kit but a fabrication of RV-4 and Harmon parts. That fabrication skill-set was beyond me so I had real help from Jerry Scott in Chino, plus a few others. The first flight was Jan 6, 2006… which marked about 6 years of construction. The ROCKET met all my expectations. That was my ship until late 2012 when I sold it. RV-6A: After the Rocket, this pre-built ship was my “jack-of-all trades”. It was a speedy cross-country ma- chine, was aerobatic, and was a good IFR instrument platform. I used it to get my “I” add-on, instrument in- structor. VARIOUS E-AB’s: In recent history, I have been treated to other rides in E-AB’s of various types. Many are a result of administrating FLIGHT REVIEWS for clients, or even INSTRUMENT CHECKRIDES. I note several trans- actions in RV’s including 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, & 12. Also included would be my neighborly Glastar & Murphy Rebel. For this episode, I stuck to E-AB’s. Next installment… I will inspect my log for uncommon certified types (of which there are several). John Meyers “We just came into some extra money. My wife wanted to buy a new fur coat and I wanted to buy a new plane. So we compromised. We bought a new fur coat.”

P a g e 6 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R WELCOME NEW EAA 430 MEMBER SCOTT FITZGERALD Born in NW Arkansas in ‘86, I grew up looking at my father’s models hanging in the garage. He flew control line in the 1970s. When I was 12, we decided to get back into the hobby together. He built some new control line models, and I found a used RC trainer with a .49ci glow engine. We got after it in a big way, flying multiple days a week for several years in the late 90’s-early 2000’s with the local AMA club. We flew a full 55gal drum of glow fuel in the summer of 2000 (with 0.49ci or smaller motors) on evenings and weekends. We went to competitions, both local and national, and have a few trophies to show for it. We made some cherished memories. When I started flying RC, I met another new RC pilot named Nikita. Our lives have crossed paths sparsely throughout the years but in big ways. My first experience with full scale flight came at Tenkiller Airpark (44M), Oklahoma in 2000. Our AMA club had gone to an invitational fly-in at this airpark. I was doing aerobatics with something that resembles an Extra 300. A resident ap- proached me and asked if I would like to do the real thing. I jumped at the chance, and my parents said “Go for it.” It was a 1977 Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 (N52GB). We put on our chutes, pulled it out of his beautiful hangar, taxied out onto the grass strip, ran it up, and then put the power down. We did enough aerobatics to make me as green as I could han- dle. He let me do much of the flying, or well…slipping, looping, rolling, inverting. I don’t think there was much for level flight except the departure and approach. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be a pilot. I planned to reconvene on this idea 2 summers later when I was 16. Then there was 9/11/2001, with war, fluctuating economies, and aviation careers that were looking pretty grim for a time. At the age of 16 I took up rock climbing with my RC pilot friend Nikita. Rock climbing took over my life for 14 years. It became a passion, an addiction, a lifestyle, and at times a job. The only “aviation” I did during this time was using an RC helicopter to take aerial photos/video before drones really existed. I really missed the boat on this one as it turned out to be a lucrative and growing industry that I failed to see at the time. I made a feature length climbing film with some friends about rock climbing in Arkansas. It was internationally distributed. Also, during this time I went to col- lege and obtained my EMT-B, a degree in nursing and my RN license. I have done this professionally since 2010. As a travel RN and rock climber, I explored the US for several years and met my wife, Tasha, (in 2012) who decided to come along for the journey. (Continued on following page)

P a g e 7 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R WELCOME NEW EAA 430 MEMBER (Scott Fitzgerald) We moved to Port Angeles in 2016 after spending time here during the summer of 2015. We bought and fixed up a foreclosure. I work as an RN at OMC in the ICU and ER. In 2017 I met 430 member Red Hausler through a motorcycling group. I explained my longtime desire of becoming a pilot. He decided to sell his Kitfox II in 2018 and asked if I wanted to buy it. My first thought was “of course!” But given the large financial responsibility, lack of knowledge, and adding even more “hobbies” to the equation, I waffled on the idea for some time. I took a vacation to visit friends in Wyoming and came home with renewed energy and purpose. I decided to take the plunge. After all, it was a long-term dream. I purchased the Kitfox in late July 2018. I had a heck of a time finding a TW instructor. I ended up contacting my old friend Nikita who happens to be an ATP, CFII, MEI. He lives in Idaho and has lots of TW experience. He came out and over the course of 2 days, I was solo’d. I later found another local instructor and was able to finish my first certificate as a sport pilot in May 2019. My first 100+ logged hours were all TW time and I have had a couple off airport experi- ences. I am working toward more certificates with the goals of commercial, CFII, maybe MEI and seaplane. I don’t cur- rently have an interest in the ATP. I joined EAA 430 in March 2019 and have had some great experiences from joining. I volunteer for CCDART (Clallam Co Disaster Airlift Response Team). I welcome any experience and knowledge you all can impart. Landing on the Skagit River near Concrete

P a g e 8 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R GETTING TO KNOW YOU RICK VAUX “When I was four years old, my dad took me to the Renton airport where we watched through the fence the airplanes landing and taking off.” This is the first memory Rick has of his beginning fascination with airplanes. “My uncle gave me my first flight in a Piper Tri -Pacer and he let me fly the plane.” All through school in Seattle WA, Rick built model airplanes. The aviation bug had bit. After high school graduation, he talked to a Marine recruiter and was promised that if he signed up for four years as an active Marine, he would receive an aviation guarantee. His first duty station was at the Marine Corps Air Station in El Toro, California as a helicopter mechanic. Since there were no helicopters at El Toro, he was assigned to a Douglas A-4 Skyhawk Squadron, where he served as a plane captain. Six months later he was reas- signed to a Helicopter Squadron at MCAF Santa Ana where he served as a C-46 Crew Chief until leaving active duty. He subsequently got his A&P license at Seattle Community College. Next stop was Everett Boeing, working on the 747 for nine months, until being laid off, along with hundreds of other employees in 1970, with no aviation jobs available in the area. He was offered a job in Amarillo, Texas, working for Bell Helicopter. He worked in sheet metal and teardown of helicopters arriving from Vietnam, a job he enjoyed for two years. In 1972, Scottsdale Aviation offered him a job as a mechanic, and he and his wife, Cathy, moved to Mesa, AZ. He spent nine months working on contract for four fire-fighting helicopters. He spent time in Cobb, California, before returning to Arizona. In early 1973, Rick changed jobs when he went to work for Aviation Specialties in Mesa, Arizona. The com- pany converted Sikorsky H-19 helicopters to turbine power. After a three-month US Forest Service fire contract in Salt Lake City, Utah, he went looking for a more stable job. Hughes Air West in Phoenix, AZ hired him to work on the DC-9 and F-27. He also worked at the Orange County Airport (John Wayne Airport) for Hughes. In 1980, his next adventure took him to Air California which was later bought out by American Airlines. At this time he wanted to try out Management and became a Line Supervisor for Air California for five years. Deciding it was not a fit, he decided to go back to his career as a mechanic. His desire to get out of Southern California in 1989 brought him to San Jose, which resulted in his commuting back to Santa Anna when he was unable to sell his house. He returned to Southern California to an inspection job at LAX as a radiographer and instructor for the next fifteen years, after which he and Cathy moved to Reno, Nevada, for two and one-half years until he retired in 2005 after 25 years with American Airlines. While living in Southern California, Rick was a member of EAA Chapter 7 where he served as a tech advisor and wrote a monthly column for the newsletter. He is also a tech advisor for EAA 430. As a life-long athlete, he participated in many sports, including rowing and playing soccer and baseball. Having been an A&P since 1965, he is a master mechanic. He has a commercial license and ratings in the following: multi-engine, IA and glider. He was working on his instrument rating until he ran out of money. He owned an Aeronca 7AC Champ and has flown the following aircraft: Bonanza, Beechcraft Musketeer, Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Citabria, J3 Cub, Clipped Wing Cub, C-150, 172, 182, 190, 310 and Gliders. (continued on next page)

P a g e 9 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R Since childhood Rick has had a passion for music. When he was nine years old, he sang soloes in his church. In 1964, he sang in Japan with his high school chorus. He sang in the Boeing Choir and was a member of the Peninsula Singers. He plays the guitar, banjo and ukulele. When asked if he has had any harrowing experiences in his career, he tells about working on the 737 during the nightshift in Reno, a below-zero winter night, when he needed to check the engine on the plane. He was on a creeper, under the plane. Finishing up his inspection, he realized the creeper had frozen to the ground, making him unable to move from underneath the plane. Since he was the only one on the airfield, he yelled until someone finally heard him and came to his rescue. It took three men to break enough ice to free the creeper and he was able to move out from under the plane. Another harrowing story was the day he was driving a fuel truck with helicopter fire-fighting equipment in a Montana forest fire. A fuel truck carrying 6000 gallons of AV gas also needed to reach the fire fighters. The only way to reach the fire fighters was to drive 1.5 miles on a dirt road through the fire. He suggested to the driver of the fuel truck that he follow behind him (just in case) and they both drove as fast as they could to get through to the other side. After his retirement, he worked as a docent/researcher at the Seattle Boeing Museum of Flight for ten years. He and Cathy moved to Sequim in 2017 and purchased a home in Happy Valley where they remodeled their basement, adding Rick’s “man cave.” They built a hangar on their five acres where Rick is restoring two ultralights with plans to finish constructing a grass strip on the property. He and Cathy are the parents of two sons and grandparents of six grandkids. Now that they are retired, they enjoy traveling. After a lifetime focused on aviation safety, Rick’s advice to EAA members is “Always get a second pair of eyes.” GETTING TO KNOW YOU RICK VAUX KITFOX LITE DREAM CLASSIC

The monthly gathering was called to order @ 1008 by President Ken Brown with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America Introduction of Guests: The following guests were introduced: Paul and Mary Kuntz brought their adult children, JP and Caroline, who showed the December Sequim Gazette insert “Up in the Air” with pic- tures and articles about flying in the Peninsula. Paul’s Sinus was featured in the residential airpark article written by Ray Ballantyne. Sharon Roorda (wife of Tom) and Rick Smith from Blue Ribbon also joined us. Deb Cox discussed next month’s presentation as “Pass the mike” – What did you learn that you can share? She then introduced today’s speaker - Harry Cook, a 50 year aviator and 25 year A&P/IA. Speaker Harry Cook: Harry discussed owner-assisted Annual and Condition Inspections. He described the duties and responsibilities of both the owner and the mechanic. He explained some of the FAR’s in- volved, and the required paperwork. He also discussed the rule differences between certi- fied aircraft and experimental/amateur built aircraft. He also went into preventative mainte- nance tasks that owners are allowed to do. Board Summary Reports: Minutes are on the web site under ABOUT US – CHAPTER BUSINESS PAGES The minutes published in the Newsletter stand approved as published. Overview – Financial balance $4630 in the bank. Membership is 101 as of the last Board meeting: Membership is currently in the open enrollment period (which means pay your dues). VMC announcement EAA430 VMC Club is a qualified Wings program. New Board of Directors: Treasurer: Mary Brown has assumed all the financial duties. Web Editor: Andy Sallee has taken over this role. Certificate of Appreciation: Ken presented Rick Vaux a pin and certificate for his position as Tech Coun- selor. Project Reports: Richard Howell said his Sling II with a Rotax is on a container ship due to arrive on 2/5/2020. He is cur- rently working on the empennage, and horizontal and vertical stabilizers. Norm Coots said he took the engine off the Q2 and turned it over to work on the bottom of the wing. He’s 4 years in the process. Dave Moffitt said the RV12 is coming along, and he’s working on wiring and avionics. He’s 8 years in the process. Scott Brooksby installed a Garmin 175 in his Piper Cherokee. Scott Fitzgerald installed wingtip, strobes, navigation lights and wigwag landing lights on his Kitfox. He is also planning to install a Garmin G5 and an MGL radio. David Talley entertained the group with the wild restoration process of a 1941 Porterfield. Rick Smith installed in his RV-6 UAvionix Sky sensor and Sky beacon for ADS-B in and out. He said the company also has transponders available. P a g e 10 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R EAA Chapter 430 Monthly Gathering Minutes January 25, 2020

EAA Chapter 430 Monthly Gathering Minutes (Continued) 50/50 Raffle was won by Deb Cox. She donated back $20 to the scholarship fund. Upcoming events: VMC meeting February 12, 2020 Northwest Aviation and Trade Show February 22 & 23 Puyallup Fairground Chapter gathering on the 29th of February Leap Day At the end of the presentation, the pizza arrived and a fine time was had by all. Respectfully Submitted, Ray Ballantyne, Secretary P a g e 11 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R 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 pm. 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.

P a g e 12 E A A 4 3 0 F L Y E R 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 Mary Brown 4 treasurer@eaa430.org Class II Directors Programs Deb Cox 5 programs@eaa430.org Membership Madelaine Patterson 6 membership@eaa430.org Newsletter Mary Brown 7 newsletter@eaa430.org Scholarship David Miller 8 scholarship@eaa430.org Young Eagles Bud Davies 9 youngeagles@eaa430.org Web Editor Andy Sallee webeditor@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