Sportaviation201403 by mensajesadiego

JACK J. PELTON COMMENTARY / TOWER FREQUENCY

See You at Sun ’n Fun BY JACK J. PELTON

AFTER THE ENDLESS WINTER cold and snow much of the country has endured I bet you’re looking forward to spring and the annual trip to Sun ’n Fun as much as I am. The show opens on April 1, so the chilly weather that has frequently settled as far south as central Florida should be long gone by the time we get to Lakeland. As you may know, Sun ’n Fun was founded as an EAA chapter fly-in 40 years ago as a midwinter getaway for pilots. The event grew and became the second largest fly-in, after Oshkosh, and has for many years been an independent event. We still enjoy a cordial relationship with Sun ’n Fun, and many of the volunteers who make the show possible are EAAers. Sun ’n Fun continues to welcome all EAA members to Lakeland with a discount on admissions. Be sure to bring your EAA membership card along to qualify for the reduced rate. EAA will be exhibiting at the show with a variety of logo items for sale and membership staff on hand to renew your membership and answer questions. You can also enter the EAA Classic Sweepstakes and have a chance to win a beautifully restored Fairchild 24H. The Blue Angels will fly on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 4-6, and all EAA members are invited to enjoy the performance from a special EAA hospitality area on the warbird flightline. The view is the best, and admission to the EAA venue is free to all members. Just have your member card with you. Sun ’n Fun is the first chance to show off your airplane this year, no matter what it is you fly. And for many of us closed in by the extreme winter weather, it’s also the first long cross-country flight of the year. By April the Florida flying weather is usually pretty good, but weather can always present a challenge for pilots who are not prepared. We are lucky to have so many sources of up-to-date weather information available today. Dozens of online services feed the latest weather radar images, textual reports, and forecasts into our mobile devices. Satellites send near real-time weather down to displays in our cockpit while in flight. And for not a lot of money you can buy a receiver that picks up the subscription-free weather the FAA is sending over the new ADS-B ground station network. There is no reason to be surprised by the weather during your trip. But it’s vital that we be realistic about our own capabilities and those of our airplanes. After the long winter it’s crucial that we refresh

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON TONEY

our skills before launching on the trip to Lakeland, and maybe even log some time with a flight instructor to make sure we are ready. It’s also important to understand the safe limits of our airplanes. No matter how skillful we may be as pilots, airplanes have finite performance capabilities. Winds and turbulence, for example, that are an annoyance for more powerful and heavier airplanes may simply be beyond the capabilities of lighter craft no matter how good the pilot may be. And speaking of wind, I urge you to be very conservative in your fuel planning for the trip. It is both a tragedy and an embarrassment that so many GA pilots end up making forced landings for the totally avoidable reason that they ran out of fuel. The wind is blowing snow around as I write this, and you can be sure the Wisconsin tundra is thoroughly frozen. But spring is within sight, and Sun ’n Fun beckons us to fly south. I can’t wait. And I look forward to seeing you in Lakeland.

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A PUBLICATION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

Contents Vol.63 No.3 | March 2014

F E AT U R E S

D E PA R T M E N T S

BETTER PILOT

COMMENTARY

Stick & Rudder—The “E-word”

Questair Venture Adventure

Tower Frequency—Jack J. Pelton

What Went Wrong—Too High, Too Long

Confessions of a serial builder

Letters to the Editor

I’ll Never Do That Again—Almost Catastrophic

Left Seat—J. Mac McClellan

HANDS ON

Flying Lessons—Lane Wallace

What Our Members Are Building/Restoring

Savvy Aviator—Mike Busch

Innovation on the Fly—Technology in Perspective

Light Flight—Dave Matheny

Hints for Homebuilders—Cutting Formed Skins With Tin Snips, Holding a Screw in Place

Dream Build Fly—Brady Lane 98

Plane Talk—Lauran Paine Jr.

Shop Talk—The Nuts and Bolts of Nuts and Bolts

Contrails—Jeﬀ Skiles

By Jim Busha

Jerrie Mock An unlikely record-setter’s globe-circling adventure By Lane Wallace

Pet Project Four-legged ﬂiers and how to keep them happy

MEMBER CENTRAL

By Mark Phelps

NEWS & INFO 10

Advocacy & Safety— Governmental Issues

Flightline—Industry News

Amateur-Built Accident Report: 2013 By Ron Wanttaja

103 104 106 111 112

Member Central Pilot Caves News From HQ Gone West Members and Chapters in Action

115 116 117 120

Member Beneﬁts FlyMart Classiﬁed Ads EAA’s Logbook

ON THE COVER: Jessica Ambats’ photo of the Questair Venture

For more on many of the topics in this issue, visit www.SportAviation.org. To view and

clearly shows the major cowling redesign.

submit aviation events, visit www.EAA.org/calendar.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA AMBATS

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Vol.63 No.3 | March 2014

EAA PUBLICATIONS Founder: Paul H. Poberezny Publisher: Jack J. Pelton, EAA Chairman of the Board Vice President of Marketing: Rick Larsen Editor-in-Chief: J. Mac McClellan Associate Editor: Meghan Hefter Senior Graphic Designer: Chris Livieri Graphic Designer: Jenny Hussin News Editor: Ric Reynolds Copy Editor: Colleen Walsh Multimedia Journalist: Brady Lane Visual Properties Administrator: Jason Toney Print/Mail Manager: Randy Halberg Contributing Editors: Jim Busha, Kelly Nelson Contributing Writers: Charlie Becker, Mike Busch, Budd Davisson, Dave Matheny, Lauran Paine Jr., Katherine Pecora, Mark Phelps, Robert Rossier, Jeﬀ Skiles, Lane Wallace, Ron Wanttaja

ADVERTISING Sue Anderson / sanderson@eaa.org Larry Phillip / lphillip@eaa.org

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 Phone: 920-426-4800 • Fax: 920-426-4828 E-mail: editorial@eaa.org • Website: www.EAA.org

Need to change your address or have other membership questions, call 800-564-6322 (800-JOIN EAA).

EAA® and SPORT AVIATION®, the EAA Logo® and AERONAUTICA™ are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

KUDOS TO MIKE BUSCH for another excellent article describing your “summer of fun” with a series of squawks popping up like a swarm of ﬂies hitting your leading edge! It was entertaining and reassuring that even the best maintenance and pilot expertise can still leave us all with vexing problems far from home. But in particular, you provided guidance as to what to do under unfavorable circumstances. It is your thought processes that hold the most value. Most private pilots feel quite vulnerable in such circumstances, and I suspect they often don’t really do the right thing. They are often like deer in headlights and just follow whatever the nearest mechanic might advise, but it’s not his money on the line. _ Jim Herd, EAA 811842 Gardnerville, Nevada

Jet for Two, Please

THE BEST TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS

THE ARTICLE IN YOUR publication about the SubSonex really got my blood boiling. This is a fantastic airplane. One can only wonder when Sonex will develop a two-place twinjet plane that can perform like this one. The article really raised my interest. The only dark side is the FAA obstructing the project, just like a bunch of FAA nitwits. I hope to hear that Sonex or someone else is really thinking of building a pure jet that is a two-place. _ Thomas V. Hinkle, EAA 566646 Brazoria, Texas

WE FOLLOW MIKE BUSCH’S ongoing crusade against component

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replacement as a diagnostic tool with great enjoyment. His concern for the everyman pilot/owner is obvious. His January article describing an alternator problem echoes some unfortunate calls we get about electrical problems where an alternator, regulator, master switch, or more has been replaced before the call to us for help. Whether speaking at IA renewals, chapter meetings, or taking tech calls, we always pass along our “Texas Troubleshooting Two-Step.” Step one: Walk up to the suspect component; if it’s not on ﬁre or laying in the bottom of the cowling, proceed to step two. Step two: Turn around, walk to your toolbox, and pick up your multimeter. That’s how Mike discovered his chafed wire and made a $1.50 repair versus an expensive and ultimately unsuccessful component swap. C-310 or RV-10 troubleshooting with Mike is always a fun read, and we all look forward to each installment.

Alaskan Adventure Relived

Damon Berry, EAA 549999

Carl Houghton, EAA 1049494

Granbury, Texas

Colorado Springs, Colorado

I WANTED TO SAY thanks for [Jeff Skiles’] great article on flying with Don Lee up in Talkeetna. I too went up to fly with Don last June, and it was the most fun I have had in a plane, or at least tied with my one time flying in the back seat of an F-16! It was great reading [his] descriptions, as I swear they were almost exactly the same as mine. I am a sport pilot, so for me it was a bit different flying a plane with a little more power and a plane that actually required use of the rudder. Landing the Piper was easier than my Gobosh. Landing on the gravel bar was great, but the scariest part of the whole experience had to be landing on the village strip for my second-to-last landing. In any case, I enjoyed the article and the chance to relive my awesome experience up there.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

WOW! I JUST FINISHED Dave Matheny’s article “Baby Steps, Baby Steps.” Of all my monthly GA reads that was the best written piece I have read in a long time. No truer words have ever been written that point out our over-reliance on the ever-powerful GPS. Reading that has given me a new appreciation of the old sectional chart. What a wonderful resource that also engages the brain. _ Rich Ackley, EAA 600634 Bedford, Pennsylvania

Backup Instrument Power

Light Flight Fans JUST A NOTE TO SAY how much I enjoy Light Flight in Sport Aviation. The artwork is colorful and whimsical, and the text is instructive without preaching. Light Flight is my very favorite feature in an excellent magazine. _ John Lambing, EAA 238194 Willmar, Minnesota

I AGREE WITH NEARLY everything Mac McClellan said in “Electrical Failure,” but where in the FARs does it say that instruments like a “gyro horizon require independent power source backup for IFR flight”? Didn’t have that in the IFR-legal Mooney M20C that I owned before. However, my current ride, an IFRlegal Lancair 360, has a complete Dynon SkyView EFIS plus steam backups for airspeed, altitude, and attitude. Why did I do that? Because I believe in two or more kinds of physics for redundancy. A severe lightning event could potentially knock out all electronics in an airplane, no matter how well-isolated multiple busses are, but the vacuum pump will probably still keep sucking and the atmosphere will still have pressure. All in all a great article. _ Tom Thibault, EAA 531055 Tucson, Arizona

SUBMISSIONS

LETTERS INTENDED for publication should be e-mailed to editorial@eaa.org or addressed to EAA/Letter to the Editor, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI, 54903. Please include your EAA number, city, and state. All letters are subject to editing. Unpublished letters will not be returned.

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Equipment certification standards are not in the “normal” rules most of us read, such as FAR Part 91. Those are operational rules. Procedures for certification of equipment is outlined in FAR 21, and also governed by a long list of ACs issued over the years. Your Mooney M20C was built in the early 1960s, and the rules were different then. If you wanted to install a glass panel in the airplane now, an STC would be required and so would independently powered instruments as backup.—Mac Mc

ADVOCACY AND SAFETY GOVERNMENTAL ISSUES

Senior EAA and FAA oﬃcials discuss important issues at the 10th annual Recreational Aviation Summit in Oshkosh.

EAA, FAA Review Full Agenda at Summit CLEARING THE PATH for today’s aviators and looking ahead to the possibilities in future years headlined two days of work by EAA and FAA officials during the 10th annual Recreational Aviation Summit, held at the EAA Aviation Center on January 28-29. The session brought more than a dozen top FAA directors and managers to Oshkosh, the only time that the agency sends such a group to a specific aviation organization’s headquarters for in-depth discussions on major GA topics. FAA officials from aircraft certification, flight standards, accident prevention, the small airplane directorate, and other areas were represented. EAA Chairman Jack J. Pelton led the EAA team, which included senior leaders and representatives from all interest communities within the organization. These two days are very important for EAA because it allows us to have the FAA management and policy teams get away from Washington and focus directly on the issues that are most important to our members. The FAA team was open to emerging technology for creating opportunities across various segments of general aviation. Among the issues discussed during the summit’s two days were: • Allowing electric propulsion for ultralights and light-sport aircraft, and clearing regulatory hurdles that prevent today’s electric motor technology from emerging. • An option for use of an additional qualified pilot during homebuilt flight testing, which would enhance safety and best practices during those initial flying hours.

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• Incompatibility issues for ADS-B and NextGen technology, where pilots are spending significant dollars for future mandated equipment but cannot ensure that it is supplying the correct data. • Warbird operating limitations that potentially hinder how warbird owners can use their aircraft or add significant cost and complexity to their maintenance and operation. More importantly, a detailed action plan came out of the summit, which allows us to follow up with the FAA in the coming weeks and months to ensure that these important items don’t fall through the cracks. EAA officials also again expressed the urgency of improving the medical certification system, as presented by EAA and AOPA nearly two years ago as an exemption request, and more recently in Congress as legislation that would eliminate the need for a thirdclass medical for many recreational aviation activities. While the exemption request is being reviewed, the FAA has asked EAA and its members to help compile data as part of an ongoing safety measurement and enhancement effort.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON TONEY

EAA PUSHES FOR ULTRALIGHT TRAINING REFORMS DURING THE EAA/FAA summit, a lengthy discussion focused on amending letter of deviation authority (LODA) guidance for the use of experimental amateur-built and experimental light-sport two-seat aircraft for ultralight flight training. Ultralight flight instructors previously used two-seat, low-mass/high-drag aircraft for flight instruction via an FAA exemption that allowed them to operate their nonstandard-category aircraft for compensation or hire during flight instruction. The exemption was rescinded

during the LSA transition, because the FAA anticipated a new fleet of ultralight-like twoseat aircraft, manufactured under consensusstandard certification. Unfortunately, that wave of aircraft never materialized. The vast majority of aircraft appropriate for ultralight flight instruction, being categorized as experimental, required a LODA for flighttraining operations. Current LODA guidance instructs FSDOs to severely restrict the number of LODAs given out in a particular region. Consequently,

the number of flight instructors providing instruction in low-mass/high-drag aircraft plummeted from around 3,200 in 2002 to around 50 today—and that figure includes fixed-wing, powered parachutes, gyroplanes, and weight-shift aircraft. EAA and FAA representatives agreed that current LODA guidance was restricting the availability of flight instruction. EAA will continue to work with the FAA to change the policy.

FUTURE OF SLEEP APNEA POLICY UNCERTAIN FAA FEDERAL AIR SURGEON Dr. Fred Tilton and his staff held an informational teleconference with EAA and other associations in January to discuss the controversial sleep apnea policy introduced in November. The policy would mandate sleep studies for all airmen with a body mass index (BMI) over 40 and a neck size of 17 inches or greater, and would deny medical certiﬁcates to these individuals until they prove that they do not have uncontrolled sleep apnea. Dr. Tilton, when initially announcing the proposed policy, hinted that a BMI of 40 was only a starting point and that the testing pool would be expanded to lower BMIs in the future. EAA, along with other industry groups, strongly opposed the policy on the grounds that it signals an inappropriate shift in certiﬁcation philosophy from diagnostic to preventive medicine—

especially when such a policy is not subject to public comment. EAA also strongly criticized the application of the policy to recreational pilots with third-class medical certiﬁcates, as no other Department of Transportation sleep apnea initiative has ever included recreational, not-for-hire operators. While during the January teleconference the FAA expressed its determination to see some form of the policy enacted, its future is far from clear. Dr. Tilton signaled a softening of the originally introduced policy, although EAA continues to support legislation (H.R. 3578) that would compel the FAA to follow the formal rulemaking process, with a full public comment period. A similar bill concerning sleep apnea policy for the commercial trucking industry recently passed Congress unanimously.

LIVING AVIATION HISTORY AND WARBIRD PILOTS: QUALITY TRAINING AND TESTING IS THE KEY BY SEAN ELLIOTT, EAA VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVOCACY AND SAFETY

EVERYONE LOVES the sight and sounds of a rare World War II fighter or bomber roaring down the flightline at an air show or aviation event. However, few realize the preparation and training needed to ensure that each pilot is prepared and capable of safely flying that aircraft. More than 20 years ago, EAA helped develop two very significant specialty examiner programs to maintain that expertise into the foreseeable future. The Experimental Aircraft Examiner (EAE) program and the National Designated Pilot Examiner (NDPER) program have provided a national resource of experts who

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA

conduct practical tests for type ratings in both experimental exhibition and limited category aircraft. These types of aircraft range from SpaceShipTwo to jet-powered wings (Jetman), plus every warbird fighter and bomber you can imagine. These examiners are some of the most highly qualified individuals in our community, with specific experience in an incredible variety of aircraft. Through a well-established process, this tightly knit group holds training and testing to a very high standard and reviews new examiners to the group. This collaboration between EAA and FAA has proven to work very well. I recently attended the annual gathering of these two groups in Dallas, where several

managers from the FAA and I discussed the future of these programs. The FAA recognizes the unique aspects of these groups and wants to align agency oversight in an appropriate manner. Working together, we have developed a good plan that preserves the unique nature of the program and provides national oversight from an FAA office best suited to do so. The speciﬁc plan is still in the works within the FAA, but I am hopeful about the proposed structure in place that will ensure the future of these important programs. After all, if our grandkids are going to witness the legacy of aviation in the air, we must maintain an adequate resource pool of dedicated and welltrained aviators for the future.

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ADVOCACY AND SAFETY KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Staying Focused How we’re doing with our safety initiative BY CHARLIE PRECOURT, EAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS, SAFETY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

DURING THE LAST WEEK of January I had the great pleasure of attending EAA’s 10th annual Recreational Aviation Summit with leadership from the FAA visiting us at Oshkosh. The agency representatives are important to us across the spectrum of ﬂying interests, and the strong relationship your EAA staff has established with the FAA is delivering great results for the membership. FAA representation included John Duncan, director of Flight Standards Service; Frank Paskiewicz and Earl Lawrence from the Aircraft Certiﬁcation Service; Tony Fazio, director, Office of Accident Investigation and Prevention; Jim Viola, GA and Commercial Flight Standards Service; and Mark Giron, GA Branch aviation safety inspector. Our two-day agenda covered a broad array of topics. For the purposes of our safety initiative at EAA, it was a great opportunity to sync up on what we’re doing with the FAA to enhance our overall safety record. Since the NTSB report “The Safety of Experimental Amateur-Built Aircraft” was published in May 2012, the FAA has collaborated with us to improve safety through education and training rather than regulation. A link to the full NTSB report is available at www.SportAviation.org. An emphasis area has been Phase 1 testing of the amateur-built aircraft in our community. This area is a key to

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reducing our accident statistics. Coming out of this summit, we are now close to releasing a new advisory circular and guidance that will introduce the Additional Pilot Program. This program will enable an additional pilot on board during Phase 1 Flight Test, provided certain aircraft criteria and pilot qualifications are met. These criteria are linked principally to ensuring the authorized additional pilot will enhance the safety outcome. The FAA’s Mark Giron has worked closely with your Homebuilt Aircraft Council and the EAA board’s Safety Committee to bring this about. We’ll spend quite a bit of time at AirVenture 2014 rolling out the details of implementing this new advisory circular. Another area of focus is our Fatal Accident Dashboard, shown in the accompanying figure. I’ve been asked by many EAAers to publish it regularly since it gives us ongoing feedback of our statistics. Beginning this month, we plan to show it regularly as part of this column. The dashboard is an annual (fiscal year) running account of fatalities in experimental aircraft. Last year (FY13), which ended September 30, 2013, we had a great result. We had 55 total fatal accidents in experimental aircraft, down from 73 in the previous year (a 25 percent drop). Experimental amateur-built (E-AB) fell from 50 to 35 (a 30 percent drop!), and E-LSA fell from 11 to 8 (a 27 percent drop). So far this year (FY 2014, which began October 1), we are doing even better. For the first three months of the current fiscal year we have had only four total fatalities— three amateur-built and one exhibition experimental. This puts us 11 under the curve established several years ago by the FAA as a “not to exceed” number. In the chart, the brown curve serves as the FAA reference, showing, for example, that the not to exceed guideline for February would be 19 fatalities cumulative, or 36 by June, etc. The curve is non-linear as it recognizes that the months of

December through March bring bad weather and the ﬂying hours are fewer, and the curve steepens into the summer and fall. The gray line shows how we did last year, the red line shows the total for this year, and the blue line breaks out the E-AB portion of the total. Although we are doing great, bettering the FAA guidelines for over a year continuously, we still do not have enough data to correlate cause and effect. What are the things we’re doing that have led to this positive result? Certainly we have focused more on safety, yet we really need to understand the drivers that are keeping the fatalities down. Without solid information linking our initiatives to outcome, we are left holding our breath for a jump in the next month’s statistics. We discussed with the FAA some of the things that would enhance our insight into the numbers. In particular, getting more data on root cause of accidents will be critical, so that we can compare trends going forward to what the NTSB originally reported two years ago.

Another critical piece of information is learning from flight experiences that didn’t result in an accident. What are the experiences in the field that our members can report to us? The trends we learn from operations that did not result in an accident may better inform us than those that came from accidents, as there are far more total numbers to evaluate and from which we can develop trends. For that reason, we enlisted the help of Eileen Bjorkman, an EAA member and pilot with a flight-test background at Edwards Air Force Base, where she served for many years as a flighttest engineer and program manager. I had the pleasure of flying with her in the 1980s on numerous flight-test programs. Eileen offered to create a survey for us using Survey Monkey. To complement the NTSB study, EAA is conducting this new survey regarding first flight preparations and Phase 1 flight tests. If you have built, tested, or operated an E-AB aircraft at any time (even 50 years ago), we would like to hear from you.

The purpose of the survey is to collect data on actions that E-AB owners take prior to flight-testing their aircraft and determine the types of problems that E-AB aircraft experience during Phase 1 flight tests. The survey examines problems that builders have encountered during testing that could have had an impact on safety, whether or not an incident or accident occurred. We will use the survey to determine trends in preflight test actions and problems typically encountered during testing to determine potential areas for improvement, such as pilot training, construction techniques, inspection procedures, or flight-test techniques. A link to the survey is available on www.SportAviation.org. The survey will be open until April 30, 2014, and we expect to report results during the June issue of Sport Aviation and then more in detail during AirVenture 2014 forums. Your feedback can help us start to correlate cause and effect in our safety initiative! Fly safely out there!

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F LIGHTLINE INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY NEWS

CARTER PAV SETS FIVE RECORDS CARTER AVIATION TECHNOLOGIES announced its Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) prototype autogyro broke five of its own records during flight tests conducted in January. With test pilot Larry Neal at the controls, the autogyro set an altitude record just shy of 18,000 feet, a Mu (advance ratio) record of Mu 1.13, slowed the rotor to a new minimum of 105 rpm, achieved a level 202 mph true speed on 325 hp at an aircraft test weight of more than 4,000 pounds, and flew for more than an hour. Visitors to the 2014 Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, Florida, will have an opportunity to see the Carter PAV. The aircraft is also slated to appear at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh July 28-August 3.

GARMIN EXPANDS AUTOPILOT INTERFACE

Quicksilver EMG Makes First Flight RAINBOW AVIATION SUBSIDIARY Adventure Aircraft completed initial flight tests of the Electric Motor Glider 6 (EMG 6) in December 2013. Tests were done in pure glider configuration piloted by aircraft designer Brian Carpenter and towed to altitude by a 400-cc Honda quad runner. The aircraft is a collaboration between Adventure Aircraft and Quicksilver Aeronautics, and first flights took place at Corning (California) Municipal Airport. Flight testing will continue into the spring in several different configurations: pure glider, glider with a single-engine electric sustainer motor, 40-hp single-engine, twinengine, and tri-motor. The EMG-6 can be built as a single-place, FAR Part 103 ultralight and then legally converted at a later date into a two-place experimental aircraft. The folding wing and folding tail design reduces the machine’s storage footprint. Adventure Aircraft hopes to offer an entry-level kit near the $10,000 price range and is diligently working on a fast-build kit requiring less than 80 hours of assembly time.

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GARMIN HAS EXPANDED the number of autopilots and autopilot functions its G500/600 flat glass retrofit display systems can connect to. The G500/600 systems include electronic gyros (AHRS) and digital air data sensors that replace the function of conventional spinning gyros and instruments. Garmin’s GAD interface system allows already installed autopilots manufactured by other companies to use the output of the new electronic sensors in place of the original gyros and equipment. A new software version for the GAD 43e can link G500/600 systems to many Cessna autopilots including flight director and synthetic vision; can perform the altitude preselect and capture function with King KFC 200/250 series of autopilots; allows flight director functions when linked to some Century autopilots; and in some TBM 700 turboprops can qualify for flight at 29,000 feet and above. And there are more possible GAD/ autopilot combinations and functions. Airplane owners who already have the G500/600 system with the GAD installed can have the software updated. To take advantage of all capabilities a few new wires may be required. The approvals are for specific autopilot/airframe combinations so check with your radio shop to see if your airplane qualifies.

For more information and direct links to all Flightline stories, visit www.SportAviation.org.

MURPHY AIRCRAFT FOR SALE MURPHY AIRCRAFT Manufacturing Ltd. of Chilliwack, British Columbia, is on the market, according to company founder and President Darryl Murphy, who started the company in 1985. Asking price is in the $2.5 million to $4 million range depending on how much of the manufacturing machinery the buyer wants, according to a statement announcing the sale. “After 30 enjoyable years running Murphy Aircraft Mfg. Ltd., I am

approaching retirement, with the desire to spend more time with family and pursue other interests,” Murphy said. The package includes all eight aircraft models and three sizes of straight and amphibious ﬂoats, existing inventory, and quick-build jigs for the Renegade and Moose. “With strong signs of economic recovery in North America, the time is right for someone else to take over,” Murphy said. Murphy has sold nearly 2,000 kits all over the world, led by the Renegade and Moose models, which are known for being capable, roomy bush aircraft with high useful loads. Murphy Aircraft will continue to supply new kits and service parts throughout the changeover to new ownership and anticipated expansion. Patterson AeroSales, which handles all Murphy kit sales and marketing, will continue to accept and process orders for delivery positions now and throughout the expected yearlong transition to new ownership.

TWO SERVICE BULLETINS ISSUED BY VAN’S VAN’S AIRCRAFT ISSUED TWO service bulletins regarding potential cracking issues for select models in its product line. SB14-01-31 was issued for all owners of RV-6/6A, -7/7A, and -8/8A aircraft—flying or under construction—to check for cracking near the bend in the horizontal stabilizer front spar. SB14-02-03 was issued for owners of all flying RV-3, -4, -6/6A, -7/7A, and -8/8A aircraft to inspect for cracking in the elevator spar web near the elevator attach points. 14-01-31: According to Van’s, cracks in the forward spar of the horizontal stabilizer have been found emanating from the stress relief notch at the inboard end of the spar flanges. Owners of RV-6/6A, -7/7A, and -8/8A aircraft should conduct an inspection before further flight and at each annual condition inspection until such time that the SB has been complied with in its entirety. If no cracks are detected on the initial inspection, no immediate action is necessary, but the SB then recommends repeating this inspection at each subsequent annual condition inspection until such time that the SB has been complied with in its entirety. 14-02-03: Van’s states that cracks have been found near the rivets attaching the nut plates that hold the elevator rod ends to the E-702 spar and E-610PP or E-611PP spar reinforcement plates. Owners of RV-3, -4, -6/6A, -7/7A, -8/8A should conduct inspections before further flight. If cracks are detected, the E-00001A and E-00001B hinge doubler repair must be installed at the cracked hinge position before further flight. If no cracks are found, re-inspect at every annual condition inspection or until E-00001A or E-00001B hinge doubler repair has been installed. Van’s further explained in a follow-up letter that 14-02-03 supersedes Service Bulletin 1402-13 issued last year to make compliance a bit easier, less costly, and less time-consuming.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BONNIE KRATZ

BRIEFLY NOTED... // ASPEN AVIONICS has signed a memorandum of understanding with the NextGen GA Fund to accelerate the rollout of NextGen airspace mandates by providing access to quick and affordable incentives to help aircraft owners finance mandated avionics upgrades. “This is a unique opportunity to provide our valued customers the guidance, expertise, products, services, and financing to help aircraft owners comply with the ADS-B airspace mandate,” said John Uczekaj, president and chief executive officer of Aspen Avionics.

// LEE AEROSPACE, the Wichita, Kansas, based aircraft window, sheet metal, and composite structure operation known since 2000 as Triumph Aerospace Systems-Wichita, was reacquired by the ﬁrm’s founder and current president, Jim Lee, on January 17, 2014. The “new” entity has revived its original brand and will again be known as Lee Aerospace Inc.

// SPORTY’S NOW OFFERS a Pilot Wings Backpack that can be used either as a ﬂight bag or an everyday carryall. The backpack provides organizational pockets and is light enough to wear for extended periods of time, and features high-quality construction and heavyduty zippers, including two zippered side compartments. The Pilot Wings Backpack is available for $79.95.

// WICKS AIRCRAFT SUPPLY bought out Dillsburg Aero Works, adding new 4130 tubing to its existing stock of American, German, and low-cost Chinese steel products. A variety of 4130 seamless round tubing is available in full lengths and cut to order. Wicks also offers discounts on full mill runs for original equipment manufacturers, designers, and motorracing industry customers.

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J. MAC MCCLELLAN COMMENTARY / LEFT SEAT

Mistakes Will Be Made J. MAC MCCLELLAN

I HAVE NEVER LIKED the term “pilot error” as explanation of an accident. The term is usually misleading and is essentially useless as a guide to improving safety. When “pilot error” is blamed for an accident it implies that other pilots are somehow perfect. For many years people in aviation believed more and better training would prevent pilots from making errors and thus solve the safety problem. The military went even further with very strict criteria for screening people it would accept into pilot training. The theory was that if you start out with the best, then your chances of eliminating errors and obtaining perfection improved. The “pilot error” accident explanation is, in an odd way, ﬂattering to those of us who ﬂy. It implies that being a pilot demands a level of perfection only a few humans can attain, and those who somehow made it to the cockpit but were not really up to snuff made errors that did them in. The rest of us who haven’t made errors yet clearly have the right stuff. More training, more testing, more medical screening were all employed as tactics to eliminate “pilot error.” There was some progress,

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but by the 1970s significant improvements in flying safety had leveled off. Accidents continued to happen, and nearly all were blamed on pilots making mistakes. Finally, aviation safety experts woke up. For a combination of reasons it dawned on people who set standards and devised training programs that humans will always make mistakes. Duh. To err is, in fact, to be human. Obviously, flying mistakes must be minimized, but safety only makes significant gains when we can survive our errors. I think of safety as being able to live through a bad day, a way below average performance day, not just your best day. Every airplane is fast with a tailwind, and every pilot is very safe on those days when they are on the top of their game. But airplanes need to be able to complete the

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL ANNINO

J. MAC MCCLELLAN

mission with a headwind, and pilots need to get themselves and their passengers back on the ground even when they didn’t do everything right. After recognizing that pilot mistakes can’t be eliminated, the airlines and regulators began to devise ways to prevent the inevitable pilot error from becoming an accident, or at least a serious accident. The real progress was made when everybody said, “What happens when this mistake is made?” instead of living in a fantasy world where mistakes had been eliminated. That new attitude was applied to airplanes in the transport category from initial design. Going forward it was assumed a major structural element such as a wing spar would break, every system would fail at one time or another, and engine failure was accounted for on every takeoff and ﬂight. It was no longer enough to say that the wing structure was tested to its ultimate

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load and didn’t break, and it was fatigue tested to several times the flying life of the airplane. Under the “damage tolerance” concept any critical structural component had to be cut and the remaining structure must carry the limit load. Design theory was no longer “if this happens,” but “when this happens.” Changes operationally were to build in margin for what would go wrong at one time or another. For example, after the test pilots demonstrated how much runway an airplane needed to land and stop, including the nearly 1,000 feet of runway behind the touchdown point, that distance had to be 60 percent or less of the actual runway available. Every other factor such as runway slope, any contamination on the runway such as rain, standing water, snow, or ice had to be accounted for. And the wind was always a factor. An extreme example of how operational margin is built into transport flying

is in ETOPS (extended twin engine operations) that allows two-engine airplanes to fly sometimes more than three hours away from a suitable alternate airport. Before ETOPS a twin had to stay mostly within 30 minutes of an alternate airport so oceanic flying was left to three- and four-engine airplanes. To earn ETOPS approval an airplane maker and operator needs to collect reliability data on the engine-airframe combination. Another key to ETOPS approval is segregation of the engines. For example, the people who work on and inspect one engine on an ETOPS airplane cannot work on the other side. The idea is to keep any errors in procedure from affecting both engines on the same ﬂight. Progress on accounting for failures instead of believing they won’t occur wasn’t instantaneous. An example is the DC-10 that crashed at Sioux City, Iowa,

More training, more testing, more medical screening were all employed as tactics to eliminate “pilot error.” There was some progress, but by the 1970s significant improvements in flying safety had leveled off. after the center engine suffered an uncontained failure. The DC-10 had multiple paths for elevator control, but each line was routed close together and all were in the “burst zone” of the engine. When the engine came apart all control connections to the elevator were severed, and the crew did a miraculous job of getting the airplane down with survivors, using only engine power changes to control pitch. After that accident it was assumed any jet engine will have an uncontained failure sending shrapnel flying that will cut through whatever is in its path. Designers had to devise ways to route control lines and locate structure so that when, not if, the failed

engine shrapnel came through enough control and structure would survive. Maybe the most fruitful change in attitude toward pilot error came in the cockpit in the form of CRM, which originally stood for crew resource management but now generally means cockpit resource management. Before CRM many captains, perhaps even most, were dictators. The copilot’s job was to do only as told and keep his suggestions to himself. “Gear up and shut up” was the procedure in too many cockpits. But under CRM both pilots are required to explain their actions, ask for suggestions, and demand that each

monitor the other’s performance, and double-check everything. The concept extends to using everything in the cockpit including the computerized navigation equipment and any help from controllers. Younger pilots can’t believe flying wasn’t always this way because it makes so much sense, and it works. In personal flying we don’t have transport airplanes with all their redundancies, nor do we have dispatchers to help us flight plan, nor fully trained and qualified pilots in the other seat to continuously help. How do we apply the lessons of “mistakes will happen”? I think the first and critical step is to take off any rose-colored glasses that are still too common in private flying and accept that we will make pilot errors. We must train and practice to minimize errors, but still acknowledge they will happen to us.

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J. MAC MCCLELLAN

We need to think of pilot mistakes in terms of their frequency and severity. In other words, we can tolerate mistakes more often when they don’t cause major damage, injury, or death. But we need to really work to identify and mitigate the impact of mistakes that, though rare, have very serious consequences. That seems obvious. But the frequency/severity thing is just another way of matching the risk to the reward. Any time we fly any type of aircraft we assume at least some risk, but also a return we value. In private flying making that riskversus-reward decision is pretty much up to us. An example of a higher frequency but fairly low risk mistake is flying on a breezy day. The wind makes it difficult to control the airplane, especially during landing, and the accident record shows many personal aviation accidents are excursions off the runway. Though this type of accident is common, serious injury or fatality is not. So that’s an example of a pilot mistake that happens fairly often, but is also low on the severity scale. At the other extreme is loss of control while flying in the clouds or a stall at low altitude. Compared to ground loops or badly bounced landings the loss of control in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) is not that common, but the result is almost always fatal. The same is true for low altitude stall and spin. Both events are less common than a landing mishap but are at the top of the severity scale. Flying ourselves can never really be like golf, for example, where a yanked shot into the woods causes nothing but frustration and embarrassment. But if we keep our mistakes in the low severity category, we can have the chance to take another swing. FLYING TO MY MEDICAL

I don’t know how many FAA medicals I’ve had in more than 40 years of flying, but I flew to my first exam this winter. Dr. Greg Pinnell, who is a major force on EAA’s Aeromedical Advisory Council, maintains an office just below the old control tower

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on the Battle Creek, Michigan, airport. You can taxi up to the doc’s front door. Dr. Pinnell’s office is the most unusual I’ve been in because the waiting room has an altitude training chamber. This is not one of those stout steel hypobaric vacuum chambers some of us have been through, but a clear plastic enclosure that wouldn’t withstand even a few pounds of differential pressure. This modern altitude training chamber functions by filling the space with an atmosphere that contains the same percentage of oxygen as the altitude selected. The electronic controls on the outside showed that the effective altitude for breathing and hypoxia purposes was 30,000 feet inside. Traditionally, altitude chambers had been set at 25,000 feet, but Dr. Pinnell, who teaches aviation physiology at the Western Michigan University college of aviation, said that when training college-age kids it often took a long time for them to feel the effects of that altitude. So now they usually start at 30,000 feet. When I walked into chamber along with Dr. Pinnell, who was on oxygen, I could feel the altitude affects almost immediately. I’m clearly no longer college age. Dr. Pinnell offers altitude chamber training to anyone. The altitude lab experience only is $175, and the complete course with certification for those who need it costs $375. Dr. Pinnell and his partners in AirDocs are also expert in dealing with the FAA for special issuance medical certificates. I’m lucky enough so far to have no disqualifying conditions, but if and when they come along, I want Dr. Pinnell in my corner. You can contact EAA member services to get medical advice from the advisory council, or if you want to start with Dr. Pinnell, he is at gpinnell@airdocs.net. And you can fly in and taxi up to his office. Very cool. J. Mac McClellan, EAA 747337, has been a pilot for more than 40 years, holds an ATP certiﬁcate, and owns a Beechcraft Baron. To contact Mac, e-mail mac@eaa.org.

LANE WALLACE COMMENTARY / FLYING LESSONS

Middle school teacher Shane Elder in the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum’s Stearman.

Touching the Future BY LANE WALLACE

IT’S THE X-WING FIGHTER that provides the ﬁrst clue.

Outside the museum, which is housed in a classic, domed Air Force hangar on the now-closed Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado, a B-52 gate guardian stands a conventional watch. The museum’s four dozen aircraft are a mix of civilian and military, and there are a few rare ducks in the mix, such as a 1950 Nord trainer and a Douglas B-18A Bolo. But really, the aircraft at the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum aren’t much different from what you’d find at any conventional air museum anywhere in the United States. Except, of course, for the X-wing fighter, straight off the Star Wars set. Well, okay. And the weird, square-wheeled tricycles being ridden around on a bumpy, trampoline-type base behind the fighter. And maybe the left-handed maze, the pirate ship balance beam, and a few other interactive challenges, more typically seen in science or Exploratorium museums, that are taking up a big open space at the opposite end of the hangar from the aircraft. And all of which, it should be noted, are attracting more foot traffic than anything else there. X-wing fighters and interactive math and physics exhibits might not be “conventional” components of a traditional air museum, but the museum world’s idea of “conventional” is changing. All of those displays are both evidence and a result of an increasing emphasis on education at museums all over the country. “Historically, a museum was a place to hold artifacts,” explains Megan Quitter, director of education for the Wings Over the Rockies museum. “Now, it’s different. The mission of aviation museums is

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changing. Museums are trying to invite broader audiences and provide them with a reason to come back by changing exhibits or doing educational programs. Our mission is ‘education and inspiration through flight.’ And kids aren’t that interested in just reading a plaque.” At the Denver museum, that need to entice today’s kids and expand the museum’s educational programs is driving not only new exhibits at the existing museum, but a new experiential flight center (to be built at Centennial Airport starting next summer, if all goes well) and a new Teacher in Flight program that borrows from both Young Eagles and NASA’s 1980s Teacher in Space program. According to Greg Anderson, president and chief executive of Wings Over the Rockies, the Teacher in Flight program was born out of necessity. “We’re not the EAA here,” he explains. “We don’t have enough pilots affiliated with the museum to fly all the kids on the Front Range. So we decided a better goal was to try to fly the teachers. We can all relate to teaching as a profession that can change lives. So we figured that

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LANE WALLACE

if we could have the teachers as point people, we could do amazing things.” The museum started out, a few years ago, with something it called the Wings Aerospace Science Program (WASP), which offers teachers a trunk full of materials for aerospace experiments, along with curriculum guides. Teachers come for a training session on how to use the materials and get the trunk—along with refills—for free. The Teacher in Flight program is more ambitious, on several levels. For starters, the program aims to fly a teacher from each of the 1,600 individual schools, in 17 counties, along the Front Range (the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado) by the year 2020. The Teacher in Flight program also requires more of a commitment on the part of each teacher than the Young Eagles program asks of students. The teachers have to attend a separate half-day orientation/education session before they can sign up for a flight. Then the museum asks them to commit to becoming an ongoing resource and conduit between the students and both the museum and the world of aerospace. The museum helps the teachers fulfill this promise by providing a very thick resource guide, with contact information on various organizations, companies, colleges, and programs that kids interested in aviation or aerospace can contact to learn more or pursue their interest. The binder also contains a raft of lesson plans that incorporate aviation and aerospace concepts, although it can be difficult to incorporate material into curriculum units that are typically set in advance, unless there’s a very supportive principal, an after-school program, or some new initiative that allows for new or “side” material. In any event, the teachers can certainly act as go-betweens for the museum. They get free passes to the museum for all their students, fliers on special events, and a website/forum where they can ask questions or discuss issues with museum educational staff or other teachers in the program. Since it began in the summer of 2011, the Teacher in Flight program has flown 70 teachers. This past November, the

museum held its first major teacher event, with former astronaut, math teacher, and shuttle commander Eileen Collins as its honorary chairperson. It’s an intriguing idea—try to light the spark of inspiration by flying keepers of the flame, instead of trying to ignite and maintain that spark directly in each kid. Aside from the small detail that the Wings museum doesn’t have the personnel to do anything else, I found myself of two minds about the idea. On the one hand, it might help solve one of the biggest challenges the Young Eagles program has struggled with, which is maintaining a connection with the kids after the flight and getting them to take action. Teachers are easier to find, easier to stay in touch with, and intrinsically motivated to want to positively impact the kids they teach. It also creates an automatic mentor for each group or class of kids; an adult present in their daily lives whom they can turn to for more information and support. On the other hand, if the kids don’t experience the flight themselves, how effective can a program like that be? I suppose it depends, at least in part, on what your ultimate goal is. The Young Eagles program is geared primarily toward increasing the number of young people who become pilots. The Wings program has a broader goal. “Colorado has a huge aerospace industry presence,” explains Hetty Carlson, who directs the Teacher in Flight program. “But most of the aerospace workforce in Colorado is not from Colorado. So clearly, we’re not reaching Colorado kids to connect them with that world.” Megan is nodding as Hetty speaks. “Colorado needs pilots and aerospace/aviation technicians,” she adds. “So as a museum, we have an obligation to make kids aware of what’s out there.” Talk to the teachers themselves, however, and the goal gets even broader. “One of the greatest things we can do as teachers is to find each child’s passion or drive and ignite that flame to propel them,” says Beth Cohen, an elementary school teacher who’s joined the Teacher in Flight

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LANE WALLACE

program. “I want to open up their eyes to possibility; to the joy and excitement of searching for the unexplored.” In the teachers’ views of what they thought the program could help achieve, phrases like “ignite a flame,” “spark passion,” “open kids’ eyes to possibilities,” and “instill a love of exploring” came up repeatedly. Nobody said “create more pilots in the world.” But here’s the thing. That may be a really important piece of data. After several conversations with teachers in the Wings museum program, two things became abundantly clear. The first was that in focusing so much on our own internal goal of increasing the number of pilots in the world, we may be forgetting that the power and magic of flight—the elixir that lures passengers to biplane flights and pulls many of us back to the sky—is not necessarily linked to becoming a private or commercial pilot. Maybe we’re setting our sights too narrowly.

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Only a limited number of people are ever going to want to expend the time, effort, focus, and money that actually being a pilot or owning a plane entail. None of the teachers I interviewed were running out to pursue a pilot’s license after their flight. On the other hand, every single one of them was gushing about how extraordinary their experience had been, and how it had inspired them to want to figure out how to convey that insight, perspective, excitement, and vision to others. Indeed, the second thing that became clear in those conversations is just how powerful an inspiration flight still can be—not in terms of creating pilots, but in terms of sparking excitement and changing lives. Granted, the teachers all got their rides in a 450-hp Stearman biplane, and that has a lot to do with the equation. A Cessna 172 (or even a Grumman Cheetah) is not as magical as a graceful, timeless design that leans more toward beauty than utility. (A Grumman Goose, maybe. A

Grumman Cheetah, not so much.) But the feedback was impressive. “That flight really opened my eyes,” said Shelley Boening-Jacobs, the first teacher flown in the program. “The experience was pretty amazing, to see the world from a whole different perspective. Especially in a biplane, where you’re lower, and connected to just one person in the sky with you. Experiences like that…if my students never experience anything, they don’t know what’s out there. But sometimes, if you can plant a seed with them, show them more of what life has in store, it can circle around and spark something later on and encourage them to follow their passions.” “What makes this program different and more effective is that it’s not just giving you resources,” explained Shane Edler, a middle school teacher who’s putting together an elective class on aerospace technology. “It’s trying to get teachers excited about what they’re teaching. And let me tell you—going up in that

airplane was exciting! In fact,” he added with a laugh, “I was a little green when I came down.” “That flight was life-changing, in many ways,” Beth Cohen answered. “I’m not a big fan of flying, but I’m a big fan of new experiences. It was so empowering! I went in with no control, but it was wonderful, and I came out realizing I can control what experiences I have. And to be up there in the sky, looking at the world from that perspective, made me wonder, ‘What else might be out there?’ And I want to bring that back to my kids. I think this kind of program can launch a whole new era of explorers. Flight can spark a whole new global perspective!” Powerful stuff. And powerful public relations, to have such enthusiastic advocates of the transformative inspiration flight can provide. I get that we need more young pilots to replace an aging pilot population. So, okay. That’s why you work to expose more young

people to the idea of aviation, and offer more supportive pathways to those few individuals to whom that idea speaks strongly enough that they want to be that person at the controls. I also get that “providing a spark of inspiration and passion for life’s possibilities and exploration” is a tough metric to quantify. How do you justify the cost of a program geared for that? Nevertheless, I think the Wings museum may have stumbled onto something important. Not just for aviation, but for a much broader audience. Of course, even an effort focused on creating inspirational experiences that expand people’s perspectives and notions about possibility would still require careful planning, organization, and support. It would also probably require airplanes like Cubs or biplanes that don’t just get up into the air, but allow their passengers to actually touch the sky and immerse themselves in that world of wind, sun, clouds, and stars. Airplanes that take people

out of themselves, and immerse them in so many sensations and new perspectives that they get what the pilot/author Beryl Markham once said: “every dreaming child needs to know—that no horizon is so far that you cannot get above it or beyond it.” We could even have a slogan for the effort. Something like, “Broaden your horizons. Touch the sky.” It’s an idea worth contemplating, anyway. Maybe we, ourselves, need to broaden our horizons a bit. We will never convince most people to become pilots. But perhaps we can expand our impact, and our reach, if we look beyond that group, to people whose eyes can still be opened, and whose lives might still be transformed, by an encounter with the sky. Lane Wallace, EAA 650945, has been an aviation columnist, editor, and author for more than 20 years. More of her writing can be found at www.LaneWallace.com and at www.TheAtlantic.com/Lane-Wallace.

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M IKE BUSCH C OMMENTARY / SAVVY AVIATOR

Not-So-Plain Bearings There’s a lot more to engine bearings than meets the eye

ACCORDING TO MERRIAM-WEBSTER, a bearing is “a machine part in which another part turns.” Most aircraft have lots of them. Wheels spin on their axles with the help of tapered roller bearings. Magnetos, alternators, generators, and starter motors incorporate ball bearings to support their rotors. The landing gear trunnions on my Cessna 310 pivot on needle bearings. Variable-pitch propeller blades are supported by large-diameter ball bearings. Turbine engine rotor shafts spin in ball and roller bearings. All these bearings consist of inner and outer “races” with spherical or cylindrical rolling elements between them. Such “rolling-element bearings” do a superb job of supporting a shaft in precise position while permitting it to rotate with very little friction. But tear down a Continental or Lycoming engine and you won’t find bearings like those. The bearings in which the crankshaft, crankpins, camshaft, rocker shafts, and piston pins run have no races, balls, rollers, needles, or other moving parts. They’re just curved pieces of metal—known variously as “plain bearings” or “sleeve bearings” or “bushings”—that rely on sliding elements rather than rolling ones. Plain bearings are usually constructed of two semicircular halves called “shells”; one-piece plain bearings are usually called “bushings.” There’s a good reason that reciprocating engines use plain bearings: They reciprocate! This means that the crankshaft, crankpin, piston pin, rocker shaft, and camshaft bearings are subject to continuous sharp cyclic loads. Rolling-element bearings don’t handle such loads very well, because they concentrate loads into very tiny contact regions between the rolling elements and the races, resulting in extremely high pressures. If ball bearings were used in a reciprocating engine, the result would be peened races, flat-spotted balls, and consequent short bearing life. By contrast, plain bearings tolerate such cyclic loads better because they distribute the loads over a much larger area, so the pressure is greatly reduced. They also do a better job of accommodating shaft flexing, minor misalignments, and wide temperature

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swings. That’s why nearly all reciprocating engines—from one-cylinder motorcycle engines to giant marine diesels—use plain bearings instead of ball or roller bearings. These plain bearings and bushings look simple, but they aren’t. There’s a lot more to them than meets the eye. LUBRICATION

When I had the engines in my Cessna 310 torn down for overhaul in 1990, I made a point of paying a visit to the engine shop to survey the damage before the engine was put back together. The engines had accumulated 1,900 hours over 11 years, and I remember being rather astonished at the appearance of the main and rod bearings; they looked nearly brand new! How can a plain bearing with no rolling elements withstand the torturous environment of a high-performance turbocharged reciprocating aircraft engine for 1,900 hours and 11 years without showing any signiﬁcant signs of wear? There’s a two-word answer: hydrodynamic lubrication. Plain bearings rely on hydrodynamic lubrication to prevent metal-to-metal contact between the rotating journal and the stationary bearing. (See Figure 2.) Pressurized oil is pumped continuously into the gap between the journal and the bearing. This gap is only about 0.002 inch wide—about the thickness of a human hair.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MIKE BUSCH

Rotation of the journal within the bearing, together with the viscosity of the oil, creates a dynamic wedge of high-pressure oil that keeps the parts separated. So long as the bearing gets adequate oil pressure and the journal rotates rapidly enough, there is no metal-to-metal contact and therefore no wear on either the bearing or the journal. Does this mean that plain bearings can last forever? Actually yes, provided the engine is run continuously (as it might be in a test cell) with an uninterrupted oil supply and uninterrupted journal rotation. Unfortunately, that’s not what happens in the real world. We start up our engines, run them for an hour or three while we’re ﬂying from point A to point B, and then shut them down. It’s mainly those pesky startups and shutdowns that limit the useful life of plain bearings. When we ﬁrst crank the engine, there’s no oil pressure and the crankshaft cranking speed is pathetically slow. The conditions

for hydrodynamic lubrication simply do not exist. Consequently, there is metal-to-metal contact between the journal and the bearing, and wear is inevitable. This startup wear is mitigated in several ways: The mating journal and bearing surfaces are polished as smooth as possible. The bearing surface is made of a material that has low sliding friction against the steel journal. Anti-wear additives in the oil react with the metal to form a thin protective ﬁlm on the surfaces that further reduces friction through a phenomenon known as “boundary lubrication.” (See Figure 3.)

Figure 2—Plain bearings rely on hydrodynamic lubrication to prevent metal-to-metal contact between the rotating journal and the stationary bearing.

GETTING OIL TO THE BEARINGS

Once the engine is running, pressurized oil passes through “galleries” (often misspelled “galleys”), which are internal passageways machined into the crankcase halves to conduct oil to key components such as main bearings and hydraulic lifters. Oil passages in

Figure 3—Hydrodynamic lubrication depends on adequate oil pressure and journal rotation speed. If those aren’t present (as at engine startup and shutdown), the parts must depend on boundary lubrication.

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each main bearing saddle connect to the galleries. (See Figure 4.) Each main bearing shell has an oil supply hole that lines up with the oil passage in the saddle. Getting oil to the crankpin bearings in the big ends of the connecting rods is a bit trickier. The crankshaft is machined with diagonal passages to conduct oil from the main bearings to the crankpin journals. (See Figure 5.) Oil pumped into the main and rod bearings is extruded from the edges of the bearings and returns to the engine’s oil sump or tank. The rapidly rotating crankshaft ﬂings this oil in all directions, ﬁlling the crankcase with a dense oil mist that provides “splash lubrication” to other engine components like the cam lobes, lifter faces, piston pin bushings, and cylinder barrels. MATERIAL PROPERTIES

Plain bearings must have a running surface that will slide against steel journals with low friction and be highly resistant to galling (i.e., adhering). Because the bearing is exposed to high cyclic loads and high temperatures, its running surface must have good fatigue strength and retain

Figure 4—Oil supply passages (yellow arrows) in each main bearing saddle in the crankcase provide a ﬂow of pressurized oil to the main bearings.

Figure 5—The crankshaft is machined with diagonal oil passages to conduct oil from the main bearings to the crankpin journals in order to lubricate the big-end rod bearings.

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that strength under high heat. It also needs to be resistant to corrosive attack by moisture and acids. Yet another key property is called “embeddability” and means that the bearing’s running surface is soft enough to allow small particles of dirt, metal, or other foreign material to become embedded in the bearing so it doesn’t scratch the crankshaft journal or jam the tiny oil clearance zone between the journal and the bearing. (See Figure 6.) Most bearings in piston aircraft engines have a running surface made of a family of alloys known as “babbitt” or “white metal” that are about 90 percent tin combined with small quantities of antimony and copper. (The term “babbitt” derives from Isaac Babbitt, who invented the original version of this bearing alloy in 1839 in Taunton, Massachusetts.) Babbitt offers exceptional slipperiness and embeddability, but its fatigue resistance and temperature strength deteriorate rapidly if more than a few thousandths of an inch thick. TRIMETAL BEARINGS

Consequently, most piston aircraft engine bearings use a layered construction referred to as “trimetal,” although they actually have four or ﬁve layers. (See Figure 7.) The bearing shell starts out with a semicircular steel backing, to which is bonded an intermediate layer of copper/lead alloy designed to provide the necessary cushioning, fatigue strength, and temperature conduction. A thin overlay of babbitt is then electroplated over the intermediate layer in order to provide the required surface properties (slipperiness, embeddability, corrosion-resistance). A micro-thin layer of nickel is deposited between the intermediate layer and overlay in order to prevent tin from migrating from the babbitt into the copper/lead alloy. Sometimes, another micro-thin layer of pure tin is deposited on top of the babbitt overlay to protect it from corrosion prior to installation in the engine. It can be useful to think of the construction of a trimetal bearing as being like a bed: The steel backing is like the box spring (providing support), the intermediate layer is like the mattress (providing cushioning),

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MIKE BUSCH

Figure 6—“Embeddability” means the ability of a bearing’s running surface to capture particles of dirt, metal, or other foreign materials.

Figure 7—A trimetal bearing consists of a steel backing, an intermediate layer made of a copper/lead alloy, and a thin babbitt overlay.

and the overlay is like a silk sheet (thin, smooth, slippery, and comfortable). The surface properties (slipperiness and embeddability) of the copper/lead intermediate layer are not nearly as good as those of the babbitt overlay, but they’re generally adequate to prevent the bearing from self-destructing suddenly in the event the overlay is worn away. If that happens, the engine will start “making copper” that will be apparent in oil analysis and (if it gets bad enough) as visible nonferrous metal in the oil ﬁlter. That means it’s teardown time. Note: From 1995 through 2001, Lycoming used bearings with an intermediate layer composed of aluminum/tin alloy instead of copper/lead alloy. These aluminum bearings proved to have lower fatigue strength and a higher failure rate, so Lycoming stopped using them in March 2002.

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SECURING THE BEARINGS

The trimetal bearing shells are mounted in semicircular “saddles” in the crankcase, and secured ﬁrmly in place by means of a preload referred to as “bearing crush.” As shown in Figure 10, the steel backing of the bearing shell is slightly taller (by a few thousandths of an inch) than the crankcase saddle in which the shell is installed. When the engine is assembled and the through-bolts are torqued to spec, the

bearing shell is firmly locked into the saddle with an interference fit. Important: If this bearing crush is lost— due to improper crankcase machining at overhaul or improper through-bolt torque during cylinder installation or replacement—the bearing can shift in its saddle, creating misalignment of the bearing’s oil supply hole with the saddle’s oil passage and causing impaired oil flow to the bearing. This condition—referred to as a “spun” or “displaced” bearing—can result in catastrophic engine failure.

Figure 12—A badly contaminated bearing with large amounts of foreign material embedded in its babbitt overlay.

FAILURE MODES

Trimetal bearing construction.

Figure 10—Bearing shells are slightly taller than their supporting saddles.

Figure 11—A severely worn bearing with the babbitt overlay almost completely gone.

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Although trimetal bearings usually have excellent longevity when operated within design limits and provided adequate lubrication, premature bearing failure does occur. Figure 11 shows a rod bearing whose babbitt overlay is almost completely worn away, leaving the copper/lead intermediate layer fully exposed. Figure 12 shows a badly contaminated rod bearing with large amounts of foreign material (mostly metal particles) embedded in its babbitt overlay. Catastrophic failure (thrown rod) was probably not far away. Figure 13 shows another rod bearing exhibiting severe damage due to cyclic overload, most likely destructive detonation or preignition in the associated cylinder. The extreme peak combustion pressures created loads on the connecting rod that exceeded the ability of hydrodynamic lubrication to prevent metal-to-metal contact between the rod bearing and crankpin. Undoubtedly the cylinder head and piston also sustained damage. You can tell all of these are rod bearings (rather than main bearings) because they don’t have oil supply holes. As a general rule, rod bearings are more highly stressed and susceptible to damage and failure than main bearings. The (not so) plain bearings in your piston aircraft engine will generally provide trouble-free service to TBO and often well beyond. (The ones in my Cessna 310’s engines are well past 200 percent of TBO.) To accomplish that, all they really need is a steady supply of clean oil at a decent pressure (to provide good hydrodynamic lubrication), and some anti-wear additives to

Figure 13—This bearing exhibits severe overload damage, probably due detonation or preignition.

provide good boundary lubrication at engine start. Contamination is the bearing’s main enemy, so make sure you have a good fullflow oil filter capable of trapping any particulate matter larger than about 0.001 inch (25 microns). Inspect the filter regularly and watch your oil analysis reports for elevated copper or tin. If the filter is clean and the oil report looks normal, then you have nothing to worry about. Mike Busch, EAA 740170, was the 2008 National Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year, and has been a pilot for 44 years, logging more than 7,000 hours. He’s a CFI and A&P/IA. E-mail him at mike.busch@savvyaviator.com. Mike also hosts free online presentations as part of EAA’s webinar series on the first Wednesday of each month. For a schedule visit www.EAA.org/webinars.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MIKE BUSCH

The Height Thing The fear we need to understand—and explain to others

I WAS FALLING ASLEEP one night back when I had just started ﬂight training and was jolted awake by the vivid image of being catapulted out of the seat of an open-framework aircraft. It was as if I had been on a high-speed Ferris wheel that stopped suddenly at the top of its revolution, ejecting me. I woke up with a gasp of raw fear. I was just starting to ﬂy ultralights, and the early ones typically had nothing in

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front of the pilot but a few tubes and a nose wheel. Instrument pods would soon appear, but the presence of a bread-loaf-sized instrument cluster above your knees does not do much to make the pilot feel enclosed. There was a seat belt, but that was it.

ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE MATHENY

It took a while to calm myself down, and to come up with all the usual—and perfectly rational—explanations about ﬂying being safe: No, being dumped into space was not going to happen with a soundly constructed aircraft. Yes, you are strapped into the seat, which is bolted to the airframe with aircraftgrade hardware. Calm down. But in those early ultralights, and then in the Quicksilver MX types, although the visibility is fantastic, you don’t exactly feel held in your mother’s arms. Most modern general aviation aircraft provide an enclosure. And while it’s true that aluminum aircraft skin is typically only 0.125 of an inch thick—the outer skin, that is, excluding the interior skin, insulation, and creature comforts like the plumbing for the espresso machine—it at least gives us the illusion of being safely cocooned. (As to the ﬂagpole-sitting caper illustrated—we’ll come back to that.) You could say that I learned at that point to rationalize it all away with a tissue of facile explanations, sweeping the terrible

reality of ﬂight under the rug. (That’s not what you as a pilot would say, and not something that I as a pilot would say, but something that a hypothetical groundbound naysayer would say.) Anyway, I got better. I healed. I was able to laugh off the idea of being popped like a cork from an aircraft into empty air hundreds or thousands of feet above the ground, which after all is an incredibly rare event. It has a vanishingly small probability of happening, less than the chance of driving a car off a bridge or over a cliff—which does happen, so take that, you ground-pounders in your supposedly safe cars! X MARKS THE SPOTTER

But then, years later, I got into sky diving. This activity, ironically, does involve separation of the person from the motherembrace of the aircraft. But that’s not as scary as it sounds. As a veteran sky diver explained to me, the fear of falling is really only intense when you are otherwise

connected to the ground somehow, as when ﬂagpole-sitting, or standing at the edge of a cliff, or by the parapet of a tall building. This was a real insight. It made perfect sense to me back then, and still does. Few people in airplanes actually experience the fear of falling from a height. By my eighth or ninth sky dive, however, we had hit a little snag. The jumpmasters were reminding me that it was long past time to start doing my own “spotting,” which requires kneeling in the open door of the airplane and judging when you are approaching the exact spot where you should exit. In the typical small sky-diving aircraft, say a Cessna 182, you have to lean out of the open door as you approach the exit point and use hand signals (it’s way too noisy in there to shout) to indicate to the pilot whether to come left or right a few degrees. Then, as you approach that point in space where you are almost above the desired spot on Earth where you want to land, you climb out, get set, and ﬁnally, at

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the correct point, you let go and fall. (As long as I’m on the subject, it doesn’t feel like falling. For the first second or two, as the airplane flies away, you transition from traveling horizontally to downward. It does not feel like a trapdoor cut loose underneath you. It feels sort of neutral, with the noise of the engine fading away and the rush of the wind in your ears only beginning. It doesn’t feel weightless, just buoyant. Free fall becomes very appealing.) But I found myself resistant to spotting because of the kneeling-in-the-open-door part. Absurdly, I was afraid of falling out of the door, which, considering what I was about to do in a minute or two anyway, doesn’t make a lot of sense. On the other hand, I was willing enough to “bomb out”— the sky diver’s term for just diving out of the door as if you were jumping into a swimming pool from the edge. I think I just found the whole business of edging slowly out of the door and holding onto the strut before finally letting go, like a suicidal tree sloth, kind of creepy. I mean, would a sloth who has decided to end it all climb slowly to the top of the tree and just wait until a passing breeze shook the limb and dislodged his grip? It’s hard to know how they handle these matters in the sloth community, but I doubt it. Anyway, I think it was just that kneeling in the open door allowed the chance of falling out before I was completely ready. I like being in control. THE FLAGPOLE-SITTER’S EPIPHANY

If I seem to have wandered off course slightly, allow me to continue this digression with an even earlier episode in my background. Back in my college days, a local entrepreneur had proposed that I do a ﬂagpole-sitting stunt to promote his business. I don’t know why he made the offer, except that he saw me as the kind of guy who would do something that involved just sitting somewhere in exchange for money. He got that part about right, but I turned him down, not for fear of heights, which I hadn’t thought about yet, but because it seemed likely that I would be bored after about 30 minutes, and the plan called for me to be up there for a week. But as I say, the prospect of sitting on top of a ﬂagpole, and therefore high up but connected with the ground, didn’t immediately

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creep me out. (I didn’t think things through very much at the age of 20.) Fast-forwarding through the years, other life experiences came along. Whenever standing at the edge of a precipice I sensed the beginnings of panic, as so many of us do. That was for myself; the panic didn’t reach breakout stage until I became a father and saw either of my two boys anywhere near the edge of anything, whether bridge, precipice, or canyon wall. That did it. That’s it, guys—no going anywhere near the edge of anything, not now, not ever. (A restriction that would become unenforceable by the time they reached their teens.) But I found that for myself, there was no real fear of heights as long as I was airborne with nothing connecting me to the ground— just as my sky-diving friend had said.

As a veteran sky diver explained to me, the fear of falling is really only intense when you are otherwise connected to the ground somehow. ONE SMART BABY

And then I rediscovered how powerful the mere idea of being connected to the ground can be. A few years back, I was approaching a small town at 1,500 feet above ground in an open-framework Quicksilver MX Sprint, and—in a moment of brainless experimentation—I made the mistake of visualizing the airplane perched on an extremely tall pole, like a flagpole. In an instant I was trying to shrink into myself. It was as alarming as my dream had been so many years before, and it took a lot of mental energy to calm myself down, but after a few minutes I got over it. Where I’m going with all this is to try to find ways to explain to our nonflying friends that heights are not a problem, whether they’re going to be our passengers or are just looking for reassurance about a commercial flight. We can say that fear of heights is natural enough, but not likely to be a factor in flight. It is instinctive, yes, and first appears in infancy. A newborn infant who experiences the sensation of falling will demonstrate the Moro reflex, in which the

arms shoot out and then snap back in, as if to grab hold of something. Going far back into my past, this actually happened with one of my sons when he was a newborn. I was carrying him in a bassinet and bumped the edge of it into a doorjamb. I was astonished to see his reaction, which I had never heard of. (I didn’t actually drop him. But I suspect that even though he was only a few weeks old, he was already wise to my clumsy ways.) SAFE SKIES

Acrophobia is the technical term for fear of heights. Once we pilots get over it—if we ever have it—we face the challenge of getting passengers to accept the concept that heights won’t be a problem for them if they aren’t somehow connected to the ground. Some small percentage of people have true acrophobia, and it’s probably a lost cause to try to get them to fly. No less a personage (a fictional personage) than Dusty Crophopper, the hero of the recent Disney animated movie Planes, suffered from fear of heights. The movie premiered at AirVenture 2013. No spoilers, if you missed it: I won’t tell you how it comes out. You can’t put confidence into would-be passengers. That is something they do to themselves. You can only provide the makings, so to speak. For myself, I have found that citing statistics is helpful, as is emphasizing how well-built our aircraft are. I have also been known, when talking to people about flying, to dwell on the relative danger of highways crowded with inattentive, frequently impaired drivers, compared to the open, nearly empty skies we fly in. The relative-danger argument (or relativesafety argument) seems to appeal to people, which is kind of surprising, given that statistical concepts are intellectual, while the fear of heights is a gut thing. Maybe that’s because what the would-be passenger is doing is anticipating being afraid rather than experiencing fear in the present. For what it’s worth, the baby who thought he was being dropped grew up to be a pilot. So people really can get over these things. Dave Matheny, EAA 184186, is a private pilot and an FAA ground instructor. He has been flying light aircraft, including ultralights, for 30 years. He accepts commissions for his art and can be reached at DaveMatheny3000@yahoo.com.

BRADY LANE COMMENTARY / DREAM BUILD FLY

Read the Bible Build like a Berean BY BRADY LANE

WHEN WE FIRST MOVED to Oshkosh, my wife and I were looking for a church. Visiting congregation after congregation, we were amazed how many preachers could spend hours presenting their most random ideas. Some tried humor to entertain the congregation, some told dramatic stories attempting to motivate, but few offered what we were looking for.

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Anybody can get in front of a crowd and say what he or she thinks, but just because a mere mortal thinks something, doesn’t make it so. It would be a scary world if that were the case. For this reason, most faiths have sacred texts. Unfortunately, not all religious leaders reference them as often as they should. Turns out, homebuilders and preachers have a lot in common. ONLINE COMMUNITY

I chose the Bearhawk design primarily because it’s an airplane that fits my mission and style of flying. The aircraft uses a variety of construction techniques I was interested in learning, the plans were well drawn, and everyone I talked to spoke highly of the aircraft. As a rookie homebuilder, I remained leery to commit until I discovered two more resources: a build manual (with pictures), and an active online community that answered any question in a matter of hours, often minutes. I initially feared the project would stall out because of my lack of knowledge and experience. This community’s presence calmed those fears by giving me confidence that I wouldn’t get stumped as a first-time builder, at least not indefinitely. I’ve monitored the group’s online forum for several years now, and recently another first-time builder, who I’ll call Rob to protect his innocence, posted a distressed message. While fluting the flanges of his aluminum ribs, his pliers scratched the metal. He sent photos of his damaged ribs to the forum and sought the group’s counsel. “Are these marks OK to rub out with a Scotch-Brite pad? Thoughts/solutions?” he wrote. The first response came in a matter of minutes: “They look pretty deep. Particularly concerning are the ones that run off the edge. The rule on scratches is, if you can feel it when you run your fingernail over it, it’s too deep. Try to smooth them with a Scotch-Brite pad and see if you can get them out. If you have to remove any material to get them out, I would consider making new ones.”

ILLUSTRATION BY GARY COX

BRADY LANE

More comments followed—some helpful, some contradictory. “Toss the ribs,” one wrote. Others lobbied to keep them. You will “worry and regret using them,” another wrote. After a dozen more opinions, Rob thanked the group but remained confused. “If I have to throw about $1000.00 and 80+ hrs of work down the drain, I’ll probably call it quits on scratch building,” he wrote. Thankfully before he did that, Rob called up a local EAA technical counselor to examine his parts in person. Rob was in much higher spirits as he posted his next update reporting the technical counselor gave his ribs a “clean bill of health” to proceed forward and wasn’t concerned at all with the scratches. A couple congratulatory responses followed, then a builder who had previously remained quiet spoke up. I’ve never met this man, but I presume by his counsel he is a gray-haired, and by that I mean wise and experienced, teacher. He encouraged Rob to “enlist the technical counselor’s help in ﬁnding support for his blessing in AC-43.13,” and to use that advisory circular as he continued the project. He advised Rob to do that because it was part of his education. In other words, to not only ﬁnd the answer, but to understand and perhaps even learn to judge for himself why that answer was correct. Education is at the core of experimental aircraft, and this single comment reminded me why I’m building—to learn. This man also reminded me of an ancient Berean. THE NOBLE BEREANS

In the ﬁrst century, a group of Jews from Berea were commended for testing what they were being told by a traveling preacher. Did this offend the preacher speaking to them? Not at all; instead, it impressed him. The writer of the book of Acts records: “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” The counsel of even the most experienced, well-intentioned person needs to be checked, tested, and conﬁrmed. Christians have the

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Bible, judges have the Constitution, but what do we homebuilders have to test advice against? What can we rely on as proven homebuilding techniques and practices?

accepted theory and techniques, any instructions in your plans should have the ﬁnal word. A HEALTHY HOMEBUILDER

THE HOMEBUILDING CANON

Just as the early saints gathered to canonize the Christian scriptures, I assembled some of the best homebuilding gurus at EAA (who by no means claim to be saints) to canonize a list of trusted and reliable resources for homebuilders. It’s interesting to note that the word ,” “canon” comes from the Greek “ meaning “rule” or “measuring stick.” An appropriate concept for builders who want to “measure twice.” The following resources are not exhaustive, divinely inspired, or inherent, but will serve any builder well to reference regularly. • FAA AC-43.13-1B/2A—An FAA publication detailing the methods, techniques, and practices accepted by the FAA. It was written as a guide for repairing and inspecting certiﬁcated aircraft, but since the same methods are used by homebuilders, this is a great resource. Many of the folks acknowledged in the opening credits are longtime EAA members, including Ray Stits, who founded EAA Chapter 1. Some call it a miracle the government published such a helpful book, but let’s call it our Old Testament. • Tony Bingelis’ four books: Sportplane Construction Techniques, Firewall Forward, Tony Bingelis on Engines, and The Sportplane Builder—These are our gospels. Good, enjoyable reads with great insight and instruction for the practical homebuilder. Keep these books on your nightstand. • EAA’s How-To Series—Sheet Metal Building Basics by Jack Dueck, Aircraft Building Techniques: Wood, Aircraft Building Techniques: Welding, and Welder’s Handbook by Richard Finch • Understanding Aircraft Composite Construction, Zeke Smith • Your aircraft plans—The plans speciﬁc to your aircraft are your most authoritative source of information. While the resources above explain industry-

A healthy homebuilder is one who lives like the Bereans—one who eagerly receives advice from others in the community, but also tests that counsel against published, accepted principles and independent, objective sources. The “Homebuilding Canon” listed above doesn’t speak to every situation you’ll encounter in the workshop, and that’s why we need online forums and gray-haired experienced builders to come alongside and teach us. Their experience is priceless, and the “rules of thumb” they share are invaluable. However, in order to discern good advice from bad, we must be familiar with what the industry has already blessed or at least have other objective, independent facts to test it against. We should never take a pastor or a technical counselor’s word for it, not because they are wrong, but because there is more to learn. We are building experimental aircraft because, among other reasons, we desire to learn. A good mentor will teach you how to learn. If they can’t reference anything beyond their own thoughts, it may be time to look for another mentor, teacher, or online forum to read. CONFESSION

It’s easy to rely too much on the instant help of online forums and neglect the counsel of trusted texts. I write as one who is guilty. So just as I tote my Bible to church each week, it’s time for me to dust off those old homebuilding scriptures and keep them nearby when working in the shop, troubleshooting problems and especially when evaluating other builders’ advice. After all, a little more bible reading would serve us all well—but don’t take my word for it. Brady Lane, EAA 808095, is a multimedia journalist for EAA and a private pilot who is scratchbuilding a Bearhawk. Contact Brady at blane@eaa.org.

LAURAN PAINE JR. COMMENTARY / PLANE TALK

Take Off Clean Winter operations BY LAURAN PAINE JR.

BEING AROUND SO MANY facets of aviation for so long—I’m old!—I have a lot of wonderful memories from those years. But today it is winter, and I’m looking out the window at snow and wind and a thermometer that says -12°F. That conjures up aviation memories of a different sort. My first wintry aviation experience was at the FBO where I learned to fly in 1965. I came in on schedule to fly, and the CFI said, “Not today. Frost on the airplanes.” I grew up on a ranch; frost on equipment was no big deal. I guess he noticed my quizzical look because he added, “The lifting surfaces gotta be clean for air to flow over them smoothly. Ya gotta take off clean.” In those days you listened to your elders, so when a graybeard CFI spoke, you listened. His advice that day turned out to be very good. I went to U.S. Air Force pilot training in Texas. It got cold there, but seldom freezing-rain-or-snow-type cold. On the rare occasions that it did, we didn’t fly. I think we had more weather groundings because of dust storms than snow. Also, the trainers we flew had precious little de-ice equipment, generally just a heated pitot tube. Those airplanes were for training, not transport. Oh, we flew in the clouds, for sure, but not the nasty stuff. It was our job first to learn to fly; later we learned to fly in the nasty weather (in airplanes that were equipped for it). It was a good concept.

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During the Cold War, flying KC-135s, one of the places we “sat alert” was Goose Bay, Labrador. In the winter, that place defines cold. And snow. It was the first place I’d ever been that had automobile parking places with electric plugs so you could plug in your engine block heater. It was also the first place I saw AstroTurf. There were squares of it on the golf course; those were the “greens.” It was a lot to absorb for a kid not far removed from a cattle ranch. At Goose Bay it was our job, if the klaxon went off, to launch—no matter the weather— and refuel the bombers en route to their targets. When on alert and after snowstorms, we’d go out and throw a rope over the wing and, with a crew member on each end of the rope, pull the rope back and forth and “saw” our way under the snow and across the wings and then the tail. As you can imagine, that was lots of fun. It was our theory that the snow, loosened, would

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK

perhaps blow off during takeoff. Need I mention that the rules are a lot different in wartime? We never had to actually launch under those conditions, so we never really put our theory to the test. That was probably a good thing. Again at Goose Bay, we left the engine plugs in during the bad weather days. It was the crew’s job to remove the plugs during the alert engine start. During one practice alert, we all ran out, and we pilots scrambled into the cockpit and began engine start procedures (you were graded on how long it took): fire the cartridge in No. 4, take No. 4 up to 90 percent, then start the other three engines simultaneously using No. 4 bleed air. The boom operator and crew chief were on the interphone from outside saying, “We can’t get the No. 1 and No. 2 aft plugs out!” We told them, “Never mind! Duck and get out of the way and get on board!” We blew those two plugs out; I think we blew them all the way to Greenland. Never did find them. Like I said, different rules. In Korea in the early ’70s, flying the venerable C-47, “de-ice” was done mostly by broom. Yeah, over there, we were a little cavalier at times. After all, we often said, “You could strap sand bags on the wings of a Goon [the airplane’s nickname] and it’d still fly.” That airplane, given its storied bloodline, had a reputation for being tough as nails. And it was! Still, we weren’t so stupid as to take off unless the wings and tail were pretty darn clean. We seldom had to be anywhere, so cancellations were merely rescheduled. Different times, folks. Don’t try this stuff at home. Off military active duty, I was flying Navajos for a Part 135 operation. It was our job to get boxes and people to where they paid us to take them. De-icing the Navajo—which fell to me as the junior, new-hire pilot—was first to broom the snow off. Then I took a bucket of de-ice fluid and a mop and scrub brush and finished the job. Cold fingers and toes were very much a part

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of the procedure. Of course, you always spilled a little de-ice fluid on your trousers and such. So when you finally climbed into the cockpit, you didn’t just look like you had de-iced the airplane, you smelled like it, too. Lots of fun! Funny, I never really thought of any of the above as “bad.” It was just something you had to do. It’s during these times that really loving aviation helps; it’d be harder to do if you were not really committed to it. I rather viewed it all as a challenge. It was fun to make the airplane useful in lousy conditions. Still flying Navajos, I remember one ice storm—had never seen anything like it before and haven’t since—that deposited about three inches of solid ice on the airplanes. No way you could even open the door! Nor could we open the hangar door to get to the airplanes that were in the hangar. One pilot got a rubber mallet and began pounding on an airplane in an effort to break the ice. One mechanic took

great exception to that methodology. They ended up discussing each other’s family heritage in blunt detail. But they never came to blows because they would have had to take off their jackets, and it was too cold for that. In the National Guard, we used the dripdry method: Pull the airplane in the hangar and let the snow and ice melt. Again, in peacetime, we seldom had to be anywhere so delays were no big deal. In fact, sometimes a delay meant receiving another day’s pay. The National Guard OV-1, like the C-47 and the Navajo, had de-ice boots for use in the air. I subscribed to the philosophy that de-ice boots were more placebo than practical devices. In certain conditions they were okay, but in serious ice, they were not. My personal strategy was if you’re in icing conditions, get out. On to airline jets now and the heated wing, the greatest invention since the wheel. In the air and in icing conditions, ﬂip the

anti-ice switch and poof! the ice disappears. I don’t care who you are, that’s just neater’n sliced bread! “Hot wing” or no, you still have to take off clean. Early in jets, ground crews (flight crews were now physically off the de-icing hook) “broomed” the wings and tail and then sprayed de-ice fluid from garden-type sprayers. That worked reasonably well as long as the pilot and ground crew could come to agreement on what “clean” meant. Later came the big de-ice trucks with the hydraulic lift buckets and such. They could slather you up real good with de-ice fluid. Then it was just a matter of getting airborne before the stuff wore off. Some locations were better than others for de-icing. The places that don’t really get or expect much snow quickly became quagmires when snow happened. But Calgary and Edmonton, up Canada way, I think those guys and gals learned how to de-ice

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airplanes in kindergarten. They were amazingly efficient and good; it was de-ice poetry in motion. Later, newer and better de-ice fluids came along. Some inventor, taking a hint from Ghostbusters, created a fluid that was slime-like. Once applied, it lasted a lot longer than the old fluids; it gave crews more time to get off the ground after applications, which helped a lot when you were number seven in line and it was still snowing. Of course, with the new fluids came new procedures. My last operations manual had upward of 80 pages devoted to de-ice procedures; it was up to the flight crews to decode them. (The feds love paper; if it’s long, it’s got to be good, right?) There were strict times that had to be adhered to after de-ice application, depending on the type of fluid used and existing conditions; a trained person other than flight crew was also involved in the approval process, and so on. We crews

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE CUKIERSKI

pretty much boiled down those 80 pages to, “Take off clean.” So, speaking full-circle now, those 80 pages of company de-ice procedures actually didn’t offer me much more than my graybeard CFI did in 1965, “The lifting surfaces gotta be clean for air to flow over them smoothly. Ya gotta take off clean.” Sure, times are different now and the airplanes are more complex, but the basics are often very much the same. Sometimes the old lessons are the best lessons. Today, nasty and windy and cold, my little airplane is tucked in the hangar, all clean and dry. And it will stay there until conditions improve. Such is my operations manual in retirement. No flying today. I wrote you instead. Lauran Paine Jr., EAA 582274, is a retired military pilot and retired airline pilot. He built and flies an RV-8 and has owned a Stearman and a Champ. Learn more about Lauran at his website, www.ThunderBumper.com.

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JEFF SKILES COMMENTARY / CONTRAILS

Paul BY JEFF SKILES

I INTENTIONALLY WAITED to pen this column. I wanted to let a few months pass and allow the dust to settle. I wished that the accolades of a life well spent would be celebrated and that the glowing words of praise would be absorbed and reﬂected upon by the hundreds of thousands who knew him. I wanted to make sense of my own memories of Paul before conveying them here. But now that time has come. Paul was an ever-present force at EAA, the founder, the leader of leaders, a one-man representation of all that makes EAA great. Paul was a warbird flier, a homebuilder and aircraft designer, a restorer of antiques, an air show performer, and an embodiment of the spirit of light-sport aircraft and ultralights in his homebuilt designs and even his very aeronautical beginnings flying his Waco glider. In support of all of this, Paul could often be found touring the grounds at AirVenture in his Volkswagon, Red One. He wanted to be out among the EAA members and chapter leaders who together have built EAA into what it is today. Paul was always happy to take the time to talk to whoever might want to stop and chat with him. I can remember sitting with him under a tree near the Theater in the Woods. We talked of how people always want a picture but never seem to know how to use their cameras. They’ll waste precious

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moments ﬁddling with gizmos to get an image they will never use instead of just talking to you and creating a more vibrant and lasting memory. And, of course, one photo only invites more as surrounding people are emboldened to the idea, and then, Paul said, “But what are you going to do?” As if to prove the point, a group of people saw him and came over to ask for a picture; he dutifully hoisted himself out of his seat for a photo op while, as if on cue, they just couldn’t seem to get their cameras to do what they needed them to. I liked to watch Paul interact with people. Paul’s greatest gift was with people, his people, the EAA faithful. If I had to name one quality in Paul that made him special it would be that he treated everyone the same. Whether you were famous, highborn, or crawled your way up from poverty as he did, you were all as one in Paul’s eyes. Every

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRADY LANE

person who came before him was worthy of his time and interest. Growing up in Wisconsin I, of course, knew of Paul Poberezny, but I didn’t get to know him as a man until his last years of life. My memories of Paul are personal and varied. I remember talking to him on the main showcase ramp while waiting for the arrival of the Airbus A380 in 2009. He was sitting in Red One, and I was kneeling on the ramp by his side trying to hear him over the din of jet engines. He, as always, was talking about that which was most important to him, his chapters and the volunteers who made AirVenture a reflection of themselves. Actually, Paul never used the term AirVenture as others do, as if AirVenture was an entity unto itself. Paul always called it “convention,” putting it in its rightful place in the order of EAA. The annual celebration of EAA members’ year-round innovation and accomplishment. In that view as in all things, Paul was right. I remember meeting with Paul in Champaign, Illinois. I had flown my Waco there for Rudy Frasca’s annual fly-in. For those of you who are not from the Midwest, that was Paul’s fly-in in his later years. Rudy Frasca and his sons were close friends, and Paul had donated a couple of his completed airplane restoration projects, a PT-22 and a very early Fairchild 24 to be exact, to the Frasca Museum. As I found a parking spot on the grass, my propeller had hardly ticked to a stop before Paul came driving up in his golf cart to talk. I don’t remember what the conversation entailed, but it must have been significant because shortly afterward Tom Frasca, Rudy’s son, came up to me and said that Paul would like me to fly his airplanes. It was phrased more as a command than an offer. When I said that it really wasn’t necessary, Tom became a little more forthright and told me that it would be easier on everybody if I did what Paul wished. I got the message, and soon I was climbing in the Fairchild with Mike Hoy, Paul’s grandson by marriage. Mike is a very accomplished homebuilder and pilot in his own right. The flights in Paul’s aircraft were novel for me because I have very little experience with opencockpit aircraft. The PT-22 in particular is certainly a rich way to view the world. We could feel the wind on our cheeks and smell the hot engine up ahead pulling us through the sky. With Mike’s tutelage, I even managed to make a passable landing on

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JEFF SKILES

the grass in front of the crowd. Since the announcer was making a big deal about the ﬂight, no one was more surprised and relieved than I. Paul seemed to be waiting for this moment, and as we came to a stop he climbed onto the wing of the PT-22 beside me. He wanted to talk about his time as a training pilot during World War II in these very aircraft. Paul didn’t go overseas in World War II, rather he trained those who did. In Arkansas I believe. I remember him telling me that after the war a P-51 could be had for $1,500, a T-6 for $800, and this humble PT-22 for a mere $500. “But,” he went on, “who had $500?” Our contact continued infrequently until a couple of years ago when I began working for EAA. I was in a meeting when Paul ﬁrst called me. He wanted to talk about something to do with the museum, for which I had only recently taken responsibility. I

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decided this might go better face to face and asked to come and see him. Given the fact that he was Paul, I left the meeting and headed off as if this were a papal appointment. I should have asked someone where Paul’s office was located first. Paul expected punctuality. If you had a meeting scheduled with him at 10 a.m., he was calling to see where you were at by 10:01! It took me awhile to find it, and sure enough, when I finally appeared I was greeted with a gruff, “You’re late.” Paul’s office wasn’t in the headquarters complex at all; it was on the grounds located among the warren of small buildings down around the Red Barn. It was a grand office befitting someone of Paul’s stature. If a room could reflect the man, this one did. When you entered the vestibule, the first order was to sign his appointment book. It was carefully placed on a counter right by the door with a pen ready at hand. Everyone who

visited Paul signed in. The cleaning lady signed in. His occasional secretary Renee Elliott signed in. Paul himself signed in and out of the office every day. Paul’s office was large, with a conference table, a sitting area with sofa and chairs arranged before a ﬁreplace, and his desk in the corner. Certainly the office and entry were every bit as big as the entire house that I grew up in, but at the same time, it was very simple, and the desk spoke volumes about Paul. It was of good size, but it was made from common plywood with a Formica kitchen top. It was the perfect desk for a man like Paul: larger than life, yet down to earth, reﬂecting a man who had accomplished great things and yet in so doing managed to preserve who he was and where he came from. The walls of his office were covered with photographs of him and Audrey with important people—President Ford, John Denver,

Sen. Goldwater, and many, many more. These photographs served as a history, a chronicle of those who have made the pilgrimage to the mecca of aviation, but his desk was where the important photographs were kept. Scattered on top were various photographs from his Air National Guard career, the very latest snapshots of his beloved great granddaughter, “Charley-Girl,” and prominently in the center of the desk, facing visitors, a bible. Paul was a man of his era, strong and forthright. No nonsense, with little patience for office politics. Paul liked hard work and building things of substance, whether they were an airplane or an organization. But of course, Paul particularly liked to build aircraft, and he built right to the end. As he often said, homebuilding was about utilizing hand and mind, and he used both to great advantage. I began to come down once week just to sit and spend time with Paul, to hear about

the early days and learn from Paul’s insight. Maybe it’s just because Paul and I thought exactly alike, but I found his firm belief in members, chapters, and the bedrock purpose of EAA reassuring at a challenging time for the organization. Paul’s greatest skill, however, wasn’t in flying or in the designing and building of airplanes. Paul’s greatest skill was in understanding EAA members and the organization that he created. Paul knew that EAA isn’t a thing, but a movement. Paul understood that every EAA member has a voice and that leadership doesn’t occur by going your own way. True leadership only occurs by bringing people along with you and giving them responsibility and ownership. As he often said, “EAA’s not about the airplanes, it’s about the people.” EAA grew out of that first meeting at Milwaukee’s Curtiss-Wright Field in 1953. At first it was run by Paul and Audrey from their

basement office, and the first editions of Experimenter were mailed from his over-large mailbox. When their mailbox couldn’t hold any more, they loaded up a neighbor’s mailbox, and then more mailboxes up and down the street. A humble beginning for sure, and yet Paul’s gift with people has built EAA into an international aviation organization. Today 182,000 aviation enthusiasts count themselves as members, and more than 1 million people have at one time or another held an EAA membership card in their wallets, an unbelievable legacy. Paul’s genius was in building EAA to be not “his,” but “ours,” and that is why it will continue and become even greater as we move forward, with Paul’s guidance firmly in our memory. We’ll miss you Paul, but we’ll make you proud! Jeff Skiles, EAA 336120, is EAA vice president of communities and member programs. Contact Jeff at jskiles@eaa.org.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA AMBATS

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“I wanted a fast, exceptional, and safe airplane,” Jerry said. Having built all of or part of four previous aircraft—a Formula One Owl Racer, Genesis sailplane, RV-6, and Glasair III Turbine—he had a good background for building a truly great airplane. “I was looking for a project as I approached 63 years young,” he said. “I have always built stuff my whole life as it is who I am. I’m a pilot/gearhead, not a golfer. My wife, Debbie, and I decided upon the mission proﬁle requirement for the next airplane project. We wanted a safe, fast, and efficient cross-country aircraft.” The Mercers narrowed the likely candidates for their particular mission proﬁle down to the Glasair III, Lancair Legacy, SX300, and the Questair Venture. According to Jerry all the aircraft on the short list had their share of serious issues based on multiple accident and incident reports. “After reviewing the above and having many conversations over a six-month period, we choose the Venture for the following reasons,” Jerry said. “First, the design team of Ed MacDonough, Jim Griswold, Doug Griswold, and the engineering test

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pilot Rich Gritter represented over 140-plus years of aircraft design experience. Second, the V-speeds, ratios, and drag coefficients are second to none. I like what Jim Griswold said, ‘I guess the really fun thing we have done is combining a World War II fighter envelope with a Bonanza airport envelope.’ Third, I wanted a metal airplane, as plastic airplanes have static and grounding issues that I find more than problematic.” So what was wrong with the Venture? Based on Jerry’s findings, the landing gear system and how it was maintained and operated. GOING RETRACTABLE

According to Jerry, there were 105 Venture kits produced in the late 1980s into the early ’90s. Jerry looked at a number of completed Ventures, but they were not up to his standards. After searching high and low, he located a ﬁxed-gear Venture project called the Questair Spirit in Florida. The Spirit was a limited production of 10 Ventures with ﬁxed gear. “I liked what I saw and purchased the airframe,” Jerry said. “We were living in Hurricane, Utah, at the time, and we knew

the resources that we were going to need to build a super airplane would be found elsewhere. Larry Woods suggested I contact Dan Gray of Aviation F/X in Santa Paula, California.” Jerry suggested to his wife that they take a look. Dan was a previous owner and builder of the Venture and had an active aircraft build facility. It was just what Jerry was looking for. “I picked up the fixedgeared Venture in a U-Haul and drove cross-country to California,” Jerry said. “When I arrived in Santa Paula I met an exceptional young man named Kelly Vogel. I soon found out that Kelly was an extraordinary fabricator and had been working in Dan’s shop for the last 10 years. I would be working with Kelly and Dan shoulder to shoulder five days a week for the next 16 months to first flight and beyond.” The first order of business was to remove the old landing gear system and install a new, yet to be designed, hydraulic retractable landing gear system—Jerry’s greatest challenge. A rotisserie allowed us to work more conveniently and efficiently. “Also at this time I verified or replaced existing fasteners

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA AMBATS

and added a number of doublers, stiffeners, bearings, bushing, and bosses where I thought we could improve or strengthen structures and assemblies, all the while increasing reliability and reducing ongoing maintenance,” Jerry said. At first glance the landing gear system on a Venture looks very complex and suspicious as to its reliability and soundness. According to Jerry, the accident records and incidents suggested he needed to look at this concern more closely. Looking into it more, Jerry found some issues. Final development of the air/oil ratio orifice in the main landing gear oleos did not occur until 2006, some 18 years after the first kits became available. Jerry credits Larry Woods and Jim Griswold for this most important modification and improvement. The nose wheel had too much caster and no meaningful shimmy dampener. There was also improper servicing of the air/oil ratio (too much air) in the main landing gear oleos. Jerry personally felt a change to an electro-hydraulic gear system would be superior to the original design,

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JERRY MERCER

JERRY LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF COMPLETED VENTURES, BUT THEY WERE NOT UP TO HIS STANDARDS. AFTER SEARCHING HIGH AND LOW, HE LOCATED A FIXED-GEAR VENTURE PROJECT CALLED THE QUESTAIR SPIRIT IN FLORIDA. which was an electro-mechanical wormer gear arrangement. Some original landing gear part designs were good but could be made better. He eliminated the original steering system and installed hydraulic nose wheel steering via a cockpit-controlled rocker switch. The pilot in command position was moved to the “right side” for better lateral stability as the batteries were on the left side, with P-factor and torque bias to the left. The flaps were interconnected to the gear switch, i.e., gear up, flaps up, gear down, flaps down. Based on Jerry’s flying experience, this is problematic under a number of conditions. “Installing the landing gear tunnel for the retraction mechanism was a major

ordeal as this was one of the ﬁrst items normally built into the Venture, not the last,” Jerry said. “The landing gear system that we eventually came up with was an electrohydraulic pump, which concurrently pressurizes the nose and main hydraulic cylinders. Downside pressure is 1200 psi, and upside pressure is 1500 psi. For the up-lock mechanism we used 160-pound parallelpole-rated electro magnets for the front and rear gear assemblies. The magnetic ﬁeld is energized when the gear selector switch is selected to the ‘up’ position.” Additionally, for a backup Jerry installed a wobble pump with a reservoir, which is also used as a catch can. For a third downside system he used the original Questair Venture gas spring system;

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however, he did upsize the values a bit over the original specs. “The gear pressure switches and threaded adjustment on the gear assembly took a while to get just right. The gear motor/pump pressure switches and relays are mounted under the left seat, and the nose wheel steering motor/pump are under the right seat. We cycled the gear assembly over 200 times before ﬁrst ﬂight. I rebuilt the landing gear oleos using four quad seals per gear leg—thanks, Mike Dacey—and they have performed perfectly. To date, with over 200 airborne cycles, the gear system has been outstanding.” MAKING IT EVEN BETTER

Jerry’s mantra for this project was to make the original Venture design even better. “First off I wanted to improve the look and efficiency of the nose bowl area of the original Venture,” Jerry said. “I chose the Hartzell three-blade Legacy prop as its performance is legendary. A walk around the Sport Class pits at the Reno air races conﬁrmed my choice. The Legacy prop and hub are 3 inches longer than the standard

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McCauley and weigh 28 pounds more. I also used a 16-inch spinner to improve flow and appearance. All of these issues have worked to a design advantage. First, I wanted a ram air system with a filter. The extra 3 inches permitted for a better intake tunnel diffuser and provide room for an alternate air door for the K&N filter. Second, I wanted more fuel, and the easiest way for me to add fuel, as the wings were already sealed, was to add a trunk tank. The 28 pounds on the nose allows us to fly with my wife and myself with 90 pounds of bags and full wing—52 gallons—and trunk—12 gallons—fuel within CG and no issues.” To get the proper nose shape needed, Jerry cut off the old and formed a new one to accommodate the new spinner and prop location. The shape was created by connecting tangent lines with a little bit of artistic license. The new fiberglass nose bowl was attached to the old metal cowling with a butt joint and doubler underneath using Hysol adhesive and counter-sunk rivets. Jerry used a scribe line on the outer surface as he had different materials to address dissimilar expansion rates.

“I had the IO-550 TCM engine overhauled even though the engine had just three hours since major overhaul two years earlier,” he said. “I wanted a balanced and flowed engine. After looking at a number of shops I choose Eagle Engines in Redding, California. We also changed pistons to 9.5s and added dual Light Speed ignition. We also have a fiberglass pressure plenum for superior engine cooling. I estimate that with all of the above and ram air on we are easily 350-plus hp WOT at sea level.” Jim Cook of Palm Beach Avionics built the beautiful Garmin G3X panel, and Jerry’s good friend and childhood buddy John Doig helped him wire the panel to the airplane. After beating on his airplane project for 16 months “making the parts happy,” Jerry was fast approaching the first flight. The flight was as advertised, and expanding the flight envelope over the next 156 hours before paint was one of the greatest joys of Jerry’s life. What an airplane! FLYING THE VENTURE

According to Jerry, the preﬂight actually begins as a post-ﬂight. “I want to observe

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA AMBATS

and correct any discrepancies,” he said. “Upon start-up I want to immediately idle the engine at 1100 rpm, as this is the rpm necessary for splash lubrication of the engine. Additionally we reset the fuel counter and select fullest tank and position trims. My Venture does not require an electric fuel pump for takeoff. With all annunciator lights extinguished and full selector and trim verified, we are ready for flight.” As a general rule, Jerry only uses flaps for takeoff and landing when winds are less

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JERRY MERCER

than 15 knots and there’s less than 30 degrees’ crosswind, as the ﬂaperons inhibit good aileron control. “Maximum performance takeoff can be best described as aggressively quick. It is kind of like going through the gears in a ’67 427 Vette; it shakes, it’s loud, and it’s fast!” he said. Jerry slowly applies power to the Venture and warns that you will end up in the weeds if you don’t respect the rocketlike performance!

“I steer with the rocker switch and rudder moderately accelerating to 35 or 40 knots as the rudder becomes aerodynamically effective, only then can you add full power. We accelerate to VR around 72 to 74 knots in a couple of seconds,” he said. “I’m now pretty much on the gauges as I’m trying to hold airspeed below 90 knots for gear retraction in the climb. I’m also making sure the gear motor has stopped its gear-up sequence by observing the amperage load. Once the gear is stowed we then push over as the deck angle is steep, so prior to takeoff, traffic observance is a must.” According to Jerry, initial rates of climb depending on weight, altitude, and temperature will vary between 2,000 and 3,000 fpm. The Venture will quickly transition to a cruise climb speed of 215 to 235 knots true airspeed at 1,000 fpm from sea level to typical cruising altitudes of 10,000 to 14,500 feet with speeds of 250 to 255 knots true airspeed. “These speeds provide good cooling and visibility. I transition to unﬁltered ram air once I’m in ‘clean air.’ With the ram air on at sea level I’m running around 32.7

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inches of manifold pressure at 280 knots true airspeed.” The Venture’s designed aircraft structural limits are +5/-2.5g’s at 2,000 pounds and +6/-3g’s at 1,650 pounds gross weight. “My maximum demonstrated aircraft gross weight is 2,300 pounds at 4.3g’s, which I did during ﬂight envelope expansion. I wanted any structural issues revealed, and I wanted to know what we had for an airframe. I always ﬂy the Venture as if I were dancing with an elegant lady doing the waltz. Maneuvers that I have demonstrated at 2,000 pounds or less are rolls, hesitation rolls, and Cuban-eights or, as the original Venture test pilot Rich Gritter would say, ‘gentleman’s aerobatics.’ I mostly do rolling maneuvers as I want to avoid fuel leaks in the wings as the 0.032 wet wing is prone to leaks if subjected to repeated looping environments. As an aside, the only additional structural change I would make beyond the above comments, if I were starting over, would be to go with 0.036 or 0.040 dimpled wing skins.” As Jerry sets up for landing, it requires a little planning because the Venture is

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“IT IS KIND OF LIKE GOING THROUGH THE GEARS IN A ’67 427 VETTE; IT SHAKES, IT’S LOUD, AND IT’S FAST!” covering 5 miles a minute on its approach to the airport environment. “The descent profile that I run starts with reducing prop rpm from 2500 to 24502400-2350. This reduces piston ring flutter and helps maintain cylinder pressure. Gradually reducing manifold as necessary to something like 12 to 15 inches of manifold pressure within 5 miles of the pattern entry where we have the option of deploying flaps and gear at 170 knots. I personally use 130 knots as a gear speed abeam the touchdown zone as it is simply more comfortable aerodynamically and mechanically. I fly a high downwind as my three-bladed Venture’s low-key position requires 1,300 feet of altitude in the event of engine failure with gear down and no flaps. The extension

of landing gear approximately quadruples the airframe drag of 1.46 square feet, which changes the roughly 11-to-1 L/D to 3-to-1. I use 105 to 110 knots on base and slowing to 90 to 95 knots on ﬁnal, which facilitates visibility. Touchdown occurs around 75 to 78 knots.” For Jerry it has been an honor to make this airplane a little bit better. “A special thanks to the Venture builders group, and especially Larry Woods and Jim Cook, for without their encouragement and help this project would not have been possible. Thank you Debbie Mercer; what a soul mate I have! This project has been one of the greatest joys of my life and continues to be!” During EAA AirVenture 2013, Jerry and Debbie were awarded a Bronze Lindy for their Questair Venture. Jim Busha, EAA 119684, is an avid pilot and longtime contributor to EAA publications. He is the editor of Warbirds and Vintage Airplane magazines and the owner of a 1943 Aeronca L-3. To see a video by Jessica Ambats of Jerry Mercer’s Questair Venture in ﬂight, visit www.SportAviation.org.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA AMBATS

56 Sport Aviation March Aviation January2014 2010

PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY BYOF TED JERRIE MORRISON MOCK

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Even if you asked aviators—who presumably know that Amelia didn’t complete her flight—who the record-setting woman actually was, and what year she first conquered the world by air, most would have a hard time coming up with the correct answer. And most, including myself, would be a bit stunned to discover that a woman did not conquer the globe by air until 1964—50 years ago this spring. The woman who finally accomplished the feat is, in many ways, as surprising as the length of time it took a woman to get around to doing it. Geraldine “Jerrie” Mock was born just a little too late to fly during World War II, had her first of three children at the age of 21, and was engrossed full-time as what we now call a “stay at home mom,” but in 1964 was called a “housewife,” when she made her record flight. The Cessna 180 she used for her world flight wasn’t her first airplane; she’d learned to fly in a Tri-Pacer, and she and her husband Russ had owned a 1953 Luscombe before buying a half-ownership in the Cessna 180. But she was still a relatively inexperienced pilot. The ink on her instrument rating wasn’t even dry when she set out on her world flight, and her first solo encounter into instrument conditions was in ice-filled clouds over the North Atlantic, on her way to the Azores. She also didn’t set out to set a record, or to be the first woman to do anything. She just wanted to see the world, and using her own airplane to do it seemed like a good way to get to some of those exotic, remote places. It wasn’t until she started researching routes and requirements for flying around the world that she discovered no woman had ever done it. And yet, if you talk to her for a while, the fact that she took on the challenge of a world record flight, and the fact that she succeeded, begin to make a lot more sense. Jerrie Mock was born in Newark, Ohio, in 1925—a year after two Douglas Cruisers, piloted by Army Air Corps pilots, completed the very first circumnavigation of the world by air. She had her first airplane flight seven years later, in a Ford Tri-Motor. “I got out of the plane and told my parents that when I grew up, I was going to be a pilot,” she says with a determined smile. Then, when Amelia Earhart began her illfated 1937 world flight attempt, Jerrie—age

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11—announced to her friends that when she was old enough, she was going to ﬂy her own airplane around the world. “I had a geography book I used to look at,” she says, “and it made me want to see other countries. I wanted to see the ocean, and the desert, and elephants in the jungle, and I wanted to do all those things. I was going to ﬂy my own airplane, to all of those countries, to see the elephants and all the things like that. I was 11 years old, and that was for me.” That determination endured, even as she grew. One of the reasons she says she fell in love with her husband, in her high school algebra class, was because she found out he’d already soloed an airplane. After high school, Jerrie then attended Ohio State University for a time, starting out as an

“I WAS NEVER LIKE THE WOMEN BACK THEN,” SHE SAYS WITH A BIT OF AN EDGE TO HER VOICE. “AMELIA WAS MY HERO! WHO WANTS A LIFE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE’S LIFE?” engineering major. Her parents insisted she work half-time at school, however, which made an engineering major difficult. And then she got married and had two kids within two years, which ended her college career. But even then, she says, she’d take the kids in a baby buggy to the local library and take out books on all the faraway places she still wanted to see. “I was never like the women back then,” she says with a bit of an edge to her voice. “Amelia was my hero! Who wants a life like everybody else’s life?” With a young family, adventure and flying had to take a back seat for a few years. But when she was 30, Jerrie and her husband both learned to fly and bought the Luscombe, which they nicknamed Tweety Bird. In 1962, the Mocks sold the Luscombe and bought half of a 1953 Cessna 180, in partnership with a friend. The friend had no

idea, when he bought into the Cessna, how very little time he would ever get to spend in it. But about that time, Jerrie found herself with two teenagers who were able to take care of themselves, and a 2-year-old who could still be fairly easily handled by a babysitter. She was bored, and she was restless. “I was just bored of flying around Ohio, and I think my husband was tired of hearing me complain about it. So one day, he said, ‘Well, why don’t you fly somewhere then?’ I said, ‘Like where?’ And he said, ‘Oh, I don’t know. Why don’t you fly around the world?’” It might have been a joke born out of frustration. But it was also the one thing Jerrie had always wanted to do. So the notion took hold. Why not fly around the world? She only had about 500 hours of flight time, but she now had an airplane capable of doing a global flight. It was only as she began researching what such a trip would take that she discovered, much to her stunned surprise, that no woman had ever done it before. As soon as she told her husband that, Russ—who was a professional public relations man—jumped on board. “‘Well, now you are going to do it!’” she says he exclaimed. Having the support of her husband was certainly a plus, but the discovery that there was a significant aviation “first” to be had, if she went about it right, transformed the trip from a sightseeing adventure to something far more focused and serious. In short order, Russ had a whole contingent of sponsors lined up, topped by the local Columbus, Ohio, newspaper, The Columbus Dispatch. With a record on the line, there was also a sudden need for secrecy. After all, there were plenty of women who’d flown during WWII and who had the skills, the planes, and the financial resources to do the flight. Why they hadn’t already gotten around to it is still a mystery to Jerrie. But someone else could easily beat her to it, if word got out she was making an attempt on the record. And Jerrie needed a window of time to get prepared—including getting an instrument rating, which she didn’t have when she began planning the world flight. She got an instructor and discreetly worked on her instrument rating while she plotted out each and every leg of her trip, calling or visiting the consulate of every

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JERRIE MOCK

country she might need to fly over, or land in if she had a problem, to get the appropriate visas and permissions. Meanwhile, Jerrie had to get the Cessna modified for the flight. Several of her legs were going to last 12 hours or more, so she had custom fuel tanks fitted into the cockpit. When the unit was finally installed, there was barely room for the pilot. Her charts and one small suitcase had to be squeezed in on top of the fuel tank, and her auxiliary equipment dangled on strings behind the tank. If she needed, say, an oil filler, she had to pull it up using the strings, since her Cessna didn’t have a baggage door. This was also back in the days before GPS, before LORAN, and in the early days of international VOR navigation. So she had some additional navigation and radio equipment put in the plane. She put in dual ADF receivers, an HF radio for communication, and a more accurate Richter carburetor gauge (newly invented), which gave a more accurate reading of carburetor temperature. But while she didn’t have GPS, there were some navigational aids available in 1964 that have long since been decommissioned. On the coasts of the United States, for example, there were still Consolan stations, which had a range of about 1,500 km and gave pilots not only bearing, but also, counting the number and pattern of Morse code-like dots and dashes emitted from the beacon, a gauge on how far they were from the station. Jerrie also notes, in her book Three-Eight Charlie, about the flight, that “in 1964, it was easy to find Honolulu,” because “on the northern tip of Oahu, there was a high powered radio beacon, Kahuku, that reached out over a thousand miles.” Outside the reach of those few stations, however, ocean navigation was going to be a challenge. Unlike the very early world aviators and navigators, she didn’t have a drift sight, and there were few navigational aids in the North Atlantic and eastern Pacific. To try to ensure that navigation was the only thing she had to worry about over the world’s oceans, Jerrie had Continental completely overhaul her stock O-470J 225-hp engine, with the world flight in mind. “I went to Continental and told them what I was going to do,” she explained. “They didn’t save me a penny, but they spent a lot of extra work on that plane. They ran all

Jerrie’s cramped quarters for her world ﬂight. Note the typewriter and one small suitcase in front of her custom-made fuel tanks, and the oil ﬁller dangling from a string on the side.

these special tests [on the engine] to make sure nothing was going to go wrong.” Perhaps because of that attention, Jerrie only had three mechanical problems on her world flight: a starter failure, a burned HF antenna motor (from leaving the motor on inadvertently), and a clogged carburetor from flying through a sandstorm. The engine itself performed flawlessly.

Between the route plotting, the paperwork of permissions and visas, the instrument rating, and the modifications to the airplane, Jerrie spent almost 18 months preparing for the flight. During that time, she stayed in touch with the National Aeronautic Association (the U.S. branch of the FAI, which is the international sanctioning body for record flights). The NAA representative kept reassuring her that there

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were no other inquiries from women about world flights…until January 1964. One day, the NAA representative called Jerrie and told her that a woman in California had requested an application for a sanction for a world flight. This was important, because only one person could have an official sanction from the NAA/ FAI at one time, and a sanction could be held for two to three months. Jerrie had planned to depart on her flight in April, but the news changed everything. “I got on a plane that night and was outside the NAA’s offices before they opened the next morning, with a check in hand, to get the sanction first,” she says with a laugh. But now she had a hard-stop deadline, and preparations kicked into high gear. She moved her departure date up to mid-March and scrambled to get the rest of her paperwork—and her instrument rating—completed. Meanwhile, the other woman who’d inquired about getting a sanction for herself, Joan Merriam Smith, decided to go ahead with her own plans for a world flight. She couldn’t set an official record, but she could still get public credit for the first world flight if she beat Jerrie around. What had begun as an explorer’s quest to see the world had become not only a record attempt, but now a race, as well, with all the attendant pressure. Joan left first, on March 17, 1964, choosing the same southerly route Amelia Earhart had followed. Jerrie departed Columbus, Ohio, on March 19, 1964, on a more direct route, but with longer North Atlantic legs. She flew first to Bermuda, where she burned out her brakes landing in a 40-knot crosswind. She also discovered a 60-degree difference in her two ADF instrument readings and that her HF radio wasn’t connected (despite testing perfectly a few days before takeoff ), so she had no communication for a good portion of that leg. After a weather delay, she continued to the Azores, experiencing not only her first solo IFR conditions, but also her first encounter with icing. Conditions at Santa Maria Island in the Azores were IFR with a 100-foot ceiling. Fortunately, Jerrie was able to drop below the clouds over the ocean, where she could see the airport clearly and land. From Santa Maria, she went on to Casablanca. She’d planned to fly direct to Tunis, Tunisia, from there, but one of the

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other things Jerrie discovered en route was that, unlike in the United States, getting a plane fueled and paperwork filed in exotic places was a frustratingly time-consuming task. In 1964, for example, a weather briefing in North Africa consisted of a custom-made folder for each pilot, with colorful drawings depicting the kinds of clouds predicted along the route, and hand-drawn graphs of temperature, wind, and weather hazards. You had to order a briefing the night before departure, in order to give the technicians time to complete their artwork. Consequently, by the time she was ready to leave Casablanca, she would have arrived in Tunis after dark, and nighttime VFR was not allowed there. And because the IFR route would have put her into icing conditions over the mountains, she had to fly the route VFR. So she landed in Bone, Algeria, instead. From there, she planned to go direct to Cairo, but

there were sandstorms between Libya and Cairo, so she landed in Tripoli, instead. Fortunately, Jerrie had gotten permissions and visas for places like Libya, even though she didn’t plan on stopping there. But reading her account of her trip, it’s clear that the flying really was, as she told one reporter, “the easy part” of the journey. At every stop, she was met by an NAA representative to verify that she had, indeed, landed there. And in some places, she was met and hosted by American diplomats. But in others—like the unplanned stops in Bone and Tripoli—she was on her own. And every stop still had some combination of problems with language barriers, bureaucracy and/or small-minded officials, hostile cultures, militaristic regimes, not having local currency and traveler’s checks not being honored, and the very basic problems of trying to get reliable weather information, food, transport,

WHAT HAD BEGUN AS AN EXPLORER’S QUEST TO SEE THE WORLD HAD BECOME NOT ONLY A RECORD ATTEMPT, BUT NOW A RACE, AS WELL, WITH ALL THE ATTENDANT PRESSURE.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JERRIE MOCK

On Jerrie’s triumphant return to Columbus, she was met by 10,000 people, including Brig. Gen. O.F. Lassiter, chief of the Air Force Command Post at the Pentagon and chief consultant for Jerrie’s ﬂight.

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and—somewhere along the way—enough sleep to continue. As part of her sponsorship deal with The Columbus Dispatch, Jerrie was supposed to be sending stories back from every stop. But the challenges in all those foreign countries of just getting the airplane serviced, permissions and paperwork filed, dealing with weather and route details and restrictions, and getting a few hours’ sleep made filing those stories problematic, even if she could find somewhere to file the story from, which wasn’t always possible. And then there was Russ. More than once along the way, her husband Russ managed to find out where she was staying and called her in the middle of the night to try to get story information or to push her to leave immediately for the next leg. Joan, he kept telling her, was right behind her. It turned out that Joan was actually far behind her, with many more mechanical problems. In the end, even though Joan left two days before Jerrie, she arrived home 24 days after Jerrie completed her own flight. But Jerrie’s frustration at being pushed by a husband who wasn’t on-site, facing the sandstorms and thunderstorms and dealing with the local challenges she was, and who kept waking her up to do that pushing, comes through quite clearly—both in her book, and in conversation with her, 50 years after the fact. “I didn’t worry about it, because we both knew who was in charge,” she told me. “I was. I was going to take off when I darn well felt like it.” Jerrie Mock is barely 5 feet tall. But it’s also very clear, hearing the force in her voice when she talks about things like that, why she was able to pull off a challenge like a solo world flight. In that diminutive body, there is a backbone of steel. From Tripoli, where a British mechanic replaced her starter solenoid (one of the advantages of doing the trip in the early 1960s was that there was still a European presence in most of North Africa), Jerrie ﬂew to Cairo, Egypt, where she spent some time sequestered at a military base, where she landed by mistake, before being allowed to continue. Despite a clear weather report on her next leg, to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, she ended up

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“I DIDN’T WORRY ABOUT IT, BECAUSE WE BOTH KNEW WHO WAS IN CHARGE,” SHE TOLD ME. “I WAS. I WAS GOING TO TAKE OFF WHEN I DARN WELL FELT LIKE IT.” ﬂying through a sandstorm, which caused trouble later with a clogged carburetor, forcing her to run carburetor heat to get an alternate air source on most of the long, overwater leg from Bangkok, Thailand, to Manila, in the Philippines. From Dhahran, she flew first to Karachi, Pakistan, then Delhi and Calcutta in India, and then Bangkok and Manila. In Manila, she had a 100-hour inspection and repair work done to the plane before flying on to Guam, Wake Island, and Honolulu, Hawaii. Her longest leg of the journey— just under 18 hours in length—was from Honolulu to Oakland, California. In some places, hosts packed her a lunch to eat along the way, but on many legs, her sole source of nutrition was food bars (early precursors to energy bars) and water she sipped judiciously from two flasks she carried and refilled only when she could trust the water source. From Oakland, she stopped briefly in Tucson, Arizona, before flying one last, long leg, racing a frontal system the whole way, back to Columbus, Ohio, arriving there 29 days, 11 hours, 59 minutes, and 38 seconds after she’d left on March 19. That time gave her not only the distinction of being the first woman to fly around the world solo, but also a new world speed record. The speed came at a certain price, of course, which—aside from the physical discomfort of keeping a schedule that fast-paced—was the sightseeing and exploration that were the original reasons Jerrie wanted to do the ﬂight. In Cairo, she had a full hour and a half to see both the city and the pyramids. In Thailand, she got into Bangkok too late to do anything more than gaze at the ancient Siamese temples from the outside of closed gates. But still, she says, she got a taste of the different people and cultures of the places she visited, even if it was only a taste.

On a later flight she did in 1969, when she ferried her Cessna 206 from Columbus to its new missionary owners on the island of New Guinea in the South Pacific, and then continued on around the world, she took more time to explore the places she stopped. “In many ways, I learned a lot more on the second trip,” she told me, “because I had more time to look, see people and places, and go into remote areas.” On the other hand, she says, the world flight taught her a whole lot, especially about how much easier general aviation flying was in the United States than it was in other parts of the world. After her return, she served for a time as vice chairman of the Women’s Advisory Committee on Aviation to the FAA, and she remained a strong advocate of keeping GA as free and open as possible. And yet, despite the initial headlines of her achievement, a medal from President Johnson in the White House Rose Garden, a year or two of speeches (to help pay The Columbus Dispatch back for the trip’s expenses), and the acquisition of her airplane by the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, Jerrie Mock’s landmark flight has been all but forgotten by most people. It’s as puzzling a mystery to me as the fact that no other woman had gotten around to doing the flight sometime in the postwar years before 1964. Amelia Earhart didn’t win the first Powder Puff Derby and failed in her world flight attempt, whereas Jerrie Mock succeeded. Amelia may have set 15 records or “firsts,” but Jerrie set 20. And yet Amelia is the legend everyone remembers. What explains that? Was it timing? That in 1964, we’d moved on from our love affair with small airplanes to jets, the space race, television, and Vietnam? Or because of her disappearance? Or was it the particular queen-making skills and connections of George Putnam, Amelia Earhart’s husband? I don’t have an answer.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JERRIE MOCK

But Jerrie Mock, by proving even an everyday housewife could conquer the world, may have done more to encourage women of her era to aim higher than a more glamorous woman could have done. And even if the world has trouble remembering her name, she has her own rewards. There is the satisfaction of her own achievement and, as she puts it, “the thrill of doing it correctly.” But there’s also the accumulated

reward of all she experienced in those momentous 29 days. “Even when things went wrong, I was having fun, because it was an experience,” she says. “I always had conﬁdence that it was going to work out okay. And all those experiences changed my life, in all kinds of ways. I can relate to so many other things in the world, because of all I experienced on that ﬂight.”

In other words, the records may fade, but the rewards of embracing life with an explorer’s courage and passion endure— even half a century after the wheels touch down and the mixture is pulled to idle. Lane Wallace, EAA 650945, has been an aviation columnist, editor, and author for more than 20 years. More of her writing can be found at www.LaneWallace.com and at www.TheAtlantic.com/Lane-Wallace.

President Johnson presented Jerrie with an FAA Gold Medal for Exceptional Service in a White House ceremony after her ﬂight. Her copy of this photo is signed: “To Jerrie Mock - whose hand has rocked the cradle and girdled the globe. Lyndon B. Johnson.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PILOTS N PAWS

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FLYING WITH FAMILY PETS

There are dozens of reasons for bringing the family pet along for the ride. Maybe it’s inconvenient (or just plain expensive) to find a place to park your pooch when you take off for a weekend or a vacation. What if you have a dog or cat that requires your own special brand of TLC? Perhaps you dream of a fishing or hunting trip to a backcountry airstrip, and your favorite retriever is part of the team. Or what if you just prefer having your pet along with you for company? Air show legend Patty Wagstaff regularly flies with her two Jack Russell terriers and a 15-year-old green-cheek conure parrot named Buddah. No, Patty doesn’t bring her menagerie along when she’s performing in her Extra 300 (though Art Scholl used to fly some performances with his canine copilot, Aileron). Patty’s dog-andparrot show does, however, ride along in her 1959 V-tail Bonanza. She has flown all the way from her home in St. Augustine, Florida, to the West Coast with her animal entourage. “Cassidy and Ripley [the 11- and 13-year-old Jack Russells] usually just go to

sleep,” she said. “But Buddah loves to sit on my shoulder and look out the window.” Try doing that in seat 36C on Southwest. Whether it’s a transcontinental flight like Patty’s or just a short hop around the pattern, flying with dogs, cats, parrots, geckos, or any other species of your choice has its own set of concerns. As pilot in command, safety of flight is your top priority. So all measures must be taken to ensure the pet is not a distraction—or worse. Then comes the health, safety, and

comfort of the pet, followed by those of any two-legged passengers who may happen to be on board. Also, consider the convenience of the FBOs you may be visiting. It’s the polite thing to do. STAYING SAFE

Safety concerns start even before the airplane is in sight. It’s vital to ﬁrst ensure the pet is leashed or crated on the airport ramp. Like children, dogs cannot see a spinning propeller, and with a natural

Pilots N Paws pilot Pat Picornell with three of her copilots.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PILOTS N PAWS

Pilots N Paws volunteer Jeﬀ Bennett has more than 2,000 rescue missions to his credit.

instinct to chase things, they can fall victim to tragedy if not properly restrained. Experienced airport dogs know better, and wait until engines are shut down to perform their duties as official greeters. Airport cats usually wouldn’t be bothered with that trivial chore, except maybe lifting an eyelid and yawning as visitors pass by the sunny spot where they’re sleeping. If you stop with your pet at an airport unfamiliar to you, say, as an en route stop, it makes sense to mention your plans when you talk to the FBO ahead of time. You can

Safety ﬁrst on the ramp: Keep pets under control in the danger zone.

even ask if they have a preferred grassy spot for a doggy lavatory. And remember to keep a few disposable doggy bags (the other kind) stashed in your pockets for cleanup. You want to do your part to ensure the FBO will welcome the next canine passenger. Before loading up your pet (especially dogs) for a flight, try to take Fido for a good energetic run. A well-exercised, tuckeredout pup makes for a better passenger. And it’s a good opportunity to ensure that bladders and bowels are properly serviced before flight. As for preflight feeding and watering,

six hours is a good interval for solid food, but withholding water for as little as two hours before ﬂight should be okay. In the case of an older pet, or one with health issues, let him drink whenever he wants. Just be prepared for the consequences. CRATE EXPECTATIONS

If you choose to place your pet in a crate, pick one that is Goldilocks size—not too small, but not too large. A carrier that’s too big could allow the animal to be injured if the ﬂight encounters turbulence. About 1.5 times the length of the pet is about right for the length of the crate. Solid plastic or ﬁberglass is preferable to wire crates, since the solid sides limit the pet’s visibility, reducing stress. They also contain accidents better. Adding some bedding is a good touch—but consider newspaper for a puppy, since youngsters might chew up and swallow a sheet or blanket. To crate or not to crate is an important question. Pilots who fly regular charity rescue flights often prefer to place animals in carriers as a safety precaution, not only to protect themselves, but also their expensive interior. Matt Kiener, founder

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FlyPups.com founder Matt Kiener (left) oﬀers a comforting hand for North Star Foundation companion dog Loki (center), along with the author.

of FlyPups.org, said, “I always put an unknown animal in a carrier. First, it’s for the safety of the flight. But also, upholstery is expensive!” Matt’s hangar at Sky Manor Airport in Pittstown, New Jersey, has a large stack of animal carriers of all sizes. Patty Wagstaff lets her dogs fly loose, but learned early on that seats, tray tables, and parrots must be stowed for takeoff and landing. She said, “Buddah’s fine at altitude. But the relative motion close to the ground must scare him.” She said that one time he got spooked just before landing and flew down under the rudder pedals. “I was afraid I was either going to crush the bird or crash the airplane,” she said. Ever since, Patty’s “sterile cockpit” procedures for takeoffs and landings include coercing Buddah back into his travel cage. As for the dogs, she said, “I open the door to the Bonanza and say, ‘Back,’ and they jump in the rear seat. Usually, they go to sleep.” Patty often takes the dogs along on local flights, even when practicing touch-and-goes. “I sometimes forget they’re even there,” she said.

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If it’s your own pet, you might feel sufficiently confident to allow him to lie on the floor or the back seat. Sporty’s Pilot Shop sells a removable Seat Saver ($49.95) that attaches from the front and rear headrests to protect the aircraft seats. It can also easily slip off for automotive use. They also have Mutt Muffs ($54.95)—a doggy headset that straps around the pet’s ears to protect that legendary canine hearing. Unfortunately, it does not include a microphone for barking back at uncooperative controllers. Whether or not you should restrain your pet in the cockpit is a personal decision. There are specialty harnesses that loop through the seat belts, and one school of thought is that pet passengers deserve the same protection as their human counterparts. But others see restraints as too confining. That is a personal decision, but if there is any doubt about your pet’s behavior once off the ground, it would be wise to err on the side of caution and strap him in. It ought to go without saying that any animal you choose to leave unencumbered should have the basic obedience commands down pat.

TO SEDATE OR NOT

Many passengers who transport their pets on airline flights resort to medical sedation. It might make good sense, given the trauma of separation from familiar faces, darkness, and unfamiliar noise and motion—and that’s just getting to the cargo hold of the airplane. On the plus side, pressurized airliners can be a more hospitable environment than a light airplane at altitude. But for personal flying, most veterinarians give sedation a thumbsdown. The unknown effects of altitude and turbulence are considered too dangerous— especially with older pets. Check with your veterinarian, but in most cases, sedation is not recommended. Speaking of altitude, try to plan for gradual ascents and descents whenever possible. Nonverbal passengers might not be able to tell you they’re suffering from the effects of rapid pressure change. RESCUE FLYING

There is a growing influx of pilots flying rescue missions for dogs, cats, and other

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MARK PHELPS

pets. In many cases, unwanted pets are flown from southern states where spaying and neutering is less prevalent, leading to massive overpopulation. According to one group, 70 percent of dogs in southern shelters are ultimately put to death. Animal shelters in these states have little choice but to euthanize the animals, unless someone comes to their rescue. In other areas of the country where spaying and neutering are more prevalent—even subsidized—dog and cat populations are not so onerous, and shelters have more time and financial leeway to find homes for wayward animals. The problem has been transporting the prospective pets from so-called “kill shelters” to “no-kill shelters” that might be several states away. It’s a mission tailor-made for light airplane pilots. The largest organization involved in rescue flying is Pilots N Paws (PNP), founded in 2008 by Doberman enthusiast (and retired nurse) Debi Boies and pilot friend Jon Wehrenberg (since “retired” from volunteer flying for PNP). Debi was adopting a Doberman from Florida, and asked around among friends who owned mobile homes who might be able to give the dog a lift to her home in South Carolina. Jon suggested he shorten the trip by flying the dog in his airplane, and Pilots N Paws was on its way. Pilots N Paws received a 2012 National Public Benefit Flying Award from the Air Care Alliance and the National Aeronautic Association. A 501(c)3 organization, PNP allows volunteer pilots to deduct portions of their expenses, but Debi acknowledged that is a secondary motivation. She said,

“Jon said pilots are always looking for a reason to fly. This offered them a strong motivation to get off the ground.” Patty Wagstaff echoed the sentiment. She flies missions for PNP and other organizations, and said she has noted a lot of pilots flying rescues who had cut back on their flying before. Organizations such as Angel Flight and Patient Airlift Services (PALS) fly medical patients and their family members, which is also a worthy mission. But the requirements for flying humans are more stringent than those for flying animals, so it isn’t practical for some pilots. Debi said, “Anyone with a pilot license can go to our website and participate. These animals are going to be killed if they aren’t rescued, so it’s very different from flying people.” PNP permits VFR flying, and pilots choose whether to crate or tether the animals. And PNP isn’t limited to dogs and cats. Volunteers have flown birds, reptiles—even donkeys. To date, PNP has more than 4,000 volunteer pilots. Last year, the organization transported more than 15,000 animals, including reuniting veterans with their retired service dogs. PNP has at least two pilots with more than 2,000 missions to their credit. PNP is by far the largest rescue organization, but not the only one. There are several smaller local groups. Matt Kiener’s FlyPups.org is a one-plane show that operates from Sky Manor Airport (N40) in New Jersey. I first heard of Matt last year when Byron Hamby, one of the instructors at my home airport Somerset (SMQ), posted the story of the Great 24-Chihuahua Rescue flight. Byron accompanied Matt on a mission to

Carolina where they loaded the back of Matt’s Piper Saratoga with two dozen Chihuahuas for a life-saving rescue flight north. According to Matt, “Twenty-three of them were real quiet. The 24th provided a good test for my Bose noisecancelling headset.” I recently got in touch with Matt and Byron because of Loki, a golden retriever pup who spent three months living with our family. Loki is a companion dog-intraining with the North Star Foundation, a nonprofit group that places dogs with families who have autistic children. My family’s mission was to help Loki acclimate to life in a typical household (whatever that is). No one in our family is a dog trainer, and this was our first experience with a pet. But North Star founder Patty Dobbs Gross told us not to worry. Loki knew the basics, already. “Just don’t untrain him,” she told us. My wife, Leslie, and our twin 12-year-old sons Marcus and Elijah did our best, and we enjoyed our three months having Loki in our home. When it came time for Loki to move on to his next stage of training, we had to arrange to get him from New Jersey to his next stop—a more experienced training family in Pennsylvania. It would be about two hours’ drive—or we could fly Loki. I arranged to meet Matt and Byron at Sky Manor for the short hop to Pottstown, Pennsylvania, to meet Melissa Spadea, Loki’s next foster parent. Loki was a little nervous, but I had given him a good exercising before leaving for the airport, so he was as relaxed as could be expected for a first-time passenger. The flight went smoothly, and Melissa met us at the airport to usher in the next phase of Loki’s life mission. FOR SOME PILOTS, you imagine that if their airplane could just wag its tail, their lives would be complete. Combining the love of flight with the love and companionship of a family pet can be just the right combination. If approached properly, it can be the ultimate reward. Mark Phelps, EAA 139610, is an aviation writer living in New Jersey. He is the former editor of EAA’s Vintage Airplane magazine.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PILOTS N PAWS

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70 Sport Aviation March 2014

BY RON WANTTAJA

Experimental amateur-built (E-AB) aircraft accidents have been under a magnifying glass for several years. The rate is higher than it should be. Or perhaps we should say “could be.” The rate “should be” zero; in reality, the best we can hope for is a long-term reduction. A good way to achieve this goal is for those active in the sport to understand what causes accidents, coupled with conscious efforts to avoid similar circumstances. It’s easy to be distracted by short-term trends, so this annual Sport Aviation article takes the long view: We examine accidents over the past ﬁve years rather than just comparing the current year with the previous one. In this case, we’ll look at the years 2008 through 2012 (the last year for which full data is available at press time). COUNTING THE COST

First off, how many E-AB accidents have occurred? Finding the answer isn’t as easy as one might think. The online NTSB accident query page (To see the page, visit www.SportAviation.org.) includes a selection for amateur-built. When it’s used for 2012, it produces 219 accident reports. It was a bit of surprise to note that the list included a Boeing 737. Obviously just an entry error, though a few thousand Boeing workers in Renton, Washington, might take umbrage at having their work described as “amateur.” Ten more of the 219 were registered as other than E-AB (special light-sport, experimental light-sport, experimental exhibition, etc.). Four more were unregistered ultralights, two more were foreign-registered homebuilts. None of these were built or maintained under the E-AB rules. Also eliminated were foreign crashes of U.S.registered homebuilts (no data available for cause determination) and accidents outside

normal E-AB operations (racing and an accident while performing at an air show). All told, 22 accidents from 2012 were eliminated, about 10 percent of the total. However, data input error works both ways. Sixteen N-numbered aircraft identified as not amateur-built obviously were. Seven were listed as E-AB in the FAA Registry, and the rest were obvious homebuilt types (Van’s RV-6, Kelly-D, Kolb Mark III). The net was 213 E-AB accidents in 2012. A similar process had been performed on the previous four years, and Figure 1 presents the results. The number of homebuilt accidents (and the number of fatal homebuilt accidents) hasn’t changed much over the last five years. In fact, the total for 2008 was identical to 2012. Preliminary figures show a significant drop in homebuilt accidents in 2013. This will be addressed in next year’s report, when more data is available. A LOOK AT PILOT ERROR

As usual, pilot error accounted for more than half the homebuilt accidents in 2012. Pilot error is a combination of what I call “pilot miscontrol” (issues with the actual control of the aircraft) and “pilot judgment” (decision-making errors, such as VFR into IMC or running out of fuel). Figures 2 and 3 show the breakdown for these two items over our five-year period. It’s actually somewhat deceptive: Each of the two categories are the second-lowest for our five-year period, yet when the two categories are added together to produce overall pilot error, 2012 had the lowest percentage of pilot error accidents in the 15 years covered by my accident database. Let’s delve deeper into pilot miscontrol. Figure 4 breaks down the mistakes pilots made. Problems handling wind conditions led the pack, with almost a quarter of the pilot miscontrol accidents. These were mostly due to crosswinds or gusts. Fortunately, it’s embarrassing but rarely fatal (2 percent fatality rate). Stall/spins came in as No. 2, and a grim No. 2 they are: More than half are fatal. One in ﬁve pilot miscontrol accidents involves an inadvertent stall.

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Figure 1

All Accidents

EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT ACCIDENTS

No. 3 is that old standby, loss of directional control (ground loop, unplanned excursions from the runway, etc.). Botching the ﬂare or bouncing comes in as No. 4, losing directional control on takeoff is No. 5, and ﬂying too low on approach and undershooting is in sixth place. About one in 20 of the pilot miscontrol accidents are due to the pilot mismanaging aircraft systems. This may be an unsecured door, canopy, or fuel cap, setting the prop or trim wrong, or even shutting the engine down at the least opportune times. They don’t occur as often but are remarkably fatal, with the same fatality rate as stall/spin. ACCIDENT CAUSES: THE DIRTY DOZEN

Fatal Accidents

Figure 2

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In my database, I assign each accident to one of more than 50 causes. In past years, I’ve combined groups of these causes and presented them as six or seven general categories. This time, let’s compare the basic

Figure 3

causes. Figure 5 presents the top 12 homebuilt aircraft accident causes. These are: Undetermined Engine Failure: A large chunk of our accidents are due to an unexplained loss of engine power. In some cases, the engine is too badly damaged to provide evidence, but in others, the engine restarts afterward. They’re probably a combination of human and transient conditions such as vapor lock or carburetor icing. Pilot Error/Winds: As mentioned above, these are pilot miscontrol accidents where the pilots were challenged by the wind conditions. Pilot Error/Stalls: Loss of airspeed, usually too low to recover. Builder Error: Mistakes made during construction. Pilot Error/Loss of Directional Control on Landing: About 70 percent of these cases involve taildraggers, yet overall, fewer than

OTHER

WIND CONDITIONS

SYSTEM MISMANAGEMENT MISJUDGED APPROACH LOSS OF CONTROL ON TAKEOFF STALL/SPIN

BAD FLARE OR BOUNCE LOSS OF CONTROL DURING LANDING Figure 4

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half of homebuilt accidents involve conventional-gear aircraft. Maneuvering at Low Altitude: This includes traditional “buzzing,” as well as low passes and pull-ups over the runway or ﬂying up the wrong mountain canyons. These events have a high mortality rate. Pilot Error/Bad Flare or Bounce: That last couple of feet or so to the pavement is critical, and can be where lack of experience or attention comes back to bite.

PROCESS Basic source of the data for this report is the downloadable NTSB accident databases. The accidents flagged by the NTSB as “homebuilt” are cross-referenced with the FAA registration database to determine the actual certification status of the aircraft. Those licensed in other than E-AB are eliminated, as are unregistered or foreign-registered aircraft. About a quarter of the entries do not have a certification entry in the FAA database. For these, the aircraft make and model are examined to see if the aircraft is a type that is not typically certificated as amateur-built. If so, it is eliminated. Finally, the “purpose of flight” entry in the accident database is used to weed out air show, racing, and other uses not typical of personal E-AB operations. Because of this, my totals may not exactly match the official tally. It should be understood that not every case of bent metal (or splintered wood, or crushed composite) ends up in the NTSB accident records. If serious or fatal injuries didn’t occur, the damage isn’t substantial, or the other criteria in 49 CFR Part 830 are not met, the event is considered an “incident” and is not included in the NTSB’s accident tally. Also, unlike most GA pilots, homebuilders are usually capable of disassembling and transporting their aircraft. “Substantial damage” or no, some damaged homebuilts end up hidden in garages and hangars with the NTSB none the wiser. After the E-AB aircraft have been identified, the NTSB data is examined to determine the cause of the accident. The NTSB narrative report is used to determine the first major event (the “initiator”) of each accident. This conclusion may differ from the NTSB’s final “probable cause” ruling. For example, if the engine fails and the pilot stalls during an attempted forced landing, the NTSB probable cause will be pilot error. As amateur-built aircraft have a greater tendency toward mechanical issues, tracking the initiators rather than NTSB probable cause results in better understanding of hardware problems. The initiators are tracked in 51 separate categories. Where more than one factor is involved, these subsidiary factors are also recorded. The accidents are maintained in a database currently covering 15 years (1998 to 2012, inclusive).

Maintainer Error: Mistakes induced during maintenance of the aircraft. About 60 percent of the cases involve purchased airplanes, maintained either by the new owner or an A&P. Mechanical Failure of the Landing Gear/ Brakes: Few components on an aircraft take the regular pounding that the landing gear gets, and a failure often results in an impromptu tour of the airport environs, potentially at an odd attitude. Fortunately, injuries are rare (no cases of fatalities or serious injuries in our ﬁve-year period). Fuel Exhaustion: Plain ol’ running out of gas. Carburetor Ice: These cases involve both the pilot’s failure to properly use carb heat and those where the airplane is not equipped with carburetor heat. Fuel Starvation: Having fuel, but not feeding it to the engine properly. As far as fatal accidents are concerned, No. 1 is pilot error/stalls. Maneuvering at low altitude comes in at No. 2, and undetermined engine failure is No. 3.

finer comb, the single most-common cause of homebuilt accidents was the unexplained loss of engine power. It accounted for 9 percent of all crashes in the past five years. Remember, though, that’s just the unexplained engine failures. When we add in the explainable ones, we find that 31 percent of all E-AB accidents start with the loss of power. It may be due to an engine mechanical issue, it may stem from the pilot using up all the fuel, or blame may lie with the builder’s or mechanic’s workmanship. But nearly a third of our accidents begin with engine power suddenly not being available. As builders, pilots, and maintainers of homebuilt aircraft, we need to work on the reliability of our engines and related systems. But we also need to be more prepared for when it does happen. If your Lycoming throws a connecting rod, if a piston on your Cuyuna seizes, or the belt on your PSRU shreds, you need to be ready. An undamaged homebuilt sitting in a pasture is a better testament to your skills than a fancy paint job.

SUMMARY

Ron Wanttaja, EAA 275698, is the author of two

More than half of all homebuilt accidents are caused by pilot error, though 2012 was an improvement in this regard. However, note the “dirty dozen” results. When the statistics were examined with a

aviation books, Kit Airplane Construction and Airplane Ownership, as well as two young-adult historical novels and numerous magazine articles. He owns a 1982 Bowers Fly Baby and maintains a web page for devotees of the design at www.BowersFlyBaby.com.

UNDERTERMINED ENGINE FAILURE PILOT ERROR / WINDS PILOT ERROR / STALL BUILDER ERROR PILOT ERROR / LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON LANDING MANEUVERING AT LOW ALTITUDE PILOT ERROR / BAD FLARE OR BOUNCE MAINTENANCE ERROR MECHANICAL FAILURE—GEAR / BRAKES FUEL EXHAUSTION CARBURETOR ICE FUEL STARVATION

Figure 5

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STICK AND RUDDER BETTER PILOT

The “E-word” Knowing when you need help BY ROBERT N. ROSSIER

PILOTS TEND TO BE a self-reliant lot. That’s in part because of the way we’re trained, and perhaps also because we don’t like to admit defeat. Even when we could use some assistance, we might not ask for it. Maybe we don’t want to admit a mistake, and we certainly don’t want to get in trouble with “the feds.” But no matter how good we are, how careful we are, how well trained, prepared, and resourceful, a time can come when we really do need assistance. A good pilot understands cockpit resource management, and knows that safety can often be enhanced through the use of ATC services. Unfortunately, some pilots wait until it’s too late. THE TRUE EMERGENCY

Dealing with abnormal situations is often par for the course in flying, but numerous situations should be considered a fullblown emergency, and we should not hesitate a heartbeat to let ATC know and ask for assistance. In-flight fires or engine failures (even if we have two) are excellent examples that demand

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use of the “E-word.” Obviously controllers can’t solve our immediate problem, but they can direct us to the closest airport (if that makes sense), clear other aircraft out of the area, and alert emergency personnel on the ground. FAR 91.3 gives us the authority to deviate from any rule to the extent required to deal with an emergency, but the critical part of the safety equation is asking for help when it’s needed. As the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM, section 6-1-2.b) points out, “Pilots who become apprehensive for their safety for any reason should request assistance immediately. Ready and willing help is available in the form of radio, radar, direction finding stations and other

ILLUSTRATION BY GARY COX

aircraft. Delay has caused accidents and cost lives. Safety is not a luxury! Take action!” Stuck landing gear is another situation where declaring an emergency makes good sense. Again, ATC can clear the runway we need and get emergency equipment in position to assist. Even if we can get what we need without declaring an emergency, doing so clears up any ambiguity in the mind of the controller, and ensures that our requests come first. Perhaps the most dangerous situation for noninstrument-rated pilots occurs when the pilot inadvertently enters instrument conditions. In this case, declaring an emergency is clearly a life-and-death situation. What ATC can do for us here is make sure we’re clear of obstacles, terrain, and other aircraft, and point us in the direction of VFR conditions. Keep in mind that air traffic controllers don’t always understand what we’re up against, and the only way to make it clear may be to declare an emergency. Two former students of mine were completing an IFR flight one day when the aircraft’s vacuum system failed. They reported the situation to the young controller working them, and the first thing he did was issue them a hold (presumably so he could figure out what to do next). The last thing a pilot needs when flying partial panel in IMC is a hold. In a situation like this, the best option is to declare an emergency, tell ATC what the problem is, and then tell the controller what you want. My former students should have declared an emergency, said their vacuum system had failed, and requested no-gyro vectors for the approach. Part of the problem is that we practice such situations regularly in training, and instructors typically expect us to be proficient in dealing with them. When the situation occurs for real, it just doesn’t cross our minds that we should declare an emergency. We simply deal with the situation using the skills we were taught. What we need to do is reset our mindset to

But no matter how good we are, how careful we are, how well trained, prepared, and resourceful, a time can come when we really do need assistance. understand that these are real emergencies, and we should report them so that we get assistance and reduce our workload. THE RIGHT WORDS

The AIM tells us that if we have a situation involving “immediate and grave danger,” we should transmit “mayday” three times to alert authorities to our situation. We can also simply tell ATC that we are declaring an emergency. If the situation hasn’t quite reached the “immediate and grave danger” level of seriousness, we can transmit “pan-panpan” to identify an urgent condition. ATC treats all of these situations the same—as an emergency—giving priority to the pilot. Another common scenario is an aircraft low on fuel, and while we should report that situation to ATC, we must choose our words carefully. The term “minimum fuel” tells ATC that once we reach our destination, we can’t accept any undue delays. On the other hand, it doesn’t tell ATC that we need traffic priority, so we might not get the help we really need. By declaring an emergency, we cut through all the ambiguity, and lay our cards out on the table. ATC then knows we have a serious situation and can help get us to the ground hopefully before our airplane turns into a glider. PAPERWORK

Declaring an emergency is considered an “incident,” and typically requires follow-up by the FAA. That follow-up could come in the form of a phone call or visit from an inspector, a ramp check of the aircraft, and answering a few

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questions regarding the incident. If everything is in order, then that may likely be the end of the process, but the pilot may be required to file a report or written statement regarding the incident. The important thing to remember is that we get to answer those questions and fill out any reports in the comfort and safety of being on the ground, rather than in it. And that really is the takehome message. ON THE DEFENSE

The best way to avoid needing help is to steer clear of situations that evolve into emergencies. Sometimes emergencies arise due to poor judgment or bad decisions. Other times it’s just bad luck. Occasionally we get lured into making bad choices when really we should just say “no.” Remember that ATC isn’t always aware of the in-flight situation, and it’s up to us to assess the conditions and maintain the safety of our flight. For example, if an ATC instruction requires us to enter icing conditions, a thunderstorm, or IMC on a VFR flight, we should simply say we’re “unable.” If asked to comply with land and hold short operations (LAHSO), we should decline the clearance unless we are certain we can actually land and stop as required.

Keep in mind that air traffic controllers don’t always understand what we’re up against, and the only way to make it clear may be to declare an emergency. In some cases, an ATC request might be perfectly legal, but also perfectly dangerous. For example, on one occasion I was flying passengers in a single-engine aircraft, and the instrument approach called for an altitude of 700 feet above the ocean several miles from shore. It was a frigid fall night, and water temperatures had already sunk to below 50. A ditching in those conditions would be suicide, so I told ATC I was “unable lower.” ATC recognized the situation for what it was and approved the higher altitude. When my DME told me I was closer to shore, I descended to the minimum descent altitude, spotted the runway, and made a safe landing. Had I simply complied with the ATC instruction and followed the published approach procedure, I would have put myself and my passengers unnecessarily at risk. Real emergencies don’t arise that often in flight, but when they do, we need to recognize them, communicate clearly and quickly, and not be afraid to use the E-word. Robert N. Rossier, EAA 472091, has been flying for more than 30 years and has worked as a flight instructor, commercial pilot, chief pilot, and FAA flight check airman.

78 Sport Aviation March 2014

WHAT WENT WRONG BETTER PILOT

Too High, Too Long BY J. MAC MCCLELLAN

IT WAS NOT A FLIGHT that would have raised serious red ﬂags.

According to the NTSB report the pilot had ﬂown to Bullhead City in the northwest corner of Arizona earlier in the day. The sun had set on a nice early spring day when he departed for his home base at Santa Monica, California. The weather in terms of cloud cover and visibility was good. But strong winds at the surface and aloft created the possibility of turbulence over the rugged terrain along the route. A Center Weather Advisory from Los Angeles Center predicted areas of moderate to severe turbulence with low-level wind shear and updrafts below 12,000 feet. The center advisory was triggered by some reports from light aircraft. The pilot, who had a private certiﬁcate, owned a turbocharged Cessna T182T. It was one of the Lycoming-powered Skylanes built after Cessna resumed piston airplane production. The six-cylinder TIO-540 engine was fuel-injected and rated at 235 hp. The pilot had logged a total of 727 hours, and 528 of those were pilot in command time. He had flown his Turbo Skylane for 265.5 hours, and nearly all of those hours were on cross-country flights. In the last 90 days he had flown the airplane 18.5 hours, and 5.6 hours of those were in the previous 30 days. He had

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logged 46.6 night flying hours in the nearly seven years of flying since he had earned his private certificate. There was no record of the pilot receiving a weather brieﬁng before departure. However, there are many online outlets for aviation weather forecasts and reports, so it’s entirely possible he had consulted one of those services. As far as I know the only online weather outlets that record what weather data a pilot has viewed are the two DUAT services and FltPlan.com, but there are many other services that deliver the same weather data from FAA sources. In most respects it was a safety advantage that the Skylane was turbocharged. There are a number of mountain peaks and plenty of high terrain between Bullhead City, which is in the desert south of Las Vegas, and Santa Monica on the Pacific Coast. The expanded altitude

operating range the turbocharging delivers provides a greater margin to climb above weather or turbulence. There are several Victor airways that avoid the highest terrain along the route. In mountainous terrain the minimum published altitudes on an airway clear terrain by at least 2,000 feet instead of the 1,000-foot cushion used over flat country. Often the terrain that establishes the minimum en route altitude is several miles from the airway centerline, so the airway often clears terrain under it by much more than 2,000 feet. By following airways it would have been possible to fly to Santa Monica at 10,500 feet with the full terrain clearance that would be required on an IFR flight. With a little jogging on airways the trip could have even been flown at 8,500 feet with full terrain clearance. Since the Skylane pilot was ﬂying VFR he had no obligation to ﬂy on airways, and on

most trips pilots wouldn’t. But it was dark, and following an airway assures you won’t hit terrain you can’t see. From radar recordings it appears the Skylane pilot decided to put his turbocharger to work, climb to a safe altitude to miss all terrain, and head directly toward the destination. He may also have known about the center advisory for possible turbulence below 12,000 feet and decided to fly higher. About five minutes after takeoff he called Los Angeles Center and asked the controller for VFR flight following and said he planned to cruise at 14,500 feet. The controller issued a transponder code and confirmed the Mode C transponder indication that the Skylane was climbing through 10,000 feet on the way to the destination of Santa Monica. The transcript of radio communications between the pilot and controller are totally routine. The radar recordings show the pilot climbing momentarily to 14,800 feet before

Often the terrain that establishes the minimum en route altitude is several miles from the airway centerline, so the airway often clears terrain under it by much more than 2,000 feet. descending to a Mode C reported altitude of 14,600 where it remained level. It is almost certain the pilot was maintaining 14,500 feet on his altimeter, and the 100-foot difference in the Mode C report is well within the normal error tolerance. About 34 minutes after takeoff the center controller made a routine frequency change call to the Skylane pilot, who responded normally. The pilot changed frequency and reported in to

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the controller in the next sector that he was level at 14,500 feet. Investigators found nothing unusual about the pilot’s voice or his communications phraseology. Neither did the controller at the time. About 45 seconds after the Skylane pilot checked in on the new frequency the controller noticed the radar target begin a descent. The pilot had not advised that he was changing altitudes, which is standard practice during VFR flight following. After noticing the Skylane descending the controller called and asked if the pilot still planned to continue on to Santa Monica. There was a garbled response the controller couldn’t copy. He asked again about 10 seconds later. This time there was the sound of a keyed mike with a voice transmission that was unintelligible, but NTSB investigators believe it came from the Skylane pilot. About 30 seconds after that the Skylane pilot called and said what sounded like “I’m having some difficulties.” That was the last transmission from the Skylane. Ten minutes after the frequency handoff and normal response from the pilot, radar showed the Skylane descending through 12,000 feet and in a turn to the southwest. More erratic turns followed, with a brief climb back up from 11,000 to 11,700 feet. Radar contact was lost when the Skylane again dipped down to 11,000 feet. The Skylane pilot failed to respond to transmissions from the controller. The Skylane crashed in a remote desert area with sparse vegetation and no lights or lighted towers or buildings around. The debris path was about 830 feet long from initial impact to where the engine came to rest, indicating the airplane was going fast and impacted at a fairly shallow right-winglow angle. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot killed. Investigators almost immediately focused on the possibility that the pilot had suffered from hypoxia. During the flight the Skylane had been above 12,500 feet continuously for 40 minutes and above 14,000 feet for about 34 minutes. The rules allow us to fly between 12,500 and 14,000 feet for no more than 30 minutes without supplemental oxygen. Above 14,000 feet pilots must use oxygen at all times.

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Many pilots believe the oxygen use rules are actually too lax, particularly in the dark. Research has shown that night vision begins to degrade at much lower cabin altitudes, perhaps as low as 6,000 feet for some individuals. Many of us have also flown long enough to learn that age is a factor in altitude tolerance. Thirty years ago I would fly for hours on end at 12,000 feet and think nothing of it. Older pilot friends would tell me they just couldn’t do that anymore without headaches or other noticeable ill effects. Well, now that I’ve made it to mid-60s I have joined that group of older pilots and can’t fly for long above 10,000 feet without feeling the effect of lower oxygen levels. The Skylane pilot was 63.

Research has shown that night vision begins to degrade at much lower cabin altitudes, perhaps as low as 6,OOO feet for some individuals. The Skylane, as is normal for the turbocharged versions, was equipped with an oxygen system with outlets at each of the four seats. Investigators found nasal cannulas in the wreckage. A cannula, which feeds oxygen into the nostrils, is approved for use up to 18,000 feet. There was also a high-altitude oxygen face mask in the airplane. But no mask of any type was plugged into the oxygen outlets. The four outlets in the airplane were undamaged, and there was no damage to the locking pins on any of the masks indicating that were plugged in at impact. A family member told investigators that the pilot had a habit of donning oxygen when climbing above 11,000 feet on previous flights. But that person also said the pilot was prone to forgetting to move the oxygen equipment to the front seats where he could reach it in flight and would need reminding. Pilots who have flown in the military have been trained in altitude chambers, and many civilian pilots have had the same experience. The most useful element of the altitude chamber training is to experience

how insidious the onset of hypoxia can be. Most people feel fine as their blood oxygen level drops and are confident their performance is adequate. Some pilots even report feelings of euphoria and that everything is really going great. Instructors ask pilots in the altitude chamber to perform simple math tasks or basic dexterity tests such as dropping square pegs in square holes to convince pilots how hypoxia has robbed them of their ability to function. Pilots report experiencing a variety of hypoxia symptoms, but most are subtle so they are surprised when they can’t correctly add a short stack of numbers. For me the only physical indication of lack of oxygen was an odd warm feeling in my back and neck. Physical symptoms of hypoxia can take almost any form, or there may be no specific symptom at all. The word “training” in the altitude chamber is somewhat misleading because the object is not to train you to function without oxygen, but to convincingly demonstrate that you can’t perform reliably with a low blood oxygen level. The training is really a reminder, a scare tactic if you will. The NTSB does not report that the Skylane pilot ever experienced hypoxia in an altitude chamber. He should have known the rules requiring oxygen because they are part of the private pilot training. Perhaps he believed that the rules contain a great deal of margin, as many FARs do. But that’s not the case in the supplemental oxygen requirements. The NTSB found the probable cause of the accident to be “the in-flight loss of control due to the pilot’s impairment as a result of hypoxia. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s operation of the airplane above 12,500 feet without the aid of supplemental oxygen.” This article is based solely on the official final NTSB report of the accident and is intended to bring readers’ attention to the issues raised in the report. It is not intended to judge or reach any definitive conclusions about the ability or capacity of any person, living or dead, or any aircraft or accessory. J. Mac McClellan, EAA 747337, has been a pilot for more than 40 years, holds an ATP certificate, and owns a Beechcraft Baron. To contact Mac, e-mail mac@eaa.org.

I’LL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN BETTER PILOT

Almost Catastrophic Gooney ﬂying in 1947 BY RETIRED USAF LT. COL. ROBERT H. DRUMM, EAA 30946

IN 1947, THE U.S. AIR FORCE was a new kid on the block. Those of us already in the military had a choice of staying with the Army or joining the newly created Air Force. Those of us who chose the Air Force, after the exuberance of newness wore off, found an organization in the midst of congressional budget cutting that created a serious shortage of aircraft replacement parts. But, I’m getting ahead of my story. As a 20-year-old first lieutenant in this newly established organization, I found myself in Kimpo, Korea, with the 475th Fighter Wing of the 5th Air Force. I pictured myself becoming a glamorous fighter pilot hero. My first day on the base and a visit to the operations office punctured my balloon. It seems the Air Force had plenty of leftover fighter pilots from World War II, but a critical shortage of multiengine types. Apparently I was one of a handful of multiengine pilots, and the ops officer pointed out the window to a line of war-weary C-47s and a lone C-46. I would be flying these during my tour. This brings us to a situation that developed at the end of November 1947. Officer clubs in Korea pooled their money and bought alcoholic beverages from a single broker in the United States at a

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considerable savings. This broker was to send the entire shipment via surface vessel to arrive in Korea the first week of December, in time for distribution before the Christmas and New Year’s parties. However, the ship with all the cargo sunk off the southern coast of Japan in a typhoon the last week of November. Now, as an outstanding and imaginative commander of a fighter pilot organization, our boss made contact with the commander of Tachikawa Air Force Base in Japan. He made arrangements for one of our C-47s to pick up a planeload of liquor from their officers club. Ted Pearcy and I were elected to make the flight. Ted flew left seat to Japan, and I was to fly left seat on the return trip. All

ILLUSTRATION BY MATT BELLISLE

went well during the loading of the aircraft at Tachi. It was a full load. We had to crawl over the cases to reach the cockpit. It was dusk on a Sunday night, and it started to rain as we took off. The procedure was to fly east out to sea and turn south over a small island. This route was to miss Mount Fuji on our way down the coast. All went well until the sun was on the horizon between the earth and the heavy clouds producing the rain. This was about one hour into the flight. In the rain and darkness we lost all electrical power. All of a sudden the circuit breaker panel started to smoke, and we noticed a small flame. Pilots who have experience flying at night on instruments with no lights on the panel ask the crew chief to flash the flashlight on the panel to make it glow. Our crew chief did just that and then continued to fight the enlarging fire with the fire extinguisher. The extinguisher was located behind the pilot seat on the bulkhead. This was a carbon tetrachloride extinguisher. During military training they told us that when you put carbon tetrachloride on a fire you get phosgene gas. This is the same thing the Germans used to gas our ground troops in World War I. With both side windows open in the cockpit, and with the rain coming in, physical life was somewhat bearable. Mental life is something else. By now Ted had made contact with the Iwakuni Air Force Base (GCA) radar controller who just happened to be a young airman and a recent graduate from radar school. We were trying to get the airplane on the ground as soon as possible, and the radar operator was vectoring us. He asked that we report passing through each 1,000 feet. Just as Ted reported 4,000 feet a loud noise that sounded like “whop-whop” started. The crew chief flashed the light out the window. We were dragging the tail of the Gooney through the tops of pine trees on the side of a Japanese mountain. When Ted queried the radar operator he replied, “What are you doing there? Those mountain tops are at 6,000 feet.” We had already reported at 4,000 feet. Just as we were breathing a sigh of relief, the whole cockpit lit up with a

In the rain and darkness we lost all electrical power. All of a sudden the circuit breaker panel started to smoke, and we noticed a small flame. flash that resembled a lightning strike. What happened? An elderly master sergeant was listening to all this banter on the alert shack radio. He went to the center of the field, fired up an old 60-inch searchlight, and pointed it straight up. We had flown through the light. After we were informed what the light was and its location we used it as a letdown marker. We’d let down at 500 feet per minute, fly through the light, and make a procedure turn. We broke out at about 800 feet. We landed, parked the airplane, and went straight to the bar at the officers club. It took about four days to rewire the wings where rainwater had shorted out the war-weary wires. The corroded circuit breaker panel was replaced by one from a cannibalized C-47. When the Iwakuni base commander realized what we had on board he immediately put a 24-hour guard on the cargo. For his kind and generous help a few cases disappeared from the manifest. We arrived back in Korea a week before Christmas. After midnight mass on Christmas Eve, the club officer, in a moment of generosity, gave each member a free bottle of substandard liquor. Our commander had to take this yucky stuff in order to receive the good stuff from the club in Tachikawa. To this day I can’t look at a bottle of Cherry Heering without getting nauseated. And what were my thoughts while the Gooney was scraping its tail through the tops of the pine trees? To be honest, I was wondering if I broke the airplane really bad, and the investigators found all that liquor, would my mother still receive the $10,000 from my World War II GI life insurance policy? That kind of money was a fortune in those days.

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H ANDS ON WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE BUILDING/RESTORING

The Ultimate Road Warrior Van’s RV-12 BY DAVID KRONER, EAA 27206; ROCK CREEK, OHIO

DAVID KRONER OF ROCK CREEK, Ohio, is a member of the former EAA Chapter 860. He normally flies out of the nearby grass airstrip Hemlock Field (OA07)—that is, when he and his wife, Jane, are not busy traveling around the country with their Van’s RV-12. I have been an EAA member for 28 years, and aviation has always been a big part of both my wife’s and my lives. On January 24, 1998, my wife and I got married inside the Fergus Chapel located on the EAA grounds in Oshkosh, and 10 years later at AirVenture 2008, as we lay in our tent under the wing of our Cessna 172, in the middle of the North 40, we decided, “Let’s make our evenings useful, stop wasting time watching TV, and accomplish something we will really be proud of.” We went to a riveting workshop at AirVenture as well as numerous forums because we both knew that eventually we would like to build our own airplane. What we took away from both the workshop and forums was the confidence that “Yes, we can do this!” Our regular contact with the EAA homebuilder community via the Internet was also invaluable. Watching Hints for

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Homebuilders replaced normal television watching and became a ritual. Also, we went to our local A&P mechanic and longtime friend Alan Kettunen whenever we needed technical information or advice. About 20 months ago we decided we needed a homebuilt project in our lives and pulled the trigger. Our plane is a Van’s RV-12 E-LSA. We used mercury red and mustang yellow as our primary colors in order to achieve a high visibility factor. We often ﬂy around various tourist attractions and historic sites. Because of the increased number of aircraft in these areas and the possibility of other pilots looking down rather than around, we chose a paint scheme that would be as highly visible as possible. We also chose N775DJ as our N number to reﬂect

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DAVID KRONER

the date that I first soloed, July 4, 1975, and our initials, D and J. We worked on the RV-12 in our workshop approximately five to 20 hours each week for 20 months. The aircraft uses a Rotax 912 engine, and inside I have a Garmin 496, GTX 327 transponder, SL40 comm radio, ELT ME406, Flightcom 403, Dynon D180, Dynon AP74 autopilot, GXM 40 (XM weather), and a 20-gallon fuel tank. We chose to build our RV-12 as an E-LSA so we both could continue on with the spirit of flight for a long time to come. We took our inspiration from what we once read about another builder who said, “Do something every day in your workshop, even if it is only for five minutes.” My advice to fellow builders or those wanting to get into it has been said many times before: Think of building an airplane as a collection of small tasks, not one that is an overwhelming one. Our favorite tool was the end of an old rivet gun that I modified. We used it to assist in setting stubborn rivets rather than re-drilling the holes. This really saved our fingers and time! The aircraft took us a total of 1,050 hours to complete, and then it was on to the trailer. We have combined our love of travel and sightseeing with our love of flying. Trailering the airplane provides us the benefits of sightseeing from the air as well as the ground. We also have the safety and security of a portable hangar 24/7. The Van’s RV-12 fits our criteria for size, performance, and trailer-ability. The designing of a trailer for our aircraft proved to be quite challenging and also quite rewarding. The design challenges included:

• Adequate width for the 96-inchwide stabilator. • Sufficient width for the landing gear between the trailer’s internal fenders. We made the interior fenders removable. • Adequate tail support. The ability to anchor the tail cone without undue stress to the structure. • Nondeformable support for the wings. • Redundancy for every trailer to wings and fuselage fastening point. • Realistic simplicity of operation. We can break down and secure the plane in the trailer in 20 minutes. In our travels, we have found most airports to be very accommodating and friendly. Our favorite airports so far have been Jekyll Island Airport (O9J) in Georgia and Airport Manatee (48X) in Florida. Our trailerable airplane system always attracts interest from pilots and nonpilots alike everywhere we travel. We also enjoy collecting pictures and memorabilia about Ohio airports, especially those no longer in operation. So if you can help out a couple of “traveling Buckeyes,” please contact us!

AIRCRAFT SUBMISSIONS Share your craftsmanship with EAA Sport Aviation readers worldwide! Send us a photo and description of your project and we’ll consider using it in “What Our Members Are Building/Restoring.” Please include your name, address, and EAA number. We reserve the right to edit descriptions. For guidelines on how to get the best photo of aircraft, visit www.SportAviation.org. Mail: EAA Publications, Aircraft Projects, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 E-mail: editorial@eaa.org

E-mail Dave at hemlockﬁeld@windstream.net.

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H ANDS ON WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE BUILDING/RESTORING

PENNSYLVANIA SONEX WAIEX I PURCHASED MY Waiex as a retirement gift

to myself, and I worked on it over a fouryear span averaging approximately seven hours per week. The Waiex was my second airplane project, having completed an RV-4 in 1994. My inspiration to build the RV-4 came from Larry Gehrlein. Larry had built many aircraft and had a glider repair shop. He told me that the way to complete a project was to try to at least touch it every day and not to look at the whole project, but to focus on the component you were working on. The completion would

take care of itself. This philosophy made working on the Waiex much easier, along with the fact that the Waiex project came with the pre-punched kit making pulling rivets much easier. My wife and I attended a weekend workshop at Sonex just to see the construction techniques and to give her an understanding of what was involved, making it easier for her to support me again. That’s half the battle in building an airplane! The Waiex has an AeroVee 80-hp with a Sensenich model W54JV56-44 wood

prop. Inside the cockpit I have a flatpanel MGL Enigma, an MGL V6 radio, and an STX 165 transponder. The ﬁrst ﬂight was on October 1, 2013. My advisers and help were provided by Larry Gehrlein, his sons Rod and Jay, and grandson Rory. Assistance and support was also provided by fellow homebuilders Bob Foster and Frank Russell. Edward Tropper, EAA 208638; Erie, Pennsylvania E-mail: red87et@gmail.com

UTAH BERKUT ALTHOUGH MY BERKUT is unpainted, I am researching color schemes and hope to

have a scheme my wife and I both like. Like most homebuilders my project started in my garage, moved to a rental space, then ﬁnally to a hangar. The hours I worked on the project varied greatly from between 10 hours weekly to 25 or more. I chose the Lycoming IO-540 to power the Berkut. Inside the cockpit I installed a Dynon D10A, two Microair radios, KMA audio panel, Trig transponder, Narco 122D ILS/VOR, Advanced Flight Systems engine monitor, Navaid autopilot, and EDS oxygen system. Fuel capacity is 56 gallons, which gives us great range. A shoutout of great thanks to James Redmon, who was our EAA technical counselor and was incredibly helpful throughout the building process. (Read about James’ Berkut in the July 2013 issue of EAA Sport Aviation.) We also used Scott Carter, an A&P who has built two experimental canard aircraft, to assist us with this project. Ric and Shari Lee, EAA 514269; Sandy, Utah E-mail: leeairlines6344q@q.com

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MINNESOTA ZENITH CH 601 XL-B OUR ZENITH CH 601 XL-B took five years, 11 months, and 16 days from first rivet to first flight. I built the airplane in my garage at home, and I tried to do something every day, even if it was just sweeping off the workbench. I rebuilt and tested a 1967 Chevy Corvair by following William Wynne’s methodology. It is a six-cylinder, directdrive 2700 cc engine, which puts out 100 hp while turning a 66-inch Warp Drive ground-adjustable prop set at about 8.5 degrees of pitch. This is the first engine I’ve ever built, so I was very careful and did my best work. At this time I’ve got about 90 hours on the Hobbs, and it’s running great. I had a technical counselor, Peter Denny, EAA Chapter 25, come over a few times during my project. I also had a bunch of my EAA friends come over many times and hosted some massive EAA chapter parties and probably had a hundred fellow pilots and builders look over my airplane while it was under construction. When my project got to the point where I was doing taxi testing, I got some transition training and about 20 hours in a similar airplane. Then I did my own first flight and all of the Phase 1 testing. My panel consists of an angle of attack gauge that I made, along with a Dynon D6, Stewart Warner tach, Westach CHT/EGT gauges, Auto Meter oil/fuel gauges, and Becker comm and transponder. Fuel

capacity is 15 gallons in each wing. Modifications include a Zenith 650 canopy, a Crow three-point harness, and a BRS-1350 parachute. I chose to keep the Zenith a polished aluminum finish, with yellow-colored fiberglass and cowl. Patrick Hoyt, EAA Lifetime 373507; Eagan, Minnesota E-mail: pwhoyt@yahoo.com

TEXAS VAN’S RV-9A I BEGAN THE PROJECT in 2003, in the garage of friend and EAA Tech

Counselor Todd Wiechman, EAA 344122, and he allowed me to use his tools while he mentored me. We were averaging 20 hours per week for the ﬁrst year, then my job changed and I moved 225 miles away but did not move the project. I traveled every other weekend

to work 20 hours on the plane with an additional six hours of driving for the next four years. My company was bought by a Texas firm, and I was forced to move again, this time 600 miles away from my project. I spent the next five years driving the 1,200-mile round trip once a month and every three-day weekend. In all, it took nine years and six months to complete. However, during this period of time, we purchased another partially built Van’s RV-9A and completed it first before returning to N942PT. In reality, we built two planes in this period of 9.5 years. The engine is a 150-hp Lycoming O-320E2A that we overhauled and is capable of burning 100LL or mogas. Fuel capacity is 36 gallons. In the cockpit is an all-electric IFR panel. I pinned each connector and ran every wire myself, which includes a switch to toggle the autopilot between the Chelton and Garmin 430 nav/comm. I followed the EAA Phase 1 flight syllabus and worked with friend Kraige McElroy as he created the wiring harness diagram and taught me how to pin and connect all the wiring. Patrick N. Garboden, EAA 739760; Katy, Texas E-mail: gorbak@aol.com

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HANDS ON INNOVATION ON THE FLY

Cirrus’ Perspective by Garmin avionics suite provides a vast array of information on massive panel displays.

Technology in Perspective The advantages and limitations of automation BY MARK PHELPS

AUTOMATION IN FLIGHT IS a hot topic, mostly on the negative side. How pilots interface with their automatic systems was the focus of the FAA’s January-February Safety Briefing magazine for general aviation. In the publication, the agency noted how pilots’ overreliance on or misunderstanding of computerized navigation systems and autopilots can have tragic consequences. On the airline side, it has led to three very high-profile accidents in the past few years—the Colgan Air crash outside Buffalo, New York; Air France’s Airbus crash over the Atlantic; and most recently, the Asiana Airlines botched visual approach in San Francisco. Light airplane pilots have also had their share of mishaps traced to excessive dependence on technology. So when does an innovative piece of equipment change from being a valuable “assistant” to a deadly gremlin? That answer depends a lot on the attitude of the pilot. Of course, innovative technology is not dangerous by default. With time, relying on proven technology becomes commonplace. No one accuses instrument pilots of overreliance on instruments when they fly into a cloud using their attitude gyros (or today’s solid-state equivalent) to keep the shiny side up. Similarly, the wealth of information available in a low-cost homebuilt’s cockpit today would make airline pilots from just a decade ago turn green with envy. I remember using the first instrument flight simulator programs on personal computers. Sitting at our desks, we could practice tracking VORs, entering holding patterns, flying procedure turns,

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and completing instrument approaches, all using what has come to be known now as “raw data” from VORs, NDBs, and instrument landing systems. If you got disoriented (a polite word for “lost”), the program had a “God’s eye” function that could pause the flight, and with the click of a mouse, reveal exactly where you were on the chart (“How’d I wind up over there?”). I always considered it cheating, but in real-world GPS-based flying today, anyone can have a high-resolution moving map navigator installed on their tablet. (But they still haven’t invented a pause button.) Should we always be prepared in case the magical e-screen goes blank? Absolutely. That might mean having one or two backups at the ready (buried in the flight bag with worn-out batteries doesn’t count), or even paper chart backups, but most important, having a plan. You should always be thinking of a safe, legal, and viable way out of bad weather or crowded airspace should you ever have cause to doubt “the magenta line

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MARK PHELPS

HANDS ON INNOVATION ON THE FLY

from God” or any of the other data that fills the screens of our wonder-navigators. If you’ve ever stopped and said to yourself, “Boy, I’d be lost without this GPS,” then, in a way, you already are. And it’s not just the fear of equipment failure. Misusing the magic can similarly lead to big problems. That can mean improperly loading information or a flight plan, or becoming distracted by the device when a pilot ought to be focusing on something else—such as maintaining control of the airplane. Nero fiddled while Rome burned, and pilots have been known to lose sight of traffic or almost fly into the ground while trying to recharge the batteries on their portable GPS navigators. But that’s all bad news. Sometimes we tend to downplay just how wonderful new technology is when used properly. One example was my return flight to New Jersey from AirVenture last summer. I hitched a ride with Patrick Bradley, a former colleague and the owner of a late model turbocharged Cirrus SR22. Cirrus uses the Perspective by Garmin G1000-based avionics suite, with a wealth of features and high-definition displays so huge that I almost didn’t need my reading glasses—almost. Patrick had e-mailed me earlier in the week, asking me to pick up a nasal cannula for me to use with his onboard oxygen system. “It looks like we might get good tailwinds up high,” he said. The morning of our flight, I arrived a half-hour ahead of our meeting time,

and Patrick was already there, instrument flight plan filed, and the Cirrus preflighted. “Let’s go,” he said. “The winds are great!” We took off from Runway 27 (aimed the wrong way) and followed the controller’s vectors through the traffic inbound on the VFR arrival. That was one segment of the flight where all the technology in the world was no match for a swiveling neck and a good pair of eyeballs. Once clear of the Oshkosh beehive, however, we started the climb to 17,000 feet, and I got more familiar with the G1000 as I watched Patrick make minor adjustments and settle into the programmed flight plan. The one data field that became familiar pretty quickly was the groundspeed. As we climbed to altitude, so did the numbers. Preparing for the flight, I had checked the normal true airspeed of an SR22 at 17,000 feet, and I was seeing digital evidence of 60 knots on the tail. My home field, Somerset Airport (SMQ) in New Jersey, is just a few minutes’ flight from Patrick’s home base at Princeton Airport, but it’s as much as a 45-minute drive through heavy traffic. Since Patrick had an afternoon commitment and wasn’t sure he’d have time to drop me off at Somerset, I had forewarned my wife that she’d likely have to come and get me. About an hour into the flight, however, Patrick looked over and said, “Looks like I’ll have time to drop you off at Somerset, after all. Do you want to text your wife?”

Not only could we accurately predict our arrival time based on groundspeed and predicted winds aloft for the rest of the route, but I also could use the Cirrus’ air phone to let Leslie know she didn’t have to kill half the afternoon fetching me. That’s great use of technology. On an even more practical side, we encountered a solid line of cloud along our projected course that was not forecast, and which Patrick eyed with suspicion. “Those clouds look icy,” he said. A check of outside air temperature and forecast freezing levels revealed that, indeed, the temperature was close to 0°C, even though the forecasts called for much lower (which would have been less prone to ice formation). It was a simple decision to deviate, rather than plowing through. Patrick’s Cirrus is certified for flight in known icing, but we both understood that is no guarantee. Better safe than frosty. Patrick flies his Cirrus a lot, and he gets regular recurrent training. And learning all the nuances of the G1000 system has virtually become a hobby for him. He even uses his drive time to play audio tapes dedicated to learning the system better. Patrick exemplifies keeping the priorities straight. Use the technology as an aid and a supplement to prudent flying the old-fashioned way, not as a substitute for vigilance and comprehensive planning. Even though the SR22 is a high-priced factory airplane, the lessons are applicable to homebuilders, as well. Integrated avionics systems available for the non-certified market have much of the same capability, and complexity, as the Garmin G1000 (including Garmin’s own G900 non-certified version of the G1000, which is much more affordable). While initial and recurrent training in factory airplanes is supported and even mandated by manufacturers, pilots of experimental airplanes with comparable capability and complexity are much more on their own (sometimes with some not-sosubtle encouragement from their insurance carriers). Still, it’s largely up to them to set high personal standards when it comes to procedures, training, and preparation. Mark Phelps, EAA 139610, is an aviation writer living in New Jersey. He is the former editor of EAA’s Vintage Airplane magazine and the former owner-pilot of a 1954

Patrick Bradley ﬂies his Cirrus SR22T for a lot of hours, and gets regular recurrent training.

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Beechcraft Bonanza.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MARK PHELPS

H ANDS ON HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS

HOW-TO

This is as far as I can go with the snips unless I ﬂatten out the material, which I don’t want to do.

Cutting Formed Skins With Tin Snips

Here I’m coming at it from the other direction, trying to line up my cut.

BY CHARLIE BECKER, EAA LIFETIME 515808, EAA HOMEBUILT COMMUNITY MANAGER

IN TODAY’S KIT aircraft, leading edge skins for the wing, horizontal, and vertical tail surfaces always come pre-bent in the kit. This eliminates the need for a brake to bend the skin. Although the skins are usually provided close to the final dimension, you’ll probably have to trim them to fit. When you use your hand snips to cut the formed material, you’ll find that they won’t follow the bend radius in the skin so you will end up having to snip to the bend. Stop. Then come from the other direction and snip as far as you can, trying to line up with where you stopped before. At that point, if your cuts almost come together, the metal usually snaps off if you bend it back and forth a bit. This will leave a little rough area that then has to be cleaned up with a file. Overall, an unsatisfying result. A really simple solution I learned from Sebastien Heintz, EAA 386637, from Zenith Aircraft is to simply hold the snips upsidedown. This allows the snip to follow the bend in the skin just like you were cutting a flat skin. This trick will give you a smoother cut and save you a bit of time and frustration.

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The cuts don’t quite reach each other so I usually just work the material back and forth until it snaps oﬀ, leaving a rough spot that will need to be ﬁled.

By simply ﬂipping the snips upside-down and using your normal technique, you can cut away and the snips will now follow the bend radius without deforming the bend.

HOLDING A SCREW IN PLACE BY RANDY HOOPER, EAA LIFETIME 438870; HERMITAGE, TENNESSEE

I WAS WORKING ON an aggravating project and, out of necessity, I found a solution for a problem that might be helpful to others. Inserting a screw in a hole at the end of a horizontal tube was becoming impossible until I captured the screw at the end of the screwdriver. To hold a screw with a screwdriver, cut a piece of 1/4inch vinyl tubing and slide it onto the screwdriver leaving a little overhang. Then push the screw inside the tubing and engage with the screwdriver. The screw is now held steady and ready for installing. When not in use, the tubing can be stored on the shaft of the screwdriver until needed.

GOT A HINT?

SEND YOUR TIPS to cbecker@eaa.org.

www.eaa.orgâ&#x20AC;&#x192;95

H ANDS ON SHOP TALK The actual grip length is found in reference charts and isn’t part of the bolt designation. Note how the ﬁrst two threads are smaller, hence the requirement for at least two or three threads to show above the nut.

Grip Length

Normal Length

The Nuts and Bolts of Nuts and Bolts BY BUDD DAVISSON

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME you saw a magazine article on nails? They are so common, so taken for granted, that there is seldom any reason seen to talk about them. However, there are dozens of different types and families of the common nail. And aircraft bolts fall into the same category. A bolt is a bolt. Only that’s not the case, is it? The different combinations and permutations available in bolts in general are so many as to be thoroughly overwhelming. AN BOLTS VERSUS THE REST

One of the most common questions asked about bolts is, “Why can’t I just use normal hardware store bolts except in the high-stress areas like prop bolts, engine mounts, and wing bolts? And why can’t I use Grade 8 industrial bolts in those locations?” There is a long and a short answer to this question. The short answer is, “Why would you want to use anything but aircraft bolts in an aircraft where the wrong choice could be fatal?” Cost is not a viable answer because the cost of bolts compared to the cost of an entire airplane project is relatively small. Especially when put against the peace of mind and safety involved. Availability is no longer a reason to substitute hardware store bolts, even Grade 8s, because the Internet can put exactly what you want in your hands. The long answer as to why we shouldn’t use anything but aircraft bolts starts with the fact that, when we’re buying AN/MilSpec hardware from a known, reputable source, we know exactly what we’re getting. Not so with hardware bolts. For instance, all AN bolts are manufactured to a Class 3 thread ﬁt, where most hardware bolts use a Class 2 thread ﬁt. This means the AN bolt has more contact area in the threads so is transferring the load better for more strength in the threads. Try the “nut wobble test” with a hardware store bolt of any grade: Thread a nut on it and notice how the nut wobbles a little when you move it on the thread. An AN bolt doesn’t have that looseness. The ability to resist fatigue is engineered into all of the design details of the AN bolt. For instance, the threads have the so-called “J” thread in which there is a distinct radius at the bottom of the grooves that reduces stress risers thereby increasing fatigue life by as much as 40 percent. This

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is typical of rolled threads versus cut threads in all types of bolts, but the ﬁnish of AN threads is always of a much higher grade, and fatigue life is based on such tiny details. Things such as shank-to-head radii, surface smoothness, and bolt-to-bolt quality control all add up to make an aircraft bolt much less likely to suffer a fatigue failure than a commercial bolt, even if the shear strength is nearly identical. Finish is another reason AN bolts have it all over even Grade 8 hardware bolts (usually chromate coated). The Type II cadmium plating on aircraft bolts isn’t quite indestructible, but it’s close enough. You’ll get much less corrosion on AN bolts. All the above having been said, don’t buy bolts on price. It’s just not worth it. Although I haven’t seen bogus hardware in a few years, it hasn’t been that long since I was seeing bolt failures even though the bolts had the correct markings. I had the head of a 3/8-inch bolt that held the front gear leg on my Pitts to the fuselage literally pop off. The bolt was under almost no tension (primary load was all shear). The only thing that prevented a really spectacular accident was that the brake line stopped the bolt from vibrating out. Always buy from known, national suppliers. BREAKING THE CODE

You know you’ve reached homebuilder maturity when you can rattle off the part number of a bolt and know exactly what you’re saying.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF AIRCRAFT SPRUCE

and is a critical assembly (think brake calipers) so it needs to be safety wired? First, it should be noted that the term AN (Army-Navy) is technically an out-of-date nomenclature that has been superseded by MS, which stands for USA Military Specifications (MilSpec). That having been said, however, AN is so ingrained in aviation culture that the change is going to take a generation or two to take effect. Basically the designation of a common AN bolt (meaning, not some sort of specialty bolt) addresses the aforementioned five factors in the following manner (they usually start with AN), e.g., AN3H-6A. Diameter is the first number after AN, and it is in 1/16 of an inch; e.g., 3 is 3/16, 4 is 1/4 inch, etc. Grip is not indicated in the part number. You have to look that up in a bolt chart. Length is the number after the dash and includes the threads. If it is a single digit it is going to be a 7 or less, indicating the number of 1/8 increments, so 7 is 7/8 inch. If it is two digits, the first one is the number

NUTS

Although, initially, the bolt code appears a little daunting, 95 percent of the bolts we’ll usually be using fall into only a few basic categories. Assuming it’s not called out in the plans or noted in the kit instructions and we’re left to determine the exact bolt we need ourselves, there are only four or ﬁve parameters we’re concerned with, and oddly enough, the actual length of that bolt is secondary. The determining factors are, in this order: Diameter—pretty basic: How big is the hole? Grip—not so basic: How thick is the stack of material the bolt is going to hold together? Length—even less basic (or logical): The numerical designation of the bolt is based on its length, which in turn is determined by the grip. I know, this is illogical, but that’s the way it is. It would make more sense if the length designation would be grip. Drilled shank—Is it in an assembly that sees rotation so it needs a castellated nut to accept a cotter pin so nothing comes unraveled? Drilled head—Is it assembled in such a way that there is no nut (it goes into a nut plate or casting)

AN365 elastic stop nut—not to be used in heat or control systems.

AN363 metal stop nut—okay in heat.

AN310 castle nut—the ultimate for making sure something doesn’t loosen.

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H ANDS ON

WASHERS

SHOP TALK

AN960—plain washer available in two thicknesses.

Lock washers—available with internal and external “teeth.”

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of whole inches and the second is the number of extra 1/8. So -6 is 6/8 or 3/4 inch. If -16, it is 1 inch and 6/8 or 1 and 3/4 inches. Drilled shank is indicated by no “A” at the end of the whole number. If there is an “A,” it is an undrilled bolt. Drilled head is indicated by preceding the hyphen (-) with an H, e.g., AN3H-4A. So, when we look at AN3H-6A, we know that: AN—It’s an accepted aircraft bolt; with no letter after the AN, it’s cad-plated steel. ANC would be stainless. 3—It is 3/16 in diameter. H—It has a drilled head. -6—It is 6/8 (3/4-inch) long (nominal 3/8-inch grip, as per chart). A—It does not have a drilled shank. The only difficulty in any of this is determining the length that gives the right grip. However, every major supplier of homebuilt hardware (Spruce, Wicks, etc.) has a bolt selection chart or calculator where you can look up the grip and the matching length.

AND THEN THERE ARE THE NUTS

For every bolt there’s a nut to match it and the application. The normal AN nut is, well, normal. However, there are at least three common varieties of locking nuts that are not normal. Elastic stop nuts (AN365)—Commonly called nylocs (nylon locking), they are the accepted method of locking a bolt that you don’t want working loose. They, however, are not used in high-heat situations, on rotating parts, or in the control system. There are a variety of elastic

MORE ON TAILWHEEL GEOMETRY AND SETUP We received some very informative letters concerning January’s Shop Talk, “Of Caster Angles, Shimmy, and Tail Wheels.” To read the letters, visit www.SportAviation.org. We thank the writers for their input.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF AIRCRAFT SPRUCE

nuts, including the MS17825, that is also castellated for “just in case” applications. All-metal stop nuts (AN363)—An acceptable replacement for nylocs that can be used in high-heat situations. Castle nuts (AN310)—For applications where the results of a nut working loose would be catastrophic; e.g., in a control system, the castle nut with a trusty cotter pin is the foolproof solution. SPECIALTY BOLTS

There are a number of specialty bolts that are designed for specific applications or needs. They range from those delivering higher shear strength to stainless versions for high-heat applications. The most useful of the specialty bolts are the close tolerance variety. Close tolerance bolts (AN17, AN18—5/8-inch and up)— Although sometimes difficult to get in the size needed, the existence of close tolerance bolts is something that’s good to keep in a back corner of your mind. They are “slightly” larger than a standard bolt and are often exactly what is needed to save a worn or over-drilled fitting. For instance, where a standard AN4, 1/4inch bolt measures 0.246 inches to 0.249, an AN174 is 0.2489 to 0.2492. That additional diameter often takes up slop in the fitting and saves a ton of extra work. WASHERS

Yes, there’s a code even for washers. Fortunately, the selection is small, so the codes are minimal, as are the types. The purpose of most washers is to provide a flat surface for the bolt to bear on and to go under lock washers, if used. AN960 plain washers—These are garden-variety washers sized to the bolt as indicated by a confusing dash-number. Just look for the nominal size (1/4 inch, etc). They come in two flavors in terms of thickness. The thinner one is half the thickness of the normal one and is indicated by “L” for “light” after the dash-number. AN970 large area washers—Outside of aviation, these would be known as “fender washers” and are meant to spread the load on sensitive areas like wood. Lock washers—These may be split ring or toothed (internal and external). Just remember to put a regular washer under them to protect the surface. So, there you have it. The next time you start thinking a bolt is just a bolt and reach in the hardware store bin, think again: Is the happiness of your family and friends actually worth saving a few bucks? I don’t have to give you the answer to that one, do I? Budd Davisson is an aeronautical engineer, has flown more than 300 different types, and has published four books and more than 4,000 articles. He is editor-inchief of Flight Journal magazine and a flight instructor primarily in Pitts/tailwheel aircraft. Visit him on www.AirBum.com.

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p.104 Pilot Caves • p.106 News From HQ • p.111 Gone West • p.112 Members/Chapters in Action

QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR MEMBERSHIP? Want to change your address or need other assistance? EAA’s Membership Services staﬀ is available to assist you Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Central time). Call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322), e-mail membership@eaa.org, or visit www.EAA.org/membership.

ASTC PASSPORT When we put out a call to our members asking them what they thought about EAA’s ASTC Passport member benefit, here’s what Brad Kramer, EAA 394357, had to say: “I’ve used the ASTC Passport all over the country. Great benefit and it can pay for the EAA membership fee many times over.” EAA launched the ASTC Passport benefit in 2010. The Passport program provides members with reciprocal benefits at more than 300 participating museums, including free admission, museum store discounts, alternate check-in (to avoid long ticket lines), and more. While the program excludes museums within 90 miles of the EAA AirVenture Museum and a member’s home address, some museums will waive this restriction. The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago participates in the ASTC Passport Program. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY, CHICAGO

Visit www.EAA.org/passport for more information.

www.eaa.org

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MEMBERCENTRAL PILOT CAVES

Pilot: Dave and Jeanne Allen, EAA Lifetime 301987 Location: Kelly Airpark (CO15), Elbert, Colorado DAVE AND JEANNE ALLEN ENJOY the view from up high so much that their pilot cave is located on the Palmer Divide of the Colorado Front Range at an elevation of just over 7,000 feet MSL on Kelly Airpark (CO15), a small, rural ﬂyin community near the town of Elbert. The Allens built their hangar in 1989, and since that time have been taking in stray airplanes that include a full-scale Waco Taperwing replica restored from 1987 to 1993, a vintage German glider restored from 1995 to 1997, a Waco Straightwing restored from 1997 to 2002, and the bright green Waco YKC restored from 2003 to 2013. The YKC also happens to be a major award winner—when it won Grand Champion Antique honors at AirVenture 2013. Never satisﬁed to be without a project, the fuselage in the back of the hangar is part of their next Waco project, an RNF model. The Cub project in the shop is a result of a notion of Dave’s that, “If we build up a nice LSA, then maybe we won’t need it right away.” Do you have an interesting pilot cave? Send a snapshot to editorial@eaa.org to share your aviation space with fellow EAA Sport Aviation readers.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DAVE ALLEN

MEMBERCENTRAL NEWS FROM HQ

Name: Michelle Kunes, EAA 624787 Position: Young Eagles Program Administrator

WHO’S WHO AT HQ

Build an Airplane at AirVenture AT EAA AIRVENTURE Oshkosh 2014, tens of thousands of attendees can share the building experience through the One Week Wonder project—assembling a Zenith CH 750 kit aircraft during the sevenday convention. The goal is to completely construct and taxi test the aircraft by the end of the weeklong event beginning on July 28 and continuing through completion or the event’s ﬁnal day on August 3. “The One Week Wonder will show how today’s advanced kits and technology make aircraft building accessible and affordable, especially with the support from many EAA programs and members,” said Charlie Becker, EAA homebuilt community manager. “It’s a fun, interactive opportunity that will show thousands of people exactly how an airplane goes together.” The One Week Wonder project will also allow EAA to showcase how a person can build their own airplane, the technical achievements along the way, and EAA support programs for aircraft builders. AirVenture attendees will be able to add their own “hands-on” moment in the construction project and sign the logbook as one of the builders. The One Week Wonder display area, located near the EAA Welcome Center at the main crossroads of convention grounds, will include the completed Zenith CH 750 built by EAA employees. There will also be interactive displays that highlight the aircraft construction process, the variety of aircraft available for builders, and information on getting started on an aircraft project. Watch for more details as they are ﬁnalized.

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Describe what you do: I communicate with our volunteers for the Young Eagles program, also the parents/public who want information on the program. I organize a Young Eagles rally here at EAA every June and recruit and train our volunteers needed during AirVenture each year. I write a quarterly newsletter to our key volunteers in the field. What do you enjoy most about your job? I am always amazed at the dedication and support for the program that comes from our volunteers. I have met so many people from all over the U.S. and Canada, and many have become dear friends of mine. Most memorable EAA experience? Attending the Wright brothers 100th anniversary of flight at Kitty Hawk. Just being there was so special—I was in awe of watching the reproduction of the plane attempting to re-enact that first flight. I was invited to fly around the memorial at Kitty Hawk with a friend of mine on December 17, 2003—what an honor and a tribute. Most memorable person you met through EAA: All the Young Eagles chairmen have been interesting to work with, and I have been privileged to have met them all including Cliff Robertson, Gen. Chuck Yeager, Harrison Ford, Sully Sullenberger and Jeff Skiles, and now Sean D. Tucker. What is the most unique airplane you’ve taken a ride in? EAA’s Travel Air. I had never flown in an open cockpit before—wonderful feeling!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BONNIE KRATZ

MEMBERCENTRAL GET YOUR STOL ON AT AIRVENTURE VALDEZ DEMONSTRATION SPECIALLY MODIFIED aircraft that fly competitively at the annual Valdez Fly-In & Air Show STOL competition in Alaska will appear in Oshkosh this year demonstrating their incredible unique capabilities. More than a dozen aircraft, based on planes that fly to rugged and far-flung outposts throughout Alaska, are scheduled to fly at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014. The demanding terrain in that state requires that aircraft take off and land on rough runways often less than 500 feet long. Airplanes include homebuilt and specially modified production types. Along with flying demonstrations during AirVenture’s daily afternoon air show July 28-30, the Valdez STOL aircraft will stage a “fun flying” demonstration from the grass ultralight runway on Friday evening, August 1. When not flying, they’ll be on display in special

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK

parking areas and on the main showcase ramp, with pilots and builders part of forums and evening programs throughout the week. Further details and schedules of the Valdez STOL aircraft activities will be announced as they are ﬁnalized. Visit www.AirVenture.org for additional information, including advance ticket and camping purchase.

DATE CHANGE FOR WOMENVENTURE 2014 WOMENVENTURE, HELD annually during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, is moving to a new day in 2014. The day, started in 2007 to celebrate women’s contributions to the aviation industry and inspire and encourage women to get involved, includes the annual Women in Aviation Connect Breakfast and group photo on the main showcase ramp. Events this year are planned for Wednesday, July 30. The day’s activities offer a chance to build camaraderie and inspire women of all ages to get engaged in aviation—for fun and/or as part of their career aspirations. T-shirts will again be distributed to all women participating in aviation—for work or play— to wear during the annual photo at 11 a.m. on the main showcase ramp. After the photo, participants are invited to M&M’S Theater in the Woods for the second annual WomenVenture Power Lunch to enjoy dynamic speakers and additional networking. To learn more about the activities planned and to register for the Power Lunch, visit www.AirVenture.org/WomenVenture.

www.eaa.org 107

MEMBERCENTRAL NEWS FROM HQ

EAA FAMILY LOSES TWO MEMORABLE PEOPLE THE EAA FAMILY recently lost two people closely linked with its history and growth, Leo Kohn, EAA 4, and Henry Ogrodzinski, EAA 127183.

Leo, one of EAA’s founding members, died on January 17 at the age of 87. He had the foresight to take photos at EAA’s first meeting in Milwaukee on January 26, 1953, and soon became EAA’s first official photographer. He later became the organization’s first fulltime employee, maintaining the connection with EAA members and chapters while Paul Poberezny was still working full-time for the Wisconsin Air National Guard. Leo was a well-regarded aviation photographer and historian throughout his career, most recently serving as a director of the Mitchell Gallery of Flight museum in Milwaukee. Henry, the president/CEO of the National Association of Henry Ogrodzinski chauffeurs Paul Poberezny in Red One at AirVenture 2013. State Aviation Officials (NASAO),

108 Sport Aviation March 2014

passed away on January 22 at age 65 after a courageous battle with cancer. Henry was EAA’s media and public relations director from 1982 to 1987, just as the organization was emerging as a leader Leo Kohn was the first official in the entire general full-time EAA employee. aviation community through its government efforts and increasing visibility of the annual EAA Oshkosh fly-in. After departing EAA, he had also worked with Gulfstream, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, and the Dayton Air Show prior to joining NASAO. EAA’s deepest condolences go to Leo’s and Henry’s families.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK

110 Sport Aviation March 2014

MEMBERCENTRAL

Gone West Not alone into the sunset but into the company of friends who have gone before them. ALABAMA R. Fourt (EAA 1100909), Tuscaloosa

William Ryker (EAA 344364), Greenwood Robert Warren (EAA 9013361), Elkhart

SOUTH CAROLINA Lester “Buck” Postlewait (EAA 101739), Cheraw

ARIZONA Jon Behncke (EAA 263684), Sun City Henry Dykhuis (EAA 12897), Oro Valley Gordon Schneider (EAA 353351), Clarkdale

IOWA Lawrence Schuler (EAA 406996), Grimes

TENNESSEE Kenneth Casstevens (EAA 519296), Bartlett

KENTUCKY Jim Oldach (EAA 505701), Lexington

TEXAS Frank Arrufat (EAA 89194), El Paso Douglas Boren (EAA 78502), Lubbock Gene Fulmer (EAA 259258), Nocona Harold Johnson (EAA 227756), Fort Worth Vern Phagan (EAA 1105737), Colleyville Jerry Pockrus (EAA 241171), Justin George Race (EAA 801326), Dallas Don Sherwood (EAA 127391), Canyon Lake Leon York (EAA 57), San Angelo

ARKANSAS William Koontz (EAA 4704), Jonesboro CALIFORNIA Neal La France (EAA 1905), La Mesa Richard Nunes (EAA 445039), Elk Grove Ray Smith Jr. (EAA 163159), Orangevale Donald Wiggin (EAA 429468), Mountain View Kevin Young (EAA 830264), San Jose COLORADO Michael Bass (EAA 1020033), Limon Dana Brewer (EAA 770204), Mack DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Henry Ogrodzinski (EAA 127183), Washington FLORIDA Jack Alexander (EAA 1029646), North Fort Myers Albert Bratt Jr. (EAA 2357), Lake City Robert Forrest (EAA 303009), Panama City Albert Wilcox (EAA 9675), Dowling Park GEORGIA Steve Cason (EAA 872935), Waycross IDAHO Vernon “Russ” Bailey (EAA 548289), Meridian ILLINOIS Frederick Beck (EAA 124308), Rockford William Boldenow (EAA 62907), Lansing Edwin Fish (EAA 11013), Woodstock Kenneth Newell (EAA 539337), Peoria Neil Olson (EAA 492156), Geneva INDIANA Joe Landy (EAA 244085), Osceola

LOUISIANA Robert Albrecht (EAA 565601), Bridge City MAINE Walter Hendron (EAA 1089984), Farmingdale MARYLAND James Foard Sr. (EAA 361003), Jarrettsville MICHIGAN Eugene Balon (EAA 1380), Shelby Township Terry Cranston (EAA 538758), Grayling Jean Debbink (EAA 326307), Ann Arbor Richard Haigh (EAA 234314), Buchanan Philip Seizinger (EAA 711805), St. Clair Shores MINNESOTA Edward “Mitch” Hensley (EAA 101043), Bloomington MISSOURI Larry Isaac (EAA 469104), Lamar NEW JERSEY George Kowalski (EAA 715972), Rahway NEW YORK John Hicks (EAA 297996), Ithaca OHIO Richard Kiko (EAA 876331), North Canton Keith Sandrock (EAA 102521), Kipton OKLAHOMA Charles Girard (EAA 695691), Tulsa PENNSYLVANIA Richard Blakeslee (EAA 113064), Stroudsburg Thomas Huf (EAA 36407), Kingsley

UTAH John Butler (EAA 61826), Salt Lake City VIRGINIA Bill Overstreet (EAA 808247), Roanoke WASHINGTON George Perks (EAA 863581), Spokane Valley Newell Wilson (EAA 1052993), Des Moines WEST VIRGINIA Paul Haun (EAA 412901), Weirton WISCONSIN Leo Kohn (EAA 4), Brookﬁeld Joseph Roblee (EAA 710837), Fond du Lac William Rosman (EAA 56565), Palmyra Richard Schmidt (EAA 1021188), Richﬁeld Warren Selover (EAA 208123), Madison Mel Zurbuchen (EAA 794811), Janesville AUSTRALIA Graham Treloar (EAA 310693), Dulwich, South Australia CANADA Robert Garinger (EAA 23393), Sudbury, Ontario Philip McGrogan (EAA 317495), Kaministiquia, Ontario Robert Owens (EAA 34994), Brockville, Ontario Adrian Sandziuk (EAA 123489), North Bay, Ontario

www.eaa.org 111

MEMBERCENTRAL MEMBERS/CHAPTERS IN ACTION

Sim Fliers Chapter 723’s ﬂight simulator a hit with youth, members

EAA CHAPTER 723’S REDBIRD LD flight simulator is proving to be hugely popular in enhancing flight experiences for those taking part in the Camarillo, California, chapter’s Young Eagles program. The simulator was provided through a donation from the Hutchinson Foundation in May 2013, and since sim time was approved as loggable later in the year, chapter members are lining up to use it. The Hutchinson Foundation is an organization created by local experimental aircraft enthusiast Harold “Hutch” Hutchinson. In December 2012, Geoffrey Strand, the foundation’s president, contacted the chapter seeking a proposal on how it could make use of a substantial donation to promote aviation to area youth. According to Chapter President Tom Ridderbush, EAA 722208, one suggestion was to acquire

Doug Wagner instructs Young Eagles on Chapter 723’s Redbird LD ﬂight simulator.

112 Sport Aviation March 2014

a simulator to use in conjunction with the Young Eagles program. The idea was well-received. “Several of our members went on the hunt for the perfect simulator,” Tom said. “After a couple of months, all signs pointed to the Redbird LD simulator.” The unit is now being used regularly, and the youth program has seen growth as a result, requiring more volunteers to become involved. To cover the ongoing maintenance costs of the sim in the years to come the chapter came up with a plan. Members and Young Eagles/youth program volunteers can fly the simulator at a rate of $10 per hour. The rate for nonmembers and those not volunteering is $25 per hour. Any revenue generated from the simulator is put into the youth program bank account to be used to maintain it. Restrictions were also put in place so as not to compete with the flight schools on the airport. For example, the chapter does not allow instructors and their students to join for the sole purpose of getting cheap simulator time. Geoffrey visited the chapter in August and was overjoyed to see what’s been accomplished. He also flew the sim for nearly an hour himself. Not only have hundreds of kids flown it, but chapter membership also has increased in part due to the program. “Our chapter was very fortunate to be able to acquire this simulator,” Tom added. He suggests other chapters could work with local organizations that might be willing to help set up a simulator. “The way to do it is to show the public that your objectives are to help make sure there will be pilots in the years to come.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA CHAPTER 723

MEMBERCENTRAL MEMBERS/CHAPTERS IN ACTION

EAAER RECEIVES WRIGHT BROTHERS MASTER PILOT AWARD DAVID TAISCH, EAA 9001328, of Tavares, Florida, was presented with the FAA’s prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award on January 11 at the Florida Mooney Lunch Group meeting hosted by EAA Chapter 534 at the chapter hangar on Leesburg International Airport. Soloing at age 16 and passing his checkride at age 17, Taisch has more than 50 years of flying experience totaling 6,400 flight hours in 37 different aircraft. He currently owns and flies a Mooney M20M Ovation and a Lake amphibian and is active in the EAA Young Eagles program. He’s also involved in Angel Flight, having flown 116 missions.

Taisch also founded the Florida Mooney Lunch Group, which celebrated its 10th anniversary at the January meeting. Members are Mooney pilots who fly to different airports around the state for lunch. Taisch and his wife, Ruth, were both recognized by the group for their efforts on behalf of the club over the past decade. The Wright Master Pilot Award was presented by Rock Rockcastle, of the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam), recognizing those pilots who have demonstrated excellence in flight safety. That’s defined as 50 years of accident-free flying and no certificate revocations. About 70 people attended the lunch and award ceremony, several flying into Leesburg in their Mooneys. Congratulations, Dave!

GET A FIRSTHAND look at the latest (and lightest) entry in the Bearhawk line with aircraft designerr Bob Barrows in the March edition of EAA’s Chapter Video Magazine. This month’s video also includes an advocacy update from the 10th annual Recreational Aviation Summit and a special segment on EAA’s Family Flight Fest. To watch this month’s video, attend an EAA chapter meeting near you. To ﬁnd a chapter, visit www.EAA.org/chapters/locator. The FAASTeam’s Rock Rockcastle (left) presents David Taisch with the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. Also pictured is Dave’s wife, Ruth.

WELCOME, NEW LIFETIME MEMBERS Kraig Arenz (EAA 306069), Summit, Wisconsin Thomas Buckles (EAA 44995), Newbury, Ohio F. Allan Curran (EAA 763995), Bay Shore, New York Mark Del Monaco (EAA 176982), Lombard, Illinois Michael Dunning (EAA 704050), Huntsville, Alabama Anne Gaspari (EAA 1133589), Paradise Valley, Arizona Tracey Gray (EAA 1064520), Brooklyn, New York Dianna Gronemeyer (EAA 566163), Granbury, Texas John Gronemeyer (EAA 305416), Granbury, Texas Curtis Hall (EAA 94323), Shepherdsville, Kentucky Robert Harris (EAA 464881), Mableton, Georgia

114 Sport Aviation March 2014

Chris Hatin (EAA 593828), Queensbury, New York Russell Herrell (EAA 1134342), San Diego, California Myron Lokken (EAA 532919), Madison, Wisconsin Larry Maynard (EAA 495711), Alpharetta, Georgia Edward McNeil (EAA 489661), Eagle Lake, Florida Mike Metzler (EAA 323475), Little Rock, Arkansas Steve Patton (EAA 235299), North Baltimore, Ohio Jennifer Robb (EAA 1112337), St. Louis, Michigan Jon Robb (EAA 783409), St. Louis, Michigan J. Glenn Turner (EAA 1133220), Chesterﬁeld, Missouri Ken Weber (EAA 100698), Park Ridge, Illinois

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DAVID TAISCH

MEMBERCENTRAL MEMBER BENEFITS

Member Benefits Spotlight MEMBERSHIP IN EAA makes aviation more fun, economical, and accessible. Below are free and discounted programs offered exclusively to EAA members. Join, renew, or ask questions by visiting www.EAA.org/join or calling 800-564-6322 (800-JOIN-EAA). PROGRAMS

EAA Aircraft Insurance - Obtain extensive liability and hull insurance for all types of aircraft at an exceptional price. Ask for the “EAA Endorsement” and get added beneﬁts, like zero deductible from day one, at no additional charge. We’ve also designed a plan unique to Canada (C-PLAN) with coverage for standard, ultralights, amateur-builts, and kit planes. www.EAA.org/insurance, 866-647-4322 (U.S.) or 855-736-3407 (Canada) EAA Aviation & Non-Aviation AD&D Insurance - Get personal insurance coverage that picks up where traditional life insurance stops with coverage for nearly all aviation and non-aviation activities at a fraction of the cost of amending existing life insurance policies. www.EAA.org/insurance, 877-230-3252 EAA Visa Credit Card - Earn points to redeem for membership renewal, gift memberships, travel, cash back, or more! Use your card on purchases at Aircraft Spruce & Specialty and you’ll also receive up to 10 percent off. www.EAA.org/visa ASTC Museum Passport Program - Enjoy free access to more than 300 museums and science centers worldwide. www.EAA.org/passport EAA Webinars - Attend free, weekly webinars with content ranging from “Flying Efficiently” to “Getting Started With Ultralights.” www.EAA.org/webinars EAA Hints for Homebuilders Videos - Online videos featuring easy explanations of aircraft homebuilding and maintenance techniques. www.EAAVideo.org EAA Flight Advisors - Flight advisors counsel members considering purchasing an aircraft, preparing for flight in a newly built or restored aircraft, or looking to transition to an unfamiliar aircraft. www.EAA.org/flightadvisors EAA Technical Counselors - Experienced builders, restorers, and mechanics volunteer their time to help you present a “zero defect” airplane for inspection. www.EAA.org/techcounselors EAA Ford Tri-Motor Experience - Experience the golden age of aviation aboard EAA’s 1929 Ford Tri-Motor. www.FlyTheFord.org EAA B-17 Flight Experience - $40 off your flight as you stand in the footsteps of the bombardier, the navigator, and the waist gunner and relive history. www.B17.org

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EAA communities are groups organized in a local community or around a particular interest like an aircraft type. They meet up, share advice, and work together on important community projects. EAA Chapters - www.EAA.org/chapters/locator EAA International Aerobatic Club - www.IAC.org EAA Warbirds of America - www.Warbirds-EAA.org EAA Vintage Aircraft Association - www.VintageAircraft.org EAA Ultralights - www.EAA.org/ultralights EAA Homebuilders - www.EAA.org/homebuilders

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800/248-0638

Lockwood Aviation

www.lockwood-aviation.com

800/527-6829

Aviat Aircraft Inc

www.aviataircraft.com

307/885-3151

Lycoming

www.lycoming.com

800/258-3279

Aviator’s Guide to Florida

www.aviators-guide.com

Mahindra Aerospace

www.ga8airvan.com

855-4-AIRVAN

Better Aircraft Fabric

www.betteraircraftfabric.com

907/229-6792

MGL Avionics

101

www.mglavionics.com

877/835-9464

California Power Systems

www.800-airwolf.com

800/247-9653

MT-Propeller

www.mt-propeller.com

386/736-7762

Champion Aerospace Inc

www.championaerospace.com

864/843-1162

Paciﬁc Health

105

www.claroxan.com

855/820-4050

CubCrafters, Inc.

www.carboncubex.com

509/248-9491

Piper

www.piper.com

866/FLY.PIPER

Daher-Socata

www.tbm850.com

954/993-8477

Plane Power

www.plane-power.com

877/934-5700

DTC DUAT

www.duat.com

800/243-3828

Poly-Fiber Aircraft Coatings

www.polyﬁber.com

800/362-3490

Dynon Avionics

IFC

www.dynonavionics.com

425/402-0433

Pygmy Boats

www.pygmyboats.com

360/385-6143

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014

102

www.airventure.org

800/564-6322

Randolph Aircraft Products

www.randolphaircraft.com

800/362-3490

EAA Aviation Insurance/Falcon

81, 83

www.eaalowerrates.com

866/647-4322

Sandy’s Airpark

107

www.sandysairpark.com

800/908-4359

EAA Ford Tri-Motor

107

www.ﬂytheford.org

800/564-6322

Savvy Aircraft Maint. Management

117

www.savvyanalysis.com

702/655-1359

EAA Merchandise

108

www.shopeaa.com

800/564-6322

Sigtronics Corporation

www.sigtronics.com

909/305-9399

100, 110

www.sportair.com

800/967-5746

Sky-Tec

www.skytecair.com

800/476-7896

EAA SportAir Workshops EAA Sweepstakes 2014

www.eaa.org/sweepstakes

800/236-1025

Sonex Aircraft, LLC

www.sonexaircraft.com

920/231-8297

EAA Tribute

110

www.eaa.org/support

800/236-1025

Sporty’s Pilot Shop

www.sportys.com/stratus

800/SPORTYS

EAA Young Eagles

109

www.youngeagles.org

877/806-8902

Stauer

www.stauer.com

800/333-2057

Epic Aircraft

www.epicaircraft.com

888-FLY-EPIC

Stewart AC Finishing Systems

www.stewartsystems.aero

888/356-7659

Flight Design USA

www.ﬂightdesignusa.com

860/963-7272

Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In 2013

113

www.sun-n-fun.org

863/644-2431

FltPlan.com

www.ﬂtplan.com

800/322-7526

Superior Air Parts

www.superiorairparts.com

800/277-5168

Ford Motor Company

55, 97

www.ford.com

800/392-3673

Tempest

www.tempestplus.com

800/822-3200

Garmin

5, 39

www.garmin.com

800/800-1020

Trade-A-Plane

www.trade-a-plane.com

800/337-5263

Grand Rapids Technologies, Inc.

45, 78

www.grtavionics.com

616/245-7700

Trio Avionics

www.trioavionics.com

619/448-4619

HTP America Inc

www.usaweld.com

800/872-9353

Trutrak Flight Systems

www.trutrakap.com

866/TRUTRAK

Jeppesen

www.jeppesen.com/ﬂitedeck-vfr31

800/353-2107

Van’s Aircraft, Inc.

www.vansaircraft.com

503/678-6545

J.P. Instruments

www.jpinstruments.com

800/345-4574

Wag-Aero

101

www.wagaero.com

800/558-6868

Kissimmee/Experience

www.experiencekissimmee.com/sun-n-fun 407/742-8200

Zenith Aircraft Company

IBC

www.zenithair.com

573/581-9000

Lancair International

www.lancair.com

541/923-2244

For more information from EAA Sport Aviation’s advertisers, please phone or visit them on the web, and mention that you saw their ad in EAA Sport Aviation. Visit www.EAA.org for a listing of this month’s advertisers. Copyright © 2014 by the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. All rights reserved. EAA SPORT AVIATION (USPS 511-720; ISSN 0038-7835; CPC#40612608) is owned exclusively by the Experimental Aircraft Assn., Inc. and is published monthly at the EAA Aviation Headquarters, 3000 Poberezny Rd., Oshkosh, WI 54902. Periodical Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and other post offices. [U.S. membership rates are $40.00.] EAA STATEMENT OF POLICY – Material published in EAA SPORT AVIATION is contributed by EAA members and other interested persons. Opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. Accuracy of the material is the sole responsibility of the contributor. ADVERTISING – EAA does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EAA SPORT AVIATION, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

www.eaa.org 119

EAA’S LOGBOOK WHERE WE CAME FROM

INSIDE THE ISSUE Highlights from March 1964:

EAA member John W. Dyke, EAA Lifetime 3566, shared his experience modeling and building his Dyke JD-1 Delta that made its debut appearance at the 1963 Rockford ﬂy-in.

Terry O’Neill, EAA 5572, detailed the development of the Waco Aristocraft and how he came to own it in his article, “The Last Waco.”

AA Sport Aviation’s March 1964 cover featured the restored Waco RNF, N-110Y, owned by W. Meeks of Kokomo, Indiana. The image was a helpful reminder that every pilot should carry tiedowns, especially with the Rockford EAA fly-in convention coming up August 4. The magazine covered fly-ins by EAA Chapters 66 and 156, an overview of precision aerobatic flying written by John R. Tucker, EAA 12722, and an informative lesson on covering a lightplane fuselage.

120 Sport Aviation March 2014

The amateur-built Loving’s Love was generously donated to the EAA Air Museum by Neal Loving, EAA 522, at the second annual EAA Chapter 13 dinner meeting in Detroit, Michigan. President Paul Poberezny accepted it on behalf of members and thanked Neal and his wife for their dedication to EAA. View archived issues of EAA Sport Aviation in the Members Only section at www.Oshkosh365.org.

July 28 - August 3 Buy your AirVenture Oshkosh 2014 tickets today! Visit AirVenture.org/tickets