The Patrician VICTORIA FLYING CLUB
DECEMBER 2010
WWW.FLYVFC.COM
Merry Christmas FROM THE VICTORIA FLYING CLUB
The Patrician Monthly newsletter of the Victoria Flying Club
DECEMBER 2010
In this issue:
The Victoria Flying Club est. 1946
5 Flying With Friends —Doug Marin 9 San Francisco Photos —Laura Van Buskirk 13 Wait List Feature for Online Booking
“To promote flying and aviation in general, and to teach and train persons in the art and science of flying and navigating and operating all manner of heavier-than-air aircraft.” (Victoria Flying Club Incorporation Bylaws, 1946)
Board of Directors President………………………………….….Lloyd Toope Vice President…………………………..Colin Dormuth Treasurer……………………………………….Ellen Wood Secretary……………………………………….Rob Shemilt Directors………………………………………..Sean Steele Colin Williamson Don Devenney Steve Demy General Manager………………………….Gerry Mants Chief Flying Instructor……………..Graham Palmer
Editor/Publisher: Christie Hall thepatrician@shaw.ca Midnight Design and Communication midnightdc@shaw.ca
1852 Canso Road Sidney, BC V8L 5V5
www.flyvfc.com
The Patrician accepts unsolicited submissions.
Phone: 250-656-2833 Fax: 250-655-0910 Email: info@flyvfc.com
This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, only with prior permission of the publisher or author. The opinions expressed are strictly those of the authors.
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Victoria Flying Club Holiday Hours
Merry Christmas FROM THE VICTORIA FLYING CLUB
December 24—closed at 4pm December 25—closed December 26—closed December 31—closed at 4pm January 1—closed
Have a safe and happy holiday!
Festive Flight Following
Only a few days left before Christmas and the pressure is on to get everything done – don’t let the “urgency” of the season take away from that which is most important. I sincerely hope that each of you will have the opportunity to slow down just a bit and share with family and friends the joy, the wonder and the true gift of Christmas. From all of us here at the Club to you and your families, a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year.
Santa has embraced the internet and all its social media outlets. You can send your wish list to Santa on Facebook well ahead of time to give the elves plenty of notice. Then on Christmas Eve, check the North Pole weather. If it’s especially cold, be sure to have an extra hot beverage on hand for the jolly guy. You’ll know exactly when to have it ready after checking the sleigh’s progress with Norad and Google Earth. And while visions of Garmin 5000s dance through your head, you can tweet Santa a last minute reminder of how very, very good you’ve been this year.
~ Gerry Mants, General Manager VFC
Santa on Facebook North Pole Weather Santa on Norad Santa on Google Earth Santa on Twitter
DECEMBER 2010 2
CHRISTMAS IN THE PILOT SHOP
Find gifts for all the pilots on your list at the VFC Pilot Shop!
Stocking stuffers under $20 Check out the line of VFC Apparel including hats, shirts, jackets, and micro-fleece lined vests This year we have gift packages available . A gift certificate, with an accompanying gift from the pilot shop, wrapped in ribbon and ready to put under the tree.
VICTORIA FLYING CLUB INC. VICTORIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT #101—1852 CANSO ROAD SIDNEY, BC V8L 5V5 PHONE: 250-656-2833
$$$$
Gift amounting to DATE
12/25/10
Gift Certificate Dollars
GIFT FOR
CERTIFICATE NUMBER
PRESENTED BY
CERTIFICATE AMOUNT
My Favourite Aviator
1234
Your Co-Pilot
$$$$
Santa N. Claus
12/25/2011 VALID TO:____________________________
______________________________________ AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE
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Images courtesy of: Allen Lynch
This month’s winning photo: A beautiful shot of Lake Garibaldi, submitted by Jon Starodub.
2010 Photo of the Month Grand Prize Winner! As promised a year ago, all photo submissions have been entered into a draw for a $100 gift certificate from the Victoria Flying Club. This can be used towards flight training, for pilot shop items and books, or deposited to your block account for recreational flights. A big thanks to everyone who submitted photos this year. We have seen some stunning landscapes, incredible airplanes, and various other interesting shots. We’ll continue the tradition in 2011. You can enter one photo each month to increase your chances of winning the monthly pilot shop prize, or the yearly $100 prize. Keep those photos coming! Submit by the 20th of the month to: thepatrician@shaw.ca
The grand prize winner for 2010 is Loren Brajkovic. Congratulations Loren! You can pick up your gift certificate at the VFC office. DECEMBER 2010 4
By: Doug Marin
Here
is a perfect example of literary procrastination. I wrote most of this article in 2006, and then didn’t finish the last couple of paragraphs until October 2010! I have at least 3 more just like it. Maybe you feel like me. You’ve flown to Chilliwack so many times they’ve run out of any selections you haven’t tried before on the famous pie menu. The Boundary Bay traffic pattern entry is so familiar, the radios change frequencies all by themselves. Nanaimo Radio answers you by name; “Idiot in PFW, this is Nanaimo RADIO (Not Nanaimo Tower). Perhaps I exaggerate a little; however, the message is clear: At least once a year, make it a point to get way out of town and fly to some places you haven’t been to before or at least very often. It will positively make flying a whole new and wonderful experience for you. Dan Waldie, Stu Knittelfelder and I (all 350 + hour pilots now) met each other at the VFC and have been flying together in club aircraft on extended cross-country trips for the past few years. We’ve been to San Francisco, California, Juneau, Alaska, and several distant BC locations plus on all kinds of shorter flights together. Yes, we are also “Hundred
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Dollar Hamburger Guys”. If you check out the Photo Gallery on the VFC website, you’ll find a story about our trip to Alaska called “The Thousand Dollar Hamburger Run”. That 5-day trip cost us $1000 each and was worth every dime as all expenses were included. Aircraft, Hotel, Food, the works. Today trips like this will cost a bit more, not much more. This year (2006), we split the difference, and went on a 3-day flying trip that cost only $555 each, all expenses in. What an exceptional Labour Day Long Weekend trip it turned out to be! We flew almost 11 hours over the weekend. Victoria to: Nelson, & Kaslo, BC, then on to Oroville, Washington for a very friendly USA Customs arrival. An overnight stop at the Grand Coulee Dam presented us with a wonderful tour of a huge American Electrical and Agricultural Power and Water Facility. The evening “Laser Light Show” projected directly onto the dam was a lot of fun. We chanced on the use of free on field “airport car” to take us into town, almost 15 miles away. After that, we crossed over some more pretty formidable territory. The GPS in some of VFC’s aircraft is a wonderful tool in these instances, as there were not a lot of distinguishing landmarks below to navigate by until
(Question: How many of you are flying with your own GPS in our aircraft now in 2010 ? I fly all the time with a Garmin Aera, but can’t plug it into ships power) Again, we got outstanding service after filling up the tanks at the Dalles FBO who provided another “free airport car” to take us into town to fill up on some great Burgers & Shakes. You just ‘gotta love the way they look after you in the USA! We bypassed Portland International Airspace by a few miles and flew up the bumpy Gorge River and Hood Canal while watching literally hundreds of Windsurfers go crazy on the river below us. Another couple stops at Sanderson and Port Townsend, WA then finally landing in Victoria completed all the trade off flying time all three pilots wanted on this trip. We all came out within 1/10 of an hour of each other in flying time. Again, an unplanned, but hoped for final outcome! I don’t know how we do it, but it always seems to work out. Moral of this story? You too can meet some of the 500 wonderful people who are members of The Victoria Flying Club to FLY with. All you have to do is
show up at the club and talk with folks. Soon enough, you’ll be having the time of your life sharing the wonderful thing we do. Seeing the world from another perspective, no one other than pilots like us can describe. The key to making it all happen is as simple as an ordinary invitation to fly together. Have fun, and make your invitation to fly with someone you don’t know yet soon! Photos: Previous Page: (left to right) Dan Waldie, Stu Knittelfelder, Doug Marin Below: Alaska, home of the $1000 burger
If you have an aviation story to share, send it, along with your best photos of your adventure , to : the patrician@shaw.ca Submissions are always welcome!
DECEMBER 2010 6
To Identify the aircraft above, please email: thepatrician@shaw.ca
Last Month’s Mystery The North American Aviation Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is a turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for counter insurgency (COIN) combat, and one of its primary missions was as a forward air control (FAC) aircraft. It can carry up to three tons of external munitions, and loiter for three or more hours. Correctly identified by: Tim Martin, Shawn Carlow, Sam Fisher, Walter Salmaniw, Kurt and Eric Alisch, Mike Sugimoto, Angus Forsyth
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Monday and Wednesday Evenings 1900—2200 Date
Topic
Instructor
Dec 01
Meteorology
Simon Dennis
06
Meteorology
Simon Dennis
08
Meteorology
Simon Dennis
13
Meteorology
Simon Dennis
15
Meteorology
Simon Dennis
20
Meteorology
Simon Dennis
Jan 03
Canadian Aviation Regulations
Dave Kupchenko
05
Canadian Aviation Regulations
Dave Kupchenko
10
Human Factors and Pilot Decision Making
Brad Fraser
12
Flight Operations
Yasuhiro Koide
17
Flight Operations
Yasuhiro Koide
19
Navigation
Jeff Lightheart
24
Navigation
Jeff Lightheart
26
Navigation
Jeff Lightheart
31
Radio and Electronic Theory
Dave Kupchenko
Review (Written Exam Seminar)
John McConnichie
Review
Brad Fraser
Feb 02 07
NOTE: There will be no Groundschool on December 22, 27, or 29th during the Christmas Break. To sign up for Groundschool, or to purchase your Groundschool Kit, please contact the Victoria Flying Club Office at 250-656-2833.
DECEMBER 2010 8
Laura Van Buskirk sent this collection of photos from a recent trip to San Francisco. What an amazing journey! Thanks for the photos and the inspiration!
I left my heart in San Francisco, high on a hill it calls to me. To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars. The morning fog may chill the air, I don’t care. My love waits there in San Francisco, above the blue and windy sea. When I come home to you, San Francisco, your golden sun will shine for me. ~ Tony Bennett
Top: San Francisco’s infamous fog Above: Seattle—stopped to clear customs, Crater Lake in SW Oregon Opposite: (clockwise from top left) Northern California, San Francisco from the air, flying over the sand dunes in Oregon, Portland Oregon
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Lindair Services Ltd
Note: A trip of this nature requires extensive flight planning and preparation. Start thinking now about where you’d like to go next spring/summer. Research destinations, consider meteorological conditions, and don’t be afraid to dream big! Most importantly, maintain your flying currency so that when you travel into new territory, you are ready and well-equipped to enjoy the experience. And, of course, don’t forget to take photos, document your adventures, and share it with The Patrician!
Specializing in Cessna, Piper, Beaver float and wheel-equipped aircraft. A high-quality Service Department that is ready to complete any inspection or repair requirement you may have. 5180 Airport Road South, Richmond, BC Tel: 1-800-663-5829 Fax: 1-800-667-5643
DECEMBER 2010 10
Images courtesy of: Allen Lynch
Kevin Skillings Instructor: Tristan Nano
Brett Wingerter Instructor: Brad Fraser
David Vucko Instructor: Sean Brenton
Sherjit Dhadwal Instructor: Dirk Pritchard
“Without disruption of air traffic, these fearless, forthright, indomitable and courageous individuals did venture into the wild blue yonder in flying machines. Furthermore, these skilful individuals did safely land said flying machines at Victoria International Airport, incurring no significant damage to self or machine, thus completing first solo flights.�
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New Members
Achievements First Solo
Iain Wallis
Kevin Skillings
Matthew McLaren
Sherjit Dhadwal Brett Wingerter
Jordy Harris
David Vucko
Navjit Dosanjh Ronnie Chung
PPL Written
Kent Wilson
Corinna Templeton
Keith Wilson
PPL Flight Test
Joshua D’Amours
Jatinder Parmar Recreational Pilot Permit Riley Bennett PPL Licence Jatinder Parmar Ken Wodlinger Gwen Hill Gabriel Knight
DECEMBER 2010 12
Online Booking Waitlist Feature
Step One: Hilight desired aircraft and time slot. Step Two: Click on “Wait List” to automatically reserve the aircraft if it becomes available.
Did you know?...
Wouldn’t you rather be flying?
Next time you require a specific aircraft at a specific time, you can make use of a handy “Wait List” feature in the online booking system accessible on www.flyvfc.com. This is not a new feature but is improved! Previously, if you used the Wait List feature, you would receive an email if the time slot opened up on the desired aircraft. By the time you got the email and went online to make the booking, someone else may have beaten you to it. Now, if you are the first person on the waitlist, the program automatically books the aircraft under your name if it becomes available at the requested time. It’s easy to use. For example, if I wanted to fly ZMH from 1500-1700 on Thursday 02 December, I would highlight that time slot, and instead of clicking on “Book,” I will click on “Wait List.” This will be especially useful in the busy summer months!
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Tax and financial planning Rapid refunds (electronic filing) Personal, corporate and estate tax
OWNER Evelyn J. Andrews-Greene, CA VFC Sustaining Member since 1983
250-386-4466
#202-31 Bastion Square CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
DECEMBER 2010 14
Aircraft - Accommodation - Aviation Books and Gear - Help Wanted - Miscellaneous To meet the deadline for next month’s issue, email your FREE ad by the 15th of each month to: thepatrician@shaw.ca
Please enjoy a safe and happy holiday season.
Merry Christmas
Celebrate responsibly. Christie Hall, BPA design & communication
Communications Consultant Digital and Print Media
Open 8am4pm daily
778-426-3452 info@midnightdesign.ca www.midnightdesign.ca
Victoria Flying Club
Join us for breakfast or lunch...inside or patio
101—1852 Canso Rd
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big business thinking for small business
The
Victoria Flying Club is very excited to partner with Thrifty Foods in their successful Smile Card program. Pick up your smile card today at the VFC office, and 5% of your grocery purchases will go towards creating scholarships and awards for VFC members.
Thank-you to Thrifty Foods for their support!
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