Patrician2july07

Victoria Flying Club

July 2007

"Following the Coquihalla to Kamloops - an enchanting summer flight.

Seen here is the rest stop and brake check

Inside

area, just west of the toll booths."

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Short Final

Letters to the Editor

Bears Air

In My Travels

The Dakota Cafe

Amelia Earhart

Flight Adventures

The

Patrician Newsletter of the Victoria Flying Club

JULY 2007 Editor:

Eleanor Eastick PatricianEditor@shaw.ca Advertising inquiries: Bob Mace (250) 361-6996 or bmace@shaw.ca Publisher: Seaside Designs seasidedesigns@shaw.ca (250) 383-7777 Published monthly.

Unsolicited articles welcome.

The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, July 25, 2007.

Board of Directors President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Directors

Paul Levie Doug Marin Lloyd Toope Jeremy Prpich Colin Dormuth Don Goodeve Eleanor Eastick Dennis Arnsdorf

General Manager Gerry Mants Chief Flying Instructor Graham Palmer 1852 Canso Road Victoria, BC V8L 5V5

Phone: Fax: Email: Web:

(250) 656-4321 (250) 656-2833 (250) 655-0910 info@flyvfc.com www.flyvfc.com

Opinions expressed are those of the authors alone. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced in any format without the written authorization from the publisher or author.

the right marketing solutions for YOUR business 250.383.7777 seasidedesigns@shaw.ca seasidedesigns.net

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SEASIDE designs & photography

Eleanor’s

S hort F inal According to the meteorologists, it’s official – this has been the worst June on record and the worst nine months ever! One TV weatherman said, “June is usually lousy, but this is lousier than usual.” I could paraphrase Mark Twain and agree that “the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in Victoria.”

The west or more aptly wet coast is changeable and unpredictable when it comes to weather. Last week I flew MEK to Sechelt-Gibsons with a friend and remarked to him that it would be a nice place in the summer. It was shocking to be reminded that the last week of June IS summer. Tell that to the people in Kelowna who got a six inch dump of snow a few days ago!

Now we’re going into July and good flying days are ahead! Don Devenney and company are organizing another Flight Adventures Day on July 7th – fun, food and prizes in the Club Lounge – see poster page 15. This is a great chance to get to know each other, both “veterans” and new pilots and find out what’s out there in that big world under your wings. Don’t miss it!

Vernon is the chosen destination for the BC Day Club flyout on August 6th.

The first flyout this year went to Tofino and was a rousing success; Vernon will present a bit more of a challenge and a longer flight. It should be even more fun! Be sure to book your plane by phoning the Club – you can’t book online.

Aviation is expanding rapidly and more pilots are needed! The following article was received in June: The seventh annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE 2007) is underway this week in Geneva, Switzerland, and it’s expected to be the biggest ever, with more than 10,000 visitors, 354 exhibitors and 55 aircraft on static display. Already announcements of deals show a strong market, likely enhanced by the strength of the Euro compared to the U.S. dollar. Among the news from the show so far: Airbus debuted its new bizjet, the A318 Elite; Adam Aircraft sold 50 of its yet-to-be-certified A700 very light jets to a Chinese buyer; NetJets Europe announced an order for 32 Hawker 4000 business jets, worth more than $700 million; a Saudi Arabian buyer ordered 20 Gulfstream G450s; and JetFly, a fractional operator based in Luxembourg, added four TBM 850s and four Piaggio Avantis to its fleet.

Well, that’s the good news! Rising costs have caused the Club to put up the rental rates of aircraft by $5 per hour and the cost of instruction by $4/hour. The C152 now rents at $107/hr, the C172 at $122/hr and KMY at $127/hr. For those of you who plan to make aviation your career, it’s money well spent. There are lots of jobs out there waiting for you. And for us recreational flyers...well, if you’re a Sustaining or Life member, you get a whopping 10% discount! I say, the more you fly, the more you save.

Well, that’s my take on it, anyway. Blue skies everyone!

Letters to the Editor Dear Eleanor, The Mystery Plane is a Beech Bonanza.

Thanks, Liam Aloni

Hi Eleanor Hey, that’s a V35 Bonanza if I’m not mistaken, A.K.A. “The doctor killer”. High performance vs. low time = bad. By the time you read this, I’ll have moved back to Victoria from Halifax. See you at the flyouts.

Cheers Chris

Well done! Both of you. That’s the famous Bonanza and here is Larry Dibnah’s expert comment: The June 2007 Mystery Plane is a Beechcraft V35B Bonanza which is easily recognizable by its ‘V’ or ‘butterfly’ tail configuration. Its sister ship, so to speak, was the Model 33 Debonair which featured the more conventional single vertical and horizontal stabilizers. The Debonairs were eventually renamed as Bonanzas too with designations E33, F33 and G33. Both the Bonanzas and Debonairs are popular, high performance aircraft and at one time were considered to be the plane to beat. They also make excellent instrument flying platforms.

The V-tailed Bonanza Model 35 was produced between 1947 and 1980 during which time the seating arrangement was increased from 4 to 6 seats. The all metal aircraft has a gross weight of 3400 lbs.

The V-35 Bonanza is powered by a six-cylinder 285 hp Continental engine with a constant speed propeller giving it a top speed of 209 mph, an initial climb rate of 1167 fpm and a cruise of 198 mph.

The Bonanza’s stall speed is 59 mph. The aircraft had a respectable range of 824 statute miles.

Takeoff distance (50’ obstacle) is 1769 feet. The landing distance (50’) is 1324 feet.

A student became lost during a solo cross-country flight.

While attempting to locate the aircraft on radar, ATC asked, ”What was your last known position?“ Student: ”When I was number one for takeoff.“

JULY

Mystery of the Month Larry commented on this mystery plane, "I flew in one of these from Halifax to Charlottetown and then to Moncton a few days later. It made some interesting in-flight noises."

Send your educated guesses to

patricianeditor@shaw.ca 3

On Thursday, June 21, the first day of summer, VFC made a small presentation to Galvin Flying Services to acknowledge their many years of kindness and helpfulness to the Club. Galvins is on the east side of

Well-Deserved R ecognition

Boeing Field (KBFI) and is the centre of general aviation activity; this is the place where the Rich and Famous come to park their corporate jets before being whisked off in waiting limos. But this is also the place where the little guy is made equally welcome and invited to enjoy the amenities. There cannot be a nicer bunch of people anywhere, or a group whose dedication to and enjoyment of the job is so evident.

Board President Paul Levie, Vice President Doug Marin and myself, a mere Director, flew down to KBFI in Paul's 182 to take part in the informal presentation of a beautifully executed plaque for Galvins and to share in a tasty box lunch for all, courtesy of VFC. It was interesting for us to meet most of the behind-the-scenes line staff, with the timing of the lunch delivery being right at the 1400 shift change. Many of Galvin's employees are highly qualified pilots regardless of their position in the company. A deep understanding of flying permeates the atmosphere.

Director of Line Operations and Customer Service, Doug Wilson, and Scott Jefvert of Line Service Sales greeted us on our arrival, and were genuinely pleased at receiving some recognition for the services so freely given by Galvins.

Three cheers for Galvin Flying: World-Class People, First-Class Service.

by Eleanor 4

New Kids on the Block L

ight Sport Aircraft, the newest category of machines for the recreational flyer, have seemingly given aviation a huge boost. There was a time when there were dozens upon dozens of airplanes to browse as we walked the ramp at local airports. Over time, most disappeared. Or did they? The Canadian Civil Aircraft register shows a steady increase in the number of planes in Canada since 1959. The early to mid 1990’s saw a levelling off in that number, but since 1999, there’s been an increase every year. This is in contrast to the numbers when we talk about pilots. The number of private pilots peaked in 2003, but that’s been in a freefall ever since. It would be even lower if not for the recreational pilot category.

Since 2004 when the new rules for LSA (in the U.S.) took effect, it seems there’s news of new models being introduced on a monthly basis. There’s a new frontier to explore and at this point, the total number of pioneers is up around fifty. That’s right, fifty different, new planes, from different manufacturers available now to choose from. Most are from European countries. No longer are we limited to Cessna, Piper, Taylorcraft, Mooney, Citabria, and the tiny handful of others we’ve grown up with. Practically every aviation publication you pick up has articles about how they fly, how they perform, the fuel consumption and so on. There’s no question that these tiny, two seat planes offer many remarkable and revolutionary design ideas. This is the time in aviation history, with the change in some rules, when designers and builders are introducing some new and exciting products. Today it’s almost impossible to find a new aircraft constructed of tube and fabric. Even the gold standard “all aluminium” is passé. New tougher, stronger and lighter Kevlar and glass products have replaced them.

It’s a feeding frenzy among the magazines as they scramble to fill their pages with the great news of this revolution. If you were to believe all the hype, you’d expect to look out the window and see the sky literally full of spiffy new sport airplanes.

But sadly, I don’t think so. These new airplanes might very well be the vehicle that pilots have dreamed about owning, however the big question is ..... who can afford to buy them? All referral to price in the advertising, the articles and websites, is a casual mention. But the fact

BEAR’S AIR Barry Meek

remains, you’ll not soon be flying in one for less than about $100,000 bucks!

In all my travels last summer, I was fortunate to see just one of the new planes in the LSA category. It was a model from the Czech republic and was being used as a working aircraft rather than for simple recreation. If the Katana qualifies as an LSA, you’ll notice there aren’t too many around apart from those owned by flying schools.

But clearly, private ownership isn’t impossible. There are surely some pilots out there who are able and willing to lay down that kind of cash for a weekend airplane. I would suggest another idea could be a shared-ownership arrangement.

Fifty different manufacturers are now competing in a market that will not be able to support them all.

History is on the verge of yet another repeat performance. Just like the automobile. That highway is littered with the remains of carmakers who for one

reason or another, failed. Duesenberg, Packard, Blackhawk, Studebaker, Crosley, Elgin, DeSoto, Avanti, Auburn, Cord, the list goes on .... and on. Most people have never heard of, or have long forgotten the stories and promises. The same process of elimination occurs with almost any product or service through a period of time. The process of elimination, consumer acceptance and rejection is a normal part of the cycles. The “dot com” period is now the “dot gone” era. And it didn’t take long.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m an enthusiastic pilot, and one who thinks this time for revolution and change in our industry is long overdue. But I believe it will be over, long before we’re tired of it. The products out there today are undoubtedly superb, the technology far superior to what we could buy in the early airplanes from the major manufacturers. But is it that much story cont’d on p 6 5

better? Are there enough pilots who can afford to spend $100,000 for a recreational vehicle? There may be enough to support a small number of companies building these airplanes. The strongest will survive, there will be mergers; the rest will dry up and fly away.

Meantime, I look forward to opportunities to fly a few of the new breed of sport airplanes. They’re classy, clean and fast. Most appear to be at cruising speed even when they’re on the ramp standing still. The sports cars of the air. I think it’s still early in this revolution. Manufacturers claim big sales figures over the past several years in their home countries. I searched for several hours attempting to find some North American numbers, but was unable to come up with anything to report. However, it may just be too early in this whole affair. Time will tell. It’s a good time for optimism. We haven’t seen anything like this in decades.

Barry Meek bcflyer@propilots.net

Perfect Weather for Seeing Mars by the editor Sunday, June 3rd was a perfect flying day and I didn't have a plane! Many times had I struggled through the lousy weather of early May to get to Port Alberni (CBS 8) for the annual fly-in and water bomber tour! The Alberni Flying Club always puts on a good barbecue even though the weather in the past few years has been less than favourable and sometimes downright awful. This year the sky was a clear blue, the sun was hot and I arrived at the airport in a Volkswagen van! But even driving up from Victoria beat not going at all to see the magnificent Martin Mars. The Hawaii and Philippine Mars were still in drydock being refitted for the fire season owing to their fate having just recently been settled. It was not until May that Vancouver Islanders, indeed British Columbians were assured that the water bombers were here to stay.

Organizer Darren Hansen couldn't say if next year's tour could take place in June when there is a better chance of favourable weather. In the meantime, let's all be thankful we've still got the giants of Sproat Lake and the Alberni Flying Club to host and roast for us (the tour and the burgers)!

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Port Alberni Fly-In

photo credit Larry Dibnah

In My Travels T HE D OUGLAS DC-3/C-47 D AKOTA

by Larry Dibnah

The Douglas DC-3 is arguably the best medium to long haul aircraft ever to have flown.

Also, it’s the longest, continuous-serving commercial aircraft in use today. The DC-3 embodies the competitive, free enterprise spirit which has prevailed in the American, and indeed, the world’s aircraft industry since the beginning of aviation.

In 1932, Trans World Airlines (TWA) needed to replace its fleet of aging Fokker airliners but could not afford to wait in line behind United Airlines for the long promised Boeing 247. TWA issued a specification for an all-metal airliner with a seating capacity for 12 persons. The Douglas Aircraft Company was quick to respond with a twin engine, retractable gear, tail wheel DC-1 design which impressed Charles Lindbergh who was TWA’s technical advisor at the time. The DC-1 prototype first flew in July 1933. TWA was further amazed by the aircraft’s range of operating speeds – high cruising speed and low landing speed.

The aircraft was ordered into production as the Douglas DC-2 which included more powerful engines and a lengthened fuselage.

Total DC-2 production was 198 plus five licence-built aircraft.

United Airlines soon saw the potential of the DC-2 and, in 1934, ordered the Douglas Aircraft Company to develop a stretched and widened trans-continental version known as the Douglas Sleeper Environment Canada Dakota Transport (DST). The DST could be configured for 28 day or 14 night passengers and was powered by two Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines. The unconvertible 28-seat version became more popular with the airlines and thus 539 were built as the DC-3. With war clouds forming on the horizon the US military impressed 149 of these production aircraft into service as the C-47 transport. The DC-3/C-47’s were powered by either Wright Cyclones or Pratt & Whitney Wasps depending on the version and task. Production of the DC-3/C-47 continued through WW2 and well after. The aircraft supplied to Great Britain were referred to as ‘Dakotas’. The DC-3 was also built under license in the Soviet Union and used extensively by them as military transports throughout WW2. Interestingly enough, the Imperial Japanese Government managed to build several “copies” of the DC-3 during WW2 from aircraft that they had acquired before hostilities broke out. Post war, Douglas had built an additional 28 civilian DC-3’s and 10,047 military C-47’s. For the US military, Douglas even developed the C-117 Skytrooper which was a lengthened version of the C-47 with newer engines, a re-designed tail and a more comfortable cabin for high-ranking personnel. A sample of this ‘Super Dakota’ may be found at the BC Aviation Museum in Victoria.

Closer to home, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) acquired its first samples of the CC-129 Dakota in 1943 and they were used in various theatres including the home front, Europe and South East Asia.

After WW2 many RCAF Dakotas were passed on to Trans Canada Airlines who used them mostly for domestic service. During the 1960’s, the RCAF Dakotas were gradually being replaced by newer aircraft such as the C-119 Boxcar, the Canadair DC-4M Northstar, and the Canadair CC-109 Cosmo. A RCAF Dakota total of 169 Dakota aircraft served in the post war RCAF with 76 of them remaining in service in 1969.

In 1989, the last nine Dakotas were replaced by the deHavilland CC/CT-142 Dash 8. My infatuation with the Dakota was enhanced by a ‘Flying Familiarization’ flight in a fine old RCAF ‘Dak’ while in Air Cadet NCO training in the winter of 1967.

Many old DC-3/C-47/Dakota’s are still working hard today as civilian transports in Canada and throughout the world simply because there are no other aircraft that can haul the same loads in and out of small, remote airfields as well as they can.

The following specifications refer to the RCAF/CAF CC-129 Dakota: The Dakota has a length of 64’-5 ?”, wingspan of 95’, and is powered by two 1200 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 radial engines.

The ‘Dak’ can carry up to 3 crew and 36 passengers and/or cargo to a gross takeoff weight of 26,000 lbs. The aircraft has a maximum speed of 199 kts, a cruising speed of 145 kts, a service ceiling of 24,100 ft and a range of 1,300 nm.

References:

Photos:

The International Encyclopedia of Aircraft, Mallard Press; Sixty Years, The RCAF and CF Air Command 1924 – 1984, Larry Milberry; and The World Wide Web, RCAF.com Larry Dibnah; and RCAF.com

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Club Flyout to Vernon Monday, August 6th, BC Day. Book your plane now by phoning Dispatch

Once again the Nelson Pilots Association O will be hosting the annual

Nelson BC

This aviation event attracts both locals and folks flying in from across BC, Alberta, the US. and beyond (last years farthest participants flew in all the way

Flightfest and Airport Appreciation Days

from Ontario!). Nelson’s Municipal Airport (CZNL) will

on Saturday July 21.

be buzzing with activity for young and old as well as pilots and non pilots. Aircraft arriving on Friday evening July 20 will be treated to a BBQ and given rides up town or there will be plenty of under-wing camping available. The fun gets underway Saturday morning with our famous pancake breakfast at the airport starting at 8am. Lots of interesting antique, classic, warbird and home built aircraft will be on display - as well, flying demonstrations will be the order of the day! Lunch, Heritage bus tours, shopping in historic Baker Street, tire kicking, swimming, or just a relaxing walk along the beautiful waterfront all ending with a superb dinner complete with prizes for all, rounds out a fantastic laid back West Kootenay weekend. Last years event saw more that 1500 people through the gates -- almost all gave rave reviews.

Support general aviation & the airports that serve us so well by planning to be part of this grass roots aviation tradition.

A FEW PAVED SPACES AVAILABLE! A number of outside tie-down spaces are now available.

Phone Dispatch at 656-2833 for details.

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Liam Aloni is the youngest member (social) of VFC and, in his own words, is crazy about aviation. I asked him to write about any plane for the Patrician. Why not take a lesson from Liam and send the Patrician a story about your favourite plane.

-Ed

T he Q400

by Liam Aloni

One beautiful day, I was sitting on the patio at VFC’s Dakota Café when the usual Horizon Air Dash 8 taxied past, but it wasn’t the usual Q200 it was a much larger Q400. I had seen them before at KSEA but never at CYYJ. So I decided to write a little article about this new visitor. Here it is: The Q400 is the largest and newest addition to the Bombardier Q series. It is a turboprop regional airliner. De Havilland had already started coming up with a long dash 8 when Bombardier bought De Havilland. The formal launch was in June 1995. It was rolled out on November 21, 1997 and flew for the first time on January 31, 1998.

The Q400 is 32.84m long (that’s 10.59 meters longer than the Q200!).

The Q400 can seat 78 passengers in a one class configuration. It can fly from Denver to Whitehorse nonstop! Its top speed is 360 kts, 414 mph.

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VIEW…AND AIR PLA NE ST

Open 8am 4pm daily

Wouldn’t you rather be flying?

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in the Victoria Flying Club

• Tax and financial planning • Rapid refunds (electronic filing) • Personal, corporate and estate tax

Owner Evelyn J. Andrews-Greene, CA Sustaining Member of VFC since 1983

Join us for breakfast or lunch…inside & patio seating 101-1852 Canso Rd

LICENSED

250.655.9395

386-4466 #202-31 Bastion Square Victoria BC V8W 1J1

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by Larry Dibnah

The Victoria Flying Club is a great place to be if you like to experience the excitement of pilots and aircraft arriving and departing all day long. Nestled in the centre of the Flying Club’s building is a place where one can watch all these activities and at the same time, enjoy some great company and a terrific meal. The moment you walk into Dakota Café from the Club lounge you are welcomed by a beautiful smile and a friendly “hello, have a seat anywhere you like, I’ll be right with you”.

Owner 24-year-old Ashley Halkett and her team, 20-year-old sister and restaurant manager Marina Halkett and Chef Curtis Evans are the reason for the success of Dakota Café. These young people are all home grown Vancouver Islanders with lots of experience between them. Together they took on the onerous task of bringing new life to what had become a tired old coffee shop. Ashley had worked in various restaurants for 16 years but decided to take the plunge into ownership. She purchased the business in October 2003 and, with some creative help from two solid parents, came up with the name Dakota Café for her new venture. The name is certainly aircraft related and evokes memories of the old days when Trans Canada Airlines occupied the building which is now VFC and flew Dakotas on regular flights back and forth to Vancouver. Ashley and Marina have become their father’s ‘Dakota Girls’.

Dakota Café is open seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on an average day will see upwards of 200 customers. The menu, created by Curtis, includes gourmet items such as exotic salads, savoury soups, wraps, burgers, sandwiches, a daily special (always a nice surprise) and much more. Dakota’s desserts alone are worth a flight across the pond. The apple pies and cinnamon buns are the melt-in-your mouth kind too. Also, as we chatted over coffee, Ashley informed me that her ‘weekend breakfast’ has become very popular and that it has been rated among the Top 5 breakfasts on Vancouver Island by the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper. Once a year, the Dakota team will change the menu to try out some new ideas.

Not only does Dakota Café serve great food but the outdoor patio provides a spectacular west-facing view of the airport and the Malahat mountains beyond. Some of the most stunning sunsets I’ve ever seen were from this spot. Another secret to the popularity of their many menu items is that Ashley keeps a fresh herb garden outside on Dakota’s patio.

The Dakota Café team has expanded its operation to provide catering service to customers on or off the airport and for fly-in or drive-in functions (wedding receptions, etc.). They will even prepare boxed lunches for Victoria Flying Club members and other folks who participate in the Club’s fly-outs to various destinations.

Flying Club members, local workers and fly-in customers alike have discovered the marvelous Dakota Café and they just keep coming back for the excellent service, fine food and great view of the airport.

My guess is that they have also spread the word.

A fine Victoria restaurant for the aviation buff in all of us.

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A me lia Earhart 1897-1937 1897-1937

by Liam Aloni Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas at her grandparent’s house in 1897. She was the daughter of Samuel Stanton Earhart and Amelia

Otis Earhart. One day seven-year-old Amelia and her family went to the Saint Louis fair where she went on a big roller coaster with her father. They went down and up faster and faster! When the ride was over Amelia told her little sister Muriel and her mother that is was like flying. Little did she know she was to make a career out of that very thing.

In 1920 Amelia and her family went to Los Angeles for Christmas. She and her father went to an Air Show in Long Beach and as she watched, she got excited - she HAD to fly! Her father paid $10 for Amelia to have a short flight. It was the most thrilling thing she had ever done! Later that year she started flying lessons and worked as a truck driver to finance her training. In 1921 Amelia flew her first solo. On her 25th birthday she bought her first airplane. It was a Kinner Airster. Later that year she crashed into a cabbage patch. She said it didn’t make her hate flying; it just made her hate cabbages.

Amelia set her first record after that. She flew a plane to 14,000 ft., higher than any woman had flown before. She also took up stunt flying. Amelia became a social worker in Boston, Massachusetts and started to fly planes in her spare time making it a hobby not a career. But this was not enough for her; she had to do more! So when George Putnam (a publisher specializing in real life adventures) asked her to become the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, accompanying Wilmer Stultz (the pilot of a float plane named Friendship) and a mechanic named Lou Gordon, Amelia had to say yes! (The first person to fly across the Atlantic was Charles Lindbergh in 1927).

The trio was to fly from Boston to Trepassey Bay Newfoundland, and from there to Burry Port in Wales. But bad weather grounded them for 13 days. Finally on June 17, 1928, Friendship took off! The adventure had begun! It was cold, fuel was low and they were tired. All they wanted to do was land. Then up ahead, there it was, Burry Point! Sighs of relief filled the cabin of the tiny airplane. The flight lasted 20 H. and 40 m. Amelia was greeted by 2,000 people who wanted to get a glimpse of this new American hero. When she returned to the U.S, she had become a household name. There were parades in New York, Boston and Chicago honoring her. She felt guilty getting all this fame when she had not even flown the aircraft.

By this time Amelia had married George Putnam and bought a new plane; it was a Lockheed Vega, a single propeller aircraft. Amelia and George started planning out her next record breaking flight. Amelia was to cross the Atlantic solo! She was to start on May 20th 1932. George thought it would be a perfect date because it was the 5th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s crossing. She was going to start from Newfoundland again but this time she was landing in Londonderry, Ireland. As the day approached she flew to Newfoundland and on May 20th she took off for Ireland. That night her altimeter failed! She didn’t know how high she was! But she did not turn back. Then she flew into a storm! Flames streamed from a cracked exhaust pipe. Still she didn’t turn back. Ice formed on the wings and she started to dive! She fell 3,000 ft. until she leveled the aircraft off; she had to land soon! And then a smile came over her face. Ireland, straight ahead! She landed her plane in a field near Londonderry and telephoned George, who alerted the press.

That morning she taxied around the field for the news cameras.

When she came back to the U.S, George scheduled many appearances for Amelia. But she was afraid that her popularity was declining. She made another flight from Hawaii to California, but got bad criticisms from the press. So she decided to plan out her last “hurrah”. She wanted to be the first woman to fly around the world!

But the Vega was in bad shape, so on her 39th birthday Amelia bought a new plane, a Lockheed Electra. It had two powerful engines and better radio equipment but Amelia never really learned how to use it. She would fly from California to Hawaii and continue westward back America. She chose Fred Noonan to be her navigator. In March 1937 she took off from Oakland, California. After 15 H. and 51 M. she was in Hawaii. But when she tried to take off from there, her airplane crashed!

Amelia Earhart cont’d p.12

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Amelia Earhart cont’d

Luckily no one was hurt but the around-the-world flight was over. Amelia was determined to fly around the world so George agreed to let her take another shot at it. But this time she was to go from West to East. On May 21st 1937, she and Noonan flew from California to Miami then on to Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Brazil, Senegal, Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and New Guinea. The last leg of the journey was the flight from New Guinea to tiny Howland Island, only 3.5 kilometers long. This was where Amelia needed Noonan the most; Howland Island is very small and in the 1930s with no radar it was extremely hard to find. On July 2nd 1937 spectators watched the Electra take off for the last time. A Coast Guard ship, ITASCA, was to communicate and stay under Amelia’s airplane. Then in the early morning of July 3rd 1937 Amelia transmitted her last heard words; she was running low on fuel and she didn’t know where she was. No one ever heard from Amelia Earhart or Fred Noonan again. Some say that she was spying on Japan for the U.S, but most likely she had no fuel and crashed into the ocean.

DATE

PLACE

EVENT

CONTACT

July 1

Seattle, WA

Victoria Flying Club Fly-out to Boeing Field and Mariners Game in Seattle

Marcel Poland, VFC 250-656-2833

July 1

VFC Flyout to KBFI

Ball game at Safeco Field

Marcel Poland, VFC 250-656-2833

July 7

VFC Lounge

Flight Adventures get-together Using your licence; food and fun

VFC 656-2833

July 21

Nelson, BC

Nelson Pilots Association Annual Flight Fest

Case Grympa, President georama@netidea.com

August 6

VFC Flyout

Destination Vernon, BC

pliem50@hotmail.com or patricianeditor@shaw.ca

R O YA L PA C I F I C MAINTENANCE LTD.

CALL

Mitchell Holme Cessna Parts, Sales, Service and Aircraft Maintenance General Aviation Services Victoria International Airport 9552 Canora Rd T: 250 656-7322 E: service@royalpacificmaintenance.com Toll free Parts line: 1-877-2CESSNA (1-877-223-7762)

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1910 Norseman Road Sidney, BC Canada,V8L 5V5 Tel (250) 655-3300 Fax (250) 655-1611 email: bcam@bcam.net

THE BRITISH COLUMBIA AVIATION MUSEUM is dedicated to preserving aircraft and aviation artifacts.

We collect, restore and display aircraft and artifacts related to the history of aviation in Canada, with emphasis on British Columbia.

The Museum is open daily!

Summer Hours May 1 - Sept. 30 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Winter Hours Oct. 1 - April 30 11:00 am to 3:00 pm

COMMERCIAL Groundschool Date

Time

Topic

Instructor

July 20, 2007

1700-2100

CARS

Steve Mais

July 21, 2007

0800-1700

Airframes Engines Systems

Steve Mais

July 22, 2007

0800-1200

Flight Instruments

Steve Mais

July 22, 2007

1300-1700

Aerodynamics and Theory of Flight

Emily Harvey

July 27, 2007

1700-2100

Radio and Electronic Theory

Emily Harvey

July 28, 2007

0800-1700

CRM Human Factors PDM

Brad Fraser

July 29, 2007

0800-1700

CRM Human Factors PDM

Brad Fraser

Aug 10, 2007

1700-2100

Meteorology

Bryon Thompson

Aug 11, 2007

0800-1700

Meteorology

Bryon Thompson

Aug 12, 2007

0800-1700

Meteorology

Bryon Thompson

Aug 17, 2007

1700-2100

Licensing Requirements

Emily Harvey

Aug 18, 2007

800-1700

Flight Operations

Emily Harvey

Aug 19, 2007

800-1700

Navigation

Emily Harvey

July 20-22, 27-29, Aug 10-12, 17-19 2007

P R I VAT E P I L O T G r o u n d s c h o o l Classes held Monday and Wednesday, 1900-2200 July

Aug

DATE

TOPIC

INSTRUCTOR

04

CARS

Steve Mais / A. Simpson

09

CARS

Steve Mais / A. Simpson

11

Meteorology

Bryon Thompson

16

Meteorology

Bryon Thompson

18

Meteorology

Bryon Thompson

23

Meteorology

Bryon Thompson

25

Meteorology

Bryon Thompson

30

Human Factors

Brad Fraser

01

Flight Operations

Brad Fraser

08

Flight Operations

Brad Fraser

13

Navigation

Emily Harvey

15

Navigation

Emily Harvey

20

Navigation

Emily Harvey

22

Radio and Electronic Theory

Emily Harvey

27

Review (Tower Tour/Written Seminar)

John MacConnachie

29

Review

Brad Fraser

BRYAN WEBSTER RECEIVES TRANSPORT CANADA AVIATION SAFETY AWARD This should have been in the June Pat, but got missed! That's especially shocking since I have known Bryan for 20-odd years, long before he was "Bry the Dunker Guy". Many of you have taken Bryan's course. It's the best and it is good to see his efforts recognized

by TC. -Ed The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, announced in early May that Bryan Webster of Victoria has received the 2007 Transport Canada Aviation Safety Award for his long-standing commitment to aviation safety.

"Mr. Webster's outstanding initiative in the field of egress training has helped thousands of pilots and their passengers across Canada learn how to improve their chances of survival in an emergency ditching," said Minister Cannon. "He experienced first-hand the dangers of an emergency ditching and, through his own initiative, has dedicated his professional career to providing a comprehensive and successful training program aimed at saving lives."

Bryan has accumulated over 11,000 hours in more than 35 different aircraft types. His career as a commercial pilot includes bush, air ambulance, corporate and single pilot IFR cargo flying. He currently flies, part-time, a De Havilland Beaver commercially along the coast of British Columbia. Along with his egress training courses, he has written a book, Ditching Principles: A Survival Guide to Ditching an Aircraft, and is a monthly columnist for the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association's Canadian Flight magazine.

The award was presented to Mr. Webster at the 19th annual Canadian Aviation Safety Seminar in Gatineau, Quebec. The award was established in 1988 to foster awareness of aviation safety in Canada and to recognize people or organizations that have contributed to this objective in an exceptional way.

13

ved a few pa spaces lable! i a v a e r a A number of outside tie-down spaces are now available.

Phone Dispatch at 656-2833 for details.

VFC

Smile Cards The Victoria Flying Club is very excited to partner with Thrifty Foods in their successful

Smile Card Program.

Pick up your Smile Card today and 5% of all your Thriftys grocery purchases will go towards creating scholarships and awards for VFC members.

To date, we have been able to create three new bursaries!

Pick up cards for your family and friends too.

This is a great opportunity for VFC members.

We thank you for your support!

L indair Ser vices Ltd

Oops!

Altimeter error!

The actual total is $4558

IslandBlue R E P R O G R A P H I C S A N D A R T S U P P LY C E N T R E

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.

• QUALITY • DEPENDABILITY • SERVICE •

5180 Airport Road South, Richmomd, BC Tel: 1-800-663-5829 Fax: 1-800-667-5643

Tel: 250.385.9786 Toll free: 1.800.661.3332 E: repro@islandblue.com FTP: ftp.islandblue.com Web: www.islandblue.com

PRINT WHAT YOU NEED WHEN YOU NEED IT! 905 Fort St (at Quadra)

www.lindairservices.com 14

Flight

Adventures

Fun ways to use your new pilot’s license What A fun afternoon where you can meet other new pilots, soon-to-be pilots, club members and flying enthusiasts and •

Meet some friends to fly with!

•

Get a “new” pilot’s perspective on additional training – get the lowdown on o o o o o

•

Night Endorsement Mountain Flying Floats VFR OTT Flying to the US

Learn the ins-and-outs of some of the more popular flying destinations from veteran club members.

When Saturday, July 7th from 3 to 5pm

Cost

REGISTER

• It’s FREE!!!

• Prizes!!! o 1 hour of flying on a club “advanced” course!!! o VFC Gear!! o Many other GREAT prizes!

• Refreshments provided!

Register with Dispatch – call 656-2833

15

ACCELERATED PRIVATE PILOT Groundschool July 9 - 27, 2007 Time: 0800-1100 DATE

TOPIC

INSTRUCTOR

July 9

Canadian Aviation Regulations

Steve Mais

July 10

Theory of Flight and Licensing

Emily Harvey

July 11

Theory of Flight and Aerodynamics

Emily Harvey

July 12

Airframes and Engines

Steve Mais

July 13

Systems & Flight Instruments

Steve Mais

July 16

Flight Operations

Brad Fraser

July 17

Navigation

Emily Harvey

July 18

Navigation

Emily Harvey

July 19

Navigation

Emily Harvey

July 20

Radio and Electronic Theory

Emily Harvey

July 23

Human Factors and Pilot Decision Making

Brad Fraser

July 24

Meteorology

Bryon Thompson

July 25

Meteorology

Bryon Thompson

July 26

Meteorology

Bryon Thompson

July 27

Meteorology

Bryon Thompson

Achievements

A

VIEW ITH A W OM RO

…AND AI

RPLA NE ST

OO !

First Solo Mike Ketler Sumit Sharma Karan Nain

PPL Flight Test Baltej Nanda

Welcome New Members!

Open 8am 4pm daily

in the Victoria Flying Club

Join us for breakfast or lunch…inside & patio seating 101-1852 Canso Rd 16

LICENSED

250.655.9395

Sanjhi Yadav Nick Oakley Dawn Nicklin Jim Pinckney Paul Ralph Andrea Feltrin Takaaki Kaneko

Jaime Wellbourn Lori Green Lorne Andras Mae Lou Daniel Slade Chris Temos