Victoria Flying Club
July 2006
Larry Dibnah photographed this beautiful Hawker Sea Fury while it was on display at a VFC Open House in the early 1990s.
Inside
See information page 4.
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3
5
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Short Final
Letters to the Editor
Bears Air
Flight Itinerary
In My Travels
David Guy Aviation Bursary
Keep the Dirty Side Up
The
Patrician Newsletter of the Victoria Flying Club
JULY 2006 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 19, 2006.
Board of Directors President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Directors
Sean Steele Bob Mace Lloyd Toope Colin Dormuth Dennis Arnsdorf Jeremy Prpich Doug Marin Don Goodeve
General Manager Chief Flying Instructor
Gerry Mants 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.
dynamic
communications solutions for YOUR business
SEASIDE designs & photography 250.383.7777
seasidedesigns@shaw.ca seasidedesigns.net
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Eleanor’s
S hort F inal Wow! Here we are in the last week of June and temperature records are being broken everywhere. The clear blue skies just call out to pilots to take wing and look at the beautiful Pacific Northwest from ‘way up there. This has been good mountain flying weather – smooth as glass and considerably hotter than ICAO standards at altitude, but cooler in more ways than one and a lot more fun than being on the ground. On Saturday, the 24th, Ed Moniz and myself made a flight to Kamloops just for the heck of it. It was a beautiful day, SKC, 24C at YYJ and a wilting 40C on the ramp at YKA. We flew outbound at 7500, following the Coquihalla; the air was amazingly smooth over the rugged, snow-capped peaks but got remarkably bumpy once the mountains began to flatten out into the rounded hills of the Thompson-Okanagan area. Even at 7500’ the temperature was above 10C and the thermals from the ground carried MEK up, up, up and then let it slowly sink back to altitude. The gentle ups and downs in big masses of rising air were pleasant enough; the bumps in between were less enjoyable. But anything is better than being earthbound. The flight was accomplished in 1.8 hours each way with a larger than usual fuel burn: checking the POH, it’s easy to calculate that the long climb in hot weather and higher than normal temperatures aloft meant 10% – 15% more fuel was consumed. The flight was fantastic both ways and it was interesting to fly high above the Hope Flightfest and view the activity there. Short Final cont’d p.4
Letters to the Editor Hi Eleanor, “My P-47 is a pretty good ship And she took a round comin’ cross the channel last trip I was thinkin’ ‘bout my baby and letting her rip Always got me through so far...” (Johnny Come Lately by Steve Earle) I keep meaning to send in my guesses and couldn’t resist this time. The Patrician looks great. Keep up the good work. Doug Hi Eleanor, Greetings from Guernsey. Over here we seem to be having all the good weather that you need for flyouts! Your pint sizedfriend in the Mystery of the Month is a scaled down replica Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. Probably one of the heaviest and largest fighters of WWII. Other than fuel economy and weight - why ditch the radial! I can’t imagine the sound of a Rotax in a P-47 airframe! Keep the dirty side up! Alex Well, I don’t know who produces the kit (though I’d like to ) but the finished product resembles a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Cheers, Don Devenney I believe that is a replica of a Republic P-47-D Thunderbolt Colin B That’s a P-47 Thunderbolt replica! Shorry Adams Hands down, it’s a P-47 Thunderbolt replica......... Walt Salmaniw, MD Thanks to all who sent their educated guesses! It’s a Thunderbolt replica to be sure and Larry Dibnah adds this information for those who wish to build their own Thunderbolt: W.A.R. Aircraft Replicas International The 1/2 scale Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is one of eight scale warbird aircraft that you can build yourself from plans available through W.A.R. Aircraft Replicas International. Other aircraft plans include the F4U Corsair, P-51 Mustang, Mitsubishi Zero, Hawker Sea Fury, Curtis P-40 Warhawk, Messerschmitt-109 and Focke-Wulf 190.
Materials involved include steel tubing, wood, Styrofoam and fiberglass. The P-47 replica can be powered by a choice of three engines: Continental 0-200 Lycoming 0-235/290 HCI Radial
(100 HP); (115-130 HP); (123 HP).
Some of the homebuilt’s specifications include: Empty weight................................................600 - 620 lbs Max Gross weight........................................900 - 920 lbs Wing Loading...............................................12 lbs/ sq ft. Cruise Condition..........................................135 MPH @ 3.2 GPH Wide Open Speed.........................................165 MPH Stall Speed...................................................55 MPH Approach & Pattern Speed........................ 70 - 75 MPH Take Off Run.................................................800 - 1000 ft Rate of Climb................................................700 ft/min. Endurance.....................................................3-4 hrs: 400 miles Maneuvering/Structural Capability............Aerobatic (+/- 6 g’s)
More Letters to the Editor, not on the Thunderbolt: Hi! Eleanor Just curious about the June cover photo. How the heck did he get those mountains in the background like that ? Some kind of telephoto expertise I would guess? A super shot! A good report on the Mars...I was surprised to hear though that any aircraft flew in to Port Alberni that day! Barry’s story is so true too (It’s Time to Slow Down)! I guess everybody gets caught up in that scenario! Ken Armstrong wrote a similar story several years ago with that theme: “when you love to be in the air why ever would you want to be in a hurry to shorten the time you’re up there, with speed in order to get you back on the ground”? Good question!! :>) Cheers! Al Hi Eleanor Thanks for all your good work with the Patrician. Cheers Colin Williamson
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Short Final cont’d from p 2
Why Pilots Drink Coffee Why do they? To check the weather, of course according to something I recently read. Here’s how it works: check out your cup of coffee before adding any milk. If the bubbles float towards the rim of the cup, the air pressure is low and clouds and rain may be expected. However, if the bubbles float towards the centre, high pressure is indicated and fair weather is on the way. Well, that’s what they say.... Pass the cream.
Summer Fun Be sure to see what’s happening aviation-wise in our beautiful province this summer – Flight Itinerary gives a run-down of airports to visit and events taking place.
line person
HELP WANTED
And don’t forget to keep your camera at the ready and enter Jos’s friendly photo competition for a new cover picture for the Learn to Fly booklet (see ads on P. 11 and P.15) – you’ve got all summer to get some really good pictures – fame if not fortune could be yours! And don’t forget, we love to get flying stories and photos for the newsletter too!
Hangar Dance Tickets are now available at Dispatch for this important event. Don’t wait until the last minute – you will NOT want to miss this special event celebrating VFC’s 60th anniversary. See you there!
Wouldn’t you rather be flying?
The Victoria Flying Club is looking for a part-time line person. If you have an interest in aviation and would like to enhance your flight training goals, drop a resume off to Marcel at the Victoria Flying Club dispatch desk.
• 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
386-4466
HELP WANTED
#202-31 Bastion Square Victoria BC V8W 1J1
Cover Photo "The subject of the photo is a fully restored and flyable Hawker Mark 11 Sea Fury in Royal Canadian Navy markings. I photographed this beautiful aircraft while it was on display at a VFC Open House in the early 1990's. This is one of many interesting and sometimes rare aircraft which have visited VFC over the years. Developed for the Royal Navy as a carrier-based fighter bomber, the Sea Fury first flew in 1945 and remained in service until 1959. The Royal Canadian Navy also flew one Mark 10 and 74 Mark 11 Sea Furies from the H.M.C.S. Magnificent and from shore bases in the period between February, 1948 and April, 1957." L. Dibnah
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My Mountain Flying Experience
BEAR’S AIR by Barry
Meek
Barry Meek is a professional pilot with nearly 40 years in aviation, having flown many different types of aircraft on wheels and floats. In the article below, he relates his own personal experience towing gliders at CYHE and flying his own C150 . Mountain flying is dangerous and demands a great deal of skill and the pilot's full attention. Victoria Flying Club offers an excellent mountain flying course which is mandatory for all pilots wishing to fly a VFC aircraft in mountainous terrain.
B
arely 100 feet from the side of the mountain, I held the controls with both hands. It took both to ride the turbulence. The hot wind was quartering from about my 8 o’clock position, blasting against the rock to the right of the Cessna. The battle required counter inputs, left aileron, right rudder. Hard. But the lift! Whoa, what a ride. Like an elevator. Twelve, fourteen, even eighteen hundred feet per minute on the VSI. Quite impossible for a 150 at full gross. In the passenger seat, John was leaning toward me as he stared out the right side at the wall of granite. In his best “cool” voice he remarked “You like to keep it in tight to the mountain don’t you”. I think he was a bit concerned. The departure westbound from the grass at the Hope airport was almost directly into the gale. With a mere 200 feet under the wheels, I swung to the left, and quickly
tough. Bulletproof tough. Some of us pilots with low tailwheel time can be thankful for that. Towing gliders takes concentration, and sometimes sheer determined nerve. Keep the speed at 75, on takeoff, climb and descent. It’s especially critical in the climb with a glider tied on the back. The L-19’s wingspan is about half that of the glider, so don’t expect the poor glider pilot to enjoy the same manoeuvrability. He also has no control over his speed being at the mercy of the pilot more than 100 feet in front of him. Sometimes over my headphones would come the excited command, “Slow it down would ya!!” Other times it was, “Take it in closer ..... CLOSER!” Mountain flying was quickly, albeit unofficially, becoming part of my piloting skills, whether I liked it or not. Flying lessons from the masters of taming the thermals. Glider pilots always amazed me. They routinely soared to the flight levels, cruised incredible distances for many hours at a time, then returned to the same 400 feet of turf they started from, all without an engine. Full bladders and empty stomachs more often than not dictated the length of their flights. As the mechanics of lift and sink began to make sense to me, I experimented with my own aircraft. My Renegade ultralight with a 53 horsepower engine needed all the help it could get in the climb. I discovered plenty out there, even following the hawks and seagulls to the best rising air.
picked up the mechanical lift against the mountain on the downwind. Predictably, we shot up to a thousand feet in less than thirty seconds, and we kept climbing. “It makes sense to use the wind and thermals as best I can in this airplane”. John was listening, but still concentrating his attention on the rock and trees right outside his door. Flying against the mountains, cruising the tops of ridges and getting under the cumulus clouds is glider pilot mentality. I’ve never flown a glider, but have learned a lot from the people who do. The Vancouver Soaring Association is active at the Hope B.C. airport in summer, and for two seasons, I flew their towplanes, Cessna L-19’s, the bird-dogs. Leftovers from combat duties in Korea and Vietnam, many L-19’s have found retirement with operations such as the VSA. They’re powerful, agile, and
A hang glider pilot taught me “ridge running” while flying through the mountains in my 150. Soon it became second nature to take advantage of what the weather gods provide to improve the performance of the aircraft. I practice regularly. My friend John, is quite unaccustomed to reading and flying the thermals. He has no reason to since his plane has a turbocharged engine, and no shortage of horsepower. He regularly cruises above 10,000 feet, and has no trouble getting there. Like so many pilots, myself included before exposure to the glider fraternity, John hadn’t even considered there was help for his horsepower in the thermals and turbulence. Horsepower rules! The rule most pilots live by. I’m not ashamed to admit to never having an approved mountain flying lesson. There are dozens of very competent, well qualified instructors who could show me Bear’s Air cont’d p.6
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Bears Air cont’d from p 5 a thing or two about it. And maybe someday I’ll step up to that plate. So far so good though, and I owe much of what I know to the sailplane and hang glider pilots I worked with. You have to admire guys like that. They’re guys, and women too, who challenge the laws of gravity, and win. They put nature to work, controlling the gift of lift that’s there for the taking. We powered pilots can do it too, just not to the same extent. Getting a cruise speed of 130 out of a Cessna 150 tickles me right up the ASI. There’s no sense being in a hurry since my flying is pretty much all for recreational reasons these days. The journey is the destination. Time spent in the air, flying, is like savouring the chocolate cake or a glass of cold, sweet wine. Why would you want it to end. The trends today are for more horsepower, more speed, more avionics. It all comes with a price, and so far has priced too many people out of flying. Remember when Arlington and Oshkosh were gathering places for simple, experimental, homebuilt, fun aircraft? Today we see only remnants of that era there. But some of us remain, the diehards, who enjoy and prefer the old ways, the old days. I’ll always be excited about getting more from my Cessna 150. But it’s a bigger kick when it comes free. We just need to follow the simple rules of nature. Barry Meek bcflyer@hotmail.com
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DATE
PLACE
EVENT
CONTACT
July 5 to 9
Arlington, WA
Annual Northwest EAA Fly-in and Airshow Arlington Airport
Telephone: (360) 435-5857 email: flyin@nweaa.orh www.nweaa.org
July 14-16
Nelson, BC
Flightfest 2006 and Airport’s 60th Anniversary CZNL Nelson Airport
John Dale (250) 825-2235 email: jrdale@netidea.com
July 14-16
Nimpo Lake, BC
BC Floatplane Association AGM and Fly-In
Steve Nunn (604) 649-6320 email: snunn@compuserve.com
July 15
Boundary Bay, BC
2nd Annual Boundary Bay Airshow
2:00 to 4:00 pm
August 5
Victoria, BC
BC Aviation Museum Open House
August 5 & 6
Victoria, BC
Snowbirds over Oak Bay
Jackie Frampton email: jackie_frampton@shaw.ca www.snowbirds.dnd.ca
August 11-13
Abbotsford, BC
Abbotsford International Airshow
Tel: (604) 852-8511 www.abbotsfordairshow.com
Aug. 19 & 20
Pitt Meadows, BC
Regional Airport Day Aero Club Fly-in, camping, and Hangar Dance
Aero Club of BC Telephone: Peter (604) 465-8817 email: aeroclub@telus.net
Aug. 19 & 20
Victoria, BC
Victoria’s Largest Little Airshow Michell R/C Field Lochside Dr. off Island View Rd.
Jack Price Tel: (250) 744-1516 email: jackprice@shaw.ca
August 23–26 Victoria, BC
Annual Webster Trophy Competition Victoria Flying Club
Graham Palmer (250) 656-2833
Sept 9
Victoria, BC
Victoria Flying Club 60th Anniversary Victoria Flying Club (250) 656-2833 Hangar Dance with live band music
Sept. 22-24
Oliver, BC
Seventh Annual Yak ‘Discovery’ Fly-in at CAU3 Oliver Airport
Paul Dumoret (250) 535-0395 email: 3bar@telus.net
In My Travels by Larry Dibnah
The Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser The Piper Aircraft Company was one of the leaders in light aircraft manufacturing during the late 1930’s and throughout the 1940’s. Most of us are familiar with the Piper J-3 and J-4 Cub models. I had the pleasure of flying a J-3 Cub in 1973 and then received my float endorsement soon after the same Cub was fitted with pontoons. This was stick and rudder and water flying at its best. In my estimation however, the prettiest aircraft to come off of Piper’s production line during the 40’s, was the PA-12 Super Cruiser. The Piper Aircraft Company had just changed its aircraft designation system from the familiar “J” prefix to “PA” which simply stands for Piper Aircraft. The Super Cruiser also happened to be the first new post-war civilian aircraft from Piper. Based on the earlier J-5C Cub/PA-11 Cruiser design, the first PA-12 Super Cruiser was rolled out of Piper’s Lock Haven, Pennsylvania plant in February of 1946. Approximately 3600 examples of the Super Cruiser were produced between 1946 and 1948. As with all Piper aircraft from that time, the Super Cruiser is a high-wing monoplane with a welded steel tube and wood structure finished in a fabric covering. The PA-12 Super Cruiser model is basically a PA-11 which has been upgraded to a three-seat configuration with the pilot in the front seat and two passengers seated side-by-side in the rear. The PA-12’s 100 hp Lycoming 0-235-C engine provided only slightly improved performance over the older Cub but the new aircraft immediately became a great success with the flying public. This popularity was due, in most part, to the extra seat provided even though the Super Cruiser’s performance, when fully loaded, fell a little behind that of the older PA-11 Cruiser. To this day, because of fierce loyalty among owners, there are still quite a few nice Super Cruisers flying throughout North America and Europe. Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser specifications and performance are as follows: The Super Cruiser has a fuselage length of 23 feet and a wingspan of 35.5 feet. The landing gear consists of two main wheels and a tail wheel. Seating capacity is three persons. The aircraft empty weight is 950 lbs and its maximum gross weight is 1750 lbs creating a useful load of 800 lbs which includes fuel (38 US gal) and baggage (41 lbs). The Super Cruiser’s 100 hp Lycoming 0-235-C engine will provide a maximum speed of 115 mph and a cruise of 105 mph. Stall speed w/flaps is 49 mph. The aircraft can climb at 600 fpm and reach a service ceiling of 15,700 feet. Its range is 610 statute miles. Takeoff roll is 480 feet and landing roll is 400 feet.
References:
Photos provided by Larry Dibnah
Air Progress Magazine, May 1996, Volume 58, Number 5
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ACCELERATED PRIVATE PILOT Groundschool July 10 - 28, 2006 Time: 0800-1100 DATE
TOPIC
INSTRUCTOR
July10
Canadian Aviation Regulations
Jason Ware
July11
Theory of Flight and Licensing
Jason Ware
July 12
Theory of Flight and Aerodynamics
Jason Ware
July 13
Airframes and Engines
Steve Mais
July 14
Systems & Flight Instruments
Steve Mais
July 17
Flight Operations
James Zacks
July 18
Navigation
Jason Stewart
July 19
Navigation
Jason Stewart
July 20
Navigation
Jason Stewart
July 21
Radio and Electronic Theory
Jason Stewart
July 24
Human Factors and Pilot Decision Making
Jason Stewart
July 25
Meteorology
Bryon Thompson
July 26
Meteorology
Bryon Thompson
July 27
Meteorology
Bryon Thompson
July 28
Meteorology
Bryon Thompson
Enroll with Dispatch: $250 plus GST
July
Mystery of the Month And now for something different! What is this somewhat unusual aircraft? It's in a museum, but you probably saw it in a movie!
Send your educated guess(es) to PatricianEditor@shaw.ca. 8
PRIVATE PILOT Groundschool Classes held Monday and Wednesday, 1900-2200 DATE July
Aug
TOPIC
INSTRUCTOR
05 10 12 17 19
Canadian Aviation Regulations Canadian Aviation Regulations Human Factors Flight Operations Flight Operations
Jason Ware Jason Ware Jason Stewart James Zacks James Zacks
24 26 31
Navigation Navigation Navigation
Jason Stewart Jason Stewart Jason Stewart
02
Radio and Electronic Theory
Jason Stewart
09
Review (Tower Tour if available)
Marcel Poland
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Review (Tower Seminar/Written Seminar) Marcel Poland
Achievements First Solo Mat Armstrong Kerrie Martin Will Logan
PPL Written Exam Tom Navratil Saran Subramaniam
PPL Flight Test Saran Subramaniam
IFR Written Exam Etienne White
Private Pilot License Saran Subramaniam
Class III Instructor Renewal Trevor Hulme
Class IV Instructor Exam Chad Gottfried
at the
Pilot Shop Swing into Summer a huge selection of Victoria Flying Club apparel!
Check it out!
CANADIAN AVIONICS & INSTRUMENTS Calgary Int’l Airport (403) 250-5665
Victoria Airport (250) 655-0665
Multi Engine Rating Etienne White
Welcome New Members! Adrian Surdu William Gibson Allen Lynch Dallen Clarke Robert McGrath Jessica Hamstra John Eckert Brian Spahn Fraser Pajak Michael Hamson Guy Lacey Liam Aloni Brett Macneil Jennifer Smith David Beswick David Melenius Mike Macdonald
BOB CAMERON President
9548 Canora Road Sidney, BC V8L 3R1
Tel: (250) 655-0665 Fax: (250) 655-0664 E: cav#2@islandnet.com
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The David Guy Aviation Bursary is for anyone who has completed at least 60% of the Private Pilot Licence or beyond in training. To be eligible you have to be training and living in BC. The money will be deposited into the recipient's account at the Flight School at which he/she is training. Date for presentation and location TBA.
DAVID GUY Aviation Bursary 2006 10612 Taylor Arm Drive Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 9A4
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Value
Eligibility
How to apply
Application deadline
This bursary will be awarded in the amount of $1000.00 CND.
Have already completed at least 60 per cent of flying training.
If you wish to be considered for this bursary, you must send proof of training and letter of intent to the address above.
If you are applying, you must submit your application by August 15, 2006.
Photo Competition for the cover of the new Learn to Fly booklet. The most dynamic and fun aviation photo submission will win a discovery flight gift certificate for a friend. Good quality JPEGs would be the best. Please send submissions to joscelyn.barnard@flyvfc.com
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.
Just Imagine! If 100 members spend $100 per month at Thriftys, VFC could award $6000 per year in 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 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, Richmomd, BC Tel: 1-800-663-5829 Fax: 1-800-667-5643
www.lindairservices.com
Smile Card total to date $1687
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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TICKETS are now available for
HANGAR DANCE from Dispatch. $25. Don't forget to pick up your tickets and some for your friends too.
Call today
Tickets 250.656.2833
250.656.2833
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Oh Canada! In honour of Canada’s birthday and the Patr ician’s second full year on line, w e present some gen uine Canadian humour. An American decided to write a book about famous churches around the world. For his first chapter he decided to write about American churches. So he bought a plane ticket and took a trip to Orlando, thinking that he would work his way across the country from South to North. On his first day he was inside a church taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read $10,000 per call". The American, being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by what the telephone was used for. The priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God. The American thanked the priest and went along his way. Next stop was in Atlanta. There, at a very large cathedral, he saw the same golden telephone with the same sign under it. He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in Orlando and he asked a nearby nun what its purpose was. She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to God. "O.K., thank you," said the American. He then traveled to Indianapolis, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. In every church he saw the same golden telephone with the same "$10,000 per call" sign under it. The American, upon leaving Vermont saw a sign for Canada and decided to see if Canadians had the same phone. He arrived in OTTAWA, and again, there was the same golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read "10 cents per call." The American was surprised so he asked the priest about the sign. "Father, I've traveled all over America and I've seen this same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a direct line to Heaven, but in every state the price was $10,000 per call. Why is it so cheap here?" The priest smiled and answered, "You're in Canada now son, it's a local call". ********************************************************************************* The original name for Canada, dreamed up by a parliamentary committee in London, was "Cold North Dominion," but that waas too long, so they abbreviated it C.N.D. The King's Royal Governor presented the new name to the inhabitants, and they didn't say a word. Just looked at him. "Well, what do you think?" asked the Royal Governor? "C., eh?" said the first fellow, and just looked at the Governor. "N., eh?" says the second guy. "D., eh?" says a third one. Then silence. "Hey," says the Governor. "I like that. It's a helluva lot easier to pronounce when you spell it that way.
And now for something completely predictab le – pilot jokes: A plane was taking off from Kennedy Airport. After it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made an announcement over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Flight Number 293, nonstop from New York to Los Angeles. The weather ahead is good and therefore we should have a smooth and uneventful flight. Now sit back and relax -- OH MY GOD!" Silence followed and after a few minutes, the Captain came back on the intercom and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm so sorry if I scared you earlier, but while I was talking, the flight attendant brought me a cup of coffee and spilt it in my lap. You should see the front of my pants! A passenger in Coach said, "That's nothing, he should see the back of mine!" *************************************************
Basic Flying Rules: 1. Try to stay in the middle of the air. 2. Do not go near the edges of it. 3. The edges of the air can be recognized by the appearance of ground, buildings, sea, trees and interstellar space. It is much more difficult to fly there.
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y K eep the D i r t S i d e U p 1 - How I Ended Up Inverted. “ S o D on, no w tha t y ou’ v e got y our lic ense , wha t ar e y ou going t o do with it?” It’s 1976 and I’m talking with my Dad, shortly after passing my private pilot flight test at the Winnipeg Flying Club. Dad had learned to fly at WFC in the late 1940s and went on to a long aviation career flying everything from Tiger Moths, Cessna Cranes, Ansons to half a dozen different corporate jets anywhere from the US, Caribbean and Europe to the high Arctic.
Don Devenney
of being upside down at the top of a loop & looking through the skylight to see the Victoria airport – just like in the photos – there below you. And Alex made it seem so easy! Waaay too much fun!!! So I started thinking…hmm, a decent aerobatic plane, instructors who love aerobatics… okay, once again I’m hooked. Where do I sign??
I pause, and then make a remark or two about perhaps a night endorsement or something like that…Dad responds with “well, that’s okay I guess, but stay out of the mountains – they’re far too dangerous for someone of your experience (Dad…there’s no mountains within 500 miles of Winnipeg)…same with floats…build some hours first.” “Great,” thinks I,“he’s gonna really love this next bit.” “Ah (with great trepidation in my voice)…what do you think about aerobatics?” “GREAT IDEA!” says Dad. “It’ll make you a better pilot, boost your confidence…oh yeah, you should do that. You’ll have fun. What’s the club got for an aerobatic plane? Did I ever tell you about…” And then we were into another flying story. I first became interested in aerobatics during one of my air work lessons. We’d just done a variety of stalls, incipient spins, (in those days you had to demonstrate recovery from an incipient spin for your private license) and I got curious so I asked my instructor about a full spin. He gladly demonstrated it. Wow! This is cool. So I asked if I could do one and that’s where the lesson ended and the fun – wingovers, chandelles and a loop – began. I was hooked. So I started an aerobatics course at the Winnipeg Flying Club, flying a C-150 Aerobat but after 4 or 5 hours the money ran out, school kicked in and life went on hold. I tried once again in the mid 1980s but the same thing happened. Aerobatics remained on my “Things to Do” list. Fast forward to August 2005. I heard about the Aviation Museum open house and dropped by for a visit. I wandered by the Flying Club booth, stopped for a chat and my interest in aerobatics came up. Next thing you know I’m going for an aerobatic ride!!! And, what a ride it was! I met Alex Meinke, the club’s aerobatics instructor at the time, and explained about my former flying experience. He gave me a briefing on the Citabria, we got strapped in and we were off. The first clue that this was going to be an interesting experience came when I heard Alex ask for a block of airspace between 3500 and 5500 over the airport. We took off, Alex got us settled and let me take the stick definitely a different feel from a Cessna. Then the fun started - the next 30 minutes were filled with loops, rolls, Cuban 8s, hammerheads (hammerheads are so cool…) and some movements that I couldn’t identify…I even got to do a loop and a roll. It’s almost impossible to describe the experience
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I spent the fall under the careful tutelage of Steve Mais, attended ground school, etc and finally the day came when it was time for my first aerobatic lesson. I’d digested the Club’s Aerobatics Manual and the Citabria POH and was itching to go. Here’s the excerpt from my on-line logbook describing the day: The Citabria (“airbatic” spelled backwards) is quite different than anything I’ve flown – for those of you not familiar with C-GJTM, it’s a “tail dragger” with tandem seating, and a stick instead of a control yoke. Alex did the take-offs, landings, etc...it’s gonna take a while... The Citabria has a different feel, but I LIKE it - it has a better view, is more responsive and seems to “fit” tighter - you feel more like you’re part of it. We started with some slow flight and then moved into some stalls. Had some trouble here...didn’t know what the outcome should look like. Alex demonstrated one & that was all I needed. We then moved into a movement called a “Dutch Roll”....basically some “wing-wagging”. Picked up on this pretty quick - I’d done these before. After that it was time to head home. BUT FIRST, Alex demonstrated an 8 point roll & a loop. A couple of loops, a wingover and we turned for home.Then on the way back I asked if I could try a snap roll (one of my favourites). Alex helped me get set up & then it was my turn - not great, but certainly not a bad one! And so ended my first aerobatic lesson.
So why am I writing about my aerobatics exploits? I just thought I’d share the fun and the challenges I’m experiencing….maybe one of you will opt for a circuit or two in JTM and get bitten by the same bug! Anyway, that’s how I “ended up inverted” (at least some of the time). Next time (assuming you want me back…), more basics – wingovers, chandelles, loops and rolls. Oh, and landings….
* see bio P 15
Don Devenney* ddevenney@shaw.ca
A Winnipeg native, Don learned to fly at the Winnipeg Flying Club ah, er…a long time ago. A few summers on the west coast with the CF reserves convinced him to move here in 1985 and he's now a confirmed west coaster. The owner of a local jewellery store for many years Don changed careers with the change in millenium and is now the IT / Web Services Manager for PacificSport. Besides flying, in his free time Don volunteers as an RCMP auxiliary constable, scuba dives and has completed several marathons and Ironman triathlons.
See Don’s story K eep the D ir t y S ide Up on page 14
Don Devenney
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Aerobatics
Back in the days of the 707, a transoceanic flight was well out of sight of land when there was an announcement over the PA system. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain speaking. We've just had to shut down one engine due to a malfunction. There is no reason to be alarmed as we are perfectly capable of continuing the flight on the three remaining engines, although we may be a little late arriving in New York." There was a slight murmur from the pax, but they remained calm and the flight continued. A few hours later:"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Captain again. Unfortunately we've had to shut down a second engine which will necessitate us descending to a lower level, and again we will lose some more time meaning we will be somewhat late arriving in New York. Sincere apologies for any inconvenience and would those with connecting flights please inform an air hostess. There is no reason to be alarmed however and we will continue onwards to New York". There was more mutterings in the pax cabin but mostly people were reasonably calm. Some minutes later:"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Captain again...I'm sorry to say but we appear to have lost the third engine and we will be commencing a fairly rapid descent...please fasten your seatbelts and obey all instructions from the cabin staff, thank you." By now the cabin was fairly noisy as people began asking what was going on. The hostesses went through the cabin checking everyone's seatbelt was fastened. Tension began to mount. Just a few more minutes went by when:"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Captain speaking yet again...well, we have now lost all four engines and the aircraft is now gliding towards the sea for an emergency landing." There was a slight pause, then "Passengers on the left side of the aircraft seated at windowseats will observe a small orange liferaft on the surface of the water...and I am speaking to you from that liferaft!"
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