Patricianjune09 3

The Patrician Victoria Flying Club

June 2009

Into the sunset. Photo T. Nano

Short Final

Letters to the Editor

Bears Air

Thanks for the the Memories

Seanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stearman Flight

Flying Dutchman & Granddaughter

Taken to the Races

Open House at VFC

The

Patrician Newsletter of the Victoria Flying Club

Eleanor’s

S hort F inal

JUNE 2009 Editor:

Eleanor Eastick PatricianEditor@shaw.ca Publisher: Seaside Designs seasidedesigns@shaw.ca (250) 383-7777 Published monthly. Unsolicited articles welcome.

Board of Directors

Victoria has had one of the coldest, nastiest winters and springs in living memory! Right up until Mid-May, it was cold and windy. In fact, on May 12th, with an 8C air temp and a 22 Knot wind, the chill factor made it feel like 3.26C. Now that’s cold! Even the holiday Monday, May 18th saw a driving rainstorm, although luckily it let most of the parade go by before spoiling the day. A small flyout made it to CYCW in the drizzle. Global warming, that erroneous term has now finally been dropped and the more accurate term, global change is used. I mean – sheesh – who melted the many Ice Ages? Climatologists have found that during most of the Earth’s history, global temperatures were probably 8 to 15° Celsius warmer than today. In the last billion years of climatic history, warmer conditions were broken by glacial periods. The earth’s climate follows a predictable warm/cold rhythm and we are now approaching the peak of a warmer period. Don’t worry – we won’t be around when it starts to get colder again!

Lloyd Toope Colin Dormuth Ellen Wood Rob Shemilt Sean Steele Colin Williamson Don Devenney Bill Vanderboor General Manager Gerry Mants Chief Flying Instructor Graham Palmer

During the last Ice Age, large glacial ice sheets covered much of North America, Europe, and Asia for extended periods of time. The extent of the ice was not static. There were years when the glacier retreated because of warmer temperatures and advanced because of colder temperatures. During the coldest periods of the most recent Ice Age, average global temperatures were probably 4 - 5° Celsius colder than they are today.

1852 Canso Road Victoria, BC V8L 5V5

Now let’s get out there and fly! Be sure to check out the article on the big changes in airspace coming to this area. NavCanada websites are given where you can read the complicated news and remember, you absolutely must get a new VTA.

President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Directors

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.

fair skies

So much for the griping! Summer seems to be here with warmer days and clearer skies – another sure sign is the dug-up Victoria streets, blocked roads and lane closures.

Hummingbird Update – First Solo Mother Emerald successfully raised one chick. Poor little Sweet died a day after hatching but Tweet grew up strong and left the nest for his first solo on May 14th. It was a bit like the Wright Brothers first flight – underpowered, barely controlled and pretty much downhill. The little guy almost did an autorotation from one branch to another, getting lower all the time. A quick feeding from Mom and he spooled up fully and flew high into a nearby tree. He still had some cold and wet weather to endure, but he’s doing well.

Gemini Birthdays and other Stuff

SEASIDE designs & photography seasidevisuals.com

Happy June birthday to Manager Gerry, to my husband Robert, to Al Whalley and to my Dad who turns 90 this month. Short Final cont’d on p 4

Letters to the Editor Well, here is the explanation of the May Mystery Clouds. Cal, go to the head of the class! - Ed The mystery clouds are altocumulus standing lenticularis. The clouds are formed by warm moist air being forced over higher, rugged terrain by strong winds. The clouds are evidence of mountain waves and very turbulent flying conditions in the vicinity and downwind. These clouds are occasionally associated with the UFO phenomenon, (especially by certain religious cults in California). And as for that pesky grammatical point; Cal nails it down again! From a grammatical, technical viewpoint, the preposition must be followed by the object of the preposition. Eg. “State the phenomenon for which they are often mistaken.” (Okay I admit it… I had to look that one up J so I still don’t qualify as an editor.) Eleanor, I wish you all the best and thank you for many faithful years of service to the VFC members. Cal Thank you, Cal. Hi Eleanor I have just finished reading the Patrician and as usual you have done a wonderful job. You will be missed and I don’t think you know how much. Someone has big shoes to fill. I do hope the Pat will continue but I know it is not something to take on lightly. It takes a lot of time, effort and love for the flying club to do a good job. Vi Walley. Thank you, Vi. I suspect the Pat will continue in some new incarnation. I will still be reachable at PatricianEditor@shaw.ca if anyone has anything more to say – Ed And regarding the article on SeaBee EJE, a word or two from Philip Powell: Eleanor In the late 1940s I was working as the “boat boy” at Milford Manor, a summer resort located in the Muskoka lakes district 100 miles north of Toronto. My job was to rent canoes and rowboats to the guests. One sunny day an aircraft flew overhead, circled, then landed next to the dock. It was a Republic SeaBee. Although interested in aviation I had no knowledge of this odd-looking amphibian with its pusher propeller. The pilot taxied next to the Milford Manor dock, shut down, offered rides for a price (call it barnstorming by water). Being blessed with the ability to draw, I grabbed paper and pencil and with each landing and takeoff, managed a reasonable facsimile. With no other motive than kindness I

offered the sketch to the pilot. To my astonishment he was so pleased that he offered me a free ride. And thus, at the age of 17, I flew as a passenger in a Seabee. (That tale and 25-cents won’t get me a cup of coffee but it left me with an affection for the unique pusher-amphib.)

Canada Day Flyout Suggestion for PAT Hi Eleanor. How about Port McNeill (CAT5) on July 1? As far as I know, there's still a Canada Day Flag-raising and other fun events at the airport, and the flight is only 2 hours...about as long as a trip to Oregon, Penticton, etc. One runway is paved, 2400' x 36', and the other is gravel, . (A good Canada Day excursion for those of us still without passports. Or for those of us who are overawed by the new e-filing and other border-crossing regulations - For comparison, the runway at Langley, CYNJ is 2100' x75' with a 100' displacement at each end of 01-19 - Ed.) Marie. I sent Glenn Matthews a pps of classic aircraft, knowing he would enjoy it and his reply to me is an interesting and wonderful aviation vignette- Ed [My favourite is] the Ryan ST. When I was a kid I would drool over the ads in the aviation magazines that invited me to come to southern California and learn to fly at the Ryan School of Aeronautics. The ads featured photos of sun drenched tarmacs, palm trees in the background and gleaming silver Ryans surrounded by students in white coveralls wearing helmets and goggles. My daydreams were not of cars or girls, but of being one of those lucky fellows learning to fly those beautiful airplanes. But, there was no money for such things which is why I talked my way into a non paying job as an apprentice mechanic with a small flying school at Vancouver airport. It wasn't like the Ryan school but at least it was around airplanes. And it was a fine time in my young life. Glenn

Port McNeill

Recent News from the Folks at Boeing SEATTLE, May 11, 2009 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] delivered the 50th 767 jetliner to Japan Airlines (JAL), the fifth-largest 767 operator in the world. The 767-300ER is the 404th Boeing airplane delivered to Tokyo-based JAL Group, a Boeing- and McDonnell Douglas-heritage customer since 1960. Here, the new JAL jet takes to the air at Paine Field in Everett, Wash., on May 7 for its ferry flight to Narita Airport in Japan. GENEVA, May 11, 2009 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced today that the BBJ Convertible is now available to prospective customers. The airplane reconfigures from all-passenger to all-cargo configuration in less than eight hours.

Multi-mission Capability Governments, corporations and private individuals can quickly change from transporting VIPs, staff or troops to delivering disaster-relief supplies or configuring for medical evacuation. There is room for transporting tools, parts and machinery; race cars or race horses; or equipment for touring bands and musicians.

Overhead Space Kitted for Flexibility Boeing recently finalized an agreement with Greenpoint Technologies to provide 747-8 VIP owners and their chosen completion centers with a kit that adds 75 square-meters of space to the airplane’s crown. The Overhead Space Utilization or OSU kit is installed post production above the main cabin ceilings between doors three and five. The kit includes stairs from the main deck to the space above. Greenpoint offers three artistically engineered OSU designs.

BBJ Performance Improvements Set BBJ owners receiving their airplanes after mid-2011 will reduce fuel consumption by 2 percent through a combination of airframe and engine improvements that Boeing announced in late April. Airplane structural improvements will reduce drag on the airplane, reducing fuel use by about 1 percent. Boeing’s engine partner, CFM is contributing a further 1 percent fuel savings through hardware changes to its CFM56-7B Evolution engine. Short Final cont’d from p 2

Although the Patrician in its present incarnation is ceasing publication, I have no doubt it will arise from the ashes as it has so often in the past. It has disappeared before, only to be reborn as something even better. I’m sure this will happen again and I will certainly participate in some small way. And now for the accolades: I’d like to thank all the good people who wrote both for, and to, the Pat over the last five years; especially Larry Dibnah and Barry Meek, who contributed interesting articles on an ongoing basis.

Furthermore three cheers for the local airport businesses who donated prizes to various functions at the Club: Viking Air, VIH, Mary’s Bleue Moon; and an especial thank you to Island Blue for printing 50 copies of the Pat every month and doing other reprographic work for VFC.

Over and Out.......Eleanor

The Vietnam Memorial

ost of the pilots who lost their lives in the Vietnam war were flying jet fighters or helicopters when they died. There was a group known as forward air controllers (FAC’s) who flew the small observation planes that many general aviation pilots use today. One of those aircraft is the Cessna L-19, a version of the original Cessna 305. Designated the O-1 (observation) Bird Dog when put into service in Vietnam, many now serve as towplanes in glider operations. Several L-19’s were refitted with larger engines and are now known as the Super Mountaineer. One hundred and twenty two O-1 pilots were lost in combat between 1963 and 1972. Politicians of the day said they were defending the world against Communism. Somehow they involved the U.S. in a war in a tiny corner of the globe, and sent a generation of youth to fight it for them. History shows the way it was handled was arguably a terrible mistake, and America’s most unpopular military involvement. Richard Nixon is quoted as saying he would not be the first U.S. president in history to lose a war. Young Americans were sent 8,000 miles from home to fight for a cause so many failed to understand. Conditions were brutal in the Vietnam conflict, both in the air and on the ground. FAC pilots were particularly vulnerable to enemy fire as they flew low and slow above the jungle, searching, observing, and directing attacks on NVA troop and gun positions. I have flown the L-19 many hours, thankfully in peacetime, towing gliders in the mountains of British Columbia. It is a super-strong and powerful aircraft with the bare-bones, green military interior. I’ve sat in the stiff seat and imagined the numerous radios and weapons controls that were once attached to all the holes drilled in

BEAR’S AIR Barry Meek

the panel. The side windows are set so that the cockpit is wider at the top than the bottom, allowing excellent downward visibility. Everything about the plane is tough, from the landing gear to the heavy control stick, but at times no match for anti aircraft artillery and large caliber machine-gun fire. There is a permanent memorial for the soldiers and pilots killed or missing in action in Vietnam. It’s called the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, and is situated in Washington, D.C. Built in 1982, it makes no political statement about the war, rather it provides a place for reflection and for visitors to contemplate their own feelings. Over 58,000 names are inscribed in the glossy, black granite. Those of us who have been termed ‘baby boomers’, are in the age group of Vietnam vets. We lived through the ‘60’s and remember the war, mostly through radio and television news reports. Back then, there were times when there was as much violence on the streets in American cities as there was in the jungles in southeast Asia. Protesters let their feelings about the war be known on a daily basis. For the most part, Canadians were not as close to it all, but over the years, I have developed an interest in the history and accounts of the experiences of the soldiers and pilots in that conflict. Many veterans have written excellent biographies and graphic recollections of their experiences. I read every book I can find. Having flown over 200 hours in the L-19, it seems to bring about a closer understanding for me of what those FAC pilots had to work with. Many times while in the air it crossed my mind just how thankful I was that nobody was shooting at me. Bears Air cont’d on p 6

Bears Air cont’d from p 5 I will probably never get to Washington, D.C. so will not see the Vietnam Wall. However, there are replicas of it that are trucked around the country and temporarily set up in various locations so that folks like us can view them. I was lucky enough to be in a southwest U.S. city in March of 2009 when the memorial was brought there. As it is something I’ve often wanted to visit, I went down to the park to see just what it’s all about. It is difficult to put into words the feelings and emotions felt by visitors when they see so many names and realize each one was a young, healthy and dedicated citizen. Each name belongs to someone whose life was taken far too early, before any hope of reaching the potential they had. They all died a brutal, terrifying death for a cause that was so unpopular at the time.

Wars never seem to make much sense. But as long as there are people who have different ideologies and the freedom to express them, there will be conflicts and violence. The Vietnam war is for many reasons, a more personal one to me. And standing beside the wall, reading all the names on it brought out feelings of sadness, made worse by seeing other visitors who searched for the names of loved ones killed in action. If ever the opportunity comes along for me to fly the L-19 again, I’ll feel the presence of the ghosts of one hundred and twenty two pilots who lost their lives in the plane.

Mother Nature did it again! The 2009 flyout on the Victoria Day weekend ended up at Chilliwack, as it did in 2008, despite more ambitious plans. The low overcast and rain ruled out the original destination of Tofino, but any day flying with friends is a good day. Although the weather in Victoria City was totally lousy, YYJ saw less rain and heavy cloud. Canada Day is the next stat holiday and there has already been one suggestion of Port McNeill as a possible destination.

Barry Meek bcflyer@propilots.net

CYNJ Fly-IN June 27, 2009

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF AVIATION IN CANADA â&#x20AC;˘ Static Displays Awards and Prizes Seminars Free Camping Food-Snacks-Home Baking Discount on Fuel

Geoffrey Steeves - VFC member and Astronaut Candidate Check out the site below and you will see the biographies of the final 16 candidates for the next two Canadian astronaut jobs. Included is our own Geoff Steeves who trained here and is currently at Cal Tech in Pasadena. As you read through the biographies you will note that while Geoff is highly qualified, the competition is rather stiff. http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/biographies.asp Born: Halifax, NS Raised: Edmonton, AB Current residence: Victoria, BC Education: BSc, Physics, University of Alberta (1995) PhD, Condensed Matter Physics, University of Alberta (2001) Geoffrey is currently employed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Victoria. His research has focused on condensed matter physics. While a professor, he also earned his Commercial Pilot's Licence.

Thanks for the Memories Fleet Finch 1980

Helicopter Pull

Victoria Flying Club Fly-outs from over the years.

Fly-out to Seattle Combat Harvard at VFC

Since the time of its formation in 1946, the Victoria Flying Club has held many fly-outs, fly-ins, air rallies, open houses, etc. to help advance civil aviation through the joy of flying. VFC members have also participated in great flying events hosted by other communities throughout the region. Here are a few photos which help to document some of these events. As you can see, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all had a lot of fun flying to different places over the years. The Victoria Flying Club hopes that its members continue to organize and participate in future events such as these for many years to come.

Happy Landings everyone.

Hope Fly-out

Fly-out to Everett

s e m i t d Goo Olympia Fly-out

Old Pat Bay VFC

Historic

The best

Patrician Staff in Powell River

Arlington Fly-in

Port Alberni Fly-in 2007

Fly-ins Port Angeles Fly-in

s t u Fly-o Port Hardy Fly-out

Sean’s Stearman Flight http://peacock.com/biplane/ and printed it out to take with me. Maybe if I could grab some “dad time” during the trip…

Spring break, two teenagers in grade 12 and Dorothy and I thinking we should celebrate (1) them getting to grade 12 and (2) use surviving getting them to grade 12! What to do, where to go. Opting for the typical Canadian snowbird approach (cold here, warm there), we spent two sun-filled weeks in Hawaii, one week on Maui and one on Oahu. Dorothy and I have been to Maui before and knew the kids would love the snorkelling, body surfing on Kamehole Beach II, whale watching and getting up a 0300 to see the sunrise at the 10,000’ peak of the Haleakala volcano (okay, maybe the didn’t enjoy the 0300 part). I’d never been to Oahu before, so wanted to spend some time there doing the “wacky wacky” Waikiki tacky tourist thing, see Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, and so on. But I also wanted to do something different on the trip as well. Now, some of you may know that I learned aerobatics under the tutelage of Cameron Law waaay back in about 1994 in our old C 150 Aerobat GIDS, and have along with others enjoyed aerobatics at the Club as part of my regular aviation “fix”. With the sale of our 7KCAB JTM, a number of us have looked elsewhere for aerobatic fun. I thought, why not Hawaii? Being an intrepid aviator-type, I’ve sometimes taken flights in different airplanes rented locally on our vacations. I thought I’d try something similar in Hawaii. So, before the trip, and using the power of Google I started searching “aerobatics Hawaii” to see what was available. What jumped to my was a site “Flying Hawaii” that had all sorts of different possibilities..the one that caught my eye said “Stearman Biplane Rides”. A Stearman? In Hawaii? Giving Rides? That wonderful 1930s design, fabric and tube, open cockpit, trained thousands of WWII pilots, big open uncowled radial out front airplane Stearman? Went to the company’s site

When we got to Honolulu, I called Stearman Bi-plane Rides at 1-808-637-4461 and spoke to Bruce Clements, owner, pilot. I asked if he had any openings for a flight and, with some trepidation and hope, told him I was a pilot and, although I’d like the tour of Oahu, I wondered if I could also get some stick and rudder time, and what’s more (really crossing my fingers now), could we do some aerobatics?? Bruce said nonchalantly “sure”, and we set a time for me to have my ride. Stearman Bi-plane Rides is based on Dillingham Airfield (HPDH) an airport on the shore between the ocean and the along Oahu’s northwest coast. It’s about a one hour drive from Honolulu. I showed up at my appointed time (1500) and met Bruce, who told me that he’s a pilot with Hawaiian Airlines having just got in that morning from San Diego. Parked outside the hangar was this beautiful blue and yellow Stearman. Bruce had me climb into the front cockpit, helped be strap on the parachute, and buckle into the 4 point harness…plus the extra lap restraint (just ‘cause!). Pulling on a leather helmet with incorporated David Clarks, I caught a glimpse of Bruce climbing into the rear cockpit in a cleverly positioned mirror allowing me to see his face (and I suppose him to see mine – which at this point is starting to smile, very broadly). Bruce started up the fan out front with a cough and puff of blue-gray exhaust and the marvelous radial settling down into it’s natural rythmn (why do radials sound soooo good?) For those that remember and flew in 7KCAB JTM you’ll recall that (if you were tall enough) Sturns were really not needed. Well, that big radial and the angle on the ground meant that S-turns to taxi are a MUST. All I saw was the top cylinders and sky – and all poor Bruce saw was be back of my head I’m sure. Making the required calls on Unicom (123.00), and with the strong Hawaii wind blowing pretty well down the runway, we rolled out onto 08, and Bruce applied power. A handful of seconds and up comes the tail (and us along with it), and few seconds more, and we’re up!

story cont’d on p 11

story cont’d from p 10 Make a deviation for some sky divers, at about 400 feet, Bruce said over the intercom “you’ve got control”, and there I was, stick and rudder in a Stearman! A bit windy, but loud (intercom was more of a suggestion than clear). AND NO ROOF!! Climbing out at 80 mph, I worked us up to 2000 feet and started to turn into the valley that runs basically north / south on Oahu, and separates the two main mountain ranges. As we flew, Bruce provided a well craft, interesting tour spiel (that he’s done before I’m sure) describing the island, and in particular that we were on the route taken by the Japanese on that fateful December 7th morning so long ago. Within a very few minutes we were asking permission to transit Wheeler Airforce base (pretty much obliterated in the attack), and looking up, there ahead was Pearl Harbor. The site was sobering…and eerie. I had the same view the Japanese pilots had on that quiet Sunday morning. The Island of Oahu is about 45 statute miles by 35 statute miles. To put that in perspective, Oahu can fit between the Saanich Peninsula and the Mainland, from Bellingham down to Port Townsend, and have room left over around the edges. It’s just not very big. Looking ahead through the Stearman’s struts at Pearl Harbor I could easily see the USS Arizona Memorial, and alongside the USS Missouri – the two battleships that bookended the American involvement in World War Two. To be in the same airspace as a pilot…. On the way back it was aerobatics time up along the north shore of the island. Bruce started with showing me a loop and a hammerhead. Then it was my turn. I started with the straightforward loop. Forward on the stick, looking for 120 mph, pull back, about 3g’s up up boy this isn’t going fast glance at the right wingtip for alignment up a little more over the top ground coming up back on the throttle keeping pulling back pull through at the bottom my loop’s done. Big fat wing X 2, big radial, struts, wires, gear down and welded. With the drag the Stearman is not a fast airplane. But solid? It’s a trainer! Had to be! Bruce shows a hammerhead, nose down 120 mph stick back up forward stick keep it up straight and…THERE’S NO ROOF!! Now I really like the idea of the backup lap restraint. Fun as they were in JTM, I decided to leave the hammerheads to Bruce! I’ll try some rolls next.

Now, the way I learned to do aileron rolls in both the Club’s Aerobat (IDS) and Citabria (JTM) was straightforward. Nose down to gather speed. Pull. Nose 20 degrees above the horizon (basically heels on the hills), centralize, stick (or yoke) all the way over, and around we go, ending up about 20 degrees nose down. Boy, did that not work for me at all! First time I tried it, the Stearman became a big lawn dart. Nose above the horizon, stick over, start to roll, slooooowly (the are only ailerons on the bottoms wings after all), over inverted and woooops, we’re falling off into a Split S. Not good, Sean. Not good at all.

After a couple of more attempts, I think I get what Bruce is trying to tell me. It needs to be flown like a slow roll, but like an aileron roll at the same time. Nose down, pull, heels on the horizon, stick over, and….A-HA! Top rudder! stick still over and rolling inverted push KEEP THAT NOSE UP stick still hardover and oops top rudder the other way rolling around neutralize stick wings level pull out of the nose down dive. To be honest…all my rolls were pretty crummy, but, man, were they fun (at least for me, not so sure about the guy in back). I really, really want to go back and work on those and improve. Maybe one day… All too soon it’s time to head to the hangar. In that cleverly placed mirror I see that I have the biggest stupidest grin on (must’ve never taken it off the whole flight). Bruce brings us in on the 45 to downwind left to 08, base, final, bleed off airspeed, float and 3 point it in, and (sigh) we’re taxiing to the hangar. Climb out and ask Bruce to take a picture of me and my the airplane that’s figure prominently in my dreams the last few weeks. Doing a flight on a holiday is great way for us pilots to see something the normal tourist doesn’t. And if you’re in Honolulu, and feeling bored with “WackyWacky” beach, y’know, an hour’s drive north to Dillingham Airfield for a ride in a Stearman just may be the thing you need (and yes, the grin’s still there!)

This year, be ready for fly-outs, cross-country and sightseeing flights through the mountains of British Columbia.

Mountain Flying Groundschool

Please call the Club’s dispatch office at 250-656-4321 or 250-656-2833 to sign up.

There will be on-going Mountain GroundSchools throughout the flying season.

Take the first step toward a Mountain Endorsement by enrolling in VICTORIA FLYING CLUB’S MOUNTAIN FLYING GROUNDSCHOOL. The course is scheduled for Sunday, June 14th from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Cost $50.

Achievements First Solo Tomohisa Sudo Gabriel Knight Chad Goobie Kevin Smith Jocelyn Belley PPL Flight Test Jeff Bujas Anayas Rai Wade Snider Courtney MacPherson Doug Peers Michael Pinner

CPL Flight Test Nolan Labach George Andrew Private Pilot License Damon McLellan Charles Schell Henri Kankaanpaa Courtney MacPherson Doug Peers Multi IFR Rating Mike Chow Multi-Engine Flight Test Chris Peschke

PPL Written Test Archie Wells Damon McLellan

Welcome New Members! Steve Moffitt Pete Girolami Jatinder Baidwan Kathryn Bailey Francois R. Bosse

Abhishek Beri Andrew Stewart Aaron Hageman Keith Boggs David Richardson

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

BRAVO ZULU TO CYYJ ATC. Victoria's Air Traffic Controllers are number one! We pilots hear them as disconnected voices over the radio and may never think of all they have to deal with at CYYJ. Besides being a large international AOE, Victoria is also a place of flight training where all skill levels are mixed together and all sorts of aircraft fill the skies around the Tower. From First Solo to Airline Captain, from little prop-driven "bug smashers" to big passenger jets, the control staff looks after everyone with the same care.

Flyout to Twisp, Anyone? Here’s an interesting proposal from Allen Lynch. I’ve never heard of Twisp, WA, but looking at the airport photograph, it looks like a little gem. What a beautiful spot! Here’s what Allen has to say: On May 16 I flew over to Twisp, Washington to look at a wedding site for my son’s August wedding. We landed at a small strip in Twisp (http://www.twispairport.com/) and I met several of the flyers there. They loaned me a courtesy car for the 2 days I was there. On July 10th they’re having a barbecue and dance and the next morning, a pancake breakfast. I’d like to propose a flyout from the club. We could clear US Customs in Bellingham and then cross the Cascades into the Methow Valley. We could camp under the wings on the airfield. You’d need a mountain rating from the club. I know some people are put off by the new US entry procedures, but this would be a good chance to get familiar with the new system. I suspect it will be easy once you get used to it. (See May 09 Pat for a synopsis of the new regs.)

I flew to Boeing Field, picked up my son and his fiancee, and flew east over Snoqualmie Pass, staying just south of Mt. Stuart headed toward Wenatchee, and then turned northeast over Lake Chelan to the Methow Valley. I flew at 9500 ft going east, and that wouldn’t have cleared Mt. Stuart by enough. With the wind it took about 1.5 hours and 1.8 against the wind on the return. I think that direct from Bellingham you’d probably fly at 10,500 and it would take an hour at 105 knots. It would be beautiful, and you’d probably stay away from a couple of big rocks, but the valley would be easy enough to find (because it wouldn’t look like snow covered mountains).

For more information, contact Allen Lynch at allenjl@highspeedplus.com and watch for posters at the Club. That sure sounds like a beautiful and interesting flight.

Twisp 13

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.

SMILE CARD TOTAL TO DATE

$7618

We t! tha por p nk you u s for your

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

June

July

August

DATE

TOPIC

INSTRUCTOR

Theory of Flight & Licensing Requirements

Ian Watt

Aerodynamics

Ian Watt

Airframes and Engines

Mike Chow

Systems & Flight Instruments

Mike Chow

CARS

Yasuhiro Koide

CARS

Yasuhiro Koide

Meteorology

Simon Dennis

Meteorology

Simon Dennis

Meteorology

Simon Dennis

Meteorology

Simon Dennis

Meteorology

Simon Dennis

Human Factors & PDM

Brad Fraser

Flight Operations

Trevor Mann

Flight Operations

Trevor Mann

Navigation

Jeff Lightheart

Navigation

Jeff Lightheart

Navigation

Jeff Lightheart

Radio and Electronic Theory

Tristan Nano

Review (Tower Tour/Written Seminar)

John MacConnachie

Review

Brad Fraser

Note: No Ground School on Stat Holidays

Gabriel Knight (Ian Watt) Kevin Smith (Trevor Mann)

First Solos as of May 20 • 09

Tomohisa Sudo (Yasuhiro Koide) Chad Goobie (Tristan Nano)

Jocelyn Belley (Mike Chow)

Wouldn’t you rather be flying?

W…AND AI H A VIE RPL T I AN W M ES O TO RO

Open 8am 4pm daily

in the Victoria Flying Club

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

250.655.9395

• 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 #202-31 Bastion Square Victoria BC V8W 1J1

Nanaimo Flying Club (CYCD) Fly-In Saturday, Sunday, June 6-7, 2009 Public admission by donation

30 hrs e 6th 0930 - 15 n Ju y a rd tu a S POKER RUN pe for good wx) (no rain date; ho 3, YCD W, AP3, AT4, AH YP , B ZB , YJ Y : ts Check poin $5.00 per hand bing-

June 6th Car Show

dash plaques and award s

(Drink tickets extra.)

Saturday June 6th 1830 hrs - $20 per person

nding, flour bom ter 1530-spot la af ts en ev l ia ec Sp before June 1st please register

evin ation contact K For more inform mer@telus.net knpal

for partic

ipants PIG ROAST & BEEF DINN ER with dessert, coffee, tea.

Refreshments from 1730 hours Come dance, play shuffle board, shoot pool.

Palmer:

SUNDAY BREAKFAST June 7th 0830 hrs WAR BIRDS EAT FREE Static displays, Information booths

On Sunday there will also be a flying demonstration by John Mrazek with his Harvard Mark IV, “Pussycat II”

Stay the weekend - Camp under wing or in clubhouse. We have shower facilities. Or, shuttle 24/7 to a hotel. Email for lodging list. *18 hole golf course next to airfield*

For more information contact Barbara (250)756-2680

DID YOU KNOW? Eleanor started her 15 year association with the VFC newsletter as a contributor to the “Air Mail” back in 1995. The “Air Mail” eventually faded from the scene when the person who created it left VFC and the Patrician rose from the ashes in 1997. Eleanor very quickly realized that someone needed to take the helm if it was going to succeed and she became the editor in 1999. Muse Communications published the Patrician as a black and white 8 page newsletter that was folded in three and mailed to members until 2004. That year the newsletter went on line and has been offered in that format ever since. Over the years while the newsletter has seen changes to name, format and means of delivery, it has always been under Eleanor’s caring and creative hand and she has literally planned her life around the month-end publishing date. On behalf of all the people who have enjoyed your work over the past 15 years, thank you Eleanor. We will miss your touch…. Well, thank you, Gerry and VFC. To be fair, I just dabbled in the Airmail and the Pat until ’99. Many people, both Club members and staff kept the newsletter going – sometimes I just ran the copier! By the year 2000, the newly revamped Patrician took on a crisp professional look and in June 2004 it went online. Initially just eight pages, the Pat quickly grew to 16 pp as it continued its evolution publishing Club news and events, along with articles of general aviation interest. Seaside Designs deserves a big hand for making it look so inviting and attractive. Over and Out…………..Eleanor

or email

briddy@writeme.com

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Here is a story of Sylvia Yzenbrandt. Sylvia became a member of the Victoria Flying Club in 2006. She took a business aviation course co-sponsored by the club and the University of Victoria. Through the club she received her private pilots license and her night rating and mountain check out. This past summer she did her cross country flight to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. With pro-IFR, she got her multi engine rating and hopes to get her commercial, instrument and instructors rating. She worked behind the desk at the club and in the Dakota restaurant. Now she is in Provo, Utah to study for her American pilot's licenses. She will be back in Victoria this summer. As for the two accompanying photos: Just to show you what time can do to you. From a cute little toddler to a beautiful, vivacious, young woman over 23 years and what it does to her grandfather. From a wild young "buck" to an old, old "Flying Dutchman". Thanks - Dirk Yzenbrandt

The Silver Star Rotary Club of Vernon BC Canada Presents it’s 1st annual...

Wings & Wheels Father’s Day - Sunday, June 21st 2009 10:00am to 4:00pm At the

Vernon Airport, 6300 Tronson Road Vernon BC

New, Experimental, Home-built, Custom Concepts, Models

Airplanes, ATV’s, Automobiles, Bicycles, RV’s Sky-Diving, Trains, Wheelbarrows & more...

Attention Pilots! Vernon Flying Club Pancake Breakfast for Fly-ins 8:00 to 10:00AM

A fun filled family event! Happens rain or shine, indoor/outdoor exhibits & seminars... - on site food vendors, entry draws, static displays, fly ins... - nearby parking and shuttle services

Tickets at the gate - $5.00/person, $20.00/family, children under 6 free Proceeds to Silver Star Rotary’s Community Service Projects

www.silverstarvernon.org 18

A fun-filled time at the Reno Air Races, written by John Swallow of the other VFC - Ed

TA K E N TO T H E R AC E S ! by John and Bernice Swallow hat better way to get exposed to the delights of bus travel than to sign up for a Sun Fun tour to take in the world famous Reno Air Races? The National Championship Air Races [“NCAR”] and Air Show has been held just outside Reno, Nevada, every year - save one – since 1964. This particular tour, under the guidance of directors Doug and Lynn McMillan, has been in attendance at the event for several years. We had previously attempted to accompany the group in 2006 and 2007, but were thwarted by events outside our control; 2008, however, proved successful.

Although the tour originates in Kamloops, my wife and I decided to join our companions in Abbotsford, one of three pick-up points. This would add a bit more expense and driving time to our trip, but the benefit of having a few more hours sleep was irresistible. Just before nine o’clock, the bus arrived and the Kamloops passengers enjoyed a pit stop and coffee break while we Abbotsford passengers brought out our luggage and found our seats.With some forty-six passengers on board, the run to the US border was a short one and, following a brief visit to the duty free shop and an equally brief visit from a US Customs Officer, we were on our way to our first stop, the Shilo Inn in Salem, OR where we would stay two nights. Although the purpose of the bus tour is to attend the Reno Air Races, it is pure serendipity that located a mere thirty minute drive from the Shilo Inn is the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, home of Howard Hughes’ “Spruce Goose”. The aviation museum is also home to over fifty aircraft located indoors plus several that are on display outside. Located on the same site is the Space Museum holding such well known vehicles such as an X-15, a Redstone Rocket, a Gemini capsule, an Apollo capsule, and a Saturn Rocket, while sandwiched between the two museums is an IMAX theatre. The day spent at the EAM was extremely interesting, well received, and is again on the program for this year. Departure the next morning was an early one as there were some five hundred miles to cover; however, our Reno destination was reached that afternoon in time for cocktails in the room and dinner in one of the several eating establishments in the casino. The following morning also entailed an early departure, but this time it was to the Reno Stead Field, some eight miles north of Reno. Under blue skies and a bright sun, we were treated to the sights and sounds of aircraft turning avgas

and jet fuel into noise and speed. Presenting an auditory and visual feast, the aircraft competed in six classes, including Formula 1, bi-plane,T-6, sport, jet, and unlimited. As the first two days of competition are designed to whittle the field down for the finals on Sunday, many passengers opted to take a mid-race break on Saturday and enjoy a side trip to Lake Tahoe, Carson City, and Virginia City (very close to the site of the fictitious Ponderosa Ranch on the western television drama Bonanza…). Sunday, the final day of racing, saw a full bus head out to the former Stead Air Force Base to take in the sights and sounds of brightly painted aircraft jockeying for position around the various sized patterns, their pilots vying for top spot in each class and their moment in the sun. When the final flag had been dropped on the unlimited class late in the afternoon, there weren’t too many Sun “Funners” who weren’t tired, full of fried dough and coke, and red-faced from sitting in the sun for several hours. In other words: a happy group. The start back to Canada the next morning would have been anti-climactic had not the bus blown a rear tire an hour or so north of Reno. Unable to undertake repairs on the road, the bus limped into Likely, CA with the hopes that a tire change could be effected there. Although this proved impossible, the chance to have coffee in “The Most Likely Café” was not to be missed and several of the group (including Bernice) bought T-shirts commemorating the event at “The Likely General Store”. Some phone calls elicited the information that “Alturas Tire and Muffler”, nineteen miles ahead in the town of the same name, could probably do the job. The two hours spent in Alturas replacing the ruined rear tire gave the bus passengers enough time to have lunch and still return to watch the final tightening of the wheel nuts. The subsequent drive back to our overnight stop at the Shilo Inn in Salem was without incident as was the trip back across the border the following day. Forty-six happy passengers were dropped at the respective boarding spots with several vowing to return this year. And, happily, several have made the initial contact indicating their desire to be part of the 2009 run for Reno. This was our first bus tour, but, it will not be our last. Indeed, we will be acting as tour directors for this year’s trip and are looking forward to another successful venture to the Nevada desert and the Reno Air Races. So, if you’d like to join us, see the flyer that accompanies this message for information on how to become part of this great group of aviation enthusiasts.

SUN FUN TOURS present the

RENO AIR RACES and

EVERGREEN AVIATION & SPACE MUSEUM Sept 15-22, 2009 8 Days Deluxe Motorcoach Transportation 7 Nights Accommodation -

3 Nites Shilo Inn, Salem, OR, includes breakfast 4 Nites Circus Circus Hotel, Reno, NV

Full Day at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum Home of the famous Spruce Goose + over 50 other planes Separate Space Museum with Titan Rocket and more - Includes admission to BOTH MUSEUMS & IMAX Theatre

Shuttle Service to the Races Side Trip to Lake Tahoe and/or Virginia City Area Farewell Wine & Cheese Party Originates in Kamloops* with pick-ups at Merritt, Hope, Chilliwack, Abbotsford *special motel rates including free car parking available in Kamloops & Abbotsford

All for

$679 (pp-dbl, no taxes)

($669 trpl. • $1009 single) (Note: Preliminary pricing subject to change in spring 2009) (based on 50 passengers - spouses welcome - cancellation & medical ins. available)

To secure YOUR seat, send a refundable $50 deposit by June 1st to

SUN FUN TOURS #101- 929 Laval Crescent, Kamloops, BC V2C 5P4 for info contact tour directors

JOHN & BERNICE SWALLOW 1-250-260-1836 20

• banjos@shaw.ca

1-877-786-3860

VFC and BCAM

share Open House Day Saturday, May 16th was a beautiful summer day and about 175 people turned up at VFC for the Open House and a chance to learn about flying as a career or as recreation. Simon Dennis and Jeff Lightheart manned the barbecue, selling hamburgers and hotdogs by donation. The Club bought the makings and the profits went towards the Ride to Conquer Cancer (June 20-21) in which both instructors will participate. The BC Aviation Museum also handled a large crowd; one of the big events was the arrival of the Harvard from Comox, flown into YYJ as part of the on-going 100th anniversary of Canadian aviation. Guests at the flying club had a good look at various aircraft as they taxied past on Sierra en route from the Museum to runway 09.

at the Museum All photos by Ken Hanson Vickers Viscount Douglas A 26 Air Tanker

T6 Texan (US)

The Harvard

Privately owned Flybaby

Tiger Moth

Volmer Jensen homebuilt amphib visits VFC

at the Club

Photos by Ken Hanson Photos by Eleanor Eastick

VFC ramp reflected in the lounge windows behind the Oscar Foxtrots

Between the Bellanca and YRN, a Tiger Moth can barely be seen on Echo

Bellanca Viking taxiing out

SO LONG SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE,“CANADA’S MOST SIGNIFICANT AVIATION PROJECT” In October 2007, the Patrician carried an article about the Spitfire Restoration Project in Comox, using text by permission from Outlook magazine. At that time, the Comox Valley’s Y2K Spitfire Project had recently become the recipient of the largest cash donation in the project’s history - $25,000 from the Keith and Betty Beedie Foundation of Burnaby, B.C. “We are ecstatic about this huge cash infusion into our project,” said Captain John Low, chairman of the museum. “This donation will allow us to continue working through 2007 and into the next year.”

Update An editorial in the Victoria Times-Colonist (May 25, 2009) reported that the Y2K Spitfire has been sold to Vintage Wings of Canada for one dollar. After all the countless hours put in by dedicated volunteers who raised over a half million dollars, the Spitfire will be completed in Comox and flown away to Ottawa. To quote the T-C: “Thanks guys for all the effort and all the money…we are taking your work to a place that matters. The volunteer effort of British Columbians now belongs in a Dollar Store. Surely our volunteers – and our veterans – deserve better.”

He who laughs last...

--------------------O'Hare Approach: USA212, cleared ILS runway 32L approach, maintain 250 knots. USA212: Roger approach, how long do you need me to maintain that speed? O'Hare Approach: All the way to the gate if you can. USA212: Ah, OK, but you better warn ground control. ---------------------ATC: Pan Am 1, descend to 3,000 ft on QNH, altimeter 1019. Pan AM 1: Could you give that to me in inches? ATC: Pan Am 1, descend to 36,000 inches on QNH, altimeter 1019 -----------------------Cessna 152: 'Flight Level Three Thousand, Seven Hundred' Controller: 'Roger, contact Houston Space Center ' -------------------------Beech Baron: Uh, ATC, verify you want me to taxi in front of the 747. ATC: Yeah, it's OK. He's not hungry. -------------------------

More Airspace Changes Coming July 2, 2009. Heads Up! Thanks to Mike Ketler for sending this important news â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ed I assume you are aware of the massive airspace changes coming in July but I saw a link to these two pages http://www.navcanada.ca/ContentDefinitionFiles/Services/ANSPrograms/LevelOfService/VancouverReview/YVR_Phase_II_EN.pdf

and http://www.navcanada.ca/ContentDefinitionFiles/Services/ANSPrograms/LevelOfService/VancouverReview/Backdraft_April_09.pdf

Looks like Boundary Bay and Abbotsford are now going to be even worse places to go for training.... Not to mention the two months of restrictions for the Olympics... Why two months? Ugh.

I am aware now! The airspace around here just gets more and more complex because of the volume of traffic! Read on:

New Vancouver VFR Terminal Chart (VTA). Get it before July 2nd. A new 34th edition of the Vancouver VTA will be published prior to the airspace changes that will occur on July 2, 2009. The back of the VTA will include a new flight planning map, which is intended to help alert pilots to areas of concentrated unique activity and to help plan their route and altitude to navigate this complex airspace. Also on the back of the VTA, the existing airport arrival and departure route maps will be revised and new maps for Abbotsford will be added.

Tired of flying by yourself? Try the Ride Along feature on our booking system Next time you want some company on a flight that you are booking use VFCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ride Along feature to invite someone to join you. Simply check the Ride Along box under the Additional Information section when you are making your booking as shown to the left. Your booking will appear in green as shown in the second screen and you can contact the pilot or VFC to join the flight.

Call 250-656-2833 for details.

Pilot: 'Approach, Acme Flt 202, with you at 12,000' and 40 DME.' Approach: 'Acme 202, cross 30 DME at and maintain 8000'.' Pilot: 'Approach, 202's unable that descent rate.' Approach: 'What's the matter 202? Don't you have speed brakes?' Pilot: 'Yup. But they're for my mistakes. Not yours.' ----------------------------Tower: 'American...and for your information, you were slightly to the left of the centerline on that approach.' American: 'That's correct; and, my First Officer was slightly to the right.' ----------------------------Student Pilot: 'I'm lost; I'm over a big lake and heading toward the big "E". Controller: 'Make several 90 degree turns so I can identify you on radar.' (short pause)... Controller: 'Okay then. That big lake is the Atlantic Ocean. Suggest you turn to the big "W" immediately.'