Airplanista Aviation Blog

Done Right, the Purchase of Your Own AirplaneCan be Extremely Rewarding

2012-01-25T22:07:00.000-08:00

By Dan Pimentel,
Airplanista Blog editor

I have made the point many times that I believe AOPA Pilot Magazine is the finest aviation monthly on this planet. That's not kissing up, that's just a fact in my world. While some publications will eloquently explain the pros and cons of the latest mega-million-dollar bizjet or discuss 101 ways to use a rivet, Pilot consistently delivers the GA content welcome to aviators like me who fly single-engine piston airplanes.

Much of the success of Pilot rests on the shoulders of their long-time Editor, Tom Haines. He “gets it” because he is one of us. Tom flies a Bonanza A36, and uses the plane in much the same way I use my 1964 Piper Cherokee 235...for business but also for lots of pleasure.

Tom's latest Pilot column discusses the topic of choosing to buy the right airplane based on your anticipated future missions. I was prompted to write this post because I too went through this drill when choosing Katy (our 235), and think it is a vital topic worth some more verbal expansion.

When I decided there was sufficient bank to be able to afford a plane of my own, I sat down and considered the following criteria for the airplane:

1. It had to be fixed gear to keep annuals and insurance affordable,
2. It had to carry four adults of average weight and their stuff. And notice I said “adults” and not “humans” since I did not always want to be forced to make one of those four pax a toddler,
3. It had to be reasonably efficient with fuel burn. I was hoping for something south of 15 GPH,
4. It had to be certified for IFR and have a working two-axis autopilot connected to a GPS,
5. It had to have a low-time engine,
6. Paint and interior had to be at least an 8/10,
7. It had to have enough range to make Central California from Eugene, Oregon, specifically Fresno KFAT, a crow-flies distance of 469NM. (I still have numerous advertising clients in that region),
8. It had to be priced below $70,000,
9. It needed reliable parts availability because as a mostly business airplane, I wanted AOG to be kept to a minimum in case a maintenance issue stranded me somewhere,
10. It had to look nice on the ramp.

So, based on that criteria, what was my mission? I have never owned my own airplane, so I had to guesstimate what this ship would be used for. The end result of this pondering was that...

The majority of my flights would be two adults, however with a new granddaughter, I could foresee many trips with all four seats full of souls. I planned on about a 60/40 division of business to pleasure. When I flew for business, I needed the capacity to carry sometimes 300-ish pounds of gear...yes as a photographer/videographer I do have a tendency to carry too much crap when I travel. When I use the airlines, I have to cram a minimum of gear into a carry-on backpack and roll-aboard, so this plane would set me free to load up with everything I might need on a shoot. Because you never know when the producer might call for us to add a kitchen sink to the set. The pleasure flights would be mostly around the Northwest, day trips with not much gear.

Bottom line, it would be unwise to spend big money on the care and feeding of my own plane if I could not use it for business trips up and down the West Coast. So it needed to be able to sip fuel when chasing hamburgers around the state on a clear and a million day.

I began looking at the different airframes. Price eliminated the Bonanzas, and useful load eliminated the Mooneys. It basically came down to Cessna and Piper, and I had quite a few hours in many variants of each. I first considered the Cessna 172 Skyhawk and 177 Cardinal, both very affordable, but neither had the full-fuel payload I needed. So I began sizing up their 182 Skylane, which delivered all the performance I desired, but came at a premium price way north of my $70,000 threshold.

Next I looked at the Piper Cherokee line. I loved the way the 180s flew, they were stable, predictable, and landings were smooth due to the ground effect of those sweet and low Hershey Bar wings. While the 180 did fit much of my mission profile, the 730 pounds of useful load and 50 gallons of dead dinosaurs on board was not enough to carry four adults and their bags on very long cross-country flights.

My research than led me to the Cherokee 235. It had all the performance and useful load of a Skylane, but comparably-equipped 235s were priced sometimes $30,000 less than 182s with generally equal engine and airframe times. I began connecting the dots, and no matter which way I looked at the 235, it suited my mission perfectly. In October, 2007, I bought N8527W, a 1964 235 model B. I found out later, Katy came off Piper's Vero Beach assembly line as the 26th 235 ever produced. When they say the early 235s deliver a really nice performance package...believe it:

“Katy” has a payload (after 84 gals of full fuel) of 930 lbs. That is enough to legally put a 200 lb. human in every seat and they all can bring aboard 32.5 lbs. of stuff. Those four pax will travel through thin air at about 121 KIAS burning 10 to 12 GPH depending on winds. She can make it Eugene to Fresno in four hours, and has enough range to actually make Los Angeles and even San Diego, if the PIC had equal, um, bladder capacity. She came with a price tag south of my $70K number, and has been very dependable, with predictable $1,000 annuals...the last one has NO squawks.

For big business trips, the 235 shines by taking me and LOTS of stuff a great distance. And for hamburger chasing, Katy sips fuel, climbs like a homesick angel at 1,500 – 2,000 FPM, and lands at 70 mph to consistently make the first turnoff.

The dance one must do while deciding what airplane to buy is significant, but important. I suggest taking the list I supplied above and modifying it with your numbers and your desires. Once you have an idea of the mission, and have identified the make/model of a flying machine that will suit those needs, I strongly suggest taking your time finding the perfect airplane. Do NOT buy the first airplane you look at on impulse, because I assure you the rush of adrenaline you will feel when you begin looking at airplanes that could actually be yours will be like crack cocaine to any aviator.

Be wise, be patient and be smart. Do those three things and you will have a positive love affair with YOUR airplane, one that nobody else can call theirs. And when you swing open those hangar doors for years to come, each time, you'll get a massive hit of pride, of elation, of lust.

Because there is simply no substitute for owning your own airplane.

The Money Burger from Chef Stuart Stein:BlueSkies Grille, Hampton Roads Executive Airport, Norfolk, Virginia (KPVG)

2012-01-20T16:02:00.000-08:00

By Chef Stuart Stein

Hampton Roads Executive Airport (KPVG) is a fantastic example of a thriving general aviation complex. This non-towered airport has crossing runways, full serve and self-serve fueling facilities and a recently opened $2 million, 6,300 square foot executive terminal building. Located 7 miles southwest of the heart of downtown Norfolk and having access to the interstate freeway system makes it the perfect reliever airport for Norfolk International (KORF).

Steve Fox and Andy Gibbs, the principals of Virginia Aviation Associates, L.L.C., bought the airport through bankruptcy proceedings in May 2000. As pilots, these business men are committed to airport growth and improvement. Fox and Gibbs expanded from 300 acres to 634 acres, built a new terminal building and actively recruited aviation related businesses. These guys are just getting started. KPVG is currently in the process of constructing a new 5,350 foot east-west runway, converting the existing runway 10/28 to a taxiway and installing an ILS.

One flourishing business that seems to be the heart and soul of Hampton Roads Executive is Karen Singletry‘s BlueSkies Grille. Over the last ten years Karen, with her daughter Lauren and son Jarred, have fashioned a relaxing and friendly place to refuel and plane watch. A recently remolded patio facing the runways contains Adirondack patio chairs, bright blue umbrellas and white picnic tables. Inside vibrant red upholstered chairs and booths give this place an urban diner look. It just feels clean and inviting.

Ambience aside, patrons come for the view, the cuisine and Karen’s hospitality. Every one of the 40 seats gazes out on to the south flight line and runway 10/28. Cessna 172s, Piper Cherokees and an odd Cessna 336 in-line twin frequently pass by the window. A & Ps from Lear Steven’s Aviation next door float in and out throughout the day grabbing a piece of pie d’jour and a cup of coffee. Various hanger rats invariably stop by just to say “hi” to Karen.

BlueSkies is only open for lunch and serves a simplistic diner-like menu. Four categories dominate: Soup & Chili, Salads, Sandwiches & Franks and Desserts. Barely two dozen items in total. This place isn’t about local farmer produce, pasture-raised hand massaged cows or just off the boat fish. In fact there isn’t a piece of fresh fish offered. What BlueSkies is about is executing a limited short-order menu with grace and a smile.

The Lode Star Burger ($5.99), named after the WWII Lockhead C-60, is a solid ¼-pound beef patty topped with the regular fix’ns. It’s not pretentious, not fancy and not at all greasy. It is tasty. The Mile-High Club ($6.99) is an expanded version of their Turkey Sandwich ($6.49). It stacks alternate layers of sliced pre-purchased turkey and ham with crisp bacon and American cheese. The classic doesn’t break any new ground but does satisfy. The Grilled Chicken Salad ($7.29) has warm strips of grilled to order chicken breast over fresh chopped green leaf lettuce. Olives, red onions and tomatoes are nestled among the greens. Again, we’ve seen this before but somehow the bright, airy and sunny room makes it taste special.

While many menu items saw a can opener, BlueSkies’ Chili ($4.99) and Soup of the Day – Chicken noodle on this visit ($3.99 - $4.99) – were definitely made from scratch. Hearty offerings but it’s what the body craves in winter. “Today’s Desserts” selections are worth the trip. On this occasion Karen offered Banana Cream Pie ($3.49) and Apple Pie a la mode ($3.99). These were not made on premise but who cares. Yummy is yummy no matter the origin. The apple was decadently, gooey sweet while the banana cream had a dense, rich custard. In a word, delicious.

BlueSkies is a place you want to like and Karen and her staff make it easy. It isn’t the best diner food. It doesn’t have the widest selection of items. It doesn’t even have the best view of the airstrip. BlueSkies does have something elusive, something intangible. Call it a feeling, a vibe; a certain je ne sais quoi. Whatever you call “it”, it keeps newcomers coming and regulars coming back.

Hampton Roads Executive Airport (KPVG)
Elevation: 23 ft. / 7.0 m (surveyed)
Zip code: 23321
Sectional chart: Washington
Control tower: no
ARTCC: Washington Center
FSS: Leesburg FSS
Wind indicator: lighted
Segmented circle: no
Runways: 02/20 3,525 x 70ft. and 10/28 4,057 x 70ft
Traffic Pattern: 677 ft. AGL for helicopters, 1,223 MSL for multiengine aircraft
& turbine aircraft, 1,023 MSL for light aircraft
Right Pattern for runway 10 & 20
Lights: Dusk-Dawn, ACTVT MIRL RYS 02/20 & 10/28 - CTAF.
CTAF/UNICOM: 123.0
WX AWOS-3: 118.375 (757-465-2175)
www.flypvg.com

BlueSkies Grille
5172 West Military Highway #D
Chesapeake, VA 23321
Phone: (757) 405-3313
Hours:
Open Monday - Sunday 11:00AM - 2:30PM
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Skies-Grille/102819743107035?sk=wall
blueskiesgrille@yahoo.com

EAA 1457 and KEUG Firefighters Meet toLearn How to Work Together

2012-01-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

As a hangar resident of Eugene, Oregon's KEUG (Mahlon Sweet Field), I have watched as the City of Eugene constructed the airport's new Station 12 literally about 50 paces from my hangar door. And even though the station is up, running and fully staffed, I had yet to walk over there and say hello. So the recently January meeting of my EAA Chapter at the station was a highly-anticipated event.

The meeting was the first for our new club President, Bob McManus, who also happens to own the Jabiru parked next to my Cherokee 235 in our large group hangar. Bob really got his tenure off to a roaring start by arranging the firehouse meeting, which ended up being extremely productive for both the pilots and firefighters.

Prior to a tour of the new facility – which earned a LEED Silver Award – the EAA members packed the station's conference room for a very informative session aimed at education in both directions. The firefighters were interesting in learning specifics of GA airplanes while also helping the EAA members to better understand how their station functions in an emergency.

The presenter at Monday’s meeting was Engineer Linn Burch. He is a line firefighter/paramedic, with the rank of Engineer, which means he is an apparatus operator. He is coordinating training for the City of Eugene's Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) team.

The ARFF-certified firefighters who crew the station consistently earn A+ ratings in their FAA evaluations, and they can tell you precisely where system shutoffs are on each commercial airplane that services KEUG. But they pointed out there was “very little” specific training aimed at GA airplanes. Two such specifics discussed were the ballistic rockets used not only on Cirrus airplanes but also many ultralights and Light Sport models, and also best practices for accessing a tightly-cowled composite experimental engine compartment that is on fire.

District Chief Craig Shelby said this about the department's interest in learning about GA airplanes: “Speaking specifically to GA knowledge with ARFF Teams, I would have to say the primary training is directed towards commercial aircraft, since ARFF is required for the airlines/airport to stay in business. We recognize GA is often the majority of traffic at an airport, so it is everyone’s best interest to having a better working knowledge of GA so we can serve all of our customers. It is Linn Birch's passion for training, and his desire to make it interesting (and based on questions he has received from team members) that has promoted our efforts to include GA aircraft information in our monthly training. For resource information, Linn is a member of the ARFF Working Group. (www.arffwg.org) They have a publication, and work cooperatively with the American Association of Airport Executives. He uses this resource to network with other trainers, and to share information.”

Also discussed was the possibility of notifying the fire station when an experimental airplane was about to make its first flight, or even light off a new engine for the first time. Since many builders call the tower before a first test flight, the firefighters said a call from ATC to their station via a direct line would be easy to coordinate.

When asked about being on hand at a member's hangar when starting a fresh engine, one firefighter said their crew were “like sponges” as they learned new ways to serve the airport community, and that seemed like an easy thing to coordinate.

Lots of discussion was spent talking about when to declare an emergency. The fire guys and an ATC controller in the audience agreed that we should “declare early” so emergency crews can be as prepared as possible. One point made by former United Captain and EAA 1457 member Phil Groshong drew muted chuckles from the crowd when he said the "worst time to declare emergency is after you crash." Makes sense to me.

After the official meeting, it was on to the tour, which was quite cool, if you love gigantic fire trucks (who doesn't?). We saw how the crews live, eat, relax and work out in the on-site gym, but the real star of the show was the 1991 Oshkosh T-1500 truck at center stage in the main equipment bay of the station.

Painted in fantastic day-glow yellow, this particular Oshkosh fire truck carries 1,585 gallons of water, 205 gallons of AFFF foam and 700 pounds of “purple-k” dry chemical. Any of this can be dispensed RAPIDLY through a roof turret rated at 375-750 gallons per minute or a bumper turret that delivers 300 gpm.

This however is not the biggest, baddest truck in the Station 12 fleet. In the shop on the day of our tour is their 2004 Oshkosh Striker, which is larger and has more capacity than the T-1500 we saw.

After taking turns sitting in the “flight deck” of the T-1500 enjoying a panel that has enough switches and steam gauges to make any aviator smile, we toured the “Disaster Trailer” which is a Wells Cargo rig stocked with 100 backboards, patient movers (rugged large-wheel gurneys), medical triage boxes, IVs and Oxygen.

Overall, this session brought the two communities of the airport together. We EAA members learned about how the station operates while the fire crews got to ask specific questions about the airplanes we fly. Many in attendance predicted that this new collaboration will continue and grow as we aim to help the firefighters who help us when needed.

Six Great Private Pilot Training Programs in the U.S.

2012-01-11T12:04:00.000-08:00

Editor's note: This guest post is oneof many we hope to publish on the Airplanista aviation blog. If youhave a completed story or post, we'd love to review it for possiblepublication...please email it here.

By Courtney Henderson

There are hundreds of flight schoolslocated across the United States, many of which offer greatinstruction. When searching for an aviation training school, you willwant to make sure the school you choose is the best for your needs.

First off, if you are seeking a privatepilot license, make sure you are looking for a school that caters tothis type of student. Some aviation schools only offer instructionfor commercial pilots. In addition, research whether the schooloperates under Part 61 or Part 141 of the Federal AviationRegulations. Available aircraft fleet and cost of the program shouldalso be taken into account. To verify the credibility of the school,contact your local FAA Flight Standards District Office, BetterBusiness Bureau or Chamber of Commerce to check the school’s safetyrecords and business practices.

Listed below are six great flighttraining programs in the United States. By no means are these the topprograms. However, they are the better programs in their respectivelocations. If you do not live near any of these schools, contact yourlocal airport or community college to inquire about any recommendedflight training schools in your area.

Flying Tigers in Houston, Texas:Associated with Lee College in Baytown, Texas, the Flying Tigersflight school offers top rate flight courses and training at a greatprice. A wide variety of aircraft types are available to give you theopportunity to learn the most about visual and instrument flightrules.

Dean International in Miami, Florida:Earn your private pilot or commercial pilot license at one of themost prestigious flight schools in North America. Dean Internationalhas 35 aircraft in their fleet and has educated more than 6,000pilots from all over the world.

Flight Safety International: With 40learning center locations across the world, Flight SafetyInternational is one of the leading aviation training companies inthe industry. The company’s headquarters is in the United States,and most of its training centers are located in the U.S., as well. Inaddition to private and commercial pilot training, they also offermaintenance technician, flight attendant and dispatcher training.

Connecticut Flight Academy in Hartford,Connecticut: This school operates out of the Hartford BrainardAirport (KHFD). Because the school is so closely located to some ofthe world’s busiest airports (New York and Boston), students arewell-trained in operating aircraft in high traffic areas.

Aviation Professionals Incorporated inChicago, Illinois: Operating out of Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) thisflight school boasts itself as one of the oldest flight trainingschools in America. Training is offered for both private andcommercial pilot licenses.

Alliance Flight Schools in Scottsdale,Arizona: Instruction is one-on-one at this training center thatoperates out of Scottsdale Municipal Airport (KSDL). Standard andaccelerated courses are offered for earning your private pilotlicense.

Courtney Henderson is writer and editorfor Airport Management Degrees. In her spare time, she likes to writeguest articles for various websites on various topics of interest.

Invest :60 seconds to Help AIN Report on a Vital Topic

2012-01-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

I have made the point many times that quite possibly the finest news source for monthly aviation news is Aviation International News (AIN). While other more frequent publications like General Aviation News and Pacific Flyer have GA issues covered very well, and while AOPA Pilot Magazine succeeds in raising the bar each month for glossy aviation magazines, nobody reports aviation in-depth like AIN. Their reporting on all elements of our aviation world is stellar, and one of those reporters who seems to consistently crank out much of this fascinating content is AIN's Matt Thurber.

Recently, Thurber posted a quick survey online and I am asking my readers to quickly go here and help Thurber and AIN by taking one minute to participate. Thurber made this really easy for you by having everything on one quick page. It is short, concise, and will provide vital input on an important topic.

AIN's Pilot Training and Professionalism Survey has just five questions, so please drop what you are doing right now and invest sixty seconds in helping this reporter obtain some info for a future piece.

If you have questions, feel free to contact Thurber via email here.

Prolific Flight Attendants Very Much a Part of Our Aviation Family

2012-01-01T22:39:00.000-08:00

By Dan Pimentel
Airplanista Blog Editor

It is quite easy during the first few minutes of a commercial airline flight to all but ignore the Flight Attendants (FAs) asking you – nicely – to take your seat and stow your stuff. We spend the next few moments avoiding the safety briefing, cocky as we are, thinking we already know how to fasten a seat belt, what more do they need to tell us anyway? Oh yeah, the exits, yada yada, flotation devices blah blah.

But try as we do to ignore FAs, funny how we travelers will quickly push that call button the second we need something. Soda not cold enough? Push the yellow button. Pretzels just a tad too stale? Yep...yellow button.

FAs get nowhere near the respect they deserve. They are a vital, highly-trained member of every flight's crew, and I can assure you, when the call goes out that an emergency is on board, any FA on any carrier will know what to do.

The lives these people lead are interesting at best, and chaotic at worst. If it possible for them to enjoy a somewhat normal life with family, home and hobbies, but they spend many nights alone in a crash pad or hotel room with time to kill. How FAs fill that time varies, but two that I know pull out their laptops and write really fantastic blogs and books.

I was prompted to write this post after seeing the new re-design of The Flying Pinto blog, written by Sara Keagle (Pinto). Here, you will this sort of enjoyable material:

The Crazy Things Passengers Say to Flight Attendants
Drunks on a Plane: The Top 10 Hottest Messes at 35,000FT
Top Ten Gross Things Flight Attendants Have Seen
Flight Attendant Careers: Gay vs Straight
My Favorite (Kids Travel) Things
Ask the Flight Attendant: Flight Attendant Salaries
The Ten Types of Annoying Passengers, According to a Flight Attendant
Do Passengers Really Hate Us: A ParodyFlight Attendant Hazing

Sara's blog is hip, upbeat, colorful, and reads very well. It's a very good example of how we bloggers do it right as she keeps it lively, fresh and relevant. How she does this on the go with a career and family at home is just shy of a modern technomiracle.

Another FA that writes a very good blog (and upcoming book) is Heather Poole. Her Another Flight Attendant Writing About Flying blog has almost endless content, all which pulls back the curtain on her life as an FA.

Some top posts from Poole's blog:

How much do flight attendants get paid?Crew Confessions
Flight attendant buddy passes - do you REALLLY want one?
Height, weight and age requirements for flight attendants (and why Christina Ricci could never be a Pan Am stewardess)
Gifts for flight attendants - and travelers!
Why are so many flight attendants gay? A straight point of view...
Luggage Review: Club Glove Flight Crew Set
5 tips for traveling with a wedding dress

Two aviation bloggers, Benet Wilson, left,
and Jon Ostrower shown "Laviating" in the Lav
of a Gulfstream once owned by Oprah Winfrey.

If you know of the phenomenon know as Laviating then you've been to Heather's site. Here you'll find numerous self-portraits of people taken in Lavs around the globe.

Poole is also an author with a high-profile book coming in March, 2012. Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet is sure to be a great read, written by someone who knows how to write well and has been there and done that. This is what Amazon.com has to say about Poole's upcoming book:

Real-life flight attendant Heather Poole has written a charming and funny insider’s account of life and work in the not-always-friendly skies. Cruising Attitude is a Coffee, Tea, or Me? for the 21st century, as the author parlays her fifteen years of flight experience into a delightful account of crazy airline passengers and crew drama, of overcrowded crashpads in “Crew Gardens” Queens and finding love at 35,000 feet. The popular author of “Galley Gossip,” a weekly column for AOL’s award-winning travel website Gadling.com, Poole not only shares great stories, but also explains the ins and outs of flying, as seen from the flight attendant’s jump seat.

These are just two of the MANY Flight Attendants who write about their profession. You might be served by one of them on your next commercial flight. So you are hereby warned that if you choose to do something stupid, irresponsible, crazy, whack, or flagrantly stoopid on board a scheduled flight, the chances are higher than you realize that the smiling person in the uniform asking you politely to STFU and take your seat might well be taking notes for their next blog post.

A Rare Opportunity for an Up Close Look at the F-22 Raptor

2011-12-24T13:10:00.000-08:00

Photo: Lockheed Martin

By Adam Fast | @adamcanfly

"Congratulations," the email started, "you have been selected to attend our first Lockheed Martin Tweetup". That led to frantic trip planning, and a bunch of excitement.

Twitter and these 'Tweetups' have given me an incredible number of experiences that most could never imagine, something I'm very thankful for. My first Space Shuttle launch at STS-129, visiting Mission Control for STS-130 (forever cementing my human space flight geekiness) technically our entry with @MyTransponder to the Boeing DreamLiner before the public were admitted at Oshkosh, and now this.

This? Being present for the factory rollout of the final F-22 Raptor, SN 195 and an opportunity to spend some time in one of the simulators (later learning it's technically the "cockpit demonstrator." While it is a real chunk of airframe with accurate controls, the things displayed on the screen and HUD are the unclassified version.) Oh, and we'll be going through the C-130J and P-3 wing assembly lines. And I was one out of the 14 selected of 60 applicants.

We arrived and were escorted to B(uilding) 2 on Dobbins Air Force Base which connects to B-1, the building which holds the assembly lines for the C-130J, P-3 and (now being decommissioned) the F-22. There was mention of assemblies for the F-35 too, but we avoided those areas due to ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) concerns. Sound like a big building? Try 3.3 million square feet. To access our conference room, we had to walk into the factory area - and it was overwhelming. The sights, sounds and smell was very industrial - sort of like your local maintenance shop, only immaculately clean, tape on the floor indicating where each creeper, parts bin and tool box was to be kept when not required for some piece of assembly.

B-1 was built in a bit over a year to facilitate assembly of B-29s, and has been used for aircraft production most of the time since. It's common to see anything from a small bicycle (with large baskets for carrying items) to full size pickup trucks driving in the aisles, which are the size of a normal two-way city street.

After introductions and discussing some of the rules (like no photography, period) we headed out through the factory floor, and inside the fenced-in-inside-the-building area where the Raptor was assembled - now empty, except for a single complete airframe, off the line and lit with spotlights. I incorrectly tweeted it looked baby blue - it did, but that was more due to the color the lights were programmed for. When it got outside it was definitely green, lighter so than you would see on a Boeing airliner, for instance, if you've watched their rollout festivities. A couple people spoke, a video was shown, and it was showtime. From our spot there's a gigantic US flag under which is written "Through these doors pass the most awesome fighters in the world." Some ways away more sobering statement can be found: "A mistake covered up may cost the life of a brave pilot."


Photo: Lockheed Martin

A loud bell began ringing (a safety indication that the hangar doors would be opening very soon) and a drumroll started. A local high school marching band would be following the plane. And the parade was off! The tug was pulling the airframe, followed by the marching band, the program and military leadership, and the employees. We were mixed into the employee group, the fourteen "tweeters" and our four "chaperones" who later said "it was easy to keep track of you all - we just had to look for who were looking down regularly and holding a smartphone".

The convoy continued for some ways around the corner of the building and to the front, stopping at the intersection the Raptor would be taken down to be completed - testing the fuel tanks, final electronics work, and test flying before ultimately getting its paint and special stealth coatings and delivery in the summer of 2012. There the management, employee, marching band, and eventually we got our photos taken with the aircraft. Everybody went back to work, and we headed back to our conference room for lunch. There two test pilots, Trigger (who of course would not explain his call sign) and JB (who wouldn't even acknowledge HAVING a call sign) told stories and answered questions about their experiences doing production test flying on the Raptor.

After lunch came a split into two groups, and my group went out onto the C-130 and P-3 floor. Walking from station to station we saw a floor become an airframe, wings appear, and engines / propellers be installed until the very last spot where a completed Hercules awaited its trip to the paint booth. Then it was time for fun - on to the cockpit demonstrator. It's not full-motion, and the avionics displays aren't the same since many capabilities are classified - but it's a "legit" airframe and controls. We didn't have much time, so we cycled in and out through air to air, air to ground and landing sorties - but the systems (at least what we could see) are incredibly advanced and pretty awe-inspiring.

If you came here expecting an objective view of the F-22 program, plane, or policy - sorry, this isn't it. I'm a fanboy, and I will admit that without hesitation. This is an incredible aircraft with the technology to keep our pilots safe and enemies fearful. I'm thankful for the opportunity to visit and Lockheed Martin's hospitality during our visit. Our entire group didn't open a door during our entire visit - there was always someone there. It felt like we were actually somebody important. What a great trip!

The Epicenter of General Aviation – as Seen From Space

2011-12-20T14:37:00.000-08:00

Google Earth's satellite images of the crust of our planet are a marvel of modern technology. I am forever amazed at how detailed they have become, and that makes me wonder what even more precise detail our country's spy satellites can achieve.

Despite the many uses for Google satellite images in our daily lives, one weakness in their system was the often stale nature of the images. We the viewer were always at the mercy of Google's satellite orbital schedule, and since this planet is a fairly large target, sometimes an image stays on their system for a very long time.

So it is very good news that somehow, the current Google Earth satellite image of Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) was taken on opening day of AirVenture Oshkosh last summer on July 25 according to EAA.

When you take a zoomed-in look at the Oshkosh show grounds in these Google images, it is easy to spot favorite locations on the field. Of interest to me were two spots, one was the parking spot of Cory Robin's “Wilgabeast” out in the North 40:

From space, Cory's 1984 PZL 104 Wilga 35A looks much like any other high wing airplane parked in the endless rows of parking that parallel's KOSH's runway 9/27. But the way Cory brought us all along for the ride as he journeyed to and from Wisconsin is notable. He tweeted and posted on Facebook about going “Low and Slow to Oshkosh” and it was a really interesting look at a very interesting flying machine. Once there, Robin personally impressed me when he donated two dozen posters of Amanda Franklin to my magazine's Tweeplechase event. He had purchased the posters as a fund raiser for the Franklin Flying Circus, and by donating them to Airplanista Magazine, he leveraged that purchase to do as much good as possible. BTW, the “Wilgabeast” as it is affectionately called, has undergone a complete off-season engine replacement, adding another 100hp, and will have a new paint scheme and super groovy new nose art designed by a Brussels artist when we see it again this summer at Oshkosh 2012.

Also of note was a look at the opposite end of the show, down in Camp Scholler:

When you look at the screen grab posted in Twitter by @Eyeno of Camp Bacon, you see all that makes a trip to Oshkosh so special. The red vehicle at the top of the inset above is the Chevrolet HHR owned by Martt Klupper, a.k.a @AirPigz, and the large RV to the bottom of the inset is Mike Miley's @HomeSweetRoad, a.k.a. the mobile home of the MyTransponder digital universe during AirVenture. The RV to the right was the OSH temporary home of @Adamcanfly and @PilotStu. This collection of tents, beer, bacon, camaraderie and aviators demonstrates the social nature of this event. Throughout the show, people come and go at Camp Bacon, telling stories and enjoying the company of many like minds. Camp Baconites lean heavily on the geek end of the aviator spectrum, all are on Twitter all day every day, and the camp is ground zero for meet-ups between new friends and those who are eating the bacon (drinking the Kool-aid?) for the first time. Oh, and all that bacon? It's a Martt thing, 'nuf said.

While the two tiny insets I have added above give you a glimpse into just two stories that were running concurrently at #OSH11, the enormity of the entire show grounds multiplies those stories many thousands of times. If you have been lucky enough to get to the “World's Largest Aviation Celebration” and have walked all day every day, now that you see the show as a whole, you know why your feet and legs ached when you finally stopped for the night.

Every speck of this satellite image has a back story, a tale of aviators who waited all year to load up the Cessna and plow across the square states towards the biggest hangar party ever created. If you have never been to AirVenture, go here and zoom around a bit, and try to imagine being down there on the ground, immersed in all that aviation goodness.

Many of you will be already planning your #OSH12 trip, but I do not think I will be in your camp this summer. I have a massive European trip planned about the same time, and taking time off work for both Oshkosh AND Vienna will be impossible. So I think I'll be skipping this year's version of the Oshbash, which is a bummer but it'll give me many more months to prep for a grand re-appearance at #OSH13.

Hidden Treasures in Your Own Backyard

2011-12-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

The other night, a friend and fellow Tweeple tweeted a link to a site that listed an almost endless number of Abandoned and Little-Known Airfields. The site – published by Paul Freeman – is a treasure trove of information about those long-lost patches of yesteryear. I immediately went there and dug through the listings for Southwestern Oregon. What I found simply blew me away:

Just down the street from the DanoDome is Meadowlark Prairie, a pristine chunk of natural wetlands that connects via a wide and perfect bike path to the West Eugene Wetlands, said to be the last one percent of undeveloped wetlands in the entire Willamette Valley. I have ridden this bike path many times, traversing under Danebo Avenue on one of many underpasses reserved just for bikes. Now how cool is that...dedicated bike underpasses! You gotta love Eugene. OR. Little did I know that while riding this stretch, I was skirting the southern fenceline of what was once Willamette Airpark / T-Bird Airport.

Yes, right there in this vacant piece of real estate once was a vibrant airfield, with real stick and rudder guys dancing with crosswinds as they slid their Cubs and Airknockers into perfect three-point landings. Freeman's great site illuminates the history of this little patch:

"This former general aviation airport was evidently established at some point between 1945-47, as it was not on the April 1945 Portland Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy). The earliest reference to the field which has been located was in the 1947 OR Airport Directory (courtesy of David Brooks). It described Willamette as being managed by a Robert Bevans, who operated Bevan’s Flying Service from the field. The runway configuration consisted of a 2,500' northwest/southeast gravel strip & a 1,900' north/south sod strip."

Too cool. But wait, the more you dig, the more you find at this wonderful site:

"Willamette Airpark gained a paved runway at some point between 1953-59, as the 1959 Klamath Falls Sectional Chart depicted the field as having a 2,500' hard surface runway. Jay Flitton recalled, “Between 1962-1964 Willamette Airpark went by the name 'T-Bird' Airpark. My dad, while going to graduate school at the University of Oregon flew out of 'T-Bird' a lot. My mom started her private pilot lessons there. That is where I had my first airplane ride! A Cherokee 140. It had a beautiful log terminal building with a 'Control Room' that had a giant picture window overlooking the airport, there was no tower. The whole terminal looked more like a ski lodge or maybe something that should be in Yellowstone National Park. It was a beautiful little airport with a lot of activity. Too bad it is gone.”

Who knew? Oh wait, I guess Paul Freeman did, and lists these historical gems here. More from Freeman's site:

"John Tucker recalled, “I learned to fly at T-Bird in the 1960s. It was a wonderful place for a young boy to learn to fly. My dad started to fly & I took lessons too. I was offered a job (which I took) mowing the grass around the airport. Then I progressed to fuel & line boy. I also helped the mechanic in the shop with small jobs. Of course I traded every hour against flying time. They had a couple of Champs, one N81967, two Piper Colts, a Cherokee 140 & 180, the latter being N7432W. Other planes were Champion 7402B, a Shinn, and a few others. They also had a Link Trainer in which we airport kids had our first exposure to instrument flight. We would take turns flying, then we would become controllers."

After reading this, I cannot wait to begin poking around over where I believe this old field was once located. It is a little piece of Oregon aviation history that I did not know existed, and to think it is only about 1.4 nm from where I type this.

Mano man, this is the kind of stuff that keeps us aviators alive. The patch was located northwest of the intersection of South Danebo Avenue and West 11th Avenue, and now as I bike that path, I find myself stopping under what I perceive to be the final approach to the old NW/SE runway. My full-engulfed aviator's mind can easily hear those fabric-covered taildraggers as they slip along above my position, crossing a fence that has long since bit the dust on their way to a return from those surly bonds.

I encourage anyone who loves aviation history to go here and poke around like I did...and see if you discover a Pot 'o Gold just down the street from your casa. This is one of those sites on the web that you know was created by someone who is devoted to doing the research and webmastering that a comprehensive site like this requires. This guy deserves to have someone in a very cool plane fly in to where ever he lives and buy him a $100 hamburger for all the time he must have spent on this site.

UPDATE @ 1049A on 06.11.09: Windy Hovey of WREN, a non-profit that works in the West Eugene Wetlands sent me a great shot of the field where this airfield was once located. It is very easy to make out the NW/SE runway in the shot below:

Schappert's New FAR/AIM Book Is a Very Good Idea

2011-12-13T09:41:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has ever sifted through the full-on version of the FAR/AIM manual knows it reads with all the delight of the IRS Tax Code. My copy has post-its and highlighter throughout the section that covers IFR flight, because I know my CFI, Jim Hunt, is going to ask me about these items at every Instrument Proficiency Check. If not for the various flags, I'd be stuck digging deep to try and find relevant answers.

But now, the problem of having a “War and Peace” length FAR/AIM has been solved for Private and Sport Pilots, by CFI Jason Schappert.

"There are over 1,200 regulations in the FAR/AIM,” Schappert said, “however only about 100 of those concern Private and Sport Pilots. We pulled out all the fluff leaving only what you really need to know for your Sport/Private Pilot certificate. Each regulation is transcribed then broken down into plain, conversational english. Regulations are even tagged as "Popular Checkride Questions" so students really know where to study hard."

This book is a MUST BUY (after all it IS the Christmas shopping season hint hint) for any Private or Sport pilot, and especially for any student pilot. It reads easily, due to editing by Benet Wilson, a long-time Twitter #Avgeek and new addition to AOPA's social media team.

Click the banner ad above to buy this book right now, you will enjoy it. Schappert's book is available as an eBook or as paperback through Amazon...and any books bought through the ad above helps to support the Airplanista blog.

Looking Back on Four Years of Aircraft Ownership

2011-12-10T10:23:00.001-08:00

Photo: Michael Patrick Connolly | Illustration by the author

By Dan Pimentel,
Airplanista Blog Editor

In October, 2007, I traveled to Whiteman Airport in Los Angeles to pick up my 1964 Piper Cherokee 235, a journey that began a love affair with an airplane. Yes, we pilots get like that with our babies, and I believe it's healthy for an aviator to be enamored with his or her flying machine.

This article generally is not for the owner/pilot, because you already know this drill. Instead, it is meant for the student pilot now learning and hoping to one day buy a plane, the renter pilot who really REALLY wants a ship of his/her own, or the person on the street who thinks owning an airplane would be cool but knows zero about what is involved.

I will break down things that I believe you'll find of interest, tidbits of information I have learned – some the hard way – in my four years as the owner of “Katy” our beloved 235. First, let's start with this statement:

Unless you fly your airplane as many as 20 hours a month, single ownership of a private – and the costs thereof – really doesn't pencil out. In fact, if you just go chase a few hamburgers once in a while when the WX is clear and 1,000,000, it can look like a serious money pit if you really get down and crunch numbers. But when you consider the sheer exhilaration of swinging open your hangar door and seeing YOUR airplane waiting to lift you skyward, it becomes a much better value. How can anyone put a dollar figure on the joy of flying? And more importantly in this conversation, how can anyone correctly determine the personal value a pilot gains by being lucky enough to have bought a personal transportation miracle? Things like oil, and annuals, they become line items on a spreadsheet. But spend a few precious hours alone in your hangar, polishing wings that are already shiny just because you can, and you quickly realize that this is a quality life easily worth the price.

I'm not going to break down the hard costs of private airplane ownership. There are plenty of good resources for that on AOPA.org and NBAA.org. Instead, I want to get more philosophical, and provide thinking that goes deeper than just numbers.

My thought process as I examine the worth of owning Katy actually starts at the end of this saga...50 years from now. That's when I see myself lying on a bed somewhere, waiting to “Go West” to fly with Lindbergh and Papa Louie. It will be then that I can look back on my life and say I accomplished one of the things that made my life well lived. I worked hard, saved money, made minimal financial mistakes, and along the way, bought not just some tiny toy airplane, but a decent, comfortable, capable, cross-country load hauler airplane. In life, we all have goals, and one of mine, from as far back as I can remember, was not only to fly, but to own an airplane I can call my own. So regardless of the cost, as I pass from this life to the next, I will have considered that accomplishment nailed.

When we first saw Katy, I was in lust, and clouds covered my eyes and blurred a clear view of her. I first laid eyes on her at Fresno's Air Terminal, and didn't see many of the knicks, scratches, worn/chipped paint or almost microscopic indentations from hail. What I did see was an immaculate interior, a very low-time engine that looked factory new, and a decent IFR panel with King radios and an assortment of digital upgrades and goodies. On that first test flight, she flew straight and was powerful, a stable ship that on a gusty day was easy to maneuver. I made an offer that was accepted, and I was well on my way to airplane ownership.

But when I returned to Los Angeles to witness the annual and finalize the deal, I began seeing things I had not seen before. No dealbreakers, just more “age spots” than I had first seen. Knowing nothing about annuals, and being a rookie at ownership, I made what could have been a fatal mistake and had the seller's mechanic who was doing the annual also do the pre-buy inspection. That could have been a huge problem, but now, after four years and three subsequent annuals, nothing big was overlooked, and I believe that even with a pre-buy from a third party, I would still have bought the airplane.

Owning a nearly-vintage airplane (Katy is 47 years young) might be pause for concern, but thankfully the Piper engineers in Vero Beach got the Cherokee line right. This plane has proven to be bulletproof, with only minor squawks found at annuals. In fact, there have been a few ticky-tacky little things to fix, like a broken pilot's side air vent or a ridiculously hard to adjust door latch, and we've cleaned up numerous wiring disasters caused by ham-handed techs cobbling together avionics the easy way, instead of the right way. In general, the plane has been rock-solid, with a very high dispatch percentage rate.

From a maintenance perspective, annuals have been quite predictable, ranging from $800 to $1,800. We've had two starter issues, one a massive starter failure that took out the ring gear, and also a stuck starter solenoid that meant the prop cranked over the minute you switched on the Master...not good. Both came on days when we were departing on important trips, generating more than a few %$#@!*&% words not suitable for publication here.

My airplane ownership experience has been far more positive than negative. We've taken Katy on numerous business trips up and down the West Coast, including one trip to film a TV commercial in California that really proved the worth of private airplane ownership, and in particular, ownership of this make/model:

The shoot was for a client who was at the time offering real charter services in Cirrus SR-22s. We had arranged to have a beautiful silver -22 meet us at the Reedley airport outside Fresno, along with a Los Angeles-based crew and their large truckload of equipment. We departed Eugene with four adults in Katy, plus full fuel (84 gallons) and as much gear as we could stuff in any part of the cabin not occupied by humans. We were still under legal gross weight, and flew non-stop right to the shoot in just under four hours and about 50 gallons burned. At the time, AvGas was about $4.50, and R/T end up costing $112.50 per pax in fuel alone. Even if I were to double that figure for fixed costs, engine wear etc., it still was far cheaper than the airlines...and took about 1/3 the time door-to-door when you consider how much wasted time we'd have endured waddling through the hub-and-spoke system, and renting a car to drive to the shoot.

On another trip to California, we were able to make a stop in Grass Valley outside Sacramento, meet with a client 35 miles east of Fresno, RON with friends, and visit a client in the Bay Area on our trip north the next day. Two days, three clients...two of them in small remote cities not served by commercial carriers. It was an impossible itinerary using anything but a private airplane.

So, enough already about dollars and cents...let's talk about what I gain through private airplane ownership. The very first word that pops into my mind is efficient....that an airplane allows efficient travel without the need to deal with the airlines or stumble through the Amtrak system on a schedule that is at the mercy of the next freight train around the bend.

With Katy, we can fly many short routes in a day, or fly longer legs and enjoy an overnight at a destination that would take hours to drive. One example was yet another business trip from Oregon to California:

I awoke early and checked online WX between Eugene, OR and Fresno, CA, and saw a quick IFR departure through a thin layer, and nothing dramatic on the entire southbound route. That did not jive with what the TV news guys and TAFs had suggested, that thunderstorms were forecast in the area of Mt. Shasta in NorCal. Since this was a winter IFR trip, I chose to back that data up with a phone call to an actual human with a phone briefing...where I received the bad news that IFR or VFR was “not advised” due to “severe” thunderstorms in the area of the Siskiyou Range. So we elected to pack the car and drive to Fresno. About 12 hours later, after wasting 66% more time on the southbound leg, we arrived tired, grumpy and had lost one entire productive day of our trip. Oh, and we will also lose yet another day with clients because now we have to repeat the 12-hour trek north up Interstate 5 by car to return home.

Owning our airplane makes many day trips possible, and adds greatly to our quality of life. When we just have to scarf down Tuna Fish and Chips by the sea in Astoria – nestled in the far northwest corner of my state – it's an easy 1.0 flight in Katy, but a 4.0 hour journey in a car. We can have a leisurely Sunday wake up, saunter to the hangar and slip over to The Bowpicker for lunch. We can wander aimlessly on the beach before a smooth, easy hop back to the southern Willamette Valley, arriving fed, relaxed and refreshed hours before the evening news. That. My flying friends, is functionality.

Some of the benefits we as business owners enjoy when traveling via private airplane are obvious and can be quantified with saved dollars or hours. But here is one huge thing about owning Katy that I believe gives me a competitive advantage as the President of an advertising agency/creative studio that promotes aviation businesses, and that is ramp cachet:

On numerous occasions, we have been invited to pitch a campaign to an airport located on an airport, such as an avionics shop, FBO or OEM parts manufacturer. Sure, the competition shows up in Brooks Brothers suits driving a Mercedes, but they arrive at the wrong side of the building. We arrive in our private corporate airplane, and after parking our airplane on the correct side of the building (the ramp), we are greeting not as sales people, but as AVIATORS. Since we pilot types tend to support each other, without even beginning our Dog and Pony Show, we've established ourselves as an aviation company, because we fly, and that translates into an understanding the business of flying. Arriving by private airplane to conduct business gives the impression that you are successful...because you are.

So in review, yes, there have been financial hits, and none of which are ever easy to swallow. But Katy is a solid performer, and can actually carry four adults and their stuff as far as her full fuel tanks can take them. When the plusses meet the minuses, it's not even close, owning a plane beats not owning one.

I will take private airplane ownership any day...because it is as wonderful an experience as you imagine. If flying is freedom, it is safe to assume that flying your very own airplane is the ultimate freedom.

Steam Gauge Studies

2011-12-07T15:38:00.001-08:00

By Tim Evart
for Airplanista Aviation Blog

The scuttlebutt at my son’s airline is that pilot applicants for first officer slots in the company’s Dash 8 turboprops are failing pre-hire simulator rides at higher rates when coming from flight training experience limited to glass cockpits. There are no available statistics that I’ve been able to find regarding the difficulty in pilot transitions from one instrument display to another but it at least seems a reasonable possibility. The recent past had pilots transitioning from knowing how to fly with analog gauges to learning to fly with the newer electronic displays, not the other way around.

Although I have limited experience with these new, electronic “glass cockpit” flight displays, from the literature it seems accepted by most that they are relatively easy to transition to. This would make sense too as electronic displays are a more recent invention with newly discovered human factors information built into their design. Debate regarding the efficacy of this design is not what I am qualified to comment on in spite of my opinions on certain aspects of it. I do for example prefer to use an old fashioned analog watch rather than a digital version to tell time. This doesn’t mean I can’t tell time with a digital clock, I simply like the full 12 hour display from which to discern the current time location.

Similarly, although I may read with an appreciative nod about speed/altitude strip confusion written by pilots forced to make the transition from “steam” gauges to “glass”, my guess is that with a short time allowed in a training situation, most pilots would get used to reading the strip display. Oppositely, and with equal inexperience, I can only imagine the trials and tribulations in getting used to analog gauges after soloing in a G1000 equipped C-172SP and never flying anything less, all the way through commercial/instrument AMEL. Thus we arrive at the potentially troubling matter at hand:

Are flight schools with nothing but glass cockpits handicapping their students interested in a career as a professional pilot?

The Hook

A cursory look at prominent collegiate flight schools reveals advertising touting the advantages of learning to fly in aircraft equipped with the latest in cockpit flight displays. The marketing hook is to “train for the future” in aircraft with the latest equipment to prepare the student for the type of flying they will supposedly be doing right out of school. After all, who would want to train on those old fashioned mechanical gauges you can find at all the other flight schools?

Well, I hate to burst any bubbles, but the future hasn’t quite made it here yet. If you are an aspiring airline or corporate pilot, you will in all likelihood, get your first flying job in aircraft equipped with the old fashioned six pack of steam gauges. Unless that first job is at the flight school that taught you on glass as a CFI teaching your students on glass, you will most likely be flying airplanes with analog gauges. Additionally, you will be using equipment with two VOR’s if you’re lucky, just one if you’re not. At the bare minimum you should be able to use one VOR to find cross radial intersections in IFR situations, since the other VOR may fail in flight. The point is that whether you instruct, fly aerial survey, freight or passengers in turboprops, you will probably be flying older aircraft equipped with steam gauges and radio navigation instruments. You can probably get away with limited experience on NDB/ADF usage, but you had better know how to keep the sunny side up with a gauge roughly the square millimeter size of your iPhone.

ADF to GPS

Today’s GPS system is driving us toward a time when it may dominate the world of aviation navigation. Knowledge of how to use the older units like the Garmin GNS 430 can occupy the brain cells that normally would have been reserved for the ADF. When the time comes to upgrade to a more sophisticated unit those skills will transfer over if you stay in the same family of Garmin avionics like the G1000. If your first experience with full glass avionics is from a different manufacturer, my hunch is it will still be a relatively easy transition. The 430 is a popular unit, installed in many GA aircraft and thus more likely to be in a new commercial pilot’s first working plane. And since ADF is being rapidly replaced by GPS as the alternative to VOR/localizer/ILS navigation, you will be better served learning older, simpler GPS avionics well than newer, more complex and expensive systems as long as you don’t foresee a pressing use for them in the near future.

Harder to Go Back?

Where does this leave those pilots facing a pre-hire simulator session after being raised on glass? My advice would be to get some training in a flight training device (FTD) set up with analog gauges and then finish off with some flight time in an older training aircraft and a CFII. Finally, you could prepare for the sim session with an FTD patterned after the aircraft parameters you will be tested on. There are plenty of pilot candidates, new hires and up graders using Microsoft’s Flight Simulator PC software and a cheap yoke or flight stick to sharpen up for a simulator ride with surprisingly good results.

Conclusion

This is by no means meant to disparage those student pilots with the wherewithal to purchase a modern aircraft post certificate or the instructors that would train them on the latest in glass. If you can afford to buy the more expensive training and aircraft, more power to you. This is just to make note of the recent developments anecdotally seen at one airline. The development will probably be short lived anyway with pressure to hire new FO’s with more experience than allowed in the past. Regardless, the point is still valid that young people with ambitions to fly in today’s commercial environment will be better served to seek out safe aircraft with steam gauges in which to learn.

The airplanes you fly in your entry level pilot jobs will usually be old. The company that owns them will not have the finances to upgrade them to a glass cockpit and then make sure every pilot in their employ can fly it safely. For better or worse, like it or not, this is the world of professional aviation for those pilots working on getting the required experience to fly that fancy biz jet or 767. Your “Steam Gauge Studies” will do you well regardless of what direction your flying takes you.

Undercover Report: Santa's Flying Sleigh:How Miracles Really Happen

2011-12-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

Along about this time every year, the "Elves" in Santa, Inc.'s secret underground hanger at Bradley Sky-Ranch Airport (95Z) in North Pole, Alaska, are very busy. These are not the regular toymaking Elves, or even Keebler Elves, but highly-skilled Sleigh Technicians certified in Airframe and Powerplant repairs and inspections for once very special flying machine:

When you break down the mission that Santa's Sleigh has to accomplish in one night, it makes sense that it takes 5,698 FAA-licensed Elves to keep it free of squawks. We've had a mole inside the secret hangar and determined – based on various unverified sources from inside Santa's operation – these unsubstantiated but nonetheless interesting facts about his annual mission:

Miles traveled to every chimney in the world: 2,123,907 nm
No. of takeoffs & landings: 141,784,554
Percentage of VFR vs. IFR weather: 66% VFR / 34% IFR
No. of instrument approaches: 61,867,408
Breakdown of approaches: ILS 60.1%, GPS 34.1%, other 3.8)
Average speed: 1,207 KIAS
Average altitude: 17' AGL
Packages delivered: 1,458,569,208
Average presents per household: 10.2
Cookies consumed: 850,707,324

So how, you might ask, can one craft complete such a remarkable mission? To find out the secrets to Santa's sleigh, Airplanista's mole went inside Santa's Flight Department and has been undercover since early November. In several interviews with Elves at the highest levels of Santa, Inc., we obtained the following quotes, presented here verbatim:

One area of continuous concern among pilots is the sleigh's powerplant. In order to make the high number of operations all in one night, we caught up with third shift Engine Technician Elf Arlyn T. Treeroot, who said this: "I don't want to insult the readers of your little blog, but they will not possess the intellect to comprehend the sleigh's powerplant. It is a Trangressional Orbital Molecular Mobilization Articulation System, or TOMMAS. What happens is that every 1,300th of a second, the entire molecular structure of the sleigh, the toys and even the damn reindeer are regenerated exactly one sleigh length ahead, or roughly 39 feet. So in one second, Santa and his sleigh can cover about 9.6 nautical miles. That means, say those ATC wannabes at NORAD give him vectors around unsafe weather and he has to deviate from San Francisco to Miami, POW, he can make that leg happen in 3.89 seconds! At this rate, the little hop from one chimney to the next happens in mere fractions of nanoseconds. Yeah, let your little readers chew on THAT!"

Jeez, what Elf attitude.

OK, fine, we get it...the damn sleigh gets it on, it's FAST! But as pilots, we also know that steering a machine traveling at a velocity of roughly 30,032 KIAS can be a little touchy, and nailing an instrument approach at those speeds can be a bitch, especially when the active "runway" is about as long as a house's roof is wide. Again, to pull back the curtain and get the inside scoopola, we liqueured up Mr. Treeroot on Sambuca and Red Bull, and he sang like a canary into my MP3 recorder posing as a ball point pen:

"See, it's not all Santa, you got that," Treeroot exclaims, huffy little troll that he is. "In fact, the fat guy isn't all that good at stick and rudder any more, his gut gets in the way of the flight controls. So we've set the whole sleigh up with a Garmin G3000 panel with autoland, so he just sits back and rides the thing down to steal more cookies, like he really needs them. Here's how it comes down: Figure he's up there at cruise indicating well to the north of maybe 30,000 knots, fat and happy. Outside of town, our Chimney Proximity System picks up the Mode C emitted from your freakin' chimney which communicates trajectory, distance and required velocity to the TOMMAS. Then, our patented Reindeer Tail Augmented Flap Deployment System, or RTAFDS begins to slow the forward speed by activating the Projectile Object Outside Propulsion Integration Equipment, or POOPIE. This really sounds high freakin' tech but really all the POOPIE does is shoot Raindeer crap into the path of all those advancing molecules, the ones going all over hell courtesy of the TOMMAS. Deer crap and sleigh molecules hate one another, so those molecules slow their forward progression cause, I mean, who the hell wants deer crap all over their stupid molecules? This slows the sleigh right down to approach speed on about a 2,000 FPM descent so autoland can initiate and drop the Big Guy onto the numbers each and every time. Freakin' Ingenious system. I'm personally responsible for the deer crap emitter nozzles on the POOPIE. You ought to see what a 100-hour looks like on those things!"

Whoa. I never had any idea. So there it is, more in-depth investigative reporting from the Airplanista team. Hope you enjoyed this diversion from reality, and have a safe and Merry Christmas.

Join Santa’s Flight Crew by making a donationto support Sky Hope Network!

2011-12-01T12:43:00.001-08:00

On a journey to solve her own children’s disappointment, Sky Hope Board member, Jo Damato, discovered a way to turn the dilemma of her pilot husband being away for the holidays into a way to help other people. She created “Santa’s Flight Crew” wings that arrive with a special note from Santa explaining that he needs help flying on Christmas and has selected Dad (or other family member) as a very special member of his team. When she shared the idea with others, she realized that this would be an excellent program for Sky Hope Network. Jo added “I was looking for a way to make sure my kids knew that Daddy being gone on Christmas had special meaning and it’s turned into a wonderful way to help others.”

The full-size gold plated metal wings can be ordered for $10 per pair at www.sky-hope.org and will arrive in a custom box with a note from Santa. The pins measure 2.5” across and have a quality bar pin backing. Orders must be placed on or before December 7, 2011 and will be shipped the week of December 12, 2011.

Sky Hope Network President Robin Eissler said “When Jo told me about the idea, I thought it was a wonderful way to give back to the aviation community on so many different levels. Aviation is a service industry and so many of the people in our community are needed to work on the holidays. This is a great way to recognize them and it’s the perfect time of year to put some magic into their mission. We plan to continue this as an annual program and use the funds raised to support our mission of Business Aviation Support in Emergencies.”

Founded in 2010 and based in Georgetown, TX, Sky Hope Network is a group of business aviation professionals dedicated to using their contacts and resources to locate flights for people in need. Sky Hope Network is a 501(c) non-profit. Learn more about Sky Hope here.

Here's My Version of Airplane Heaven...What's Yours?

2011-11-29T21:34:00.001-08:00

If you've ever seen "What Dreams May Come” with Robin Williams and Annabella Sciorra, you know it's a beautiful and extravagant movie that won the 1998 Oscar for Visual Effects. But as easy as this great flick is on the eyes, it is the story that grabs your heart and refuses to let go.

So what does this movie have to do with airplanes? Great question…read on.

The movie’s premise is based on Robin’s own perception of what his heaven would look like after he dies in a car crash scene and is reunited with family that has preceded him in death. It is a living, moving Van Gogh painting, with masterfully illuminated, digitally created vistas that stretch to the edge of every frame.

Watching it took me to a place I have been often, a place I call my own Airplane Heaven. If the premise of the film is to be embraced, then we create our heaven in the image we imagine in our thoughts. I have experienced my own Airplane Heaven often, starting soon after my dad died 31 May, 1991. I have been there so many times now, the scene is etched in my mind forever.

In my Airplane Heaven, there are no Pearly gates or rivers of wine and endless tables of gourmet food, as some have suggested greet the chosen in the popular view of the storybook version of heaven. But there is an automatic gate that’s opened by keying in a series of secret numbers known only to those who are lucky enough to visit my magical place. And that river of wine…is actually an assortment of imported beer – mostly Guiness Stout and Kaliber – and the food is a combination of t-bone steaks, tacos, $100 hamburgers, organic greens and cheesecake. Those Brats the guys and gals are eating over at my never-ending Hangar Party are TWO FEET LONG, cooked on a grill so big it makes Johnsonville’s “World’s Largest Grill” look like a freakin’ hibachi.

In my Airplane Heaven, the ramp is filled with one flyable version of every airplane ever made. All are in perfect condition, gleaming under a crystal clear blue sky, keys in the ignition and the tanks full of fuel – which by the way flows freely from wells stretching to the horizon. Since this is my Heaven, I hold type ratings for everything ever made, and I get to spend my days throughout eternity making the daily decision about which of these many airplanes I get to fly today. Maybe I'll pull out the 787 or loop a few loops in Wayne Handley's Turbo Raven...the choices are truly endless.

In my Airplane Heaven, everyone is there enjoying the airport. There’s Papa Louie in his new HondaJet…and is that Art Scholl in the right seat? I suspect Art and Dad are going up again to see just how far upside down they can get that HondaJet today. Oh what, you didn't think an HA-420 was certified for aerobatics? Dude, what part of Airplane Heaven don't you GET?

And at the Airport Café (which has a tanker truck of Eugene’s luscious Café Pecori coffee out back) we find Lindbergh, sitting with Amelia and Noonan, talking navigation, no doubt. Lindy is toying with Amelia, showing her a new Garmin 796, just to screw with her head...he's like that you now, always the jokester. And check out the crowd over at Jimmy Doolittle’s hangar, gathered around his solid gold B-25. There's a juke box playing music from the 40s, and a barrel of coins next to it so the dancing never ends.

Yes, friends, if the premise of “What Dreams May Come” is to be believed, then this IS my Airplane Heaven. Only in the movie, they also visit hell, which is about as nasty as you might imagine. But what, you might be asking, is my vision of Airplane Hell?

Strangely at first glance, it appears identical to my Airplane Heaven. There before you stretch endless rows of perfectly airworthy airplanes, keys resting in the ignition. The WX is clear and a million, and you’ve got nothing to do all day but fly…after all, you’re dead, so your Daytimer is wide open.

Only one major difference…in my Airplane Hell, there is no gas. Not a drop of Avgas or Jet A to be found. All that hardware is there only to torment your soul as you stand helpless on a blistering hot ramp, awash in pity as you loathe your future, which could not possibly be less bleak. A licensed pilot could not dream up a scenario any more horrible, when off the horizon comes a low rumbling noise. The noise becomes louder, and as the skies darken with the wings of a thousand airplanes blocking out the sun, your hell becomes unbearable as all the guys from over the hill in my Airplane Heaven buzz you, one after the other, all grinning.

Yes, our world is what our thoughts make it. You can choose to live in a dark world filled with broken dreams, anger, and unsatisfied resolutions, or push on courageously to new and glorious heights.

I choose to push on – in the words of Buzz Lightyear – to infinity, and beyond!

A Professional Pilot's Challenges forStaying Healthy While FBO Hopping

2011-11-26T09:43:00.001-08:00

By Lynda Meeks, 
Founder of Girls With Wings

For the Airplanista Aviation Blog

Hmmm, should I order the lobster pasta? The seasoned strip steak with new potatoes? Or perhaps the chicken cordon bleu….? Yes, my pants felt a bit tight this morning, but they seem to be loose enough now… And I did work out this morning.…

I was a skinny kid, but in college managed to put on not the freshman 15, but the freshman 50. My weight fluctuated constantly after that, and despite seven years in the military doing PT, or physical training, my weight seldom got below what the army said I should weigh. I had to do a “tape test” to determine I wasn’t overweight. It wasn’t until I didn’t have someone telling me to drop a few pounds that I got my weight under control and started working out for the fun of it.

Before my furlough, I did my best to stay in shape, which wasn’t always easy given the deliciousness and variety of inflight catering that comes with being a pilot for a fractional airline. Long cross country flights in the Citation X just called for passing the time up in the cockpit eating slow leisurely meals, which had been ordered via my company’s blackberry tool for menu selection.

Regional menus provided crab cakes in the Cape, Jambalaya in the Delta, Tex-Mex in the desert southwest, and pretty much a wide enough variety of standard fare to tempt any palate. However, because it is true that if a pilot isn’t complaining you should check for a pulse, quarterly revisions to the menu didn’t seem like often enough when you ate often 40 or so of the meals per month. At the issuance of the new menus every three months we were relieved to try something new.

My cooking skills have always been marginal. After preparing a meal at home I often wonder if it is a blessing I’m single so I don’t have to share my concoctions with a family or if I’m single just because word has gotten out about my ineptitude in the kitchen. Either way, it was hard to say no to the more than generous portions of food that were secreted into the “crew closet” before every flight. This was a far FAR cry from my days flying for the regional airlines. Crew schedules did not have time built in between flights for obtaining sustenance sufficient for flying the mighty Beech 1900 in and out of the PIT hub. Often we’d have an ungodly long break between the first two legs and it was all we could do to keep up on the next six. Meals were either brought along in a cooler or purchased by inserting the mere coinage we were paid to do such a job into vending machines.

That all changed when I moved on to the fractionals, which I consider the best flying job there is. Pilots are treated better because they are the face of the company to the owners. Some of these meals were suitable for gifts, with vegetables cut into flowers and fancy condiments. Other meals were provided by the local deli and not much more than sandwiches wrapped in grease stained paper but just as delicious. If warming them up was necessary, by the way, it was accomplished by a short sit above the dash in the sun.

Although I usually chose the vegetarian meals because they were lower in fat and calories, most desserts were the same with any meal. Decadent, rich, football player sized portions of brownies, cheesecake and other sweets were the norm. Add this to the food that passengers left behind (most often left with the rampers at the FBO – but sometimes, uh, not), there were many more calories in than calories out. Snacks of FBO cookies and popcorn added to the damage.

With my week on/week off schedule, I usually spent the 7 days off starving myself in preparation for another round of gourmet dining a la my lap. One thing that I eventually found out helped on the road was a simple trick. I carried apples with me and any time I was tempted to crack open one of those meals or eat one of those cookies; I told myself I could after I ate an apple. If I didn’t want to eat the apple, I knew I wasn’t hungry and I was tempted to eat that other food for all the wrong reasons.

Working out on the road was not always easily accomplished either. Most days start before the sun comes up and end after sunset. Motivating yourself to visit the hotel’s fitness center before or after a 14 hour duty day was one thing. As a runner, I usually preferred to explore the terrain surrounding the hotel for my exercise. So motivating myself to explore unfamiliar territory via foot was quite another. Especially in the dark or cold. Thanks to www.MapMyRun.com, I usually round a suitable route to accomplish some weight gain avoidance duties.

Note: in order to decrease the risk to my bodily self, I would check in with the desk and tell them where I was going and when I expected to be back. Some clerks showed more concern than others. However, I figured if I didn’t show up for a flight this would be a nugget of information helpful to my recovery.

By far the best runs were not on any map. At the top of any list is the dirt path through the woods (Atlanta, GA), followed closely by a paved path through said vegetation (Minneapolis, MN). It helps to have a knowledgeable, like minded front desk clerk to clue you in to these secrets. I remember a clerk in Charleston, SC, who swore up and down there was nowhere to run around the hotel despite there being a promenade along the riverfront. Once I got to the promenade I stumbled upon bike trails that ran through the woods for miles! Other running routes could be found by asking other visiting pilots like the route around the ___ or as I like to call them, “swamps,” near our hotel in Teterboro, NJ.

I’m not averse to running through the neighborhoods nearby but caution must be exercised here as well. Especially when Cujo decides you’ve gotten a little too close to their fence. Good thing running strengthens your heart for the times that it stops suddenly and accelerates even more abruptly. Staying in a big city often dictates runs based on a grid system, which does tend to simplify finding your way back. To pass the time I would listen to my mp3 player which also has a radio function. I could usually find an NPR station so I could catch up on the news at the same time I worked up a sweat.

Worst of all was staying in a place with none of the above. Chattanooga, TN, stands out in my mind as a place where I most often had to jump into the grass on the side of a two lane road with no shoulder. I don’t know if the drivers tried to push me off the road because they thought I had no business being there or they were too preoccupied thinking, “What in the world is that girl doing?” to realize how close they were coming to my right thigh (I always run facing traffic). Not all threats have two legs or four wheels. A friend of mine was running in Orlando, FL, and swore he came within a few feet of an alligator. He ran as fast as he could back to the hotel room, not stopping til the door slammed behind him.

Most of the time I went out with no particular destination, counting on my sense of direction to get me back. This didn’t often work, as a run in Brunswick, GA, soon taught me. Located on a small island, I set off in the morning with about an hour and a half available for a run. I picked up the road to the right, figuring once I got even with the hotel on the other side of the island I would cut back over. A couple miles into it, I started to feel like I had lost my bearings so I stopped and asked a local which way the hotel was. Unfortunately, just like a VFR pilot doesn’t trust their instruments when faced with inadvertent IMC conditions, I disregarded her bearing pointer and kept running.

About an hour into the run, I had NO idea where I was, but, heck, I was on an island, how bad could it be? As long as my feet stayed dry, and I kept going counterclockwise, I had to arrive back to the hotel eventually, right? Then I started getting worried. My watch told me it was time to be taking a shower and getting ready to go to the airport. Luckily I came across an open business and asked again which direction to head. The last few miles were run about as fast as I had energy left and I didn’t delay the flight.

Most runs weren’t this dramatic. I ran in all kinds of weather, all over the country, and miss those days now that I am furloughed. I am now forced to run the same routes around my neighborhood over and over and have gotten to where I’m only running about three miles every other day and I miss it.

A Decision Has Been Made to Cease Publication

2011-11-20T18:49:00.001-08:00

By Dan Pimentel,
Airplanista Magazine Editor/Founder

After 14 months of producing Airplanista Magazine’s online monthly edition, and with plenty of reflection, it has been decided that the continued production of the magazine will be impossible at this time.

My day job as President and Art Director of Celeste Daniels Advertising and Design, Inc. took a positive step forward recently when we picked up another large performing arts client, one that will demand more of my attention going forward into 2012 and beyond. With this new work, I will no longer have the 100 to 120 hours per month required to produce a magazine that while fun to create, generated insufficient income.

I want to personally thank each and every contributor who supplied their art and their words each month to support Airplanista Magazine’s mission of strengthening the general aviation community. It's my belief that as a team, we produced a very nice magazine that brought our readers something enjoyable in their inbox each month.

For those of you who enjoy my writing, I'll still be publishing more of my signature "sometimes serious, sometimes humorous, always unpredictable" material on the Airplanista Aviation Blog. Yes, it IS the blog you are presently reading, so go ahead and bookmark this blog by using the SHARETHIS button below:

We will also present the writing of some Featured Writers, many of which have been previously published in our online monthly editions.

The takeaway: I've been a successful freelance writer through parts of five decades, and I'm not going away. While this post might look to some like an end, to me, it feels more like a beginning. I hope to leverage the contacts I've made these last 14 months to seek out a few quality writing projects that I believe will make a difference in our GA world. I still have plenty to give back to our aviation family, and with my words, I still have work to do, things to say, and with a little luck, lives to change.

I thank you for the opportunity to present Airplanista Magazine to you, and hope you enjoyed the ride.

EAA 1457: A Little Bit of Oshkosh Every Month

2011-11-15T22:32:00.001-08:00

Bill McWhorter and his 2005 Quicksilver

I've made six trips to the gigantic airplane party that the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) throws each July on the shores of Lake Winnebago. Each time I step onto the grounds of Wittman Regional Airport after it has been transformed into a glistening wonderland of aviation goodness, I'm reminded that as aviators, we need to occasionally adhere to certain unwritten rules.

There are responsibilities every licensed pilot should strive to accomplish as part of holding the ticket and enjoying the freedom to fly we have earned. These things should be etched on a giant stone slab at show center in Oshkosh, for all to see. And while the items that this list contains might include the obvious, like the instruction to take plenty of kids flying, at the top of this sacred list of commandments shall be this decree:

Be it resolved that all humans who have earned the privileges therein appointed to holders of a Sport or Private Pilot license granted by the Federal Aviation Administration shall upon issuance of said ticket become paid members of both EAA and AOPA.

Yes, I believe these two organizations are that important. If not for the advocacy work EAA and AOPA does in Washington defending our flying privileges, we the people with yokes or sticks in our paws would have very little chance of arguing our case on The Hill. I include NBAA in this group as well, their work cannot be ignored in this conversation, but membership in their organization is not always a perfect fit for the Average Joe or Jane piston pilot.

Up until last month, I was nailing one half of that decree. Not kidding here, in 1996, I actually placed my AOPA wings in the back window of my truck’s cab in the parking lot of the FBO where I have just passed my private check ride. Being an AOPA member is that important to me. Despite being a paid member for months, I literally would not place the wings on my truck until I had passed the check and earned the license.

But while I've been a devoted AOPA member for 16 years, I had never signed up as an EAA member. Maybe it was my lack of mechanic’s skills, but I assumed (incorrectly) that EAA was primarily all about building experimental flying machines. That changed recently when I went to my very first meeting of EAA Chapter 1457 at Mahlon Sweet Field (KEUG) where my Cherokee 235 is based. The fact that I was based at this field for years and did not even KNOW it had an EAA chapter does not speak well of the almost non-existent pilot community at my home field:

EAA 1457 meets at the Oregon Air & Space Museum, and the group of pilots in the club are right out of central casting. Nearly all of them is now building or has built some sort of experimental plane, with a few exceptions. Meeting inside a giant hangar full of aviation artifacts, EAA 1457 is made up of the kind of aviators you will find at AirVenture, They are devoted to flying, extremely jovial, always welcoming to fellow aviators, and willing to give you their tools with a smile. With these guys, their beer is your beer. Need an engine hoist? Don’t go buy one, just ask the guys sitting on either side of you at an EAA meeting, and watch them coordinate to make sure the hoist gets to your hangar or home. At this meeting, you’ll learn miniscule factoids about building airplanes that to non-aviators might seem mundane. How many times can you really talk about rivets? Attend a few EAA meetings, and you’ll learn that rivetology and the discussion of fasteners in general are not only acceptable chatter, it’s somehow a requirement - someone MUST talk about rivets before the meeting can be adjourned.

At a recent meeting of EAA 1457, one pilot who did not talk about rivets was Bill McWhorter, who educated the room about Ultralights, and in particular, the joys of flying his 2005 Quicksilver Sprint. The Quicksilver is powered by a two-stroke, twin cylinder, Austrian-made Rotax 447 engine making all of 40 HP, and has conventional 3-axis controls. We learned it stalls at about 20 MPH, cruises in the low 30s, and has rarely seen 50 MPH.

For a room full of fixed wing guys – some who fly Lancairs – hearing McWhorter describe his adventures in (on?) the Quicksilver was very, very interesting because few if any in the crowd had any experience with Ultralights. McWhorter said this:

“I have flown the entire Oregon coast and most of the Willamette Valley over several trips from Daniels Field just east of Eugene, and to Diamond Peak and Crater Lake as well. For these longer trips, my wonderful wife follows in the car with extra gas. My tank holds about five gallons, which is good for about 75 miles, and I can carry a plastic container with another five gallons to refill at stops. I’ve also trailered the Quicksilver to Mt. Shasta, Alvord Desert/Steens Mountains, the Three Sisters area, the Crooked River Gorge, and all over Wallowa Range.”

The presentation was very well received, and we all learned something new. After watching amazingly graceful videos shot as the Quicksilver effortlessly meandered low and very slow south down the gorgeous Oregon Pacific coastline, McWhorter set up the final video of the evening:

“My wife and I plus our dog trailered the Quicksilver from Eugene and camped on the Alvord Desert, a dry lake bed below the Steens Mountains south of Burns, Oregon. The lake bed is over 4,000 ft. in elevation, and the Steens are almost 10,000 ft. For these high-altitude flights, I change the main jet on the carburetor. The flights were less than one hour each, and during one video run, the "bounce" off the lake bed seen in the video was intentional.”

Watching the video above makes me want to run out and buy a Quicksilver. This is amazing footage, shot as McWhorter hand-held the camera, producing a really REALLY dramatic shadow effect. I have never seen anything like it, a few minutes of aviation video bliss that is not possible from anything other than an Ultralight.

Yes, I am glad to now be EAA, and to have a generous dose of Oshkosh to enjoy each month is priceless. The camaraderie is there at the EAA Chapter 1457 meetings, and so is the wall-to-wall aviation fellowship. All that is missing is the World’s Largest Grill with a couple thousand Brats sizzling in the late July sun.

Aussie Airplanista: Great Food and Scenery at Mungo Lodge

2011-11-12T22:18:00.001-08:00

By Kathy Mexted
For Airplanista Aviation Blog

Having mentioned Mungo Lodge in her last article for Airplanista, Kathy Mexted decided to go and check it out for herself. She found a great airstrip, beautiful accommodation and the best roast duck in Australia.

Expansive scene near Australia's Mungo Lodge

It’s 6.30am on a late September morning. The Australian spring is underway, and from the wide deck of my room at the Mungo Lodge, I am watching the sunrise across the red soil of the Australian bush. Shards of pink and purple shoot across the low level cloud and cast a soft glow on the wing of the Bonanza parked about 50 meters away. A cool breeze rustles through the eucalyptus trees and a few of the early birds continue warbling, perhaps content with their catch. This place is ruggedly beautiful, and having overflown it about 13 years ago, I have always wanted to return and stay.

This year I’m getting reacquainted with my flying past, and to gain currency I’ve gathered three friends – a commercial pilot and two earthlings -- for a quick outback hit. Perhaps now one of the most appealing things is that the airstrip is only 100 meters from the 4 star restaurant!

World Heritage Listed Lake Mungo has been dry for over 15,000 years. Since the discovery of the 40,000 year old human remains of “Mungo Woman” in 1968 and “Mungo Man” in 1974, the location has been established as one of Australia’s most important archaeological sites.

Great Wall of China, near Mungo Lodge

The eastern side of Lake Mungo has a 29km long wall of sand, “The Great Wall of China” which is moved by the wind about 1-3 meters eastwards every year. With the enormous rain event last southern summer, deep gullies up to 8 feet high and 4 feet wide formed in some parts of the wall. It has also set the desert alive with flowers and vegetation and washed up new fossils and artifacts. The Lake and its environs are National Park, and include an extensive visitors centre and a beautiful historic shearing shed.

The jewel in the crown of this location is the Lake Mungo Guest Lodge, which is owned by Indigenous Business Australia (IBA). The Lodge celebrates its 20th birthday this November, and only three years ago had a complete makeover. With its high-pitched roof, highly polished spotted gum floors, open fireplace, bar, and outdoor dining deck, there is little to deter the weary traveler from settling in. In fact, I could have stayed a lot longer!

Jacques and Catherine Barichard

In a stroke of luck, the managers are a French couple, Jacques and Catherine Barichard, who had already fallen in love with Australia and its outback by the time they visited Mungo in 2009. “I’d always wanted to come out to Mungo, and so I said to Catherine that we should go back to Australia for a holiday. We got here when the lodge had just reopened and there was a vacancy for a manager.” They’ve now been here for three years, building the business and garnering a strong reputation, not only for the standard of the accommodation, but the splinteringly great food.

Jacques and Catherine brought with them the best of French hospitality and cuisine know-how and it quickly became obvious that not only were we in one of Australia’s best outback locations only 90 minutes north of Melbourne, we'd struck amazing chefs. While I drank in my roast duck, which was melting off the bone, we congratulated ourselves on this fantastic find.

Mungo Lodge Dining Room

So, all this is great news for aviators. Jacques and Catherine are aviation enthusiasts, and welcomes pilots – on their own, in groups, staying for the week, or just passing through for lunch. And lunch is quite possible, because of the short flight time from Melbourne. Anybody flying in receives a 10% discount on accommodation. There has already been over 100 light planes arrive this year.

The 2009 makeover included a freshen-up on the airstrip as well. A cross strip was added, and from the air it was easy to spot the runways, each with a large pleasing turning circle at each end. The runways are maintained weekly. We sure had no trouble in the Bonanza, and taxied to the parking bay from where we walked about 100 meters across to the Lodge.

Mungo Lodge is a desirable destination for Aussie GA pilots

By 3.30pm, a minivan had arrived and Lake Mungo’s version of Crocodile Dundee greeted us with a big broad outback smile. Trevor Hancock has been living and working in outback Australia for 40 years, and for ten years has run his unique tour company MurrayTrek 4wd Adventures. “Look out for the chooks,” he jibed as we slowed to allow a passing emu cross the road. (Chook is Australian slang for a chicken or rooster. The emu’s are quite a bit larger than a chook!) We toured the Great Wall of China, stopping to inspect artifacts and places of note, before settling down on the pink sands to take in the sunset. The dead flat views from the sand dunes stretch to the horizon, punctuated only by the occasional grazing kangaroo. The space and quiet is like a tonic for the soul, and it is these open skies, unpolluted by artificial light, that inspire stargazing at the Lodge. “Sometimes we turn off the lights at the Lodge and loan the guests our telescope and high powered binoculars to observe the billions of stars in the “Milky Way,” says Jacques.

The unique cross runway configuration at Mungo Lodge

Not far from Mungo is the Darling River, and Trevor, a keen fisherman, enjoys taking visitors there. “I can cook the fish for them on the riverbank. I’ve got all the gear in my truck,” he enthused. “I can take groups or individuals for a picnic, paddle boat rides, bushwalking, sightseeing, whatever.” His last trip was up to Cape York in the far north reaches of Queenslands tropics, and by the time you read this he’ll have just returned from Western Australia. It seems there’s no part of Australia that’s too far flung, and while the distances seemed quite incredible to us aviators, Trevor shudders and says, “I’ve never been in a plane. I’m scared of flying.” I replied, “That’s ok. I’m scared of snakes. We’ll get on well.” But nobody was scared of birds, and as we settled in for dinner back at the Lodge, we eyed the telescope and the bird list. If you can entice the host to sit still for 20 minutes, he can give you a complete rundown of all the local birds splashing happily in the birdbaths under the freshly collected rainwater.

The eco friendly Lodge aims for minimal environmental disturbance. Presumably the recycled water will be used to water the partially completed golf course. Jacques smiled as he discussed his folly, and pouring us a glass of local wine, we acknowledged the benefits of golf, but were secretly more excited at having a knowledgeable French man in charge of the wine list.

Although it was a revelation to me, Mungo Lodge has long been a favorite meeting place for Aussie aviators. It’s hoped that game will soon be on the menu, so by the time you get here they might be cooking ‘roo. Or is that a roux?

The girls have just arrived back with my breakfast. The Bonanza is eyeing me from the strip. “Hurry up,” it says. “I’m coming,” I reply. “Just let me finish my home-made freshly-cooked melt-in-the-mouth croissant.” There’s more to the Aussie outback than just red dirt, and some of it is easily accessible in an airplane.

You can listen to Kathy's podcast on Plane Crazy Down Under about her outback trip to Lake Mungo and Wilpena Pound.

A Quest to Achieve the Highest Darwin Award

2011-11-10T22:09:00.001-08:00

By Dan Pimentel, Airplanista Editor

What is it with some people and balloons?

I am not talking about licensed hot air balloon pilots who are serious about adhering to FAA regulations, or those who build and pilot airships, which I know are technically not “balloons” but somewhat related.

No, I’m talking about people who strap themselves to a lawn chair held aloft by a cluster of balloons and blast off freestyle to somewhere, or wannabe reality TV buffoons who build a fake spaceship in their backyard, launch it skyward and then call every media market in the country screaming frantically that their kid is trapped inside.

In 2008, Oregon resident Kent Couch successfully “flew” a lawn chair from Bend, Oregon to Idaho, emulating infamous flying chair pioneer “Lawnchair” Larry Walters who “flew” a lawn chair at 16,000’ MSL through busy Los Angeles airspace in 1982.

Couch is part of the under-reported sport of Cluster Ballooning, a fringe element of aviators who many seem to think go rogue across the sky, commanding a leisurely craft void of contact with anyone. But a few Cluster Balloonists like Jonathan Trappe are as serious about aviation as anyone reading this post:

Trappe is an FAA certified pilot, with a specific rating for Lighter-Than-Air: Free Balloons. In addition, Trappe has completed specific gas balloon training and has flown under multiple lighter-than-air gasses. All flights are conducted in strict compliance with all Federal Aviation Regulations, and the FAA is always contacted before a cluster balloon launch. Working extensively with the FAA, Trappe has been issued an airworthiness certificate for one of his cluster systems, N878UP. Safety equipment in flight includes two-way aircraft radios, altitude encoding transponder, aviator’s breathing oxygen, pilot parachute, gps, and emergency locator beacon.

But while Trappe’s flights have been primarily sane, Couch’s next lawn chair aviation adventure can only be called reckless. EAA has the details...and really, what could possibly go wrong here?

Next week, Kent “The Balloon Man” Couch will attempt to set a Guinness World Record for cluster ballooning by flying in tandem (two lawn chairs) over Iraq with self-described Iraqi extreme sports enthusiast/daredevil Fareed Lafta. Plans are to use 300 balloons for the November 15 launch from Baghdad’s Green Zone, and the pair plans to remain aloft for 24 hours. During that time they’ll aim for an altitude of 25,000 feet MSL while traveling more than 600 miles.

Yes, you read that right...not Idaho...IRAQ.

Of all the places on this planet to prove to the world you are a skilled lawn chair driver, I would think Baghdad, Iraq would be possibly the worst choice to launch from. It’s as if Couch put a request into the people who pass out the Darwin Awards, asking for a sure-fire way to achieve their “Worst. Idea. Ever!” Award. But even Couch has been publicly wondering if this stunt might be over the top as he questioned the challenges he faced in this Los Angeles Times story:

The biggest challenge now, Couch told Oregon television station KTVZ, is to make sure that winds don't push him off course. "The fear is if we drift to Iran, which is only about 85 miles from Baghdad," he said. "We would just have to come back down, because I'm not going to gamble being in Iran for very long."

Yeah, it’s a pretty safe bet that accidentally floating folding yard furniture into Iranian airspace is a really, really, REALLY bad idea. Just ask Sarah Shourd, Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal.

One challenging element of trying to “fly” any sort of furniture held in thin air by party balloons inside Iraq is that when it’s time to descend, one needs to use some sort of gun to shoot out the balloons to lose lift and begin the descent. Since Couch has to fly commercially into Baghdad, bringing along the BB gun traditionally used by cluster balloonists for the task would be problematic, to say the least. In numerous interviews though, it seems Couch and Lafta have this part covered in their quest for the Darwin Award’s highest honor:

Lafta said Couch would not try to ship a BB gun to shoot out balloons for landings, because he figured it would not get past baggage inspectors. “If you need guns, we've got lots of them here in Iraq,” Lafta said.

Which, by the way IS THE PROBLEM!

But in the interest of trying to stay positive, I will assume nobody packing automatic weaponry on the ground in Iraq will have a problem with an American floating over their ghetto underneath a canopy of colorful, happy spheres made in the good old U.S of A. How could they possibly have issues with so much in-your-face glee and untethered freedom? No, I’m sure they will rejoice, and we all have seen what it looks like when people in that part of the world rejoice. They will all pile into the back of a Toyota pick-up and begin firing those automatic weapons in celebration, wasting hundreds of rounds of perfectly good ammunition as they fire with aimless abandon into the sky.

Hopefully that airspace will not be the same exact piece of sky that Couch and his chair will be floating through at that precise moment in time.

Some Pilots Rock Their Wings, This Pilot Rocks the House! - Interview with Zepparella's Gretchen Menn

2011-11-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

By Dan Pimentel
Airplanista Blog Editor

A few years ago while enjoying the annual Eugene (Oregon) Celebration downtown, I heard a blast from my past crashing down an alleyway between two buildings. You see, I was lucky enough to have been at the very last Led Zeppelin concert in the U.S. on July 24, 1977 at the Oakland Coliseum, so I knew the band was no longer around. But I was stopped in my tracks by the booming sound of Zeppelin’s “Lemon Song” tantalizing my eardrums.

Like moth to flame, I was drawn down the alley, to an outdoor stage where a ridiculously cool all-female band was playing Led Zeppelin the way it was meant to be played. The band was Zepparella, and they were doing justice to the music of Plant, Page, Bonham and Jones. The lead singer was KILLING with a voice that was as soulful and aggressive as one needs to be in order to do Plant right. But what knocked me out was the lead guitarist, who was channeling Jimmy Page but playing in her own style that was, to me, just as entertaining.

I came home and immediately wrote to thank them for the Eugene show, and in that conversation, found out that the lead guitar player, Gretchen Menn, happened to be a pilot and Certified Flight Instructor. And not just a regular GA stick like me, but a professional pilot who had on her resume many hours flying regional jets for Continental Airlines.

This begged the question: How does a line pilot go from the flight deck of a commercial airliner to blowing away audiences in a touring rock band? So I posed that and a few other questions to Menn, and what follows is her reply. I guarantee that if you stop reading right now, you’ll miss the story of one of the hardest rocking aviators you will have “met” in a while.

Airplanista Magazine: Describe what prompted you get interested in flying, when you got your license, planes you have flown, additional ratings, and what you’ve done in your flying career.
Gretchen Menn: My decision to start flying was the result of a natural love of pulling G’s. I have always adored roller-coasters, and am one of the rare people who actually thinks turbulence is kind of fun. My first year in college, the local airport put up flyers around campus offering discounts to students--$99 for three lessons. Incidentally, this happened to fall during the week that I had become obsessed with the Pink Floyd song, “Learning to Fly.” It quickly became evident that flying was too expensive of a hobby for a college student, so I put it on the back burner, and just went up occasionally. When I graduated a year early with a degree in music, though, I started thinking about what my next step would be. I felt that I owed myself an additional year of education, and saw flying as a fun, challenging, and completely separate career from music. Moreover, a complementary career would shelter my passion for music from the necessity of making a living at it. I graduated from college, went directly to flight school, and within a year got my private, instrument, commercial, multi-engine ratings, CFI, CFII, and MEI, and started teaching right away. After one year of instructing, I was hired by Continental Express to fly the ERJ (145 and 135), but left when I realized there was no way of making music the priority in my life that it needed to be.

Airplanista Magazine: So my readers can make the connection between your music and flying, tell me what kind of flying you get to do now.
Gretchen Menn: After leaving the airlines, I went back to flight instructing part-time, but am now pretty much full-time music. Unfortunately, I rarely get up in the air now, though I keep renewing my CFI!

Airplanista Magazine: Tell me how you got involved with music, what age, what instruments.
Gretchen Menn: I took the requisite piano lessons when I was about five, studied flute for 3 years when I was in elementary school/middle school, and got into guitar in late high school. I started studying guitar my first year of college.

Airplanista Magazine: How did the idea of forming Zepparella come about?
Gretchen Menn: Clementine, the drummer of Zepparella, and I were in an AC/DC tribute band together. We wanted to play more shows that the other band members, and to take on new musical challenges. On the way to a gig one night, Clem and I were driving together, and she said she’d always wanted to do a Zeppelin tribute band. I said, “I’m in! Where do I sign up?”

Airplanista Magazine: I’m usually not a big fan of tribute bands. But yours is not a tribute band, right?
Gretchen Menn: Zepparella aims to pay tribute in a way that is more all-encompassing than the just the literal rendition of a Led Zeppelin show. It’s like the concept of obeying the letter of the law versus the spirit--we strive to honor the spirit of Led Zeppelin as well as the music. So, that means I learn Jimmy’s riffs and solos as note-for-note I can hear them, and I do study the details, but I don’t mimic his moves on stage. We don’t wear wigs. We do improvise when it’s appropriate--not to improvise would ignore an enormous component of Zeppelin and what they were about. It’s a balancing act between the letter and the spirit.

Airplanista Magazine: This is one question I have always wanted to ask a professional musician...when you have to fly commercial airlines to a gig, how to you ship/transport your equipment?
Gretchen Menn: Oh, I could really go off here. I have a major issue with how the airlines deal with musical equipment, and I’ve made many a phone call to tell different airlines that whichever airline would implement an instrument-friendly policy would have a stranglehold on musicians as customers. Even with crew tags on my guitar, I found my case horribly abused after one flight on my own airline! So, I make it a point to fly Southwest, as their 737s have plenty of room in the overheads for a guitar. I make it a point to be in the A boarding group, and to never, never be rude to a gate agent or flight attendant. They are the people who determine whether you get to carry on your precious instrument. I also have good cases in the event of the horror, the horror of having to check something, and insurance for the worst-case-scenario.

Airplanista Magazine: Back to flying. I’m guessing you’re an aviator at heart. Do you miss the flight deck of a commercial airliner?
Gretchen Menn: I’m an aviator at heart, yes, but I’m not pining particularly for the flight deck. I am less attached to the equipment than to just finding the opportunity to play in the air. Airline flying is, of necessity, pretty sterile, and I am probably cut out more for aerobatics. The ERJ was a pretty slick plane, though.

Airplanista Magazine: When you are on the road with the band, do you ever get to spend any quality time at smaller GA airports just hanging out? Do you ever rent aircraft in different parts of the country just for sightseeing?
Gretchen Menn: Not so far, though I have taught instrument ground lessons on the phone before soundcheck!

While not a musician myself, I can promise anyone who loves Zeppelin’s music one thing: If you go here and learn about Zepparella, watch their Youtube videos here and then go find one of their shows, you will not be one tiny bit disappointed. The ladies of Zepparella present a classy stage show with enough shaking, rattling, rolling and swiveling hips to satisfy their audiences.

And if you’re at an outdoor concert venue some day listening to Zepparella and you see their lead guitar player staring up into the sky watching as a plane flies overhead towards the horizon, at least now you’ll know the reason why.

Learn more about Gretchen’s solo career at gretchenmenn.com or sample Zepparella’s smokin’ hot sound at zepparella.com.

Adam Fast - NASA Report: Uncertain Space Times - Airplanista Aviation Magazine Monthly Column - Uncertain Space Times

2011-10-11T14:50:00.001-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the October, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

By Adam Fast

The worst fears of space geeks seem to be coming to fruition less than three months since final wheel stop on Shuttle.

The August 24 launch of a Progress resupply mission ended in failure as the third stage engine shut down after a malfunction and was unable to get the capsule into orbit - it came down elsewhere in Russia. As we’ve discussed previously, the Progress is an unmanned Soyuz - so this failure halts all launches of our only way to orbit until questions are answered.

Cargo-wise, the International Space Station is fine - particularly after STS-135 took up all it could to give better supply margins. But with the next crew launch uncertain, a limit on how long already-launched capsules can stay aloft, and a restriction against landing Soyuz in the dark there is a possibility that ISS could be de-crewed for some amount of time while this is figured out.

The current goal is to launch a new crew November 14 - the failure is believed to be isolated and prevented against, but the next month will be stressful as we see if something else pops up. In the meantime, controllers on the ground are preparing procedures in case ISS must be left empty.

So here we are in a situation where the science ongoing on ISS may need to be stopped – because without humans to tend to experiments and make observations, they cannot continue – and there’s absolutely nothing we can do about it. I don’t know for a fact that there are experiments that have been going since it initially became capable 10 years ago but if they have been, the data stops. We also lose our “badge” of having an American in space continually since November 2, 2000.

Fortunately the Space Station itself is safe. The crew members living there have few responsibilities unless on-site hands are required. Without somebody to generate carbon dioxide and dust, filter replacements, cleaning, and other things will not be a factor. Redundancies make it unlikely a systems failure will cripple ISS before crews arrive to perform the fixes necessary. Mission Control will continue watching systems, re-boosting into orbit, and running the systems as they always have. It will remain in orbit until we can re-crew it.

Shortly after the Soyuz incident, NASA announced our “future” space vehicle, the Space Launch System (SLS). With it, we will return to the era of capsules for crew with “Orion” that was being developed for the now-cancelled Constellation rocket. SLS reuses SSMEs (space shuttle main engines) and SRBs (solid rocket boosters); we’ll talk about it in more depth later but it does nothing to alleviate the current situation.

Playing with the Big Dogs - Dan Pimentel - Airplanista Aviation Magazine Feature Story

2011-10-11T14:46:00.001-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the October, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

Once a private pilot earns an Instrument Rating, the lessons learned are put to the test inside the IFR system. And when your CFI tells you that filing an IFR flight plan is the best way to arrive in busy class bravo airspace, you’ll be a safer, happier pilot if you heed that advice.

By Dan Pimentel,
Airplanista Editor

If you regularly fly IFR into busy Class bravo airspace, either in heavy iron or a fast, composite private ship, this might not be the article for you. You’ve been “in the system” and are able to fly SIDs and STARs with confidence and precision into very large, busy airports. But if you think back to your very first successful trip inside the Los Angeles BravoDome, you’ll know why I’m stoked to have just completed that task.

Yes, to a high-timer flying 777s into LAX, arrivals and departures in the busy L.A. basin are probably close to boring. But to this 500+ hour, instrument rated private pilot, filing IFR into Bob Hope Airport (KBUR) over Labor Day Weekend on a business trip was both exciting and challenging.

To help private pilots who are contemplating the instrument rating, I thought it would make good reading to give a play-by-play of the arrival and departure as a way to illustrate what you might look forward to after you earn the rating and start using it to explore busier destinations.

I have flown into and over the Los Angeles area numerous times, but always VFR. Each time was a new surprise, with crazy routings and plenty of inquiries from Controllers as to route of flight and preferred altitudes indicating that in this airspace, ATC really would rather you file IFR so they know where you are going. Sure, it’s possible to fly VFR around, under and through Los Angele’s class bravo, but like my CFI, Jim Hunt promised, filing IFR into that area just makes the entire affair infinitely easier.

I picked KBUR because it is minutes from where the trip’s core meetings would take place, and my routing after a fuel stop in Modesto, CA was CZQ (Clovis VOR), EHF (Shafter VOR), LHS (Lake Hughes VOR). I had added “No DP” (departure procedure) in my remarks so I could leave KMOD on a direct heading instead of a possible goose chase somewhere. That plan worked out well and I was even able to shave a few minutes off the en route time by asking for and receiving a “direct Shafter” amended routing.

But somewhere about Bakersfield, I was told Center was issuing me an amended arrival clearance. My route was the same, except for the addition of the Lynxx Eight arrival. I had seen this in the charts, and had even briefed it, and had it in a chart folder in Foreflight on my iPad. But on a crystal clear day when I could see KBUR from 40 miles out, I did not really care to fly far west of the field and fly the same arrival as the bizjets and airliners. So I asked for and got radar vectors to runway 15.

Not that I would have had trouble flying the arrival route, but I wanted to get Katy’s wheels on tarmac and get this flight in the logbook in the shortest amount of time. Not long after ZLA (Los Angeles Center) graciously accepted my request (without making silly rookie jokes), they pointed me at KBUR and asked if I saw a JetBlue Airbus at my nine o’clock also descending for KBUR. Upon my “affirmative” call regarding the blue and white ‘Bus, Center told me simply to follow him in which I did. The arrival was as simple as following some guy in a Skyhawk into a Saturday Pancake Breakfast at a sleepy little municipal field.

I will admit that my 1964 Cherokee 235 was almost giggling when we pulled up between the business jets at Atlantic Aviation. Swanky and sophisticated, this is obviously the FBO that the stars use, judging by the high-end flying hardware parked on their ramp. As we were pulling our bags out of the plane, the enormity of it all sunk in when we heard over the Line Guy’s radio that one of the jets on their ramp “only needed 6,000 gallons today!” The Atlantic staff were great and treated us exactly like the high rollers, which, in my world is the sign of a fabulous FBO. Oh, and the free cookies were deluxe.

So the southbound leg of this adventure was in the books, but I still needed to get home. After a few days of magazine and ad agency business, it was time to depart on Monday, and I knew the day might be interesting when I first looked out the window and saw low clouds. A quick look at the NEXRAD revealed a significant line of thunderstorms had moved in to the area, and the most colorful returns were southwest of KBUR, headed northeast across my intended route of flight. I had hoped to skate out of there with clear + 1,000,000 WX, but now I’d have to work at it. All of this was confirmed with a call to the briefer.

My return routing back north was over LHS and EHF, and then I planned to cancel IFR and make a direct flight to lunch with friends in Auburn, CA. I again also added “No DP” in the remarks so I would not get into a conga line of jets all making some strange departure over real estate I did not care to tour. While this might make the high-timers laugh, it seemed perfectly logical to ask for radar vectors instead of a DP and let the competent ATC crew at ZLA aim me in the right direction.

We arrived back at the plane, and as we loaded our bags, I noticed we had a tremendous view of the landing zone of KBUR’s heavily used runway 8. We watched one 737 after another drop into this smallish airfield, sandwiched in amongst the movie studios. As each airliner would arrive, the tire smoke would drift over us, which made the entire ramp smell a bit like the business end of a drag strip when the brackett racers are lighting off their fresh Goodyears.

A look at the sky indicated that things were starting to go our way. I was not afraid to have to pop through a deck on my way out of KBUR, but with CU cells being painted across the NEXRAD, the last thing I cared to do was fly fat, dumb and happy into a hailstorm. So we made a leisurely task out of loading the Cherokee, watching as the weather meandered out of the area.

But a second check of the FBO’s NEXRAD in the flight briefing room looked even more ominous. It looked like the big stuff was pushing east of my course, and if my filed altitude of 10,000’ would keep me under the soup, I felt that I could safely make it north through Tejon Pass. All I needed to do was find out precisely how high the cloud deck was.

The METAR at my time of departure at KBUR was showing the sky was CLR, even though there was a solid deck overhead. This did not compute until I asked a Beechcraft Premier 1A driver who had just landed what he actually saw inbound. He told me the deck was 14,000’ and when I asked why “they” could call this clear, he sort of chuckled as he replied that the METAR’s “CLR” only meant “clear below one-two thousand.” Duh. Had I thought this through a little bit more, I’m sure I would have remembered that part. I do think the bizjet pilot might have almost enjoyed schooling this Cherokee driver.

Once I determined we were fine with the clouds and WX, I jumped on the radio and picked up my IFR clearance. No surprises, and instead of a complex route that the jet drivers have burned into their brains, my “No DP” request gave me back a simple “right turn to 210 direct Gorman (VOR).” Once ground decided which runway they were sending me to, we were off to see how this all would come down.

It is eerie to taxi a small GA plane down the middle of a large airliner taxiway which back at home in Eugene, OR would suffice as a perfectly fine runway. We arrived first in line at the Line Up and Wait line, and that is precisely what we did...waited...for 25 minutes. As the tower sought my IFR release, I sat baking in the SoCal sun, monitoring my mixture and EGTs while getting a VERY close look at the line of airliners arriving on my runway.

The KBUR tower controller could not have been more professional. As we sat, lined up and waiting at what I still call the Hold Short line, she kept me informed of the expected time to release. As I watched a Southwest slide down the glideslope, I could see another arriving jet out over Van Nuys, inbound for the same runway. Right before SWA dropped in, tower told me to “be ready to go in between the inbounds,” which got my attention. Seconds after SWA slammed to Earth, I was sent out to officially Line Up and Wait, which I did with the knowledge that at that precise moment, I was parked exactly where several gazillion pounds of airliner would plant its gear in a matter of seconds. This was no time for errors.

As SWA was exiting the runway for the terminal, I was given a go for launch. Maybe it was the large runway, or the density altitude, but Katy did not seem to be accelerating as fast as usual. Was my brain playing evil tricks on me, knowing I was just a tiny bit freaked to be using the same patch of this planet that another inbound airliner wanted to use? And when we rolled through the large area of freshly-burnt tire rubber in the touchdown zone, I briefly contemplated that quite possibly I had left the parking brake on, because the odor of somebody’s baked tires was permeating the cockpit.

But without fail, we departed and flew the nice, simple heading given in my clearance. It was just minutes before we climbed above the transient VFR traffic below us, on course and gone without incident. The rest of the trip back to my studio in the Pacific Northwest was uneventful and beautiful.

As promised by my CFI, operations into and out of KBUR would be cake if only I filed IFR. I’ll do that now on all flights into the L.A. area, because now I know I can tussle with the Big Dogs and not get chewed up. This is the only way to go in this kind of airspace, because when ATC knows where you are going, they seem to really want to do what they can to accommodate your routing. And when they know what you want as well as you do, a pilot and controller working together inside the IFR system can be quite an impressive team.

The Money Burger - Airplanista Aviation Magazine Monthly Column

2011-10-10T16:46:00.001-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the October, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

Fill up on ribs in the Arizona Desert - Waldo’s BBQ at Lake Havasu City Airport, Lake Havasu City, Arizona (KHII)

By Chef Stuart Stein
thesustainablekitchen.com

Some might say flying to the desert southwest in late summer is insane. Temperatures can reach 105° F and density altitude is definitely a factor. So why venture out from my new home base of Montgomery Field (KMYF) in San Diego to western Arizona just for lunch? Because it’s pig on a grill!

Lake Havasu City, approximately 175 NM from San Diego and 115 NM from Palm Springs, is known as “Arizona’s Playground”. This unique destination offers three hundred days of sunshine a year and a myriad of family-friendly activities. The clear, pristine, warm waters make Lake Havasu one of the best boating, swimming and fishing lakes anywhere. Vacationers aren’t limited to water sports. Off-roading, hiking and golfing makes this an exciting and diverse Arizona vacation spot. What started out as an Army Air Corps rest camp during World War II, is now a little oasis town in the south western Arizona desert.

I’m an aviator and a chef, so I came for the flying and the food. I waited for the all too familiar morning marine layer to clear and departed the San Diego airspace. The goal was to cross the Laguna Mountains and reach the Arizona border before the afternoon desert heat set in. Lake Havasu City Airport (KHII) is an 8,001 ft. x 100 ft., 783 ft. MSL, non-towered airstrip with both a RNAV (GPS) and VOR/DME instrument approach. Operating in the current location since 1991, HII is located adjacent to Arizona State Route 95 and just east of the Colorado River. It sits approximately six miles north of the city and near the western foothills of the Mohave Mountains.

I touched down at Lake Havasu City Airport just before noon. Take my advice and make a call on 123.3 to announce your arrival to Desert Skies Executive Air and a “follow me” red truck will escort you to transient parking. Desert Skies is the longest operating of the three FBOs on the field. Manager John Gallup certainly knows customer service. They offer relatively inexpensive fuel and a complete array of services that include a flight school, aircraft rental, charters, G.P.U., 100LL, free high speed Wi-Fi, rental cars and two courtesy vans for those who would like to go into town and checkout Lake Havasu’s famous London Bridge. They have complimentary coffee for the caffeine addicted and a free slushy to beat the desert heat.

Proprietor Clay Caldwell has been operating restaurants around the Phoenix area for more than 20 years. His Havasu airport location of Waldo’s BBQ is located adjacent to Desert Skies and is the newest of his four establishments. The aviation themed, sports bar has a number of big screen TVs, a saloon-style bar along the wall and an airplane suspended from the ceiling. The over-sized couch and throw rugs make the place feel like you’re hanging out in your friend’s living room watching a game on the tube.

Waldo’s specializes in Central Texas style BBQ. Their version is similar to Memphis and Kansas City BBQ but the opposite of the vinegar based North Carolina BBQ. Mae West said, “Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly” and this is the credo of true BBQ. Waldo’s dry-rubs and slow smokes their meat over indirect heat from white oak. They don’t automatically moisten their meat with sauce. You’re in control. You have a choice of the Original rather thick, sweet, molasses-based sauce, the Louisiana spicy, the Jerk sweet n’spicy, the Mustard with a hint of vinegar or simply nothing at all.

The ribs deservedly have their own section on the menu ($8.95-$21.95). Choices abound. The meat-on-a-stick options rang from the ubiquitous Baby Back and Country ribs to my favorite, the lip smacking and unctuous St. Louis spare ribs. St. Louis pork ribs are the perfect balance of meat and fat; a mélange of spicy rub, a slightly bitter tinge of hardwood smoke and the sweetness of pork. They’re juicy and tender without completely falling off the bone. These are the kind of ribs that make you want to lick your fingers for hours.

Waldo’s isn’t limited to ribs but certainly could be. The pulled pork, pulled beef and pulled chicken sandwiches with sweet potato fries ($5.95 small, $6.95 large) are heavenly. The meat is cooked over a low, smoky fire to the point where it can be pulled apart by hand - meltingly tender, moist and juicy. They also have a few other sandwiches. The 1/3-pound BBQ Angus beef burger, a sirloin steak and Texas hotlink ($6.95-$7.95) are passable. If you’re going to bypass the four-legged protein, head for the cornmeal-breaded version of the Catfish Po’Boy ($6.95). The crispy and moist fish sandwich is served on a soft, poppy seed baguette and worth topping off with Waldo’s rich, creamy coleslaw ($.49 extra.).

If you want to get a good understanding of what Waldo’s is about, try the Sampler ($11.95) or share the Super Sampler ($15.95). With the Super, you can choose a 1/2-slab of ribs and any three meats from the choice of pork, beef, chicken brisket or hot links. More artery clogging flesh than you can consume in two sittings.

Still have room for dessert? Try the Skookie ($4.95), a chocolate chunk skillet cookie topped with vanilla ice cream. Reminds me of those chocolate chip cookies my mother use to bake when I came home from school. This monster is crisp, chewy and gooey, a little messy and a whole lot of fun.

Waldo’s BBQ and the Lake Havasu City Airport are under-discovered gems. A place where it’s worth stopping just for inexpensive 100LL, great BBQ or even a little weekend recreation. Be aware that your shoulder strap will be a few notches looser on the trip home.

Waldo’s BBQ Havasu Restaurant
5600 N. Highway 95, # 6
Lake Havasu City, Arizona, 86404
Phone: (928) 764-FOOD (3663)
Hours: Open daily
10:30am to 8:00pm Sunday thru Thursday
10:30am to 9:00pm Friday & Saturday

Chef Stuart Stein has worked as a cook, executive chef, culinary instructor and restaurateur all over the U.S. and France, and is the author of “The Sustainable Kitchen: Passionate Cooking Inspired by Farms, Forests, and Oceans.”

Broaden Your Horizons - Airplanista Aviation Magazine Feature Story

2011-10-10T16:38:00.001-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the October, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

Chicagoland pilot and card-carrying Airplanista Todd McClamroch says flying is all about the experiences we enjoy in the air. He says that as aviators, we should always be looking for new aviation opportunities. Go ahead, take Todd’s advice and get out there to grab a new rating, go fast in a jet, strap on a parachute or snag a ride in a piece of flying history.

By Todd McClamroch
myflightblog.com

The vertical speed indicator would be indicating a nearly 10,000 feet per minute descent if I had not left it behind in the de Havilland Twin Otter when I jumped out of it with U.S. Army Golden Knight Staff Sergeant Matt Accord strapped to my back. Earlier that morning, Matt told me despite my being a pilot for the past seven years, I had not really flown and that he would show me true flight. Descending at 120MPH, I challenged his interpretation of flight but nonetheless had as much fun in the sky that one can have without access to an airplane.

Since becoming a pilot, I’ve had the opportunity to meet people in all walks of the aviation world, and I firmly believe there is no better community than the one built around aviation. The common bond of flight has helped build tremendous friendships and given me great access to amazing flight experiences. Pilots love sharing their passion and I have often found a new and exciting experience is just a request away.

Greg Morris of Gauntlet Warbirds recently gave me a Top Gun-esque experience by taking me up in their Czech-made L-39. He handed me the controls at 14,500 feet and walked me through my first aerobatics in a jet despite only having flown aerobatics once before and having no jet time in my logbook. After one of my best hours in the sky we discussed what drives most people to fly. It is not the prospect of flying for the practicability of business or for a weekend getaway travel. Instead it is for the sheer thrill of flying.

As a young boy, I was enamored with warbirds, so having the chance to fly in the Colling’s Foundation Nine-o-Nine B-17 from Valparaiso, IN to Chicago Executive Airport was a dream come true. This experience was made all that more special when I learned one of the other passengers was taking his first flight in a B-17 since he piloted one in WWII. He was joined by his grandchildren. Hearing his stories and seeing the emotions he shared in his expressions made a flight in this living relic unforgettable.

Flying is about experiences and I challenge everyone to make sure they seek out new experiences yearly. Whether it is a seaplane rating, mountain flying experience or taking an aerobatic lesson, seek out a new and exciting opportunity to broaden your aviation horizons.

ERAU Opens New Buildings in Daytona - Airplanista Aviation Magazine Monthly Column

2011-10-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the October, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

By Joe Clark
bluewaterpress.com

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has completed a $22.1 million construction project culminating in a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. Friday, September 9, 2011. Seven new buildings comprising 97,550 square feet of additional space to the campus will support more than 2000 students in the Aeronautical Science, Air Traffic Management, Aviation Maintenance Science, Homeland Security, Meteorology, and Safety Science programs.

The ribbon cutting ceremony took place in the courtyard between the new Emil Buehler Aviation Maintenance Science Building and the Flight Operations Building and drew quite a crowd of students, and in addition, many local citizens. The speaker’s podium was located in front of a 20-foot high stainless-steel sculpture titled, Pathways to the Sky, by artist Peter Forster.

Those who graduated from ERAU sometime in the 1960s, 70s, or 80s, truly will not recognize the campus as it stands today. In ”the old days,” the buildings consisted of ancient structures originally constructed on the airport property, which once served as a naval training facility during World War II. The parking lot was actually a portion of an old, closed runway.

Speaking to the assembled crowd, President of the university, Dr. John P. Johnson, said this is “truly a day of celebration as we launch a new era” in aviation. He went on to introduce other speakers including Dr. Tim Brady, Dean of the College of Aviation in Daytona, Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey, and graduates Jim Hagedorn and Mori Hosseini.

Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey, who is also a member of the university’s board, said Embry-Riddle is a “critical economic” generator for the city and county, and it continues to grow with even more new buildings on the horizon.

“Every success Embry-Riddle enjoys, we enjoy as a city and county,” Ritchey said. The mayor went on to note the economic impact of the university on the local economy was $400 million a year. He spoke of the days in the early 1960s when many of the residents of Daytona helped the university relocate from the Miami area to Daytona.

Hosseini, who serves as the vice chairman of Embry-Riddle’s Board of Trustees, was instrumental in helping the university after the Christmas Day tornadoes of 2006. Touring the carnage with President Johnson, Hosseini voiced the opinion that rather than repair, rebuild.

Hosseini said the first time he walked onto the Daytona campus and into the buildings, he “fell in love” with the school. Talking to the students and others assembled at the ribbon cutting, he said he wanted other students to experience similar emotions.

After Hosseini concluded his remarks, Hagedorn took the podium for his comments. A 1979 graduate of the university, he serves as the chairman and CEO of Scotts Miracle-Gro. He attributes ERAU as the place where he found direction in his life and discovered what he “wanted to be—a fighter pilot.” After graduation, he served seven years in the Air Force rising to the rank of captain and piloting F-16s.

Hagedorn contributed $2.5 million to the construction of the facility that bears his name. In describing the complex, he referred to it as a temple.

“It’s a temple of aviation and a temple of dreams for all the people who walk through those doors and walk out aviators,” Hagedorn explained in describing the facility.

At the conclusion of remarks by the various dignitaries, they gathered in front of the crowd and with overly large scissors, cut the purple ribbon in front of the crowd. The new buildings were then open and available for tours.

In addition to the contributions by Hosseini and Hagedorn, the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust and the family of Sam Goldman also provided funds for the construction project. Another contributor to the university was Helen Wessel, who commissioned the artworks for the facility. In addition to Forster’s work, Pathways to the Sky, another piece of art titled Reaching New Horizons by artist Kerry Transtrum, graces the atrium of the Flight Operations building.

The Emil Buehler Aviation Maintenance Science Building is 48,680 square-foot building which will provide classroom and lab space for training students who aspire to become aircraft technicians. One unique feature of the building is the large observation deck on the third floor overlooking the Daytona Beach International Airport.

Across the courtyard from the aviation maintenance building is a two-story structure that houses the Flight Operations Building. This almost 34,000 square-foot building is the heart of flight training at the university. It contains offices and classrooms, a control tower overlooking the ramp, flight planning facilities, and the dispatch desk.

Next to the Flight Operations Building, stands a 15,000 square-foot maintenance facility. The Samuel M. Goldman Fleet Maintenance Hangar is where the maintenance technicians service the university’s 92 aircraft.

If you’re ever flying down the Florida peninsula, take a moment to land and check out all that is available at the school. It is worth the stop.

AOPA Summit: Happening in Hartford - Airplanista Aviation Magazine Feature Story:

2011-10-10T16:30:00.001-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the October, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

Line Pilot Pat Flannigan lands at AOPA’s annual expo to sample the latest in toys, slick avionics, and new flying machines. In between booth hopping and dodging rain clouds at the static displays, he was involved in spirited conversation about user fees, which in this venue was identified as public enemy #1 for GA.

By Pat Flannigan,
aviationchatter.com

Aviation professionals, insiders and pilots converged on downtown Hartford Connecticut for three days of airplanes, technology and fun. AOPA put on a great show with planes and products on display, hours of educational seminars and a slew of great social events.

A big topic of discussion amongst pilots was the new threat of user fees present in President Obama’s deficit reduction plan. The plan calls for a $100 surcharge per flight for any turboprop or private jet operating in the air traffic control system. AOPA President Craig Fuller and EAA President Rod Hightower promised a united front against user fees and indicated that discussion was already underway with the FAA and congressional representatives.

Another big news item was the announcement of a cooperative effort to eliminate FAA medical certificates for non commercial aviation. AOPA and the EAA are petitioning the FAA for a waiver that will allow recreational and private pilots to operate a civil aircraft with a driver’s license in lieu of a third class medical. The proposal will require pilots to attend some form of medical self-certification training and builds upon a perfect seven year safety record under the sport pilot rule which does not require a medical exam.

Cuba Gooding Jr. made an appearance to promote his new film, Red Tails, an action film by George Lucas about the first African-American fighter squadron. Lucasfilm set up a screening room near a Commemorative Air Force P-51C and gave AOPA members a first look at the trailer for Red Tails. The film is slated to be released January 20.

One of the best things about Summit are the many talks by industry legends and this year was no different. Encouraging pilots not to rush was a common theme across the seminar floor from Michael Goulian’s discussion on establishing a safety-culture to John and Martha King’s cautionary tales of unwanted adventure.

All eyes were on the iPad this year as evidenced by the overwhelming interest in the hour-long seminar, iPad’s in the Cockpit, by Ian Twombly and John Zimmerman. Over 400 people attended the talk which demonstrated the many uses of iPads from preflight planning to inflight use, including an inside look at how Alaska Airlines organizes their manuals and charts.

iPads were a big hit on the show floor too, most notably around the Aspen Avionics booth. Aspen has made a bold step towards the future by fully integrating the panel with mobile devices. The new technology, called Connected Panel, allows pilots to check weather and build flight plans at home and with the touch of a button, sync them with the airplane.

Despite some rainy weather, there was plenty of foot-traffic at AirportFest, a static aircraft display at the nearby Brainard Airport. Cessna had the biggest showing, featuring almost their entire product line, from the Skycatcher all the way to the one-year-old Citation CJ4.

But Liberty Sport Aviation took center stage when they unveiled the Bristell. The sleek all-metal airplane from the Czech Republic was the brainchild of Milan Bristela, who was involved in designing the Evektor Sportstar and Piper Sport. Bristell is powered by a 100 hp Rotax 912, has a range of 700 nautical miles and can carry a useful load of 617 pounds. The airplane looks sporty and features a spacious and comfortable cockpit.

As is always the case, next year’s AOPA Aviation Summit moves to the West Coast and will be held in Palm Springs, California, Oct. 11 through 13.

Flying, Across the Pond - Flying in Thin Air

2011-10-05T20:36:00.001-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the October, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

Flying in Thin Air

By Vincent Lambercy

With an elevation close to its runway length, Samedan Airport (LSZS) is very unique. It is located close to St. Moritz, at an elevation is 5,600 feet MSL in the Engadin Valley in Switzerland. With a runway only 5,900 feet long, even pilots flying with turbocharged engines notice a significant difference in takeoff performance due to the thinner air.

At LSZS, the take-off roll, with a normally-aspirated engine, seems to last forever. Pilots who don’t stick to the best climb speed put themselves at risk of being hit by a ball when flying over the golf course located 800 meters from the departure end of runway 21.

Samedan is a military airport open to civil traffic, and the traffic can be dense in both summer or winter. The pattern for single-engine aircraft is at 1,000 feet above airport level but because of the surrounding high terrain, it is much lower above ground level. Most of the summits around peak at 7,000 or 8,000 feet, and some even reach 10,000 MSL. The valley is indeed so tight that there is no room for a base leg, even flying at 70 or 80 knots in a Diamond DA-40 like we flew into Samedan. Light twins, turboprop and jets have to fly direct approaches.

This part of Switzerland is not easy to reach. Zürich is only 75 nautical miles away...in a straight line. But driving between the two cities by car takes close to three hours, in good weather, and you must cross several high passes. There are no direct roads, and train connections are not faster. This makes flying a serious option for those who are worthy enough to consider it an affordable option. The airport can accommodate aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 737 Business Jet, and many makes/models of business jets are frequently flying in and out of Samedan because of its proximity to St. Moritz.

During summer, the altitude combined with temperatures in the high 70s makes Samedan one of the most challenging airports in Europe. Gliders, paragliders and skydivers are also part of the game. In such a terrain, any strong wind is a no-go. Operating in Samedan in winter is even more complex, because of snow. Samedan is in the heart of the Alps and it is not unlikely to see up to 20 inches of snow fall within less than a day. Keeping the runway and tarmac in operational conditions is a challenge for the airport operator in inclement conditions.

The proximity with Davos, Switzerland makes Samedan the airport of choice during the yearly meetings of the World Economic Forum, each winter. During this time the airport is closed to most traffic and large prohibited areas are in place and enforced by the Swiss Air Force. Several supplements are published in the Swiss AIP to make sure all the extra restrictions are clear for all pilots in the vicinity.

Three accidents involving business jets in 2009 and 2010 led to the introduction of a mandatory briefing for commercial operators. In the 2009 accident, the wingtip of a Falcon 10 did hit a snowbank along the runway, which was identified as a contributing factor by the investigation report. The aircraft veered and broke into two pieces. Reading the report shows how challenging a landing in Samedan can be in rapidly deteriorating weather conditions - the snow bank was was 13 feet high!

But if you prepare and execute your flight well, the region has a lot to offer to treat yourself. One of the specialities of the canton (state) of Graubünden where Samedan is located is a dried meat called “Bindenfleisch”. This is beef meet, dried in open air, and then served in thin slices. This makes a perfect starter dish.

After landing into Samedan, like in most European airports, you’ll have to walk to the control tower to pay your landing fees. But there, to make it less bitter and more sweet, you can also buy the second local culinary speciality: a Bündner Nusstorte. This is a honey and nut pie, and no visitor should miss it. You can have one at the airport’s restaurant, or explore the surroundings.

The Graubünden area offers every possible mountain-related activity - skiing, snowboarding, hiking, golf, mountain biking and some of the most luxurious spas of the country. There’s no better way to relax after a flight than bathing in open air hot springs, surrounded by the glorious snowy mountain peaks of the Swiss Alps.

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Reflections on a Bad Day - Airplanista Aviation Magazine Monthly Column

2011-10-05T20:33:00.001-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the October, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

By Dick Knapinski,
EAA Communications Director

The original intent for this month’s column was to outline some of the early attractions coming to Oshkosh in 2012, along with some of the fall maintenance chores and other things that are going on throughout the AirVenture grounds.

That can wait, though.

All of us in aviation have been following the events and aftermath of the tragedy at the National Championship Air Races in Reno that took place on Sept. 16. Your heart breaks for the families of those lost or injured in the accident, and some of us recall friends that may have been lost that day.

The ripples from that event spread farther than just the boundaries of Reno-Stead Airport. It affects everyone one of us who flies or watches those who fly high or fast or on the edge. It also leaves an indelible mark on those who devote themselves to organizing the events that bring us together in aviation, whose toil and effort are focused on allowing the rest of us show up and have a great time.

Right after the Reno accident, and the initial thoughts of those involved and the safety of the EAA personnel on the scene, my reflections were about those who would have to stand in front of the media and describe the day and what happened. Even though the people who faced that chore are more than passing acquaintances, and I’ve never met most of them, I felt an instant connection. I’ve been there in similar circumstances. Those in that role know what it’s like to go from everything humming along smoothly to what could become your worst day ever.

When accidents occur at larger events, the plan is typically in place and the assignments are designated. Just please don’t call it a routine, because there’s nothing routine about it. There is an instant chaos factor – what happened, what’s happening now, who’s on the scene – followed by an enormous wave of requests and demands (use the appropriate word here of your choosing) of media, staff, volunteers and countless others who want information immediately.

Tidbits of information are flying everywhere at a time like this. Some of it is credible; some is nothing more than the vapor of a rumor. Part of the job in a communications role is sorting through those things by quickly verifying facts or trying to reach people who are frantically trying to do their job as well. Chaos is part of the moment. The best plan in the world designed at a calm meeting will be stressed because of human emotion and adrenaline.

Answering the first round of media questions might be the toughest time for those in that situation. I’m friends with hundreds of media people; I came up through that profession myself. I realize they have a job to do. Many are fine, sensitive people; some are in a hurry for a story and others are, well, the seamy underbelly of the media business. Replying to the questions as honestly as one can with the confirmed information available is all one can do, even as the rumors and frenzy may offer something else.

There’s another element that complicates a response at times like this: the explosion of social media. There a good likelihood that a photo or video from an accident will be on the Internet even before most people organizing an event know about it.

Here’s where sometimes we as aviators get in our own way of media coverage of flying. There’s a human nature to show people that something that you might be able to make available to the world. Thus, we’ll post that photo or video of an accident or its aftermath on our YouTube, Twitter or Facebook page or, even further, hawk it to the local media.

While it’s not fair to get up on a soapbox and say “don’t do that,” it’s important to remember the impact of that posting. How many non-aviators will see it and build their own perceptions about flying from it? Is that what you, as a flying enthusiast, want to show people as you talk about the fun and attraction of aviation? Is it the impression you want the media to have of what we do and enjoy? Those are questions that we each must answer individually.

Within flying there is joy and risk, there’s freedom and responsibility. We accept it a part of being involved. It’s also why we share the sadness when tragedies happen and share the enthusiasm and happiness when we see flying accomplishments, great and small.

Meet a Motivated Young Airplanista - Feature Story from Airplanista Aviation Magazine

2011-10-05T20:27:00.001-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the October, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

by Dan Pimentel,
Airplanista Editor

Airplanistas come in all sizes, genders and ages, and can reside in any part of this globe. To compliment my story on EAA’s Young Eagles Program, I wanted to investigate just what the future of aviation looks like to a 12-year-old girl, one with her eyes firmly planted in the sky. To obtain this information, I had to look no further than Amy Jens Hansen, a polite, articulate future pilot from Southern California.

I met Amy at Airplanista Magazine’s Tweet-up event this past summer at EAA AirVenture. What amazed me about this young girl was her clear articulation of her flying passions. She is mature beyond her years, and after reading the following interview, I think you’ll agree with me that there is a 1,000% certainty that this girl will earn her place in the left seat of something shiny and fast as soon as she possibly can.

Airplanista Magazine: How old were you when you were first introduced to flying?
Amy Jens Hansen: I was nine-months-old when my dad took me flying for the first time in the RV-6A plane that he built. To protect my ears, my dad fashioned some foam inserts to fit around my ears and my mom sewed them into my baby bonnet and that’s what I flew with until I got my own headset! My Dad flew me around the field and did some pattern work. As we taxied by some fellow pilots he unclipped me from my seat and held me up so they could see he was introducing his daughter to flying at such a young age.

AM: When did you know for sure that you wanted to be a pilot someday?
AJH: I was about seven years old and I remember just the sense of awe of lifting off the ground and no longer being anchored to the earth by gravity. I loved that feeling and knew right then I wanted more of it.

AM: I understand military aviation runs in your family. Is being a military aviator something that interests you?
AJH: Well, that’s a deep and especially meaningful question to me. My grandfather, Richard J Hansen, flew in many major operations during WWII. He flew a C-47 in the 93rd Squadron of the 439th Troop Carrier Group. He flew in Operation Market Garden, Operation Varsity and also flew in the Berlin Airlift. The courage and skill that he and other pilots had to have is evident in looking at the pictures depicting the flight operations, especially the formation flying with double glider tows. Being a military aviator interests me because I’d love to carry on my grandfather’s legend and the military offers nearly unlimited access to cutting edge technology and aircraft. Being a part of one of America’s main prides would be an honor. My grandfather inspired me in many things and is, and always will be, a dear memory in my heart.

AM: Your dad builds experimental airplanes. Do you help him, and do you feel this time together building planes with your father is quality time?
AJH: Yes, I do help my dad build. Currently we are building an RV-10 for the family and I help put rivets in and inspect them with the rivet gauges to make sure they’ve set correctly to depth and diameter. Most recently, we built fiberglass panels of the door, which was a very intense process that required the entire family to participate because the dry time was very short! It is so fun to build planes with my family. I don’t know what my life would be like if we hadn’t started this project. We hope to fly into Oshkosh in 2012 for the EAA Airventure show that will be honoring Richard Van Grunsven, the inventor of the RV series. This is quality time for me and my dad because most dads spend all day away at work and I get to help my dad with his work!

AM: You mentioned that you intend to enroll in an aeronautical university. Tell us what your research on this topic has uncovered.
AJH: If ever there was an aviation university that could offer me everything I wanted as far as degrees I want to pursue and aviation experience I will need to succeed, it is Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. ERAU is a strong candidate as a college for me to go to because it offers the normal four-year degree that I could get at other universities while earning my aviation ratings at the same time. With 150 campus centers throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe I’m sure there is one that will suit me. In my eyes, ERAU is awesome!

AM: When I met you and your family at Oshkosh this summer, you mentioned that AirVenture was a good experience for families with young girls who want to become aviators. Why?
AJH: The trip was extremely educational and fun because not only did we have the wonderful Airventure Oshkosh experience, we also toured many wonderful things in the U.S. including five state capitols along the way. This is definitely a good experience for young girls because it not only provides one-on-one family time, it also gets them stoked for aviation! They started Women Venture a couple of years ago and they are really focusing on young girls and helping them achieve their dreams of becoming pilots. People like Julie Clark and organizations like Girls With Wings and the 99 Club all have a focus on helping young girls towards their aspirations to be a pilot.

AM: What was the coolest thing you saw at Oshkosh?
AJH: The coolest thing about Oshkosh is definitely the people! They are of one mind, all mingling together, coming from all corners of the world to become one throbbing heartbeat for aviation.

AM: Describe your deep inner feelings about flying.
AJH: I literally dream about flight! I love the sensation I get when the wheels leave the runway, the vibration that rolls up my spine to my head and it’s just the sense of wonder! It gives me chills just thinking about it! Then when I’m up there, I feel this sense of peace, like I’m all alone and nothing can harm me when I’m up there. Living in California, the only thing I’d want to be doing during an earthquake is flying! Flying is a great joy, but it is also a great responsibility. It is sad to hear about the long-time small airports that are being shut down. It is sad to think of the pilots who have made these airports their home base and the airports are being closed down and being replaced by houses or other city uses. It is a wonderful freedom, but with freedom comes responsibility. We need to protect our small airports by using them, speaking up in protection of them and letting others know that they are a unique symbol of American freedom.

AM: As a young girl, what do you think the GA community needs to do a better job of to interest other girls in flying?
AJH: We need to recognize the bravery of women pilots who blazed the trail of aviation for women and bring that knowledge to young girls. Airventure at Oshkosh should have more girl-based things. They have KidVenture and they have WomenVenture, but they should have GirlVenture with competitions that would give girls a chance to win a piloting session with a flight instructor while at Oshkosh. Or a chance to have a flight with someone like Patty Wagstaff or Julie Clark. And we have the Blue Angels, we should have a squadron of Pink Angels to inspire girls and women pilots.

AM: Do you think the same opportunities exist for both young men and women to become professional pilots?
AJH: Yes. A long time ago it was proven that girls can do things as well as boys and sometimes…even better! Girls have to be willing to pursue their dreams, but we have fashion, time at the mall and talking on the phone with our friends that gets in the way of our focus on aviation. But, of course, flying fashionably requires cute clothes!

AM: GA seems to have lots of negative issues coming at us all the time right now, such as questions about 100LL fuel availability, FAA funding, and increasing costs of airplanes and fuel. Do you think this instability is keeping people from learning to fly?
AJH: Yes, it does keep people from wanting to learn how to fly. I think people who want to learn aviation say no because they are afraid it will be a wasted investment because of our poor economy; without realizing that aviation is rewarding and worthwhile and will serve many good purposes in many good ways.

AM: As the next generation of pilots, what will young people like yourself have to do to help grow a stronger GA community?
AJH: We are going to have to cherish general aviation now for what it is, because if we don’t cherish it now, we’ll lose it forever. When I said cherishing I meant that we need to use general aviation, take advantage of its opportunities to keep it alive to let people know we haven’t let it go to waste. Bring attention to organizations that are using general aviation to do good like Pilots N Paws (pilotsnpaws.org). That is an organization that is using small airports to transport and deliver rescued animals to new, loving owners. Continuing to use small airports makes sure that general aviation and small airports will stay in use.

AM: There are plenty of news reports and research data out today that suggests girls are less likely to excel in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. How important is it for girls in your generation to study this curriculum if their eventual goal is to become a pilot?
AJH: First of all, if girls were given the proper opportunities to be encouraged to pursue science and mathematics then I think that statistic would be different. Today there is so much emphasis on the fashion world that girls often lose themselves in that without realizing that they’re taking a chunk out of their futures by not pursuing math and science. Aviation has a lot to do with engineering. Engineering has a lot to do with math which goes hand in hand with science. It is extremely important for girls to study math and science. I’m also homeschooled, which has offered me the opportunity to pursue higher levels of science and math.

AM: Look out in the future 10 years to 2021. What do you think the general aviation world will look like?
AJH: I see solar powered planes landing on roads to get a Starbucks only to take off again on their way to Hawaii. I see hybrids and electrics booming by the year 2021 and most everyone will have a personal airplane in addition to a car. Science majors will have opportunities in the next ten years to bring technology to fruition that right now is only on the cusp of being discovered. The jobs will be plentiful as my generation creates new and improved technology.

AM: If you could describe your perfect flying life as an adult, what do you aspire to do, to be and why.
AJH: I will have a 2022 Ford Mustang that has jet propulsion as its hybrid extension, allowing it to fly as well as to travel on roads. So when I feel the need for speed I can meet that need in the air or on the road. Now back to real life, I’d have my pilot’s license, an RV-6A to fly, a major in science, my own private business and be flying to a different airport every weekend and I would be a yearly attendee of the Airventure Oshkosh event. Because aviation is in my blood, it’s my passion and without passion you have nothing.

Help save GA by filling your right seat with future aviators - Airplanista Aviation Magazine Monthly Column

2011-10-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the October, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

by Dan Pimentel,
Airplanista Editor

We’ve all seen that table full of senior pilots at the local airport cafe, chatting while they solve all of the world’s problems. Each one has a different story to tell. Some might be veterans, others are retired line pilots. One guy might have built numerous experimental ships, or a lady seated there might own a few Women’s Air Race trophies.

While it’s true this group has answers for nearly every aviation question, but none of them have successfully found a way to stop time.

As these senior pilots age out altogether and lose their FAA medical privileges, it is of critical importance that a new crop of young, active pilots are being licensed at the opposite end of the private pilot age envelope. If we are to maintain the numbers of licensed pilots in our aviation family, it is vital that we keep the best and brightest young people coming into the system at least as fast as the seniors pilots are closing their logbooks...forever.

This “churn rate” of one pilot in, one pilot out can be best maintained when we expose kids to flying early in their life, so that their dreams to fly can be realized as they mature into adults. The best program to achieve that goal is EAA’s Young Eagles, a wonderfully efficient endeavor that has introduced flying to 1.6 million kids.

In this issue, you will meet one of those Young Eagles who will be joining us in the sky as soon as she possibly can. I met Amy Jens Hansen at AirVenture this summer, and I was impressed by the articulate ease in which she could describe her passion for flying. She will fill the spot in our pilot population vacated as a senior stick is relegated to full-time passenger status, this I guarantee you. But if the future of aviation in this country is to have a fighting chance, we need 1,000s of boys and girls like Amy all gazing skyward with that look in their eyes that we once had, and the fire in their souls we pilots all have.

As you read these articles in this issue, think about what YOU are doing to introduce young people to flying. If you’ve taken a future aviator flying recently, you can call yourself an Airplanista.

EAA Young Eagles - Producing our future aviators - Airplanista Aviation Magazine Feature Story

2011-10-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the October, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

By Dan Pimentel
Airplanista Magazine Editor

Each day, some of our “senior” pilots will not have their medical certificate renewed, and the aviation family loses a few more licensed pilots who buy airplanes, fuel and $100 hamburgers. In an age where general aviation is being hammered from all directions with threats to our flying freedoms, it is critical that we as a community work to bring young people into the system as fresh student pilots.

In this special report, Airplanista looks at this topic from two angles. We present an in-depth look at EAA’s Young Eagles Program, and also introduce you to Amy Jens Hansen, who at 12 years old, already knows she’ll soon be one of those future student pilots.

When you ask 1,000 current, licensed pilots what one thing we in the aviation community should be doing to help preserve the future of general aviation, 999 of them would answer that we need to take more young people flying. And that one other pilot? He wouldn’t have time to answer the question because he’s headed out to the airport to take a neighborhood girl up in his Skyhawk...it’ll be her first GA flight ever.

Actually, that dramatization is only slightly more colorful than research data from the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) shows. In 1991, EAA surveyed long-time members to determine the association’s future priorities, and nearly 92 percent said EAA’s primary objective should be to involve more young people in aviation. From that information, EAA’s Young Eagles Program was developed, and it was officially introduced in Washington, D.C. in May, 1992.

Taking a young, impressionable kid flying in our glorious, magical flying machines is a thrill many pilots enjoy. To look over in the right seat and see a wide smile, eager eyes and a soaring soul when a kid takes their very first small airplane ride is one of aviation’s most golden moments. To know that you might very well be lighting the fire that eventually burns hot enough to propel that future pilot to earn his or her private pilot’s certificate is a gratifying feeling that we should all experience as much as we can.

Many pilots freelance in this capacity, randomly finding young people to take flying. But for about 42,000+ aviators like EAA members Fred Stadler and Larry Durst, it makes sense to fly these introductory flights under the umbrella of the Young Eagles program, a highly successful and mature curriculum that provides maximum excitement for the young person while organizing tasks for the pilot. To date, the program has been able to introduce 1.6 million young people to aviation, with their names all placed in EAA’s “world’s largest logbook.”

Young Eagles is a polished, well-developed program that offers much more to the young person than just a pleasant airplane ride. Once a young person completes their flight and earns their very cool Young Eagles Flight Certificate, they become eligible for some amazing benefits, including free EAA student membership, free electronic copies of EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, free admission to over 300 science and technology museums, free access to Sporty’s® online Complete Flight Training Course (a $215 value), and other EAA member benefits.

Stadler and Durst are the top two Young Eagle pilots in the program, measured by flights given. These two pilots are the “Eagle Kings,” and exemplify the true meaning of “paying it forward,” which is the fundamental theory behind the success of Young Eagles. Both pilots have aviation hard-wired into their souls, and their contributions to this article are meant to help other pilots understand the importance of introducing the next generation to the sky.

Let’s take a closer look at what motivates Stadler, and the Durst’s, Larry and his wife Maxine, who is a vital part of the couple’s Young Eagle success story.

Fred Stadler - 4,659 Young Eagles flown

“Aviation has always been enjoyed by a tiny fraction of the population, but may never have been as threatened as now,” says Fred Stadler, a long-time Young Eagles pilot and also volunteer pilot at EAA’s Pioneer Airport. “Any pilot who enjoys the freedom we have in American aviation should seek ways to protect that freedom. And the most basic way to do that is to ensure that the majority of the public that is not directly involved with aviation is supportive, or at least tolerant of our interests.”

The Young Eagles program, explains Stadler, provides a “structured way to present the benefits of aviation in a direct and personal way not only to the young people, but also to their parents.” While a major goal is to stimulate future pilots, he is quick to note that the program has other important benefits.

“Young people are smart and quickly know what they like when presented with experiences.” Stadler said. “A high percentage of the Young Eagles I fly have never been in any sort of airplane. If they and their parents simply become “aviation tolerant,” that’s a positive effect from the program. There also is some value in a young person seeing that an adult, not a relative or teacher, is interested in sharing something with them. Hopefully that sets a standard for volunteerism that may yield benefits for society in the future.”

The flights are much the same for young people at both ends of the Young Eagles age envelope, which is 8 - 17 years old, but the conversations during and after the flights often vary a lot. “At age eight,” Stadler says, “young people can be very smart and remarkably insightful, although they may not be able to articulate their thoughts completely. With these younger kids, I emphasize the fun and discovery aspects of the flight, and with older ones I take extra time to make sure they and their parents know what they can do right now to pursue an aviation interest.”

Stadler’s chosen means to reach the public is to fly Young Eagles flights primarily in RV-6s and GlaStars, although he has used his Cessna 310 for the mission too. And these flights are far more than just a casual joy ride to poke holes in the sky, when you think it through as thoroughly as Stadler has.

“Planning a Young Eagle flight should start with deciding what ‘take-away points’ you want the Young Eagle to derive from the discussion and flight,” he said. “I’ve focused my expectations to two primary messages: I want the Young Eagle to decide that flying is fun and I want them to realize that they can do it. Those objectives drive every aspect of my preflight discussion, the flight itself, and the discussion afterward. On my first Young Eagle flights, I probably tried to explain too many different things. I’m sure I was excited to share my enjoyment of aviation and I wanted the Young Eagles to know everything about the airplane and the flight. I’ve since worked to focus my comments on information that will be interesting and useful for the Young Eagle.”

Stadler starts a flight by having the Young Eagle touch the plane, sometimes on the guise of inspecting it to find what it is made of. Often their parents may have told them not to touch anything and while he wants them to be cautious with the propeller, his goal is for the Young Eagle to be comfortable with the plane and to satisfy their curiosity about it. “I’ve found that having each Young Eagle operate the controls on the ground with the engine off greatly increases the likelihood that they will be comfortable with flying the plane in the air. I’d estimate that about four out of five Young Eagles operate the controls for a good portion of the flight. I always include the parents in the preflight discussion,” Stadler said.

Stadler does not miss any details, and after well over four thousand missions, he knows that the little things count on this very important day for the Young Eagle. “How the Young Eagle boards the plane has some considerations of its own,” Stadler explains. “I want each Young Eagle to view themselves as a crew member, not just a passenger, so I find a way for them to climb into the airplane themselves without being picked up by their parent and plopped into a seat. Proper seat cushions are very important so that the Young Eagle has a good view forward, both to enjoy the flight and to be able to control the plane. I keep a parent nearby when attaching the Young Eagle’s seat belt and shoulder harness. Then I try to ensure that the parent gets a good picture of the Young Eagle wearing a headset in the plane with a “thumbs up” pose. The picture can be a strong reminder of their flight for the Young Eagle.”

As he taxis to the runway, Stadler highlights the instruments that the Young Eagle will need to reference during the flight. Rather than describing the function of every instrument, he focuses on the altimeter, for example, which the Young Eagle will use as a reference for holding altitude.”

Immediately after takeoff, Stadler starts pointing out things of interest on the ground. Once the plane is leveled off in cruise, he points out the sight picture of the horizon forward so the Young Eagle will be able to maintain the pitch of the plane. “With the plane trimmed, I have them fly, first maintaining altitude. Then I have them make some gentle turns and fly toward clearly identified locations on the ground. When possible, I have the Young Eagles “race” a car on a road below, illustrating the speed of the plane, which often is not evident to them. The emphasis is not so much on technique as it is on being fun and easy,” Stadler said.

As to the costs incurred by flying Young Eagles, Stadler doesn’t attempt to rationalize the flights on a financial basis. “Aviation is my hobby and while it is expensive, there certainly are more expensive hobbies enjoyed by other people. I believe there are substantial public benefits from the Young Eagle activity, but my participation is based primarily on the substantial personal reward it provides,” he said.

Stadler points out that the biggest secret of the Young Eagles program isn’t what the youngsters or their parents receive – it’s what the Young Eagle pilots get. “As pilots,” he says, “we will never have the chance to relive the exhilaration of our own first flight experiences. But the closest thing is to be sitting next to a young person when they first look down at their world and see it in a different way. We can vicariously share in their excitement and be reminded about the wonder of what we otherwise may take as routine.”

Larry and Maxine Durst - 4,575 Young Eagles flown

The Dursts feel that we in the aviation community need to always be promoting general aviation by our conversations and our actions to the non-flying public. One of the best ways they have found to keep that conversation going is through the interaction that is achieved when parents bring their children to the airport for Young Eagles rides. “I feel public relations is a VERY important function the program,” says Larry Durst. “We receive nothing but positive comments about the program from the parents. They appreciate that we donate all of the costs, and that we are willing to spend many weekends during the summer flying their children. This kind of positive PR never hurts if we need a few more sympathetic voters when there is an airport issue.”

It is important to understand that this is a two-person Young Eagles team, with Maxine Durst playing a role equal to her husband Larry. How they came to fly thousands of Young Eagles flights is an interesting demonstration of spousal teamwork.

“I came home from our EAA Chapter’s Young Eagle’s Fly Day on June 21, 2003 and announced to my wife that I now had a total of 433 Young Eagles flown,” Larry explains. “She asked me if I was going to have 500 by the Wright Brother’s Anniversary, and I said no. She asked that if she could get me the kids, would I fly them. By the time the weather stopped our routine flying that summer, Maxine had recruited 210 kids for me to fly, and we ended 2003 with 643 Young Eagles flown.”

From that successful year, Maxine Durst has been a one-woman Young Eagles recruiting machine, and since 2003 she’s spent many hours presenting the Program to grade schools in Southern Oregon. She does all of the scheduling of flights, and calls all of the parents the day before the flight to remind them. After arranging the flights, she then spends all day at the airport in all kinds of weather presenting the kids with their Young Eagle Certificates and doing Young Eagle and general aviation public relations with the parents. To date, Maxine has scheduled some 4,300 kids, with Larry flying 4,127 of that group. The other approximately 173 kids were flown by other pilots.

Larry is more than appreciative of the stellar work his wife has done for the program, and for GA advocacy. “I can’t give enough credit and appreciation to Maxine for her work in the Young Eagles program. Her untiring and unending effort for eight years in scheduling the kids, promoting the Young Eagles program and talking up general aviation to the parents while I am flying their children is worth a medal of honor in my book.”

Team Durst knows that not all young people they fly in the program will become pilots. But, as an avid gardner, Larry sees some similarity to planting his annual garden when he flies Young Eagles. “I strongly feel that the Young Eagle program is a multi-faceted, win-win situation for aviation. Our philosophy is to take not only students that want to become pilots, but to give as many of our young people as possible an opportunity to experience an airplane ride. I like to say the Young Eagle program is similar to gardening. I’m planting a flying seed in as many young minds as I can, and don’t really know how many of those seeds will germinate.”

Larry and Maxine focus primarily on flying elementary school children, up to the fifth grade. They have found that many 8-12 year olds are not interested in doing a preflight, so that part of the flight is not explained unless asked, and then it is usually more for the parent than the child.

Even with so many flights in his logbook, the costs of his participation as a Young Eagles pilot can be justified easily by Larry. “You can’t equate a dollar sign to something you strongly believe in and truly enjoy doing. If I had to justify the cost of each fish I caught or animal I bagged, I would sell my fishing and hunting equipment and take up knitting. I do this because of the kids, and love it when they show their appreciation by repeatedly thanking us for taking them on their first airplane ride. Sometimes we’ll receive a hand-drawn thank you card telling us how much fun they had, and I can’t think of any greater reward than that kind of sincerity. Top that off with the parent’s appreciation, and it is more than worth every minute and penny we spend. If these comments don’t give you a warm fuzzy feeling, nothing will.”

For the last nine years, the Dursts have been awarded the George Bogardus Award for flying the most Young Eagles in Oregon. In 2006, they were the recipient of the EAA’s Horizon Award, presented to them at AirVenture by actor, Harrison Ford, a former Young Eagles Chairman.

Another pilot who is currently devoting a large portion of his life to the Young Eagles cause is US Airways Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who along with his First Officer on their famous “Miracle on the Hudson” flight, Jeff Skiles, is a co-chairman of Young Eagles.

“I can vividly remember knowing by age 5 that I was going to spend my life loving airplanes and pursuing my passion for aviation,” Sullenberger said recently. “It has been a very rewarding thing to do. I think for every pilot, it provides a great sense of satisfaction to know that you will be helping someone else discover something to be passionate about. The Young Eagles Program is a great way for all licensed pilots to participate and ensure the future of aviation in our country.”

Captain Sullenberger makes our concluding point by providing this article’s take-away moment: “It is critically important for everyone in GA to become steadfast advocates for aviation,” Sully explains, “because there are so many other avenues to which young people can devote their time, their attention, and their resources. All pilots should work to make others aware of the many benefits of general aviation and local airports to our communities. Traveling by private plane or just hanging out at the airport watching airplanes go by is a great way for families to spend quality time together.”

For more information on the EAA Young Eagles Program
877-806-8902 or (920) 426-4831
E-mail: youngeagles@eaa.org
www.youngeagles.org

Airplanista Aviation Magazine Feature Story: Grillin’ at Oshkosh EAA AirVenture

2011-09-21T22:56:00.001-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

Recipes to spice up your airport “tailgate” party with an abundance of flavors

By Chef Stuart Stein,
Author, The Sustainable Kitchen: Passionate Cooking Inspired by Farms, Forests, and Oceans thesustainablekitchen.com

Oshkosh maybe the ultimate combination of aviation camaraderie, fresh air and (hopefully) sunshine. The one missing piece is food. Nothing says summer like grilling, and somehow food always tastes better when cooked outdoors. With a little work completed ahead, the following menu is perfect for relaxing and stretching out next to your plane.

Suggested menu
- Grilled Marinated Flat Iron Steak
- Sauce Verte
- Roasted Whole Sweet Onions with
Toasted Barley & Sweet Pepper Filling

Grilled Marinated Flat Iron Steak

Filet gets all the glory; sirloin is the king of steak and ribeye is the cowboy’s favorite, but for flavor, nothing beats the chuck. And the best cut from the chuck to use for the grill is the flat iron steak. The flat iron steak (so called because the untrimmed cut looks like an old fashioned metal flat iron for ironing clothes) is a cut of steak from the blade of the shoulder under the seven bone (named because it’s shaped like a “7”). The tough, silvery membrane that runs on the top and through the center is removed and what’s left is a steak almost as tender as a tenderloin with the marbling and real beef taste of a bone-in ribeye.

FOR THE MARINADE:
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried green peppercorns, cracked
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, roughly chopped

FOR THE STEAK:
• 1 large beef flat iron, cleaned, approximately 2 pounds
• kosher salt, to taste
• 10 to 20-year-old aged balsamic vinegar, to taste or Sauce Verte (recipe follows)

TO PREPARE THE MARINADE: In a bowl combine the olive oil, vinegar, both peppercorns, garlic, oregano, rosemary and parsley. Mix well, pour over the flat iron steak and turn the meat to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

TO PREPARE THE STEAK: Remove the steak from the marinade. Season with salt and grill or pan sear. While the meat is cooking, baste with the marinade.

TO SERVE: Make sure you allow the meat to rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Drizzle balsamic vinegar or Sauce Verte over meat. Roasted garlic mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables or a simple rice pilaf make a great accompaniment.

SUBSTITUTIONS AND OPTIONS: Flank steak, hanger steak or top sirloin can be substituted for the flat iron. Just make sure that whichever cut you choose, it’s from a pasture-raised, local ranch.

Look for an authentic aged Italian Balsamic Vinegar. A 20-year-old balsamic is expensive (~$50 per 250 ml) but it’s ambrosia in a bottle - naturally thick, aromatic and intense. A little goes a long way.

Makes 4 to 6 entrée servings

Sauce Verte
This version of Salsa Verte is not related to the Mexican tomatillo salsa of the same name. A rustic yet complex all-season sauce, it can be adapted to a variety of cuisines by simply varying the dominate herb. It’s easy to make, versatile, bright and refreshing. Sauce Verte can be used as a marinade, a sauce, a condiment or even a topping for pasta or bruschetta. It’s versatile enough to compliment grilled or barbecued beef, fish, chicken, vegetables or lamb; braised pork; or poached fish (traditionally salmon), shellfish or poultry.

INGREDIENT LIST
• ½ cup parsley leaves (Italian or curly variety)
• 1 ½ cups mixed herbs such as tarragon, basil, chives, summer savory, chervil marjoram or rocket, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon anchovies, roughly chopped (optional)
• ½ teaspoon cornichons (pickled sour gherkin cucumbers)
• 1 shallot or small white onion, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons nonpareil capers drained
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

TO MAKE THE SAUCE: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the parsley, herbs, garlic, anchovies, cornichons, shallot and capers. Pulse until chopped but not pureed. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until it is thoroughly incorporated. Add the lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

ADVANCED PREPARATIONS: The sauce will last several days if covered and refrigerated. Bring the sauce to room temperature and blend well before using.

SUBSTITUTIONS AND OPTIONS: Almost any green herb can be added or substituted but almost always includes parsley. Some chefs will blanch and shock the herbs before blending to set the bright green color and make a more “pesto-like” condiment. I prefer to either chop all the ingredients by hand or use a mortal and pestle rather than a food processor. Made this way, the sauce will be more rustic but brighter in color and flavor.

Mexican Salsa Verde is also extremely versatile and tasty and usually includes a combination of tomatillos, chiles, garlic, onion, and salt.

Makes approximately 2 cups

Roasted Whole Sweet Onions with Toasted Barley & Sweet Pepper Filling

A Candy Sweet onion is a storage variety of sweet onion that grows especially well in the volcanic soil of the Cascade mountain range of southern Oregon. Other sweet onions such as Walla Walla, Vidalia, Maui or Texas 1015 Supersweets may be substituted in this recipe. Roasting the onion caramelizes the sugars and turns its flavor into an irresistible nutty sweetness. The onion purée, taken from the center of the roasted onions, rounds out the earthiness of the barley filling.

FOR THE ROASTED WHOLE ONIONS:
• 4 Candy Sweet or other sweet onion variety, peeled but left whole
• 3 cups barley and sweet pepper filling
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

FOR THE SAVORY HERB SAUCE
• Reserved roasted onion rings
• ¼ cup white wine kosher salt and white pepper, to taste
• 1 cup vegetable stock or water
• 2 tablespoons savory fresh herbs
• Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste

FOR THE BARLEY AND SWEET PEPPER FILLING
• 3 cups toasted barley, cooked
• 1 red pepper, roasted, seeds removed and diced
• 1 yellow pepper, roasted, seeds removed and diced
• 1 green pepper, roasted, seeds removed and diced
• 2 tablespoons savory herbs, chopped
• Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste

TO ROAST THE ONIONS: Preheat oven to 375°F.
Place onions in a roasting pan; add enough water to cover the onions halfway up their sides. Bake in oven, turning every hour, for 3 to 3½ hours or until onions are tender. Alternatively, wrap the onions in aluminum foil and place on the coolest part of an outdoor grill. Cook 3 to 4 hours or until onions are tender.

TO COMPLETE THE ONION AND SERVE
Remove onions from their liquid and allow to cool. Remove the inner rings of the onions, leaving the two outer layers intact. Reserve inner rings for sauce. Fill each onion with some of the barley filling. Heat onions in oven for 10-15 minutes, until hot in the center.

TO PREPARE THE BARLEY AND SWEET PEPPER FILLING: Combine all ingredients in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Toss and season with salt and pepper.

TO PREPARE THE SAVORY HERB SAUCE: In a sauté pan, combine reserved inner onion rings and wine. Cook over medium heat and reduce wine until pan is almost dry. Add stock or water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Purée the sauce in a blender until smooth. Add herbs, salt and pepper. Keep warm.

ADVANCE PREPARATION: The roasted onions, the sauce and the barley and pepper filling may be made several days ahead, but keep them separate. Fill the onions the day you will serve them.

Airplanista Aviation Magazine: Vincent Lambercy: Flying, Across the Pond: Airfields named after cheese and all - you - can - eat chocolate

2011-09-21T22:52:00.000-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

By Vincent Lambercy

Vincent Lambercy is a Swiss private pilot now living in Germany. He holds a private pilot certificate with single-engine, multi-engine and instrument ratings and has logged more than 430 hours of flight. He blogs about general aviation on plasticpilot.net and is the founder of connectingpilots.com, a website helping pilots to find more aviation connections online

Dramatic mountains, tempting cheese, world-famous chocolate, a restaurant in a chalet and a medieval castle... this month’s destination is very cliché. But there’s much more to explore and discover and those making the effort to go beyond the simple cliché get rewarded. Even if flying to an airport named after cheese might sound odd at first sight.

The Gruyères airfield is named after the region that also gave its name to the Gruyère cheese. By the way, there are no holes in the Gruyère. The one with holes is Emmental cheese which originated from another part of Switzerland. It is possible to visit many cheese production sites around the area, and almost all restaurants have cheese fondue on their menu all year long even if this is normally a wintery speciality.

The airfield’s restaurant, installed in a large wooden chalet, is one of the best reasons to go to Gruyères. In summer, the chef also opens his barbecue. The typical dessert served in this area is a meringue with double Gruyère whipped cream. During the summer months, they come served with blueberries. If you’re a chocolate lover, it is also possible to visit the Cailler chocolate factory. This is where milk chocolate was created, making chocolate more sweet than bitter. You will learn more about chocolate production during the visit and see the production lines. But the best comes in the end: exclusive access to the “all you can eat” chocolate tasting room.

If you’re more inclined towards history and architecture, you’ll enjoy visiting the Gruyères Castle. You will see it first when flying the approach. The prescribed track for downwind, base and final to runway 35 forms a loop around the hill on which the castle is built. The airfield has a single grass runway which is approximately 2,900 feet long. Both thresholds are displaced because of obstacles on final. Landing in Gruyères is usually not a problem but you’ll have to be careful with the take-off performance. The turf can be rather high and lead to a 20% penalty on take-off roll. Gruyères is near a mountainous area but is not a mountain airfield itself. However the elevation is 2,257 feet and this also reduces the take-off and climb performance.

Back in summer 2003, a Cessna 172 RG with four people on board failed to gain enough altitude to avoid obstacles. The temperature that afternoon was 32°C (89.6°F), that is 22.5 °C above the ISA temperature for that altitude. The wind was out of 250° and runway 17 was active. All conditions were met to considerably reduce the aircraft’s performance compared to a standard day at sea level. All four occupants died in the crash and ensuing fire. Do your performance homework before take-off, review your soft field procedures and stay on the safe side.

The castle was first built between 1270 and 1282 and is still in a great state of conservation. It can be visited daily and besides its historical aspect, it is also home for paintings and sculpture exhibitions. On a totally different note, there’s a museum in an other part of the castle dedicated to the works of H.R. Giger. Giger is a Swiss painter, sculptor and set designer and is best known for designing some of the creatures of the Alien movies, including the Alien itself. There’s also an “Alien bar” nearby and a shop where you can buy the Alien statues and other souvenirs.

The most admirable of all aviation activities in Gruyères takes place only every second year for a few days. A group of volunteers puts everything in place to grant cockpit access to people with disabilities. Pilots come from all parts of the world with specially fitted aircraft to share their experience. There’s a great video on this site showing the best moments of the last three editions of this event. There’s something very touching in the way these aviators transition from their wheelchairs to their cockpits. The next edition of the so-called handiflight meeting will take place in Gruyères from the 17th to the 24th of July 2011.

Airplanista Aviation Magazine Feature Story: EAA Airventure Oshkosh means something different to each person who attends the air show

2011-09-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

To many aviators, heading to the shores of Lake Winnebago each summer for “Oshkosh” is like going home. This event is so big, so cool and so important, we cannot imagine living through a summer without spending a few days of aviation bliss at KOSH. EAA’s AirVenture is many things, among them, it’s one giant party, a serious bash. Welcome to Oshbash, 2011!

It is hard to describe EAA’s annual convention, trade show and air show to someone who has never been lucky enough to spend a few fantastic hours in Airplane Heaven. I have tried, and it never is easy. For 51 weeks each year, Oshkosh, Wisconsin’s Wittman Regional Airport is a quiet place, much like airports across the nation. But for one glorious week in July, that all changes dramatically.

by Dan Pimentel,
Airplanista Magazine Editor

Jill (Rutan) Hoffman
Over the years I’ve gone to OSH by any means possible. I’ve flown there in the baggage compartment of a Cessna, the back of a B-25, in the luxury of a G2, with Burt Rutan in many of his creations, in an airliner, and an automobile. I look forward to the time I’m able to fly my own airplane to OSH but it will not be this year. This year, I’m arriving in my least favorite mode of transportation, an airliner from Sacramento, CA. My husband on the other hand has the pleasure of flying to the show in one of the Air Force’s beautiful T-38s. As for where I’m staying this year, we plan to rent a few houses to host my entire family.

The thing I’m most excited about is seeing my family. EAA has planned a tribute to my Uncle, Burt, and my father, Dick Rutan this year. It seemed like an excellent reason to plan a Rutan family reunion. After that I’m most excited to be surrounded by airplanes and airplane people. There is no better place in the world then OSH!

AirVenture is a “can’t miss” event, and I always look forward to Dad’s talk about his world flight in the Voyager at the museum. I’ve listen to that talk for 25 years and I still hang on every word.
I’m a child of the military and I married a military man. Because of this, I’ve moved many times and really do not have a hometown. The closest thing I have is OSH. I’ve always felt that people of EAA are my extended family. So I socialize as much as I can. I never know who I’m are going to meet.

For anyone who is at the disadvantage of not knowing what EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is, I suggest they read my first book Oshkosh Memories. It is filled with stories about the greatest air show on earth. The best part is that all the proceeds go to help keep the spirit of aviation alive by helping a deserving young adult attend a Space or Aviation camp.

Tom Brusehaver
I am a pilot-builder planning on going to OSH this year. I may take my Cozy, but I also work for Southwest, so I may try the non-rev thing up there. This is one time when I get to meet face to face with the other builders of the Cozy. I also get to see some of my other aviation friends and airline co-workers.

This year being a salute to Burt Rutan, it is always great to hear his talks, but it will be great to see some of his airplanes that haven’t been around for a few years. I also love to see the vendor products and dream about what I could put in my airplane. I’m always looking for my next project too. I will probably go either Thursday evening, and stay through Saturday or Sunday depending on what vehicle I take.

Julie Vessigault
I’m planning to take the Greyhound to Oshkosh. I’ll be staying at a rented private residence with the Seaplane Pilots Association adjacent to the airport.

Primarily, I’m looking forward to seeing my air show family- air show performers and friends who are coming. I hope to also see/meet Bob Hoover. The #1 thing I want to see is Matt Younkin’s Twin Beech performance. Also can’t miss the Seaplane Pilot’s Association Splash-In and their Corn Roast.

To me, Socialization is key at Oshkosh. Outside of aviation, I’m a pretty strong introvert, but I’m at home with people who appreciate airplanes. If I had to describe AirVenture to non-pilots, I’d say it’s a lot like a trade show with airplanes, and it will change your life.

H. Michael Miley
I’ll be coming to Oshkosh in my RV...but not the type that flies. Once again, I’ll be bringing the RV to be the host of myTransponder’s activities in Camp Scholler. By the way, you can follow us on twitter as @myTransponder and the RV talks too as @HomeSweetRoad.

The pilot in me can’t wait to see all the Naval history. I want lots of thundering blue overhead! The number one thing I want to see? I want to see the people. Planes are the focus, but the people are what make the event. You can see a good example of this at the myTransponder party thursday night. Without socialization, it would be a show with 20,000 planes and nobody to tell the stories. I love seeing old friends and meeting new ones. That’s why I got involved in myTransponder.com since it is dedicated to the social side of aviation.

When I tell people about Oshkosh, to the kids, I talk about it like it’s the biggest, loudest air show they will ever see. For the military buff, I talk about the living history. To the gear heads, I invite them to come see what other builders have done to their experimental ships.

David Wallace
This is my first AirVenture and I’m flying commercially to the show. I’m looking forward to Podapolooza and the CNA airshow. I saw the Centennial of Naval Aviation show at NAS North Island, but was too far away to get decent photos of the aircraft. I am hoping to do better at Oshkosh. Also, since this is my first AirVenture and I’m solo, I don’t know of any parties or have friends attending. Am hoping something will pop up.

I tell others that AirVenture is like a business convention (booths, presentations and speakers) and car show (lots of shiny displays). I also mention that close to 20,000 airplanes fly in for the event and that KOSH is the busiest airport in the U.S. during AirVenture.

Trey Stoffregen
We’re flying in the aluminum can (AKA commercial airlines) from Texas into Milwaukee, then renting a car for the drive to Oshkosh. Flying GA didn’t make sense for me this year. I’m a relatively new private pilot, and I don’t want to deal with the traffic at OSH. I’m planning to stay at Camp Scholler.

I’m most excited about experiencing an event the size of OSH with my son (first time for both of us). The #1 thing we want to see? Airplanes (period). Also looking forward to the daily air shows and just hanging out with like-minded aviation enthusiasts.

Being a first timer, I don’t really know what to expect. I want to see the daily air shows, and I’m sure there will be other “can’t miss” events. I’m looking forward to meeting lots of new people (one of the reasons we’re staying in Camp Scholler instead of a hotel). Not sure about events or schedule yet, so no real plans to attend parties or after hours events at this time. Not hosting any events … very much an AirVenture newbie and just there to have fun. I am anticipating the coolest aviation event ever. More airplanes in one place than you can imagine.

David Vanderhoof
I am flying into Chicago and some how getting to #OSH probably by rental car. I will love to see Glacier Girl, the P-38E. She was in bits and pieces when I was there in 1992 and she was fresh from the glacier. For me its all about the warbirds! Allisons, Merlins and R-2800s. This time, I will have unlimited amounts of pictures. In ‘92, I went with 40 rolls of 36 exposure and that was a lot. I am sure I will be blowing through 8 gigs plus each day.

I definitely want to see the Centennial of Naval Aviation Interviews at night. I also want to go to the Author’s Corners, and of course want to make sure I see the show every day. This trip is all about social media for me. Air Venture always has been about the exchange of knowledge/reunion. In 1992, when I went I didn’t come back knowing really anymore people than when I left. I am expecting this year to be very different. I’m looking forward to tweetups and meetups and shaking a great number of hands. Last year, I watched jealously as people I interact with over the web were actually sitting down face to face with others.

Oshkosh is a seven-day geekfest. It’s a religious pilgrimage. If you love aviation, aviators, pilots and planes, you must once go to Mecca, otherwise known as Wittman Regional Airport. Once you are there you can realize you aren’t nuts and there are people just like you. Coming back you are changed. It’s overwhelming at first, then you realize you spend less time looking at planes and more time talking to people. I have, over time, always said it was the first air show to ever make me get sick of seeing airplanes.”

Yet I am dying to go back!

Airplanista Aviation Magazine Feature Story: Piper Aircraft EAA Airventure Oshkosh Show Prep

2011-09-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

By Dan Pimentel,
Airplanista Editor

It takes a massive effort by a large team to bring Piper Aircraft’s traveling road show to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Once there, the team needs to be tenacious, flexible and excited about the product. This is not a job for amateurs.

As we stroll down the avenues and walkways that connect the many outdoor exhibits at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, it’s hard not to stop at least once and wonder how this gigantic circus celebration of aviation comes to life each summer.

Everywhere you look, evidence of months of planning and weeks of hands-on show prep are found. From a sleepy regional airport, KOSH explodes with life during late July, with trucks and crews building the exhibits that we enjoy dearly. But how does this all work, how does it all happen? What does it take to bring a large corporation’s wares to Oshkosh?

Recently, Airplanista sat down - virtually of course - with Rorie Ainbinder, Senior Manager on Piper Aircraft Company’s Marketing team. Ainbinder has been with Piper for 11 years, and has been involved in over 50+ big aviation tradeshows. The information she provided is an incredible testament to the hard work that her team puts into this event.

Airplanista Magazine: How long before the show does work begin on producing the booth concept and design?

Rorie Ainbinder: We begin working on a show approximately one year in advance. We start planning for the following year’s show during the current year’s show. We meet with the show organizers, the advertising, and sponsorship teams. Additionally, we coordinate and brainstorm with our exposition team on the display and layout for the following year.

Airplanista: What is the process to imagine the concept...how many staffers are involved, and what are the creative duties of those staffers?

Ainbinder: Our concept originates with our evolving Marketing Plan and current aircraft promotions. I then talk to our exposition team at Diversified Expo (DESI). Gary (from DESI) and I will toss around a few ideas and then I present them to the Marketing team for their review. It generally takes six to eight reiterations to come to a final decision keeping in mind that it could very easily (and usually does) changed once we get on site.

Airplanista: Once the concept of the booth designs have been finalized and goes into production, how much coordination is there to get everything to the show grounds? Please give specifics, how the move-in works, how many trucks and people are involved, how many days does it all take to set up.

Ainbinder: Nine months before the show, we negotiate and secure a hotel room block for our people at the show. Then, two months before the show, a show announcement and schedule along with an RSVP request is sent via email to our entire dealer network inquiring as to whether their team will attend, and if yes, how many, what work days and do they need show shirts. Also, about 60 days out, the graphics are designed, printed and shipped.

About 30 days before the show, merchandise for the Pilot Shop is selected based on the previous year’s sales as well as any new merchandise/apparel that we think might be appropriate. Additionally, we take into consideration the weather forecast (umbrellas, rain jackets, sweatshirts, LOTS OF HATS). Pilot Shop ships to DESI two weeks in advance of the show. Also about a month in advance, we start working with Piper’s Order & Delivery Team to acquire aircraft from dealers, Piper, and owners. We start talking about show aircraft, even though we won’t know exactly what aircraft we’ll have available until the week before.

Last, about 30 days out, we finalize travel arrangements, securing commercial air travel and rental cars. Typically we travel to Milwaukee (KMKE), and travel in teams to help control rental car expenses.

One week before the show, everything goes into high gear. Our trucks arrive on site, including the PiperJet Altaire Mobile Marketing Unit, a storage trailer, one motorhome and 5-7 aircraft. There are usually three trucks, four if we take the Meridian mock-up. They load a week before and arrive on the Wed/Thursday prior to Oshkosh and we begin the unload. We have three people from DESI as well as hired labor to help with set-up. Aircraft arrive the Friday before the show and sometimes we need to send our corporate pilots to dealerships around the country to pick up the aircraft.

On Friday before show opening, the first wave of Piper people travel to Wisconsin.

Airplanista: How many Piper employees attend Oshkosh, and what logistics are involved in housing, feeding and providing ground transportation to/from the show for the entire week?

Ainbinder: For the 2010 show, we had 46 staff members, made up of 19 Piper employees, 3 DESI employees, 22 dealer members, one University of North Dakota (UND) student and one Piper Financial member.

Regarding logistics, housing is coordinated one year in advance. We determine where we will stay based on price, location and number of rooms needed. We arrange to have a motor home on site for workers to take a break and get out from the weather. We also have beverages and food in the motor home for breakfast, lunch and snacks. Piper is a sponsor at EAA and advertises in Flying Magazine, so we are invited to eat lunch at their locations as well.

Because EAA is a long show including set up and tear down, I try to split the team. Half will arrive as part of the setup crew and work the beginning of the week and will go home on Thursday. The other half shows up on Wednesday and will be part of the teardown crew. Wednesday night we generally catch up so the first shift can debrief the second shift. Myself and two/three other team members are at EAA from beginning to end.

We all fly commercial airlines to the show. We secure several rental vans about 60 days in advance as they sell out quickly, and we’ve even left cars parked at the Milwaukee Airport as one team member leaves and another one arrives. We always encourage Piper team members to carpool for the week, and at the end of each show day, depending on who needs to attend what event, we coordinate transportation to the event or dinner and then back to the hotel.

Airplanista: Describe one nightmare story from a previous AirVenture and what it took to solve the problem so the show could go on.

Ainbinder: As you know at AirVenture you could experience heat, cold, rain or hail. On July 21, 2001, prior to the show while we were setting up, Oshkosh experienced a terrible rain storm with winds that were actually lifting our tent stakes out of the ground (We stood on the tent platforms so the tent wouldn’t blow away). Our tents were special dome shape tents and both tents ripped and tent poles bent. One in particular was beyond repair. To fix the tents and be show ready in time for opening day on July 24th, we sent one tent to a local Oshkosh sail maker. It took 1.5 days to repair the tent and we were ready to go.

The second tent was another story. The tent manufacturer was notified of the damage and was standing by. Stan Riker, Manager, Order & Delivery, is a Piper Corporate Pilot. The morning after the storm, around 6 AM, I drove Stan and another pilot to the airport. We loaded the ruined tent and poles into a Piper Meridian and they set off for Bangor, Maine and the tent manufacturer. Once in Maine they dropped off the tent and were told to wait a few hours. When the tent was show ready and new poles loaded into the Meridian, Stan and the other pilot flew back to Oshkosh, the team set up the tent and we were ready for opening day of Oshkosh. No one ever knew what happened.

Airplanista: Give my readers one fact about the whole process that they will find surprising.

Ainbinder: Generally, none of the aircraft on display belong to Piper Aircraft. Most of the aircraft are loaned to us by our Dealer Network, a university such as UND or a Piper Owner.

Airplanista: What coordination is involved in getting the airplanes there?

Ainbinder: The Marketing Department is 100% involved in the coordination in getting planes to AirVenture. We work heavily with our Order & Delivery Department. We begin planting the seed throughout our Dealer Network around May; however that is way too early to predict what aircraft will be available in July. Usually we have to wait up until a week before the show to finalize aircraft availability. Once finalized, we ask that the dealer, school or owner have the aircraft on site no later than the Friday before the show. If they are unable to ferry the aircraft to Oshkosh, we have one of our corporate pilots go commercial to the location and fly the aircraft to the show.

Airplanista: As each day of the show takes place, what efforts are made to keep all of the Piper booths staffed, up and running? What sort of problems inevitably develop, and how are they solved?

Ainbinder: Three weeks prior to the show, an extensive work schedule is designed. Each morning the work staff is responsible for checking in at the information desk for their assignment. We hold an “all-hands” briefing each morning before the show opens to go over the day’s schedule, meetings, press announcements, and any special guests. Additionally we talk about “what we are hearing in the market place” and the overall mood of the attendees. We stress the importance of leads and return on investment.

We don’t have very many problems – if they happen they are usually transparent and the public doesn’t ever see them. The team is so well-versed and experienced that we can manage through just about anything.

The biggest challenge but also the biggest opportunity is the fact that outdoor exhibits don’t actually close at a set time. The hangars close right at 5:00 p.m., but the air show continues. So we never have a set schedule - we stay open as long as there are customers. We have to keep the team fresh and energized. We make sure that they eat, take breaks, and if needed a little ice cream always helps!

Airplanista: Please offer up any other information about both the show prep and show presence that my readers will enjoy reading.

Ainbinder: EAA AirVenture is one of our favorite shows. We look forward to this event all year long. For those of us from Florida, we look forward to less humidity and cooler temperatures – while not always the case, we look forward to it nonetheless. We have certain restaurants that we plan to eat at, events that we look forward to attending, and old friends that we can’t wait to meet up with.

We have been at our current location at EAA AirVenture for two years. The team at AirVenture made it possible for us to move locations – our previous location was less visible and not optimal for displaying aircraft. We have contracted for this space for the next 5 years and LOVE IT!!! Prior to our relocation, another aircraft manufacturer had paid to have a concrete pad installed in a serpentine pattern – which is ideal for our aircraft static display.

The combined efforts of DESI, EAA, Piper and Piper’s Dealer network make this event possible - each team provides us with an immense amount of support.

Airplanista Aviation Magazine - Publisher Dan Pimentel’s Column: How do YOU describe an event as cool as Oshkosh?

2011-09-21T22:40:00.001-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

By Dan Pimentel

Recently, I asked what a group of my Twitter followers would tell others about EAA AirVenture, that wonderful, magnificent, incredible event we all commonly refer to affectionately as “Oshkosh”.

How would they describe it, to pilots, and non-pilots. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to enjoy the show, you’ll know this is no easy task. It made me think about how I describe Oshkosh.

To non-pilots, I saw this: If you don’t have the passion to fly in your heart like the aviators that go to KOSH each July, you are incapable of imagining what this event is like. Yes, it’s a trade show, but it is THE trade show for general aviation. Sometimes I say it is like Woodstock for pilots, only thankfully without the weed. Or I say it is like the biggest amusement park you have ever been to...only way, way bigger and more exciting.

These non-pilots are never able to fully create a useable visual image of Oshkosh. I say “10,000 airplanes fly in to the show,’ and they say, “oh, you mean, like Cessnas?” It is a waste of time to try and tell them that yes, there ARE plenty of Cessnas, but also row after glorious row of every other model flying, from bizarro experimentals to flying museum pieces.

To pilots though, I take a different approach to describe Oshkosh: Think of the best fly-in you have ever been to, where cool airplanes - shiny new ones and perfectly-restored old ones - are everywhere you look. There are hundreds of pilots and aviation fans eating, drinking, chatting and gawking, and the atmosphere is jovial, uplifting and full of happy people celebrating our freedom to fly.

Now take that vision and multiply it by about 15 gazillion. So many airplanes, they stretch to the horizon. So many wonderful members of the aviation family, it is a non-stop reunion. So much to see and do, you never really know which way to turn for fear of missing something very, very cool. You will walk the exhibits and it will be Christmas morning, with the newest gear and exceptional swag coming at you from every booth. Not kidding about that part. You WILL spend money, it’s guaranteed.

I tell pilots that if they have seen aerobatic acts before, they will be nothing compared to the afternoon air shows at Oshkosh. You will see the best of the best in the air flying maneuvers that will blow your mind. You will see so many gigantic formations of warbirds fly overhead each afternoon, that the sight of 40 P-51 Mustangs wingtip-to-wingtip will seem almost normal. And it is...

Because it’s Oshkosh.

Airplanista Aviation Magazine feature story: FIFI to appear at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011

2011-09-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

First visit since 1995 for world’s only airworthy B-29 Superfortress

By EAA Communications staff

Flying again after a four-year renovation, the world’s only airworthy Boeing B-29 Superfortress, FIFI, plans a much-anticipated appearance at EAA AirVenture 2011. Part of the Commemorative Air Force’s B-29/B-24 Squadron based in Addison, Texas, FIFI will arrive at Wittman Regional Airport Tuesday, July 26, and stay for the duration, including flying in Friday’s air show, July 29, as part of the day-long veterans salute. This will be FIFI’s first appearance since 1995.

“The addition of the B-29 to the lineup at EAA AirVenture 2011 further solidifies Oshkosh as the greatest aviation gathering point in the world,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA and AirVenture chairman. “This legendary warbird represents the highest American bomber technology during World War II, and will be an integral piece of the festivities honoring those who served and sacrificed for the freedom we enjoy today.”

Joining FIFI will be country music star and pilot Aaron Tippin, who will perform on Saturday evening, July 30, as part of CAF’s “Red, White & Loud Tour.” The concert will precede the widely popular Night Air Show and Daher-Socata Fireworks, capping a day filled with memorable attractions.

“We are thrilled to bring the CAF’s ‘Red, White & Loud Tour’ to EAA AirVenture,” said Stephan Brown, CAF president/CEO. “Aaron Tippin is a great supporter of our American troops and veterans, as well as the CAF and what we stand for, honoring American military aviation through flight, exhibition, and remembrance. We are excited to celebrate America’s freedom through song and the roaring radial engines of the world’s only flying B-29 at one of the greatest aviation events.”

Over the past four years, FIFI was refitted with custom-built engines - combining Wright R-3350-95W and R-3350-26WD powerplants - to replace the Wright R-3350-57AM engines in place since the early 1970s. The refit required reworking the engine mounts and some of the engine cowling. Mechanical difficulties prevented FIFI from making scheduled visits to AirVenture in 2005 and 2006.

The B-29 first flew in 1942 and began active service in 1944. It is perhaps best known as the aircraft from which the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. It was designed as a replacement for B-17s and B-24s, capable of longer-range missions and greater bomb loads. The B-29 was also used in the Korean War in the early 1950s and was a staple of the U.S. Air Force until jet bombers began to appear in the late 1950s.

FIFI was rescued from use as a ground target for weapons tests in the 1960s and first flown by the CAF in 1971.

Airplanista Aviation Magazine Feature Story: Oshbash Photography Gear

2011-09-21T22:33:00.001-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

By Chris Batcheller, Special to Airplanista Magazine

If you’re headed out to the big show (AKA Oshkosh), you’re probably going to bring a camera. If you’re like me - you bring two, and enough gear to kill a pack mule from exhaustion.

Bringing the right gear is the key to getting great Oshkosh (or any airshow really) pictures without having to make a chiropractor appointment the Monday after the show.

The first question that you need to ask yourself is what kind of pictures do you want to take at the show? Are you just going to be taking pictures of things so you’ll remember them? Do you want to take pictures that you can enlarge to poster size and hang on the wall? Do you want something in between?

The “I Saw That” Photographer
If you’re not really worried about mega pixels and mega huge camera bags, then I would recommend just toting your smart phone (iPhone or Android) or maybe a simple point and shoot camera. Don’t discount your smart phones camera. It will take great pictures in the sun and if your shooting indoors, make sure you hold it as steady as you can, and leaning up against something solid will help. If you’re taking a picture of something close (say a flyer of the famed fish fry at the seaplane base), don’t forget to switch on the macro mode. A little google search should tell you how to do that with your phone. Most point and shoot cameras have a macro mode as well, it usually looks like a flower and will help the camera focus when you’re taking a picture of something less than 2-3 feet away.

The “Weekend Warrior”
Do you wield a camera sometime after your 9-5 boredom?

You’re going to want more than a point and shoot, and chances are you own a crop-frame DSLR. These include the Canon EOS Rebel cameras as well as the 50D, 60D, T1i, T2i, T3i and 7D. For the Nikon these include the D60, D90, D300 and D7000. If you own a Canon 5D or 5D MkII or Nikon D700 or D3 these are called full-frame cameras and the discussion about magnification below doesn’t apply to these cameras.

DSLR’s are great cameras that take nice pictures on the green square mode and fantastic pictures if you venture off a little into some of the other modes such as aperture priority and shutter priority. I recommend you learn to use your camera in full manual mode first! If you used an old manual film camera back in the day, don’t worry - shutter speed and aperture still have the same effect on the digital sensor.

Before I get into the fun stuff like lenses, don’t forget you need to carry all this crap around for a week. Your first investment should be a GOOD camera bag. Buy one that can hold whatever you plan on carrying and then some. Spend some money on it. A cheap camera bag will make your life miserable. Just remember there is a balance between carrying enough gear for a National Geographic expedition, and having just enough to get the job done.

I upgraded my bag this past year to an APE Case ACPRO2000. I can’t tell you how much I love this bag. One of the great features is that it has a rain cover that hides in a pouch on the bottom. It has lots of space and tons of places to strap stuff too. It’s tough and I’m sure it will be in use many years from now. I like that I can carry my gear and my laptop/iPad together.

Along with my camera bag, I like to have a small hard case that I can throw things into. I use a small Pelican case that’s waterproof and nearly indestructible. Into it I put my memory cards and radio triggers for using the flashes off the camera.

No matter what camera you have - and no matter what you want to shoot, you will be in the bright sun trying to see what’s on your LCD screen. I carry a Hoodman Loupe with me. This little gadget presses against the back of the camera and lets you see the LCD screen clearly in the brightest sun. It has optics that let you focus on the screen to meet your eye.

One of the challenges of airshow photography is that there are so many different types of subjects! It would be easy to tell you to bring a good telephoto, but then you would miss out on a host of great people and cockpit shots. With a telephoto, forget using this lens in the display areas. But if you have to bring one lens, and you want to shoot pictures of the airshow performances - bring a telephoto.

So to cover the bases, you’re going to want to go from wide to telephoto. You should have something that goes out to 18mm and something that goes up to 200 or 300 mm. It’s a good bet your camera came with a “kit lens” like an 18-55 for the Canons and Nikons, so that covers you on the wide end. If you wanted to go with more professional lenses, I would recommend the f2.8 16-35mm L series or the f2.8 24-70mm L Series for Canon, or the f2.8 24-70mm for Nikon.
Adding a telephoto like the lower cost Canon 55-250 or Nikon 55-200 is a good choice, or a better lens is the Canon f2.8 70-200 L Series or Nikon f2.8 70-200. The down side is the f2.8 lenses will set you back about $1000 or more than their less expensive counterparts.

Let’s talk a minute about sensor size. The consumer grade cameras all have a sensor that is smaller than the size of a frame of 35mm film - they are called “crop frame”. The next step up, or “professional” cameras have “full frame” sensors. This simply means that the sensor is the same size as a single frame of a piece of old 35mm film.

What does this mean to you? Well, crop frame cameras have a “magnification factor” usually of 1.5x to 1.6x. This simply means that with a 100mm lens on the camera, the sensor is actually seeing 150mm or 160mm effective focal length. Basically, you get free zoom out of the deal. Well, almost - there are a few tradeoffs but I won’t detail those here.

One thing that I also like to throw in my bag is a telephoto extender. You can generally get these in 1.4x and 2.0x powers. What does that mean? A 200mm lens would be a 400mm lens with a 2.0x extender. Remember that crop frame thing? That get’s added on to the the magnification of the extender. So a 2.0x extender on a camera with a 1.6x magnification factor would be 3.6x! In that case your 200mm lens goes to over 600mm!

Extensions have another bonus. Most lenses are sharpest around f8. If your shooting airplanes up in the sky on a sunny day, the camera will need to be well above f8 with shutter speeds slow enough to blur propellers (usually 1/125 to 1/250). One of the trade offs with the extension is that it takes a few stops of light - but this works to our advantage. So with the extension installed, you can shoot with slower shutter speeds and at or around f8 where the lens will perform better.
Be careful when shooting at long focal lengths (200mm and up). Remember the rule of thumb - your shutter speed should be 1 over the focal length. So 600mm would be 1/600 shutter speed! Pay extra attention to your shutter speeds when shooting uber extended! Bump up the ISO if you have to. You can’t fix blurry.

Make sure you throw in your bag at least one flash. My bag now has 5, but I’ve never been considered normal.

Using a good external flash (not the crappy pop-up one that comes installed on the camera) will really make the difference, especially in the direct sun found in most places during an airshow. If shooting a person, put their back to the sun and let the flash fill in the dark areas. If you shoot with the flash connected to the camera in TTL mode, it should figure out how much flash power you need to fill in your subject automatically.

Flashes make a huge difference when shooting cockpits because the inside of the cockpit is dark and the outside is super bright. If you can, try and bounce the flash by pointing it up or at a 45 degree angle so the head of the flash isn’t directly pointed at the instruments. That will give you less glare and softer light.

With every external flash I would recommend at least 2 sets of batteries and a diffuser or three. Diffusers come in several forms, but the type you should start with is a little piece of plastic that slips over the head, making the light from the flash a tad less ugly. A better diffuser is a small soft box sold by Lumiquest and they come in several sizes. I personally use the Softbox II and Softbox III most of the time.

I highly recommend a gel kit (the “Strobist” kit from ROSCO is a great place to start). You can use gels to balance the color of the light from the flash. In other words, you can make the color of the light match the color of the ambient sunlight or fluorescent lights to make it less obvious that your image is lit with a flash. To learn how to use gels, check out my favorite blog Strobist.com.
Far down on the list is a monopod (ok) or a tripod (better). If you’re going to do any time lapse stuff or video you will definately need a tripod. Monopods are generally useless when trying to shoot moving objects like airplanes, but can be helpful when shooting non-moving objects in low light. If you plan on shooting video with your DSLR a tripod (and a good one) is a requirement.
With digital SLR’s, it goes without saying that you will need memory cards. You will either need lots of them, or some way to store the images to a computer or iPad so you can reuse them. I generally bring a laptop and dump the cards at lunch and in the evening.

DSLR’s love batteries too. That’s why both my cameras have battery grips. Not only does the grip have an extra shutter button to make it easier to take vertical pictures, they also come with some extra battery options. The grips hold two batteries for that extra battery time when you’re shooting video. The grips hold two batteries, but will run on either one or two batteries. They also come with battery tray that takes AA batteries in case you get caught in a pinch. And don’t forget the chargers for your camera and the AA’s!

Another handy thing to have is some way to take notes. An iPhone or notepad will do the trick. Sometimes you will want to write down names or emails and other times you will want to make notes about an image like an N number or other details.

Don’t forget the non-photo essentials like sunscreen or sunblock! The sun is brutal at the end of July and its important that you stay protected so you can enjoy the show. Also a water bottle is critical to staying hydrated.

By following these tips, I hope you come away from your 2011 visit to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh with many great memories, and of course, many stunning photographs to enjoy for years to come.

Airplanista Aviation Magazine Feature Story: Rutan’s Catbird coming to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

2011-09-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

Catbird won the 1988 CAFE 400 race for airframe efficiency, fuel consumption, speed, and payload performance, and still holds two FAI world speed records.

By EAA Communications staff

If a cat has nine lives, maybe a Catbird has at least two. For the past 15 years or so, Scaled Composites Model 81 aircraft, better known as the Rutan Catbird, could be seen hanging - inverted - from the ceiling between Scaled’s offices and the flight center in Mojave, California. These days it’s back in the shop, being restored to airworthiness by volunteers so it can be flown to AirVenture Oshkosh this summer and take part in EAA’s Tribute to Burt Rutan on Thursday, July 28.

Catbird is a high-efficiency, all-composite, five-place, single-engine GA aircraft designed by Rutan when Scaled was owned by Beechcraft in the 1980s. Originally a potential replacement for the Bonanza, Catbird was one of the designs included when Scaled was sold back to Rutan and partner the Wyman-Gordon Company in 1988. Catbird replaced the Defiant I as Burt’s personal aircraft and itself was later replaced by Boomerang.

When Rutan announced plans to retire last year, Zach Reeder, project engineer at Scaled, recalls mentioning to him, “You know, we need to drag that airplane down,” pointing to the Catbird hanging from the rafters. “Burt’s response to me was, ‘You can get it down if you can get it to Oshkosh.’” That lit the spark, and this past January, after talking with some others about it, steps were taken to tackle the challenge. If everything goes as planned, the aircraft will make test flights in early July, and be all ready for the flight to Oshkosh.

Other volunteers working on the airplane include Jim Reed, an A&P mechanic with the spaceship company, and other folks from the Scaled and Mojave neighborhood. The volunteer group is sponsored by Burt and Tonya Rutan, Mike Melvill, Aircraft Spruce, Lycon, Airflow Performance, Hartzell Propeller, and Weldon. (Those wanting to contribute to the project can contact Jim Reed via e-mail.)

Catbird, which has appeared at two previous EAA conventions including its 1988 debut, is the first aircraft in which Rutan used forward-swept, all trimmable T-stabs. The same design was used on later aircraft including the first White Knight.

Scaled Composites Model 81 is a fairly low-time airplane, with a total of 340 flight hours. When Scaled employees threw Rutan a retirement party earlier this year, Catbird was on display, sitting on its gear with a borrowed prop from a Long-EZ.

Airplanista Aviation Magazine Feature Story: Book Review: Rutan’s Race to Space

2011-09-21T22:27:00.000-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

A “must read” for fans of Burt Rutan’s innovative designs

By Dan Pimentel, Airplanista Editor

I receive so many requests to review books these days, I generally pass simply because I have neither the time nor staff to read books. Occasionally, a publisher will just try their luck and ship a hard cover edition to me, hoping it might catch some of Airplanista’s virtual ink.
When that happens, most often I glance at the book, set it down and move on to something pressing. So when I opened up the package sent to me by John Wurm of Quayside Publishing Group, I expected yet another book to be enjoyed later.

Thankfully, I was wrong this time.

Inside the package was a copy of Dan Linehan’s work entitled Burt Rutan’s Race to Space; The Magician of Mojave and his Flying Innovations (Zenith Press, 160 pages). Being a hardcore fan of everything Rutan has done in his stellar and legendary career, this book immediately earned my full attention.

This beautiful work is well-illustrated throughout with page after page of images, drawings, sketches and illustrations, many donated to the project “Courtesy of Burt Rutan.” The art compliments Linehan’s words, which tells the story extremely well.

After a great forward by “first commercial astronaut” Mike Melvill that sets the scene eloquantly, Linehan starts by telling of Rutan’s boyhood dreams. But it quickly gets right into the history of his designs in chapter 1, explaining in great detail Rutan’s early designs, including VariViggen and the VariEze homebuilt.

Chapter two is equally entertaining, as Linehan takes the reader through the history of some amazing designs, from the Quickie to the Boomerang.

After telling the Scaled Composites story in full in chapter 3, Linehan goes full-tilt into the space age in chapter 4, talking about SpaceShipOne and White Knight with plenty of backstory on the Ansari X Prize and the ascension of commercial space travel.

And in chapter 5, the author verbally paints a vivid picture of the “next generation” of aviation, describing everything you need to know to understand the concepts, theories and vehicles that are pushing commercial space travel forward. One notable side bar: Linehan asks the question of whether Rutan will be the first designer to offer homebuilt spacecraft. While the inquiry goes unanswered, it does succeed in pushing the reader to imagine the possibilities.

Unless you are a scholar of everything Rutan, I promise there will be many, many surprises in this book. And you will come away from it with a much more profound respect for a man who, in my opinion, is modern aviation’s most innovative aerospace engineer.

Airplanista Aviation Magazine Feature Story: A local’s guide to Oshkosh eats for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

2011-09-21T22:24:00.001-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

Everyone loves a brat served hot off Johnsonville’s 18-wheeler grill. But for restaurant recommendations off the show grounds, Airplanista Magazine called on EAA’s Chief Photographer, Jim Koepnick, who lives in Oshkosh, to give us proper direction.

Photos and story by Jim Koepnick, for Airplanista Magazine

While EAA AirVenture offers a wide variety of food vendors to satisfy your appetite while on the convention grounds, visitors to AirVenture each have their favorite local favorites. Including me.

The top two places that come to mind seem to be favorites with all my AirVenture friends. When in Oshkosh, you have to visit Ardy and Ed’s and Leon’s. Both are drive-ins...both with a 50s theme. Ardy and Ed’s drive-in, on the corner of South Main and 24th Avenue, is a classic with roller-skating car hops. Leon’s, just off North Main at the intersection with Murdock doesn’t feature the roller skates, but does have car hops dressed in Poodle Skirts. Which to choose? The decisions only get more difficult..Ardy and Ed’s has hand-packed ice cream while Leon’s has soft-serve custard. The best answer, of course, is to try both and decide for yourself.

Now that we’ve eaten dessert first, on to the main course. What else tops my list of Oshkosh favorites? One place has to be the Roxy Supper Club (571 N. Main Street). It’s been around since I was a kid and has been a mainstay for dining in downtown. If you want to accent your meal with a true Wisconsin delicacy, ask for a “side o’ Perch” as our friends from Canon do each time they visit. You can’t get more Wisconsin than that. Want a little more ambience with your meal?

Fratello’s (1501 Arboretum Drive) and Becket’s (1 City Center), both along the Fox River, are favorites for an upscale meal with great atmosphere. Fratello’s is a wonderful place to get together at the outdoor tiki bar, and I love the homemade potato chips. When at Becket’s, forget the french fries...go for the potato croquettes when you order another Wisconsin tasty treat like Walleye Pike.

Another favorite on the west side of town is Kodiak Jack’s (2059 Witzel Avenue). Huge bar, great salad bar, and more stuffed animals on the wall than you can imagine in one spot!

Looking for something a little more casual., and a little less “fast food”? The Chalice (1741 N. Main St.) started out being a popular “secret” in Oshkosh. I say secret because for years there wasn’t even a sign telling you it where it was. It’s fame spread only by word of mouth. There is a sign outside now so you can’t miss it. My favorite is the omelette sandwich, but all the sandwiches are not only great, but huge. It’s sister restaurant, Pilora’s (910 N. Main) is a quiet little haven from the hustle of a day at AirVenture. They also have some of the best salads in town (chicken salad with grapes!).

Bar menus are also a popular way to enjoy the taste of Oshkosh, as they serve up some trademark specialties. The chili dogs at the Trail’s End bar on Merritt and Broad are legendary. People have been known to have them shipped home so they can enjoy them long after AirVenture is over. Another favorite, within walking distance from the North 40 camping area on AirVenture grounds, is Friar Tucks. It’s dark, quiet and friendly...and serves up huge hamburgers as well as another Wisconsin favorite...fried cheese curds.

Lara’s Tortilla Flats (715 N. Main Street) is always a favorite for Mexican food. It started as a little “hole in the wall” restaurant in the 80’s and has grown into a new building with great food and ambience. South of the Border (800 Oregon Street) is another favorite, as is Durango’s (2070 S. Koeller Street).

A quest for great food in Oshkosh would not be complete without pizza. Just north of the airport is West End Pizza (1414 West 20th Avenue), another year-round favorite of the EAA crowd. Like your pizza with really thin crust? Then Cranky Pat’s (100 N. Main Street) has the best in town.

These are only a few of my favorite Oshkosh eateries. Each unique and each sharing a little bit of Wisconsin and Oshkosh to air show visitors. When you ask about favorite Oshkosh restaurants, everyone has an opinion. “Don’t forget Robbins...or Brooklyn...or Vitales...or Primo”. And that’s just in Oshkosh. There’s also Horan’s in Omro, the Fin and Feather in Winneconne and Bill and Stell’s, where you can get the best Wisconsin fish fry in the little town of Eureka. Part of the fun is exploring the local places and finding your own favorite.

While all of these are favorites, I will also add that you can usually find me, along with a special group of local photographers, enjoying the soup and sandwiches at Planet Perk (100 City Center). Perk offers not only great coffee but great sandwiches and a quiet place to talk or read...just in case you need a short break from the sound of airplanes.

Airplanista Aviation Magazine Monthly Column: Dick Knapinski: The Countdown Clock

2011-09-21T22:22:00.001-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

By Dick Knapinski

Dick is a private pilot who flies a 1967 Piper Cherokee 140. He currently is Communications Director for EAA, a position reached after a long, winding road through broadcast and print journalism, not to mention a passion for gluing airplane model parts to his parents’ kitchen table as a boy.

Here in the EAA offices in Oshkosh, there’s one guy who keeps a little hall monitor on the wall outside his office. The monitor never says anything to us who pass by it every day. It doesn’t have to. One look says it all.

The hall monitor is a digital EAA AirVenture countdown clock. In August, its owner resets it after the fly-in finishes, at about 355 days or so. Each day when we walk by his office, the number diminishes. It doesn’t seem so bad when it reads 300, or even 200. When that clock gets inside 100 days remaining, though, our mental motors switch on. We also swear at the clock’s owner. It’s time to kick prep work into high gear.

As you read this, we’re inside four weeks to opening day at Oshkosh. The campgrounds have officially opened and volunteers are coming in greater numbers each day. Even after 20 years, it’s still exciting to watch the AirVenture grounds grow, but it’s more than a little anxiety-inducing as well.

There are all the unanswered questions: Did we miss anything? … Didn’t we say last year we were going to replace that part before next year’s event? … Ah, heck, it’ll be OK for one more year … Did the supplies come in yet? … What does the weather forecast say?

Anyone who has planned anything from a church card party to a mega-event the size of AirVenture knows that feeling. If you sit still, it’s time lost. There’s always one more thing to get done. And something will not go the way you planned.

There are well-meaning people who start their phone calls to you with, “Hey, I know you’re really, really busy, but…” This statement is an ill wind and usually bodes no good. Something is about to be added to your list.

A lot us of make lists. Then we compare lists. Then we make more lists to track the combined lists. Plus one more list to tell us where we put all the lists and who to call in case you lose the list.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not complaining. I’m a person who has worked in a newsroom or something like it for nearly 30 years. The adrenaline rush of a deadline lets me know I’m alive. Just after July 4th, however, the task at hand here in Oshkosh as opening day rushes toward reality always seems more enormous than what could ever be accomplished.

Somehow things just start to mesh. I wish I could say there are magic pixies who drop in on, say, July 17, and put everything into order, make the flowers bloom and the port-a-potties clean. The reality is that it’s a tremendous amount of hard work by EAA volunteers, staff, contractors, suppliers, local folks, and lots of others. AirVenture is an example of what can happen when people say as a group and individually, “I’m not going to be the one who will let this fall short.”

As July ticks by, there are Oshkosh milestones that tell us show time is near. More campers appear in Camp Scholler. The exhibit tents begin to get roofs and walls. Truckloads of golf carts arrive. Boxes and crates and pallets of programs, schedules, signs, chairs and a zillion other items are dropped off. The guy on our receiving dock has probably signed more autographs than Brett Favre.

Then, one day the week before opening day, a single airplane lands and taxis into the North 40. The pilot and sometimes a passenger pull out a tent and pop it into place. They’re not here to work. They’re here to watch everyone else come in. Our own aviation Brigadoon is about to become real again.

I know each of the airplanes that lands at Wittman Regional Airport carries people who have their own dreams and goals for their personal Oshkosh experiences. Each of those hopes is different, but I see the work everyone has put in to make each of those experiences a great one. I hope you take a moment to appreciate what they do.

It also launches my own personal set of superstitions. I’ve got a few that I get kidded about. One of them is that I never wear the current year’s AirVenture cap until opening day. I don’t know where I picked up that habit – probably because one year I forgot about the hat until the first official day and the routine stuck. For me, there’s something about arriving on the grounds at oh-dark-thirty A.M. on opening day, reaching across the truck seat, and putting that brand new cap on my head. It’s the start of a great adventure for that hat and me, a journey where we don’t know what will happen over the coming seven days, but that it will be memorable for its own reasons.

So, it’s nearly time to put on the new cap. It’s show time at Oshkosh. I can’t wait, and I hope to meet you there.

Airplanista Aviation Magazine Monthly Column: Joe Clark: Racing history and the wind

2011-09-21T22:19:00.000-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

By Joe Clark

In 1929, Amelia Earhart and 19 other women pilots competed in the First Women’s Air Derby when they raced from Santa Monica, CA to Cleveland, OH. It was the start of something big; at the end of the race, Earhart and the other racers banded together in camaraderie. The meeting of this assembly of women flyers eventually evolved into the famous group, The Ninety Nines.

Throughout the 1930s, the women pilots raced around the continent in an event covering different cities and areas of the nation. The races ceased during the war, but started again after the war as the All Women’s Transcontinental Air Race, or the AWTAR. Most from around the United States and in the aviation industry knew of this race by its alternate name, The Powder Puff Derby.
Officials have since renamed the race as the Air Race Classic. Indeed, as with the races of yesteryear, the event is just as exciting and important in promoting general aviation today as it was in 1929. Two women from Embry-Riddle will compete in this year’s race.

The race covers a route of approximately 2,400 miles over a four-day period. The pilots are restricted to day VFR flying and they are also issued their handicap for the race. The pilots do not compete against one another, rather they fly to the best of their ability to attain the highest groundspeed possible over their handicap speed.

This results in the race being one of “flying the best possible cross country,” rather racing in the typical sense of the word. As such, the winner remains undeclared until the last crew has crossed the finish line and race officials evaluate the numbers. As officials and racers have noted, the winner could very well be the last airplane to land at the finish.

This year, Embry-Riddle will field two of the contestants, Rachel Petersen and Taylor McWilliams. Petersen is a flight instructor who graduated from the Aeronautical Science degree program and has been working as a CFI for two years. She originally hails from Vancouver, but moved to Tampa, FL with her mother when she was twelve. She is presently working on her master’s degree in airport operations. McWilliams, a senior at the university, is also in the Aero Sci program. Both are very excited about the race.

“We will be flying a Cessna 172 Nav III model,” Petersen said when asked about their craft. “The tail number will be November 392 Echo Romeo.” She went on to say that the airplane will be equipped with an autopilot and that 127.5 is their handicap speed this year. “We don’t usually do that, even at 2500 rpm, so we will have to use tailwinds to get above 127.5.”

McWilliams, originally from Cambridge, MD, is very excited about being in the race. She is looking forward to the experience of flying through the Midwestern states as they zigzag their way from Iowa, to South Dakota, to North Dakata, and back into to South Dakota. From there, the race travels to Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Louisana, Arkansas, and then to the final landing in Mobile, AL.

“I have never done anything like that,” she said, sitting in the offices on the flight line at the university. “I have done a cross country from Maryland to Fort Lauderdale, which was about nine hours in one day, but uh, nothing really out west.”

Both pilots underwent a rigorous selection process for the flight. The committee chose them based on their experience, their enthusiasm, and their compatibility. As Petersen put it, they try to choose pilots who will work together to build on each other’s personalities in order to excel in the race.

The flight instructor went on to say they would have their own website on which they would post a blog about their race experience. It would include their daily triumphs, as well as photos along the way. “The website is.” Petersen added the race organization also has a website for more information.

As the two young women talked about their upcoming race, they displayed the enthusiasm and eagerness, which was part of the reason the committee chose them for the race.

As with many of the students at Embry-Riddle, both racers knew they were going to be professional pilots at a young age. McWilliams when she was 13 as a result of getting the ride of a lifetime in an L-39 training jet; and Petersen at age 12 following a school assignment in aviation. Both indicated that ever since those life-changing events, they always knew they were agoing to be aviators.

By the time this goes live on the web, the race will be over. The scheduled race dates are June 21 – 24. Here’s wishing success to the ERAU racers and a safe journey for all.

Airplanista Aviation Magazine Feature Story: Book excerpt: A Silver Ring by Nathan Carriker

2011-09-21T22:13:00.001-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

By Nathan Carriker

After successfully handling a “two-bottle” engine fire shortly after takeoff, second-generation pilot and regional airline captain Paul Prator is “debriefing” with his copilot in the hotel bar when he strikes up a game of foosball with a beguiling young lady. The first woman ever on Cleveland’s Fire Department and only granddaughter of its haughty old Chief, headstrong Christina Lawton puts the shy pilot with a chip on his shoulder instantly, oddly, at ease.

“Cut me some slack, I’ve had kind of a rough day,” Paul said while trying to nonchalantly rise to the oddly formidable challenge of getting two quarters into the foosball table’s coin slots.

“Oh, yeah? So what exactly do you do anyway, if you don’t really repair dartboards?”
“Nothing quite so important, really. I’m a pilot.”

“You mean, like, airplanes?” Christina burst out laughing at what she’d call the ‘bimbosity’ of her question, covering her mouth and closing her eyes as she hung and shook her head. After a moment, she looked back at him, uncovered her mouth and held up the hand that had been covering it, saying, “Ok, now you’re probably wondering if I’m drunk—or secretly blonde!”

“I can think of one way to prove that one,” he mumbled with a ventriloquist’s smirk.

“No, that’s a fair question, really. There’s balloon pilots, helicopter pilots, even guys who drive boats call themselves pilots, but we fight that when we can. You ready?”

She nodded, and Paul dropped the ball through the chute in the middle of the table.

“So, who do you fly for? Are you one of those guys that fly executives around in Learjets, or in the Air Force, or what?” Christy had the ball well into his side of the table, and was maneuvering for a shot.

“I fly for a commuter airline, you might have heard of them, BlueSky Airlines.” Paul’s right hand was making his goalkeeper pace in his box, his defense still in their positions under his left, awaiting a chance to steal the ball.

“I’ve heard of them, but I thought you had to be older to do that, I mean, no offense or anything, but how did you get that job at your age, or are you way older than you look?” She flicked her left hand, and one of her attack figures slammed the ball to Paul’s goal, but it glanced off the side of his goalkeeper’s foot.

“How old do I look?” His defense passed to his midfield.

“I’m not answering that.” She smiled, coy again. “But am I wrong about thinking you’re young for an airline pilot?” Christy’s own midfield tipped Paul’s wayward pass, and she passed it to her attack.

“No, I am young, but I’ve had a few breaks, and I knew what I wanted to do since I was a little kid.” Paul’s defense and goalkeeper were getting fidgety as Christy’s attack maneuvered for another shot.

“Were you ever in the Air Force, or Navy or something, because, I mean, well there I go again.”
She started to lose the ball again, realized it, and fired off a quick and dirty kick that her relatives even heard hit the back of the goal box. She’d taken an early lead.

“You don’t have to join the military to become a pilot, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
She could have been stone deaf and still known—she’d hit a nerve.

“I would have loved to, but I started wearing glasses in 4th grade, so obviously I could never handle an F-14.” He pointed at his eyes, “Contacts. I’m ‘living a lie’.” Sarcasm ran like blood down his chin.

“So I did the next best thing, and now I’m kind of glad I did, because I’ll get hired at a big airline like Universal years earlier this way and be a captain by the time they can even hire a guy my age who’s in the military now. Then we’ll see who can fly and who can’t.

He finally noticed how Christy was hunkered down, waiting for the storm to pass.
“
I’m 23, by the way.”

Paul wasn’t a habitual liar, and it surprised him that he was would stoop to exaggerating his dim career prospects to her, just to help his case. What the hell was he so ashamed of? He’d just saved almost two dozen lives in his little “puddlejumper.”

“Wow. Well, that’s cool. But, you might want to stop talking so much and concentrate on your game, if you don’t mind my saying so.”

“Really? Ok, why don’t you serve, smart-ass, and tell me your life story while I tie this thing up, unless you don’t think you’ll have time.”

She held the ball up before serving it, chiding him, “Oh, I think I’ll have pllllenty of time.”
Paul made a face he usually reserved for his sister and hadn’t used since junior high.

“Well, I’m a firefighter, like them. Only, hopefully, not much like them.” Christina dropped the ball into the chute, and fought to gain control of it, but it angled quickly to Paul’s midfield, and he swung hard for a goal immediately but was stopped by one of Christy’s unattended defense.

“I tooold you,” she almost sang. Paul thought he’d never heard those three words sound so damned good.

“So, you’re a pilot. I always wondered how people get started doing that.” Christy dribbled the ball between two of her defense, waiting for Paul to start talking again.

“I hear that a lot. In my case, I think I was just made for it. Except for the nearsightedness, anyway. That was a pretty short life story, by the way. It’s almost as if you need me to do all the talking to score on me.”

Christy passed the ball straight from her defense to her attack, saying nothing in response.
“I don’t remember ever not loving airplanes, which is what my dad says, too. I think it’s just in our blood.”

Airplanista Aviation Magazine Monthly Column: Paul Tocknell: Ask a CFI

2011-09-21T22:10:00.000-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

Paul Tocknell is a flight instructor and corporate pilot from Dayton, Ohio. Paul has been an active flight instructor for over 10 years and holds numerous jet type ratings on his ATP certificate. Paul enjoys helping pilots answer their flight training related questions on his website at askacfi.com

Here are some of the questions recently submitted to askacfi.com. One of the nice things about askacfi.com is the fact that your answers don’t come from one instructor but from a TEAM of instructors! Some of these answers were provided by other instructors. Do you have a flight training question? Ask a Flight Instructor! Find us on the web at: http://www.askacfi.com.

Adarsh asks: Is there a limitation on how long an IFR ground school endorsement is good for (i.e., do you have to take the knowledge exam within a certain time period after you finish ground school)?

Instructor Wes Beard answers: There is no time limitation on the knowledge test endorsement. Theoretically, you can receive the endorsement 10 years before you actually take the test. I wouldn’t recommend it though. The questions are updated all the time and if you wait long enough, the knowledge test area could change as well.

Dan asks: I have been hearing many discouraging and negative comments about becoming a pilot. I have read that pilots are underpaid, overworked and have bad job security. Is it true?

Instructor Paul Tocknell answers: The truth is that right now many Americans, in all kinds of fields, are feeling underpaid, overworked and worried about their job security; not just pilots! That being said, I’m proud to say that as a corporate pilot, I definitely think I have a wonderful job. I can’t imagine doing anything else for a living and looking back, I would not change a thing. At times, it has been very rough and I questioned what I was thinking on career day, but overall, I have enjoyed the journey.

Unionized airlines pilots, in particular, have been especially hard hit by the recent economic developments. I hate to draw assumptions, but I would guess that might be where some of your “discouraging and negative comments” have originated from. The good news is the pay and benefits at the airlines is cyclical and although we may never see the pay and benefits return to pre-2001 levels, as the pilot population shrinks and general population increases, “pilot” will still be a necessary and sought after occupation. This may not happen in the immediate future, but 10-15 years down the road, a pilot shortage will occur and in my opinion, increased pay and benefits will follow.

Generally, the people who are successful in this field are PASSIONATE about aviation. If you have a real passion for aviation and know how to network with other passionate aviators, I believe that in any economy you will be able to find a good paying job that can provide for your family.

Dan also asks: What is the best degree to get alongside your experience and time at flight school? Is aeronautical engineering the best option or will any degree be considered ok?

Instructor (and airline pilot) Patrick Flannigan answers: Generally, all you need in aviation is a degree – the type does not matter. Think of your degree as a backup. If you get furloughed, lose your medical or a flying career just doesn’t work out for whatever reason, you need to have something to fall back on.

If you’re looking for something that might indirectly help, you could look at engineering, math or science paths. It won’t help you land a flying job any better, but you will probably develop better insight into the how and why of flight planning and aerodynamics.

There’s no need to get too technical either. Now that I write so much on my blog-www.aviationchatter.com- I wish that I had more formal training. A journalism or mass-communications degree might have been more helpful with that. Follow your interests with the degree – it’s your plan B.

Airplanista Aviation Magazine Feature Story: Mike Goulian: Focus + Drive = Perfection

2011-09-21T22:03:00.000-07:00

This aviation magazine article was originally published in the July, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine. You can view the original story in our digital aviation magazine here.

By Dan Pimentel, Airplanista Magazine Editor

Among aerobatic pilots entertaining us at air shows around the world, only a tiny handful have earned the reputation to be known as “rock stars” in their field. Mike Goulian is one of those stars. When the announcer says he’s diving the Whelen EXTRA 330SC into “the box” to begin his routine, it’s a call that immediately moves everyone a few steps closer to the flight line, their eyes glued to the sky.

Those who have been lucky enough to have seen Mike Goulian perform an aerobatic routine know his show is always solid, and as far as we mere mortals can tell, the picture of perfection. He commands maximum performance from his airplane, and delivers ridiculously fast snap rolls, inverted maneuvers and other “high G-load” extreme stunts that no human body should be capable of enduring.

Yet, we see Goulian do this week after week during air show season. Many of us watching certainly must wonder what is life like for a major-league aerobatic pilot, asking ourselves how they can accomplish such a high stress, physically-demanding routine while making it look so easy.

To get inside this story, I asked Goulian to stop rolling his EXTRA 330 long enough to provide the backstory of his life to Airplanista Magazine. After reading his notes, the main point that pops out is what you don’t often think about...the business end of a professional aerobatic team. Without the help of dedicated team members, a long list of loyal sponsors, some hot mechanics and team players, and his wife Karin, Goulian might be kicking back next to you on the flight line watching the other acts.

“Make no mistake about it,” says Goulian, “if you’re part of a professional air show team, you’re a marketing company that just happens to use an airplane and the air show as marketing vehicles. The flying performance becomes the smallest part of the job every week. For Goulian Aerosports, I’m guessing our staff of four spends approximately 80% of our time doing things relating to marketing and sponsorship. We focus hard on flying but we focus just as hard on all of the other aspects of our business. That’s probably the biggest misconception about what we do. Remember, we’re at the air show for five days and usually spend just 12 minutes in the air on a performance day.”

But WOW, what a thrilling 12 minutes they are! If you have ever gone through IFR training and did a few unusual attitudes sessions, you might have a microscopic idea of the physiological challenges Goulian faces during a routine. To teach unusual attitudes recovery, the CFI made you close your eyes, look in your lap with the hood on while he/she cranks and banks the plane. When asked to look back up, open your eyes and determine from your instruments - quickly - what the plane is doing, that moment of vertigo and uneasiness throws your situational awareness completely out of whack. So multiply that times about a million and you might understand what it’s like inside Goulian’s head when pulling out of yet another series of crazy maneuvers that should have his inner ear crying for mercy. It is here that conditioning is literally the key to survival.

“For me, the biggest thing is trying to stay oriented with the amount of very high speed multiple rotations I do during my air show,” Goulian explained. “In a modern air show, the pilots are pulling around 11 positive and 6 negative Gs, so when asked the question, do I get dizzy? The answer is YES!! That’s why you see me do a lot of rolls in one direction and then stop and do a couple in the opposite direction. I unwind myself.”

To stay in prime shape for this kind of flying, Goulian stays extremely active, knowing that he is every bit an athlete, and his entire body needs to be toned, fit and healthy. On the road, he says, keeping that level of fitness is sometimes a challenge.

“I think the physical conditioning is more important in the modern aerobatic planes than it was twenty years ago,” say Goulian. “For an exercise program, I’m really looking for overall fitness, which is incredibly important when you’re trying to stay physically fit over a nine-month period of living on the road. The hours in the air show industry are long. Most days are 12 – 15 hours of walking, talking, smiling, and flying. It’s not too bad for a day or two but over a period of time, it wears you down. My workouts usually consist of 30 minutes of cardio on a stationary bike or elliptical machine. As for weight training, I rely on machines more than free weights and try to get in as many reps as I have time for, given my schedule. In the winter, I spend a lot of time in a swimming pool with a very unique professional who trains athletes ranging from ballet dancers to Olympic skiers to the New England Patriots. The water is amazing for keeping my total body muscle strength where it needs to be.”

He needs this level of conditioning because on a regular basis, Goulian pummels his body in ways the average pilot cannot imagine. “Over the last couple of seasons, I have had recurring neck strains from trying to turn my head when under a lot of Gs. It’s been difficult to deal with, as the biggest thing an acro pilot needs to be great in an air show is mobility in the cockpit as it relates to your head and neck. Needless to say, I have spent many hours on the massage table and in the chiropractors office.”

Anyone who has spent time on the road even for a few days knows it can throw your body clock and mental sharpness into a tailspin. So when you spend nine months on the road and your job is to fly airplanes in dangerous ways, what secrets would you need to employ to be able to put your game face on when it’s time to drop into the box at show center? The main thing to strive for is focus.

“Living on the road is more difficult than people think,” explains Goulian. “How you pack, what you pack, what you eat, where you eat etc. are all the little things that keep you “comfortable” on the road. Comfort is key. Everything I do is totally the same and planned at each venue I go to. My team laughs at me because I totally unpack and put all of my clothes in certain piles etc. It all leads to repetition and being in the zone. That’s the key. So when you talk about being focused, it gets as nitty gritty as where I put my shoes each day. Also, proper nutrition is important. I have my own blender that I bring on the road to make my breakfast shakes each morning, and I always have a cooler with me so I can eat the right food each day.”

Being in the zone, staying sharp and making no mistakes are all key elements to Goulain’s life as a professional air show pilot. It helps to have a mind as well conditioned as your body. “Mental preparation for air show flying is really about focus,” he says. “There are a ton of distractions that can be harmful to your performance. I get ready for each flight by taking at least an hour and putting on my iPod to get away from it all. For me, I never “shut off” the mental part of my life. Really, every day as an aerobatic performer, you must think about flying if you want to be at the top levels of this profession. Performance is everything to me so I think about it morning, noon, and night.”

This life might seem like one not suited for everyone, but for this pilot, there was never any question that aerobatics would be his destiny. “I was sure I would love aerobatic flying before ever stepping into that Bellanca Decathlon in 1984 to try my first roll with my first aerobatic instructor, Donald Dutton. In fact, I was taking aerobatic lessons while still just a student pilot. I do not recommend that today, but I was so intent on getting started flying ‘acro’, that I was training to get my private and training in aerobatics at the same time,” Goulian said.

Today, Goulian has about 8,000 hours, holds ATP, SEL & MEL ratings, is type-rated in Lear Jet & Citation 500 series, and owns an A36 Bonanza to fly when not upside-down in the show plane. While the world’s airspace might be his stage and he might be the most visible face of Goulian Aerosports, it takes a tremendous effort all year to keep this show relevant, exciting and financially solvent.

“We are lucky to have a great team, and do a lot with a little,” Goulian said. “My wife Karin really is the GM of the entire operation. She does almost all of the logistics, which is a huge task. She also does a lot for the planning with sponsors etc. We all joke that Karin is “The Boss” but we say that because I think we all know it’s true. Matt Chapman is our Crew Chief and he takes care of the Whelen EXTRA 330 which is no easy task. I spend all summer trying to break it and Matt tries to keep it together. And David Kicklight has a pretty difficult job as well. He actually flies the show plane from show site to show site. Remember, we need good VFR to fly with nothing but a GPS for navigation. We don’t push weather at all. The plane is pretty unstable – it’s like trying to fly a helicopter in turbulence while trying to fold a map. David will do many days of approximately 1,000NM in the air trying to reach a show site.”

As an aerobatics star, we know about Goulian’s job, but personally, he is very much just like everyone watching his act from below. “I am totally blessed to have the greatest family in the world. My wife is so supportive of my flying and our business, and we have a beautiful little four-year-old girl named Emily. She is the light of our life and keeps us on our toes. But when I’m not working, I try and play a lot of golf, and maybe take it a little too seriously for the game to be considered a hobby. I practice like crazy and spend a lot of time with a great coach back in Boston. I guess it’s the Type A in me, but I don’t really want to play golf unless I am competitive in it.” And being competitive is what Mike Goulian is all about.

Throughout his season, one show stands out above the rest, and we all know what that is. “AirVenture is the one place where you want to “rock it” each year. So you had better bring your ‘A’ game to EAA,” he said.

As spectators, we respect the hard work that goes into an air show act like Goulian’s. But as his red-and-white Whelen EXTRA 330 rockets towards you, know this: Its pilot has mutual respect for every set of eyes in the crowd. “The spectators at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh are smart fans, and they know a good routine when they see one. I absolutely HAVE to fly everything to perfection, because they deserve nothing less!”

Before assuming age was a the cause of the Reno crash today...

2011-09-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

People who know zero about aviation are reacting all over the media and Twitter tonight that Pilot Jimmy Leeward's age was the cause of the terrible crash in Reno today. So to educate those who are tweeting without knowing facts, here is a breakdown of Leeward's FAA information from their database (my emphasis in red):

JAMES LEEWARD

Medical Class: Second
Medical Date: 3/2010 (this means he had a valid 2nd class medical, which is even harder to maintain than the usual third class medical most private pilots hold. To keep a FAA 2nd class medical, you need to have passed a rigorous medical examination by an MD who has been authorized by FAA to conduct these exams. Nutshell: Feeble old men do not hold this level of medical. Leeward's health had been signed off by the FAA, and he was legal to fly).

Certificates (Anyone with this many certificates issued by the FAA is a very VERY capable pilot.)

COMMERCIAL PILOT
AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND
AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE SEA
AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE LAND
INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE
ROTORCRAFT-HELICOPTER
GLIDER

Type Ratings (In each of these cases, Leeward had to prove to an Designated FAA Examiner that he was capable of piloting these various makes/models in normal and emergency situations)

C/AD-4N
C/B-17
C/CE-500
C/CV-LB30
C/CW-46
C/DC-3
C/DC-4
C/DC-B26
C/G-159
C/G-TBM
C/HW-500
C/L-18
C/L-B34
C/N-B25

Limits

B-17, G-TBM (VFR ONLY).
ALL MAKES AND MODELS OF SINGLE AND MULTI ENGINE PISTON POWERED AUTHORIZED AIRCRAFT. (This is the big one. If the FAA gives you this type rating, to fly ANYTHING that has one or two piston engines, you are in a very elite class of pilot. Very few pilots get this rating. There might be more guys playing quarterback in the NFL than pilots that have this rating.)
AUTHORIZED EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT: AV-L39 BF-109 BL-P63 CHV-F4U CU-P40 G-F3F G-F4F G-F6F G-F8F HE-111 L-P38 MIG-15 MIG-17 N-P51 N-P64 R-P47 SPITFIR WSK-TS11 YAK-3.

Bottom Line: It is far too early to know what happened at Reno, but early speculation from eyewitnesses report seeing Leeward's plane go out of control as if something broke. But as far as the FAA is concerned in regards to the pilot's age, their medical requirements are strict and there is zero wiggle room...you either are safe to fly or you are grounded...age is not a deciding factor, only the pilot's overall health. So to the non-pilots who want to bash this well-loved, highly experienced pilot because of his age, you don't know what you're talking about.

Oh, and he was 74 and not 80. The people tweeting that he was 80 look like complete fools.

Airplanista Magazine - Publisher Dan Pimentel’s Column: Trip to #OSH11 provides gratitude and clarification

2011-09-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

This digital aviation magazine content was originally published in the August, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine and can be viewed here.

As an aviation journalist, there’s no story worth more coverage than EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. You can’t walk five feet at the show without running into the next big thing, and stories about colorful aviators from yesterday, today and tomorrow are everywhere you look.

AirVenture is also one of the more stellar venues to promote an aviation publication. That’s precisely what I did during my three days at the show. While I would have loved to cruise the show grounds aimlessly gawking and not really thinking about anything serious, you know, like a VACATION, I’m in the 10th month of producing Airplanista Magazine and went to AirVenture to go “all in.”
My trip to AirVenture had two specific goals. First, I wanted to interact with readers and receive some honest feedback. What are we doing right and what needs improvement, these are questions I needed answered. I also wanted to see if our mission of presenting stories of GA advocates, activists and volunteers was resonating, if it was the right path to continue traveling.

I’m happy to report that not only was this theme resonating with readers, everywhere I went at Oshkosh, it was strongly confirmed that if there is one issue that is on the minds of every pilot, it is GA advocacy. I was thanked endlessly for the effort Airplanista is making to support those who work to build a stronger aviation family.

At the #Oshbash Tweet-up held at AirVenture, it was clear that this magazine is succeeding in bringing people together. The near-capacity crowd in the EAA Press HQ Media Tent heard from two people who are working to use aviation as the tool to create a better world or to do something wonderful. It was a joy to share the EAA microphone with Matt Pipkin and Julie Vessigault. Both are the kind of “Airplanistas” that this magazine is meant to honor.

The second reason I went “all in” at the show was to announce some new strategies designed to generate the funding needed to continue production. Successful meetings were completed with “A” list individuals and major companies that should lead to a strong financial future of this publication.

After Oshkosh, I’m more confident than ever that when it comes to celebrating those people in aviation who have devoted their lives to pushing this community forward - the true “Airplanistas” among us - our magazine is starting to own this niche.

Airplanista Magazine Feature Story: Aussie Airplanista

2011-09-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

This digital aviation magazine content was originally published in the August, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine and can be viewed here.

By Kathy Mexted with James Kightly

“Airplanista” is not just the name of this magazine, it is a state of mind. And these great friends of aviation can be found all around the globe, including Australia.

In 1893, Australian inventor Lawrence Hargreave created the ‘boxkite’. By linking four of his tethered kites together and adding a sling seat, he flew up to 16 feet, proving that safe and sustained flight was possible. His theories provided a technical basis for the development of the first of the European and American aeroplanes. Hargreave never patented his inventions, selflessly believing it was more important to share his findings for the good of scientific advancement.

After a lot of false starts, the first powered and controlled flight in a “heavier than air” craft was famously achieved on December 17, 1903 by the Wright brothers who flew at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USA.

A few years after these first flights, on the cusp of war, the first military flight in Australia took place from a Government-owned paddock at Point Cook, Victoria in a Bristol Military Biplane on March 1, 1914. The Australian Flying Corps (AFC) was active. The British-built Bristol was usually called a ‘Boxkite’, harking back to Hargreave’s experiments twenty years earlier. RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) Point Cook, operated first by the Army, then the Air Force, and now a National Historic Registered site, is believed to be the oldest continuously-used military airfield in the world.

Shortly after that first brief military flight, the Great War broke out and most civil aviation was suspended. Australians flocked to enlist and many became pilots. By the end of the war, thousands of Australians had been into the air. Many were killed in training accidents while yet more fell in combat. Those that returned home, like 2 Squadron AFC ‘ace’, Capt Roby Manuel, DFC* from Kerang, Victoria, often brought surplus war disposal aircraft with them. Roby flew various aircraft from his farm for over half a century.

It was air races that connected Australia, a big and remote country, to the rest of the world. In 1919, the Australian government offered a prize of 10,000 pounds for the first Australians to fly from England to Australia, and of the six aircraft that started, only two finished. The winners were brothers Keith and Ross Smith, who completed the journey in just under 28 days. While the Smith’s were on their way to Darwin, Northern Territory, Captain Henry Wrigley and Sergeant Arthur Murphy flew a Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2e (a single-engine, open cockpit biplane) from Point Cook to Darwin to meet the Smiths on their arrival. The journey took 47 hot bumpy hours with multiple landings, and was almost as epic a journey as it had been for the Smith brothers and their mechanics to get to Australia from London. The Vimy, G-EAOU, flown by the Smiths is now on show at Adelaide’s airport.

The other aircraft to complete the journey was even more primitive – a single-engine two-seat ex-light bomber, flown by ‘Battling’ Ray Parer. His trip took an epic 206 days. He and his non-pilot crewman, Scotsman John McIntosh, faced many hurdles that included a jailing and multiple crashes, but they never gave up, and arrived in 1920 with a final crash-landing. This DH-9 is now on display in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
It’s thought around 60 machines were flying in Australia prior to the establishment of the Civil

Aviation Authority on March 28, 1921. Some of the returning war pilots took up regular flying, while others found such constraints difficult after wartime action, and continued with the more exciting pursuits of long distance record breaking flights, air races and barnstorming. It was barnstorming that caused the government to regulate aviation.

When the Australian Government lifted an import ban in the 1960s, allowing American manufactured Cessna and Piper airplanes to be imported without excess tax, the glory years for General Aviation (GA) began in Australia, albeit at the cost of indigenous designs like the Victa Airtourer - unable to compete in price and production. According to a Victorian aircraft importer, the massive growth was driven by cashed-up baby boomers. Flying schools and aero clubs thrived around the country as flying came within the grasp of ordinary people.
Government regulations and growing costs since the mid-1990s however have seen a monumental shift to sophisticated Recreational Aircraft (RA) for private flying whereas the strongest demand for GA licenses these days is from potential airline candidates. Australia now has five airlines, and an increased number of regional airlines and freight operations.

City-based flying schools report the biggest growth area in pilot training is within the helicopter industry, generally geared towards heli-mustering (cattle round-ups) on our large outback station (ranch) properties, which often extend over hundreds – sometimes thousands of square miles.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is the regulating body for civil aviation in Australia. Based in the nation’s capital, Canberra, they set the structure for training requirements and manage the licensing.

The basic pilot license is a GFPT (General Flying Progress Test) for a student pilot. It requires an aviation medical certificate from a certified aviation medical doctor and completion of a BAK (Basic Aeronautical Knowledge) theory exam before undertaking the flight test. The GFPT allows a pilot to carry passengers within ten nautical miles of the departing aerodrome, or within the specified training area of a flight school.

The average cost of training in a Cessna 152 is $200 Australian dollars (A$200) per hour, and average time is 20 hours of training. An Aviation medical exam is around A$154 and books and fees on top of that about A$450, so by the time a student reaches GFPT status, they’ve spent about A$4,500.

The second phase of training is Navigation, which will be certified with a PPL (Private Pilot’s License). The theory exams are Navigation, Meteorology and Flight Rules & Procedures. This multiple choice exam is conducted online with results available immediately. The holder of a PPL can hire and fly anywhere within Australia or Papua New Guinea, a rugged mountainous country about 500 miles off the northern-most tip of the east coast of Australia. The PPL is usually conducted in a larger aircraft and requires about 20 hours of navigation proficiency training with aircraft totaling about A$4,500 and extras to about A$1000. The total cost from earthling to freewheeling aviator is around A$9,000 to A$10,000. Currently the Australian dollar is getting $1.06 US.

Recreational aviation requires the pilot simply to be in a state of health that is sufficient for them to hold a driving license. One of the RA specialist schools is Aus Air Services with a range of aircraft available and based 55 minutes drive from the city of Melbourne, Victoria. For around A$5,000 to A$6,000, you can gain an unrestricted RA license. Accommodations can be arranged at Tooradin, and being on the coast they have a pretty good seafood restaurant. There is no air traffic control, and there is as much fun in the nav destinations as there is in learning to fly. King Island, famous for its crayfish, is to the south, and there are wineries, mountains and coastline with great airstrips. Highlights would have to be flying along the world renowned Great Ocean Road and a three hour flight to the little-known Lake Mungo Lodge. Lake Mungo is an archaelogical treasure, and offers a rich taste of the remoteness of the Australian outback.

Aussie pilots can be found in all corners of the world. To fly an Australian VH- registered aircraft to another country, we need only airways clearances, but to fly an aircraft registered to that country, we need to obtain a license issued in that country. When we recently flew from Canada to the Bahamas in a Canadian registered aircraft, we simply contacted Transport Canada, their civil aviation body and provided the paperwork and fee, and had the information verified with CASA. The license was issued within three weeks. For Australians to obtain a U.S.A. license is more complicated, however.

For a foreign GA pilot to come and fly in Australia as a private pilot, then a “Special Pilot License” can be issued, based on the overseas license and with a current medical certificate.
Before using the license, there is a local flight test and a security check.

Verification of all overseas qualifications will be conducted by CASA before recognizing an overseas license or qualification. This involves CASA checking qualifications with the overseas regulatory authority that initially issued the qualification.

There are a few surprises for visitors expecting Australia to be like home – unlike the US or the UK, Australia is a fully metric country. Australian English can take a bit of learning while on the ground, which is part of the fun, although generally in the skies the English is pretty internationally standard. Australians drive on the left hand side of the road. Australia is about the size of Europe, or the United States’ Lower 48, so flying around it makes sense. Once licensing is sorted out, there is a smorgasbord of flying destinations, from the glorious coastlines to the rugged and remote interior.

Airplanista Magazine Monthly Column: Adam Fast's NASA Report: The future of space travel without NASA’s shuttles

2011-09-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

This digital aviation magazine content was originally published in the August, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine and can be viewed here.

By Adam Fast,
for Airplanista Magazine

As we enter a post-Shuttle era, a great deal of uncertainty remains about what the United States will do for its spacefaring future.

In the meantime, the International Space Station will be crewed solely from Russian Soyuz capsules. November, 2009’s STS-129 was the last time a Shuttle would bring a Station crewmember (Nicole Stott) back from orbit. She was also the last astronaut to commute to space on a Shuttle, STS-128 in August, 2009. Under the most recent agreement covering 2014-2015, NASA pays Roscosmos (Russian Space Program) $62.7 million per seat for this “taxi” service.

Basic resupply of fuel, water, breathable oxygen and experiment materials has begun via both Roscosmos “Progress” supply ships based on the Soyuz and the European Space Agency’s “ATV” or automated transfer vehicle non-reusable capsules. ATVs are capable of about three times as much cargo as a Progress and both launch unmanned and handle their own navigation / control for docking (crew on the ground and on Station monitor docking closely just in case.)

In order to keep multiple supply possibilities open NASA has begun their “commercial orbital transportation services” program, or COTS. COTS provides both financial investment and technology assistance from NASA to vendors developing NASA requested technologies. A number of vendors are involved in COTS, but none is further along than Space Exploration Technologies, SpaceX. On December 8, 2010 a SpaceX Falcon 9 (9 engines named the Merlin 1C) launched from Cape Canaveral, FL and entered orbit around Earth. After two orbits, the capsule re-entered the atmosphere and landed in the Gulf of Mexico.

The development of the Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule are claimed by SpaceX to have cost $300 million over 4.5 years - by comparison the NASA Mercury program is reported to have cost $384 million, adjusted for the consumer price index more than $2.7 billion 2010 dollars. Keep in mind, however, that 20 unmanned and 6 manned flights were made during Mercury - and very little was truly known about going to space at that time. The dollar figure of the research and development known and available to SpaceX now can’t be determined to truly compare apples to apples here - but it is a great achievement nonetheless.

The next Falcon 9/Dragon flight is to approach the International Space Station and prove that the system is ready for on-orbit rendezvous. Engineering review and conversations are taking place to combine this (third) flight with the next planned flight and proceed to fully dock. This is expected to be approved, but is not a given yet. After this/these flights SpaceX will become the first non-governmental agency to operate an orbital delivery service to ISS.

SpaceX also intends for its rockets and capsules to be human-rated - if this is achieved they may eventually be sending crew to ISS for their “shifts” as well. It could eventually be used for space tourism, and its development objectives included the ability for use on Mars and lunar missions.

What about the other “commercial space” story we’ve all heard of - Burt Rutan’s SpaceShipOne/SpaceShipTwo? It doesn’t actually enter orbit, so while its occupants are unquestionably “in space” they’re going too slow to stay there for more than a few minutes. They will open up space to more “normal people” but the craft isn’t capable of a trip to the ISS or executing experiments that require more than a few minutes of microgravity.

The other interesting idea is sometimes called the “Space Hotel.” In 2006, Bigelow Aerospace launched Genesis 1 followed by Genesis 2 in 2007, both prototypes and proof of concept of their plan for commercial space stations using what they call “inflatable space structures” which are launched smaller than their final size. As they continue their development, any company or individual who wants their own space program can rent space on board.

The day I get to pin on astronaut wings is going to be awesome, regardless of how I get there.

-Airplanista Magazine Feature Story: OSHBASH Tweetup a Major Success

2011-09-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

This digital aviation magazine content was originally published in the August, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine and can be viewed here.

By Dan Pimentel,
Airplanista Editor

Poor performance of cell/wi-fi systems ends Tweeplechase before it could begin.

(EAA Press HQ, Media Center) Remember that Oprah show where she gave everyone in the audience a 2005 Pontiac G6? “You get a car, you get a car, everyone gets a car,” the host shouted to a screaming audience. It was one of the most memorable promotions of her show’s run.

The 2011 Airplanista Magazine Oshbash Tweet-up at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh was in one respect similar to that TV show because every person at our event walked out with a door prize. We did not give everyone in the audience a new airplane, as there was just no budget for that.

Nearly every seat in the 60-person capacity Media Center press conference room was filled with our magazine’s readers, made even larger by a sizeable contingent of Twitter followers and Podcasters. There were also a few interested parties who drifted in to suck up the air conditioning and stayed because they liked what they were hearing as I explained the GA advocacy mission of our publication.

It was a wonderful thing to see so many vendors and individuals come together to rally behind us as we work towards making Airplanista the one publication that celebrates those who labor tirelessly to promote GA. With the donation of nearly $2,000 in Oshbash and Tweeplechase prizes, it is clear that the GA advocacy issue is top of the mind for everyone in aviation. With the backing of several fine companies and individuals, we were able to honor our readers who have bought into the concept of reading a new media, online only digital publication.

After a few words by myself, I brought Matt Pipkin of the Commit65 project to the lecturn to promote his cause as he brings awareness to his work encouraging victims of child sex abuse to speak out. Pipkin’s effort at AirVenture was to raise funds to fly his 1958 Cessna 172 for 65 days straight to break the current world’s record.

Pipkin, himself a victim of abuse as a child, is the exact kind of Airplanista that our magazine embraces. As he spoke to the Oshbash audience, it was clear with the long round of applause at his presentation’s conclusion that our readers love hearing about those of us trying to make a difference in aviation, or in Pipkin’s case, using aviation as the stage to raise awareness in the mainstream media and the public.

Also speaking about her work to raise money to construct a bench in Neosho, MO as a memorial to Amanda Franklin was another active Airplanista, Julie Vessigault. As Julie travels the country, she talks up GA and also promotes her endeavor to honor Amanda. She can be found daily on Twitter as @juliewillfly.

At our Oshbash, people sampled free coffee from Flying High Coffee, and enjoyed lots of good aviation conversation. Those who were in the door precisely at the event’s start could have also enjoyed a photo op with aerobatic star Mike Goulian, who graced our July cover. Goulian’s time is as precious as you might expect for a performer of his caliber, and it was genuinely appreciated that he and his family were able to keep their commitment to visit the Oshbash event. Of note was Goulian’s enthusiasm for Airplanista Magazine’s mission, and his insistence to stay connected and work collaboratively to build a stronger GA community.

There were many stories of donations that came in for this event, and all were truly appreciated. But one completely blew my mind as I was setting up the tweet-up. Out of nowhere, Ken Mist (@eyeno on Twitter) handed me a copy of Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters by Chesley B. Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow. He asked me to open it to about page three, where he showed me that “Sully” himself had autographed the book! The fact that Mist was donating this on the spot was serious validation that Airplanista Magazine is resonating with many, many aviators.

Another generous donation came from Cory Robin, who flew in aboard his PZL Wilga, which I nicknamed “the Wilgabeast” on Twitter. I am glad Robin has a sense of humor! He recently bought a number of items at a event to raise funds for the Franklin family following the air show accident in Texas. Robin’s donation of 20 Amanda Franklin posters and two of the team’s t-shirts meant everyone left the event with something in their hand.

The generosity of Mist and Robin complimented the donations received in support of our mission by Sporty’s Pilot Shop, AvPad, Girls With Wings, Windtee.com, Gold Seal Flight Products, the PBS show The Aviators, Nathan Carriker, Dakota Cub and Quayside Publishing.
But while Oshbash was a complete success, our Tweeplechase promotion was a complete failure. I had planned the event well, scheduled each “chase” to coincide with major AirVenture events, and coordinated pick-up of prizes with a number of generous Airplanista Magazine supporters. But what I did not plan for was the completely pathetic Internet connectivity at the show grounds.

The whole point of Tweeplechase was to direct players around the show grounds using tweets on Twitter. But in just the first few minutes of the first “chase” it was clear that the AT&T system set up at the show was again failing to handle the bandwidth requirements of AirVenture attendees. By the third day of Tweeplechase, trying to use any device was a disaster. The nearly non-existent 3G coverage at KOSH would downgrade to EDGE speeds as soon as the grounds filled in the morning, and then go to “no service” for the rest of the day. This caused everyone - including exhibitors trying to process credit card sales - to revert to the EAA wi-fi system on the field, which also became overwhelmed. I eventually called off Tweeplechase and instead gave away those prizes at the Oshbash tweet-up.

Even with Tweeplechase bombing out due to the connection issues, I still feel like our magazine’s contributions to the social networking scene at #OSH11 was a worthwhile effort and helped bring the aviation family a little bit closer together. Tiny online profile pictures from people I knew online became handshakes and hugs from actual humans. It was very cool to see smaller groups of contacts from Twitter meeting other groups as we all traded stories, shared content, and throughly enjoyed the company of so many like minds.

And now that I have succeeded in raising the bar for our magazine’s promotions at AirVenture, I had better get busy planning the #OSH12 events. I’m still not sure how we’ll top Mike Goulian and “you get a prize, you get a prize, everyone gets a prize,” but I will certainly give it a best effort and see what happens. Like everything else with Airplanista Magazine, this project is a fluid concept where the end result is a somewhat moving goalpost, and one never knows for sure what tomorrow will bring.

All I can do is promise our readers this one thing: If you come along on this journey towards whatever Airplanista Magazine becomes, I will do everything I can to make the ride interesting, scenic and worthwhile.

Airplanista Magazine Monthly Column - Chef Stuart Stein: The Money Burger

2011-09-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

This digital aviation magazine content was originally published in the August, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine and can be viewed here.

The Literal $150 Hamburger - Starduster Café at Independence (Oregon) State Airport (7S5)

My “go to” $150 hamburger in Oregon is the Starduster Café at Independence State Airport (7S5). Independence State is located at the edge of Independence, Oregon, a mere 53 nautical miles southwest of my home base of Portland-Troutdale Airport (KTTD). This relatively small, non-towered airport gets overlooked in favor of Salem McNary Field (KSLE), its towered big brother to the east. Don’t let this happen.

What makes 7S5 special? First, Independence State is a favorite of home builders, restorers, pilots practicing narrow strip landings and those traveling through looking for inexpensive 100LL. Second, Nutsch Aviation, owned by Wayne Nutsch, is a small FBO that offers everything you want from flight training, hanger rental, oxygen and courtesy cars to WiFi and pilot supplies. Independence State is also the base of Chapter 292 of the Experimental Aircraft Association. This thriving organization sponsors an annual Biplane Fly-In and the annual Van’s Homecoming/RV Fly-In supplementing their forty RVs on site. If that wasn’t enough, this bustling little strip is adjacent to the two hundred home Independence Airpark.

So why is the Starduster Café and Independence State a favorite? For starters, this is the first airstrip I took a passenger and had $150 hamburger after I received my pilot’s license. Food is a strong trigger of emotion and memory. The smells, sites and sounds of the Starduster brings me back to that joyous and triumphant occasion. Additionally, both the airstrip and the restaurant are welcoming, comforting, friendly and relaxed. Almost as important, it’s a short hop from TTD. This allows one to load up the dog, bring a friend and along and including gas, rental or maintenance allocation and food, have a literal $150 hamburger.

On a recent weekday afternoon, a friend and I tied down N75542, walked around the small outside weathered deck and walked through the nondescript runway-side entrance into the Starduster. As we entered, Jim Hendrix’s rendering of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” was blasting over the speaker. Already a good sign. Airpark residents certainly sustain the business, especially during their dinner hours, but during this midday, one could certainly tell it is a destination restaurant. We sat in our mismatched chairs and noticed fellow aviators from the Oregon coastal town of Astoria, several local EAA members and a Northern California Bonanza owner that stopped for some self-serve while traveling north to Portland.

With breakfast and lunch served till 3:00pm everyday, choices abound. Breakfast is pretty standard fair. There is a good selection of pancakes, waffles and French toast along with a vast selection of egg dishes. Omelets, skillets and scrambles ($8.25-$9.50) come in a variety of incarnations but what really sets breakfast apart is the Starduster’s love of potatoes and meat. Almost every dish I’ve had over the years came with their from-scratch, house-made, crispy hash browns. If yours doesn’t, I recommend investing in a side order. You won’t be disappointed.

The Starduster dinner, also known as Smokey Ray’s, has been operating on Thursdays through Sundays since 2008. They are known for the various cuts of beef, pork, sausages and chicken that are slow roasted for hours at 225 degrees Fahrenheit over a combination of Hickory, Apple and Cherry wood. These succulent mouthwatering proteins thankfully get carried over into the breakfast and lunch menus. A Prime Rib Hash served with Eggs & Toast ($8.95) and the Sweet BBQ Chicken with Roasted Garlic & BBQ Sauce on Ciabatta Bread ($8.50) are the best examples.

For the true “eaters” among us, two dishes should get your attention. The Cheesy Hash Browns is a combination of those house-made hash browns loaded with Ham, Bacon, Sausage, Mushrooms, Roasted Garlic and Sour Cream ($10.95). It’s served with eggs and your choice of biscuits & gravy, pancakes or French toast and tastes as decedent as it sounds. The Outlaw, a combination of two 1/3-pound Hamburger Patties with Ranch Dressing, Mushrooms, Bacon, Ham, Swiss & American Cheese ($7.75) is the deal of the century. You’ll need two hands, more than one napkin and a few extra holes on your belt.

Not everything on the burger, sandwich and wrap menu is a winner. A simple burger on a bun leaves a bit to be desired and doesn’t really show the true talent of the kitchen. The “melts”, especially the tuna and Patty were a little flavorless, somewhat flabby and a tad greasy. Every time I visit, I wish that some more of that Smokey Ray’s dinner goodness ended up between several pieces of bread or on a good locally-made bun.

Despite or because of some of its flaws, the Starduster Café is a great value no matter when you come. It’s consistent, unpretentious, mostly tasty and a relaxing gathering place for a group of like-minded aviators. Almost as important, the total bill for the entire day was $149.50.

Starduster Café
4705 Airport Road
Independence, OR 97351
Phone: (503) 838-1781
http://stardustercafe.com

Breakfast & Lunch
Open Monday – Saturday
6:00am – 3:00pm (PST)

Open Sunday
7:00am – 3:00pm (PST)

Dinner
Open Thursday – Sunday
4:00pm – 8:00pm (PST)

Nutsch Aviation
P.O. Box 369
4901 Airport Road
Independence, OR 97351
Phone: (503) 428-7209
http://www.nutsch.com

EAA Chapter 292
Chapter Hangar
4803 Airport Road
Independence. OR 97351
http://eaa292.org

Airplanista Magazine: Vincent Lambercy: Flying, Across the Pond: Air Show Season in the EU

2011-09-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

This digital aviation magazine content was originally published in the August, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine and can be viewed here.

There’s nothing comparable to Oshkosh in Europe. But throughout the good weather season, Europe offers a good variety of air shows. One of the earliest in the season is the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition, or EBACE for short, taking place in Geneva. This is, however, not a free to attend event. EBACE is more a trade fair for business jets than an air show. Many aircraft are shown in the static display area, but there are no flight demonstrations, at least not over the airport. The next EBACE will take place from the 14th to the 16th of May, 2012.

One of the biggest air shows in Europe is in Farnborough, near London, which demonstrates that there actually is a good season for weather in England despite rumors. This air show is primarily oriented towards commercial and military aviation. Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and other manufacturers flex their muscles and fly their latest models there. But the real competition takes place “behind the scenes” and the winner is the one announcing the most sales by the end of the week. The next edition will take place from the 9th to the 15th of July, 2012. The 14th and the 15th will be open to the public, but the 9th to the 13th are reserved to trade and press visitors.

The Paris Air Show takes place every second year, alternating with Farnborough, thus proving that the Entente Cordiale between England and France still works. The Paris Air Show is held at Le Bourget airport, in the northeast of Paris. The rest of the year, this airport is used by business aviation. The first three days are reserved for aviation professionals but the show opens to the general public on the two last days. Just as in Farnborough, there are lots of static displays and flight demonstrations. The next show will be the 50th anniversary edition and will take place in 2013 at dates still to be published. By the way, a trip to Le Bourget is also the opportunity to visit the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace - the Air and Space Museum. The entrance is free, and it is the home of many historical and recent aircraft.

The Aero Friedrichshafen is much more oriented towards General Aviation. Friedrichshafen is located on the northern shores of Lake Constance, in Germany, close to the Swiss and Austrian borders. The latest edition attracted 550 exhibitors in 11 halls. This is probably the most Oshkosh-ish airshow in Europe, except for the smaller size. This is not surprising as the Aero Friedrichshafen is patronized by the German Aeroclub, the German AOPA and the EAA. The next edition will take place from the 18th to the 21st of April, 2012.

The newest air show in Europe is the Cannes Air Show. The 2011 edition was the fifth one. This air show also focuses on general aviation. The exhibitions and demonstrations range from light aircraft to business jets, not to forget turboprops and helicopters. Tickets cost 35 EUR on the trade days and 15 EUR on the public days. Many visitors however get invitations from aircraft manufacturers or other businesses located on the airport.

The most remarkable of all European air shows takes place in early autumn. It is not an air show in the usual sense of these words, but a demonstration organized by the Swiss Air Force in the Axalp air-ground shooting range. This is a dream and a must go for spotters, but even if it is free, there is a price to pay...

The air-ground shootings, low passes and other demonstrations take place in a rather narrow valley. The noise of F/A-18 and other aircraft flying with full afterburners rolls and resonates down the valley and is much stronger than thunder. Spectators can feel it more than they can hear it. The targets are on a ridge running across the valley, and the spectators are placed on higher ridges, along the valley. This unique setup makes it possible to actually see the fighters from above as they climb to shoot at the targets. Seeing them plunge beyond the ridges is also a breathtaking sight.

The whole thing takes place in a mountainous area and the walk to the summit takes one hour. Many walk up there with cameras and lenses weighing several pounds. It is not unusual that the event gets cancelled because of weather, but when it takes place, it is really spectacular. Many people even take the walk for the rehearsal, one day before the demonstration. The demonstration in Axalp is not only about flying. It is officially called “Air force live fire event Axalp”.

Smoke seen up there does not always come from a generator.

Airplanista Magazine Feature Story: Best. Oshkosh. Ever.

2011-09-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

This digital aviation magazine content was originally published in the August, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine and can be viewed here.

By Dan Pimentel,
Airplanista Magazine Editor

Runway 18/36 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin is 8,002’ long. Even though it’s big enough to easily land a 787 Dreamliner, the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh show grounds stretch far beyond the thresholds. From the South 40 where classic Seabees can be found, to the North 40 where one lone PZL Wilga stood tall among a sea of Cessnas, Pipers, and Beechcraft V-tails, the “world’s largest aviation celebration” drew Airplanistas from around the globe to join in one gigantic aviation family reunion.

(OSHKOSH) The anticipation has been killing me for weeks, waiting for wheels up, direct Wisconsin. As I start this journey, this story and this adventure, I am on United 353 climbing out of FL240 headed for Airplane Heaven. The Airbus A320 underneath me won’t be flying over Ripon today, following the railroad tracks to FISK towards a greaser on the purple dot, but I am still an aviator inbound to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, and life is good.

As departure for my most anticipated AirVenture trip grew closer, I found myself almost addicted to the #OSH11 tweet stream. I’d become giddy seeing the photo of the very first airplane camper in the North 40, and spent too much time analyzing the Accuweather extended forecasts. As friends and readers of this magazine departed and ultimately arrived at the show grounds, I became like a jealous tweenager when I’d see them standing on ConocoPhillips Plaza while I was stuck at my studio still working.

But when it became my turn to head off to the shores of Lake Winnebago to bask in the smell of AvGas and grilled Brats, the trip came together perfectly. The Friendly Skies changed my routing into Appleton, eliminating a KPDX - KSFO leg, and even gave me a free upgrade to Economy Plus so my knees wouldn’t have to be jammed against the back of seat 7E. And when I plugged in my earbuds and could actually hear the flight deck ask for push back, I knew this was going to be a fantastic trip to a fantastic place.

I had planned my three days at AirVenture to include the Tribute to Burt Rutan on Thursday and the night air show on Saturday. This meant several days of reading about the show already in progress. To an Airplanista like myself, watching a video of the B-29 FIFI arrive while I was still days away from my own departure was like being waterboarded. To view EAA’s exceptional daily video updates meant seeing people I know enjoying all that Oshkosh can be, from the Bacon Parties to the hangars full of gear and toys, to the acres and acres of gleaming flying machines.

My travel day was Wednesday, the day major rains came to what was beginning to look a lot like #SLOSHGOSH2. Even with a major thunderstorm covering the entire state of Wisconsin - and causing a flow situation into KORD - I arrived in Cheese Country, USA six hours earlier than had been planned. And anyone who has ever done this show knows that an extra six hours of EAA’s big shindig is golden. Soon I would join half a million of my closest aviation friends for our annual family reunion, aerobatic exhibition and ginormous trade show.

No matter how many times I trek to Oshkosh, I am never quite prepared for AirVenture. I created a schedule using Adam Fast’s awesome OSHPlanner.com, but like everyone else trying to pack too much into a few days, that schedule got hammered early on the first day.

AirVenture is not just a big show, it is not even a really big show. It is so much bigger than big in a physical sense that even with trams and shuttles, I am never ready for the endless walking required to get around.

One minute, I’d find myself in the Vintage aircraft area, and realize the favorite lens I want to use to shoot warbirds was stashed back in the EAA Photo trailer, in the camera bag I got tired of lugging everywhere. After a couple of hikes and tram rides, I’d end up at my intended destination in warbirds, only to realize I wanted to shoot the Tribute to Burt Rutan happening in 10 minutes a mile away on ConocoPhillips Plaza. After banging out a couple of quick shots and without a Sherpa to help carry my overloaded backpack, I’d begin the hike over to where Rutan was speaking, arriving late as the crowd was dispersing. Maybe had I not made what felt like a lifesaving hydration break en route, I might have got the shot, and the story. Repeat this chase-your-tail calamity all day, every day covering Oshkosh and it starts to quickly resemble the journalism Ironman Triathlon.
This show is covered so well by the many exceptional aviation dailies, weeklies and even EAA’s own AirVenture Today newspaper, I will not attempt to present a day-to-day report on AirVenture 2011. But I will offer some of my favorite moments during my three days of aviation bliss.

Early on Thursday, it was my pleasure to gawk at the collection of Burt Rutan’s designs in a place of honor at show center. The ridiculously wonderful Boomerang looked a little unconventional but was said to be Rutan’s favorite design. Also on display was the recently-renovated Catbird which was built for speed, and it showed. A surprise was a Rutan Model 72 Grizzly, which Rutan built to show he could design an airplane with STOL characteristics. Complimenting all of this aeronautical history was a Model 115 Starship, a very rare sight these days. All of these display machines made demonstration flights throughout the week.

Friday at AirVenture was crazy busy for everyone working the show, as crowds pushed attendance to record levels due to the arrival of Boing’s 787 Dreamliner. Mid-morning, the 787 arrived over the show grounds, doing a “quiet pass” which showed just how little external noise this next-generation airliner produces. Once parked at show center, the Dreamliner appeared larger than I had imagined, and was mobbed all day.

Of note to this writer while peeking inside the landing gear wells of the -87 was the unusually high amount of intricate wiring harnesses. This massive array of wires - all held together by possibly the largest collection of zip-ties in one place - demonstrated the high level of technology employed on the 787.

Saturday was another busy day for the exhausted EAA staff running the show. Crowds swelled again, and an afternoon gust front that moved through caught many on the grounds off guard. Personally, I have never experienced a tornado, so the massive, dark wall cloud moving towards us from the north was a little unnerving. Standing by the EAA Photo trailer as the 45 mph gusts raked KOSH, I found myself looking around to see what sort of projectiles upwind from my position were about to be launched horizontally towards the giant Birch I was using as shelter. Nearby, when a pair of Port-a-Potties blew over - thankfully without people inside - I knew it was time to bail out and scrambled into the AirVenture Today newspaper office.

While the gusts were strong enough to cancel the afternoon air show, no serious damage to people or property were reported. One close call was discovered as I climbed aboard the bus to the Seaplane base from its South 40 terminus. Inside the bus were enough leaves and twigs to fill two large trash bags, debris that entered through a roof vent when a large tree limb crashed down on the vehicle during the storm. Luckily for the terrified riders, the bulk of the limb, which was large enough to close the road to the Seaplane Base indefinitely, just missed the rear of the bus.
In usual AirVenture fashion, when the skies cleared, the fun resumed. Just outside the Ford Motor Company tent, Da Blooze Bros, a “Blues Brothers” tribute band, cranked up the excitement before country music star Aaron Tippin took the stage in Theatre in the Woods for an energy-filled patriotic celebration.

The concerts were a great way for show guests arriving for the night air show to get their Oshkosh on as they meandered towards the flight line. Once the skies darkened, a spectacular scene erupted over runways 18/36 as a variety of twin-engine, single-engine and jet-engine airplanes laden with pyrotechics at every corner lit up the night. This very popular event was complimented by a massive fireworks display which I viewed from near the front of the FIFI, which was illuminated in the eerie wash of dramatic blue lights. From a purely artistic perspective, it was a magic AirVenture moment. Unfortunately, I was late for the last bus back to my “hotel” and after three days of shooting, meeting, hiking and interviews, I had nothing left in the tank to even pull my camera out of the pack one last time and capture the scene.

At Oshkosh, after “work” is done for the day, the social aspect of AirVenture begins. The people who have phones not connected to the AT&T network begin tweeting about bacon parties, s’mores gatherings, movies in EAA’s Fly-in Theater or an off-grounds excursion to sample some serious Wisconsin cuisine.

And when you want real Oshkosh food served by perky roller-skating car hops, gather a bunch of AvGeeks and head to Ardy and Ed’s Drive-in. In a demonstration of how impromptu flash mobs can quickly be formed through social networking at AirVenture, one night, four carloads of Airplanistas made a burger run through a time warp to this incredible burger joint that is seriously stuck in the 1950s.

We descended on Ardy and Ed’s and went completely bonkers gorging ourselves on such delicacies as the “Drive-in Double” burger, which mates a giant Bratwurst patty with a beef patty, grilled onions and just the right “animal-style” condiments to create the best burger this writer has ever tasted. It was a consensus among my group that procuring this burger will now become a mandatory requirement of any future trip to Oshkosh.

Located right down the street from the Oshkosh Truck plant, this little jewel of a drive-in drips pure Americana. In a city known for building bad-ass fire engines, military vehicles and overalls, somehow, life moves slower while standing in the parking lot cracking jokes with the car hops and cherishing every second surrounded by so many wonderful Airplanistas.

Maybe this will sum up the visit to Ardy and Ed’s; As each car entered the lot while we all stood and chatted and ate, I would do my finest imitation of the ATC controllers who guide the VFR traffic into the show over Fisk. As a car pulled in, I’d crack the crowd up by shouting “Blue Camry, Ardy and Ed’s, ROCK YOUR WINGS and welcome to Oshkosh!” with a strong Wisconsin accent. It was great fun, the precise kind of incredible bonding moment that makes a trip to Airplane Heaven each July a requirement for this pilot.

I did not come close to seeing everything at the show because it is impossible to do so. But I did accomplish my goals of solidifying Airplanista Magazine’s role in the aviation community as the publication that cares about GA advocates, activists, volunteers and anyone else who devotes their life to helping grow the aviation family, increase the pilot population and raise awareness in the public about the positive aspects of learning to fly.

I spent three luscious days at AirVenture hearing from readers who thanked me for producing this magazine each month. It was both gratifying and clarifying, as this trip confirmed that covering this niche is my calling and that I’m maintaining the desired heading to make a difference in the community I care deeply about.

This story would not be complete without an acknowledgment of the hard work that the EAA staff and volunteers perform all year long - but especially during show week - to bring this massive show to life. Can a few minor grumbling points be found? Sure...I personally would love to see a much wider selection of food on the grounds, along with an increased amount of drinking water stations. But the evidence of perfect planning is everywhere at AirVenture when you stop once or twice and just marvel in the sheer size of the World’s Largest Aviation Celebration.

If there were a scoring system in place to judge air shows, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011 would rate a 10. Anyone who thinks differently is obviously not a real Airplanista.

Airplanista Magazine Feature Story: Everett, Washington's Paine Field: One field, four attractions

2011-09-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

This article was originally published in the September, 2011 issue of Airplanista Magazine and can be viewed here. Airplanista Magazine is an all-digital new media publication that presents aviation feature stories and content in a digital magazine format. Read the current issue here.

Everett, Washington's Paine Field: One field, four attractions

In today’s economy, we want maximum return on every tourism dollar spent. And when your vacation plans include attractions that are aviation related, it will be hard to find an airfield that can deliver as much fun as this one.

By Julie Gangler, for Airplanista Magazine

Only at Paine Field can you see Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner being assembled – and restored World War II “warbirds” take to the sky. You can get a close look at a Waco UPF-7 biplane, P-51B Mustang fighter and B-25D Mitchell bomber, or watch restorers work on a de Havilland Comet, the world’s first passenger jet.

Fly into Everett, Washington’s Paine Field, and you can see all these amazing aircraft and many more among four aviation facilities clustered around this Snohomish County airport (KPAE). Located about 30 miles north of Seattle, WA, Paine Field is best known as home to Boeing’s Everett manufacturing plant and test runway for new 747, 767, 777 and 787 aircraft. The airport also serves small recreational aircraft and corporate jets – and has recently become a tourist destination with the addition of the Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour, Historic Flight Restoration Center, Flying Heritage Collection and Museum of Flight Restoration Center.

If you want to see all four aviation attractions, plan on spending two days. You can easily do two attractions in one day, possibly three, depending on which ones interest you. Buy a Paine Field Passport at any of the four attractions to get discounts at all of them on admission, gift shops and cafés; it’s good for one year from date of purchase.

For many, the Boeing Tour is a must. Affiliated with the Future of Flight Aviation Center since 2005, it is the only tour of a commercial jet assembly plant in North America. You watch the world’s largest jets being assembled in the world’s largest building (measured by volume: 472,370,319 cubic feet, covering 98.3 acres – a footprint as big as 75 football fields!). The building is so big, rain clouds actually used to form in the Boeing plant before a state-of-the-art air circulation system was installed.

The 90-minute tour begins with an orientation film at the Future of Flight Aviation Center; then you board a shuttle bus to the nearby Boeing manufacturing plant. Wear comfortable shoes, as you’ll walk more than one-third mile through underground tunnels beneath the plant. You’ll also walk up and down steep steps several times and ride an elevator 35 feet above the factory floor for a great view of the jets’ assembly stations. There you’ll observe a truly remarkable operation employing 32,000 workers and learn fascinating factoids from your guide while you watch some of the 26 overhead bridge cranes operate on a total of 31 miles of ceiling track transporting wings, tails and other large parts to awaiting aircraft.

Returning by shuttle bus to the Future of Flight Aviation Center, you can then explore its interactive displays and hands-on exhibits highlighting commercial jet aviation. Visit its Aviation Zones including Flight Deck, Flight Systems, Propulsion/Engines, Materials, Passenger Experience and Future Concepts. You can also digitally design our own jet, test and modify its flight worthiness, and then receive a free, personalized print-out of your final design.

The Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour is located in the northwest corner of Paine Field. In the southwest corner is the newest aviation attraction, the Historic Flight Restoration Center. Opened in spring 2010, Historic Flight houses the private collection of aviation enthusiast and pilot John T. Sessions. It contains many vintage aircraft produced between 1927 and 1957, all fully restored, or in the process of returning to airworthiness. You can walk right up to these vintage aircraft on display in the facility, and watch John and other pilots take some of them aloft on weekends, weather permitting.

The collection includes 15 aircraft with great stories, such as the North American Aviation B-25D Mitchell, an early 1940s bomber nicknamed “Grumpy.” This plane was flown to Historic Flight from Britain in 2009 by John and fellow pilots as they retraced the primary route used in World War II to deliver thousands of bombers to the European Theatre of Operations. The “Impatient Virgin” is a P-51B Mustang fighter that escorted bombers deep into enemy territory during World War II and also saw action in the Korean War. Other aircraft have equally amusing nicknames, including “Wampus Cat,” one of just 10 Grumman F8F Bearcats still flying today, and “Bad Kitty,” a Grumman F7F-3 Tigercat, one of six surviving Tigercats.
At Historic Flight, you can also see a Waco UPF-7 biplane, Canadair T-33 Silverstar, Beechcraft Staggerwing D-17 and Supermarine Spitfire – an agile fighter plane that flew from 1936 to 1957, served four Air Forces and played a vital role in winning the Battle of Britain in 1940.

On the southeast side of Paine Field, the Flying Heritage Collection showcases the rare private collection of philanthropist Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft with Bill Gates. The 51,000-square foot hangar is “Home of Flying Warbirds,” containing 1935-1945 combat aircraft from the U.S., Britain, Germany, Russia and Japan. All the aircraft are authentically restored, many to flying condition. Come on a weekend when Flying Heritage holds “Fly Days,” weather permitting. Watch its vintage aircraft take to the skies and demonstrate their flying precision, plus take advantage of the opportunity to chat with the pilots and a military aviation historian.

The Flying Heritage Collection features 15 vintage aircraft including the Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk, Focke Wulf 190 D-13 Dora (the only such long-nose model to survive World War II), Grumman F6F Hellcat with foldable wings, Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-3 (the first modern fighter plane), Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa Oscar (Japanese Kamikaze attacker) and Polikarpov U-2/Po-2 (flown by Russian “Night Witches” over Germany).

Paine Field’s fourth aviation attraction is the Museum of Flight Restoration Center, also located on the east side. Here you’ll find about three dozen vintage aircraft in various stages of restoration by staff and volunteers in preparation for their eventual move to the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field in Seattle. The current highlights are the 1933 Boeing 247D, the world’s first modern passenger airliner, and a de Havilland Comet, the world’s first passenger jet. Volunteers are glad to explain the work in progress and significance of each aircraft.

More Information

Snohomish County Paine Field Airport (KPAE)
Phone: (425) 388-5125
www.painefield.com

Future of Flight Aviation Center
& Boeing Tour (west side of Paine Field)
8415 Paine Field Blvd. – Mukilteo, WA
Phone: 425-438-8100
www.futureofflight.org

Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM daily year-round, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Boeing tours begin at 9:00 a.m. and are offered on the hour; the last tour starts at 3:00 p.m.

Admission: $18 adult reserved/$20 walk-up (peak season Apr.1 – Sept. 30; $16/$18 Oct. 1 –Mar. 31). Reservations are highly recommended as only a limited quantity of same-day, non-reserved tickets are available. Reserve at https://tickets.futureofflight.org or phone 1-800-464-1476 (toll free in the U.S. and Canada) or 360-756-0086 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific Time.

Historic Flight Restoration Center (west side of Paine Field)
10719 Bernie Webber Drive – Mukilteo, WA
Phone: 425-348-3200
www.historicflight.org

Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Tues. –Sun.
Admission: $12 adult, $10 Senior (65+)/Military, $8 Youth (ages 6-15), free age 5 and under

Flying Heritage Collection
3407 109th St SW – Everett, WA (east side of Paine Field)
Phone: 206-342-4242
www.flyingheritage.com

Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily Memorial Day to Labor Day; Tues. –Sun. the rest of the year. Admission: $12 adult, $10 Senior (65+)/Military, $8 Youth (ages 6-15), free age 5 and younger

Museum of Flight Restoration Center
2909 100TH St SW, C-72 – Everett, WA (east side of Paine Field)
Phone: 425-745-5150
www.museumofflight.org/restoration-center

Hours: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM Tues.-Thurs. & Sat., Sept. - May; Tues. – Sat., June-Aug.
Admission: $5 adults (age 18+), $3 youths (age 5-17), free ages 4 and younger

Paine Field Passport
www.painefieldpassport.com

Airplanista Magazine Monthly Column - Joe Clark: The Eagle's Report: ERAU Now Offers High Altitude Training

2011-09-07T14:14:00.000-07:00

Airplanista Magazine: Vincent Lambercy: Flying, Across the Pond: U.S. aviators all need to become vocal Airplanistas

2011-09-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

Airplanista Magazine Monthly Column - Paul Tocknell: Ask a CFI

2011-09-07T14:08:00.000-07:00