WIND IN THE WIRES. President s Letter. This month: This Meeting: 2 nd Thursday This Month 13 April 2017

Transcription

1 WIND IN THE WIRES TM The Newsletter of Chapter 26, Experimental Aircraft Association Seattle, WA Volume XXV No. 04 April 2017 This Meeting: 2 nd Thursday This Month 13 April Ellis Ave. S. NW corner of Boeing Field From Ellis Ave turn East onto Warsaw St. President s Letter Last Saturday, April 8, Craig was having an Open Hangar event at his hangar at the Arlington Airport. He had one last year but I forgot and missed it. I drove up and took my wife and father-in-law along. The weather was looking marginal, but Brian was brave enough to fly up for a visit. There were others that drove up like us. The wind was blowing the windsock straight out. It was cold but the company was worth it. He is the head of the national Aeronca group and has stuff that you would see in a museum. I knew he was into Aeroncas but I didn't realize so much. He has so much Aeronca stuff that he is working on his third wife (we hope there is no connection). As we were looking at all the project stuff, Craig told us that as long as you have projects you are working on you can't die, therefore he is immortal. Craig has been my roommate at Oshkosh Air Academy for the last four years. He teaches the welding part. We have a lot of fun together. I took pictures and will show them at the meeting and Craig will tell us more as he will be the program on Thursday. This month: March Meeting Thursday 13 April Meeting Starts: 7:30 PM At the Skyway Opportunity BLDG Meeting Topic: Craig McVeigh Talking About Aeroncas FUTURE EVENTS April Meeting 11 May 2017 Weather is still improving! Continued on page 2 Get the rust off! Go fly! Have Fun! 1 EAA Chapter 26 - Seattle

2 President s Newsletter (Continued from Page 1) While we were there, I was thinking we got our Taylorcraft L-2 from one of these hangars 50 years ago this June. Does not seem like it could be that long ago. My brother and I saw an ad in the paper, our dad helped us make the purchase and haul it home on a trailer. We refurbished and recovered it over the summer and then started learning to fly it that September. I, of course, still have the T-craft but it has not flown in a long time, just waiting in my hangar. After our visit we drove up to the Skagit to see the tulip fields. They were not blooming just yet as the weather has been too cold. The daffodils were blooming and we enjoyed that color. On another note, we learned last week that our neighbor Scott Gardener died of a massive stroke. He worked for the FAA for years in this area. He organized and put on many safety seminars, I think in the 80s & 90s. I went to many of them myself. Lots of good information. He has been retired for a number of years now. Another reminder that time flys... The ICAO Flight plans take effect June 5. They keep trying to teach this ol' dog new tricks. I guess if I want to keep flying I will have to cooperate. In the mean time, fly safe and see you all on Thursday, ~Dave Current edition of EAA Experimenter Check out the EAA Hotline Archive: EAA News from National Pioneering STC Work Means Success for TRIO Autopilot April 6, 2017 EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board Jack J. Pelton on Thursday congratulated TRIO Avionics on receiving a supplemental type certificate (STC) for its Pro Pilot installation kits in Cessna 172 and 182 aircraft, noting that EAA s pioneering work in affordable safety STCs has brought reduced costs to GA aircraft owners. At a news conference at the SUN n FUN International Fly-In & Expo in Lakeland, Florida, Pelton recognized TRIO as one of a growing number of companies developing ways to bring more affordable avionics from the amateur-built community to type certificated GA aircraft. This growth has come rapidly in the past year since EAA joined Dynon and the FAA to announce an STC for a specific avionics package in such aircraft. The TRIO installation kits STC will be sold through The STC Group, LLC. Additional aircraft are also expected to be added to the STC-eligible list in the near future. We are very pleased to see how this EAA idea has created the environment for some truly breakthrough technology from several companies over the past year, Pelton said. This is exactly what we hoped would happen, and what can happen when industry and government work together to make things better for aviators. Also appearing at the news conference was Andrew Barker of TruTrak, who was recognized for the STC received this week for the installation kits relating to the company s Vizion autopilot system. Both TRIO and TruTrak are anticipating more FAA approvals by EAA AirVenture Oshkosh EAA Chapter 26 - Seattle

3 President: Vice Pres: 2016 OFFICERS Dave Nason Steve Crider Clarifying Repairman Certificate Eligibility Secretary: Treasurer: Newsletter Don Davis Tom Susor Clayton Chase Joel Godston Web Editor: Tom Osmundson Tech Counselor: Tom Osmundson Tech Counselor: Dave Nason Flight Advisor: Ross Mahon March 23, In a recent EAA government and advocacy article, we summarized the eligibility requirements for a repairman certificate under FAA Order This generated a few questions regarding whether or not a repairman applicant must have built the aircraft in question. To clarify, FAR (a) requires the following of a prospective repairman: Be at least 18 years of age Be the primary builder of the aircraft (in the case of a group build, any member of the group may apply) Have the requisite skill to perform condition inspections Be a United States citizen or permanent resident The guidance in Order directs inspectors on how to implement the above rule. It states that the FAA will accept evidence that the applicant has built the aircraft as satisfying the requisite skill requirement, essentially making the second and third requirements very similar. The FAA may also accept proof that the applicant has the ability to perform a condition inspection, but the requirement that the applicant is the primary builder still stands. From time to time, there have been proposals to extend repairman privileges to subsequent owners of amateur-built aircraft, following the precedent set by the experimental light-sport category, which allows any owner to become the repairman upon completion of a 16-hour course. While no specific proposal is on the table at the moment, EAA is exploring the best timing and strategy to make repairman privileges more flexible. 3 EAA Chapter 26 - Seattle

4 ICAO Flight Plan deadline June 5 th The FAA has set June 5 as the date when use of the international flight plan format, also known as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) format, will be required for all civil flight plans filed with flight service for flights within the National Airspace System and to Canada. The FAA s original implementation date of October 2015 was revised at AOPA s request to allow ample time to communicate the change to pilots and accommodate automation enhancements and test schedules for the three flight service vendors: CSRA, Leidos, and Harris. Pilots who file flight plans with third-party vendors (non-faa contracted providers) should follow the guidance given by those providers. Some providers may require that the domestic flight plan format be used temporarily while automation upgrades to their system are completed. The FAA issued a statement on the transition: The target date for ICAO flight plan cutover is June 5th. The date is dependent on integration testing with our Canadian partners, to ensure a seamless and safe transition. On this date, it is mandatory for all civil flights within the NAS and to Canada filed with Flight Service systems to use the international format. Flight Service refers to Alaska Flight Service, the Flight Service contracted service provider in CONUS, HI, and PR, and/or the FAA contracted on-line service providers (i.e. 1800wxbrief.com and duats.com). Flight Service has modified the international format to accommodate enhancements to the fields on the form. Guidance for completing the modified international flight plan is available at The FAA s international flight plan form (FAA Form ) has been required by IFR filers under certain circumstances since Already well utilized by the airlines and others taking advantage of advanced navigational services, the international format has been available for voluntary use by domestic IFR flight plan filers. With the June 5 change, the ICAO form will be required for all IFR and VFR users of flight service systems for flights within the NAS. 4 EAA Chapter 26 - Seattle

5 Continued on page 6 5 EAA Chapter 26 - Seattle EAA Launches Program for Non-Instrument Rated Pilots March 15, Non-instrument rated pilots looking to improve their safety skills and knowledge will now have an additional resource through the new EAA VMC Club. Based on the IMC Club, VMC Club will be a volunteer mentor program designed to enhance pilot proficiency and create a community of aviators to share information and promote safety. VMC Club provides organized hangar flying focused on improving aeronautical decision making, said Radek Wyrzykowski, EAA s IMC program manager. We focus on practical knowledge and the exchange of experience because we believe that safety and proficiency are better developed through hands-on knowledge. VMC Club will be offered through EAA s chapter network and there is no cost to chapters or members to participate in the program. Monthly club meetings will use real-world scenarios to engage participants and allow the exchange of information to improve awareness and skills. More information on VMC Club, including a guide on starting a club in your area, is available on the VMC Club page.

6 On the Wreckord Recent Homebuilt Accidents from the NTSB Web Page, courtesy of Ron Wanttaja T-18 California: Prior to the flight, the pilot unbolted and rebolted the pilot's seat from its middle position to the forward position. He did not check to see if the flight control stick movement would be restricted in this new configuration. During the takeoff roll, the airplane would not rotate when the pilot moved the flight control stick aft. Not realizing the seat prevented the flight control stick movement to the full aft position, he adjusted the elevator trim and the airplane subsequently lifted off, however, it would not climb. The pilot then aborted the takeoff; however, the airplane did not have sufficient distance to stop. It departed the runway surface and traversed through a field, impacted trees, and came to rest inverted. (12/20/2014) 6 EAA Chapter 26 - Seattle

7 One the Wreckord (Page 2) Glastar Wyoming: The pilot had not flown the airplane in some time. On the day of the accident, he performed a full power run-up and that the airplane felt normal. The takeoff and climbout were normal; however, while the airplane was at 1,200 ft above ground level, the engine began to lose power. During the attempted forced landing, the main landing gear impacted an irrigation pipe, the left wing tip impacted a fence post, and the airplane then slid about 60 ft before coming to rest upright. The pilot reported that, after exiting the airplane, he observed a broken wire on the cowl flap cable, which he believed would have allowed the cowl flap to completely close and then resulted in the engine overheating. However, during a postaccident engine examination, it could not be determined if the wire on the cowl flap broke before or during the impact. The examination revealed no other evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal engine operation. (12/10/14) 7 EAA Chapter 26 - Seattle

8 One the Wreckord (Page3) Spectrum Beaver California: The builder had performed some maintenance to resolve a longstanding engine surging problem and the engine had operated normally during a test flight. During takeoff for the next flight, the engine initially performed normally, but when the pilot initiated the crosswind turn, the engine started to make a hollow sound, accompanied by a partial loss of power. As the pilot attempted to maneuver the airplane away from power lines during the attempted forced off-field landing, he lost airplane control, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain. Postaccident examination revealed numerous installation and maintenance discrepancies related to the carburetor and fuel supply system, which were not in accordance with the engine manufacturer s installation and maintenance manuals. Any one of these discrepancies could have resulted in the loss of engine power. 8 EAA Chapter 26 - Seattle

9 Thoughts about light I started doing some work on my Velocity the other day and thought that I might be able to complete the landing light installation. When I left it last, the hole for the lens was cut out and there is a landing light holder that fits the curve of the inner part of the hull. Unfortunately when I tried to put it into place, the spot it fits is not over the spot where I cut my hole out. Sad! I then began thinking Why am I considering putting this junky old, dim and failure-prone incandescent bulb in, why not put in a LED light? I could just get an aviation LED at $300-$1,000, or a motorcycle (or other consumer-style) light for much less. I could also potentially go really home built and buy the LEDs individually. It all comes down to how much I want to work and how much I want to just have a working light. Right now I think that the best light for my money is a motorcycle style where it ll work if I give it power. The bare bones styles require LED drivers to regulate power to the LED and that is a real pain. Bare Bones LED lumen for $10 Typical motorcycle style LED light 3000 Lumen for $35 Landing light prefabricated assembly taped into place Aviation LED lumen for $350 Note that the inner flange doesn t match with the external lens cover 9 EAA Chapter 26 - Seattle

10 NEWSLETTER Chapter 26 EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION th Ave SE Renton, WA April 2017 WIND IN THE WIRES The Newsletter of EAA Chapter 26