ULTRAHOLICS Ultralight Flyers Organization Feb 2005 USUA Club #26

Transcription

1 ULTRAHOLICS Ultralight Flyers Organization Feb 2005 USUA Club #26 February Meeting Tuesday, Feb 1, :00pm (Dinner from 6:45-7:30pm) Chinese Village Restaurant 520 SE 82 nd Ave. (Between Stark & Washington) Portland, OR 2005 Club Officers President: Doug Nelsen Vice Pres: Roger Wilson Treasurer: Kip Frey Newsletter: Kip Frey (503) , Sandy River Airport: Website: January Meeting Well, we finally released the restraints to see if our new president would bolt, and danged if he didn t dig right in and start presidentin. We done good pickin this un. Spent some time discussing ways to do some group flying with the boys from down south. Communication, we decided, is the key. We need to communicate our intention to go flying and plan to meet up with other members. So we might have to start planning, instead of just going. Guest Speaker At Last Well, its time we had a guest speaker instead of a guess speaker, and we have a good one this month. In fact we have two good ones lined up for the next two months. In February our speaker will be Mike Robertson, who spoke previously in March of 2004, I think, about the upcoming Sport Pilot Rules. He was pretty accurate considering that the finalization of the rules had not come through yet. This time we have asked him to concentrate on the steps an individual will need to take to register an ultralight as a light sport aircraft, with special emphasis on preparing for the inspection, what documents to have and where to acquire them. Even if you don t currently have any intention of converting to an LSA, I think this is a meeting you won t want to miss. In March, we are offering up the corporate body as a platform for Arty Trost to experiment on (give a trial presentation of an Ultralight Safety seminar). Tip number one: replace all bent spars in the wing, Arty. Arrrgh Matey, I ve Misplaced Me Booty I went to dig up me treasure in the back yard, and found I had been robbed of all me precious booty. Danged if Jolly Roger Wilson didn t make off with me stash of goods, and he s going to offer me swag up for rafflin at the next meetin. Arrrgh, an there s me colored zip-ties, me favorite stereo headset, me odds n ends, and me mighty 4 grinder. Ah ll be giving ye me cutlass, Roger, ya scurvy dog, an not fer the raffle. Sport Pilot: We love it, We hate it Well, at least, I hate it. It s not that I m going to remain an fat ultralighter (no comments from the peanut gallery), I intend to convert my plane to an experimental LSA, because I fear the threat of large fines. Gas is expensive enough for me. But, I have a private pilot license, and for me, the major work is to get my plane licensed. My thinking is that most other club members don t have a license. Also, legislation is taking what is a low cost, harmless recreation, and applying a layer of bureaucracy which I see as an impediment to new ultralighters. But other club members have different views, and I would like to publish a response I received that expressed dissatisfaction with my point of view. To wit: Kip, first off, I want to commend you for the work you put into the monthly newsletter. No one really appreciates

2 how much time & effort goes into it each month, month after month. However, in the current issue I am disappointed to see your comments on the Sport Pilot & Light Sport Aircraft. They are all negative. The fact that it has been approved and is in effect, indicates to me that more people wanted it than not. It has no effect on Part 103 operations, so those of us who chose to fly illegally in the past can continue to fly illegally. If we risked it before, we can still risk it. Its our individual choice to abide by the law or not. The only way to be an 'ultralight' pilot, is to fly an 'ultralight' plane. If you choose to fly a plane that does not meet the Part 103 requirements, then we should register it, and fly it legally. A legally licensed pilot, flying a legally licensed plane, with a legal passenger. What's wrong with this? We were never happy with Part 103 anyway, which only goes to prove that there is no way anything can satisfy everyone. I cannot see the fault in making pilots licenses more easily available to more people, and re-opening the door for some who have been unable to meet the fairly rigid FAA medical requirements. In my own case, my biannual FAA medical exam requires costly documentation, obtainable only from MD specialists, to insure my conditions are under control. It also allows those of us now flying illegally to legally fly passengers. We could illegally have flown passengers in the past, but did our passengers (sometimes spelled WIVES or CHILDREN) possibly have reservations about placing their lives in the hands of an untrained & untested pilot ( in many cases self-taught ) flying a minimally maintained airplane? I could go on & on, but now you know personal my opinion, and why I'm sorry to see the negative views that could affect the members opinions. I honestly feel that more good than harm will come from the new Sport Pilot/ Light Sport Aircraft categories. Now that we have it, we should learn to live with it and appreciate it. Please don't hold this against me, I just had to speak my piece by offering my opinion without broadcasting it in a newsletter, or making a big deal out of it. BTW, 'diatribe' was a good choice of words, but a poor place to have it. Ok, so let me take my tail from between my legs, and on with the show. News From The South I am sad to report that I have received word that our Norwegian Ambassador D. Hodgson, is suffering from a strange medical ailment. Gisela Hodgson has reported that since his appointment, his hat size has increased by several sizes, and like a newborn, it is difficult for him to hold that large weight up. Maybe she will be able to deflate that thing before it becomes permanent. News From Farther South I have been remiss in not including a clipping from our Snow Bird correspondent, Ed Dobson, Esq. Dobbsy writes from his spread in Arizona that it is warm, lovely and lonely down there, and that we should all come visit any time. Ok, wishful thinking. What he actually wrote about was to send me a clipping about yet another successful flight of an ultralight doing the only useful thing they have thought to use one for. I am speaking of the annual whooping crane migration, led by a modified trike. The trike leads the young cranes from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin to the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, covering 7 states along the way, a distance of 1200 miles in 64 days. I watched a documentary about the process (but I can t remember the title [No, it wasn t Winged Migration or Fly Away Home]), but it was fascinating. If anyone knows the title, please refresh my memory. Its a long process, with intense attention paid to the weather, the young birds strength, and the distractions along the route. The hatchlings are raised by hand to reduce losses to predators and disease. Care is taken to avoid letting the cranes imprint on humans, and thus become less wild. Attendants wear white crane suits (yes, thats right) with one arm fashioned with a crane head on the hand, which is used to feed and groom the youngsters. Also amazing is the training, a crane-suit clad pilot taxies around for months, getting the cranes used to following the trike, and exercising their wings. Finally, in late fall the young birds begin the actual migration from Wisconsin to Florida, flying about 20 miles a day, stopping frequently to rest and feed. Astounding dedication on the part of the people providing this service, which has helped bring the population up from about 20 birds to over 400. Thanks Ed, for reminding me of this amazing feat. At the Airport Well, the only interesting thing I heard was actually a little blurb from Doug Nelsen at the last meeting. He talked

3 about climbing to 8500 feet, kind of southwest of Sandy (and definitely outside of PDX airspace). It was quite cold up there, but had the unique advantage that he was able to check out the seldom seen top surface of Boeing and AirBus jetliners, and even a Citation. I wonder if they can see me? Due to the inadequacy of his electric socks, Doug is now considering modifications to add cabin heat to his SkyRaider. What does he think that thing is, an airplane? BIG Plane Monday marked the roll-out of the Airbus A This is the new double decked 550 seat airliner produced by a coalition of European countries which own the Airbus corporation. I was trying to get an idea of the scale, so I read a number of articles and went to the Airbus website as well. There were many comparisons to the various 747 models, of course. Operation costs are expected to be 15% to 20% lower per passenger than the 747. The A380 will have a maximum takeoff weight of 1.2 million pounds, compared to the 747 s 0.8 million, and will have 35% more seats on 45% more floor space. Wow, where is all that extra space going to go? Well, if you believe Airbus, into the seats. It will allow the carriers to provide larger seats. Yeah right. A little further searching reveals that the 416 seat 747 is commonly configured for 800 passengers in the Far East, and Airbus itself admits that the A380 can be configured for 800 passengers. So, if they admit 800, over in the Far East I calculate they could cram in 1050 if you don t mind getting a chop-stick in the eye. Plus there is always steerage class on the freight deck. Ok, so picture the board room Guys, we have to make a choice, 15% wider seats and 15% more leg room or 20% more income?. I think you see which way its going to go. The other option is a bunch of space devoted to extra goodies (lounge, gym, nursery, staterooms) which will suck up all that extra space and stuff you right back into the CONFINES of your 12 inch wide seat. Seems to me that we tried flying that way, with tables and sleeper berths (even some old 707 ads show face to face seating with tables), but that fell to the gods of profit, when it was discovered that people would fly without that if you decreased the price. What rolled out in Toulouse, France, was the prototype. First flight is not scheduled until mid-2005 and the A380 will not be put into service until In the meantime, airports are preparing for it football field size wing span, and 800,000 pound landing weight by widening and beefing up runways, and the size of the gate area (inside and out). The first carrier to place an order in 2000 was Emirates Airline. Naturally, european orders abound, as well as Asian and Australia. The only US carriers with orders for the A380 are UPS and FedEx. The American passenger carriers are too strapped for cash, and uncertain of their futures. Sport Pilot Training On-line Member Ron Carroll spotted this information about online training for transition to Sport Pilot. He says: Kip, The following is a message I ran across regarding how some are already beginning their transition into Sport Pilot in an accepting & intelligent manner. I'm not sure that this would work for us in the Northwest because of our relatively sparse ultralight population. However, the mentioned "tuition-based web course available on the SweeneyCorp web site", might be an option ( Error! Bookmark not defined. ). This may be of interest to the membership, or possibly similar efforts could be considered closer to our area, or may already be in the works??? FWIW - Ron Laser Sightings (from EAA Newsletter) In the wake of recent incidents involving laser devices pointed at aircraft, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announced Wednesday that beginning January 19, all pilots will be required to immediately report any laser sightings to air traffic control. Sec. Mineta, speaking at FAA s Oklahoma City office, said that ATC would then advise pilots operating in the area of the incident via Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) as well as inform law enforcement officials. True passenger story "On a flight from Anchorage to Tokyo, the flight engineer went back into the passenger cabin," wrote Murray. "An elderly woman passenger stopped him and asked him what the temperature was. 'It's 70 degrees, madam,'he replied, adding, 'But outside it's 30 degrees below zero.''young man,'the woman demanded, 'What were you doing outside?'" Are You An Artist? Maybe you want to put your artistic talents to use, and especially in the field of aviation. Then this is perfect for you. It s a contest for best design of air-sick bags. The

4 contest is conducted by Virgin Air (49% owned by Singapore Air). If you have a computer you can go to the website ( and see the 20 finalists in the competition. Some great entries, and just the thing to look at when you are feeling a little green around the gills. The contest is over for now, but I suspect that there will be a new round. flown before -Airplanes and pilots both arrive at the same time -Airplanes don't care if you look at other airplanes -Airplanes never object if you buy airplane magazines -Airplanes expect to be tied down -Airplanes don't criticize your driving skills -Airplanes never tell you their last pilot was better -Airplanes don't WHINE unless something is REALLY wrong -BUT: just like a woman...when an airplane gets completely silent, something is BAD WRONG--- Things you don't want to hear while on a plane: "Where you do suppose this giant bolt came from?" "Today's in-flight movie is 'Spice World'." "Are you going to use your barf bag?" "Hey, Kathie Lee Gifford's in first class! And she's going to sing for us!" "Funny, I don't recall the Midwest looking so blue and full of boats." "I thought YOU packed the passports!" Calendar of Events Feb 1, Guest speaker: Mike Robertson, FAA, on the process to register an ultralight as an experimenal LSA. Mar 1, Member speaker: Arty Trost, UFO Club, on Ultralight Safety. Mandatory attendance for Bob C., Fred E. and Dave B. Sep Top Fun Flyers Alvord Desert Fly-in Contact Arty Trost artytros@europa.com THE LAST WORD The Difference between Airplanes and Women -Airplanes can kill you quickly; a woman takes her time -Airplanes can be turned on or off with the simple flick of a switch -Airplanes don't get upset if you "Touch and Go" -Airplanes do not object to preflight inspections -Airplanes come with manuals to explain their operation -Airplanes have strict weight and balance limits -Airplanes can be flown at any time of the day or month -Airplanes don't care if you compare them to other airplanes -Airplanes don't have in-laws -Airplanes never ask you about other airplanes you have Airline Meals On a trans-continental (LAX-NYC) flight a passenger was sitting way back in Y class. As it was a meal flight, the flight attendants came by with the meal carts. The passenger was asked if he would like a meal. Being hungry he said, "sure, what are my choices?". The flight attendant answered, "your choices are 'yes'or 'no.'". Good Question Since I am an infrequent flyer, I have several questions that may seem a bit naive but still cry out for answers. Do 7:47 and 7:27 planes fly at any other times? Can I exchange my round-trip ticket for one that is rectangular so that it fits better on my carry on bag? Does the overhead storage cover one's eyes? If I fly a DC 10 can I still use my AC razor? Isn't it dangerous to make sure the passengers are loaded before take off? If I happened to be in the head when the 'Fasten Seat Belt'sign comes on, can my wife do it for me? My wife wants to know if a mudpack can be substituted for an oxygen mask? Should I bring my own in-flight meal if I'm allergic to pretzels and peanuts?" Maude And Claude Maude and Claude, both 91, lived in a retirement community. They met in the social center and discovered over time that they enjoyed each other's company. After

5 several weeks of meeting for coffee, Claude asked Maude out for dinner and much to his delight, she accepted. They had a lovely evening. They dined at the most romantic restaurant in town and despite his age, Claude was still a charmer. Afterward, Claude asked Maude to join him at his place for an after-dinner drink. Things continued along a natural course and age being no inhibitor, Maude soon joined Claude for a most enjoyable roll in the hay. As they were basking in the glow of the magic moments they'd shared, each was lost for a time in their own thoughts: Hurricane Factory build +8-6 G's, Red, 65 hp Rotax 532. Ballistic chute, strobe lights, charging electrical system, external antenna cable. Mike Kern's personal plane. Great shape, always hangared Price: $10,900. Contact: Robert TenEyck (503) robertmetafiz@joimail.com 1999 Quicksilver For Sale 1999 Quicksilver Sprint II/ Excellent Condition 91 hrs. ASI, ALT, dual EGT & CHT, Slip Ind., 6 gal tank, Oil inj., 503 DCDI, Elect Start, E Gear Box, Tundra tires, Strobe light, New reinforced axle, Parachute second chanz out of date-but still in the green, 2 intercom helmets, and "Push to Talk" on Joystick. Intercom is wired in and doesn't use batteries. Price: $ 12,000 Contact: Bob McKnight (541) windcatcher@wcn.net Rans S-12 Experimental Rans S-12, N-151RB with Rotax 582, electric start and "C" gear box. 175 hours on engine and airframe. BRS model 1050 chute. Whelen strobes, cabin heater, full & half doors, standard & tundra tires, Bendix/King mode C transponder, Garmin Pilot III GPS, Warp Drive 3 bladed ground adjustable prop, elevator trim, ELT and Full Lotus float kit. Two 9 gallon wing tanks. Cruises at 70 mph. seating is side by side. The kit was completed in 1998 with pictures published in the 1998 issue of Sport Aviation and the 1999 March issue of FOR SALE your ads to ads@ultralightflyers.org Claude was thinking: "If I'd Known she was a virgin, I'd have been more gentle." Maude was thinking: "If I'd known he could still do it, I'd have taken off my pantyhose." Man in a Bar A man goes into a bar and has a few beers. While reading the snack menu he sees nachos $5, cheese sandwich $5, handjob $10. There are three very sexy looking waitresses looking very eager. He gets the attention of one and asks if she does handjobs, she smiles and says "yes" he says "well go wash your hands, I want a cheese sandwich" Kit Plans magazines. Priced at $24,900. It's always been hangared at Pearson Field. Contact Ron Bernhardt (503) or (360) CGS HAWK FOR SALE CGS Hawk, enclosed single place for sale. Powered by 503, 10 gal. of fuel. Fabric covered with high quality wings and hinged doors. All basic instruments, in excellent condition, always hangared. Located in Portland, OR. $7000 OBO. Must sell by this winter. Price: $7,000. Contact: Alan Cossitt alan.cossitt@verizon.net QuickSilver Older Quicksilver (Mfg date unknown) with 35hp Cayuna engine. Last flown 2 years ago. Death forces sale. Price: $ Contact: Lola Coleman (541) (Coos Bay) 1984 WEEDHOPPER 1984 Weedhopper Model C, Kawasaki 340 engine. Contact: Henry Corbin corbin2@mollala.net Hangar Share Sandy River Looking for hangar-mate for shed hangar at Sandy River Airport. My plane is in rear of hangar under construction, front is yours. Call for details. Contact: Sean Grogan (503) fourgsa@attbi.com

6 February 2005 Pay Me Now and Read Me Later, Ya Please send your 2005 dues ($25.00), Payable to UFO Club to: Kip Frey, SE 362 nd Ave, Boring OR, Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: Plane(s): Based: I think I would have made a better Howard Hughes than Leo. (Yes) (No) SE 362 nd Ave. Boring OR, kip@windbag.com news@ultralightflyers.org website: