September 2017 Newsletter

Transcription

1 September 2017 Newsletter NMPA IS A GRASS ROOTS ORGANIZATION OF MEMBERS WITH A PASSION FOR AVIATION THAT PROMOTES GENERAL AVIATION, AVIATION SAFETY, PILOT CAMARADERIE, AND PRESERVATION OF AIRFIELDS AND AIRSPACE. FOR MORE INFORMATION CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT OR CONTACT US AT NMPA@NMPILOTS.ORG 1

2 New Mexico Pilots Association NMPA operates exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes for promoting general aviation, aviation safety and education, and pilot camaraderie; preserving airfields and airspace; and to engage in any activities permissible for nonprofit corporations, organized under the laws of the state of New Mexico. New Mexico Pilots Association Officers President - Jerry Donovan (jdec97@live.com) VP - Joyce Woods (niner3echo@flylonecone.com) Treasurer - Ken Summers (kens@gksummers.net) Secretary - Lori Myers (lmyers428@comcast.net) NMPA Newsletter Contributors Editor - Will Fox, nmpa@nmpilots.org VFR on Top Jerry Donovan, jdec97@live.com and Joyce Woods, niner3echo@flylonecone.com Back Country - Larry Filener, lfilener@filnercpa.com Safety and Education - John Lorenz, johnlorenz@geoflight.net Fly-ins Chet Leach, chetleach@msn.com Advocacy Ron Keller, radarpapa182@yahoo.com and Joyce Woods NMPA History Bob Worthington, rworthin@q.com Tech Corner Will Fox, nmpa@nmpilots.org You can contact us at NMPA@nmpilots.org or visit out website at Table of Contents Editor s Log p. 3 Announcements p. 4-6 Upcoming Events p. 7 The View on Top pp. 8-9 Back Country Report pp Safety and Education pp Advocacy pp NMPA History pp Tech Corner pp Rainbow over the Reserve airport courtesy of Ron Keller. Courtesy photo September Cover Photo This month s cover photo is a shot of a future aviator and the daughter of an NMPA pilot attending the Gila Regional Fly-in. If you have an appealing picture of your aircraft in the New Mexico environs that you think might look good on the cover of the NMPA Newsletter, please send it to Will Fox at NMPA@NMPILOTS.ORG. Pictures should be clear, high resolution, and in JPEG format. 2

3 Family Flying The Editor s Log by Will Fox A young family flew into the Gila Regional Fly-in this past weekend in their C-182. When they taxied up and shutdown, you could tell that getting there had been a bit of an ordeal. Dad and his copilot (the older daughter) were in the front seats and Mom and the younger daughter were in the backseat. Dad and Mom had that frazzled look that comes with getting the family ready for a short vacation over the weekend and the Its been a little too bumpy and hot in this airplane pallor. It was good that they flew a C-182 to the fly-in. That airplane was packed! Between the car seats, toys, weekend bags, fishing poles, and other sundry items required for a young and growing family and the normal stuff airplane stuff we all carry just in case, you couldn t have shoe horned much more into the plane. Mom mentioned that she was glad they were staying at a motel, because there was no room left for the over night camping gear:-). As we helped them load up the NMPA shuttle to go to the hotel, memories came flooding back of flying with my own family when the kids were younger. Putting the kids in the front seat, and showing them how to fly, everybody looking out the windows and calling out the cool things they saw, and landing someplace new and exciting that we all wanted to explore. Of course you don t completely forget, the other stuff like someone getting airsick, or needing to get the plane on the ground as soon as possible so they don t pee their pants, or the quiet silence that ensues when the weather gets a bit dicey and Mom and Dad s attention and skills are completely focused on trying to complete the flight safely. But that stuff tends to fade, and the good stuff is what is remembered. That afternoon the family was back for dinner, and the girls were flying their balsa wood airplanes around with obvious enthusiasm and shouts of encouragement to each other. Occasionally one of the planes would fly into the group of pilots sitting together and bop some unsuspecting soul on the head, right in the middle of some unbelievable flying story or pontification about how the world should be run. This would be met with laughter, apologies by Mom and Dad, and then kidding of the unfortunate victim about their similarities to that of a target range. The plane would be tossed back to the girls so they could continue to develop their flying abilities, but all within range kept a watchful eye out for another pass. The next morning as I left the motel room in the dark, shivering in that cold predawn air to head back to the fly-in, I spotted Dad with his head lamp on and fishing gear in hand, calling quietly to the girls across the courtyard to follow him to the local fishing hole for some early morning fish stalking. As the girls came running over giggling, I was reminded again, of the things parents do for the benefit of their kids. I m sure the girls will remember this trip for the rest of their lives, and who knows, someday these young girls might become pilots themselves and carry on the tradition of flying family vacations. 3

4 Announcements The New Mexico Aviation Aerospace Association in conjunction with White Sands Regional Airport and the City of Alamogordo Present the 5th Annual New Mexico Aviation Aerospace Career Expo Thursday, October 5th, a.m. 3 p.m at the White Sands Regional Airport, Alamogordo, NM This event focuses on STEM and careers in the Aviation Aerospace field. Students will get to meet with industry leaders and higher education representatives while getting to explore and interact with some of the most advanced Aviation and Aerospace equipment in the world! For information or to register, visit our website: Event Contact: BillShuert360@gmail.com 4

5 Announcements So You Want to Become a CFI. An NMPA Safety and Education seminar, October 28, 2017, at 1N1 (Edgewood, NM), 10 AM to 4 PM, to be taught by John Lorenz and Mike Roberts. Come to the class if: You want to instruct or have ever thought of instructing. You ever wondered about why your instructor did this, that, or the other. You are presently a CFI and can contribute to the discussions. Learn: Insights and instructor tips! Hoops, jumping through for the use of, becoming a CFI! Super instructor powers and the kryptonite that can negate them! Why you should, or maybe why you should not, be an instructor! The ethics of instruction! How not to get hurt, physically or financially, while instructing! The class will have four modules, consisting of: -Steps to becoming a CFI. -Pros and cons of instructing. -What can, cannot, and must you do as a CFI. -Effective Instructing. Questions? Please contact John at johnlorenz@geoflight.net. Please register with John at johnlorenz@geoflight.net, or call at (505) No registration fee. Cokes will be served, but please bring your own sack lunch. 5

6 Announcements Recently, Air Care Alliance President and NMPA member Rol Morrow was featured on an AvWeb Podcast discussing General Aviation help for hurricane victims. Way to go Rol! 6

7 Upcoming Events September 29 thru Oct 1, - NMPA Mountain Flying Clinic in Santa Fe, NM (KSAF) September 30, - FlyHobbs Aviation Day in Hobbs, NM (KHOB) October 14, - Artesia Pancake Breakfast, Artesia, NM (KATS) October 20 thru Oct 23, - Bar10 Fly-in, North Rim Grand Canyon, UT (1Z1) October 27 thru Oct 28, - Copperstate Fly-in, Mesa, AZ (KFFZ) November 4, - Brews and Props, Angel Flight South Central Fundraiser, Albuquerque, NM FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE EVENTS AND OTHERS, CHECK OUT WHAT S UP AROUND NEW MEXICO ON THE NMPA HOMEPAGE AT 7

8 Vice President s Report VFR On Top by Joyce Woods I hope you re all making the best of our awesome fall flying season! 2017 has been devastating for the Northwest with forest fires and smoky skies and for the Gulf Coast and Southeast with hurricanes After an IFR trip into and out of Missoula, I do not envy our public service pilots who fly in those conditions every day. So lucky we are in New Mexico! We ve had a busy past month of Fly-Ins and there several still ahead see the NMPA events calendar! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: If you d like to help staff an NMPA table at any of these events, let me know! It s a great way for NMPA to connect with the aviation community across the state. A key upcoming event is the New Mexico Aviation STEM Expo at Alamogordo White Sands Regional Airport Thursday, October 5, If you want a fun place to fly and make a difference for the next generation of aviators, Bill Shuert is recruiting aircraft displays and activities to engage youth, The largest aviation STEM career event in the US, 2400 students are already scheduled to participate! You can help introduce general aviation to youth who may not otherwise have such exposure. Show an aircraft, demo preflight, staff an NMPA booth, and/ or otherwise engage youth in aviation! If you can bring an aircraft, please contact Bill Shuert. ASAP. To volunteer otherwise, contact Joyce Woods. On August 25, 2017, the Taos Airport celebrated opening a new runway and other improvements which were 25 years in the making. Congratulations to the Taos Airport community! All paves the way (ha ha) for greater GA access and added economic impact to the area and the state. Read ABQ Journal Article. Members gathered in late August for Albuquerque EAA 179 s Land of Enchantment Fly In, connected with officers at the NMPA booth, renewed memberships, and joined prospective members who attended the NMPA Backcountry seminar presented by Larry Filener. Mystic Bluffs Annual Fly-In was mystical as usual! I regretted missing it to fly Young Eagles at Double Eagle II, but from the reports and photos, the food, local turnout, and friendships made it as special as ever. We re so lucky to have owner Cindy Crawford and member Perry Null and all the local folks who make it happen every year. 8

9 NMPA s Gila Regional Fly-In Weekend surpassed any objectives we had for this new venue. It drew participants from neighboring states and visibly and positively impacted the local community. Motels and restaurants were buzzing. Families turned out to enjoy the lively Reserve Airport bustling with aircraft and crews. Thanks to local leaders and so many within NMPA who made it happen at this new venue. Special thanks go to Ron Keller, Will and Barb Fox who were so key to the success! On return, Ron Keller reported, this was the best fly-in we ve ever had! Amazing he can say that after many past successes AND after repairing a truck tire blow-out in the wild! Thanks to all involved! NMPA s Mountain Flying Clinic, Sept 28 Oct 1. An indicator of the established reputation, it s already booked! Way to go, Cliff and NMPA Safety team!! Joyce Woods and some smiling Young Eagles. Camaraderie at the Gila Fly-in. Joyce Woods was introduced to flying by her husband Art, who grew up around aviation. She got her license in 1994 and is multi-engine and instrument rated. Besides NMPA, she flies Young Eagles and actively volunteers with the EAA, 99s, NM Airstrip Network, and was named 2016 SW Region FAASTeam Rep of the Year. 9

10 GILA REGIONAL FLYIN Back Country by Larry Filener Flight line at the Gila Regional Fly-in. I am constantly amazed at the depth and quality of our membership. One of the things that is so rewarding for me is being able to interact with a wonderful group of individuals! That was no more evident than this past weekend (9/15 thru 9/17) at the Gila Regional Flyin in Reserve, NM. I counted 23 airplanes and approximately 30 individuals that dropped into the flyin this weekend. Surprisingly this year, we had a large contingent of out of state participants!! The community of Reserve welcomed us with open arms and we had water, firewood, dinners and transportation at our service that was supplied by the community. Jennifer Swenson, owner of the Adobe Café, supplied a tremendous catered dinner on Saturday night and we had numerous individuals that chose to stay at Hidden Springs Inn and The Frisco Lodge and all agreed the rooms were clean and comfortable. For those of us that chose to camp, we a tremendous experience too!! We had the evening campfire to set next to, a beautiful star filled sky, and serenading supplied by the bugling elk and singing coyotes. 10

11 Some Participants at the Gila Regional Fly-in. I queried everyone, and while it is hard to beat the ambiance of Negrito, it was fairly universally felt that the Reserve location was a more favorable location. The Backcountry Committee will review the results and discuss what to do for next year, but it certainly seems that the decision to move to Reserve was a good one. I especially appreciated our friends from El Paso who visited this year!! Jim and his husky was with us last year, and this year he brought a whole gaggle of participants, including Kevin who has a Pecan farm and brought us several bags of pecans, which we were able to put into our pancakes. Nothing better!! We also had a visitor from California in a Citabria. John Bush came clear from Mountain Valley in CA in his pretty Cessna 170!! Which brings me to how blessed I feel that we have the membership we do. Early this year, Dave Hamman came to me and expressed his interest in moving the annual Negrito flyin to Reserve. While I was very skeptical, Dave made good sense and he enlisted two other members, Ron Keller and Will Fox to investigate further a possible change in location. 11

12 Over the following months, Dave, Ron and Will made several trips to Reserve to investigate the possibility, met with town and airport officials and reviewed the possibilities. Additionally, on one of those trips, they took the time and effort to install a fire ring and several picnic tables. After the BC Committee approved their proposal, Dave, Ron, and Will planned an absolute stellar event. Food was excellent, weather was almost perfect (a little windy on Friday), the airport turned out to be a great camping spot, and a good time was had by all. In the left hand picture, Ron Keller is fine tuning the concrete work on the fire ring that NMPA built at the Reserve airport. In the right hand picture, from left to to right, Ron Keller, Jennifer Swenson, Glyn Griffin, and Dave Hamann, brains behind the Fly-in, discuss how to make the Gila Regional Fly-in successful. My thanks goes out to the three of them for all of the hard work and planning that they did. Which brings me back to my original statement. What a blessing it is to be able to be a member of this organization. The greatest benefit to being an NMPA Backcountry Committee member is not the great flying destinations, well coordinated events, or tremendous food and flyin support that is always present. Instead, it is getting to interact with such fun and enjoyable members. We are truly blessed to have all of you in the BC. Thanks and a special thanks to Dave, Ron and Will for all of their hard effort!! LARRY FILENER IS ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE BACKCOUNTRY COMMITTEE AS WELL AS A MEMBER OF THE RECREATIONAL AVIATION FOUNDATION. HE IS MARRIED AND THE FATHER OF FOUR AND HAS ALWAYS ENJOYED FLYING AND SHARING THE NEW MEXICO BACKCOUNTRY WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS! 12

13 Safety and Education by John Lorenz Please Don t Eat the Daisies, or the Preflight Passenger Briefing The FAR s for required pre-flight passenger briefings are pretty straight forward. Per FAR a briefing should cover smoking, seat belts, emergency exits, emergency equipment, and maybe oxygen and ditching equipment if appropriate. But pilots can and often should go beyond that, especially for someone unfamiliar with aviation. Les Knokes tells the story of a youngster riding in the back seat Les s PA-12 who found a bungee cord and tied the rear throttle fast in place because This black thing back here was moving but I fixed it. Hey, the kid was taking initiative and being helpful, normally commendable, right? The point is that there are a lot of things a non-pilot doesn t know and it s best to anticipate them before a flight. Some of the additional things a passenger briefing for small airplanes might cover are the possibility that it might be bumpy and that it s nothing to worry about, the importance of various controls and please don t touch them (including the often unnoticed rudder pedals, and the yoke which might be mis-construed as an emergency handle in turbulence) unless the pilot allows it. If passengers see nearby traffic it would be helpful to have them point it out, but not the 737 passing overhead at 30,000 ft. They should know to be quiet when the radio comes alive as well as when entering high-workload environments like the traffic pattern. Passengers in some airplanes should know that slamming the door to close it as if it was a car can damage it. New passengers should know that if they begin to get queasy it will get worse before it gets better so it s best to speak up sooner than later. (You can recognize the queasy passengers who are trying to tough it out by the fact that they stop talking, and maybe when they ask innocently how long it ll be before landing.) Pre-flight briefings might also include the location of a bag, but don t make them nervous and preconditioned to get sick. 13

14 Preflight passenger briefings for a B-17 ( Don t pull that lever or the bombs drop ) may be more detailed than for a C-172, but don t skip the 172 briefing. Adjust the briefing according to the situation; nonaviation passengers may need more information than the pilot-passenger, but don t ignore the pilot-passenger who s limits may need to be defined so there s no wrestling match over radios or controls. Humorist Jean Kerr wrote a book about raising kids in suburbia back in 1957 and the need to tell them the most obvious things since youngsters essentially know nothing. The book s title Please Don t Eat the Daisies can be a metaphor for newbie-passenger preflight briefings. These pieces are meant to be short and thought-provoking. They are meant to inspire pilots to go out and practice. They are not meant to discuss all the details and ramifications that could be explored for each topic. John Lorenz is a 6000 hour CFII, MEII, glider, and sand-lot acrobatic pilot. He has given over 2000 hours of tailwheel instruction. During the day he is a consulting geologist. 14

15 Advocacy by Joyce Woods Lots of Advocacy Going On While you re enjoying fall weather and the great food at a multitude of Fly-Ins, the issues affecting New Mexico aviators are piling up! Issues we re currently working: 1) Expansion of MOAs in southeastern New Mexico - NEW! 2) ATC Privatization national issue. 3) NM Game & Fish Rule changes to prohibit the Use of Aircraft for Locating Protected Wildlife for Hunting Purposes. 4) Provision to allow landing fee charges in New Mexico. You can help!!! Study and understand the issues, tell us your thoughts to help formulate an NMPA position, and we encourage you to communicate directly your personal perspective on these issues to make sure general aviation is well represented! 1. MOA Expansion Wow, another BIG chunk of Special Use Airspace! It bridges the current Talon and Bronco MOAs see the map at Proposed Action & Alternatives. At least it s an MOA and not Restricted! We don t question the importance of effective military training, both to our country and the New Mexico economy. Some feedback is it s just a MOA you can still fly through it (ho hum). Others express that our freedom to fly is being limited to narrow corridors, with a strong reminder that once SUA is designated, we never get it back. MOA expansion is a key element to secure the F-16 squadrons at Holloman important to NM. A Memorandum of Understanding is expected to define usage of the expanded MOAs (hours, how pilots notified, etc.). Also, the initial Notice of Intent indicates this is an Optimization of airspace. Perhaps an opportunity to reconsider other existing unneeded airspace (Bronco MOA)? Your help is needed to identify any problems caused by the proposal and particularly constructive suggestions especially from those of you that fly this area regularly. Congressman Pearce s office has requested our input - Josh Spann and copy us at nmpa@nmpilots.org This is still in a scoping phase, so we can impact. 2. ATC Privatization NBAA, AOPA, and EAA continue to lead the charge on this issue with online communications and magazine articles. For New Mexico, concerns have been expressed regarding Congressman Pearce s support of the issue. NMPA s position to date has been in opposition of the bill to privatize oversight of the entire air traffic control system. Doing so does not assure protection of general aviation s freedom of access to airports or airspace. 15

16 However, we have not historically opposed contract control tower operations or contracting improvement projects such as NextGen. We urge you to keep informed, speak up! 3. Use of Aircraft for Locating Wildlife for Hunting The Game Commission meets September 28th in Red River from 9am 5pm. The aircraft issue we ve been watching IS on the agenda. We will be present! Although we have not seen final wording proposed, we expect the 48 hour rule to be expanded, perhaps to the cover the full hunting season. To read minutes of the June 2017 discussion, read this and the staff document prepared for that meeting. You may recall our members concerns that pilots flying over hunting areas will be treated as guilty until proven innocent. AGENDA ITEM NO. 14: Discussion for Potential Rule Changes to Manner and Method Rule Amendments; NMAC, to prohibit the Use of Aircraft for Locating Protected Wildlife for Hunting Purposes. Presented by Robert Griego The Department will have a discussion only on potential rule changes on the use of aircraft for locating wildlife for hunting purposes ( NMAC). Last year we formalized the New Mexico Airstrip Network, a statewide multi-organization partnership made official through signing a joint Memorandum of Understanding. We continue to hope the NM Department of Game and Fish (NMDG&F) will join this partnership. We believe we share common goals regarding outdoor recreation in New Mexico and its economic impact. We also believe we may be able to help NMDG&F with their root problem through communications within the aviation community. If you can attend the meeting in Red River, we need a noticeable general aviation presence. Please coordinate with Larry Filener. 4. GA Landing Fees in New Mexico - We are still participating in discussions with Ron Tarrson of Santa Fe who plans to re-introduce this legislation again in For background, see original bill and NMPA s letter at: NMPA Documents/ Aviation Issues Please let us know your thoughts on any or all these issues us at nmpa@nmpilots.org. Did I make your head hurt? Better get back out flying! When Joyce is not standing up for pilot rights, helping with flyins, coordinating public outreach activities, tending to her duties as Vice President of NMPA, and a multitude of other things, she tries to get a little flying in with her trusty C-172. Joyce Woods was introduced to flying by her husband Art, who grew up around aviation. She got her license in 1994 and is multi-engine and instrument rated. Besides NMPA, she flies Young Eagles and actively volunteers with the EAA, 99s, NM Airstrip Network, and was named 2016 SW Region FAASTeam Rep of the Year. 16

17 HISTORY OF NMPA to 2010 NMPA History by Bob Worthington When the Kinlens died in November 1997, Steve Uslan, an aviation insurance agent in Hobbs, was president of NMPA. But so much of NMPA was managed by the Kinlens that the future of NMPA was in doubt. Fortunately, the Kinlens arranged for Uslan to get all the NMPA administrative information for it to continue. NMPA money, membership lists, minutes, etc. remained available to NMPA. The Kinlens requested FLYING REVIEW cease publication so another voice for NMPA was sought. President Uslan stated that NMPA would continue in the tradition established by the Kinlens. Steve, his wife Pam, and Pete Alexander began to explore ways for another NMPA publication. As mentioned last month, Pete Alexander was fired by Governor Gary Johnson as Director of Aviation and replaced with Mike Rice, an Air Force NM National Guard Brigadier General and pilot. While Aviation Director Rice was more astute and politically aware, he was also a GA pilot who would continue to support NMPA. NMPA President Uslan decided that there would not be any new elections for 1998 so NMPA would continue with the same officers and four regional VPs. But Jim Kinlen s positions had to be replaced so Bob Worthington became secretary and Hal Marx, treasurer. In March 1998, Steve and Pam Uslan initiated publication of AVIATOR S JOURNAL, a monthly magazine, like FLYING REVIEW, that would serve as the official publication for NMPA, all other USPA state organizations, as well as USPA. Steve also created a web site for NMPA ( This magazine went out of business in the early 2000s. Steve Uslan became very busy with his insurance business and his new publication so in 1999 he turned the presidency of NMPA over to Jerry Smith of Gallup. Unfortunately, Jerry s business travel took him away often and he couldn t devote much time to NMPA. This is the aviation magazine published by the Uslans to replace FLYING REVIEW. 17

18 By 2000 NMPA became stagnant and with the loss of so many of its old leaders, it almost ceased to do anything. Jerry had several good ideas for NMPA but didn t have the time or active followers to bring any to fruition. By November 2001 NMPA was mostly a non-functioning organization. It had 13 officers (but only two were NMPA members, living in NM), money in the bank, and some members (61 by the end of 2001) but didn t do anything. Bob Worthington discussed this with Jerry and he agreed for Bob to become acting president and see what could be done to change the downhill direction of the organization. Worthington knew that to resurrect NMPA he needed help. First, he contacted Mike Rice and FAA employee, Ron Keller (another NM GA pilot) and asked them to meet with Bob in Albuquerque to discuss what was needed to give life to NMPA. These three created a plan to build a new management team and change the managerial structure of NMPA. During late 2001 Worthington and a small team of volunteers began planning the future of NMPA. Time was spent on recruiting new members, putting together a schedule of FAA WINGS safety seminars for 2002, writing changes for the By-Laws, publishing a newsletter, creating a new web site, and designing two new events to attract out of state pilots to NM such as a weekend mountain flying clinic and a flying tour of NM. By the beginning of 2002, By-Laws changes were written, 22 new members were recruited, and a slate of officers were prepared for the 2002 election. The regional VPs were done away with and two VP positions were created: VP Membership and VP Safety and Education. The concept was to create a single state-wide management team and take NMPA to its members. But local NMPA chapters were encouraged. So, the reorganized NMPA in 2002 looked like this: President Worthington; VP Membership Dick Samuels; VP Safety and Education Jim Van Namee; Secretary Mary Samuels; Treasurer Patrick Stafford; Meetings Chair Ron Keller; Web Master Don Mickey and Publications Editor Marc Zorn. Dick was a CFII from Alto who was a retired USAF pilot and a retired Embry-Riddle instructor. Jim was an Angle Fire CFII and a former USN carrier pilot. Mary, was a retired nurse, a pilot and active in the 99s and Patrick from Albuquerque was a PhD hematology consultant. Mickey was publisher of an aviation magazine and in advertising in Albuquerque and Zorn was a California pilot who had moved to Albuquerque. Because of the demise of AVIATOR S JOURNAL, it was replaced as the official publication for NMPA by America s Flyways, an aviation magazine published in Phoenix, AZ. NMPA newsletters were also sent to its members. During 2002, NMPA created several flying events, some of which are still being presented by NMPA today. Worthington and Van Namee created the first NMPA Mountain Flying Clinic held on September 2002 at Angle Fire, an event co-hosted by USPA. September 2002 NMPA Newsletter 18

19 On Thursday and Friday evenings, Worthington presented the ground school portion of the clinic and Van Namee set up the 3-4-hour actual mountain flying portion for Saturday and Sunday. Pilots completing the clinic received a phase of the FAA WINGS award, BFR credit and a certificate for insurance companies. NMPA moved into the twenty-first century by becoming computerized (thanks to Cindy Paulsen) and the creation of as well as a special notification data base so all members with an address could receive special messages about what NMPA was doing. The first annual air tour of NM was created by Ron Keller, running three days, beginning in Albuquerque (with a special tour of the Eclipse factory) on Friday 18 October 2002, flying to Santa Teresa to visit the War Eagles Museum and then to Socorro. Vans took the group to Magdalena for a cowboy supper and then a melodrama and back to Socorro. Sunday everyone flew home. The tour was a success with 17 attendees, 3 from out of state. Other 2002 events included NMPA participation in the NM Pilots Bash in June and several FAA WINGS safety seminars, mostly presented by FAA Aviation Safety Counselors Ron Keller and Bob Worthington. By the end of 2002, NMPA had over 100 members, a 66% increase over December During the resurrection of NMPA, the organization enjoyed excellent relations with both the US Pilots Association and the NM Aviation Division. NMPA co-hosted USPA s quarterly directors meeting with NMPA s Mountain Flying Clinic in Angle Fire in September NM Aviation Director and NMPA member, Mike Rice, participated in many NMPA events and served as a guest speaker at some NMPA events. Division staff also presented at various NMPA meeting. By early 2003 membership was up to 170 and the Mountain Flying Clinic was held in April in Taos. Jim Van Namee assumed responsibility for the entire weekend clinic. Wings seminars were presented around the state, somewhere every month. Marc Zorn became president. In 2004 Carter DuBois moved from VP Safety and Education to president and then during his tenure he sort of disappeared. He was still around Santa Fe but he quit doing anything with NMPA. So, in 2005, Bob Worthington, VP Safety and Education, again assumed the role of president, a position he held until While the first NM Air Tour was successful, a variety of situations impacted the 2003 event and low registration forced it to be cancelled. Wings seminars continued to be presented throughout the state and the Mountain Flying Clinic continued to be popular. In September 2005, USPA A copy of America's Flyways, the official held its quarterly meeting in Roswell and NMPA moved its Mountain Flying Clinic to Roswell for the USPA meeting. publication of NMPA during the mid-2000s. Dr. Bob Worthington is a Co-founder of NMPA. His involvement with aviation began in the 1950s in the military and has continued ever since. He became a pilot in 1975 and has owned 9 planes and accumulated over 7000 hours of flight time. He is an aviation psychologist, aviation writer, and also teaches aviation safety seminars. 19

20 About half the attendees were from out of state, thanks to the reputation of the clinic. In the mid-2000s Van Namee moved the Mountain Flying Clinic from Taos to Santa Fe. In September 2007, USPA again joined forces with NMPA for another joint meeting in Santa Fe. While the ground school portion of the clinic was presented, the flying had to be cancelled due to IFR weather and heavy rains. In the late 2000s Van Namee moved to Colorado Springs, CO and retired airline pilot and mountain flying CFI Grant Besley took over the clinic. During the mid-2000s America s Flyways ceased publication. Worthington was able to get FLY-LOW aviation magazine from Arkansas to become the official publication of NMPA. In 2010 Worthington was elected president of USPA again. Joyce Woods was elected NMPA president and NMPA had new leaders and moved in a different direction. A copy of one of the last NMPA Newsletters sent to members by the US Post Office. This is an article promoting the 2009 NMPA Mountain Flying Clinic which appeared in the newspaper format of the monthly FLY-LOW, the last paper print official NMPA publication. Dr. Bob Worthington is a Co-founder of NMPA. His involvement with aviation began in the 1950s in the military and has continued ever since. He became a pilot in 1975 and has owned 9 planes and accumulated over 7000 hours of flight time. He is an aviation psychologist, aviation writer, and also teaches aviation safety seminars. 20

21 Tech Corner by Will Fox Takeoff Downhill, Land Uphill I began to panic as the end of the runway passed underneath me and I realized that the plane was not climbing. As I unconsciously pulled the yoke back, the shriek of the stall horn startled me and I eased the pressure off the yoke and sank back down into ground effect, about 15 feet off the ground. The plane was flying, but just barely. Not for long though, if I couldn t clear the hills up in front of me. It all started when tower told me to taxi to RW35 for takeoff. The ATIS had indicated that the winds favored that runway about 45 minutes ago. As I made my way over there, though, I noticed that there wasn t much wind at all. When I got to RW 35, I noticed that it had a slight uphill grade, but it didn t seem to be enough to worry about. During my run-up, I was thinking that the airplane was pretty heavy with full fuel, enough baggage to to get us to Alaska and back, and my buddy, Charlie. It was also pretty hot and the density altitude was over 8000 MSL. I was asking a lot from the The Reserve airport has a 1% uphill grade to the west towards the mountains. little C-150 we were flying. I told the tower I was ready to go and they cleared me for takeoff. At that particular moment I was wishing that I had asked them for the opposite runway. It would have been downhill, and even with a slight tailwind, a better choice. But, I was a very inexperienced pilot at the time, and the thought of asking the tower for a runway different from the one they had assigned me was simply too daunting a task to tackle. I rolled onto the runway and firewalled the throttle. The little Cessna began a slow acceleration towards lift off speed. We were almost halfway down the runway when it finally broke ground. At first, it seemed to want to climb, but that desire disappeared as soon as I got 20 feet off the ground and out of ground effect. If I pulled the yoke back to climb higher the stall horn would go off. We had passed the end of the runway and headed for some hills, when I figured out that the combination of load, high density altitude, and uphill runway was too much for the Cessna. I started a turn to the right, but the airplane immediately began to sink towards the 21

22 sagebrush that covered the uneven ground beneath us, so I quickly leveled the wings and continued towards the hills in front of us. Charlie hadn t said a thing. Later he told me that he was bracing for the crash landing that he was sure was going to happen. My panic clogged mind began to realized that the plane was climbing at the same rate as the terrain, but that wasn t going to work when we got to the hills, so our only hope was to try to turn towards lower terrain, or crash land straight ahead. I told Charlie to get ready to crash and started a gentle turn to the right. As the plane settled, I pulled the yoke back a bit more to keep from hitting the ground and the stall horn went off. The airplane continued to settle so I pulled back some more and the stall horn started to shriek it displeasure with my flying technique. The plane settled a bit more and I began to think our right wing was going to hit the brush. But by some miracle it didn t, and the airplane began turning slowly to the right. I completed the crosswind turn and as I leveled the aircraft, the stall horn quieted down. And then the little C-150 did an amazing thing, it began a barely perceptible climb. I finally took a breath as the terrain slowly fell away. The tower called and suggested we turn to our downwind leg for departure. No longer intimidated, I told them that I was going to hold this heading until I had more altitude. I m sure they were trying to help after witnessing the hair raising takeoff, but things were getting smaller on the ground and I didn t want to change a thing. I learned a lot from that takeoff, but one of the most important things I learned, was to not take off uphill into rising terrain if you have another choice. I ll even accept a fair amount of tailwind to avoid this situation. And as I ve become more experienced, I have learned how to decide where the tipping point is with regard to taking off downhill with a tailwind versus taking off uphill with a head wind. It depends on a few things. How much runway slope you dealing with, how much the terrain rises after the end of the runway, how much wind you are dealing with, and how much performance your aircraft has. If the runway slope and or terrain beyond it, is greater than your climb gradient, obviously you don t want to take off uphill. But lets suppose the runway grade is only 1%, which means the runway rises 1 foot for every 100 feet traveled. Lets say that for your airplane the best angle of climb speed is 65 mph. In one minute you will have traveled about 6000 feet and the runway will have climbed 60 feet which is equal to a climb rate of 60 fpm. Surely it should no problem for almost any small general aviation aircraft to easily exceed this trivial climb rate. One might therefore think that a runway with a 1% uphill grade should not be a problem at all. To the contrary, I have seen some close calls even with runway gradients this small. Some were more than close calls, and a while back a flight instructor and student attempted a go around after a botched landing in strong gusty winds on a runway with a 1% uphill grade and they ended up being unable to clear a tree adjacent to the end of the runway. A tree caught this Cherokee as it was attempting to land at an airport after an engine failure. Many crash landings in trees turn out to be survivable as was this one with the pilot only receiving minor injuries. 22

23 There were some extenuating circumstances. They were in a low powered aircraft, at a mountain airport with a high density altitude, and the strong gusty winds were generating a significant amount of turbulence. In addition they began a turn to avoid houses at the end of the runway which all but eliminated any climb rate they had been able to achieve. Lets take a look at these extenuating circumstances in detail. Low powered aircraft, often have climb rates of under 1000 fpm. A C-150 has a published climb rate of 710 fpm at 78 mph, at sea level, resulting in a climb gradient of 9.5%. However, at 7000 on a hot summer day, the climb rate drops to 295 fpm at 73 mph, for a climb gradient of 4.6%, or less than half of sea level performance. One would not consider a 1% uphill grade to be a problem at this point, and it s not, if that is all that you have to deal with, but lets look a little more at the problem. Gusty conditions can substantially reduce climb rates, although how much, depends on a lot of factors. I have observed a 100 fpm to 200 fpm loss in climb rate in moderate turbulence in various light aircraft. If we assume a reduction in climb rate of 100 fpm, due to gusty conditions, the C-150 climb gradient would drop from 4.6% to about 3%. Perhaps a more significant factor to be considered is the turbulence and rotor activity that is often at play when taking off into rising terrain in the mountains. Often the reason pilots takeoff uphill is because the wind favors that direction. However if that wind is coming over a mountain, hills, or even tall trees, there is sure to be turbulence accompanying it. In researching crashes at mountain airports, the vast majority occur on the uphill end of the runway and turbulence is often a significant factor. Finally, banking to make a turn can have a significant impact on climb rate. Published data indicates that the climb gradient will decrease about 0.5% in a 15 degree banked turn, 2% in a 30 degree banked turn, and 3.5% in a 45 degree banked turn. At higher bank angles the ability to climb may completely disappear, particularly at high density altitudes. If we assume a 30 degree bank angle to avoid the houses at the end of the runway as was the case in this accident, the climb gradient for the C-150 would drop to 1%, or equal to the runway gradient. In other words, the aircraft would not be able to out climb the runway. This is why the plane ended up in a tree adjacent to the departure end of the runway. By the way, both the instructor and student survived with only minor injuries, in large part due to the low stall speed of the C-150 and the slow deceleration provided by the tree. The turbulence on the downwind side of a mountain can can dramatically reduce climb rate in nearby aircraft. Taking off uphill into rising terrain is never a very good idea. In the mountains, where high density altitude degrades aircraft performance and mountain turbulence can reduce it even more, a pilot must have a really good reason to takeoff uphill. It often makes more sense to takeoff downhill even with a moderate tailwind because the terrain is going down and all you usually need to do is maintain altitude to clear the obstacles in front of you. Taking off downhill can shorten your ground roll as well, but a tailwind can also extend it. A good rule of thumb is that every 1% of downhill grade will offset every 2 knots of tailwind. Beyond that, every 2 knots of tailwind will add 10% to your ground roll. A tailwind will also decrease your climb gradient, so be aware of this factor as well. Will Fox is an active flight instructor and homebuilder. He also serves as a Technical Counselor and Flight Advisor for the EAA. In his spare time he enjoys working on and flying his two homebuilt aircraft, a Pegazair P-180 and a Questair Venture. He is also fascinated with solar power and electric vehicles, so his next airplane will be electric. 23