Sunday, February 27, 2011

Lake City Lunch Trip.avi


Photos by: Don Cook

Two planes from Whiteplains flew over to Lake City for lunch. Short Photoshow of our trip this past Saturday. 2-26-2011

Whiteplains Pilots Trash Pickup 2-26-2011


Pictures by: Don Coook

Short video from this mornings "Trash Pickup" for Windy Road.

Thanks to Jack and Diane Fastnaught for hosting this event and to all the great folks of Whiteplains for turning out.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Runway Light update 2-25-2011

 Photos & Report by: Steve Sanderson

The engineering team of Fastnaught, Moore, Plesser and Sanderson, under the guidance of Chief Engineer Ken Plesser, started the next phase of the runway light improvements on Monday, February 25th.

After much research and searching, appropriate rubber mats were located; and these mats could be cut down to make the grass shield to put around every runway light. Each mat had to be divided into six 2 x 2 foot squares, then each mat was cut in a bandsaw to make a rubber disc about 22 inches in diameter. Jack's power tools made the job easy and we already have 12 mats done. See photos.


The always shy Sanderson once again hid behind the camera.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Lunch in Greenville Downtown Airport GMU


2-23-2011 Photos by: Don Cook

A flight of three planes left Whiteplains this afternoon and flew over to Greenvill Downtown (GMU) airport for lunch. We also wanted to check out the Video Crew that was shooting a segment for the Discovery Channel on airport resturants. They had a good turn out, and the food was very good.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Runway Light Upgrade finished


The team of Plesser, Moore and Sanderson, with considerable supervision, finished installing the stakes for the runway light improvements on Monday.

High levels of guidance and wisdom were generously provided by various
neighbors and Board of Directors members during the process.

Our Labor Union mandated coffee break was hosted by Dick Hitt in his hangar.

Your editor lost control of his camera and appears in this photo, taken by
Dick Hitt.  I have already joined the Witness Protection Program.

K-Club Group Photo - 2-21-2011

The lady at K-mart took this picture of the Whiteplains Pilots group last Monday.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Wednesday Lunch Suggestion - Runway Cafe

Got the following message from the manager at Runway Cafe.  Anyone interested in going this Wednesday.
Don Cook
Lara KaufmannFebruary 21, 2011 at 11:14pm
Subject: Runway Cafe


Hi,


A TV production crew will be at the Runway Cafe for about 15 hours this Wednesday shooting a pilot for a show called Road Eats. Just fyi... if you want to fly in for a meal at Runway Cafe on Wednesday.


Please share this with your friends. I just remember that you flew in at least once.


Lara Kaufmann
GMU

K-Club - New Record Attendance

Photo & Story line by: Steve Sanderson 
Whiteplains Cub reporter
Always a great way to start the week…………….breakfast with our fellow pilot neighbors.  We call ourselves the “K-Club”, and we enjoy fine dining at the K-Mart in Lexington, SC.

We had a large turnout this morning and were honored to have Al Force and Frank Young join us as our guests.  Markus Steiger was also with us, but he has been visiting from Brazil for three months, so he was confirmed as a member (with full voting rights) a long time ago!

Road Cleanup Notice for 2-26-2011

Hello to all,

Just a reminder for the Windy Road cleanup. Meet this Saturday 8:30 AM at the Fastnaught's for a light breakfast and then a hour of fun ;0)

See you then.
Jack & Diane

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone that turned out for the runway workday yesterday. We worked hard, enjoyed good fellowship, and had great weather. Due to everyone’s hard work we got a lot done in record time. I appreciate all that everyone did and thank you for all the help.


Jeff

Picture from todays SCBC


This is the Whiteplains gang at the South Carolina Breakfast Club at RockHill on Sunday.

Steve Sanderson continues to hide behind his camera!

Friday, February 18, 2011

Dick Hit - Inside Vintage Airplane February 2011



Our very own, Dick Hit, is featured in Vintage Airplane magazine in the February 2011 issue. As you probably know, the Vintage Aircraft Association is a sub part of the EAA and dedicated to people who enjoy older classic and antique airplanes.

[Pilots] Coffee and Donuts 8:30 am Saturday‏

Reminder Runway Workday, Tomorrow

There will be coffee and donuts available at 8:30 am @ Ray Ackerman's hangar. After that we will fill washed and eroded areas along the runway. We will be moving some dirt from the west end to fill the low spots. We will have a backhoe, dump truck and tractors available to help with the heavy stuff. Please bring a rake or shovel with you and meet at Ray's hangar tomorrow morning.

If you have any questions please call me at 730-8090. See you there.

Jeff Cargile

Thursday, February 17, 2011

LightSquared & Garmin GPS Face Off

Garmin Says 4G System A Threat To GPS

Garmin is standing by its position that a proposal to build a network of 40,000 broadband transmission towers around the U.S. could severely disrupt GPS service. As we reported last week, LightSquared has received conditional FCC approval to install the massive system to carry 4G signals, the conditions being that it restrict its signals to their assigned frequencies on the L Band 1 (1525 MHz—1559 MHz) and test existing GPS devices to see what kind of interference the transmitters might cause. GPS uses the a frequency range of 1159-1610 MHz, which is right next to the LightSquared signal. Garmin's Jessica Myers told AVweb in a podcast interview that Garmin has done testing on its own and determined there's no practical way for the two systems to coexist.
Myers said even if the LightSquared signals stay within their boundaries, they will be so strong compared to the very low-power GPS signals that reach Earth from the satellites that the GPS equipment will simply be overwhelmed. She said it may be technically possible to build filters that will block the LightSquared signals but they would be cost-prohibitive. Myers said that because the transmitters are ground-based, the biggest impact on GPS will occur in critical phases of flight like approach. She also noted that there are millions of marine and auto GPS units that could be affected. LightSquared says Garmin's tests are suspect because it didn't use the actual equipment that will be installed on the broadband towers. Real-world testing is expected to begin this month.
Reported in: AVwebBiz This Week

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Runway Work Day 2-19-2011

Reminder Runway Workday, February 19th

We will have a workday this Saturday, February 19th at 9:00 a.m. to fill washed and eroded areas along the runway.  We will be moving some dirt from the west end to fill the low spots.  Lucky for us we will have a backhoe, dump truck and tractor available to help with the heavy stuff.  Please bring a rake or shovel with you and meet at the west end overrun at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday the 19th.  Many hands will make light work.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please call me at 730-8090.

Jeff Cargile

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Trip Report - From Steve Sanderson 2-13-2011



One squadron of the Whiteplains Air Force assembled at Greenville Downtown for lunch on Sunday, February 13th.
Steve Sanderson hid behind the camera!

Monday, February 07, 2011

4G Broadband May Jam GPS

The GPS industry is warning that a proposed broadband Internet network could effectively jam GPS signals. For full story, click on link below.

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/1830-full.html

Update:

GPS Interference Worry over LightSquared Satellites


By: Andrew Wood

February 3, 2011

Avionics

The U.S. Departments of Defense, Transportation, Commerce and Homeland Security, as well as the civil GPS Industry Council–of which NBAA is a member–have filed objections with the FCC over a new satellite-enabled cellular broadband service from LightSquared. According to the numerous objections, the company’s two satellites will transmit in the L-Band spectrum, close enough to the GPS spectrum to cause “significant interference concerns” with GPS signals. LightSquared launched its first satellite, Sky Terra 1, on November 14, and at 72 feet in diameter it has the biggest commercial antenna in space. When Sky Terra 2 is launched next year, the two satellites will beam down 4G broadband data to a nationwide network of 40,000 cellular base stations to ensure connectivity to 92 percent of the U.S. population by 2015, with the aim of reaching 100 percent a few years later. The FCC has responded with the requirement that LightSquared may not start operations before an independent expert panel has agreed, over the next three months, that no risk of interference to GPS or other aviation or marine satellite services exists.

Whiteplains Pilots Association - Road Clean Up Day 2-26-2011

Hello to all,
It's that time again. We have set aside the morning of February 26 for the road clean-up.
We will meet at the Fastnaught's at 8:30 AM for a light breakfast and then go to work. 
With the help we have had in the past it only takes about an hour. We would sure like to 
see you there. It's another chance to fellowship with our neighbors and catch up on the 
goings-on around here while providing a great service for our community. Please bring 
gloves and dress warmly; even though this really is South Carolina it could be on the 
nippy side. We thank you all for your help. See you then.
Jack & Diane Fastnaught

New well being drilled.

Mr. Wayne Steele, under neighborhood supervision, drilling a well for the Burchfields.

SCBC Trip Report - Lancaster

Cody and I flew yesterday to the South Carolina Breakfast Club at Lancaster.  Our
neighbors, the Burchfields, let their granddaughter Savannah ride along with us
and we had a great time.  Cody handled the flying duties on the ride home and
did a very fine job.

Below is this years Cash winner at Lancaster.


Kim Boykin won the tax exempt pot at the South Carolina Breakfast Club today.

All American Aviation : Airmail Pick-up



Video from the psst.

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Whiteplains Plantation Announcement - Tree Removal

Tree Update
 
Work is scheduled to start this Friday, February 4th on tree removal
on the approach end of Runway 9.  We can thank Kathy Singleton, our
neighbor to the west for allowing us to cut the trees on her property.
 Although the trees we have permission to cut will not give us a
completely clear approach, it’s a start.  Expect to see some equipment
in that area over the next few weeks.
 
As always if you have questions, comments or concerns, please let me know.
Jeff