Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Today's Lunch Group Picture

Photo by: Steve Sanderson
 
Today we ventured out to the new Pizza place at the end of Larry's Subs.  As you can see, we had a great turn out. It was heard by one member of the group that...."No finer looking group was ever assembled".  I'll let you be the judge of that.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Saturday's Trash Pickup Team

 

 
On Saturday, lead by the capable and qualified Colonel Jim Causey, a small but mighty group of Whiteplains Plantation Airpark residents gathered to pick up litter along the roads leading to our neighborhood.  No……..there is NO trash along our streets, taxiways and runways, but we picked up 22 bags of trash along the nearby roads.  Here is Colonel Causey launching our event:

Sunday, January 20, 2013


FAA Safety Team | Safer Skies Through Education

You have asked us to notify you when a seminar is scheduled that meets your criteria. The following seminar may be of interest to you:
"iPad and ADS-B for General Aviation"
Topic: Getting the most out of your iPad and ADS-B in-flight.
On Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 10:00 AM
Location:
Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport
500 Ammons Rd.
1st floor conference room
Spartanburg, SC 29306
Select Number:
SO1347945
Description:
If you want to get more out of your avionics, including iPad, this is a chance to better understand the capabilities of this FREE service, including in-cockpit weather and traffic. ATP, CFII and FAASTeam Rep Adam Lockamy will also answer common questions about ADS-B. Questions such as: "What is ADS-B?  What can it do for me as a pilot?" Don't miss this one! This seminar is for YOU!!!
To view further details and registration information for this seminar, click here.
The sponsor for this seminar is: SC FAASTeam
The FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) is committed to providing equal access to this meeting/event for all participants. If you need alternative formats or services because of a disability, please communicate your request as soon as possible with the person in the "Contact Information" area of the meeting/event notice. Note that two weeks is usually required to arrange services.
The following credit(s) are available for the WINGS/AMT Programs:
Basic Knowledge 3 - 1 Credit

Click here to view the WINGS help page

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Friday, January 18, 2013

People of Whiteplains

Some notable Whiteplains residents at a Coast Guard Auxiliary dinner in Myrtle Beach last weekend...

Pictured from Left to Right,,  Peg Peterson, Ken Plesser, Festus & Barbara Burchfield


The beginning of Pelion Airport 1981


Click on picture to see full size.

Thanks to Ken Plesser for sharing this bit of history about Pelion Corporate Airport that was started way back in 1981.

Aviator kept remarkable airplane alive

Only a few hundred kits have ever made it in the air, and many of those pilots had Keith Hinshaw to thank. Bede Aircraft Inc. struck a chord, and was overwhelmed by orders soon after the tiny, single-seat BD-5 was introduced to the world at the 1970 EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wis.

Wildly popular but plagued by rotten luck—the engine manufacturer went bankrupt just before the first production engines were to be delivered, for example—the BD-5 left its authors bankrupt and the dreams of thousands in shambles.


Click on link below for full story:
Aviator kept remarkable airplane alive


Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Homeowners Meeting 2013



If you missed last nights Whiteplains Homeowners Meeting, here is a short Photshow.  About 60 people attended the dinner/meeting.  Thanks to Steve and Jennifer for hosting this years event.

Also thanks to past President Jeff Cargile and board member Steve Crimm.  New board members are Tony Scribner and Don Cook/

Tower Strobe Update 1-16-2013


Here is a photo of Mr. Plesser admiring the newly installed power supply box for our tower strobe light system. Next step is installing the strobe on the tower.

Note how nicely it fits into the runway lighting control cabinet! 

Thanks to Ken Plesser for engineering this project, and to Mike Moore and
Steve Sanderson for their able assistance.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Who is checking out the blog.

If you look at the very bottom of the blog, you'll see a small map.  Click on it, and you'll get to see who is checking the blog out. Below is the map for today. Some very interesting information.  Check it out.

Annals of the Security State, Glider Pilot Edition

I am mentioning this story precisely because it occurs in a self-contained little corner of American life that most people would never think of or hear about. But it illustrates some broader changes in American life worth reflecting on.

When you have time, I hope you'll watch the first six minutes of the 19-minute video at the bottom of this item. Or you can read a summary here. The video and story come from the AOPA -- the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which as I've explained is "my" version of the NRA. That is, it is an unyielding and at times unreasonable advocate for what it sees as its members' interests. In this case, I really support its vigilance.

The story in brief: Robin Fleming, a 70-year-old glider pilot in South Carolina, was out for an afternoon's flight last summer. From the AOPA story here's the pilot and his craft, to give you an idea of who and what we're talking about:

Click below for full story.....

This could happen to you.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Tree Cutting Starts 1-12-2013




Slide show by: Don Cook        Photos by - Steve Sanderson

Tree cutting has started at the end of 27. This has been a long time coming.  Thanks to everyone that made a donation that made all of this possible.


Take off runway 27 Whiteplains Plantation (SC99)



Great day to go flying in SC.  Note at the end of the runway, that the trees have finally started to come down.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Final Exam - Question and Answer

final exam

Question: If I am intercepted by a law enforcement or military aircraft, how do I know whether they want me to follow them or proceed on course to my destination?

Answer: If you have been intercepted and the pilots of the intercepting aircraft want you to follow them they will typically make a slow level turn, normally to the left, onto the desired heading. The intercepting aircraft will also normally be rocking its wings slightly above your flight path, ahead of you, and to the left. If, on the other hand, you are intercepted and after identifying you the intercepting aircraft decides you can proceed on your way, it will normally perform an abrupt break-away maneuver consisting of a climbing 90-degree-or-more turn to the left without crossing your flight path. Click here for AOPA’s In-Flight Intercept Procedures Checklist.

New infrared system turns night into day

Not surprisingly the fatality rate in night fixed-wing general aviation accidents is double that of daytime accidents, according to the Air Safety Institute’s 2010 Joseph T. Nall Report. With the NTSB keeping GA on its Top 10 list for 2013, the industry is looking for any opportunity to improve GA safety. Cessna Aircraft’s Jan. 7 announcement that the Astronics Max-Viz enhanced vision systems are now available on the 172, 182, and 206 models gives pilots one more tool to improve safety.

Click on link below for the rest of the story on AOPA....

New infrared system turns night into day

Secret 'no-fly zone?

 Click link below for full story.... from AOPA  Could this happen here?

Secret 'no-fly zone'?

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Bird Strike Repaired....


 N9998A is safely back home, no birds were harmed during the flight and all is as it should be at Whiteplains :) .........For the time being.

Mr Clamp worked his magic on the bird-strike damaged wing skins and she looks as good as new.

Thanks to Mr. Steve Mestler for a ride in the Seabee!!

FYI, Both a water landing and an airport landing were made on the way to EOE :) I highly recommend arranging a flight with Steve. "Marty B" is a beautiful airplane.  Bo

Monday, January 07, 2013

Cavanaugh Flight Museum, Addison, Texas



The cold northeastern weather has prompted us to release this FREEview from the new third season of The Aviators. In this FREEview, Anthony shares with us the joys and chores of flying in the winter. With 10 million US viewers weekly on PBS and millions more in over 100 countries plus online, The Aviators is an award-winning, worldwide aviation phenomenon. The Aviators airs weekly across the US on PBS, several times a week in Canada on Travel+Escape, and overseas on Discovery. The show is also available online on iTunes, Hulu, and Amazon, in addition to the show's official website at TheAviators.

Friday, January 04, 2013

Aviation Consumer Looks at SAM Backup EFIS



Electronics sure has come a long ways.  This unit runs around 10K,

Paper Airplane

'Ultimate' Paper Airplane From 'Top Gear'

click for larger version — and directions to make your own
James May, known as Captain Slow on the popular Top Gear BBC program, recently shared his design for an "ultimate" paper airplane, complete with winglets and elevons, created from a sheet of standard A4 letter-size paper. "It's a sort of cross between a Vulcan bomber and a Fairey Delta, and if you do it properly, it's a good flyer," May told the RadioTimes. May, who flies his own sport aircraft, is also working on a project to build a balsa-wood glider model and fly it across the English Channel -- about 22 miles. Click through for May's illustrated instructions for the "ultimate" flying piece of paper.

Click on the image at right for a larger version of May's instructions. Earlier this year, the video of a flight of a giant paper airplane with a 45-foot-wingspan became one of AVweb's most-clicked-on stories. In February, a new world record was set with an indoor flight of more than 200 feet for a paper airplane design.