News Flash!

New Kit Plane Arrives at Whiteplains

The truck/trailer arrived yesterday around noon delivering my Rans S19 

kit from California. It was HOT and the load was BIG. That did not stop 

some great guys from showing up and helping me unload the trailer. My 

sincere appreciation and a BIG THANK YOU goes out to: Ed Fisher, Ray 

Sheffield, Ron Greenfield and Mike Moore for braving the heat and 

getting the job done.




THANK YOU,

Rob

Menu for The Patio Restaurant/Grill - Lake City Airport, SC

Click to see full size.

Whiteplains K-Mart Breakfast Club - Record Turnout this morning. 6-22-2015

 Doesn't take long for the line to get long.

 Dick Hitt - I'm hungry  

 So much to talk about.

 Past Members.... that are flying high.

 We tip the girls really good.

Icon's A5 is for real - AOPA

AOPA Pilot Editor at Large Dave Hirschman flies the Icon A5 and says it lives up to all of the hype. File photo courtesy of Icon Aircraft.

The hyperbole that accompanies new aircraft announcements has so seldom been matched by reality that we can be forgiven for becoming jaded.

In the history of general aviation, skepticism has, more often than not, been proven correct.

The years-long drumroll that has preceded Icon Aircraft's first delivery of its A5 light sport amphibian has had all the hallmarks of another disappointment in the making. The company has been showing off a sleek concept for a folding-wing amphibian since 2008 and collected 1,250 deposits for future aircraft—but so far it has produced mostly polished promotional videos and Facebook likes.

But after flying the first fully conforming Icon A5 on June 17 in California's Napa Valley and landing on both water and a hard-surface runway, I can tell you that this airplane more than lives up to its high expectations. It's extremely graceful on the water and in the air, offers exceptional control harmony and visibility, is a joy to fly—and absolutely will not stall and spin no matter how much it's provoked.

Icon gets go-ahead to produce A5

Icon Aircraft  completed an FAA audit June 11 that gives the company the green light to start producing its long-awaited special light sport amphibious airplanes. Read more...

"We had very specific design goals going into this project—but we think you'll agree that we achieved them," said Icon President Kirk Hawkins. "It's taken longer than we wanted. Much longer, in fact. But we thought it was important to get it right."

My first flight was at Lake Berryessa with Hawkins in the right seat.

After starting the 100-horsepower Rotax 912 iS engine and pointing toward the middle of the lake, he advanced the throttle, neutralized the elevator, and let the airplane rise up on the step and accelerate to 42 knots in about 14 seconds with his hands in his lap. Slight back pressure on the stick after covering about 900 feet convinced the airplane to fly, and after raising the flaps, it smoothly accelerated to 90 knots.

With two aboard and 10 gallons of fuel (half tanks), the airplane climbed 800 fpm to 1,000 feet where Hawkins demonstrated a seemingly suicidal series of maneuvers in which he provoked the airplane to stall and spin—but it simply refused. Steep turns with full back stick caused the wing to buffet and shake, yet the outboard wing panels with a lower angle of incidence kept flying, and the ailerons remained effective.

When he added full rudder, the airplane's nose moved in that direction. But even full cross controls couldn't get it to depart controlled flight. With full power, the airplane began a slow climb, even though most of the wing was stalled and providing no lift.

Water landings were smooth and consistent using an angle of attack display of Icon's own design. The pilot simply sets 30 degrees of flaps, descends at maximum lift over drag until the airplane settles into ground effect, then raises the nose slightly and lets the V-shaped hull settle into the waves.

Getting out of the water at a boat ramp required lowering the electro-mechanical, tricycle landing gear and taxiing up the incline. A 180-degree turn at the top of the ramp brought us back down, and the A5 slid back into the water like a duckling.

Hard-surface landings were non-events, and the A5's free castering nosewheel allows impossibly tight turns on the ramp.

In cruise with the landing gear retracted, the A5 indicates about 85 knots at 5,000 engine rpm. That number seems slow given the airframe's sleek appearance. But the propeller is pitched for climb, and Icon engineers are willing to give up some speed for other considerations. The A5 has a 9:1 glide ratio, and simulated engine-out water landings resulted in highly manageable approaches with descent rates of about 900 fpm.

Look for a full pilot report on the Icon A5 in the August issue of AOPA Pilot magazine and in an upcoming episode ofAOPA Live This Week

Icon's A5 is for real - AOPA

FAA Courses - Greenwood Airport June 27, 2015

Greenwood, SC 29649

Select Number:
SO1363331
Description:
We make crucial decisions in the aircraft every time we decide to go fly. But have you ever wondered why you make the decisions you do? Many of our more critical choices before flight and while airborne result from heuristics, biases, and normalized deviations. In this presentation, we will explore some of the reasons we make the aeronautical decisions we do.

"Making Sense of Aviation Weather Hazards"
Topic: Making Sense of Aviation Weather Hazards
On Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 09:00
Location:
Greenwood County Airport
322 Terminal Road

Greenwood, SC 29649

Select Number:
SO1363329
Description:
What you need to know before you go and how to update after you are already on the way. Aviation Weather Services, Advisory Circular 00-45G Change 2 (October 2014) can help you out!

"Applying ADM to Real Life"
Topic: Applying ADM to Real Life
On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 10:00
Location:
Greenwood County Airport
322 Terminal Road
"ADM from a Maintenance Point of View"
Topic: ADM from a Maintenance Point of View
On Friday, June 26, 2015 at 10:00
Location:
Greenwood County Airport
322 Terminal Road

Greenwood, SC 29649

Select Number:
SO1363330
Description:
Join Isaac White, an A&P and IA for an exciting discussion on ADM from a Maintenance Point of View. Isaac is an excellent, energetic and very informative speaker that will make you think about things that may have never crossed your mind.

"Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM): Why We Make the Decisions We Do"
Topic: Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM): Why We Make the Decisions We Do
On Friday, June 26, 2015 at 11:15
Location:
Greenwood County Airport
322 Terminal Road

Greenwood, SC 29649

Select Number:
SO1363332
Description:
Join FAA Designated Pilot Examiner Wally Moran for an informative seminar about learning to use ADM tools in real life scenarios.
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:



Note:  The below program is offered online on June 25, 2015

[EA2363213] My Brain is Trying to Kill Me! * Webinar * June 25, 9:00PM EDT, 8:00PM CDT, 7:00PM MDT, 6:00PM PDT - FAASafety.gov

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: "My Brain is Trying to Kill Me! * Webinar * June 25, 9:00PM EDT, 8:00PM CDT, 7:00PM MDT, 6:00PM PDT" Topic: Human Factors in Aeronautical Decision Making On Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 21:00 Location: On your computer or mobile device! 824 Hamlin Parma Townline Road Hilton, NY 14468 Select Number: EA2363213 Description: Our lives depend on making good aeronautical decisions but our brains sometimes work to steer our decisions in an unfavorable direction. The result is all too often a bad decision that puts ourselves and our passengers at risk. This live webinar will discuss some of the human factors, particularly our cognitive biases, involved in our decision making. Click here for more information and to register for the webinar. To view further details and registration information for this seminar, click here. The sponsor for this seminar is: The FAA Safety Team 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 1 - 1 Credit Click here to view the WINGS help page

 

 

Saturday 6-13-2015 In the heat of the day....92 and still going up!

As you know, at a Air-park, something is always in need of repair. Such is the case of painting the VASI's.  Our crew of two decided that today would be a good day to do this. Maybe the hottest day of the year so far.

Jim Franklin and Don Nowakowski busy at work. Complete with FAA supervision.

Runway Update - Runway work completed.

From:	Mike Moore
Sent:	Fri 6/05/15 6:55 PM
To:	whiteplains-pilots-list@googlegroups.com (whiteplains-pilots-list@googlegroups.com)

I'm pleased to announce that the runway is now open.

Runway - Update 6-5-2015

Mike Moore

3:05 PM

Groups

To: whiteplains-pilots-list@googlegroups.com

Painting contractor just showed so runway may not be open by 5:00pm. Will send followup email when open. Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID -- Messages sent to this list are for the safety, ed

 

 

Runway notice.......

Whiteplains Announcements List - Runway Painting.

Actions

Clem Spencer

4:51 PM

Groups

To: whiteplains-announcements-list@googlegroups.com

Neighbors,

The painter didn't show today due to the weather and advised he will be back tomorrow early afternoon.

Runway will need to be closed between 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm tomorrow to allow for him to get the work accomplished.

Runway is available this evening and tomorrow morning until 1:00 pm.

Sincerely,

Clem Spencer