Traveling to all 50 States by Hitchhiking via GA

Good morning,
I am a travel writer who is hitchhiking on general aviation planes to all 50 states and am blogging about it on JetHiking.com (a book is also in the works). So far, I have been on 32 planes ranging from experimentals to seaplanes, a 1940 WACO, and a Hawker. I visited Oshkosh and have been included in more than 30 media outlets including AOPA, NPR, The Seattle Times, and NBC's Today.com. 

I am flying to Charleston, SC this weekend and am trying to go to Florida (anywhere) after that. You can find more information about my project on JetHiking.com, including a map of where I have been, photos, a full list of press coverage, and my adventure blog. (I am also on Facebook and Twitter).

I anticipate the project taking over a year to finish (I started in July 2012) so I need all the help I can get! It has been generating a tremendous amount of interest among the general public and has attracted positive press for GA. 

If you think any of your club members might want to help me get closer to Florida please feel free to give them my information. Or, if you have any tips, suggestions, or know of any upcoming events I should attend please let me know! I'll be heading to Sun N Fun in April ;)

Please feel free to call me at (585) 245-1411.
Thank you!

-- 
The JetHiking Gypsy
Twitter/Facebook/JetHiking.com
"Dreams can take you far but only if you're willing to fly."

Safety Videos - Operating at Non-Tower Airports

Feel free to share this page with your pilot friends, students, instructor or club.
Non-Towered Airports:
Operating Safely!

With 149 control towers scheduled to close across the USA, the number of non-towered operations will be going up dramatically!

Watch this timely refresher on non-towered airport operations, where PilotWorkshops founder Mark Robidoux interviews safety expert Bob Martens. Martens has delivered hundreds of live seminars on this topic and these videos address the most frequently asked questions.

We are providing these videos as a community service and hope that it might help you brush up on these important procedures.

Note: These recommendations are specific to USA non-towered airport operations.

Click HERE to go to page with videos 

FAA Safety Team | Safer Skies Through Education

Air Traffic Control Facility Closures Notice Number: NOTC4665 On February 22, 2013, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administrator (FAA) Michael Huerta jointly announced the possible impacts of a budget sequestration on FAA operations.  This announcement included notification of potential closure of over 100 air traffic control towers, with those impending closures beginning April 7, 2013.  The FAA has subsequently released a list of 149 control towers that will be closed and the agency has made the decision to keep 24 federal contract towers open, read:  Press Release – FAA Makes Tower Closing Decision.   As the probability of these tower closures and reduced operating hours nears, it is important to increase our awareness of proper operating practices and procedures at airports without an operating control tower.  Although we often hear these airports called “uncontrolled”, you can help ensure continued safe and controlled operations through adherence to published practices and procedures. Of course, “non-towered airport” is the proper term to use for an airport without an operating control tower.   There are many resources that provide advisory information for operations at airports without an operating control tower. These include the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), Advisory Circular (AC) 90-66A , CFR 91.113 (Basic Right of Way Rules), CFR 91.126 and CFR 91.127(Traffic Flow Rules at Non-Towered Airports).   Please also note that some aeronautical experience for pilot certification requires takeoffs and landings at a towered airport. This may increase activity at the remaining towered airports, and will necessitate diligent planning on the part of training providers, instructors and students.   So, what can I do? Always check NOTAMs prior to flight. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.  Remember, communication includes listening, not just transmitting. Stay alert and continually scan for traffic. This may include turbojet, turboprop or helicopter operators that are not accustom to “standard traffic patterns” at your airport. Be aware that you may now be sharing the traffic pattern with non-radio equipped aircraft or ultralights. Spend some time with your CFI improving your knowledge and skills. Improve your knowledge by completing one or more of the many on-line courses available through the FAASafety.gov website.  URL for the links listed in the notice: Press Release: http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=14414AIM: http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATPubs/AIM/aim.pdfAC 90-66A:http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/74c9017c9457e4ab862569d800780551/$FILE/AC90-66A.pdfCFR 91.113: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=ef94fb7a693bc72e1bda265cc7cf9883&rgn=div8&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.3.10.2.4.7&idno=14CFR 91.126: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=ef94fb7a693bc72e1bda265cc7cf9883&rgn=div8&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.3.10.2.4.14&idno=14CFR 91.127: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=ef94fb7a693bc72e1bda265cc7cf9883&rgn=div8&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.3.10.2.4.15&idno=14FAASafety.gov: http://www.faasafety.gov/  Remember, safety is every pilot’s responsibility. Have a safe and enjoyable flight! This notice is being sent to you because you selected "General Information" in your preferences on FAASafety.gov. If you wish to adjust your selections, log into https://www.faasafety.gov/Users/pub/preferences.aspx where you can update your preferences.

Invite a fellow pilot to the next WINGS Safety Seminar in your area.

World Record Paper Airplane Distance.mov

World Record Holder Launches Paper Airplane Book

By Pia Bergqvist / Published: Mar 26, 2013

Related Tags: Pilots, Adventures & More, News

RATE IT!or

The creator of the world’s most efficient paper airplane, John Collins, has launched The New World Champion Paper Airplane Book, a guide that explains how to make his record-breaking design, which he named “Susanne” after his wife, and 23 other “masterpieces of precision and aerodynamics.”

 

While “Susanne” was designed for distance by maximizing lift and glide, some of the other paper airplane designs in the book are made to stay aloft for prolonged periods, in some cases for several minutes.

 

The degree of difficulty in recreating Collins’ paper airplanes may vary, but he makes it as easy as possible for the reader to construct them by including step-by-step photographic explanations. And for those who are digitally challenged, there are 16 tear-out airplanes made of durable paper that the reader can start throwing around as soon as he or she can pull them out.

 

“Susanne” set a new Guinness World Record on February 26, 2012, when former California Golden Bears quarterback Joe Ayoob threw the paper airplane a distance of 226 feet and 10 inches inside a hangar at McClellan Air Force Base near Sacramento, California. The space restriction of the hangar shortened the run-up-to-throw distance, but regardless of the limitation, Ayoob’s throw broke the standing record by nearly 20 feet. This is the first time a paper airplane record has been broken by a thrower/designer team. “Susanne” is also the first paper airplane design to use changing airspeed to enhance performance.

Click on link below to see video.

World Record

Aspen Avionics Unveils ADS-B Solutions | Flying Magazine

For the full story, click on link below.

Aspen Avionics Unveils ADS-B Solutions | Flying Magazine

FAA Tower Closures

FAA has announced today that the following Airport Towers in SC are going to be closed because of the sequester.

CRE    Grand Strand in North Myrtle Beach, SC
GYH   Donaldson Center in Greenville, SC
HXD   Hilton Head in Hilton Head Island, SC.

For a full list of airports click:  HERE

Reminder...Free Lunch Fly-1n 3-22 at CAE

How to prevent cam and lifter wear

Home → Opinion → Visser's Voice → How to prevent cam and lifter wear

 

March 20, 2013 by Ben Visser 1 Comment

 

Reader Dave Fletcher recently sent an email concerning the failure of the camshaft in his Lycoming IO-360 engine. He was concerned about pre-oilers, Ney Nozzles, CamGuard and other oil additives.
This is a subject that both engines expert Paul McBride and I have addressed before, but I thought I would try to add a little background to the debate.

To understand the problem with Lycoming camshaft wear, one needs to look at the physical layout of the Lycoming engine. The camshaft is on top of the crankshaft as opposed to Continental engines with the camshaft below the crank. When most aircraft sit idle, air enters the cowl openings at the top of the engine, so the top is affected by ambient air temperatures before the rest of the engine. During the day, the crankcase is warmed up and filled with warm humid air. In the evening and at night, the engine cools down and moisture collects in the oil.

As more and more water collects, the air in the crankcase becomes more humid, so in the evenings the cam cools faster than the rest of the crankcase. Once the cam cools below the dew point of the air in the crankcase, moisture drops out on the cam. Over time, this water causes rust to form on the cam and lifter surface. When the engine is finally started, the rust acts like a lapping compound to start wear on these surfaces. It is important to realize that the majority of cam and lifter wear starts in the first revolution of the cam.

The problem with pre-oilers is that oil comes out the cam bearings and lifter barrels, but no oil gets onto the cam and lifter interface for that first revolution. Even the Ney Nozzles promise oil to the lifter interface within one revolution. The pre-oilers get oil to all bearing surfaces quicker, but have little or no effect on that critical first revolution.

So do additives help prevent cam and lifter wear? They may help. The reports on CamGuard vary from a marginal effect to a complete cure for the problem. However, there are a host of other additives that have no beneficial effect and are a complete waste of money, and many of them are not FAA approved.

So what is the answer to preventing cam and lifter wear? The biggest thing you need to do is have dry oil. To do that you need to make sure your oil temperature is high enough to boil the water that is condensed into your oil. To do this, I recommend that all plane owners remove their oil sending unit, put it in a container with oil, water or even chicken soup, and place the container on a heat source. With a good thermometer, make sure the container is heated to 180°F. Then check your gauge. I recommend making a paint mark on the gauge so you can easily reference where 180° is when flying.
Now go fly and check your gauge. If after a half hour or so your oil temperature is not up to 180°, take steps to raise it up. If it is well over 200° during a level cruise, you may need to lower it. The reason for this is that as oil goes through your engine, the highest instantaneous oil temperature is usually about 50° higher than oil entering the engine temperature. At 180° the oil will see 230° in the engine, which will boil off the moisture. If you operate at 230° during level flight, the oil is getting to 280°, which can lead to problems.

So what is the bottom line? I have found that Lycoming engines that operate with a “true” oil temp of 180-200° and are flown regularly almost never have cam and lifter problems. If you live in a humid climate and operate with an oil temp well below 160° and do not fly regularly, then the chances are pretty good that you may have a problem. If you are not going to fly for a period of time, like over the winter, change the oil and add a quart of preservative oil that meets Mil-C-6529C Type II specification.

Pre-oilers, additives, brand and grade of oil, etc., fall into the great gray area of maybe they will work or maybe not, but why depend on them when you have an almost sure thing.

Please share: How to prevent cam and lifter wear

Filed Under: Visser's Voice Tagged With: Aviation News, General Aviation

Small Plane Around the World Update

Hola Listers,

Just returned from the met office and it ain't good news.  There's a cold rain falling here now and tomorrow will have rain with surface winds of 40 knots. The next several days have a series of fronts passing over Tierra del Fuego, the Drake Passage and/or the Antarctic Peninsula.  If the passage is forecast to be reasonably free of ice then there's ice over the peninsula or vice versa. More often than not there's ice in all three places.  The met guy says that this is the warmest year on record in this area. The warmth brings moisture and ice.

Wednesday and Thursday are unacceptable and it's looking pretty grim for getting to the pole any time this week. Saturday is the next possible window and I'm waiting here to see if that pans out.  It's really too late in the season to wait much longer than that. I'm formulating a plan B for putting my tail between my legs and heading home.

I'll try to keep you guys up on what's going on.

Bill Harrelson
N5ZQ 320 2,150 hrs
N6ZQ  IV  220 hrs

Single engine world record update

Apparently the local TV station videoed Bill, the world record attempt pilot and his plane when he was in Brazil.  The link is below.   They videoed his takeoff from a helicopter as well.  Good views of the plane and inside the cockpit.  Unfortunately its all in Portuguese but you can hear a little of Bill's statements to the press...
 
Click to see video:   http://rob.com/lancair/2013.03/n6zq.mp4 

First Annual Fender Family Oyster Roast (Steamed Oysters) at Whiteplains

When: Next Saturday 23 March @ 5PM
Where: Fenders' Hangar 304 Whiteplains Place Gilbert SC 29054

Please join us next Saturday afternoon for a good old fashioned Oyster Roast. 

We will provide the Oysters, saltines, sauces, tea, soft drinks, plates and napkins etc.
Please bring a covered dish, appetizer, or dessert if you'd like as well as a folding chair, an Oyster Knife and Glove, and your choice of beverage if tea and soft drinks don't suit you.

The first pot of steamed Oysters will be dumped onto the shucking table at 5:15. Bring Sharp Elbows and an Oyster knife!! :)



Please feel free to bring a friend along or to pass this invitation to someone that we may have missed.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE RSVP no later than this Thursday (21 March).

Hope to see you all here.

Bo, Susan, Thomas, and Matthew Fender

New NTSB Safety Alerts

Notice Number: NOTC4630

In case you missed the announcement, here is the press release from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announcing the publication of five additional Safety Alerts for pilots and mechanics.

Today, March 12, 2013, the National Transportation Safety Board issued five Safety Alerts that focus on the most frequent types of general aviation accidents.

“Because we investigate each of the 1,500 GA accidents that occur in the United States every year, we see the same types of accidents over and over again,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. “What’s especially tragic is that so many of these accidents are entirely preventable.”
Each year, about 475 pilots and passengers are killed and hundreds more are seriously injured in GA accidents in the United States, which is why GA Safety is on the NTSB’s Most Wanted List. (http://go.usa.gov/28DF)
A Safety Alert is a brief information sheet that pinpoints a particular safety hazard and offers practical remedies to address the issue. Three of the Safety Alerts focus on topics related to some of the most common defining events for fatal GA accidents. These include low-altitude stalls, spatial disorientation and controlled flight into terrain, and mechanical problems. The other two Safety Alerts address risk mitigation.
The five Safety Alerts issued today are:                                           
                                                                                        
      • Is Your Aircraft Talking to You? Listen!                          
      • Reduced Visual References Require Vigilance                                     
      • Avoid Aerodynamic Stalls at Low Altitude                                        
      • Mechanics: Manage Risks to Ensure Safety                                         
      • Pilots: Manage Risks to Ensure Safety
The NTSB is creating five short videos – one for each Safety Alert – which will be rolled out this spring. The videos will feature regional air safety investigators sharing their experiences and observations of the many accident investigations they conducted as well as advice on how pilots and mechanics can avoid mistakes that can have such tragic consequences.
"GA is essentially an airline or maintenance operation of one, which puts the responsibility for sound decision making on one person’s shoulders," Hersman said. "We are promoting and distributing the alerts to reach pilots and mechanics who can benefit from these lifesaving messages.”
The five Safety Alerts approved today, as well as others that have been issued since 2004, are available at http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety_alerts.html.
The presentations investigators made to the Board today are all available at http://go.usa.gov/28bx.

This notice is being sent to you because you selected "General Information" in your preferences on FAASafety.gov. If you wish to adjust your selections, log into https://www.faasafety.gov/Users/pub/preferences.aspx where you can update your preferences.

Invite a fellow pilot to the next WINGS Safety Seminar in your area

FAA Safety Team | Safer Skies Through Education

"SC Aviation Safety Fly-In" Topic: 2013 SC Aviation Safety Council Fly-In - Friday, March 22nd On Friday, March 22, 2013 at 11:30 AM Location: Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) 2553 Airport Blvd. SC Aeronautics Commission Hangar West Columbia, SC 29170 Select Number: SO0049269 Description: Join us for a FREE lLUNCH at 11:30 AM! 12:45 - 1:45 PM - AOPA Update with Mr. Bruce Landsburg, AOPA 2:00 - 3:15 PM - Safe Practices for GA Pilots with Mr. Gere Gaige. SCAviation Safety Council 3:30 - 4:30 PM - Accident Review with CDR. Dean Grant, U.S. Navy To view further details and registration information for this seminar, click here. The sponsor for this seminar is: SC FSDO & 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

World Record attempt in Small Plane

 

 

 

Track this plane as it makes its way around the world from South to North Pole and back.              Flight starts today, 3-13-2013

 

 Click here to track

 

Another link SpiderTracks

 

Plane Data

 

Fly along in a Total Eclipse 500

Published on Mar 9, 2013

Eclipse Aerospace is touring the country with a Total Eclipse, a stand-in for its new-production Eclipse 550, which will deliver in July of 2013. AVweb recently took a demo flight in the airplane with North American Jet's Preston McClay

Click on link below to see video:

Total Eclipse Flight

The Return of Anti-Detonation Water Injection (ADI)

February 7, 2013

by	AVweb Staff

The only reason leaded avgas still exists is to deliver high octane cheaply and the only reason for octane is to prevent detonation in high-power, high-compression engines. But octane isn't the only way to quench detonation, something engineers have known for years.

Injecting a water-methanol spray into the combustion chamber—so-called anti-detonation or anti-detonant injection (ADI)—was once a common technique for military aircraft when octane wasn't available or when aircraft designers wanted excess power in bursts, even when burning high-octane fuel. It was also used in civil transport applications.

If it worked 60 years ago, why not now? That's exactly what Air Plains is proposing in its resurrection of ADI STCs developed by Todd Petersen during the 1980s, when mogas as an alternative fuel was in vogue. But just as mogas fell out of favor, a victim of a shrinking cost difference between it and avgas and a flood of ethanol in the fuel stream, so too did Petersen's ADI fade. It never found wide market application. But like Petersen's hundreds of mogas approvals, the STCs remained alive.

Air Plains, which is a mod and engine conversion house in Wellington, Kansas, is updating Petersen's original work using state-of-the-art electronic controls developed by Electronics International. Air Plains has in mind systems that would allow high-horsepower engines to operate safely on either 9lUL or mogas of suitable octane.

The underlying idea behind ADI is to use a water/methanol mix to cool the combustion event and slow the propagation of the flame front, which tends to accelerate when the fuel/air mixture encounters the hot surfaces of cylinder walls, valves and pistons. This leads to instant, explosive ignition that we know as detonation. Even high-octane fuels will detonate if the cylinders get hot enough, but octane serves to yield a more orderly flame front and thus provides detonation margin.

Although water alone is an effective anti-detonation agent, early research revealed that a methanol/water blend (about 60/40) is more effective and the methanol actually adds a little energy to the combustion process. It also serves as anti-freeze, protecting the ADI reservoir from freezing down to about minus 40 degrees C.

Air Plains isn't the only company exploring ADI. At least one European manufacturer, Tecnam, will reportedly use ADI in a new twin called the P2012. Powered by Lycoming's new TEO-540-A1A, Tecnam says the airplane will be operable on mogas. Another Lycoming-powered aircraft, Grumman's pilot-optional Firebird drone, will also have ADI, presumably to operate in theaters where 100LL isn't available but mogas is.

Traditionally, ADI injects the fluid not directly into the cylinders but into the induction manifold downstream of the carburetor or fuel injection throttle valve. This simplifies and lightens the system and it's the approach that Air Plains is following with the revised ADI system it will soon have ready for the market.

"The main goal we're working on now is to have it available for today's technology. By that, I mean some of the electrical equipment used before is a little outdated," says Air Plains' Rafael Soldan.

Petersen's original STCs covered the IO-470 and IO-520 families and four airframes, the Cessna 188 and 210 and Beechcraft 55 and 58 Barons. Although the existing engine STCs approve the engines, Air Plains will need to seek additional airframe approvals to expand the market. So far, only non-turbocharged engines are approved, but Air Plains says it has turbocharged engines on the to-do list. Soldan told us the system could be made available for Experimental aircraft if there's sufficient interest.

The system consists of a baggage-compartment-mounted tank—5.5 gallons for singles and 11 gallons for twins—plus two pumps, a main and a backup pump. The injection point is through an add-on plate downstream of the throttle body.

The ADI is controlled by what Air Plains calls a TPCU or temperature and pressure monitoring unit. The system is set up to inject when either of two parameters are met: 25 inches or more of manifold pressure or CHTs of 400 degrees F or more.

"This system prevents detonation in a way that's super conservative. When it was tested originally, detonation occurred at way higher parameters than what we're using," Soldan said. Electronics International has been engaged to make the control unit, which is pictured here. The system is essentially automatic, switching on when the ADI parameters are met. It can be switched off or on manually by the pilot. The backup pump is operated from a separate electrical bus. There are also low fluid warning lights.

Fluid flow is either on or off, with no modulation and consumption is one gallon per 10 minutes of operation, or about 6 GPH. However, injection typically wouldn't be used in cruise flight or even high-altitude climb in normally aspirated engines. The fluid blend is 60 percent methanol, 39 percent water and 1 percent soluble oil to keep the system lubricated. Methanol bought in 55-gallon lots is about $2 a gallon and Air Plains figures the pre-mixed fluid cost at about $2.11 a gallon.

Weight of the system is estimated to be about 42 pounds for a single-engine airplane, including a full tank of fluid. As of early 2013, Air Plains said a single-engine ADI system would be priced at about $9000 and a twin around $11,000. For more, see AirPlains.com or call 800-752-8481.

Old News reels on Aviation

Check this cool link out.... Click here!

FAA Safety News January 2013

The Jan/Feb 2013 issue of FAA Safety Briefing focuses on aerospace medicine. Articles cover key issues that affect medical certification for pilots, discuss the pilot's role in this process, and explain the FAA's responsibilities.

• Medical Infographic: JPG, PDF    Click here

2013 Soup Cook-Off

About 50-60 Whiteplains neighbors attend the event, plus 4 guests who were visiting their families in the area.  There was a bewildering array of soups and accompanying toppings, as well as a table full of desserts and snacks, and a variety of drinks.  Nobody went away hungry.

Neighbors were invited to vote for their favorite soup, at $1 per vote, and after the meal was over, the auditing firm of Crone, Crone and Knox counted the votes.  It should be noted that there was no “audit of the audit” and it rumored that after the votes were tallied, someone ate the ballots.

The winners are:

                        Third place (bronze)            Susan Ramsey
                        Second place (silver)          Jean Moore
                        First place (gold)                Bobbi Crimm

 We raised a total of $ 145 which will be donated to the Gilbert Fire Department.

Everyone had a great time and our thanks to Mike and Jean for hosting this event.

Pictures and Report by: Steve Sanderson
Slide Show by: DAC Promo

Pardo's Push: McDonnell F4 Phantom

Don't try this yourself.... amazing story.

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.

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:

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

The Resolve to Remember: Aircraft Return to Flight

Some of WWII best airplanes, all in one location.  The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA.

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

GPS Advisory Notification - Charleston, SC Notice Number: NOTC4527

Click here for PDF

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.

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.

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.

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.

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New infrared system turns night into day

Secret 'no-fly zone?

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Secret 'no-fly zone'?