8-28-2010 Runway Lighting Work

Photo by: Don Cook

Click link for more pictures.            8-28-2010 Runway Lighting Work Saturday morning was runway lighting work day.  A short has developed  between the first light and the control box. Finding the wires is turning out to be harder than we first thought. It was determined that it would be best to run a new wire from the control box to the first light.  Thanks to all the guys that came out this morning to support Ken in this endeavor.

Reported by: Barbara Burchfield

Photos are taken from the observation deck at the Soo Locks at the St. Mary’s River.
This is the major water transportation between Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan.
The locks pass 10,000 ships per year, including the ‘Footers’ (1000 foot cargo ships).
A U.S. Coast Guard Ice Breaker opens the shipping lanes every year at the end of March.



Here is our 70 ft. tour boat in one of the Soo Locks.

Notice the water level starting to recede.

One million gallons per minute is leaving the lock.

It takes 12 minutes for the lock to get to the lake water level (up or down).

It is 21 feet of water vertical change (up or down) to get to lake level.

Then the lock doors open.

And the tour boat is on its way.
The shore you see is the Canadian side.

On the tour boat going thru the Soo Locks‏

Reported by: Barbara Burchfield

From our campground on the St. Mary’s River, we watch the “Footers” go by. It’s very impressive – takes about three minutes to pass the area, this one heading ‘up bound’ into the Soo Locks enroute to Lake Superior. That’s Festus watching the action from shore.

We took the tour through the Soo Locks and could see it from both sides.

This is Katy – one of the crew members on the 70 ft. tour boat.

Katy prepares to throw the line.

Pretty fancy footwork, working the lines to adjust tension at the locks.

Here we go. The folks on the observation stand are waving goodbye.

The water recedes quickly.

Down we go.

The lock doors open, and away we go into Lake Superior.

On the way, we see this crane pick up a huge section of steel from shore.

Don’t know where it’s going, but it’s really big.

Nice move!

B-17 Coming to Columbia

Tuesday - Wednesday, October 19-20, 2010

B-17 Tour Stop

Event Tag(s): *B-17 Aluminum Overcast *Warbirds

Columbia, SC

Hosted by EAA Chapter 242 B-17 location on field – TBD To book a flight please call 1-800-359-6217. Pricing for flights Pre-book - for EAA members $359, for non-members $399 Walk-up – for EAA members $385, for non-members $425 Self Guided Ground Tours daily from 2-5 pm. Cost $5 per adult, $15 per family. Active Military or Veterans receive free ground tour. EAA is offering historic flight experiences in its beautifully restored B-17G Flying Fortress “Aluminum Overcast.” One of only 14 Fortress's still flying, this aircraft is an icon of the Allied strategic bombing effort that helped turn the tide of battle in World War II. Unlike reading a history book, you can actually fly a mission back in time and feel the might of this magnificent machine, just as those brave young men did more than 60 years ago. Contact: EAA, Phone: 800-359-6217, B17@eaa.org

http://www.b17.org

Contact: EAA Phone: 800-359-6217, Send an Email

Southernmost Openhouse & Aviation Review

Mooney Ambassadors, c/o Jolie Lucas & Mitch Latting,
I’m emailing you to let you know that the Key West International Airport (KEYW) in Florida is having their first ever Southernmost Openhouse & Aviation Review (SOAR) on Saturday, February 5th, 2011. It’s being produced by a new 501(c)3, not for profit called, Friends of the Airport (FOTA). We’re hoping you can help spread the word among your membership via newsletters, magazines, online calendar postings, meetings or conventions, etc. We believe your members would be interested because of the following four reasons:

1. We need static display aircraft with a high “cool” factor. If any of your members are interested in putting their aircraft on display for the day, they can contact us for more details.

2. We have booth spaces available. If any of your members owns an aviation related business and would like to have an exhibitor/vendor display at our event, they can download the forms from our web site. It’s a great opportunity to market to thousands of aviation enthusiasts in one location on one day!

3. Key West in February is a great place to be! If any of your members have never experienced the world class fishing, diving, arts & cultural activities that the Florida Keys has to offer, not to mention the warm water, great February weather, Sloppy Joe’s and Margaritaville, they should consider visiting our event.

4. We need sponsors. If any of your members are from South Florida and would like to get in on the ground floor of this new, annual event by helping us produce SOAR, they can download the forms from our web site or contact us for more details.

Soar will include aircraft static displays, aviation exhibitors/vendors, flight opportunities, and tours of the new terminal. Please note SOAR is NOT an air show, NOR is it a fly-in; limited ramp space will not allow it. Our web site is http://monroecofl.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/MonroeCoFL_Airport/soar/SOAR. Or they can email us at info.kwiasoar@yahoo.com. As a way of expressing our gratitude for helping us spread the word about SOAR, we would be happy to include your organization’s tri-fold pamphlet (or standard 3.5” x 11” double sided brochure) in our courtesy display rack for free. Just mail the number you want us to display for you to 177 Star Lane, Key West, FL 33040. It’s a great opportunity to expand your membership among other aviation enthusiasts! Thank you.

Neal Carbaugh

President, Friends of the Key West International Airport, Inc.

305-879-9306
Jolie Lucas


Share the Passion!

Mooney Ambassadors

 http://www.mooneyambassadors.com/

Hopes flying high Posted by Janice Wood · August 23, 2010

When the Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport face-lift is complete, city officials expect the economic impact to be significant. Click on link below for more info.

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100822/ARTICLES/8221041/1083/ARTICLES?p=1&tc=pg

Skycatcher Pilot Handbook now online

Click here for more information:
http://www.generalaviationnews.com/?p=27583&utm_source=The+Pulse+Subscribers&utm_campaign=0979123a45-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email

Click here for PDF manual. 
http://textron.vo.llnwd.net/o25/CES/cessna_aircraft_docs/single_engine/skycatcher/skycatcher_poh.pdf?utm_source=The+Pulse+Subscribers&utm_campaign=0979123a45-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email

Free RPM Program

If you need to check your prop RPM, or anything for that matter, this is a free program that gives you a digital readout of the RPM.  Best of all it is free and it works.  Use it on a PDA or a laptop computer. (Two versions)

Works on sound, so you don't need to get close to the prop.

Get it her for free: 
http://www.tunelab-world.com/rpmsound.html

I use it on a Compaq PDA and the readout is within a few RPM's of my digital tack.

Track Lightning

Click on the link below to see the current lightning strikes for our area or the entire USA.

http://www.strikestarus.com/index.aspx?id=70

FAA finalizes re-registration rule

Click on this link to see rule.

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-17572.htm?utm_source=The+Pulse+Subscribers&utm_campaign=91154958c9-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email

Whiteplains Calendar August 2010

SCBC Dates:
8-08-2010   Aiken (AIK)
8-22-2010   Monks Corner (MKS)

Night Landing at Whiteplains Plantation 7-30-2010 Cessna 182.avi

Bob Gillmann landed friday night in his C-182 after a long cross country flight.

Barbara & Festus Trip Update - Upper Peninsula

This is the UP to locals - Upper Peninsula of Michigan – kind of like Alaskans refer to the continental United States as “outside”.

Escanaba is located on the northern shore of Lake Michigan, which I continue to refer to as the ‘ocean’ because it looks so big.

After seeing the Great Lakes, all other inland waterways now appear much smaller to us!

To our surprise and delight, this area has that wonderful small town family feel. Everywhere we go we see families, sometimes with 4 – 5 children in tow, enjoying the parks, fishing, biking, playing ball, or doing something together. Funny, sometimes you don’t notice something until it seems unusual…….

This Don Solis with four of his grandchildren at a family gathering that we were privileged to attend.

Joey and Don just returned from Alaska with red salmon – ready for the barbeque grill! Yum.

Okay – notice the Snow Blower for sale in this front yard? Haven’t seen one of those in years!

And here’s another seldom-seen icon: a real live US postal service employee delivering mail to houses. We had a great conversation with him – he’d spent a couple years in Alaska in the 60’s and is looking to retire in October. God speed.

Here is a typical street on that postal delivery route. I love the old trees and sidewalks. That’s Festus on his bike way over there on the right side.

The local park offers lots of beach area.

And every Thursday night there is a ‘concert in the park’.

Lots of bike lanes around the marina.

This is a water mower! We got a real kick out of watching this go back and forth across the marina.

The park area includes a small marina.

Small town America in Michigan – made even better because the weather is 80 today. Of course, there was a tornado warning two days ago that accompanied some serious rain, so again, it’s a matter of timing…..

Barbara & Festus

Up on the UP

All About Cylinders

Mike Savvy has an excellent presentation on how to inspect aircraft cylinders.  See link below

.http://www.savvymx.com/index.php/all-about-cylinders

Trip Report #1 - Barbara/Festus

Photos of the Woolsey Airport at Northport, Michigan

Now, THAT’S a lot of grass to cut!!!

East-West runway.

North-South runway.

And the charming facility that serves as the terminal.

Barbara/Festus

45⁰N - 80⁰W

Trip Report #2 - Barbara & Festus Burchfield

Visiting the USCG Auxiliary!

There’s this little town called Escanaba on the UP (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan, a shipping port and safe harbor for mariners since the 1860’s.  In a small town of just over 13,000 residents, there is an impressive 400+ acres of pristine public parks and recreation areas. We found Escanaba welcoming and very charming on this beautiful summer day.

At the public marina, it was hard to miss the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 25’ Safe Boat docked not far from the Sheriff’s boat.  We asked about it to a nice lady on the dock who immediately gave us the name and phone number of the Auxiliarist to call about the boat. (Where is that ever going to happen again?)  So we called the number and introduced ourselves as Auxiliarists from South Carolina.  He says, “Do you have time?  I’ll be there in 5 minutes.” 

And that’s how we met Paul Bissell, IPFC, SO-OP and FSO-OP for Flotilla 47-09 Bays de Noc, the northern end of Lake Michigan.  The bay's name comes from the Noquet (or Noc) Native American people who lived there.

The Coast Guard issued boat comes with full maintenance, inspections, and lots of training provided by the Coast Guard station in the AOR.  About three years ago the Coast Guard began a standardization program and that’s when Flotilla 47-09 received the SAFE boat.  The crew members love it’s speed and they really work the boat.

Paul tells us there are 22 flotilla members;  two are Coxswain with three more in training, and five are crew with four members in training.  So get this – in the FOUR months of summer operations (“ice in – boat out”) they log over 600 hours of underway time.  Wow.

The proficiency and physical requirements to coxswain/crew on the SAFE boat are considerably higher than the usual Auxiliary coxswain/crew standards.  The Coast Guard is very exacting.  Paul tells us, “There is no place for arrogance in the Auxiliary.”  He says, “The Coast Guard puts us through the grinder” in training, but they’ll show you and teach you everything you need to know.  “We learn new things and become better.”

Paul and Festus talking “shop” about operations.

I think Festus likes the boat!

From the shores of Lake Michigan,

Barbara & Festus Burchfield

Road Trip Report from John Gardner

Lunch at the Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix AZ

New Well Phase II

New well was dug Tuesday. Short video of all that was involved. From what I hear, this well is almost dry. A second well might be drilled just down from this location. TBD

Video by: Don Cook

This is way better than working‏

John Gardner is on a road trip from SC to CA and back to SC.  We received this picture from him today. I wonder why he would think that this is way better than working?

Another Whiteplains Young Eagle Flight today!

Steve Sanderson flew three Young Eagles this morning.  The kids live in Florida and were here in SC visiting relatives. Their cousin is a fellow medical student at USC with Micah.  It looks like they really enjoyed it. After the flight they received a Young Eagles Certificate, Log book and a coupon for free private pilots online course from Sportys Pilot Shop.

If you are a member of the national EAA, you can also fly Young Eagles.  Share the joy of flight with a young person.  You'll enjoy the experience.