Ed Fisher Building Update 1-23-2018

Some updated pictures on Ed Fisher's new construction, also some pictures below his lot that has been cleared. You can see the creak now.

Click on any picture to see full size.

Whiteplains Plantation 2018 HOA Meeting

If you couldn't attend this years HOA meeting, here it is. Special thanks to Ken and Peg for hosting this in their hangar. 

We had a good turn out with 50 people attending, 

Posted 1-20-2018

By: Don Cook

Whiteplains Plantation HOA Meeting 1-16-2018

Picture by: Phil Rainwater

   We had a about 50 peopele that attended the dinner and meeting. A lot of good information was shared by the board and several question were asked from several people.  

   If you missed the meeting, your in luck, I have a video that I'm going to upload no later than Friday so you won't miss out on what when on. 

Reported by: Don Cook

Soup-Off 2018

It’s that time of year for our annual soup fellowship at our hangar.  For those new to our community this is known as the “Soup-Off”.  The purpose of this gathering is four fold. One, we get to enjoy many soups.  Two, we get to vote on the best soup Chef (bring dollars as each ballot will cost $1.)  Three, money raised goes to Gilbert schools to help the needy!  Four, we enjoy a fellowship with our neighbors at SC99.  If you don’t want to make a pot of soup we always welcome desserts, bread, crackers, soft drinks, etc.  We will furnish water, iced tea, and coffee.  We will start promptly at 6:30pm on Saturday, February 3.  It will be at my hangar located behind our house at 244 Cirrus Ln.  Yes, you can make sure you or your significant other wins the competition by purchasing plenty of votes.  Not that this has ever occurred (LOL!) and we don’t care since more money is raised.  It would be nice if you would RSVP by email, call, or text me @ 803-530-2434 or have questions. 


Hope to see you,
Mike and Jean Moore

Link to the very first Soup Cook-Off First Soup Cook-Off

Ron Greenfield Miracle Video

What's new, Atlas?

Ultralight Pilot Who First Led Geese Dies

Russ Niles     A wild-eyed Canadian artist, dreamer and ultralight pilot who inspired one of the world’s most unusual wildlife conservation efforts died Dec. 30 in his underground house in rural Ontario. Bill Lishman was 78. In 1985, he "imprinted" a flock of 12 Canada Geese he’d raised on his biplane ultralight. In 1988, he led them, in V formation, to winter in South Carolina. Five years later, he repeated the effort with 36 birds and caught the attention of those in the desperate fight to keep the Whooping Crane from extinction. Between 2001 and 2015, Operation Migration used costumed pilots flying ultralights to lead young cranes raised in captivity in Wisconsin to Florida. Unfortunately, it didn’t work that well because the artificially raised birds weren’t great parents and the operation was shut down by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2016. Lishman, who had received a diagnosis of leukemia 10 days before his death, had the migration inspiration in 1985 and with the help of his remarkably resilient family raised the first brood of geese for his celebrated scheme. Migratory birds imprint on the first thing they see when they hatch and that was Lishman’s aircraft. His unusual story was the subject of the popular movie Fly Away Home in 1996. Lishman was a highly respected sculptor and artist and his works are on prominent display across Canada. He left behind Paula, his wife of 50 years, and three grown children. view on YouTube

Snow day in South Carolina 1/3/2018

 Snowed for about 20 minutes.  Nothing really stuck.

This is what it looked like an hour after it started. 

Love living in the south.

Steve & Bobbi Crimm's New Years Bash 2017

Special Thank You to the Steve and Bobbi Crimm for hosting this event.

Ron Greenfield - Final Resting Place - Arlington National Cemetery

      

Click on any picture to see full size.

Ron Greenfield is in his final resting place, Arlington National Cemetery. Such a beautiful and peaceful setting and one so fitting for a man that loved his country as much as Ron did.

                                                    I Love You Ronald Barry Greenfield! RIP

By: Pam Greenfield

12/29/2017

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Workhorse SureFly Octocopter

Things are moving fast in aviation.  Check this out. If you want one,

just put down a $1,000.00. the other $199,000.00 on delivery.

How GE Will Laser Print Turboprop Engines

They have come a long way in engine building.

Christmas Party Get Together 2017

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Slideshow from last nights get together at the Gardner's.  Thanks John and Vicky for hosting this event. 

AVwebFlash 12-15-2017

Blue Origin Test-Flies Crew Capsule

MARY GRADY

Blue Origin, the company funded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos that’s working to develop sub-orbital space tourism, successfully launched a rocket from a west Texas site on Tuesday. The 60-foot-tall rocket carried crew capsule 2.0 on its first flight, to an altitude of about 322,000 feet, or 61 miles, in about two and a half minutes. The capsule then separated from the rocket for a few minutes of free fall, and then returned to the surface under three canopies. The rocket returned to its launch pad in a controlled vertical landing. The pressurized crew capsule, which features several large windows (about 2.4 by 3.6 feet), was occupied by a test dummy and a dozen payloads containing commercial, research and education projects. The capsule can accommodate six astronauts in comfortable seats, and is roomy enough for tourists to experience weightless floating and even turn somersaults, the company says. The altitude of 61 miles, or about 100 km, is generally considered the boundary between the atmosphere and the edge of space. During the parachute landing, a retro-thrust system adds extra cushioning, for a contact speed of about 1 mph. The entire system is fully reusable, the company says. view on YouTube

From AVWeb Flash 12-15-2017 Drone Update

NTSB Blames Drone Operator In Collision   MARY GRADY     The operator of a drone that collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter in September didn’t see the aircraft because he was flying the drone beyond visual range, the NTSB said on Thursday. The operator also lacked adequate knowledge of the regulations and safe operating practices for drone flying, the safety board said. The incident occurred in New York, at an altitude of about 300 feet. The helicopter crew landed safely. Parts of the drone were lodged in the helicopter’s engine-oil cooler fan, and a 1.5-inch dent was found on the leading edge of one of the four main rotor blades. The drone operator was flying for fun, the NTSB said, and was unaware of the TFR in place at the time. He did not hold an FAA remote pilot certificate. Also this week, the FAA’s rule requiring owners to register small drones was reinstated. The rule, which had required drone operators to register online, display a registration number on their drone and pay a $5 fee, was tossed out by a D.C. court in May. The new rule was attached to a defense policy bill that was signed into law this week. Also this week, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University said it will offer a free, two-week online course for drone operators. The course, “Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Key Concepts for New Users,” will run from Jan. 22 to Feb. 4. Participants will learn about equipment, airspace, legal requirements and flight planning, as well as how to become commercial drone operators. “We have had consistently great feedback about this course,” said Prof. Kristy Kiernan, lead educator for the class, which has been offered annually since 2015. “We are especially excited about the updates and changes we have made to reflect the most up-to-the-minute information in this rapidly changing part of aviation.” The instructors for the class include full-time ERAU faculty and experts from the unmanned aircraft systems industry. Registration is now open.

Landing in just 20 feet.

Click for video -   The Alaska Life - Short Field Landing - 20 feet.

SCBC video retrospective of Gerald Ballard 12/11/2017

Gerald Ballard - A South Carolina Breakfast Club Retrospective from Cayce House of Cats on Vimeo.

FAA Safety Team | Safer Skies Through Education

"Six Steps to the Perfect Preflight Brief"
Topic: How to Conduct a Safe, Expeditious and Thorough Preflight Brief.
On Tuesday, December 26, 2017 at 16:30 Pacific Standard Time (17:30 MST, 18:30 CST, 19:30 EST, 14:30 HST, 15:30 AKST, 17:30 Arizona, 00:30 GMT)

Select Number: WP0179816 Description: In this 60 minute webinar, Delia Colvin, aviation weather expert, international bestselling author and 15 year veteran of Air Traffic Control will walk you through her favorite sites and tools for conducting a SAFE self briefing;     •    Learn the 6 elements you MUST CHECK in any brief     •    What hazardous weather doesn't qualify as an "Adverse Condition"     •    How to significantly reduce needless data     •    The proposed replacement for Area Forecast     •    When severe weather doesn't qualify as an adverse condition Plus we'll walk through a standard weather brief, followed by Q&A Click here to register today To view further details and registration information for this webinar, click here. The sponsor for this seminar is: FAASTeam The following credit(s) are available for the WINGS/AMT Programs: Basic Knowledge 3 - 1 Credit Advanced Knowledge 1 - 1 Credit Click here to view the WINGS help page

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

Steve Sanderson - Guest from Whiteplains

Chilly Sunday greetings from South Florida, where the temps have dipped down into the mid 40s this morning.  46 as we speak, the locals have gone crazy and are wrapped up in their blankets, while the Northerners are only mildly amused.

Jenny is off on another assignment this weekend, but I was honored to have dinner here last evening with our former South Carolina neighbors, John and Vicky Gardner, and Ann Cargile and Bobbi Crimm:

Reported by: Steve Sanderson

Obituary for Gerald Ballard

Gerald Ballard

Send Flowers Obituary Guest Book "Gerald touched many lives with his stories, antic's and..." - Larry Garner View Sign Mr. Gerald M. Ballard, Hephzibah, GA, entered into rest on Monday, December 4, 2017.  Mr. Ballard was born to the late Arthur M. Ballard and Eleanor V. Ballard in Fredericksburg, VA on September 30, 1939. He was preceded in death by his former wife, Frances Louise Skillman. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force (1959-1964). He was the owner and President of Ballard Truck and Tire Company in Augusta, GA since 1968. He was the President of the South Carolina Breakfast Club since 1979. He was awarded the 1998 Aviator of the Year at the Boshears Memorial Fly-In. His proudest and most honorable accomplishment was when he was inducted into the South Carolina Aviation Hall of Fame in 2004.  He is survived by his daughters Janet Ballard Frazier (Russell) and Rebecca Ballard Wyles. And Michael Ballard. He is survived by four Grandsons; Derek Touchstone, Dalton James, Alex Wyles and Noah Wyles. Additionally, he is survived by three sisters; Marita K. Broussard of Columbia, SC, Sally B. Hill (Ken) of Indian Harbor Beach, FL, and S. Kay Taraschi (Peter) of Indiatlantic, FL and numerous nieces and nephews.  Visitation will be held on December 10, 2017 at Platts Funeral Home, Belair Road Chapel, Evans, GA from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Monday, December 11, 2017 at Platts Funeral Home, Belair Road Chapel, Evans, GA with the Reverand Ben Bartlett officiating. Burial will follow at Westover Memorial Park. The pallbearers are Derek Touchstone, Dalton James, Alex Wyles, Noah Wyles, Kerry Hale, and Ernest Tukes. Honorary pallbearers are All Members of the S.C. Breakfast Club. If so desired, memorial donations may be made to Vaucluse First Baptist Church, 2 Church St, Vaucluse, SC 29850.  Please sign the guestbook and send condolences at www.plattsfuneralhome.com.