August 1999  EAA Chapter 108   PO Box 1141  Shalimar, FL  32579-5141   http://members.xoom.com/eaa108/

The next chapter meeting is scheduled for August 17, 1999 at 7:00 p.m.  Col Dan Wright, USAF, Retired, will discuss flying the U-2.

Last month, CMSgt Bunch and SSgt Brown from Eglin AFB discussed recent changes to the Eglin Approach Control procedures. Personnel shortages have seriously curtailed the times that Eglin Approach can operate.  Pensacola Approach is now handling the Eglin Area during these times and should be contacted when Eglin is closed.  Don't forget that clearance is still needed from Eglin and Hurlburt Towers to fly through their airspace.

Young Eagles Fly-in

There was a good turn out for the Young Eagles day, August 7, at Crestview.  Twenty-two kids and several parents from Starbase Atlantis were flown by the Chapter.  Pilots that showed up with planes were: Jim Jansa, Cliff Nunnery, Bob Ray, Tom Julian, Don Hawley, Ray Hamorski, Gerry Poltorak, Bob Sutherland.  Richard Sohn cooked hot dogs and the administrative duties were handled by Joyce Nunnery and Pat and Bill Morrison.  Be sure and thank Gerry Poltorak for such a great event!

Miscellaneous

SERFI Coming Up - SERFI is October 8-10, 1999.   There will be several work days prior to the main event.  Mark your calendars now! For more info, see Gerry Poltorak or Jim Jansa.
 
Whiting Field Anniversary - Whiting Field will be holding their XX anniversary celebration on XX November, 1999.  Chapter 108 has agreed to provide 24 vintage aircraft for the event.  If you are interested in participating, contact Gerry Poltorak.

Want Your Stuff Back? - Those who have contributed items to the news letter during the past several months can retrieve their photos and articles from John Jones.  He's finally done with them!

Fly-in at Muscle Shoals, AL - Chapter 615 will host the 2nd Annual Cotton State Fly-in on September 11, 1999 at Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL).  The door prize is a hand-held GPS and only pilots flying in are eligible.  Members of the local chapter cannot win the door prize.  Lunch will be catered steak.  For more information, call the Colbert County Tourism and Convention Bureau at 1-800-344-0783.

Treasurer's Report - In June, the chapter had an account balance of $511.69.
 

About a half dozen member of Chapter 108 ventured north for the annual gathering of all things aeronautical.  Personally, I expected that Wisconsin would be substantially cooler than Florida.  I even packed a sweatshirt.  Boy, was I wrong!  Airventure '99 will go down as one of the hottest EAA conventions in recent memory.  Temperatures hovered near 100° during the first half of the show making everyone miserable.  Then...it rained.

Actually, a cold front passed through on Friday night accompanied by gusting winds and driving rain.  My family was camping out in a tent.  Bad move.  As the storm began, we emptied and collapsed the tent and put our belongings back in the car.  Sleeping in a car in a driving thunderstorm is not a good way to get a good night's rest.  I was kind enough to share the stuffy, wet car with a few large mosquitoes.  Aren't I a nice guy?

Anyway, the highlight of the week was the appearance of Burt Rutan's newest aircraft, the Proteus.  It is roughly the size of a small business jet, but has a wingspan of over 100 feet.  It's designed to be an observation/communication platform and loiter at 70,000 feet for hours on end.  It can even carry two crews so that the crews can alternate rest periods.

The saddest part of the week was the crash of an F-4U Corsair and a Grumman Bearcat during the airshow on Thursday.  Two Corsairs and two Bearcats were set to depart the same runway at the same time.  The Bearcats were to perform a formation takeoff from midfield and the Corsairs were to begin their formation takeoff at the end of the runway.  For some unknown reason, the Corsairs began their takeoff roll before the Bearcats and a Corsair collided with one of the stationary Bearcats.  The Corsair was destroyed and the wing of the Bearcat was sheared off.  The Corsair pilot was severely injured.

The most interesting thing that I saw was the airshow act featuring a Waco biplane with a jet engine strapped underneath.  The pilot would use the jet for extra boost during the vertical parts of his airshow routine.  Weird...

This was my first visit to Oshkosh and my overall impression was BIG!  Just how big can be seen from the following:

Total estimated attendance: 765,000
Total estimated aircraft flown to event: 10,000
Total showplanes: 2,239, including:

• 654 Homebuilts
• 114 Antiques
• 472 Classics
• 215 Contemporaries
• 410 Warbirds
• 21 Rotorcraft
• 137 Amphibian/Floatplanes/Seaplanes
• 12 Aerobatic
• 117 Ultralights
• 69 Light Planes
• 12 Specials
• 6 Replicas

COLLEGE STATION, TX - A small, two seat plane crashed into a cemetery in this small college town yesterday.  So far, the Aggie Fire Department has recovered over 100 bodies and is still digging.
 

In my never-ending quest for newsletter information, I returned this month to NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System.  Because most of our flying is done at fields without control towers, I looked up the most recent incidents at non-towered airports.  I intentionally didn't use the term "uncontrolled" because there is a degree of control at these fields if everyone follows the rules.  The database lists incidents from July, 1997 to March 1998, but these incidents could just as easily have happened 10 or 20 years ago.  It seems some things never change.  See if some of these sound familiar...

• An aircraft is on short final when another aircraft taxis onto the runway.
• Two aircraft are sequenced to land with proper spacing, but the first plane taxis slowly to the far end of the runway before turning off.  The second plane is forced to go around.
• A pilot turns down the volume on his radio or changes frequencies and forgets to return the radio to the CTAF at normal volume.  He never hears the traffic calls of other pilots.
• A pilot chooses a new runway after a shift in prevailing winds only to find himself head-on with another plane on the same runway.
• CTAF is so congested by long, slow transmissions that pilots cannot make the necessary calls.
• A VFR student pilot and instructor turning final have a near collision with a business jet making a straight-in instrument approach.
• A pilot flies the wrong pattern at an airport with a non-standard pattern.
• An aircraft transits the airport area or enters the pattern without making any radio calls.  Other pilots in the pattern are forced into evasive maneuvers.
• A fixed wing aircraft doing touch-and-goes has a close call with a helicopter arriving at the airport.

Every great aviation concept must have an acronym, so AOPA sums up the 16-page brochure with "REACT."

• Radio — Listen to the automated weather observations, if available, and the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) for airport information and traffic advisories.
• Eyes — Use them! Look for other traffic. This is the top priority when operating in the vicinity of a nontowered airport.  Use landing lights so other pilots can see you more easily.
• Announce — Report your position and intentions using standard phraseology.
• Courtesy — A little courtesy will smooth out most problems. The "me first" attitude can be dangerous and rude.
• Traffic Pattern — Follow the recommended procedures. Prepare before you fly. Research the necessary information about your departure and destination airports.

 
At a chapter meeting several months ago, a discussion occurred about whether two-wheeled or three-wheeled landings were best.  Bill Tuttle commented that he always makes four-wheeled landings just to be safe.  You see, Bill flies a 1989 Kestrel Hawk.  It's an aluminum biplane that rides on a single center wheel with a tail wheel and two outriggers.  Bill says that this Kestrel Hawk should not be confused with a high-wing Cessna look-alike that's currently being sold under the same name.

Bill's model of Kestrel Hawk was formerly sold as a kit, but this particular aircraft was built by the factory and used as a demonstrator.  It made its debut at Oshkosh, 1989 and was on the cover of the August 1989 Kitplanes magazine.  A Rotax 582 powers the Hawk to a max speed of 100 knots with a cruise of about 90.  The 582 drinks about 4-5 gal/min depending on speed and weight.  The plane lands and takes off in less than 300 feet due to a light wing loading of 7 lbs/sq ft.  Avionics consist of a hand-held GPS and a hand-held navcom.

Bill bought the aircraft in June, 1992 and has used it mostly for local flying.  His longest cross-country flight has been to SERFI.  Bill says that the plane has great visibility and flies great.  However, the light wing loading and the 4-point landing configuration make for some rather squirrelly landings.

The only modification that Bill has made is the rebuild the back of the engine compartment.  He also added an official USAF Thunderbird decal that he acquired from the chief of maintenance for the T-birds when they were at Eglin several years ago.  He has now been officially designated as Thunderbird "0".  He even took a photo of the Kestrel Hawk parked next the the T-bird F-16s.  Interesting.

Bill keeps his plane in the Hangar Mates hangar at Crestview.  Stop by and take a peek at this unusual plane.  It's the only thing around that can make a true four-point landing.
 

Completed RV6/6A empennage, plans, builders manual -  $1100.00.  It was built by a personal friend of Van's here in
Clermont FL. It is primed inside and out.  Workmanship is excellent.  It is also balanced.  I purchased it as I was going to build a 6A.  I have decided not to build for lack of time and no other reasons.  I plan to be in your area in a couple of weeks as I am thinking of moving to that area.  I can give free delivery at that time.  George Murphy  352-799-0922 or george@atlantic.net
 

September 11, 1999 - Muscle Shoals, AL Fly-in
September 21, 1999 - Monthly Chapter Meeting
September 25, 1999 - Picnic

October 8-10, 1999 - Southeast Regional Fly-in (SERFI) at Evergreen, Alabama.
October 19, 1999 - Monthly Chapter Meeting