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Chapter News 
Christmas Party - The annual Christmas Party will be December 10, 1999 at the normal meeting location (Conference Center at the Tech School).  Setup and socializing will begin at 6 pm and dinner will be at 7 pm.  Please bring a gift for the gift exchange.  The gift exchange format will be similar to last year with each person having the option to open a new gift or "steal" a gift that has already been opened.  Gifts may be desirable or not-so-desirable (tire chains showed up last year).  Also bring either a vegetable, salad, or dessert to eat.  Meat will be supplied by the Chapter. 

Treasurer's Report - In November, the chapter had a balance of $148.68. 

Museum Trip - The trip to the Robins AFB Museum has been postponed until sometime in 2000.  The schedule for 2000 events will probably be out in the next newsletter. 

Building Workshop - There had been some discussion about having a workshop to demonstrate various building techniques to interested members.  The chapter decided, however, that it would be more effective for members to work one-on-one with experienced builders.  Several experienced folks in the chapter have made themselves available to provide instruction in sheet metal, wood, and fiberglass.  If interested in learning a new building technique, contact one of the Chapter officers for more information. 

In Memory - A donation was made to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in honor of Herb Ottewill.  Herb was a long-time member of Chapter 108 who passed away recently.  A future issue of this newsletter will highlight Herb's life and career in aviation. 
 

Harley also owns a Cessna 170 that has been in his family for 49 years.  The plane only has 1300 hours time since new. 

Bring ‘Em Back Alive 
The November meeting featured a presentation by LtCol Steve Laushine, Commander, 55th Special Operations Squadron.  LtCol Laushine was the mission commander for both pilot rescue missions during the recent bombing of Kosovo.  He presented a detailed description of the two rescue missions.  He explained the deployment process, the aircraft chosen for the rescue missions and the time line for each mission.  He noted that the most difficult part of each mission was filtering and acquiring information from the variety of communications equipment.  In spite of the high technology equipment available to the modern warfighter, the fog of war persists. 

New Officers Elected 
At the November meeting, the new slate of officers were announced.  Some of the new officers may be sore from the arm twisting they received, but they are all looking forward to an exciting year.  Bob Sutherland will be retiring after two years as Chapter President and we should all thank him for the outstanding job he has done.  Maybe now he can finish the work on his house.  Good luck, Bob.  The new officers are: 
 

October Program 
The program at the October meeting was an interesting video from EAA Headquarters that discussed engine maintenance.  The video covered topics such as preheating, preservative oils, and oil filters.  The video also included an announcement of the "Land-a-Member" program that runs through the end of the year.  For each member you sign up, you receive a pocket knife.  Other prizes are available for registering additional members. 
 

$$ For Sale $$ 

Engine:  Revmaster 2100D four cylinder, 65hp, 2074 cc, factory VW aircraft conversion.  Has Bendix mag, dual spark plug ignition, starter, alternator, conical rubber bushed engine mounts, exhaust stubs.  With two props, magneto/start key switch, starter solenoid and wiring, tach, EGT/CHT gage, oil temp and pressure gages, throttle and mixture control cables, four-wheeled shop dolly.  Log and manuals.  Engine has 50 hr TT and was always owned by Chapter 108 members.  Dave Kingman, 862-2864 

Old Magazines - Ray Hamorski has back issues of Kitplanes and Sport Aviation for anyone with space. 

Airplane Wanted - Richard Sohn is looking for an inexpensive airworthy aircraft to fly while he continues work on his many projects. 

1/9 share of Hangarmates. - Discounted below market value to $7500.  Seller will finance part. John Hicks 581-0296. 

Aircraft Engine:  22 hp air-cooled Onan with propellor, engine mount, alternator.  Only 200 hours TT.  Spare engine for my Quickie I.  New $1200, Now $595 obo. John Hicks 581-0296. 

Alternator: 50 amp original equipment off Lycoming O-235-L2C.  Only 300 hours.  Removed from Long Eze and replaced with smaller alternator. $120 obo. John Hicks 581-0296. 

EAA Calendars for Sale 
The new 2000 calendars are availble for order from the EAA web site (www.eaa.org).  This site is also great for last-minute Christmas shopping for your favorite EAA member. 

Whiting Field Military Appreciation Day 
Eleven planes from Chapter 108 made the trip to Milton on November 6, 1999.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous and a crowd of almost one thousand folks came out for the festivities.  The folks at Whiting Field had multiple military demonstrations and all sorts of food.  They even had a Scottish marching band complete with bagpipes. 

EAA wasn't the only group of planes in attendance.  A large contingent of model airplane pilots demonstrated the finer points of remote control aerobatics.  Thanks to Gerry Poltorak and Ray Hamorski for coordinating the trip for EAA. 

Snow Birds 
As the air has gotten a little colder and Christmas draws near, my thoughts turned to the advantages and disadvantages of winter flying.  We've all experienced the glass-smooth ride that cool still air provides.  We've also shivered while the small aircraft heater struggles to keep up. 

The FAA offers advice on aircraft maintenance when flying this winter.  These items are especially important if you plan a trip to the some of the northern states. 

- Engine Oil: Be sure to use the correct weight oil for flying in cold weather. 

- Oil Breather and Fuel Vents: A number of engine failures have resulted from frozen vent lines.  Special care is recommended during the preflight to assure that the various vents are free of ice. 

- Removal of Frost: Frost on the wings is a common cause of winter accidents during takeoff.  If warming the aircraft in a hangar, be sure the melting water does not run onto control surfaces and re-freeze when the plane is taken back outside. 

- Hose Clamps, Hoses, Hydraulic Fittings and Seals: An important phase of cold weather preparation is inspection of all hose lines, flexible tubing, and seals for deterioration. 

- Cabin Heater: Carbon monoxide.  Enough said.  Get one of the detector cards and put it on your dash. 

- Control Cables: Be sure tension is adjusted for colder weather. 

- Batteries: Wet cell batteries should be kept fully charged or removed from the aircraft when parked outside to prevent loss of power and the possibility of freezing. 

- Fuel Contamination: Fuel can become contaminated with ice caused by condensation.  To avoid this, fill tanks as soon as possible after landing and keep tanks full.  Filter fuel through a chamois before adding to fuel tank if necessary to remove water.  Use an approved anti-ice additive if desired. 

- Pitot Tube and Static Air Vent: Be sure these are clear of ice.  Otherwise you won't know how high or how fast you are. 
 

Oh, I've slipped the swirling clouds of dust, 
A few feet from the dirt. 
I have flown the airplane low enough 
To make my bottom hurt. 

I've IFR'd the desert valleys, 
The hills and mountains, too. 
Frolicked in the trees, 
Where only flying squirrels flew. 

Chased the frightened cows along, 
Disturbed ram and ewe, 
And done a hundred other things 
That you'd care not to do. 

I've smacked the tiny sparrow, 
Bluebird, robin, and all the rest. 
I've ingested baby turtle doves, 
Simply sucked them from the nest. 

I've flown through total darkness, 
Just the other passenger and me, 
And spent the night in terror, 
Of things I could not see. 

I turned my eyes to heaven, 
As I sweated through the flight, 
Put my hand out and touched 
The stall warning light! 
 

December 10, 1999 - Chapter Christmas Party 

January 18, 2000 - Monthly Chapter Meeting 

February 15, 2000 - Monthly Chapter Meeting