June, 2004 Edition          

Chapter # 407                       www.eaa407.org

          South East Idaho

 

 

Officers and Contacts:

          Hal Johansen, President                            522-7297              haledie@ida.net

        Jerry Phillips, Vice President                    523-3981              phillipsjh@asme.org

          Harold Turvey, Secretary                         785-2552              happyharold@cableone.net

          Harold Mothersill, Treasurer/Website     524-6204              lmothersil@aol.com

          Austin Moses, Newsletter                          684-3922              mosescpa@srv.net

 

_NEXT MEETING:DOUBLE BARREL FUN AND FOOD:

(1)              Tour PACIFIC FIGHTERS

(2)              EAA 407's “Picnic 2004"

Saturday June 19, 2004 starting at 10:00 A.M. We will meet at 2013 Foote Dr., Idaho Falls where we will be treated to a tour of John Muszala’s WWII aircraft restoration/ maintenance facility named Pacific Fighters.John owns and operates a very unique business.With an incredible knowledge of WWII aircraft together with first class building skills & equipment he and his staff produce award winning airplanes.At last count there was barely walking room between airplanes in his facility so there MAY be “a full plate” to see and hear about.Inasmuch as the WWII Memorial was just dedicated in Washington D.C. what could be more fitting than to come out and see some of the aircraft that helped win that war.

We will proceed from there to Hoffs’ Rainbow Ranch Airport South East of Idaho Falls for a POT LUCK & grill your ownlunch, so bring something for you to grill and something to share( hot dish, cold dish, spud dish, veggies, fruit, salad, dessert, surprise)with your fellow members.Don’t forget your place setting although the Chapter will very likely have available the usual plastic fine china and sterling flatware in case you forget.Jerry Phillips, V.P. & Special Activities Chairman, is working to arrange for liquid refreshments, condiments and hopefully homemade ice cream to be available for all.If you have not been to the Rainbow ranch before, be advised there will be vintage aircraft, motorcycles, autos & 100 years of history to see.

DIRECTIONS: on 97th South about half way betweenAmmon Rd (35th E.) and 25th E. (Hitt Rd.) turn south ontoHoff Lane which will lead you, on a gravel road, to the airport.Bob and Jane Hoff advise you may fly in if you desire.Rainbow Ranch is theirprivate airport shown on the Salt Lake Sectional as RAINBOW, 2400' long, 122.8.A really nice and well maintained east/west grass runway.Use caution if approaching from the east as there is a bluff and power line near.Flying in is at your own risk and do use 122.8 CTAF to keep other aircraft in the vicinity aware of your position.

You could of course first fly to Pacific Fighters on the Red Baron side of IDA and then on to Rainbow for a complete aviation day.Life is Good!!

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Welcome new Members:

 

Kevin/Anja Folkman: Kevin is a research engineer at the Idaho Accelerator Center in Pocatello.He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from ISU.He learned to fly and got his private license several years ago before going to ISU.He is now getting back into aviation as he and father-in- law (recent new member Chris Bingham) are building an RV-7A.Sounds like a working team approach to a homebuilding project which is moving along very nicely.An extra set of hands and brains can surely come in handy in the building process.

Welcome to Chapter 407 Kevin & Anja!!!!

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NEWSLETTER INPUT: A challenge is hereby extended to all members.How about writing a paragraph or two about a current or past aviation oriented experience.Building,flying,first flight, week end trips, fly in attended, your aviation background, airplanes you own or have owned, etc. for our newsletter.Don’t be bashful, step up to the plate, help by being a contributor to YOUR CHAPTER NEWSLETTER.

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“RUNNING WITH THE BIG DOGS”:

 

On May 18 I had another rare opportunity to fly a photo op with a WWII fighter.The first was a couple of years ago when I flew myLancair 360next to a just restored big burly Republic P-47 Thunderbolt piloted by John Muszala.This time it was next toan early model P-51 Mustang (Model C, “razorback”) John hadjust completed and was flying.

We taxied out with mebehind the P-51 and with photographer Kevin Larson in myright seat along with his cameras and camcorder.John told me he purposely took his time running up, ahead of me, to allow the nostalgia associated with some 60 years in the past to be adequately absorbed by me.It was, but the flying fun was also about to start.We rendezvoused and joined up in the Taylor Mountain area after finally spotting one another in the friendly skies.We discovered “Over the golf course at 8000'”could be interpreted to be eitherthe Sand Creek and/or the Country Club courses but TCAS helped solve the problem.After some photos, flying on my right wing, John broke it off and we headed back to IDA as he was smelling an electrical problem.Found out it was the landing gear warning horn, removed it and off we went again with me now joining up on his left wing for a differentcamera view . John flies rock steady so keeping position as wing man seemed as easy at it gets but he did have to throttle back a bit.My little composite home built can almost hold it’s own with the big iron. FUN!!Hal

 

From member Dale Cresap:

2004 Desert Tour
Errol and I have not flown together in almost 2 months.  Since then I have flown over 45 hours, most of it in a Vans RV-9.  Yet I am no less eager to fly with Errol than I ever was.  We are both eager to make our annual loop through the desert.    I arrive before 0700, and Errol is doing some last minute adjustments.  He changes the aileron setting for 2 people.  Then he has to find his Leatherman, an indispensable tool, which was right where he left it.  I notice the fuel caps are up, so I put them down and we are ready to go.

We head west, and I am trying to get Big Southern Butte selected as the destination in my GPS, when I realize I can see it in the distance.  No need for a GPS.   We pass through IDA airspace and recognize a familiar voice from the tower.  Telisha is working today.  I have Errol relay my regards.  We head straight for the twin buttes.  I ask Errol whether he intends to go around left or right, and he is reluctant to make a commitment in advance.  We end up skirting the summit of east butte just to the south.  Now Midway is just ahead.  We won't land here because of the loose gravel, but Errol asks if I would like a look at it anyhow.  Of course, we are high, but Errol can fix that.  Most pilots would descend in a lazy circle, but Errol crosses it up and pushes it over.  We are descending 2000 fpm in a hard slip.  I grab a frame member to avoid falling off the seat.  Errol gets us straight and level just before the threshold, and we make a pass at crop duster height.  Loose gravel all right.  And the slip was so hard that the ball is STUCK!  It is jammed in all the way to the left!  I am awestruck by this manly display of flying.

Now we are at Big Southern Butte, and Errol lands, and taxis back and departs.  Then he asks me if I can find Cox's Well without a GPS.  This is no simple task in this featureless terrain, but he tells me to hand over my GPS.  When I comply, he changes his mind and I can be on my honor.  He points out a mountain barely visible on the horizon, and says that is an aiming point for Cox's Well.  Sure enough, it gets us there, and I set up a landing that turns out to be straight into the sunrise.  For an added degree of difficulty, I am in the rear seat.  I suspect I get some help from Errol on this landing, but he does not say how much.  We stop and get out to enjoy the beautiful day and have a snack. I regret not having the traditional crème sandwich cookies along, but find that Errol is fond of dried pineapple. Then it is on to Hollow Top, where Errol lands, and suggests that I take the front cockpit!  I eagerly accept, and we both offer fervent prayers for the occasion.  I head north to see Fish Creek Reservoir because I never have before, then on to Carey.  We are not sure what direction the wind is, so I fly a left downwind for 7.  There appears to be no wind, and the terrain favors 25, so I convert for that.  This also means I will land with the sun behind me rather than straight into it. Errol pronounces the landing 'not too bad for a trike driver', and I taxi back and take off, then turn abruptly to avoid flying over the town.

On to Laidlaw.  Navigation is difficult since my GPS seems to be stuck at Carey and not updating our position.  On the way we see several shepherd trailers, but no sheep.  Where could they be?  We manage to find Laidlaw, and I fly over to see the wind is calm, so I turn back to enter the pattern, and finally see a big flock of sheep.  Then I encounter a sudden and severe sink, and go to full power.  With my glide slope back under control, I am on short final, and Laidlaw looks rough, so I kiss the mains on and go to full power.  From here we go to a ranch owned by Errol's nephew, north of Burley.  Fortunately he has it programmed into his GPS.

The tinkering with the ailerons was just right, because the plane flies hands-off with a few nudges on the rudder.  There is a duster strip at our destination, for which my first approach is too hot.  I come back around and Errol lands.  We taxi to the house and pause for a moment before it occurs to me that it is my job to shut off the plane.   No one is home, so we wander and stretch and go on our way, with Errol assigning me the front seat again.  I taxi around irrigation pipe and take off for Bear Trap.  My GPS is working again, and guides us there.  My approach is low, so I drag it in, and taxi back to take off.  Errol decides we have fuel to get home, and I can see the twin buttes in the distance, and no other landmarks east, but Errol's GPS says the right course is far right of the buttes.  The plane seems to know the way home without stick or rudder inputs.  Even so, we seem to be moving in slow motion.  This is a long leg with few features, so we try to find details on the ground we had not noticed before.

Idaho Falls is close to our course, so I call the tower to do a touch and go there.  We are cleared in behind a Skyhawk, and it seems strange to see a 9000 x 150 paved runway after the short, narrow turf ones we have been using.  The landing is a little bouncy and not on the centerline, but it will do.  Errol has insisted all along that it is easier to land on grass than pavement, and I finally  believe him.

Back to Errol's place.  A flight over the sock shows it is calm, so I set up a long westbound final and hand it off to Errol, leaning out of his way to the left.  Not far enough, apparently.  Errol makes a fine landing, but somehow we end up off the runway on the rollout.  I should point out that the runway is only about 12 feet wide.  The visibility from the back is limited, especially when we are on the ground, so I taxi back along the road to the hangar.   We refuel and find that we burned 15 gallons in 4 hours.  Errol says I am 'getting there' on taildragger skills, which I take as a high compliment.  Our prayers have been answered.

I would not hesitate to take a Cessna or Piper into Big Southern, Hollow Top, Carey, or Cox's Well.   Bear Trap was smooth and flat, but there were clumps of grass that made it bumpy, still passable.  Laidlaw was marginal, still passable.

 

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E. A. A. Chapter 407

Minutes of May 15, 2004

I. S. U. Hangar, PIH, Pocatello, Idaho

 

The meeting was called to order by Vice-President Jerry Phillips at 10:18 a.m., with 29 souls attending. The minutes of April 17, 2004, were approved. No treasurer’s report was given. There were four announcements posted by the media for the meeting. Jerry Phillips gave a brief report on Sun N Fun, as well as the upcoming events and fly-ins in the area.

Cade Frisby, of Approach Systems, Provo, Utah, was presented as the featured speaker.(See the web site www.approach-systems.com) He discussed the advantages of using the Fast Stack Pro Hub and Cables, and our chapter members and guests can receive a 10% discount if purchased in the next 30 days (Harold Turvey will send an e-mail about the discount to those currently on the membership list). Cade discussed wiring systems, both old and new, and the barriers for owners wanting to wire a system on a new home built aircraft. The advantages of the system are: fast upgrades; cost effective; safe and reliable; lifetime guarantee. Form 337 is all that is required for certified aircraft that wish to make the installation. (Personal note: Although I have not done any wiring on an aircraft, I have completely wired a 1963 Chevy pickup, and done some rewiring of a 1956 Chevy sedan, and I certainly can appreciate the quality and clean installation of one of these systems. Handouts are in the possession of Harold Turvey for any who would like to make copies.) The Bring-A-Buck drawing was won by John Bakken, and the meeting was adjourned at 11:08 a.m.