By: Steve Pangborn
A lot of exciting things were in the offering since last month. First, I'd like to thank Robert Decatur for his interesting and inspiring presentation on the Tuskegee Airmen at our last meeting. I learned many things about that group of guys that had never been told before, and I know for a fact that some of those stories really touched some of the audience….me included! Thanks Bob!
The next bit of excitement was the annual Sun N Fun Flyin, which I hope most of you were able to attend. I won't divulge the names of those that didn't make it! But they were the losers. The show seemed to be a bit down in attendance this year, but that really made it easier to get around to see the sights. There wasn't a lack of airplanes {except Nieuport 11's!}. Seemed to be as many, if not more than usual. Driving a "tram" around the grounds makes it easy to scope out the attendance, and the aircraft were there in droves!
The other, more important item was the fact that the Chapter realized $400 plus in sales at the SNF Parts Mart. Thanks to Colleen, Wayne, and all the others that gave donated items to be sold. It paid off in "spades" for the chapter. I looked like "Sanford and Son" heading down I-4 with all our treasures! As I pulled away from Arthur Dunn Friday, Neale says "I'll se you at SNF". I said, "how will you find me?" He said, "I'll look for the guy with the bowed legs and the double hernia!" Damn, that engine was heavy!!
Hey, we're having another Pietenpol work meeting for this month's program, so don't come all spiffied up like you was goin ta church or somthin be ready to get dusty or wood preservative spattered.
Guess that's all I have to report on this time. Don't forget, we crank up the pancake breakfast again on May 5. So come join the fun, and come hungry, preferably with cash!
Until next time, "Blue Skies"
If you were not at the chapter meeting in March you really missed something! The business meeting was very short so that the program, by Robert Decatur could begin. About the only business we did was to cancel our monthly pancake breakfast for April, due to Sun n Fun. Robert spoke of his times and tribulations as a pilot who was one of the Tuskegee Airmen during the Second World War. You could have heard a pin drop as he spoke because he held everyone spell bound with his accounts of his experiences. He was one of the leaders and much of the movie Tuskegee Airmen was written around his role as one of the airmen. Robert said that the movie is 95% accurate. You should have been there! Loretta served up homemade ice cream with strawberries and chocolate chip cookies after the program. There were about twenty-three members and guests attending and this was another interesting and worthwhile event.
If you've been following the news, you'll remember that we planned to take some stuff over to the fly market at Sun n Fun. Well we packed the stuff up and sold $400.00 +. This money will go toward the completion of our Pietenpol project. How's that for good news? We may have a pretty nice Piet when this is over!
Some of our friends from Chapter 400 in Altoona, Pa flew down and parkedtheir planes at Dunn Airpark and stayed with us and attended Sun N Fun with us for a couple of days. We had a good time over there. It was hotand tiring walking all day but worth every second for me. The most amazing thing for me to see was a Waco owned and flown by Jim Franklin.This 1930s era vintage biplane had the old round engine in it and in addition to this had a jet engine installed on the belly of the beast! Jim would do a normal takeoff using the radial engine and then to climb out, and he would fire that jet. When he fired the jet you could see instant acceleration from normal takeoff speeds around 60 to 70 mph to what must have been 200 mph in seconds! He would climb straight up sometimes practically going out of sight. I watched thinking that surely parts would start departing the plane at any time with the kind of acceleration and speeds he was getting. In fact once when he turned back toward the crowd I was looking for something to duck under if it went awry. The thing held together for three shows in the two days that I was there. Amazing! I didn't get close to many of the vendors booths because of the crowd but I did stop at a booth for an ANR headset demo by DRE. I've tried a lot of noise canceling headsets that my friends own but I think this is the one I want. I got some free CDs that are company catalogs. I'll probably use them to buy stuff now and then. My friend Kevin, one of my former students whom I taught to fly, bought me Bob Hoover's book called "Forever Flying" and had Mr. Hoover himself autograph the page inside the cover. I pick this book up every time I have a spare minute and hate to put it down.
by Larry Gilbert
While we were in Pennsylvania, I went out to one of my old haunts called Blue Knob Valley Airport and met up with a couple of old friends who were about to take off in a Lark Commander. They invited me along and we stopped at Bedford, Pa county airport to take care of some business, then we flew up to Somerset where there is a wind farm that has been built since I left the area. The farm is out in the middle of nowhere and is a large plot of land laid out to accommodate large windmills that generate electricity. There are eight windmills that are about 200' tall and have three bladed propellers that are about 100' in diameter. They were all turning when we saw them. Somerset County, Pa. is on a plateau that is about 2,200' MSL and is always windy. When we landed at the county airport, the AWOS was calling it 16 knots almost straight down 24. From here we flew back home to Blue Knob and made a landing on the slate with no wind on the runway. I did a little flying out of Dunn with my visitors who were here for Sun n Fun and that's all.
My friends' Kevin and Jeff flew Kevin's PA 28-180 down and tied the plane down at Dunn Airpark while visiting us and attending Sun n Fun this year. After having all of the fun they could stand at SNF they attempted to head home on Tues. We pack all of their new stuff purchased at the show and all of their personal stuff into the plane and they headed out. I was standing out on one of the taxi ways with my camcorder ready to shoot the takeoff when I saw them do a U turn at the end of 15 and head back in. Kevin stopped the plane near where I was standing and said, "Listen to this." When he attempted to run on the right mag. the engine would barely run. It popped and sputtered and coughed! He taxied to Walkwitz and asked them to check it out and they did. By the way, Kevin was very happy with his treatment, prompt attention, and prices from them. After pulling the mag and testing the condenser and points and thoroughly cleaning it, they reassembled it and did the run up again. No change, again it coughed and sputtered. So they ordered a new mag. and had it shipped via Fed Ex. and had them on their way by 11:00 on Wednesday. Kevin paid the bill and they were on the way again. Oh, Hiam came out to the plane while they were doing the run-up on Tuesday after attempting the repair and when he heard the engine attempting to run on the right mag., coughing and sputtering, he said to Kevin, "ah you heard the dragon laugh!"
Wayne has been grinding out the metal fittings for the Piet. being more inclined toward wood, due to an inherent aberration of mechanical things and being quite far from the Idiot Savant in other disciplines relating to man's dexterity with his opposing thumbs, I find consolation and insulation when I can "do it over again until it is correct." Next week will find us rotating the fuselage 180 degrees to work on the flip side. We have him until somewhere in the middle of May so I'm spreading the word not to engage in conversation with him 'cause he has one helluva lot to get finished betwixt now and then.
The Nieupies are nooping along. Didn't see any nieupbilation in thehangar this week. Perhaps they have switched shifts!!!
For some reason the SE-5 on the north end lacks the entire tail assembly. Someone speculated there may have been havoc on the runway inasmuch as the right wing tip seems to have more washout than one would anticipate as normal!
Come back Shane, come back Shane, Little Sheba too!
Procedure for Leasing new T-Hangars Mr. Hutto reviewed the policy that airport staff has used in the past to rent new t-hangars at the three airport facilities, which includes sending out commitment letters and renting them on a "first come first served" basis. Mr. Hutto stated that the commitment letter has been sent to the people on the waiting list at Arthur Dunn, and has received some suggestions on how the distribution of the hangars should be handled. Mr. Hutto stated that from these recommendations, a slight modification would be done. The first commitment letter will be sent. The hangars will then be offered to the tenants who currently occupy hangars in building 5, since it will be taken down, and then to those who signed a commitment letter in accordance to their placement on the hangar waiting list. A time frame will be applied to all procedures.
Starting soon! Private Pilot ground school Will cover all subjects necessary to complete FAA knowledge (formerly written) test. Ground school Includes sign off for the test too! Interested? Contact Larry Gilbert 385 1908
Dunn Airpark TPA is 800'. When in the traffic pattern here, what's the classification of the airspace you're in? Class A, B, C, D, E, or G? How do you know this? Get me your answer in writing so I can put this in next month's Smilin' Jack. Legilbert@juno.com or Larry Gilbert 2002 Malinda Lane, Titusville, 32796
Rotax two cycle 40 HP engine used 30 hours. Engine in good condition. Sale price $550.dollars. Pictures available on request.
Faye Skidmore
2855 Shady Oaks Dr
Titusville, Fl. 32796
Phone 321 267 267 6936
Email ---fskid@gnc.net----
PresidentSTEVE PANGBORN 4625 JAMES ROAD COCOA, FL 32926
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Vice PresidentCOLLEEN BETTS 4801 DOREEN ROAD COCOA, FL 32927
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Secretary/TreasurerNEALE CRANSTON 2021 MALINDA LANE TITUSVILLE, FL 32796
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Newsletter Editor
LARRY GILBERT 2002 MALINDA LANE TITUSVILLE, FL 32796 321 385 1908 |
The chapter newsletter is published monthly to inform members and friends of our chapter about activities of our chapter and members. Our chapter is open and we welcome all who are interested in aviation activities of any kind. This newsletter will be mailed prior to each monthly meeting. We need your input so please submit materials for this newsletter. When you have something for this, you can submit via e-mail, on a computer disk, in writing, or by word of mouth. Please get the information to me by the 19th of the month. We meet on the first Wednesday of each month.
Larry Gilbert
2002 Malinda Lane
Titusville, FL 32796
legilbert@juno.com
Regularly Scheduled Florida EAA Fly-InsEvery First Saturday Dunn Air Park, EAA Chapter 866 Pancake Breakfast.
Every Second Saturday, Charlotte County Airport, Punta
Gorda, EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast/ Young Eagles,
941-575-6360.
Every Second Saturday, Tampa, EAA Chapter 175 Fly-In
Breakfast/Young Eagles, 813-654-2921.
Every Second Saturday, Homestead, Fly-In and "Chikee
Chat" Seminar, 305-247-7886.
Saturday after Every Third Tuesday, Kissimmee Airport,
EAA Chapter 74 Pancake Breakfast, 321-678-5873.
Every Third Saturday, Valkaria Airport, Pancake
Breakfast/Young Eagles, 321-724-8671.
Every Fourth Saturday, Orlando, EAA Chapter 74 Pancake
Breakfast & Young Eagles, 321-841-7981.
Every Fourth Saturday, Crestview, EAA Chapter 108 Pancake
Breakfast, 904-862-2673.
Every First Sunday, Ft. Myers Airport, Chapter 66 Pancake
Breakfast, 941-945-7000.
Every First Sunday, Punta Gorda, Lo and Slo Flyers meeting,
941-505-0493.
Every Second Sunday, Naples Airport, EAA Chapter 1067
Fly-In Breakfast, 941-261-5701.
Every Third Sunday, Kissimmee Municipal Airport, west side of
the field, 9 am on.
Every Third Sunday, Sebring Airport, EAA Chapter 803
Pancake Breakfast, 941-465-6996.
Every Fourth Sunday, Bob Lee Airport, De Land, EAA
Chapter 635 Fly-In Picnic, 904-734-1032.
Every Last Sunday, Quincy, FL, EAA Chapter 445 Pancake
Breakfast. …