The Smilin’Jack September 2001

Please come to our chapter meeting on Weds. Sept. 5 and participate in the planning for chapter 866's biggest event of the year, the Smilin ‘Jack fly-in to be held on Saturday Sept. 15 at Dunn Airpark. The machinery has been started in motion for this event. Neale has been busy co-ordinating things with the airport authority and is making arrangements for the mini control tower and also has contacted the C.A.P. for ground control of aircraft that fly in. Gil Jones has made some contacts as has Steve Pangborn concerning getting people out for this. This year there will also be an antique/street rod display on the airport also.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL CHAPTER BREAKFAST

Although Loretta and I couldn’t make this breakfast because we were out of town, Neale reported that the chapter made a few bucks after expenses. There must have been about 300 breakfasts sold and we made about $75.00, according to our treasurer. The apparent discrepancy between the ratio of breakfasts served vs the monies made is due to the creative accounting and the exaggeration of the count of attendees by our other officers. Probably it was more like 30 breakfasts and $75.00 net. Man, I don’t know what to believe when I asked about these things anymore. Anyway, they said it was a success at our board meeting on 08/ 15/ 01. Although the Spruce Creek squadron didn’t show this time, Mr. Johnson flew his Zodiac in from New Smyrna again so it was a fly-in breakfast.

AND YET ANOTHER BIG EVENT IS BEING PLANNED BY CHAPTER 866!

Maybe you remember, in one of our past newsletters there was mentioned the possibility of a Pietenpol fly-in this coming May. Well, the ball is rolling for that too! Neale has a list of Piets and their owners in Florida ( 21 of these) and has contacted these people about this and is waiting for responses from them now. With proper planning and help from chapter members you know this will be another successful 866 venture!

FLEW HOME VIA PAN AM

by Larry Gilbert

Loretta and I were in Maine for a couple of weeks this summer. We got there by hauling furniture up for my uncle and pulling their car behind a rented U-Haul truck. We had purchased tickets on Pan Am out of Bangor and into Sanford to get home at a decent price. Our departure from Bangor was an hour late but things like that don’t upset Loretta and me. Oh, they told us once we boarded the plane, we’d be making an unscheduled stop at Worcester, Massachusetts. Loretta and I thought well that’s all right too. At Worcester the ceiling was down to what looked like 300' to me and when we broke out it was only a few seconds till the wheels hit, then we were held fast to our seats by the reliable seat belts while we experienced the rapid deceleration that comes when the reversers and brakes are used to get the beast stopped. It seemed to me as though it was harder stop than usual. This bothered me, a little because it seemed like they were desperate to stop. We took on 14 people and some fuel here and were on our way again shortly after. Scheduled landing at Allentown, Pa. was again thrusters and brakes galore. When we turned off, I saw that there was still 2000' left of the runway, “so this must be normal,” I thought. As we taxied in, I made a remark to Loretta about hearing something dragging on the right side mains. We loaded up with people and fuel again and began to taxi and stopped. The pilot came on the unicom and said something about a bottle cap in one tire and then related it to a flat tire on your automobile. A short time later he said that they now had two bottle caps. (Two flats) on the right side. He said that he was going to try to get a back up plane from somewhere. We called our friends who were picking us up at Sanford and told them to go ahead and eat because we were going to be a little late. A little late was an understatement. No backup plane was sent and instead they flew two mechanics down from Bangor with a bag of tools and a hydraulic jack. They couldn’t get the jack under the main because both tires were flat and there wasn’t enough room for it. They borrowed a jack on the field and couldn’t get that one under either. After a lot of head scratching they tried hooking up a tug and pulling the flat tires up on top of the chock or some other piece. That didn’t work either so they scratched their heads some more. Finally they located a jack that was a little lower profile at Fed Ex on the field and at about 8:00PM they found something that would work. By 10:00PM we were sitting in the plane while they completed the paper work on the repair. Under way again at about 10:30 arrived at Sanford after midnight. While we were in the Allentown terminal I saw the captain and couldn’t resist this. As I saw him coming down the corridor I walked over and marched along side of him and said “ ya know captain, maybe if you’d take about 10 knots off of the over the fence speed and plant it on the numbers, you wouldn’t have to stand on the brakes like that!” He laughed and said that it wasn’t anything like that, that caused the flats, “it happened while we were taxiing,” he said. The flight from ABE to SFB was quick and smooth. While de planing the captain was standing at the exit saying his good byes to us so I said “hey, grease job that time.” He said “yeah, I got lucky.”

Planes for Sale

There are three airplanes for sale that are based at BKV: A Cessna 172, Cessna 140, and a Piper 235. If you are interested drop me a note and I'll put you in touch with the right people........... Larry Gilbert

PRESIDENT’S CORNER

By Steve Pangborn

The “dog days” have been with us now for a few weeks, and everything just seems to come to a standstill as far as serious flying is concerned. It is HOT, and Lily is in annual, so flying is curtailed for a while, although I managed a FASAACA event early in the month, at Haller, a private flyin community just north of Palatka. Juicy hamburgers were the fare of the day, and I managed to eat my share. Flew over to Melrose Landing to visit a friend, Bob Capozzi and got a Martha Stewart tour of his and his spouse Kim’s new home, completed just a few weeks ago. Returned to X-21, drained the oil and gave Lily a much needed rest while waiting for her annual.

The monthly pancake breakfast was well attended by the chapter faithful and a few new faces also. I believe we managed to serve approximately 30 customers before the dust settled. We had to turn away many “upset” biscuit and gravy customers as our head cook and spouse were on vacation. We are going to have to get Loretta under contract so this doesn’t happen again! Just want to thank everyone for coming out to support the chapter activities and for the help setting up and breaking down the facilities. Just think, it’s that time of the year again¼. we get to do it twice in September. Our regular breakfast, and the Smilin’ Jack Flyin.

We will be needing plenty of help for the flyin, i.e. setup, break down, breakfast and lunch help, and we also need members to sign up at our next meeting for covered dish donations. As you can see, much help will be needed. Don’t be shy, step right up and volunteer! Details of the flyin will be discussed at our September meeting. Please plan to attend.

Hopefully September brings the promise of cooler weather. Flying should start to pick up again. Everyone please fly safe, and “keep the blue side up”

Steve Pangborn

Short Final...

Heard last summer on an Oklahoma City (OKC) Approach Control frequency:Bellanca pilot: "Approach, I need to land and close my door."OKC Approach: "Are you having any control problems?"Bellanca pilot: "No more than usual."DUNN AIRPARK FLYERS AND AIRPORT BUMS

Ain’t it great to have a restroom on the field for us to use?

This nice new restroom located on the West end of the new hangars was put there for our convenience. Bill Mitchell has told me that Mickey, the airport maintenance man has been cleaning this facility for us and isn’t pleased with the condition he finds this in sometimes. Bill has come up with a suggestion about creating a sign to be posted in this facility that may help keep the place a little neater. His idea is to use a little humor in the sign so that everyone takes it as important that we keep the place reasonably clean. One of Bill’s suggestions is to say please help keep this facility clean by making sure that you’ve flushed and not left the seat on the toilet soiled or wet, properly discard the paper towels in the waste container etc. etc. and possibly end with a statement like “Oh yeah and make sure your fly is zipped before leaving.” For the women, “make sure you don’t have a toilet paper tail before you go out.” We need ideas so Bill has agreed to sponsor a contest for the best poster to do this with. Submit your idea and you may win yourself a free ride down the St. Johns River level to an airboat in Bill’s Aerobat or a guided aerial tour of Mims or something.

THIS MONTH’S FLYING

by Larry Gilbert

The old Skyhawk was out of the hangar so few times this month that I’m ashamed of myself! I flew out to practice some maneuvers once, and flew over to Space Coast Regional for gas. (It seems that fuel sales have been suspended for a while at Dunn) The most fun I had was flying four new Young Eagles one evening. These children were so great and yes, appreciative that it makes me feel privileged to be able to do this! There were three girls ranging in age from seven to eleven and one boy who is close to thirteen. They were all a delight to fly and the seven year old girl said that she wants to be a pilot! The oldest girl, Bethany said “I’d like to stay up here forever!”

MEMBERS MAKE TRIP TO OLD RHINEBECK

Bill Furnholm and Gene Driggers made a trip to New York state to see the Cole Palen “Flying Circus” show where they use some authentic and replica WW1 airplanes in their air show. Bill has some great pictures and stories about the trip and is willing to show and tell all about it. When you see him ask to see the pictures of the Nieuports, Dehavilland Moth, Fokkers, Davis, and other interesting flying machines he saw up there.

NOTE FROM NEALE

Old “cook the books” Cranston e-mailed me the following note;

Larry:

Received an e-mail from Wayne. He provided me with a small list, 'cause its a small aeroplane!), of instuments.

Perhaps someone on the distribution lists might possibly have one or more. As you will note, it is very extensive!!!

Altimeter..........3 1/8 in.

Oil Temp..........2 1/4 in.

Airspeed..........3 1/8 in.

Oil Press..........2 1/4 in

Tachometer......3 1/8 in.

Ignition Switch, preferably J3 Cub type.

Methinks we ought to consider a LARGE compass to compliment the

reduced vision of the majority of those who flit and flop around the unfettered skies, which LOOK just like they did when the beholders could detect the twin stars in the handle of the Big Dipper sans the Ben Franklins! (Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was......)

Note: I have e-mailed this request to the guys from my old chapter in Pa. Maybe you have a list of friends who you could do the same with, in order to help find these instruments................ Larry.

The Smilin’Jack

WE’RE MAKING PLANS FOR THE ANNUAL SMILIN ‘JACK FLY-IN AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL CHAPTER BREAKFAST

AND YET ANOTHER BIG EVENT IS BEING PLANNED BY CHAPTER 866!

FLEW HOME VIA PAN AM

Planes for Sale

PRESIDENT’S CORNER

Short Final...

Ain’t it great to have a restroom on the field for us to use?

THIS MONTH’S FLYING

MEMBERS MAKE TRIP TO OLD RHINEBECK

NOTE FROM NEALE

DON’T FORGET ABOUT OUR CHAPTER BREAKFAST SATURDAY SEPT. 1ST AT DUNN AIRPARK. IT’S A FUN TIME!!!

CHAPTER MEETING

SEPT. 5TH, 2001

7:30PM AT CHAPTER MEETING

ROOM, BLDG. 10

DUNN AIRPARK, TITUSVILLE