In the position of Director of Flight Safety I have the inevitability of being exposed to all who fly our club airplanes. This includes the triumphs and the errors. Sitting back in the office months ago, as I interviewed previous chief pilots to gain some perspective, I reflected on the one comment that all of them had made, "you are going to get a lot of experience in a short period of time." "Trial by Fire" was the term that most of them used. My hope has been to share these experiences in this article. In addition, we always ask anyone involved in an incident with one of our aircraft, to write an article for the newsletter so that we can all gain from the perspective of the pilot involved as well as the post event analysis.

I am struck by the common thread which prevails through each incident. Overwhelmingly, most of the issues involve the pilot as the cause of the incident. Throughout all Aviation incident reports, mechanical failures account for only a small percentage. Literally all incidents involving pilot error can be traced to a bad decision at some point, and the cascading effect of that decision that can lead to a series of other poor decisions.

There are many human traits that interfere with decision-making. Any pilot who has done any reading on the subject is familiar with "Macho," "Anti-authority," "Invulnerable," "Resigned," "Impulsive," etc. These then can lead us to make the even larger inappropriate actions such as, "scud running," "get there-itis," "VFR flight into IFR," "operating without adequate fuel reserves," "neglect of flight planning," "descent below MEA, MDA, DH," "getting behind the aircraft," "lack of continued or upgrade training." We look at these and probably think, well, that would not happen to me, I am not that kind of Pilot. The Right Stuff complex. Look back, though, and think of the times we may have used a checklist we were not used to when our old standby was not available, or when we nodded yes that we understood when we had no idea what our CFI was talking about, or when we rolled out onto the runway for an "easy" flight with no Wx or personal briefing at all, or had a plane that was not starting easily and did not consult the airplane manual.

I was a bit surprised as I looked through some of my older aviation publications. (I collect old Flight Instruction Books, and hang out in hardware stores.) The subject of Aeronautical Decision Making was not even included. Nowadays, this subject is quite pervasive in all training literature, and I would ask that we all take a moment to review it. A reexamination of this text, particularly after you have built some time, can be rather illuminating. In addition, I challenge all to take a moment to do some self inventory. There are several documents that the FAA has published that include self assessment tests to provide a look at our own decision-making skills. I will leave some in the pilot lounges of both airport offices. Also see this useful website on the topic, http://ntl.bts.gov/DOCS/Ac60-22.html.

As flight instructors we should always take the time to work through decisions with our students to discuss the potential outcomes and pitfalls. As students (as we all are) we should gather data patiently, and process out decisions thoroughly. Take time after each flight to debrief ourselves, write down notes, and dialogue our thoughts.

As far as incidents this month under review, we had a VFR flight into IMC by a VFR pilot, and an engine fire on the ground.

Stay current and stay safe. Remember, "every flight is a training flight."

We all hear over and over how "Runway incursion is on the rise." We hear how "get-homitis" and rushing to bring the airplane back must be avoided. All of us pilots know better, and pay utmost attention to how we taxi so that we don't make a mistake, right?

I did. For the last 300 hours of flying I have been very consistent with my taxi behaviors, except once, and just once was enough for me to strike a fence and break a nav light.

The reason this happened is because I rushed just a little to bring the airplane back. That behavior led me to shift my attention from being a safe pilot to being a timely one... bringing the airplane back on time for the next person scheduled to use it, worrying that the next person would be inconvenienced if I were late. But timeliness comes from appropriate planning, not from running fast on the taxiway.

In my hurry, without realizing it, I was no longer taxiing on the yellow line. In fact, I hit a fence and didn't even know it until I parked the airplane and noticed the broken nav light!

My suggestion for myself and others is to plan ahead, take your time after your land, and don't think that simply because you are on the ground, "bad things" couldn't happen to you. Look around just one more time to ensure that you know where you're taxiing; slow down; look at parked airplanes to ensure that they are not too close to your airplane; take your time; and when in doubt, shut down the engine and get out that ole tow bar!

Over the past two years, I've accumulated a number of observations about the Citabrias we have online. I try to pass these along to my students whenever I get the chance but I realize that there may be a number of tailwheel pilots out there who haven't flown with an instructor in a while and aren't privy to such knowledge. I thought it would be valuable to pass some of the information along.

Our two "newer" Citabrias, 374DM and 596JR, have been approved by the FAA for a 100 pound gross weight increase. This means that you can now take two average size adults and FULL TANKS of fuel. This increase was authorized because the wings on later model 7ECAs have metal spars as opposed to wooden ones. A letter from the FAA authorizing this increase can be found in the front of the FAA Approved Supplemental Airplane Flight Manual in each aircraft. However, be careful!! The CG envelope and stall speeds have changed slightly with the higher weight. And don't forget that you CAN'T take full fuel with 2 average size adults on the two older models we have online, 5054B and 2996Z (currently getting new wings).

Again, a difference between the older and newer models: 374DM and 596JR have oil coolers and 5054B and 2996Z do not. This means that you will see a fairly decent discrepancy in cruise oil temperature between the older and newer planes, especially in the warmer months. Last summer, I spent a number of hours flying 2996Z and the owner and I discovered that it was not hard to hit the oil temperature red line (245 F) at 2500 rpm in level flight. Because of this, we limited our cruise power settings to about 2300 rpm. I discussed this issue with the owner of 5054B (fellow tailwheel CFI Martin Michaud) and he said that his plane also had a tendency to run hotter, but not quite as hot as 2996Z. Conversely, I usually only see oil temps get up to about 150 F, maybe 200 F, in the newer planes.

This point came out of a discussion with one of our mechanics, Jim, regarding the excessive spark plug fouling I was experiencing, particularly in 596JR, even when aggressively leaning the mixture on taxi. New (to you) shutdown procedure. Lycoming has written Service Letter L192B (January 1988) to address the issue of spark plug fouling in Lycoming Textron engines. In addition to using special spark plugs for the O-235, they make the following operating recommendations (among others) to the users in order to reduce fouling. "The engine should be operated at speeds between 1000 and 1200 RPM after starting and during the initial warm up period. Avoid prolonged closed throttle idle engine speed operation (when possible)." In addition, "prior to engine shut-down the engine speed should be maintained between 1000 and 1200 RPM until the operating temperatures have been stabilized. At this time, the engine speed should be increased to approximately 1800 RPM for 15 to 20 seconds, then reduced to 1000-12000 RPM and shut down immediately using the mixture control." I'm sure there are some of you out there that will say, "well, if I keep the throttle between 1000-1200 RPM, I'll have to ride the breaks on taxi." This is sometimes true depending on the wind, if you're turning etc. I don't advocate riding the brakes excessively but rather striking a happy medium. Make every effort you can to keep the power at or above 1000 while warming up without excessive taxi speed or riding the brakes. Pick your poison: worn out brakes or consistently fouled plugs. A copy of the Service Letter can be found in each of the Citabria black books.

Many people do not know how to properly lock a 7ECA and, therefore, either leave the doors unlocked or squawk problems with the locks when there really are none. Now, this isn't to say that the locks are perfect. For example, as of this writing, the lock in 596JR is missing the inside door locking pin. This, obviously, needs to be fixed. And Martin's plane had seen a lot of students getting in and out of it. It requires a more ginger touch and when wiggled properly and patiently, will lock properly. Now for a definition of what proper is. The neutral position of a 7ECA lock is horizontal (i.e. the key slot is horizontal). To unlock it requires a 90 degree turn counterclockwise, AND THEN ANOTHER 90 DEGREE TURN CLOCKWISE BACK TO THE NEUTRAL POSIITON. As the risk of confusing you, the way I was taught to remember this was to think of the key-slot as a wing with the leading edge toward the front of the plane. When you want to go fly (unlock the plane), have the key-slot wing "take off," raising the leading edge up 90 degrees and then return it to neutral. When you come back in (and lock up), have the key-slot wing "land," lowering the leading edge 90 degrees and then return it to neutral. Sorry if this has confused some of you. Trust me, it's a lot easier to explain with a diagram.

The newer 7CEAs do not have rear heat (the owners chose not to purchase this option), and the older ones do. This really isn't an issue for most of you since you sweat enough in the front seat from the heat coming through the firewall without the heat on. However, if you take a longer trip in the winter with a passenger, it's a nice thing to consider on behalf of them. As a CFI who frequently has 2-3 flights in a 7ECA per day, I can tell you which planes I prefer in the winter. The door/windows are VERY drafty and it gets exceptionally cold back there.

Please feel free to track down a tailwheel CFI for any aircraft system or operating procedure questions you have or a point on which you want some clarification. That's what we're here for! And if we don't know the answer, we'll find out.

When I started my IFR training, over a year ago, I never imagined that to fly solo in IMC would be a big deal. I thought that my first student solo flight, around the pattern, would always be the moment I would be the proudest of in my aviation career. Even after my first flight in the soup with my instructor, I did not think IMC was that big a deal. Sure I could see the dangers, but I was not concerned about it. I obtained my IFR ticket about 7 months ago, on the second attempt. I failed the first time around during a hot bumpy New Jersey summer afternoon, going the wrong way on the Missed Approach at the end of a partial panel NDB approach. This, by the way, is a valuable lesson for all IFR students: do not relax once you have reached the MAP!

Once I got my IFR ticket, I thought it was just a matter of time before going solo in IMC. Six months passed and I still had not done it. I just kept doing practice flights with my instructors, to make sure I stayed sharp (not just current). I was trying to ignore the obvious: I was not sure I could do it. I knew I did it well enough with an instructor on board, but I was worried about panicking once I entered the clag on my own. I talked about it with various instructors who had flown with me. Their answers were pretty much the same: it’s normal to be worried but trust me, you will be fine. Just fly the plane.

So I waited a couple weeks for the ideal ‘first time’ weather, which came on a Saturday afternoon. 2000 feet overcast, very steady, with high freezing levels. I chose Sacramento Executive as my destination. I had done the flight many times before, on VFR and IFR flight plans. I even knew what the clearance would be, vectors to SUNOL, V334, SAC. The plane was a 172SP – I was not going to do this without GPS. I don’t care what old timers might say, I’m sure I could have done it without it, but if feels REALLY nice to have it for your first time. So off I went, 060 one mile after departure, contact Oakland, passing 2000… and here we go. Did my heart pound like crazy? Oh yes. Did I sweat like I was in Phoenix in July? Yup. Did I fly all over the place? No. I’m sure I had a death grip and was far from doing the smoothest flying I could do, but I stayed on course, climbing, getting a couple of vectors, and finally reaching SUNOL. I started to calm down after that. Just following that radial, scanning the instruments, like I had been taught. The approach into Sacramento was uneventful. Intercepted the localizer smoothly, same for glide slope, and broke out early. On the ground. Phew. I can do this!

I have read that a fair amount of people who get their IFR ticket never fly IMC after that. I can understand why and it is probably not for everyone. But I am very glad I did it. Yes, it is scary for a few minutes. I’ve spoken to many people about this and most agree that there is a degree of fear associated with those first few moments. But it so rewarding. And you’ll be just fine. Those great instructors and examiners would not have allowed you to reach that stage if they had any doubt you could do it. However, if you have never been in IMC during your training, I would STRONGLY recommend that you first do it with an instructor or a seasoned IFR pilot. Get some hours under your belt (I had about 8 hours in IMC before the flight I just talked about). You’ll see that it is a bit weird at first, but after that it’s just like flying with the hood on. Be proficient, not just current though. Be safe out there!

Welcome to the warm, clear months of summer. As promised, WVFC is hosting a series of way-cool destination fly-ins. On the menu we have Space Needles and steaks, go-carts, golf, and gambling. We'll kick the season off with a trip to Castle Museum followed by a fantastic dinner at Harris Ranch. In just one day you will land on one of the widest, and one of the thinnest, airstrips in California.

The museum at Castle is great, with photo-ops in front of all kinds of aircraft, up to and including the SR-71 Blackbird. Admission is $7.00 for adults; seniors and other kids under 17 are five bucks. Following the tour, we'll hop back in our piston singles (sorry, no trade-ups with an F-15) and head off to (3O8), Harris Ranch, for some of the best carnivorous grub you've ever had.

We'll depart Palo Alto for Castle, Saturday June 15th following a pre-flight briefing in the back classroom that starts at 11:30 am. Castle to Harris is an easy 25 minute flight in a C-172, and we'll plan on leaving Castle at around 17:30. Dinner at Harris Ranch runs between $20 and $40 per person, and you won't be left feeling hungry. Plan on getting back to PAO around 11:00 that evening.

Reserve your plane A.S.A.P. for this trip. If you are interested in partaking in this fly-in, please contact event committee member, Logan Frasier at (408) 506-5292 or events@wvfc.org, to sign up (we'll need a head count to make reservations for dinner).

Keep your eyes open for other upcoming events, like a 3-day trip to Seattle in late July, and a couple of days in Vegas the following month--HOT! Check the WVFC bulletin board for a complete list of fly-ins, and please feel free to contact us with your suggestions. Thanks, and blue skies.

As you may have already heard, Emily Biss and Mary Ellen Carlin won second place in this year's Hayward Air Race! Aside from congratulating this winning pair (trophies are on display at the Club for all to admire), we asked them each to write up something about the experience. Emily starts with some stats on the race, then follows Mary Ellen's account of how it all started and how it went.

>From Emily...

The goal of the race is to fly a predetermined (the night before) two-leg course between Hayward and Laughlin, NV. The first leg is between Hayward and Bakersfield. The second leg is between Bakersfield and Laughlin. You are given 4 points on each leg the night before the race that are considered flyover points - 3 points are mandatory and 1 point is a bonus point. Before you take off on race day, you pass in your estimate for time/fuel for each leg. Whoever's actual time/fuel for both legs is closest to their estimate, wins (assuming you see all the flyover points which is the easiest part but not a given).

On our first let we were 34 seconds off our estimated time and 0.04 gallons off our fuel estimate (that's correct, 4 hundredths of a gallon!) On our second leg we were 8 seconds off our estimated time and 0.03 gallons off our fuel estimate. Unfortunately, the fuel estimates for the second leg were thrown out of the scoring because shortly after we landed, a Mooney in the race landed gear up and closed the runway for a while, messing up most people's fuel burn. We would have won : ( if it had not been for that.

And from Mary Ellen...

It all started April 6th when I forgot to block out my schedule for the weekend...! Gary Waldeck jumped on my schedule for his flight review. Since leaving the schedule open was my mistake, I'd thought I better fly with him. Actually, I was looking forward to it. He's an excellent pilot, and during his last two flight reviews, he'd really impressed me with his knowledge of hazardous weather!

After the flight, Gary challenged me to enter the Hayward air race. It's a proficiency race. It's not about your speed, it's about your accuracy. Can you find all the checkpoints? Is your estimated time enroute on the money? Can you calculate your fuel burn precisely?

Since the race is open to all piston planes, my interest was aroused... I could fly my own plane. Hmmm.... Having accepted the dare, I now needed a partner in crime. Who to take? Emily Biss came to mind--a great instructor and as smart as they come. The first thing I told her was that our only reason for going was for the fun of it. Who needs the pressure?

After I signed up, though, things changed. Old-time racers wanted to bet me. There were lots of jokes about how many checkpoints I'd see flying at 180 knots. I realized this wasn't going to be a piece of cake. Could be tougher than I'd thought. I just didn't want to make a fool of myself. Not in front of everybody.

Oh well, we were first-time racers. Why worry? About a week before the date, Gary gave a seminar at West Valley--about the race. Full of great advice about how to plan well. After all, he'd placed well over the last five years. Emily went and listened... very, very carefully. The talk was excellent, and even more useful than Gary could have imagined.

Emily and I thought we¹d better do a trial run. Our schedules were full, but we made the time to fly a 150nm trip to get some fuel data. Lots of pilots who do this race make 5 to 10 flights down to BFL and IPF and back. I thought we should practice finding small airports, too. As part of this exercise, I took my current private student, Teresa Malo.

Sad to say, we had a lot of problems finding the first checkpoint. Willis, south of Los Banos. I knew this part was going to be hard! Oh well, we're just going to have fun!

On the day of the race, they impound your plane and cover up every GPS, moving map, DME, fuel totalizer, et cetera. You only get your charts and VORs. The evening before the race, they give you the checkpoints and the finish line. Two repeat racers sitting next to us gave us some more pointers. We listened.

Since we'd both worked Thursday, we were tired. The night before the race, Emily and I stayed up until about 10 PM before we called it quits. On Friday morning, everyone has to hand in their times and fuel estimates. The race starts at nine. Since we'd picked 180kts for our cruise speed, we were the second plane to take off. The fastest go first. Plenty of people told us we should use Va (140kts). But I only had data for 180 kts! As I told Emily once again, I wanted to have fun. We'd at least make it a point to nail all the checkpoints!

I've flown my plane more then 400 hours--from Alaska to Nova Scotia and beyond--and I've a good feel for the fuel burn, which is the hardest part of the race. During the race, you fill the fuel tanks before leaving each airport. When you land, you tell the fueler when to stop. The fuel total is covered up until the end. On the first leg, from HWD to BFL, we found all the checkpoints easily. To get credit for the checkpoints, you have to answer specific questions about them. To our credit, we didn't have to spend any extra time circling for information.

One of the tricks we learned from other racers was to pad the actual estimated time, and then just to burn off any excess time somewhere away from timing line. That's what Emily and I did, doing circles around Porterville. When she calculated that it was time to dash to the finish, we made a beeline for it.

In Bakersfield, the local 99's had food all set up in a hanger. After a quick stop, we headed off. Taking off second again. The next leg, from BFL to IFP, was again straightforward. Some of the points were tricky, mainly because you had to identify them by latitude and longitude--and not jump to conclusions. The timing line was over the river, going north to Laughlin. Emily and I decided to burn off our extra time by flying down the river. It was beautiful seeing the sparkling water and the emerald green foliage right next to the earth-toned desert.

On both legs, we got our fuel burn almost perfect--was it luck, skill, or a good ouija board? We'll never tell. Our times were close, too. And figuring out who won wasn't quite so obvious. A belly landing by an enthusiastic contestant caused almost everyone to have to divert to another airport, so the committee had to try to find a way to compensate fairly.

I recommend this race to everyone. The organization was great, and meeting people so interested in aviation is always enjoyable. It was a GREAT weekend! I'll probably go again next year--if Emily can.

Adam Bertsch recently took his private pilot checkride with Dan George, in Salinas.

As I have found to be quite normal I arrived a few minutes late to Salinas, and followed the green line to transient parking. Dan George was there waiting. I introduced myself, we shook hands, etc. He had me give him my paperwork and then take five while he looked things over. He gave me a list of things to do (t/o and landing distances, plan the cross countries, write all the V speeds, weight and balance for me + him + 170lbs passenger), and then he took off for a while with my paperwork and logbook. After a while he came back. I still wasn't done, so he hung around (but didn't hover), telling me to take my time. He mentioned the fee, but when I attempted to pay right that second, he said, "We'll take care of it later."

We talked about all of my answers; he quizzed me on some other stuff, went over the flights, etc. We talked about why Vx, Vy, and Va aren't on the airspeed indicator (they change). We also talked about why it is exactly that Va goes down when we have a lighter plane (stall speed also goes down). He had to help me through that one, embarrassingly enough.

Dan took me in to town to grab a sandwich at a deli that he likes. He got a water, I bought a sandwich and a Snapple (sugar rush can only help... right?). We went back to the airport and I went in to eat while he fiddled with something in his car. I wrote the check at this point and gave it to him when he came back in, and we went flying. I wanted to be sure he had the money before we went flying so it was clear he got paid whether or not I had a good time.

We did a normal takeoff, and started our cross country. We went to my first checkpoint, but he restricted me to 2500 feet. We got there 1 minute early, which I explained was due to our deciding to climb at a higher speed (Dan climbs at 90... none of this Vy garbage) and to stop at 2500 instead of 4500. He accepted this. I told him we'd be at our next checkpoint (South County) in however many minutes, which would be a certain time after the hour. He then asked me what time we'd be at SAC Exec. I added our predicted flight time to our wheels off, subtracting the minute we saved, and he was OK with this. He then diverted me to Fresno (FAT).

I was ready for the long diversion, so I had my big plotter handy. I turned us eastish for the diversion, and then started finding the exact details. I measured the distance as 85nm, found a parallel VOR radial to quickly grab heading. I told him we'd head 090. He asked how long to get there; I pulled out my E6-B and computed 43 minutes. The he said to put the hood on (I guess that was all the information he really needed).

We did turns to headings, climbs, descents. Under the hood Dan does all turns the long way (turn right from a heading of 030 to north). This was all fine. Hood work wasn't really what I was worried about. We tracked directly to SNS VOR under the hood.

Eventually I took the hood off and, amazingly, lost my power within 5 or 10 seconds. I set us up for a nice field, did the checklist from memory, discovered my checklist had fallen from my kneeboard (eek), was about to give up on the checklist and go from memory entirely, but found it again. Made the simulated mayday call, secured the airplane, told Dan to tighten his seat belt and prepare to open his door. I was about to turn base and start adding flaps when Dan said to level off, which I did, but I kept turning, assuming he wanted me to still line up with the field. I guess this isn't exactly what he wanted, because he grabbed the yoke from me and rolled us wings level. He didn't seem upset or anything, and he didn't flunk me on the spot, so I shrugged it off.

We did ground reference maneuvers. I was looking for a way to get good wind info, and Dan suggested a tractor giving off some dust. I did clearing turns, entered on the downwind, did passable turns around a point, cleared again, passable S-turns across a road. By passable I mean I didn't blow any altitudes or banks, but I could tell I wasn't tracking a perfect circle. My S-turns were a bit better, but also not "perfect."

We climbed out, and did slow flight straight only, and went right in to a power off stall, recovering at the first indication of stall. It's REALLY easy not to lose altitude when you don't have to let it break. He was very impressed, and said so. He told me to give him 2 steep turns, first to the right and roll out on 070 (we were heading about 085 at the time). I asked if I could start on 070 to pick a visual reference. I decided to do clearing turns again as well (smart choice!) I found out we were headed straight out towards the bay again at this point, so no visual reference for me. My bank was a little shaky (I used all of my +/-5 degrees for sure). He said give him one to the left, and keep that bank right at 45. I did. It was a really good steep turn. He gave me the hood back and said he would give me vectors back to Salinas.

At this point I was thinking, I haven't failed yet... all I have to do is not blow the landings and I'll pass. Famous last words, right? He took the plane for a minute on base while I took off the hood, gave me the controls back, and told me to give him a soft field landing. Salinas has some unique wind conditions, not unlike San Carlos, so the winds at 200 feet aren't the same as the winds on the runway. My soft field wasn't textbook, but it wasn't dangerous either. We taxied back for a good soft field takeoff, before which I almost forgot to do the after landing checklist (but caught myself). This time we did a short field landing... Dan George style. Flare over the displaced threshold, touch down on the numbers. I was a little bit high, so ended up power off for the last 50-100 feet or so, but I clipped the end of the numbers (so I was +50 out of my +200 -0 tolerance... passing for sure).

We did a touch and go straight in to a short field takeoff, with Dan telling me to push the nose over and retract flaps almost as soon as we were established at Vx. I get the impression someone scared him with a departure stall once since he doesn't do full stalls, power on stalls, climbouts at recommended airspeeds, etc. We took it around and he had me do one more soft field landing... this one was a lot better. We did a touch and go, with normal takeoff. Dan asked for the controls to "take it around the barn once." I'm thinking, "Sweet, I think I passed!"

He had noticed my minor griping about 4789Gs tendency to roll left just about all the time, so he did some aggressive banks in the pattern to see what was up, saying we should have the rigging checked on the plane. He gave me back the controls unexpectedly at about 200 feet on final, telling me to do a normal landing. I executed a beautiful crosswind landing, riding the upwind wheel for a couple of seconds before settling with perfect crosswind correction. He said, "Isn't that great when you get to ride it on one wheel like that? Let's taxi on in."

I cleaned up right after we were clear of the active this time, making sure to do my checklist. He didn't like the WVFC rule about pushing back in to the parking space instead of taxiing, but let me go ahead and do it anyway. Right after we shut down he said, "Well, you fly really well... I guess I have to pass you. Take your time buttoning this thing up and meet me inside when you're done. " Right on!

The landing back at San Carlos was pretty exciting. It was windy that day. When I got weather at SNS I figured I had a decent chance of ending up at Palo Alto instead. Luckily, things calmed down and I got in without too much trouble. What a great day!

Announcing (fanfare, please) The West Valley Photo Contest! During June and July, we're running a great event, designed to improve the appearance of you favorite Flying Club. It's a great opportunity for all you artistic pilots out there. Here's the deal:

You take a beautiful picture or two of aviation kinda stuff (see rules below). Entries are submitted and judged by a distinguished panel to be named soon. We'll have 8 winners in 2 categories. You sign away rights to your winning picture, in exchange for the prize(s) listed below. It's pretty much that simple. More details:

- 2 Subject Areas:
     Pictures in the air (i.e., air to air photography, pictures of a city or destination taken from the air, etc.)
     Pictures on the ground (i.e., pictures of cool planes, maybe an air show, etc.)

- 4 Winners Per Category
     1st Place: 4 months dues free
     2nd Place: 3 months dues free
     3rd Place: 2 months dues free
     4th Place: 1 month dues free

• Digital images preferred, but non-digital are acceptable.
• Must be enlargeable to at least 11 x 14 with reasonable clarity so they be printed and displayed at Club locations.
• Each entrant can enter no more than 4 images per category, and can win no more than 1 place in each category.
• Must be a member to enter and to win.
• A description must accompany each entry.
• Winning photos and negatives become property of West Valley for promotional and other uses. All others returned upon request.
• Winners announced in the August 1st newsletter.

* June 8, 1:00-2:00 pm. WVFC-PAO, announcement of Board election results.

* June 8 WVFC-PAO, 2002 Cessna Skylane on display at West Valley ramp.

* June 11th, www.ebay.com, and live at Butterfield's Auction House in San Francisco. Auction of original combat flyer flight jackets from World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam. Items may be viewed on the internet at www.Butterfields.com. Advance registration required to bid. 415-861-7500.

* June 12th at PAO 7:00-9:00pm. Summer Mountain Flying - Country airports, camping spots and issues concerning those high altitude airports. Bring questions and/or suggestions. Guest speaker: Dan Abdon, Former Bush Pilot.

* June 15th, 11:30 am - All Day, meet at WVFC-PAO. Fly-in to Castle Air Museum and dinner at Harris Ranch.

* June 18th, at WVFC-PAO, 7:00 pm. Palo Alto Airport Association Meeting & Safety Seminar. 7:00pm Weather Strategies, 8:00pm Weather Tactics. Presenter: Ralph Britton.

* June 19th at SQL 7:00-8:30pm. Safety Pilot - How to be an effective safety pilot. Guest speaker: Josh Smith, WVFC Director of Flight Safety.

* July 5, 5:30 - 11:00 pm, Nevada County Airport. Dine and dance as Moonlight Swing Living History Big Band re-creates the sights and sounds of the Glenn Miller Army Air Forces Band of WWII, surrounded by authentic military aircraft and vehicles. Info at www.nevadacountylife.com/airfest.

* July 6, All Day, Nevada County Airport. Wings Over the Gold Country, aircraft fly-bys and displays.

* July 13, 10 am - 12:00 noon, WVFC-PAO. Cessna ownership seminar.

* July 13-14, Rush for Gold Air Rally and Treasure Hunt, SQL to Columbia Airport. $250 in prizes. Info from Stacy Clark (former SQL ATC), propellerhead@mindspring.com.

For information or questions about Safety Seminars, please email Francis Vo at francis_vo@yahoo.com.