They say that flying is a constant series of corrections and adjustments; I guess life is a little bit like that as well. Since joining WVFC in 1994, it seems my role has increased gradually from happy member to CFI, Chief Pilot, Director of Maintenance, Director of Ops, and now Interim Club Manager. Having been a member/CFI through a couple of these, I know the distraction this can cause, so my main emphasis right now is to provide the club with stability through this transition, as well as remaining focused on the issues and concerns that we were working on prior to the management change.

One of my key emphases is going to be the community of flying. Anyone who has been to Oshkosh can acknowledge the community that gathers around flying. It is a glorious event for many reasons -- the vintage aircraft, spectacular air show, the rows and rows of used parts -- but what truly is amazing is that the event runs predominantly on volunteers. To me, it is an inspiration that truly communicates the passion that people have for flying. It is a part of WVFC that we will be focusing on, to recharge the member participation, and gather that array of talent and experience to work together to make this the best damn flying club that we can. To start this ball rolling I would like to propose the following ongoing committees.

* The Events Committee, which will meet the second Wednesday of every month, 6:00 pm at PAO. (First meeting April 9.)

* The Marketing Committee, which will meet the third Wednesday of every month, 6:00 pm at PAO. (First meeting April 16.)

* The Issues and Concerns / Member Steering Committee, which will meet the fourth Wednesday of every month, 6:00 pm at PAO. (First meeting April 23.)

* Potentially an IT User Group Forum to help with technology based issues.

I think the names speak for themselves; however the mission statement for each committee will be worked out on the first day, and going forward each will be an ever changing and evolving structure. The point behind all of this is to re-energize the feeling of team work and community within our flying club. Look for ongoing messages to confirm dates and meeting locations, both on the members main page of the website and in the regular newsletters.

Current Issues
I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who helped with the inventory count this last month. All of the MX employees really showed a tremendous team spirit and willingness to jump in and do whatever it took to complete the task. A super big hero level of thanks goes to Michele, who led the effort and put in a tremendous amount of work to complete the reconciliation of numbers prior to Monday’s open of business. Also I would like to mention both CFI Laine Tammer and our own chair Patti Andrews who gave up precious weekend hours to come in and help with the data entry. Thanks guys, this is the kind of team spirit that truly helps makes this place work.

I would also like to thank Ken Frank for stepping in as Interim Chief, and Don Styles and Ali for their support as Assistant Chiefs in the WVFC tribe. In fact, in general all of the managers have really stepped up to the plate, with a team effort and a feeling that we are all in this together. Thanks for your help.

In a week or so you will be receiving by mail a copy of the club’s annual report for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2002. This was one of the final requirements remaining from the recent court order.

You can look forward to a new style of annual report from the club for the fiscal year that ended March 31 2003. For this year you will see communication in two forms. First will be the final balance sheet, and second will be the actual annual report, which will include more text and explanation than we are used to seeing. This will include such items as an explanation of the numbers, projections, statement of mission from the Board of Directors, and an operational improvement plan from the club GM.

Upcoming Business
Look out for announcements concerning upcoming elections for the Board of Directors. This is a great opportunity for those who would like to participate in the future planning of WVFC. A high level view of the timeline is as follows: nominations, posting of candidate statements, and meet-the-candidate sessions will be held in May; voting will take place in June; and the new board will be seated in July. Seats up for election will be the CFI seat currently held by Jim Schmidt, and the two At-Large seats currently held by Dan Dickson and Patti Andrews. So nominate a friend or nominate yourself, but definitely begin thinking about getting your nominations in.

Finally, the board is looking to begin the process of interviewing for a permanent GM. I am sure that some are wondering if I will throw my name in the hat for the GM position. That decision comes with a great deal of thought. I have informed the board of my desire to continue in this position on a permanent basis. I look forward to interviewing with the other candidates. In the mean time I will keep the club rolling and focus on the business at hand. Please feel free to stop by, email, phone, or do an interpretive dance should you have any questions regarding current business or future plans.

See you in the skies and around the club.

Well it’s the dawn of a new administration and we feel energized. This second day has brought about an interim GM and interim Chief Pilot. In the Chief’s office we have Ken Frank, with four years of experience as the Chief Pilot, and Don Styles, with five years of experience as Chief Pilot and Assistant Chief Pilot. Rounding out the team is Ali Ashayer, who has been an Assistant Chief for a year.

Our goal is to help stabilize the operations area. We promise an open door to the members and the flight instructors so that we encourage input to better serve the needs of all. We have the interest of the Club and all its constituencies at heart, the Members, the Owners, the Staff and the Flight Instructors. We need your help!

We will be bringing back the monthly outline of issues such as member observations, suggestions, and hopefully the best answers that we can muster.

One issue that is on the doorstep now is the many complaints from our maintenance staff and owners of hangars who are affected by the placement of our airplanes. It is important to remember that when a plane’s tail is facing into an open hangar we must pull the plane out and turn it ninety degrees before starting the engine so that we do not blow debris into the hangars and people.

This time will only be a short note of introduction. Please come in or call us if you have any questions or concerns.

Something we always look forward to – usually with a bit of trepidation – is the check-ride for a new rating (or our first one). This column may help you prepare for the ride by showing some of the things to prepare for, and perhaps by breaking the code of some of the mysteries of life (as seen from the check-ride perspective).

First, and this comes as a surprise to most folks, the examiner WANTS you to do well and to pass the checkride. The correct term is Designated Pilot Examiner, but to keep things simple, we’ll just say examiner. For most examiners, giving check-rides is how they make a living, and they don’t want a reputation that will keep potential customers away. Of perhaps even greater importance, a flight in which the pilot does things right and is in control at all times is much more comfortable, pleasant, and safer than one in which there is constant doubt about whether a maneuver will be successful or not. Or whether the examiner will have to take over to save the plane and/or the occupants. The examiner approaches the practical test with the expectation and the hope that the pilot will do well. Very much like the professor on the first day of class saying, “As of this moment you all have an A. Through the course of the semester many of you will prove that I should change that to something lower, but you will have to provide that proof.”

Second, you don’t have to be perfect to pass the checkride. You don’t even have to remain within the tolerances listed in the Practical Test Standards to pass! According to the PTS, consistently exceeding standards, or when you do exceed them you failing to take prompt corrective action will constitute unsatisfactory performance. So, if you lose too much altitude in a steep turn, you won’t bust the ride if you take prompt action to correct the error. However, if the examiner has to take control of the airplane, or if you would violate one of the FARs without the examiner’s intervention, corrective action on your part will not help.

There are several areas in which preparation will make the check-ride go a lot smoother.

Your Paperwork
Before you can take the checkride, you have to prove to the examiner that you are qualified for the license. This may seem pretty simple, but I’ve seen examiners coming out of thirty minutes or more of digging through an applicant’s logbook muttering to themselves about how hard it was to prove the applicant was qualified. Properly done, the task should take about 5 minutes for the examiner, because you did all the work ahead of time. This may not be the only reason 1” x 1” stickies were invented, but it’s certainly high on the list! Most folks don’t have too much trouble finding the aeronautical experience required by FAR 61.65(d) for an instrument rating, 61.109 (Private Pilot), 61.129 (Commercial Pilot), or 61.159 (Airline Transport Pilot). But tagging the long cross country, the required night landings, the night and instrument time, etc. will make it easier to prove you are qualified to take the test.

But there is more, and it’s harder, and until recently, not done particularly well. Look at 61.105, which says "...receive and log ground instruction from an authorized instructor..." followed by a list of subjects. Similar statements are in 61.65(b), 61.125, and 61.155. Are each of those in your logbook? Can you find them? More stickies!! Yes, the FAR says you can complete a home-study course, but you may need to prove it meets the requirements. An easier method follows at the end of this section.

Even worse, 61.107, under Flight Proficiency, requires "...receive and log ground and flight training ..." on a list of operations. Similar requirements apply to the other ratings. Sure, you’ve done all those maneuvers, studied the PTS, and can do them well enough, but can you prove you meet the requirements to have the flight training logged? What about the ground training? It may be time to find out who makes those stickies and buy some stock.

Another way to prove you meet the requirements is to have a separate endorsement sheet pasted into your logbook. It should contain a line for each of the required items from the FARs, followed by the date on which your instructor gave you the required flight and ground instruction, the hours of ground and flight instruction, your instructor’s signature, CFI number, and expiration date. Pretty clearly if you go to the date indicated on that endorsement sheet, the examiner should see the appropriate items listed and time in the ground and flight columns. You or your instructor can get these endorsement sheets from the Chief Pilot’s Office, or I’ll e-mail the appropriate ones to anyone who asks. (DGFry@aol.com)

The Airplane’s Paperwork
You also have to prove that the airplane is legal and airworthy. So, you’ll need to put stickies into the various logbooks to show the appropriate inspections, and that the applicable Airworthiness Directives have been complied with. Our airplanes have an AD Compliance Matrix, which lists the applicable ADs and when they were satisfied – a great help. However, it’s important to know that there are two types of ADs – one time, and recurring. With the recurring ADs, you’ll need to know when they are due again – they may be based upon hours, or upon calendar time.

Your Application
There are probably a few thousand ways to complete the application form (8710-1) incorrectly, and unfortunately, only one right way. Most examiners have seen the wrong ones more times than the correct way. But, there is good news – the form can be obtained from the FAA web site at www2.faa.gov/forms/index.html. The form will constrain the format of some of the fields to ensure that height, dates, and colors are done correctly. Still, it’s good to read the first two pages to ensure that you enter the correct data in the correct form. Potential problems you should look for include typos on previous licenses, incorrect hair or eye color on a medical, hours entered on the 8710 that can’t be supported by your logbook, and numbers that don’t add up.

Oral Preparation
The oral preparations guides are pretty good in terms of topics, but studying them exclusively will lead to rote level knowledge, and the examiners are focusing more on correlation level understanding. So go through the oral prep guide, but ask yourself “Why,” and “How does this apply to the real world?” Set up some scenarios to which the knowledge could be applied. In the PTS, each of the “Areas of Operation” lists areas of knowledge required.

Flight Preparation
This is probably what you’ve spent the most time on. After all, you’re learning to FLY. Remember, however, that the oral part of the practical test isn’t over when the ground part is over. The examiner will continue to ask questions during the flight. Your best friend for this part of the prep is the West Valley Phase Check. The phase check pilot will present scenarios similar to those used by an examiner. The stress level will be higher than flying with your own instructor, and the feedback will focus on things that could have caused a problem in the checkride, as well as reinforcing the things you have done well.

There are three reasons for the phase check.

• First, it allows a second set of eyes to look at your knowledge and your flying to make sure nothing was missed.
• Second, it increases your confidence by letting you demonstrate your skill to a strange (some phase check pilots are stranger than others) person in a stressful environment that simulates the check-ride.
• Third, because your instructor has had the benefit of this kind of feedback relating to other students, you can be certain that your instruction has been fine tuned to the types of things examiners expect, and the areas they have found lacking.

We are starting Spring with some longer hours for both desks, PAO will be open 8:30-6:00 on M-F, and SQL will be open 9:00-6:00 M-F.

Our weekend hours for both offices will be 9-6 Saturday and Sunday.

We have added a new staff member to our desks; his name is Justin Warren and he will be working both in SQL and PAO.

We have only had a few problems with flight schedules. Here is a gentle reminder to please schedule EVERY flight on Cassi. We have continued to have problems with members flying after hours and not putting the event on Cassi. Since the billing is based on the Cassi schedule, please schedule all flights.

We will see you out at the airport this month!

The spring is finally here. This season is known to bring major changes, and it sure happens to be so this year. WVFC Accounting is dedicated more than usual to its task of providing better and faster service. With improved CASSi we are able to catch and correct errors in flight logs within 2 days after flight entry. The process of posting charges to the credit cards has a lot less space left for human error, and as a result we have reduced the possibility of duplicate charges and other errors of the past. Credits and gas tags are refunded immediately to the credit cards, as those who are using our automatic payment option have noticed.

We have improved reports on aging receivable accounts and are moving now towards better and faster process of reacting to and collecting of debt on the delinquent accounts.

Club members who would like to change their status from Regular or Associate to Inactive, or those who would like to terminate their membership should keep in mind that, prior to inactivation or termination of their WVFC accounts, any outstanding balance must be paid.

One of our goals is to reduce the amount of paperwork processed on club members’ accounts. One of the most important additions to CASSi is pilots’ ability to check their balances and payments on-line. We would eventually like to reduce the number of monthly statements that must be mailed. This could save the Club up to $3000 per year in postage only, not counting the cost of stationary, staff hours, and payment delays due to time necessary to deliver mail. Statements can be printed now by every club member from their PC. All you need do is follow the steps we have mentioned before:

1. Login to CASSi
2. Click "User Profile" link on the Menu bar
3. Scroll down, click "View my Account Detail"
4. Print

Yet another winter fades into the logbook and spring begins to open up the skies, like the sands through the hourglass etc etc etc. While the Maintenance Department is now gearing up for the high time flying season, I would like to mention a few positive things that have happened this winter and also a few aircraft tips, constructive criticisms and gripes.

Overhaul
As most of you have noticed the maintenance department has gone through an overhaul in the last 6 months. The larger new hanger facility has proven itself to be a major step up for us. More hanger space and better parts and admin office space has allowed us to bring almost every aircraft in our fleet back to West Valley full time for service. It was almost impossible to service 55 planes in a one plane hanger.

We now have two shifts. Mechanics are on duty from 7am to 8pm M-F, and 9am-3pm Saturday. As you may have seen over the last few months, this has allowed us great quality control and intimate knowledge of each aircraft and their idiosyncrasies, making for an all around better program for all. This winter we have had time to fix even the most minor nuisances in the cockpit and a majority of the fleet has made its way to the avionics shop for a checkup or service. We hope you are happy with the outcome this summer.

Walkaround
We have had several events and tours come through in the last few month. In December we held a Hanger Warming party which turned out about 30 people. Several aircraft were on display with their clothes off so you could ogle at all the greasy stuff inside. Kevin Pinger, Director of Maintenance, gave a talk regarding the inspection process and the basics of Engine, Airframe and Aircraft operation from a mechanical engineer’s perspective.

February saw two groups come through. One was a Cub Scout den ages 7-12 years old who had a blast. They really enjoyed the planes and each of them left with a memento -- sparkplugs and air filters are as good as gold to a child.

The best moment for me was when a Scout approached me with an air filter and a sparkplug, one in each hand, and said “If I'm gonna make a trade with my buddy, which one is cooler, the spark plug or the air filter?” Kids say the darndest things.

We also had a group of 40 A&P students come through. Tanya Mitchell of the City College of San Francisco brought the group to show them that the airlines are not the only game in town. I spoke about the importance of paperwork and log entries and Kevin gave a speech about what to expect and how to make a career in GA. Of all the Mooneys, Cessnas and Pipers in front of the hanger that day, the students were most ecstatic about the little Citabria 5054B. They all had to touch the fabric and look in the cockpit at the stick and rudder. The class is based at SFO, so this was a real eye opener. Mrs. Mitchell returned the next day to say how thankful she was and that the student response was through the roof.

There are brochures and flyers at the PAO Front Desk if anyone is interested in getting an A&P. At $11 a credit it’s not a bad deal.

Squawks
I would just like to make a few points from things we see here from the inside of the cowling.

Electrical
I have found from my experience here at West Valley that many of the pilots either aren’t aware of or do not put too much thought into the electrical system loading of the aircraft. Not being an electrician, an A&P or CFI, I can only make observations and criticism.

I have noticed that pretty much every Piper or Cessna I climb into, once the Master switch is flipped, the panel lights up like a Christmas tree. Every light and radio is on. Imagine driving your car with the Air conditioner, Radio, Wipers, Lights, GPS, Curling iron and Toaster on to go to the corner store. If it were a 90 degree night in the rain this would be fine. If it were a dry crisp day you might say, “What an idiot! Why does he have the lights, wipers and AC running on a clear, cool, day?” But that’s what many pilots do.

The worst is the panel and nav lights in the Pipers. Being a wheel and not a switch, most people wouldn’t even notice if it was day and the last pilot left the panel lights on. The next would be landing/taxi lights. Now being a pilot, I understand the see and be seen method, and anything you can do to make yourself more visible can’t hurt, but how about the pilot that goes to land at a dark runway at night only to have the landing light die with a half mile final because a student was in the pattern all day with the lights on?

I believe on an average GA aircraft the landing light should last about 2 years with regular usage. We have planes at West Valley that have needed up to 8 landing lights replaced last year. This creates excessive cost to the owners, takes mechanics from other jobs, and ultimately in the long run costs all the members more. It all boils down to common sense and courtesy. YOU are the PIC and YOU must make the logical decision. My advise, When you enter the pattern on a hazy day, turn it on. When the wheels hit the pavement, turn it off. When the tower says “clear for take off,” turn it on. When the tower says ”frequency change approved” turn it off.

Start up
Just a request to all members and CFIs. All aircraft near any maintenance facility need to be started and taxied with extra care. Our hangers and others are constantly being blown apart by startups in the tiedown. We all know the WVFC rule about pulling the plane out, and while it seems silly way out on Charlie row next to the tower, it is very important near hangers. I myself know from experience. My first action as a new private pilot was to prop wash the hanger at Bay Avionics in Oakland. After shutting down to find out why some guy was pounding on my plane, I was greeted by a flurry of F words and things about my mother I didn’t know. Yes I felt bad, Yes I thought I was far enough, Yes I thought I was doing the right thing, what a rookie.

ALSO, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not taxi down the WVFC maintenance row unless you are going to maintenance. It really spooks the mechanics to step out of the hanger to find a turning prop barreling down the dead end taxiway. Props and people don’t mix, so please be careful.

Danger out.

Using a tactic that one would expect to see when tuning in to CNN for the latest coverage on the war in Iraq, with no advance warning and under the protection of armed guards, heavy equipment operators carved large Xs up and down the Meigs Field runway during the night of March 31, 2003, leaving 16 aircraft stranded at the site. Working with AOPA, the FAA has issued a waiver for the remaining aircraft to use the 3100-foot taxiway to depart the field, but that is only the beginning of what promises to be a long, heated conflict over Mayor Richard Daley’s decision to demolish the runway and the manner in which it was carried out.

Plans for a lakefront airport began in 1934, just after Chicago hosted the World’s Fair–"A Century of Progress"–which had an aviation theme. After years of delays, actual construction of the downtown airport began in 1946, and Meigs Field was opened on December 10, 1948. The airport was named for Merrill C. Meigs who, inspired by Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight to Paris, got his pilot’s license and became active in aviation, heading the Chicago Aero Commission in addition to being publisher of the Chicago Herald and Examiner.

Among other uses, Medevac flights and air/sea rescue flights for the lakefront and downtown high-rises operated out of Meigs Field, and its control tower was responsible for directing all air traffic over downtown Chicago. Despite tight security at Meigs since September 11, 2001, and opposition from those working to keep Meigs Field open, Mayor Daley cited "homeland security" and public safety as his reasons for wanting to shut down the airport. But news of Mayor Daley’s unannounced, middle-of-the-night destruction of the runway left aviators worldwide shocked and angry.

The General Aviation Coalition (GAC), AOPA and other groups are already hard at work, not only to see what may be done to restore Meigs Field, but also to protect other airfields from the same fate. AOPA’s President Phil Boyer vowed, "We have not yet begun to fight."

To read a more detailed account of this story or to find out how you can offer your support, go to www.aopa.org and/or to www.friendsofmeigs.org.

Safety Seminar - Wednesday, April 9, 7:00 pm at PAO.
FAA Safety Seminar Wednesday, March 12, at West Valley Flying Club,
Landings: Making Them Better, by David Zittin.

Garmin 430 GPS Seminar - Saturday, April 12, 1:30 pm at PAO.
Saturday, April 12, 1:30 pm at PAO. CFI Darryl Kalthof will present a seminar on how to use the Garmin 430 GPS. The seminar is open to all, and will be located in the Palo Alto classroom. Learn how to use the 430 to plan cross country flights, find airports in a pinch, and shoot IFR approaches.

Safety Seminar - Wednesday, April 16, 7:00 pm at SQL.
Aircraft Collision Avoidance, by Sanjay Singh.