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EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH This month's Employee of the Month is Liz Frantz. Liz has shined in the last few months at WVFC, looking in particular for ways to increase the performance of the organization. Most recently, Liz was key in developing a more effective new process for ferry pilot scheduling through the BBS site. The club recognizes those who go the extra mile, so thank you, Liz, for your hard work.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Solo
Private
100% on Written
Instrument
Seaplane Rating
Multi-Engine
Commercial
Gold Seal Instructor
* At age 17, Max Wyatt is one of the club's youngest new private pilots... now he can work on getting his driver's license!
The Proud CFIs:
NEW MEMBERS
Mike Schaller
SUGGESTION BOX
Do you have a suggestion or a bit of feedback for the club? Send it to whatsup@wvfc.org.
THE FLYER
The Flyer is the monthly newsletter of the West Valley Flying Club. For more information about the club, please call our Palo Alto office at (650) 856-2030, or our San Carlos office at (650) 595-5912. For information about the newsletter, or to submit an article, contact the Editor at whatsup@wvfc.org.
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by Josh Smith, General Manager
Labor Day has come and gone, and so has summer. This signals some changes around WVFC. First of all will be the hours of operation as noted by Joel Harris below. In addition to this we had our last B&B Friday, and will now move into the Fall phase of our community events. The first suggestion on the books is Aviation Movie Night, due to kick off on Friday, September 26. For more specific details, look for postings from the events committee. Even with the season changing, however, the flying continues. Other than a few obscure weather patterns, it looks to be fairly mild weather for the beginning of Sept. See the website for information on a series of Flight Achievement Competitions. This new program will be a fun and exciting way to find even more reasons to fly, beyond that $100 hamburger.
New news around the club: We are in a bit of a stalemate as far as membership growth. Since members drive flying hours, and flying hours help to drive financial health, we are running a couple of strong promotions to help get people back in the door and joining the membership ranks of WVFC. First we are continuing the half-off initiation promotion for all new members. Second, we are currently offering FREE initiation to all members of other Bay Area flying clubs who wish to join WVFC. This is to help encourage re-joining by those who may have left during more tumultuous times, or for those who may have been flying somewhere else and now want to be a part of the technology leader in aviation but may be discouraged by the initial costs. I would also like to remind all members that the club has a long- standing referral program. If someone joins WVFC on your recommendation, and they stay a member of the club for more than 90 days, you will get one month's free dues. So let your friends know, there is no better time to join.
In case you haven't noticed, we have some new planes at the club. For starters, we just acquired a 2003 SR20 with the new Primary Flight Display. This dash rivals the space shuttle as far as technology is concerned. This plane will be at the Palo Alto location and should rent for about $155/hr, about a buck per knot -- not too shabby. This is our second Cirrus; the SR22 is berthed at SQL, and a second SR20 is due to be delivered mid-October. We have also recently acquired a 1973 E55 Barron. This plane is a beauty, with a complete King IFR stack, Auto Pilot, Storm Scope and a KLN90 GPS. A high performance twin and true six seater in such nice shape is a great addition to our fleet. We have also added an additional 172 (N5472R) at PAO and a Warrior (N2321M) at SQL. Both aircraft are IFR capable, and are solid training platforms. This brings the fleet total to 62 aircraft. There is little doubt that WVFC has a little something for everyone, so tell a friend, and let's get that membership growing again.
With the recent blackout in New York, and the other troubles that have plagued the petroleum industry, rates on Avgas have raised to $3.15 a gallon. With this increase comes an implementation of the fuel surcharge. This will raise the rates on all aircraft by $1/hour. We are all hoping this price increase will not last long.
Thanks to our anonymous IT fairy who donated an extra server and server related equipment to the club. Thanks also to Patti Andrews for donating a scale to the SQL location; now members at both locations have the ability to fully weigh our bags and passengers to ensure we are within our safety margins. Finally, huge thanks to Greg LaBrec for the hard work he put into modifying the BBS site in August. It looks great, and the increased functionality is wonderful.
We are looking forward to the Fall, and to keeping WVFC a safe, fun and productive place to fly.
A NOTE FROM THE FRONT DESK
by Joel Harris
Summer is winding down, and we will be closing earlier, reflecting the shorter days of the coming autumn. Starting Labor Day weekend Palo Alto will be open 8:30-6:00 Monday-Friday, 9:00-5:00 Sat-Sun. San Carlos will be open 9:00-5:00 seven days a week.
Please remember, if you schedule an aircraft after 4:00pm for an early morning flight, please call the desk to confirm that the book will be placed in the lockbox!
We have created a ferry flight forum on the BBS site for those members interested in ferry flights. Please familiarize yourself with the new service. Any questions please call our front desk staff.
FLIGHT ACHIEVEMENT COMPETITIONS
Beginning this month, West Valley will be holding competitions for various flight achievements. You can participate in just one of them or all of them if you qualify. They are open to all active WVFC members. Awards will be presented for each competition during the WVFC Holiday Party in December. Get out there and FLY!
Competition Categories:
Greatest Radius - Short Distance
Most Airports - Long Distance
Most Landings - Day, Night, Total
Longest Distance Flown in a Day
Greatest Total Flight Time in WVFC Aircraft
Most Supportive Spouse
Most Student Achievements - WVFC CFIs Only
Flight Achievement Competition Rules:
Fill in your progress as you land at airports from 0 to 99 nm straight line distance from PAO. Airports are arranged by distance from PAO on a spreadsheet posted near the competition boards. The member who has landed at all airports within the greatest radius from PAO wins. Two prizes will be awarded, one including and one excluding SFO. This competition is open to flights logged from January 1 to November 30, 2003.
Fill in your progress as you land at airports which are greater than 100nm (direct line distance) from your base airport (PAO or SQL). Each unique airport can only be counted once. This competition is open to flights logged from January 1 - November 30, 2003.
Fill in your progress as you develop your landing skills. Day and night landings count, irrespective of airport. This competition is open to flights logged from September 1 - November 30, 2003.
Keep tabs on your longest, single-day flights. This could be your long cross-country for your current rating, or just a long pleasure trip. Distances are measured in nm, and are flown in the same 24-hour period. This competition is open to flights logged from September 1 - November 30, 2003.
This award goes to the member with the greatest number of logged hours in WVFC aircraft. Track your flight hours on the score card and tally up at the end of November. This competition is open to flights logged from September 1 - November 30 2003.
Does your spouse or significant other indulge your aviation addiction? Enter him or her in the category of Most Supportive Spouse. The winner will be the spouse or significant other who racked up the greatest number of hours flying in club aircraft with their sweetie. Track your partner's hours on a card posted to the competition boards. This competition is open to flights taking place between January 1 and November 30, 2003.
This award goes to the WVFC CFI whose students successfully achieved the greatest number of ratings, certificates, endorsements, BFRs, aircraft checkouts, etc. Submit your summary of student achievements, along with a photocopy of your logbook, in the competition drop box by December 1. This competition is open to achievements from September 1 - November 30, 2003
THE CHIEF’S CORNER
by Don Styles, Assistant Chief Pilot
(Ken left his office unlocked when he went on vacation and look who snuck in!)
Ferry Pilot Ops at WVFC
We have had some questions on ferry flight policies at the club. To answer folks' questions and concerns, here they are:
1. Any active member holding a Private Pilot certificate or better is eligible to do ferry flights. The order of preference for pilot selection will be:
2. The ferry pilot must be current and qualified in CASSi for the specific make & model of aircraft flown. If the pilot would be unable to schedule the aircraft for solo PIC operations, they are not authorized to make ferry flights in the aircraft.
3. Ferry flights may be used towards club currency requirements. However, since the pilot's member number is not billed for the flight in CASSi they will not automatically be updated in their CASSi profile. Ferry pilots wishing to use a maintenance flight towards currency must make a copy of the aircraft flight log and bring it to the Chief Pilot's office for manual entry. (Remember - Club requirements for currency are one hour of flight and three take-offs and landings within the preceding 90 days, or 60 days as appropriate. This means a .3-hr ferry flight from PAO to SQL will not qualify to maintain currency by itself.)
4. Flight time for any ferry flight is limited to only that necessary to complete the mission. Any additional time put on the aircraft will be billed to the pilot.
5. Flights that are not generally available to volunteers from the membership are:
6. Once an aircraft with a new engine is released for the remaining break-in time, the order of preference for the pilot selected is as above.
7. All pilots conducting engine break-in flights must first receive training from the Maintenance Dept. and/or the Chief Pilot's office on the special operational requirements needed for such flights.
The Club is using a new section of our BBS site to publicize available ferry flights. For participant information, go to the club home page, www.wvfc.org and then to the BBS/Forums, WVFC Members Only, Ferry Flights page. Allow me to express a word of credit and gratitude to our SQL front desk person, Liz Frantz, for proposing use of the BBS for this purpose and maintaining the assignment list. She's a real asset to WVFC! And, of course, our continuing thanks to webmaster, Greg LaBrec, for setting it up.
AIRSPEED FAILURE
by Dave Fry, Aviation Safety Counselor.
Among the instruments we rarely spend any time thinking about is the Airspeed Indicator. There have been a couple of recent incidents in which the Airspeed Indicator has failed. In some cases, the failure can be detected either on the ground (preflight inspection), or during the takeoff roll (power, oil temp and pressure, and airspeed check). But it can also happen later in the flight, and the results can be interesting. It is possible, for example, to skewer a grasshopper with a glider's pitot tube as the tow-plane becomes airborne. I know this from personal experience. Since there is typically no drain hole, the ram pressure is trapped, and the Airspeed Indicator shows an increasing airspeed during the climb until release. Only then was it obvious that there was a problem. Since most of our planes have pitot drain holes, a similar scenario will result in no indicated airspeed, so the problem is obvious much sooner in the process. But how does one cope with this situation?
Pretty clearly, the first step in the process is that you have to notice that something is awry. A particular power setting and attitude will always result in one of two airspeeds (depending upon which side of the power curve you're on). If we assume you haven't gotten too slow, it's the higher of the two airspeeds. If you don't have the correct airspeed, first check that the flaps and gear are both up, and that the cowl flaps are closed. This is not an involved process in a Citabria (which has none of the above), but may need some checking in other airplanes. If the configuration is correct, but the airspeed is still wacko, there's a good chance that either the pitot tube or the static port is blocked. Many of our airplanes have alternate static source valves, so one of the problems can be solved, though it's good to remember that the resultant airspeed and altitude values may be a bit off. On the other hand, a problem with the pitot tube may not be something the pilot can cure. Pitot heat is worth a try, but when that doesn't work, what do you do?
In retrospect, a bit of training with your favorite instructor would have been in order. The fine art of flight without instruments should include a couple of times around the pattern without the airspeed indicator at Tracy (or any other suitable long-runway airport). In fact, the Chief Pilot has begun including this type of training on all new aircraft checkouts for instructors with the express intent that we all pass this on in all our checkouts. But how does one learn to fly without an airspeed indicator?
In some airplanes there are multiple ways of getting the airspeed. For example, if you have a GPS on board you can easily find the ground speed, from which airspeed is pretty easy to figure (at or near sea level where the difference between TAS and IAS is pretty small). Even without the GPS, there are some easy ways of seeing and controlling your airspeed. If you've always used a particular power setting on final (1500 RPM, for example), and kept the same airspeed each time, the look and feel of the approach should be pretty familiar. Even without that, one can find the right speed by placing the airplane in a level attitude, reducing the power to the approach setting, and setting the initial approach configuration (for example, 1 notch of flaps, gear down). This will give approximately the correct airspeed in any airplane in our fleet. Note the control feel and airspeed sounds. If you then lower the rest of the flaps and lower the nose enough to establish the same sounds and feel, you're at the approach airspeed. And once you start the flare, who actually looks at the Airspeed Indicator anyway?
Let's say that the problem gets you as you rotate, perhaps you hit one of those PAO or SQL geese with the pitot tube, knocking it completely of the wing. You still know the correct pitch attitude for the climb to pattern altitude, and are probably far better off continuing the takeoff rather than trying to stop with only a little runway remaining. Once at pattern altitude, a level pitch attitude while holding altitude with the downwind power setting will result in the proper airspeed, and the rest of the approach and landing are as described above.
Still, all considered, the best bet is to find your favorite instructor and run through this exercise a couple times before you actually need this particular skill.
Two of my laws of flight apply here:
ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE REPORT
by Torea Rodriguez.
August had fewer activities than other summer months, but still great turnout. Below we have the August highlights and the schedule for September. As the days of summer fade, so do the B&B Fridays for the summer. The events committee is cooking up some Fall/Winter replacements so be on the lookout near the end of September for those. Be sure to check the club calendar (http://www.wvfc.org/b/calendar.php) often since there are often last minute additions for aviation related meetings and events.
AUGUST ACTIVITIES RECAP
Soft Field Landing Skills Clinic - We had quite a turnout. 7 planes were packed with participants and CFIs, 17 people in all. We had a ground session at PAO, and then ventured down to Frazier Lake for some hands-on experience in soft field take-offs and landings, plus a picnic lunch. Here are some quotes: "I really enjoyed putting my soft field training to the test and having a CFI give me direct feedback after each landing." "If and when I have my first emergency off-field landing it will take some of the stress off to have had a little practice..." "Loads of fun! As a student, it was my first introduction to soft-field techniques..." This will be something we will do again, so if you missed out, you will get another chance. Photos online at http://homepage.mac.com/globug/2003/PhotoAlbum32.html.
Messier Marathon
SEPTEMBER'S ACTIVITIES
**B&B Fridays**
**Safety Seminar (PAO) What's In Your Flight Bag? - 10 Sept 19:00**
**Reno Air Races - 11-14 Sept., Stead Field, Reno, NV**
**Moffett Air Expo - 13-14 Sept., 9:00-17:00, Moffett Field**
**Safety Seminar (SQL) GA Safety Statistics - 17 Sept 19:00**
**WVFC Breakfast Run to KSBP - 20 Sept | Pre-flight Seminar 15 Sept at 18:30**
One caveat - Harris Ranch's runway is 2820x30, which looks about the width of a sidewalk from TPA (for reference Palo Alto is 70' wide and SQL is 75' wide). If you are a new pilot or unused to narrow runways, it would be wise to get some instruction in this skill. Any WVFC instructor can recommend or accompany you to local airports that have similar configurations. Full details can be found on the events calendar (http://www.wvfc.org/b/calendar.php). To sign up, please contact Richard Terrill at rterrill@lightspeed.com.
**Skydiving!! - 21 Sept 09:00 | Pre-flight Seminar 15 Sept at 18:00**
**Movie Night - 26 September, Time TBD, PAO**
**Stall/Spin Awareness Clinic, 28 Sept 09:00**
**Class B Landing Operations: Land at SFO Clinic, 04 October, 21:30**
COMMITTEES and MEETINGS
**AOPA TOWN MEETING - Hiller Aviation Museum - SQL 16 September 19:30**
**Activities Committee - 10 September 19:00**
**CFI Meeting - 10 September 18:00**
**Women in Aviation Meeting - 15 September 18:30**
**Marketing Committee - 17 September 18:00**
**Owners Meeting - 22 September 18:00**
**Member Steering Committee - 24 September 18:00**
Get out there and FLY!
Four planeloads of West Valley pilots and friends took advantage of the long Labor Day weekend to head up to Trinity Center for some excellent stargazing. Many many thanks to Gordon Reade and Ann Elsbach, Gordon for bringing his best telescope along and Ann for showing us all such wonderful hospitality. We saw not only the polar icecap on Mars, but the surface of the sun and some large solar flares as well. Add in a couple dozen Trinity Center locals, some time on the lake, and a town fair/feast the next day and it was quite a weekend. Photos online at http://homepage.mac.com/globug/2003/PhotoAlbum35.html.
The B&B Fridays have ended for the summer season.
Do the contents of your flight bag make you a safer pilot? A fairly lighthearted discussion as we unpack a flight bag over the space of an hour and reveal the pluses and minuses of various objects in the bag. Speaker, Steven Blonstein.
Reno Air Races are back in full swing. The National Championship Air Races and Air Show remains the only place in the World where you can see real air racing by multiple classes of aircraft up close and personal. Enjoy the non-stop flying from your seat in the Grandstands, or stroll through the pits and watch racing teams prepare (and repair) their aircraft. Partake of the hospitality of the Checkered Flag Club or the Chairman's Club , or sample the wide variety of food and drink and aviation-related merchandise on the mainway behind the Grandstands. And of course, check out the air show between races! Check out http://www.airrace.org for full details and ticket information.
The "new" annual air show at Moffett Field, this year celebrating a century of flight.
What can we learn from General Aviation Safety Statistics? The FAA does not require pilots to study Safety Statistics. Why not, and what can we learn from them? We will be taking a close look at the AOPA's Nall Report. Speaker, Gordon Reade.
We don't have the range to fly far enough from PAO/SQL to get good biscuits - but we can find a serviceable breakfast prior to refueling. Please plan to join a group of fellow early risers in pursuit of the edible breakfast worm. We'll be heading generally south to one of two airports - depending on weather conditions. We suggest plane-pooling to share expenses and enjoyment - perhaps even getting a safety pilot to let you practice some hood work. Because San Luis Obispo (primary) is often foggy in the summer, we've planned this trip for late September, with a nearly-always VMC alternate (Harris Ranch). Details: Saturday, September 20th, Primary destination: San Luis Obispo (KSBP), IFR alternate: Harris Ranch (3O8), Forks raised at 1030 (Harris Ranch stops breakfast at 1100...) Flight time is about 1:30 to KSBP and 1:15 to 3O8 in a typical trainer aircraft.
Have you ever been flying along, enjoying your flight, and wondered what it would be like to just step out of the plane? The wind rushes through your hair at almost 130 mph, and every dream you ever had as a kid about flying comes true in an instant. Well, on Sunday, September 21st, you will have the opportunity to experience that feeling along with other WVFC members. We will depart around 9:00 am, and fly to Lodi, (about 35 minutes by Cessna 172). The tandem skydive takes about 1.5 hours from the time you arrive to touchdown under canopy. The cost is $100, and it's an extra $35 for video of your jump, (highly recommended). There is food available on the field, just a short walk from the Drop Zone. We will be having a pre fly-in seminar on Monday September 15th at 18:00 at the club's SQL location --it is highly recommended that you attend if you haven't flown into an active drop zone before. We will be able to answer any questions that you might have about the skydive, and will be disassembling a parachute for you to get a little more familiar with the equipment. There will be a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board, and if you have any questions about this event, contact Logan Frasier. Hope to see you there, and blue skies!
Join us September 26 for the club's first Movie Night, an indoor replacement for B&B Fridays. Stand by for details from the activities committee.
Stalls and spins can often become tucked away memories from our primary training. A special study by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that the median pilot experience of those involved in stall/spins was 400 hours. A profile of who is most at risk of an accidental stall/spin reads like this: it's the pilot who has logged fewer than 1,000 hours; who is on a daytime pleasure flight in good weather; who is in the traffic pattern; and who is either turning or climbing. It's time to dust off the cobwebs and jump back into reviewing the edges of airplane performance. In this skills clinic, the ground and flight sessions will review (a) Departure, Arrival and Accelerated Stalls; (b) Stall detection and recovery; (c) Incipient, Developed and Flat Spins; (d) Spin detection and recovery. We will start with a ground session at 09:00. Beginning at 11:00, we will have several aircraft available (Cessna 152s and Citabria 7ECAs are approved for intentional spinning) for a 1 hour hands on flight. The cost of the seminar and flight is $50 + HOBBS time. To reserve a flight slot, please contact Torea Rodriguez at globug@mac.com.
That's right, as the clock approaches midnight on October 4, West Valley pilots will be gearing up to fly that long final approach into SFO. We'll meet at PAO at 9:30pm for ground instruction on wake turbulence, class B operations, and SFO-specific procedures, then climb into our airplanes for some 11:00pm-or-later landings, meeting up at Signature's SFO office for refreshments and a photo-op. We have invited the SFO Air Traffic Controllers to come along for the ride (for those willing to take passengers) and will, no doubt, benefit from their wisdom along the way. Please contact whatsup@wvfc.org for details and to coordinate pilots, passengers and aircraft.
Come listen to AOPA President Phil Boyer discuss the state of General Aviation. Full details at http://www.wvfc.org/b/cal_display.php?id=281.
Are you interested in helping coordinate events? The Activities Committee is a great way to have fun and get more involved with the club. In particular, the Holiday Party is just around the corner - if you would like to help plan it, now's the time to let us know.
This month's CFI meeting is Wednesday evening, September 10 at PAO.
Local women in career-track aviation are forming a local chapter of Women in Aviation International. This is an organization that supports not only pilots, but dispatchers, A&Ps, controllers, etc.
Marketing Committee meets every third Wednesday of the month at PAO.
The quarterly Owners Meeting meets in the PAO back classroom.
Member Steering Committee meets every fourth Wednesday of the month at PAO.
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Reproduction in whole or in part in any form without the express written permission
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