The summer flying months are in full swing right now. I myself have been flying rather regularly, (which is a treat for the GM as I seem to mostly fly a desk) and the weather has been spectacular. A lot of clear days which give you a view of the Sierras, and fog that pulls far enough away that you can reach many of the coastal airstrips.

The late arriving summer has been tough on the airport; however the props seem to be spinning with regularity as people position themselves to go bore holes in the skies. The main subject to begin introducing is our new accounting system. We will be switching off our current method, which is a combo platter of PeachTree and CASSi. As an example, our basic accounting measures are derived from PeachTree, but the transactional stuff is housed in CASSi. (i.e. statements, flight tags). There are many reasons for the change, and quite frankly it has been a long time coming. In the end there will be a few changes to the end user.

1. New and clearer statements
2. E mail billing
3. Faster response times in billing questions
4. Less administrative overhead

The analysis of the recent incidents and accidents has shown that compounded with fatigue and the unwillingness to go around, runway illusion has played an important factor. Landing on a wider-than-usual runway can create the illusion of being lower than we really are, causing the pilot to flare too high, or even worse, to overshoot the runway. The opposite is true of a narrower-than-usual runway that will cause the pilot to think they are higher than they actually are. The illusion will be more acute when out of practice at one or the other type of runway and also whenever the pilot goes from one to the other in a short period of time. When flaring too high and descending at a high rate the pilot will usually try to correct by increasing the angle of attack thereby slamming down on the runway. When thinking they are higher than they really are, pilots will generally land hard, often with little or no flare, might bounce, and worse porpoise. There are two aspects to these results: adding power instead of increasing the angle of attack is always a better alternative, and if in a bounce, going around is the answer. It is also a good idea to get practice at different width runways; we are surrounded by airports with wide runways like Livermore and Hayward.

We have been experiencing scorching temperatures lately and some of our aircraft have gone through symptoms of hot engines or hot radios. Let's talk about engines first. More than usually some C-152s have experienced very rough magnetos. The mixture might not been leaned enough or too much. Remember to lean on taxi for least spark plug fouling. Also for carbureted engines, when reducing the power outside of the tachometer or manifold pressure green arc when the temperature is approaching 95 F and humidity is so low, it is not necessary to bring carburetor heat: the mixture is then enriched and creates carbon deposits. Last, our maintenance department mentions that even for carbureted engines and gravity-feed fuel systems, it is possible to create vapor lock. The fuel still flows through lines that bend around, get slowed down and create vapor.

Last, I would like to remind everyone that San Carlos airport is very noise-sensitive. In the last month, the chief pilot's office has received several letters from the airport manager advising us that some of our aircraft still execute a left turn prior to the Bay Meadows Race Track or a right turn prior to the Diamond shaped waterway. The noise abatement program and its observance are essential in the preservation of the San Carlos airport. If you are not familiar with it or have forgotten exactly what to do ask some of our instructors; you can also get leaflets either at our front desks or at the airport management office.

Safe flying.

Steve Robinson, a former WVFC member, removed two gap fillers on the Discovery shuttle in an historic EVA this week. The first-ever task went flawlessly - no surprise to those who know Steve.

Steve learned how to fly in a 1946 Taylorcraft at PAO in 1981 with WVFC instructor Ann Elsbach. He was very easy to teach, demonstrating both a comprehensive knowledge of aerodynamics and a "natural" feel for the airplane. He was also fun to work with because of an upbeat attitude coupled with a fun sense of humor.

After Steve's first two missions, STS-85 and STS-95, he made presentations to the Club, including video and stills taken during the missions. The Club has videotapes of those talks. He also spoke about flying the T-38, saying that it went a bit faster than his C-180, and that you had to think a lot faster, too. When he first found out he was assigned to STS-85 he wrote a letter saying, "Finally, something with more than 65 hp." Several WVFC members went out to Florida to see the STS-95 launch and enjoyed a barbeque together at the home of CASSi's creator, Gregg Sullivan.

Steve lives in the Houston area where all current astronauts live. He keeps pretty busy in mission preparations, but he also finds time to play in two musical groups - he plays guitar, banjo, steel guitar, and string (double) bass. He also draws well - he drew the patches for all three of the missions in which he participated, for example.

We will see if we might invite him to come to the Club once again to give us a talk on STS-114. He is an engaging speaker.

This July, I volunteered to work with a fledgling program that fosters self-directed, hands-on learning opportunities for bay area youth. The program is run by Resonate Learning, which believes that children develop into productive, engaged adults when they are given the opportunity to pursue their interests. There is a strong commitment by the program to connect these young folk with adult members of the local community to facilitate this pursuit.

This spring, Resonate launched a "summer discovery" program named SPARK. Part of the mission of this program is to connect student apprentices to adult mentors who are willing to provide their apprentices with hands on experiences at their places of work. My apprentice was a 13 year old named Sekope Tagilala. Sekope is a young man of few words, but he was good at asking insightful questions. I had no idea what I was getting into, but I knew I would be working with someone who wanted to pursue an interest in aviation. The SPARK coordinators, instructors, bus drivers and bottle washers - both of them, Melia Dicker and Chris Balme - assured me that apprentices were screened to determine that they were receptive to learning and well behaved. I met with Sekope twice per week during the month of July.

On our first meeting Sekope and I put together a lesson plan. We couldn't cover everything, so we narrowed the plan to maintenance, air traffic control, the pilot and the airplane. The lesson plan included three hours of flight - thanks to WVFC for donating Sekope's July membership fee and the club portion of the hourly fees!

Our time together was special as I could tell from Sekope's questions and responses (especially to the flying part - it was "aaawesome!") that he was getting something out of this experience. Our flights included some basic maneuvers near the coast, a trip interacting with ATC during a bay tour, and a final hour using cockpit automation - GPS and autopilot. In addition to the flight portion, we received the usual gracious and informative tour of the Palo Alto tower by the tower staff. Kevin Pinger gave us permission to tour the WVFC maintenance shop, where we saw airplanes and engines in various states of repair.

We spent our last few hours preparing and rehearsing a power point presentation, which Sekope gave in the auditorium at Clifford School in Redwood City to an audience of about 50 consisting of parents, mentors and other community members. Sekope and the other student presenters did a great job. Sekope later presented me with a note thanking me for his experience working with me and ended with a sentence that made it all worthwhile for me: "I hope one day I will able to treat you to a free ride when I am a pilot."

I can't wait.

For more information, see www.resonatelearning.org.

Of all the Palo Alto Airport landmarks, Leslie Salt is probably the most commonly used. Pretty much everyone coming from the north or east uses Leslie Salt as a reporting point. However, few people realize the rich history of salt production in the Bay Area, and fewer still know why the salt ponds turn red and how this odd color relates to a futuristic computer storage technology.

Salt production in the Bay Area dates back to prehistoric times, but it wasn't until 1854 that Captain John Johnson created the Bay Area's first modern salt works. Salt was in great demand during the mid to late 1800s after the discovery of the Mother Lode (a 100 mile long quartz vein in the Sierras containing gold and silver) because salt was used in the process to extract silver from the ore. By 1868, there were 18 salt companies in the area. The Leslie Salt Refining Company was formed in 1901.

Over the next 35 years, a rapid series of mergers occurred. The Leslie-California Salt Company was formed in 1924 after a merger with the large California Salt Company, which included Captain Johnson's original salt works. In 1931, the Oliver Salt Company (itself a merger of nine original salt companies) was merged in, followed by the final merger with the Arden Salt Company on November 2, 1936, forming the Leslie Salt Company. By the 1960s, Leslie Salt owned 50,000 acres of salt ponds around the Bay. In 1978, the Leslie Salt Company was purchased by Cargill Salt, a division of Cargill, the largest privately held corporation in the world.

The use of the Bay for salt evaporation has been a favorite hot button for environmentalists, who want to return the Bay to its original marshland state. The current salt evaporators are home to more than 70 bird species, including the endangered Snowy Plover and Least Tern. Since 1979, Cargill has sold nearly 30,000 acres to various government agencies, including more than 11,000 acres for the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Today, Cargill focuses on its remaining 13,000 acre site near Newark, the landmark we all know so well.

The production of salt is a five year process. First, bay water is put in an intake pond where the evaporation process starts. Bay water is only 2.5% salt, compared with 3.5% salt for ocean water, so there is a long way to go to make pure salt. Brine (water with a high salt concentration) is circulated among multiple ponds, using electric pumps, as the salt concentration increases and is gradually moved towards crystallizer beds. The crystallizer beds are used once the water becomes completely saturated with salt. As more water evaporates, the salt crystallizes and floats to the bottom.

Bittern, a red solution of minerals other than salt, is drained off and used for other industrial purposes. The resulting salt bed is 5 to 8 inches deep and 99% pure. From September to December, 700,000 tons of salt are harvested from the Newark salt ponds. The resulting salt is cleaned in a wash house to remove any remaining clay or dust and is then dumped onto the famous 90 foot tall salt piles. The salt in these piles is 99.5% pure. It is stored there until needed for packaging or shipment. More than 250 salt products are produced in the Bay Area, although only 3% of the salt goes to home use.

So what makes the ponds turn bright red? In low- to mid-salinity ponds, green algae proliferate. As the salinity increases, an alga called Dunaliella thrives and the ponds turn an even lighter shade of green. Once the salinity increases sufficiently, the Dunaliella begins to produce a red pigment that eventually masks the green of its chlorophyll. Millions of tiny brine shrimp in mid-salinity ponds contribute an orange cast to the water. They are harvested as fish food.

Perhaps more interesting is the presence of a family of Archaea (ancient organisms that love extreme environments) called Halobacterium that love high salinity. Halobacteria are red because they contain a pigment, bacteriorhodopsin, which is strikingly similar to the rhodopsin pigment in the human retina. Bacteriorhodopsin provides energy for the organism from light through a process completely unrelated to chlorophyll-based photosynthesis. Its existence is interesting evidence that photosynthesis evolved two different times on the planet in different ways. Since its discovery in the 1970s, scientists have been trying to use bacteriorhodopsin to develop a new form of three dimensional computer memory. So far, they have successfully created an 800MB memory from a 1x1x2 inch gel containing the pigment. Theoretically, a density of 32GB per cm^3 could be created. This memory has properties that make it very desirable: it doesn't require power and will store its data up to five years sitting on a shelf; it works under extremes of heat and cold; it is resistant to motion, and a large amount of data can be read or written simultaneously because of the 3-D nature. The U.S. Army and Navy have been researching this type of memory for use in satellites and on the battlefield.

So, the next time you fly over Leslie Salt, you can not only appreciate the vast quantities of pure salt produced and the time-honored way of creating it, but also look at a possible future for computer memory. Thirty years from now, you may be handing tiny containers of red pigment to your friends to share videos and music. Maybe iSalt has a nice ring to it.

One of the most significant factors in the process of becoming a pilot is the instructor and his or her ability to teach. Teaching involves a lot more than the ability to demonstrate a maneuver correctly the first time (and again, and again), but it's part of the topic this month.

There are three levels of performance for the maneuvers we fly: 1) striving to meet the Practical Test Standards (PTS); 2) significantly bettering the PTS; and 3) mastering the maneuver. Ask any instructor about the level of performance students and licensed pilots demonstrate on phase checks, flight reviews, and checkout flights, and the answer will be levels 1 and 2. We tend to think of these as "the maneuver was recognizable," and "it was well flown." It is a rare student or licensed pilot who flies a maneuver at level 3 ("Wow! I wish I could fly it like that all the time.") If you're not sure what level you fall into and you're not flying 1000 hours a year and doing the maneuver 10 to 15 times a week, it's probably not 3.

What that means is that you could fly virtually all maneuvers better, but how do you GET better?

In the process of learning to fly, your instructor demonstrated the maneuver, and after you'd done it a few times, demonstrated it again. When the maneuver is first demonstrated, the astute student can compare the maneuver to the PTS but may not be able to duplicate it, because he can't see HOW it was done. The second time a student sees the maneuver, having seen and attempted it a few times, he actually sees more and learns more than on the first demonstration. This is why your instructor may have alternated landings during the first landing lesson, or lets you do three landings, and then takes one himself or herself. It's not because your instructor needs another landing in a Cessna or Cherokee.

Simultaneous with learning the maneuver, the student also learns the ability to judge how the maneuver is going. Will the altitude work out? Is there sufficient wind correction? Will this pitch angle give the right airspeed? The ability to judge (to some extent) your own performance occurs about the time you go solo. In fact, it is essential to the learning process while you're solo.

Since you can now judge your own performance, why not simply go out and practice? Overall, not a bad idea, but it may not get you as far as you think. The problem is that in order to improve, you also need to refine your ability to see and judge a maneuver against more and more precise standards. As that occurs, you rely less on quantitative standards and more on style, form, and technique. Simply tightening the standards won't help all that much since the ability to hold altitude within 20 feet, heading within 2 degrees, and airspeed within 2 knots doesn't result from more frequent checks of the instruments and more aggressive corrections. It results from noticing subtle differences in pitch, bank, power, and coordination that a less experience pilot simply doesn't see. You may have noticed that the best pilots make nearly imperceptible changes to pitch, bank, or power, and the plane does exactly what the pilot wants. He or she makes it look effortless as well. How can the pro do that? By seeing the difference between what he or she wants earlier than you're seeing it.

Martin Michaud captured this concept in the following three paragraphs:

"I had a particularly pleasant experience a while back that fostered some contemplation. My student wasn't feeling 100% and asked me to fly the airplane home. We were out on the coast. 3500 to the ridge and then I started my descent to the airport. The flying gods and ATC were with me that day and I flew a seamless approach to the airport. Nice continuous rate of descent, number 1 to land, smooth deceleration to exactly on-speed and a gorgeous 3pt full stall.

My student was lavish in his praise (and I must admit I basked in it for a bit; I was certainly on my game that day) and said that it was one of the most meaningful demonstrations he had seen because he had never really understood how all the pieces should fit together.

After hearing that comment, I have tried to make sure that I fly the airplane a little bit more and for longer periods than I did previously. I sometimes suffer pangs of guilt, but I get over it pretty well when I recall that I have learned some of my most important lessons by just sitting in the airplane and watching an accomplished pilot fly."

Next time you need to fly with an instructor, pick a maneuver you'd like to do better, demonstrate it for the CFI, then ask for the CFI to show you how to do it, and make sure the CFI talks through the maneuver. You want to know when the CFI thinks he has the nose down, or is too low, needs to start the flare, etc. Compare that to what you're seeing to refine your picture of the maneuver.

Remember, even the best golf and tennis pros practice, but they also have coaches to help them refine the picture and their technique. And they aren't likely to damage an airplane and risk their passengers if their short game or ground stroke isn't as good as it could be.

The next time you fly with an instructor may be a result of falling out of currency, needing a flight review or a Wings Phase, a new aircraft checkout, or just because you want to fly better. The instructor will be thrilled to help you get better, and it's a lot more rewarding than simply watching a pilot barely demonstrate the ability to meet the Practical Test Standards of the appropriate practical test.

The instructor's reward isn't that he or she gets to fly the maneuver, it's that the instructor gets to watch the student fly better. And that's why we're in the business in the first place.

People warned me. People warned me against flying ("Don't do it unless you have a lot of money because it's addictive.") People warned me against buying an airplane ("It's a money pit.") Now I think I can see why I was warned, but of course, I still refuse to listen to reason.

I've noticed lately with both flying and owning that I always want the next best thing. I just recently got my PPL, and now I can't decide what comes next. Should I go all out and work on my instrument rating, which I know will take some time, or should I do some intermediate steps like acrobatic, complex, high performance and multi engine? Since I have a huge licensing test to pass for work (when I complained about its difficulty, my boss said "You can get a pilot's license and you're complaining about this?!?" I then made the grave mistake of spouting, "Well, I CARED about getting my pilot's license!"), I figure I'm out of commission for something that demands lots of studying like my instrument rating (and the scary thing is it's not the raise that I'll get when I pass this test for work that's motivating me, it's the fact that I can start working on my instrument rating! But hey, whatever gets you going in the morning, right?)

And I've also noticed the droplets of drool accumulating on the pictures of high performance or multi engine airplanes in the buyer's guides I get in the mail. Good thing I don't have any money in savings or I'd already be talking to a broker about getting some fancy plane I'm not even qualified to fly. I recently flew the club Bonanza for the first time. A coworker who just got his ATP told me the Bonanza would feel like an SST compared to an SP. As we holler where I came from, "Wheeeeee doggie!" Trips to exotic, faraway places like Fallon, Nevada, seem like a short hop in that wicked fast tin can. I think if I flew a King Air at this point, I'd just pee my pants.

All this reminds me of an ad for the Columbia 350 that I keep seeing that reads, "Here, pilot pilot." STOP!! I already have those voices in my head!! They know we're hooked. They know we would rather get a higher rating or buy a sleeker airplane than send our kids to school. How dare they get their focus groups together and come up with stuff to use our greediness against us!

I think all flight schools should have a warning sign in their window so people will know of this very grave danger of flying: Caution: May be habit forming.

HAYWARD SUMMER BBQ
Friday, August 12, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at HWD
Join us for the Friday BBQ at Hayward this month.

SATURDAY SEMINAR: AMERIFLIGHT… LEARN ALL ABOUT IT
Saturday, August 13, 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. at PAO
If you are a CFI wondering what your next step might be, come and hear about the opportunities available at Ameriflight. Everyone interested in the flying industry as a career is welcome. Ameriflight Line Captain and recruiter Wendy O'Malley will be at the club to provide info on career opportunities and answer all your questions. Bring your resume!

CASTLE FLY-IN
Saturday, August 20, 10:00 a.m.
Fly with the GM and director of MX, otherwise known as Josh and Kevin, to Castle AFB. Castle is possibly one of the funnest local outdoor aircraft museums. Plan on spending some time in the sun, so pack plenty of water and sunscreen. Departure time will be 10:00 a.m., and you can return when you like. Castle has a hotdog and burger stand available on site. We look forward to seeing you there. Contact Josh Smith jsmith@wvfc.org.

STEARMAN DAY
Saturday, August 20
Stearman Day gives West Valley members a unique opportunity to get dual instruction in the club's nostalgic, open cockpit biplane. Contact Tammy Tran to schedule, ttran@wvfc.org.

PALO ALTO AIRPORT DAY
Saturday, September 11, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Mark your calendar for this year's Airport Day. If you'd like to volunteer to help out, contact Tammy Tran at ttran@wvfc.org.

FLY THE BAY TOUR!
Wednesday, August 10, 7:00 p.m., PAO
Presented by Laine Tammer, CFI
Come learn the ins and outs of flying the "Bay Tour." We'll start with a review of what to expect and the airspace you'll be dealing with. We'll follow that with a show of stunning photos by Eugene Berman, WVFC member and professional photographer. Designed to appeal to the pilot and artist in everyone.

MOVING ON UP: TRANSITION TO HIGH PERFORMANCE AIRCRAFT
Wednesday, August 17, 7:00 p.m., Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Road, SQL
Presented By Peter Long, CFI, CFII, MEI
Is it time to move up to that larger, faster aircraft ? This seminar will provide an overview of how you can prepare to fly faster, larger, and perhaps more complex aircraft. Topics will include aircraft systems, dealing with high power and high airspeeds, and what it takes to handle and take care of the larger and heavier aircraft. We will conclude with an up close and personal inspection of a number of the high performance planes (parked right outside the auditorium) from West Valley Flying Club including Cessna 182's and a 206, and answer any further questions you may have. Peter Long is a flight instructor at West Valley Flying Club. He holds CFI, CFII, and MEI certificates, and is the owner of a high performance aircraft.

HAYWARD TO HOLLYWOOD
Wednesday, August 24, 7:00 pm, HWD
Presented by Joe Koepnick, CFI
Flying from Northern California to the LA area is a perfect GA flight with a variety of interesting destinations including the Rose Bowl, Hollywood, and Disneyland. This seminar will cover basic VFR flight planning and considerations for flying to Northern LA area destinations, such as Burbank, and flying through LA's VFR corridors to airports south of LA, such as Hawthorne and John Wayne. Joe Koepnick is a CFI who has been flying in the Bay Area since 1986, and has recent experience flying in and out of the LA area.

SQL Private Pilot Ground School meets Tuesdays 6:30-9:00 pm with instructors Peter Long and Dan Dyer. The cost is a $200 one-time fee, after which you may re-attend as often as you like. For information, contact Peter Long at plong@outback-aviation.com or Dan Dyer dan@dkdyer.com.

PAO Private Pilot Ground School started over with session #1 on July 7. Course meets Thursdays from 6:30 pm with instructor Kyp Kypta. The cost for the course is a once-only charge of $100, after which you may attend any and all sessions as often as you like.

HWD Private Pilot Ground School meets Tuesday nights from 7:00-9:00 pm. Cost is a one-time $200 per student. Contact instructor Sandy Wiedemann at syzygy2002@mac.com.

PAO Instrument Ground School meets Tuesday nights 6:30 to 9:00. Cost is a one time fee of $200. For more information, please contact Ali Ashayer aashayer@aol.com or Lindsay Dillon at linsgrins@hotmail.com.