After the first two weeks of downpour, the new year is starting off with some spectacular flying weather. Of course, as I sit in the GM's chair, I am always going to be a huge proponent of creating flying hours; however, these winter days provide some of the best visibility you will have all year. What a great excuse to do a mountain checkout when you can actually see snow covering them thar hills.

The first board meeting of the year was very productive. I would personally like to thank the board for its continued help and guidance leading this organization. The primary focus was the budget for fiscal 2006, which was approved. The process of business planning this year went smoothly and was very productive. The work product will be published in June when we produce the Annual Report. The gist of the budget is to find revenue growth opportunities to cover growing costs and provide financial security without raising membership dues. WVFC will also continue to provide excellent customer service, and the highest quality of instruction and aircraft. And finally, we are looking for newer ways to streamline processes to keep our interfaces easy to use while remaining within tighter security controls.

Please email me if you would like to see copies of the organization's strategic goals for fiscal 2006.

We have had a record number of members sign up for the pre-pay of monthly dues. Our goal was 75 members, and we came out with 111 members pre-paying for 2005. Obviously, the injection of funds at the slowest flying time of the year is extremely helpful; it also is nice to see members invest in the future of the club.

Again, I look forward to another year with the club. I think there are going to be some really exciting aircraft coming onto the fleet, combined with some new programs that will continue to grow club members' ability to experience all facets of the GA experience.

945DB added a special IFR training rate, $120/hour when used with a WVFC CFI while working toward an instrument rating (not for recurrency or safety pilot use). There is no limit to the number of hours. Please contact Dan Baggett for information, or see the fleet page for more details.

751SP just added in a February training special. Fly four hours get the fifth hour free. Hours must be used in February. Email charlie6483@earthlink.net to sign up to qualify.

6013Z, a 1979 Duchess, is now available at KPAO. The aircraft is currently being offered at $175/hour. With 1600 hours total time, this is a really sweet bird. Fully IFR, with storm scope, A/P, Argus 5000, and Apollo GPS. This adds a second Duchess to our fleet of twins. Get that twin rating you have always wanted.

508DK is being offered at $190/hr. Nowhere can you find an SR22 for less. Nowhere.

Fleet needs:
I think we have the acquired all the 172SPs we will need at SQL. We would still love to get the following for the SQL location:

• a 182, preferably with IFR GPS
• a complex trainer

Two weeks ago, San Jose FSDO had its bi-annual visit from the Oklahoma City National Designee Standardization Team (AFS-640). They presented a one-day seminar for local DPEs. I want to go over some relevant items that were put out and discussed at the seminar.

CFIs who are DPE Wannabees
By the way, any CFI who wants to go to a DPE seminar may do so. Just go to http://afs600.faa.gov. The home page has the year's seminar location schedule and a sign-up form. The seminars now cost $25. It's a good investment for any CFI who might be interested in becoming a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE). If you are willing to travel, you don't have to wait two years for the team to return to San Jose.

What if an Applicant is Unqualified?
I discussed this in December. The FAA team refined the FSDO policy.

One issue raised was whether a DPE should issue a notice of disapproval (pink slip) if the applicant presented without having met all the qualifications. Say the applicant does not have sufficient cross country solo time as required by FAR 61.

If we are talking about a Private, Instrument or Commercial applicant, then the ruling is that the application is not accepted by the DPE and no pink slip is issued. However, the DPE is expected to receive the payment before beginning the review of the application and log book. The payment is not expected to be refunded in the event the applicant is not qualified.

If the scheduled test is for Flight Instructor (CFI), the situation is different. Say the recommending instructor forgot to properly endorse the CFI applicant's log book. The DPE should advise the CFI applicant that the test begins as soon as payment is received. Any disqualification due to endorsements or log book entries or improper application would mean that the CFI applicant failed to ensure that all these items were correct. The result in this case would be that the DPE would issue a pink slip.

A CFI must be able to ensure that an applicant (including himself) is prepared for a checkride.

What if the Aircraft is Un-airworthy?
Our FSDO discussed this problem in our November meeting, and I reported on it in my December column. Suppose during the ground portion, the DPE asks whether the aircraft is airworthy. The applicant, who should have checked the logbooks prior to the test, replies that the aircraft is indeed airworthy. Now they go through the books together. The DPE asks the applicant to show that maintenance records indicate that all required inspections have been done. The applicant stumbles when he gets to, say, the AD compliance list. There seems to be no evidence that a recurring AD, due each 100 hours, has been accomplished within the last 100 hours.

The ruling here is that a pink slip is issued. In order to avoid that trap, it is not cheating to go over the log books prior to the checkride with your CFI. Be sure you are both satisfied that all inspections have been accomplished. See FAR 91 Subpart E.

On the other hand, say that you discover a problem in the books just before the test begins. Tell the DPE about it. That may require rescheduling the test, but it should prevent the dreaded pink slip.

In the event that you find a squawk during your preflight inspection, you have not failed. However, you may have to discontinue the test.

Suppose you miss an aircraft fault during the preflight. Say you do not notice that the cowl door is unlatched. If you get in and start the aircraft without correcting the problem, you will probably receive a pink slip.

Runway Incursions
This remains a big issue with the FAA due to continuing problems. In order to see and be seen, pilots are now encouraged to turn on the landing light just when they are cleared for takeoff. This signals that the aircraft is beginning the high-energy ground roll.

Likewise, the beacon should be on prior to engine start. At night, the position lights should be on whenever the master switch is on. Also at night, if you are instructed "position and hold" offset the airplane from the centerline. Otherwise the airplane tends to blend in with the runway lights.

There are many Laws of Flying, and Murphy wrote some of them. You'd have to include "the more complex an aircraft is, the greater the number of things that can go wrong, and at the most inconvenient time."

This doesn't mean that more complex aircraft are more likely to have things go wrong, but when they do, things get much more interesting. Take a simple aircraft like a glider. There are not a lot of moving parts, and very few systems. There really isn't much to go wrong. At the other extreme, there are the business jets and turbo-props with such complicated systems that the Systems Section of the POH may be larger than the entire POH of most of our club planes.

When you're hauling empennage at turbo-prop or jet speeds, the "DING" from your Alarm and Warning System is not music to the pilot's ears. This, however, is where the difference between a pro and an amateur is noticeable. The pro already knows what to do; the amateur makes it up on the spot.

We are first introduced to this concept during the private pilot training, particularly during the power failure emergency training. At that point, we all know that we need to have a pre-selected emergency landing field. And we know that during the early part of the procedure, we turn directly toward it. Many students even carry this thought into their Private Pilot checkrides. After all, we KNOW that the engine will fail at some point during the checkride. It says so in the PTS. Yet, on your last flight, did you have a specific emergency field in mind during your entire flight? What about a plan of how to get to it? If you don't know where you're going, it's hard to get there.

As the typical pilot moves to a multi-engine rating, some of the emergency procedures become more formalized. The takeoff brief is a prime example. Before a multi-engine takeoff, the pilot recites a plan of action that includes both the expected sequence, and the spaghetti-in-the-fan sequence. For example, a takeoff brief may sound like this. "Line up on the centerline, hold the brakes, and apply full power. Check the engine instruments, release the brakes, and rotate at 80 knots. Climb at 85 knots. When no landable runway remains, raise the gear. If the engine fails before the gear is raised, pull both throttles and stop or land straight ahead. After the gear is raised, Maintain blue line, Identify (the bad engine), Verify (the bad engine), and Feather (the bad engine)."

My subtle method of reminding my students to perform this takeoff brief is that if they don't, it guarantees an engine "failure" during the takeoff roll, which is always followed by a few seconds of slewing around the runway, and eventually by the correct response of pulling the throttles. There's nothing like a bit of adrenaline to make a lesson stick. According to the CFI Fundamentals of Instruction, this is referred to as the Law of Intensity. I'm not kidding, it is.

Interestingly enough, there is probably more need for this kind of pre-takeoff brief in a single engine plane than in a twin. Yet, I hardly ever hear a single engine takeoff brief. In one sense, I can understand why. In the multi-engine brief from the previous paragraph, there is an implicit assumption that, after the actions are taken, the plane gets to keep flying. Perhaps it even comes back to the runway and lands in a mostly normal manner. So an uninitiated passenger isn't going to panic upon hearing the takeoff brief. Imagine the takeoff brief in a single from San Carlos. "Line up on the runway, apply full power and check the engine instruments. Rotate at 55, climb at 75. If the engine quits below 200 feet, we land in the aluminum recycling center…." This may not inspire the level of confidence we wish our passengers to have.

We don't like to verbalize the fact that when there is an engine problem in a single engine plane, we are very likely to land somewhere other than a runway. But it's most important that we have a plan, whether we say it aloud or not. Before every takeoff, we should know exactly what to do at any point up to the 1000-foot check. (We will develop the plans after that during flight, but before they're needed.) If the engine quits at 200 feet, where will we land? At what altitude will we initiate a turn back to the field? Which direction will we turn? Would we even consider a downwind landing? All these decisions are dependent upon the type of plane and how it's loaded, the airport and its environment, the wind strength and direction, and other factors.

Our ability to execute the plans well depends first upon our ability to accept that there is a problem, and to execute the correct action without delay. According to the FAA, the typical pilot delays three seconds before taking action when there is an unexpected engine failure. Imagine an engine failure during a short field takeoff. Try this at altitude. Simulate a short field takeoff from 3500 feet AGL, and at Vx and 3700 feet AGL, pull the power to idle, do nothing for three seconds, then attempt ANY action that doesn't involve adding power. See if you could land at 3500 AGL. Now imagine that this happened on takeoff from a real runway - it should run the pucker-factor pretty far off the scale.

The second factor in determining our success is how recently we have practiced these procedures. For most people, the answer for simulated system or engine failures at altitude is "at my last flight review." And most pilots have never simulated failures at 200 feet and landing straight ahead, failures at 300 feet and turn 90 degrees and land or failures at 500 feet and land downwind on the same runway. It's exceedingly unlikely that any of these maneuvers will be successful without practice. The first time is more than just an eye-opener. When you drop the nose at 200 feet to hold airspeed, and watch the runway rushing up at you, it's an eye-popper!

I hope it goes without saying that these maneuvers should only be attempted with an experienced CFI aboard to give the first demo, and to keep the simulated emergency from becoming a real one.

The pros go to school at least once a year to practice the emergency procedures specific to their airplanes in a simulator (less chance of insurance claims in a sim). But even with that, the greatest part of the preparation is mental. The pro knows which parts of the emergency procedures need to be memorized. The pro knows when to apply them, and has had the experience of performing each of the empennage-saving maneuvers many times. In CFI lingo, these would be the Laws of Recency and Exercise. The more often and the more recently you've practiced something, the easier it is to perform correctly.

If you don't know where you're going to land and how you're going to get there, you're going to waste precious time and altitude figuring it out as you make it up. You may make the right decision, and if you're lucky, you may make it in time. Or, you may spend too much time deciding, or make the wrong decision.

Practice the skills before you need them. Make your decisions when there is time to evaluate them.

When the spaghetti hits the fan, you only need to execute the plan you already have decided upon with skills that are sufficient to the task.

There comes a time in every passionate sierra papa's life when one asks oneself, "Why can't I own an airplane?" Yes, fellow sierra papas, I said own, not rent. And no matter what all your friends, fellow fliers, instructors, hanger rats, lawyers, financial advisors, and spiritual gurus tell you, there's nothing that will stop you. You've made up your mind. Not even the ever popular "The happiest day in your life is the day you buy an airplane; the second happiest day is the day you sell it" comment will sway your decision. I also hear that buying a plane can be like getting a tattoo (not that I would know personally): you can never get just one. You always want to get another, get a better one, newer one, faster one, more complex one, one with more engines. Of course, this won't happen to me. I can contain myself. You have this in writing for a few years down the line when I write one month about buying another. But even this downward spiral of drooling over ever more expensive pieces of machinery and sacrificing one's financial well-being, love life, and place of residence for the pride of ownership will not sway you.

Then starts the process. Check bank accounts, hope for a big work bonus, ask for a raise, check bank accounts again hoping they've miraculously created money from nothing, think of selling car to pay for plane, think of living in plane to cut down on living expenses, and curse all the other bills you just got in the mail because they have nothing to do with paying for a plane but are for all that boring nonsense like running water and electricity (as if those preposterous things are really necessary). After much consideration, you realize this could actually be possible. Okay, so you know nothing about buying a plane, but hey, it sounds like a good idea, doesn't it? You could throw around the two most beautiful words in the English language when used together - "my airplane." You could actually walk out onto the airport grounds and know that one of those awe-inspiring pieces of sleekly shaped aluminum is actually yours. What more do you need? Oh sure, there's all that stuff about maintenance, taxes (damn California), soaring fuel prices, blah, blah, blah. But repeat after me: "My airplane." 'Nuf said.

I'm babbling on and on about all this as a way of telling myself I'm not crazy. I'm not out of control. Okay, I don't even have my license yet, but all sierra papas know that flying is addictive. This isn't just some passing fancy like taking bagpipe lessons when I was twelve. It's not like this will be like those four guitars collecting dust in my closet. This is true love. As Mr. Lundie said in "Brigadoon," "If you love someone [some airplane] deeply enough, anything is possible."

It's odd now, looking back at the pictures from my first solo, to see me smiling away after my third landing, standing by the plane I will soon own (the paperwork on this whole ordeal has been endless and far more time consuming than I first anticipated, but that's always the case, isn't it?). I remember my mother, who by the way hates flying even on large airliners, commenting about how happy I looked in those pictures. I have copies of those pictures hanging from the remaining half of my solo shirt, which is tacked onto my cubicle wall at work. Funny how I've been staring at my future plane all this time. Or have I just slipped into a sleep-deprived coma at work and all this is a dream? As Shakespeare said, "To sleep, perchance to dream." If I am asleep, I'll no doubt be violently slapped back into reality when I get my first loan payment bill….

Many thanks to Rob French for organizing a very successful TRACON tour. After various security-related cancellations and reschedulings, 23 members car- or plane-pooled up to Sacramento on January 29 for an interesting and entertaining visit with our friends on the other side of the mic. Thanks, Rob, for your persistence!

Amelia Earhart Lectures
Saturday, February 12, 11:00 a.m., Hiller Aviation Museum, SQL Airport
Mr. Reid Dennis will talk about recreating Amelia's world flight in his Albatross. Then, Mr. Elgin Long will talk about how the plans are going to find the lost plane.

Single Pilots Night
Monday, February 14, 7:00 pm, Izzy's Steak House, SQL Airport
Join other single pilots having a Valentine's Day drink at Izzy's. RSVP to whatsup@wvfc.org so we'll know to look for you!

Hangar Talk
Thursday, February 24, 6:00 pm, PAO MX hangar
Kevin Pinger, the club's Director of Maintenance, will open up an airplane for members to have a look inside, and will be on hand to answer members' questions about how things work under the cowling. The club will provide beer and BBQ. RSVP not required, but will help us plan food and drinks. Contact Tammy Tran at ttran@wvfc.org.

Slide Show
Tuesday, March 1, 7:00 pm, PAO back classroom
Club CFIs Dave Zittin and Rob French will present brief slide shows from their recent travels. Refreshments will be served! Dave and Floy Zittin recently travelled in western India. Dave will present a slide show emphasizing people (exclusive of Dave's family :-), places and wildlife encountered during their December 2004 travels. Rob French and his wife CJ recently spent two weeks in Japan. Rob will present a slide show showing interesting aspects of Japanese culture, religion, and technology, including historical sites such as Hiroshima.

Hayward Air Race Meeting
Thursday, March 3, 7:00 pm, PAO back classroom
Ever thought about participating in the annual Hayward Air Race? West Valley members and CFIs have been top winners in past years… maybe this year it'll be you! Attend this informational meeting to find out more about what's involved.

DAY SKI TRIP
Saturday, March 19, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Terry Slocum will lead a day ski trip to Northstar-at-Tahoe March 19. If weather from the Bay Area to Truckee Airport is forecast as good VFR, and afternoon winds over the Sierras are forecast as reasonable, he will go by airplane. Otherwise, he will drive. West Valley pilots are welcome to join in. Pre-trip meeting time: Tuesday, March 15, 7:30 pm - 8:00 pm at San Carlos Airport.

There is a free shuttle to/from the Airport to Northstar, and the resort offers good intermediate terrain, interesting terrain parks including a large half-pipe, some advanced terrain, and when snow cover is appropriate, excellent tree skiing and and additional inbounds off-piste skiing. Lifts operate daily from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm, weather permitting. Contact Terry Slocum, terry_slocum@mindspring.com.

To Kittyhawk and Back
Presented by Ross Oliver
Wednesday, February 9, 7:00pm, Palo Alto
Ross Oliver will describe flying his two-seat Grob 115C on a round-trip journey from San Jose to Kittyhawk, NC. Find out what it takes to plan and execute a coast-to-coast flying adventure, including routing, stopovers, weather, and logistics. Ross Oliver is an instrument-rated private pilot with 15 years flying experience. Ross's Grob, N115AG, is a former West Valley aircraft, which Ross has owned for the past four years. Ross pays for his flying adventures by working in the computer security industry.

IFR secrets of a Freight Captain
Presented by Sergey Kriksin, CFI, CFII, MEI
Wednesday, February 16, 7:00pm, San Carlos
In this seminar you'll learn about the specifics and secrets of single pilot part 135 operations. You'll also learn how to negotiate with ATC and be proficient in demanding IFR environments. We'll talk about visual and contact approaches as well as VFR on top and how they can be used to save on fuel and time. There will also be a number of tips on flying single-pilot IFR. Sergey Kriksin is a Gold Seal CFII at WVFC with five years instruction experience. He has worked for Ameriflight (cargo airline) for one and a half years.

Licensing, Renting, and Flying a Plane in Portugal
Presented by David Squires
Wednesday, February 23, 7:00pm, Hayward
WVFC members David Squires and Caroline Lambert spent four days flying in Portugal last June. The main portion of the talk is a travelog describing their flying and some of the sights and anecdotes along the way. Also covered are some of the practical details of licensing and up front planning that can smooth the way, should you desire to do something similar. It is very possible for an average WVFC VFR rated pilot to rent a plane and fly in Europe. David Squires has eight years flying experience. He is a Caltech graduate whose day job in high technology helps fund his true passion of flying.

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

PAO Private Pilot Ground School meets Thursdays from 6:30 pm with instructor Kyp Kypta. Current session runs through February 24. Next session runs March 3 through April 21. 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. Contact Kyp by email at lkypta@earthlink.net.

HWD Private Pilot Ground School meets Tuesday nights from 6:30-9:30 pm. Cost is $200 per student. Contact instructors Sandy Wiedemann at syzygy2002@mac.com, or Eric Jewell at eric@flywitheric.com.

PAO Instrument Ground School meets Tuesday nights 6:30 to 9:00, and runs February 15 through April 5.. Cost is a one time fee of $200. Please email instructor Linda Monahan at lindajmonahan@hotmail.com, or Ali Ashayer at aashayer@aol.com.