West Valley is a non-profit corporation run by a board of directors that is elected by the membership. The board is charged with the responsibility of oversight and leadership of the club. In short, the goal of the board is to assure that the club meets the needs of the members, is operationally sound, and complies with its regulatory and other obligations. As a board member, you have custodial responsibility for a club that has been operating since 1973 and is the largest organization of its kind in the US.

This year, two at-large board seats and one WVFC aircraft owner board seat are up for election. These seats are currently occupied by Mike Atwood, Torea Rodriguez, and Gary Waldeck.

You may nominate another member or yourself. If you decide to run, you must submit a Statement of Candidate by 2359 PDT on Sunday May 26.

• Candidate names and statements shall be submitted via email only to candidate@wvfc.org.
• Candidate names and statements will be posted on the WVFC website on Monday, May 29th.
• Candidate names will be posted in alphabetical order by last names.
• Candidate statements will be posted in the order in which complete and final statements were received.
• Votes will be accepted starting at 0000 PT on Monday, June 12, and ending at 2359 PT on Sunday, June 18. You can vote via the website, regular mail, or in person.

Hey there, hi there, and look up at the sky there oh my gosh, I see blue. Well, I don’t want to put the kibosh on the good wx, so I will keep my observations down to a minimum. The club survived the winter cash crunch, mostly. As you may have noticed, in some cases we reduced front desk hours and made some other workforce allocations to weather the storms, so we made it through with minimal cash flow scars.

I would like to bring everyone’s attention to the following:

1. Board elections are coming up. We have three seats that are up for grabs: one owner seat and two at large seats. I would like to encourage those who are interested in participating within the organization to run as this is one of the best ways to get involved. For more information, please go to the Election Central part of our website.
2. There are going to be a lot of events over the summer. Keep up to date by going to the BBS calendar. The calendar is updated every two to three days as details to existing events and more new events are added. These include WVFC club events as well as other general aviation points of interest, events for all 4 locations, and hopefully things that spark everyone’s interest.
3. Many of the aforementioned events will require volunteers. Hiller Vertical Challenge is one example that comes to mind. We love it when members help staff our booth and help convince potential new members why WVFC is a great place to experience aviation. If you would like to volunteer to help out at an event, please contact Shannon Doyle (650) 856-2030 ext 304 or Shannon@wvfc.org.

This month, I would like to tell you about the changes that are in the works at San Carlos and Half Moon Bay airports. They are pretty impressive and exciting. So, let’s start with San Carlos because at some point down the line, the improvements are going to impact your flying for a few days. However, it will be for the best and for everyone’s enjoyment.

The stopways on both ends of the runway are going to be extended: the one on the 30 approach will be 130 ft longer only (due to the levee in the way) while the one on the 12 side will be 300 ft longer. Both sides will be marked and striped, showing brand new painted chevrons. The VASI will be replaced by a PAPI on both sides of the runway. An AWOS-3 will be installed that will be owned and monitored by the airport.

There is also a great drainage improvement project underway, and at some point, because a lot of this work has to be done under the taxiways and runway… you guessed it! The runway will need to be closed. Why is this happening during the summer when there is so much activity and you want your flying not to be interrupted by airport improvements? Well, because it is much better to re-pave when there is no chance of rain and the soil is drier, obviously. Hence, runway closures will occur sometime mid- or end of the summer: 2 or 3 day closures at least twice, and believe it or not, there will be extensive closures at night as well. Of course, all of this is going to be published in the NOTAMs, so keep an eye on those if you do not already. Gating and fencing improvements are scheduled as well.

This is the biggest project ever in the history of San Carlos Airport and should be completed by the end of this year. The whole cost for now is estimated at $3 million divided between the following investors:

1. FAA grants 90%
2. State 5%
3. Local 5% (airport and users)

Member Sylvia Li captured these clouds with her cell phone camera earlier this year when the Bay Area hills were covered with snow. These were taken from the visitor center at Coe Park. The two pictures were taken just 5 to 10 minutes apart, and no, the first one was not doctored in any way. You can see in the second how the wind has already begun forming a telltale anvil shape. Thanks to Sylvia for sending them in!

Looking for a great place to fly to that has something for everyone? The Wings of History Museum 1277 Murphy Avenue in the San Martin at the South County (E16) airport is the perfect place for adults and kids. We are a please touch museum, and we are a living museum where you can watch our all-volunteer crews work at restoring a 1940 Stinson 10 with Franklin 90 engine, a 1939 Security “Airster” with a five cylinder Security engine (the same type of plane once owned by Edger Rice Burroughs), and a 1927 Avro 595 “Avian” with a Cirrus engine. Or watch our volunteers make propellers for antique aircraft.

Make a date to be with us at our annual Museum Open House and old fashioned fly-in on Saturday, May 13. The one-day event features fun aviation activities and free airplane rides (EAA Young Eagles program) organized by the South County Airport Pilots Association in conjunction with EAA Chapter 62. Museum activities include airplane simulator rides, tethered hot air balloons, free museum tours, and displays of antique cars, tractors, and steam engines. Breakfast and lunch may be purchased at the museum.

The Ole Fahlin Memorial Propeller Shop is located on the grounds of the Wings Of History Air Museum. It is a commemoration of one of the world’s great propeller makers as well as a continuation of the shop built by Ole Fahlin, who made propellers for more than seventy years. Late in his career, Ole opened a shop in Santa Clara. In fact, the first propeller that Ole made in his new California shop was for a WACO-10 this aircraft and its Fahlin propeller are on display in the museum. Throughout the shop’s history, there has been a surprising continuity of machinery, presses, and tooling. Many of the tools and much of the equipment, including shaper boards that date back to the 1920s, that Ole used to make propellers are still used today.

The Ole Fahlin Memorial Propeller Shop is an FAA Authorized Repair Station for wooden propellers—Certificate #WOKR 041-L. The shop specializes in custom built, experimental and antique wooden propellers such as would be encountered in the earlier years of aviation, 1903–1930s. The shop continues to make propellers and continues to receive orders from all over the world.

The propellers are built by the Watson Division of the Wings of History Air Museum. Guy Watson, the manager and chief propeller maker, worked with Ole from 1973 until Ole’s death in 1992 and has continued Ole’s traditions. A propeller that Guy made for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Sopwith F7.1 Snipe can be seen today on that aircraft on exhibit in that museum.

The Wings of History Museum is an all volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of antique aircraft as well as other aviation artifacts. The volunteers work to educate and stimulate interest in historic aircraft among the people of the area and to develop a fraternal spirit among the region's antique aircraft enthusiasts.

Museum hours are: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Saturdays and Sundays 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The restoration and propeller shops are active on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

For more information please call: (408) 683-2290 or stop by at this weekend’s Open House!

Transponders… not only do these small devices have the ability to squawk your altitude and lots of other good information (for Mode C and S), but they can also make ATC, the pilot, and the maintenance shop really cranky! In a busy environment like ours, ATC is bound to get upset when they cannot get correct altitude readouts or any readout at all, or worse, when they cannot find you on the radar. That makes the pilot uncomfortable or altogether unhappy because he/she cannot get either VFR flight following or the highly anticipated practice approach, and in the end, the maintenance department is at a loss because sometimes, unless the transponder is definitely inoperative, it is difficult to reproduce the problem. So here are a few things you can keep in mind or do to improve the performance of the transponder:

1. Transponders can take some time to warm up, so turn the unit on to the “ALT” mode early in the run up area instead of waiting for the takeoff roll
2. ATC says it takes about 12 seconds for your altitude readout to stabilize. If you think your readout is not correct, hold a steady altitude for 12 seconds and then ask for another altitude check
3. The readouts on the ATC screens are rounded to hundreds of feet. When you are at 1120, it will either report 1200 or 1100
4. All transponder encoders read absolute atmospheric pressure, so in standard conditions with 29.92 at sea level, the readout will be correct. As this is very seldom the case, the ATC computer computes the altitude by inputting the approximate local pressure. This usually translates within about +/-50 feet
5. The inaccuracy authorized for IFR flights in the FARs is 75 ft, but part 43 states that the difference between the automatic reporting outport (of the transponder) and the altitude displayed on the altimeter shall not exceed 125 ft for any flight. This is on a bench test, so if ATC rounds up the altitude by the hundreds, you might be off by 200 ft (up or down)
6. Always center the numbers correctly and carefully
7. Moisture affects the accuracy of the pitot-static system. Never expect that the transponder is going to be perfectly accurate after a storm as moisture can be trapped in the system.

The San Jose FSDO and I are in the process of attempting to add CFI-A (Certificated Flight Instructor Airplane) and CFI-IA (Certificated Flight Instructor Instrument Airplane) to my testing authority. Hopefully this will be successfully completed by the end of June.

I have been giving CFI-RH (Certificated Flight Instructor Rotorcraft-Helicopter) checkrides for several years. A year ago, I began giving Flight Instructor Instrument checkrides in helicopters.

The rules for flying helicopters on instruments are similar to those for airplanes but they are not the same. For instance, approach visibility minimums are halved down to one quarter mile. Alternate airport minima are reduced. Circling approaches are not required for helicopters, and they are not tested.

A big difference between helicopter and airplane instrument flight is that single pilot IFR in helicopters does not exist (outside the military) without at least an approved 3-axis autopilot. Small piston helos simply do not legally go into IMC. However, they are approved to fly VFR with less than 1 mile visibility in Class G below 1200’ and under special VFR. Even at night! I don’t recommend that, though.

For anyone who wants to become a CFII, the PTS is somewhat simpler than that for the CFI. Area of Operation I, Fundamentals of Instruction, is the same. However, most applicants will already be CFIs so they will not have to do AO I. It is possible to be a CFII without being a CFI, and people have done it. Well-known ex-WVFC CFI John Fulton got his helicopter CFII before he became a helicopter CFI.

Unlike most other tests, the CFI tests give the Pilot Examiner considerable latitude in choosing which task to test. The applicant has to be ready for any one of these. He/she must be able to demonstrate “instructional knowledge” of all the Areas and Tasks.

What is Instructional Knowledge?
The PTS explains that Instructional knowledge means that the CFII applicant’s discussions, explanations, and descriptions should follow the recommended teaching procedures and techniques explained in FAA-H-8083-9, Aviation Instructors Handbook.

The handbook and other FAA publications and regulations are referenced thoroughout the PTS. It seems like a good idea to have access to every reference on page 3 of the PTS introduction. The Applicant’s Practical Checklist does not include most of those references but it is not forbidden to bring them. You may not be allowed to look up specific answers to some general questions, but having the references available might save you from total disaster.

Avoid bringing non-FAA references. The ASA, Jepp, and Glime publications are excellent, but they are not the primary source you should use on a Practical Test.

Some CFII Checkride Traps
Carefully review each element of A Task in Area of Operation II. These are the flight instruments and navigation equipment. Be sure you are able to explain each one. People have presented for this test without really understanding and being able to teach how the VOR differs from the Localizer. The dip error of the magnetic compass seems to have slipped through the cracks of some applicants’ preparation. Are the approach lights part of the ILS?

Task C in AO II is a problem for some. Every applicant knows what 14 CFR parts 61 and 91 deal with. But some ignore the PTS reference to parts 95 and 97. Don’t do that.

The CFII Checkride is not a snap. However, it is the gateway to the extremely satisfying experience of teaching pilots the magic of aviating without being able to see where they are.

In the grand scheme of things, engines are pretty reliable (except when there is an instructor in the right seat, of course). But they do fail on occasion – we’ve even had a case or two in our club. In fact, six of the cases below have happened in clubs of which I have been a member.

My experience is pretty limited instructors, doing what instructors do, have caused all my “engine failures.” And, compared to all the other types of failures I’ve seen, engines are something I’ve never (knock on wood) had fail. As mentioned in other articles, I’ve had gear fail to come down, flaps fail to retract, and fail to extend (and a no-flap landing at Eagle, Colorado, in a Pilatus involves a lot of runway). I’ve had total electrical failures, comm failures, individual instrument failures, vacuum system failures, and an autopilot that tried a negative G pitch-over at 400 feet on a coupled instrument approach.

Still, there are few things that will get a pilot’s attention like an engine failure, even a simulated one. And they do fail for real sometimes. One of the early thoughts a pilot has under these circumstances (after the obligatory unpublishable words) is, “Why did my engine fail?” There is a huge temptation at this point to do the Professor Irwin Corey act and break the question into two parts:
    First, Why? A question that has fascinated people for centuries
    Second, Did my engine fail? Yes.

More seriously, the question does need to be answered, so here we go. Each case has at least one method to avoid the same problem happening to you.

First, according to most studies, the pilot is actually responsible for most engine failures, and there are a variety of issues. Among the problems are the following:

1. Running out of fuel. This one is classic, but needs to be addressed.
   1. You can run out of fuel because of trying to go too far (a Bay Area pilot took a Baron from here to Santa Catalina and most of the way back without refueling. He landed on an interstate during rush hour). ** Plan your flights. At this point, I need to tell the story of one of my all-time favorite students. Her husband was a CFI, but recognizing the need for domestic tranquility, decided to have someone else (me) teach her to fly. After she got her Private Pilot License, the two of them were flying back from Oregon, and she began worrying about the amount of fuel remaining. Her hubby, the CFI, told her not to worry, her calculations were good, and things were fine. After a few minutes of this back and forth conversation, she made me more proud of her than ever before by saying, “I’m the PIC, I’m worried about the fuel, and I’m landing!” No way you can ever go wrong with this attitude.
   2. You can also run out of fuel because of trying to fly too fast. Ever note that the performance tables don’t show fuel consumption above 75% power? You know the usage is going to be higher, but you’re a test pilot if you try. **Use the performance tables.
   3. You can also run out of fuel if you don’t have as much as you thought. ** Visual inspection of fuel tanks during preflight.
2. Fuel starvation. Similar, but not the same as the above. In this case, there is still fuel in the plane, but none is getting to the engine
   1. Your engine can quit if you run a tank dry and don’t switch to a tank with fuel. **Switch tanks on schedule, and do it according to the POH.
   2. If the fuel selector valve doesn’t seat properly in its place, fuel won’t get to the engine. **Watch the fuel flow gauge when switching tanks to ensure fuel is getting through.
3. Improper mixture. This may sound simple, but there are two common cases.
   1. If you descend and don’t bring the mixture toward rich, you may run too lean. Judging by the number of checklists that I see stowed in front seat side pockets that are still on the pre-takeoff check, I’m pretty sure the descent checklist isn’t always followed. If you descend without bringing the mixture richer, you may be running it too lean, and, worse, if the power is still up, there is the possibility of engine damage. **Read and follow the POH checklist, particularly on descent.
   2. With a turbocharged engine, failure to lean the mixture when reducing power can result in an engine failure. If the plane is at altitude and the engine is at sea level manifold pressure (or higher), the mixture is adjusted for that air density. Reducing the power will cause the manifold pressure to drop, and the mixture may now be too rich. **Read and follow the POH checklist, particularly on descent.
4. Fuel contamination. Mostly, this isn’t going to happen during a flight, but it will happen, and will be detectable, before the flight.
   1. **Find and sample all the drains (a C-172SP has 13!!)
   2. **Rock the wings to get any contamination and water to the lowest part of the wing so it can be found in the sample.
   3. **Check for water especially after the plane has been at altitude, supercooling the fuel, then landing in a warm, humid area.

Spring and great weather have arrived, so it is time for some cross country touring! A perfect airplane, and one that many of you requested to have online, is West Valley’s Piper PA28-236, N8309X.

This airplane is now based out of Palo Alto Airport, and it really opens up the West for great flying adventures. With its full fuel useful load of nearly 800 lbs, you can take 3 adults (of a reasonable size of course) plus weekend bags, fill up the tanks (72 gals usable), and head non-stop to Phoenix or Portland and any point in between.

N8309X is equipped with a Garmin 530 that uses the same interface as the more popular Garmin 430 with a bigger screen. All the details of your flight plan are easier to scan on this larger display, so you can find your way there and back again. There is also a nice JPI engine monitor to help you with keeping the engine running efficiently and smoothly and your gas consumption at the best and safest rate possible.

So, whether you are planning a weekend escape to the Trinity Alps, a few days exploring the Santa Barbara or Oregon coastlines, or better yet, an adventure to the Grand Canyon, the Piper Dakota is the perfect airplane for your getaway. It’s also a great opportunity for you to get your high performance endorsement if you do not have it yet!

A special checkout rate applies of $125 per hour for the initial checkout, up to five hours. Enquire at the front desk about the checkout requirements and discount rates.

WINGS OF HISTORY MUSEUM FLY-IN AND OPEN HOUSE
Saturday, May 13, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, San Martin
Come check out the airport at our new location in South County. Local aviators will be providing free Young Eagles rides from 10:00 to 2:00. Early risers will be in time for hot air balloons. For those who need refueling, there will be a pancake breakfast from 8:00 to 11:00, followed by hamburger lunch from 11:00 to 2:00. For more information, call the Wings of History Museum at (408) 683-2290.

WOMEN IN AVIATION MEETING
Monday, May 15, 6:30 pm, PAO
Did you know that West Valley hosts the monthly meeting of Women in Aviation International’s Bay Area chapter? This is an organization that supports not only pilots but also dispatchers, A&Ps, airport managers, controllers and women in any other aviation-related field. Men are also welcome to participate. Information on the chapter can be found at the SFBA-WAI group website: http://www.sfbayareawai.org.

SAFETY SEMINAR: FLYING THE BAY TOUR
Wednesday, May 17, 7:00 pm, SQL
Presented by Patti Andrews, CFI
Flying the San Francisco Bay Tour is one of the most enjoyable privileges we have. With that privilege comes the responsibility to be familiar with local Class B procedures before entering the airspace. Get it right and you’ll have a wonderful time showing your friends and family what one of the world’s most beautiful cities looks like from the air… probably one of the reasons you learned to fly here in the first place. Get it wrong and you could end up on the receiving end of anything from harsh words to your own personal jet escort. This seminar will introduce you to the local procedures you need to know to get it right and will also walk through options for continuing your Bay Tour even without an ATC clearance through the Bravo airspace.

GLASS COCKPIT SEMINAR SERIES
Thursday, May 18, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, PAO Classroom
CFI April Gafford is in the midst of a free seminar series covering many important aspects of the glass cockpit. The agenda for May 18, co-hosted by local DPE Mike Shiflett, includes a comparison of G1000 v. Avidyne and a comparison of checkride experiences. A fifth seminar in the series may be added in June.

STEARMAN DAY
Saturday, May 20, SQL
CFIs Andy Geosits and Nick Ulman will be presenting a series of Stearman Days throughout the spring and summer this year. The cost is $200 for an introductory aerobatic flight of approximately one hour… if you’ve never done acro in an open cockpit, this is a whole new way to experience the sky. To sign up, call the club’s Palo Alto office at (650) 856-2030 and ask for the front desk, ext. 1.

MEMBER STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
Tuesday, May 23, 6:00 pm, PAO
The Member Steering Committee is currently seeking a new chair. If you’re interested, please contact Patti Andrews at pandrews@wvfc.org or just show up to the May meeting.

TAILWHEEL TRANSITION SKILLS CLINIC
Saturday, June 10, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, PAO
Learn about tailwheel flying and the process of transition from Andy Geosits. Andy is a WVFC aerobatic and Tailwheel instructor. Following the lecture will be a round table Q&A involving many of the WVFC Tailwheel Pilots. Refreshments will be available.

HILLER VERTICAL CHALLENGE
Saturday, June 17, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, SQL
The Hiller Vertical Challenge airshow allows visitors to see first hand helicopter operations. The show is devoted to educating the public about how helicopters affect our daily lives from traffic and news reports to their unique life saving ability to the national defense of our country. Go to www.hiller.org for more information. The club still needs volunteers to staff its booth at this event… it’s a great way to get involved as well as gaining free entrance to the airshow. Contact Shannon Doyle at shannon@wvfc.org.

PRE FLY-IN SKYDIVING SEMINAR
Thursday, June 22, 6:00 pm, PAO
WVFC CFI Logan Frasier will host a pre fly-in seminar for members interested in attending the June 25 Skydiving Fly-In. Logan will cover all the ins-and-outs of flying into a very active drop zone (DZ), as well as answering any of your questions regarding the tandem skydive itself. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Logan at freeflyguy66@yahoo.com.

HANGAR TALK, BBQ & TOWER TOURS
Saturday, June 24, 10:00 am, PAO
Kevin Pinger, West Valley’s Director of Maintenance, is going to give a "Hanger Talk" from 10:00 am till noon on Saturday, June 24th in the maintenance hanger. Following the talk there will be a BBQ from noon till 1:30 pm, and tours of the PAO control tower starting at 1:00 pm. Use the BBS thread about this event to suggest topics you would like for Kevin to cover. If you have questions about the Hangar Talk, please contact Jim Blum at jimblum@gmail.com. For questions about the tower tours, contact John Ferrell at JFerrell@carrferrell.com. Thanks to both Jim and John for organizing these activities!

NIGHT XC SKILLS CLINIC & MIDNIGHT DINNER FLY-IN
Saturday, June 24, 9:00 pm, PAO-WLW-PAO
The long days of summer make it tough to stay night current at all, let alone satisfy night XC requirements for your rating. Since you have to fly late anyway, why not come out and celebrate the longest Saturday of the year, three days after the summer solstice, with a midnight dinner at Nancy’s Airport Café in Willows? Nancy’s is one of the great 24-hour airport diners, though it’s probably more well-known by truckers driving along I-5 than it is by pilots. Willows is more than 100 nm from PAO, so each leg can count as the required private pilot night cross country if you fly a 4-seat airplane, you can double up with another student pilot and both get your night xc flights done during this fly-in. If you’re working on your commercial rating, you can use this flight to satisfy some of your night requirements, too. West Valley CFIs will give a ground session at 9:00 pm in the PAO classroom, with dinner reservations for 12:00 midnight. The ground session is free. Pilots will be responsible for the hobbs time they fly plus the cost of an instructor if one flies with them. For questions or to get paired up with a CFI for this clinic, contact Patti Andrews at pandrewscfi@yahoo.com.

SKYDIVING FLY-IN
Sunday, June 25, 9:00 am, Lodi Airport
Have you ever been flying along and wondered what it would be like to simply open the door and step from the plane? Well, on June 25, WVFC members, staff, and CFIs, will be doing just that. We will be flying into the Lodi Airport (1O3), for a day of skydiving under the warm California sun! Tandem jumps are $100, and a professionally edited video of your experience is an additional $35, or on DVD format for $55 (which is well worth it). Reserve your airplane early, and plan to leave the Bay Area around 09:00, returning that afternoon about 16:00. Friends and family are encouraged to join us, as there is a perfect spot for a picnic lunch right next to the parachute landing area! And if jumping is not your thing, you can ride along as an observer for $15.00!

We will be having a pre-fly-in seminar on Thursday June 22 @ 18:00 in the PAO back classroom. This discussion, with WVFC CFI Logan Frasier, will cover all the ins-and-outs of flying into a very active drop zone (DZ), as well as answering any of your questions regarding the tandem skydive itself. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Logan at freeflyguy66@yahoo.com

SQL Private Pilot Ground School meets Tuesdays 6:30-9:00 pm. The cost is a $250 one-time fee, after which you may re-attend as often as you like. For information contact the instructor, Dan Dyer, at dan@dkdyer.com or check out www.dkdyer.com/ground.html.

PAO Private Pilot Ground School 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. The next session begins June 4 however, you may begin the course at any time. Contact Kyp by email at lkypta@earthlink.net.

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

South County Private Pilot Ground School. By special arrangement, the South County Private Pilot ground school will meet Wednesdays at 6:00 pm, starting May 17, with instructor Charles Jackson, a retired airline captain and aviation instructor at the local community college. Tuition is $150.

PAO Instrument Ground School meets Tuesday evenings from 6:30 – 9:00 with instructors Ali Ashayer and Lindsay Dillon. The cost is $200. Contact Ali Ashayer at aashayer@aol.com or Lindsay Dillon at linsgrins@hotmail.com for more information.