San Carlos updates - We are now fully up and running in our new location on the West side of the airport. The new facility provides for a lot more member space, including a private sim room, private CFI, check-ride room, big teaching areas, freeway signage, and of course the patio. We hope you enjoy the expanded member services. A big thank you goes out to Dan Dyer and Cosmo for their help in moving furniture and setting up the infrastructure.

The San Carlos Airport is shutting down the runways for hopefully the last time for a long time. This last phase of the project includes paving of the extension and resurfacing the entire runway. The closure will be from Monday November 6th @ 9PM to Friday November 10th @ noon. In order to accommodate all of the fleet, ½ of the aircraft will be moving to Hayward. Please look at the schedule for more information. Thanks to all of the CFI's and members for the flexibility and patience with this process. The help we are receiving moving aircraft has been extraordinary.

We are going to be working on a lot of IFR promotions over the next couple of months. The start of the winter season always provides for a great training environment as the freezing levels are usually higher and the storms pack less of a wallop. Getting my IFR ticket really honed my flying skills and added a whole new level of education and understanding of the air traffic system. One of the many benefits of being a member of WVFC is the access to the multitude of flight training devices. All of our facilities have a full panel training device that qualifies for 20 hours of your simulated flight time. These flight training devices truly allow an IFR trainee to not only gain confidence in basic cross checking and situational awareness but also provide for a great platform of working through multiple emergency situations to truly re-enforce critical ADM skills.

For those of you who are already instrument pilots, please take the time to use the FTD's on a consistent basis to provide for inexpensive currency training (you must be with a CFII to log the time).

The ES200 at HWD rents for only $30/hr. This is a full panel FTD, is designed to look like a 172 fixed or retractable and helps with all single engine IFR trainers. The ES200 operates much like the Elite as it has the ability for the instructor to drag and drop the aircraft to various locations. Unlike the Elite, the ES200 actually qualifies for a full 20 hours of required training, for a rating that only requires 40 hours of instrument dual. This means half of your flight expense for the IFR ticket is only $600 bucks!!!!!!!! You can't beat those economics. Combine this with IFR-equipped 172s or Warriors priced from $94/hour- $105/hour and you are looking at roughly $2,700 in flying expenses or potentially $5,200 for the whole rating (calculations based on a $50/hr instructor with 40 hours of dual flight and 10 hours of dual ground)

We are still working on getting more next generation aircraft on the flight line. To help this effort, we have a FRSACA G1000 FTD available for rental at Palo Alto. This FTD helps provide situational-based training on all glass panel planes and is certainly a huge cost savings in gaining complete familiarization on G1000-equipped aircraft.

For more information on the WVFC FTD, please see the bottom of the aircraft list page on our website.

As you know, aeronautical decision making (better known as ADM) has been the main focus of the past two newsletters and it is likely to be at the center of many conversations and seminars to come. Why, will you ask? Well, because while researching for this newsletter, I came across the 2005 Nall report or "Accident Trends and Factors for 2004". For those of you who are not familiar with this AOPA Air Safety publication, "[it] is based on the NTSB reports of accidents involving fixed-wing aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or less." (http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/). The not-so-surprising conclusion of this report is that 75.5% of all GA accidents are pilot-related (78.6% of 228 fatal accidents were pilot error) while only 15.6% were attributed to mechanical causes (with only 10% in the case of fatal accidents). When you read about the well-publicized accidents that have occurred in the last couple weeks or months, you can see how poor judgment is at the root of the problem. It is my belief that most pilots want and aspire to do the right thing but do not always have the tools necessary to make an educated and correct decision. Our goal is to continue brainstorming and researching ways to improve this aspect of aviation and help raise awareness. With this in mind, this month, I will introduce to you (in the following article) the updated version of the "Aviators' Model Code of Conduct". I urge you all to read the Code and think about how, at your level, it can help you make the right decision for the type of mission you generally conduct. I will be quite interested and happy to get your feedback at chiefpilot@wvfc.org.

This month, we have brought a Saratoga II TC online with an Avidyne flat panel as well as a second Skylane Garmin 1000; the fleet is quickly growing with flat-panel-equipped airplanes and this leads me to bring your attention on something really important. The lead-acid batteries of the airplanes equipped with GPSs and flat panels in particular are often severely depleted; we attribute this to the fact that some pilots/members may play around with the avionics prior to starting the engine. These avionics need quite a bit of energy to function and running them even as little as 15 or 30 minutes will have a great impact on the charge of the battery. We talked with a technician at one of the major battery manufacturers who explained the following: say your battery has 95% of its original charge. It gets drained for any reason (preflight, play with the avionics, etc.) down to say 75% of its original charge (what it was like when you first turned on the master switch). With the engine running, within the first 3 minutes, the alternator will recharge it up to 80% of its original charge. It will then take 3 hours of continuous flight to get the battery's charge up to its original 95%. Of course, you know that there are very few flights in our training environment that last that long. So the next person who flies the airplane and uses the battery will inherit a battery with a little bit over 80% of its original charge. And so on… This is how in the long run, the lifetime of some airplane batteries are shortened, sometimes down to a quarter of what it should be. Some owners have had to replace their battery 4 times in 24 calendar months.

We would like to remind you that we have a full blown Garmin 1000 simulator in Palo Alto that you can rent for $65.00/hr to get familiar with these avionics. We are also planning on installing a PC-based simulator in Palo Alto with the Avidyne systems (with Garmin 430/530). We will download and install as many of the King GPS feature we can (for KLN 94 and if possible 89B) as well. This will help students/instructors with the training with the avionics on the ground prior to initiating the flight portion.

That’s all folks. Until next month! Be safe…

I am pleased to present to you an updated version of the Aviators’ Model Code of Conduct (Code of Conduct). The Code of Conduct provides the necessary guidance to advance airmanship, flight safety and the entire aviation community. I wish that the Code of Conduct will be embraced by the aviation community and thus will become an integral part of our approach to flying, flight instruction, and our aviation culture.

Presenting a vision of excellence, professionalism and an ethical approach to aviation, the Code of Conduct addresses decision-making issues that are at the root of many serious General Aviation incidents and accidents. It encourages personal responsibility and will contribute to making flying more rewarding to us all.

The Code of Conduct consists of the following seven sections -each containing principles and sample recommended practices:

1. GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF AVIATORS
2. PASSENGERS AND PEOPLE ON THE SURFACE
3. TRAINING AND PROFICIENCY
4. SECURITY
5. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
6. USE OF TECHNOLOGY
7. ADVANCEMENT AND PROMOTION OF GENERAL AVIATION

Happy November, everyone. I can’t believe the holidays are already here time flies so fast! We have a very active couple of months ahead of us, so be ready to participate in all the fun!

On Saturday, November 11, we are having a casual open house and barbecue at the new San Carlos location from 12-4. I am still looking for two volunteers to help cook, set up, and clean up after the event, so if anyone is interested in helping, give me a call at 650-856-2030 ext 304 or e-mail me at Shannon@wvfc.org.

On Saturday, November 18, West Valley and Magnum Aviation are celebrating our first anniversary. There will be planes from Columbia and Diamond for your viewing pleasure! We will also have the Pitts, the T-6, and the T-34 for everyone to see. Join us for some hometown barbecue and a DJ spinning fun music all day. The festivities are from 11-3. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Diamond Jet mock-up will be at the new San Carlos location for a full week, November 25th thru the 30th! Come see what the inside of a Diamond Jet looks like. It features the complete avionics suite and a beautiful 5-person interior it has amazing attention to detail and has received rave reviews from all who have seen it. We are very excited to showcase this event to all of our members, so please find the time to stop by and take a look at it. More information to follow.

The Christmas party is just around the corner don’t forget to mark your calendars for Saturday, December 9th 6:30pm. Planning is already under way it is going to be a great party this year! As in years past, we are asking the serious bakers out there to bring your holiday best dessert. We are having a contest and will award the most creative, best tasting, and most elegant presentation! Please email me if you are going to participate. Watch out for the judges they are serious dessert connoisseurs! Also, wear your holiday best it is going to be an elegant affair!

A few front desk issues came up this month that I would like to remind members to pay attention to. Please make sure you are logging the correct hobbs and tach time in your key books. Some of the numbers have had major discrepancies, and the front desk has taken a lot of extra time, which they generally don’t have especially when it gets busy, to fix them. Many issues can be easily fixed, so please make sure you are paying attention. Second, some planes are being parked in the wrong tie-downs. This was an issue for a while at the new San Carlos facility. Please make sure you are looking at the book for the correct tie-down location (even if you left out of one, it may need to be re-parked in another). And third, please remember to put your key books back in the box if the desk is not open, we are still finding them on the desk, and members may miss flights because their books are not in the box. Thank you for your attention to these very important issues!

CFI Dan Dyer and the Chief’s office have designated November as “Aircraft Care Month.” Please pay attention to the following:

Did you remember to…

• Shut off all lights and fuel switches?
• Switch the fuel selector to right/left as needed?
• Note aircraft observations/squawks to discuss with the front desk or a flight instructor?
• Replace all locks, tie-downs, and covers?
• Remove any trash or loose items?
• Lock all doors and windows?

DA vs MDA. We still get IFR applicants who begin the ILS missed approach early. Remember that the PTS FAA-S-8081-4D requires that the precision approach be accomplished to DA/DH (decision altitude/decision height). This means that the decision to begin the missed approach is made at DA. Applicants sometimes begin the missed approach some 50 feet higher than DA. When I ask them why, they advise me that they are afraid of busting minimums.

On a non-precision approach, you are allowed + 100 feet, - 0 feet. That means that on a non-precision approach, you must not descend below the MDA (minimum descent altitude). Instructors usually correctly advise their students to shoot for 50 feet above MDA. This puts them directly in the center of the PTS margin.

On the precision approach, no such margin exists. So it seems impossible. How can you possibly wait until DA, then decide whether or not to do the missed, and not go below DA? The answer is that you can’t.

DA stands for decision altitude. It is the MSL altitude at which you must decide whether to land or go missed. You cannot be expected to check for visual contact, find none, stop the descent, and begin the climb without descending below that altitude. Since you have made a precise approach, the slight further descent is protected. Worst case, flying heavy iron, your wheels might briefly touch asphalt. There is no way to wave the laws of physics. Moving mass has momentum and requires force over time to change its motion.

So wait until DA before adding power on the ILS during your checkride.

When to start the climb? Here, too, we get confusion between precision and non-precision approaches. In the non-precision approach, you can begin to climb any time on final that you decide to abort as long as the climb begins at or prior to the MAP (missed approach point). The important thing is not to turn prior to the MAP. If you do, you might bump something.

On a precision approach, you begin to climb immediately when the decision to abort is made. Every now and then, an applicant feels the need to wait until they have reached the localizer MAP before climbing. What has happened is that they began timing the approach at the FAF (final approach fix) and now feel that they must not go missed until the time is up.

That is wrong on several counts. First, you never have to wait until the FAF to begin climbing. Second the MAP is for the higher MDA of the localizer approach. It has nothing to do with the ILS DA.

Third, why hit your timer on the ILS at all? I don’t get it. You are just adding another item to your work load. Your CFII (certificated flight instructor, instrument) may tell you that timing gives you the option of continuing the approach as a localizer in the event of glide slope failure. That means you have to mentally sort out the DA, the MDA, and the MAP. That’s too much work for me. If I lose my glide slope, it is time for me to begin the missed approach. Then I will figure out my options with the kind help of ATC (air traffic control).

Most of the time, flying cross country is an adventure. When you fly across the country, it always is.

Last week, I helped Jamie McJunkin bring his new turbocharged Saratoga back from Groton, Connecticut. The first part of the adventure began before we got onto the commercial flight out of SFO to JFK. Somehow, the airline had lost the record of our reservations, so arriving on time just meant we had more time to hassle with them (and vice versa). To make things more special, Jamie was selected for additional processing (he clearly fits the terrorist profile), and somehow got separated from one of his bags (the one with his headphone, logbook, and all the paperwork required for the aircraft delivery). In the mad scramble to make the plane before the gate closed, neither of us noticed its absence. Only through the miracle of text messaging and a great assistant was Jamie able to get the bag sent overnight to our first destination.

If there weren’t any other reason for flying in a private plane rather than going commercial, that mess would be sufficient.

We took a cab from JFK to Farmingdale, where the dealer from Groton was supposed to meet us. However, when we arrived, there was no dealer or airplane in sight. An hour later, we were on our way to Groton in Jamie’s new plane, and shortly after, back in the sky on the way to DC. DC is paranoid since 9/11, and in order to land at a DC area airport, you have to have a flight plan, a squawk code, and no variation is allowed. We got a great nighttime view of New York, Philadelphia, and the DC area on the way in.

The next morning, the weather was well below VFR for our route of flight, and our plan to go the Southern route got scratched. There were thunderstorms at Charleston, West Virginia, and Memphis, Tennessee. So we executed plan B and flew to Chicago. Despite the serious IFR (solid clouds for 2.8 of the 3.8 hours), we were pretty lucky. The freezing level was above us by between 1000 and 4000 feet, and the worst turbulence we experienced was a couple of minutes of light chop. Still, it was really nice being able to see the NEXRAD weather radar and the up-to-date winds aloft data and METARS/TAFS right in the cockpit.

As it turned out, all of our real adventures happened when we were out of Jamie’s plane. In the case of Chicago, we hopped onto the Orange Line Elevated train to go downtown where his sisters live. What we didn’t know (and no announcements were made) was that the train didn’t go where the map said it did. A fire earlier in the week closed part of the line, and it went about half of the way in then headed back to Midway. Even the locals were caught off guard. So we bailed and caught a cab. The cabbie was aspiring to take his act to New York – there was no other explanation for how he drove. At least none that didn’t include hallucinogens or other controlled substances.

Leaving Chicago, we learned why it’s called the Windy City. Any airplane is going to be at pattern altitude by the end of the runway taking off into that kind of wind. Our first stop was Grand Island, Nebraska. Not sure what was so Grand, and I didn’t see an Island. There isn’t enough water there to HAVE an island. We got a crew car to head out for lunch. It was a Buick Century. Certainly not this century, or perhaps that was the age of the car. You could have left this one in East Oakland with the keys in the ignition, secure in the knowledge that it would still be there a week later. Still, the price was right (free). But that wasn’t the adventure.

We saved that for Steamboat Springs. Jamie’s in-laws live there, so we stopped to spend the night. They were in Morocco, and as we opened the house, the alarm went off. Neither Jamie nor his wife (whom he called immediately) had any idea what the code was. I was having visions of spending the night in the local jail, and perhaps a day or two extra. Fortunately, Jamie was able to sort things out with the property manager before the local sheriff showed up to spread-eagle us in the driveway.

With that behind us, we took the courtesy car from the house about 4 miles into town for dinner, and as we were parking it noticed steam from under the hood. Can’t do anything until after dinner anyway, so enjoy dinner. We filled the radiator and headed back to the house. Steam started easing out of the hood less than half way there, then began billowing out. Turning left, things weren’t too bad, but in right turns, the steam nearly blocked our view. We limped back up the hill to let the radiator cool for the night.

We started the final day filling the radiator – must have taken a couple of gallons – and hoping that the cold air and downhill trip into town and out to the airport wouldn’t make the radiator blow up. Incredibly, after steaming for three quarters of the way, the steam stopped, the temps stopped rising, and things were fine.

The rest of the trip was uneventful.

This Saratoga is a fine airplane, and the only glitch we found on the trip (a tendency to hunt about 100 feet each side of a selected altitude on the autopilot) has been fixed. It has the Avidyne PFD/MFD with NEXRAD weather to the cockpit, approach charts that will be updated shortly, traffic, and terrain. There is built-in oxygen and a great turbocharger. It’s a very comfortable, quiet, empennage-hauling, cross country airplane that will be online within a week.

I hope you enjoy flying it as much as we did.

It’s the whole brand new student pilot feeling all over again. I set my alarm the previous day in the afternoon just in case I’m too tired when I get in bed that I’ll forget (and I know I wouldn’t forget). Then I can’t sleep very well because I’m giddy that I’m finally doing something I’ve wanted to try for a long time: aerobatics.

I was up about an hour before the alarm, a bad thing for me because I know my inner ear is not as friendly if it doesn’t get its usual amount of sleep. I walked upstairs and instead of my usual breakfast routine that doesn’t require a single thought, I stood at the open pantry trying to decide on what would taste the least offensive if my breakfast decided to back taxi up my esophagus. Really I only had my choice of flavors in breakfast bars or stale Crispix. Strawberry? Will I ever be able to stomach strawberries again if I see this bar one more time than I should? I figured that flavor was probably the least offensive. Then my vitamin. It’s one of those tasty chocolate-flavored ones. Damn. I definitely don’t want to turn myself off to strawberries and chocolate. It’s either that or starve and not get my daily vitamins (unless you count the beer and bar food I planned on having after my flight with all the other pilots with no place to go), and everyone says it’s better to eat normally before doing aerobatics rather than starve yourself. Oh well. Here goes.

I’m driving down to the airport. I’ve seen pictures of a pilot’s eye view of going inverted. I didn’t know if we were going to do that today on the first aerobatic lesson, but I wanted to know what that feels like. I’m going home next week and wanted to be able to tell my boyfriend every detail of how it feels like to go inverted. So even if that’s not on the syllabus for the day, I’ll put in a special request.

Ooh, and there’s the whole parachute thing. Occasionally when I’m at the club, I see a pilot or two walk out carrying a parachute. Jealous. I know they’re going out to have fun. Now I get to strap into one. I asked my instructor just as I was climbing into the plane if he had ever had to jump out. He said “Yea, five times.” “FIVE TIMES?!?” I started to get back out, and then he explained that he had been in the Airborne but had never had to jump out while doing aerobatics. He also said that if I even feel the slightest bit queasy, tell him and we’ll fly straight and level. And most aerobatic lessons when you’re first starting out are about 45 minutes long so your body can get used to looking at the world upside down or at a 90 degree angle. He put me totally at ease, exactly the way it should be.

We got out to our practice area, and he indulged me and took us inverted. He made it look effortless in getting us there. We were only inverted for a few seconds, enough for me to grab the bars on both sides (damn reflexes) and feel my ponytail pointing straight up (or down as the case may be). Now that we got my request out of the way (thank you!), onto the lesson. He did a loop. I did a loop. He did a hammerhead. I did a hammerhead. I felt fine, but my legs were starting to shake a little (damn nervous system). We went vertical and into a half loop. And then it hit. Why couldn’t I have been blessed with that inner ear of steel? I didn’t get really sick, but I did what my instructor said and let him know as soon as I started feeling just a little bit off. This really does make for a pleasant flight. I read all these books about military pilots and astronauts just heaving their guts up during their training, but who on earth wants to do that? I wanted this to be fun, and if you listen to your instructor (who himself usually has that enviable inner ear of steel but understands very well that others don’t), it will be a blast. Sure, I wish my vestibular system would have allowed us to do more, but I guess that comes with time.

I had told quite a few friends (especially all my pilot friends) that I was doing my first aerobatic lesson that day. I got calls the whole rest of the day, and the first question was always the same: “So, did you puke?”. No respect, I swear.

So since it was the only thing I thought about and talked about all week at work, I wanted to get in another flight before I left for home. I was terrified that my tolerance would only slowly build up and that maybe we’d only be able to do one more trick each time. We did so much the second time that I lost count! And I felt better than I did the first time! A group of us from the club went out afterwards, and I couldn’t stop smiling. I thought flying was addictive. It’s nothing compared to aerobatics! And the mental high that you get from doing it is amazing. After that flight, we all went out for dinner and drinks, stayed out too late, and I had to get up early for my flight home. So there I was at 5AM riding BART to get to the airport, slightly hungover, extremely tired, and then I smiled to myself because I realized I was still totally high and giddy on the whole experience. Maybe that had to do with the blood pressure in my brain changing with the Gs. Whatev.

Please update yourself on the latest club activities by going to the membership calendar located at http://www.wvfc.org/b/calendar.php

Saturday, November 11th, we will be having a open house at our new SQL facility. Of course, Melissa will be barbequing, and there will be free refreshments and snacks available. Come and check it out.

On Saturday, November 18th, we will be celebrating the 1st anniversary of E16! Please join us from 11am-3pm for a barbecue, band, and lots of beautiful new aircraft! More details to follow.

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 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 instructor Chris Tavenner tractorking@hotmail.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. Call Charles for more information at (408) 842-2177.

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.