|
ACHIEVEMENTS
Solo
The Proud CFIs: WELCOME
Christian Prill Fleet News !!!!!! Sorry the Bonanza never made it quite on the flight line, Sometimes this happens. Unfortunately 2 Warriors have left the flight line. 8449Z and 47540. I am sad to see these aircraft go. Both are for sale at American Aircraft Sales in Hayward. I would love to get one or both of these planes back-online. Please contact American Aircraft, or myself if you are interested. Both are being sold at very low prices. If you have ever thought about putting a plane online, now is the time. Aircraft prices are low, and come Spring the flight hours should ramp up! We could use some Warriors, some C172's, other?? We have lost a couple of aircraft over the last year, and would like to replace them by Spring. We are always interested in different types of aircraft, so if you have any thoughts, or would like discuss aircraft ownership in general; lets set-up some time. gm@wvfc.org
There are new planes for sale. Please go to the : Fleet Aircraft for Sale Really Good Aircraft Deals Some aircraft owners have significantly lowered their rates, checkout some of the deals; - 52535 A C17SP is now $139!
- DA-42 Down to $315 Hobbs a great time to do a member checkout in this advanced twin! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED !
SUGGESTION BOX
Do you have a suggestion or a bit of feedback for the club? Send it to whatsup@wvfc.org. THE FLYER The Flyer is the monthly newsletter of the West Valley Flying Club. For more information about the club, please call our Palo Alto office at (650) 856-2030, our San Carlos office at (650) 595-5912, our Hayward office at (510) 781-0101, or our. For information about the newsletter, or to submit an article, contact the Editor at webmaster@wvfc.org.
|
THE COMMUNITY OF FLYING
by Josh Smith, General Manager
I write this article with a heavy heart. It is rare to have two such significant events in general aviation in such a short period of time, particularly two that are so horrendous. As most of you know, our local aviation community suffered through the crash of a Cessna 310 departing runway 31 at KPAO. We know some of the basic facts. While we know the who, what, when and where, the how and why remain unknown. It is tempting to speculate, but right now we should be concerned with the families of those in the plane and others on the ground that are dealing with loss and suffering. It was a shocking experience that brought to light many different issues. We are reminded how fragile our infrastructure system is and how unexpectedly the loss of life can take place.
On the heels of our local tragedy, a small plane was used in what is being described as an act of domestic terrorism in Austin, Texas. A man there flew a Piper Dakota into an office complex that housed a local IRS office. In the very least it was an act of great cowardice, which will cost many people a great deal. It is hard to imagine someone taking the magic of flight and using it in such a horrific manner.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who are suffering from these tragedies. Events like these lead to shock and, and can create a negative attitude toward general aviation. Locally, Wednesday’s crash has already created a great deal of debate on local web sites. It is important to remember that dealing with these issues is a process. Many lives were affected by these events. A respectful and considered response to negative voices will show the public that the community of flyers is part of their community too.
Here at the club, things are slow. There is not much flying taking place. We are doing what we can to control costs, to try and keep the losses down to a minimum. It does not take a lot of guessing to conclude that the main reason is weather. At one point in January there were 11 straight days of rain. California and our local communities need the rain, so the bad news in flying weather is good news for our local environment. When those sunny days do come, grab some time, grab a key book and go flying.
Turning to key issues we are working on, first and foremost is the 2011 fiscal year budget. I am a big believer in business planning. Much like a flight plan, nothings never go quite as expected. If you start off with a well thought out plan, you create a baseline. As we track results against our goals (way points) we will know where changes/adjustments need to be made to create a successful outcome. In general terms we are looking at a conservative plan. It seems the local economy is stabilizing, but the return to economic growth and confidence will be a slow process. We are looking at many areas to reduce overhead without reducing service. This includes utilizing technology to reduce headcount, minimizing our location footprints, and finding any area where extra costs can be reduced. Additionally we are looking at ways to generate new revenue to produce better member benefits. For example, we are exploring expansion of the deductible waiver to include items such as dead batteries and flat spotted tires. We would then need to expand the roster of those that participate in the program to ensure its success. I am hoping for a lively discussion and look forward to working with the board on this topic. Business planning is critical right now, and it is what we need to be spending our time doing.
Finally, the Club just went through an extensive vulnerability review by former Board member and IRS auditor Mel Steiner. I can assure you from watching the process that Mel looked at many concerns as they were brought forward and left no stone unturned. His initial report to the board was that we have nothing to fear from an audit. I am grateful for his time, and look forward to addressing any issues that are identified in his final report.
Most of us who fly at West Valley just want to schedule a plane, pick up the keys and enjoy the flying. All of this other stuff that goes on is white noise we would rather leave at our own work place, and certainly not deal with at our favorite flying club. It is why I try and leave the politics out of the newsletter. At the same time, its my job to manage the club into the best interest of the membership, and I will respond to those concerns as I am able, to create results that are in the best interest of the whole. In the end of it all, we are a club. In 2010, I am going to get the club atmosphere rocking again.
Cheers, and thanks for your supportJosh Smith, GM WVFC
FROM THE DESK OF THE CHIEF
WVFC Chief Pilot chiefpilot@wvfc.org
WET AND COLD
Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a decent amount of rain and a somewhat predictable pattern of flying hours. Not much happens on the rainy days, bar a few brave folks who venture out for some actual IFR flying. Most of the VFR gang hangs around hoping that the rain clouds move on and better days are ahead. Of course, eventually there are some fabulous clear days that follow the storm’s passage and members decide to take advantage of the situation. Enthusiasm abounds, so it’s off to the airport and into the sky (hopefully). Meanwhile, the poor plane they plan to fly has been sitting in a cold and driving rain. Unlike modern cars, these planes tend not to be completely watertight. Even if they are watertight, the amount of moisture in the air is often high enough to cause condensation to form everywhere one can see – the windows, the faces of the instruments, and so on. Unfortunately, also in many places that you’ve got no chance to look and check. It’s worth recapping the kind of weirdness you’re quite likely to see after these events.
Fuel contamination The fuel caps and fuel tanks should be sealed from the rain but sometimes water manages to get into the tanks after a heavy downpour. So after any kind of serious rainfall, one must be extra vigilant looking for water in the fuel. I’ve seen cases where a fuel cap has not been properly seated and a significant amount of rainwater has entered the tanks. Fortunately it was found while draining the tanks the next day. It’s always a good idea to “wiggle” the wings a bit to disturb the contents of the fuel tanks, with the plan of moving any water to the lowest point so it can be caught with the drain cup. One interesting factoid is that blue avgas actually turns pink when mixed with water for a period of time so if you’re draining away and see pink – watch out – you’ve got water on board. Keep draining until you’re absolutely sure the water has been removed.
Avionics It’s amazing the number of observations we get on things like radios and transponders after a rainstorm. You should indeed observe these conditions but don’t be surprised if 90% of them come back with “unable to duplicate.” What’s happening is the moisture that messed up the circuitry in the equipment now dissipates and the equipment returns to normal. It might be the next flight or several flights but more often than not there’s little point ripping the avionics apart until they’ been given a chance to heal.
Gyros Condensation gets into the gyros as well. This often manifests itself as weird, jerky and unpredictable displays on gyro-driven instruments. It’s just like the avionics situation - it normally goes away after a flight or two.
Relays Other components quite vulnerable to moisture are relays. Cirrus flap relays are renowned for this problem where after a rainstorm the relays will stick in one position or another, giving the impression the flaps have failed. Nope – it’s usually just a matter of removing the relay and drying it out or letting mother nature run its course and drying out on its own.
Pitot-static Have you ever seen the altimeter seem to stick and then jump up to a new altitude along with wild swings in the VSI? Well, it’s only a matter of time before everyone is likely to see this. More often than not, water has collected somewhere in the system and essentially caused a blockage. Some planes have static drains to check during preflight, and in general these problems tend to work themselves out of the system after a reasonable amount of time. A more serious problem is a high-altitude flight above the freezing level where this hidden moisture freezes and causes more serious erroneous readings.
And so the list goes on. I’ll spare you the details of all the other components in a plane that are likely to be sensitive to moisture, but hopefully you get the idea. Just please remember that the poor wet and cold airplane needs time to forgive us for leaving it out there in the first place. The vast majority of these issues will just “go away.” A few others won’t because actual damage has occurred (a recent example being a shorted out display on a radio) which requires attention (and $) to properly fix.
Safe flying and don’t step into too many puddles while you’re doing that preflight!
JUDGEMENT DAY
by Dave Fry, Aviation Safety Counselor
Judgment Day comes to all of us. Some of just don’t realize it when it happens, and even better, it doesn't’t happen just once for pilots.
Judgment Day happens every time we fly with an instructor or an examiner. Unfortunately, we tend to think of the judgment as something that happens TO us. Something that the instructor or examiner does to us. And, of course, that’s true. Instructors and examiners forever judge our performance, planning, execution, attitude, knowledge, and skill. They give feedback based upon that judgment, and the object is to make us better pilots.
But there is another aspect of Judgment Day, and that is the judgment we exercise every time we fly, with or without an instructor. On top of that, instructors love to see students exercising judgment. The best way to do that is to exercise judgment during every instructional flight as if the instructor weren’t there.
Let’s take a relatively simple situation as an example. You’re with the instructor approaching an unfamiliar airport. The one minute weather indicates a 15 knot wind gusting to 25 at 60 degrees to the runway. Not something you’d tackle by yourself, perhaps. But you have an instructor along, so you think, “What the heck. If I get in trouble, my instructor will save my empennage, and perhaps the rest of my anatomy.” So you motor along.
It may not have occurred to you what your instructor is thinking, but here’s what goes through my mind in a situation like this:
“This is a challenging landing, one that I would want to devote my full attention to if I were flying by myself. Should I let this process continue until I feel uncomfortable, or should I just take over right now? Does my student incorrectly feel capable of tackling it alone, or is he just pressing on, waiting for me to take over if things get hairy?”
Neither approach is likely to impress an instructor as much as a student who says, “I’m really not comfortable with these conditions. Does is make any sense to try it to increase my skills by attempting it with your help? Or is it just plain insane to try until I build a better foundation?”
OK, so no one would actually say it that way, but the thought should be clear. If you think something is way over your head, let your instructor know you think so. It will help calibrate your self-assessment skills and give your instructor a better understanding of one aspect of your judgment skills. It will also reduce your instructor’s pucker factor; believe it or not, most instructors don’t like surprises. The way you practice is the way you fly.
Training is a two-way process that is possible only with communication. That communication will help your instructor understand your judgment skills and processes on Judgment Day.
EFFICIENT FLYING
by Nick Ulman WVFC CFI
Let’s say you’re planning a trip in a Cessna 182. You might be interested in flying to Alaska, for example, with Dan Dyer’s Fly Out Group. (Such a trip is in the early planning stages for this summer; contact Dan for more information.) What are five things you can do to save time and fuel on your trip?
#1 Choose CG location
If you load up the 182 with full fuel, a pilot and a right front seat passenger, the airplane’s center of gravity will be located near the forward limit of the allowable range. This means that the horizontal stabilizer must exert downward “lift” (and rearward drag) to keep the airplane stable. This lift and drag can be reduced by moving the CG aft. If you put 50 lbs of water (about six gallons) in the baggage compartment the airplane will go 2 to 3 knots faster. The speed increase is small, but it adds up over the 2,500 NM flight to Anchorage. Plus, now you have drinking water in case of any unscheduled landings.
#2 Climb and descend gradually
Once at a safe altitude (perhaps 1,500 feet above terrain) there is usually no need to climb at Vy or, heaven forbid, Vx. Try climbing very gradually at just a few knots less than cruise speed. Engine cooling will be better and you will be making better forward progress. Plan your descent well before reaching the destination. A gradual descent adds valuable speed; “chop and drop” wastes energy stored up in the altitude gained at the beginning of a flight.
#3 Use low RPM power settings
The pilot’s operating handbook shows many acceptable combinations of MAP and RPM that all generate nearly the same power output and speed. But the combinations with lower RPM settings use less fuel because less energy is lost to friction. Charles Lindbergh showed US pilots how to extend their range dramatically using this technique in World War II. Lower RPM is also quieter.
#4 Clean the wings
Glider pilots know that dirty wings are inefficient. That’s why they clean the bugs off the leading edges after every flight. Cleaning your wings reduces drag. Cleaning your windshield improves enjoyment of the flight. If you clean the windshield after each flight you will notice that the job becomes easier and easier because the clean, waxy surface sheds bugs better than a dirty surface.
#5 Use lean-of-peak mixture, if allowed
There is nothing sacred about leaning on the rich side of peak EGT. With properly balanced fuel injectors and individual cylinder temperature monitoring, one can easily lean on the lean side of peak. Old wives’ tales and misinformation on this topic are rampant, so you may not be allowed to do it (most club aircraft do not allow lean of peak ops), but keep it in mind if you have your own airplane.
A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD
by Gary Waldeck, WVFC BOARD CHAIRMAN
Hello everyone
First, the Board meeting that was scheduled for Feb 17th was moved to Monday March 1. As many of you know the club was also affected both literally by the loss of power, and emotionally with the depth of the event. We felt it was most responsible to re-schedule the meeting. We appreciate your patience.
Well, the club continues to chug along. Last month, we approved the Conflict of Interest Policy and have had continued headway on the By-Law update. Meetings have been scheduled for all of these interest areas.
There have been sub-committees established for both Squawk Process and a Grievance Policy and these too are being staffed, scheduled and conducted.Recently, we adopted rules addressing a financial Audit Policy and have begun that process. In particular, ex-Board Chair and IRS auditor Mel Steiner is visiting to conduct a pre-audit vulnerability assessment and report to make sure that our operational systems are in place and will meet all business standards appropriate to our operation.
We are addressing several other issues. Included in this list are:
We have a lot to do. But, we’re getting it done. Over the next several months, I expect an improved set of processes for the club and ones that are designed to promote transparency and equality for all members of the club.
Many of our issues are complex. There are often no easy answers and it will be important to consider the full impacts of our decisions on the club’s operation before we adopt them. Some issues are easier to settle than others. Our processes are ‘Deliberative’. But, rest assured, we will address the existing smoldering issues and devise policies and procedures to fairly resolve them.
Blue skies ...
Gary