august-september newsletter

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Hangar News
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AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2013
BATTLE OF BRITAIN
Two of the mainstays of the Battle of Britain are showN in close formation during a memorial flight.
Photo taken from a book by Keith Wilson and Haynes Publishing
Battle of Britain Day is celebrated on 15 September to commemorate the end of the air campaign waged by the German
Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940. The objective of the campaign was to
gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force, especially Fighter Command. On 18 June 1940, Churchill gave a rousing
speech to the British people, announcing: "... the Battle of France is over. The Battle of Britain is about to begin." Four
days later, France surrendered to Germany and Hitler turned his attention to Britain.
German air superiority in the south of England was essential before Hitler could contemplate an invasion so Hermann
Goering, the head of the Luftwaffe, was instructed that the RAF must be "beaten down to such an extent that it can no
longer muster any power of attack worth mentioning against the German crossing".
British and German aeroplanes
The Luftwaffe's principal fighter planes were the Messerschmitt Bf109 and the Messerschmitt Bf110. It had a number of
favoured bombers: the Dornier 17, the Junkers Ju88, the Heinkel 111, and the Junkers Ju87 (also known as the 'Stuka'
from Sturzkampfflugzeug, the German word for dive bomber). The RAF had the high-performance Hawker Hurricane and
Supermarine Spitfire fighters.
Although on paper the Luftwaffe appeared to have the advantage in numbers of planes, pilots and experience, the two air
forces were, in fact, evenly matched. The short range of the German planes and the fact they were fighting over enemy
territory were both serious disadvantages for the Luftwaffe. The RAF also had radar, a priceless tool for detecting enemy
raids.
The battle begins
The battle began in mid-July and, initially, the Luftwaffe concentrated on attacking shipping in the English Channel and
attacking coastal towns and defences. From 12 August, Goering shifted his focus to the destruction of the RAF, attacking
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airfields and radar bases. Convinced that Fighter Command was now close to defeat, he also tried to force air battles
between fighter planes to definitively break British strength.
However, Goering grew frustrated by the large number of British planes that were still fighting off his attacks. On 4
September, the Luftwaffe switched tactics again and, on Hitler's orders, set about destroying London and other major
cities. Eleven days later, on what became known as 'Battle of Britain Day', the RAF savaged the huge incoming Luftwaffe
formations in the skies above London and the south coast.
The invasion is postponed
It was now clear to Hitler that his air force had failed to gain air superiority so, on 17 September, he postponed his plans to
invade Britain. His attention was now focused on the invasion of the Soviet Union, although the Luftwaffe continued to
bomb Britain until the end of the war.
It's difficult to establish an exact figure of how many aircraft were shot down in the Battle of Britain, partly because both
sides tended to exaggerate their successes and downplay their losses. However, it's estimated that between 10 July and
the end of October 1940, the RAF lost around 1,023 aircraft whilst the Luftwaffe lost 1,887.
Three of the best known aircraft of the period
Photo taken from a book by Keith Wilson and Haynes Publishing
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few” - Winston Churchill
SOME WW II HUMOUR
In a small town in the Black Forest, a little boy and his father are listening to the Fuhrer's speech on the radio as Germany declares war on the USA.
The boy asks his father where the USA is. The father takes down a globe and runs his hand across the USA, saying "All of this area of North
America, son". The boy looks at the globe and asks "And where is the British Empire?" The father indicates Britain, Canada, South Africa,
Australia, New Zealand, and India on the globe. "I see", said the boy. "And where is Russia?" The father showed him the sprawling mass of the
USSR on the globe. The boy's eyebrows furrowed with concentration. "And where is Germany?” he asks. His father points at the area of central
Europe where the Reich is located. The boy looks very concerned and says "Dad, has Hitler seen this?"
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Our own Rhys Perraton forwarded this article to me. An interesting and enviable career!
From The RAF To Hollywood And Back
By Garth Calitz
Captain Laurie Kay's love for aviation was born
at a very young age, possibly at conception he
jokingly adds. At the tender age of six he joined
The South African Air Boys Club in Malvern
Johannesburg and often rode from Kensington to
Rand Airport on the crossbar of one of the older
boys bicycle to spend the day watching the
comings and goings of the Aircraft operating
there, he also spent time at many SAAF bases
and fondly remembers going for “flips” in
Dakotas and other SAAF aircraft. Laurie did
some flying at Brits and was sent solo at only six
hours proving his natural ability as a pilot. As he
got older the Passion didn't decrease and if
anything, it became stronger and by the time he
left school all he wanted to do was fly.
Laurie applied to the South
African Air Force but was
not successful, being so
driven he refused to let this
setback kill his dream and
applied to every air force in
the western world. The
Royal Air Force accepted
him and he commenced his
pilots training in
1967 at RAF
Church Fenton, on
De Havilland
Guess who? Top row, third from left...
Chipmunks.
Laurie's then moved to Jet Provosts at a base called RAF Linton-On-Ouse. He
did so well there that he was given the choice of where he wanted to go. Laurie
decided to fly helicopters and started training on Bell 47G's.
On his return to South Africa Laurie joined the SAAF on a short service
contract and was stationed at 5 squadron in Durban, where he did a conversion
on his beloved Harvard, an aircraft he still actively flies today at The Harvard
Club of South Africa. He later took up a post as an instructor at Central Flying
School Dunnottar. While at Dunnottar Laurie met and instructed many of the people that would shape the future
of aviation in South Africa. On completion of his short service contract Laurie remained at the SAAF as a
Citizen Force Pilot based at 4 Squadron first at AFB Waterkloof and later at Lanseria Airport.
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Laurie made the big switch from military to civil
aviation in 1974 when he joined South African
Airways as a third pilot on Boeing 707's. It was in a
707 that he made his first of many overseas flights
from South Africa to Perth. He very quickly moved to
co-pilot on 727's and this he achieved within 20
months, 10 months of which were spent doing
conversions and soon followed by the co-pilot position
on the 747, an aircraft that would become a major part
of him for many years to come.
Laurie once again returned to instructing and became a
training Captain on the Hawker Siddeley 748, Boeing
737-200 and the Airbus A330. The love affair with the
Boeing 747's continued when he became a senior training captain on the 747SP Classic, 200 and 300 variants.
Aerobatics has always played a very big part in Laurie's flying career, in the early 1970's he flew competition
aerobatics in an aircraft designed and built by Mr Maitland Ried called the Ried Rooivalk. This was an
extremely heavy, hi-powered Bi-plane which he operated from Virginia airport in Durban. Laurie joined Scully
Levine, Chris Rademan and Jeff Birch to make up the Winfield aerobatic team which later became the Chubb
and then the Shirlock Pitts team.
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In 1995 an event took place that resulted in Laurie becoming a household name. Rugby World Cup fever
overtook South Africa and the Springboks made it all the way to the final. SAA decide to join the Nation
Building effort by allowing Laurie to do a low level pass over the Ellis Park stadium as part of the closing
ceremony. “GOOD LUCK BOKKE” was stenciled on the underside of the Boeing 747; the fly-past was kept
secret and the whole world was surprised as the aircraft came over the stadium and powered up making it a total
sensory experience for all present. We believe this was the first such display ever attempted in the world. Laurie
was joined on the flight deck by Senior First Officer Billy Fourie, Senior Flight Engineer Don Coppard, Senior
Training Captain Selwyn Thomas, who was responsible for getting the time over target correct and they all did
an impeccable job.
A painting of President Nelson Mandela, Laurie
Kay, Francois Pienaar and the Boeing 747 to was
painted by Chrito Bekker to mark the occasion.
The painting was signed by all except Francois
Pienaar. Even the 747 made its mark by taxing
over the bottom right corner with a paint splattered
nose wheel. Laurie proudly displays a copy of this
painting in his study at his Glen Austin home.
Later that same year Laurie did a similar flight
over the FNB stadium for the opening of the
Africa Cup of Nations. The three ship formation at
the Presidential inauguration of Thabo Mbeki once
again had the Nation and the world in awe, never
before has a spectacle of this kind been attempted.
Laurie was flying the lead 747 Classic with Scully
Levine and Johnny Woods on either wing both in 747-400's. In 1996 Laurie flew around the country in the
brightly painted Olympic Boeing 747 “Ndizani” which
ferried the Olympic team to Atlanta. During the display
flight he was joined by four Mirage F1's from the South
African Airforce. In 2000 Laurie was asked to display the
747 at Duxford, another highlight of his illustrious career.
Clint Eastwood contacted Laurie and invited him to help in
the production of “Invictus”, a movie made about Nelson
Mandela at the time of the Rugby World Cup. While
filming the movie Laurie and Morgan Freeman became
good friends and are still in regular contact. Laurie
questioned Clint Eastwood on the phrase used in the movie “Let the record show I have taken control of the
aircraft”, Mr Eastwood's answer to this was a humoristic “this is Hollywood”.
Invitus was by no means Laurie's first exposure to the world of film, Laurie had done stunt flying in movie such
as “Die Sersant en die Tigermoth”, “African express”, “Freedom Fighter” and “King Solomon's Mines”, which
was the launching point of Sharon Stone's Career.
Laurie has now retired from commercial flying with well over 23000 hours in his logbook. Fortunately he has
not stopped flying and he is active at “The Harvard Club of South Africa” taking people for introductory flights
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and doing the odd Harvard display. One of Laurie's current projects is the distribution of a DVD “Flight for a
Nation” covering all the major 747 displays that he has taken part in. The proceeds of which all go to the “SA
Guide Dog Association” and is available at 011-705 3512/3 at R120-00, a definite must for all aviation
enthusiasts. Laurie loves spending time with his wife Adrian, children Roy, Helen and Laurienne and
grandchildren Meg and Hannah.
Laurie we salute you and may you continue to inspire our youth to strive for aviation excellence for many years
to come.
From 2013 Pilot's Post courtesy Rhys Perraton
THE PARABLE OF THE POOR PILOT
One day, while a pilot was cutting the branch off a tree high above a river, his axe fell into the river. When he
cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "Why are you crying?" The aviator replied that his axe had fallen into
water, and he needed the axe to supplement his meager pension. The Lord went down into the water and
reappeared with a golden axe.
"Is this your axe?" the Lord asked.
The aviator replied, "No."
The Lord again went down and came up with a silver axe. "Is this your axe?" the Lord asked.
Again, the aviator replied, "No." The Lord went down again and came up with an iron axe. "Is this your Axe?"
the Lord asked.
The aviator replied, "Yes."
The Lord was pleased with the aviator's honesty and gave him all three axes to keep, and the aviator went home
happy.
Sometime later the aviator was walking with his woman along the riverbank, and his woman fell into the river.
When he cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked him, "Why are you crying?"
"Oh Lord, my woman has fallen into the water!"
The Lord went down into the water and came up with ANGELINA JOLIE. "Is this your woman?" the Lord
asked.
"Yes," cried the aviator.
The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!"
The Pilot replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to
ANGELINA JOLIE, You would have come up with CAMERON DIAZ. Then if I said 'no' to her, you would
have come up with my woman. Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all three. Lord, because I was a
wage earner all my life, I am but a poor old man and not able to take care of all three women in a way that they
should be, so THAT'S why I said yes to ANGELINA JOLIE."
And God was pleased, because the moral of this story is: whenever a pilot lies, it is always for a good and
honorable reason and only for the benefit of others.
Here endeth the lesson
INTO THE 21st CENTURY
I was visiting my granddaughter last night when I asked if she had a newspaper I could borrow.
"This is the 21st century," she said, with distain. “We don't waste money on newspapers. Here, use my iPad."
I can tell you this. That spider never knew what hit him.
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No brooms for these ladies!
WWII ‘Night Witch’
By Douglas Martin July 14, 2013
The Nazis called them “Night Witches” because the whooshing noise their plywood and canvas airplanes made
reminded the Germans of the sound of a witch’s broomstick.
Nadezhda Popova
Ms. Popova, (standing), with other
Soviet pilots in World War II. “We
bombed, we killed; it was all a part of
war,” she said in 2010.
The Russian women who piloted
those planes, onetime crop dusters,
took it as a compliment. In 30,000
missions over four years, they
dumped 23,000 tons of bombs on the
German invaders, ultimately helping
to chase them back to Berlin. Any German pilot who downed a
“witch” was awarded an Iron Cross.
Similar to that operated by the “Night Witches”
These young heroines, all volunteers and most
in their teens and early 20s, became legends of
World War II but are now largely forgotten.
Flying only in the dark, they had no parachutes,
guns, radios or radar, only maps and
compasses. If hit by tracer bullets, their planes
would burn like sheets of paper.
Their uniforms were hand-me-downs from male
pilots. Their faces froze in the open cockpits.
Each night, the 40 or so two-woman crews flew
8 or more missions — sometimes as many as
18.
“Almost every time we had to sail through a
wall of enemy fire,” Nadezhda Popova, one of the first volunteers — who herself flew 852 missions — said in
an interview for David Stahel’s book “Operation Typhoon: Hitler’s March on Moscow, October 1941,”
published this year.
Ms. Popova, who died at 91 on July 8 in Moscow, was inspired both by patriotism and a desire for revenge. Her
brother was killed shortly after the Germans swept into the Soviet Union in June 1941, and the Nazis had
commandeered their home to use as a Gestapo police station.
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In “Flying for Her Country: The American and Soviet Women Military Pilots of World War II” (2007), by Amy
Goodpaster Strebe, Ms. Popova is quoted recalling the “smiling faces of the Nazi pilots” as they strafed crowds,
gunning down fleeing women and children.
But Ms. Popova, who rose to become deputy commander of what was formally known as the 588th Night
Bomber Regiment, said she was mostly just doing a job that needed doing. “We bombed, we killed; it was all a
part of war,” she said in a 2010 interview with the Russian news service RIA Novosti. “We had an enemy in
front of us, and we had to prove that we were stronger and more prepared.”
As the war began, Moscow barred women from combat, and Ms. Popova was turned down when she first tried
to enlist as a pilot. “No one in the armed services wanted to give women the freedom to die,” she told Albert
Axell, the author of “Russia’s Heroes: 1941-45” (2001).
But on Oct. 8, 1941, Joseph Stalin issued an order to deploy three regiments of female pilots, one of which
became the Night Witches. The Russian pilot corps clearly needed bolstering; in addition, some have pointed
out, heroic women made good propaganda. The lobbying of Marina Raskova, who had set several flying
records and became the first commander of the women’s units, helped greatly.
Nadezhda Vasilyevna Popova was born in Shabanovka in the Soviet Union on Dec. 27, 1921, and grew up in
Ukraine. Viktor F. Yanukovich, the president of Ukraine, announced her death.
Growing up, Ms. Popova told Ms. Strebe, “I was a very lively, energetic, wild kind of person. I loved to tango,
fox trot, but I was bored. I wanted something different.”
At 15, Ms. Popova joined a flying club, of which there were as many as 150 in the Soviet Union. More than
one-quarter of the pilots trained in the clubs were women. After graduating from pilot school, she became a
flight instructor.
Her delight at being accepted into the 588th Night
Bomber Regiment gave way to steely seriousness after
her first mission, in which a Soviet plane was
destroyed, killing two friends. She dropped her bombs
on the dots of light below. “I was ordered to fly
another mission immediately,” she told Russian Life
magazine in 2003. “It was the best thing to keep me
from thinking about it.”
Ms. Popova became adept at her unit’s tactics. Planes
flew in formations of three. Two would go in as
decoys to attract searchlights, then separate in
opposite directions and twist wildly to avoid the antiaircraft guns. The third would sneak to the target through
the darkness. They would then switch places until each of the three had dropped the single bomb carried
beneath each wing.
The pilots’ skill prompted the Germans to spread rumors that the Russian women were given special injections
and pills to “give us a feline’s perfect vision at night,” Ms. Popova told Mr. Axell. “This, of course, was
nonsense.”
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The Po-2 biplanes flown by the Night Witches had an advantage over the faster, deadlier German
Messerschmitts: their maximum speed was lower than the German planes’ stall speed, making them hard to
shoot down. The Po-2s were also exceptionally maneuverable. Still, Ms. Popova was shot down several times,
although she was never hurt badly.
Once, after being downed, she found herself in a horde of retreating troops and civilians. In the crowd was a
wounded fighter pilot, Semyon Kharlamov, reading “And Quiet Flows the Don,” Mikhail A. Sholokhov’s epic
Soviet novel. They struck up a conversation, and she read him some poetry. They eventually separated but saw
each other again several times during the war. At war’s end, they met at the Reichstag in Berlin and scribbled
their names on its wall. They soon married.
Mr. Kharlamov died in 1990. Ms. Popova, who lived in
Moscow and worked as a flight instructor after World
War II, is survived by her son, Aleksandr, a general in
the Belarussian Air Force.
Ms. Popova was named Hero of the Soviet Union, the
nation’s highest honor. She was also awarded the Gold
Star, the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Star.
“I sometimes stare into the blackness and close my
eyes,” Ms. Popova said in 2010. “I can still imagine
myself as a young girl, up there in my little bomber.
And I ask myself, ‘Nadia, how did you do it?’ ”
Ya Gotta Have Faith…
An Irish priest is driving down to New York and gets stopped for speeding in Connecticut . The state
trooper smells alcohol on the priest's breath and then sees an empty wine bottle on the floor of the car.
He says, 'Sir, have you been drinking?'
'Just water,' says the priest.
The trooper says, 'Then why do I smell wine?'
The priest looks at the bottle and says, 'Good Lord! He's done it again!'
There comes a time when a woman just has to trust her husband...
A wife comes home late at night, and quietly opens the door to her bedroom. From under the blanket she sees
four legs instead of two. She reaches for a baseball bat and starts hitting the blanket as hard as she can.
Leaving the covered bodies groaning, she goes to the kitchen to have a drink. As she enters, she sees her
husband there, reading a magazine. "Hi Darling", he says, "Your parents have come to visit us, so l let them
stay in our bedroom. Did you say "hello"?
Newfoundland Logic
A tourist just off the boat from North Sydney approached a local person on the sidewalk in Placentia and
asked, "What's the quickest way to Marystown?"
The local scratched his head. "Be ya walkin’ or drivin’?" he asked the tourist.
"I'm driving," said the stranger.
The local replied, "Dat's da quickest way."
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Although we are fortunate in not having to contend with adverse winds during the majority of our flying, there will come
a time when you are faced with a situation that will take you right to the edge of your comfort level. Best prepare for it
ahead of time.
Big Blows
by Amy Laboda
Aviation Safety Magazine
Flying safely in high wind conditions is a matter of adopting the proper
technique for your aircraft's weight and configuration.
One complication with which we pilots must always contend is wind. It can
complicate a takeoff or landing, force heading changes while en route, mandate a
fuel stop when stronger than forecast and make an otherwise smooth ride
uncomfortable when blowing over uneven terrain. Learning to deal with the wind
is one of the major lessons of primary training, yet the accident record
demonstrates many of us still haven't mastered the challenge.
Call it what you will—Chinook, Santa Ana, Foehn or Borea—pilots who live in
the lands of seasonal high winds know they must either learn to fly in them or sit
grounded and watch the world blow by. What is their secret for flying safely in
windy conditions?
Wind Planning
Most pilots' strategy starts with reviewing the forecast. If you see "WND" tacked onto the outlook portion
of an area forecast, you should know to expect more than 25 knots of breezy goodness the next day. Fast
forward to the terminal aerodrome forecast (TAF) and look for PK WND in the remarks (RMK) section and
you'll know gusts are expected to exceed 25 knots.
But how can you tell if the forecast is likely to come true? If you are the kind of person who swears by
pictures (as I am), pull up the WIND/TEMP chart at ADDS, DUATS or other online weather resources. The
color-coded patches and lines of isobars swirling around the high pressure and low pressure centers begin to
give you a clue. Watch for tightly spaced isobars, as they have WND written all over them. Switch over to the
prognostic charts and look at the actual placement of the high
pressure and low pressure systems.
If you see them stacked one right above the other, or tightly
clustered, imagine the counterclockwise motion of the low
pressure grinding against the clockwise motion of the high
pressure as two gears in a very large grandfather clock.
See
those isobars squeezed at the point of impact of those two
systems? That's what just happened in southern California in
early December, causing Santa Ana winds to slam a wide area
with gusts above 100 mph.
Check the turbulence prediction charts that are a fairly new
item in our weather repertoire, as high winds and rough rides
often correlate. Pull up a satellite image and compare it to the
prognostic charts to confirm what you've probably already figured
out.
Want final vindication? Wake up the next day and check the
pilot reports (Pireps) for the symbol WV and a series of numbers
(example: 28060 for wind from 280 degrees, 60 knots). You'll know what the guys who got up early actually
experienced. Yes, you can get all of this without ever looking outside at the trees and the windsock. See the
sidebar on page 6 for some examples.
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Getting all this information before we launch—or even roll out of bed—is a good thing, too, since ground
interference means that what you see, wind-wise, out your window, may not be a good representation of
what's actually blowing down (or swirling around) your local runway.
Causes
There are many causes for stiff winds, and if you live and fly in some of the more challenging terrain in the
world, then you've probably learned from your first encounters there that flying light aircraft in high wind
conditions is doable—if you know what you are doing. Before we go much further in this discussion, let's
clarify a few conditions. How much wind are we talking about here? Let's confine the discussion to what
triggers a note on the forecasts: more than 25 knots, the stuff that makes even the largest windsock stand
straight out and dance, kicks spray up off cresting waves, draws long streaks of foam on inland bodies of
water and throws sand in your face—wicked stuff.
How light are the aircraft we are talking about? Well, I recently participated in sailplane operations in the
Breede River Valley, near Cape Town, South Africa. The valley, rimmed by 4000-foot peaks on both sides, is
known for steady howlers (when you see buildings chained to the ground and nothing tied down outside,
that's always a good indicator of WND). However, it attracts proficient glider enthusiasts from all over the
world with its combination of decent weather and consistent, powerful lift. When the wind howls, most of the
lift is mountain wave, and the incredible rides it delivers is reserved for those who understand and can manage
the kick-ass turbulence generated by the rotors and windshear beneath the wave.
Why do they do it? Because the sailplanes are stressed for the beating and because—above all that chaos,
in the wave—flight conditions are often extremely smooth, with climb rates exceeding 1000 fpm. It is a heck
of a free ride into the troposphere, and on a clear day provides the benefactor with weather balloon-like views
of the Cape of Good Hope.
Considerations
So, how do 300- to 1000-pound gliders operate safely in
such wind? Well, to start with, they don't taxi out to the
runway. Soaring is generally a team sport, and the Cape
Glider Club supports its members. I saw no less than three
souls handling each aircraft, one on each wing and one on the
tail, as it was carefully maneuvered to the end of the soaring
runway and set pointing into the wind with full spoilers
deployed. There's a lesson in that for all of us. Statistics show
that nearly 20 percent of taxi accidents in the NTSB database
are caused by wind incidents, and of those, high-wing aircraft
tend to succumb with the most frequency. It's not hard to
understand why. Getting across the wind and running out of
control authority (even with full, correct control inputs) will happen to lighter high-wing aircraft in high wind. If
you can't get to the runway safely, do yourself a favor and don't start the engine.
The sailplane operator's strategy for a safe takeoff starts with an absolute in high wind—that is, absolutely no
crosswind. Where the runway is wide, they'll accept a slight crosswind, but then negate it by setting up the
takeoff diagonally on the runway, heading the glider straight at the prevailing wind. Next is an analysis of the
gusts; too many and too much differential between the steady-state wind and the gusts is another no/go that
cannot be fairly judged until you sit at the end of the runway prepped to go. Gusty conditions are indicative of
windshear and rotors that might be generated by the steady-state winds hitting the obstructions near the
runway (hills, trees and buildings) and churning. Imagine yourself in a washing machine, 'cause that's what it
may feel like as your aircraft hits that fragile moment at VR. Not good for you or the machine.
If the wind field is clean and the windsock shows a steady-state condition, though, light aircraft manage
safe takeoffs in conditions approaching 40 knots with some regularity. The key, however, is speed. With all
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that wind in your face the aircraft is going to want to fly. Keep it on the ground for an extra 10 knots or so,
then expect a robust climb at your cruise-climb speed away from the danger zone close to the ground, where
rotors and windshear are prevalent. The two-place training gliders operating on winch launches in the stiff
winds went from 0 to 3000 feet of altitude in a minute flat before releasing from the cable into free flight.
Terrain
Once aloft and approaching the mountain ridge (at a
proper 45-degree angle, as any cautious pilot must do) you'd
better tighten your seatbelt and hang on. The presence of
ridge-line cap clouds, chewy-looking rotor clouds in the lee
and your classic wave lenticulars means only one thing:
turbulence ahead.
Applies to hang gliders too!
Sailplanes are typically stressed for +10 g and -4 g; is
your production airplane? If not, climb, and see if you can at
least get above the rotor clouds before you approach the
ridge. Many mountain-flying manuals suggest you put 2000
feet between you and the ridge for every 20 knots of
windspeed at altitude. Others recommend you simply avoid mountain-flying altogether once winds aloft
exceed 20 knots, but if you are routinely flying in and out of valley airports you'll soon find that will ground
you a lot.
Operating in the flatlands? Don't be surprised if you find smooth-air conditions above the friction zone
(about 2000 agl). Try to plan trips for when that howler is a tailwind, though. This is particularly sage advice
for pilots of slower aircraft, who might find their forward progress so impeded as to make any significant
cross-country flight simply impractical (not to mention expensive).
Runway Ops
More often than not, the real issue for pilots is that the winds have come up while they were flying, and
now they've got to get down. (All the more reason to always check the forecasts!) If this happens to you and
you aren't prepared to land in a heavy wind, consider diverting to an airport where the winds are lighter or at
least more closely aligned with the landing runway. Not possible? Then remember the rules for taxiing and
takeoffs in windy conditions, because they apply on landing, too.
Powerplane pilots should consider forgoing flaps completely in gusty conditions, and also consider reduced
flaps in any high-wind landing. Keep your speed up by keeping the power spooled up and ready to respond to
a gust or a lull, and fly the airplane all the way through the touchdown to the ramp. Remember: It is the
crosswind that undoes even heavy aircraft—avoid it. Land on the diagonal or land on a crossing taxiway if you
must to eliminate it.
Very light aircraft pilots should take a lesson from glider pilots and keep the downwind short and the baseleg
tight, as a heavy wind will push you quickly out of the pattern area, and leave you with a long and possibly
punishing final approach (flying a Cessna 182, we were once vectored to a 10 nm final ILS into a 40-knot
breeze in St. John, Newfoundland—and the ensuing approach through a solid overcast took 10 minutes to
complete!). Just do the math. If your typical final approach speed is 75 knots and you are flying into a 40-knot
wind...yeah, now you get it. Of course, there's no need to slam on the brakes at touchdown; in fact, lighter
aircraft might have to add power to keep rolling to the turn off!
Speaking of which, once you touchdown, don't relax. If you are in a high-wing bird, seriously consider
rolling right to the end and stopping, then acquire wingwalkers to hold your wingtips and usher you across the
wind and into the tiedown area. Religiously use your ailerons and elevators to correct for wind, and minimize
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the time you spend exposed to crosswinds, even if it means taking a longer route to the ramp or tying down
the aircraft in a different spot than usual. Look for a path to the ramp that utilizes foliage or buildings to limit
your exposure to the wind. Watch the doors as you open them, as the wind has been known to grab big ones
and yank them right off their hinges, sending them careening like tumbleweeds across the tarmac. If you must
tie down on a windy ramp, orient your aircraft directly up or downwind and get your internal and external
control locks in quick. Then tie down tight and double-or triple-chock the wheels, just for good measure.
How Much Is Too Much?
So, how much wind can you fly in? Well, keep this
in mind: airliners typically suspend operations when
winds roar above 50 knots (or at lower wind speeds
if crosswinds or gust are prevalent). Those aircraft
weigh up to one million pounds loaded, so don't think
you can do better in your 4000-pound bird. Follow
their lead and cancel your takeoff.
Operating in high wind conditions with a light
aircraft is not for sissies, but skilled pilots who live
and fly in areas where 25-knot winds are a regular
phenomenon manage safe flights all the time, and
you can, too, once you understand the "gotchas" and
how to avoid them.
This article first appeared in the January 2012 issue of Aviation
Safety magazine. Amy Laboda is a freelance writer, CFII-MEI and a National Lead FAAst Team representative. She holds an ATP and flies two
experimental aircraft: one that's sweet and slow and one that's pretty and fast.
There will probably be a reader or two who remember this “train” wending its way through that part of Germany. The
story was taken from a website called “Baden Remembered” and, according to a comment accompanying the story, the
Express is no more – lack of funds…
THE HUGIE EXPRESS
For several decades this slow but
efficient railroad wonder has
served many communities along
the Rhine Valley, It has faithfully
carried passengers going to work
and children going to School. No
matter what stands in the way,
the Hugie Express has the rightof-way, and it has left quite a few
scars on autos and trucks. It also
was used as a Troop Carrier
during two major squabbles, and was the only train and track in Germany that escaped
bombardment during both! The automobile invasion has somewhat reduced the chores of this little
Express, but it still shuffles along ferrying a few passengers here and there. The Express will TOOT
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its way through the Communities for a few years yet! As far as the records show, only two Canadian
Airmen have been checked out as conductor -- this was while the regular conductor left the train on
his daily beer call and the train went for an unscheduled ride along the Rhine! It was just one of
those days.
In June 1959, the Royal Canadian Air Force had the unique distinction of having two Four Wing
personnel became the first Canadians to qualify in the operation of the famous Hugie Express. The
exercise commenced around five p.m. in the village of Huegelsheim just north of the 4 Wing Base.
A number of RCAF personnel were quenching their thirst in good fashion in the Gruener Baum
Gasthof in Huegelsheim. As luck would have it, some of the lads had unwittingly parked their vehicles
on the right of way of the Huegie Cannonball.
Yes, you guessed correctly; it wasn't long before the express came steaming down the track with
whistle blowing and lights flashing. Much to the disgust of the engineer and conductor, their rather
tiny whistle encroached not a mite upon the din in the song-filled salon of the Gasthaus.
Breaking a long standing tradition, the Hugie Express made an unscheduled halt and deposited one
irate conductor and one absolutely "fit-to-be-tied" engineer at the door to the aforementioned
Gasthaus. A few choice German expressions, not readily available in the Berlitz Language Book, were
used to inform the Canadians of their transgression.
Now any innocent bystander observing this milieu would have bet his last red Pfennig that no
Canadian in the place in any condition whatsoever to do any scheming. However RCAF personnel
have been trained to function under the most adverse conditions including snow, hail, sleet, rain,
hangover and semi-consciousness.
Gathering their wits about them, the Canucks apologized profusely. They offered to buy the two
trainmen some beer while the automobiles were being removed from the right of way. Now among
this venturesome crowd were two absolutely daring individuals to whom such an opportunity once a
wailed could not be denied. In short, the two trainmen were soon relinquished of their mode of
transportation.
The two Canadians safely conducted the engine and two passenger cars through Soellingen to the
other side of Stollhofen. Except for losing some points when they clobbered two chickens at the
Soellingen level crossing, the two RCAF personnel completed the test successfully.
It is understood that in the aftermath of this journey - train officials, German Polizei and members of
the upper echelons could not wait to greet the two adventurous Canadians.
Submitted by Walter A. Empey
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The Pilot's Lounge
To Abort; Perchance To Live
by Rick Durden
I've always found it amazing when, in midst of the noisy confusion of a crowded room, someone can
say something that triggers such a powerful recollection of an event that suddenly I am isolated from
the hubbub, aware only of the intensity of my thoughts. It recently happened to me in the Pilot's
Lounge at the virtual airport.
The weather was great. Pilots who had been hibernating all winter simultaneously decided to head for
the airport. Once the rental airplane schedule filled up, it seemed like everyone else -- those who
couldn't get on the schedule, those waiting for a turn to fly, or those who had already flown -- headed
for the Lounge and the coffee pot. I overheard fragments of a number of conversations without
paying much attention until two pilots started discussing the crash of a Cessna 150 on takeoff. It
seems that it was an instructional flight in which an instructor who had little Cessna 150 time had
chosen to make an intersection takeoff and had selected 10 degrees of flaps even though there were obstructions off the end of the
runway. Obstacle clearance climbs in the C150 are made with the flaps up; in the C152 they are made with 10 degrees. It's one of
those sometimes critical differences between aircraft types that can bite a pilot who doesn't pay attention. Afterwards, the student said
that the instructor made a comment during the takeoff roll that the rpm wasn't where it should be. The airplane used much of the 3000
feet of runway from the intersection to get into the air, then snagged power lines located off the end of the runway and crashed. Both
occupants survived, but spent some time recovering from their rather severe injuries.
Fateful Day
At about that point I stopped hearing anything going on in the room. I was
transported back in time about 30 years to a Cessna 150 on a temporary
grass runway that had been long closed, but reopened for use for about
two weeks during construction that closed the other two runways on the
airport. My student was making a normal takeoff. I was tired and not
paying full attention. As we trundled down the runway, things didn't feel
quite right, but I couldn't put my finger on just what was bothering me, so
I did nothing but continue to weigh down the right seat of the airplane. It
was only after the airspeed reached about 55 knots and my student raised
the nose did I realize that the airplane had used up much more runway
than usual.
The 150 stumbled into the air. The airport fence and adjacent highway
whistled by distressingly close to our wheels. I could see my student
looking puzzled as he kept the nose down, seeking best-rate-of-climb
speed, 70 knots. Ahead, the trees that had always seemed quite a ways
from the airport were no longer quite so far away. The ASI read 65 knots when I took the airplane and pitched it up sharply, hoping to
get over those trees. Vx was published as 60 knots. I'd flown early models of the 150 that had a much lower published Vx and had read
somewhere that it had been increased on later models to allow for a successful forced landing if the engine failed below 50 feet. From
a lot of slow-flight practice with students, I figured I could let the speed get down to about 50 KIAS and, if I got us over the trees, we
could fly away from the situation, as there was nothing
to hit after that.
The 150 cleared the trees. I remember that the speed
was 53 KIAS; the
airspeed indicator seemed about the size of a pie plate
and I was
searingly aware of every caustic, downward movement
of that indicator
needle. Once over the trees, I was able to slowly lower
the nose and get
to 60 KIAS without losing any altitude. Eventually we
climbed to
pattern altitude, got our heart rates down to the low
triple digits,
returned for a landing and taxied back to the office,
where we
complained about the airplane. I do not recall the cause,
but the engine
was not developing full power. I was lucky. My student
was not
particularly large. I was a poor law student and had no
fat on me, so
even with full fuel, we were below gross weight. Had we
been over gross,
we would have hit the trees. Bush pilots know from hard experience that weight matters on takeoff: A 10-percent increase in weight
increases obstacle takeoff distance 21 percent.
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Nightmare Becomes Reality
I suspect that every pilot who has flown more than 40 hours has had a nightmare that involves an airplane that is barely in the air,
unwilling to perform and facing a horribly inhospitable landscape. Any attempt to raise the nose just results in loss of airspeed without
increasing the distance between one's soft posterior and the numerous obstacles. Trying to turn doesn't help; more sharp, pointy
things swim into view while the airplane sags toward the ground as the lift component is deflected from the vertical when the wings
are banked.
It's even worse when you're wide awake and it's happening for real in a loaded airplane that has been reluctant to leave the runway
and is not showing any particular interest in climbing over the trees ahead. How did you get there and what can you do about it?
A lot of pilots have asked that compound question just before discovering that the answer to the second half is "nothing" as they hit
obstructions after takeoff. The answer to the first half is more complex and worth considering even if the number of takeoff accidents
is well below that of crashes on landing. The problem is that hitting something after takeoff tends to be pretty grizzly and, as there is
usually a lot of fuel on the airplane, the risk of post-crash fire is very high and the probability of survival low. When the accidents are
reconstructed, the striking thing is that, had all things been working normally and the pilot used all of the available runway, the
airplane should have cleared the obstruction. So, what's going on?
Let's take a look at the real world. The majority of airplanes we fly are designed for a lot of flexibility in flight planning: The pilot can fill
the tanks and go a long ways with people in some of the seats, or the pilot can fill the seats and -- with reduced fuel -- make shorter
hops. OK, that sounds great, but let's really face facts: Pilots routinely fill the seats with less-than-svelte passengers and fill up the
tanks, launching well over gross weight. And, yes, by definition, the pilot is flying an airplane for which there is no published
performance data and is thus a test pilot. And, yes, it is illegal. But it has become a habit for one heck of a lot of pilots. Pilots get away
with some degree of over-gross operation because, usually, everything else is in their favor and the airplanes were pretty liberally
designed to allow for stupid pilot tricks.
How Bad Can It Be?
In the real world, our habits have a tendency to kill us when other variables enter the equation. Because we are sloppy about
respecting limitations of our airplanes, we cut well into the designed-in margins (we have absolutely no way of knowing how far) and
we don't recognize when the velvet we've been relying on is finally exhausted. We've been flying a couple hundred pounds over gross
in the Saratoga HP pretty steadily because, with full fuel, it can only carry two big people and their luggage. Yet we've been putting the
spouse and the two kids in and getting away with it. But the kids are getting bigger and one kid really, really wants to bring a friend on
this trip. We rationalize: If a couple hundred pounds over gross is OK, what's another 150 pounds? Except that this trip is to that lake
resort where the runway is 3000 feet long while home base has 5000 feet. And the resort is at an elevation of 2500 feet. And it's the
4th of July weekend and, because our Sunday-morning departure for home got delayed so the kids could swim one more time, it's now
Sunday afternoon and 95 degrees F. Density altitude is way up there and one of the brakes is dragging just a little, just enough so it
takes 1200 rpm to taxi instead of 1000. And, oh,yeah, fuel is cheap here at the resort, so we filled up.
We go charging down the runway, vaguely aware that things are not happening as quickly as they usually do. We can see the far end
of the runway, but the foreshortening effect of distance makes it nearly impossible to accurately estimate how much is left until well
into the takeoff roll. We make a quick glance: Manifold pressure, rpm and fuel flow are where they should be. The midfield taxiway
intersection goes by and we're looking at less than 40 knots on the airspeed indicator. The idea of aborting the takeoff flashes to mind
but the sound of the engine going from high power to idle will get the attention of everyone on the airport, so we'll be admitting to
everyone that we screwed up ... plus we're not sure we can stop on the remaining runway and it rained hard last night, so it's going to
be muddy off the end and getting stuck will really be embarrassing ... and maybe we won't get pulled out of the muck in time to leave
today and we've got to be at work tomorrow and the spouse is going to raise the roof over how much it costs to fly if we can't even
use the airplane to get home on time and ... man this one is going to be tight and ... gawd there's the end of the runway, there's no
room to stop, we gotta go, we pull on another notch of flaps because we think that obstacle-clearance climb requires two notches but
we haven't looked that up recently ... and we're off the ground right near the end of the runway and find the override switch so we can
get the gear up right now ... and is best angle 85 or 95? ... and those trees are right here, right now and we're gonna hit and it's
gonna hurt ...
Hitting trees flying at 85 knots hurts. A lot. It hurts a lot more than hitting them while rolling at 20 knots after having the good sense
to abort a takeoff that isn't going well. The forces we face in an impact are a squared function: When we double the speed of the
impact, we don't double the force of the impact, we quadruple it. That's a nasty, hard, unbending rule of physics.
We will probably be embarrassed if we hit the trees at 20 knots after an abort. We probably won't be embarrassed if we hit those trees
3/4 of the way to the top flying at 85 knots. Or at least, not for very long ... we have to be alive to be embarrassed.
Better Dead Than Embarrassed
A buddy of mine who was in the Blue Angels once jokingly told me that when performing in an airshow he'd rather be dead than
embarrassed. While he was being facetious, I know one heck of a lot of pilots who are such perfectionists that any mistake at all is
perceived by them to be abject failure on their part and in their subconscious, I'm convinced, they believe that it is better to be dead
than embarrassed. I think it also explains more than a few crashes.
The airlines and military have long recognized that most pilots are successful, goal-driven, reasonably obsessive perfectionists who
view mistakes as hideous things. As a result, they teach pilots that aborting a takeoff is not a mistake. They teach that, on every
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takeoff, there are things that must happen for the takeoff to continue. If those things don't happen, there is something wrong with the
airplane and it is the pilot's job to save the day by aborting, even if it means going off the end of a runway, because the chances of
survival go way up as the speed of impact goes down.
I think the mindset of being spring-loaded to abort a takeoff if certain parameters are not met and that the hero-pilot is there to keep
the airplane from killing everyone by aborting is a way to keep on living. It's a little like NASA's approach to launching a rocket: The
default answer to the question of whether to launch is "No"; it is up to the hardware, software and humans to demonstrate that
everything is working properly so that the question may be answered with a "Yes." For an airplane takeoff, the default should be
"abort" unless the airplane demonstrates that it is healthy enough to continue.
Killer Factors
Let's look at the things that can cause an airplane to crash on takeoff and see if
there are any warning signs for the pilot so we can come up with parameters to
be met before we let a takeoff continue.
Gross Weight. We've talked about it above. It's a choice made by the pilot.
When a 10-percent increase in weight increases the distance over an obstacle
by 21 percent, it's worth a pilot's undivided attention and respect.
Intersection Takeoffs. Do we really want to make one? Is it that important to
save taxi time? In reading takeoff accident reports, it's interesting how often the
pilot initiated the takeoff from an intersection. Is it an indication of other
shortcuts the pilot is willing to take that cut into the margins on clearing that
obstacle?
Predicted Performance. Does the manual say the airplane will clear an
obstacle in the available distance? If not, attempting to take off is stupid and
may be criminal. Over some years of involvement in aviation lawsuits regarding takeoff performance, I've found that a properly
maintained airplane will usually meet book takeoff performance, but it truly has to be properly maintained. The engine has to be
developing full rated power; the prop has to be in good shape, the tires properly inflated and the brakes not dragging. I've also
observed that airplanes picked at random for inspection usually have something that prevents them from matching book performance
... anything from a heavily filed prop or the wrong prop to an engine not making power to low tires. So, I agree with the aviation
writers and textbooks that recommend a pilot allow a margin above the book performance numbers for deciding on whether to make a
takeoff.
Power Output. There is a way to get a pretty good indication whether the engine and propeller combination are developing
appropriate power. It's called a static runup. We taxi to a spot where the prop won't pick up all sorts of trash and the propwash won't
cause damage, then hold the brakes, pull the yoke or stick all the way aft and go to full power. On a fixed-pitch prop airplane the
resulting rpm must be in the range published by the manufacturer in the manual. For example, for a Cessna 152, the acceptable rpm
range is 2280 to 2380; for a Cessna 172N it is 2280 to 2400. If the rpm we see on the tach during a static, full-power runup doesn't fall
within the acceptable range, it's an automatic abort, as we have no guarantee that the engine is making power (or that something else
is wrong if the rpm is above the acceptable range). Assuming the tach is accurate, if the rpm is too low, the engine is not making
power or has the wrong prop or improperly pitched prop. If rpm is too high, the prop may have been filed beyond limits, the tips may
have been cut down too far, it may have the wrong pitch or be the wrong prop. All of those are reasons that the airplane will not
perform per book on takeoff. For a constant-speed prop airplane, it is not as simple: the rpm should be at redline but manifold
pressure will depend on the density altitude, which means we have to do some homework to determine the max. manifold pressure
attainable before doing a check.
Dragging Brake(s)/Low Tires. Keep track of how much power it takes to taxi at your normal speed on flat, dry pavement in light
winds. For most airplanes, it will run on the order of 1,000 rpm. If the power needed goes up by about 200 rpm, find out why before
making a takeoff (abort the takeoff before it begins because a parameter has not been met).
Proper Acceleration On Takeoff. Here's the big one. There is a good rule of thumb that works as a parameter on continuing a
takeoff: The airplane will break ground in the available runway length if, by the half-way point of the runway, it has reached 71percent of the published speed at which the nose is to be raised on takeoff. If the manual says to raise the nose at 60 KIAS, then we
better be looking at a speed of at least 42 KIAS at midfield. If not, it's an automatic abort because a parameter has not been met. This
go/no-go parameter does not guarantee obstacle clearance; it just gives information regarding getting off the ground in the available
runway.
Controls. They are rare, but extremely ugly takeoff accidents ... the ones due to locked or jammed controls or badly mis-set trim.
While those should have been caught during the pretakeoff check, pilots still miss them and try to fly with the control-lock engaged, a
jammed elevator control or the trim rolled all the way forward. The parameter is that when we go to raise the nose on takeoff, if the
control wheel does not physically move aft when normal or slightly more than normal pressure is applied and the nose does not start
coming up, a parameter has not been met, so abort the takeoff. This one will probably involve running off the end of the runway, but it
is almost invariably better than trying to continue at high power.
Braking. For a takeoff abort, close the throttle instantly and make sure it is completely at idle, hold the control yoke/stick slightly aft
of neutral and apply heavy braking to the point of sliding the tires. If you ever get a chance to ride with a test pilot on a max.-brakeeffort stop, it's an eye opener. Get on the brakes as hard as you can. If you slide the tires, back off a bit, but only a bit. Raise the flaps
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to put more weight on the wheels. Don't worry about calling the tower, you're busy. If you are going off the end of the runway and
have the time, pull the mixture to lean cutoff, cut the master, turn the fuel selector off and pop the cabin door(s) open slightly. Keep
trying to make the airplane go in the direction you want and keep trying to stop the airplane until it does come to a complete stop.
Don't give up trying to make the airplane do what you want it to do.
Abort-Analysis Checklist
If we take the above and boil it down into an abbreviated mental
checklist of parameters that must be met or we save the day by aborting
the takeoff, we get something along the following lines:
Lineup Check
 Are the trim tabs, flaps and fuel selector(s) properly positioned?
If no, abort. If yes, continue.
Takeoff Roll
 At full throttle, is the rpm is in the acceptable static range on a
fixed-pitch prop airplane? With a constant-speed prop, are the
manifold pressure, rpm and fuel flow where they should be for
the elevation and temperature? For a turbocharged engine, are
manifold pressure, rpm and fuel flow at redline? If not, abort. If
yes, continue.

Airspeed indicator off the peg and moving without jerking
within 5 to 10 seconds of going to full power? If no, abort. If yes, continue.

At the mid-field point on the runway, has the airplane reached at least 71 percent of the published speed for raising the nose?
If no, abort. If yes, continue.

At the published speed for raising the nose for takeoff, can the yoke/stick be moved aft and does the nose begins to come
up? If no, abort. If yes, continue.
It's up to the airplane to demonstrate to us, as pilot in command, that it is capable of performing on takeoff. It's up to us to assure that
it is doing what it's supposed to do and, if not, to abort the takeoff and live to fly another time. Aborting a takeoff isn't a failure on the
part of the pilot; it's a pilot showing the right stuff by recognizing the wrong stuff and taking action to keep people alive.
POST TURTLES
While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old farmer whose hand was caught in the squeeze gate while
working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to
Politicians and their role as our leaders.
The old rancher said, "Well, you know, most politicians are 'Post Turtles'.''
Not being familiar with the term, the doctor inquired as to its meaning.
The old rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a
turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle."
The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face so he continued to explain. "You know he didn't
get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do while he's up there, he's
elevated beyond his ability to function, and you just wonder what kind of dumb arse put him up there to begin
with."
" Both optimists and pessimists contribute to society. The optimist invents the airplane, the pessimist invents the
parachute. " ~ George Bernard Shaw
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Caterpillar Club
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A pin from a parachute company, possibly Switlik or Standard
Parachute. This style is common in catalogs and auctions of
military memorabilia.
The Caterpillar Club is an informal association of people
who have successfully used a parachute to bail out of a disabled
aircraft. After authentication by the parachute maker, applicants
receive a membership certificate and a distinctive lapel pin. The
nationality of the person saving his life by parachute and
ownership of the aircraft are not factors in determining
qualification for membership; anybody who has saved his life by
using a parachute after bailing out of a disabled aircraft is
eligible. The requirement that the aircraft is disabled naturally
excludes parachuting enthusiasts in the normal course of a
recreational jump.
History
The club was founded by Leslie Irvin of the Irvin Airchute Company of Canada in 1922. (Though Leslie Irvin is credited with
inventing the first free-fall parachute in 1919, parachutes stored in canisters had saved the lives of observers in balloons and several
German, Austro-Hungarian pilots of disabled military aircraft in the First World War. The name "Caterpillar Club" simply makes
reference to the silk threads that made the original parachutes thus recognising the debt owed to the silk worm. Other people have
taken the metaphor farther by comparing the act of bailing out with that of the caterpillar letting itself down to earth by a silken thread.
Another metaphor is that caterpillars have to climb out of their cocoons to escape.
"Life depends on a silken thread" is the club’s motto.
An early brochure of the Irvin Parachute Company credits William O'Connor 24 August 1920 at McCook Field near Dayton, Ohio
as the first person to be saved by an Irvin parachute, but this feat was unrecognised. On 20 October 1922, Lieutenant Harold R. Harris,
chief of the McCook Field Flying Station, jumped from a disabled Loening W-2A monoplane fighter. Shortly after, two reporters from
the Dayton Herald, realising that there would be more jumps in future, suggested that a club should be formed. Harris became the first
member and from that time forward any person who jumped from a disabled aircraft with a parachute became a member of the
Caterpillar Club. Other famous members include General James Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh and (retired) astronaut John Glenn.
In 1922 Leslie Irvin agreed to give a gold pin to every person whose life was saved by one of his parachutes. At the end of World War
II the number of members with the Irvin pins had grown to over 34,000 though the total of people saved by Irvin parachutes is
estimated to be 100,000.
The successor to the original Irvin company still provides pins to people who have made a jump. In addition to the Irvin Air Chute
Company, other parachute manufacturers have also issued caterpillar pins for successful jumps. GC Parachutes formed their Gold
Club in 1940. The Switlik Parachute Company of Trenton, New Jersey issued both gold and silver caterpillar pins. The Pioneer
Parachute Co. in Skokie, Illinois, also presented plaques to people who packed the parachutes that saved lives.
Membership requirements
Membership certificate issued 1962
There are no annual fees, though the Switlik club charges a
nominal enrollment fee. Both the Irvin and Switlik clubs issue
gold and silver pins depicting caterpillars. The Irvin 'Golden
Caterpillar has amethyst eyes. Prospective members must send
documentation of the incident to the manufacturer, which then
conducts its own research.
The requirements for membership are rigid – members
must have saved their lives by jumping with a parachute.
Consequently RAF Sgt. Nicholas Alkemade, who during
World War II bailed out of a RAF Avro Lancaster without a
parachute and landed uninjured in a snow-drift, was refused
membership because a parachute had not been used. More recently, a group of twelve skydivers were denied membership when one of
them fouled the plane's tail and caused it to fall from the sky. He died in the crash but the other eleven parachuted to safety. They did
not qualify because it had been their original intention to jump from the plane. The pilot, however, was admitted to the club.
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POESY FOR PILOTS
GOLDEN BOYS
POEM FOR TREE LOVERS
To think that I should ever see
A Tiger Moth up in a tree:
A tree whose countenance is pressed
Against the Tiger's oily chest,
A tree whose leafy arms embrace
This thing which came to her through space.
A tree who may in summer wear
A battered airscrew in her hair,
And on her bosom shyly borne,
A set of mainplanes, somewhat torn,
While, lying close beside her heart,
Is tightly pressed an undercart.
A tree who held with tender care
This navigator of the air,
Until some men with tools and crane
Her burden carried home again.
Planes are repaired by fools like me,
But how can we repair the tree?
VERNON FLYING CLUB
President: Len Schellenberg
Vice-President: Bill Wilkie
Secretary: Bev Bonner
Treasurer: Bob Brandle
Newsletter: John Swallow
e-mail: [email protected]
Newsletter address:
#76 – 6688 Tronson Road, Vernon, BC V1H 1R9
VFC Meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00
p.m.
MEMBERS: Any stories, anecdotes, tall tales, or outright lies gratefully solicited for the
Newsletter.
E-mail them or mail them to the Editor at the address listed above.
Imitation is the highest form of flattery and Phil
Kaye in his RV-9A dressed up in Golden
Centennaire colours and Kevin Horton in his RV-8
resplendent in Golden Hawk livery fly over
southern Ontario and do themselves proud as they
move in close to the camera ship so photographer
Nick Wolochatiuk can get a picture.
LOST IN TRANSLATION
I was at the bar the other night and overheard
three very hefty women talking at the bar. Their
accent appeared to be Scottish, so I approached and
asked, "Hello, are you three lassies from Scotland?"
One of them angrily sneered, "It's Wales; Wales,
you bloody idiot!"
So I apologized and replied, "I am so sorry. Are
you three whales from Scotland ?"
And that's the last thing I remember..........
Courtesy member John Eaton:
A young pilot wanted to sound cool on the frequency.
So, this was his first time approaching a field during the
nighttime. Instead of making any official requests to the
tower, he said: "Guess who?" The controller switched
the field lights off and replied: "Guess where?”
Yes, I do have a beautiful daughter. I also have a gun, a
shovel, and an alibi…