article - Fly-Low Publications

Fly-Low
July 2015 ~ Vol 15 Issue 5
The story behind
Happy
Independence
Day
God Bless America
www.fly-low.com
Bob Carlton to Receive
2015 Bill Barber Award
EAST TROY, WISCONSIN
-- World Airshow News has
announced that Bob Carlton
is the 2015 recipient of
the Bill Barber Award for
Showmanship. Carlton joins a
long list of honorees that reads
like an airshow hall of fame.
Bob Carlton began his
fascination with aviation as
a young boy flying control
line models. He learned to
fly in 1979 at age 19 and
soon mastered hang gliders,
sailplanes, powered airplanes,
and helicopters. He began flying sailplane airshows in 1993.
After he began flying airshows, Carlton often found it difficult to arrange for a tow
plane at each show site. His engineering background led to the development of the
world’s first twinjet sailplane, which allowed him to climb to altitude under his own
power.
His innovative approach to glider aerobatics continued with the addition of the Super
Salto jet sailplane in 2009. With a more powerful jet engine, the Super Salto not only
allowed Carlton to climb to altitude without a tow plane, but he could also perform a
full low-level aerobatic routine under power.
Carlton’s latest addition to his airshow stable is the SubSonex JSX-2 microjet kit
aircraft. He serves as the chief test pilot for the little jet and has debuted a full aerobatic
airshow routine in the SubSonex for the 2015 airshow season.
Bob Carlton lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his wife Laurie and their dog,
Ginger. He is a member of the Soaring Society of America and the International Council
of Air Shows. He is also a retired rocket scientist for a major national laboratory.
The Bill Barber Award for Showmanship began in
1986, and is awarded to airshow performers or teams
that have demonstrated great skill and showmanship.
World Airshow News magazine and the friends
and family of the late Bill Barber present the award
annually.
Plans are for the award to be presented on Tuesday,
July 21 during EAA AirVenture at EAA’s Theater in
the Woods.
Fly-Low • July 2015
2014 Greg Koontz
2013 Skip Stewart
2012 Matt Younkin
2011 Rich and Dee
Gibson
2010 Steve Oliver and
Suzanne AsburyOliver
2009 Michael Goulian
2008 Bud Granley
2007 Dacy Family
Airshow Team
2006 Danny Clisham
2005Pietsch
Airshows
2004 Bobby Younkin
2003 Jim LeRoy
2002AeroShell
Aerobatic Team
2001 Northern Lights
Aerobatic Team
2000 John Mohr
1999 Dan Buchanan
1998 Patty Wagstaff
1997 Gene Soucy &
Teresa Stokes
1996 Wayne Handley
1995 Bob Hoover
1994 Bob & Annette
Hosking
1993 Red Baron
Stearman
Squadron
1992 Sean D. Tucker
1991 Julie Clark
1990 Leo Loudenslager
1989 Jimmy Franklin
1988 No Award
1987 The French
Connection
1986 Eagles Aerobatic
Flight Team
Monticello Airport
Arkansas Airport of the Year winner
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CONTENTS
Bob Carlton To Receive
2015 Bill Barber Award......................................2
& Blair
Air Interiors
Throttle Forward.................................................6
Air Mail................................................................7
Watch Out Drones..............................................8
Lamentations....................................................10
Jeremy Monnett & Mike Clark Die...................12
USPA President Recieves Aviation Honor..... 13
Inside & Out Restoration With One Stop!
Discount For Both Paint & Interior!
Make Your Plane Look New Again!
The Whitehead Polemic...................................14
Spaceship AL....................................................16
FAA Pilots Insights...........................................18
FYI Aviation Accidents.....................................20
www.menaaircraftpainting.com
USPA..................................................................22
[email protected]
Texas Pilots Association.................................23
For Outstanding Quality & Service Call
X
16
Air Events............................................................4
Mena, Arkansas
870-367-4450
2
Past Bill Barber Award
winners include:
Glacier Flying. It’s Cool!..................................24
Stress Management for Older Pilots.............. 26
866-243-9996
Classifieds........................................................29
Race News........................................................30
JULY AIR
EVENTS
July 2 ** A Thursday Event **– Shell Knob, MO
– Turkey Mountain Airport (MO00) In-The-Bag
Omelet fly-in 8:00 AM – Noon $5.00 per person. Short
Wing Piper Poker Run Starting Airport. For additional
information call: Judy at 417-858-6345; Cell 417-6711832 http://www.turkeymountainairport.com
July 4 – Ponca City, OK – Ponca City Regional
Airport (KPNC) First Saturday breakfast. 7:00 –
10:00 AM Fantastic food; very well attended long
running event. For a suggested $7.00 donation (and
well worth it) you can have pancakes, scrambled eggs,
bacon, sausage, potatoes, biscuits & gravy, orange
juice, coffee, and fruit. Sponsored by PNC airport
booster club on the first Saturday of every month rain
or shine.
July 4 – Walnut Ridge, AR – Walnut Ridge
Airport (KARG) 8:00 - 10:00 AM The Walnut Ridge
Airport will sponsor a Free fly-in breakfast with eggs,
bacon, biscuits and gravy, & pancakes. This will be a
recurring monthly event on the first Saturday of each
month through October. Fuel discounted to $3.68 for
this event. Contact me for event flyer.
July 10 ** 2nd Friday Event – Joplin, Mo – Joplin
Regional Airport (KJLN) 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM; Join
Alpha Air Center for their second Friday Lunch. The
menu theme varies with the season. Contact me for an
event flyer. For more information contact Megan Atkins
417-623-3113 or email [email protected]
July 11 – Carlisle, AR – Carlisle Municipal
Airport (4M3) EAA Chapter 122 UL will host a
Fly-in / Drive-in Breakfast 8:30 – 11:30 AM. This
is a recurring event on the second Saturday of each
month. Come to socialize and have a very good meal
for a modest donation. For additional information go
to: eaaul122.org
Some events from Andy Anderson <[email protected]>
4
Fly-Low • July 2015
July 16 - 19 – Sheboygan, WI – Sheboygan County
Memorial Airport (KSBM) National Ercoupe
Owners Convention Celebrating the 75th Anniversary
for The Ercoupe. Many activities and much food. On
Sunday we will flock up and fly in trail to Oshkosh. We
hope to have at least 75 aircraft for the flight to OSH.
July 19 - 26 – Oshkosh, WI – Wittman Regional
Airport (KOSH) AirVenture 2015. A week of all
things aviation. Ercoupe will be a featured plane.
July 25– Shell Knob, MO – Turkey Mountain
Airport (MO00) Biscuits & Gravy fly-in 9:00 AM –
Noon $5.00 per person. For additional information
call: Judy at 417-858-6345; Cell 417-671-1832 http://
www.turkeymountainairport.com
GAGE, OK Monday September 7, 2015. Gage
Airport, Gage Oklahoma (GAG) Tri-State EAA
Chapter #1115’s Annual Labor Day Breakfast Fly-In.
New Runway. Come have Breakfast with us!!!
GREENVILLE,
IL
“Airstravaganza”
at
Greenville Airport, Greenville, Illinois. 12
September, 2015. Aerial demos, static displays,
helicopter, biplane, Cessna rides, food. Sponsored
by Greenville Airport Authority, EAA Chapter 1382,
Greenville Pilots Association.
Pilot
Supplies
& More!
Lompoc, CA 31st West Coast Cub FlyIn, July 10-12, 2015, Lompoc, California
It’s a sunny sight to behold! The 31st Annual West
Coast Club Fly In at Lompoc Airport will feature
more than 100 yellow J-3 Cubs — the largest show
of this kind in the Western U.S. featuring these postWWII, light aircraft. Free admission for spectators.
Food available for sale on site. Keith Kie, k_kie@
ci.lompoc.ca.us, Lompoc, CA, 93438-8001,
Fly-Low
PUBLICATIONS
P. O. Box 10355 - Russellville, AR 72812 - 479.970.1001
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Ralph McCormick
(805) 291-6039
Publisher
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Competitive fuel pricing - 24/7 Pilot Lounge, planning room
Beech River Regional Airport
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731-845-5740
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Shipping!
[email protected]
Bu sin ess M an ager
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Wester n Field Rep.
C ont ribut ing W rit ers
T.J. McCormick
[email protected]
Todd Hubbard
[email protected]
C artoon ist
Rob Pudim
Peg Bowen
[email protected]
Steve Bill Hanshew
Rose Marie Kern
Bob Worthington
Pat Purcell
Don Smith
Alex Clark
Bob Mack
Photo front cover: by Robert Talarczyk
[email protected]
www.fly-low.com
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FLY-LOW Publications shall not be responsible for any consequential damages
suffered by any party. All flight information printed in this publication is printed for
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refer to all FAA publications for navigation. We assume no responsibility for data,
reviews, airport information, safety stories, or advertisements. We do not knowing
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Dear George,
Throttle Forward
Thanks for sending the information. Keep reading
and we do appreciate what you are doing for children.
You are lighting a “fire in the belly” that could make
future pilots.
Ralph
SPACESHIP AL
Hello Mr. McCormick,
Occassionaly, something will just pop up out of
nowhere and there is my next article. Al Thomas
was a gentleman who lived in my town. He was a bit
eccentric. All of a sudden, a couple of days ago his name popped up. I started to do
research on this local man. I knew him and about him over the last forty years. My
article on him is just my opinion, today, after doing some fine-tuned research. It will be
up to the reader to make their determination. It was interesting to look back in retrospect
at Spaceship Al. Records indicate he was in the Navy… born in 1919 and died in 2005. He was a most
interesting character, to say the least. Read the story on page sixteen and you decide. It was a pleasure to
have met and known Al Thomas.
WHO’S ON FIRST?
All these years I thought that the Wright brothers were the first to fly in 1903. From the article in this
issue, we present historical information on both sides (Part II comes next month). It is a shame that Gustave
Whitehead didn’t make a bigger splash in photos and newspapers. For some reason, the Wright brothers did
make that splash, but where was Whitehead at that time. Hummmmm, hard to say. That was over a hundred
years ago. There are news accounts of both events. Whitehead supporters assert that the Smithsonian lost
its objectivity on the issue when it signed a 1948 agreement with the estate of Orville Wright requiring the
Institution to recognize the 1903 Wright Flyer as the first aircraft to make a manned, powered, controlled
flight or forfeit possession of the Wright brothers’ first aircraft. Perhaps, some day we may know the truth.
The mystery thickens!
OSHKOSH aka AIRVENTURE
If you haven’t been, you should go. You will never see that many takeoff and landings in your life. Nor, will
you see more airplanes on the ground. OSH is the busiest
airport in the WORLD for one week. I have an audio
tape of the control tower “herding” in the planes on a
Friday afternoon. WOW! It is amazing… “Blue Cessna,
land on the first dot… Cherokee 140, keep your speed
up until touchdown… land on the second dot… exit the
runway immediately after touchdown… etc…” That is a
sample of what goes on. The controller continues to issue
commands and the pilots are told not to answer… JUST
ROCK THE WINGS AND DO IT!!! Controllers compete
for that job during that week. It is a trip worth taking.
This year it is July 19-26.
I hope you have or had a great 4 of July this year. I am
proud to be an American and live in this FREE democracy.
Long may our flag wave and freedom ring.
th
Throttle Forward and Fly-Low…..
________________________________
I have attached a copy of a press release and some
photos of a recent event a local airport business
conducted at the Witham Field. Stuart Jet Center, in
coordination with many other airport businesses, has
hosted over 400 children at Witham Field to discover
aviation and the positive impacts aviation to their
community. Watching the excitement of the event
has given me a new sense of hope, that some of these
children will carry the aviation torch here in Martin
County Florida.
Our airport is located on Florida’s Treasure Coast,
much closer to sea level than most of the airports
you have featured in Fly-Low. I personally read FlyLow, and do enjoy your publication, very grassroots
in my humble opinion. I think this story is a positive
example of how local airports and airport businesses
are passing on their passion for aviation onto the next
generation. Perhaps, more activities such as this can
help motivate the younger generations to take aviation
up as a hobby or at least have a basic understanding
about how important airports and General Aviation
are to their respective communities.
Clear Skies and Tailwinds.
Respectfully,
George M. Stokus, A.A.E., Airport Manager
Martin County Airport/Witham Field
Dear Ralph,:
I picked up the June issue of Fly-Low at the FBO at
Mojave, California (KMHV) a few days ago and enjoyed
reading it, particularly the column by Rose Marie
Kern. Our flying club (San Carlos Flight Center at
KSQL) organized a two-day trip to visit Edwards AFB.
In the June issue you mentioned you wanted FBO’s
to contact you about giving away issues of Fly-Low.
I am a member of three flying clubs, one of which is
San Carlos Flight Center. The other two, Advantage
Aviation and West Valley Flying Club, are located at
KSQL and KPAO (Palo Alto, California).
If you are interested in distributing copies of Fly-Low
at three flying clubs in the San Francisco area, I would
be willing to do so.
Larry J. Gallagher, Daly City, California
Dear Larry,
Great to hear from you and of course we will send out
free magazine to any group of pilots. We will get you on
the next outgoing issue as soon as you report back to us
the number of copies that you think the flying clubs will
need… We appreciate you and all the other airports,
flying clubs, giving out our magazine.
Ralph
Turkey Mountain Airport (MO00)
Near Shell Knob, MO
MONTHLY FLY-INs
1
2
*Thursday* July 2
8 am to Noon
Omelet-in-a-Bag
Short wing Piper Club - $5
A two year college aviation program now available!
Saturday - July 25
9am to Noon
Biscuits & gravy - $5
WE’LL SEE YOU AT MO00.
www.turkeymountainairport.com
A two year college
aviation program
Get registered for Fall
2015 today.
870.368.7926
fly.ozarka.edu
July 2015 • Fly-Low
7
Air To Ground
By Rose Marie Kern
[email protected]
h
c
t
Wa
t
u
o
FOR
!
s
e
n
o
r
D
These are all concerns that the FAA is addressing.
Their website (https://www.faa.gov/uas) defines how
unmanned air vehicles (UAS) are classified and what
current requirements and restrictions are in effect at
this time. Model aircraft owners can be fined if they fly
too close to airports or over 400 feet AGL.
(LMFS) has developed a graphics display of their
locations. Specialists can overlay an aircraft’s route
to see how close they will come. UAS data is also
available on the LMFS PilotWeb site. Input flight
plan information and ask it for a briefing then look
for the tab labeled UOA (UAS Operating Area). As an
example try using the TUS area in your route of flight
to see some relatively permanent UAS test sites. Most
UAS sites along a given route are depicted, and the
text of those UAS NOTAMs that are not depicted are
listed, so be sure to read them over.
Right now, the only way pilots can watch out for these
activities is by checking the AIRSPACE NOTAMs
during a preflight briefing. Many times pilots doing
self-briefs will look at the NOTAMs at the departure
and destination airports, but skip lightly over the
ones enroute.
In addition to unmanned aircraft
and rockets, AIRSPACE NOTAMs give you data on
fireworks (PYROTECHNICS), airshows, aerobatic
aircraft and Parachute jumping. Be aware of what
can happen – look hard at AIRSPACE NOTAM.
General Aviation pilots everywhere should do their
best to keep on top of developments in this arena. VFR
uncontrolled airspace is precious and already being
reduced or eliminated in many parts of the country
with the growth of TRACON’s, restricted areas
and prohibited areas. Sharing that airspace with a
machine being operated from an unknown distance can
be disturbing. Know what is happening and ensure
your flying future by feeding your opinions and data to
those lawmakers governing our skies.
requested that the FAA allow them to use drones to
deliver packages in major cities. Can you see them
zipping around office buildings and landing on the
rooftops?
So many Unmanned Aircraft NOTAMs are now in
effect daily that
Lockheed
Martin
Flight
Service
Editor’s Note: Rose Marie Kern has worked in aviation
for over 30 years. She will take questions and feedback at
[email protected].
The skies are no longer solely
populated by birds and pilots.
The number of unmanned aircraft and unmanned
rockets being launched is increasing daily and the FAA
is in the position of trying to create new regulations to
govern them.
One problem is that many of the people guiding these
machines do not even know there are regulations
they should be following.
Dads buy their kids the
biggest, “fanciest” remote control aircraft they can
get at a hobby store or online for Christmas. Many of
those will not threaten private aircraft because they
cannot get more than 200 feet off the ground, but what
happens when the individuals are flying them close to
the approach end of a runway?
Many realtors these days are paying to have a
8
Fly-Low • July 2015
drone with a camera mounted on the bottom fly over
expensive properties so they can post the images on
their website. Others are using that same technology
to harass the rich and famous.
These drones are
flying at altitudes that some helicopters fly.
There are amateur rocket groups sending their
inventions well up into the flight levels. The vast
majority of them has waivers, and put out the
appropriate NOTAMs before their flights. What of the
backyard inventor who doesn’t bother to find out about
regulations?
Additionally, we have universities doing research
into alternate applications for unmanned aircraft –
like crop-dusting. One major shipping company has
Stevens Field Airport is your gateway to Pagosa, and our 8,100’ runway and
world class FBO provide ease of access for aviation visitors. Fly in and experience
the small town charm of Pagosa while you fish, hike, raft or just
relax in our world famous hot springs.
July 2015 • Fly-Low
9
Steve Bill’s Air Shots
By Steve Bill Hanshew
[email protected]
Lamentations
I saw an online article the other day out of Iowa
chronicling the demise of yet another small town
airport; this one in a place called Onawa. After years
of struggling to justify the expenditure, the town
fathers turned it over to a group of eager individuals –
Drag Racers, and yet another airport relinquishes its
runway to a drag strip. Can’t say I blame them. The
car fanatics are energized, whereas the few local pilots
like me, are aged and energized by things as mundane
as the 10% senior discount down at the highway diner.
As one councilman lamented, “It was a very hard
decision for our council, but they decided, it’s just not
working”.
The cold hard facts are that private pilot ranks are
decreasing and with them go the last bastions of
general aviation activity – the small town airport.
Once a hub of flying activity or as some of us old guys
would call it – a pilot’s paradise designed to support
a vibrant grassroots flying culture, the benefits no
longer outweigh the cost. Most, if not all of these
airports exist at the behest of a local town, village, or
city government. Times are tough. Budgets are tight
and every dime is squeezed until FDR cries uncle.
Townsfolk used to frequent little airports as they do
their small town parks. It was theirs within a legal
and literal sense of ownership. Often their tax dollars
built it and maintained it. Their town name was on
the sign and an airport meant something personal to
them. It meant, this town’s an up and comer.
Why we have our own airport. We’re open for business
and connected to the world, even if the string on the
map ran out near Peoria. I touch down in many of
them today and wonder if I’m in a Rod Serling episode
of the Twilight Zone. No living thing is seen. I cry out
for fuel in vain. The FBO building is weary, dated,
and in many cases deserted; the ramps cracked with
weeds of all sorts seeking natural dominance over
the deteriorating manmade asphalt. Hangars, if they
still exist, look like forlorn tobacco sheds; the abodes
of everything but flyable airplanes: RV’s, cars, trucks,
tractors, county snow plows, and even tattered parade
floats. At least they’re paying renters.
Oh, you could go on a rant as to why it happened,
covering a huge swath of economic and cultural
change. Flying is way too expensive. I can’t deny
that but in a certain way it’s always been expensive
compared to other recreational activities. There are a
thousand other things to do that are cheaper, although
I can never see myself dangling from a multi-strand
rubber band going up and down like a Duncan YoYo. I like being the pilot and not the passenger. It’s
over-regulated. No doubt about that. A small booklet
of federal regulations an eighth of an inch thick in
1938 has extrapolated out to four inch wide volumes
covering everything from the regulation of private
spacecraft to unmanned drones.
I guess it was inevitable. Bureaucracy hates
simplicity and simplicity reviles complexity. We live
in a complex world, or so they tell me. Regulations
stifle activity although AOPA and the EAA have been
diligently working to pare down regulatory costs by
lessening licensing restrictions, promoting equipment
innovation, and a myriad of other worthy efforts. It
helps. It surely helps. Then there is the airport itself.
Since usage is sporadic, the additional cost is passed
directly on to the user. Because of that many pilots gave
up on the hometown airport in favor of the residential
airpark, where by covenant and consensus the pilot
rules and not the local government. That works for
many, but in my mind a covenant still constitutes
another form of governance.
Besides, people as a whole went urban. They left the
small town behind to venture forth into the big city.
Small town decline – equals- Small town airport death.
It’s pretty simple math. Farmers, pilots, barnstorming
are a distinctly American amalgamation where the two
worlds of Midwest agrarianism melded into pioneer
aviation thus producing a symbiotic relationship.
Nowhere else on the planet exists an association called
the “Flying Farmers”. The farmer is now 2% of the
overall population tasked to feed all of us. In many cases,
farmers were the only guys with enough discretionary
cash to fly; hence a reduction in farmers equals a
commensurate reduction in small town flyers. I always
counted on those guys for a ride after they made me do
a hay baling. And then there’s the culture. Flying is a
three dimensional, full on, sensory experience. If you
fly in the summer, you sweat and often bump around
in farmer-generated plowed field thermals. Fly in the
winter and you quickly realize “heat control” is an
oxymoron. This generation lives vicariously through a
plethora of computer generated adventures delivered
to them within an environmentally controlled world.
They can storm the beaches of Normandy, eradicate
alien species from another planet, or fly a B-747 to
Tokyo all from the comfort of the living room, den, or
basement. They’re never going to break a sweat, feel a
single G in a turn, or get queasy in the cockpit unless
they scarf down an out-of-date “Hot Pocket”.
Just like video games, they love drones because
drones are once again – flight by vicarious means.
Crash the drone – other than the expense of the
drone – who cares. No foul, No harm, No error. The
devil in the details is that at present we need pilots.
We need pilots sitting in commercial aviation cockpits
and we need them badly. Those small town airports
were the proverbial seed-ground of commercial flying.
General aviation outstrips the military in supplying
professional pilots. Aviation revitalization isn’t a want;
it’s a must. The trick is to take an entire block of the
population and convert them from passive observers to
active processors. That’s a steep climb gradient but one
that must happen if small town airports are to survive.
Central Colorado
Regional Airport
KAEJ
Located in Colorado's most beautiful valley surrounded
by majestic mountain peaks. Buena Vista, CO
Walnut Ridge Airport
Michelle Anthony
Manager
Large 3 Runway Airport in middle America.
Great fuel stop, Full or Self Serve, instrument
approachs, and FREE popcorn, hot dogs, drinks
available to visitors.
KARG
Airport Operations Specialist: Jill VanDeel
[email protected]
Airport Terminal: 719-395-3496
After Hours Contact: 719-395-3496
One of the most “pilot friendly” airports you’ll ever
find. For catering, call ahead.
870-886-5432
www.walnutridgeairport.com
10
Fly-Low • July 2015
July 2015 • Fly-Low
11
Jeremy Monnett & Mike Clark Die in Crash
June 3, 2014, Oshkosh, WI
It is with heavy hearts that we report the loss of two
members of our Sonex family. Sonex Aircraft CEO
Jeremy Monnett and Sonex assembly mechanic Mike
Clark died yesterday in an accident involving Sonex
Sport Acro N123SX at the East end of Wittman Regional
airport’s runway 9, which occurred on Tuesday, June
2nd at approximately 3:30pm. The cause of the accident
remains unknown pending investigation by the FAA,
NTSB and Sonex Aircraft.
Sonex Aircraft founder John Monnett made a
statement to staff this morning that Sonex Aircraft,
LLC will continue to operate despite the holes left by
Jeremy and Mike’s absence. It would unquestionably
be Jeremy Monnett’s wish that the Sonex company
and the worldwide community of Sonex and
AeroConversions customers carry-on.
Sonex Sport Acro N123SX first flew in 2007, and has
most-recently been fitted with the 100 hp AeroVee
Turbo. The engine had accumulated approximately
25 hours of operation in the Sonex Aircraft test cell as
part of the AeroVee Turbo development program, and
approximately 50 flight hours on N123SX after moving
from the test cell to the Sport Acro airframe in the
spring of 2014. The engine and airframe’s performance
has been flawless in all respects, including recent long
cross country flights to Florida for the Sebring and Sun
‘n Fun conventions, making
its return trip to Oshkosh
after Sun ‘n Fun 2015.
Sonex Aircraft is hopeful the
investigation of Tuesday’s
accident
will
reveal
conclusive findings regarding
the cause, however, there are
no immediate conclusions
that can be drawn.
The Monnett family and
leadership of Sonex Aircraft,
LLC sincerely thank the
dedicated
Sonex
staff,
community of customers, the
aviation community at-large,
and the Oshkosh community
for all of the support and
condolences offered over the
past 24 hours.
Editor’s note: To read the NTSB report
of the crash, go to our FYI column.
12
\
Fly-Low • July 2015
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General “Jimmie” Doolittle, to name just a few, and now
also there is included a granite plaque with the name
Jack Stephen Reynolds.
USPA is proud indeed to have our organization President
receive this fine recognition, and we are proud to have
someone of his qualifications and experience leading
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For more information on the Forest of Friendship, go to
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July 2015 • Fly-Low
13
The Whitehead Polemic?
Part I
Part II will be in the August issue
The basic question is who
was the first to fly, the Wright
brothers or Gustave Whitehead.
If Whitehead was the first, then
he did all the wrong things to
publicize the event. By the
same grading scale, the Wright
brothers did everything correct.
August 1901, could have been
our first powered manned flight.
You decide from the information
below.
OR
Gustave Whitehead
Gustave Albin Whitehead, born Gustav Albin
Weisskopf, (1 January 1874 – 10 October 1927) was
an aviation pioneer who emigrated from Germany
to the United States where he designed and built
gliders, flying machines and engines between 1897
and 1915. Controversy surrounds published accounts
and Whitehead’s own claims that he flew a powered
machine successfully several times in 1901 and 1902,
predating the first flights by the Wright Brothers in
1903.
Much of Whitehead’s reputation rests on a newspaper
article written as an eyewitness account that stated
Whitehead made a powered flight in Connecticut on
August 14, 1901. In the months that
followed, details from this article were
widely reprinted in newspapers around
the world. Whitehead’s aircraft designs
and experiments also attracted notice
in Scientific American magazine and
a 1904 book about industrial progress.
Whitehead later worked for sponsors
who hired him to build aircraft of their
own design, although none flew, and he
became a known designer and builder of
lightweight engines. He fell out of public
notice around 1915 and died in relative
obscurity in 1927.
14
Fly-Low • July 2015
By Bob Mack
Wright Brothers
In 1937, a magazine article and book asserted that
Whitehead had made powered flights in 1901-1902.
The book included statements from people who said
they had seen various Whitehead flights decades
earlier. The book and article triggered debate in the
1930s and ‘40s among scholars, researchers, aviation
enthusiasts and Orville Wright over the question
of whether Whitehead was first in powered flight.
Mainstream historians dismissed the flight claims.
Nevertheless further independent research in the
1960s and ‘70s, including more books in 1966 and 1978
by the same author of the 1937 book, supported the
Whitehead claims.
No photograph conclusively showing
Whitehead
making
a
powered
controlled flight is known to exist.
However, reports have referred to
such photos being on display as early
as 1904. Researchers have studied and
attempted to copy Whitehead aircraft.
Since the 1980s, enthusiasts in the
U.S. and Germany have built and flown
versions of Whitehead’s “Number 21”
machine using modern engines and
propellers.
The Smithsonian Institution has
repeatedly dismissed claims that
Whitehead made powered flights
before the Wrights. Whitehead supporters assert that
the Smithsonian lost its objectivity on the issue when
it signed a 1948 agreement with the estate of Orville
Wright requiring the Institution to recognize the 1903
Wright Flyer as the first aircraft to make a manned,
powered, controlled flight or forfeit possession of the
Wright brothers’ first aircraft.
A sharp difference of opinion continues among
aviation researchers and historians over Whitehead’s
work. Some believe that he was the first human to
fly a powered heavier-than-air machine, while others
believe none of his powered machines ever flew and
that he contributed nothing to aviation.
In 2013, Jane’s All The World’s Aircraft published an
essay in which the author asserted that Whitehead
was first to make a manned, powered, controlled flight.
This article, backed by Jane’s international reputation,
reignited debate over who flew first. The editorial
relied heavily on a researcher whose identification of a
photo of Whitehead in powered flight was conclusively
debunked by another researcher. Jane’s later took
steps to distance itself from the claims of the piece,
asserting that they were the views of the author,
not the magazine. Motivated by the Jane’s editorial,
Connecticut enacted a law, which specifies that
“Powered Flight Day” honor the first powered flight by
Gustave Whitehead, rather than the Wright Brothers.
1899
According to an affidavit given in 1934 by Louis
Darvarich, a friend of Whitehead, the two men made
a motorized flight together of about half a mile in
Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park in April or May 1899.
Darvarich said they flew at a height of 20 to 25 ft
(6.1 to 7.6 m) in a steam-powered monoplane aircraft
and crashed into a brick building. Darvarich said he
was stoking the boiler aboard the craft
and was badly scalded in the accident,
requiring several weeks in a hospital.
Reportedly, because of this incident, the
police forbade Whitehead to perform
any more experiments in Pittsburgh.
Aviation historian William F. Trimble,
pointing to a lack of contemporary proof,
dismissed this story in 1982 as a case of
“overactive imaginations.” Whitehead’s
stated control method – a shifting of
body weight – was said by Trimble to be
insufficient to control a powered aircraft,
and the supposed charcoal-fired steam
powerplant could not have been powerful
enough to lift itself off the ground.
1901
Whitehead was quoted in a 26 July 1901, article in
the Minneapolis Journal, credited to the New York
Sun, in which he described the first two unmanned
trial flights of his machine on 3 May. Andrew Cellie
and Daniel Varovi were mentioned as his financial
backers and assisted with the flights. The machine
carried 220 pounds of sand as ballast and flew to an
altitude of 40 to 50 feet for a 1/8 of a mile (201 metres
(659 ft)). According to Whitehead, the machine flew a
distance of 1/2 mile (805 metres (2,641 ft)) for one and
one-half minutes during its second test flight before
crashing into a tree. He also explained his desire to
keep the location of any future experiments hidden to
avoid drawing a crowd who might make a “snap-shot
verdict of failure”.
Our next issue, August 2015, will have part two of
the article
Source is Wikipedia.
Part II next moth
Make your voice heard
join the
United States
Pilots
Association
www.uspilots.org
July 2015 • Fly-Low
15
Looking back, I wish I had made an effort to stop
and visit with Al sometime in the 1980s. But my life
was filled with ownership of a business and raising a
family. I do remember many conversations with his
neighbor, Grady Hudlow. The conversations were a bit
foolish and humorous. I really couldn’t say anything
about Al, since I had only met him a few times. Grady
certainly enjoyed repeating what he saw in the 1940s
style garage (pictured below) on Highway 124. The
“ship” and all the conversations about how he planned
to use the spaceship to levitate and then take off with
his perpetual motion engine (or whatever he called it).
He always kept the “engine” covered with tarp say the
visitors to his shop.
Someone who knew Al well, Chuck Pyle, recently
made this comment online, “He was really a genius in
his own right. I used to go scavenge parts for my ‘49
Chevy truck from his boneyard. He built an advanced
water filtration system for his house that filtered
and purified rain water from a cistern located
on the property. If you had a chance to talk
he would tell the story about his spaceship
and move on to other topics. Learned a
lot by listening to him. We talked about
ionic propulsion and I learned about
the Coulomb force (Coulomb’s law states
that: The magnitude of the electrostatic
force of interaction between two point
charges is directly proportional to the scalar
multiplication of the magnitudes of charges
and inversely proportional to the square of
the distance between them). and Lorentz force
(In physics, particularly electromagnetism,
the Lorentz force is the combination of electric
and magnetic force on a point charge due to
electromagnetic fields. If a particle of charge
q
moves
By Ralph McCormick
thought crazy could be
mean that they are ahead of their time.
There was a man that lived on the road to my home in Russellville, AR. His name was Al Thomas. I remember
much of the town thought him crazy. He was building a spaceship. When asked where he would go on the first
flight, he reportedly said… “To see my brother in Texas.” He was a local Arkansas celebrity. He was on national
TV shows, i.e. Real People. Al had a junk yard behind his shop. I went there several times looking for parts for
my 1939 Chevrolet. He never mentioned the spaceship to me. That was about the time he received his a “vision”
instructing him to build a spaceship on April 19, 1973. The size was diameter 12’ 2” / Height 9’ 0”… about a
third the size of the Apollo capsule, but in that same shape (see photo).
16
Fly-Low • July 2015
Wikipedia describes genius as: a person who displays
exceptionally superior intellectual ability, creativity, or
originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the
achievement of new advances in a domain of knowledge. A
scholar in many subjects or a scholar in a single subject may
be referred to as a genius. There is no scientifically precise
definition of genius, and the question of whether the notion
itself has any real meaning has long been a subject of debate,
although psychologists are converging on a definition that
emphasizes creativity and eminent achievement.
Was Al Thomas a genius? I really don’t know. It was
obvious he wasn’t as crazy as some suggested. What
type of propulsion was he working on? Don’t know! I
know that in 1905, Albert Einstein came up with some
pretty crazy theories. E=MC2, The Theory of relativity
is the generally accepted physical theory regarding the
relationship between space and time. It is based on two
postulates: (1) that the laws of physics are invariant
(i.e. identical) in all inertial systems (non-accelerating
frames of reference); and (2) that the speed of light in a
vacuum is the same for all observers, regardless of the
motion of the light source. It was originally proposed
in 1905 by Albert Einstein in the paper, “On the
Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies”. The inconsistency
of Newtonian mechanics with Maxwell’s equations
of electromagnetism and the inability to discover
Earth’s motion through a luminiferous aether led to
the development of special relativity, which corrects
mechanics to handle situations involving motions
nearing the speed of light.
As of today, special relativity is the most accurate
model of motion at any speed. My question to you
was Einstein crazy? Most thought so at the time. It
took until 1945 for the world to discover what E=MC2
meant. And was that
a big bang.
Sometimes being
a misnomer, it might
with velocity v in the presence of an electric field E
and a magnetic field B, then it will experience a force
F=q[E+(vxB)].) Al actually had an aluminum foil and
balsa wood mini lifter that he powered from a stator
wire from a laser printer and a flyback transformer
from a CRT television. Today, I am a senior engineer
at Microsoft and I can honestly say that Al had his
eccentricities, but he really was a genius.”
17
Above photo by Sarah McCormick - Present
day photo of building of origional home of the
Spaceship.
Fly-Low • July 2015
During a recent
dinner
with
my
friend, Ron Sewell,
the
subject
of
electrogravitic
principles came up.
Story continued
on page 26
Accident occurred Monday, June
01, 2015 in Livermore, CA
Aircraft:
PIPER
registration: N1348C
PA
22-135,
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
The National Transportation Safety
Board is sending a go-team from its
Alaska Regional office to investigate
a sightseeing plane that crash near
Ketchikan, Alaska. A float-equipped
DeHavilland DHC-3T (Turbine Otter)
airplane crashed in an area of steep, mountainous
terrain about 25 miles northeast of Ketchikan.
According to local authorities, multiple fatalities have
been reported. NTSB investigator Brice Banning is
leading the team as investigator-in-charge. Public
Affairs Officer Keith Holloway will coordinate mediarelated activities from Washington, DC.
Corporation’s property on a general heading of 220
degrees. The engine separated from the airplane and
was located on the ground in front of the airplane. All
major components remained attached to the airplane.
The airplane was transported to a secure facility for
further examination.
Accident occurred Tuesday, June 02,
2015 in Oshkosh, WI
On June 4, 2015, about 1100 Alaska Daylight Time,
the pilot-in-command of N985W, a Piper PA-18150 airplane, was struck by the spinning propeller
while attempting to load the airplane, 15 miles east
of McCarthy, Alaska. The airplane sustained minor
damage and the certificated airline transport pilot
sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was registered
to Hunter Creek, LLC and operated by Alaska Cub
Training Specialists, Palmer, Alaska, as a Title 14 Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 instructional
flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at
the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed.
Aircraft: MONNETT JOHN T JR SONEX
SA, registration: N123SX
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
On June 2, 2015, about 1520 central daylight time,
a Monnett Sonex SA experimental amateur-built
airplane, N123SX, impacted unoccupied vehicles,
after departing the Wittman Regional Airport (OSH),
Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Both private pilots were fatally
injured. The airplane was substantially damaged.
The airplane was registered to and operated by
Sonex Aircraft LLC, under the provisions of 14 Code
of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the
flight which operated without a flight plan. The local
flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to OSH tower personnel, the airplane
departed runway 9 from the intersection of runway 9
and runway 13. After clearing the airplane for takeoff,
the tower controller focused their attention on inbound
traffic and did not witness the accident.
The accident site was located 0.25 miles east-northeast
of the departure end of runway 9. The airplane came
to rest on unoccupied vehicles located on Oshkosh
18
Fly-Low • July 2015
Accident occurred Thursday, June
04, 2015 in McCarthy, AK
Aircraft:
PIPER
registration: N985W
PA
18-150,
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
In statements provided to the United States Park
Service and National Transportation Safety Board,
witnesses stated that four airplanes, flying as a group,
had landed at Pevine Bar Airstrip in the Wrangell - St.
Elias National Park. To stave off swarms of mosquitos
while loading the airplanes, the engines of all four
airplanes were started and allowed to operate at idle,
with the cockpits unattended. While loading gear on
the right side of the airplane, the airplane to the left
of the accident airplane, also a Piper, PA-18, began
slowly moving forward. The pilot of N985W attempted
to go around the front of his airplane towards the
left wing to prevent the two airplanes from making
contact. Subsequently, the pilot ran into the back of
the spinning propeller, and was struck three times.
On June 1, 2015, about 2058 Pacific Daylight Time, a
Piper PA22-135, N1348C, collided with terrain while
maneuvering near Livermore Municipal Airport,
Livermore, California. The pilot/owner was operating
the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The airline
transport pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane
was destroyed during the accident sequence and
post impact fire. The local personal flight departed
Livermore at 2052. Night visual meteorological
conditions (VMC) prevailed, and no flight plan had
been filed.
The pilot made a downwind departure. Shortly after
takeoff, he reported a control difficulty to air traffic
control tower personnel; he stated that he was going to
make a circle, and troubleshoot the issue. There were
no further transmissions.
A witness about 1/2 mile away said that the airplane
caught his attention when he heard the engine cut out.
He looked up, but couldn’t see the airplane, as it was
dusk. He then heard the engine revving to a higher
rpm. He heard the engine sputter twice, and then rev
up again. He finally saw two outboard lights, one on
each wing, and the airplane was in a nose dive straight
down. It was not spinning, and the engine sounded like
it was at full throttle.
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A National Transportation Safety Board investigator
and a Federal Aviation Administration inspector
examined the wreckage on site. A propeller blade
had separated about 6 inches from the hub along an
angular plane. The rest of the propeller was in the
principal impact crater (PIC); it was not charred. The
main wreckage was burned, and was in the middle of
a charred area. All of the fabric was consumed by fire.
July 2015 • Fly-Low
19
OFFICERS
United States Pilots
Jack Reynolds - President
[email protected]
Jan Hoynacki - Executive Director
[email protected]
Fun flying with
USPA
By
Jack Reynolds, President
HANGAR FLYING....
or Giving Credit Where Credit’s Due!
More than fifty years ago, I soloed a little Cessna
120 and a Piper J-3 Cub at the Springfield Downtown
Airport one morning. The Springfield News-Leader
had a regular Sunday article titled “Hangar Flying”
by Mr. Hank Billings. Mr. Billings, a local pilot and
writer for the newspaper, would always acknowledge
the Solos and new Pilot Certificates of the local flyers.
On Tuesday, May 12, 2015, while waiting for
passengers in Conway, AR, I had the pleasure of
watching a young man conducting his first SOLO
flight under the watchful eye of his flight instructor.
A short time later, Joey McCormic, the young smiling
student wearing a nice shirt with the back cut out of
it, came walking thru the pilot’s lounge with an ear-toear grin. I complimented Joey on his accomplishment
and invited him to join USPA. And he did!
After returning home, I drove to Bolivar, MO, for
our monthly Missouri Pilots Meeting, and witnessed
another young man, Joe Plunkett, soloing for the first
time. Another tee shirt with the tail-feathers clipped!
The pride reflected in the smile on this young man’s
face was worth the price of admission. We brought Joe
into our meeting and gave him a standing ovation. A
sixteen year-old with a bright future in front of him.
Believing that two firsts in one day was a big deal,
I was then told that Dan Grimes, who soloed less
than two years ago, had received both his Instrument
Rating and his Commercial Certificate that week.
20
Fly-Low • July 2015
Texas Pilots
Association News
Air shows are a hoot; from the smallest to the largest.
The first one I ever attended was in Stamford, Texas
during WWII. I was maybe 8 years old. It featured
mostly military planes that were helping win the war,
but I was hooked forever.
with my brothers, and numerous commercial flights to
places like Hawaii, Alaska and Europe.
I got my Private Pilot License (PPL) at Texas Tech
(Lubbock, TX) in the Air Force ROTC; check ride was
in May of 1958.
The finest of them all is Oshkosh (OSH). Yeah,
I know the official name, but no one calls it that. If
you have not gone, you will never get there unless you
change your ways. Schedule it a year ahead of time
and don’t let anything interfere. Otherwise there is
never enough time to work it in. Don’t go just for a day
or two. Spend the entire week.
Congratulations to Dan who has been very helpful in
getting our local pilots out flying with a brain-storm
of awarding small gifts to pilots who improve their
competency by flying more.
My father was born in 1896. He had watched
barnstormer pilots kill themselves and their passengers
and wrote it off as something no responsible adult
should do.
I have another young student to recognize this month.
I met a retired football coach one Sunday afternoon
that informed me his grandson was working on his
ratings, hoping to be a professional pilot. I offered
to give this young man a Tail Wheel sign-off the next
time he was visiting. Within a few days, I met Cooper
Potts, a young college student at K-State. It was a
pleasure to fly with him in an Aeronca 7-AC for a one
day Tailwheel Course. Congratulations, Cooper!
Christmas 1968 was his last. He had prostate cancer
and knew he would not live another year, so he let me
take him flying. It was in a borrowed Piper Tri-pacer.
When we got back on the ground, I was hoping he had
enjoyed it and asked him.
And then there are the “not quite so young” pilots, like
Robert Eckert, a pilot of only a couple years, who just
earned his Instrument Rating. Job well done, Robert!
If you are a Flight Instructor, and would like to
publicly recognize an outstanding student, please email
me at [email protected]. We want to congratulate and
encourage them.
And don’t forget, a USPA membership is only $20 if
you are a first time member signing up in 2015! Go to
www.uspilots.org. Blessings, Blue Skies, & Tailwinds,
By Don Smith, Ph. D
TPA President
USPA Board Member
“Certainly,” he sternly replied. I had asked a stupid
question. He always knew it would be great fun. He
would never let Mother fly, but she was aboard that
day. She loved it and she never looked back.
By the time she died in 1995 there were 120 entries
in my logbook with her aboard. There were flights
Make your voice heard
join the
Texas Pilots
Association
Jack Reynolds, President
USPA
Send $30 for 12 months
Texas Pilots Association
1196 Valley Oaks Dr.
Lewisville, TX. 75067
I am rather abashed that I never took her to an air
show. I’m certain she would have enjoyed it very much.
Wanted
FBOs
To Give Away
Fly-Low
We need the FBO name, address, phone number, contact name,
number of magazines requested per month sent request to:
[email protected] - 479.970.1001
July 2015 • Fly-Low
21
North To Alaska
subjected to interesting winds and is surrounded by
rising terrain.
Alex Clark CFI
Dragonfly Aero
Homer, Alaska
[email protected]
Glacier Flying,
It’s
There are several glaciers (pronounced GLA-SURE
by Alaskans and GLASSY-ER by Brits) within fourty
nautical miles of my home base of Beluga Lake. The
most famous is Grewingk Glacier because it is very
visible to non-pilots from the north side of Kachemak
Bay. This glacier is named after Constantin von
Grewingk, 1819 to 1887, who was a Baltic German
born writer and geologist. Many Alaskan place names
originated with Grewingk, even though he based all
his knowledge on the journals of sea captain explorers.
Other nearby glaciers includes Dixon and Portlock
Glaciers. These were named after Royal Navy Sea
Captains Nathaniel Portlock and George Dixon who
explored this area of Alaska between 1786 and 1788.
An interesting side not is that both had previously
sailed with Captain Cook. Just a few minutes flight
time south there are another set of Glaciers named
Wosnesenski Glacier (pronounciation varies around
town) and Doroshin Glacier. The melt water from
these two glaciers forms the Wosnesenski River, which
is known by local aviators as “The Wozz”.
In 1839, the Russian Imperial Academy of Sciences of
22
Flying around glaciers can present some challenges
for light aircraft. The ice up in the main Harding
icefield is believed to be over 2,000 feet thick in some
places. The visible ice thickness on some of our local
glaciers exceeds 200 feet. This concentration of ice
creates its own weather and winds. These winds often
flow contrary to the ocean breeze blowing inland from
nearby Kachemak Bay. Fog or clouds can be rapidly
formed by the super cooled air next to the icefield, as
can the occasional rain or snow shower.
Cool !
I often take my surroundings in Alaska for granted.
Like many Alaskans I have become accustomed to
seeing various geological wonders on a daily basis.
Glaciers are a daily sight around Homer, Alaska since
humans first settled here.
Fly-Low • July 2015
All of these local glaciers originate from the vast
Harding Icefield. Named after president Warren G.
Harding, the 23,000 year-old icefield is over 300 square
miles in size if you do not count the ice contained within
the 40 Glaciers that protrude from the central ice sheet.
If you include the size of the attached glaciers the size
of the Harding icefield is about 1,100 square miles.
This is about the same size as the actual landmass of
the entire State of Rhode Island.
St. Petersburg sent Ilia Wosnesenski, an explorer and
naturalist to Alaska. Mining engineer and explorer
Peter P. Doroshin, was sent to Alaska by the Russian
crown during roughly the same period. Wosnesenski
Glacier has a small lake located right at the base of
the ice face. This lake, which is in a sort of box canyon,
varies from between 2,000 and 3,500 feet of floatplane
land-able surface depending on the weather and time
of year. Some folks like to launch inflatable rafts from
this location.
A 15-20 minute flight to the northeast reveals a canyon
with steep and high walls. At the far end of the canyon
is Dinglestadt Glacier, which is about 6 or 7 miles long.
This glacier also has an interesting lake located at the
base of the ice face. This lake is over 7,000 feet long
and at least 100 feet wide. Unfortunately, it is also
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AK
[email protected]
There is an old saying that was taught to me back
when I started flying. “ Never Fly Up a Glacier, Always
Fly Down. “ The first time I heard that statement
I thought it was because of the flat-light conditions
or maybe because most glaciers are actually much
steeper in slope than they appear from a distance.
But I soon discovered it was because they also have
a flow of cold air which flows down the glacier like a
river of cold water. Combine sinking cold air with a
steep slope and you are just asking for troubles should
you be reckless enough to try flying upwards along the
sloping ice surface.
I should also point out that there are always weird and
unexplainable wind gusts being generated from the
icefield even on days when the air appears to be dead
calm. Sometimes these gusts can be very intense and
last for a few minutes. There is a lake named Emerald
that is located on a granite bench beside Grewingk
Glacier. I have seen the wind direction change 180
degrees in the time it takes to fly a pattern along the
lake while preparing to land.
after eating a couple pizza
sticks we had waves over 3
feet in height, and we were
30 miles away from the
glacier!
On days when there is
a strong sea breeze at
altitude, it seems that there
is often an opposing glacier
wind flowing downward at
low level along the glaciers
and icefield. This tends
to produce a wind sheer
problem. The wise flight
tour operators tend to fly
high enough to avoid the
sheer level, but those of us whom land on the glacier
lakes find ourselves going for a wild ride at certain
altitudes. There is another problem once we land on
the glacier terminus lakes. Should the wind be blowing
down from the glacier, we are then stuck taking-off
towards a rising wall of ice. Just the thing I was told
to never attempt.
The surface of the glaciers themselves appear to be solid
ice and snow from a distance, but during the summer
months the surface is more like giant saw teeth with
100 feet deep crevasses between the teeth. A few years
ago a local friend experienced a double magneto failure
while over a large glacier and he skillfully managed to
glide to the edge of the glacier right next to the solid
granite of the adjoining mountain. The plane flipped
over and slid right to the edge of a very deep crevasse.
Had he tried gliding towards the middle of the glacier
we may well have never found the wreckage.
Editor’s note: Alex Clark owns Dragonfly Aero in Homer,
Alaska. For seaplane ratings and more go to http://
dragonflyaero.com/.
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Left Seat
By Bob Worthington
[email protected]
Stress Management
for Older Pilots
As we age, our performance declines due to diminished abilities in areas of physical
and intellectual functioning. Thus the questions, how does aging affect pilot
performance and at what point does decreased performance become dangerous?
People do not age at a similar rate. While some 50-year-old pilots act like they
are 80, other 70-year-old pilots perform like a 40 year old. Therefore, can an aging
pilot do anything to lessen the effects of aging? The answer is yes; a pilot can do a
variety of things to be able to fly safely while in his/her 60s, 70s, or 80s.
First, look at what happens to pilots to put them at a greater risk for an accident.
Several flying situations place demands on pilots where they feel they may not be
able to respond appropriately and safely. This feeling is called stress. Stress is a
physical and psychological reaction a body experiences when any given situation is
perceived as uncontrollable, ending in serious negative results. A simple example
is a pilot who has flown too far and running out of fuel. You can imagine how the
pilot feels when the engine begins sputtering as the gas tanks run dry and the
nearest airport is still 30 miles away. This is stress and if the pilot is unable to
right the situation, it can lead to panic. Panic is when the body, physically and/or
intellectually, becomes so overwhelmed, that the body loses the ability to function
appropriately.
How does panic and stress relate to older pilots? Basically, as we age, we lose our
ability to perform as we did on our thirties. Or, in-flight demands we could readily
cope with as a 30, 40 or 50 year old pilot now become excessive in our 60s or 70s. A
night IFR approach to minimums might be readily accomplished by a 35-year-old
pilot but too stressful for a 68-year-old pilot. Why? Because the situation requires
immediate and multiple intellectual and physical responses the 68-year-old pilot
may not be able to do quickly enough.
The military knows that the age limit for a functional combat fighter pilot is fortyfive years. On the other hand, forty-five is the optimal age for an airline pilot. An
airline pilot’s age limit for safe functioning is 65.
A study at Stanford determined that safe flying depended substantially on a pilot’s
ability to cognitively receive information and then respond to it. The study looked
at age and the speed between cognitive processing and execution functioning,
essentially how fast could the pilot understand and respond. The study found as
24
pilots age this speed of receiving info and responding
appropriately declines.
But other studies have clearly demonstrated that
experience compensates for declining mental agility.
While the younger, less experienced pilots can
perform, intellectually, much quicker than their older
colleagues, the older pilots have the experience to
respond much more appropriately.
So how does all of this relate to the older GA pilot and
stress? More research has the answers.
First, older pilots need to be in top physical condition
to respond to situational demands in the cockpit.
Being fit means being better prepared to deal with
stress. Maintain a Mediterranean diet (fruit, veggies,
lean protein, less red meat). Exercise; even walking
a few blocks a day can do wonders. Avoid obesity,
keep blood pressure under control, and avoid tobacco
and alcohol. Stay socially active, spend time on other
activities such as hobbies, get plenty of rest, and avoid
becoming fatigued.
Insurance research has shown that the safest pilots
are those who remain current, get plenty of training,
and fly often. As we age we need to spend more time
with instructors for both training and an objective
evaluation of our performance.
In flight planning, fly shorter legs. A cross-country
trip you would fly in one day in your thirties, should
now take 2-3 days in your 70s. Plan destination
airports which have towers and approach controllers
to guide you in. Avoid serious bad weather by staying
on the ground. Keep your flights convenient, easy, and
less demanding. Always have options for a trip, other
than a plane. If encountering very bad weather at
some point in a long cross-country, be willing to park
the plane and rent a car.
AirVenture NOTAM Available
For one week each year, EAA AirVenture in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, has the highest concentration of
aircraft in the world. Careful reading and adherence
to the procedures in the special event Notice to
Airmen (NOTAM) are essential to maintaining
safety. Flight planning should include thorough
familiarity with NOTAM procedures, as well as
knowledge of primary and alternate airports. Carry
a copy of the NOTAM for in-flight reference, which
can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/1K6nQ5T. FAA Issues Alert for
Transponder Use
The FAA issued a Safety Alert for Operators
(SAFO) that advises all operators and pilots of
the need to ensure that transponders are in the
altitude reporting mode whenever their aircraft
is on an airport movement area at all airports.
Runway safety systems, such as Airport Surface
Detection Equipment-Model X (ASDE-X), use
data from surface movement radar and aircraft
transponders to obtain accurate aircraft and vehicle
locations, thereby increasing airport surface safety
and efficiency. Pilots should ensure their
checklists reference transponders in the appropriate
places and consult their aircraft’s flight manual to
determine the specific transponder position to enable
altitude reporting. For more information, you can
read the full SAFO here: http://go.usa.gov/3XGxA. Much of avoiding stress means establishing options
with different choices. Knowing less stressful options
are available and acceptable becomes in itself a great
stress reducer.
Managing stress for older pilots is recognizing what
situations cause stress for you, and then planning your
flight to avoid those situations. As we age, we must
realize that safe flying for us will take more planning,
take more time, and may have to be cancelled at any
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Fly-Low • July 2015
July 2015 • Fly-Low
time to pursue alternative options.
25
Story continued from page 17
Spaceship Al
metal plates interleaved with dielectric plates, the
entire block wrapped in insulating material and end
plates connected to output electrodes and a spark
gap to limit the input voltage. This device produced
significant acceleration.
Later, Brown experimented with saucer-shaped disks
with positive and negative electrodes on opposite sides.
This created an open-air high voltage capacitor that
combined the electrogravitational effect with ion wind
phenomena for propulsion. They worked well in air,
and they worked well in vacuum.
Electrogravity research steps us some twenty years
after Einestin’s Theory of Relativity. Dr Alfred Biefeld
steps forward.
The earliest modern discovery of antigravity belongs
to Dr Alfred Biefeld, professor of physics and astronomy
at Denison University. According to an old article
in FATE magazine, in the early 1920s, Dr Biefeld
performed laboratory experiments involving capacitors
charged with high voltage alternating currents.
When charged, these capacitors would violently
“twist and lurch” before burning out. This indicated
that charged high voltage capacitors exhibited selfpropulsive effects. Thomas Townsend Brown, then a
physics student at Denison University working for Dr
Biefeld, took up further research into this anomalous
phenomenon. This began Townsend Brown’s life-long
research into antigravity.
Brown’s first experiments consisted of two lead
spheres connected by a nonconductive glass rod, like a
dumbbell. One sphere was charged positive, the other
negative, with a total of 120 kilovolts between them.
This formed a large electric dipole. When suspended,
the system moved toward the positive pole, arcing
upwards and staying there against the force of gravity
tugging downward. This showed that electric dipoles
generate self-acceleration toward the positive pole.
This experiment was repeated in oil, in a grounded
tank, proving that ion wind was not responsible.
Improved versions of this setup replaced the lead
spheres with metal plates, and glass rod with dielectric
plates or blocks. This created a high voltage parallel
plate capacitor with one or more layers. Brown’s British
patent #300,111 – issued in 1927 – described what he
termed a “cellular gravitator” consisting of numerous
26
Fly-Low • July 2015
Interestingly, the majority of modern articles
investigating Brown’s work tend to focus on disk
gravitators. Because they include ion wind as part of
their operation, debate has arisen whether the BiefeldBrown effect cannot be explained away entirely by ion
wind. Brown’s 1927 patent, however, described a selfcontained device that exhibited no ion wind effects
and relied solely upon the electrogravitational action
arising from the electric dipoles within the gravitatorcapacitor.
I understand that much of that info could pass over
one’s head. In a nutshell to summarize, it is a way
of propelling a vehicle with our normal source
of power… Interesting, you say? It was revealed
in 1992, for example, that the B-2 Bomber used
electrostatic charges on its leading wings and exhaust.
According to aerospace experts, this was confirmation
that the B-2 used electrogravitic principles based on
the Biefeld-Brown Effect. The Biefeld-Brown Effect is
based on the research of Thomas Townsend Brown who
in 1928 gained a patent for his practical application of
how high voltage electrostatic charges can reduce the
weight of objects.
The B-2 bomber employs sufficiently high voltages to
significantly reduce its weight. This enables the B-2
and other classified antigravity vehicles to display
flight characteristics that appear to defy conventional
laws of physics.
Was Biefeld or Brown crazy? I don’t believe the
military thought so. Being considered crazy could
be a compliment. Let the world and technology catch
up; then one might be considered a genius. Was Al
Thomas crazy? What say you?
I say, “Crazy like a fox.”
Sources: wikipedia.com, http://amunaor.com,
spaceagemuseum.com and facebook.com.
July 2015 • Fly-Low
27
To the brave
men and
women who
have served
this country
For Sale
New 2013 Thrush
510 Gallon, All Equipment Available,
call Mid-Continent, Hayti, MO
573.359.0500
www.midcont.com
FOR SALE
Your Plane, your ad here cost only
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P.O. Box 10355
Russellville, AR 72812
Our heartfelt
gratitude goes
out to each and
everyone of our
veterans and current
enlisted defenders
of America’s
FREEDOM.
God Bless America
Fly-Low • July 2015
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July 2015 • Fly-Low
29
RACE REPORT
By Pat Purcell
[email protected]
Racing From Around The World!
Formula One (F1) Air Racing involves small aircraft using engines
up to 200 cubic inches in displacement. Racers can reach speeds over
200 mph. F1 racing made its debut in Africa on June 15, 2015, with
Americans dominating the field. The World Cup F1 series of air
racing is in its third year. Jeff Zaltman, Great Britain, is the founder
and flag bearer in keeping our sport of closed course air racing alive
and well. There are three events scheduled for 2015. World Cup F1
racing brings race certified pilots from around the world together to
race on pylons in Formula 1 aircraft, It is all reminiscent of Red Bull
racing but F1 is strictly speed pylon racing.
Just imagine crating up your airplane for a long boat ride and
meeting it in Monastir, Tunisia, a magnificent resort city; rich in
history. Activities were held in a castle and the racecourse lapped
the waves of the Mediterranean Sea. Thom Richard from Sweden and
flying out of Kissimmee, FL, won the Final Gold Heat in his special
3M1C1R racer. Thom is usually seen at Reno at the controls of the
Unlimited “Precious Metal”. Jay Johnson, Colorado was second and
Mike Mundell, Ohio took silver and bronze flying Cassutts. The Final
Silver Heat was won by Philip Goforth of Texas. Followed by Justin
Phillipson of USA and Canada. The League racers were really excited
to see him competing and doing so well in Tunisia. He flew a new
plane, #20 “Pooder”. It is an out of the box Cassutt with slab wings.
For the second year, F1 races run in Lieda Spain, June 28th. Year one
was such a huge success that then Spain racing is back. The World
Cup series includes the F1 racing at the Reno National Championship Racer Philip Goforth, Midland, TX ready to
race his Cassutt “Pooder” in the F1 World
Air Races in September. For all the details: www.airrace1.com
Cup Race at Monastir, Tunisia. They won
Racing in North America
the Silver Race.
June finally heralded blue skies for Sport League races in North
F1 Race Winners 2015
America. Two long stranding events ran well. June 6, 2015, the
\On the podium in Tunisia: L-R Jay
popular “Big Muddy” race was on at Carbondale, Illinois. Organized by
Jones, USA, Silver, Thom Richard, Sweden,
Quickie racer, Sam Hoskins, it was a huge success with the assistance
Gold, Michael Mumdell, USA, Bronze
of local EAA 227. Twenty-one pilots flew the race. Everyone’s favorite
Canadian arrived in his F1 Rocket. Wayne Hadath never fails to turn
on his smoke for the crowd. Bruce Hammer was on hand to smoke the
field with his speed and took top honors in his Glasair I TD. Race #355 races in the same class with Bruce flying
a Mustang II. This model is not match for the Glasair but Jon Martino and his purple streak posted 207.44 and
go faster every race. Jon built his plane and is an airline mechanic.
The Sprint Class had eight entries and some very good races within the race. Sam Hoskins in his Quickie and
Dave Adams in his Long-EZ are always battling it out. This was Sam’s day by 2 mph. John Keich and Les Burril
30
Fly-Low • July 2015
The fastest ships in the Big Muddy Air Race,
Carbondale,
Illinois.
Foreground
Bruce
Hammer’s “Red Dog” First Overall and Second
Place Over all, Wayne Hadath’s “Lil’ Bit”. Yes,
they are as fast as they look.
Race #1 the Gold Winne
both fly Midget Mustangs and love having like models
to race. This race was Burril for victory. The Sprint
class rounded out with a KR2, a Kit Fox, VariEze,
and a Waiex (WAIEX (pronounced “Y-X”) is simply a
Y-tail Sonex). Racers came from Canada, Louisiana,
Kentucky, Georgia, Illinois and Texas and got into
the spirit with a race eve gathering race sponsors Big
Muddy Brewery. Local media featured the race and a
sizable crowd of spectators was on hand.
No matter where you live there are races within
reach. Euphrata, Washington once again hosted the
Great Northwest Air Race. A great field of eighteen
experimental and factory planes gave it they’re all
and race speeds were excellent. Thanks once again to
John Smutney for making it all happen. The speed in
the race rested in the RV Gold and Blue classes. Jeff
Barnes, Wisconsin led the field. Jeff got things right
as he posted a 225.70 running RV Blue. Local favorite,
Brent Travis in RV Blue flies one slick RV4 and trailed
Jeff by only. 57mph. They bested both RV Gold entries.
Third fastest of the day was race regular, Stephen
Christopher, RV 8 Gold class only 2.5 mph behind.
Planes competing included an Extra 330LC, Glasair I,
Sonex, Bonanzas, a Seneca, and Cessna 172’s. All in
all, a great day at the races!
Pilots have been certified once again at the Reno Pylon
Racing School held June 17-20. The Sport Class at
Reno now has the most pilots competing with many of
the Sport League racers flying the pylons. The Sport,
F1 and Biplanes classes allow reasonable participation
to a great number of pilots. There is only one major
multi class pylon race in the world and it all happens
at Reno, NV, this September 16-20.
News of the Air Race Classic report will have to wait
another month as those ladies are flying on June 2225, after July print deadline for FLY-LOW.
For all pilots, racing sharpens your skills and
encourages you to get your aircraft in tip top shape.
What are you waiting.
An
early
summer-like
heatwave
in
Northern
The Silver heat at the World
Cup F1 race at Monastir, Tunisia
Americans Philip Goforth and Justin
Phillipson battle for the lead over the
Mediterranean Sea.
California presented
challenging flying conditions for 20 airplanes competing
in the 51st annual Hayward Air Rally. The longest
continually- held flying event of the type in North
America, this proficiency challenge offers aviators the
opportunity to demonstrate their airmanship skills of
fuel planning and cross-country flight without the use
of advanced navigation equipment.
The actual rally course was announced the day prior
to the event. This year’s course was two legs, each
approximately 250 nautical miles. The first leg was
from Hayward (HWD) to Redding, CA (RDD). The
second leg extended from Redding to Bend, OR (BDN).
Each rally leg contained multiple checkpoints, which
were required to be visually identified by the flight
crews. Prior to departure from Hayward, each pilot
turned in estimates of their enroute flight times and
fuel consumption for each of the two legs. This was the
Air Rally’s sixth visit to central Oregon.
Traditionally flown without the use of GPS, DME,
RNAV or digital fuel flow displays, flight teams are
scored on their ability to precisely predict flight
times and fuel consumption enroute to the two
required landing points. Flight crews are scored on
a combination of identifying check points, matching
predicted time (to the second) and matching predicted
fuel usage (to the tenth of a gallon). The lowest score
wins. Penalty points are accumulated for incorrectly
identifying checkpoints, as well as deviating from time
enroute and fuel estimates. Rally rules allow pilots
with advanced-technology cockpits to also compete
and be ranked fairly against those with traditional
equipment.
The winners of the event this year are Steve Davis
and Kathy Davis of San Diego, CA flying their Cirrus
SR22. With just under 4.5 hours total flight time, their
results included a mere 49 seconds of composite time
error, and a fuel error of only 0.44 gallons over the
route. The Davis team won this event on their third
try, having previously competed to Bend in 2010 and
to Oshkosh, WI in 2014.
July 2015 • Fly-Low
31