Fall 2013 - Redstar Pilots Association

RED Alert
THE MAGAZINE OF THE REDSTAR PILOTS ASSOCIATION
Fall 2013
2
Red Alert Fall 2013
Red ALERT
Features
Rocky Mountain Airshow.................................................. 6
Colorado Yak Pak
6
AirVenture 2013................................................................ 8
You Should Have Been There
Training and Airshows
North Central Events....................................................... 11
Truckee-Tahoe Airfair..................................................... 12
Festival In the Sierras
8
ARS Observations.......................................................... 16
Check Pilot Feedback
Yak Myths. . ......................................................................17
Fuel Folly
Wings Over Vines............................................................. 18
Santa Rosa Rose´
12
Lipaz Chang. . ................................................................. 20
Pipes and NAFOD's CJ-6
Pre-Buy. . ....................................................................... 22
You Can Pay Now or Pay Later
Spin Training. . ................................................................ 24
To Train or Not to Train
18
Remembrance..................................................................31
Tommy Geoghegan
Call Signs....................................................................... 32
The Screw Up That Keeps On Giving
Columns
20
President’s Message........................................................ 4
AirVenture Showcase
Newbies & Old Hands..................................................... 14
The New & the Seasoned
Aircraft Systems............................................................ 26
AK-14 Carburetor 101
Gadgets. . ........................................................................ 32
26
That's A Big Ass Fan
Contrails.. ...................................................................... 34
Can Do, Can Kill
Training..........................................................................38
Aileron Roll
32
www.flyredstar.org
3
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
G
reetings, Comrades! I am still jazzed from the awesome good
time I had at Oshkosh 2013. For me it was the best Oshkosh
in 11 years. The spectacular week, long, cool, dry, VFR weather
made everything we did that much more exciting. My Oshkosh
report on page eight of this issue details many of the reasons why
this was my best Oshkosh.
AirVenture is still the greatest celebration of all things in general aviation. It is still the greatest, prolonged celebration of all
things involving warbirds. From walking the f light line, talking
to pilots, participating in seminars, attending Warbirds in Review, visiting the Cavanaugh Display Area, and, of course, f lying
in the warbird air shows, you can become completely intoxicated
with warbirds. Oshkosh is also one of the best ways for the RPA
to interact with, and support, Warbirds of America (WOA), and
our fellow FAST signatories.
Seven to ten years ago, I remember
f lying out of Manitowoc with 30-50
airplanes! I remember the really big,
mass formations. I remember the CJ
50th anniversary mass formation.
I remember the move from Manitowoc to Oshkosh. I remember the
DC-3 formation f lights. I remember the big jump in fuel prices, the
boredom that set in with the mass
formations, and the steep decline in
Oshkosh participation.
Over the last five years, Dave Rothenanger (R10), as the Operations
Consultant to the Air Boss, has been working with the four major mass formation signatories (RPA, T-34, T-6, and T-28) to improve the quality of our warbird airshow profiles. Things we have
done include a Tuesday morning signatory mission commander
(MC) breakfast, a plug-and-play approach to mission planning,
direct signatory MC involvement in mission planning, elimination of extended mission durations, creation of more dramatic
show openings, the creation of the parade pass, and, this year, the
addition of 360s, shorter dog bones, and pitchouts and rejoins at
show center. However, we think we can do better. Harold Cannon, WOA President, wants us to do better. He chaired a meeting
of the four signatories, the Air Bosses, and FAST representatives.
He tasked the group to brainstorm and plan next year’s shows
in detail, adding as many of our ideas as possible, to jazz up the
show, eliminate dead time between mass formation passes, and
make it challenging and fun for the pilots to f ly.
He wants this done five to six months prior to Oshkosh. Then,
he wants the signatories to send these exciting new plans to our
memberships. The goal is to entice more of you to bring your
planes to AirVenture and f ly in the airshows, especially the end
of the week shows on Friday and Saturday. Here are some of the
ideas I have:
1. Get some time in the low altitude strafe pattern with pyro for
a four or eight-ship.
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Red Alert Fall 2013
2. Start the show with a 1000-1500' AGL, line abreast pass from
east to west, perpendicular to the show line with a wall of all four
signatory mass formations. All aircraft would be lights on, with
smoke. Just prior to show center, the four signatory formations
would bomb-burst north and south, into their respective altitude
blocks and patterns.
3. Increase the current altitude blocks from 300' to 500'. This
would give more vertical maneuvering capability for each signatory’s mass formation, and individual maneuver f lights.
4. Our mass formations visually represent the manner in which
the vast number of WWII bomber and fighter aircraft filled the
sky. What has always been missing are the dog fights that raged
around these formations. To recreate these dog fights and fill the
dead time between mass formation passes, the 8000' long show
line is divided into two, 4000' maneuver boxes located over the
crowd, north and south of show center. As the mass formation
f lies down the show line, the MC
drops a two or four-ship into each
box. These f lights pitch out into
extended trail and f ly lazy eights,
simulating dog fights. When the
mass formation gets turned around,
the MC directs each f light to depart
to the west and rejoin the mass formation in the next dog bone. As the
formation f lies down the show line,
the MC drops off another f light into
each maneuver box. Using these alternating f lights would keep aircraft
constantly overhead the crowd presenting two different looks.
5. Put one of the RPA airshow teams in a low-altitude, holding
pattern. The Boss would call them in periodically during know
dead time, to do an X number of minutes routine until the next
low altitude event. The team would then return to the hold and
await the next call-in.
6. Get a 500' AGL parade pass down the show line, either at the
start of or the end of each airshow.
WOA knows we can safely ramp up the quality of our portion
of the Warbird Air Show by getting pilots from the signatories
involved in the planning both with each other and the air bosses. We told WOA that we could possibly increase the number of
aircraft in the mass formations by giving our pilots the airshow
plans five to six months in advance. We can’t bring back the days
of one dollar per gallon 100LL but, remember, if you hold a commercial rating, EAA will pay for your airshow fuel.
I will keep you informed of our planning progress. My goal is
to f ly six four-ships in the 2014 AirVenture Friday and Saturday
airshows. I hope our show plans can entice you to attend!
As always, train hard, and train often.
Terry “Mags” Slawinski
RedSTAR PILOTS ASSOCIATION
Editor’s Notes
VOLUNTEERS
OFFICERS
President Terry Slawinski [email protected]
Vice President Scott McMillan [email protected]
Secretary David Jester [email protected]
Treasurer Ron Lee [email protected]
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Southwest Scott Andrews [email protected]
Northwest Joe Griffith [email protected]
Southeast Dave Jester [email protected]
Northeast Rob Mortera [email protected]
Northcentral John Shuttleworth [email protected]
Southcentral Joe Wilkens [email protected]
National Mike Carter [email protected]
National Scott Glaser [email protected]
National Rich Hess [email protected]
MANAGERS
Public Relations John Graham [email protected]
Standardization Skip Slyfield [email protected]
Maintenance Jill Gernetzke [email protected]
Aviation Physiology Roger Kemp, MD [email protected]
RPA Store Byron Fox [email protected]
IT Dean Henthorn [email protected]
RPA/FAST Records Mark Weidhaas [email protected]
Advertisement Sales John Warwick [email protected]
RED ALERT
Editor Mike Filucci [email protected]
Associate Editor Alan Cockrell [email protected]
Associate Editor Robert Genat [email protected]
Associate Editor John Warwick [email protected]
Art Director Robert Genat [email protected]
Contributors
Jessica Ambats www.jessicaambats.com
Craig Barnett [email protected]
Robert Genat [email protected]
Paul Gordon [email protected]
Mark Loper www.markeloper.com
Ryan Pastorino [email protected]
John Warwick [email protected]
This Fall issue marks the end of the summer flying season. Unfortunately, it hasn't been without tragedy. We lost
a pilot and his passenger out west, in Colorado, when he
impacted the terrain while practicing an aerobatic maneuver. We lost Tommy Geoghegan and his passenger, a fellow
police officer, when they impacted the ocean off the Atlantic coast, while practicing spins. It's always troubling, and
disorienting, when we lose a friend suddenly, and unexpectedly. Although we feel the pain of loss, we still sometimes disassociate ourselves from thinking that it could
ever happen to us. The truth is, we are all one misstep or
miscalculation away from a similar fate. Aviation is a discipline so unforgiving of error that we all must constantly
work to be on top of our game every time we strap in.
Mike
Red Alert is your magazine and would not exist
without your input-your stories and experiences
are what bring the magazine alive.
2013/2014 ISSUE DEADLINES
Winter: 25 November
Spring: 25 February
Please submit material to:
Mike Filucci [email protected]
Material contained herein is published for examination
and evaluation of the reader. The RedStar Pilots Association has made no attempt to verify any of the contents
and accepts no responsibility for any items printed in this
publication. Articles written and published in this magazine are for entertainment only and are the opinion of
the author(s). They are not intended to be instructional
in nature nor promote deviation from a published flight
procedure in any aircraft or technical flight manual,
FAR, law or other regulation. The contents are not intended to be construed as offering legal advice or counsel.
RED Alert
THE MAGAZINE OF THE REDSTAR PILOTS ASSOCIATION
A special thanks to two professional aviation photographers who contributed their excellent images to
this issue.
Jessica Ambats - www.jessicaambats.com
Mark Loper - www.markeloper.com
Cover
Dee “Bones” Conger,
pulls his Yak-50 up
and over the top
while f lying over San
Diego's east county.
Photo by
Speedo
Fall 2013
www.flyredstar.org
5
T
he 2013 Colorado Rocky Mountain Airshow, on August 16th through the 18th, was a great success,
and some of our own RedStar pilots had the privilege of flying at this mile-high event. The Friday
evening airshow had eight of our pilots performing mass formation, top cover, for the many warbirds
that were featured in a low-level, race track fly-by for spectators to ooh and ahh about. The B-29 “Fifi,”
and a Bearcat, B-25, T-28s, T-6s, and L-29 were among the rare birds on display.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
AIRSHOW
The Colorado Yak Pak RedStar team members are: Lead, Joe “Felix” Wilkins, Mark “Navy” Davis, Dale
“Chip” Matuska, Mike “Blade” Filucci (flying KONG’s Yak-52), Keith “Flipper” Harbour, Jeff “Kringle”
Krings, Kurt “Big Bird” Muhle and Terry “Pumper” Calloway. What a great combo of aircraft, four Yaks
and four CJ-6s, all getting along just great!
© Donna Davis
The RedStars performed all thee days, and opened the show on Sunday, flying a 4-ship diamond, highlighted by a vic of three Yaks with
Bill “Dawg” Geipel’s L-29 in the slot! It wasn’t quite planned that way,
but a dead magneto left Navy on the ground at the last minute, so
Felix arranged for Dawg to under-run the Yak vic at warp eight for a
perfect TOT. After several opposing passes Dawg joined in the slot for
the photo pass.
I‘m proud to say that all our pilots proved once again that precision
flying and a safe outcome are only achieved by perseverance, practice
and professionalism! Although we had some mechanicals during the
event, we were always able to pull the magic rabbit out of the hat at
the last minute.
To loosen things up a bit, we had our Sunday morning service over
the Rocky Mountains with a 7-ship tail chase!
© Donna Davis
Left to right: Terry “Pumper” Calloway, Joe “Felix” Wilkins, Kurt “Big Bird”
Muhle, Mike “Blade” Filucci, Jeff “ Kringle” Krings, Keith “Flipper” Harbour,
Mark “Navy” Davis
66
Red
RedAlert
Alert Fall
Fall2013
2013
A big thank you to Scott “KONG” McMillan, the airshow director,
and his wife Zoe for their invitation to fly and support!
Joe "Felix" Wilkins
© Paul Gordon
www.flyredstar.org7 7
© Paul Gordon www.flyredstar.org
OSHKOSH 2013:
YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!
I
’m glad I was there. In many respects, it
was the best Oshkosh for me in 11 years.
Many things contributed to make this so.
Let me tell you about it.
The Weather
This was the best Oshkosh weather in 11
years! Every day, the low was 50°-55° F
and the high was 75°-80° F. The humidity
was about 40%, and it was dry every day,
except Wednesday. In the afternoon, the
ceiling lowered to 2500' and we got a brief
period of light rain. It lasted long enough
to cancel the T-6, 70th anniversary warbird show. However, it did clear quickly
enough for the f lip-f lop part of the show
to f ly. This was the first year Kim and I
had to run the heater in our trailer every
night! Rumor had it that there was not a
sweatshirt or windbreaker for sale in Wisconsin after Monday, the start of AirVenture! I even heard some folks calling this
year “Frostkosh!”
Cross Country to and from Oshkosh
Going up, I f lew three legs in two days.
Morning IFR delayed my start from
Boerne, TX until 1400. I f lew three hours
to Muskogee, OK, in beautiful, cool VFR
conditions. After refueling, I had two and
a half hours of daylight left, so I stopped
short on my second leg after a two hour
f light to Columbia, MO. The FBO was
open until 2300 and they treated me great!
They even put Furball II in a hangar for
the night! The Marriot had a free shuttle
and gave me a “darn nice guy” rate for the
night. The next day, Sunday, IFR conditions delayed me until 1200. I then f lew a
beautiful, three hour VFR leg to Oshkosh.
Coming home, I had to move my departure up to Sunday at 1630, after the last air
show. The reason was forecast rain, and
IFR conditions for Monday. I had gotten
treated so well in Columbia, MO, I f lew
three hours back to repeat my overnight
experience. Monday morning IFR conditions delayed my departure until 1230. I
8
Red Alert Fall 2013
f lew three hours to North Texas Regional,
again in beautiful VFR conditions. It was
104° F when I landed, and the ramp temperature had to be 120° F! By the time I
refueled, it was almost 1630 and still very
hot! I decided to spend the night, and
launch Tuesday morning in cooler temperatures. The FBO had a great deal with
a famous resort on Lake Texoma, so I took
it. The next morning, I left at 0800 when
it was only 83° F and f lew home in two
hours. Six stress-free legs in beautiful VFR
weather with very nice scenery!
Who Was There
We had a max of 21 aircraft on the ground.
Munchie brought four from the Southwest
Region, Pappy and Craig came up from
Florida, BJ and Shane brought four more
from the Southeast. Soprano and Tef lon
represented the NE Raiders. However, they
had to park their spam can in the North
40 with the other Bonanzas! John Shuttleworth brought six from the North Central
Region. We had one from the Northwest
region and five from the South Central
Region, with Flipper bringing four. It was
my distinct pleasure to hang out and f ly
with all these great guys and the wives
who came with them.
Air Shows
We f lew four Shows.
On Monday, seven of us f lew to Madison,
Wisconsin, for an outstanding lunch at
the local FBO diner. We then launched to
f ly the Warbird Arrival Show, including a
parade pass in front of the crowd.
On Tuesday, we launched 10 aircraft into
the second lowest block for our mass formation passes. We concluded the show
with a 500' AGL parade pass to recover
on runway 27 after under-f lying the T-6s
on initial for runway 27! The Boss prematurely cleared us for the pass, thereby,
once again proving the first rule of aviation—it’s always something! After we
parked, an EAA video crew rolled in on
Flipper like he was Prince William! For
over an hour, they interviewed him, shot
tons of video of Flipper and his CJ, including the chute over the shoulder, helmet in
hand, Top Gun swagger, exiting stage left!
Flipper informed us he is now charging $5
for his autograph!
On Friday, we launched 10 aircraft again
into the second lowest block. No parade
passes because it was a big pyro day with
Tora, Tora, Tora and lots of fighters in the
strafe pattern, and B-17s, a B-29, and B25s in the bombing pattern.
On Saturday, we launched six aircraft again
into the second lowest block. Since we had
so few aircraft, I decided to f ly a formation
allowing me to maneuver quickly at up to
30° of bank, and start the reverse turn
back along the show line, while still over
the crowd. I also added 360° turns over
show center and a six ship pitchout over
show center, using a two-second break interval. I kept the f light in a 360° turn for
two turns before signaling for the rejoin.
My objective was to make the show more
fun for the guys to f ly, let the crowd see
us more frequently, and let them see us do
more than straight and level passes. We
should see more of this next year.
Local Flying
On Thursday, John Shuttleworth led a
morning 12 ship mass formation to the
Waupaca, Wisconsin Veterans Home and
VA Hospital. About 350+ vets, plus family
and staff, saw the show. The staff even set
up closed circuit feeds into the home and
hospital for the folks who could not make
it outside. We did several passes in various formations with smoke and even had
a Yak-9 make passes in between our formation passes. After landing, we learned
that everybody who saw it was overjoyed
with the attention we gave the Vets, impressed with our formation f lying, and in
some cases, very emotional about getting
a dedicated show. When the other signatories heard about the event, they asked to
be included when we f ly it next year.
RPA Training
This year’s safety seminar focused on low
altitude aerobatics, the dangers of impromptu low altitude aerobatics, and how
to take care of your GIB. The experience
level of our group was extremely varied
across military, airline, and civilian f lying. The PowerPoint guided presentation
enabled everyone to share personal hohum as well as terrifying experiences. Everyone was able to add new tools to their
aviation tool box, hopefully enabling them
to better hone their judgment and f lying
skills in aerobatics and crew coordination.
Jill Hays from M-14, Inc gave a very informative briefing on the M-14 carburetor.
She covered its inner workings, its failure
modes, its overhaul schedule, turnaround
time, the rebuild kit, and the robustness
of the diaphragm. Check out Jill's article,
starting on page 26, about the care and
feeding of this very reliable, M-14 component.
He has been working on this for about two
years, and has two of them installed in
two different aircraft. He has one on his
CJ and one on Pappy’s CJ. He is still data
gathering and tweaking. When he gets it
perfected, we all may have another e-mag
option for improving the performance of
our engines. We will help Craig keep you
informed.
Membership Appreciation Night in the
Warbird Campground
For the last five years, for a $20 donation, warbird pilots and their friends have
been able to do an all-you-can-eat meal
on Tuesday through Saturday nights. This
year, it ran from Tuesday through Friday
night. This year was also the first RPA
night, and we knocked it out of the park by
presenting the Official RPA Trio, Letters
From Home (LFH). Erinn, Chelsea, and
Serah do a WWII show reminiscent of the
Andrews Sisters. Their vocals, dancing,
comedy, and crowd interaction are world
class, and I thank them for their AirVenture participation and enthusiastic RPA
endorsements! I am especially proud of
the RPA inspired LFH tagging trademark,
the Red Lipstick “Smackie.” The girls performed for almost an hour during our
membership night then were transported
to the USO Show in the re-enactor’s compound to do four enthusiastically received
songs! Over the next two days, they toured
the grounds doing impromptu concerts,
doing a show on the main stage on the
square, and appearing on the Jumbotron
during a warbird airshow. To view a video
of their Oshkosh participation, use this
YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=2Ns-T_lUIcY
Cavanaugh Display Area
On Friday, Warbirds of America asked
the RPA to display two aircraft from 0800
to 1300 hours, and provide pilots, if possible, to tell stories, answer questions, and
hand out RPA tri-folds to prospective new
members. John Shuttleworth and “Floater” Hill put their beautiful Yak-52TW and
CJ-6 on display. We also put a duty roster
together covering the time period. At approximately 0900, the girls from LFH arrived in their personal command car provided by the WWII re-enactors. Pictures
were taken, songs were sung, the crowd
grew bigger, and “Smackies” were handed
out. The RPA got some nice exposure in
this well-sited display area.
Warbirds in Review
For the second year in a row, the RPA was
featured in Warbirds in Review. On Sunday, from 1000-1100, Pappy and I were featured with his CJ and my Yak in this very
popular venue. The host asked questions
enabling us to showcase the RPA, wow the
crowd with our personal stories of avia-
Craig Payne, one of the RPA’s most inventive skunk works entrepreneurs, gave a
presentation on his version of an e-mag.
www.flyredstar.org
9
tion adventures, and highlight the joy (mostly) of
owning, maintaining, and f lying our unique Warbirds. We handed out many tri-folds and answered
many questions after we finished the presentation. I
was amazed at how many guys were shopping for a
warbird to buy. Many of them went away convinced
they needed a Yak or CJ.
New Dining Experiences
I was told by an EAA staffer that after last year, EAA
contracted with new food vendors for this year. The
objective was to increase the international variety
and improve the ambiance. They went with many established local and national restaurants and chains.
In the Warbird area, the Warbird Cafeteria was replaced with a national chain, Italian restaurant that
was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They put
up two tents, one for cooking, ordering, and serving,
Camp Ground with entertainment from our official RPA trio,
Letters From Home. And, we again showcased the RPA in the Cavanaugh Display Area and in Warbirds in Review. To make next
year even better, I want to get the RPA a spot on the AirVenture
radio show and entice more of you to attend by presenting you
with the air show and local f lying schedule and plan four to six
months in advance.
As I taxied out on Sunday to start for home, I felt a little more
melancholy than in years past. That told me that the excitement
and camaraderie of AirVenture 2013 was the best in 11 years and
I would miss it. However, the goal in front of us is to make 2014
even better.
Terry “Mags” Slawinski
and the other strictly for dining. It was complete
with art works, red and white, checkerboard table
cloths, mood lighting, and retractable walls. The
staff was from the local restaurants, and the food
was outstanding! It would seem that this change
resulted in a major improvement in the quality, variety, cost, and enjoyment of the AirVenture dining experience.
Summary
The weather was the single most important factor
in making this my best Oshkosh. Beautiful, VFR
f lights up and back from Texas, plus the outstanding week of weather made all my f lights spectacular. Working with my fellow RPA buddies and especially John Shuttleworth and his staff from the
North Central Region was exciting this year. We
added some new options to our air show participation. We added a new local sortie honoring our
veterans that will probably become a tradition. We
raised the bar on membership nights in Warbird
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Red Alert Fall 2013
North Central Events
August 17-18, Louisville, KY (KLOU)
John Casper hosts at one of the coolest hangers around.
Maybe some tactical formation with threat reaction—intel is
there will be aggressors!
Please RSVP with John at 502-222-0797
August 31-July 1, Marion, IN (KMZZ)
Marion Fly-in/Cruise-in—The Mega-Fly-In!
Marion Fly-in is Saturday, fun continues Saturday afternoon and
Sunday at Huntington, IN (KHHG)
Contact John Shuttleworth at 260-341-8749
September 7, Delaware, OH (KDLZ)
Delaware County Fly-in, north side of Columbus, OH
Jim Wilson’s (Who) home airport, let him know you are coming
at 614-595-1134
September 14-15, Clinton, IA (KCWI)
Full weekend of fun, lunch f ly-outs, dinner BBQ at airport
RSVP with Paul Kirik 309-781-0002
October 5-6, Elkhart, IN (KEKM)
Chuck Marshall’s Midwest Warbird Fly-in: games, f ly-outs, contests
T-6s, Stearmans, Redstars, Navions—it’s a hoot.
Contact John Shuttleworth 260-341-8739, or Chuck Marshall
574-320-2526
October 19-20, Huntington, IN (KHHG)
TP cut, tactical formation, museum f ly-outs, acro!
RSVP with John Shuttleworth 260-341-8749
November 9-10, Louisville, KY—back at John Casper’s
Fun f lying, river runs, maybe f ly-out to Lee Bottom
Contact John Casper at 502-222-0797
Call Tom ‘TJ’ Johnson
@ 866 475-9199
[email protected]
www.flyredstar.org
11
Truckee˜Tahoe Airfair
By Kirk "T-Pot" Heiser, with photos by Mark Loper
Bill Cornick f lying his S-2C, and the Bay
Bombers Squadron in their CJ-6s, demonstrating precision formation f lying to
the crowds below. The featured speaker
for the show, and the Grand Marshall,
was Clarence Bud Anderson, Triple Ace,
WWII fighter pilot. I had the honor of
speaking with him and was in awe just being in this presence. He is a true American
hero and is extremely humble with all his
accomplishments. I asked him if he would
consider signing my plane and without
hesitation he replied that it would be his
honor. Colonel Anderson is a class act and
a true gentleman.
From a pilot’s standpoint, what makes f lying in the Truckee Air show most unique
is the airport elevation of almost 6,000'.
Combined with the high summer temperatures, it’s not unusual to see density altitudes that can easily reach 10,000'.
Flying formation
at these density
altitudes tests the
limits of both plane
and pilot, because
of sluggish control
responses and reduced overall performance.
N
estled in the high forested mountains
of the Sierras is the town of Truckee,
an old timber town that has retained its
early nineteenth century charm. Starting
in the 1970s, Truckee held its first annual
Truckee/Tahoe Air Show and Family Festival. This year the festivities took place
on July 6th with attendance of around
15,000. Approximately 70% of the attendees were locals, demonstrating the strong
community support and interest in aviation. Performers included Melissa Timberton f lying in her Edge-540 aircraft,
Rich Perkins f lying his L-39 Albatros jet,
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Red Alert Fall 2013
Tr u c k e e -Ta h o e
Airport (KTRK),
sits at the bottom
of a bowl ringed by
nat u r a l ly-for me d
mountains, located roughly six miles
north of Lake Tahoe, in the Martis Valley.
To the west is the Granite Chief wilderness area, with peaks rising up to 9,000’,
which includes Squaw Valley, and Donner
Pass—named after the tragic events of the
Donner party. To the east is Mount Rose
range, which reaches up to 10,778’. When
word got out that we were asked by the
Truckee air show committee to perform
for a second year in a row, it didn’t take
long to get a thumbs up from Brian “Ziggy” Neunzig, John “Lost” Long, Kurt “IT”
Howerton and me.
In preparation for this air show, we ad-
justed our practice to 10,000’ AGL, weeks
prior to the event, to simulate the density
altitude we would experience. Most pilots
have experienced high density altitude,
however, very few non-military pilots have
f lown formation at those altitudes. If that
doesn’t make you pucker, how about adding in some typical afternoon 14-21 knot
gusty winds. The surrounding mountains
create unpredictable turbulence, making
f lying formation an above-average challenge.
By now you are probably wondering what
pilot in their right mind would want to f ly
in this event? The answer is a simple one,
it truly is a lot of fun and the enthusiasm
from the Truckee community is apparent and really appreciated. Although we
were all offered compted hotel rooms in
the area, my wife, Diane, and I offered to
IT arrives on the scene
host the pilots and their wives at our rustic
cabin, referred to as “Shivering Timbers,”
located on the Truckee River. The Truckee River is the outf low from Lake Tahoe,
and runs north along a scenic valley to the
town of Truckee, then on into Reno, then
continuing for 121 miles before emptying into Pyramid Lake, in the Great Basin area. Shivering Timbers is surrounded
by aspen, sugar pines, and national forest,
which makes it possible for our guests to
have a nice, relaxing weekend of not just
f lying, but enjoying the river and putting our wine selection to the test. One
T-Pot looks on while WW II triple ace, Bud Anderson, signs his CJ-6
of our many favorite traditions is to take
our guests on a butt bumping, exhilarating tube ride down the Truckee River. You
cannot help but feel a sense of awe as you
look up at the granite cliffs surrounded by
majestic sugar pines as you f loat by. It’s
easy to see why this river is one of the major natural attractions in the Lake Tahoe
area.
After an hour and 50 minute tube ride, it
was clear that the 62 degree water was taking its toll on the group. Turning the final
bend in the river, we were greeted by my
smiling wife Diane with camera in hand
to document our survival. Then there was
a mad dash to be the first in the hot tub.
With the wine and beer f lowing, the harrowing river ride stories of the cold water
and rapids became a hazy memory. As if
on cue, Blitz “Pimp Daddy” Fox showed
up in his preppy pink polo shirt, Topsiders, and panama to deliver parts for his
and Brian’s CJ. The libations continued
to f low and f low while they were sitting
in the hot tub, trying to analyze the mechanical problems that prevented Brian
from f lying in the show (it turned out to
be a bad coil).
Words of wisdom: Practice high altitude
formation f lying ahead of time, know
your aircraft’s performance, as well as
your ability to f ly formation under these
unique conditions.
Know the surrounding topography well,
especially how the
up and down drafts
are affected, depending on wind
directions specific
to the micro-climate of that airport. Most
importantly, choose your fellow pilots
carefully, based on their ability to navigate
rapids in a tube and withstand cold water.
Last but not least, they should be teetotalers so they don’t empty your wine cabinet.
Left to right: Kurt "IT" Howerton, Kirk "T-Pot"
Heiser, Bud Anderson, John "Lost" Long, and
Brian "Ziggy" Neunzig
The crew prepares to risk life and limb on the rapids of the mighty Truckee River
www.flyredstar.org
13
Newbies
Zach Reeder
I grew up in east Texas and learned how to fly from my Dad in a Super Cub
flying off of the grass strip in his cow pasture. I moved to California eight
years ago and I work as an aerospace engineer at Scaled Composites in
Mojave, CA. I restored Burt Rutan’s Catbird and I also fly an RV-8 that I
built three years ago. Prior to All Red Star I’d been working on my formation skills with Scott Glaser. I have been training for my wing card for two
or three months prior to All Red Star and would like to thank Scott for
being my instructor and working with us desert rats.
Steve Bilson
I was born on Nellis AFB to a Mig-killing air combat instructor. Since my
first loop in a USAF T-33 in 1973, it’s been my dream to own a jet fighter.
Fast forward decades, a family of five, my water recycling company coming of age, the usual assortment of droning prop planes, some aerobatics, and a G1000 instrument ticket under my belt, the last thing remaining
on my bucket list is that ear splitting, positive thrust to weight ratio, head
spinning post-cold war kerosene burner.
The Yak 52 has everything I need for now; durability, hard aerobatic training capabilities, and a realistic transition path. Learning formation flying
has been my challenge. What I hadn’t banked on was the help and camaraderie of the RPA. The depth of some RPA member’s aviation wisdom is
inspiring and most of it’s even true. I haven’t felt this “at home” since my
grandfather awed young me ages ago with tales of barnstorming in his
surplus Jenny.
Tony Ginn
I was born into an aviation family (my Grandfather was Exec VP at Continental Motors and at one time led the Aircraft Division; my Dad was a
USAF Pilot and then an Aeronautical Engineer), I was very young when
I started flying in the family plane and soloed gliders at the age of 14.
We did a frame-up rebuild of an Aeronca 7AC that I was able to solo on
my 16th birthday. Got my Private Certificate at 17 and took that Champ
on a 3 ½ week trip to Oshkosh that same year. Bad eyeballs dictated no
military flying for me, so I got my Electronics Engineering Degree at Cal
Poly, San Luis Obispo on California’s Central Coast and put it to work as
an Avionics Engineer & Flight Test Engineer at Edwards AFB. I built and
test flew my first airplane, a Thorp T-18, at age 28 and have since acquired
several more classic taildraggers. I’m now finishing a total restoration of
a ’68 Cessna 180H so I can travel and back-country camp in-style with my
wonderful wife and 2 kids. We live on the Rosamond Skypark and enjoy
flying as often as possible.
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Red Alert Fall 2013
Marian Harris & Ross Ferguson
Marian Harris grew up in California, and works in the software industry
in the Bay Area. She’s always loved flying, and started learning as a kid
in her dad’s 172, then 182, and later was able to hold the yoke in a twin
Baron—but mostly just got to look for traffic, once the Baron showed up.
She finally got around to getting a license, and aspires to one day replace
her ‘mighty Cessna 150’ with her own Yak, but in the mean time, is happy
to mooch rides and training in Ross Ferguson’s Yak 52.
When he was 18, Ross Ferguson learned to fly at Boeing Field in Seattle,
and was hooked. After gaining his CFI, he paid his way through college
instructing and operating a banner towing business before going to
work for the airlines. He’s currently a pilot for Southern Air and recently
got back into general aviation when he bought a Yak-52. His goals are to
learn formation flying, aerobatics and fly with friends.
Old Hands
Jon “Saber” Blake
Jon began flying at age 14 and has logged over 7000 hours in a variety
of civil and military aircraft. Jon flew Scout and Attack helicopters for 23
Years with the US Army and is proud to be known as a “Cavalryman.” He
now flies a beautiful Nanchang CJ-6 and is very active in the RPA Southeastern Region, flying with both the Red Thunder Airshow Team and the
Red Dragons Aerial Demonstration Team. Jon holds undergraduate and
graduate degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and calls
Fort Rucker, Alabama his home, where he lives with his son, Warner.
Mike “Fruitbat” Elrod
Mike began his flying career when he was 18 years old, and has logged
more than 3100 hours in a variety of civilian and military aircraft. As a
fighter pilot, Mike flew F/A-18 Hornets, and then later, as an instructor
pilot, he flew the T-45 Goshawks for the Navy. Mike holds several type
ratings, including the Gulfstream G-5, and the Boeing 737. He now flies a
Nanchang CJ-6, number 68, with the “digital” paint scheme. Mike earned
a Bachelor of Science degree from Embry Riddle, and is currently enrolled
in the Navy Post Graduate School executive MBA program. He lives in
Pensacola, Florida with his wife, Tara, and three, lovely daughters.
www.flyredstar.org
15
All RedStar 2013
By Duke “Maddawg” Molter, Southwestern Check Pilot [email protected]
O
B
S
E
R
V
A
T
I
O
N
S
16
16
I
started thinking about this article a couple of months
prior to April’s 2013 All RedStar event in Porterville CA.
I recalled some areas of concern last year, and I wanted to
see if there had been any changes, additions, or corrections.
My biggest concern had to do with sectionalism—localism
regarding standardization within our RedStar Pilots Association. Last year revealed the fact that our benchmark
formation manual had been interpreted into several languages throughout the country. Yes, sitting in on some
of the pref light briefings was like listening to a regional
dialect. Our “homies” actually rewrote certain portions of
the manual for their convenience, and adapted their new
procedures into their daily f lying ritual.
This year I found less glaring deviations from the manual, however, (there is ALWAYS a however) the departures
seemed to be less prevalent and less dramatic. With the
advent of our newly written and edited formation manual,
I feel next year will bring even better conformance to standard f lying practices.
Flying the aircraft, and staying within the formation parameters seemed safer, more uniform and in concurrence
with the manual. The pilots seem to be getting more experienced and the instruction and checking appears to be more
uniform. That is not to say that there were no deviations, I
wish that were so. One possibility for the fact that we saw
fewer deviations could be that it was predominantly a West
Coast event, drawing the majority of the pilots from this
area. Over the past several years, here on the west coast,
we have been requesting that Leads, instructors, and check
pilots teach “the book,” leaving out the local f lavor.
One of the biggest areas of weakness happens to be with
radio procedures. It is extremely important, when operating in an area with multiple formations of varying size and
names, that book procedures be followed. Losing a member
of the f light to another frequency can not only be disruptive, it can be downright unsafe. I will not go into standard
comm procedures, as they are encompassed in the manual.
It is incumbent on all Leads to brief and f ly their sorties
using standard protocols—no deviations from the standard should be accepted. When I f ly with pilots from other
areas, I want it to be a seamless transition—we should all
be operating from the same page. If I go East I want to
meld into their f lights with no deviations from the standard. It is the SAFE way to f ly. If you are f lying as a wingman and your Lead has not briefed proper procedures, it is
incumbent on you to bring up the point and have it safely,
Red Alert
Alert Fall
Fall 2013
2013
Red
and thoroughly briefed. To this day, we still have bad days
on the radio. I was f lying Lead in a 2-ship the other day
and, sure enough, #2 did not adhere to briefed procedures
and wound up on another frequency. Knowing the “book”
solution, I gestured the proper hand signal to my wingman
and all was solved. Simplicity, brevity and proper procedures keep the f light safe.
As a side note, we have a small group of pilots represented
in the Tehachapi, California area. Scott “Gomez” Glaser
has taken it upon himself to train “his” pilots. They f ly
funny-looking, little aircraft, so small I had a stiff neck
after giving a recommendation ride. I must say, Gomez
has gone by the book, and these guys did a great job and
added a lot to the All RedStar event. Scott is a firm believer
in teaching by the book, and it is evident in his students’
performance. Though we are in different geographical areas, we still have ONE formation manual that provides our
standard operating practices.
With the advent of having more signatories represented at
our events, it is even more incumbent on our f light leaders
to thoroughly brief the sorties. Dissimilar aircraft can lead
to interesting f lights, to say the least. Leads must incorporate performance differences, along with specific aircraft
limitations, into the brief. Imagine two T-34s, a CJ-6, and
a Lancair in the same formation. You just don’t light’em
up and f ly’em. There is much to be covered in detail. Also,
remember other signatories have their own manuals. Yes,
we encourage the world to use our RPA formation manual,
however, not all f ly by our book. Therefore, it is critically
important that everyone in the formation is speaking the
same language.
As I had mentioned earlier, the RedStar Pilots Association,
through its standardization group and check pilots have
edited and rewritten our formation manual. I recommend
that all members upgrade to the new edition. It has been
simplified in many areas and is now divided into “Fundamentals” and “Advanced” sections. It will be available for
sale through our online RPA store and available for free
download on our website.
I am looking forward to f lying with as many of you as the
future will bring.
Study hard, standardize and FLY SAFE.
MADDAWG
MYTHS
E X P L O D E D. . . NO 371
“Yak fuel tanks only hold 15 gallons so that trainee
pilots could not escape from Russia....”
Absolute rubbish apparently,
according to Mr Gennady Elfimov,
Russian CPL and professional
aerobatic instructor. He is a
graduate of Moscow Aviation
Institute, worked for seven
years with the Flight Research
Institute and was Senior Flying
Instructor on the Yak 52. Trained
originally by DOSAAF - the civil
Flight Training entity of the USSR.,
he was a member of the Moscow
aerobatic team and competed in
national aerobatic competitions
for five years.
He explains: “The fuel capacity of
the Yak 52 is designed for its role
as a trainer.” DOSAAF training
flights were never intended to be
longer than an hour. Additionally,
since General Aviation did not
exist in USSR, any aircraft in the air
would be Aeroflot ( civil / transport ),
Russian Air Force, or DOSAAF. To
this end, three separate forms were
required for every flight. Any airplane
taking off without the required paperwork would be in serious trouble.
Each night after DOSAAF flying
ended, the canopies were secured
with a locking bar, and the batteries
were removed. If there were ways to
‘emigrate’ during that era, taking a
Yak 52 was not one of them.
Gennady also described several
details about day-to-day DOSAAF
operations. The airframe times were
recorded by an individual provided
with 32X binoculars, atop a raised
platform, often improvised in the
back of a truck.
The times of takeoff and landing
were noted for each aircraft.
Also to simplify record keeping
of where each plane was in the
circuit, a rope was arranged to
model their flight path around
the four legs of the circuit. Ablebodied cadets holding either a
red or blue bat ( for Solo or
Dual) would move solemnly
around the rope circuit
duplicating the location of each
individual Yak - thereby providing
the Airboss with the necessary
situational awareness.
John Warwick
Gennady Elfimov is the owner of
Skytrace UK - Yak 52 Type
Conversion and Safety Training
( http://www.skytrace.co.uk)
www.flyredstar.org
17
Wings Over Vines
Santa Rosa, CA
M
y wife Mary giggled with delight as
she unzipped the gift tote bag at Sonoma Jet Center revealing two bottles of
Bay Bombers Squadron private label wine,
Sees chocolates and maps and pamphlets
extolling the wine country. Even a fancy
pen, corkscrew and decorative cork to
keep an opened bottle fresh were included. The promise of an RPA event for wives
and girl friends was about to be kept.
Soon, Ron Lee and Betsy Brittenham taxied
in, followed by Stephanie and “Frito” Friedt
along with Karla and Craig McCully. When
the sun set, eight CJs were on the ramp,
including Dick Hoss’ and Dan and Sharon
Feeney’s from the San Diego area. The next
day Kevin Walker brought his L-39, followed
by the CJ’s of Dawn and Kurt Howerton and
Mike Miller with his brother-in-law John.
Tanya and Vladimir Yastremski drove up
from San Diego, and Skip Slyfield, fresh from
10 days of transoceanic 777 flying, made it in
time Friday’s wine tour.
Thursday night, only Sonoma could offer up a
pizza joint like Rosso Pizzeria and Wine Bar.
When I asked for a glass of Merlot for Mary,
a rather disdainful waitress explained, “Ah,
we don’t have that among our 100 wines.”
Clearly, the owner was a fan of the 2004 film,
Sideways. “If they’re serving Merlot, I’m not
going,” complained Paul Giamatti’s wine snob
character, Miles Raymond. Irrespective of
being rebuffed, the other wines and pizza in
abundance were spectacular.
Friday dawned brightly, free of fog. By 1000,
the hot air balloons drifting down the Valley
18
Red Alert Fall 2013
had landed and “Ziggy” Neunzig, noted local
wine expert, briefed and launched a nine-ship
for the low-level tour of the Sonoma and Napa
Valley vineyards. Once airborne, the plan
called for all to extend in loose trail, allowing
everyone to admire the countryside while still
keeping an eye on the aircraft immediately
ahead.
By 1130, we were all
back on the tarmac
in time for a quick
shower and change
of clothes to meet
our luxury winery
tour bus. Within
20 minutes, we
were delivered to
the imposing front
steps of Francis Ford
Coppola’s
winery
for lunch. To say
“lunch,” demeans the quality of the food, and
what is far more of a destination resort and
film museum than simply a winery. I braced
myself for a big tab, but was delighted to find
both a reasonably priced menu and wine list.
Mary enjoyed her Merlot, Skip and I shared a
light, slightly grassy, bottle of Sauvignon Blanc
at, (can you believe it?), $16 per bottle - the
By Byron “ Elton” Fox
perfect choice for a warm day, while admiring
the vineyards. Before the glow could wane,
we were whisked to small, family-owned
Mauritson Winery in the nearby Rockpile
appellation straddling arms of Lake Sonoma.
A charming daughter-in-law led us through
a private tasting of their whites and reds
from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to
Zinfandel and Petit Sirah. After a final stop
at Rodney Strong Winery, we rolled up to our
hotel with time for a nap, or a little more wine
tasting at the lobby bar. An elegant dinner
followed at the renowned Vintners Inn.
Forecasted fog on Saturday morning
gratefully pushed the 0800 brief to 0900.
Phoenix CJ owner, Rich Tichacek appeared
along with Jeff Coffman. Rich was flying right
seat for Jeff ’s jet-owning employer who was
here for the weekend. After hearing about
our intended low-level San Francisco Bay
tour, they suggested it would be more fun for
them to lead the formation with their owner’s
beautifully restored DC-3 that was hangared
on the field.
“We do Bay tours all the time,” Jeff offered.
“Also, I think I can talk Norcal Approach into
letting us go through Vice President Biden’s
TRF over the city.” Without belaboring the
details, after a morning of training and lunch,
we formed-up 5 miles south of the airport at
1,500’ – a three-ship on either wing. Several
of the group and wives relaxed aboard the
Dakota’s soft, dove gray leather seats for the
flight.
We flew south along Marin’s shoreline past the
old Hamilton AFB, where WWII ace Richard
Bong had been grounded for consecutively
looping the Golden Gate Bridge in his P-38
in1942; then past Tiburon’s former Net Depot
where seven-mile anti-submarine nets, designed to be stretched across
the Golden Gate, were built and maintained during the war.
Sadly, a fickle finger of fog streamed through The Gate and over the
city, blocking our way irrespective of the VP’s TFR. Jeff and Rich then
swung us west and up the Pacific coastline to circle three magnificent,
gold leaf veneered, Buddhist temples atop Copper Mountain on the
Sonoma Coast. We loitered a bit after the DC-3 pealed away for home,
and then followed on in.
The Glen Ellen Inn offered up yet another gourmet dinner served el
fresco. It was a very fitting finale. Kirk “T-Pot” Heiser and his lovely
wife, Diane, labored for weeks over every minute detail to make Wings
Over Vines a wonderful experience for everyone. As a fitting tribute,
we rendered Kirk the T-Pot Salute.
The infamous T-Pot salute
Kirk & Diane Heiser
“Soon after the event I got a call, followed by a lengthy email
from Roger J. Sherron III. In his touching and heartfelt note,
he explained how his recently deceased father once f lew DC-3s
during his 37 years with Pan American Airways. He went on to
explain that the sight of the DC-3, escorted by CJs, f lying over
his house brought back fond memories of his father. I shared his
email with all the pilots who attended the Wings over Vines and
all of us were greatly moved my his story.”
Kirk Heiser
www.flyredstar.org
19
Mike “Pipes” & Gil “NAF
20
20
Red Alert
Alert Fall
Fall 2013
2013
Red
FOD” Lipaz’s Nanchang
Manufacturer : Nanchang (1966)
Model: CJ-6A
Engine: Housai
Prop: Standard Nanchang
Misc Upgrades:
Automotive Ignition
Garmin 596 GPS
Smoking Airplanes Smoke System
Photo by: Jessica Ambats
www.flyredstar.org
www.flyredstar.org
21
21
THERE ARE MANY DOWNSIDES TO BUYING A WARBIRD
THOSE WHO OVERLOOK THE PRE-BUY INSPECTION EXPERIENCE THE MOST HEINOUS
PREBUY
THESE ARE THEIR STORIES
By Vladimir Yastremski [email protected]
Y
our first warbird is not going to be a
trivial purchase. Some people may have
been building up to this their whole lives.
So good situational awareness about what
you are getting into would seem to make
sense. As Vladimir Yastremski writes,
however, it’s a detail that, all too often,
seems to vaporize at the last minute.
Here’s how it’s meant to work. The guy
selling the plane wants $X for it. You’d
like to pay something less than $X, so you
hire your pre-buy mechanic to inspect it
for you. He will charge $Y for his services,
(so the price has already gone up) but he
will find discrepancies that will cost the
new owner $Z to fix.
You then explain this to the seller: His
price of $X has to drop by $Z, (the cost
to make things right) whether I buy it, or
anyone else does. And I’m standing here
– a live customer, ready to go. With the
compelling testimony of an experienced
mechanic, the conversation rises above
mere bickering between buyer and seller
and you should be closer to the real value
of the machine than you were without a
pre-buy inspection. (Sellers have f latly refused on the spot, - but then called back
one hour later, ready to deal.)
22
Red Alert Fall 2013
You’re never going to get away with NOT
spending $Z, because your mechanic told
you it needs to be taken care of sooner
or later. You’re just giving it to a different person. Viewed that way, the money
just ends up on different balance sheets:
you pay the Seller less, but incur a maintenance cost you’ll have to pay later. So
what’s so hard to understand about that?
Plenty, it would seem, from the stories I
see played out time after time.
Customer A: “My wife already hated the
nose art. The plane was across the other
side of the country. Flying Vlad across,
PLUS a pre-buy would have upped the acquisition cost out of sight. The deal would
have been dead in the water. And I really
liked the paint….So I made a few phone
calls to a buddy about stuff I could see….”
The result: the customer negotiated about
7% down from the asking price, and paid
about 10% more than the plane was worth.
Once it was home he had to pay for all new
hoses, a leak in each fuel tank, one bad
magneto, one really low cylinder and another with a damaged valve guide. There
was evidence that the engine had got very
hot on several occasions.
Customer B: “My excuse is I trusted some
guys who were getting out of the warbird
scene. I didn’t realize they had nothing to
lose by assuring me everything was ok on
that beautiful Russian rebuilt 1983 Yak 52.
Of course their American mechanic thought
everything was ok. 260 hours on a Russian “zero” time engine, 920 hours TT on
the airframe, maintained by him. Despite
shopping for months, I simply didn’t know
enough. When the owner finally and reluctantly offered to split a pre-buy inspection
by Vladimir, he kept a straight face like
good poker players do, and I thought everything must be ok and it would just needlessly drive my cost up, so I passed.”
What could possibly go wrong? So, off to
All RedStar—the customer’s first 4-ship
f light, where to his dismay, he found the
gear wouldn’t retract. It soon came down
to my shop and among other things I
found a cable cutting through a fuselage
former because of incorrect installation
of the reserve fuel tank. At this point the
customer just didn’t want any more skeletons in the closet. With 26 items needing
to be fixed and a bill just short of $11K it
was safe to f ly! Then a week later, his engine needed a #6 cylinder and some other
repairs. Had he discovered all of that up
YSAIR LLC
front, he could have saved about $7,000 in
negotiations with the seller.
But there are as many upbeat stories too.
One customer had their eyes on a Sukhoi
26 in the bay area. Sometimes this seems
like a small world, because upon inspecting it, I had a feeling I had worked on the
plane before. A quick look in the logbooks
confirmed it, but brought up another
question. Had it just been sitting, not been
f lown or run for a long time? This was
confirmed with a borescope. The Sukhoi
had sat for 10 years. The rust inside the
engine wasworth a $20K downward negotiation for the buyer.
Vladimir Yastremski
(619) 379-1860
[email protected]
Parts, Maintenance and Pre-Buy inspections....
for Yakovlev, Sukhoi and Nanchang.
Maybe brand new planes don’t need a
pre-buy, but most of the planes in North
America aren’t new, they just change owners, and they never get better, just older there are ALWAYS glitches.
There is at least one customer who is glad
they got a pre-buy when purchasing a
‘new’ rebuilt 52 from Lithuania….!
Certificate of Formation Qualification
You might ask, “what if my pre-buy discovers something that disqualifies the
plane completely? I am down $1200-$1600
and no closer to owning.”
Presented By The RedStar Pilots Association To:
____________________________
In recognition of the successful completion of the prescribed course of
formation training as required by the RedStar Pilots Association and the
Formation And Safety Team (FAST)
The fact is that most customers are mentally committed to buying a particular
aircraft by the time they contact me for a
pre-buy, so it is very rare that they back
out of the deal.
Aircraft Make, Model and Registration Number:
______________________________________________________
Recorded on this ______ day of __________ in the year __________
I have assisted customers in the past by
interviewing the seller by phone—before
travelling to see the plane, but no longer.
The reports are always glowing, and no
substitute for a really good look.
One last thought. Pick a mechanic for your
pre-buy who you would like to use for ongoing maintenance. It’s the beginning of
an important trust relationship. Nothing
boils a mechanics blood faster than packing a bag to f ly across country for a prebuy and to get a last minute phone call
saying it has been cancelled.
As well as being just good old common
sense, a Pre-Buy provides peace of mind.
__________________________________
Qualifying Pilot
Congratulations
__________________________________
Check Pilot
to our pilots who have achieved
formation qualification
Wingman
Mike DeCanio7/27/2013
Stephen Tupper8/23/2013
Christian Felton8/23/2013
Flight Leader
Edwin Curry6/5/2013
Tell a friend.
www.flyredstar.org
23
By Steve Bilson
A
t one large, recent assembly of Yak and CJ pilots, an offer
was made by a former military pilot who’d taught unusual
attitude recoveries in the Navy, and who has hundreds of hours
in his Nanchang—to give anyone wanting it, a free course in unusual attitude recoveries. Only one person stood up and accepted
the offer. This article is to brief ly explain why that lonely number
is unacceptable.
Since buying my Yak-52 as my Christmas present last year, I have
sought out several training experiences. First, there was a threeday checkout where I was exposed to SOPs, and the usual, unusual attitude recoveries, and some aerobatics. Then there were
some interesting formation clinics, and the requisite debriefs.
And then there was a week with former DOSAAF demonstration
pilot, instructor, and Yak expert, Gennady Elfimov.
f ly with him twice a day for a week, in our own
planes. The first thing Gena did after shaking
hands was to examine each Yak thoroughly.
Nothing escaped his inspection. His banging
under our planes was noticeably loud. Two out
of three of our very nice planes needed a touch
of minor TLC before they could even take to
the air. Once in the air, we went inverted and
the shaking began. It’s amazing how much FOD
comes loose from even an “aerobatic plane”
when you give it a prolonged inverted thrashing. The takeaway is
that real aerobatic planes are methodically kept FOD free.
With safe airplanes to f ly, we began our instruction. Not in the
humpty bumps and Lomcevaks we all wanted to experience, but
with simple maneuvers we all thought we knew so well. Stalls
were for feeling the buffet. Stalls were then turned into parachute
descents, where the object was to hold the plane f lat in the buffet
and not let it recover or spin. You were forced to use ailerons and
rudder and anticipate the plane’s movement to say upright. Once
you could make it fall a couple thousand feet, right-side up, you
went on to spins.
His videos from training sessions all over Europe are on the internet, and his trademark reverse half Cuban eight landings are
legendary. But, what you can’t discern from the videos are his
training methods. It was right out of DOSAAF’s handbook, but
in English with a British accent, customized to individual pilot
needs, interspersed with real stories of aviators who did things
well or not, and why. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes sobering,
but always highly educational.
Two other relatively new Yak-52 owners, John Warwick and
Brandon Webb, joined with me to split “Gena’s” fee and the cost
of bringing him to Gillespie Field in San Diego, so we could each
Steve in inverted spin
Brandon hanging in the straps
Reduce power, bring the nose up, slight rudder to control spin
direction, feel the buffet, full in-spin rudder, and spin. We’ve all
done it before. After ¾ turn, it’s: Opposite! Forward! Neutral!
(full opposite rudder, full forward stick, neutralize the stick and
rudder). If you only got it 99% correct—say, you were leaning a
bit into your harness after neutral, indicating you were slightly
late neutralizing the stick, then you did it again until you got it
100% correct. There was a reason for this exactness—certainty.
You aren’t safe with uncertainty. Once you perfected spins to
the right, you spun to the left. Then you switched up directions
randomly. Once you could do either direction 100% correctly on
command, you did two spins. Not two and a quarter, not one and
three quarters. You get it.
Flat spins were entered from the ubiquitous Hammerhead, as
that’s where you’re going to see them most often. They’re easy to
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Red Alert Fall 2013
get into, and you can get out of them if you use the right method. Full opposite rudder, full in-spin and full forward aileron,
and once it finally stops spinning (patience), neutralize the controls, then pull up. With a light front seat pilot like myself, and a
heavier pilot in the rear, contrary to what’s in the design bureau’s
manual, my Yak will not come out of a f lat spin by full opposite
rudder and merely pushing the stick full forward—it must be in
the full in-spin and full forward position. And my Yak is not unusual. That’s no biggie, unless you don’t know that.
Tight turns were tightened until they “f licked,” i.e., snapped.
You never knew which way it would break. Right, tight turns
with right and left f licks. Left, tight turns with right and left
f licks. Power off! Deal with it. Now try that tightening turn with
a climb factor thrown in and see what happens to the f lick. You
never knew what it was going to do. Power off! Deal with it.
Inverted spins, the first I’d ever done, were as easy to get out of as
regular spins, if you recognize them for what they are. The plane
is spinning but there’s no sky out the canopy for a horizon check.
Yes, it is confusing at first. The recovery is almost identical to an
upright spin, Opposite! Back! Neutral! Do it over and over until
it’s as comfortable as upright spins.
Towards the end of the week, I had the certainty that I could get
myself out of anything, and my polite but firm instructor then
started me down that path towards those crazy Lomcevaks. It
might take awhile, but I won’t kill myself in the meantime. It’s
the least I can do for my wife and three kids.
If you think pulling five Gs while cranking to get on Lead’s six
in ACM can’t result in the same kind of violent departure from
controlled f light that we deliberately experienced over the serenity of El Capitan lake at 7,000’ during practice, then there might
be a thrilling lesson in store for you. Maybe we’ll all read about
you in some future edition of Red Alert.
And that, my friends, is why there should be more volunteers
the next time a highly qualified instructor offers a free course in
unusual attitude recoveries.
Left to right: Steve Bilson, Brandon “AWOL” Webb, Gennady Elfimov,
and John “Loo” Warwick
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25
aircraft systems
AK-14P Carburetor 101
By Jill Gernetzke [email protected]
T
he AK-14P carburetor is the most complex accessory on the
M-14P engine. It is a finely-engineered piece of equipment
and occasionally, there is a need to adjust it. An adjustment may
lead to tail-chasing, if one does not have a rudimentary understanding of how the carburetor works. (Hint: The M-14P Maintenance Manual is a good place to start acquiring this knowledge.)
The AK-14P is a pressure carburetor. Use of the pressure carburetor is not as prevalent today as it was in WWII. Unlike a f loattype carburetor that uses a f loat and needle valve to regulate fuel
level, the pressure carburetor uses a closed system—it receives
its fuel under pressure from the engine driven fuel pump. Some
benefits to operating an AK-14P carburetor, as opposed to a f loattype carburetor, are less susceptibility to carburetor ice, it works
in any attitude, and it has an automatic mixture control.
There are five major components to the AK-14P carburetor:
1. Pressure Regulator
3. Mechanical Accelerator Pump
The chamber surrounding the main metering needle is filled
with fuel (see green circle, opposite page) when the throttle is
cycled, the spring and piston will force additional fuel through
the needle at a higher pressure.
4. Pneumatic (Secondary) Accelerator Pump
This pump is located at the top and rear part of the transition
piece between the carburetor and the engine case. Its main components are a spring, diaphragm, and a valve. The valve regulates
the rate of fuel f low through the accelerator pump bleed. If the
throttle is quickly advanced (e.g. final approach), the increase in
manifold pressure will cause the diaphragm to move and open
the valve, adding fuel. When the air pressure comes close to
equalization, the spring closes the valve. The air jet, or bleed,
facilitates this equalization process. The secondary (pneumatic) accelerator pump operates off of the fuel feed from the fuel
pump. It is necessary in very cold weather, but will cause a rich
hesitation in warm weather if the throttle is advanced quickly.
The main parts of the pressure regulator are the regulating arm
or lever, diaphragm, and needle valve. As impact air enters the
eight ram air tubes, it enters a chamber on the back side of the
diaphragm causing it to expand. This expansion actuates the
spring-loaded regulating arm, opening the needle valve, and allowing pressurized fuel to f low. You will not get fuel f low without
ram air entering the carburetor, except through operation of the
throttle-controlled mechanical accelerator pump, if the chamber
is full of fuel.
2. Metering System and Throttle Linkage
The main metering (or cruise mixture) needle and the throttle/
butterf ly linkage work in unisonW to control the airf low and the
fuel/air mixture. The main metering needle has a series of drilled
holes that change position relative to a series of comparable holes
in the cross tube in the carburetor body. This adjustment regulates the fuel-air mixture, and improves fuel atomization, except
at full throttle. This is the slotted screw on the back of the carburetor. One click corresponds to 0.08mm change in the needle
position, independent of the throttle butterf ly.
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Red Alert Fall 2013
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5. Automatic Mixture Control
During a climb configuration, the automatic mixture control occurs as the aneroid or the accordion-looking part, expands. The
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aneroid is similar to a barometer in its sensitivity to air pressure,
and is only slightly sensitive to temperature. The needle valve
also moves in the bushing with the three O-rings on its shaft
(see photo, above). If you look closely at the picture, there is a
machined slot that regulates the amount of fuel coming from the
pressure regulator. The spring allows for the smooth operation of
the valve in the opposite direction. The automatic mixture control continues to lean up to 20,000 feet.
Housai Carburetor
The carburetor on the stock Nanchang engine differs from the
AK-14P in that it has a manual mixture control, different sized
jets, a different size venturi, and an aluminum body.
A rumor mill abounds that there is a shortage of AK-14P carburetors. While it is true that the factory in Perm, Russia, no
longer manufactures them, there is not a need for grave concern.
The Russians designed this carburetor so that the wear parts of
the carburetor bear on O-ring seals—28 of them. M-14P, Inc. has
been overhauling the carburetors for years, and we do not see
excessive wear on metal parts. The worst enemy of the carburetor
is moisture. The body of the carburetor is magnesium and susceptible to corrosion. In minor cases, we are able to chemically
treat the corrosion. If the corrosion is significant, and there is a
question about the possibility of corrosion in a blind passageway, replacement is necessary. We have had two instances where
replacement carburetors were required. There are also a host of
gaskets and two diaphragms—all of which we manufacture. I
have been steadily building our inventory of carburetors and we
currently have more than 30 in stock.
Flow benches have been outlawed in this country by the EPA and
OSHA. We utilize our engine test stand to test, adjust and record
the data for our carburetor overhauls. Another key component to
performing the overhaul is having the data. Years ago, we spent
several thousand dollars to get a copy of the original overhaul
manual. If you add up translation costs, you can understand how
dedicated we are to keep you f lying.
There are several common problems that customers call us about:
1. Fuel running out of the ram air tubes.
The only way that you can have fuel dripping out of these tubes
is if you have a bad diaphragm. Contrary to popular belief, the
problem is most often not a hole in the diaphragm but, rather,
fuel leaking between the holes in the body case. Over time, with
the accompanying, multiple heat cycles, the diaphragm experiences some shrinkage. A telltale sign is if the cover-plate bolts
are loose.
There is an AD issued in Lithuania on the diaphragm. In the U.S.,
we are certified under Experimental Exhibition category, and are
not compelled to comply with the rules of other countries.
We have seen diaphragms dating back to the 1970s on carburetors coming in for overhaul. The myriad of O-rings in the carburetor have been a bigger issue than defective diaphragms. We
have had a few instances of diaphragms with pinhole leaks in the
rubber.
Airworthiness Directive
CAA-TSD-001/2006
Date: 27-01-2006
Regarding carburetor membranes life-time limit
Application: For all K-14A, K-14P carburetors.
In 2005-08-23 overlook flight in the aircraft PZL-104 Wilga35A was being performed, national registration sign LYAJH, which belongs to Utena’s aero club. When the aircraft
reached 30-50 meters height the engine rpms dropped
off naturally and the engine lost thrust. Pilot was trying to
land the aircraft out to the chosen field from the air and
could not perform a successful landing. Aircraft crashed and
was damaged very badly. It cannot be brought back to the
service again.
During the research of this aviation incident in the engine
carburetors membrane mechanism in the air cushion
around 50 ml of petrol found. After prforming carburetors
K-14A inspection was ascertained that its membrane lost
elasticity and had a lot of small cracks.
Petrol income to membranes mechanism in the air cushion
effected and unbalanced natural pressure repartition on
the different sides of membrane. Pressure increased in the
air cushion and the membrane additionally opened petrol
valve. The fuel mixture became too rich, the engine rpms
dropped off and the result of this—the engine lost thrust.
Explanation: This directive is issued regarding the defect
mentioned above, which has influence to flight safety; Lithuanian CAA sets 6 years life limit time for the membranes of
the carburetors K-14A and K-14P.
Purpose: To change carburetors membranes if their service
time is longer than 6 years.
Inure: From the date when the directive received.
Accomplishment: Remove the membrane from carburetor and visually check if the membrane is undamaged and
elastic. Check it through the magnifier for small cracks. If any
of these defects found, membrane should be replaced with
new one.
Membrane should be replaced every 6 years without depending on the engine working time.
When membranes inspection or replacement work is completed the logbooks should be also filled.
Kęstutis Auryla, Director
2. Fuel running out of the carburetor at shutdown.
The fuel is actually running out of the holes in the main metering
needle. The problem is debris, or corrosion, in the pressure regulating fuel valve. Most often, it is a piece of debris caught under
the ball of the valve (see exploded view below).
The setup and installation of this valve is extremely important.
The crush washer sets the critical distance between the contact of
the regulating lever and the fuel valve needle. DO NOT remove
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Red Alert Fall 2013
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4. The engine is running rough.
This is our most common phone call. The first step is to determine if it is ignition or fuel?
and disassemble this valve. If you check the maintenance manual, they recommend f lushing fuel through the bottom drain valve
with the main fuel jet plug being open. This should f lush any
debris away.
3. “Fuel” dripping from the carburetor throat.
A quick swipe with your finger in the throat of the carburetor
may reveal that it is not fuel at all, but an oily substance. This is
turbine oil that is used to lubricate the shaft O-rings of the butterf ly valve mechanism. It is not uncommon for us to open this
chamber and find it dry.
There are two things that occur: The location of this chamber is
close to #6 exhaust segment and the heat generated takes a toll
on the O-rings. The O-rings become hard and brittle, allowing
the turbine oil to seep past, and out onto the butterf ly shaft. Our
opinion is that you are due for an overhaul—if these O-rings are
defective the others are not far behind.
Another indicator that the O-rings are no longer sealing is that
the engine starts to idle high, and the owner/operator tries to
compensate for this by adjusting the idle speed. Then, when the
throttle is in a different position you get another idle speed. It
appears erratic with every adjustment you make, and you keep
chasing the problem without realizing that the O-rings are leaking. A lot of what we see for overhaul is what I call “rode hard and
put away wet.” We don’t get the component until every last breath
is beat out if it. Most of us treat our cars pretty well. We take
them in for regular servicing intervals. Our aircraft and engines
need the same level of care. If you have a carburetor with 700
hours of operating time, it will soon need overhaul.
Ignition-related questions:
• Does the engine run rough typically after 20-40 minutes of
f light? Most likely the magneto coil is breaking down.
• What does a magneto check show when in the air and the
problem exists?
• Have the magnetos been serviced as per the manual at last
condition inspection?
• How many hours are on the magnetos? They are due for
overhaul between 600–700 hours.
• Have you performed a high-voltage lead test on the ignition
wires?
• Have you tested the spark plugs under pressure? We will test
new plugs whether they are Russian, Champion, NGK, etc.,
as they can be bad out of the box.
If you are running the automotive ignition harness, you will
want to stay on top of the added maintenance issues with its use
to avoid problems with the distributor caps and lead screws.
Fuel-related problems are:
• Induction leaks: The rubber seals under the intake gland nuts
are a common area for induction leaks. These nuts should be
tightened at every condition inspection, at a minimum. You
can spray WD-40 around the nut, with the engine running,
(USE CAUTION), and if it sucks it in through the joint between the nut and the intake tube, you have an induction
leak. Another area to inspect is the rubber/metal gasket between the transition throat of the carburetor and the engine
case. The carburetor is a big, heavy lever hanging off of the
case and over time, the gasket compresses and loses its sealing capability. The nuts may also loosen a bit, even though
they are secured with lock tabs.
• Carburetor Ice: It is possible to get carburetor ice. The Yak52 has a carburetor air box with a set of horns that attach at
the rear of the air box. They pull in heat from the engine,
but they are also a maintenance problem as they crack from
vibration. Most Yaks operating over here do not utilize the
horns.
If you are installing a new or overhauled carburetor, it is likely
that you will need to make some adjustments to the carburetor
during an initial run, after bringing the engine up to operating
temperature. (If you are installing a new carburetor, you definitely want to follow the Task Card for de-preserving the carburetor in the M-14P Maintenance Manual.)
Here are the critical field adjustments:
• Idle Mixture
• Idle Speed
• Cruise Mixture
The inlet fuel pressure should indicate 0.2 – 0.5 kgf/cm² (2.8–7
psi) at main power ratings and at least 0.15 kgf/cm² (2 psi) at idle.
Remove the safety wire and cap pictured in the photo and using
a slotted screwdriver, adjust the idle speed to 26%. If the engine
does not run well at 26%, then go to the main (cruise mixture)
needle and turn a click counterclockwise to lean it out, if necessary. The M-14P Maintenance Manual advises adjustment of the
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throttle stop screw to adjust the idle speed, but we have found
that adjustments made here can get quite excessive. The clearance on the butterf ly is set at 0.015” by the factory. We have had
carburetors come in with a clearance of .030” or more.
A common field modification performed on the carburetor is to
plug the secondary (pneumatic) accelerator pump jet with solder, a rivet, JB Weld, etc. When Carl & I told the engineers and
production manager of OKBM in Voronezh, Russia about this
modification, they were aghast. Forbidden, they said. The plugging of the jet was done to stop the stumbling or hesitation of
the engine, particularly when advancing the throttle on final.
By plugging this jet, you are shutting off the fuel supply to the
secondary accelerator pump. When we overhaul the carburetor,
we address this problem by swapping the air and fuel jets in the
secondary accelerator pump—allowing more air and less fuel for
a smoother throttle advancement but not excessively leaning the
fuel -air mixture.
It has been our experience that the carburetor needs overhaul at
700 hours. The Russians overhaul their components at five years
or 500 hours.
If you would like a more in-depth understanding of the theory,
design and operation of the AK-14P carburetor, please contact us
to learn about our next three-day M-14P seminar. (M-14P, Inc.
928-681-4400)
Then, go back to the idle mixture adjustment and reset the idle
speed, as the cruise mixture adjustment will enrich or lean the
idle. If you get a reduction in RPM and/or a rolling or loping
sound and puffs of black smoke, it is too rich. If you get a rough
idle and advancing the throttle makes the engine quit, it is too
lean. Note: The total adjustment range of the main (cruise) mixture needle to stop is eight clicks. One click of the metering needle adjustment shaft changes the fuel consumption 4–8 g/hp-h.
There are some other critical components to a well-maintained
fuel system:
• Hoses: Avoid leaks and potential fires by checking the condition of your hoses periodically. Check hoses prior to installation for any restrictions or blockages.
• Filters: There are three fuel filters in the system: the coarse
fuel filter, the fine fuel filter, and the finger screen on the
carburetor. The fine fuel screen should be thoroughly
cleaned and O-rings replaced if necessary. If the coarse and
fine fuel screen are clean, most likely the carburetor screen
is also clean.
• Fuel Pump: If you have fuel dripping out of the 1/8” copper
drain line on the side of the fuel pump, the shaft seals are
leaking and it is time for overhaul.
• Fuel: Use your low point drain and check for contamination.
• Carburetor air box and heat horns: Make sure the carburetor heat door opens and closes properly. Check the condition
of rivets, pins, and grooves in the brackets. Repair cracks.
Make sure the screen is clean. If the heat horns are installed,
check for cracks and their security.
A well-maintained engine is a happy engine! Fly safe and stay on
top of your maintenance.
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Red Alert Fall 2013
T
homas “Tommy” Geoghegan, Jr., 44, died June 30 when his Nanchang CJ-6 crashed into the ocean, near Ocean City, MD. Tommy
was a police officer of the Ocean City Police Department with numerous service commendations. As an active RPA member
working on his wing card, Tommy f lew frequently with other RPA members in the northeast region. When Tommy first joined the
RPA he was working undercover for the OCPD; with long hair tied back in a ponytail, a wide smile and sharp wit. He was a colorful
and welcomed addition to our group. Those of us who f lew with Tommy remember him as a good listener and, right from the get go,
one of the formation pilots with whom everyone felt comfortable f lying. Tommy’s memorial service was attended by over 150 people
and included a nine ship f ly-over of Yaks, CJs and RVs. We will miss Tommy, and our condolences go out to his family and many
friends.
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31
GADGETS
THAT’S A BIG ASS FAN!
By Terry “Mags” Slawinski [email protected]
O
ur 50’ x 60’ hangar is located at Boerne Stage Airfield (5C1),
18 NM Northwest of San Antonio, TX. It’s hot for 6+ months
of the year. For five years, I tried many combinations of various f loor fans, but nothing worked. They were all too loud, too
narrow in coverage, and very inefficient at keeping me and my
friends cool and comfortable in my hangar whether doing f lying,
maintenance, or movie night activities.
2. High-velocity air, with a very low noise level. The blades have
an airfoil shape to them that increases the downward air velocity
by adding the aerodynamic effect of down wash to the normal
angle of attack-produced, downward air velocity. This allows the
fan to turn at very low and quiet RPMs (100%=81 rpm). I have no
problem hearing music or movie audio at normal listening levels,
because the fan is so quiet! I can’t do this with my f loor fans.
Two years ago, I encountered my first Big ASS FAN (BAF) and
was, in all respects, blown away! It was visually imposing, and
dramatically efficient in moving air, and keeping things cool!
Unfortunately, the equally imposing price put me off, so I continued to muddle through with my ineffective f loor fans. However, I
could not erase my dreams of a Big Ass Fan in my hangar! Then,
I encountered three BAFs in the space of 18 months, and I knew
I had to have one.
3. A cooling breeze in every corner of my hangar. The fences and
winglets, on every blade, aerodynamically ensure the fan is moving air everywhere in the hangar. At 100%, directly under and
out to 15 feet from fan center, there is a 13-17 knot breeze. In the
corners, at about 30 feet from fan center, there is about an 8-10
knot breeze. Because the fan is mounted overhead, I even feel the
breeze when I am working in the cockpits!
I contacted BAF in Lexington, KY and talked with Ty Babb. I described my hangar, its location, and its orientation relative to the
prevailing winds. I also sent him pictures with dimensions of the
ceiling, walls and f loor. He consulted his sizing specs and recommended the Powerfoil 8 in a 16 ft diameter blade span using the
220v single phase power I had available in my hangar. He offered
me three options for a factory-trained, local contractor installation. I chose the level three option, which was the full factory
installation, giving me the maximum 12 year warranty. All I had
to do was open the hangar door and move the aircraft onto the
ramp. In six hours, the installation crew of two did everything
else, including bringing the lift, running the wires, fabricating
and installing the mounting beam, hanging the motor, installing
the eight blades, ops testing, and training me to run it.
My Big Ass Fan has dramatically improved the creature comfort
in my hangar! Ninety+ degree-days no longer produce debilitating conditions in my hangar! Here are the reasons why:
1. Variable speed from zero to 100%, just like a jet engine. On
start up, there is a faint whine as the fan spins up that actually
sounds like a jet engine!
Heat stress is a very real danger, especially during summer
months. Kim, my wife, a USAF Flight Surgeon, strongly endorsed
our BAF and wonders why we didn’t do it sooner! Mags the Miser
knows why. Our Powerfoil-8 cost $4650, the ceiling bracket $250,
level three installation $2850, and tax $640, for a total of $8200.
I wish I had installed my BAF seven years ago when I built our
hangar! Kim and I now consider our BAF to be a very important
piece of safety equipment. You have heard me ask “What is your
life worth,” when I talk about safety equipment. After feeling the
dramatic environmental improvement in our hangar, I can enthusiastically answer: “$8200!”
Call me if you have questions. For more information on all the
BAF options, call Ty Babb at 859-410-7110. Be sure and tell him
Ski sent you.
I’m off to my hangar now. I know when I hit the start button and
watch my fan start winding up, I won’t be able to keep from saying: “That’s a Big Ass Fan!”
Mags 540-729-3626, [email protected]
I
n 1999, the engineer/inventor opened the doors of his
business, the LVHF Fan Company. LVHF stands for Low
Velocity High Flow. His use of aerodynamics enabled
his fans to provide low velocity, high flow effects in
blade diameters up to 24 feet. Over the next two years,
many of his original customers told him that everyone
who looked up at his fans exclaimed: “Now that’s a big
ass fan!” His customers all thought the name of the fans
and the company should be changed to “Big Ass Fan!”
They claimed that people would immediately identify with the fan, and the company, and that LVHF
was too geeky. After a short deliberation, the inventor enthusiastically embraced the suggestion,
morphing the business into the Big Ass Company
of Lexington, KY.
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Red Alert Fall 2013
CALLSIGNS
By Robert “Speedo” Genat
W
hen someone says, “Maverick” and “Goose,” the mind automatically shifts to scenes from the movie Top Gun. In
the military, nicknames go all the way back to the Civil War when
Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee was called “Granny” and
William Tecumseh was tagged with “Cump.” While on the Union
side George B. McClellan was known as “Little Mac.” And during WWII, “Old Blood and Guts” was hung on General George
S. Patton. And more recently, the late General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., was known as “Stormin’ Norman.” These nicknames
were not sough after or used by the individuals themselves, in
fact, most deplored the names. World War II pilots and aircrew
also had their share of nicknames. Most were based on state or
hometown of origin such as “Tex” or “Montana” or a very unique
characteristic of the person such as “specs” for a guy wearing
glasses.
If you think back to the old Dead End Kids movies from the
1930s, all the young street toughs had nicknames: Milty, Dippy,
Spit and Angel to name a few. As we saw in the Sopranos TV
series all the mafia thugs had nicknames and following in that
theme, today’s most violent street gang members all have nicknames, too, with their fellow gang members not even knowing
members given names, only the street nickname.
This bad boy tradition carries on today in its highest form with
Navy and Air Force fighter pilots. The RedStar Pilot’s Association has also embraced this fine art. At most RPA f ly-ins there is
usually a call sign review board where those in attendance who
have done something out of the ordinary (usually stupid) are given a call sign. Several are usually nominated and then the group
selects its favorite. Mine, “Speedo,” was given to me for driving
my car down the Porterville runway at 130+ miles per hour–not
for wearing the skimpy bathing suit, which is the usual question.
The only acceptable way of bringing in your own call sign to the
RPA, is if it was given to you while in the military. I love Darrell
“Condor” Gary’s explanation of how he got Condor. On his way
to join his squadron as a replacement pilot in the South China
Sea, he had cards printed up while in the Philippines with “Killer” as his call sign. As he checked into his squadron the duty
officer said, “What’s your call sign?” Gary proudly exclaimed,
“Killer!” “Oh no,” was the response. “You’re ‘Condor’–a Condor
is a big, ugly, and almost extinct bird that doesn’t f ly well–welcome to the squadron Condor.”
So when your time comes, accept the call sign gracefully no matter how much you hate it, with the knowledge that if you screw up
again, it can and will be changed to one that’s even more embarrassing. But however bad it is, accept it as a sign of respect from
your fellow RPA members.
This link is to an F-16 website that has an extensive list of call
signs and their origins:
http://www.f-16.net/callsigns.html
Here are some of my RPA favorites:
NAFOD – (No Apparent Fear Of Death) Crossed an active runway on foot with aircraft in the pattern
K-Mart – Ran over a blue taxiway light
Ebay – Admitted that his f light suit was just bought on Ebay
Pipes – booming baritone voice
Dumpster – Taxied into a trash dumpster after a brake failure
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33
CONTRAILS
Can Do, Can Kill You
H
By Zach McNeill [email protected]
ave you ever walked away from your aircraft and said, “That
was a dumb thing to do”?
Was there ever a time that you or a close f lying friend said, “You
can do this?”
Aviation is a surreal discipline that constantly challenges, and at
times, humbles each of us. There seems to be no end to the learning. The number of variables involved in each sortie demand
thoughtful pre-fight deliberation and careful analysis of airborne hazards. A pre-f light oversight, or improper in-f light decision may require us to use our superior skills to exit an avoidable
situation.
A quote from Mark Twain highlights one of the great predicaments we face on a daily basis: “Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.”
Experience is multiplied when several pilots and maintenance
personnel work in coordination to ensure a safe f light evolution.
Organizations that promote an environment in which safe f light
is the priority generally have an incredibly low accident/incident
rate. These groups also have incredibly high incentives to ensure
the aircraft and pilots return safely.
The intent of this article is to highlight a few of the differences between civilian warbird operators and military operations.
The goal is to identify key questions that can help each one of us
minimize experience gained from poor judgment and maximize
interaction and tools that encourage safe expansion of our f light
experience envelopes.
Several organizations do a great job of creating standards that set
an acceptable minimal level of individual pilot performance and
accountable maintenance standards. In order to examine these
differences, let’s walk through the required steps involved in f lying a military sortie. Then we can contrast this with the process
many of us use to f ly our civilian warbirds.
US Navy (Current Squadron Process)
Step 1. Check NATOPS board
Ensure annual check ride (IN TYPE) is current (4 Hour Oral, 4
Hour Simulator, 2.5 hour f light)
Validate your medical is current
Validate current on all SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) requirements
If excessive risk is found in the briefing, sit down with the skipper (Commanding Officer) and determine how you are going to
reduce or mitigate risk found during the brief.
Step 3. Flight gear check out
Go to Para-loft and pre-f light all f light gear/survival gear with
riggers present to fix and replace any piece of f light gear.
Step 4. Aircraft Inspection
In-depth analysis of the maintenance records (more than an
hour)
MX Chief aircraft brief
Pre-f light
Minimum of four specialists at the aircraft to answer questions
and or fix discrepancies on the spot.
If a problem is discovered on aircraft go back to the start of step
three on back-up aircraft.
Step 5. Fly Aircraft
Detailed start up and pre-f light checks
If anything fails, call in one of five maintenance crew members
on the f light line standing by to make repairs
If aircraft not fixable, get new one
Once airborne, execute briefed f light.
Airborne change of mission requires SDO (Squadron Duty Officers) permission.
Shut Down
Once f light complete, taxi back into line report any discrepancies
with maintenance
Personnel on the spot to make any necessary repairs
If aircraft not fixable, shut down—next crew takes back up aircraft
De-brief
Crew de-briefs maintenance on f light reports, and documents all
discrepancies
Crew debriefs, in detail, entire f light
HAC (Aircraft Commander) debriefs SDO and he will de-brief
CO.
CO has any questions he will call HAC in to discuss.
Step 2. Mission Brief
ORM (Operational Risk Management Form) complete
Private Pilot
Here are the required organizational wickets that I must go
through to f ly my L-29.
Personal readiness
Step 1. Open hangar
Weather
Step 2. Pre-flight aircraft
Check weather/Notams
File f light plan
Mission risk assessment
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Red Alert Fall 2013
File f light plan (if required)
Brief passenger
thgir
Fuel aircraft
Step 3. Get in and fly
Step 4. Shut down
Place aircraft back in the hangar
W reerG
When analyzing your f light before you hit the go button, say to
yourself “I know I can f ly this airplane, but should I since the
doctor told me to watch out for these ____________ conditions?” If these conditions exist, stop and use risk mitigation to
minimize the hazard identified by the previous statement.
This may appear to be an oversimplification of the civilian process. The reality is, when you own your own airplane, you are the
standardization officer, the chief of maintenance, and ultimately,
the guy in charge (CO)! No one else is there with their career on
the line to help you!
Currency/Proficiency
In aviation, people commonly intermingle the terms currency
and proficiency. The problem is that if you are current, you may
not be proficient.
This freedom of ownership is awesome, and very unique to our
country, but this opportunity demands an extraordinary amount
of self-discipline. The intent of this article is not to suggest that
each of us militarize our operations! This is simply not an option.
The fees associated with organizational structures utilized in the
military are not sustainable by even the wealthiest of individuals.
Intelligent analysis of large structures may provide suggestions
on how to apply additional, intelligent questions at key times to
our small operations.
Proficiency is a term used subjectively both by the pilot or a standardization officer to determine that the pilot is ready to complete the mission.
In my observation, each one of these large, well managed operations builds standardization procedures based on three critical
elements: the person, the aircraft (or f leet of aircraft) and the
environment in which they operate.
The Pilot
Steps one and two of the military processes are almost entirely
dedicated to the pilot. The sad fact is that most, if not all, recent
loss of warbirds may in part or entirely be attributed to pilot error. The pilot is the most complex part of the problem. In general, machines operate exactly as they are designed. People, on
the other hand, do some clearly unpredictable things.
Medical
Recently we have had at least two accidents that may have been a
result of medical incapacitation of one sort or another.
Let’s compare the military demographic with the jet warbird
community. The military is generally a very fit organization
comprised of a large demographic of 24-44 year old individuals,
who must maintain a minimum level of athletic prowess to maintain their f light eligibility. When we compare that to the jet warbird community we find a very big difference. The average pilot
for this group is 55-60. It is not a rare thing to observe a 70-75
year old f lying a jet. What a profound demographic difference!
The jet’s capability remained the same—are your capabilities the
same as 30 years ago?
How can we, remembering our age, apply medical checks during our daily f light? A suggestion may be to tighten up what we
accept as a good medical day to f ly. How about looking at what
considerations may stress your body beyond your capability?
A suggestion: once we reach an age that we notice our endurance,
stamina or strength are reduced—we turn to a trusted medical
resource for advice. There may be a couple of checks, based on
our medical background, if added to our personal pre-f light, that
may mitigate any risk of in-f light incapacitation.
Currency says that you are in compliance with the FAA/military
minimum requirements to safely execute that specific type of
mission.
In military, or similar organizations, a standardization officer
who observes multiple people on a daily basis, often determines
proficiency. This officer reports whether or not a pilot is ready to
complete the mission, to the larger organization. The organization is held accountable through a chain of command that has the
authority to remove f lying privileges on the spot.
In the civilian sector, proficiency is a subjective analysis determined by the pilot himself. Many times pilots will use the currency metric to convince (rationalize) themselves that they are
proficient. It is arguable that three f lights in a jet every 180 days
is sufficient to maintain proficiency.
An easy way to analyze a mission is to equate currency with your
ability to accomplish a mission verses proficiency—whether or
not you should f ly a mission.
Attitude
This can be a very touchy subject! Take a moment and think
about all the pilots you know. How many of them have passive
personalities, who rarely speak up, and seem very happy when
people tell them that they made a mistake? On the other side of
the coin, how many of us can rip off a list of close aviation friends
that like to occasionally enjoy a cold beer and compare terrific
stories about incredible experiences? Remember where experience comes from?
The point is pretty clear. Aviators in general are type A personalities. In case you are not sure what that is:
The theory describes a Type A individual as ambitious, rigidly
organized, highly status conscious, can be sensitive, care for other people, are truthful, impatient, always try to help others, take
on more than they can handle, want other people to get to the
point, proactive, and obsessed with time management. People
with Type A personalities are often high achieving “workaholics”
who multi-task, push themselves with deadlines, an hate both delays and ambivalence. Note carefully that the A type personality
“can be sensitive,” though many are not.
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Attitude is a derivative of our personalities. Nobody approaches
a complex problem exactly the same way. There have been several
accidents where an improper attitude resulted in a disaster.
ensure the aircraft is ready to f ly. Freedom of f light affords you
the opportunity to f ly the aircraft, but you must assume responsibility for the aircraft’s maintenance.
Time and time again pilots are challenged by well-meaning peers,
event organizers, and friends, to accomplish a task that they are
not comfortable doing. These requests are generally done with
great intentions. An example would be an airshow organizer
walking up and asking you to perform a high-speed low-level
pass at a f ly in event. This happens all the time! There are some
bolder people that will ask you to perform a roll during a pass,
along with insinuations ensuring that the FAA is no where to be
seen.
In general, this part of ownership, particularly to military aviators, can be a difficult nut to crack. You really have two options.
The first is to hire a competent mechanic. The second is to do it
yourself, and have a competent mechanic inspect everything you
do. If your background is military, civilian part 135, or airline
operations, when you decide to purchase a jet, make sure you
have calculated the overhead required to properly maintain the
aircraft. Some jets are easier to maintain than others, so make
sure that is a key part of your decision. The most important thing
to calculate is the time it takes to ensure all the proper paperwork
and maintenance is completed.
This type of suggestion/request has led to an innumerable
amount of violations and unfortunately the demise of several
aviators. The key take-away is that more than likely you can safely execute the maneuver but the real question is, should you? In
some circles breaking the rules and pushing the limits make you
a real bad ass. In aviation it just makes you look like one, or worse
yet, it can kill you.
Once you are ready to strap into the aircraft, walk yourself
through what you are going to do, and ask yourself the following
questions:
I know I can execute this series of maneuvers, but the last time
I did this was __________days ago and I will be violating the
following FARs __________. In the likely event someone films
this, and places it on YouTube, I will get a call from __________
organization. Should I do this?
If the first blank is greater that 20 days and the last two are filled
in you should stop what you are doing, re-orient, and determine
a series of maneuvers that will comply with the regulations and
keep you out of trouble.
The Aircraft
After f lying jet warbirds for over 15 years, I have not f lown a perfect one yet. Every aircraft has had some system not quite perfect
or some instrument on the fritz. It is simply the nature of the
beast. In the military, there are multiple times that missions are
executed with fully-functioning aircraft, but the reality is most
are completed with partially mission-capable aircraft.
This brings us into a very touchy area. What can be broken and
still safely execute your mission. The simple, yet naïve, answer is
nothing. The reality is, when you are f lying 40+ year-old aircraft,
you must know what mission you are f lying, and what you will
need to safely f ly the aircraft.
Several years ago there was a warbird that landed gear up. The
pilot called his check pilot and discussed in detail the situation.
The summary is that the aircraft, though it had been through annual several times, was completely devoid of hydraulic fuel. Even
the emergency accumulators were empty. It is a miracle that he
was able to get the gear and f laps up!
It is not uncommon for an examiner/instructor to arrive at an
aircraft to find it woefully in disrepair. The way in which you
approach maintenance on your aircraft should be just as meticulous as the way in which you maintain your f lying skills. The
civilian world does not have a large funded maintenance staff to
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Red Alert Fall 2013
Once you are the proud owner, make sure, before you f ly, that
you look over all your paperwork and honestly assess the health
of your aircraft. If something does not feel right or respond the
way you think it should, stop and assess the situation. In general,
a great way to approach a f light from a maintenance perspective is always look for a reason not to f ly. For example if you are
about to take off in an L-29 and the hydraulic system appears to
be moving slower than normal, take a moment think about your
systems and if you cannot determine the cause, taxi back in and
call your mechanic or a mentor that knows the aircraft better
than you.
When I line up on the runway and complete my engine checks, I
ask myself a few questions. I know this aircraft can get airborne,
but if I do and the ______________ part/system fails, I will have
to execute the following emergency procedure_____________.
Should I continue this f light?
Environment
Most people look at the environment and categorize it as the
weather. Weather is a part of it, but it really should be used as a
comprehensive review of the personal, aircraft and outside factors that may impact your f light.
To determine an acceptable environment to operate your aircraft
is picking a specific time in a chosen place under accepted conditions. This environment should provide a minimum amount of
risk in which I decide to operate my toy.
Time
Time of day is critical to safe f light. Depending on the airframe,
certain times of day allow the best opportunity to accomplish
a safe f light. Some aircraft, like ultra lights, are best f lown at
sunrise and near sunset since they are affected by winds. Jet warbirds are not generally affected by winds but a great question is
whether or not you should f ly them at night. That is a decision
that each owner operator needs to make, but the loss of visual
cues will greatly reduce your survival chances during a forced
landing.
Another time consideration is whether or not you have enough
time. The list of mishaps is incredibly long and littered with
well-intentioned pilots trying to get a f light done or trying to get
home. There are multiple considerations of which mission you
should f ly, but thinking about it may prevent you from working
until midnight, getting up at the crack of dawn, heading down to
the airfield, and squeezing in a f light with a friend who is in town
for a day, before his f light goes out at 1300. If you do not have
time to f ly your mission at least twice, then find another time to
do it. Have you ever seen an hour f light only take one hour?
Place
What is the ideal place to operate a jet warbird? I like to use
March AFB. It has a 13,000’ runway, almost 300’ wide, with a
highly trained control tower and a very experienced, well-trained
crash crew contingent. The down side—it is a military field, so
most jet warbird owners cannot join the aero club, and store an
aircraft there.
The best place is one that will provide you with services that you
need and a comfortable safety margin for the skill level of the
pilot in command. The field length, the emergency services, and
the FBO services (fuel prices) are all critical components of this
decision. The challenge is honestly assessing what the right field
is for you.
Place selection is less dynamic than the time you chose to f ly,
and the myriad of personal considerations that must be considered. Detailed analysis of where you are based, and what missions are acceptable will result in a safer operation. Lets say, for
example, that you are operating an L-29 off a 3400’ grass strip, in
the southern portion of the US. It is probably a prudent decision
to never take off with a full tank of gas, and you’ll need to pay
attention to the outside air temperature.
Outside Factors
Large factors in this category are family, job, and monetary
stresses. Multiple articles have been written about stress and the
negative impacts that it can have on your f light decision. The intent of this discussion is to outline a few major items that surface
all the time.
The military has controls and procedures in place, some of which
were outlined earlier in this article. The real difference between
military and warbird f lying is the military is a job, and warbirds
are a hobby! The military learned a long time ago the negative
impacts of aviators f lying with excess stress, so they constantly observe and report on one another. If the performance of an
aviator decreases, they step in and get them help. In our civilian
world many times the only people that can help us are nowhere
near us.
The challenge we face is how do we compartmentalize the stresses of our daily life away from the aircraft we are about to f ly. The
answer is not so easy. There is simply no reason that an A type
personality cannot accomplish a simple f light when we are going
through a divorce or large business move. Every one of the people
that own these aircraft makes large decisions and at times risky
ones. Why would f lying an aircraft be a larger/riskier decision
than buying or selling a company? The answer becomes apparent
when you forget to lower the gear because you are upset about
that divorce hearing where you just lost custody of your kids.
“Is there anything else more important in my life than surviving
this f light?” If there is, what is it? Then finally, “Can I keep those
events outside the cockpit?”
Summary
This entire article was written with the understanding that almost always, we CAN complete the mission that we want to f ly.
The goal was develop a few questions that may give us that critical minute of pause to think whether or not we SHOULD f ly the
sortie.
The night before you plan to f ly:
Do I have enough time to prepare the aircraft, brief the f light and
complete the hop TWICE?
Before you pre-f light, ask yourself:
Is there anything else more important in my life than surviving
this f light? If there is, what is it? Can I keep those events outside
the cockpit?
I know I can f ly this airplane, but should I since the doctor told
me to watch out for these ____________ conditions?
Once you Strap in:
I know I can execute these series of maneuvers, but the last time
I did this was __________days ago and I will be violating the
following FARs __________. In the likely event someone films
this and places it on YouTube, I will get a call from __________
organization. Should I do this?
On Line Up
I know this aircraft can safely get airborne, but if I do and the
______________ part/system fails, I will have to execute the
following emergency procedure_____________. Should I continue this f light?
After landing:
What part of this f light was something I never want to happen
again? What part could I have done better?
These questions, asked at critical times of the f light process, were
developed through my own experience. We all have the ability to
f ly beyond our experience levels, and even when we do it right, we
will find ourselves in challenging situations. If we can change the
question from “can we?” to “should we?”—it may help us avoid
entering a mishap chain of events. Once you are alone in the aircraft, being honest with yourself is critical. Remember only the
pilot really knows the aircraft. Never be ashamed to say the oil
gage is just not right. No one has to know what really caused you
to cancel a f light!
Can do attitudes are great and lead to incredible successes in
many industries but never forget that in aviation CAN DO, CAN
KILL YOU!
That was an extreme example, but how many of us have a friend
that made a mistake because they were distracted by life’s challenges during a f light?
A technique I use before I pre-f light an aircraft is to ask myself,
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training
AILERON ROLL
As a follow-up to the Advanced Handling article in the Summer edition of Red Alert, we will introduce
a new series, each issue, focusing on basic aerobatic maneuvers. As part of building your piloting skill
set, you can use this information to practice these maneuvers and gain confidence in yourself and your
aircraft.
Mike “Beav” Carter
Note: The Yak-52, with its faster roll rate, can enter the maneuver
at the lower end of the airspeed and pitch attitude range. For the
Nanchang, a higher airspeed and pitch attitude work better.
Complete maneuver with wings level,
nose on the horizon, and at same altitude
as entry
Continue to roll and, as you approach
wings level, begin to add back pressure
to prevent nose from getting too low
Relax back pressure and use full
aileron deflection, and rudder, in the
direction of roll
Pull nose up to 10°-20° pitch attitude
Line up on a section line/road
100-120 knots entry speed
Graphics by TYC—check us out on FaceBook:
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Red Alert Fall 2013
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Forward all non-deliverable mail to:
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C/O Byron Fox
80 Milland Drive
Mill Valley, CA 4941
The RedStar Pilots Association is a notfor-profit organization dedicated to the
safe operation of all aircraft. For further
information or to become a member,
please visit: www.flyredstar.org
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