Corporate Centerspread - American Bonanza Society

Volume 10
Send articles/letters to:
ABS Magazine Publication Office
P.O. Box 12888, Wichita, KS 67277
Tel: 316-945-1700, Fax: 316-945-1710
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.bonanza.org
Copy and photographs submitted for publication
become the property of the Society and shall not be returned.
Articles submitted with pictures receive publication preference.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR &
AIRCRAFT TECHNICAL EDITOR: Thomas P. Turner
MANAGING EDITOR: Betty Rowley
TECHNICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE:
Tom Rosen, Stuart Spindel
and the ABS Technical Advisors
ART DIRECTOR: Jim Simpson
EDITORIAL CONSULTANT: Patric Rowley
Display Advertising Director
John Shoemaker
2779 Aero Park Drive, P.O. Box 968, Traverse City, MI 49684
1-800-327-7377, ext. 3017; Fax: 231-946-9588
E-mail: [email protected]
PRINTER: Village Press, Traverse City, Michigan
ABS MAGAZINE (ISSN 1538-9960) is published monthly by the American
Bonanza Society, 1922 Midfield Road, Wichita, KS 67209. The price of a
yearly subscription is included in the annual dues of Society members.
Periodicals postage paid at Wichita, Kansas, and at additional mailing
offices.
Number 4
3
OPERATIONS: CHANGE IS GOOD by Thomas P. Turner, Executive Director
5
PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS: GIVING BACK by Stephen Blythe
6
ON THE COVER: EFFICIENT FAMILY HEIRLOOM
Jerry Alves’ 1962 95-A55 during a Let’s Fly Alaska tour—flying along the Rocky Mountain
Trench in northern British Columbia. Photo taken by Eileen Hemmen from her husband’s F33A.
8
FIFTY YEARS OF THE BARON: EARLY-MODEL BARONS
by Sander D. Friedman, Tony Pierce, Harold Coghlan, Newt Farrar and Roger Galvin
15
ABS CONVENTION: BUFFALO, NEW YORK
19
BPPP: THE MULTIENGINE TAKEOFF by John Andrick
20
CURRENTS: A NEW ENGINE INSTRUMENT by Lew Gage
22
STICK & RUDDER TO IFR: GETTING CURRENT IN A V-TAIL by Jeremiah A. Denton III
23
OSHKOSH AIRVENTURE 2010: CALL FOR TENT TOPICS
24
BARON 50TH ANNIVERSARY T-SHIRTS
25
SAFETY PILOT: MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURES by Thomas P. Turner
26
HUMAN FACTORS: PRACTICE SPEEDS UP PROCESSING by Lorne Sheren, M.D.
27
BONANZA MISSION TO HAITI by Buck Williams
28
OUR WINTER ADVENTURE by Paul Damiano
30
AVIONICS: UNFINISHED BUSINESS by John Collins
32
TECH TALK: WRONG DIAGNOSIS; RIGHT DECISION by Bob Andrews
34
CARGO TIE-DOWNS by Jeff Culwell
35
INSURANCE: FUEL EXHAUSTION by John Allen, Falcon Insurance
This special issue contains a number of
Baron-related articles in honor of the
50-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF
THE BARON’S FIRST FLIGHT
FEBRUARY 29, 1960
No part of this publication may be reprinted or duplicated without the
written permission of the Executive Director.
The Society and Publisher cannot accept responsibility for the correctness
or accuracy of the matters printed herein or for any opinions expressed.
Opinions of the Editor or contributors do not necessarily represent the position of the Society. Articles or other materials by and about organizations
other than ABS are printed in the ABS Magazine as a courtesy and member
service. Except as expressly stated, their appearance in this magazine does
not constitute an endorsement by ABS of the products, services or events of
such organization. Publisher reserves the right to reject any material submitted for publication.
2
SERVICE CLINIC SCHEDULE
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES:
2
BPPP SCHEDULE
16
18
DOMESTIC (US/Canada/Mexico)—$55 (US)
INTERNATIONAL—$93 (US)
INTERNATIONAL (magazine online only)—$55 (US)
ADDITIONAL FAMILY MEMBERS—$25 each, Life membership—$1,000.
Contact ABS Headquarters for details.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ABS MAGAZINE, P.O. Box 12888,
Wichita, KS 67277-2888. © Copyright 2010.
18A
AD SECTION
29
GA NEWS
21
SURLY BONDS
33
REGIONAL NEWS
TECH TIPS
23
ABS AVIATORS
34
NEW LIFE MEMBERS
NEIL’S NOTES
24
FORUM
36
EVENT CALENDAR
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
ABS APRIL 2010 I 1
MEMBERSHIP SERVICES
ABS exists to promote aviation safety
and flying enjoyment through education
and information-sharing among owners
and operators of Bonanzas, Barons,
Debonairs and Travel Airs throughout
the world.
www.bonanza.org
1922 Midfield Road, P.O. Box 12888
Wichita, KS 67277
Tel: 316-945-1700; Fax 316-945-1710
e-mail: [email protected]
Monthly ABS Magazine • One-on-One Aircraft Advice •
Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency Program • Aircraft Service
Clinics • Air Safety Foundation Research &
Development Projects • Regulatory & Industry
Representation • Annual Convention & Trade Show •
Affiliated Aircraft Insurance with Falcon Insurance •
Members-only Website Section • Educational Books,
Videos & Logo Merchandise • ABS Platinum Visa®
(with Hawker Beechcraft Parts Discounts) • Tool Rental
Program • The ABS Flyer a monthly e-newsletter •
Professionally Staffed Headquarters
B P P P
S C H E D U L E
DATE
LOCATION
AIRPORT
Apr 9-11
Greensboro, NC
GSO
Apr 23-25
Concord, CA
CCR
May 21-23
Columbus, OH
CMH
ABS Executive Director:
Thomas P. Turner, [email protected]
Sept 10-12
Manchester, NH
MHT
Sept 17-19
Waukesha, WI
UES
Technical Questions:
[email protected] or 316-945-1700
Oct 15-17
Richmond, VA
RIC
Office Hours:
M-F 8:30 am - 5:00 pm (Central Time)
Membership:
[email protected]
Website:
www.bonanza.org
Convention:
[email protected]
ABS Store:
www.bonanza.org or 316-945-1700
Oct 29-31
Fresno, CA
FAT
Nov 12-14
Tulsa, OK
RVS
Term expires
PRESIDENT
STEPHEN P. BLYTHE (At–large)
*2011
21065 Barclay Ln., Lake Forest, CA 92630
phone: 949-583-9500 ext. 1131
e-mail: [email protected]
VICE PRESIDENT/TREASURER
KEITH KOHOUT (Area 2)
212 B East 2nd St., Covington, KY 41011
phone: 513-479-2533
e-mail: [email protected]
2010
SECRETARY
LORNE SHEREN, M.D. (Area 1)
PO Box 442, Chatham, NJ 07928
phone: 908-295-8106
e-mail: [email protected]
2010
BOB GOFF (Area 3)
2012
1963 South Creek Blvd., Port Orange, FL 32128
phone: 231-342-8040
e-mail: [email protected]
Visit www.bppp.org for more info or to register.
Bonanzas/Barons/Debonairs/Travel Airs at all locations. Cockpit Companion course available. Call the
BPPP Registration Office to make arrangements:
970-377-1877 or fax 970-377-1512. Eligible for
70 ABS Aviator points.
RANDY AFRICANO (Area 4)
3821 N. Bigelow St., Peoria, IL 61614
Phone: 309-681-9700
e-mail: [email protected]
2010
WARD COMBS (Area 6)
10474 Stardust Lane, Blair, NE 68008
phone: 402-426-8041
e-mail: [email protected]
2012
TOM ROSEN (Area 7)
633 Rustic Ranch Ln., Lincoln, CA 95648
Phone: 916-408-8666
e-mail: [email protected]
2011
JOHN ANNABLE, M.D. (Area 8)
20911 Earl St. #440, Torrance, CA 90503
phone: 310-542-0455
e-mail: [email protected]
2012
* Second and/or final term
A B S - A S F
S E R V I C E
C L I N I C
S C H E D U L E
DATE
LOCATION
AIRPORT
HOST
Apr 29-May 2
Fairhope, AL
4R4
Teledyne Continental Motors
May 13-16
Hagerstown, MD
HGR
Hagerstown Aircraft Services
June 17-20
Livermore, CA
LVK
Maintenance Express, Inc.
July 15-18
Spokane, WA
GEG
XN Air
Aug 12-15
Rockford, IL
RFD
Emery Air, Inc.
Oct 7-10
Newport, NH
2B3
Edmonds Aviation
Oct 28-31
Atlanta, GA
FTY
Hawker Beechcraft Services
Nov 4-7
Denton, TX
DTO
Aircraft Precision Maintenance
Dec 2-5
Ramona, CA
KRNM
Cruiseair Aviation, Inc.
ABS-ASF Service Clinics provide a valuable 'second opinion' about the maintenance state of
your Beechcraft. You'll follow our highly experienced inspector as he checks your airplane in
areas that often merit a closer look. Bring your mechanic so you can both learn more about
your Beechcraft! Only $200 for single-engine, $250 for twin-engine. Register online at www.
bonanza.org or ABS headquarters 316-945-1700. Eligible for 30 ABS Aviator points.
AREA 1: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont.
AREA 2: Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Maryland, Michigan,
Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Canada, and all other
foreign countries except Mexico.
AREA 3: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia.
AREA 4: Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin.
AREA 5: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma,
New Mexico, Texas, Mexico.
AREA 6: Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, Nebraska,
Nevada, North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota, Utah,
Wyoming.
AREA 7: Alaska, Oregon, Washington, northern
California counties north of the northern boundary of
Kern, San Luis Obispo, and San Bernardino Counties.
AREA 8: Southern California, including the counties
of Santa Barbara, Ventura, Kern, San Luis Obispo, Los
Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San
Bernardino and Imperial Counties, plus Hawaii.
1967–1971: B.J. McClanahan, MD
1979–1980: Alden C. Barrios
1988–1989: Lee Larson*
1997–1998: Willis Hawkins*
1971–1973: Frank G. Ross*
1980–1981: Fred A. Driscoll, Jr.*
1989–1990: William H. Bush*
1998-1999: William C. Carter
2007-2008: Arthur W. Brock
1973–1975: Russell W. Rink*
1981–1983: E.M. Anderson, Jr.*
1990–1991: Ray L. Leadabrand*
1999-2000: Tilden D. Richards
2008-2009: Bill Stovall
1975–1976: Hypolite T. Landry, Jr., MD 1983–1984: Donald L. Monday
1991–1992: James C. Cassell, III*
2000-2001: Jon Roadfeldt
2009-2010: Ron Lessley
1976–1977: Calvin B. Early, MD, PhD 1984–1985: Harry G. Hadler*
1992–1993: Warren E. Hoffner
2001-2002: Harold Bost
1977–1978: Capt. Jesse F. Adams
USN(R)*
1985–1986: John E. Pixton*
1993–1994: John H. Kilbourne
2002-2003: Jack Threadgill
1986–1987: Charles R. Gibbs
1994–1996: Barrie Hiern, MD
2003-2004: Jack Hastings,MD
1987–1988: Joseph McClain, Ill
1996–1997: Ron Vickrey
2004-2006: Craig Bailey
1978–1979: David P. Barton*
2 I ABS APRIL 2010
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
2006-2007: Jon Luy
* Deceased
The focus of the Operations column is to keep you informed of new
opportunities and benefits for members and program developments
at American Bonanza Society headquarters in Wichita, Kansas.
In recent years many ABS members have generously offered their professional time, but their offers were
not accepted. It is the current Board's policy that this be
changed, which is the purpose of the MACs being
implemented.
CHANGE IS GOOD
C
hange is sometimes unnerving, but all the recent
changes at ABS are the result of the Board’s
vision to move the Society forward to benefit
you. We hope you will be pleased to be a part of a plan
that promises to be a change for the better. Here’s where
we’re going:
Swift member access to information. ABS will continue providing telephone and one-on-one e-mail technical and member support as we always have. However,
many of today’s members, and most certainly the members of the future, expect and demand ready access to
information over the Internet.
We need the capability to store and deliver huge volumes of technical and educational content in a format
that makes finding the right information quick and easy
for non-web-savvy members, and is seen as state-of-theart for members who are frequent users of online information resources. ABS must be seen as the go-to place
for the definitive answer to questions about flying, owning and maintaining ABS-type airplanes.
Active member involvement. Today’s two-way communication capability makes it easy for ABS members
to be involved beyond just a monthly magazine, a few
questions asked and answered, and perhaps attending
one or two events per year. Not only do we want you to
frequently visit the ABS website for the latest news and
information that directly affects the way you fly, we
want you to be part of the process.
By the time you read this, we will have announced
our ABS Member Advisory Committees (MACs), where
members can volunteer to be in a consulting pool to
advise the ABS Board and staff when issues arise in
their areas of professional expertise. MACs will be
formed for technical, business and communications specialties, such as aeronautical engineering, finance, software design, and many more, so when a topic or task
comes up we’ll know whom in ABS to contact.
Quest for member input. We’re going to go out of our
way to get your ideas and opinions to improve ABS. We
already have an area called Your Ideas for ABS in
Hangar Flying at www.bonanza.org. We’re going to ask
for your input more frequently, a few questions at a
time. You’ll see us out talking to you in ways we’ve not
done before. And you’re always welcome to contact us
at [email protected] or 316-945-1700.
Enhancement of existing services. Members who
attend the ABS Convention tell us they overwhelmingly
enjoy the experience, but even so, only a small percentage is able to attend. There may be other ways ABS can
reach our members in a more convenient, fun way and
we’re exploring several possibilities.
Further, we’ve already begun updating ABS
Magazine with improved features and a new look, and
plan to provide additional magazine-like content on the
website (where page count is not a limitation) while
continuing the quality print publication you enjoy.
We will look at ways to enhance other programs like
the ABS tent at AirVenture, BPPP, the Technical
Advisors and the ABS Air Safety Foundation Service
Clinics. You may be seeing more of ABS at other venues
as well.
Active promotion of Beech ownership. A frequent
member comment is that we need to attract new members to keep the Society alive. The best way to get new
members is to let airplane buyers know the value and
performance of ABS-type airplanes.
We’ll be more actively promoting Beech ownership
by demonstrating the Bonanza/Debonair/Baron/Travel
Air line is the best-supported legacy aircraft. We’ll be
looking at ways to encourage Beech ownership to pilots
and mechanics who are not yet familiar with ABS, so
they’ll consider membership an essential part of buying
an ABS-type airplane. This should have a secondary
effect of helping maintain the value of members’
Beechcraft.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
ABS APRIL 2010 I 3
Member advocacy with service providers. Many
dedicated vendors, a good number of them ABS members themselves, provide great support of our airplanes.
ABS will improve our efforts to make sure members can
make informed decisions about service providers by
holding them to a higher standard in advertising.
We’ll work with vendors to help keep costs as low
as possible. In turn, we must accept that our members
must pay a fair price for products and services so those
critical providers may remain in business. It must be
attractive from a business standpoint for new people and
providers to enter the Beech support industry.
Proactive approach to safety and fleet longevity.
There’s no question we face increasing challenges to
keep an aging airplane fleet flying. The ABS Air Safety
Foundation will continue to expand its efforts in the
engineering and regulatory fields to stay ahead of threats
to continued operation of so-called “aging aircraft.”
Manuals such as the Landing Gear Inspection and
Repair Guide, the upcoming Flight Control, Flaps and
Trim Inspection, Rigging and Repair Guide, and more to
follow are examples of recent efforts to accomplish this
goal. We may partner with academia for a long-term
fleet longevity strategy.
We’ll expand on already excellent relationships with
the FAA, NTSB, Hawker Beechcraft, AOPA, EAA,
Teledyne Continental and other organizations, and
reach out to Lycoming for support of engines in Travel
Airs, 56TCs and some modified Bonanzas. Expect a
much more visible and relevant ABS Air Safety
Foundation.
The key features moving forward will be inclusiveness, communication and responsiveness in a membercentric Society. If this sounds different from what
you’ve come to expect, then you know why the changes
that have occurred took place.
Some details will take time to implement, of course,
but the philosophy is in place and your ABS Board and
staff are behind it 100 percent.
Let us know what you think. Fly safely.
—Tom
Hawker Beechcraft is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the First Flight of the Beech Baron
with a special 50th Anniversary paint scheme and a full package of options as standard.
This limited G58 Anniversary Edition applies to serial numbers
TH-2273 and TH-2285 through TH-2295.
4 I ABS APRIL 2010
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
I'm very pleased about the initiatives at ABS to improve services and
member interaction with your Society, as outlined by ABS Executive
Director Tom Turner in his Operations column on the preceding pages.
BYLAWS VOTING RESULTS - As participants in ABS, you recently had
an opportunity to vote on changes to our ABS bylaws. The results are in.
All the questions put to the membership passed overwhelmingly. Details
are posted in the ABS Corporate Information page of ABS Hangar Flying.
MEMBER VOLUNTEERS - Can you donate some time helping at
Sun-n-Fun, AirVenture or the ABS Convention? Let us know in Member
Volunteers in the Members section of ABS Hangar Flying.
GIVING BACK
H
ow do you share the benefits of flying your
Beechcraft? As owners and pilots we are
blessed with the ability to fly our airplanes for
business or pleasure. The expanded circle of friends and
the many experiences provide us with much entertainment and joy. What do you do when you get tired of the
$100 hamburger runs and taking family or friends for a
sightseeing tour?
Our Regional societies are the social partners of
ABS and permit members to meet in a social environment. They create many opportunities to fly to destinations we have never been, and to meet many like-minded individuals. Kathi and I have made hundreds of new
friends through the many fly-ins we have hosted and/or
attended. If you have not been to a Regional Fly-in I
highly recommend it. Regional and International
Societies are listed with their websites on the bottom of
the calendar page inside the back cover of this magazine.
However, there has to be more. I now have a successful business, career, house, car, my Bonanza, four
kids, seven grandkids, etc. Now what? I was introduced
to the organization “Half Time—Success to Significance”
10 years ago. It speaks to that “change of life” time
when you ask yourself if there is anything else after
“success,” (however you define that)—but still seem
unfulfilled.
I went looking for other things to add significance to
my success. What I found was a plethora of organizations
I could contribute my skills and passions to that make a
real difference. I appreciate the ability to work alongside
others with the same desire to give back while enjoying
their passion for flying. What I have received for my
efforts and contributions well outweighs what I gave.
Charitable flights are a terrific way to contribute to
the community while doing something you love.
General aviation pilots often engage in sightseeing
flights in conjunction with local
airport open-house events to raise
funds for airport authorities,
churches, civic groups, scouts, or
local community members in time
of need. These flights not only raise much-needed funds,
but also foster productive working relationships and are
invaluable in promoting the utility, value and overall
public image of general aviation.
I focused on organizations where I could contribute
the skills I developed in my business life while at the
same time engage in areas that provide a personal
reward for my contributions. For me that was my
accounting and business background, website development, business systems, and then my passion for travel
and flying.
The primary nonprofit organization I support is Liga
International—The Flying Doctors of Mercy (www.
ligainternational.org). Since 1934, Liga has been dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the
people of Sinaloa, Mexico, by providing free health care
and education.
I provide web development services, business
systems, accounting support and I am also a pilot for
Liga. There are many ABS members, including current
and past board members, who also contribute their time
and pilot skills to the Liga mission.
The first Friday of each month from October
through June, a dozen or more privately owned airplanes
deliver volunteers and supplies to remote Liga clinics
where hundreds of needy persons are given medical,
dental and eye care that they would not otherwise
receive. Plastic surgeons repair cleft palates, remove
tumors, skin cancers and repair burn scars. General surgeons perform hernia operations; podiatrists straighten
children's clubfeet. Long-neglected teeth are filled or
removed. Ophthalmologists remove scores of cataracts.
Glasses are fitted; an audiologist provides hearing aids.
Many of these services give local children the opportunity to attend school so they can move forward to a better future.
Liga is just one of many worthwhile organizations
you can join to give back using the great love you have
for flying your Beechcraft. Flying magazine publishes
a list of aviation charities at www.flyingmag.
com/resources/aviation-charities. Check it out and
consider what you can do to help. I assure you it will
change your life and give you a whole new perspective
on the world.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
ABS APRIL 2010 I 5
1962
95-A55
N550JA
My Baron: Fast, fun to fly,
efficient family heirloom
BY JERRY ALVES, ALAMO, CALIFORNIA
igging ditches for my father’s construction
company enabled me to pay for flying lessons
at Pacific States Aviation in Concord,
California, in 1962. My father was a wise man
who realized my passion for flying would motivate me
to finish high school and college. He also realized a
strong desire to keep my medical and pilot certificate
would put healthy limits on my behavior.
From 1962 to 1974 I flew most of the Cessna singleengine series aircraft, as well as single-engine Piper and
Mooney models. And then in 1974 a member of my
extended family lost his medical and gave me his Baron
to fly and maintain. This Baron had left the Beech factory in May 1962 as a 95-A55 (S/N TC-302). After a
short time in Fresno, California, it was relocated to
Buchanan Airfield (KCCR) in Concord.
Barons are great traveling machines, capable of
going just about anywhere. In 1967, it was flown across
the Atlantic to Europe and back. Next it was flown to
Central and South America, the Caribbean, Mexico, all
48 contiguous states, Canada and Alaska.
D
I flew this stock Baron from 1974 to 1991 for
business and personal travel. In its factory configuration, it
was fast, efficient, reliable, easy to maintain and fun to fly.
I highly recommend all Baron owners and pilots
participate in the BPPP. It is a great resource for both
new and experienced pilots. Owners can also perform a
lot of annual maintenance themselves while under the
supervision of an IA. I bought the Beech service and
parts manuals to educate myself appropriately for this
task. I assisted my IA with the next 20 annuals myself.
Modifications began in 1991
After late-style D’Shannon front and side windows
with pilot and copilot vents were installed, next came a
new nose cone, wing tips and vortex generators. These
were followed by new paint and interior and Beech shoulder harnesses for pilot and copilot. As new avionics were
developed and available, the instrument panel was rebuilt.
With the third rebuild, however, I started from scratch
with all-new wiring harnesses, a wiring diagram and
internally lighted instruments and gauges. In 1992 a
Colemill President II conversion was completed with new
IO-550E engines, 50-amp alternators and Hartzell threeblade propellers.
This conversion turned my good Baron into a
spectacular performer—a real hot rod and even more
fun to fly. On a standard day at sea level, N550JA will
Jerry Alves with his 1962 Baron—a real hotrod.
6 I ABS APRIL 2010
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
N550JA EQUIPMENT LIST - 1962 95-A55 BARON
IO-550E engines (300 hp
continuous)
Insight Gemini 1200
engine monitor
Dual avionics masters
in parallel
Garmin 696 handheld GPS
w/ 69AWX & music
3-blade Hartzell props
w/ anti-ice
Shadin fuel flow coupled
to GPS
Backup electric attitude
indicator
Avidyne 600 traffic system
Vortex generators
Slaved HSI & RMI
Rosen sun visors
Beech shoulder harnesses
Garmin 530W w/ 69WX
Custom panel w/ back
lighting (no post lights)
Garmin 430W
External antenna plug for
hand-held comm radio
S-Tec 60-2 autopilot
w/ electric trim, altitude
& vertical speed pre-select
King KT76C transponder #2
Garmin 330 transponder #1
King ADF
Vertex VXA 710 hand-held
comm radio
406 ELT w/automatic
position reporting
GPSS roll steering
climb more than 2,000 feet per minute on two engines
and 450 feet per minute on one engine. This extra
performance considerably increases the safety margins.
Its single-engine service ceiling is 10 to 14 thousand
feet, depending on weight and temperature. Maximum
cruise is about 208 knots at 8,000 feet and 200 knots at
12,000 feet. With this extra performance, you can easily
fly in the low to mid-teens.
My Baron is very efficient; it will fly at Bonanza
speeds with only a small increase in fuel consumption
over the single. With the Colemill conversion on the
A55, you get a gross weight increase to 5,200 pounds.
The useful load on N550JA is 1,836 pounds, and with
full fuel, it can carry 1,000 pounds in the cabin. This
high payload makes a Colemill A55 very useful for
family or business travel.
Direct operating expenses for fuel, oil and engine
reserves are very reasonable for a high-performance
light twin. Currently, I use about $185 an hour for these
Davtron clock & digital
outside air temperature
gauge
Six-place oxygen w/ extra
large bottle
(The knobs on the prop and
mixture control levers are
original. I had them painted in
enamel to look new.)
direct costs. Annuals are about six to eight thousand dollars, depending on parts and scheduled maintenance.
I also own a 1980 Cessna 421C and regularly fly
both planes on the same routes. I fly 250 to 300 hours a
year between both planes. On most trips, the Baron is
faster and burns a lot less fuel. In fact, on trips less than
300 miles I prefer to take the Baron if weather is not an
issue because it is faster, more efficient, and simply
more fun.
When it is well maintained, modified and upgraded,
an older Baron makes for fast, fun, and reliable transportation. If you take into consideration its speed, useful
load, single-engine performance, easy maintenance and
reasonable fuel cost, it’s a bargain compared to new
twins and singles. On a recent trip to Alaska with my
two sons and 10 other planes, N550JA had no problems
and no squawks.
One of my sons has started flying—working toward
inheriting this wonderful family heirloom.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
ABS APRIL 2010 I 7
ABS Magazine has on
occasion published an
issue with a focus on a
specific model of airplane. Positive responses
from those special issues
led us to develop plans for
two or three special issues each
year. Watch for announcements in
the magazine or ABS e-mails about submitting model-specific stories.
Since 2010 is the 50th anniversary of the First
Flight of the Baron, we chose to focus on early-model
Barons in this issue. The Beechcraft of the Month is a
’62 Baron, the Tech Tips have a Baron focus, and
several stories on 1961-1962 Barons begin here.
ANNIVERSARY YEAR
The 1961 model
95-55 was the first
Baron—the forerunner of
today's G58. The first
flight was February 29,
1960. The first delivery was
in October of the same year.
The 95-55 was developed
from the Model 95 Travel Air. It had 260hp engines, with a top speed of 236 mph. The Baron
quickly became a top seller in the light twin
market. High performance, flying ease, comfortable
furnishings and reputation for high quality construction continue to make the Baron highly popular with
business flyers.
Mike Whiskey: a remarkable Baron
BY SANDER D. FRIEDMAN, MEDFORD, NEW JERSEY
N77MW was the 183rd
Baron to roll off the
assembly line in 1961
and is designated as a
95-55. It was originally
owned
by
AMP
Incorporated out of Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania, and carried a similar
but different N number. As a corporate aircraft, Mike Whiskey was
equipped with the most advanced
avionics of the 1960s. The nose
compartment housed two stacks
of ARC tube radios; the control
heads were in the panel. Atlantic
Aviation Services at Philadelphia
International did an impeccable job
with the installation. While it
severely limited the cargo space, the
radios worked well up to and
including the first few years of my
ownership.
In 1970 AMP Inc. moved up to
larger aircraft and the Baron was
8 I ABS APRIL 2010
sold to John Serrell, who was one of
the founding members of AOPA.
Due to failing health, he reluctantly
sold the aircraft to me after 22 years
of ownership. A few years after my
purchase I made several upgrades
and reached out to Mr. Serrell to see
if he would like to join me for a
flight. I never realized just how
emotional it was for him to sell
Mike Whiskey. But now that I have
owned her for nearly the same
amount of time that he did, I can
fully appreciate the remark he made
in a letter turning down my offer. It
would be, he said, “…akin to dating an old flame after she had married the other fellow.” As you can
see, attachments develop.
Maintenance on N77MW has
been, for the most part, unremarkable. I attribute much of this to the
aircraft being hangared since new.
Before my tenure, the aircraft was
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upgraded with a Colemill President
600 conversion and the climb performance with these engines and
three-blade props is remarkable.
The conversion replaces the IO470 260-hp engines with IO-520s
producing 300 takeoff hp each.
About three years after my purchase, the tube radios were replaced
with King KX155/165 navcoms and
then I added an Apollo 360 GPS and
a PS Engineering intercom because I
don’t know how anyone in the plane
could communicate on a cross-country without going hoarse and deaf.
The largest panel makeover
occurred when the Century 2000
autopilot was installed five years
later along with upgrading the GPS
to an IFR-certified unit (Apollo
GX50). It was also time to replace
the old ARC tube radio transponder
with a transistor radio and blind
encoder. I lost the ARC tube radio,
coffee grinder style ADF, which
worked flawlessly but I simply ran
out of panel space. A WX10
Stormscope was installed by its pre-
vious owner. As for the engine
instruments, I was leaning a little too
aggressively without a true picture of
all the cylinders. So after overheating
two exhaust valves, I installed a JPI
EDM-760 engine monitor.
Many of my upgrades are now
yesterday's technology. Perhaps
another panel upgrade is still in
store for Mike Whiskey. I did purchase a Garmin 496 GPS with XM
Weather after a controller directed
me into an embedded thunderstorm
for traffic concerns at the end of a
three-hour flight. Stormscope is
great but more information in the
cockpit is invaluable when weather
moves in. I have my eye on a fuelflow upgrade to the JPI and a glass
panel is still on my wish list.
The aircraft was purchased with
low-time engines, and I have not yet
overhauled them, but an overhaul is
imminent. Along with replacing
fuel bladders, throttle cable, door
hinges, exhaust, generators, cowlflap actuators, several batteries, vacuum pumps, magneto harnesses,
door seals and a slew of other parts,
the airplane also has new windows
and a late-model nose.
But the most important upgrade
was the shoulder harnesses. They
were installed after studying several
fatalities involving older aircraft.
These restraints simply save lives.
An incident can easily become a
fatal accident without them. Best
money I ever spent and I hope to
never need them.
One mechanic recently commented on the low number of
Airworthiness Directives that have
ever been issued on this aircraft, truly
a testimonial to the craftsmanship
that went into building the Baron.
I follow all the ABS discussions
that concern wing bolts, spar web,
magnesium control surfaces, gear
and other airframe concerns carefully. I am very aware of her age and
never fly in the yellow arc or do anything to overstress the airframe.
When dealing with turbulent weather,
I restrict the top of the green arc by 10
percent, more if the weather is really
rough.
The early Baron is a perfect balance between a true cross-county aircraft with a stable platform along
with light controls that allow for nimble maneuvering. When I first purchased it, I did owner-assisted annuals. You can really learn a lot about
your aircraft by getting into every
corner. I discovered someone in this
airplane was a heavy smoker. When I
was rebuilding the overhead air
intake scoop, I scraped away a huge
amount of tar and nicotine impregnated on the grate of the overhead
speaker. I have since replaced the
interior and painted the former Armygreen instrument panel black.
This airplane and I have
enjoyed many adventures such as
skiing in Vermont, snorkeling in
Key West, my honeymoon on
Martha’s Vineyard, sightseeing in
New Orleans, Los Angeles, Lake
Tahoe, Chicago, Kansas City and
many more. Some of my most
memorable trips have been to
Oshkosh where thousands of people
share my enthusiasm for these
incredible machines.
I consider myself very fortunate
to own Mike Whiskey. About 12
years ago while flying at night over
the Florida everglades, the linkage
on the right engine fuel controller
separated in the descent. I don’t think
I would have made it to an airport if
I had not been flying the twin.
I purchased N77MW in 1992
and joined ABS in 1993. I read the
Tech Tips column religiously. On
several occasions I have called for
advice and commend the organization for its input on many important
issues. Public comments made to
the Administrator on proposed rule
making from switches to spar web
issues are invaluable for all owners
of these aircraft.
I am proud to support and be a
member of ABS. I am even more
proud to own one of the first
Beechcraft Barons made.
Sander Friedman with his wife Beth and their children Alex and Emily enjoy flying in Mike Whiskey.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
ABS APRIL 2010 I 9
PHOTO BY JON YOUNGBLUT©
Rescue of a
pug-nosed Baron
BY TONY PIERCE
DENVER, COLORADO
In 1991 I purchased a
1961 pug-nosed Baron
from an estate. It had
been sitting idle in a
hangar for several years,
a project the owner never
got to. It was, I thought, a
good buy at right around salvage
value. It had a crummy interior,
lousy paint, old avionics and hightime engines and props. Boy, was I
ambitious!
Since a good friend of mine was
an A&P/IA on the same field and
willing to help and supervise my
efforts, I dove in. I figured I could
get it flying, build time and ratings
and sell out to someone else with
the same goal. Even with over-time
engines, it all worked out—except
the sell-out part. I was happy to get
it flying and improve it as I built
multiengine time. Not surprisingly,
I got behind the market curve. There
were always better airplanes on the
market and very few twins are
bought as projects. Most purchasers
want to buy and fly with the latest
and greatest gadgets.
Despite all that, I didn’t do too
badly for the use I got out of this
durable airframe. I did not find it to
be twice as expensive as my G35
Bonanza to operate, as the popular
view seems to be. The airframe was
practically fault-free after I invested
in instrument overhauls and a modest IFR-capable panel with a
KNS80 and a non-slaved Narco
HSI. I put a later-style nosecone on
it and an interior I did myself
(except for sewing), but those were
the only cosmetic upgrades.
I had one curious problem with
fuel indication circuits. Frustrated
that I couldn’t resolve the problem,
even though I had used the mainte10 I ABS APRIL 2010
Old Paint, Tony Pierce’s 1961 Baron.
nance manual to do the wiring, I
finally contacted Beech. They looked
up the wiring diagrams from the original drawings prepared for the manual and discovered that the 1961 maintenance manual was wrong.
On very high-time engines, I
had an occasional cylinder problem
and a crankshaft bearing failure that
led to the overhaul of one engine
that was over TBO anyway. I got
more than 650 hours flown before
the other engine ultimately caused
me to park the airplane. Not bad for
engines well beyond recommended
TBO but operating within inspection standards. The airplane’s last
annual was passed except that one
engine failed for worn rod bearing(s). It’s good enough to fly with
an engine change, which I can’t currently afford.
For a year or so in the midnineties, I placed the airplane on
leaseback in a flying club/school
and it did not break even. We were
renting it at $185/hour wet. A
Duchess in the same operation was
renting for $140, I think. As you
may know, the Baron 55 goes faster
and farther while carrying considerably more, at about 800 pounds
payload with 142 gallons of fuel. It
performed by the book.
Old Paint, as we came to call it,
had a much better dispatch rate
(almost 100 percent) than the trouble-prone Duchess and rented
despite its shabby appearance.
While the rental covered almost all
costs, I didn’t like the maintenance
policies at flat rates in the club’s
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
agreement. I monitored maintenance closely and knew an annual
was performed by one man in one
day, but I was charged 24 hours
labor, plus some nitpicking service.
(NOTE: One work day would be
extremely fast for a Baron annual.
—ABS tech staff)
Two months after I put Old
Paint on the rental line, the owner of
the majority of the club’s fleet saw
how popular it was. He bought a
Cessna 310 and put it on the line at
a lower rate. He was also the owner
of the maintenance shop. The market just wasn’t big enough for the
two of us when the other guy had
that kind of advantage.
I have always loved aviation,
due to my father’s profession as a
corporate and personal pilot.
Owning a classic Bonanza and a
Baron was a dream come true, even
though I could do it only on a modest scale. Imagine a modest Baron!
I’ve never had the latest and
greatest hardware, but I’ve spent
money to keep things in safe and
legal working order rather than
upgrade much. Nonetheless, I’ve
flown a G35 and a Baron 55 all over
the country and my capital expenditures have been relatively modest.
I give credit to our venerable
friend Ken Pearce and his shop near
Colorado Springs, Colorado, for
much of my success in ownership
and operation, as well as friend and
A&P/IA Paul Danyew, who saw to
it that I did all things mechanical the
right way from the start.
Reflections on my early Baron
BY HAROLD COGHLAN, BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
N9411Y is a 1960/1961 (the Airworthiness Certificate showed 1961, but it
was produced in late 1960) Baron 95-55, (S/N TC-23). It was a wonderful
family and charter plane modified with the Colemill President 600 conversion
around 1980. With the Colemill conversion of 300-hp IO-520E engines and
increased gross weight, the performance of the modified Baron was nothing short
of fantastic. That was especially true in the single-engine performance area, which was one of the
criteria when we first bought it. On reflection, however, I now believe the greatest thing about this
early Baron was its sweet handling qualities.
really do like Beechcraft planes,
Iblessed
probably because I have been
with an opportunity to fly
most Beech products ranging from
the single-engine T-34 and
Bonanzas to the piston twins 95, 55
and 58 to most of the turboprop King
Airs and commuter airliners. I
believe they all fly great! I admit I
may be a bit biased, but having been
a military-trained test pilot, and having flown as a civilian test pilot for a
few airlines and defense manufacturers, I rather think I can make a fair
assessment of an aircraft’s flying
qualities.
When we bought this Baron in
the 1990s it looked OK, but the
radios were clearly out of style:
Narco Mk-12s and King 170s. We
had the panel upgraded to digital
MX-170 and MAC-1700, adding a
King HSI as well as a coupled
autopilot with altitude hold (S-Tec
model 50), a heading-stabilized
Stormscope WX-950 and an IFR
approach-certified GX-50 GPS. We
added a leather interior and a fresh
engine overhaul with ECI cylinders.
During the more than 10 years
we flew it, N9411Y was very reliable, and mostly had a trouble-free
record, which I believe stems from
our being very proactive in maintenance. My thinking was influenced
by my military and airline experience, which was to do maintenance
often and in a preventive way, so the
plane does not end up with a
mechanical problem when we're on
the road where fixing it triples the
expense over being performed at
home base.
Outside of minor items that
could be deferred per the Minimum
Equipment List, in more than 10
years we never had a mechanical
problem while on a flight out of
town that necessitated repair or that
grounded the plane.
Among the proactive maintenance procedures we did 25-hour
Harold Coghlan’s 1961 95-55.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
oil changes with spectrometric oil
analysis at every oil change; changing the old voltage regulators for
new, solid state Zeftronics ones
(worked great, always in parallel);
rotating main tires, using Desser
retread 8-ply tires (better than original standard 6-ply); changing the
old rotating beacons with new
strobes; adding internal lights to the
ADI gyro; and replacing things
ahead of schedule, even if it was not
on the mandatory schedule.
For example, we replaced the
landing gear actuator, the gear
motor and had both 50-amp generators replaced, even though they
were working fine, just to be sure
they were not going to fail on us.
You can’t skimp on maintenance;
maintaining a reliable and safe
plane costs money!
Our experience with 100-hour
inspections and annuals (every 100hour was done as an annual) is that
on average, they tend to cost
between $5,000 and $10,000, when
parts and proactive repairs were
taken into account.
N9411Y was flown by a small
group of professionally trained
pilots who treated the plane as if it
were their own. All pilots received
initial and recurrent training in the
actual aircraft. We flew with checklists and followed Standard
Operating Procedures (SOPs) using
standard configurations and power
settings. We always reduced power
to climb setting (25"/2500 rpm) at
1,000 feet AGL to help preserve the
engines. We tended to baby the
engines at cruise somewhat and
flew at 7,000 to 10,000 feet with 2122" MP and 2,400 rpm, instead of
full throttle.
We installed a good multi-cylinder EGT and only leaned to 15 gph
per engine under any condition
(instead of the 12.5 to 13.8 gph that
the charts said could be the done at
those altitudes). The result was that
we burned a little more fuel but in
ABS APRIL 2010 I 11
over 3,400 hours, we never had a
cylinder prematurely replaced, and
went both times to the recommended
1,700 hour TBO with no problems!
My family, and my kids especially, loved to travel on this early
Baron. It was a well-built airplane,
steady and rock solid (as compared
to most lighter single-engine
planes), with extremely light and
harmonious pitch and roll controls,
and a very responsive rudder.
Engine outs (on initial and recurrent
we did engine shutdowns, above
3,000 feet AGL, of course) were a
piece of cake, which made the pilots
feel very confident in the Baron.
The bigger engines of the
Colemill President 600 conversion
helped in climb and cruise as com-
A few special flights
Rancho del Beech
BY NEWT FARRAR, TYLER, TEXAS
Our extended family fleet of five during a family gathering in 1997. We still own four of them.
My grandfather, father, brother and I have all owned Bonanzas and Barons. Memories of growing
up and starting families are intertwined with mental snapshots of flights with family and friends
from as early as I can remember. We have been blessed to have a fine grass strip on a Central
Texas ranch the family has used for almost 40 years, gathering frequently to live out our own Beech
version of Sky-King. We have five pilots in the family, and at one time had five airplanes!
My parents attended the first two ABS Conventions. Dad was always very proud to be part of ABS.
was in high school in 1972 and
had just started flight training
when Dad bought the 1962 95-A55
(N111TX). He loved to do most of
the maintenance himself and was
adamant about starting the engines
every two to three weeks for at least
a short flight “to keep it slicked up.”
I recall him planning to take delivery of the Baron near Atlanta,
Georgia, after finishing the last leg
of his Eastern Airlines trip that
week. Shortly thereafter, we took it
to Ennis, Texas, for a paint job. It
I
12 I ABS APRIL 2010
pared to the standard early Barons
with the 260-hp IO-470s performance. As my 707 instructor used to
say, “Any airplane can be made better with more power.”
I thoroughly enjoyed my love
affair with this venerable and trusty
early Baron, TC-23.
May they never stop making
Beechcrafts!
remained that way until I sprung for
new paint, interior and panel
makeover after I sold my own 1962
95-A55 and bought N111TX just a
few years before Dad passed away.
N111TX is perhaps the lowesttime 95-A55 with 2,500 total hours
since new. I have more than 2,000
PIC hours in Barons, and I particularly love to fly them solo with half
fuel to enjoy the improved climb performance that seems in my mind like
it must be similar to a P-51. (That’s a
stretch, but it’s fun to dream.)
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
One late afternoon in the 1970s
Dad and I took off nonstop to
Oshkosh as the evening sun was getting low. We landed sometime before
midnight and were directed to the
Basler ramp for parking. We slept on
the pavement under the wing, a tarp
flung on the wing for privacy. We
toured the grounds for the next couple of days, then left about five in the
morning for the five-hour flight
back. No traffic delay in or out at
those off-peak times.
My parents attended the Reno
Air Races almost every year since
1964. They passed on to my
younger brother and me the same
affliction, although with less regularity. This was an aviation pilgrimage of sorts, always flying our own
selves across the Western expanses.
It was an odd life-moment the time
Dad got in the back seat with Mom
and let his sons fly them home
halfway across the country.
Another year my brother and I
departed Reno with MVFR overcast
and climbed to FL180 with our nonturbo'd engines and our Scott system
rapidly flowing the O2. It was
remarkable to see airliner traffic
descending under us as we flew over
busy centers—a view I don't normally get to experience.
This was one of the few flights
in my lifetime of Baron flying when
I caught enough tailwind to see my
groundspeed exceed 250 kts. What a
thrill!
Our family has been trout fishing
in Montana for four decades. I truly
value what the Baron can provide in
terms of “time-machine” functionality. It is a true privilege to be able to
span the country in a single day. With
very little advance planning I joined
my parents who had begun the annual trek by car a week earlier, and had
found good action in the crystal
streams we frequent.
I flew out of Tyler non-stop to
Douglas, Wyoming, for a landing just
after dark and the requisite sleep
under the wing. Watching the
Rockies off the left wing as the sun
sank low in the west is a memory not
soon forgotten. A pre-dawn liftoff
took me over the northern part of
Yellowstone where I could see below
us the steam vents and early-morning
hues of indescribable beauty on my
way to enjoy breakfast in Missoula.
General aviation provides freedoms we should cherish and protect.
The ability to act on spontaneous
travel plans and experience serene
solo flights like this represent to me
part of the American dream.
My children grew up in these
planes, which they had to learn to
appreciate and not take for granted.
I was reminded we had more work
to do in this respect when my 8-year
old innocently expressed disappointment that we were going to
take the “slow” Bonanza rather than
the fast one with two engines. That
perspective got corrected nicely after
we drove a few round-trips instead.
I originally purchased a Baron to
enjoy the safety aspects of a spare
engine. I was flying frequently at
night for business. I would spend all
day in another city and return home
at night to maintain a regular family
routine of dinner and fun before we
put the kids to bed. It was during this
slice of life that we flew from east
Texas to the Denver area at holiday
times to join family gatherings.
I never had to shut an engine
down until one Christmas while
northbound over Southern Colorado
late in the afternoon in N1564Z, my
original 1962 95-A55. I sensed the
faintest vibration and scanned the
gauges for indications of anything
odd and saw nothing obvious. Ice
was not an issue as I was way above
the solid undercast. As I studied the
engines looking for loose panels or
oil leaks, I noticed the spinner on the
right was perhaps coming loose from
the back plate. I envisioned a spinner
ripping away and being thrown by a
prop blade into the windscreen or
tearing off a part of the wing.
In the most reassuring way I
could muster, I calmly said to my
wife, “Don't be alarmed, but I'm
going to shut that engine down over
there to check on something.” After
slowly reducing the throttle, I feathered the prop and could immediately see the spinner was off-center
about an inch at the tip. I advised
ATC of the precautionary shutdown
and made a 180 back toward lower
terrain and warmer temperatures
before I descended through the
overcast on a single-engine
approach in IFR conditions below.
As I updated METAR reports
with flight watch, I headed directly
to the airport with the longest runway in North Texas. The sun was
getting low, temperatures were
falling, as were the ceilings everywhere below the beautiful cloud
deck. I began to think through the
single-engine ILS approach I was
about to fly, when a little voice in
my head asked, “Why am I doing
this? I was always taught to land as
soon as practical in such a situation;
not as soon as possible.” We were
humming along at 10,000 feet with
kids asleep in car seats. There was
not a breath of turbulence. Fuel
tanks were 3/4 full and my home
airport was reporting 5,000 feet
overcast a little over an hour away.
The only things out of the ordinary
were the slower airspeed (still
almost as fast as my E33 Bonanza),
and the feathered idle prop in front
of my wife in the right seat.
So the Baron took us home to a
smooth and uneventful single-engine
landing where we were able to discover the source of the vibration. The
backplate had cracked and allowed
one side of the spinner to move backward until the rear edge was beginning to cut into the nacelle.
Our mechanic suggested this
could have been caused by pushing
on the spinner when moving the aircraft backward instead of using a
tow bar or by pushing on the wing's
leading edge. I wondered how long
it might have been bent before it
finally cracked. A day later I was
back in the air with an even greater
appreciation for what these fine
machines can do.
Today, the vintage Beech and
Tactair panel instruments from
N111TX are handsome conversation items on my home-museum
display shelf.
Newt Farrar with son Blake Farrar and father-in-law Doc Fouts.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
ABS APRIL 2010 I 13
Bueno Fortuna
BY ROGER GALVIN
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA
I have been flying for 48
years, getting my ticket
in 1962. I worked for a
corporation that had
three airplanes: Cessna
310, Piper Aztec and
Beech 18. I was assigned a
corporate pilot for use of these
planes for my travels on business. I
spent hours flying around the country with our pilot and after a while I
began to think, perhaps I should
learn about flying, just in case.
It turned out that all our corporate pilots were also current instructors, so my flying lessons while at
work began. Obtaining dual time
was very easy, only it was all in a
twin. Since I was going to take my
flight test first in a single, I needed
to rent one for my solo flights. I was
able to log 21 hours solo in a single
and took the flight tests after passing the written exams. Then I proceeded to get a multiengine rating,
IFR and commercial, all in the twin.
I added a seaplane rating as well.
My early experience was flying
the Beech 18. The first one was a
tail dragger. Many exciting landings
in crosswinds added to my knowledge of ground loops. I was never
so happy as when this plane was
traded for a Beech 18 with nose-
wheel conversion. I could tell you
of the many times I praised this aircraft and its ability to handle
adverse conditions, even landing
with both engines feathered, but
that's another story.
You would think that when I
bought my first plane it would be a
Beech. Did not happen. Budget and
opportunity had me stay with a Piper
Aztec and Navajo. It wasn't until
2001 and 4,735 multi hours later did
I connect with my current joy in life:
N1469G, a 1962 Beechcraft Baron
95-A55 (S/N TC-256).
I was retiring and no longer
needed a cabin-class twin. It was
now only my wife and I who would
use it. At least a four-place was
what we wanted, with a large luggage capacity. Visions of travel
through the Caribbean islands,
United States, Mexico and Central
and South America awaited us.
My wife never got her pilot certificate, but she has been a great
copilot and aid. She knows the
sequence of when things should happen, but not why. During the course
of flight, she might ask, “Shouldn't
this switch be off?” and on landing, I
would always hear her say, “Mixture
rich, props set, gear down, three in
the green (a holdover from the
Navajo) and one in the mirror.”
N1469G has had a lustrous life
with three owners and much of its
time was spent in Alaska. She has
Roger Galvin (right) waits as N1469G is serviced.
14 I ABS APRIL 2010
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
had all the “B” mods: three-blade
props, a new paint scheme in 2007,
and the panel upgraded in 2008.We
have had no surprises with maintenance and annuals. The only exception is needing to overhaul or
replace cylinders. Seems we only
get 400 to 600 hours on cylinders.
We fly rich of peak, cylinder
head temps always below 370
degrees. Most wear occurs in wrist
pins and valve seats. We cruise at
170 knots indicated between 4,000
to 7,000 feet with a fuel burn of
12.5 -13.0 gph/side.
We have realized parts of our
dream. Last year we flew for 45
days, all through Central America
and part of South America returning
to Florida through the Caribbean
chain. We picked most of our island
stops on the conditions that no
cruise ship went there, and it had no
commercial flights. When not on
extended vacations, we enjoy flying
missions for Angel Flights and
Paws ’N Planes. Next to flying, contributing our plane to these organizations is most fulfilling.
We are planning our next trip to
visit the Galapagos Islands with the
same dependability and safety we
have come to expect from N1469G.
My wife named our plane Bueno
Fortuna and “Good Fortune” is what
we have had ever since taking ownership of this remarkable Baron.
The 2010 ABS Convention seminar series is inspired by the
ABS Air Safety Foundation motto: “Keeping You Flying—Safely.”
Join your fellow ABS members for these and other programs.
CONVENTION SEMINARS PREVIEW
• Rod Machado, Thinking Small
to Avoid Big Mistakes
• Dr. David Strahle, the father
of NEXRAD and weather uplinks,
Weather in the Cockpit
• JJ Greenway, Chief Instructor,
AOPA Air Safety Foundation,
A Crew of One: Single-Pilot
Operation in Beech Airplanes
• Full BPPP Initial ground school
(Tentative)
Wednesday, Sept. 22
Welcome Banquet
Thursday, Sept. 23
Falcon Daybreaker!
Seminars
Trade Show
Afternoon at the Airport
Beechcraft Hangar Party
Friday, Sept. 24
Falcon Daybreaker! (Annual Meeting)
Seminars
Trade Show (Last Day)
Ladies Luncheon
Niagara Falls Event (optional)
Saturday, Sept. 25
Falcon Daybreaker!
Seminars
Women Pilot’s Luncheon
Farewell Reception & Banquet
Watch future issues of ABS Magazine and www.bonanza.org for more seminar
titles and the schedule as they are confirmed.
SEMINAR IDEAS: We have a few seminar slots remaining. If you would like to
present a seminar at the ABS Convention, contact [email protected].
Submit your topic name, an outline of your presentation and a list of your
qualifications to present the topic by April 30.
HOST FBO
Prior Aviation Service, Inc. at the Buffalo Niagara International AIrport (BUF)
will be host FBO for the convention. Watch the magazine and the ABS website
for special offers from Prior for convention attendees, including landing, parking
and tiedown fee waivers.
Prior will be the venue for
Afternoon at the Airport
and the Beechcraft Hangar
Party on Thursday.
The Buffalo/Niagara Falls area offers an amazing mix of American
history, natural wonders, harbor town charm, and big city style.
Buffalo Niagara Convention Center
Hyatt Regency Buffalo
Prior Aviation Service, Inc.
A visit to Niagara Falls will be an Optional Event for convention attendees.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
ABS APRIL 2010 I 15
Answers to technical questions are the best information available
based on indications presented by the member asking the question.
Actual inspection of the airplane or system in question may change
an initial telephone or e-mail suggestion. Aircraft owners, pilots and
readers are advised to physically present airplanes and indications
to a qualified mechanic before choosing a course of action.
Janitrol heater problem
Hydroloc seat adjuster
David Hudgins, Newburgh, Indiana
Jerry Gereghty, Duluth, Georgia
Q: The Janitrol heater in my 1975 E55 Baron (TE1039) no longer functions in flight. While on the
ground, I was able to run the heater without the engines
running by turning on the battery switch and activating
the heater switch. The heater kicked on about 30-60 seconds after I turned the heater switch on, belched some
black smoke, then cycled on and off about every minute
or so.
It seems to be running pretty rich, as it continues to
blow black smoke while it is running, but much less than
when it first starts. Is this the nature of these units or
not? While in flight, turning on the heater switch had no
effect on the operation. I could see the load meter
increase by a couple of amps when turned on, so it
appeared to be possibly running the fuel pump. Also, the
“Cabin Air” control is pushed all the way in to max, so
that should not be the problem. Any thoughts?
Q: The copilot's seat adjuster is inoperative in my 1978
95-B55 (TC-2163). Is there a source for a Hydroloc seat
adjuster?
A: Sounds like the heater is not getting enough combustion air, which is causing the rich mixture (black
smoke). I could give you a few more ideas and things to
test. But a better idea is for you to contact Bill at C&D
Associates, Inc. (269-695-7469; Aircraftheater.com).
They have been in the heater repair business for many
years and even designed their own heater as an aftermarket replacement. They pride themselves on customer
assistance and troubleshooting.
Let me know how all this turns out or if you need
additional assistance. —Arthur Miller
Static system check
Edward Harahush, Long Beach, New York
Q: When having the static system checked for leaks on
my 1981 58P Baron (TJ-360), it failed. They do not
seem to be able to find the problem. All the instruments
have checked out. What can I do?
A: The shop doing the test is normally in the best position to find it. It's a matter of isolating sections of the
system and components and finding the leak. If the shop
is not comfortable doing it, you may need a VFR ferry
permit to a shop that is. Hagerstown Air Service
(301-733-7604) may be one to try. —Neil Pobanz
16 I ABS APRIL 2010
A: Try Central Airmotive, Clinton, Missouri (660-8857531); Nickels and Co. (810-329-7083); Porter (818526-2277, attn. Cesar Ascencio); Aviation Fabricators
(660-885-7531 www.avfab.com). —Tom Turner
Replacing seat belts
Stephen Ollier, Derby, United Kingdom
Q: I need to replace the pilot and copilot seat belts on
my 1973 B55 Baron (TC-1572).
They are the three-point, four-clip buckle, inertia
reel type. I cannot find them listed in the Beech Parts
catalogue. Local mice have gnawed the webbing while
in the hangar. It has been a cold autumn in the UK! The
buckles and fixings are OK, but I need the webbing
replaced. Any suggestions? Great magazine!
A: Yes, replacing the webbing would be the most logical and economical way to go. In the Southeastern
United States (Blairsville, Georgia) we use a company
called Aviation Safety (www.aircraftseatbelts.com).
—Bob Andrews
Oil “blow by”
David Barnes, Shelbyville, Tennessee
Q: On my 1975 95-B55 Baron (TE-1870), oil pressure
on the right engine is noticeably lower than the left
engine. However, the pressure is in the green arc.
Another area of concern is that the oil turns pitch-black
immediately after running the engine following an oil
change. The compression is 70 or above on all cylinders.
The mechanic assures me the engine is safe. He said
there is the possibility of a stuck ring and the engine is
experiencing “blow by.” He said the engine would have
to be torn down to fix this issue. The engine is 200 hours
to overhaul. Is this a safety issue?
A: Your mechanic is correct regarding the blow-by
issue causing the oil to become dark quickly. The oil
pressure can be adjusted if necessary with the shaft that
extends out of the relief valve on the back of the accessory case. As long as the oil pressure is 10 psi or greater
at idle, it should be OK. —Bob Ripley
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
Answers are marked with name of the staff or advisors who answered it. Neil Pobanz, Arky Foulk, Tom Turner, Arthur Miller, Bob Ripley,
Bob Andrews. E-series expert Lew Gage and avionics columnist John Collins also occasionally contribute answers.
58P Baron hoses
Laurence A. Hirsh, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Q: What are the best sources for hose kits for my 58P
Baron (TSIO-520WB) engines?
A:
Both Omaha Aircraft Supply (800-228-9400) and
RLB Accessory (630-543-9213) can match existing
hoses. —Neil Pobanz
Rebuilding tach generator
Jim Pfeifle, Lincoln, Nebraska
Q: Can you recommend a shop to rebuild a tach
generator and the 90-degree drive for my 1965 95-B55
(TC-810)?
A: Try Aircraft Systems (815-399-0225) or Aircraft
Accessories of Oklahoma (800-255-9924). —Neil Pobanz
Engine TBO choices
Paul Rast, Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania
Q: I have looked on www.bonanza.org for tips on
engine options. I have a 1978 95-B55 with motors at
TBO. I am at the mercy of the FBO mechanics since I
lack an understanding of the options and cost. Can you
suggest a publication that would help educate me?
A:
You have three options when it comes to engine
replacement: factory-new, factory-rebuilt and overhauled.
When you discuss overhaul, you will find there are
several levels of the term overhaul: (1) Field overhaul to
serviceable limits stated by TCM; (2) Field overhaul to
new limits stated by TCM; (3) Boutique overhaulers that
balance and blueprint the engines at additional cost to
try and improve performance and reliability.
Any overhaul in the field comes with a warranty.
They vary widely between shops. One thing to remember is that the warranty is only good if they stay in business. If you stay with a factory new or rebuilt engine, the
factory backs it up.
Depending on the age of your engines and type of
crankshaft you have, the crank may have to be replaced
if you use a field overhaul; if you use the factory engine
they don't care about the crank, as the new engine will
have a new one in it.
In addition, the factory engines come with many
accessories depending on the model and spec number.
My suggestion would be to look at a factory new or
rebuilt through http://www.factoryengines.com/. You
can purchase the engine and have it sent to the facility of
your choice for installation.
As part of the engine replacement process, here are
a few additional items that will need attention.
1. Engine mounts
2. All hoses need replacement
3. Instrument air pump overhaul or replacement
4. Propeller overhaul
5. Propeller governor overhaul.
6. Baffle material and any necessary metal work
repairs for the baffles.
As far as cost goes, these are about the order from
the top down. Bear in mind that these prices are only
approximations and should not be used in making your
final decisions.
New engine from TCM
$34,000
Factory rebuilt from TCM
$29,500
Boutique overhaul at location of choice $27,500
Field overhaul to new limits
$22,000
If you would like to discuss this further, call the
ABS office. —Bob Ripley
Send your questions to [email protected].
One of the ABS technical advisors will be asked
to respond. Be sure to include your ABS number.
ABS TECHNICAL STAFF & TECHNICAL ADVISORS
Neil Pobanz, ABS lead technical advisor, is a retired U.S. Army civilian pilot and maintenance manager. He is an A&P and IA with more
than 50 years experience.
Glen "Arky" Foulk, former owner of Delta Strut, has been an ABS
technical advisor since 1986.
Arthur Miller has won numerous FAA awards as a mechanic, and
runs a Beech specialty shop in central Florida.
Bob Ripley retired from Delta Airlines as a manager of line maintenance (Atlanta) and has run an FBO focusing on Beech maintenance
for more than 20 years.
Bob Andrews is a retired Eastern Air Line pilot, CFI, mechanic and a
Wright Brothers Award winner. He owns a Beech-only maintenance
FBO in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tom Turner, ABS Executive Director, holds a Master’s degree in
Aviation Safety. He has specialized in Beech pilot instruction for 20
years.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
ABS APRIL 2010 I 17
Neil’s Notes are from ABS Technical Advisor Neil Pobanz unless otherwise noted.
LANDING GEAR DRAG LEG/ LIFT LEG REPAIRS:
Repairs to worn drag leg/lift leg by new bushings must
be checked for dimensional accuracy and matched up.
That's why they are supplied as a set from the factory.
Only a limited number of shops have a jig to do this.
One is Cruiseair Aviation (www.cruiseairaviation.com,
760-789-8020).
FERRY TANKS: Tip or ferry tanks are available from
D'Shannon (800-291-7616), Osborne (800-963-8477),
Globe Aero (863-644-2451), Turtlepac (866-310-2992),
and Wings of Eagles (813-963-2143). I believe Eagle
Fuel Cells will make custom ferry tanks (800-437-8732).
DYE PENETRANT INSPECTIONS: When accomplishing these inspections, carefully read what inspection conditions are listed and what type of dye must be
used. The fluorescent dye and black light are more sensitive and are sometimes specified. I believe supplies for
them can be obtained from Aviall or API. The dye is not
the same for all types of inspection.
BAGGAGE TIE-DOWNS: Most of our airplanes were
delivered without tie-down rings or straps. I am told they
are required in Canada. Arizona Aircraft Interiors will
make an installation for you using either straps or webbing. (Wayne, 480-832-1330).
LANDING GEAR HAND CRANK HANDLE: We
have heard of luggage or purse straps getting wrapped
up in the gear emergency crank handle if the handle is
not properly stowed when luggage is put in the space
behind the front seats. Also, if you have a chart case or
luggage blocking the handle, it becomes an issue if
you’re solo and need a manual extension. Always check
that the handle is stowed correctly before flight, and
keep the hand-crank area clear of baggage.
PUSH-PULL CABLE CONTROLS, UP-LOCK
CABLES AND FLAP CABLES: Some cables, such as
V35TC cowl flap dual function controls, are hard to
find. Frank at Beechhurst (718-468-1565) can make
them up to accommodate your needs.
SALVAGE AIRCRAFT OWNERSHIP: There are no
actual titles for aircraft. The records by N-number and
serial number are kept at FAA in Oklahoma City from
bills of sale and registrations. The Airworthiness
Certificate may be surrendered or revoked when an
airplane is declared salvage. Re-issuance of an
Airworthiness Certificate requires a conformity inspection
by an FAA Designated Airworthiness Representative
(DAR).
ADs
18 I ABS APRIL 2010
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
THE MULTIENGINE TAKEOFF
BY JOHN ANDRICK, NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE
F
lying a multiengine airplane can be a lot of fun.
However, flying a twin when one engine has
failed demands special attention and a familiarity
with the unbreakable laws of aerodynamics. The most
critical time to lose an engine is when the airplane is
close to the ground, heavy, when you are trying to
climb, and when you are at a low airspeed. In other
words – during takeoff.
A multiengine takeoff can be dangerous if an
engine fails. However, there are techniques available
that can mitigate the danger. Every multiengine pilot
should use these techniques. The speeds will be different for each type of airplane, but the general technique
works well for all light twins.
A multiengine takeoff sequence can be divided into three phases:
1. Beginning of takeoff roll until the aircraft reaches Vmc + 5
knots;
2. Vmc + 5 to airborne, at blue line, with aircraft cleaned up, and
3. Cleaned-up aircraft that is climbing with airspeed at or above
blue line.
Never lift off during phase one (that is, until the airplane has accelerated to Vmc +5 knots). That’s because
the aircraft cannot be controlled in the air below that
speed if an engine quits. (We add five knots to account
for the fact that it takes a second or so to identify an
engine failure situation.) If an engine failure happens
here, we chop the power and keep that aircraft on the
ground, even if we are going to run off the end of the
runway. It’s better to crash under control, while still on
the ground, rather than lose control of the airplane once
it’s airborne.
Second phase – Vmc+5 to blue line – is the most
dangerous. Therefore, pilots should use a technique that
minimizes the time the aircraft is in this phase. The best
procedure is to lift the airplane off the ground, and then
lower the nose to accelerate in ground effect (without
settling!). The goal is to get to blue line as soon as possible. If an engine failure happens here, the pilot is faced
with a go or no-go decision. Factors to consider are the
amount of runway remaining and an assessment of the
airplane’s ability to climb (weight, density altitude, how
close you are to blue line, etc.). If it is a long runway, I
would probably land—even if I thought the aircraft
could stay in the air and climb.
During the third phase (when aircraft is at or above
blue line with gear and flaps up), we are committed to
flight. Therefore, pilots should concentrate on precise
airspeed control and fly the airplane in a configuration
that results in maximum performance. (See my article
in the March 2009 ABS Magazine for information
about single-engine climb performance.) Even in this
phase, however, we might have to consider the possibility of a forced landing.
Many light twins cannot climb, or even maintain
altitude on one engine, if they are really heavy and/or
the density altitude is high. Before a questionable takeoff, I always refer to the performance charts to see if
the airplane will indeed climb on one engine. I’m very
conservative with those performance charts; I know
that they were created with test pilots under ideal
conditions. I typically figure that I’d be lucky to get
half the single-engine climb performance advertised.
If the airplane won’t climb on one engine in your
situation, then you have to plan on a forced landing if
an engine fails on takeoff. Do you know what field
you’re going to use? Unless you have a lot of altitude,
it’s a mistake to try and turn back to the departure airport and try to land downwind. It’s much better to land
straight ahead, under control, than to lose control during a sharp, single-engine turn, close to the ground.
The NTSB files are full of stories about pilots who
have unsuccessfully tried that maneuver.
Takeoff is by far the most dangerous part of multiengine flying. The proper takeoff technique, coupled
with practical knowledge of the aircraft’s performance
limits, goes a long way toward minimizing that danger.
I encourage all multiengine pilots to embrace a safe
takeoff technique for their aircraft.
JOHN ANDRICK has been teaching with BPPP for 20 years. He is
an airline transport pilot, flight instructor, and works as an Air Traffic
Controller. John is also a licensed attorney and an adjunct professor
of law at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire.
Established in 1983, the Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency Program (BPPP) promotes aviation safety and is the most effective model-specific flight
training available (www.bppp.org). Initial and recurrent programs are available for Bonanzas, Debonairs, Barons, Travel Airs and Dukes. There is also a
Companion Clinic for right-seaters. BPPP has been approved as a recurrent training program by virtually every insurance company in the nation.
A schedule of upcoming BPPP events can be found on page 2.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
ABS APRIL 2010 I 19
Lewis C. Gage has ATP multiengine land with Boeing 707/720/747/Airbus-310 ratings, Commercial single-engine
land; flight instructor MEL/SEL airplanes and instruments; ground instructor advanced and instrument; flight navigator;
flight engineer; A&P/IA and FAA parts manufacturing authorization. Lew is an ABS Life Member with 15,000+ hours.
A NEW ENGINE INSTRUMENT
few months ago I wrote a paragraph in an article
about my longing for a cylinder head temperature
(CHT) instrument that would show the temperature of all six cylinders and it could show and stick on
the hottest cylinder instead of scanning the other cooler
cylinders. It would also show another cylinder that
might become the hottest cylinder and do it all without
any input or selection from the pilot.
As with all of the other good things about belonging
to the ABS, one of our members contacted me and steered
me to a company (Aerospace Logic, Inc.) that manufactures such an instrument. This system is listed in the
Aircraft Spruce catalog, but I simply had overlooked it.
For the past 20 years or so I have had a reliable
Electronics International CHT system that would show
any cylinder selected by a rotary switch, displaying the
CHT digitally. The new instrument also has settable
limits, both high and low temperatures that the pilot may
select.
A
of several options to keep it below that temperature. It
involved quite a bit of rotating that knob between those
two cylinders to monitor the engine. I finally got the new
instrument and ring probes and have the system installed
and operating.
Getting the right instrument
Instead of dealing with Aircraft Spruce on this, I
contacted the manufacturer and purchased directly from
them. I have only a few hours of experience with it, but
so far, it seems to do exactly as advertised. There is a
scan mode and a manual mode that will show any of the
cylinders, but I am only interested in which is the hottest
cylinder and what that temperature is. So the automatic
mode is where I leave the switch.
This type of system uses thermocouples that have a
“hot junction” and a “cold junction” (HJ/CJ). The readout is displaying the temperature comparing the HJ/CJ
difference. I do not know what the calibrated temperature
for the CJ is in this instrument (it is 75 degrees for other
instruments I have installed), but any temperature above
or below that calibrated temperature requires a correction
Which cylinder is the hottest?
for the indicated readout temperature. However, this new
Of course I know that the hottest cylinder in my airsystem has a circuit within the instrument case that complane—and in probably most other E-powered
pensates for the CJ being something other than the caliBonanzas in which there are good
brated temperature.
cowl seals and no anomalies, such as
The fly in the ointment is that the
an errant cylinder—will be either #2
CJ on the standard instrument is at the
or #4. The problem is that the hottest
end of the ring probe leads, which are
one changes with any of a myriad of
only 48 inches long. So this would
operating conditions, OAT, IAS, fuel
have the CJ of at least the number 3flow, altitude, rpm, throttle position
4-5 and 6 cylinders being made in the
and others will cause the highest readengine compartment. Since that
ing to shift between these two cylinwould not give an accurate readout for
ders. Maybe not much of a spread
those cylinders, I contacted Aerospace
between them, 10 degrees or so, but
Logic, Inc. (www.aerospacelogic.
they swap positions randomly.
com) and discussed the situation. It
Also, although the listed CHT
turns out they make instruments, at no
limit for the E-engine is 525°F measextra charge, that have the CJ within
ured at the bottom spark plug (bayothe instrument case, so the correction
net type sending units located in the
circuit will reflect the actual and
“well” will read about 40°F cooler
accurate temperature of the thermothan the spark plug location), I have The Aerospace Logic CHT instrument (top) shows couple probe, be it a spark plug ring or
been using 440°F at the spark plug as the in-flight temperature of the hottest cylinder. If a bayonet type.
another cylinder would become the hottest, the
an operational limit. When the CHT instrument would then display that temperature
They use this internal CJ instruand
the
cylinder
number.
See
text.
would get to 440°F, I would do one
ment for multiengine airplanes
20 I ABS APRIL 2010
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
where the probe may be 25 feet or more from the instrument. The wire leads coming from the instrument case
are four feet long, and with the 4-foot ring probe length,
it was just the right length (total of 8 feet) to reach the
#6 cylinder.
The cost
The complete system and shipping cost was $552,
which is not exactly cheap, but with the way the present
situation is a dollar is not worth anything anyhow so 552
of them must also be worthless.
Reduced workload for pilot
Having this CHT system installed relieves the pilot
of doing additional work inside the cockpit and so might
improve the time spent on other duties, such as outside
scanning for traffic. There have been several fairly
recent mid-air collisions that would spur me on to trying
to do a better job of watching for possible traffic conflicts. Even though there are several traffic-spotting system available—ranging from a low level of information
to an active traffic avoidance type—the traffic must have
a transponder operating that is being interrogated by
either ATC radar or one of the active systems. (Eyeballs
usually work if the owners will only use them.)
ABS extends condolences to the family and friends
of this ABS member who recently passed away.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
Joseph Kelly, Annapolis, Maryland
(Member since 2002; he flew a 1962 P35)
ABS APRIL 2010 I 21
From “stick & rudder” to IFR
GETTING CURRENT
IN A V-TAIL BONANZA
BY JEREMIAH A. DENTON III, VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA
flew Cobra helicopters in South Vietnam, banners in
an underpowered Super Cub, rented or bummed 172s
for the next 40 years and even owned part interest in a
Champ and a Vagabond. I had virtually no time in high
performance, complex airplanes and my instrument ticket lapsed decades ago. At age 62 I found myself still
enamored with flying, but my logbook was heavy on
rotary wing and tail dragger time, very light on crosscountry time and lighter still on instruments. When I
broached the subject of getting my instrument ticket current, my wife promptly admonished me that I was "too
old for that," and demanded to know, “What’s the point?”
One day an airport friend, Ed Smith, casually mentioned he had a Bonanza that needed to be flown. I had
seen Ed’s pristine V35B (N18270), but had never
dreamed of actually flying it. And now, suddenly, I had
that opportunity and at the same time a chance to get my
instrument rating current.
I resolved to knuckle down, take time off work and
spend some money, which wasn’t really much because
the incredibly generous Ed was letting me fly for fuel
cost alone! It was an opportunity to get qualified in the
Bonanza and then use it for my instrument recurrency
training. I felt like I had won the lottery.
The insurance company required me to get five
hours of dual before being added to the policy as an
additional insured, which I completed in a week or so.
Between my stick & rudder, cyclic and collective time,
the “monkey” part of flying comes pretty easily to me. I
just had to get used to the notion of sprouting landing
gear every time I got near an airport, constantly tinkering with mixture, throttle and prop, and remembering
that it takes a lot more time and space to slow down
from 160 knots than from 75 to 100 knots.
After I completed the five hours with my good
friend Tom Stevens and was added to the policy, Ed’s
annual premium amazingly went down several hundred
dollars. Go figure.
I
Train in the aircraft you fly
I had been told that if I was going to train in instruments, it's best to train in the aircraft I was going to fly.
So after a suitable amount of ground school, up I went
in the Bonanza under the hood for the first time in a
22 I ABS APRIL 2010
decade or so to commence what turned out to be 10
hours of instrument instruction in the venerable V-tail.
Flying in the clouds came back effortlessly—and I
never had a mishap with the gear, the prop, the mixture,
the tow motor needed to pull such a heavy plane out of
the hangar, or any of the other new-to-me gadgets,
except for one.
In the interval since I had last flown instruments, the
Garmin 430 GPS had come into vogue. And you talk
about a game changer! This gadget looks about the size
of a human brain but seems to be about a hundred times
smarter. Only problem is: It speaks and thinks electronese, not English.
I initially assumed that learning the Garmin would
be simple, much as learning the GPS in my car had
been. I soon discovered it was, for me at least, impossibly complex. After a few frustrating hours of trying to
learn the GPS and fly the Bonanza at the same time, I
thought I might dodge the problem by relearning instrument flying the old fashioned way: VOR, NDB, ILS,
localizer, and skip the GPS altogether. But my instructor
Tim Savage wasn’t having any of that. It soon became
obvious I would have to either learn the GPS or start
over with another instructor. Maybe I was too old to
learn new tricks?
I reread the GPS manual. I practiced some more with
the GPS computer tutorial. I suffered through more hours
of patient explanations, demonstrations and debriefings
by my instructor Tim. It seemed I was not getting anywhere. The low point came when word got back to me
that Tim thought I was “a pretty good stick & rudder guy,
but seemed to be challenged by the GPS.” Add hurt feelings and humiliation to frustration and discouragement.
Well, having practiced law pretty successfully for
30 years, I knew I could only be but so dense (some may
disagree, I know), and I know plenty of instrument
pilots for whom I felt no intellect envy whatever. So I
kept on studying that manual and computer program.
Even so, every time I went up, the V-tail cockpit became
more like a torture chamber than the dream machine it
had been during my check out. And all because of that
diabolical little box with a tiny screen, four knobs, fewer
buttons than the simplest calculator, and those damnable
message and annunciator lights that I never seemed to
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
notice. Tim was no help when he advised me, “All you
need to do is think like a computer programmer.” What
the heck was that supposed to mean?
My tipping point came when I towed the Bonanza
out of the hangar where the 430 could see the satellites,
hooked up a battery charger, and sat there for two hours
pushing buttons and turning knobs until the logic of the
device finally came to me. At last I was beginning to get
it. All of a sudden, things I had heard repeatedly, but
could not comprehend, began to make sense; even in
some cases, they seemed obvious.
By simply “fiddling” with the GPS, without the
pressure of having to fly at the same time, I had bridged
the gap from learning procedures of the GPS to learning
the logic of the GPS. And once I had the logic down, the
procedures became easy, or at least much easier to
understand.
The next time I flew, I certainly hadn’t mastered the
instrument, but I was now in charge of it, rather than the
other way around. Two flights later, Tim signed his
“good-stick-&-rudder pilot” off as “IFR proficient.”
For the first time in 43 years of flying, I can plan a trip
weeks ahead of time and—assuming no significant fog,
icing or thunderstorm activity—have a very good chance
of actually being able to fly that trip myself. And as long
as I have the privilege of flying Ed’s classic V-tail
Bonanza, I’ll do it in comfort, style, speed and safety.
Each year at AirVenture, ABS hosts a
series of “Tent Topics” presentations at the
ABS Hospitality tent. They are informal 50minute presentations on flying, maintaining
and owning Beech airplanes. Let us know
what you’d like to talk about and which
days you’ll be at Oshkosh by contacting
ABS at [email protected] or 316-9451700. See you at AirVenture!
—————
AirVenture 2010, July 26 - August 1.
Congratulations to these ABS members who have earned ABS AVIATOR status.
To participate, send copies of your training certificates to [email protected] or fax 316-945-1710 attn: ABS AVIATOR.
GARY GALBRAITH, Orlando,
FL, earned 100 points with 10
AOPA online courses.
SAUL BRESALIER, Cherry Hill, NJ, earned 130
points by completing BPPP, two AOPA seminars and a level of FAA WINGS.
JOHN BORGMAN, Byron Center, MI, earned
100 points by completing Master-level FAA
Wings and six AOPA online courses.
NASH JOHNSON, Clinton, NC, earned 100
points by attending SIMCOM and completing
four AOPA online courses.
LEVEL 2
KENT EWING, Virginia Beach, VA, completed
BPPP twice for 140 points.
LEVEL 4
TOM SMITHHISLER, Dublin, OH, completed
BPPP and four AOPA online courses to earn
110 points.
GERRY PARKER, Houston, TX, attended BPPP
and seven hours of ABS Convention seminars, totaling 115 points.
GLENN CALDWELL, Garnett, KS, took BPPP
and three AOPA courses to earn 100 points.
WILLIAM RUNYON, Fort Worth, TX, earned 150
points by completing his multiengine instructor rating and attending SIMCOM.
ROBERT WARREN, Pomona Park, FL, attended
BPPP and Advanced Pilot Seminars, and
completed nine AOPA courses for 210 points.
GREG RICCA, Jonesboro, AR, earned 105
points through BPPP and five hours of ABS
Convention seminars.
JERRY GEREGHTY, Duluth, GA, attended BPPP
with extended preflight inspection, and completed an AOPA online course for 100 points.
LEVEL 3
CRAIG KERN, Dayton, OH, completed BPPP
and an FAA WINGS level, earning 120 points.
ROBERT INMAN, Dawsonville, GA, completed
10 AOPA online courses to earn 100 points.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
RON ARNOLD, Big Canoe, GA, completed 10
AOPA Air Safety Foundation courses to earn
100 points.
LEVEL 5
GENE KORNEY, Culver City, CA, earned his
flight instructor certificate and completed
BPPP, for 160 points.
A complete list of members who have
earned ABS AVIATOR status is available
at www.bonanza.org in the
Education & Training section.
ABS APRIL 2010 I 23
—Ken Deken, Concord, Ohio
Hydraulic valve lifter problems
For those of you who are
having lifter problems, or subject to
AD 2009-24-52, I might have a
solution. I recently had my
Continental IO-520 engine completely overhauled. New technology long-life lifters were installed.
The camshaft/wear surface will last
many overhauls.
Should you want to visit about
this product, please feel free to call
605-279-2666 or 605-515-0222. I
am not a salesman or mechanic, just
a conscientious pilot.
—Dave Hahn, Wall, South Dakota
Replacement headrest
In the February 2010 Tech
Tips, a member requested information on where he could obtain a
replacement headrest. Bob Ripley
noted several salvage yards. I was
looking for a headrest a couple
years ago and found that Aviation
Fabricators/Central Airmotive in
Clinton, Missouri (660-885-7531),
had new ones in stock for $165.
They were available with the 3/8inch support posts at either 4.5inch or 8-inch on center.
—Paul Sommerfeld
Saint Charles, Illinois
24 I ABS APRIL 2010
Tom Turner honored by FAA
The 2010 National FAA Safety Team
Representative of the Year is Thomas P. Turner, Rose
Hill, Kansas. Tom is executive director of the
American Bonanza Society and also a prolific author and speaker on
aviation safety topics. A dedicated student of aircraft accidents and
aviation safety issues, he strives to make general aviation a safer
place. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Tom is a Master CFI, has achieved
the Master WINGS level and serves as a FAASTeam representative
on the FAA's Safety Team.
—Alexander "Sandy" Hill Communications Director
General Aviation Awards Program
60 years and counting
I have recently noticed in our
magazine that there is interest in
the Wright Brothers Master
Aviator Award given for 50 years
of accident/incident-free flying. I
received that award in June 1999;
that was 10 years ago. Since then,
I have not killed myself or anybody else or had any other trouble.
And I have kept flying 40 Charlie,
my F35. I intend to keep going for
at least another 10 years.
—John N. Eustis, Easton, Maryland
Baron commemorative T-shirt!
Sandel kit saved money
I have a Sandel 3308 HSI in
my Bonanza. The heading knob
was slipping (that is, it was not
moving as I turned the knob) and I
anticipated an expensive and timeconsuming repair. Good news,
though. Sandel now has a kit to
replace two tiny U-joints, the ones
that connect the pilot control knobs
to encoders. The kit and instructions cost less than $200. The
installation took less than two
hours by my shop, and the problem
is now fully solved.
Muffler repair correction
There is an error in the
February 2010 issue Forum (pg.
30) under the heading of "Backfire
damage." I want to credit Bing
Miller at Teledyne Continental
Motors for his assistance with my
backfire problem. I apologize for
providing the wrong name reported in the February magazine.
—Raymond Butler, Friendswood, Texas
Send your Forum letters to
[email protected]
HURRY! Pre-ordering for Baron t-shirts
is extended until April 30!
(Metallic gold & black design shown above)
Shirts will ship by the first week of June.
Visit the ABS Store at www.bonanza.org
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
$18.00
(+S/H)
Sizes: S-XXL
ABS Executive Director Tom Turner holds a Masters Degree in Aviation Safety, has twice been accredited as a Master
CFI, has been selected the National 2010 FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year, and was the 2008 FAA Central
Region Flight Instructor of the Year.
MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURES
P
rior to beginning an ILS approach, the pilot of an
A36 was informed of below-minimums ceiling
and visibility. He flew a stable approach and,
according to radar, was at decision height when he
declared a missed approach.
The pilot was issued missed approach instructions
but he did not respond to the final instruction to switch
communication frequencies. Subsequently, the airplane
was located on the airport property. Wreckage patterns
were consistent with the airplane stalling prior to impact
and then burning.
NTSB probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, resulting in a stall. Contributing factors
were the low ceiling, fog and unforecast weather
conditions.
Landing expectation
left/right, up/down depends on the movement of fluid in
our inner ears. Even if we are completely healthy, this
introduces a trap that has been implicated in several
aircraft accidents if the airspeed varies during missed
approach.
The “false climb illusion” occurs if the airplane
accelerates and the fluid sloshes backward in our inner
ear. Without visual reference, we perceive acceleration
the same as climbing and the temptation is to push the
nose toward the ground.
False climb usually happens in turbine airplanes,
which can accelerate rapidly at the beginning of a climb.
A corollary is the “false descent illusion.” If the airplane
decelerates, we may perceive the movement of inner-ear
fluid as a descent and pitch the airplane upward. This
can easily lead to a stall at the beginning of the missedapproach procedure.
PROCEDURE FOR AVOIDING A STALL ON A MISSED APPROACH
Pilots tend to be goal-oriented, which translates into
“knowing” we’ll be able to finish an approach with a
successful landing. This confident landing expectation,
however, may be so great we fail to review the missedapproach procedure and commit the first portions to
memory. We need to be spring-loaded to miss unless we
happen to see the runway environment at the missedapproach point.
Transitioning to the missed
The radar track cited by NTSB suggests the pilot
may have been flying a coupled approach. Was he ready
for the transition to hand-fly when the time came for the
missed? Today’s airplanes, like the late-model A36 in
this mishap, usually have capable autopilots that today’s
pilots are trained to use, especially when the weather is
bad. Autopilots introduce an interesting scenario, however, because you have to disengage the autopilot and
hand-fly at least the beginning of the missed approach.
The autopilot may be “manually” holding some
control force, so the aircraft can be slightly out of trim
when you take control. If you have a GPS, you may need
to be managing it as well to know which direction to fly.
False climb, false descent
Your mind may play tricks on you as you begin the
missed. Without outside visual cues, our sense of
• Fly approaches, including the missed approach, at a constant
airspeed. BPPP teaches Power, Attitude and Configuration (PAC) for instrument flight. A prime component of PAC is constant-airspeed approaches at
the missed-approach climb speed. Add power and clean up the airframe
while the airspeed remains constant and you’ll not suffer from false climb
or false descent. An added bonus is that the trim remains constant, so if
you are distracted, the airplane will tend to do what you want.
• Practice missing the approach. Practice missed approaches
frequently, including the transition from a coupled approach flown to
minimums. Become an expert at going from autopilot operation to handflying a possibly out-of-trim airplane close to the ground.
• Use your instruments. You’ll need to glance outside to determine
whether you can see the runway, but then focus immediately on the attitude
instruments. Practice the procedure until you don’t need to be looking at
anything else, such as the engine gauges, the throttle or the mixture control.
• Prioritize your actions. Commit the first portion of the missedapproach procedure to memory before you cross the FAF inbound. When
you do miss, fly the airplane, not the GPS or the radio. Aviate, then navigate
and communicate.
• Redefine success. “Success” in an instrument approach means
flying the procedure as published to the missed-approach point and
beyond—including the missed. Consider missing the approach to be a
natural part of the procedure, then you won’t have to “decide” how to fly it
at decision height.
Safety Pilot takes a monthly look at issues that will make you a safer pilot.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
ABS APRIL 2010 I 25
Lorne Sheren, MD, JD, of Chatham, NJ, is an anesthesiologist and also practices health and aviation law. He has 3,000+ hours,
2,600 in Bonanzas, and flies a 1984 B36TC–his fourth Bonanza. Lorne is an ATP with a commercial glider rating and is a senior AME.
PRACTICE SPEEDS UP PROCESSING
When we understand how the brain processes information
and acts upon it, we can improve our performance and
increase the safety of our own selves and others.
he experienced human brain has an amazing
ability to quickly absorb information and act on
it. Numerous psychological studies have demonstrated that an experienced professional develops a
“feel” for what is going on around him. When asked to
express the thought processes that accompanied a successful resolution to an impending disaster, most pilots
cannot do so. Yet they frequently do the right thing without taking a prolonged time to analyze the situation.
Such rapid processing can be critical to survival. How
do we make these decisions and how can we train ourselves to make the right choices?
Encountering a stressful situation results in arousal.
Arousal causes an increase in pulse rate directly proportional to the state of arousal. Some stress response is
beneficial as it improves the body’s ability to handle a
dangerous situation. Research has shown that pulse rates
in the 140s are associated with an increase in cognitive
ability and improved motor response. Pulse rates above
145, however, are associated with breakdown of complex motor skills; the left hand may literally not know
what the right hand is doing.
Extreme stress, stress associated with pulse rates
above 175, is accompanied by a complete breakdown of
cognitive thinking. At these pulse rates the mid-brain, a
primitive part of the brain, takes control over the forebrain (the advanced part of the mammalian brain associated with thinking).
Have you ever tried to have an argument with a
frightened or angry person? You can’t do it because his
or her ability to think has been lost. The same thing happens to a pilot under conditions of extreme stress. The
brain shuts down, hearing stops, the simplest motor
skills disappear, and the body shunts blood from the
muscles and into the core, impeding motor movement.
All but essential activity ceases.
T
Can this effect be overcome?
Fortunately, the answer is “Yes.” The first step is to
increase the amount of time the pilot has to process the
emergency. When time is removed, the body is forced to
react in the most primitive low-quality fashion. Extra
26 I ABS APRIL 2010
time enhances performance. There is a huge difference
in the way a pilot handles an engine failure at high altitude in cruise and how the same pilot handles the same
engine failure five seconds after lift off. The difference
is processing time.
It is prudent to develop and use operational strategies that maximize the time available to react to an
unforeseen emergency. Extra altitude, extra airspeed and
extra fuel all contribute to provide the extra time necessary to analyze and properly react to an emergency.
Research has also shown that repetitive training is
highly useful in reducing stress. Such “stress inoculation” involves repetitive exposure to a stressful situation.
Take spins for example. The first time a student pilot
encounters a spin it is terrifying. The airplane seems to
be falling out of the sky, the ground rushes up, twisting
and turning. Time stands still, pulse quickens and no
attempt is made to recover. The student is paralyzed,
frozen in time.
After experiencing several spins, however, a spin
becomes old hat, even fun. The brain has been inoculated to this particular stress. And even though the spin is
still stressful, it's limited to a level that enhances performance rather than a mental and physical shutdown.
The same lesson can be repeated with other
emergencies to achieve the same result. Repeated
training, combined with real-world piloting experience,
fundamentally changes the way a pilot deals with an
emergency, which is why regular type-specific training
such as BPPP is so critical to survival in the rare
instances when an in-flight emergency occurs.
In a nutshell, then, the key to surviving an
emergency is proper training, combined with piloting
technique that allows time for the brain to process
what is happening. One of
my coworkers who is also
a pilot once told me,
“Everything I need to know
to be a good pilot is written
on the side of a mayonnaise
jar.”
Puzzled, I asked him
what wisdom Capt. Hellman
had imparted to him. He said
the magic words were,
“Keep cool; avoid freezing.”
Good advice for us all.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
The beautiful view of Haiti from above belies the devastation below.
Bonanza mission to Haiti
BY BUCK WILLIAMS, GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
M
y wife Anne and I learned at church that
private airplanes were desperately needed to
help move medical supplies to Haiti after the
devastating earthquake. The organization making the
request for assistance was Bahamas Methodist Habitat
(www.methodisthabitat.org) based on Eleuthra,
Bahamas, which had set up at the Nassau International
airport. They were just part of a massive not-too-wellorganized group of organizations trying to do what they
could with the assets they could muster.
We decided to participate in our A36, and Anne
arranged to get Friday off from work. On Friday around
noon we finally got clearance to go to Ft. Lauderdale
Executive airport (KFXE). There were airplanes everywhere and we spent almost two hours before we got our
cargo and headed to Nassau.
The Bahamas Methodist Habitat people (three
young missionaries) were overwhelmed with the task of
trying to coordinate with Ft. Lauderdale, private pilots
and destinations for the cargo all over Haiti. They were
not trained for this, but were doing a wonderful job with
their limited and all-donated assets. We spent the night
at a local hotel in Nassau called the Orange Hill. A sign
over the front entrance said, “Faulty Towers,” which we
later found out was very appropriate.
On Saturday morning I did the mission planning.
There was no avgas in Cap Haitien. Other pilots mentioned going to the Dominican Republic to refuel. I was
opposed to adding another level of confusion, so decided we would fly an hour to Exuma to top off, then go to
Cap Haitien. Our route took us over Great Inagua where
the Morton Salt drying ponds are.
From there it was over the Caribbean Sea to Cap
Haitien airport. It had a single runway, no taxiway and a
small ramp. Private airplanes as small as ours and up
through some very large private jets were there. Although
congested, it worked pretty well. Our cargo was designated for hospital Milot. We had a doctor's phone number, but
his voice mailbox was not taking any more messages.
We arranged for our cargo to be taken off and the mayor
of the town, Caleb, said he would see that it got delivered.
We hope that he did.
Once we finally got airborne, we were out of radio
contact for more than an hour while flying at 8,500 feet
over a cloud deck. I did not like that very much. Finally
over Great Exuma we were able to contact Miami
Center and get an IFR clearance to Nassau. Our fuel
computer and GPS said we could make it back to
Nassau without refueling, and we landed with 50 minutes of fuel on board.
On Sunday it seemed a logistical inefficiency to
have made only one cargo run, so we agreed to go to
Fort Lauderdale for more supplies. We got a load of
crutches, walkers and a couple of wheelchairs that we
took back to Nassau and unloaded. Around 3 p.m. we
departed Nassau headed for Fort Pierce, Florida, to clear
customs. A big Convair turboprop donated by Joe Gibbs
Racing was there and about 40 people were in line ahead
of us. I mentioned to Anne that we would probably be
two hours getting through there. In 10 minutes, however, a customs officer asked if we were the ones in the
Bonanza. I replied yes, and he took us to a separate
room, looked at our passports, and said we were finished. Thank goodness for his kindness. We took on
some fuel and flew to Gainesville arriving at 7 p.m.,
totally exhausted.
We flew a total of 16.6 hours in those three days.
Our wonderful and trustworthy Bonanza took us around
a thunderstorm at Ft. Pierce, down instrument approaches at Ft. Lauderdale, and through various episodes of
instrument flying along the many legs. It never missed a
beat and brought us home safely.
Thanks for the prayers and support of those of you
who knew what we were doing. It surely helped.
Anne Williams oversees unloading supplies out of N517RC.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
ABS APRIL 2010 I 27
OUR WINTER ADVENTURE
BY PAUL DAMIANO, MANCHESTER, CONNECTICUT
he annual North East
Bonanza Group trip to the
Caribbean was nothing short
of spectacular! Blue skies, white
sand, palm trees and great friends!
Members David and Jody Greene in
their Baron from Nashua, New
Hampshire; Soliman Shenouda in
his G36 from Tarrytown, New York;
Jim and Lorie Holtam in their
Cessna 206 from Ottawa, Canada;
and my wife Janet and I in our N35
arrived in Boca Raton, Florida, on
February 13 ready for lots of laughs
and fun. That became immediately
evident as we met for dinner that
first Saturday night in Boca.
The next day we met for a thorough preflight briefing at the FBO
at Boca Air Journey, the company
we use to organize our trips to the
Caribbean. They provide all the
maps, flight plans, approach plates,
charts, and so on needed for an
adventure like this. Air Journey also
prearranged eAPIS and Cuba overflight permits. We discussed flight
procedures, frequencies, emergency
procedures, and reviewed the flight
plans I had filed the night before.
After our on-time engine start at
1500Z, a quick call to ground, an
as-filed clearance, and over to
tower, we departed Runway 5 in the
T
28 I ABS APRIL 2010
prearranged order based on true airspeed and filed altitude, took a right
turn, and headed out over the beautiful Florida coastal waters. I flew up
front and radioed back all pertinent
information, next frequency, reroutes, etc. on the agreed air-to-air
frequency. An hour later we were in
Cuban airspace talking to Havana
Center while looking down on the
lush farmlands of the island of Cuba.
There are actually a lot of airports on the island, and they all show
up on our GNS400/500 series navigator. Even the approaches are in the
GMX 200 showing aircraft entry into Cuban airspace.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
box. After an hour in Cuban airspace,
we were handed off directly to the
tower at Cayman Brac, a nice little
airport. The tower instructed us
where to park, and Janet and I got
some great shots of the group arriving. In only a three-hour trip we
landed in a different country.
The Brac Reef Resort was our
home for the next couple of days for
sightseeing, hammock tending and
snorkeling. The Resort provided
free use of bicycles that we used to
take a great ride around the island.
Before dinner we gathered for a
mandatory pilot briefing Tuesday
evening. As leader, I spent the afternoon checking weather, planning
border crossings, and generally
planning our flight to Jamaica. The
weather looked great, even giving
us a small tailwind. The next morning, we were cleared one by one as
filed, and soon our airplanes were
winging towards Montego Bay,
Jamaica. I flew out front again, so
everyone could monitor what
Sangster Approach was going to give
us in the way of an arrival procedure.
As we drifted into Montego
Bay, we were treated with the sight
of with blue water, white sands and
even two cruise ships docked in
town. We landed long to get down to
the only exit and taxied right into
IAM Jet Center, the sole FBO on the
field. The IAM Operations Manager
met us and assisted in filling out the
three forms (people, possessions and
airplane), and had the fuel truck
already rolling. After about an hour
of the necessary formalities and fueling, we made it through the FBO. Air
Journey staff members were waiting
for us and had arranged our transportation to the Coyaba Resort, our
home for the next three days.
Coyaba Resort is a little spot of
paradise on a beautiful island only a
short drive from the airport away
from the hustle and bustle of downtown Montego Bay. The accommodating staff had all of us situated in
rooms with balconies and a view of
the bay.
There was a wonderful seaside
bar and restaurant on the dock, and
within an hour we were getting a
bite to eat and drink. The tour company had an office right off the
lobby of the resort and had given us
DO YOU OWN A CLASSIC?
Entries are now being accepted for the
12th annual National Aviation Heritage
Trophy to be awarded at the National Air
Races in Reno, Nevada, in September.
Beechcraft Bonanzas, Debonairs, Travel Airs
and Barons produced in 1965 or earlier are
among aircraft types eligible for the trophy's
Classic category.
Each aircraft will be judged on its
technical merit and how well it represents
the condition of the aircraft early in its
career. The competition is open to any
aircraft 45 years or older that has been
restored to near-original condition. The aircraft participating in the Invitational are
judged by a five-member team, which
includes representatives from the
Smithsonian National Air and Space
Museum's restoration team at the Paul
Garber facility. For more details, see
www.heritagetrophy.com.
an extensive list of tours and excursions in Jamaica. We spent the first
afternoon signing up for tours we
wanted to do over the next two days.
Everyone picked more than one tour
but Soliman signed up for four tours
over two days!
Thursday and Friday everyone
went on their chosen tours or just
lazed around the pool to catch up on
Vitamin D. It was fun to join up at
the resort and share our individual
adventures! On Saturday departure,
we loaded into a mini bus and headed back to IAM Jet Center. Again,
the efficient tour staff assisted in
check out and getting out airplanes
loaded, and in clearing immigration
and the airplanes out of the country.
The last thing to do before
engine start was to call US Customs
at our planned arrival airport
(KPBI) to give them our ETA. That
done, we headed home. Then about
halfway across Cuba, Jim came on
the air-to-air frequency with a troubling statement. “Paul, everything is
DONALDSON DRY FILTERS
Donaldson Company announces FAAPMA approval for several dry media inlet air
filters for Bonanzas and Debonairs. They are
approved for all Debonairs and Bonanzas,
except the 1947-48 Model 35. The filter is
standard equipment on new G36s.
The filters use the latest filtration technologies and provide an alternative to traditional oiled or foam filters.
Tests show Donaldson's dry filters allow
for maximum engine horsepower, compared to
oiled or gauze filter elements. Donaldson's filters are optimized to offer low restriction and
superior engine protection. They have significantly longer life and require less maintenance than foam or oiled filters, lasting 500
flight hours, three years of service or five
cleanings (whichever comes first) and require
no messy oils or cleaning agents. For more
information, see www.donaldson.aero/ga or
call 866-323-0394.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
going well here, but my oil temperature is dropping.” Gulp! After
about 10 minutes of air-to-air trouble shooting, we concluded that
because every other gauge in the
aircraft was reading normally, there
was probably a problem with the
temperature probe itself, and not
with the actual oil temperature. Jim
e-mailed me a couple days later to
confirm that a mechanic in Florida
had inspected his engine and found
that the temperature probe wire was
loose and reading erratically.
All in all, the trip represented
one week, eight air hours, visiting
three countries (including the US),
new friends, and great memories of
a fun adventure. The Caribbean in
February was a great escape for us
hardy Northeasterners.
I hope that some of you readers
will plan an adventure like the one
we just had. In fact, we are planning
a similar trip next February during
Presidents' week. You are invited to
join us.
FREE IPHONE APP
ABS member Hal Staniloff has
released a free iPhone app in the iTune App
Store called Waypoint. It's specifically
designed for pilots/owners/operators
who maintain GPS
databases.
The app allows
users to log in to their
Jeppesen account to
find out what databases are due for
updating. It also notifies the user when
new updates are
about to come out.
The database
update schedules from Garmin and
Jeppesen are included as well. See
www.gpswpt.com for a six-minute video
overview of the application.
ABS APRIL 2010 I 29
John Collins, Charlotte, North Carolina, owns a 1968 V35A. He is a commercial pilot with 4,000+ hours, has a BS in
electrical engineering and has worked as an engineer and software developer for IBM and for his own technical business.
John owned and operated an FBO with an avionics shop for six years.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
he current recession has not been kind to general
aviation and this includes avionics and aircraft
manufacturers. One possible result is the slow
rollout of products or features that have long been talked
about or promised. There are bound to be other reasons
as well: FAA rulemaking such as the uncertainty of what
the final ADS-B rule will be, FAA responsiveness in
product certifications, slow progress of 406 ELT testing
facilities, etc. Layoff of experienced staff by many
established companies has undoubtedly led to reduced
product support and engineering activity.
T
ACK - It has been a long haul
since ACK announced its low-cost
entry into the 406 ELT market.
They have accomplished a lot and
have achieved FAA TSO, Canada
Transport TSO and ETSO
approval. They are in the last
stages of obtaining SARSAT
approval. The big hang-up has been the Military
Electronics Proving Ground, which is responsible for the
testing required by SARSAT. Apparently the person who
was responsible for leading the testing retired and the new
personnel have had at least four do-over’s. As of February
19, 2010, the results have been forwarded once again to
SARSAT for approval. According to ACK, they have not
failed a single test to date.
Aspen - Aspen has been an exception to the trend and
has continued to enhance its product line during the
recession. Aspen released its MFD lineup, XM weather
receiver, and version 2.1 software with some notable
enhancements. Version 2.1 includes:
• Support for multi-display PFD and MFD configurations, including
the ability to remove the mechanical backup airspeed indicator
and altimeter, via installation of the EFD1000 MFD and the
optional emergency backup battery.
• Enhanced GPSS performance and annunciations.
• Improved screen dimming for night flight.
• Air data output for use by GPS navigators.
• Altitude trend display.
• Improved approach minimums depiction.
30 I ABS APRIL 2010
• Support for traffic, lightning inputs and XM data-link weather
interface using the EWR50 Evolution Weather Receiver, via the
optional EHA upgrade (for a small fee).
• Enhanced AHRS solution to further improve performance for aerobatics and aggressive maneuvering.
• High-speed ARINC 429 inputs to expand interface capabilities
with other systems.
• Pitot blockage detection and annunciation (IFR GPS-equipped
aircraft).
There is still work to be done regarding support for
sending air-data using ARINC 429. The 2.1 software
solution currently only supports the serial interface,
which requires some additional wiring for an existing
installation to take advantage of the air-data, whereas
ARINC 429 would not require additional wiring.
Still to be made available include the ability to obtain
attitude reference data to support the elimination of the
requirement to maintain the KI 256 for the KFC line of
autopilots, and approval to eliminate the backup Attitude
Indicator requirement when a dual PFD/MFD with dual
ADAHRS and external backup battery is installed.
Garmin - Garmin has also been an exception to the
rule with delivery of the G500 and G600 MFD/PFD allglass panels with Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT),
the GTS8XX series Traffic Advisory Systems and
TCAS option, and the latest Aera touch-screen portable
GPS systems.
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) - In April
2008, Garmin introduced SVT at Sun-n-Fun. In 2009,
HBC promised the future availability of SVT on their
G1000-based G36 and G58 aircraft. Even though the
feature is widely available from other aircraft manufacturers, HBC has not delivered as of this writing. One of
the problems associated with adding G1000 features is
that the individual companies hold the STC for their aircraft and they are responsible for FAA certification,
although Garmin provides them technical support. SVT
is a great feature and I am
looking forward to it
being made available on
the G36 and G58. It is
interesting
that
the
G500/G600 glass panels
already provide SVT to
older Beechcraft.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
Honeywell Bendix King (HBK) - Honeywell has
had some difficulty in delivering the Apex Edge series
of products announced at AirVenture in 2007. At that
time, HBK indicated it expected to be shipping units by
the end of 2008. The KFD 840 PFD started shipping in
late 2009, but there are still features that haven’t materialized. For example, the KI 256 Flight Director is still
required and support isn’t available for altitude preselect for any of its autopilots. I expect these will eventually come about; the question is, when?
The KSN 770 is a feature-rich WAAS GPS and
full moving map display
combination. At the 2009
AirVenture show we
learned that it had major
development issues and
was being delayed until
late in 2010. This has the
potential to be strong competition for the ubiquitous
Garmin GNS430W/530W, but it has to be delivered for
this to take place.
——————
ON ANOTHER FRONT
I have become aware of anecdotal information
regarding poor reliability of the KFC 225 servos. My
opinion of the HBK KFC 225 autopilot is very positive
overall and it is among the smoothest and best autopilots
I have flown with the possible exception of the Garmin
GFC700. That being said, one of my customers in a late
model Baron 58 experienced a rash of servo failures.
They were all covered under warranty, but would have
been extremely expensive if he had to pay for it on his
nickel. Then I read on Internet blogs of several other
pilots experiencing the same problem, including one
who was an electronics engineer who analyzed the failures and was of the opinion the design was faulty and
the servo would burn out if the current was too high.
Back in January 2009 a member wrote of problems
he was experiencing with servos failing at an unusual
rate. I opened an incident report with HBK technical
support and they reported: “In response to your question
on field inputs regarding multiple pitch servo failures in
the Honeywell KFC 225 Automatic Flight Control
System, we have investigated certain units upon their
return to our facility that appear to have similar issues
and have determined that they were probably subjected
to an over-current situation. Consequently, a Honeywell
Field Service Engineer was dispatched last week to a
KFC 225-equipped aircraft that has exhibited this issue
in order to take instrumented measurements of the servo
drive output from the KC 225 Flight Control Computer,
both on the ground and in flight, in order for us to better
understand exactly the conditions that the system is
experiencing.”
In May 2009 I inquired regarding the status and
received the following update:
“Progress is being made regarding this issue, but it has
turned out to be more complex than originally anticipated. The cause has been identified and the proposed fix
has been presented for approval. We are also currently in
the process of evaluating the proposal to ensure it adequately corrects the issue and to ensure that it is the best
possible solution. Subsequently, environmental testing,
etc. will be required before implementing it.”
The most recent status of the issue was obtained in
February 2010: “Honeywell is aware of the issues with
the servos used in Bonanzas and has been consulting
with the FAA in how best to address the condition. It is
important to recognize that the relatively few events that
have occurred do not present a safety-of-flight issue;
nonetheless, the company is continuing to investigate
and analyze the situation.”
Periodically, I will continue to follow up on this and
will report once there is a final resolution.
Insight - The Insight G3 Graphic
Engine Monitor was introduced at Sunn-Fun in April 2008. According to the
Insight website at the end of February
2010, it had achieved STC approval for
use as a primary instrument from
Transport Canada, and the FAA STC is still pending. At
press time, Insight’s website indicated that shipments
would commence in late March 2010.
Ultra Electronics At AirVenture
2009, Xerion announced it had been purchased by Ultra Electronics as a part of
its Flightline Systems organization. The
CRM2120 multiengine engine management system was originally announced
April 2008 to enhance its product line
of engine management systems. As of
this date, it has yet to be certified.
——————
By the time you read this, there will hopefully be
progress made on much of the unfinished business discussed here. I plan on making my annual pilgrimage to
Sun-n-Fun, so maybe I’ll see you there.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
ABS APRIL 2010 I 31
ABS Technical Advisor Bob Andrews of Luthersville, Georgia, is a retired Eastern Air Lines pilot. He is a CFI, mechanic and
a Wright Brothers Award winner. Bob owns a Beech-only maintenance FBO in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tech Talk is a recurring column written by the ABS Technical Advisors.
WRONG DIAGNOSIS; RIGHT DECISION
I
n the July 2007 issue of ABS Magazine an article
titled “Double Trouble” chronicled the separation of
a cylinder head on two consecutive flights in an early
Bonanza. The cautious pilot had planned his flight to
follow an Interstate highway through a sparsely populated area and was able to land safely after the two cylinder-head failures. Though not stated in the article, the
engine appeared to be an earlier carbureted version of
the O-470.
Let’s review a similar incident involving a more
modern fuel-injected 285 hp IO-520 engine rebuilt or
overhauled by TCM in the late 1970s. At that time, I
believe TCM was supplying some engine overhauls with
serviceable, but not new cylinders. Properly overhauled
cylinders within serviceable limits were cheaper and considered to be practically as good as new, even though no
one was tracking cylinder hours or number of overhauls.
A personal experience
In the late fall of 1993 I departed the west-central
Georgia private airfield where I still reside for a 35-minute
flight to help a war-bird buddy in Pell City, Alabama
(PLR), pull the Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 (with a rod
32 I ABS APRIL 2010
through the side) out of his P-51D Mustang. I was flying
and maintaining Mustangs at the time, but this particular
flight was made in my 1968 E-33C Aerobatic Bonanza.
When I was returning home later that afternoon at
5,500 feet abeam Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in
Alabama (2,983 msl)), my peaceful cruise was jolted by
a loud KA-BLAM! That was quickly followed by a
rhythmic shake and the smell of hot burning oil. My first
thought was that my Bonanza had also experienced a
connecting rod-through-the-crankcase type of failure.
(The burning-oil smell, remember?)
In about two seconds the aircraft was in a 90-degree
bank with the throttle idle headed for Anniston, Alabama
(ANB), elevation 612 feet. Initially, even with best glide
airspeed, prop control retarded and cowl flaps checked
closed, it did not appear possible to reach Anniston
Airport or safely land in this heavily wooded, hilly area.
The burning oil smell subsided after the throttle was
retarded and my thoughts turned to the possibility that
some power might be available if absolutely necessary
to make the runway. Thankfully, it wasn’t needed. In
8 nm, the gear was coming down and a dead-stick landing on a paved runway at non-towered Anniston Airport
was successful.
After coasting to a stop on a taxiway, I raised the
cowling, fully expecting to find a gaping hole in the
crankcase (the hot burning-oil smell). To my surprise,
however, the #2 cylinder head
(left side, closest to the firewall) had blown completely
off the barrel (the big KaBLAM!).
So, would the engine have
put out quite a bit of power
with just the #2 cylinder head
separated from the barrel?
Sure, but let’s examine the possible consequences.
When a cylinder head separates from the cylinder barrel,
it is usually retained by the
cowling and the exhaust collector. The outward movement of
the cylinder head disconnects
the rubber intake connectors so
that the intake system is now
wide open and independent of
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
what you do with the throttle. The throttle does continue to
meter fuel, but you have no control over induction air.
Outward movement of the cylinder head pulls the
pushrod tubes out of the crankcase, allowing a considerable oil loss, hence the smell of burning oil.
Each one of us can increase the odds of not experiencing an engine-related failure by not allowing anyone to
install refurbished parts, especially a cylinder, with an
unknown history and/or time in service. Each of us must
be very involved in the decisions pertaining to the parts we
have installed on the engine(s) and the airplanes we fly.
And now we get serious
In the event of a cylinder head separation, the aft
Let's revert back to our training
From a pilot’s standpoint and a safer 2010, let’s be
cylinder heads, #1 and #2 on most big bore Continentals,
more geographically oriented, put a line on the map,
will probably travel further before they are stopped by the
leave that second GPS on “nearest airport” and those of
cowl and exhaust collector. Unfortunately, the fuel injecus who fly single-engine aircraft practice a couple of
tion line will not stretch very far, and in my case, the
engine-out landings during our flight reviews.
fuel injection nozzle, being the weak point, broke. If the
At your home base, know the
throttle had not been closed and
kept closed, chances of a fire With better flight planning, fuel-related best place to land if you are too
low to turn back to the runway.
would have been greatly increased.
and
controlled-flight-into-terrain
Ask your flying partner to monitor
The spark plugs in the departaccidents can be greatly reduced.
your position on the map. It’s fun
ed head were still firing and, even
to know what those towns, rivers,
with a closed throttle, idle fuel was
airports and other landmarks are.
still flowing. Only good fortune prevented a fire. Was it
ABS is on a mission to eliminate needless accidents
a wrong diagnosis of the problem? Yep. Was it the right
such as gear-up landings. Among Bonanza/Baron flyers,
decision to get it on the ground RIGHT NOW? You bet.
there is an average of three a week, so we have a ways to
My hope is that reading this article will help other pilots
go. With better flight planning, fuel-related and controlledrealize that a cylinder-head loss is more serious than just
flight-into-terrain accidents can be greatly reduced.
losing one-sixth of the engine's power.
In 2010, join us in our mission to change that old
I think this scenario is less likely to happen today
saying from, “There are those who have and those who
because all cylinders on engines built by TCM are now
will” to “There are those who have not and those who
new, and most top and field overhauls now have either
never will.”
new or first-run cylinders.
North East Bonanza Group
NEBG members started 2010 out right with a
January fly-in to Greater Cumberland Regional Airport
in West Virginia (KCBE) just south of Cumberland,
Maryland. All those who had signed up in advance and
arrived in their 10 aircraft, as well the eight others who
decided to drop in after low-level fog cleared, appeared
to have a really great time. Everyone managed to get in
and out with no problems.
The folks at the KCBE restaurant were among the
best. They served us a wonderful meal and were so
pleased to have us there they took a group picture to
hang on their wall!
Of course, sharing stories with friends and family is
always the best part of our fly-ins. An extra treat this
time was the chance to drool over a brand new G36
flown in by Dr. Soliman Shenouda, our member from
Tarrytown, New York.
We invite you to check out our NEBG website for
details of other upcoming 2010 fly-ins and special
events at www.northeastbonanzagroup.com.
———
The NEBG’s annual trip with Air Journey to the
Caribbean February 14 - 21 was spectacular! (See page
28 for a story about this trip.) —Tim Norcia
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
ABS APRIL 2010 I 33
Cargo tie-downs
BY JEFF CULWELL
SAINT SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA
n the February Tech Tips column,
D. Paul Briggs had a question regarding tie downs in his 1969 V35A. My
V35A only had a single 1-inch cargo
strap that spanned across the middle seat
tracks when I purchased it. That cotton/canvas strap was in poor shape and I
replaced it with a new nylon strap and
quick-release buckles. But I wanted
additional tie-down straps for the rest of
the baggage area.
So I installed tie-down straps of 1.5Cargo area with three straps. The “skinny” strap (far right) replaced the original 1-inch strap. This
inch webbing using the existing nut-plates strap is rarely used when I have rear passengers as the seats slide back, but it is helpful for securin the floor that are used for mounting the ing golf clubs and my portable O2 cylinder.
fifth and sixth seats. I used the four outer
holes to attach the straps. These nut-plates
are significantly bigger and stronger than
the nut-plates behind the third and fourth
seats that held the original 1-inch webbing.
I used commercially available 1.5inch nylon webbing to keep things light.
Rather than using D-rings, (I could not
find welded D’s, only split), I used a The 1-inch strap mounted in the original nutplate.
2-inch stainless fender washer. The Since this only uses a #10 nutplate, I did not want
webbing was carefully separated with an to put a larger strap here. Note the countersunk
washer that was required to “fill” the larger hole in
awl to fit around the (AN) bolt shank the 2-inch fender washer.
rather than punching a hole in the strap. I
doubled the webbing over so that the bolt passes through two layers of webbing.
I used quick-release buckles, which allow me to quickly configure the straps in
either a criss-cross or parallel arrangement. I discovered I should have made the straps
longer. Each strap consists of two four-foot pieces that buckle together to give me an
eight-foot strap. This will handle baggage stacked up to the windows. If you want to
pile it higher (sleeping bags or other light stuff?), you will want longer straps.
Another item I found helpful was a bungee cord stretched across the left rear
window frame (using the trim screws). It holds up the left-side straps while you are
loading the baggage compartment, making it easier to “find” them after loading!
No, these straps have not been load-tested to failure, approved or
otherwise sanctioned. I simply wanted my cargo to be secured better than the To maximize floor space, the straps are
mounted on the outer side of the
“nothing” from the factory. These work for me.
I
nutplates.
ABS welcomes the following individual
who has recently become an ABS Life Member.
Jeff T. Carneal, Franklin, Tennessee (He flies a 1981 A36.)
34 I ABS APRIL 2010
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
FUEL EXHAUSTION
Most pilots think they will never “gear-up” an aircraft or run out of fuel.
It can never happen to them–until one day, it does.
here are no good excuses for running out of fuel,
and we have heard most of them over the past 35
years. Actually, there may be one or two that an
underwriter could accept, but there’s no guarantee. One
of them involves an event where there’s fuel on board,
but it can’t get to the engine for some mechanical
reason. From an underwriter’s point of view, if that turns
out to be a legitimate cause and your aircraft had been
properly maintained by a reputable shop, you might still
be able to buy aviation insurance on your next policy
renewal.
Another possible excuse could be running into
weather and finding there is literally no place to land
within range of the available fuel in the tanks. That
would be a rare occurrence and may cause the underwriter to also question the pilot's flight planning and fuel
management skills.
A recent study of 429 events over the past five years
performed by the AOPA Air Safety Foundation indicated
the following four causes of fuel exhaustion.
T
Failure to plan - One recent accident involved a
V-tail Bonanza where the pilot was headed for an airport
17 miles away for fuel. He climbed to about 3,000 feet
and was roughly halfway (eight miles, according to the
NTSB) when “the airplane’s single engine stopped producing power.” He switched tanks and activated the
electric fuel pump, which momentarily restored power.
After the accident, the fuel tanks were intact, but only
residual fuel was found in them.
From the first day of our primary training, we’re
taught to verify the amount of fuel on board by visually
inspecting the tanks. However, some tanks, the Bonanza
included, make it difficult to see the fuel level unless the
tank is nearly full. In such cases, we were all trained to
add fuel until it can be seen. At least we’ll know how
much we added.
ABS PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY FALCON
INSURANCE AGENCY: There is no extra charge
to the individual member, and Falcon's
active sponsorship of ABS programs helps
us expand services to all members. The
more members who use Falcon, the more
Headwinds - This normally involves a general failure
to consider the impact of weather on fuel requirements—another excuse. The classic weather-related
excuse for running out of gas is “headwinds.”
Improper leaning - Running the mixture richer
should be a warning that fuel consumption is going to be
higher than planned. Improperly leaning the mixture can
drastically increase the fuel required, especially during a
multi-hour cross-country flight.
Trusting gauges - Most of us do not trust the fuel
gauges to determine how much fuel we have on board. It
has been shown that trusting fuel gauges is a great way to
run out of gas. In spite of this, many pilots have used the
fuel gauges to determine quantity of fuel and learned this
lesson the hard way. The NTSB refers to it in the accident
report as “pilot’s reliance on inaccurate fuel gauges.”
What will your excuse be someday? - Since running out of fuel is one of the most preventable causes of
accidents, it stands to reason it has to be a priority item
for consideration before takeoff on every flight.
According to the Air Safety Foundation’s 2008 Nall
Report, “Lack of fuel on board is not negotiable.”
While the improvement in accident trends for this
kind of accident are encouraging—in part thanks to
affordable fuel totalizers—ensuring there is adequate
fuel on board is just basic airmanship.
Many aviation insurance underwriters are forgiving
about many types of accidents and will continue to offer
quotes of insurance even after an unfortunate accident.
But the one type of accident that is almost unpardonable
on a universal basis is running an aircraft out of fuel.
There are long lists of accident statistics that bear witness
to this; none are more inexcusable than running out of
fuel in an otherwise perfectly good aircraft.
There is an old saying about the three most useless
things in aviation: the runway behind us, the altitude
above us and the fuel that is back in the truck.
clout the agency has in the aviation
insurance industry on our behalf.
We urge you to obtain a quote from
Falcon and become part of the ABS
Insurance Program prior to your next
renewal.
WWW.BONANZA.ORG
Call Falcon at
800-259-4ABS (4227).
ABS APRIL 2010 I 35
ABS-ASF Service Clinic & BPPP
registration information is on page 2.
Please post your events on the ABS website www.bonanza.org.
...... 2010 ......
APRIL
9-11 - BPPP Clinic. Greensboro, NC (GSO).
* 70 ABS AVIATOR points
10-12 - Southeast Bonanza Society fly-in.
Spruce Creek (Daytona, FL). John & Tina
Ericsson at [email protected].
12-24 - Pacific Bonanza Society Bahamas Air
Safari. Rob & Rhonda Baskins rbaskins@
msn.com or 714-891-3320.
13-18 - Sun-n-Fun. Lakeland, FL.
17-26 - Australian Bonanza Society Air Safari.
North East Victorian tour.
JUNE
10-13 - Southeast Bonanza Society fly-in.
Raleigh, NC. John & Tina Ericsson jeric38
@aol.com.
11 - Southwest Bonanza Society fly-in. Ponca
City, OK. Joe Cathey 918-376-1919 or joe.
[email protected].
17-20 - ABS-ASF Service Clinic. Livermore, CA
(LVK). Maintenance Express, Inc.
* 30 ABS AVIATOR points
19 - North East Bonanza Group fly-in. The
National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy
facility. Woodie Diamond woodie@aviator
man.com.
See page 15 in this issue for
ABS Convention information.
SEPTEMBER
2-5 - European Bonanza Society Safety
Training. Stendal, Germany (EDOV). Registration:
[email protected].
10-12 - BPPP Clinic. Manchester, NH (MHT).
* 70 ABS AVIATOR points
17-19 - BPPP Clinic. Waukesha, WI (UES).
* 70 ABS AVIATOR points
23-25 - BPPP Clinic. Concord, CA (CCR).
* 70 ABS AVIATOR points
21- Jul. 2 - North East Bonanza Group fly-in.
Let's Fly Alaska! Paul Damiano PJDbonanza@
msn.com or 860-646-3383.
29-May 2 - ABS-ASF Service Clinic. Fairhope,
AL (4R4). Teledyne Continental Motors Owners
Event—factory tours, seminars, two concurrent
ABS-ASF Service Clinics and more!
* 30 ABS AVIATOR points
JULY
15-18 - ABS-ASF Service Clinic. Spokane, WA
(GEG). XN Air.
* 30 ABS AVIATOR points
18-19 - European Bonanza Society. Stade,
Germany: Charity flight to the Island of Juist —
[email protected].
15-18 - Pacific Bonanza Society fly-in. San
Juan Islands. Doug & Sandy Haughton
[email protected] or 360-710-3481.
22-25 - ABS Annual Convention & Trade Show.
Buffalo, NY.
* 5 ABS AVIATOR points per
approved seminar.
MAY
3-24 - Pacific Bonanza Society African Air
Safari. Bob & Rita Hecocks baron1015w@
sbcglobal.net or 530-559-5074.
6-9 - Midwest Bonanza Society fly-in. Rough
River State Park. Falls of Rough, KY. Larry Olson
[email protected] or 727-744-7276.
8 - Southwest Bonanza Society fly-in.
Shreveport, LA. Ron Smith [email protected]
13-16 - ABS-ASF Service Clinic. Hagerstown,
MD (HGR). Hagerstown Aircraft Services.
* 30 ABS AVIATOR points
17 - Southeast Bonanza Society lunch. Jekyll
Island, GA. Contact Harold Bost hbostmail@
aol.com.
23-Aug 8 - Australian Bonanza Society Safari.
Northern Territory. Peter Janssen or Debbi Smith
at [email protected].
29-Aug. 1 - European Bonanza fly-In. Linkoping,
Sweden. SAAB aerospace factory. Registration:
[email protected]
18 - Southeast Bonanza Society fly-in. Runway
Fishhouse. Cornelia, GA. Harold Bost hbostmail
@aol.com.
OCTOBER
7-10 - ABS-ASF Service Clinic. Newport, NH
(2B3). Edmonds Aviation.
* 30 ABS AVIATOR points
13-17 - Beech Party 2010. Beechcraft Heritage
Museum, Tullahoma, TN (THA). www.beechcraft
heritagemuseum.org or 931-455-1974.
15-17 - BPPP Clinic. Richmond, VA (RIC).
* 70 ABS AVIATOR points
13-16 - European Bonanza Society fly-In. Scilly
Islands www.simplyscilly.co.uk. Registration:
[email protected].
AUGUST
12-15 - ABS-ASF Service Clinic. Rockford, IL
(RFD). Emery Air, Inc.
* 30 ABS AVIATOR points
15 - International Learn to Fly Day. See the
Austrialian Bonanza Society's website for more
ideas at www.abs.org.au.
19-21 - Pacific Bonanza Society fly-in. Glacier
National Park & Whitefish, MT. Mike & Shelly
Pardis. [email protected] 406-449-7525.
28-31 - ABS-ASF Service Clinic. Atlanta, GA.
(FTY) Hawker Beechcraft Services.
* 30 ABS AVIATOR points
15 - Southeast Bonanza Society lunch.
Broadway Diner in Peachtree City, GA. Harold
Bost [email protected].
19 - Southeast Bonanza Society fly-in.
Chattanooga, TN. John or Tina Ericsson at Jeric38
@aol.com.
29-31 - BPPP Clinic. Fresno, CA (FAT).
* 70 ABS AVIATOR points
15-17 - NEBG Formation Flight Training.
Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport (KMRB).
Woodie Diamond [email protected].
21 - North East Bonanza Group fly-in.
American Air Power Museum. Farmingdale, NY
(KFRG). Walter Harris 212-357-5326 or [email protected].
21-23 - BPPP Clinic. Columbus, OH (CMH).
* 70 ABS AVIATOR points
21 - Southeast Bonanza Society fly-in.
Charleston, SC. John & Tina Ericsson jeric38
@aol.com.
29-Nov 2 Australian Bonanza Society fly-in &
annual meeting. AGM Melbourne Cup (YTQY).
Judith & Peter Gordon [email protected].
net.au.
Visit these websites for more detailed event information.
Australian Bonanza Society www.abs.org.au
Brazilian Bonanza Society www.bonanzaclube.com
European Bonanza Society www.beech-bonanza.org
Midwest Bonanza Society www.midwestbonanza.org
North East Bonanza Group www.northeastbonanzagroup.com
36 I ABS APRIL 2010
Northwest Bonanza Society www.nwbonanza.org
Rocky Mountain Bonanza Society www.rmbonanza.org
Pacific Bonanza Society www.pacificbonanza.org
Southeastern Bonanza Society www.sebs.org
Southwest Bonanza Society www.southwestbonanza.com
WWW.BONANZA.ORG