TALESPINNERS - September, 2001

EAA Chapter 174
Chartered since 1966

TALESPINNERS
September, 2001
 

From the President

As I sit here to write this column, it is hard to believe it’s for the September newsletter. How can that be? What happened to the first eight months of the year? It just doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that I was writing my first column. And now we are preparing for the September picnic.

What a great couple of months. At the August meeting we had a Howard’s pancake breakfast and now we get to have a picnic. Please circle Sunday, September 16^th on your calendar. The end of summer picnic always draws a great crowd. It gives many of the members a chance to visit with friends that they don’t get to see that often. Hopefully we will have a few guest and many spouses and children. I think I mentioned once before that this meeting and the Christmas party are my two favorites. And with a little luck, we will have some different activities this year. We are trying to get Bud Newhouse to give us a demonstration on banner towing (I always like watching those guys make a diving run to snag the line). Gary is trying to get in touch with the hang glider boys who get towed behind an ultra light (yikes!). And of course the fly in pilots will get to test their spot landing skills. The picnic committee has all of this and much food and drink lined up for your enjoyment. So please, try to get out and join your chapter for a great day. And don’t forget it is at Todd Winemiller’s this year.

I have heard a couple of people comment on the positive changes the chapter has experienced this year. Change is always difficult. It makes you feel uncomfortable. You know how it is. You get used to doing something a certain way and it feels good. Then someone says, "Why don’t you try it this way?" And you think, why? And I believe the answer to that question is, it makes you grow. It makes you push the envelope. It makes you better.

I was thinking about how change relates to flying. When was the last time you tried a different technique for, oh, let’s say a landing? Now I know what your first thought is. There’s a right way and a wrong way. And I agree. But let’s look at an example. Cross wind landings. There are a couple of approaches that are acceptable depending on the situation. Some pilots prefer crabbing to keep the runway in front of the airplane. Some prefer a slip technique. How about trying (just trying) whichever method you don’t typically use? Or how about trying less flaps or no flaps for a landing (again keeping safety in mind)? When the flap motor or handle breaks, you might not be so surprised and unprepared. If you are a tail dragger pilot, do you always do three point landings or do you throw in a few wheel landings to mix things up? Hey nose wheel people. When was the last time you came in and did a soft field touch down and kept the nose gear off as long as possible? Sometimes I like to try different speeds in the pattern and still make good solid landings. Why? Because the next time I go to Sun N Fun or Oshkosh or a busy airport and some controller is telling me to keep my speed up, I’m ready. I know many pilots who go way out of their way to avoid Class B or C airspace and talking to ATC. Now and then, make yourself do it. Pick a small airport like Dayton and go through their airspace. Why? Because some day weather may force you there and you will be ready. Before I moved to Atlanta and flew a Cessna 182 on business, I was one of those pilots. Anyone who has been around Atlanta knows that you learn how to talk to ATC. It was a good experience for me.

I was also one of those pilots who always stayed low. Don’t know why. Just did. Guess I thought little airplanes weren’t meant to go way up there. Gary Collins cured me of that. He likes to fly high. When I lived down south, high was good. You could get out of the haze and heat by flying high. And you know, the tops of puffy clouds are prettier than the bottoms.

When BFR time comes around, do you always use the same instructor? Or do you try someone new to get a different perspective on things?

Want to know something else I like to do? I enjoy riding with other pilots and watch how they do things. Do they ride the brakes when they taxi or do they control speed with throttle? Do they fly 727 patterns in a Cessna 152 or do they have a nice tight precise pattern and approach? Are they ahead of the airplane or are they on the verge of being another passenger. I used to ride with a guy in Atlanta who became a passenger at a certain point on final. No kidding. I would watch him on short final and all of a sudden, his body movements just stopped. He simply stared straight ahead and waited for the impact. Scared me to death! After some conversations with our chief pilot and some soul searching on his part, he gave up flying. He found that he enjoyed riding, but not piloting. I applauded his ability to make the best decision for him.

I always learn from watching. So whenever you get the chance, take a ride with someone new and see what you can learn. We have many different types of pilots in the chapter. If you are hesitant to go through a Class C or B airspace, get one of the guys who fly for a living to go with you. If you are not sure about landing on a grass strip, get Gary, George, Todd, Scott or any one of the normal weed smashers to ride along. If you want to hang upside down in a harness and point the wheels up, talk to one of the pilots in who like to do that sort of thing. The Saturday morning flyouts present a great opportunity for flying with someone new. And you never know when something you picked up from watching someone else may make the difference in whether you end up with a good day or a bad day.

Change. It can make you feel really uncomfortable. But I believe that in the long run it makes you better. Whether it be in everyday living or sitting in the cockpit.

I’ll see you at the picnic.

Bob Porter

Minutes from the August Chapter Meeting

The meeting was called to order by the president at 9:50 am, August 25, 2001. First order of the day was to welcome back Stu Faber after his 3 month hiatus recovering from a fall in May. All were delighted to have Stu back in the flock. Visitors to the fly-in breakfast were introduced and a brief financial report was given by George Elbel, accepted and seconded. A number of noteworthy announcements were made, including: Paul Gould won "Classic Reserve Grand Champion" at AirVenture 2001 for his Aeronca Chief, and Norm Beaudette won third place among web site editors at AirVenture for the Chapter 174 web site.

Minutes from the previous meeting were approved and it was noted that the bylaws were completed and would soon be distributed for membership approval.

Young Eagles Coordinator Bill Crawford reported that although the Eagle Flight rally at Butler County earlier in the month was rained out in the morning, the pilots were still successful in flying 1168 new Young Eagles throughout the rest of the day!

A motion was made by the Chapter president to purchase 4 to 6 new tables for use in Chapter functions; the motion was approved and Tom Jenkins offered to take responsibility for the purchase, in time for the picnic.

Picnic Committee chairman Art West reviewed and confirmed volunteer commitments for the picnic and solicited help for a few additional details. A number of suggestions were made for picnic activities, including airplane rides and takeoff and landing performance contests. Meeting adjourned at 10:54 am.

Norm Beaudette, Chapter Secretary

Minutes from the August Board Meeting