The Spirit of Aviation | www.eaa.org Vol.62 No.

7 | July 2013

Prey
Bird of

Berkut builder
doesnt quit

+
Governing EAA
How the organization actually works

Cylinder Strategies
Compression test can fool you P.34

Last Helldiver Flying

The Curtiss beast is mean and ugly

Oshkosh Magic Man

Steve Taylor, czar of AirVenture facilities
 JACK J. PELTON
COMMENTARY / TOWER FREQUENCY

Oshkosh Is Our Classroom

EAAS MISSION STATEMENT IS To Grow Participation in Aviation. It is
an ambitious but essential goal. And the primary means of achieving
our objective is education.
When you read the word education Im sure you picture a class-
room full of students being lectured by an instructor. A classroom is
an effective way to teach many subjects, but its not the method we
use in EAA. Our most effective teaching tool is experiential, and our
greatest experience every year is AirVenture in Oshkosh.
At Oshkosh you can get hands-on instruction in the entire range
of skills and techniques you need to build, restore, or maintain an
aircraft. In one building experts are demonstrating how to weld,
both with gas-fired torches and electrical arc welding equipment. In
another pavilion people are covering airframe parts in fabric and
learning the art of rib stitching and fabric shrinking. In still another
building people are working with wood, even carving a propeller.
The opportunities to learn are almost endless.
But there is a much larger, and even more important, educational
effort at Oshkosh, and its all around us. It is Oshkosh and
AirVenture itself that is our most important teaching tool.
When people come to Oshkosh they can see every type of aircraft
imaginable. There are homebuilts, of course, but there is also a
greater range of antique, classic, warbird, and standard category air-
planes than can be found at any other gathering. There are people Other crucial but
flying powered parachutes, very light airplanes of all sorts, and
The opportunities not obvious lessons that
rotary-wing aircraft. And every year I see a flying machine or two Oshkosh and Young
that defy being categorized, other than to say they are the product of
to learn are Eagles flights teach is
some very imaginative people. almost endless. that personal aviation is
What this vast array of flying machines show a visitor is that exciting, its fun, and its
personal aviation is possible. No matter what your interest, or skill a challenge. No class-
level, or budget, there is a flying activity on display at Oshkosh that room or lecturing teacher is required to see the smiles
can interest you. everywhere at Oshkosh and to learn that you, too, can
This is education in its most fundamental form. Oshkosh shows be a part of something that brings so much satisfaction
anyone who attends that private aviation is possible, available, and and fun.
you can do it, too. At Oshkosh you will meet people from all walks of EAA cant literally teach the whole world to fly, or to
life who are involved in private aviation of some sort. You will learn build an airplane, or to restore an antique, but we can
that flying is not reserved for any special group of people with eagle- show hundreds of thousands of people that all of that is
eyed vision, crooked smiles, and straight teeth. Oshkosh first fires an possible for them. When we show off our love and pas-
interest in flying, and then shows you how you can become involved. sion for all things flying every year at Oshkosh we are
That is education in its purest form. teaching others they can do it, too.
Our incredibly successful Young Eagles program is educational in EAA was founded to teach and share the skills
the same sense. When an EAAer takes a youngster for an airplane needed to participate in personal aviation, and we are
ride, he or she is not teaching the kid how to fly. What is happening very good at it. Every year we educate many, many
is that the youngster is learning that private flying is available and thousands of people at Oshkosh without anyone ever
possible for him or her. That is the first lesson we must teach to having to sit at a desk. Oshkosh is summer school every-
achieve our goal of growing participation in aviation. one can love. EAA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON TONEY www.eaa.org 1

 A PUBLICATION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

Contents
Vol.62 No.7 | July 2013

F E AT U R E S D E PA R T M E N T S BETTER PILOT

68
The Magic Man
COMMENTARY

01 Tower FrequencyJack J. Pelton

98

102
Stick & RudderMaximum Eect

What Went WrongFlying by the Book Would

of Oshkosh Have Saved Them
Steve Taylor is the guy in charge 06 Letters to the Editor
of the AirVenture grounds 106 Ill Never Do That AgainGot Fuel?
By Ric Reynolds 24 Left SeatJ. Mac McClellan
HANDS ON

78
Space Age Bird of Prey
30

34
Flying LessonsLane Wallace

Savvy AviatorMike Busch

110 What Our Members Are Building/Restoring

A kit airplane without the kit 114 Innovation on the FlyTime to Make It Pretty
By Budd Davisson 42 Light FlightDave Matheny
118 Hints for HomebuildersSimple Clamp, Measuring

84
Beast of Burden
48

54
Dream Build FlyBrady Lane

Plane TalkLauran Paine Jr. 122

Trick, Clamps in a Pinch

Shop TalkShortcut Slip Roller

The CAFs SB2C Helldiver
By Jim Busha 60 ContrailsJe Skiles MEMBER CENTRAL

92
How EAA Operates
NEWS & INFO

12 Advocacy & Safety

129
130
132
Member Central
Pilot Caves
News From HQ
147
148
150
Partner Insider
FlyMart
Classied Ads
A conversation with EAA Governance Governmental Issues 138 Gone West 152 EAAs Logbook
Committee Chair Dan Schwinn 140 Members and
By J. Mac McClellan 16 FlightlineIndustry News Chapters in Action

ON THE COVER: Jim Koepnick photographed the Berkut while the speedy homebuilt was For more on many of the topics in this issue, visit www.SportAviation.org. To view

ying near Lakeland, Florida. and submit aviation events, visit www.EAA.org/calendar.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRUCE MOORE www.eaa.org3

 Vol.62 No.7 | July 2013

PUBLICATIONS STAFF
Founder: Paul H. Poberezny
Publisher: Jack J. Pelton, EAA Chairman of the Board
Vice President of Marketing: Rick Larsen
Editor-in-Chief: J. Mac McClellan
Managing Editor: Kelly Nelson
Assistant Editor: Meghan Plummer
Senior Art Director: Phil Norton
Art Director: Olivia Trabbold
Graphic Designer: Chris Livieri
News Editor: Ric Reynolds
Copy Editor: Colleen Walsh
Multimedia Journalist: Brady Lane
Visual Properties Administrator: Jason Toney
Intern: Gary Flick
Print/Mail Manager: Randy Halberg
Contributing Writers: Charlie Becker, Mike Busch, Jim Busha,
Budd Davisson, Tim Hoversten, Dave Matheny, Lauran Paine Jr.,
Mark Phelps, Robert Rossier, Je Skiles, Lane Wallace
European Correspondent: Marino Boric

ADVERTISING
Katrina Bradshaw / kbradshaw@eaa.org
Je Kaufman / jkaufman@eaa.org
Sue Anderson / sanderson@eaa.org

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086

Phone: 920-426-4800 Fax: 920-426-4828
E-mail: editorial@eaa.org Website: www.EAA.org

Need to change your address or have other membership

questions, call 800-564-6322 (800-JOIN EAA).

EAA and SPORT AVIATION, the EAA Logo and AERONAUTICA are registered trade-
marks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The
use of these trademarks and service marks without the permission of the Experimental
Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

4Sport AviationJuly 2013

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

TOM WATHEN
I am very pleased with the new look of Sport Aviation in
general, and the recent article on Tom Wathen in particular.
As anyone reading the article can see, he is someone who
has really made a difference in aviation and in peoples
lives. You did, however, fail to mention one thing about
Wathen that is particularly important to EAA members. He
is the one who rescued Glasair and GlaStar from the ashes
of the bankrupt Stoddard-Hamilton. Without his willing-
ness to take a chance and save these important kit brands
they would no longer be there for us, and the Glasair
Sportsman 2+2 that grew from this effort would have never
been developed. Those of us who build and fly these planes
very much appreciate what Wathen did for us, and we think
everyone else should know about it.

David Prizio, EAA 436037; Tustin, California

My compliments on the excellent articles by Lane Wallace

on Tom Wathen and EAA Chapter 1 at Flabob Airport! As
an early builder of two Glasairs, with Tom Wathens assis-
tance I organized a fly-in of Glasair builders and the
original development team of the Glasair kit series on the
30th anniversary of the Glasair introduction at Oshkosh
1980. Flabob was the historic site for our event.

Tom Robertson, EAA 244767; Fountain Hills, Arizona

SubmISSIOnS

Letters intended for publication should be addressed to EAA/Letter to the Editor, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI, 54903, or e-mailed to
editorial@eaa.org. Please include your EAA number, city, and state. All letters are subject to editing. Unpublished letters will not be returned.

6Sport AviationJuly 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY jeff berlin

Tylers Flight
I just finished [Lauran Paine Jr.s] article in the May issue
titled Tylers Flight. Thanks to [Lauran] and all of the peo-
ple out there who give personal time, talents, and money to
such causes. Our little granddaughter died of cancer at the
age of 3 after a horrible two-year fight with the disease.
Sometimes I believe you have to have experienced such
events in your family to fully appreciate people like [Lauran]
and the EAA.
For families who have gone through these heartbreaks we
cannot say thank you enough to you for your service. It brings
a moment of joy to the life of cancer victims and their families
that is hard to describe. Not just because of the joy of the
event, but equally heartwarming is the comfort of knowing
that there are good people out there who truly feel your pain
and are going out of their way doing everything they can to
help lighten your load.
Our sincere and heartfelt thanks.
Jay Lane, EAA 1078416, and family; Page, Arizona
Once again [Lauran Paine Jr.s] recent article touched my
soul. My office helps coordinate the Make-A-Wish flights
that Horizon Air provides during the year. I am both
awed and inspired by the courage and maturity beyond
their years as many of these children are dealt some very
difficult circumstances and situations. We enjoy the thrill
of seeing the excitement as their dreams come to reality.
If only for a brief time, we can meet these heroes that live
among us and be touched by their lives.
I appreciate not only your efforts to get some of these
individuals into the air, but also bringing the awareness of
this program to the vast number of EAA members.
I just wanted you to be recognized for your efforts
and ongoing efforts to promote aviation. I think my
next passenger will receive a better briefing based on
your example (except maybe the rivetingI dont have
a hangar/shop).
Gordon Smith, EAA 78928; Kennewick, Washington
www.eaa.org7
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Thanks, Mike!
I really enjoy reading [Mike Buschs] articles in Sport Aviation and
find them to be very interesting and informative. The thing I find
most interesting about aviation is the more I learn, the more I realize
I dont know! Keep up the great articles!
Steve Smith, EAA 299404; Naperville, Illinois
I read Mike Buschs article The Redundancy Trap [May 2013] with
great interest. Almost 30 years ago, to the day, I had my very first air
crisis, as I listed it in my logbook. I was a low-time pilot with about
135 hours when I experienced the violent shaking of my rented C-172.
I didnt declare an emergency but throttled back and headed to
College Park Airport, which I had just passed five minutes earlier.
I had the sense of mind to cycle the mag switch, but this is where
I believe that Mike missed a valuable bit of advice in the article.
Mike wrote, Of course, with a failure mode like this, having a good
mag does no good unless you shut off the bad one. Clearly, we have
an education problem. He is absolutely correct about the education
problem. As I recall on that very day, I cycled to the left mag first and
there was the problem, along with the most violent aircraft shaking
one can imagine. I cycled the mags back to both and my first thought
was, Im not going to do that again!
Had I understood that the bad mag alone was more violent than
the bad mag on both, I would have cycled to the opposite mag. But as
a low-time pilot and not understanding what happens when the
magneto system isolates the bad mag, it was enough to prevent me
from cycling the mags again. My fear factor peaked on that first
switch to the bad mag. So, yes we want to cycle to the good mag, but
you just might find that bad mag first, which is a very unpleasant
experience to have if you dont know what to expect. The landing
was uneventful, and the mechanic from the FBO fixed the problem.
Steve Koziol, EAA 607175; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
About EAA
I would like to thank and commend Jack J. Pelton for his commen-
tary in the May 2013 issue of Sport Aviation (You Cant Put a Label
on EAA). In essence, Pelton is saying that EAA is for everyone who
loves everything about aviation, not just experimenters and home-
builders. As one who has been flying since 1967, and who never has
and never will build my own airplane, I like that.
I know that there are some experimenters and homebuilders
who would like to see EAA return to its roots. I understand that,
and I have immense admiration for those who have the skills and
patience to undertake so daunting a project as to build their own
airplane, whether its from scratch or plans or a kit. But arent EAAs
roots really in the love of flight? And isnt that something that binds
all of us who have chosen to join EAA?
8Sport AviationJuly 2013
As an EAA member, I dont want to take the organi-
zation away from those who can do, have done, or are
doing something that I will never do. I want to join them
and bring my own enthusiasm for everything aviation
along with me. In fact, I hope that by paying my mem-
bership dues I am not only supporting an organization
that celebrates the wonders of flight, but also perhaps
helping to subsidize services that are specific to home-
builders and experimenters.
The current look of Sport Aviation captures so much
of the character of the EAA I love. I have to admit that,
until it changed its format a few years ago, I rarely read
it. Now it seems to be such a wonderful balance of all
that is good and interesting about aviation that I read it
almost from cover to cover. Along with everything else,
its always a delight to see the Hands On section and
admire what members are building and restoring. In my
opinion, those who are part of the publication of Sport
Aviation are doing a great job. They help all of us mem-
bers to enjoy and appreciate the passion that we all
share: the awe and wonderand challengesof flight.
William G. Menzel, EAA 179644; Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
First in Flight?
The EAA Forms report in the May issue of Sport Aviation
discussed the question of whether the Wrights or
Gustave Whitehead was the first to fly. To me this is like
the question of whether someone else discovered the
Americas before Columbus. What difference does it
make? What came of their discovery? Nothing. I admire
their adventurous spirit, but the only one who counts is
the one whose discovery led to what we have today.
Ed Fogle, EAA 440480; Claremore, Oklahoma
Correction
In the June 2013 issue, Page 118, we mistakenly ran the
headline 2012 EAA Elections. The nominees for the
EAA board of directors in that article are, indeed, for the
upcoming 2013 EAA elections to be held Wednesday,
July 31, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. at the Theater in the Woods
during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. We regret the error
and apologize for any confusion.
A
couple of months ago, EAAs
Online Community Manager Hal
Bryan asked a simple question on
our forums: When you think Oshkosh,
what aircraft rst comes to mind?
As expected, he received many replies,
and the answers really ran the gamut.
Here are some highlights from this
discussion.
Is there one aircraft or type that stands out as
an icon? A eld full of RVs, the P-51s and friends
in the Mustang Corral, Cessna 195s camping
together, powered parachutes ying over the
farm in the evenings?
Hal Bryan
I think of the incredible variety, from the
Wright Flyer to the C-5 (and the huge Russian
C-5 knocko ) which, I guess, speaks to the
inclusiveness of EAA.
MEdwards
10Sport AviationJuly 2013
The Bell 47 ying overhead all day since I have
been attending for 27 years. Never tire of seeing
it, but I am biased!
gbrasch
Not any particular aircraft, but sounds. My favourite
are round sounds (radials), although Merlins
come a close second. I particularly like the sound
of Harvards (T-6) on takeo with the bark of the
propeller as it rolls past. Cant wait for Oshkosh.
rv8bldr
Restored Sikorsky S-39 and replica S-38s especially
the Johnson & Johnson one because of the colours.
Floatsyer
What I enjoy is seeing the stu there that you
cant nd at any other air showthe one-o
creations that people have dreamed of and built.
kmacht
For longevity/icon status, only one airplane
comes to mind for me, Halthe Ford Tri-Motor.
Jim Rosenow
I go to Oshkosh mostly to see the one-of-a-kind
prototypes. These homemade rsts, if from
an individual, are allowed a certain amount of
utilitarian crudeness that should be expected for
a rst of its kind.
Bill Berson
The rst P-51 takeo of the morning causing
everyone to rubberneck!
Tom Steber
When I think of Oshkosh, I think of the early
homebuilts that our predecessors labored over,
experimented with, and with which they tested
the uncharted waters.
CarlOrton
I first joined EAA back in the late 70s/early 80s
when Burt Rutans designs were the coolest
things in the air, so I guess a long row of
grazing Vari/Long-EZs says Oshkosh to me. Ive
never been to the big showbut I am building
away on my Thatcher CX4 so there is still hope!
Dave S
ADVOCACY AND SAFETY
GOVERNMENTAL ISSUES
Advocacy and Safety
Highlights for AirVenture
EAA ADVOCACY AND SAFETY looks forward to hosting a number
of visiting government and aviation safety leaders who will be
presenting forums to the public and attending meetings with
industry groups throughout the week of AirVenture.
In addition to senior executives from the FAA, NTSB,
and TSA, EAA will accommodate staff from other nations
civil aviation authorities and embassies, which often attend
AirVenture to show support for their home countrys aviation
industry and seek greater partnership and regulatory harmony
with the FAA.
FAA staff from Flight Standards Service and the Small
Airplane Directorate will participate in industry meetings
that deal with issues ranging from airman and airworthiness
certification standards to NextGen avionics requirements. These
meetings are crucial to the industry, as it is otherwise very
difficult to gather so many interested industry parties into a
single room with FAA policy- and decision-makers.
Ten federal agencies from three nations are represented in
the Federal Pavilion, which features its own dedicated forum
space and weeklong schedule. Many Federal Pavilion forums are
eligible for FAA WINGS pilot proficiency program credits.
Avid GA pilot Dr. Earl Weener, member of the NTSB, will
present a major forum with EAA Chairman Jack J. Pelton. NTSB
Judge Stephen Woody, with members of EAAs Legal Advisory
Council, will present a forum about the Pilots Bill of Rights and
conduct a mock trial.
EAAs legal, aeromedical, and homebuilding advisory councils
will also present forums and meet with FAA officials to discuss
policy important to GA pilots and homebuilders. AirVenture is also
12Sport AviationJuly 2013
where EAAs councils get together and plan
goals and policy for the upcoming year.
Please check the AirVenture forum
schedule online at www.EAAApps.org for
a complete listing of events.
Featured Advocacy and Safety Forums:
Mechanics and the Law, presented by
EAA Legal Advisory Council member
Patrick Phillips; Tuesday, July 30, 10-11:45
a.m.; Forum Pavilion 2
Fuel Alternatives for Aircraft, presented
by the National Research Council
Canadas Tim Leslie; Wednesday, July 31,
1-2:15 p.m.; Forum Pavilion 8
Meet the NTSB, presented by NTSB
member Earl Weener and Jack Pelton;
Wednesday, July 31, 2:30-3:45 p.m.;
Honda Pavilion
Aeromedical Certication, presented by
the EAA Aeromedical Advisory Council;
Saturday, August 3, 10-11:15 a.m.; Forum
Pavilion 1
Survive an FAA Enforcement Trial With
Tips From EAA Lawyers and the Judge,
presented by the EAA Legal Advisory
Council and NTSB Judge Stephen
Woody; Saturday, August 3, 11:30 a.m.-
2:30 p.m.; Forum Pavilion 11
CONGRESS BACKS PART 23 REWRITE; ARC RECOMMENDATIONS
WILL INCREASE SAFETY, AFFORDABILITY FOR GA
A MAJOR CHANGE in policy regarding A Part 23 rewrite that adopts consensus Act of 2013, call for the FAA to adopt the
FAR Part 23 and the role of innovative, standards and lowers barriers to market rewritten standard by 2015 and would apply
affordable, and safety-enhancing technology entry would be a huge incentive for to aircraft weighing 19,000 pounds or less.
in GA cockpits is in the air, and EAA is very aerospace innovators to get involved with The Senate bill was introduced by Sens.
supportive of bills recently introduced in GA, said Sean Elliott, vice president of Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Lisa
both houses of Congress that would set a EAA advocacy and safety. We would love Murkowski (R-Alaska), and the House bill by
deadline for the FAA to adopt the policy to see all of the newest, most cost-effective Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kansas).
changes outlined by industry leaders. FAA safety hardware currently available and The existing outdated certication
Administrator Michael Huerta also voiced being developed for the E-AB market be process needlessly increases the cost of
support for the policy changes. given a simpler process to expand into type- safety and technology upgrades by up to 10
The FAAs willingness to publicly certicated GA aircraft. times, Pompeo said. With this bill, we can
discuss revamping Part 23 was welcomed The bills introduced to the House and ensure that the general aviation industry has
by EAA, AOPA, GAMA, NBAA, and other Senate, called the Small Aircraft Revitalization what it needs to thrive.
aviation associations, all of whom have
been involved in the Part 23 Aviation
Rulemaking Committee (ARC) working to
rewrite Part 23 to make it less prescriptive
and more results-based. An end goal of the
ARC is to use industry consensus standards
to certify safety equipment eligible for
installation in type-certicated aircraft.
The effect of using consensus standards
and results-driven design is twofold: It
eliminates much of the tedious paperwork
and extreme-circumstance testing of Part
23 certication, which drastically reduces
cost of the hardware, plus it encourages
more manufacturers to bring more safety
products into the eld.

FAA SUPPORT OF AIRVENTURE COMES WITH A PRICE?

BY SEAN ELLIOTT, EAA VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVOCACY AND SAFETY

RECENTLY, EAA CHAIRMAN of the
Board Jack Pelton and I traveled to
Washington, D.C., to meet with the
FAA administrator and the chief
operating officer for air traffic.
The purpose of the meeting was to
review plans for AirVenture 2013.
It was at this meeting that the FAA
first informed EAA that it would
be demanding that EAA pay a
reimbursable fee for ATC support
of the event. After 60-plus years of
FAA partnership and support, we
were in a state of shock at the FAA viewing EAA as a billable
revenue source and nothing more.
Everyone is well aware of the impact of sequestration on
government agencies this year. What is particularly disturbing
about this development is that the FAA has been authorized by
Congress to move funding internally to fully fund ATC services.
The FAA has chosen to view the worlds largest gathering of
GA aircraft, AirVenture, as simply a private event that does not
warrant FAA support unless the EAA community pays for it. This
is a very disturbing point of view and is absolutely unacceptable
to both EAA and the general aviation community.
We fear this is the tip of the iceberg. What else will the FAA
view as nonessential and therefore decide to charge GA for?
What other government agencies will follow this model and
impose additional fees for services already funded by tax dollars?
The possibilities are frightening.
As you may have seen, EAA has not been idly standing
by. With web tools like Rally Congress and our Washington-
based staff, we have taken these concerns public and to the
Hill. Our initial call for action for support of a letter from the
Senate garnered nearly 19,000 letters of support from you, the
EAA membership, in less than 48 hours. That of course was just
our first step. It is now more important than ever that you are
well-informed and stay tuned to EAAs communications.
Please stay close and be ready for any further calls to action
from EAA. It is your voice that makes a difference with our
elected officials.

www.eaa.org13
ADVOCACY AND SAFETY
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
So, How Are We Doing?
The E-AB fatal accident rate is down, but we still have lots of work to do
BY CHARLIE PRECOURT, EAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS, SAFETY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
WERE HALFWAY THROUGH 2013 alreadyhow time ies! With
AirVenture upon us, its a great time to take stock in how we are
doing in experimental amateur-built safety.
In the rst several months of the year you should have noticed
a signicant increase in the space devoted to ight safety here in
the pages of Sport Aviation. In the February issue our chairman,
Jack Pelton, led the way writing about bending the safety
curve in a better direction. Jack noted, Every fatal accident is
an immense tragedy that forever alters the lives of families and
friends and collectively, serious accidents are a threat to all who
love to y, because they add costs and create the threat of future
restrictive regulation.
So far this year, no fewer than 11 Sport Aviation articles have
examined the common causes in experimental amateur-built fatal
accidents, with the goal of sharing lessons that help all of us avoid
accidents in the future. You should review them, particularly if
youre buying a used homebuilt or preparing to test one you built.
Mac McClellan wrote on how to check out in E-AB aircraft
(February), and his NTSB What Went Wrong column covered
14Sport AviationJuly 2013
a Lancair loss of power/loss of control
accident (February) as well as an article on
First Flight Disaster (April). Airbus Test
Pilot Terry Lutz talked about Building the
Safety Net in his March article on an RV
that successfully recovered from an engine
failure during initial ight test, thanks
to great planning. Ron Wanttaja gave us
a comprehensive look at E-AB accident
statistics in his 2012 report (March).
Budd Davisson had an excellent article on
rst ights in the February issue, and Hoot
Gibson shared his ight-test techniques in
the April issue. In May, Dave Morss shared
some really excellent perspectives on the
downwind turn following an engine failure
on takeoff, and in June, yours truly wrote
about the plusses and minuses of high-speed
taxi ights, complemented by an excellent
rsthand account of an Accidental First
Flight written by Carl Orton. Finally,
Lauran Paine Jr. added to the June issue
with an excellent article entitled Work
Harder, Work Smarter.
This list is signicant not only for the
quantity and quality of the information
provided, but also because the contributors
have a common goalsharing lessons so
others dont have to repeat old mistakes. As
I reviewed these articles, I was reminded
of my initial Air Force ight-training
experience. Our brieng room had desks
arranged in a U shape with three or four
students assigned per instructor at the
desks in the room. As ights transpired
throughout the day, instructors would pre-
brief and debrief each students ight at
their desk, essentially in front of everyone
else in the room.
I quickly realized I was learning as much
if not more from eavesdropping on the other
instructors as they discussed things that
I hadnt encountered on my own ights.
Errors in instrument cross-check, spin and
aerobatic techniques, landing issues, you
name it. I was learning from others as much
or more as I was from my own training.
Thats called learning it the easy way. And
that is essentially the goal of our EAA safety
initiative. By enabling our members to learn
from others, we strive to achieve a much
lower accident rate.
But we wont know how were doing if
we dont measure it. We have historically
seen fatal accident rates for amateur-
built aircraft that run one per week, a
sobering number. Your EAA staff keeps a
running record on a dashboard chart.
The dashboard for May 2013 is shown for
reference. Essentially, the chart tracks
how we are doing throughout the FAAs
government scal year (October 1 through
September 30).
The chart tracks all fatalities in
experimental aircraft, not just amateur-built.
The brown curve represents the FAAs target
not to exceed for fatalities by month, with
each months target maximum plotted by
number. The gray line shows the prior year
(FY12) results, and the red line shows the
current trajectory (FY13). The blue line
breaks out the amateur-built portion.
So far this year, we are under the FAA
maximum by 9 fatalities with one-third of
the year to go. Not a bad place to be, but
we have the summer months ahead of us,
when ying hours typically peak, as does
the accident rate, and we can do much
better yet in the long run. So we have to
remain vigilant, and it is far too early to
claim any correlation between our safety
initiatives and these latest results. Getting
down from one fatality per week to less
than one per month ought to be what we
strive for.
As we follow our progress with the
metrics shown in the chart, we have to
think about how we can impact the result.
When we performed ight tests in the Air
Force, we prepared both a technical review
and a safety review for each ight test. For
every test maneuver envisioned we had to
rst show the technical rationale for the
maneuver (what data was to be gathered and
why it was needed). If a maneuver couldnt
be argued as necessary, it was eliminated
from the program. Then we also had to
analyze the risks of ying each necessary
maneuver and establish the means to
mitigate each risk.
Carl Orton gave us an excellent account
of how both the technical and safety
considerations come into play for our
amateur-built test activities. In his June
issue article Accidental First Flight, he
shared some details about the distraction
caused by short throttle arm travel in
performing a high-speed taxi test. We could
venture to guess he is not a fan of high-
speed taxi tests, but his narrative reveals
how critical it is to think through the nest
details, and then share the results as widely
as possible, just as he did.
The sharing part is how we can each
improve our accident record over time. As
others around us prepare to engage in ight
tests or checkouts in amateur-built aircraft,
lets make sure we help them eavesdrop on
all the lessons weve learned so they dont
have to repeat our mistakes.
www.eaa.org15
F
LIGHTLINE
INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY NEWS

P-51D PILOT SETS

WORLD RECORDS
DOUGLAS MATTHEWS set several U.S. and world
records on May 23 in his P-51D Mustang The Rebel.
Matthews spent 90 minutes breathing 100
percent oxygen to avoid the effects of the bends
before launching The Rebel from Indiantown
Airport, just outside of his hometown of Palm
Beach. Though the numbers are unofficial until
sanctioned by the U.S. National Aeronautic
Association, these are the unofficial records set by
Matthews and his P-51D:
Time-to-climb to 9,000 meters (approximately
30,000 feet): 18 minutes
Time-to-climb to 12,000 meters
(approximately 40,000 feet): 31 minutes
Maximum altitude in level ight: 40,100 feet
Maximum altitude achieved: 42,500 feet
If approved, these records will vault Matthews
into the 100 Club for setting 100 U.S. and world
aviation records during his ying career.

T-Flight
Sonex takes safety initiative with transition training program

SONEX AIRCRAFT announced T-Flight, a new transition training program COMPANY TO PRODUCE AND
that will offer aircraft-specic familiarization training to Sonex pilots. DISTRIBUTE FUEL WORTHY
There are real safety benets to be gained from ensuring that OF AVIATION
pilots are familiar with the ying qualities of sport aircraft before they
take their rst ight, or y solo, said Jeremy Monnett, Sonex CEO. AIRWORTHY AUTOGAS will produce its ethanol-
Type-specic transition training is one of the major NTSB free, 93 octane, premium unleaded automotive
recommendations outlined in its recent safety study for reducing gasoline (roughly equivalent to 87 octane avgas)
fatal accidents in E-AB aircraft. The NTSB encouraged the FAA to for aviation use.
develop and publish an advisory circular or similar guidance for a EAA and Peterson Aviation each hold autofuel
letter of deviation authority (LODA) to conduct ight instruction supplemental type certicates that allow owners
in an experimental aircraft, to include sample documentation and of production airplanes with engines certicated
sample training materials. for avgas to safely use autofuel.
The FAA created a guidance order, and Sonex used that to According to the company, dramatic increase
interact with the Milwaukee FSDO to obtain the LODA, which in the use of ethanol as an emissions-reducing
permits Sonex to provide ight instruction to pilots with a sport oxygenate combined with inconsistent volatility
pilot certicate and a tailwheel endorsement. characteristics between seasons, regions, and
EAA is very excited that Sonex took the initiative to create its geographies can make traditional automotive
own highly tailored training program, said Sean Elliott, EAA vice gasoline unsuitable in aircraft and potentially
president of advocacy and safety. This is a signicant enhancement compromise airworthiness, but Airworthy
to safety for the kit manufacturer community. AutoGas claims a patent-pending formulation
that exceeds the requirements of ASTM D4814,
For more information and direct links to all Flightline stories, visit www.SportAviation.org. Lycoming Engines SI-1070 S specications, and
the EAA and Petersen Aviation STCs.

16Sport AviationJuly 2013

F
LIGHTLINE
INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY NEWS

GAMA ISSUES UPBEAT FIRST TRANS-IND CONFIRMS VOICE TRANSMISSION

QUARTER REPORT BY LAURAN PAINE JR.

THE GENERAL
AVIATION
Manufacturers
Association
(GAMA) has
released figures
for the industrys
airplane first
quarter shipment
and billings,
showing a positive
increase in
all sectors.
We are very pleased to see a shift to the
positive for GA airplanes, which extends across
all airplane segments, for the first quarter of
2013, said GAMA President/CEO Pete Bunce.
In the first three months of 2013, total
worldwide GA airplane shipments increased
9.6 percent, from 418 units in 2012 to 458 units
this year. Billings for GA airplanes totaled $4.6
billion in the first three months, up 32 percent
from the same period last year.
Turboprop shipments are still going strong,
after being up in 2012 due to an increase in
agricultural sales. Single-engine turboprop
airplanes had a positive trajectory, up 14.6
percent to 102 units this quarter. Multiengine
turboprop airplanes were strong at 34
shipments compared to last years 19 airplanes.
Business jet shipments showed a 4 percent
increase, and the piston engine airplane
segment was also positive, up 3.8 percent from
last year.
THIS IS THE UNIQUE product youve never heard of. Its called Trans-Ind
(for transmit indicator) and serves to tell you if your VHF radio is actually
transmitting voice when you key the mic. Most VHF radios today have a
symbol that lights to indicate when the mic is keyed, but are you transmitting
voice? Maybe, maybe not. Trans-Ind tells you, at a glance, if you are.
Trans-Ind was born from embarrassment. Angus McCamant, EAA
241121, once flew into an nontowered airport and dutifully announced
his positions and intentions. All well and good except that no one heard
him because he had a bum radio and didnt know it. Angus, an electrical
engineer, went home and created the Trans-Ind.
Trans-Ind is a small device that is independently powered by a 9-volt
battery good for 100 hours. You simply place it on the glare shield. When
you key the mic on your radio, the amber LED illuminates; if you are
transmitting voice, the blue LED illuminates (actually, it flickers with your
inflection). No blue light? No voice is going out. With communication, the
earlier you detect a problem, the better you can deal with it.
I can envision Trans-Ind being especially useful to EAAers doing radio
installations during construction. Itll save a whole lot of nuisance radio
check calls to the tower. Also, it will help student pilots learn proper radio
usage: If the mic is too far from your face or your voice is too low, you wont
get the blue light. I also tried every headset I own and found some transmitted
signicantly better than others. Good to know!
But mostly, in daily use, with Trans-Ind youll
know your radio is working properly. Its a
continuous real-time monitor of your
communications and is a nice tool
to have in your aviation bag
of tricks. Trans-ID is
available for $189.90;
check it out at the
Electrical Efficiency
Systems website,
www.EESys.co.

// HONDA AIRCRAFT stated that certification
of the HA-420 HondaJet is delayed
again due to a number of setbacks with
the 2,000-pound-thrust HF120 engine,
but did not offer any specifics. Honda
expects the engine to be certifiable by
late 2014.
// SINCE THE AIRCRAFT simply doesnt
fit into any of the existing business
jet categories, according to Pilatus
Chairman Oscar Schwenk, the companys
new PC-24 jet has been dubbed the
industrys first SVJ, or super versatile
jet. According to the company, the
PC-24 combines the versatility of a
turboprop, the cabin size of a medium
light jet, and the performance of a
light jet.
// THE SPORTYS 2014 sweepstakes aircraft
will be a factory-built Vans RV-12.
All Sportys Pilot Shop customers are
automatically entered to win every time
they order between May 11, 2013, and
May 9, 2014.
Additionally, Sportys now offers
a comprehensive ForeFlight training
program for the electronic flight bag app.
Theres a lot to learn on ForeFlight, and
this course is produced for the everyday
pilot, said Sportys Vice President John
Zimmerman. You dont have to be a
computer scientist to understand itin
fact, we intentionally made this course
jargon-free.

18Sport AviationJuly 2013

F
LIGHTLINE
ADVICE FROM EAA LEGAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
Its Not Too Late to File
a NASA Report
Avoid a certicate suspension and promote safety
BY ALAN FARKAS
ON JUNE 15, 2012, J.D. breached a presidential TFR that
surrounded the airspace over Chicago OHare International
Airport and included Chicago Executive Airport (PWK).
J.D. had a clean 40-year flying career; he had reviewed the
NOTAMs for his route, and he was on an IFR flight plan,
intending to circle or divert until he could land at PWK.
His breach was the result of a unique misunderstanding
between J.D. and the TRACON controller. Heres how it
went down (with registration numbers altered to protect
the identity of those involved, and several impertinent
transmissions omitted):
NJD: Chicago, NJD is with you at flight level 200.
Chicago Center (CC): NJD, descend and maintain 3,000,
the ORD altimeter 3,003.
CC: NJD, amend the altitude. Descend and maintain 7,000.
CC/ATC: NXX (other aircraft on frequency), I guess were
still in the hold for PWK. Would you likeI guess actually well
just give you radar vectors around.
NXX: If you cancel IFR, is it legal VFR to PWK?
CC: NXX, cancellation is received, squawk VFR.
CC: Theyre probably not going to talk to you on approach,
and youre almost out of my airspace. NXX, radar service is
terminated at this time.
NJD: Can we expect a hold getting into PWK?
CC: NJD, that is affirmative.
NJD: Okay. Ill do that same thing that guy previous to
me did.
CC: Well, well get you a little closer. Lets get down to 7,000
or so. Youve got some traffic out there otherwise.
CC: NJD, youre below that traffic now. Do you still want to
cancel going into PWK?
NJD: Yes, sir.
CC: NJD, cancellation is received. Maintain VFR at all times.
Please advise of any altitude changes.
CC: NJD, youre getting pretty close to Chicago Approachs
airspace. I dont think theyre going to work anyone VFR into
PWK today with heavy traffic down there today. Radar service
is terminated at this time. Go ahead and squawk VFR and you
have a good day.
NJD: Thank you kindly. Will do. Were going to drop down
to 2,500.
20Sport AviationJuly 2013
CC: Very good. Thank you. Depicting
no traffic in front of you. Nothing really
between you and the airport.
Based upon this exchange, J.D.
assumed that the TFR over Chicago
Executive Airport had been lifted
because he heard the exchange with
the other pilot who canceled IFR and
continued VFR to PWK. However, when
J.D. switched over to Chicago Approach,
he learned that Air Force One was still on
the ground at OHare and the TFR was
still active. J.D. decided to land at the
Waukegan Regional Airport, which was
outside the TFR, until he was able to land
at PWK later.
J.D. didnt realize that he had
momentarily entered and exited the TFR
airspace, but particularly because he was
under ATC direction, he had no reason
to think he had done anything wrong.
He didnt even get that fright-inducing
request from ATC to phone the FAA upon
landing. So, he was quite surprised when
more than one month later he received
a call from an FAA inspector informing
him that she was investigating his alleged
breach of the TFR.
Like most airmen, J.D. had been
taught that by submitting an Aviation
Safety Reporting System report
(commonly known as an ASRS or NASA
report) to NASA he would have immunity
for the sanctions otherwise imposed
for a breach of the FAR. The immunity
is available only so long as a) the ASRS
report is filed within 10 days of the event;
b) the breach is inadvertent; c) there are
no related accident, injuries, or criminal
offense; d) the certificate holder is not
lacking competence or qualification; and
F
LIGHTLINE
ADVICE FROM EAA LEGAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
e) he had not been found guilty of another breach within the
preceding five years.
J.D. also knew, however, that in addition to the get out of
jail free benefit that the NASA report would have for him,
these reports play an important role in improving the safety
of the National Airspace System. Sure enough, since 1975 the
NASA reporting procedure has enabled pilots, mechanics,
and air traffic controllers to submit anonymous reports of
potentially unsafe or troublesome conditions (often created by
unintentionally ambiguous regulations or procedures) without
fear of reprisal (for making the report), and those who met the
five criteria set out above were able to use their reports to avoid
sanctions. These reports have been collected, analyzed, and
used to identify areas in need of improvement.
J.D. quickly dispatched his NASA report, using the online
form available at http://ASRS.ARC.NASA.gov, being careful to
avoid the inclusion of any specifically identifying information
(his name or certificate number, for example) outside of the
strip that proves he filed the report (of great importance to
anyone who wants the immunity benefit). He had little hope
of using the NASA report for his own benefit because so much
time had lapsed since the incident, but he thought someone
should know that he was denied the opportunity to submit
a timely NASA report because the FAA didnt advise him of
the alleged breach earlier, and that the ATC communications
had led him to believe that the TFR had been lifted. He hoped
to play a role in preventing another airman from suffering a
similar fate.
I met J.D. a few months later when he called after getting
his notice of proposed certificate action from the FAA. As
he feared, the FAA charged him with violating FAR 91.141
(violation of a presidential TFR). We discussed his options, and
he decided to appear for an informal conference with the FAA.
By the time the informal conference was held, thanks to the
Pilots Bill of Rights, we were equipped with our own copies
of the full ATC tapes, radar plots, and the FAAs Enforcement
Investigation Report (EIR). J.D. went through the painstaking
process of creating a transcript from the barely audible ATC
tapes, and we shared both the transcript and J.D.s NASA report
with the FAA attorney at the informal conference. I argued that
although J.D. had submitted his NASA report beyond the 10-day
cutoff, he should still get the benefit of NASA immunity. Things
got a bit interesting at this point.
Like most of the aviation community, the FAA attorney was
a bit surprised to learn that the advisory circular that sets out
the ASRS (AC 00-46E) had been amended in the final days of
2011. Only minor revisions were made to the AC, and it received
little attention or fanfare at the time. However, the AC now
states that to receive immunity, in addition to the other criteria,
the certificate holder must prove that within 10 days after the
violation, or date when the person became aware or should have
been aware of the violation, he or she [sent in a NASA report].
Prior to December 16, 2011, this provision simply stated that to
receive immunity, the certificate holder must prove that within
22Sport AviationJuly 2013
10 days after the violation, he or she [sent
in a NASA report].
It may be hard to imagine too many
scenarios when an airman could violate
the FAR without being in a position to
know about the violation until more
than 10 days later, but J.D.s situation
was clearly the type of scenario
encompassed by the revised language.
J.D. didnt realize that
he had momentarily
entered and exited the TFR
airspace, but particularly
because he was under
ATC direction, he had no
reason to think he had done
anything wrong.
Thus, after the FAA attorney assigned to
our case consulted with her superiors,
the FAA stated that it would accept J.D.s
untimely NASA report and permit him
to waive the sanction for his violation, if
he chose to resolve his certificate action
in that manner.
So, the lesson learned is quite simple:
File that NASA report. Regardless of
when you file the report, at the very
least, the information you provide will
add to the collective knowledge of those
who have the ability to improve the
system. However, in the appropriate
case, even a seemingly untimely report
will allow you to keep flying without any
interruption in your privileges.
Alan L. Farkas, EAA 681323, is the chairman of the
EAA Legal Advisory Council, our panel of volunteer
aviation attorneys spread across the country who are
available to assist members with their legal ques-
tions. If you have a legal concern, contact EAA staff,
and if we dont have the answer, well put you in
touch with a member of the LAC.
Alan is co-chair of the aviation practice group at
Smith Amundsen, a full-service law firm with several
offices throughout the Midwest (www.SALawUS.com).
 J. MAC MCCLELLAN
COMMENTARY / LEFT SEAT
Spare Parts Take
All Spare Cash
High fuel prices are at the top of every airplane owners list of
soaring costs. The cost of avgasand Jet A for that matteris all
over the place, but $5 per gallon is about as low as you can find, and I
have seen posted prices more than $9 per gallon. Topping off has
almost become an investment, a capital cost, not a consumable.
But when avgas prices are compared to inflation, or the rise in
the cost of auto fuel, we should not be surprised. And the volume of
avgas consumed continues to drop, making the fixed cost per gallon
of manufacturing, shipping, and storing the specialty fuel soar.
On the bright side for airplane owners is that insurance and storage
costs have been stable over the past several years. For many of us the
cost of insurance has actually declined for the same level of coverage.
The stability of those costs can be explained by the global eco-
nomic situation. The insurance business is really an investment
being made by underwriters who expect the amount charged for
24Sport AviationJuly 2013
premiums to be greater than the losses paid
out. That margin is the return on invest-
ment. When other financial instruments,
such as bonds, decline in return, investment
money flows to the insurance market, thus
driving down the cost of premiums. Our
actual flying risk is a component of the pre-
mium price, but the financial markets and
overall investment returns drive insurance
costs up or down on the global scale. For the
last five years, the trend is down.
Hangar or tie-down rents are also gov-
erned by the financial situation. The number
of pilots is declining, the airplane fleet size is
not growing, and there is very little inflation,
ILLUSTRATION By GARY COX
J. MAC MCCLELLAN

so its very difficult for most airport authorities
to raise rents. Of course, there are some very
crowded airports in congested parts of the
country that are perpetually short on hangar
and storage space, so in those cases demand
exceeds supply and will drive up costs. But
that is not the norm, particularly since the eco-
nomic downturn began in the fall of 2008.
But there is one component of airplane
ownership that continues to soar despite all
of the economic headwinds, and that is the
cost of replacement parts. You can control
your fuel costs by flying less, but there is
nothing you can do about the price of parts if
you want to keep your airplane airworthy.
And the general aviation fleet is so elderly
that the requirement for replacement parts
can only increase.
Twenty years ago my buddy Richard
Collins and I would talk about adding money
to our airplane budgets to handle a couple
thousand dollar surprises. Back then a
thousand bucks would come close to covering
the work to get a cylinder with bad compres-
sion up to snuff. Or you could have a radio
repaired, or a leaking fuel tank fixed, or lots of
other surprises covered. But the thousand
dollar surprise these days is more like the
cost of three new tires and tubes.
And the big run-up in maintenance costs is
almost entirely in the price of parts. Shop
ratesthe hourly rate that covers the mechan-
ics salary and overall shop costshave
changed very little over the last many years.
The shop rate covers a broad range depending
on the cost of living in the area where the shop
is located, the expense of operating on the air-
port, and the level of equipment and mechanic
training the shop maintains. And I have found
the hourly shop rates to be pretty stable, and I
know mechanics havent been seeing notice-
able bumps in their pay.
I have had several maintenance surprises
in the past several months on my airplane, a
Beech Baron 58, and the surprise was the
cost of the parts.
The thousand dollar surprise
these days is more like the cost
of three new tires and tubes.
So far the headline bill was for my left
elevator, which was found cracked at the
annual inspection. Beech makes Baron ele-
vators from magnesium, which is lighter
than aluminum. Of course, a lighter control
surface requires a lighter balance weight, so
any weight savings in the control surface
structure is effectively doubled.
Other than being lighter than aluminum,
magnesium has absolutely nothing to rec-
ommend it. Magnesium is brittle, so it is
prone to cracking, and it corrodes like crazy.
Magnesium corrodes through oxidation like
other metals, but it is also very prone to gal-
vanic corrosion, which occurs when
dissimilar metals touch. The magnesium

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26Sport AviationJuly 2013

elevators are assembled using special rivets
and coatings to try to tame corrosion, but
over time, its almost inevitable. The corro-
sion process is accelerated by the presence
of an electrical current, which control sur-
faces have from P-static that builds up on an
airframe as it flies through particles and
droplets in the atmosphere.
Over the years I have had the elevators
rebuilt twice, once after they were bent in a
very severe windstorm when the airplane
was tied down outside. The wind gust
believed by the weather office investigators to
be a microburststruck from behind with
enough force to pick the airplane up, breaking
the ropes, and spin it around 180 degrees. It
stayed on its feet while the A36 Bonanza tied
beside my Baron flew about 500 yards and
landed in a gas station. The other elevator
rebuild was for corrosion of the magnesium.
The magnesium skins and parts for the
elevators come from Beech, and each skin is
thousands of dollars. My shop and I believed
that because only the bottom skin had to be
replaced, that would be a lower-cost option
than trading for an aluminum elevator that
SRS Aviation in Minnesota has an STC for. But
the cost of magnesium parts has rocketed so
fast that the bill for single lower skin replace-
ment came in at more than $5,000, plus more
to paint and balance the surface. An exchange
aluminum elevator from SRS Aviation in
Minnesota is about that same price, but the
parts price was a surprise for me. I should have
gone with aluminum and been done with mag-
nesium, but I thought I was saving money
replacing only the bottom skin.
A few months before the elevator crack
was found I saw blue stains on the lower
surface of the wing. You dont need to be a
highly trained and licensed mechanic to
know that is evidence of a fuel leak. Baron
58s have three interconnected fuel bladder
tanks in each wing, and it was the leading
edge inboard that was leaking. In 23 years of
owning the airplane I have replaced all six
bladders at least once, and one or two twice.
Its a miserable job to replace a bladder, with
hours of skinned knuckles and choice words
required to cram a too-stiff rubber tank
through a small access hatch in the wing.
And then make all of the connections by
groping around through other tiny access
panels in the wing.
Fuel bladder prices vary, of course, but
the last one I bought came in around $1,000.
This time the price was nearly $2,500 just
for the bladder.
Still another surprise awaited when I
pulled the airplane out for a hop over to
Oshkosh. When I moved the throttles for-
ward to prime for start the left lever simply
stopped moving at about half travel. I
couldnt move the throttle lever forward or
back. It wasnt a cold morning, which can
cause cables to stick. The thing was just
absolutely stuck in place. The only good
news is that it didnt happen in flight when
I would have had too much power to land
www.eaa.org27
 J. MAC MCCLELLAN
and would have had to shut the engine
down on approach.
The throttle cable is a Teleflex style
that is 6 or 7 feet long. Its nothing special
except it is out-of-date technology that
would have been run out of the boating
world years ago. The shop warned me that
the cable is expensive, more than $500. In
this case the labor was a big component,
because so much has to come apart to
install a cable from the throttles in the cen-
ter of the panel down through the cabin
floor, out the wing root, and then through
the firewall to the engine.
Not long after the throttle cable was
replaced my left alternator warning light
came on. Over the years I have come to
believe that alternators are a lot like light
bulbs. They burn out at some random point
with no warning and no really predictable
life. Alternators used to be in the few-hun-
dred-dollar replacement part category, but
not anymore. And the alternators nearly all
of us get for replacement have been over-
hauled, not manufactured new.
You may be tempted to blame my main-
tenance costs on the airplane being a twin.
But every airplane has an elevator, a fuel
tank, and a throttle cable, and nearly all
have an alternator or generator. This is
fundamental stuff, and I didnt mention the
money that goes into airplane engines,
instruments, and avionics over the years.
The frustrating part of the high cost of
replacement parts is that I can understand
why the price is climbing so fast.
The biggest contributor to the parts
price increase is low volume and inventory
cost. For example, the required paperwork
that came with the alternator showed
that Hartzell Engine Technologies had
overhauled it more than a year ago. So
a year ago Hartzell paid for the parts
necessary to overhaul the alternator, and
also paid the salary of the person doing the
work. Hartzells money was tied up in that
alternator for months. Then a part
distributor acquired the alternator, and the
cost moved over to the distributors books.
And nobody got paid until my alternator
quit. And a year is not at all long for a
replacement part to sit on the shelf in
28Sport AviationJuly 2013
inventory. Think of the risk a parts maker
takes. It was well more than a year to
move that alternator, but with todays
reduced flying hours it could be several
years before formerly common
replacement parts are sold.
I can say the same thing about the
throttle cable. Beech paid for that cable
some time ago, and put it in its spare parts
network on a bet. When my cable failed
Beech put a new one out for next-day
delivery. And Beech can probably do that
for virtually all of the thousands of parts
in my airplane.
I see the parts support system for pri-
vate airplanes as a miracle. The part must
conform to the certification specs, must be
manufactured often using out-of-date
materials and techniques, and there is no
way to predict how long the parts makers
investment will be tied up. What a gamble
the parts maker makes, and only high
prices make that bet worth taking.
The fact that I can get next-day deliv-
ery of parts for a 37-year-old airplane is
astonishing. Try that with your 37-year-
old refrigerator. I hope companies of all
sorts can continue to make and stock the
parts we need to keep our aging fleet fly-
ing, but for that to happen the cost will go
up, and airplane owners must pick up the
tab to stay in the air.
Even if you built your own airplane,
you will still need replacement parts.
Even the most dedicated builder cant
produce a complete engine, tire, or brakes,
or dozens of other parts that come from a
factory. An airplane builder will need
long-term parts support just like the
owner of a standard airplane, though the
builder certainly has some flexibility
under certain circumstances.
So the next time you wince at the price
at the pump, dont forget about parts cost.
We have a remarkable support system for
an activity as small as personal aviation,
but the cost to keep that system going can
only go one way. EAA
J. Mac McClellan, EAA 747337, has been a pilot for
more than 40 years, holds an ATP certificate, and owns a
Beechcraft Baron. To contact Mac, e-mail mac@eaa.org.
 LANE WALLACE
COMMENTARY / Flying lessons

(Clockwise, from top left) The Aeronca Chief as Rafael found it at Corona
airport, the letter from the aviation class that rebuilt the plane, a recent
photo of the Aeronca outside Rafaels garage, and the three Rafaels (Rafaels
son, Rafael, and his father) working together on the Aeronca project.

In Pursuit of The One

Many years ago, I read a foreword to a book of poetry that spoke Ive thought of that passage, and the
eloquently about the vagaries of the process by which we find the mysterious imbalance it spoke of, many
things that matter to us. Some people, the author noted, did not times since then. My husband knew he
have to search for their hearts desire. It seemed to come to them wanted to go into oceanography from
easily and early, like marrying your high school sweetheart and the time he was a teenager. I didnt
having it all work out, even 50 years later. Others, he acknowl- stumble on my writing career until I
edged, faced a more challenging search. The passage celebrated was almost 30. My sister found the guy
the searchers; those who pursued things beautiful and worthwhile she wanted to marry at the age of 24.
even when it was hard or lonely, and when settling for something I didnt find a guy worth marrying until
less would be so much easier to do. I was 47.

30Sport AviationJuly 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESy of RAFAEL GOMEZ BLANCO

 How do you explain that? I cantbut
while all those paths may work out the
same in the end, this much I do know:
Few love stories or epic hero journey tales
are written about the simple searches.
Imagine if Odysseus had simply climbed
aboard his ship and had an uneventful
journey back to Greece, arriving 10 days,
instead of 10 years, later? Homer wouldnt
have had much to write about.
No, the dramatic stories are those
where two people or objects that suppos-
edly belong together have to overcome
tremendous obstacles, involve legions of
people and coincidences, and have the
stars and planets align fortuitously in order
to find and be with one another. Any
Hollywood scriptwriter could tell you that.
Which leads me to the story of Rafael
Gomez Blanco and NC21366.
I became acquainted with Rafael
through an e-mail he sent to my website,
commenting on one of my columns.
I want to share a couple of thoughts
that of course I will deny I ever said or
admit in public that I believe, he began.
Do airplanes have a soul? Call it what-
ever you want but they have something.
Years ago I bought a 1938 Aeronca 50C
that Im currently restoring, for $800, bro-
ken in half, with no engine. Ive never
seen an airplane look so sad, and the story
grew from there and involved phone calls
to Spain and Colombia, a Catholic priest,
buying it from the people whod just
bought it and, finally, convincing my
neighbors that a) I was not crazy and b) it
was not a helicopter. A two-time survivor
of the salvage yard, my poor little airplane
still talks to me, and I dont know where,
but it has a soul.
A story that involves a broken airplane
crying for salvation, a Catholic priest, and
international intrigue spanning from
Colombia to Spain? It would take someone
far less curious than me not to bite at bait
like that. I wrote him back, and over a series
of e-mails, this is the story that emerged:
It all began with Rafaels father, Rafael
Gomez Sajardo, who is something of a
story in and of himself. Rafael Sr., his son
told me, was not only the first hang glider

www.eaa.org31
LANE Wallace
pilot in Spain and a member of the Spanish
national team, but also one of the first to
experiment with adding engines to the glid-
ers, and the first one to open up an official
hang gliding school. He even taught Rafael
Jr. to fly in a Blanik L-13 glider hed modi-
fied with a VW engine.
In addition, Rafael Sr. was an enthusiastic
homebuilder of ultralights, gliders, and small
sport planes, ranging from a Vector 600 ultra-
light and both Goat and delta wing gliders to
an Easy Riser, a Monerai and Moni, a
Volksplane, a Parker Teenie Two, and a cou-
ple of others. He worked as an IA for Iberia
Airlines, based at various places around the
world, including a stint at LAX. So Rafael Jr.
ended up going to college in the U.S., then got
married and settled down in Long Beach.
One winter day, Rafael Sr., who was
commuting between Madrid and Iberias
base in Bogot, Colombia, contacted his son
and asked if he could drive to Aircraft
Spruce, in Corona, California, and get him
some parts for the Teenie Two project. It
was a rainy day, but a friend of Rafaels
offered to drive. After buying the parts, the
friend suggested they stop for lunch at
Bobs Caf at nearby Corona airport.
Corona airport isor at least was, when I
lived in Corona in the 1990sone of those
neighborhood airports that makes up for
anything it lacks in gloss with character and
atmosphere. It was a place where you might
find any kind of airplanea Grumman
Goose, a Republic Seabee, helicopters, tail-
draggers, and a host of other small airplanes,
in all kinds of states and conditions. So
whenever I went there for lunch, Id take a
little time afterward to window shop among
the airplane and hangar rows.
Apparently Im not the only one with
that habit. After lunch, Rafaels friend
insisted on driving around the airport to
look at the airplanes. And in one row, they
came across a sad little taildragger that was
broken in half. A sign on it identified it as an
Aeronca, and listed it for sale. The asking
price was $2,500.
Rafael had never even heard of an
Aeronca, let alone seen one. But, he says,
The more I looked at it, the more I liked it.
It had these art deco lines, this cowling
32Sport AviationJuly 2013
with vents on the back, and a clean, elegant
look to it.
It also had a crushed tail, skid marks
across the top of the wing, and was soaking
wet. But as Rafael put it, The poor thing
started to talk to me. It was telling me, I
have a story to tell you. Save me, please, let
me fly again.
When Rafael called the owner, he discov-
ered that the plane was a 1938 Aeronca
Chief, and the damage was from a landing
airplane that had crashed into it right there
on the ramp (hence the skid marks on the
wing). The owner offered to lower the price
to $2,200, but Rafael wasnt sure he had the
skill to restore an airplane in such distress.
Hed helped his dad work on planes, but hed
never done a project on his own. So he told
the Aeroncas owner he needed a couple of
days to track his father down and ask if he
thought Rafael could handle the project.
Meanwhile, Rafael went online to learn
more about Aeronca Chiefs. And the more
he read, the more he fell in love. When his
father finally called back and told him hed
give him whatever advice he needed, Rafael
was ecstatic. I was in heaven! he told me.
And I was sure Id be flying within six
months. After all, how long could it take to
fix that tail and a few broken ribs of the
crashing airplane as it ran over the wing?
Ah, those famous last words, uttered
by every pilot whos ever taken on an air-
plane project.
But epic love stories arent ever that easy.
When Rafael called the Aeroncas owner the
next day, the owner told him hed sold the
plane the day before. Heartbroken, Rafael
even went back to Corona to look for him-
self. Sure enough, the airplane was gone.
With a heavy heart, Rafael returned to
his job at nearby John Wayne Airport.
Coincidentally, the employee parking lot was
across a chain link fence from the GA tie-
down spots there. And a few days later, Rafael
noticed someone working on a pretty little
Cessna 140 that hed always admired there.
Im a friendly guy, Rafael told me, so I
said hello and started a conversation with the
owner through the fence. He was a Catholic
priest, wearing a white collar and everything.
A few minutes into the conversation, he
The poor thing started to
talk to me. It was telling
me, I have a story to tell
you. Save me, please, let
me fly again.
asked if I had an airplane. I started telling him
my sad story, but before I had a chance to say
what airport it had been at, he nodded and
said, I know. It was at Corona.
The universe does work in mysterious
ways. Fearing divine intervention, Rafael
asked the priest with trepidation, Father
how do you know this?
Because Im the one who bought it, the
priest replied.
To have your love stolen away by a
priestwell, thats a lot for a man to take.
YOU BOUGHT MY AIRPLANE!!!
Rafael burst out.
Turns out the priest had bought the plane
for a local EAA chapter that was building a
Pietenpol. So Rafael told the priest he wanted
to buy the rest of the plane. The priest said
hed think about it, gave Rafael his number,
and told him to call him. So Rafael did. Every
day. For a week. Several times a day, in fact,
until the priest agreed to sell him the plane,
without the engine, for $800.
Id just bought a 1938 Aeronca Chief, no
prop, no engine, broken in half, with a dam-
aged wing and missing the data plate,
Rafael said, and I was the happiest man in
the world!
By then, however, the tail had been
moved to Fullerton airport, and the engine
mount was at someone elses house. So even
getting the pieces home wasnt easy. And
once Rafael got into the project, he found
of coursemany more problems. There was
severe corrosion in the oleo casings, water
damage to the trailing edge, poor repairs,
and wing sections covered in house paint.
Six months slowly morphed into 15 years.
But along the way, the airplane kept
talking to him and kept revealing parts of
its story. Above the cabin, between the
headliner and the exterior fabric, he found a
note from an aviation college class in the early
1970s that had rebuilt the plane as a project, with
the signatures of all of the students. In its logs,
he found that its original owner was a woman,
and that the plane had been severely damaged
while minding its own business once before, in
College Park, Maryland, when a snow-laden han-
gar collapsed on it.
Then last summer, he received a note in the
mail, asking him to call if he still owned the
airplane. The note was from another previous
owner of the airplane whod taken the data plate,
cowling logos, and other paperwork out of the
airplane when hed stored it for a whileand
then lost track of where hed put them. A quarter
century later, the box resurfaced, and the man
traveled from Texas to California to return the
items and see his old airplane again.
In the course of his long, loving effort to
get the Aeronca flying again, Rafael has
connected with numerous previous owners of
the planethere were 27 of them in all
as well as members of the National Aeronca
Association, the Aeronca Museum, and a group
he calls the Fearless Aeronca Aviators. Im
not 100 percent sure if the fearless refers to
the airplane or the pilots, but the point is,
Rafael fell in love with an airplane and found a
family along the way. Thats in addition to time
with his own father, whos traveled back to the
U.S. several times to work on the project with
his son.
The six-month repair job has become a
15-year rebuild, and Rafael estimates he still has
a couple of years worth of work to go before
the airplane flies. Youve gotta admire that kind
of stamina.
Many pilots love their airplanes. Few, however,
have had to travel such an arduous road to own
and fly their hearts desire as Rafael Gomez Blanco
has. And 17 years of unwavering devotion to a sin-
gle love is more than many marriages manage. But
as every great epic love story tells uswhen our
hearts tell us that we have found the one, the
search and journey become worth every hardship,
every struggle, and every mile. EAA

Lane Wallace, EAA 650945, has been an aviation columnist,

editor, and author for more than 20 years. More of her writing can
be found at www.LaneWallace.com and at www.TheAtlantic.com/
Lane-Wallace.

www.eaa.org33
 M
IKE BUSCH
C OMMENTARY / SAVVY AVIATOR
Figure 1The dierential compression test
rst became popular during World War II as
a means of determining cylinder condition.
Today, we have much more reliable methods.
Compression in Context
Few aviation maintenance tasks are so misunderstood
IT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR: We put our aircraft in the shop for its annual
inspection. The IA pulls out the compression test gauges and mea-
sures each cylinder while we hold our breath and pray silently until
the verdict is rendered. If the readings are good, we can smile and
relax; if not, we brace ourselves for the inevitable sticker shock.
I learned an important lesson about compression tests in spring
2002, shortly after I became an A&P, when I did something dumb: I
pulled a perfectly good cylinder off my engine!
Had I known what I know now, I wouldnt have touched that cyl-
inder. But at the time, I thought I was doing the right thing. (It does
seem like most of the wisdom Ive gained over the years came from
rst exhausting all other alternatives.)
I had downed my airplane for its 2002 annual inspection, and
the rst items on my checklist were to drain the hot oil and per-
form a hot compression test. All cylinders measured in the 70s
except one, which measured 60/80 with air obviously leaking past
the exhaust valve.
At the time the applicable guidance was TCM Service Bulletin
M84-15. That SB instructed mechanics that it was okay for a jug on a
Continental engine to leak lots of air past the rings (or what TCM
called the dynamic seal) and still be airworthy, but that no leakage
past the valves (static seal) was permissible.
My cylinder clearly was leaking at the exhaust valve. So off
it came.
Pulling the jug was a pain. It took me more than two hours to
remove the cooling baffles, exhaust, and induction manifolds. It took
another hour to remove the rocker cover, rocker shafts, rocker arms,
pushrods, and pushrod housings. Finally, I used cylinder base
wrenches, a big breaker bar, and considerable brute force to coerce
the eight cylinder base nuts loose. Four hours into the project, I held
34Sport AviationJuly 2013
the offending jug in my arms and carried it
over to my workbench to survey the damage.
(Today, Id survey the damage with a
borescope and know exactly what was going
on in 15 minutes at without having to go
through all this agony. But back in those bad
old days, aviation borescopes cost $20,000
and were used mostly for turbine engine
hot-section inspections.)
I inspected the cylinder carefully, with
special attention to the exhaust valve. Try as
I might, I couldnt nd anything wrong with
it. The cylinder looked normal. The exhaust
valve looked ne, with no evidence of heat
distress or metal erosion. The valve seat
looked ne, too.
I was frustrated. After all this time and
effort, I wanted to see a smoking gun. I
couldnt nd one.
I drove over to the local cylinder shop.
They examined my cylinder and couldnt
nd anything wrong either. On general prin-
ciples they dressed the seat, replaced the
exhaust valve, gave the barrel a light hone to
restore the crosshatch pattern, and gave me
an invoice for $500 and change.
I installed a new set of rings on the pis-
ton, then rehung the cylinder and reinstalled
all the stuff Id previously had to remove. By
the time everything was back together I had
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MIKE BUSCH
about 10 hours of sweat equity into the proj-
ect, plus about $800 in parts and outside
work. (If I hadnt been doing the work
myself, Id be out the better part of $2,000.)

TERRIBLE TIMING
That sordid affair turned out to be a clas-
sic case of bad timing. Nine months later,
TCM radically changed its guidance about
when a cylinder should come off. On
March 28, 2003, the wizards of Mobile
issued Service Bulletin SB03-3 titled
Differential Pressure Test and Borescope
Inspection Procedures for Cylinders. This
new 14-page service bulletin explicitly
superseded M84-15, and differed from it in
two crucial respects.
First, SB03-3 completely did away with
the earlier distinction between leakage past
the dynamic seal and the static seal.
Under the new guidance, compression is Figure 2The compression test is less than reliable. Look at this cylinders compression history obtained during a 600-hour endurance run
permitted to be as low as the mid-40s, and at the factory. The readings vary all over the place.

36Sport AviationJuly 2013 ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF MIKE BUSCH

theres no distinction whether the leakage is
past the rings or the valves.
Second, SB03-3 requires that mechanics
perform a borescope inspection of the cylin-
der in conjunction with each compression
test. It explains that this doesnt require a
fancy $20,000 aviation-grade borescope, and
recommends using a simple rigid automo-
tive-grade borescope that costs less than
$1,000. SB03-3 says that if the cylinder looks
good under the borescope, the mechanic
should not remove the cylinder regardless of
how low its compression is. Instead, SB03-3
directs the mechanic to try several tricks
(such as staking the valves and rotating the
prop backward) to obtain a better compres-
sion reading. If that still doesnt raise the
reading to an acceptable value (typically
mid-40s or higher), then SB03-3 says that
the aircraft should be own for at least 45
minutes and then the compression test be
repeated, hot.
The fundamental message of SB03-3 is
that the compression test is not a reliable
way of assessing cylinder condition, and that
the borescope inspection is much more reli-
able. If a jug unks the compression test but
looks good under the borescope, then the
compression measurement must be consid-
ered suspect, and heroic measures should be
taken to raise it before a decision is made to
pull the jug.
I was frustrated. After all this
time and eort, I wanted to see a
smoking gun. I couldnt nd one.
Obviously those wizards in Mobile who
drafted SB03-3 already knew what Id just
learned the hard way. Had they issued
SB03-3 a year earlier, Id have never yanked
that jug. Live and learn.
Nowadays, my company manages the
maintenance of nearly 500 piston airplanes,
more than 80 percent of them Continental-
powered. We always ask that the shops
performing annual inspections on our air-
planes follow the guidance of SB03-3 to the
letter. We want every cylinder borescoped at
every annualsomething very few shops do
unless we request it explicitly. If a cylinder
looks good under the borescope, we move
heaven and earth to make sure it isnt
removed, no matter what the initial com-
pression test says.
Compression testers often lie.
Borescopes never do.
CASE IN POINT
Last week, for example, I was approached
by an aircraft owner who just put his air-
plane into the shop for its annual
inspection, and was presented with a
$31,000 repair estimate. This was a
www.eaa.org37

Figure 3A healthy exhaust valve has a symmetrical appearance under the borescope. These dont. The valve on the left has a hot spot in the
5 oclock position and needs to be replaced soon. The one on the right has a profound hot spot in the 9:30 position and was probably just ve
or 10 hours from failing.
first-rate shop, one that Id worked with
many times. This shop had also per-
formed the last two annual inspections,
and on both occasions the invoices came
to about $25,000. The owner figured that
after two $25,000 annuals, this one ought
to be uneventful. When he received the
$31,000 estimate, he panicked and called
me for help.
I asked the owner to e-mail me the
$31,000 estimate and the two $25,000
invoices, and reviewed them in detail. It was
obvious the aircraft did have some signi-
cant airworthiness issues, including a
leaking turbocharger and a wastegate worn
beyond repair limits. Clearly those would
need to be dealt with.
But about half the $31,000 estimate
came from the shops recommendation to
do a top overhaul of the engine, with all
six cylinders being replaced with new
ones. The work order showed that two
cylinders had compressions in the high
30s (below the no-go limit), two others
were in the low 40s ( just above the limit),
and two were very respectable (including
one that had been replaced only two years
ago). The work order said nothing about
where the cylinders were leaking (rings
or valves) or what they looked like under
the borescope.
38Sport AviationJuly 2013
I phoned the shops director of main-
tenance to discuss the top overhaul
recommendation.
Where were the cylinders leaking?
Exhaust valves.
What did the valves look like under the
borescope? They looked ne.
I walked through the SB03-3 protocol
while the DOM followed along on his
printed copy. By the end of our conversation,
the DOM concurred that four of the six cyl-
inders were airworthy, and agreed to have
the airplane own for an hour and then
recheck the other two hot under his per-
sonal supervision.
A few days later, we spoke again. The
DOM advised me that on the retest, both
cylinders measured about 10 points higher
than the no-go limit and would be signed off
as airworthy. The shops original replace
them all recommendation morphed into
all cylinders airworthy, no work required. I
just love when that happens.
SCOPING THE JUG
The borescope is a much more reliable tool
for assessing cylinder condition than the
compression gauge. Yet the differential
compression testwhich dates back to
World War IIrefuses to die. Its written
right into the FARs (Part 43 Appendix D) so
mechanics are still required to do it at every
annual inspection, despite the fact that it
has arguably outlived its usefulness.
One reason for this, I think, is because
the compression test produces a numerical
score that gives the illusion of precision.
(Its an illusion because compression read-
ings are notoriously nonreproducible and
can vary all over the place as illustrated in
Figure 2.) In contrast, the borescope
inspection requires a subjective evaluation
of what the IA sees through the scope, and
that requires some training, experience,
and judgment.
Few A&Ps are adequately trained in how
to interpret what they see through the bore-
scope. Its not currently taught in A&P
school. I havent been able to nd any text-
books or training materials on the subject.
Anything an A&P knows about borescope
inspection has been learned through on-the-
job training.
The value of a borescope inspection
depends on whether the IA knows what to
look for. Some do; others are clueless.
Thats not to suggest that borescope
inspection is difficult. You can learn most of
what you need to know in about 30 minutes,
simply by looking at a bunch of borescope
images of good cylinders and bad cylinders
until you learn to recognize what a bad one
looks like. Its not rocket science.
Figure 4The Snap-On BK8000 is an example of the new genera-
tion of low-cost digital borescopes capable of capturing high-
quality digital images. It costs less than $1,000.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MIKE BUSCH
 The most important thing to learn is
how to detect a failing exhaust valve,
because exhaust valve failure is by far the
most common safety-of-flight failure
mode for cylinders. Its easy to tell the
difference between a healthy exhaust
valve and a sick one: A healthy exhaust
valve has a symmetrical appearance
under the borescoperather like a bulls-
eyeindicating that its operating at a
uniform temperature around its entire
circumference. A sick exhaust valve has
an asymmetrical, lopsided appearance
(see Figure 3) that shows the valve has a
hot spot. The hot spot will get progres-
sively worse until the valve fails
catastrophically in-flight and shuts down
the cylinder.
Lack of adequate mechanic training has
hampered the acceptance of borescopy as
the gold standard for assessing cylinder
condition. But Im optimistic that in time
it will supplant the old compression test.
One encouraging development is the intro-
duction of a new generation of low-cost
digital borescopes like the $995 Snap-On
BK8000 capable of capturing high-quality
digital images. (See Figure 4.) This ability
to capture digital images means that
mechanics in the field no longer need to be
experts in borescopy; they can capture
images and send them over the Internet to
someone capable of providing expert
interpretation, much as a radiology techni-
cian captures CT or MRI images and
passes them to a radiologist for interpreta-
tion. As more shops retire their old optical
Figure 5A failing exhaust valve can usually be detected by analyzing digital engine monitor data. The classic symptom is a slow, rhythmic EGT oscillation with a period on the order of one cycle per minute.
40Sport AviationJuly 2013
scopes and replace them with new digital
ones, I expect this increasingly will
become how cylinder evaluation will be
done. At least I hope so.
Another encouraging development is
the proliferation of digital engine moni-
tors that instrument individual cylinder
CHT and EGT values (and often other key
engine parameters), capture the values
every few seconds, and permit the data
to be dumped and analyzed. Almost all
new-production piston aircraft are fac-
tory-equipped with such monitors, and I
estimate that nearly half of the legacy
fleet is now so-equipped. All sorts of cyl-
inder problemsincluding failing exhaust
valvescan be readily detected and diag-
nosed through engine monitor data
analysis. (See Figure 5.)
The shops original replace them
all recommendation morphed
into all cylinders airworthy,
no work required. I just love
when that happens.
WHAT ABOUT LYCOMINGS?
A decade ago, Continental literally
rewrote the book on evaluating cylinder
condition when it issued SB03-3. If we
could just persuade our IAs to follow its
guidanceand rely more on the borescope
than the compression testerwed
eliminate the epidemic of inappropriate
top overhauls and unnecessary cylinder
removal that has plagued piston GA for as
long as I can remember.
But what if you y behind a Lycoming?
Lycomings equivalent to SB03-3 is
Service Instruction 1191A. Its just two
pages long, and makes no mention of
borescopes or engine monitors or any of
the things weve learned about cylinder
evaluation over the past 50 years. It per-
petuates the WWII-vintage notion that
compression readings of 70/80 or better
are satisfactory, readings below 65/80
are worrisome, and readings below 60/80
are unacceptable.
If you own a Lycoming-powered aircraft,
this service bulletin is bad news and will
cost you a lot of money.
The good newsif there is anyis that
guidance in Lycoming SI 1191A is couched in
squishy language. It doesnt say that a cyl-
inder that measures less than 60/80 must
be removed. It says removal and overhaul of
such a cylinder should be considered. This
gives your IA wiggle room, if hes brave
enough to take it.
But dont be surprised if he isnt.
Mike Busch, EAA 740170, was the 2008 National
Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year, and
has been a pilot for 44 years, logging more than
7,000 hours. Hes a CFI and A&P/IA. E-mail him at
mike.busch@savvyaviator.com. Mike also hosts free
monthly online presentations as part of EAAs webinar
series on the rst Wednesday of each month. For a
schedule visit www.EAA.org/webinars.
ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF MIKE BUSCH
 Slip-Sliding Away
Cross-controlled maneuvers are a valuable tool
THE FIRST TIME I EVER experienced a forward slip, the sensation
was downright unsettling. I was a student, and my instructor
cranked in lots of aileron to lower the left wing and lots of rud-
der to skew the nose around to the right, and down we went,
allall I-dont-know-what. Sideways and out of balance.
All freaky.
It would have been alarming if I had not known what was
going on. In fact, it was still slightly alarming, because even
though I did know, I felt about as twisted around as the guy in
42Sport AviationJuly 2013
my drawing. He, however, knows what is
going on. More than that, hes obviously
enjoying it. Me, not so muchat first.
GOING SINISTER
Flying sideways is not natural.
For more than a century now, aeronau-
tical designers have put their hearts into
trying to get airplanes to stay pointed
ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE MATHENY
straight ahead while in the air. Any-
thing else is aerodynamically inefficient
because it is draggy, and reduces lift
from the wings because the air is blow-
ing across them diagonally rather than
over them longitudinally.
A lot of design effort has gone into
keeping us going straight. The main
purpose of the vertical fin at the tail is
to act like the feathers of an arrow and
realign the aircraft with its direction of
flight if it should stray. Many high-
speed designs from airliners to fighters
even have added ventral fins to accom-
plish the same thing. Even tailless
designs such as the Rutan VariEze have
incorporated elements such as wingtip
fins to reach the same goal: keep the
thing pointed ahead. Plus, of course,
the fuselage structure tends to nudge
the airplane back into line if its not
properly aligned.
In fact, it was still slightly
alarming, because even
though I did know, I felt
about as twisted around
as the guy in my drawing.
The image on my computers back-
ground is a favorite photo of a scene
straight ahead over the nose of my air-
plane, looking across the valley of the
Mississippi. Green rolling hills on this
side of the river, cut with dusty roads;
gently sloping hills on the far side. In
the immediate foreground is the top of
the instrument panel and the wind-
screen. A 4-inch length of knitting yarn,
secured to the bottom of the wind-
screen, is pressed to it by the wind.
It lies there at an angle, slanting off
about 30 degrees from the vertical. It
ought to show the wind flowing straight
back from the nose, but it does not.
Why is that?
Easy. Because I was not flying
straight ahead. (Well, okay, there can be
another reason. Sometimes, if I take off
soon after washing the windscreen and
the yaw string is still wet, it can remain
plastered to the Plexiglas in a curl,
creating the impression that Im flying
all twisted up like a fishhook. It
promptly dries out, though, and the
anxiety fades.)
But back to the desktop image: The
day was somewhat turbulent, and prob-
ably there was a small gust from the
left, not adequately dealt with because I
was holding a camera in one hand and
flying with the other. I like the image
because its a handsome scene and a
constant reminder of the singularly
beautiful places we get to fly, and
because its also a reminder that flying
straight ahead is not a given. The
designers have done their work and
have gotten us most of the way there.
Now its up to us to take the ball and
carry it over the goal line by staying
coordinated at all times.
A USEFUL SKILL
Well, at almost all times. There are
occasions when it helps to go crooked
through the sky. A fly-in at my field one
year was heavily attended by pilots fly-
ing Kolb aircraft, a taildragger design.
Unfortunately for short-field opera-
tions, it has absolutely no trace of a flap
to be found anywhere along its wing.
All the other Kolb pilots managed to
land without incidentin other words,
without sticking it like a lawn dartbut
the last one to arrive circled the field a
couple of times, clearly unsure that he
could make it. It was clear from conver-
sations with the other Kolb pilots that
this guy was a rookie pilot and was used
to a much longer runway.
I could sympathize. Our field is situ-
ated in a shallow depression,
geologically. (Think Meteor Crater in
Arizona, only not so deep or wide; also
greener, and with far fewer tourists.)
Each of our three intersecting runways
has something interfering with the
approachtrees, buildings, wires, a
small hill. So if you want to touch your
main wheels down anywhere within the
first third of the runway, you will have
to lose a lot of altitude very quickly and
www.eaa.org43
 DAVE MATHENY
in a very short space. I heard one of the
pilot spectators say the words forward
slip, and somebody else replied that
the rookie didnt know how to do that.
He came in too high and too hot over
a line of trees. It was clear to all that he
was either going to have to stick it like a
lawn dart halfway down the runway, or
else do a quick touch-and-go and circle
around to make another attempt. He
did neither. He bumped his mains about
two-thirds of the way along the runway,
bounced high, and rode it out, going
into the brush and trees at the end of
the runway. He wasnt hurt. He bent
some tubes and got grass stains on
some fabric.
It was not the worst decision he
could have made. I have often written
that it is better to roll slowly off the far
end of the runway than to fly so slowly
over the approach end that you stall
and crash near the threshold. There is a
third way, and its one of the main uses
for cross-controlled maneuvers, the
forward slip.
SLIPS AND SLIDES
Forward slips and sideslips are not the
same thing, although both are accom-
plished by using crossed controls
ailerons one way, rudder the other. This
combination, by the way, is a poten-
tially dangerous way to fly an airplane,
because it can lead to a stall and spin if
not done with understanding and skill.
Lets talk about their usefulness first,
then get to the how-to.
Forward slips are used primarily to
lose altitude without gaining much air-
speed. At my home airfield, this same
field where the rookie pranged his
Kolb, Im often the only one in the pat-
tern, and when nobodys around Im
very casual about pattern altitude.
More than half the time, Ill enter the
downwind leg at 350 or 400 feet AGL
and have to get rid of all that excessive
height. (Thats low for a general-avia-
tion pattern, but most of the aircraft at
my home field are ultralights and other
very light aircraft, and our patterns are
lower200 feet on downwindand
much closer-in laterally.)
44Sport AviationJuly 2013
A forward slip is ideal. After turning
to final, its ailerons one way, rudder
the other, nose pointed at the runway
threshold (or actually well to one side
of it), and all I have to remember to do
is straighten out before touchdown. My
Quicksilver GT400, like the Kolb, does
not have a lot of fuselage structure
when viewed from the side, to provide
drag and help prevent an airspeed
buildup, but the sheer aerodynamic
inefficiency of flying somewhat side-
ways does the trick.
The sideslip is used during the land-
ing itself. It allows the aircraft to
maintain runway heading while cancel-
ing out sideways drift caused by a
crosswind. The upwind wing is held
down with aileron, directing some of
the lift to the upwind side, while rud-
der is used to keep the nose pointed
down the runway.
There are occasions when
it helps to go crooked
through the sky.
NOSEDRAGGERS AND TAILDRAGGERS
I confess to having done far less side-
slipping than forward-slipping. Its just
rarely necessary for the GT, a tricycle-
gear airplane that can handle mild side
loads imposed on the gear if you land
while drifting sideways. The tricycle-
gear aircraft has its center of gravity
forward of the main wheels, so a side
load on the mains at touchdown tends
to whip the nose around and cause the
aircraft to point down the runway
after landing.
In practice, I just maintain a crab
into the wind until a moment before
touchdown, straightening out at the last
second. In the real world, that fairly
strong crosswind that you experience
on final approach will usually dissipate
as you come close to the ground. The
wind-from-the-side component will
gradually give way to the wind-from-
ahead component, and if you stay on
the rudder pedals all during final, you
DAVE MATHENY
will proba-
bly be
pointed
right down
the runway
anyway by
the time you
touch down.
The tail-
dragger is
different.
Because its cen-
ter of gravity is
behind the mains, land-
ing with any amount of
crab can induce a ground
loop. Thats why the sideslip
is so handy: It allows the pilot
to land on one wheel and stay on
top of things until slowing down.
IN PRACTICE
In writing about the how-to of cross-con-
trolling, I have to remind readers that a
magazine article is not a substitute for
an instructor sitting next to you, both
to show you how to do it and to take
over if anything goes wrong. Nor can
I say whether your particular aircraft
handles cross-controlling well, or
even safely.
Cross-controlling is the royal road to
initiating a stall and spin. Although the
aircraft doesnt know what the pilot has
in mind, the pilot doesor ought to, but
may not. The aircraft will obey the laws
of aerodynamics even though the pilot
had something else in mind entirely. In
one classic stall-spin scenario, the pilot is
trying to turn from base to final using
rudder, while at the same time holding
the nose up with elevator and the inside
wing up with aileron. Keep up that com-
bination long enough, and you can
produce a stall and spin, because you are
not even aware you are cross-controlling.
In that case, the pilot was trying to do
one thing when the airplane sprang a sur-
prise and did something else. The
surprise can be disorienting at just the
moment when you need to be fully aware
of what you are doing and in control. So,
aware of what can go wrong, I did my for-
ward-slip practice at 1,500 feet AGL, and
46Sport AviationJuly 2013
with the nose well below the horizon.
Just to be extra safe, I held the nose low
with forward pressure on the stick.
Using crossed controls produces reli-
able descents without gaining much
airspeed. The airspeed indicator itself is
not dependable during a forward slip
because the pitot tube is no longer
pointed in the direction of flight.
However, abruptly straightening
out after a prolonged forward
slip will reveal just how fast
you are moving, and Ive
always found that the post-
slip airspeed was moderate.
A word of caution: Dont
subject passengers to forward
slips if they arent prepared
for them.
The Ercoupe, a late-1930s design, was
intended by its designer, Fred Weick, to
be stall- and spin-proof. He connected
ailerons and rudders so that they could
not be operated independently. That
worked, and Ercoupes have a placard on
the instrument panel saying the airplane
is characteristically incapable of spin-
ning. I owned one that had been
modified so that it could be cross-con-
trolled. I had no intention of seeing if it
would spin, but it would allow very
aggressive forward slips, which came in
handy, even though the modification hor-
rified Ercoupe purists.
The sideslip can best be prac-
ticed during an actual landing.
Holding the upwind wing
down with varying amounts
of aileron while working
your feet on the rudder
pedals to keep the nose
pointed down the
runway is not easy.
In fact, it is
something like
making cir-
cular
motions
on your
stomach
with one
hand
while pat-
ting your
head with the other. It can be done; it just
takes practice.
STRINGS AND THINGS
If you are going to practice forward
slips, consider adding a yaw string, if
you dont already have one. (And only if
you fly a pusher configuration, for obvi-
ous reasons.) The string can tell you
whether, and how much, you are
flying sideways.
Spare no expense on the string itself. I
insist on using only the finest yarn I can
find in my wifes knitting basket. The
length is up to you. I have seen yaw
strings a foot long, extending up well into
the pilots forward view. (I have also seen
fuzzy dice and crystals hanging from
rearview mirrors. Some people are just
not easily distracted.)
Using a yaw string tells you not only
how straight you are flying, but also how
well coordinated your turns are. You may
be surprised. Dont let it rule you, how-
ever. I find that when my attention is
directed outside the cockpit, as it should
be during a turn, the string stays just
where it should be. If I try to make a turn
based on keeping the string centered, it
slides off to one side, and I get preoccu-
pied trying to center it when I should be
looking into the turn.
Having started out feeling kind of dis-
concerted when I first
experienced a forward slip, Ive
become sort of addicted to
them, and use them whenever
possible. Its a good skill to
have. Coordinated is normal,
uncoordinated is abnormal,
and it should always be seen
that way. Although maneu-
vers such as forward slips can
get so familiar we dont even
consciously notice them any-
more, thats not a bad thing as
long as we are doing what we
intend to do.
Dave Matheny, EAA 184186, is a private pilot and
an FAA ground instructor. He has been flying light
aircraft, including ultralights, for 30 years. He
accepts commissions for his art and can be reached
at DaveMatheny3000@yahoo.com.
 BRADY LANE
COMMENTARY / DREAM BUILD FLY
Shepherds in the Air
Flight following, Frederick Forsyth, and a teddy bear
Brady. Call me as soon as you get this. I want you to fly my
Cherokee from Florida to Wisconsin.
I nearly tripped over my desk as I scrambled to return Davids call.
This was the man who first introduced me to EAA seven years
ago, and his timing was perfectI was aching for an adventure.
David told me he recently sold his aircraft to a mutual acquain-
tanceSteve, the very man who signed me off to take my private
pilot checkrideand they wanted to know if Id deliver it to its new
home. I tried masking my giddiness with my best pilot calm voice,
but David wasnt fooled. He knew what an adventure this could be,
and so did I.
Before getting my hopes up I called Steve, to remind him I hadnt
flown a Cherokee in more than a year and that I was only VFR rated.
Im not concerned, Brady, he told me with the same confidence he
48Sport AviationJuly 2013
spoke with the morning of my checkride.
Within the hour, I purchased a one-way
ticket to Florida.
FridayA One-Way Ticket
One-way tickets imply adventure by defini-
tion. Only the first chapter is written; the rest
remains untold. I was reminded of this upon
boarding AirTrans Boeing 717 in Milwaukee.
This is your captain. I want to take on
some extra fuel because it looks like we may
have to circle Orlando to wait out some
thunderstorms.
The rain streaking down my window
made me wonder about the week ahead.
Today it was the captains concern.
Tomorrow it would be mine.
I accepted this mission for the opportu-
nity to grow as a pilot, to become a student
of the weather, to test my flight planning and
navigational skills, and to spend some time
in solitude while watching America pass
under my wings.
This trip was a self-test. It would prove to
me, not the FAA, an instructor, or an exam-
iner, that I was an aviator.
David picked me up from the airport, and
soon we were walking the fog-filled shoreline
in front of his house. The warm sand under
my feet was a much-needed respite from the
lingering winter back home. As hard as I tried
to enjoy the paradise around me, my thoughts
were on the next days flight.
While checking the forecast one final
time before bed, David gave me a giftan old
book purchased from a rural library sale,
evident by the aged yellow tape holding on
the dust jacket and the empty card slot on
the inside cover with a grid for marking due
dates of yesteryear.
David wrote a short note inside, placed it
in my hand, and told me it was one of his
favorites: The Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth.
I heard the clock chime midnight, but my
mind wouldnt submit to the hour. Too many
questions remainedquestions of wind,
weather, my route, condition of the airplane,
whether or not to use flight followingthat
would be just one more task to manage.
By 1 a.m. the night started to feel like the
night before my first day of high school. I was
on the eve of a coming-of-age experience.
PHOTOGRAPHY By BRADY LANE
 I opened the book David gave me hoping
that Forsyths prose would rest my mind.
But first, Davids note in the front: Brady,
Thanks for taking 17K to her new home.
David. The inscription was brief but clear:
This plane had become a companion to him
over the years.
With that, I mentally amended my flight
plan: after takeoff, rock my wings and allow
17K to wave goodbye.
The main character of Forsyths novel is
a young Royal Air Force pilot flying his
Vampire fighter over the North Sea, trying
to get home on a bleak Christmas Eve.
Its a very lonely place, the sky, Forsyth
wrote, but the loneliness is offset by the
knowledge that at the touch of a button on
the throttle, the pilot can talk to other
human beings, people who care about him,
men and women who staff a network of sta-
tions around the world; just one touch of
the transmit button, and scores of
My 5-year-old daughter gave me one of her
teddy bears to be my copilot on the trip, so
I perched him up on the panel. His one role:
remind me to make good decisions because
I have a family back home.
them across the land can hear him
call for help.
With those words, this fictional RAF
pilot convinced me to use flight following.
The sky can be a lonely place. That simple
resolution finally gave me just the peace I
needed to sleep.
SaturdayBeach to Bourbon
Saturday was to be my day to meticulously
preflight the aircraft, fly it around the
patch, then spend the rest of the day on the
beach. The forecast, however, demanded an
immediate departure.
As I began to preflight, it was obvious
this aircraft had been well cared for. I
checked every nook, crevice, and cranny
and couldnt find anything of concern.
The engine started on first crank, and
David and I taxied to the fuel pump. He
said he wanted to send me off with full
tanks, but I think he really wanted a few

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BRADY LANE
final minutes in the cockpit of his plane.
After topping off each tank, David
walked to the terminal, and I climbed back
inside the cockpit.
While waiting for my takeoff clearance,
I had time to think. I had flown a Cherokee
before, but not this one. How would it be
different? I was about to find out; I was
cleared for takeoff.
Just like my first solo, when the wheels
lifted from the earth, my nerves evaporated
and I was reminded that airplanes like
being in the air. Cherokee 17K was happy.
I could feel it.
After two laps around the pattern, both
the aircraft and I felt at home, so I rocked
my wings to David and headed north.
I climbed to 6,500 feet, and I called
Jacksonville Approach for VFR flight
following. My RAF friend was right:
Simply the sound of friendly voices
provides wonderful companionship on
solo trips across unfamiliar territory.
I was immediately reminded of another
companionmy 5-year-old daughter
gave me one of her teddy bears to be my
copilot on the trip. I perched him up on
the panel. His one role: remind me to make
good decisions because I have a family
back home.
Three hours and a handful of friendly con-
trollers later, I approached my first fuel stop, a
single-runway airport northeast of Atlanta I
had chosen for one reasoncheap gas.
50Sport AviationJuly 2013
The pilot lounge was full of old men
who no doubt judged my landing, but
thankfully didnt hold it against me and
pointed me to the little boys room without
even having to ask.
Choppy up there? one finally asked.
Down low it is, I said.
Where ya headed?
North.
Better get going. Its only going to get
worse over the hills.
I called for an official weather brief, and
the briefer said the same thing, only with
fancier words.
In college, I camped in the Smoky
Mountains, and as beautiful as they were,
this view was better. The rolling hills under
my wings were captivating. So much so that
the controller eventually called to remind
me what the current altimeter was (a polite
way of saying, Check your altitude).
After clearing the last ridge, I descended
to 4,500 feet and checked my watch to see if
Id make it to my next fuel stop before sunset.
It would be close. So close, I decided to divert.
Id never seen Kentucky, but from 4,500
feet, I was in awe. The setting sun cast long
shadows across every pasture and textured
the earth in a mesmerizing fashion. I was
flying through a painting, and even though
my body ached from seven hours of flying, I
didnt want to stop. I flew circles over
Lebanon, Kentucky, the small community
that would be my home for the night.
While small rural airports may have
cheap gas, other services like a ride to the
hotel can be a little harder to come by.
Luckily, I eventually connected with Pats
Ride, a mom and pop taxi service. A nice
woman named Marty pulled up 30 minutes
later in her familys minivan.
In the 10-minute drive to town she
nearly convinced me to stay an extra day.
She offered to pick me up in the morning
for church (free of charge) and a potluck,
followed by a trip to Makers Mark
Distillery for its weekend festival. I landed
in the heart of Kentuckys Bourbon Trail
and didnt even know it.
Unfortunately, the weather looked beau-
tiful for the next morning, so I told her Id
have to skip church, but a bottle of Makers
Mark would make a great way for Steve and
I to commemorate 17Ks homecoming. I
promised Id come back one day for the
singing, sermon, and potluck.
SundaySo Close
The plains across Indiana and Illinois were,
well, plain. With the exception of a few
impressive wind farms, my main excitement
came from seeing how well I could hold alti-
tude and course. I dont normally worry
about being 100 feet high or low, but on this
leg, precision was my game of solitaire.
About an hour south of home, the con-
troller passed on several PIREPs reporting
PHOTOGRAPHY By BRADY LANE
BRADY LANE
moderate to severe turbulence along my
route and winds that were higher than my
personal minimums.
I decided to land at DuPage (DPA) to
check weather and re-evaluate. Im glad I
did. I took a beating in the choppy air above
Chicagos suburbs and was glad to be on the
ground. Even though I was only a 40-minute
flight from home, Id be staying the night.
MondayThe Day of Temptation
I only needed a small window to get
home, and knowing that window could
come at anytime, I was back at the airport
bright and early. The ceilings jumped
from 300 feet to 800 feet, back to 500
feet, then way up to 1,200 feet. Visibility
was all over the map, and the winds
werent friendly either. I checked the
52Sport AviationJuly 2013
weather every few minutes and by mid-
day, I was driving myself crazy.
To relieve my mind, I grabbed that old
book again.
By now, my RAF friend was thick in the
fog, without any electrical instruments, radio,
or navigation aids and only fumes in his tanks.
At 100 feet above the ground and still
descending, he was certain his end was near.
Given this opportune reminder, I dusted
off those personal minimums and recommit-
ted not to compromise. After a day full of
exhausting temptation, I decided to spend
another night.
TuesdayHomecoming
Tuesday morning was my reward for not
flying the day before. Winds calm, sky clear;
the perfect day for a homecoming flight. I
throttled back trying to extend the last leg,
but couldnt get the airplane to cruise
slower. It wanted to get home.
The plane was parked at Steves
hangar before he arrived to the airport.
For a few minutes, it was just me and 17K,
one last time.
I wasnt expecting to feel as proud as
I did at that moment, but then I remem-
bered what this trip represented. It was an
adventure, a self-test, a solitary journey, a
rite of passage.
Steve had not yet seen 17K in person, so
when he arrived it was like a fathers first
sight of his child. We toasted with a glass of
Makers Mark, and I told him about my new
friend Marty, my teddy bear copilot, and
how Forsyths novel was itself a shepherd for
me on multiple occasions.
I caught a glimpse of what many pilots
experience when they fly to Oshkosh. The
journey itself is an adventure, a rite of pas-
sage. To each of you who fly here this
summer, I raise my glass to you and say,
Welcome to Oshkosh.
P.S. If anybody is flying through Lebanon,
Kentucky, on the way home, I hear they have
a good potluck after church on Sunday. EAA
Brady Lane, EAA 808095, a multimedia journalist for
EAA and a private pilot, is scratchbuilding a Bearhawk.
Contact Brady at blane@eaa.org.
PHOTOGRAPHY By BRADY LANE
 LAURAN PAINE JR.
COMMENTARY / PLANE TALK
Last Flight
To be determined
BY LAURAN PAINE JR.
THIS STORY HAS ITS beginnings in the small town of Rosebud, Texas. If
you drew a triangle on a map of Texas and used Dallas, San Antonio,
and Houston for each apex, Rosebud would be in the middle. The
story is nearly 78 years old. Or I should say long, since its still in the
making. Rosebud is where my buddy, John Currie, began life. And
now, 78 years later, hes nearing his nal airplane ightvoluntarily.
And thats the heart of this story because, like it or not, were all
going to face that prospect someday.
Johns father was a physician in Rosebud. He was what John
calls a country doc. There were two physicians in town. As
Americas involvement in World War II increased, the Army
began drafting physicians into military service. Since Johns dad
was the younger of the two doctors, the Army drafted him. He
served willingly, but not in the war, per se. The Army sent him to
a medical clinic on a reservation. So, at age 5, John moved with
his family to Arizona.
54Sport AviationJuly 2013
John has fond memories of his time
there: broad spaces, hard work, and life with
a purpose. He took school seriously. To him
it wasnt a chore; it was an opportunity. He
became a good student. He grew up around
medicine, so he enrolled in pre-med studies
in college. He then was accepted into and
graduated from medical school at Oklahoma
State University. But during this time there
was another passion burning within: ying. I
once asked John, When did you rst know
you wanted to y?
Oh, since I was about 4 years old,
he said.
After medical school John entered the
U.S. Navy as a physician. He went, like his
PHOTOGRAPHY BY EAN PERKINS PHOTOGRAPHY
father, willingly. I asked him why, and he
said, Because that was the one service
that actually taught the flight docs how
to fly.
In the Navy, John was assigned to a
several-months-long aviation medicine
course that he describes as rigorous.
And thenthen!the Navy assigned him
to primary flight training at Pensacola,
Florida, to fly the T-34. He said, That
course was the hardest thing Ive ever
done. But it sure gave me an apprecia-
tion for what military pilots go through.
He treasures his time in the T-34 to this
day. He parlayed his T-34 training into a
private pilot certificate by renting a
Cessna 172 and passing the checkride.
He later also joined the Civil Air Patrol
and flew a J-5.
After Pensacola, John was assigned
to NAS Fallon in Nevada. At Fallon, hed
get up early in the morning to go down
to base ops and catch a flight in anything
he could because, well, he loved it. He
flew in the H-34 and H-19, both big,
loud, round-engine helicopters. And in
T-28s whenever there was a seat avail-
able. One day the medical clinic called
and asked, Hey, could ya maybe come
down to the clinic one of these days and
practice some medicine? Oh yeah, that!
John and I were now partners
in a Stearman. Or, more to the
point, John and I were now
naive partners in a Stearman.
John spent two and a half years in the
Navy and then left to complete three years
of training and residency in dermatology.
He then came to Salem, Oregon, and
entered private practice. The ying bug
languished while he put time and energy
into his new practice. Then one day a
patient noticed the airplane pictures on
the walls of Johns clinic and asked, Were
you in the military?
Yeah, the Navy, John said.
We need a ight surgeon in the
National Guard unit out at the Salem air-
port, the patient said. John didnt give it a
lot of thought until that patient came back
a couple weeks later, this time in his work
clothes: a military uniform. Turned out he
was a two-star general and the adjutant
general for the Oregon National Guard. He
suggested to John, Come on out to the
airport sometime and take a look at what
weve got.
So one day, John stopped by the mili-
tary unit at the airport and poked his
head inside a UH-1. It was the aroma
that got me, he said. The aroma! It was
like coming home. (I understand per-
fectly: To this day I can get a whiff of jet
exhaust and it takes me right back to the
ightline at Air Force pilot training.)
John added, And the maintenance was
incredible. I was impressed. You can
guess what happened next: John signed
up. Long story short, 30 years later he
retired from the National Guard.
The Oregon National Guard where
John was the ight surgeon also had
OH-58s and OV-1s. And thats when he
and I metI was an OV-1 pilot. John was
again up to his old tricks and ying in any-
thing and everything with a seat open.
One day he ew with me. Our conver-
sation was mostly about aviation. (Its a
trade thing: Pilots dont talk to ight sur-
geons about medicine. He never knew I
memorized Line 9the 20/20 lineon the
military eye chart: R-K-V-Z-D-Y. That
worked for three years when the fuzzies
were just beginning. Dont tell him I did
that.) Turns out John liked Stearmans. Me
too. Big, bold, square, strong, loud and
proud, and with a pedigree that calls you
out. That mutual thought languished in us
bothmostly unspokenfor a couple
more years.
Then one day John overheard a con-
versation at the local airport restaurant
about a Stearman for sale at a nearby air-
port. It turned out to be, well, airport
talk/speculation. The Stearman was in a
hangar at a nearby airport, all right, and
had been for the last 10 years, unown.
But it was not for sale officially, only by
airport rumor.
www.eaa.org55
 LAURAN PAINE JR.
John followed the rumor and got a
phone number. He called and a woman
answered. That turned out to be a lucky
break. It was the wife of the Stearman
owner. She said, Yeah, he might as well
sell it. Hes never gonna get it done.
(Wives have a way, if need be, of breaking
through the clutter.) John called and
asked if I wanted to take a look at it, so
we did.
The Stearman was in a hangar, as
rumored. It sat proudly, as Stearmans do,
even when theyre covered with an inch of
dust, which it was. The engine, a rebuilt to
zero time, 300-hp Lycoming, sat on an
engine stand back by the tail. We were too
enamored to see work as we looked at it;
all we saw was potential.
The owner walked in about that time.
We gently asked, Is it for sale? He replied
hesitantly, Oh, I dont know. Maybe. He
was singing a little different tune than his
wife. John and I had already pretty much
made up our minds to take the leap.
After a little more discussion, we
shoved a $3,000 check at the owner, say-
ing, Will this hold the airplane for us for
a bit while we go do what we gotta do to
buy the airplane from you?
It was then that the owner held up
both hands, palms forward, took two steps
56Sport AviationJuly 2013
back, and said, Whoa! I gotta think about
this! Fortunately, thinking about it
included talking to his wife. A couple days
later we completed the sale. John and I
were now partners in a Stearman. Or,
more to the point, John and I were now
naive partners in a Stearman.
We then began the restoration pro-
cess. We both brought our little
toolboxes from our respective garages.
(See what I mean about being naive?)
The airframe and fabric were good; the
engine installation was our biggest hur-
dle. We told ourselves, Well have that
baby on there in a couple months. And,
two years later, with a lot of help, we
did. Tis the way of the restoration game,
huh? Along the way, my bride christened
the airplane Rosebud.
I was ying for the airline and the
National Guard at the time; John was a
private pilot with a couple hundred
hours. But I wasnt worried about him;
hes very methodical and professional. I
found a buddy at my airline who had
Stearman time, and he came down and
we ew Rosebud for its rst ight in
many years. As you can imagine, that was
a Wow! moment.
We ew it to a large nontowered eld
where I began the process of learning to
PHOTOGRAPHY BY EAN PERKINS PHOTOGRAPHY
LAURAN PAINE JR.
tame the big beast: taildragger with long,
narrow gear and a big round engine up front
restricting forward visibility. It was no
slouch to land. Actually, on grass it wasnt
too bad; grass has some give. But on pave-
ment it was a little more grabby. You gotta be
straight and on speed to get er down grace-
fully. But, hey, its a classic. Its not an
airplane you just drive into the sky; you y it.
You either learn to love it or you leave it. We
loved it.
When I got comfortable in the airplane, I
checked John out. Comfortable with round
engines and enamored with the old classic-
type airplanes, he took to it well. He bonded
with the airplane. He still is, 23 years and
900 Stearman hours later. It is part and par-
cel of who he is; it is still scratching the
aviation itch that hes had since he was 4
years old. His only deviation from the
Stearman was when he ventured to
Kenmore Air and earned his single-engine-
sea rating in a Beaver. Round engines speak
to him.
Five years after we rst ew it, with kids
college tuition payments coming in large and
seemingly often, I sold my share of the
58Sport AviationJuly 2013
He bonded with the airplane. He still is, 23 years and 900 Stearman
hours later. It is part and parcel of who he is; it is still scratching the
aviation itch that hes had since he was 4 years old.
partnership to John. I didnt exit general
aviation entirely, however, since I bought a
Champ to teach my oldest son to y. I later
sold that to build a hangar and the RV-8 I y
now. My hangar is just two rows over from
where the Stearman still resides. Through
all that, John always kept me on the
Stearman insurance policy and said, Fly it
any time you want. Hes that kind of guy.
And I give John his ight reviews. So the
Stearman and I have remained friends, but it
is Johns baby.
Enter life. John, now 78, has had some
medical problems. Hes beat them back,
but we know how that goes. They always
seem to be still out there, lurking. And, by
his own admission and in his own words,
he said, Ive noticed some deficits. Being
the professional he is, hes made a deci- going to have to make someday. And heres
sion. This is gonna be my last year to fly,
he said.
Okay, you just read those words at your
normal reading pace. But when John uttered
them, they came out very slowly and pain-
fully. With feeling. With emotion. A lot of
emotion. With the full realization that his
23-year relationship with one airplane, the
one where a 90 mph wind blows in your
face, the one where the big round engine not
only vibrates the airplane but your aviation
soul as well, the one that frees and renews
his outlook on life every time he ies it, is
over. Then he adds, graciously but wistfully,
Ive been fortunate. And Rosebud is going
to a good home; hes selling it to the
mechanic who has done his aircraft annuals
for many years.
Okay, think about all that for a moment.
The decision John has made is one were all
my point: I hope we can make it as grace-
fully as John has. Hanging up the goggles
with class is often easier said than done.
Johns hanging it up with class. Still, since
youve now read the genesis of his love
affair with ight, Im sure you can feel some
of the pain involved.
John wanted to commemorate the
decision by taking some pictures. So we
did that, he and I, old partners, both flying
our respective airplanes. Ean Perkins
(Eans wife works in Johns medical office)
of Ean Perkins Photography did the photo-
shoot for free, saying, Because Dr. Currie
is such a good and generous man. And he
is. Enjoy the photography with this col-
umn. Its the real deal by a pro and
captures the magic nicely.
The actual nal ight? Dont know.
None of my business. Thats between one
man, his airplane, and his sky, at a point in
time to be determined.
Lauran Paine Jr., EAA 582274, is a retired military pilot
and retired airline pilot. He built and ies an RV-8 and
has owned a Stearman and a Champ. Learn more about
Lauran at his website, www.ThunderBumper.com.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY EAN PERKINS PHOTOGRAPHY
 JEFF SKILES
COMMENTARY / CONTRAILS
Nuuk, formerly Godthab, the capitol of Greenland.
Iqaluit to Narsarsuaq
Flying the Ju 52 back to Europe, Part 4
Iqaluit is overcast and maybe 50 degrees this morning as we
prepare the aircraft for departure. As has become my custom, I
go about removing the Rube Goldberg-ish exterior control locks
from the various control surfaces. Someone had to put a lot of
thought into these. I get my long pole with the loop on the end
and begin the work of pulling through all three engines. Clearly
there are disadvantages to the role in the crew that I have
selected as the swarming mosquitoes have found helpless, and
perhaps hapless, prey. They are inventive creatures and have
devised a new point of attack for me: the top of my rapidly
balding head.
60Sport AviationJuly 2013
We leave the town of Iqaluit behind, all
square box houses, reddish sand, and gravel.
Once again we roar across the land at treetop
level. Hans Moser and Kai have spent their
lives in airline cockpits at high altitudes, and I
think flying right off the deck is their idea of
excitement. Baffin Island looks like a badlands
of iron-rich rock, lichen, and water as we fly
so low that I could easily make eye contact
with any person whom we might come upon,
but of course, there is no one.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JEFF SKILES
JEFF SKILES
Nuuk
Iqvaluit
Goose Bay
Rivire-du-Loup
Toronto
As we approach the coast the land becomes
quite mountainous, and fog begins to obscure
the rock. I hear the engines power up as we
climb for sunshine. Occasionally the fog dissi-
pates below and I see glimpses of some pretty
high rocks before they are swallowed in clouds
again. It is not long before we break out in the
clear at the coastline. Baffin Island doesnt end
at the sea so much as it transforms into a huge
archipelago with countless islands of moun-
tainous rock sticking high out of the water.
Every new island looks like Yosemite Valley
with a high arctic version of El Capitan or Half
Dome. Sheer rock cliffs abound where a stone
thrown off the top would drop 500 feet into
the sea. The natural harbors are often choked
with icebergs tinged aqua blue. After another
half-hour, the islands end and we sail out into
a sea of blue.
It should be a short four-hour flight
across the Labrador Sea to Nuuk, Greenland.
Greenland has the reputation of being the
arctic nexus of bureaucratic rule, and not
knowing what to expect, I busy myself get-
ting my passport and paperwork ready.
Nuuk is Greenlands capital and, with
almost 15,000 people, its largest city. We
are only planning a short visit to refuel
62Sport AviationJuly 2013
Kulusk
Reykjavik
Narsarsuaq
Greenland doesnt seem to
care who might fall from the
sky to step on their shores.
before continuing on to Narsarsuaq on
Greenlands southern tip. We could go
directly to Narsarsuaq, but we wouldnt
have the range to reach any other runway
should a landing not be possible. The
weather forecasting and reporting in
Greenland is apparently somewhat sus-
pect, and no one wants to risk stretching
our fuel without an alternate airport, so
we go to Nuuk.
In the cabin Hans Rahmann is reading
the morning newspaper from Iqaluit. The
paper is written in both Inuit and English.
He tells us the lead story talks of the excite-
ment in Iqaluit about the opening of a
shopping mall with 24 stores in Nuuk.
Now, crowed the Iqaluit paper, Nuuk is
only a short two-hour airline flight away; no
longer will we have to go to Ottawa to do our
shopping. That should be a cause for
Wick
Zurich
excitement because, from Iqaluit, Ottawa
is 1,300 miles away.
While it is a four-hour flight to
Greenland for us, we can see the moun-
tains long before. Almost like the teeth of
a comb the peaks began to peek up above
the thin blue line of the horizon and grow
ever larger as we approach. The west
coast of Greenland is a 500-mile-long
mountain range and the stark beauty of it
is hard to give justice to with mere words.
The mountains rise right from the sea.
And the water, like everywhere in the
north, is variations of teal and deep azure.
The color of the water is very much like
the Caribbean. Not at all what I expected
in the north.
Nuuk sits on a rocky highland sticking
out into a vast harbor. Tall, picturesque
mountains surround the area. The buildings
below are brightly colored square boxes in
red, yellow, and blue. Very much like in
Iqaluit, but where Iqaluit seemed drab and
dirty, Nuuk appears modern and clean. The
airport ahead is the only flat spot in the area.
The runway is formed by the leveled off top
of a hill and is only 3,000 feet long; fortu-
nately we need far less.
JEFF SKILES
Rivers of ice flow down from the Greenland Ice Cap.
Obviously I neednt have worried about
customs. Where Canada at least requires
you to call on the phone and tell them that
you have arrived, Greenland doesnt seem
to care who might fall from the sky to step
on their shores.
After fueling the Junkers, giving cock-
pit tours to the Greenlanders, and posing
for pictures, we take off for Narsarsuaq,
450 kilometers to the south. We must
arrive in Narsarsuaq before 5 p.m. because
all of Greenland is on bankers hours, and
if you show up late, it gets very expensive,
very quickly.
The Junkers climbs high this time as we
parallel the mountain range defining
Greenlands western shore. Here and there
glaciers flow down from the ice cap ending
in glacial lakes at lower elevations or in a dry
riverbed of alluvial fill. The ice cap is well
back from the sea and at first is not visible
behind the coastal mountain range.
If the weather in southern Greenland is
good, we will fly more inland and let down
into the fjord housing Narsarsuaq. This will
save us a little time over the coastal route
where we would have to go farther south
and fly up the fjord.
64Sport AviationJuly 2013
An estimated 10,000 aircraft
landed in Narsarsuaq on their
way from Goose Bay
to Reykjavik and beyond.
As we continue south the ice cap
becomes easier to see as the mountains are
not as high and the ice is closer to the shore-
line. The ice cap is a huge mass of white,
deposited over thousands or even millions of
years. The surface is cracked and little rivers
flow over it. Occasionally we see large fields
of crevasses below.
With excellent weather, Hans Moser
and Kai hug the very edge of the ice cap, but
they are reluctant to fly over it. Hundreds
of miles north the ice cap is upward of
10,000 feet high. Down south it is lower,
but who knows, really, since the charts give
no indication. Rather than get caught with
a rising white landscape below in a low-
performance airplane, Hans and Kai, ever
the professionals, take the safe route. We go
the long way around.
In the cabin Tobias opens the door to
take pictures unfettered by the reflections
off the Plexiglas windows. Hans Rahmann
just stares out at the magnificent view.
Greenland itself, and certainly the
Narsarsuaq area, is strikingly beautiful. We
fly over deep blue fjords filled with icebergs
floating out to sea, and everywhere the land
is, well, green. This is why I came on this
journey, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
see parts of the world very few people ever
get the chance to experience.
We fly up the fjord toward our goal in an
absolutely pristine blue sky, passing a small
hamlet below, the first that we have seen
since leaving Nuuk several hours earlier.
What do people do down there? How do
they make their living? Fishing, I assume?
We continue down a particularly pictur-
esque fjord with Narsarsuaq waiting at the
end. Rounding the last turn, the runway
appears ahead, built on a glacial moraine.
In the Inuit language, Narsarsuaq means
the great plain.
The runway starts at the end of a fjord
and slopes uphill, nestled beside a large
ridge of land. The approach chart warns
pilots to watch out for icebergs on approach.
Fortunately theyre not a problem for us, and
soon the wheels brush the pavement and we
taxi to the ramp.
This was once a major U.S. Army Air
Force base in World War II. In 1941, months
before Pearl Harbor, the Army dropped off
teams to carve a runway out of the alluvial
fill. They laid down steel matting for a sur-
face, and Narsarsuaq became a fueling stop
on the North Atlantic ferry route to the
European theater. An estimated 10,000 air-
craft landed in Narsarsuaq on their way from
Goose Bay to Reykjavik and beyond.
The Navy named the field Bluie West
One, Bluie being the code word for
Greenland, West denoting the western
shore, and One because it was closest to
the southern tip. The flight crews headed for
Bluie West One would be briefed for hours
about the approaches to the airport sitting
50 miles up a fjord with walls sometimes a
thousand feet high. Many tributary fjords
branch off, luring aircraft away from the cor-
rect path. Make a wrong turn and you could
PHOTOGRAPHY by JEFF SKILES
JEFF SKILES

Glaciers often end in
fjords where the ice
floats out to sea.
be in a box canyon too narrow to accomplish
a 180. All of this is complicated by the fact
that the weather in southern Greenland
often is abysmal, with low overcast decks
capping the mountains.
Where once it had a population of 4,000
servicemen, now Narsarsuaq is a sleepy little
airport supporting a total population of 158.
With the advent of aerial refueling and the
development of Thule Air Base to the north,
the United States abandoned Bluie West One
in 1958, and for today at least, the Junkers is
the only aircraft here.
As the props spin to a stop, we set about
readying the Junkers for tomorrow by fuel-
ing, adding oil, and putting the canvas covers
over the windows. We must leave early
because we want to travel 350 miles up the
coast to Kulusuk for fuel and then on to
Reykjavik, Iceland.
Unfortunately, were in Greenland.
Remember what I said about the nexus of
bureaucratic rule? The airport doesnt open
in the morning until 8 a.m., and departures
are not normally allowed prior to that. We
have 900 miles to travel and would like to
get an early start.
A visit to the control tower produces an
expensive option. An early departure could
be facilitated by payment of a service fee.
The cost to have a controller come out and
open the tower at 6:30? One thousand
American dollars!
We all pile in the van for the short ride
to the hotel, maybe a quarter of a mile,
while Hans Rahmann prepares us for the
accommodations. The hotel we are staying
at is constructed from one of the original
Army barracks built during WWII. As Hans
says, The rooms look like a dormitory, but
they charge you like the Hilton! Still, it is
comfortable enough, and better options
seem to be sorely lacking.
As we dine on a seafood buffetand what
else can one expect in Greenlandwe make
plans for a big day tomorrow. EAA
Jeff Skiles, EAA 336120, is EAA vice president of communi-
ties and member programs and flies a 1935 Waco biplane.

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66Sport AviationJuly 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY by JEFF SKILES

 STEVE TAYLOR IS THE GUY IN CHARGE OF THE AIRVENTURE GROUNDS
BY RIC REYNOLDS
ITS MAY 7, less than three months before opening
day for the 61st EAA y-in convention. For Steve
Taylor, EAA 849154, thats barely the blink of an
eye to get everything ready for the thousands of
airplanes and hundreds of thousands of people
who make AirVenture the greatest aviation event
in the world.
An especially harsh winter hung around a
few weeks longer than usual, taking precious
time away from the enormous job of getting
ready for AirVenture, GAs annual family
reunion. Since Steve is EAA director of
facilities, its his responsibility to make sure
everything gets doneand a late spring
only adds more pressure to an already
stress-filled job.
68Sport AviationJuly 2013
But Steve takes it all in stride.
We have an extra week this year, he said
condently, noting AirVentures later-than-usual
opening day of July 29. Still, it was a long win-
ter, and that has put us behind on some things.
So we need to seize each and every opportunity
to get ahead. That causes us to continuously
revisit priorities.
Come July 29 (opening day), well be ready
for the members and their convention, Steve
said with the condence that can only come
from getting the grounds ready for more than
three decades of Oshkosh extravaganzas.
While the calendar says AirVenture is still
weeks away, for Steve, its already started.
When the weather turns [to spring] around
here, this is what its like, he said, pointing out
all the various activities underway during a drive
along the airports new perimeter road project.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON TONEY www.eaa.org69
 Directing resources in the most efficient
way possible, Steve orchestrates a huge
cast of full- and part-time EAA staffers,
outside contractors, vendors, and EAAs
not-so-secret weaponits enthusiastic
family of volunteersto ensure the
grounds are ready to welcome a half-mil-
lion guests over the course of the
seven-day event.
Just this year alone, big job must-dos
include installing more electrical hook-up
campsites in Camp Scholler, building an
all-new restroom facility outside Exhibit
Hangar B, constructing the new College
Park for students, moving and securing a
number of buildings throughout the
grounds, building the new Innovations
Pavilion, and the list goes on.
Theres so much to do, so many interde-
pendent tasks, and so many different
people involved. How can one person over-
see it all? Well, experience helps, and Steve
has been at this thing for a while2013
marks his 33rd convention. (And hes only
42 years oldmore on that in a bit.)
Steve has an uncanny ability to know
precisely not only what has to be done
and when, but also what has to be done
70Sport AviationJuly 2013
next. Asked how he can possibly keep it
all straight, he points to his forehead. Its
up here.
Steve deects personal praise but likes
to highlight the fact that the EAA mainte-
nance staff is the most experienced in the
organization. Twenty-three people on this
staff have nearly 500 years of combined
experience here, he said.
Knowing virtually every inch of the
grounds and having the ability to stay on
top of everything is not an accident. For
Steve, its in his DNA.
He rose through the ranks from the
very bottom. At the age of 9, he partici-
pated in his rst convention by cutting
grasswell before insurance regs would
have surely outlawed such a thing. He got
that gig in part due to proximity; Steve
grew up on Waukau Avenue, next door to
the convention grounds (his mother still
lives in the same house today) and was able
to get the job.
A few years later he was hired on as a
gruntsomeone who will do pretty much
anything, but especially all the things other
people would rather not do, like cleaning
up messes, digging holes, and burying wire.
work is being done on the portion that runs near the Ultralight area.
Ive been through this so many times,
been involved in so many of the changes
here over the years, he said. I could prob-
ably tell you where all the wire is buried
here within a couple of feet, because I did a
lot of it.
A sample of the other jobs he had here
include convention security guard, mainte-
nance crew, snow removal, museum
cleanup, window cleaner, and office janitor.
He is EAAs Jack of all trades.
Steve had another career in mind after
high school. He went to school and earned
a degree in fire science, aiming to become
a fireman.
But the pull to stay at EAA was
stronger.
It would have been really hard to
leave, Steve said. I had met so many peo-
ple from all over, so many different people
that we became a part of each others fam-
ily. We even go to each others weddings,
graduation parties, other family functions.
I would be essentially leaving all that if I
had to leave EAA behind.
He added, I know others have said it
many times, but its absolutely true: Its the
airplanes that brought us all together, but
Steve checks on the progress of the new airport perimeter road as
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON TONEY
www.eaa.org71

its the friendships that bring us all back
year after year.
Steve began working full time at EAA in
the early 1990s, when Vern Lichtenberg
was grounds chief. When Vern retired in
2004, Steve was named his successor. Vern,
who was with EAA for close to three
decades, stressed to Steve that the conven-
tion has all the logistics of a small city.
Sanitation, water, trash collections, resi-
dential areas, police and re
protectionwe have it all.
EAAs 704 acres includes the Aviation
Center (museum and offices), Pioneer
Airport, and the convention grounds. One
hundred acres are kept in our back
pocket for future expansion, Steve said.
Two hundred acres of grassland
mostly Camp Schollerare allowed to
grow until mid-to-late June, at which time
a local farmer cuts it and bales the hay for
livestock feed. The barter allows EAA to
get its grass cut for the convention camp-
ground in exchange for the free feed for
the farmer.
Steve helped arrange for the new
1,200-foot-long berm that mitigates
Highway 41 noise in Camp Scholler.
When county crews moved several tons of
72Sport AviationJuly 2013
After consulting blueprints in his rolling oce (inset), Steve provides
instructions to sta and volunteers on the next order of business.
dirt last fall in preparation for building
the new perimeter road around Runway
18/36, the county had originally planned
to truck the leftover soil off-site at con-
siderable expense.
Using the surplus soil to build a 7-foot,
sound-deecting berm instead created a
win-win.
On a typical weekday, Steve awakes at
3:30 a.m. His minds constant buzzing with
thoughts of What can we get done tomor-
row? Is X ready so we can do Y? allows
him to get only three or four (if hes lucky)
hours of sleep.
After some computer work and an early
workout at the YMCA if theres time, he
heads to the officeSouth Maintenance on
the convention groundswhere the rst
orchestrations of the day take place. As
EAA staff members begin to arrive between
6 and 7 a.m., Steve knows what theyre
working on and can give last-minute
instructions before they head out on the
grounds. Meetings are brief and informal,
and occur standing up.
Meetings are for the winter. By April 1,
all the major planning needs to be over
with so we can hit the ground running,
Steve said. Permits and plans also need to
AirVenture Grounds Info by the
Numbers
Acres: 704
Buildings: 293
Vehicles/equipment: 32 VWs, 75 other
vehicles, 110 scooters, 800-plus
miscellaneous pieces of equipment
(generators, forklifts, tugs, light towers,
compressors, vacuums, saws, drills, etc.)
Paved roadways: 13 miles
Lawn equipment: 11 riding mowers, six push
mowers, seven weed trimmers
Sta: 23 full time, one part time, 28
seasonal, four temporary, and more than
100 volunteers work out of the
maintenance facilities during AirVenture
be submitted and approved before the
heavy lifting starts so that when the
weather warms up contractors can get
right to work.
With their marching orders, crews
head out to their various projects, but
Steve will be along soon to assess progress
rsthand, make suggestions, or simply
lend a hand. His phone rings pretty regu-
larly from various locations on the
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON TONEY
grounds, and he can either answer a ques-
tion immediately or head over to eyeball
a situation.
While hes out making the rounds,
Steve asks lots of questions to make
sure everyone is on the same page. He
also listens to someone who might
have a better way of doing something.
There are always two ways to go
around the block, he said with a wink,
knowing full well his way usually turns out
to be the best.
Throughout any given day, exibility is
key. Its not uncommon for people to be
reassigned midstream if theres an oppor-
tunity to make signicant headway on a
different project. Is it an exact science? Not
in the least.
Its really a chess game, Steve
explained. You need to be exible, need to
gure out the best way to get ahead.
Intuition, experience, and gut feelings all
gure in as well.
With the arrival of spring and summer
come the weekend work parties, as chapter
groups travel to Oshkosh to help prepare
for AirVenture. Steve comes in to meet
with the volunteers to make sure things are
moving along at the needed pace.
Among the many areas under construction on the AirVenture grounds
this spring is a new location for Waste Management sta.
74Sport AviationJuly 2013
I look forward to reuniting with the
volunteers every year, Steve said. In fact,
this year he surprised some volunteers by
showing up at the Sun n Fun International
Fly-In & Expo at Lakeland, Florida. Many
EAAers also volunteer there, and it gave
Steve a different perspective on the work
that they do for Sun n Funmuch of it the
same work they do at Oshkosh.
More sand and warmer, he said.
Otherwise a lot is the same.
Volunteers are truly the lifeblood of
EAA, and Steve is concerned about their
dwindling numbers in recent years. Its no
secret the membership is aging, he said.
And it gets harder and harder for families
to afford the expense and time to spend an
entire weekend here.
Steve has arranged special extras, like
tours at Sonex, museum activities, talks,
and presentations. They also are fed
through the volunteer kitchen, sleep in the
Bunkhouse, and can participate in special
prize drawings.
The volunteers are an important asset
to this organization, Steve said. I appreci-
ate what they do.
Back in Oshkosh on his rounds, Steve
stopped to check on progress just east of
Hangar B where the new bathroom
facilities are being installed. During a
five-minute discussion about water access
for the new structure, they determined a
new 4-inch water line is not really neces-
sary, that adequate service can come from
an existing line he remembered from
years ago when the exhibit hangars were
first installed. We can scrap the 4-inch
line, he declared. Thats great, were
already on it.
There are 293 buildings on the grounds,
some of which are permanent structures,
but most are mobile by design. All of them
need some degree of TLC to get ready for
each convention.
Over the past several years the conven-
tion grounds have undergone some
signicant changes to help improve the
visitor experience. Many of the changes
have the goal of creating truer, straighter
sight lines so new or the more inexperi-
enced visitors can have a better idea where
they want to go.
We want people to have a great experi-
ence, not a frustrating one because they
had a hard time getting from one area to
another, Steve said. Getting where they
want to go is one of the factors that brings
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON TONEY

people back again and again and becoming
a part of EAA.
Convention buildings also present
recurring nuisances: wild animals.
They all need a home, too, I guess,
Steve explained. What better place to hide
than under all those buildingsexcept dur-
ing the week of AirVenture. Common
visitors include skunks, raccoons, wood-
chucks, foxes, and rodents.
Recent years have also seen a spike in
wasp nests, Steve said. Four years ago we
found a large wasp nest in the North 40
that measured 16 inches wide by 7 feet long
in the wall of the showers.
With the myriad of projects large and
small either underway or soon to be, are
there any that keep him up at night?
There are always those little project
requests from the previous year that tend
to haunt you, make you sure you have them
accounted for, like installing a shelving
unit, countertop, or a painting request, he
said. Sometimes those requests become
overshadowed by the large jobs and slip
through the cracks. I tend to think and
rethink them to make sure I have them
accounted for by the time the chairmen
arrive for convention.
76Sport AviationJuly 2013
EAA isnt the only one improving things on the grounds: Here, Steve
checks out work on the Cirrus exhibit area.
Steve deects personal praise but likes to highlight the fact that the
EAA maintenance sta is the most experienced in the organization.
Twenty-three people on this sta have nearly 500 years of combined
experience here, he said.
One area that has undergone its share of and the original Young Eagles Academy
changes is near the old control tower. Just buildings will be relocated just west of
last year the EAA Radio building was taken AirVenture Today.
down, requiring a new place to be found While measuring off space for the new
for its annual operations. The perfect spot EAA Radio buildings, Steve paused a moment
was found, adjacent to the AirVenture to explain part of that areas evolution.
Today newspaper building. Right over there was the main gate, he
But they needed to have buildings in said, pointing to the west. And there
which to operate. Thankfully EAAs for- (points to the rst aid building), that was
ward-thinkers back in the day decided to the nance building, and this (AirVenture
put all the constructed buildings on skids Today) was convention headquarters.
or runners to make them movable. Just then the phone rings. Steve
We can move almost any building if we answers a question quickly, ends the call,
have to, Steve said, adding that its not as and gets back to work. Because the count-
daunting a task as it may seem to be. down is on, and there is much to do
Preparations were made recently to do
just that for EAA Radios new digs. The Ric Reynolds, EAA 642317, is news editor for
former Development Flightline Pavilion EAA publications.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON TONEY
 PACE AGE BIRD OF
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PREY

A berkut was a Russian eagle trained to kill wolves. James Redmons rendition of it looks every bit the part of a wolf killer.

78Sport AviationJuly 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK

 TO SAY THAT BURT RUTANS Eze series of
A KIT airplanes have had an impact on home-
AIRPLANE building is an understatement. Within a
WITHOUT few years after their introduction in 75,
THE KIT hundreds of VariEzes, followed by Long-
EZs, took to the air and the technological
seeds Rutan had sown via the Ezes took
BUDD DAVISSON root in imaginative minds worldwide. New
composite, canard designs began showing
up almost yearly. Many of them were
developed for the rapidly expanding kit
airplane market with Dave Ronnebergs
version, the Berkut, carrying the concept
to the next level.
The Berkut (the Russian word for the
wolf-hunting golden eagle) attracted a lot
of attention with its ability to accept much
larger engines behind the firewall, its two-
piece F-4 Phantom-like canopy, and most
of all, its fully retractable landing gear.
Structurally, the aircraft took several
steps forward from the Ezes carved foam
approach. However, as advanced as the
aircraft may have been, it couldnt survive
in the sometimes fickle homebuilding kit
market, and the company disappeared. By
that time a bunch of folks had bought kits
and were then stranded. Among them was
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James Redmon, EAA 423498, of Frisco,
Texas. But he wasnt going to let some-
thing insignificant, like building an
airplane from an orphaned semi-kit, slow
him down. The ingenuity, dedication, and
attitude he showed in building his Sun n
Fun Grand Champion Berkut shows him to
be a shining example of what homebuild-
ing is all about.
He said that since he was an Air Force
brat, he was more or less born into avia-
tion. After college he planned on working
for the airlines, and he became a CFI,
80Sport AviationJuly 2013
but there was a recession and no one
was hiring.
I thought Id get a real job to tide me
over until some airline wanted me, but soon
found myself hooked on a steady paycheck
and gave up on the airlines, James said.
It was about that time that I saw my
first canard, a Long-EZ, and instantly I
was in love, James said. Then I saw the
Berkut, looked at the performance
200-plus knots out of 180 hpand said,
Thats the one. I have a severe need for
speed, and the Berkut certainly had that.
James designed and manufactured the high-temp,
carbon ber pressure recovery spinner to ensure there would
be no failure possibility due to heat deterioration.
Plus, the fact that it was super sexy-look-
ing didnt hurt.
It turns out that James has the same
chronic illness that infects most, if not all,
homebuilders.
I absolutely have to be doing some-
thing with my hands, he said. If I dont, I
get depressed. When I was a youngster, I
built models. Then in high school I built
up a 400-hp 70 Mustang that got my
juices flowing by street racing.
So, what we have here is an adrenaline
junkie whos hooked on speed and knows
how to build things that go fast. He and
the Berkut were made for one another.
He put the deposit down on his kit on
April 1, 1993, and received the first materi-
als a month later. It took a decade to fly
because of a number of major setbacks, not
the least being that the company had gone
out of business.
An early Berkut kit was about 50
percent scratchbuilt because the com-
pany wasnt offering all the molded
parts yet. There was no construction
manual or plans available, and James was
told to buy Long-EZ plans to learn tech-
niques and the company would later send
photos of how something was supposed
to look.
I was pretty much on my own, he
confessed. When I got into the project, I
The son-of-an-EZ look isnt by accident: Berkut designer Dave
Ronneberg based the concept on Rutans Long-EZ design.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BUDD DAVISSON
 Specications
Typical rate of climb: 2,000 fpm at 120 KIAS
Max straight and level speed in race
conguration: Classied (Thats fast!)
Economical cruise speed: 200 KTAS
at 11,500 feet, 6.5 gph LOP
75 percent cruise speed: 215 KTAS
at 12,500 feet, 9 gph ROP
Range: 1,500-plus nm

Empty weight: 1,150 pounds

Gross weight: 2,100 pounds
Useful load: 950 pounds
Fuel capacity: 56 gallons
Propeller: Catto three-blade utility 64-by-86;
Its all in the details: The canard angle and fairings were two-blade race conguration is classied
carefully aligned and ight-tested. Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B2B, 180 hp

more or less ignored the fact that I was James Redmon started the Berkut in his early 20s
building an airplane. because he loved the speed potential of the design.
He approached his task as if each
small part were the project, and when
he finished each part he would cele-
brate by putting photos on a website he
created. (For a link to James website,
visit www.SportAviation.org.) He painstak-
ingly chronicled every operation, down to
and including how to safety wire a
Lycoming fuel pump in place. The site
does a wonderful job at laying out the
mechanics of building an airplane, and he
touches on them all. Better yet, the web-
site is rife with the enthusiasm borne of
passion and is motivational to the extreme.
I seemed to recognize that by putting
my small victories online, I might be moti-
vating other airplane builders, he said.
And that helped motivate me. his airplane building and life easier than Sandy, and right from the get-go it was
He began on the wings, winglets, he could have imagined. obvious that we were both fiercely inde-
and canard, which he said were fairly Shortly after moving, James met pendent, which often means two people
easy, but he started to run into trouble Scott Carter, EAA 62721, a Long-EZ cant get along. But, we hit it off right from
when he began on the molded parts. builder and A&P/IA. He took me under the beginning.
Fortunately, Dave Ronneberg, EAA his wing and mentored me on the finer On their third or fourth date, James
296648, the designer of the Berkut, made points of composite canard construction decided it was time to test their compat-
himself available by phone, but conversa- and systems installation, James said. His ibility by showing her the Berkut project.
tions were difficult since James didnt expertise and support made all the differ- I told her that this was part of the bag-
have photos or drawings and had to visu- ence and kept me going. gage that came with me and Oshkosh was
alize everything. Then, James had one of those life- a mandatory event, he said. She couldnt
Even though he had built his life changing experiences that set him on a have been more receptive to the concept.
around airplanes, he still had to make a new path in many areas. To this day, she still loves flying to events
living, and at one point his career dictated A friend had set me up on a blind to stand by the airplane and answer tech-
a move to Dallas. Moves quite often spell date, he said. Now, remember that at that nical questions.
the end to an airplane project, but in this point in my life Id basically been married To show you the kind of wife she is,
case it turned out to be just the opposite: to my airplane. I had it all figured out and shes the one who picked out the house
James met two people who would make was doing just fine. My dates name was with the three-bay garage specifically to

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make building easier, James said. And
she would constantly say, Get your butt
out into the shop. She deserves as much
credit for the airplane being finished as I
do. Maybe more.
James periodically makes it a point
to remind folks that hes just a working
guy and sometimes money is tight.
Nowhere is this more noticeable than
his engine.
He originally purchased a zero-time
180-hp Lycoming O-360-A2A that wasnt
pretty, but was fresh metal, decently
priced, and in good mechanical shape, he
said. However, after the original company
that produced the Berkut went bankrupt This is what is known as total space utilization:
and things got iffy on his end, James was A full panel was a necessity but a lot of
forced to sell the engine. But being forced planning was required to t it all in.
to sell that engine may have been a good
thing in the long run.

The speed brake is absolutely essential to get the
speedster down to landing speed and keep it there.
Sport Air Racing League:
The Art of Improving Eciency
By James Redmon
Sandy and I ran the AirVenture Cup Race
several times and fell in love not only with the
race itself, but the racers, sta, and even the
friendly competition. And that little bit of
competitive drive put me on a path to learn as
much as I could about how to make my Berkut
faster and more ecient.
A bigger or modied engine was nancially
out of the question, but I quickly realized that
if I made small incremental changes in
eciency, they would compound each other
and the benets would continue to increase
the faster I went. My rst race speed was 227
mph. My top race speed on a closed course to
date is 256 mph, all with the same engine.
The Sport Air Racing League came along
shortly after I had run a couple AirVenture Cup
races, and I jumped on board immediately.
My rst year, I accumulated enough points to
win 2007 Silver National Champion, and my
main competition, Larry Henney in his Lancair
360, took the top spot. That year of racing was
greathed make a mod and win, and Id
make a mod and beat him the next time.
All of this studying, learning, building,
racing, and ight testing uniquely qualied
me to be one of the ight-test pilots and
systems integration engineers on the Mobius
UAV/OPA program for L-3 Communications for
the past several years. You just never know
where your dreams may take you.

82Sport AviationJuly 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY BUDD DAVISSON

 Now his Berkut boasts a completely
remanufactured 180-hp Lycoming IO-360-
B2B with all lightweight accessories, new
XP-360 parts, Bendix fuel-injection servo,
Millennium cylinders, Light Speed igni-
tion, and no vacuum pump, and it is all
surrounded by a black and gold finish. He
credits the work to Aero Sport Power, say-
ing the team did a wonderful job.
Now that everything was in place, it was
time to get the Berkut in the air. Finally,
he said, the moment I had been waiting for
almost a third of my life was here!
James brought in Dave Ronneberg, aka
Mr. Berkut, to do the initial test flights. It
only took Dave a couple of hops and one
trip around the pattern to say, This is a
fine aircraft, James. You go fly her.
I lined up on the numbers and a famil-
iar voice inside my head said, James, relax
and enjoy this, James said. And with
that, the nervousness was washed away,
and I was cleared for takeoff.
As James said, this was the moment of
transition from project to airplane. I
smoothly added power, and 13 charged
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK
down the runway, James said. I thought,
Oh yeah, Im going to love this! I popped
the canard up at 60 knots, she paused for a
second, then just headed for the sky!
He climbed at 90 knots and 2,000 fpm,
then orbited the airport at various speeds
to get a feel for the Berkuts handling.
After 35 minutes of pure fun and excite-
ment, he brought it down for what he
described as a picture-perfect landing.
This was an amazing experience that I
replayed in my head for hours afterward,
James said.
According to James, it was worth
every second of the 10-plus years it took
to build the Berkut, and he encourages all
homebuilders to stick it out and finish
their projects.
To those of you still building, keep
doing it! he said. Tough it out, find a
way, make it happenthe reward at
the end is far greater than you can
possibly imagine.
So, now James and Sandy have their
own magic carpet. However, if you take
nothing else away from this homebuilders
reduce the normal 205 KTAS cruise speed by 7-8 knots. His fastest race
tale, remember James words, directly
from his website.
Anyone can do thisyou just have to
want it enough. Its a dream, a curse, a
source of great reward and paina chal-
lenge, for sure! However, it is mostly proof
positive that you can achieve the seemingly
impossible if you work hard enough.
Always remember, shoot for the moon.
Even if you miss, youll be among the stars.
Words to live by.
Budd Davisson is an aeronautical engineer, has
flown more than 300 different types, and has pub-
lished four books and more than 4,000 articles. He
is editor-in-chief of Flight Journal magazine and a
flight instructor primarily in Pitts/tailwheel aircraft.
Visit him on www.AirBum.com.
For more information about James
Redmons Berkut, read the July issue of
The Experimenter, EAAs digital magazine
for homebuilders, available online at
www.EAA.org/Experimenter.
The quickly removable baggage pods hold 40 pounds each and
speed was 256 mph over a closed course. This on only 180 hp!
www.eaa.org83
84Sport AviationJuly 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK
Beast of
Burden
THE CAFS SB2C HELLDIVER
VE
ERR

BY JIM BUSHA

In my humble opinion, they were

re tth
the
he oddest trio I
he
ch
hed
edu
ulle coordinator/
had ever met. The crew chief/schedule
bbu
ug remover
full-time airplane washer and bug re
re was named
uss last
Ted Shortkind of a humorous las
ast name
n for a fellow
inc
nche
he tall. Then there
who stood more than 6 feet 5 inches
esel
esely,
y, EEAA
was the pilot, Ed Echo Vesely, A Lifetime 59334,
yeear
ars younger
who happened to be 12 years yyoo than the plane
lee o
he ew and could rattle o specs,
sp speeds, and history
uccttio
ione
nee They both aectionately
faster than a rural auctioneer.
old
ld
deed
d-w
-wiin
referred to the folded-wing n airplane they care for as
iggno
nore
red the
Beastie and ignored t others who referred to it as
Tai
aiilleed BBi
The Big-Tailed ird
rd or SOB 2nd Class.
rd
Bird

www.eaa.org85
 Both Ted and Ed knew they were simply custodians of a rare and To be brutally honest
historic treasure, considering themselves just spokes of a bigger
wheel that kept the sole flying example of the Curtiss SB2C-5 with you, the very
Helldiver flying for future generations to enjoy.
To be brutally honest with you, said Ted, a colonel with the first time I laid eyes
Commemorative Air Force (CAF) West Texas Wing and associated
with the Helldiver since 1995, the very first time I laid eyes on this on this airplane,
airplane, I thought it was an ugly old beast! But I quickly fell in love
with it, especially since its a one-of-a-kind flying airplane. You can I thought it was an
really see the Curtiss lineage from their famous fighterthe P-40.
The tail shape and wing shape are very similar, except the Beasts are ugly old beast!
much bigger. To me, this beast is a real beauty.
Ed echoed the same feelings that Ted shared about the
Helldiver and offered some spiritual insight on what its actually Helldiver History
like to fly this airplane. Originally designed as a replacement for
Sitting up front, resting my feet on similar rudder pedals that the SBD (slow but deadly) Dauntless dive
some teenager did back in 1945, not only humbles me, but it rein- bomber, the first Helldiver rolled off the
forces the admiration I have for the veterans that flew these dive Curtiss production line in 1940.
bombers in combat, Ed said. They knew that once they threw Unfortunately for Curtiss it would be a
that throttle forward, there was a significant probability they were trouble-plagued uphill battle just to get
not going to make it back, and therein lays the difference between the Helldiver combat ready. There were
now and then. issues with structural integrity, poor

Ted Short mans the rear gunners position.

86Sport AviationJuly 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK, BRUCE MOORE

handling characteristics, engine
malfunctions, and a host of other
concerning facts. Many critics at that time
suggested that the Helldiver should be
shelved, especially when both prototypes
crashed due to wing failures.
With a war raging across the world,
Curtiss knew it had to make some
changes. In reality more than 880 design
changes were made to the SB2C. Some of
these included a larger tail group, greater
fuel capacity, more armament, and a host
of other refinements. By late 1943
Helldivers were flying combat missions in
the South Pacific, and a year later they had
replaced the SBD as the U.S. Navys front-
line dive bomber.
Of the more than 7,200 Helldivers that
were built, the CAFs Helldiver is the only
SB2C still flying. Originally built in mid-
1945 as an SB2C-5 model, the last
production variant of this aircraft type, it
entered the service too late to see any com-
bat. This Helldiver was used by the U.S.
Navy from July 1945 through August 1948.
During that time it was assigned as a pool
aircraft to various locations, primarily in
California, and its final assignment was
with the Helldiver pool at NAS Corpus
Christi, Texas, in April 1948.
With its time in the service complete, it
was removed from active duty on August
31, 1948, and declared surplus on October
14. Released from the military, it went
back to school as a teachers assistant, as
this SB2C-5 was used by prospective
airplane mechanics at an aeronautical
school in Montana for several years. In
May 1963 the Helldiver, along with other
former warbirds, was procured by a
collector for a museum located in Santa
Monica, California.
In the early 1970s, Ted said, one of the
CAF colonels purchased both the Helldiver
and an SBD Dauntless from the museum for
$25,000 and donated them to the CAF so
they could be returned to flying status.
Unfortunately, while performing at an air
show in 1982, the Helldiver experienced
engine failure and broke into three pieces
during an emergency landing, Ted said.
Many people thought that was the last of
the Helldiver and thought that no one
would ever see one grace the skies again.
They thought wrong!

www.eaa.org87

Ted recalls that the CAF mindset was not to simply walk away
from a historic treasure and give up, but instead to rally the troops,
roll up their collective sleeves, and go to work repairing, restoring,
and rebuilding the Beast. The broken Helldiver was loaded on a flat-
bed and trucked to Nelson Ezells warbird restoration shop in
Breckenridge, Texas, where it underwent its long rebuild.
After countless hours, immeasurable skinned knuckles, and hun-
dreds of thousands of dollars, the Helldiver returned to the sky and
flew once again in September 1988. As a tribute to a former CAF
wing leader who flew Helldivers off the carrier USS Franklin during
WWII, the CAF West Texas Wing decided to repaint the Helldiver
in those markings and colors.
Flying the Beast
As a young man growing up in Texas, Ed became involved in the
warbird arena as he cut his teeth on taildraggers, progressing
through the Fairchild PT-26 and PT-17 Stearman before becoming
involved with the Lone Star Flight Museum and flying some of its
exotic warbirds. In 2005 the CAF was looking for another Helldiver
pilot to assist original pilot John Hess with the workload. Ed raised
his hand and became a volunteer pilot with the CAF, and has been
flying the SB2C ever since.
88Sport AviationJuly 2013
T hey all come down
grinning from ear to ear,
all saying its the best
ride they have ever had.
The Helldiver is really quite the air-
plane to fly, Ed said. Only two people are
current in the airplaneEd and Mark Allen,
EAA 709067. Ed said flying the Helldiver is
comparable to the other Navy-type war-
birds hes flown, like the F6F Hellcat. Both
are similar in ailerons with very light aile-
ron control, Ed said. The Helldiver is
medium in pitch and god-awful heavy in
the rudders. You have to move that humun-
gous rudder surface with your feet onlyit
takes a whole lot of boot to get that barn-
door-sized rudder moving! The Beast with
pilot, rear gunner, full fuel of 335 gallons,
and 40 gallons of oil all weigh just a tad
under 15,000 pounds. Thats 7-1/2 tons of
pure Curtiss dive bomber!
According to Ed, the Helldiver preflight
walkaround is like any other airplane, with
one crucial exception.
What you really need to watch closely
for is if the wings are folded, because you
need to be extra careful looking for any
restrictions from the pin movement, Ed
said. Thats probably the most critical area
to look at other than oil and fuel levels.
Especially at air shows, as we are concerned
that people might put items inside the wings
by accident. Other than that its pretty
straightforward.
As for starting an SB2C, Ed claimed that
once you pre-oil it, the Helldiver becomes
one of the simplest and easiest airplanes to
start. With three to four squirts of the prime,
the engine fires right up. Simply wait for the
oil temp to warm up and taxi out.
As I begin my taxi I engage the wing-
spread mechanism, which is hydraulic,
and spread the Helldivers wings, Ed said.
The only thing you have to do manually is
insert the forward spar pins with a
secondary lever, which is mechanically
driven in by the pilot. As soon as the flags
disappear it becomes a normal, straight-
wing airplane.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK
 Ed cautions that once the big-tailed air-
plane gets rolling forward, it becomes like
most big radial engine warbirds, with for-
ward visibility almost nonexistent.
S-turning is the only way to safely make it
to the end of the runway, Ed said.
There would be no way I would want to
fly this airplane without a tail wheel lock
thats my last double-check item before
takeoff, Ed said. The takeoff is 7 degrees of
rudder trim. I work the rudder, keeping the
Beast tracking straight ahead. I do not rotate
this airplane until its at least 100 knots, and
once its cleaned up I fly it out at 120 knots in a climb, all the while
maintaining normal climb power of 35 inches and 2400 rpm until I
reach my desired altitude.
Although flying the Helldiver is off-limits to all but a select few, the
CAF offers a unique historic experience by allowing individuals to step
back in time and experience what it was like to fly as a Helldiver rear
gunner. During the entire flight you sit facing aft, waiting for that elu-
sive Zero or Cessna to come diving down at you from out of the sun.
We are limited to nonaerobatics, but we do some nonaerobatic
wingovers, along with some simulated diving without the use of the
dive brakes, Ed said. Its an old airplane, so we dont want to abuse
this treasure. The comments we get are all the samethe passengers
are ecstatic, especially with the open-air feeling. There is nothing

World War II Helldiver Combat Memories

The Beast From Hell, by retired Lt. Foster E. Looney, USNR

W
hen I finally laid eyes on the Helldiver for the first My first mission occurred on June 12 with strikes against I quickly changed the tactics I had learned in the SBDs and
time, all I could mutter was, Oh my God, its a pre-invasion targets on Guam. We went after shore batteries increased my speed, closed my canopy up tight, and increased
monster! The SB2C was definitely not an SBD and AA positions on the island and had been briefed on the my angle of approach. I didnt put the speed brakes out very
Dauntless. The fuselage was longer by more than 3 feet, its positions of the targets. The problem was when we flew over much and jammed my throttle forward. With that forward
wingspan was 8 feet longer, and its max speed of 295 mph them at 12,000 feet, all we could see were the tops of trees. It speed, I wondered if I would have any wings left. But my
made it seem like a jack rabbit compared to the tortoise-like didnt take long for the Japanese gunners to give us a little tactic seemed to work well as I had the gunners all fouled up. I
speed of the Dauntless. hint where they were as they opened up on our squadron as released my bomb higher than normal and managed to beat
Although it may have been bigger and faster, the Helldiver tracer rounds filled the air. them at their own game! The Helldiver turned out to be one
in my mind won the contest for bad vices. For one thing, the As the first Helldiver pushed on over, I was able to see that tough piece of machinery. It wasnt fun to fly, but it could sure
Helldiver had fully hydraulic brakesit could stop on a nickel, Japanese gunners were well behind the first diving Helldiver. get you there and back.
let alone a dime! Those took some getting used to, especially They werent much better on the second Helldiver, as their
coming off an SBD, which had more automobile-type brakes. rounds were well out in front of it. But they were quick learn-
You had to practically push them through the floor to get it to ers, because by the time the No. 3 Helldiver was pointing
stop. Not so on the Helldiver; all you had to do was nudge one downward, they pretty much had us zeroed in. I quickly fig-
pedal lightly and you were going to go that way in a hurry, ured out that being the last one to dive would not be the
whether you wanted to or not. Woe unto the careless Helldiver healthiest place to be!
pilot who didnt have his feet synchronized! Although I
thought the ground handling of the Helldiver was bad, I
thought the flying characteristics were miserable!
Most airplanes can be flown hands-free with the correct
trim settings. Not so with the Helldivers. You had to fly this
monster every second it was in the air. If you turned the stick
loose for more than a few seconds, it was going to end up
wandering somewhereup, down, or sideways.
Even when the later models of the Helldiver came out,
you still had to wrestle with it to keep it straight and level at all
times. The Helldiver just refused to be a normal airplane! Oh
sure, it was faster and could now keep up with the fighters
and torpedo bombers. And yes, its defenses were better as it
carried a higher bomb load along with 20 mm cannons in its
wings and a .50-caliber machine gun in the rear cockpit. On
paper it seemed that in all aspects the Helldiver should be a
better airplane, but in reality the SB2C was definitely no SBD,
and I found out the hard way during combat in mid-1944.

www.eaa.org89
 N Number: N92879 Seats: 2
Length: 36 feet 9 inches
Wingspan: 49 feet 9 inches
Height: 14 feet 9 inches
Maximum Gross Weight: 16,800 pounds
Empty Weight: 10,114 pounds
Fuel Capacity: 335 gallons
behind you except the horizontal and vertical stabilizer and Gods
green earth. They all come down grinning from ear to ear, all saying its
the best ride they have ever had.
According to Ed, the good news about landing a Helldiver is the
fact that the gear speed is relatively high at 170 knots. Once the gear
is lowered, its more or less another dive brake slowing the Helldiver
down to 120 knots, flap speed.
I add 10 degrees on a long downwind, 20 on base, and full flaps
on final, looking for 110 knots on a long final with 100 knots over the
fence, Ed said. I am very careful not to get my speed much lower
as this airplane does not like to fly below 90 knots. Thats one of the
big reasons the WWII guys didnt like the Helldiver in the early war
90Sport AviationJuly 2013
Powerplant Make & Model:
Wright R-2600-20 Cyclone radial engine
Horsepower: 1,900
Propeller Make & Type:
Hamilton Standard four-blade prop
Cruise Speed: 195 mph
VH: 294 mph
www.SB2CHelldiver.com
years, because most of them had been used
to flying the SBD Dauntless that could easily
touch down below 80 knots. So the
Helldiver is a relatively high-speed landing
airplane.
Flying the Helldiver for Ed is more than
just boring holes in the sky. The Helldiver
gives him a sense of meaning as he pays trib-
ute to his heroes of the past.
My father, Edward, was a WWII vet, a
P-47 Thunderbolt mechanic, Ed said.
Thats a big reason why I have an emo-
tional attachment to these aircraft. WWII
was really the turning point in world his-
tory, and without the involvement of the
men and women of the United States, the
results would have been tragically different.
I am fascinated that 17-year-olds oper-
ating out of the back seat and 19- to
21-year-olds in the front seat would rou-
tinely operate off a moving airport, known
as carrier-flying extended missions. The
idea that these brave young men would go
out on their mission for two or three hours,
and then turn around and try to find the
same carrier they took off from, which has
now moved, all without the benefit of mod-
ern navigation is really quite a daunting task
when you think about it. Thats what really
fascinates me.
So the next time you see Ted or Ed or
any other warbird pilot, extend your hand
or give them a gentle pat on the back, and
thank them for keeping em flying! EAA
Jim Busha, EAA 119684, is an avid pilot and longtime
contributor to EAA publications. He is the editor of Warbirds
and Vintage Airplane magazines, and the owner of a 1943
Aeronca L-3. For more information about EAA Warbirds of
America, visit www.Warbirds-EAA.org.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK
 How EAA

92Sport AviationJuly 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK

Operates
A conversation with EAA Governance Committee Chair Dan Schwinn

D
BY J. MAC MCCLELLAN

an Schwinn is the chairman of the How is EAA organized?

Governance/Human Resources
Committee of the EAA board of
directors. The Governance Committee reviews
and analyzes the structure of the EAA leadership
and recommends policy changes to help ensure
that governance procedures support the
EAA mission statement, which is To Grow
Participation in Aviation. Education in many
forms is the primary way EAA works to achieve
its mission. The Governance Committee also
has oversight responsibility for EAA human
resources issues.
Dan is the founder of Avidyne, maker of a
range of avionics equipment. He owns and flies
a variety of airplanes, including a Cessna 182,
a Cirrus SR22, and a Lake amphibian. Dan
sat down to answer questions on how EAA is
structured, how it is governed, and what plans
the board of directors has for the future. The
objective of this interview is to help members
better understand how EAA operates.
EAA is structured into two separate 501(c)(3)
charitable organizations under the federal
laws. One organization is the EAA Foundation
that owns many of the museum assets, display
aircraft, buildings, and so on. The other orga-
nization is the EAA Association that conducts
all of the visible activities of what is known by
most as the EAA. The EAA Foundation pro-
vides financial support to the EAA Association.
Are both governed by the
same board of directors?
No. There are two separate boards. The
Foundation has a relatively small board, and its
primary duty is to manage the assets within the
Foundation. The EAA Foundation has very lit-
tle of the day-to-day operational activity, which
is conducted by the EAA Association.
Dan Schwinn

www.eaa.org93
HOW EAA OPERATES
Why is governance important for EAA?
Tax-exempt organizations, called 501s in
reference to the federal tax law that applies,
have been in the news a lot over the past
couple of months. EAA is a 501(c)(3)
organization. Most of the recent controversy
surrounded 501(c)(4) groups. The big
difference is that a (c)(3) such as EAA is
prohibited from direct political activities.
For example, we cant support one candidate
for office over another. We cant align with
or donate money to any candidate or party.
However, we can advocate for FAA
regulatory matters that are important to
private aviation.
A 501(c)(4) organization can be involved
in political activities including raising money
for and making donations to a specific candi-
date or political party. Thats not us. EAA has
a long history of working successfully with
whatever party and administration is elected.
Is the board representative
of EAA membership?
There have been comments from some
members who believe that the EAA board is
somehow different from the typical member.
Thats just not true. EAA directors are all
active in aviation, all are pilots, and the
board covers the entire range of private and
personal aviation. We have many home-
builders, antique aircraft owners and
restorers, warbird owners, and directors
who use all sorts of airplanes for personal
business or recreation.
How can EAA governance help the
association in its mission?
EAAs mission statement, our overall goal
and objective, is To Grow Participation in
Aviation. We directors purposely chose
the broad term aviation instead of any
one segment. Participation in aviation is
contracting, not growing. We need to
encourage anyone and everyone with an
interest in aviation to pursue that goal. EAA
must educate our members and the public
about aviation, and create and support pro-
grams that introduce new people to
aviation, and foster the interest of those
already involved.
To achieve that goal EAA must be orga-
nized and structuredgovernance is the
94Sport AviationJuly 2013
Participation in aviation is contracting, not growing.
We need to encourage anyone and everyone with an
interest in aviation to pursue that goal.
termso that we can most effectively pur-
sue our mission. That means we need
diverse leadership on the board, and we
need to maintain a steady flow of new ideas
coming in from the widest variety of pilots
and aviation enthusiasts.
How large is the EAA Association board?
The board now has 31 members who oversee
the EAA Association. It is the responsibility
of the directors to set the policy and direc-
tion of EAA. The board doesnt run the
association on a day-to-day basis, but is
responsible for setting policy and objectives.
The board selects a principle officer,
approves budgets, and oversees overall
performance of EAA.
When the board is not in session it dele-
gates its authority to the Executive Committee,
which is a smaller group of directors that
meets more frequently, both in person and
electronically. The Executive Committee
addresses various matters that concern the
association and makes decisions on the smaller
issues, and brings the large matters, with rec-
ommendations, to the full board.
Who runs EAA on a day-to-day basis?
In the past EAA was run day-to-day by a
CEO/president, of which there have been
only three: Paul Poberezny, Tom Poberezny,
and Rod Hightower. Now we have a board
chair, Jack J. Pelton, taking an acting role as
day-to-day leader in addition to his duties as
chair of the board. So Jack and the senior
leadership team of EAA run the association
on a day-to-day basis.
Whats different
about Jacks chairmanship?
For several years EAA has been going
through a big leadership transition from
the founding Poberezny family to a longer-
term leadership structure that will be based
on a board chairman and CEO selected by
the board.
When Tom Poberezny retired as EAA
chair in the summer of 2011, the board
decided to separate the president and chair-
man positions and selected longtime
director Louie Andrew as chair. When Louie
notified the board that he intended to retire,
the directors took the opportunity to review
the role and responsibilities we want for an
EAA board chairman.
After much discussion the directors
decided that we wanted the chair position to
have a term limit. We didnt want a perpet-
ual chair who would be elected over and
over again. People need to bring new and
fresh ideas to the role. But we also wanted
the term to be long enough so that the chair
could set goals and accomplish his or her
objectives. The board decided three years
was the right amount of time for a chair to
serve. But we also wanted the board and the
chair to have the option to continue under
certain circumstances, so the option of the
chair being elected to a second, and final,
three-year term was agreed on.
Is this a change in EAA operating rules?
Yes. The new structure of the chairmanship
requires a change in the articles under
which EAA is organized. Currently the
articles only permit an officer to have a
one-year term. This change is one that
the board will ask members to approve at
the annual meeting of the membership on
July 31 during the annual member
convention in Oshkosh.
Will the chair be an EAA
executive or employee?
No, the expectation is the chair and all of
the board members will be volunteers and
not part of paid EAA staff and leadership.
This is called a nonexecutive chairman and
is now typical in most associations and cor-
porations. The structure is designed to give
the chair independence from management
and staff.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK
Will future EAA chairs be
more active and visible?
Yes. The directors decided that we want the
chairman to be very involved in constructing
EAA policies and goals. The board wants a
chair who is active in personal aviation and
can be the public face of the association.
How long will Jack remain
in his current role?
Jacks term as chair is three years, and he
could be elected for three more. Since Rod
left Jack has been managing the EAA senior
leadership team that directs the daily opera-
tion of the association. Jack will continue in
that role until after our annual convention at
Oshkosh, and then the board will consider
how to proceed after the convention.
Is Jack a volunteer?
Yes. Jack is volunteering immense amounts of
time to EAA, and we are so fortunate that he
is available and willing. Jack is uniquely qual-
ified to be chair of EAA and to also step in to
manage the daily operations. Jacks career
spans all parts of aviation from his manage-
ment position at Douglas to his chairmanship
and presidency of Cessna. He is a lifelong
pilot and EAAer. He built an airplane with his
father, and also has a collection of antiques
that he dotes on and flies. Jack has been able
to fly the fastest business jet on trips but then
take up his Stearman on evenings and week-
ends. I cant think of anyone else who has
such a broad range of aviation experience.
Stuart Auerbach Dover, Massachusetts
Marc Ausman Albuquerque, New Mexico
Richard Beattie Laguna Hills, California
Richard W. Beebe II Hamden, Connecticut
Harold Cannon Owensboro, Kentucky
Barry Davis Carrollton, Georgia
Norm DeWitt Atherton, California
Eileen Drake San Diego, California
Jack Dueck High River, Alberta, Canada
Mike Goulian Maynard, Massachusetts
Eric Gurley Omaha, Nebraska
Jack is also very experienced in work-
ing with the government and regulators
on all levels. He is the only general avia-
tion representative on the Department of
Transportations Future of Aviation
Advisory Committee that works directly
with the FAA administrator.
Will the board hire a
president/CEO after AirVenture?
The board plans to add a senior person to
the leadership team, but we havent
decided on the title or specific responsi-
bilities. The position may be CEO or
president, but it could be another title and
job description.
If I am interested in that
new position, can I apply?
Yes. Any member who believes they have
what it takes to be in senior EAA manage-
ment is welcome to apply. As chair of the
Governance Committee, I am the entry point
for applications. Please send your curricu-
lum vitae to Kathy Phillip at kphillip@eaa.org,
and she will make sure that I see it.
How are EAA board members selected?
There are three categories of directors.
Class I directors are elected by the mem-
bership after being nominated. Incumbent
directors are automatically nominated if
they wish to stand for election. Class I direc-
tors serve a term of three years. There are no
term limits on Class I directors.
Richard W. Hansen Batavia, Illinois
Jack Harrington Barrington, Illinois
Keith Kocourek Wausau, Wisconsin
Carla Larsh Brownsburg, Indiana
David Lau Watertown, Wisconsin
Daniel A. Majka Arlington Heights, Illinois
Phil Martineau Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Jack Pelton Wichita, Kansas
Jim Phillips Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Darren Pleasance Palo Alto, California
Paul Poberezny Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Class II directors are people who repre-
sent affiliated groups and divisions of EAA.
There are five Class II directors.
Class III directors are nominated by the
Governance Committee and elected by the
board. Class III directors typically have
unique skills and qualifications that are par-
ticularly useful to EAA. Class III directors
serve a term of one year.
How are directors nominated for election?
EAA members who wish to stand for election as
a Class I director must submit a petition with at
least 10 signatures of EAA members in support.
How many people submitted
nomination petitions this year?
We had more members, 14, submit nomina-
tions for Class I director this election than at
any time in the decade I have been on the
Governance Committee. In addition there
are six incumbent directors who are stand-
ing for re-election. We board members are
very pleased to see such a high level of inter-
est. Its important that members take an
active role in governing our association.
How many seats are on the board?
The EAA articles currently set the minimum
number of directors at nine, but provide for
as many as 50. The board sets the number of
seats. However, at all times at least 51 per-
cent of the board members must be Class I
directors, which are the directors elected by
the membership.
Charles J. Precourt Ogden, Utah
Geoff Robison New Haven, Indiana
Dan Schwinn Melbourne, Florida
Alan Shackleton Sugar Grove, Illinois
Doug Sowder Spokane, Washington
Don Taylor Albuquerque, New Mexico
Fred Telling Port Orange, Florida
Kermit Weeks Polk City, Florida
Rick Weiss Port Orange, Florida
www.eaa.org95
HOW EAA OPERATES

We are pursuing policies and managing the

association operation the best way we know
Executive Development/Business
Jack Pelton, Chair Relationship how to allow EAA to pursue its core mission
Stuart Auerbach Eileen Drake, Chair of promoting aviation.
Eileen Drake Marc Ausman
Phil Martineau Richard Beattie
Jim Phillips Norm DeWitt Recently the board set the new bylaws. They are
Charlie Precourt Dave Lau number of Class I directors to be the Executive, Audit, and
Dan Schwinn Keith Kocourek elected this year at seven. We Governance/Human Resources
Fred Telling John Vette (appointed, non-board) expect to elect seven Class I direc- committees. The bylaws
Jeannie Rose (appointed, non-board) tors for the next several years. also provide for special
With the staggered three-year committees of the board to be
Strategic Planning Staff: Elissa Lines
term we have a target of 21 Class I created as necessary. At this
Stuart Auerbach, Chair directors. There are 16 Class I time there are five special
Eric Gurley Museum Committee directors now. Under the bylaws, committees: Development/
Richard Beattie Fred Telling, Chair if we reach the target of 21 Class I Relationship, Museum, Safety,
Phil Martineau Barry Davis directors, the maximum total Strategic Planning, and Division
Darren Pleasance Dave Lau board size is 41 to maintain the & Affiliates.
Dick Hansen Dan Majka required 51 percent of Class I
directors. However, I expect the We talked about the Executive
Staff: Brian Wierzbinski Paul Poberezny
actual number of directors to sta- Committee, but what do the other
Alan Shackleton bilize in the 30s. standing committees do?
Audit Kermit Weeks As you would imagine, the
Jim Phillips, Chair Bill Harrison (appointed, emeritus) How can I vote for a director? Audit Committee is charged with
Rick Beebe Staff: Jeff Skiles Any EAA member can vote in overseeing financial operations.
Eric Gurley person at the annual meeting of The Audit Committee works
Staff: Brian Wierzbinski Safety Committee the membership at Oshkosh. You closely with the chief financial
can also assign your voting proxy officer and controller to be sure
Charlie Precourt, Chair
to an EAA director or another EAA finances are sound and stan-
Governance/ Jack Harrington
individual. There are several dard accounting practices are
Human Resources Paul Poberezny ways to submit a proxy, but the being used. The committee also
Dan Schwinn, Chair Don Taylor most convenient way for most engages an independent audit
Jack Harrington Kermit Weeks members is to designate your firm to audit EAAs finances.
Dave Lau Rick Weiss proxy when you join or renew The Governance/HR
Jim Phillips Michael Goulian your membership. If you didnt Committee is charged with recom-
designate your proxy when you mending policies to the board on
Jack Pelton Jerry Fussell (appointed, non-board)
joined or renewed, you can how EAA policies and procedures
Eileen Drake Dave Morss (appointed, non-board)
download a proxy form. (Visit are structured and administered to
Staff: Janine Diana Jeremy Monnett (appointed, non-board) www.SportAviation.org for a optimize EAAs goal of helping to
Staff: Sean Elliott link.) There are two proxy forms. grow aviation. A significant
One form designates your proxy responsibility for the Governance
Divisions & Affiliates to vote as they see fit. The other Committee is recruiting individu-
Harold Cannon form allows you to pick selected als for election to the board. And
Jack Dueck
candidates. If you need more the Governance Committee also
information, contact EAA mem- recommends directors for the
Carla Larsh
bership services. committee assignments.
Geoff Robison The Governance Committee
Doug Sowder What are the board committees? also oversees the management
Rick Weiss There are three standing policies for EAA employees.
Staff: Charlie Becker committees established in the That, along with conferring on

96Sport AviationJuly 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK

hiring of key staff people, is the HR compo-
nent of the committee.
Why are there special committees?
Special committees are formed to coordinate
the expertise of board members into an
important area of EAA operation. Its a way
for directors to contribute to components of
EAA where they have a special interest and
experience. Special committee does not nec-
essarily mean a temporary committee. Some
special committees, such as the Safety
Committee, will have a long life.
How are EAA articles and bylaws changed?
The bylaws establish an operating order,
and are normally modified by the board,
although they can be changed or modified
by the majority vote of any meeting of the
overall membership. Advance notice of any
proposed change by a membership vote
must be made prior to the meeting.
The articles of incorporation are filed
with the state of Wisconsin to create a
corporation, and they define EAA and its
objectives and operations in broader
terms. These articles can only be amended
by a vote of the membership.
How do the articles
of incorporation describe EAA?
The articles of incorporation are the official
description of what EAA is and what we do,
particularly for tax-exempt status, and they
are very inclusive. Overall EAA must exist
for education, scientific, and charitable
purposes under IRS rules. And specifically
EAAs purpose is stated as four objectives:
to cooperate with government agencies
to promote aviation activities; promote
aviation safety in the design and
construction of all types of aircraft; promote
and encourage grassroots efforts relating to
aviation research and development; and
promote and encourage aviation. We carry
out most of our objectives through
extensive educational activities.
What is the EAA senior leadership team (SLT)?
The SLT members are the senior EAA staff
people. They are vice presidents who man-
age segments of the EAA operations.
Brian Wierzbinski is our executive vice
president and chief financial officer. Brian
has overall operational responsibility, and
he is in charge of operations for
AirVenture. In other words, Brian is the
guy who makes the trams run on time dur-
ing Oshkosh, and oversees all of the
elements it takes to make the big show a
success from car parking to food service.
Rick Larsen is vice president of
marketing and communications. Rick
manages the staff that markets the
association, our activities, and certainly
AirVenture. He also oversees the people
who communicate the EAA message in
print and over the Internet.
Sean Elliott is our vice president of
advocacy and safety. He also manages
EAAs flight operations including the B-17
and Ford Tri-Motor tours and the flying at
Pioneer Airport. Promoting and guarding
EAA member interests in Washington is a
very important part of what EAA does.
Jim DiMatteo is vice president of the
features and attractions at AirVenture.
Most of us know Jim as Guido, his Navy
fighter pilot call sign. Guido is the guy who
manages the air show and major entertain-
ment attractions during AirVenture.
Elissa Lines is vice president of donor
and business relations. Elissa and her staff
sell the exhibit space at AirVenture, the
advertising in EAA print and electronic
operations, and work with companies and
people who want to sponsor EAA pro-
grams. She also is our primary contact
with people who wish to donate to sup-
port EAA.
Janine Diana is vice president of
human resources and manages all
issues involving EAA employees.
Janine is also the key contact for EAA
volunteers and has established staff con-
tacts to work directly with volunteer
committee leaders.
Jeff Skiles is vice president of commu-
nities and member programs. Jeff spends
much of his time on Young Eagles and
other EAA youth education programs. Jeff
also manages museum operations and is in
charge of relationships with EAAs nearly
1,000 chapters.
What are the issues members will
vote on at the annual meeting?
In addition to voting for Class I directors,
members are asked to approve the
amended articles of incorporation to per-
mit us to create the three-year term for
the chair that we talked about earlier.
There are also some restatements and
changes to give the board more flexibility
in the timing of appointing Class III
directors. There are no substantive
changes in the description and responsi-
bilities of Class I and Class II directors.
Why was the time and date of the annual
membership meeting changed?
The board heard from many members
who said they didnt stay at Oshkosh
until Saturday, the traditional day for
the annual membership meeting. So we
listened and decided that Wednesday, July
31, this year, is the day we believe will have
the highest member attendance at
AirVenture, so the meeting will be held at
the Theater in the Woods on that day
starting at 8:30 in the morning.
How is EAA doing overall?
We, like our aviation communities,
have plenty of challenges. The foremost
issue is the declining pilot population
and decreased participation in all forms
of private aviation. From a governance
perspective, we are pursuing policies
and managing the association operation
the best way we know how to allow
EAA to pursue its core mission of
promoting aviation.
How can members
communicate with the board?
I would appreciate hearing from any
member, particularly on issues of
governance. Send your comments or
questions to Kathy Phillip at kphillip@eaa.org,
and she will be sure I receive them.
To contact any director or the entire
board, please e-mail eaaboarddirector@eaa.org.
You can address your questions or comments
to specific directors or the entire board, and
they will receive them and be happy to hear
from you. EAA
www.eaa.org97
STICK AND RUDDER
BETTER PILOT

As the aircraft approached the end of the

taxiway, the pilot pushed on the right brake,
and nothing happened. He jammed on the
rudder pedal and pulled the mixtures back
to shut down the engines, but still could not
negotiate the turn. One propeller struck a
taxiway light, causing damage to the propel-
ler. The culprita cracked hydraulic fitting
on the brake housing.

Braking System Basics

Hydraulic brake systems for most light
aircraft are relatively simple, and quite
reliable. Each rudder pedal is connected to a
hydraulic master cylinder, which transmits
hydraulic pressure to the brake calipers on
the corresponding wheel. When the brake
pedal is depressed, the pressure is
transmitted from the master cylinder to the
piston(s) in the brake housing. This in turn
forces the brake pads (also called linings)
against the steel rotor attached to the wheel.
Much like the caliper brakes on a bicycle, the
brake pads pinch or grip the rotor, creating
the friction needed to stop the aircraft.
Despite the simplicity and reliability of
these brake systems, a number of issues can
affect their function. Fluid contamination
from dust or dirt can cause seals to wear and
leak or fail. Abraded hoses and cracked or
loose fittings can also cause hydraulic leaks.
Dirt, mud, packed snow, or freezing slush
can jam the brake and prevent the pads from
gripping the rotor. Contaminants (oil,
grease) on the pads or rotors or physical
damage (corrosion, warping) to the rotors
can also reduce effectiveness of the brakes.
As part of our preflight inspection, we

Maximum Effect
Getting the most from your brakes
By Robert N. Rossier
It was a picture perfect summer day when the twin-engine Piper
Aztec touched down at Fort Collins airport in Colorado, turned onto
the taxiway, and headed back for the departure end of the runway.
The pilot of the Aztec was completing a checkout, and no doubt, the
instructor was happy with his performance. But suddenly some-
thing went awry.
need to make certain the braking system is
in good condition and functioning properly.
In the cockpit, check for signs of hydraulic
fluid (red) leaking from the master cylinders.
A slippery floor mat can also indicate a leak.
On the exterior, check for red fluid leaking
from the brake line, on the struts, or around
the brake housing. Puddles of red fluid are a
sure sign of trouble that needs to be
addressed by a mechanic. If you can access
them, check that the pads are at least the
thickness of a quarter.
Before engine start and taxi, check the
brakes. Pushing on the brake pedals should

98Sport AviationJuly 2013 ILLUSTRATION by MICHAEL ANNINO

 result in some movement, and a firm feel.
Make a second function check in the first 3 feet
of taxiing to confirm each brake is working.
Spongy brakes, no pedal movement, scraping
sounds, or uneven travel of the pedals require
immediate professional attention. Brakes that
fade or produce vibration or scraping sounds
require immediate maintenance.
Taxi Technique
One place we can run into problems with
our brakes is with taxi technique. A common
mistake made by new and experienced pilots
alike is to inadvertently drag the brakes by
putting their feet too far up on the rudder
pedals. Some pilots tend to taxi too fast, and
consequently are always riding the brakes.
In either case, dragging the brakes causes
excessive wear and may cause glazing of the
pads, which reduces braking effectiveness.
The best technique is to keep your heels
on the floor while taxiing, and slide them up
CM
MY
CY
CMY
only when braking is required. If youre keep-
ing your feet up on the pedals so you can react
quickly, you may be taxiing too fast.
As the pilot and instructor of the Aztec in
Fort Collins learned, brake problems can
develop at any time, so dont assume that
just because the brakes were working ear-
lier, they are still working. Long before a
turn that requires braking, tap gently on the
brakes to verify they work. Also, keep your
speed down so that less braking is required
for maneuvering on the ground.
Braking Performance
When landing on long stretches of dry pave-
ment, we usually dont require much of our
brakes. But when the runway is short, or a
land and hold short clearance has been
accepted, we may require maximum perfor-
mance from our brakes, and proper
technique is critical. The first part of the
equation is speed control. If we land fast and
then rely on our brakes to stop, the demands
may outweigh their capability. To shorten
our landing distance, we must touch down at
the proper airspeed, with full flaps, and with
the nose slightly up.
What some pilots forget is that maximum
braking wont be available until the full
weight of the aircraft is on the main wheels,
so aerodynamic braking (drag) is critical
until weve slowed to about 60 percent of
our landing speed. Applying elevator back-
pressure to keep the nose up will increase
the aerodynamic drag while the speed bleeds
off. Then we lower the nose and smoothly
apply maximum brake pressure, without
allowing the tires to lock up. While retracting
the flaps can improve braking (more weight on
the wheels), this can easily lead to inadvertent
landing gear retraction, so the practice is gen-
erally frowned upon. As with taxiing, make
certain your heels are on the floor when land-
ing. Landing with the brakes on can be tough
www.eaa.org99
STICK AND RUDDER
on the tires, not to mention cause potential
directional control issues.
Runway Conditions
Clearly, runway condition is a major factor
in braking. The best situation is smooth, dry
pavement, since this allows the greatest fric-
tion between the tires and the ground. The
effects of runway condition become pretty
obvious once we take a look at the aircraft
performance data. For a typical light general
aviation aircraft, landing on dry grass versus
hard, dry pavement adds about 40 percent
to the ground roll. Wet grass is even worse,
and can easily double the published landing
distance. Other conditions such as hard-
packed snow and ice can also increase
landing distances well beyond the data pro-
vided in the performance charts.
What pilots sometimes forget is that
runway slope is also a major player in brak-
ing action and landing distances. Even a 1
100Sport AviationJuly 2013
percent downhill grade can delay touch-
down, and add to the demands placed on
the braking system. As the downslope
approaches our approach path angle, it
becomes virtually impossible to land.
Always land uphill, unless the tailwind is
greater than 10 knots.
Braking Action Reports and Advisories
One way to get an idea about the runway
conditions is through braking action adviso-
ries. Pilots are encouraged to report the
braking action when conditions are
degraded, and this information is passed on
to other pilots in the form of braking action
advisories. While the information is valu-
able, we should always keep in mind that
the meanings are subjective.
Braking Action Advisories
Good: No degradation of braking action
Fair: Somewhat degraded braking action
Poor: Very degraded braking action
Nil: No braking action
Remember that conditions may vary sig-
nificantly from one portion of the runway to
another, and that the type of aircraft readily
influences the report as well. Some reports
will include a description of where the condi-
tions were experienced, such as first half of
the runway, but such is not always the case.
Its easy to take our brakes for granted,
but theres nothing that will foul up a per-
fectly good day of flying any faster than
failed brakes. By thoroughly checking and
testing our braking systems, and applying
our knowledge, judgment, and the proper
techniques, we can bring our flights to a
safe conclusion. EAA
Robert N. Rossier, EAA 472091, has been flying for
more than 30 years and has worked as a flight instructor,
commercial pilot, chief pilot, and FAA flight check airman.
Inc.
NAD 638
WHAT WENT WRONG
BETTER PILOT
Flying by the Book
Would Have Saved Them
BY J. MAC MCCLELLAN
IN SOME SITUATIONS during an in-ight emergency, there is simply no
time to look in the book and nd the recommended emergency proce-
dure. Thats why the rst few steps in the most critical emergency
checklists are usually called memory items. You must be able to accom-
plish those crucial tasks almost immediately and correctly from memory.
However, there is usually enough time to consult the pilots operat-
ing handbook (POH) to nd the information necessary to do the right
thing and avoid serious consequences. Thats why it is so tragic when
pilots didnt use the time and data available to avoid a fatal outcome.
On a nice summer morning, an experiencedmore than 3,000
hours total timecommercial pilot and his passenger departed
Kansas City Downtown Airport bound for St. Johns, Arizona, in a
Beech F33A straight-tail Bonanza. The weather was good VFR, but
the pilot was ying on an IFR clearance, which is a common practice
for IFR-rated pilots.
The Bonanza pilot had cleared Kansas City Approach airspace to
the west and was talking to Kansas City Center controllers as he
climbed out of 7,000 feet for his assigned altitude of 8,000 feet. Not
long after checking in with the Center controller, the pilot radioed,
Lost an engine. The pilot also had a multiengine rating, which may
explain why he said lost an engine instead of the engine, or there
may have been no signicance at all in his phraseology.
In any case, the Center controller mistook the pilots request for
vectors to the nearest airport as a request to return to Kansas City
Downtown, the departure airport. The controller provided a vector of
80 degrees to point the Bonanza back toward Kansas City.
About 50 seconds later the controller asked the pilot to conrm
that he wanted to return to Kansas City and the pilot said yes, unless
there was a closer airport. The Lawrence, Kansas, airport was actually
much closer, about 10 miles to the south of the Bonanzas position, so
the controller issued a new vector toward that airport.
The controller gave the Bonanza pilot the weather report at
Lawrence, which was good, and told him about landmarks and obsta-
cles on the way to Lawrence. The pilot advised Center that he couldnt
make it to the Lawrence airport. Just ve minutes and two seconds
after the pilot reported the engine failure, the controller asked him if
he could see any place to put it down. The pilot responded that there
were several roads and he wanted to avoid areas of trees.
Five minutes and 26 seconds after reporting the engine failure the
pilot told the Center controller he had a road right in front of him, and
that was the last communication.
A witness on the ground reported seeing the Bonanza ying really
low, and that as the airplane neared the ground the nose rose up and
102Sport AviationJuly 2013
then came down. The witness said he
momentarily saw the belly of the airplane and
then it disappeared behind trees.
The Bonanza hit hard in an open eld the
NTSB characterized as covered by short veg-
etation and rolling terrain. The wreckage
pattern indicated the airplane hit the ground
nose down and the cabin was crushed and
fragmented by impact. Both people onboard
were killed instantly by impact forces.
The Bonanza was equipped with a JPI
engine monitoring system that contains a
memory chip. An NTSB review of the data
stored in the JPI unit showed that at approx-
imately the same time as the pilot reported
the engine failure the fuel ow suddenly
dropped to zero. Engine rpm and EGT also
decreased at the same time. Clearly fuel had
stopped owing to the Continental IO-520
engine in the Bonanza.
When the engine and its accessories were
examined, investigators quickly found that
the drive coupling on the engine-driven fuel
pump had sheared. The basic fuel pump
could not be rotated by hand after it was
removed from the engine.
The Continental fuel-injection system uses
an engine-driven pump to supply fuel pressure
to the injectors. The ow to the injectors is
continuous and metered, along with the induc-
tion air supply, by a throttle body.
The engine-driven pump is rotated by the
accessory gear on the rear of the engine, and
the pump turns whenever the crankshaft is
rotating. The pump and injection system is
entirely mechanical.
Further investigation found that the pump
bearing surfaces were contaminated by small
particles adhering to the surfaces. One half of
the bearing had more particles clinging to the
surface than the other half. The particles
were silver/gray in appearance and reective.
NTSB investigators used energy dispersive
spectroscopy to examine the particles and found that they were
not uniform but typically contained iron, aluminum, silicon,
chrome, nickel, and molybdenum. Investigators could not nd a
source for the particles and found no other damage or anomaly
that would have prevented the engine from running normally.
The tragic aspect of the accident is that the electric standby
pump was working normally. In Bonanzas and Barons pow-
ered by fuel-injected Continental engines, there is a powerful
electric standby pump that can deliver nearly as much fuel
pressure as the engine-driven pump. The emergency checklist
and procedures call for moving the toggle switch that turns on
the electric standby pump if there is ever a loss of fuel pres-
sure or engine failure.
Its important to understand that this is a standby pump, not a
boost pump as many airplanes use. The standby pump is there
only to be used for pre-start engine priming and if the engine-
driven pump fails, so Bonanza pilots do not routinely activate the
pump in ight as do pilots in airplanes that have electric boost
pumps. In fact, if you turn on the standby pump in a Bonanza or
Baron while the engine-driven pump is operating normally, you
can create an over-rich mixture that makes the engine run rough,
or may even ood the engine with so much fuel it stops produc-
ing power.
The electric standby pump is simply not a top of mind item for
Bonanza pilots because nearly all will y their entire career with-
out ever using it in ight. But this pilot had more than ve
minutes to consult the POH and checklist, he had a passenger he
could have asked to help look at the emergency procedure, and if
he had just ipped that electric pump switch, the forced landing
would have almost certainly been avoided.
The NTSBs probable cause nding for the accident is the
failure of the engine driven fuel pump causing a loss of engine
power and the pilots failure to maintain aircraft control
resulting in an inadvertent stall. Contributing to the accident
was the pilots failure to follow the emergency procedures
checklist and utilize the electric pump, which would have
restored engine power.
In another accident in which consulting the POH would have
prevented disaster, the pilot of a Piper Lance was preparing to
depart from the Springerville Municipal Airport in Arizona. The
weather was VFR with good visibility and a few clouds at 8,500
feet. But the wind was blowing from 210 degrees at 25 knots with
gusts to 32 knots. And it was a warm day. The automated weather
observation system (AWOS) reported an air temperature of 25C
(77F). The AWOS reported the density altitude to be 9,700 feet.
The Springerville airport elevation is 7,055 feet. There are two
runways, 03/21 and 11/29. Runway 03/21 is 8,422 feet long, and
Runway 21 pointed almost directly into the strong and gusty
wind. But that runway was closed for repaving and construction
work. Runway 11/29 is 4,603 feet long, and there was a nearly
direct crosswind no matter which direction on that runway you
attempted a takeoff.
Normally a 4,603-foot runway would be more than enough for
a Lance to depart even when the airplane was loaded with four
people, luggage, and 100 gallons of fuel. The NTSB calculated the

www.eaa.org103
WHAT WENT WRONG
Lance takeoff weight to be 3,392 pounds,
while the maximum certied takeoff weight
is 3,600 pounds. The CG was also determined
to be within limits.
The pilot elected to use Runway 11. A wit-
ness told investigators the Lance used more
runway than used by most other small air-
craft during takeoff. The witness also said
the airplane was rocking side to side after
liftoff and also said the airplane gained alti-
tude and then lost altitude three or four
times. The same witness said the Lance
banked in a counterclockwise direction
before crashing into a school building.
Other witnesses near the school reported
that the engine sounded like it was running
well and at high power. One witness at the
school ducked for cover as the Lance
passed directly over him before impacting the
side of the school building.
All four aboard the Lance were killed, and
there was a post-crash re that badly dam-
aged the school. Nobody in the high school
building was injured, though much of the
104Sport AviationJuly 2013
roof collapsed into classrooms and offices.
The distance from the departure end of
Runway 11 to the impact point was 0.96 of a
statute mile.
When NTSB investigators consulted the
Lance POH for takeoff data they found that
the wind and density altitude conditions
were off the charts. The demonstrated
crosswind componentnot a limitation
for the Lance is 17 knots, but the crosswind
that day ranged from 25 to 32 knots.
Investigators also determined that wind
direction was varying enough that the
Lance probably experienced a tailwind
component of 4 to 5 knots.
The NTSB reports that, given the density
altitude and weight of the airplane, the Lance
would have climbed 90 fpm with the gear
down, and as much as 410 fpm with the gear
up. And that performance would only have
been achievable without the turbulence of
the strong and gusty wind.
The NTSB determined the probable cause
of the accident was the pilots operation of
the aircraft outside of the manufacturers
specied performance limitations, which
resulted in the pilots failure to maintain
clearance from buildings and terrain during
takeoff initial climb.
Both the Bonanza and Lance pilots were
supplied with the necessary information to
have avoided the crash. A POH is nothing
more than useless weight if we dont read it,
understand it, and even memorize critical
steps that should be taken immediately in
an emergency.
This article is based solely on the official nal
NTSB report of the accident and is intended to
bring readers attention to the issues raised in
the report. It is not intended to judge or reach
any denitive conclusions about the ability or
capacity of any person, living or dead, or any
aircraft or accessory.
J. Mac McClellan, EAA 747337, has been a pilot for
more than 40 years, holds an ATP certicate, and owns a
Beechcraft Baron. To contact Mac, e-mail mac@eaa.org.
ILL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN
BETTER PILOT
Got Fuel?
Hazards hiding in the fuel tank
BY MARK T. ALEXANDER, EAA 1077507
I WAS GOING TO MEET a friend at the nearby airport of
Thomaston, Georgia (OPN), in my experimental Zodiac 650B,
based at a little private community airport called Peachtree
Landings (5GE1).
I had several anomalies throughout my Zodiacs flight test-
ing, but the last couple of flight hours had been uneventful, so a
short hop for fuel and a visit seemed like a good idea. This was
the first time I could take the aircraft out of the pattern and feel
comfortable doing it. So, on this severely clear, 70-degree
October day, I decided to go.
I performed my usual walk-around preflight, noting
that I had 9-plus gallons of fuel and 5.5 quarts of oil on board.
I cranked up my little Continental O-200 engine and went
through my normal run-up checklist, and I had made it a
habit to walk through the emergency checklist as well.
106Sport AviationJuly 2013
Call me paranoid, but I talk myself
through engine failure on takeoff and
touch each lever that would cause
an engine to shut down. I set up the
GPS and placed my opened sectional
in my lap.
As I climbed out and took a heading
for OPN, I rechecked all my instruments
and everything looked good. I thought,
finally, a nice short cross-country. I
crossed the 2,500-foot TRSA outer ring
around Robins Air Force Base and Macon
airport and decided to maintain that
altitude. Everything was feeling and
looking good.
ILLUSTRATION BY MATT BELLISLE
 Without a shudder or a kick, the
engine rolled back to 1200 rpm. I yelled,
No, no, no! and pulled back on the stick
to give myself some altitude. I was able
to bring the aircraft up to 2,700 feet
MSLnot much, but more than what I
had. I put myself at a glide speed of 70
mph indicated.
I only had a few minutes to figure
out where to land and what went
wrong. With the adrenaline factor
high, I started looking. It didnt take
long to find the only place to set down
right in front of me. I could see a lot of
trees on the ground with the only acces-
sible clearing about 5 miles away. So I
kept my sight picture and heading on
the clearing.
I need better situational awareness, I
thought. I wasted 500 feet and more than
a minute trying to find a place to land
when it was right in front of me the whole
time. I put my head back in the cockpit
Not only was I going to land in the trees, but I also called a mayday on
the wrong frequency. Panic and adrenaline were replaced by anger.
and went through my emergency check-
list, finding nothing.
Most of the anomalies that Ive experi-
enced during the first part of my flight
testing have been oil pressure indication
issues, so I focused on the oil pressure
gauge. At about 1200 rpm, the oil pressure
was indicating about 15 psi. The mini-
mum oil pressure for the O-200 engine at
idle is 10 psi. I wasnt absolutely sure that
the oil pressure was the culprit, but it was
on my short list at this point.
Wow, I said to myselfIm really going
to have to land this thing. What I was not
prepared for was the panic attack that
was starting to come over me. Talk about
human factors in flight! I kept telling
myself to panic later, fly the airplane now.
With the adrenaline still surging
through my body, I reached my shaking
hand to the radio and switched the fre-
quency to 121.5. I hit nearest airport on
my GPS and called out on the radio,
Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is experi-
mental Zodiac 650ZZ, negative engine!
I dont know how it sounded on the
receiving end, but it didnt sound good
over my headset.
I was at about 1,700 feet MSL and
about two minutes with no engine. I
looked at my sight picture, and the clear-
ing that I selected was a little farther away
than I had hoped it would bemore trees
than clearing. I just thought I would land
the aircraft like I had practiced a hundred
times and everything would be okay.
www.eaa.org107
ILL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN
BETTER PILOT
Someone called me back on the radio
and asked for my exact location. I didnt
know and replied, Im not sure. Ill get
back to you in a minute. I had dorked
around with the GPS enough to confuse
myself on my exact location. My head was
in troubleshooting mode and not where it
should have been. In reality, I only had a
few minutes until I was going to be on the
ground or in the trees. I realized at that
point that I had not toggled my A-200
radio over to 121.5, and I was still trans-
mitting on 122.9. I felt so stupid. Not
only was I going to land in the trees, but
I also called a mayday on the wrong fre-
quency. Panic and adrenaline were
replaced by anger.
As suddenly as the engine had shut
down, it began to come back to life. (The
total time the engine was not running
after switching fuel tanks was about 15-30
seconds.) I remember seeing my altitude
indication at 1,200 feet MSL. I pushed
full throttle, and as the engine came up
to full power, I pulled back on the stick
to gain some valuable altitude. A voice
came back over the radio asking for
my status, and I replied that my engine
was running and I was returning to
Peachtree Landings.
Over my 22 years of flying GA aircraft,
I have had engine problems before. I have
had magnetos fail and exhaust valves
stick, just to name a few of my in-flight
issues. But this incident was the first time
that I could not correct, mitigate, or know
exactly what had failed, and I had never
called a mayday!
Now that I was flying and the engine
was stable, I couldnt help but reflect on
what just happened. My wife and I built
the aircraft and engine, and Im the pilot.
The buck really stops with me. It doesnt
take a genius to figure out the problem is
in the right wing fuel tank as it was the
last thing I touched. So did I run out of
fuel? No matter how many times I tap
on the digital fuel gauge or rock the
wings, the right wing tank still indicated
3.4 gallons. I know that on my preflight
I opened the tanks and looked to see
that I had fuel, at least 5 gallons in the
right tank. This was based on a visual
and instrument-indicated reference of
5.1 gallons.
108Sport AviationJuly 2013
As I came back into the pattern of
5GE1, I maintained an altitude of 1,500
feet MSL. With an average field elevation bottom. I repeated pouring fuel in and
of 500 feet for the area and my descent
rate of 500 feet with no engine, I was lit-
erally 60 seconds or less from landing,
and most likely in the trees. When I came
into downwind, I could see my loving
wife at my hangar door. I guess I had
some explaining to do. The landing was
uneventful, except when I got to the end
of the runway and the tears started to fall.
I made it home alive.
My wife and I pushed the Zodiac into
the hangar, and she retrieved the fuel
cans and funnels. I removed the right fuel
tank petcock and about 2 cups of fuel ran
out of the tank. My wife started yelling,
You ran out of fuel! I walked to my tool-
box and got a scribe, and after a short
inspection, I removed a corner piece of
plastic bag from the drain hole. My wife
was shocked, but not as much as I was.
I pushed full throttle, and as the
engine came up to full power, I
pulled back on the stick to gain
some valuable altitude. A voice
came back over the radio asking
for my status, and I replied that
my engine was running and I was
returning to Peachtree Landings.
The tank continued to drain about 3-3.5
gallons out of the right wing tankI knew
I had fuel in the right tank.
Okay, so the bottom line up front: Its
my fault that a foreign object entered into
the fuel tank and was not detected prior
to flight. I accept the responsibility for
the oversight and almost paid dearly
for it.
I had to figure out why I could not see
this small piece of plastic or how it could
be trapped in my tank for more than 45
hours of engine run, aircraft taxiing, and
flight time. I placed the corner piece of
plastic in a jar and poured fuel in. It was
very difficult to see. I poured the fuel out
of the jar and noticed that the plastic
bag stuck to the side of the jar near the
out of the jar and was very surprised how
many times the plastic stuck to the side
of the jar.
That explained how the corner of the
bag could have stayed in the fuel tank for
so long. I had only been flying the aircraft
with half tanks (15-16 gallons) throughout
this whole test cycle. The corner of the
bag could have been attached to the side
of the fuel tank the whole time and
released at any time.
The question that kept bugging
me: Could the corner of the bag cover
and clog a finger strainer and cause
fuel starvation and engine shutdown?
So I removed the finger strainer from my
aircraft fuel tank and wrapped the plastic
around it. The plastic covered about 98
percent of it. Was the maximum coverage
enough to cause fuel starvation to the
engine resulting in engine shutdown?
From my firsthand experience, Im going
to have to say yes.
A friend had a good question during
our brainstorming session of possible
causes and effects. How long did it
take for the engine to start after you
switched fuel tanks? I tried to re-create
the in-flight conditions. I drained the
gascolator and fuel lines from the
shutoff valve to the disconnected fuel
line at the throttle body. I turned both
boost pumps on and the fuel selector
valve from off to left tank and timed
how long it took for the fuel to flow out
of the fuel line at the throttle body. It
took 15 seconds. I guess I should have
waited 16 seconds before calling a may-
day. I can only think that the close
proximity to the ground with no engine
forced me to call.
I dont know what I would have or
could have done differently. Throughout
my 33-year career of aircraft mainte-
nance, I have found numerous foreign
objects in aircraft. I just didnt think
it would happen to me as long as I
remained vigilant.
I have flown the Zodiac several times
after this incident without engine stop-
page. I havent flown to OPN yet, but
maybe soon!
H
ANDS ON
WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE BUILDING/RESTORING
Midget Mustang Memories
A now-experienced homebuilder recalls his rst love
BY RAYMOND ALLEN, EAA 1079316; MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA
I FIRST SAW A MIDGET MUSTANG sometime in the late 1960s, climb-
ing steeply out of Oceanside airport along the California coast.
After it landed I asked the pilot what it wasand where I could
get one. He told me that it was made from plans, which was
daunting to me, and told me how to get in touch with the
designer, Bob Bushby.
I contacted him the very next day. Bob gave me some informa-
tion and quoted me the cost of the plans, which I ultimately
received as a Christmas present. Fortunately for me, the plans
had full-size drawings for most parts that could be transferred
directly to the materials.
I examined the skills I had, and compared my list with the
ones I would need to actually build the Mustang. Woodworking
no. Aluminum formingno. Rivetingno. Weldingno.
Fiberglass fabricationno. Jig buildingno. How to read blue-
printsyes (finally)! Okay then, I was ready to tackle the project!
I knew I needed 2024 T3 aluminum, so I looked in the Yellow
Pages, made a call to a company, and asked if I could buy some. They
asked me how many tons. Okay, so that didnt work. I also didnt
know where to buy other aircraft building supplies. I probably
would have given up at this point, but luckily, on a visit to El Monte
Airport, I saw a homebuilt parked with a sign on the prop that said
EAA meeting tonight, 7 p.m. That coincidence saved the project.
110Sport AviationJuly 2013
I met two builders in the local chapter
who already had their own projects under-
way, and I told them what I was planning
to build. Bud Sitz was building a Stolp
Starduster Too, and Phil Kline was build-
ing a Youngster II. Both were willing to
help me get started. This was a lifesaver.
They not only knew where to get supplies
and parts, but also were experienced
builders. Over the next five years we
helped each other. We ended up finishing
all our projects within a few months of
each other.
The first thing I needed was a place
to build. My two-car garage turned into
a hangar. The list of tools I needed
strained my budget, but I managed to
get what I could to start. I didnt realize
how many tools it would take to finish
the Mustang.
So I had a place to work, tools, and
some materials. Within the first year, I
taught myself enough of the skills that I
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RAYMOND ALLEN
finished the fuselage from the tail to the
firewall and the main wing spar carry-
through, received the main wing spars,
and completed most of the 4130 steel
parts. The year was also about bonding
with other homebuilders and learning
from their experiences. All these years
later, they are still my friends.
By the end of the second year, I com-
pleted the wing spar jig. I also finished the
wing ribsnot so easy, since the wings are
tapered and there are lots of different-
sized ribs. I also finished the vertical and
horizontal tail, and made and installed
most of the 4130 parts.
The third year we completed the wings,
elevator, rudder, ailerons, flaps, engine
mount, and a 16-gallon gas tank. The fuel
gauge was from a Ford Model A, and I
mounted it low enough that it could be
seen from the cockpit. All surface rivets
are countersunk. Its a lot of work, but
worth it in the end.
One day, while drilling holes with a No.
30 drill, my friend Phil Cline was holding a
block behind to support the aluminum. I
accidentally drilled a hole in his finger. We
both looked at it, but neither of us said a
word. I pretended to put a Cleco in it, and
we both had a good laugh. He put on a
Band-Aid, and we kept working.
The fourth year saw the engine pur-
chased and installed. I bought a
carburetor, starter, and running lights and
installed them, and I decided to add a cus-
tom tilt-up canopy.
I planned to purchase a cowling, but it
would have needed lots of mods because
of my cross-over exhaust system. Also, I
didnt really like the looks of the original,
so I decided to make my own. This was a
longer project than I expected, but I was
happy with the way it turned out. Bud
Sitz, the Starduster builder, made beauti-
ful upholstery for the inside and
fabricated a great headrest. The black
upholstery looked good against the alumi-
num cockpit.
By the fifth year the instruments were
purchased and installed, and all wiring
and engine controls were in place. With
the cross-over exhaust system installed,
the airplane was ready for an engine start.
We moved it from its hangar to my back-
yard. Well, the starter barely turned the
engine over, so we decided to prop it. After unexpectedly popped off the ground. Since
a few tries, it started. That should have I had used up much of the runway, I wasnt
been an exciting accomplishment, and it sure I could land and stop in time, so I
was, but gas had collected in the bottom of applied more power and flew the pattern.
the cowling and caught fire. We scrambled What an exciting day it was.
for the water hose, but the flames went out Over the next 12 years I flew the
before we could get water on them. We Mustang almost 1,000 hours. My first long
solved the problem by drilling a hole in the trip was to the EAA fly-in convention. I
bottom of the cowling to keep any gas from told my friends it would be a long flight.
collecting there. They said, no, it would be lots of short
The night before we were to paint it, I flights. I always remember that when I
received my copy of EAA Sport Aviation take long trips.
magazine with a picture of Clay Lacys Oshkosh is the ultimate place to take a
P-51 Mustang with an unusual pink or homebuilt. I flew the Mustang there twice.
grape color. The next day I took the pic- My last flight in the Midget Mustang was
ture to the paint store and had them match when I delivered it to an airline pilot in
it. It would now be pink, or whatever that Phoenix. [According to FAA records, its
color was. We took it to Chino (California) registration expired in 2011 and was not
Airport, where it would be test-flown. Phil renewed.Eds.]
and Bud already had their airplanes there. Years later I would build a fiberglass
Its a good airport for test-flying, because Lancair ES and a carbon fiber Lancair
it has a long runway and very few struc- Legacy with my son-in-law. They were
tures nearby. both good and fun airplanes, but I
Several taxi runs tested the tracking, will always remember the joy of the
brakes, and ground handling. We decided Midget Mustang.
to do some high-speed taxi tests down the
runway. I lined up and started gradually E-mail Raymond at rayallenlegacy@gmail.com.
picking up speed when the Mustang
AIRCRAFT SUBMISSIONS
SHARE YOUR CRAFTSMANSHIP WITH EAA SPORT AVIATION READERS WORLDWIDE! Send us a photo and description of
your project and well consider using it in What Our Members Are Building/Restoring. Please include your name,
address, and EAA number. We reserve the right to edit descriptions. For guidelines on how to get the best photo of
aircraft, visit www.SportAviation.org.
MAIL: EAA Publications, Aircraft Projects, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
E-MAIL: editorial@eaa.org
www.eaa.org111
H
ANDS ON
WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE BUILDING/RESTORING
WISCONSIN SONEX
AFTER I HAD BUILT and own a KR-2, a
Kolb Mark III, and a Protech PT-2, my
wife, Linda, convinced me to build one
more. She even helped pay for it.
While we were attending the Sonex
workshop, we ordered our kit with the
AeroVee engine. Work started in late
summer 2010, and it took a little more
112Sport AviationJuly 2013
than two years to complete and get
inspected. I finished it with PPG poly-
urethane in OSHA Safety yellow with
Traffic purple trim. First flight was
November 3, 2012.
Performance with the AeroVee is
about as advertised. I nd the Sonex very
responsive and a joy to y. With the large
flaps, it is much easier to land than the
KR-2. We do miss our Kolb with its
great visibility, but we wanted some-
thing faster to try to keep up to the
other members of EAA Chapter 897 in
Juneau, Wisconsin.
Ben Ludtke, EAA 121302; Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
CANADA
SAM LS
FIVE YEARS AGO, I wanted a retro-
looking aircraft, like the trainers of
the golden age, but with modern
comfort, construction, and ying
manners. That didnt exist! So I
decided to build it from scratch
with the help of aeronautical engi-
neers and designers. The SAM LS,
named for my son, is built to LSA
standards. Empty weight is 830
pounds, maximum gross weight is
1,320 pounds, and cruising speed is
130 mph. I am looking for partners
to launch production of the SAM
LS in kit form or ready to y.
Thierry Zibi, EAA 852851
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
E-mail: thierry.zibi@sam-aircraft.com
ARIZONA RV-12
I RECEIVED ALL the airframe kits from
Vans Aircraft in September 2010 and
completed the aircraft over a 15-month
period in the 750 hours stated by Vans.
The aircraft was certicated as an E-LSA
in March 2012. All the performance num-
bers match the claims by Vans. Having
built three other projects, I cant say
enough good things about the quality of
the RV-12 kit. They really got it right!

Richard Schaller, EAA 259131; Avondale, Arizona

E-mail: rfschaller@hotmail.com

CANADA Q2
I PUT IN MORE than 2,000 hours to build this modied Q2.
Performance is quite good with the 150-hp direct-drive, 2.5-
liter, turbocharged Subaru engine. It climbs fast and cruise is
very quick. Landing is like any other Q2, except I have a larger
rudder, and I love the ground handling with the new tail wheel
designmuch easier to keep straight.
Id like to thank Don Poole from Helena, Montana, an aircraft
painter who helped with the painting and colors. The original
builder was John Cheek. He and I became very close friends
when I helped him with his rewall forward and some other
work on this airplane. I test-ew it for him, and then he suddenly
passed away. He wanted to y it to Oshkosh but never did. I miss
him very much, and would like to bring the airplane to Oshkosh.

Reginald W. Clarke, EAA 376693; Coalhurst, Alberta, Canada

KENTUCKY
MURPHY SR2500 SUPER REBEL
OVER THE 11 AND a half years of building our Murphy SR2500 Super Rebel,
whenever anyone asked the question, When will that plane y? I responded
with, Thursday. So it was appropriate that the rst ight of N46DJ was on
Thursday, August 23, 2012.
The Super Rebel is powered by a 260-hp Lycoming O-540, which I rebuilt
under the guidance and tutelage of Bud Brown from New Washington,
Indiana. In addition, we converted the O-540 to an IO-540 by installing
Airow Performances fuel-injection system. To further modernize, we dis-
pensed with the magnetos and installed dual Light Speed Engineering
electronic ignitions. The panel includes a Dynon EFIS and engine monitor, as
well as a King IFR radio stack. Innity Aerospaces grips keep the starter,
push-to-talk, radio ip-op, and lighting controls at hand while ying.
Bowman Field, home of EAA Chapter 110, has a great community of home-
builders, and through that network, my wife, Joy, and I received invaluable
assistance, advice, and support. Now that the work is done, we can really start
enjoying our labor of love.

Don Jeries, EAA 371855, and Joy Jeries, EAA 446204; Louisville, Kentucky
E-mail: macbean@bellsouth.net; Flight advisor: Gregory Gruninger

www.eaa.org113
HANDS ON
INNOVATION ON THE FLY
The paint scheme on Jerry Esquenazis RV-8 went through several
incarnations before it was finally applied to the live airplane.
Time to Make It Pretty
Designing a paint scheme for your project
By Mark PHELPS
For many builders, the paint scheme of their project stands front
and center during two very different timesthe very first and then
the very last phase of the building experience. And, sometimes, its
apt to change a lot in between.
The image they have for a paint scheme is often an integral part
of the dream phase, perhaps even before theyve decided on which
airplane kit or design theyre going to buy. Its when the builders
minds eye envisions the completed airplane taxiing out for takeoff
on a warm summer evening, or arriving at a favorite destination
airport to the admiring stares of the usual airport fence hangers.
That vision usually includes the anticipated shiny finish and mark-
ings that might play a large part of the decision-making process
that leads them to choose their particular model.
Then follows the arduous building process. The builders
abstract vision of the completed and painted airplane gets tucked
away as the day-to-day mental image of the project evolves
through several phases. Theres the assembled parts on the shop
floor; the first completed tail surface that actually looks like it
114Sport AviationJuly 2013
belongs on an airplane; the (mostly) com-
pleted fuselage on its landing gear, with
the builder sitting inside making airplane
noises; first running of the engine; that
stubborn component or assembly that
takes much longer than anticipated to
complete; and all the parts and pieces
coming together for final assembly. All
these phases are part of how the builder
sees his project, and the view at the end is
sometimes a lot different from the vision
at the onset.
Craig Barnett understands the process of
deciding on a paint scheme better than just
about anyone else. In 1997 he founded
Scheme Designers, a professional service
that helps builders, and owners of certified
aircraft, develop and perfect new paint
PHOTOGRAPHY courtesy of Jerry Esquenazi
schemes. Partly because they are priced so
reasonably (too cheap, according to Craig)
more than 10,000 of Scheme Designers
projects are flying.
Craig sets up a dedicated website for
each customer, and they use that platform to
share photographs, keywords describing
their wants and desires, and drawings of sev-
eral potential paint schemes as the project
moves through the process. It can some-
times take years, and the one-time fee covers
all the services. Currently averaging around
$1,400 for a paint scheme design, its one of
the most cost-effective services available for
homebuilders who want to be sure their
scheme is the best it can be.
Homebuilders have an advantage [over
certified aircraft owners repainting their
airplanes], Craig said. They start planning
earlier, and they have a long time to reflect
on their paint scheme. The best schemes
come from careful long-term considerations.
Having that picture up on the wall of the
hangar throughout the building process is a
great incentive.
When it comes time to design the icing
on their homebuilt cake, builders approach
it in varying ways, depending on their origi-
nal vision, their own capabilities, and their
budgets. Some know exactly what they want.
Others have only a vague idea, but theyll
know it when they see it. Scheme
Designers uses computer and Internet tech-
nology to ensure not only that they have all
the options covered, but also that the design
can be applied precisely by the paint shop.
Many of my clients wind up making a
complete change in direction after months
of reflection, Craig said. He cited the
example of a patriotic RV-8 builder who
told him, I want a flag, but I dont want it
to look like a flag. After several back-and-
forth tries, the design he agreed upon was
an airbrushed facsimile of an American flag
draped over the airplane. Then he went
silent for nine months, Craig said, which
is normal.
When the builder finally got back in
touch, hed decided that, after looking up at
the design on the wall for all that time, it was
too much. Craig said, We came up with a
much simpler designpatriotic, in red,
white, and blue. But not a flag. The builder
wound up a happy customer.
Craig said he walks the flightline at
Oshkosh and sees a lot of airplanes that have
afterthought paint schemes, and he finds
that disappointing. They put all that effort
into building a perfect airplanemetalwork,
electronics, the engine compartmentbut
when they have a boring paint scheme, no
one will look.
He also sees the not-so-happy results of
builders who will bring a photograph of a
paint scheme (sometimes one of his) to a
paint shop and say, Put something like
www.eaa.org115
 INNOVATION ON THE FLY
They put all that
effort into building
a perfect airplane
metalwork, electronics,
the engine compartment
but when they have a
boring paint scheme,
no one will look.
this on my plane. While it may seem like
a prudent idea, it doesnt always work
out. Most often, working from just a
photo, theyll mess up the proportions
and dimensions. Usually, they oversize
the white space and undersize the
stripes. Or they even might try to copy it
directly, which isa little insulting. Its
happened that the two airplanes park
side by side at a fly-in. It would be like
two teenage girls showing up at the prom
in the same dress.
Craig compares his interactions with
paint shops to the relationship between an
architect and a builder. He delivers
detailed specs and measurements that
make the paint shops job far easier and
precise, with little margin for error. He
also communicates directly with the shop,
answering any questions with knowledge
and insight gained from more than a
decade and a half of experience. What the
builder sees on the computer screen is
almost always what the final product
looks like.
Jerry Esquenazi is a typical customer
for Scheme Designers. A Delta Air Lines
pilot, he completed his RV-8 in early 2007,
but had no clear idea of a paint scheme
when he started the two-year building pro-
cess. He said, I only knew I wanted
something unique and eye-catchingin a
good way.
Ironically, his first impression of
Scheme Designers was not good. He col-
lected photos of some paint schemes and
116Sport AviationJuly 2013
keywords to send, but the designs he
received back were nothing like what he
had envisioned. Then he realized he had
left off all the attachments in his original
e-mail, and the designers had simply fol-
lowed his instructions to use their
imagination. After the designers received
the images, the project took off.
They asked, Do you like any ele-
ments of each successive design? Jerry
said, After their coaching, I realized I
wanted the following themes: patriotic,
futuristic, never seen beforeand I also
knew I wanted it to make people feel
drawn to look at it more closely when
they see it from a distance. He chose the
most conservative of the three designs
they sent back and was close to approv-
ing it when he decided on an entirely
new direction.
Thats common, Craig said. And its
the best part about the long decision pro-
cess. Jerry took four months to
contemplate his design, and wound up
going back to one of the other prototypes,
but modifying it significantly to come up
with the scheme seen in the photograph
accompanying this article.
In the end, Jerry could not have been
happier. And his satisfaction is amplified
by the realization that it was the time and
energy he took in making his decision
that gave him the design that he knows
works best for him. Without the thought
and processing, his RV-8 might have
turned out much less satisfying to look
at, and to fly.
There are many homebuilders who
are talented designers, and it certainly
isnt necessary to seek out professional
assistance to get excellent results. But if
you are less confident about getting
exactly what you wantand will con-
tinue to draw satisfaction from years
laterthen theres no shame in getting a
little help from someone with a track
record like Scheme Designers. EAA
Mark Phelps, EAA 139610, is an aviation writer living
in New Jersey. He is the former editor of EAAs Vintage
Airplane magazine and the owner-pilot of a 1954
Beechcraft Bonanza.
H
ANDS ON
HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS

MEASURING
TRICK

Simple
IDEA FROM JERRY PAVEGLIO, EAA 273621; WRITTEN BY CHARLIE BECKER

ON OUR EAA STAFF build of the Zenith CH 750 you

have to drill two holes in aluminum plate to

Clamp match the landing gear fitting supplied. Rather

than trying to guess where the center of a bolt is,
line up the front edge of the fitting with your first
BY TIM HOVERSTEN, EAA 598743; EAA TECHNICAL AVIATION SPECIALIST hole location. Then use the front edge of the sec-
ond bolt for your second hole. Youll find using
the edge of a bolt for measurement is much easier
HERE IS A TIP for a simple clamp that really works than trying to guess where the center of a bolt is.
well when gluing up your wood fuselage members
on the table jig, especially when the piece starts to
curve. Simply make a wedge and nail a wood piece
to use the wedge against. The pressure placed on
the joint increases the more you tap the wedge,
and the wedge will not damage the member if it is
the same thickness.

GOT A HINT?

SEND YOUR TIPS to cbecker@eaa.org.

118Sport AviationJuly 2013 ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS LIVIERI

H
ANDS ON
HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS

Clamps in
a Pinch
BY TIM HOVERSTEN, EAA 598743; EAA TECHNICAL
AVIATION SPECIALIST

HAVE YOU EVER needed just one more

clamp for your project, but dont have
the time or inclination to go out and
buy another one?
Convert an ordinary pliers into a
clamp by placing multiple rubber
bands over the handles to adjust
clamping pressure. More rubber bands
equal more clamping pressure.
Another alternative would be to use
a zip tie instead of rubber bands, which
would also allow you to fine-tune the
clamping pressure as well. This works
best if the handles of your pliers are
rubber-coated.
A third handy clamp is a binder
clip, which you can find at office
supply stores. They are cheap and
easy to use, but be aware that the pres-
sure increases with the size and is
not adjustable.
Remember: You also want to cush-
ion the jaws of the pliers using scrap
materials so that you do not mar your
work pieces.

120 Sport Aviation July 2013 ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS LIVIERI

HANDS ON
SHOP TALK
Shortcut
Slip Roller
A DIY solution for curving sheet metal
By BUDD DAVISSON
Is there anyone reading this that hasnt had to come up with a quick
and dirty way of forming a flat curve in sheet metal? Whether it was a
leading edge, a turtledeck, or a cover for the barbecue, weve all faced
the challenge of putting a curve in sheet metal, and quite often weve
come up with some creative ways of accomplishing the task.
Forming it around a lally column in the basement is a favorite. Or
maybe around a welding tank. And a shop vacuum combined with
plastic sheeting has formed many a leading edge.
However, in almost every case, were a slip roller of the right
dimension available, that would have been the hands-down choice.
Now, courtesy of DIY airplane builder and toolmaker Daniele
Beltrame (EAA 326261 of Vedelago, Italy), any of us can build a slip
roller of any size. Better yet, once the materials are in hand, we can
do it in a long Saturday and have a tool we will undoubtedly find use
for long after the project at hand is finished.
One of the factors that makes building a slip roller so easy is that
the metal rolling demands of homebuilders are light duty at best.
Its not as if were asking a slip roller to bend 10-gauge cold roll steel.
Aluminum is much easier to work, so a slip roller doesnt need to be
of industrial quality. Plus, were not going to be using it day-in and
122Sport AviationJuly 2013
day-out. For most of us, well do a few criti-
cal bends and then be on to the next project.
However, the rollers do have to be stiff
enough to resist deforming under load. And
the wider the roller, the heavier the rollers.
Still, because the load in a slip roller is
evenly distributed from one end of the roll-
ers to the other, theres no reason to go
overboard with the weight of the rollers. A
0.250-inch wall should more than do it.
The good news for the DIY slip roller
builder is that these are not highly precise
machines, so theres not much machining
involved in building one. It is only critical
that the two fixed rollers be parallel (or
adjustable so they can be made parallel) and
that the face of the rollers be smooth and
free of defects that might result in marks in
the material being worked. A polished sur-
face is best, but not critical.
All this having been said, it has to be rec-
ognized that if someone is doing highly
accurate work and a lot of it, a slip roller
such as this may be too crude. However, it
should also be pointed out that many of the
lower-priced slip rollers that sell for around
$200 are also crude, and we can do better
than that for the same or less money. Plus
we can make them as wide as we need.
Priced a 48-inch roller lately? Even the
cheap ones will make you gag.
Materials
Roller diameter isnt super-critical, but 1.5-2
inches will work for our use at lengths less
than 48 inches. The wall should be at least
0.250-inch to give both stiffness and enough
material to machine to fit bearings, if that
turns out to be necessary. DOM tubing
would be the hot ticket here because its
concentric and has a good surface finish. It
will run between $6 and $10 a foot, depend-
ing on how much you buy. So a 36-inch
roller will use $90 of tubing at most. Its
conceivable we could do this with galva-
nized pipe, but getting a smooth surface
might be difficult.
The bearings dont have to be high
speed, high load units. Any old ball/roller
bearings will work as long as theyll accept a
5/8-inch or larger bolt and the outer diame-
ter is close to the inner diameter of the
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESy of DANIELE BELTRAME
SHOP TALK

tubing. With a little juggling of tubing size

The lower two rollers will be fixed in The bearings bolt to the end plates, not the
and bearing diameter, you can find a com-
position, while the top one is the floater. rollers. So, once you have the end plates and
bination that will eliminate having to have
However, notice the difference in the way that hand crank made up, you can make other roll-
a bearing recess turned in the tubing.
the two ends of the top roller, the floater, are ers of any length and simply mount the end
McMaster-Carr (You have them book-
fixed. One end just adjusts up and down, while plates in different places on the 2-by-6 (or a
marked, right?) has a wide range of
the other end adjusts up and down and mounts piece of channel iron, should you desire). So, in
bearing sizes that will also run $6-$10 a
the crank, so it has a bearing carrier built into it. one unit, you can have both a 1-foot roller and a
piece, or less than $60 total. Daniele said,
All of the work can be of blacksmith quality 4-foot roller or anywhere in between.
I found all of my bearings in a scrapyard,
except the location of the bearing bolt holes in When Daniele threw this together, he
and I pay with a couple bottles of wine
the end plates. They need to be fairly exact. was in a hurry to get his Midget Mustang
and a salami! The floater axle holes are slotted. skins rolled, so his focus in building the slip
Note that to get a piece of metal that
The end plates dont have to be bent from roller was function, not looks. Get er done.
youve rolled into a complete cylinder out,
flat stock. Buy a foot of 4-inch by 2-inch by However, you can get as fancy or as simple
the top roller has to be unbolted.
3/16-inch rectangular tubing and cut to as you want. Knowing homebuilders as we
Also notice that Danieles simplistic
shape with a cutting wheel on an angle-head do, were certain that, using this as a starting
approach to everything had him mounting the
hand grinder and youre in business. point, well see some pretty sophisticated-
entire thing on a looking machines built. EAA
2-inch by 6-inch
Once the materials are in hand, we can do it piece of lumber Budd Davisson is an aeronautical engineer, has flown
via deck screws.
in a long Saturday and have a tool we will Simple enough
more than 300 different types, and has published four
books and more than 4,000 articles. He is editor-in-chief

undoubtedly find use for long after the project for you? And of Flight Journal magazine and a flight instructor primarily
think about this: in Pitts/tailwheel aircraft. Visit him on www.AirBum.com.
at hand is finished.

One of the features of Daniele Beltrames super-

simple slip roller is that it can be made in any
length desired. Twenty-seven inches was plenty
for the roller work his Midget Mustang demanded.

The end plates, which mount the bearings the

rollers roll on, were cut from commonly available
2-inch by 4-inch by 3/16-inch wall steel tubing.
This material is most easily trimmed with a cut-off
wheel in an angle head grinder.

Many slip rollers have all three rollers driven by a

series of gears connected to a crank. Daniele was
rolling easily worked aluminum, so only the top,
adjustable roller would be crank-driven. As the
roller is moved up and down, the curve changes.

Both ends of the top roller can be adjusted

vertically via the adjustment screw. One end simply
floats, while the other is driven by the crank. This
draws the metal in. The crank turns the bolt that
goes through a bearing to the top roller.

124Sport AviationJuly 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESy of DANIELE BELTRAME

SHOP TALK

The top roller has one end welded closed with a nut
attached that accepts the thread that is turned by
the crank. Make the plug for the end with the right-
sized hole saw, so the hole is already centered.

The non-driven end of the top roller is held in

position via the homemade adjustment screw that
is positioned by threaded tubing with a nut on top.
The bolt that goes through the middle of the bearing
threads into the nut that adjusts up and down.

The rollers rotate on inexpensive roller/ball bearings,

which are bolted to the end plates and available
from McMaster-Carr for less than $10. Their inner
diameter should be at least 1/2 inch, and the bolts
need only be Grade 5 hardware store bolts.

Daniele used a 1-3/8-inch top roller and a 1-5/8-

inch bottom tube. Diameter isnt critical, but the
wall thickness is. If the roller length is fairly short, a
foot or so, 1/8-inch wall will probably work, but 1/4-
inch is better. Cut bearing recesses where needed.

This clearly shows how simple the machine

can be. The crank is welded to a nut, which
is threaded onto the top roller axle and
fixed in position by a jam nut.

The roller isnt limited to sheet

metal. Here, an extruded
aluminum channel is bent.

The 1/8-inch by 1-inch strap

isnt even a challenge.

To remove a full cylinder, the

top roller must be unbolted.

126Sport AviationJuly 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESy of DANIELE BELTRAME

MemberCentral p.130 Pilot Caves p.132 News From HQ p.138 Gone West p.140 Members/Chapters in Action

QUESTIONS ABOUT
YOUR MEMBERSHIP?
Want to change your address or need
other assistance? EAAs Membership
Services sta is available to assist you
Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.
to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Central time).
Call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322),
e-mail membership@eaa.org, or
visit www.EAA.org/membership.

TIMELESS VOICES
OF AVIATION
Since 2002, EAAs Timeless Voices
of Aviation program has been
preserving aviation history
through rsthand accounts of
those who lived it. More than
1,200 people have shared The
Spirit of Aviation through the
telling of their own experiences.
Some of the names are
legendary, such as Frank Borman,
commander of the Apollo 8
mission in 1968, while others are
known only to their friends and
family, like World War II veteran
Tom Tamraz.
Each of these accounts is an
important piece of aviations
rich history. Visit www.EAA.org/
timelessvoices to hear these stories,
learn about that history, and be
inspired to make your own.

Frank Borman, a NASA astronaut and commander of Apollo 8,

was interviewed for the Timeless Voices program in 2008.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK www.eaa.org 129

MEMBERCENTRAL
PILOT CAVES
PILOT CAVES

Pilot: Danny Linkous, EAA 86853

Location: Miller Air Park Airport (NC30), Mooresville, North Carolina

DANNYS NEIGHBORS at Miller Air Park have dubbed his

hangar The Museum for the dozens of aeronautical
collectibles it houses. The rst airplane magazine Danny
ever purchased, a 1964 issue of Air Classics, is framed
on a wall, along with his rst leather ight helmet and
others worn while ying ghter jets in the United States
Air Force. Donated pieces of World War II memorabilia
ll numerous display cases, and more than 1,000 books
ll Dannys library in the back of the hangar.
Dannys 1944 de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth, one
of 15 aircraft he has owned, has resided in the hangar
since 2007. His favorite part of the hangar is a photo of
his childhood hero and mentor, the late Capt. Charles
Oscar Tate Jr., that hangs over the door leading to the
runway. To Danny, the image represents the inspiration,
guidance, and opportunities Oscar passed on to him
years ago.

Do you have an interesting pilot cave? Send a snapshot to

knelson@eaa.org to share your aviation space with fellow EAA
Sport Aviation readers.

130Sport AviationJuly 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DANNY LINKOUS

MEMBERCENTRAL
NEWS FROM HQ
First Honor Flight for
Vietnam Vets
FOR THE FIRST TIME this summer, Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight, in
partnership with American Airlines and Oshkosh Corp., will
bring a group of Vietnam veterans to our nations capital, and
that flight will depart from AirVenture Oshkosh on Friday,
August 2.
Old Glory Honor Flight Inc. has flown groups of World War
II veterans to Washington from AirVenture for the past three
years. This years one-time flight commemorates the 40th an-
niversary of the end of hostilities in Vietnam and will give 100
veterans the opportunity to visit the powerful Vietnam Veter-
ans Memorial Wall and other sites honoring their service and
sacrifice. The flight is part of the Salute to Veterans activities
throughout the day.
AIRVENTURE PRESENTATIONS SCHEDULE ONLINE
THE SCHEDULE FOR EAA AirVenture Oshkosh presentations, including
forums and workshops, evening programs, Authors Corner, and other
highlights is available for attendees to build their own personal sched-
ule at Oshkosh.
With more than 1,000 listings, experts will share their knowledge
from across the spectrum of ightfrom nding the best hardware for
your airplane to what its like to y in space, and everything in between.
132Sport AviationJuly 2013
The veterans return to Oshkosh that eve-
ning will be the nale of the air show. After
landing, the plane will pull onto Phillips 66
Plaza and the veterans will be greeted by
thousands of AirVenture attendees, receiving
the welcome-home reception they deserved
so many years ago.
After a very special ceremony, an evening
concert by Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band
ends the Salute to Veterans daylong celebra-
tion. The Lt. Dan Band concert is hosted by
the Disabled American Veterans and the EAA
Warbirds of America.
The forums schedule, available at
www.EAAApps.org, is searchable by date/
time, venue, and presenter. Many of the favor-
ite speakers at Oshkosh return every year to
appreciative audiences.
The forums at AirVenture are supported
by Honda Aircraft Company.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEANNETTE MERTEN
 MEMBERCENTRAL

WORLDS ONLY PRIVATELY OWNED HARRIER RETURNING TO OSHKOSH

EAA WELCOMES BACK the worlds only private-
ly owned ying BAE Sea Harrier F/A2 to
AirVenture Oshkosh 2013, as Art Nalls will
bring his showstopping VTOL jump jet to
Wittman Regional Airport.
Nalls, EAA 689513/Warbirds 549224, plans
to arrive on the weekend prior to opening day
and perform several ying demonstrations
before departing on Thursday, August 1. Flight
times have yet to be nalized, but itll be obvi-
ous when the Harrier is ying; when the thun-
derous Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk.106 vectored Many air shows rely on military airplanes,
thrust turbofans come to life, everyones head so we do what we can.
turns toward the ightline.
Nalls acquired the aircraft from Britains
Royal Navy surplus. Its the second Sea Harri-
er ever manufactured and the oldest survivor.
This year the airplane has seen a large
spike in demand due to the widespread can-
cellation of U.S. military aircraft at air shows
brought about by the federal budget cut-
backs. Our schedule is full this year, he said.

RETURN OF CHAMPIONS CELEBRATES THE BEST OF THE BEST

THERES NOTHING QUITE like winning a Gold or Silver Lindy at
Oshkosh. This year EAA is giving past winners another chance
to shine, as AirVenture invites all past Grand Champions and Re-
serve Grand Champions to attend the weeklong Return of Cham-
pions celebration.
Owners are cordially invited to participate in the festivities, and
well make it worth their while; theyll receive a complimentary week-
ly wristband, special display signage, and a commemorative plaque.
These Oshkosh icons will be spotlighted through daily aerial
performances and special parking displays on Phillips 66 Plaza as
well as in their respective areas. Phillips 66 Plaza will also host spe-
cial Champions in Review sessions daily Monday through Saturday,
featuring select champions from the various judging categories.
To learn more or to RSVP, visit www.SportAviation.org.

www.eaa.org133
MEMBERCENTRAL
NEWS FROM HQ

HISTORY REVEALED AT WARBIRDS IN REVIEW

THE EVER-POPULAR Warbirds in Review program launches into
its 12th year at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013 with two daily
presentations about well-known military aircraft and the people
who flew them. Presentations take place at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.,
Monday, July 29, through Sunday, August 4, at the special aircraft
display area on Warbird Alley.
Program Chairwoman Connie Bowlin has a stellar lineup, as
usual. Airplanes to be featured include a C-53 (transport version
of the DC-3/C-47), P-51 Mustangs, P-40 Warhawk, F4U Wildcat,
a rare Lockheed Ventura PV-2 Harpoon, C-7 Caribou, and even a
Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter, better known as the Huey.

AEROMART TO OPEN A DAY EARLIER

EAAS AEROMART at AirVenture will open a
full day earlier than usual starting this year,
as vendors can begin to check in their items
at noon on Saturday, July 27. Aeromart will
then be open for business on Monday, July
29, through Saturday, August 3.
The EAA Aeromart, run by EAAs Vintage
Aircraft Association volunteers, offers a place
for enthusiasts to buy and sell their unused
aviation-related parts and tools. Sellers make
a few dollars, while builders/restorers can
get good deals to help nish their projects.
The EAA Aeromart is managed by Chair-
man Paul Kyle and is run by more than 80
VAA volunteers. Close to 20,000 EAA attend-
ees browse the swap meet-style tent annually
in their quest to nd just the right part.
Aeromart is located at the end of Mulva
Waythe southeast road after passing EAA volunteer Randy Novak helps check in items at Aeromart,
through AirVentures main entrance. AirVentures aviation swap meet that opens a full day earlier in 2013.

REPRODUCTION OF WORLDS FIRST AIRLINER COMING TO OSHKOSH

A REPRODUCTION OF the airplane that ew the
worlds rst scheduled airline service between
St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida, will be on
prominent display in the Vintage area at Osh-
kosh. The Benoist Type XIV is a biplane ying
boat being re-created for the Duluth Aviation
Institute in Hangar 10 at Duluth, Minnesotas
Sky Harbor Airport.
Project leader Mark Marino, EAA 268003/
Vintage 720929, said the goal was to re-create a
true ying reproduction of the Lark of Duluth
a wood and fabric aircraft built in St. Louis in
1912 by the Benoist Aircraft Company. It rst
gained prominence at Duluths Lark O the
Lake Festival in 1913.
The project began in 2010 following
months of research, as no plans exist for the
airplane, Marino said.
After participating in the this months
centennial celebration of that event, the plane
will be disassembled, transported to Oshkosh,
and put back together for prominent display
in front of the VAA Red Barn throughout the
week at AirVenture. The plane will not y at
Oshkosh, however, due to logistics (it is a sea-
plane only) and safety reasons.

SEE BLOCKBUSTERS, AVIATION CLASSICS AT EAA FLY-IN THEATER

ALONG WITH DISNEYS Planes on Friday, August
2, get ready for several Hollywood blockbust-
ers and fun aviation classics at EAAs Fly-In
Theater, presented by Ford Motor Company.
Other movies include Octopussy on Sun-
day, July 28; Iron Man 2 on Monday, July 29;
Skyfall on Wednesday, July 31; The Avengers
on Thursday, August 1; and Those Magnicent
Men in Their Flying Machines on Saturday,
August 3. (A special presentation is scheduled
for Tuesday, July 30, and will be announced at
a later date.)
The Fly-In Theater lms, which are includ-
ed in AirVenture daily admission, are shown
on a ve-story-high screen under the stars.
Located adjacent to Camp Scholler, the theater
hosts celebrity presenters that in past years
have included Harrison Ford, John Travolta,
and George Lucas. A lineup of lm presenters
will be announced as they are conrmed.

134Sport AviationJuly 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL BOWEN, JIM LABRE, AND MICHAEL STEINEKE
MEMBERCENTRAL
NEWS FROM HQ
EARLY ARRIVAL GROUP CAMPING IN NORTH
40 NOW AVAILABLE
RESPONDING TO REQUESTS from EAA members, the North 40 aircraft
camping area will now accept groups camping together in a new North
Corral in 2013.
The North Corral area, located on the north side of Runway 9/27 be-
tween taxiways B1 and B2, is a trial offering in 2013. It is open to groups
of between ve and 15 aircraft that are arriving at Oshkosh on July 24-
26, prior to the full implementation of FAAs Oshkosh NOTAM.
Each year we receive several requests for groups to camp together
in the North 40 despite arriving at different times, but the traffic ow in
that area doesnt typically allow for those operations, said EAAs John
Carrier, the staff liaison to the North 40 operations. We worked with
the North 40 volunteer leadership to create an area where we could test
a concept this year. How well it works in 2013 will determine how well
move forward with it in future years.
A link to register for group camping slots in the North Corral by Fri-
day, July 12, is available at www.SportAviation.org. Group leaders should
be sure to review all guidelines for this inaugural effort.
WORLDS ONLY FLYING WACO 9 TO MAKE
FIRST OSHKOSH VISIT
ITS AN AIRPLANE the likes
of which has never been
seen at the EAA Oshkosh
convention, and thats
saying a lot! But this
year Frank Pavliga, EAA
111054/Vintage 19553, of
Atwater, Ohio, will bring
his one-of-a-kind Cur-
tiss OX-5 powered 1925
Standard Waco 9 biplane
Miss Gilmore to AirVen-
ture 2013.
A Waco 9 was at
the 1962 annual EAA gathering in Rockford, Illinois, and Pavliga
plans to end the 51-year drought when he flies his rarity to Osh-
kosh this month.
Its the only one ying as far as Im aware, Pavliga said. Pavligas Reserved ightline seating at show center
father, with whom he built a Pietenpol, acquired the airplanes wings
at an Academy of Model Aeronautics event in the 1990s. The actual re-
building project started in 1998 and was completed last year.
When it arrives at Oshkosh, Pavligas plane will be prominently
displayed among a number of other unique radial engine aircraft in the
Vintage areas Round Engine Rodeo attraction. Steve Krog, whos lead-
ing that effort, said the Waco 9 will be featured in a Vintage in Review
program, and is planning to conduct a daily engine startup of the OX-5
engine so folks can get a chance to listen to the distinct sound of the V-8
liquid-cooled engine.
Pavliga said he planned to arrive in Oshkosh on the Sunday before
opening day after stops in Indiana and the annual Pietenpol gathering
in Brodhead, Wisconsin.
136Sport AviationJuly 2013
WHOS WHO AT HQ
Name: Bret Steen, EAA Lifetime 870589
Position: Director of Education
Describe what you do: I work with all of our
education-related programs and have some
oversight of the Young Eagles program, Eagle
Flights, and chapters.
What did you do prior to working for EAA? I was a school
principal and administrator for 10 years, and a social studies and
English teacher for eight years.
What aircraft do you own? I own a Piper Warrior and a project
Cessna 140A that I purchased last summer.
What is your most unique EAA experience? I am working on a
project for the B-17 tour, so I make every excuse I can to crawl around
in Aluminum Overcast. I was able to help Paul Poberezny start his
P-64 in February. It was very cool to be around a one-of-a-kind person
and airplane for their reunion.
Most memorable person you met through EAA? Paul
Poberezny is my favorite personality I have met. I love to hear him
talk about his time in the military and the earliest days of EAA. Even
though EAA has grown, I think it is important to understand the
intentions of the founders so we can nd the right path forward for
our members.
What person in aviation would you want to have lunch with?
I have always been fascinated by Antoine de Saint-Exupry. He was a
great aviator and a wonderful author with a unique perspective.
EXPERIENCE AIRVENTURE ON A NEW LEVEL
AT AVIATORS CLUB
ELEVATE YOUR AIRVENTURE experience by reserving a seat at the EAA
Aviators Club, presented by Shell Aviation. The Aviators Club, located on
the ightline adjacent to the Flightline Pavilion, is available only to EAA
members and their guests. Special amenities at the Aviators Club include:
Air conditioning inside and outdoor shade
Restroom facilities with air conditioning and ush toilets
Visits from special guests and air show performers
Daily breakfast and lunch service
Electronics charging station and bag storage
New this year: Enjoy full seating with snack/beverage bar for
Wednesdays night air show, and for Saturdays second night air show,
there will be full seating with dinner. AirVentures air shows are spon-
sored by Rockwell Collins.
Aviators Club hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. and Wednesday and Saturday 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Adult
tickets start at $125 per day, or $700 for the week. Proceeds will help sup-
port EAA Young Eagles, youth education, museum, and ying heritage
programs to further EAAs mission of growing participation in aviation.
Learn more about the Aviators Club or purchase your reservation at
www.SportAviation.org.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON TONEY
MEMBERCENTRAL
Gone West
Not alone into the sunset but into the company of friends who have gone before them.
ARIZONA
Robert Jelinek (EAA 59485), Sun City
CALIFORNIA
Gordon Davis (EAA 1048090), Tehachapi
James Gordon (EAA 662156), Carmel
COLORADO
William Engelking (EAA 280812), Fort Collins
Russell Mayberry (EAA 110579), Fort Collins
James McCoy (EAA 65754), Lakewood
FLORIDA
Lorenz Larry Iwersen (EAA 713211), Palm Harbor
Kemmel Owen (EAA 355412), Hilliard
John Parker (EAA 183024), Hudson
GEORGIA
Vernon Lucas (EAA 286177), Greensboro
HAWAII
Paul Hilburn (EAA 101608), Captain Cook
IDAHO
John Ritter (EAA 1005950), Rathdrum
ILLINOIS
Harley Dahler (EAA 44723), Nokomis
Floyd Haumesser (EAA 254112), Casey
William Ragusi (EAA 406883), Northeld
Clair Schneider (EAA 211017), Hebron
Charles Williams (EAA 7273), Johnsburg
INDIANA
William Farrell (EAA 1041849), Bloomington
John McNelis (EAA 831055), Noblesville
KANSAS
Wayne Harrington (EAA 379921), Overland Park
MAINE
Mary Bowen (EAA 308444), Litcheld
138Sport AviationJuly 2013
MARYLAND
Barry Newgent (EAA 433872), Davidsonville
MASSACHUSETTS
Ernest Holmes (EAA 141108), Orange
Joris Naiman (EAA 399509), Waltham
MICHIGAN
Frank Davis (EAA 1060977), Grandville
Renald Goyette (EAA 72927), Farmington
MISSISSIPPI
Tom Hardy (EAA 569830), Columbus
John Tilton (EAA 800278), Ridgeland
MONTANA
Robert Ruthford (EAA 1028976), Superior
NEVADA
Richard Davison (EAA 736772), Las Vegas
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Edwin Mac MacNeil (EAA 258163),
North Hampton
NEW JERSEY
Leo McDonald (EAA 79177), Harrison
Marc Pierce (EAA 72341), Colts Neck
NORTH CAROLINA
Morton Altman (EAA 85675), Cary
OHIO
Bob Glime (EAA 454621), Birmingham
David Moreland (EAA 1026324), Richwood
OKLAHOMA
William Agent Jr. (EAA 850536), Cookson
Curtiss Matson (EAA 497160), Broken Arrow
Lewis McCall (EAA 209919), Norman
PENNSYLVANIA
Jerome Kardos (EAA 294857), West Pittston
SOUTH CAROLINA
John Sanders (EAA 825793), Summerville
TENNESSEE
Claud McCrory (EAA 1082099), Collierville
Jerry Vanatta (EAA 208164), Chapmansboro
TEXAS
Dale Brooks (EAA 46547), Frisco
Robert Clark (EAA 749801), Lubbock
John Skip Richardson (EAA 411627), Houston
WASHINGTON
Jack Gillette Sr. (EAA 24800), Graham
Paul Messinger (EAA 55789), Port Angeles
Larry Montague (EAA 864411), Prosser
WISCONSIN
Harold Hass (EAA 838618), Cornell
John Jenkins (EAA 497177), Verona
Nicholas Reider (EAA 1056948), Kimberly
AUSTRALIA
Georey James (EAA 555628), Perth,
Western Australia
Stuart Sceney (EAA 1089685), Palmerston,
Northern Territory
CANADA
Charlie Buller (EAA 480722), Caesarea, Ontario
James Prost (EAA 1025479), Camrose, Alberta
Bjarne Westin Jr. (EAA 581714), Calgary, Alberta
James Williams (EAA 553759), Beamsville, Ontario
NEW ZEALAND
Eric Hertz (EAA 1053762), Auckland
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF MILLER
MEMBERCENTRAL
MEMBERS/CHAPTERS IN ACTION
Rescuing the Sandbar Mitchell
BY JEFF SKILES, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITIES AND MEMBER PROGRAMS
EAA MEMBERS AND CHAPTERS have always shared The Spirit of
Aviation by designing, building, and restoring, but occasionally
one of our members takes on a particularly daunting project
that stands out from the crowd. Patrick Mihalek, EAA 529904,
and Todd Trainor, EAA 13759, from Chapter 384 in Brighton,
Michigan, will recover a B-25J Mitchell bomber from a remote
location in Alaska and bring it back to life.
The B-25 served its country from late in World War II until
1959 before it was sold and continued on as a re bomber. In
June 1969, while ghting the Manley Hot Springs res that
would consume more than 2 million acres in Alaska, the bomber
suffered a double engine failure shortly after takeoff from
Fairbanks, possibly due to fuel contamination. With few options
available, the pilot, Herm Gallaher, skillfully landed wheels-up
on a sandbar in the Tanana River. While Herm walked away from
the accident scene, the aircraft was considered a total loss.
The wrecked aircraft was salvaged to remove the engines,
propellers, wheels, and other items of value, but the remainder
140Sport AviationJuly 2013
was abandoned in the Alaskan wilderness.
For 44 years, the airframe has been
waiting for rescue.
This summer, Patrick, a former Young
Eagle, Air Academy camper, Aviation
Explorer, and longtime EAAer, and Todd,
a Vintage Aircraft Association member
and founding director of the Aeronca
Aircraft History Museum, will lead a team
to recover whats left of the airframe and
bring it back to Michigan for restoration.
Patrick and Todds lives have been
immersed in aviation. After graduating
from Western Michigan Universitys
College of Aviation with an A&P
certication, Patrick started Legend of
Aces Aviation with dreams of restoring
and maintaining warbirds. For the past
 MEMBERCENTRAL

ve years, hes done just that. I have worked my way up

from nothing, Patrick said. I now travel frequently to
maintain warbirds around the country, and in my shop I am
restoring three 1940 NA-64 Yale trainers for customers.
For years, Patrick has dreamed about restoring a B-25
Mitchell and building a warbird museum around it, but he
said he thought it would never happenuntil now. I have
found a B-25J Mitchell bomber that can be recovered from
Alaska and restored to ying condition using parts that I
have collected over the past few years.
Patrick and Todd will lead a team to Fairbanks to mount
a recovery operation. The team will travel by airboat to
the sandbar and disassemble as much of the remaining
airframe as possible. The remaining center section will weigh
approximately 2,000 pounds. The team will either airlift it
out, or place it on skids and wait for winter to drag it down the
frozen Tanana River with snowmobiles. From there, it will be
loaded on a truck for the trip back to Michigan.
After decades of vandalism, the Mitchell is far from
complete, but Patrick and Todd have already purchased
parts on eBay and from elsewhere that will complete
the airframe.
It is my goal to rescue her from further pillage, restore
her to her former glory, and allow her to proudly y the skies
over America, Patrick said. Once rescued, the B-25 will
be the pride of the Warbirds of Glory Museum, directed by
Patrick. You can follow the progress of the recovery project
and restoration at www.SandbarMitchell.org.

CONGRATULATIONS
CONGRATULATIONS to retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Lou
Martin, EAA 514678, for earning the Wright Brothers
Master Pilot Award for 50 years of accident-free ying.

www.eaa.org141
MEMBERCENTRAL
MEMBERS/CHAPTERS IN ACTION

WELCOME, NEW CHAPTERS

EAA Chapter 1540 EAA Chapter 1547
Maryville, Missouri Porterville, California
The July 2013 edition will Meets last Wednesday of the Meets rst Saturday of the
be available to download month at 6 p.m. at Northwest month at 9 a.m. at Porterville
by chapter leaders on July 1. Missouri Regional Airport. Municipal Airport.
To watch this months Mike Rogers, president Je Hendrick, president
video, attend an EAA 309-825-6454 559-562-3956
chapter meeting near
you. Find a chapter at
www.EAA.org/chapters/
locator. This months WELCOME, NEW LIFETIME MEMBERS
highlights include: Frank Alaimo (EAA 1017213), San Carlos, California
Wayne Anderson (EAA 881216), Henderson, Nevada
Reuniting with a T-33 Kevin Baines (EAA 625265), Pasadena, California
Legendary Canadian Air Force pilot Fern Villeneuve is Darryl Becker (EAA 875912), Milford, Kansas
Fay Bellah (EAA 881912), Stockbridge, Georgia
reunited with a T-33, an aircraft in which hes logged
Peter Bernard (EAA 695231), Fleming Island, Florida
more than 3,000 hours.
Mark Bischo (EAA 1041564), Douglassville, Pennsylvania
News From HQ Mark Brink (EAA 694951), Appleton, Wisconsin
Jeff Skiles, EAAs VP of Communities and Member Programs Kurt Brown (EAA 843062), North Branch, Michigan
Steel Tube Fuselage Construction, Part 3 Rob Burgoon (EAA 854239), Campbell, California
Ted Camp (EAA 592697), Beverly Hills, Michigan
Anthony Caruso (EAA 591345), Southampton, New York
Melanie Chorvat (EAA 665607), Brooksville, Florida
S. James Chorvat II (EAA 665603), Brooksville, Florida

142Sport AviationJuly 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRADY LANE

 MEMBERCENTRAL

(Continued from page 142)

Adam Coey (EAA 827737), Los Angeles, California
Richard Coman (EAA 344068), Cordova, Tennessee
Joel Dahlin (EAA 575671), St. Paul, Minnesota
Michael Dawson (EAA 593175), Front Royal, Virginia
Matthew Defenbaugh (EAA 584131), Biggsville, Illinois
Fred Denton (EAA 1050175), Las Vegas, Nevada
Ben DeRosier (EAA 570279), Faireld, California
William Dockery (EAA 650462), Las Vegas, New Mexico
Thomas Draus (EAA 1016353), Lebanon, Tennessee
Henry Ehler (EAA1009849), Germantown, Wisconsin
Frank Ekas (EAA 842040), Saxonburg, Pennsylvania
Jay Elliot (EAA 1019823), Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Mike Elliot (EAA 560650), Cameron, Texas
David Embry (EAA 9005039), Greenville, Illinois
Delmar Fadden (EAA 617205), Preston, Washington
Robert Finfrock (EAA 1080679), Corrales, New Mexico
John Finley (EAA 1016760), McConnelsville, Ohio
Lee Fischer (EAA 1066368), Larsen, Wisconsin
Larry Franklin (EAA 1002482), Dolores, Colorado
Zachary French (EAA 1042039), Bartlett, Tennessee
Samantha Fuhrman (EAA 832107), Roachdale, Indiana
Charles Fuller (EAA 1019733), Loveland, Ohio
Cheryl Gaebel (EAA 844725), Kamuela, Hawaii
Tim Gerardot (EAA 709585), Peru, Indiana
Steven Grasley (EAA 1050278), Marathon, Florida
Michael Grossmann (EAA 882918), Uniontown, Ohio
Franz Halascheck-Wiener (EAA 598874), Marietta, Georgia
Sean Halligan (EAA 830573), Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Allan Hamann (EAA 1010079), Morrison, Tennessee
Kevin Hanko (EAA 9018962), Baraboo, Wisconsin
Michael Hardick (EAA 881750), Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Bobby Hargrave (EAA 584485), Cantonment, Florida
Bobby Harrell (EAA 1017093), Hardy, Arkansas
Michael Hauser (EAA1015523), Glendale, Arizona
Matthew Hayduk (EAA 855780), Enid, Oklahoma
Hugh Hiner (EAA 1013277), Angola, Indiana
Barrett Holby (EAA 859470), Warren, Rhode Island
Ted Horstman (EAA 869105), Kalida, Ohio
Mark Houk (EAA 827774), Liberty, Missouri
Nathan Houser (EAA 861490), Vienna, Virginia
Michael Hubbell (EAA 646733), Des Moines, Iowa
Dudley Hulse (EAA 590093), Milford, New Jersey
Robert Hulvey (EAA1012762), Stanford, Illinois
David Hunter (EAA 745562), Olalla, Washington
Todd Jansonius (EAA 843533), Carroll, Iowa
James Johnson (EAA 1042578), Lake City, Florida
Robert Johnson (EAA 574766), Bonita, California
Mark Kaidan (EAA 700834), Brooklyn, Michigan
Steve Kallevang (EAA 591797), Lake Elmo, Minnesota
Berj Karachorlu (EAA 699749), River Forest, Illinois
James Kirk (EAA 707045), Leavenworth, Kansas
David Kirkpatrick (EAA 883476), Heathsville, Virginia
John Klele (EAA 570970), Midland, Michigan
Ronald Klimisch (EAA 9023834), Schoeld, Wisconsin
William Knight (EAA 883226), Boxford, Massachusetts
Rick Knorr (EAA 867728), Redondo Beach, California
Phillip Kocmoud (EAA 1014341), Sugar Grove, Illinois
Joseph Kollar (EAA 1017882), Nutley, New Jersey
Ken Krubsack (EAA 560883), North Olmsted, Ohio
John Kuetemeyer (EAA 612949), Crystal Lake, Illinois
Brad Laatsch (EAA 665884), Franklin, Wisconsin
Daniel Leone (EAA 569042), Spring, Texas
Larry Levine (EAA 1049737), Anchorage, Alaska

www.eaa.org143
 MEMBERCENTRAL

WELCOME, NEW LIFETIME MEMBERS

(Continued from page 143)
Barry Love (EAA1073510), Cleveland, Tennessee
Jeery Love (EAA 840488), Lomax, Illinois
Don Luchtenburg (EAA 618533), Grundy Center, Iowa
Erich Mahr (EAA 599305), Seattle, Washington
Bradford Martin (EAA 831713), Whitehall, Wisconsin
Robert McCann (EAA 692551), Cumming, Georgia
William McComas (EAA 855939), Humble, Texas
James McFarland (EAA 577158), Dayton, Texas
George McMillin (EAA 697483), Stonington, Connecticut
David Meek (EAA 562324), Lake City, Michigan
Eugene Micek (EAA 9008277), Palo Alto, California
Garry Michel (EAA 875904), Eagle River, Alaska
Martin Miesko (EAA 1049662), Jeerson Township, Pennsylvania
Harry Morgan (EAA 1009654), Hannibal, Missouri
Collette Murray (EAA 563409), Merrimack, New Hampshire
Derek Nagle (EAA 876437), Ada Township, Michigan
James Nau (EAA 1016586), Louisville, Ohio
Enrique Ojeda (EAA 711327), Grandview, Texas
Clifton OMeara (EAA 864544), Georgetown, Texas
William Owen (EAA 676133), Parkland, Florida
John Patrick (EAA 561854), Frisco, Texas
Kanellos Pavlou (EAA 603659), Killingworth, Connecticut
Tony Pelletier (EAA 1079361), Magnolia, Texas
Leon Petit (EAA 619234), Euless, Texas
Richard Pierce (EAA 456373), Charlotte, North Carolina
Tom Rabb (EAA 1010562), Fayetteville, Texas
James Rash (EAA 876878), Bellefontaine, Ohio
John Redmon (EAA 378638), McCordsville, Indiana
Jerry Rising (EAA 9028551), Blaine, Washington
Brian Ross (EAA 569338), Eau Claire, Wisconsin
David Roth (EAA 625585), Corrales, New Mexico
Robert Sabia (EAA 6954), San Antonio, Texas
Gary Salerno (EAA 9025455), Norton Shores, Michigan
Carolyn Sandison (EAA 1004941), Haleiwa, Hawaii
Rodney Sargent (EAA 1012266), Edmond, Oklahoma
Larry Schronce (EAA610251), Ada, Oklahoma
William Shaw (EAA 696222), Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Leslie Shumaker (EAA 1077544), La Plata, Missouri
Donald Sicher (EAA 1081174), Lancaster, California
Michael Simonar (EAA 616898), Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Alexander Slingeland (EAA 715169), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Dennis Smith (EAA 666115), Moberly, Missouri
Jared Socia (EAA 1013519), Roscommon, Michigan
James Stevenson (EAA 606252), Jupiter, Florida
Larry Stotts (EAA 590032), Vienna, Virginia
Christopher Strauss (EAA 1014590), Loveland, Ohio
Randy Strebig (EAA 853775), Fort Wayne, Indiana
Thomas Swartzlander (EAA 859201), Louisville, Kentucky
Michael Taradash (EAA 653552), Palos Verdes Estates, California
Allen Taylor (EAA 838241), Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Stephen Taylor (EAA 594355), Medina, Washington
Karl Thomas (EAA 858189), Mesquite, Texas
John Viney (EAA 1019212), Albuquerque, New Mexico
Eric Von Brown (EAA 654993), West Hurley, New York
Jamie Wallace (EAA 681613), Frankfort, Illinois
Coleman Weidenbusch (EAA 9009615), Bellevue, Nebraska
Timothy Weis (EAA 1016019), Jackson, Tennessee
David Wilbern (EAA 696008), Reno, Nevada
Dan Wolf (EAA 591734), Pasadena, California
Robert Wollangk (EAA 776321), Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Scott Womaski (EAA 1012382), Plymouth, Wisconsin
Anna Yilmaz (EAA 1050488), Daytona Beach, Florida
Kenneth Zieminski (EAA 712719), Woodbury, Minnesota

www.eaa.org145
MEMBERCENTRAL
MEMBERS/CHAPTERS IN ACTION

146Sport AviationJuly 2013

 MEMBERCENTRAL
PARTNER INSIDER

Helpful Information
LOOKING FOR MORE information on an EAA benet or program? Heres some general contact information
to help you get started.

Membership
Join, renew, or questions: www.EAA.org/join or 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322)

Member Benets
EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan (for U.S. EAA Members): www.EAA.org/insurance or 866-647-4322
EAA Aviation & Non-Aviation Accidental Death Insurance Plan: www.EAA.org/insurance or 877-230-3252
EAA Aircraft Insurance C-Plan (for Canadian EAA Members): www.EAA.org/insurance or 855-736-3407
EAA Visa Credit Card: www.EAA.org/visa
ASTC Museum Passport Program: www.EAA.org/passport
EAA Informational Webinars: www.EAA.org/webinars
EAA Hints for Homebuilders Videos: www.EAAVideo.org
EAA Flight Advisor: www.EAA.org/ightadvisors
EAA Technical Counselors: www.EAA.org/techcounselors

Member Discounts
AirVenture Admission: www.AirVenture.org/planning/admission.html
EAA SportAir Workshops: www.SportAir.com or 800-967-5746
EAA Ford Tri-Motor Experience: www.AirVentureMuseum.org/fordtrimotor
EAA B-17 Flight Experience: www.B17.org
Ford Vehicle Partner Program: www.EAA.org/ford
John Deere Partner Program: www.EAA.org/johndeere
Hertz Rental Car: www.EAA.org/hertz
LaserGrade FAA Tests: www.EAA.org/lasergrade

Membership Community
EAA Chapters: www.EAA.org/chapters/locator
EAA International Aerobatic Club: www.IAC.org
EAA Warbirds of America: www.Warbirds-EAA.org
EAA Vintage Aircraft Association: www.VintageAircraft.org
EAA Ultralights: www.EAA.org/ultralights
EAA Homebuilders: www.EAA.org/homebuilders

www.eaa.org147
FLYMART & CLASSIFIED ADS

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Aircraft Landing Gear Systems

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Displays on most EFISs and
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Monitors Cabin Altitude
Calibrated to 25,000
Weighs 4.1 Ounces

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(831) 325-3131 $299
Introducing the Legal Eagle XL. A new ultralight with a
larger cockpit area and increased gross weight allowance.
Empty weight 246 lbs, wing area 120 sq. ft., gross weight
of 575 lbs. Stol. Powered by the better half VW aero engine.
www.betterhalfvw.com doubleeagleairplane.com
Airplane plans $80. Engine plans $20. Three helpful
DVDs $25 each. Call John Bolding for materials package and
welded fuselages. 281-383-0113. Call L.E. Milholland for
plans, DVDs and parts for wings and fuselage. Work 281-375-
5453. Cell 281-785-3777.

148Sport AviationJuly 2013


YOUR AD HERE!
To advertise in EAA Sport Aviation FlyMart
call Sue Anderson at 920-426-6127,
or e-mail SAnderson@EAA.org
AEROMEDICAL
Medical/Special Issuance Help direct from Senior AME. Immediate
help. Phone, Email and onsite consultations for all medical classes.
Great Jackson Hole location to visit while getting an exam. If we
cannot get you a medical, no one can. Brent Blue MD 307-733-8002
www.emergacare.com
AIRCRAFT
76 Piper Warrior, orig, hngrd, 8 radios, 5903 total hrs, 1572 since
MOH, 84yr old AMP owner, $25.5K, 763-210-8856 or 763-323-7606
Glasair RG-1 project (NH), 30% complete, willkalinuk@gmail.com
603-539-2522
KIS TR1 always hangared, $39,600. Details George: 517-536-1034
AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS
Eighteen years manufacturing AOAs www.riteangle.com
360-260-0772
Digital Altimeter & Gauges Adaptive Interfaces www.adaptint.com
BOOKS
Sport Aviation magazines 1964-2012. Free. You pay postage. 512-
657-6288
A Wing Design Method for Aerospace Students and Homebuilders
offers 56 years of experience condensed into a simple, practical design
for metal wings. Youre walked thru the preliminary design phase
& to a final design that can be fabricated. Available from the author,
rsookey@swbell.net, Trafford Book Co, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble
LIGHT AIRPLANE CONSTRUCTION for the amateur builder. Molds,
tools, jigs, 311 illustrations, 92 pages, $60. LIGHT AIRPLANE
DESIGN-statistics, weights, sample calculations, 61 illustrations,
80 pages, $65. LANDING GEAR DESIGN FOR LIGHT AIRCRAFT-245
pages, 463 illustrations, $85. PL-4A CONSTRUCTION MANUAL-104
pages, 394 illustrations, $60. CUSTOM BUILT AIRCRAFT OWNERS OP-
ERATORS MANUAL-$25. Mail: USA $7; Canada $20, Foreign air & ins.
$28. PAZMANY PL-9 STORK video or DVD $30. Mail: USA $5, Foreign
air & ins. $24. PAZMANY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION, P. O. Box 60577,
San Diego, CA 92166. FAX: 619-224-7358 E-mail: *info@pazmany.
com, www.pazmany.com
WORLDS MOST POPULAR Aircraft Design Books @ www.aircraftde-
signs.com/831-621-8760
EMPLOYMENT
www.Airjobsdaily.com - Your link to Open Positions within Aviation
& Aerospace!
www.eaa.org149
CLASSIFIED ADS
ENGINES
Lycoming Overhauled IO360A3B6D $23.5K more info
203-637-9670 thalheimsix@hotmail.com
Engines starting at $200 - guaranteed Kawasaki, Ro-
tax, Hirth and most other brands with BEST reduction
drive, carburetor, exhaust selection of accessories
with top-notch service from our friendly staff. J-Bird,
210 Main St. Kewaskum WI 53040, (262) 626-2611
Hirth Aircraft Engines: 15-110 HP. 1,000 hr rated TBO.
1 yr warranty. Sales, service & parts. Highest power
to weight ratio in the industry. BlueMax 2-cycle
aviation oil. Recreational Power Engineering 5479
East Country Rd. 38, Tiffin, OH 44883. PH 800-583-
3306 FX 419-585-6004. Visit us on the web: www.
recpower.com
VW Power from Great Plains Aircraft! Type 1 1600cc
to 2276cc. Direct, Reduction and Flywheel Drives.
Assembled, kits and parts. Engine packages for all
VW powered aircraft. Contact Great Plains Aircraft at
402-493-6507 or GPASC.com
Kawasaki package - save 50% - engine, reduction
drive, carburetor, and exhaust. 0-time, 64 lbs., 40
HP. Contact J-Bird - (262) 626-2611
LEGAL
Experienced Patent Attorney & fellow pilot ready
to help you protect & profit from your invention.
Clients located across the US. Free consultation & only
quality work. Michael L Wise 914-879-4642 www.
mlwise-law.com
MISC
Composites & Supplies - 37+ years of excellent
customer service, designers, manufacturers, materi-
als. Always in stock: epoxy, polyester, Vinyleter resin,
carbon fiber, Kevlar, lightweight fairing & bonding
compounds, Nida Core, PVC Foam Core, Vacuum
bagging & vacuum resin infusion supplies. Order
online www.lbifiberglass.com or call for free catalog
800-231-6537, technical assistance
DreamFlyer simulator, 3, 20 monitors on castered
base. Software. $1800 704-491-7464, earllynch@
bellsouth.net
Aircraft wires from Bruntons of Scotland. Certified
wires featuring stronger rolled threads. AN665 stain-
less terminal assemblies. Call for quote. Steen Aero
Lab, (321) 725-4160. www.steenaero.com
Aviation themed gifts-spinners-kites-puzzles-retro
signs-windsocks order from redneckpilot.com
150Sport AviationJuly 2013
BUILD YOUR OWN BOAT! Send $9.95 for catalog of
over 300 boats you can build, includes FREE Dingy
plans. Glen-L, 9152 Rosecrans Ave/EAA, Bellflower,
CA 90706, 888-700-5007. Online catalog: Glen-L.
com/EAA
FLOATS BY ZENAIR 750# to 2500# straight & amphib
kits www.zenairfloats.com
MAGAZINE ANNUALS EAA 1956-08 $100 AOPA 1958-08
$275 FLYING 1941-08 $290 EAA MANUALS-MISC $75
Details www.barraircraft.com com Jim Barr 570-
368-3655
OSHKOSH/AIRVENTURE HOUSING
2 Rooms, AC, laundry, N-side Oshkosh, $100/per nite/
(1), $125/per nite/(2) , 920-841-0140
OSHKOSH BOUND? Visit Sleepy Hollow Farm - the
closest private RV campground to AirVenture. Call
1-877-438-6531 or www.sleepyhollowfarm.com
PARACHUTES
Parachutes-seat-back-chair - sales, repacks, repairs.
In business since 1960. Call or send $5 for 280 page
catalog of skydiving and parachute equipment.
Para-Gear Equipment Co., Dept S, 3839 W. Oakton
St., Skokie, IL 60076, 847-679-5905, or www.
paragear.com
Pennsylvania Parachute Company-Pilot Emergency
Parachutes www.pennsylvaniaparachute.com,
610-317-2536
PLANS/KITS
Aircraft plans advertised in EAA Sport Aviation must
have satisfied the FAA minimum requirements of
the Experimental Amateur-built Category and must
have been operated a minimum of 25 hours when
using an FAA certified engine or 40 hours with a
non-certified engine and should have satisfactorily
demonstrated its advertised qualities. The FAA Opera-
tion Limitation must have been amended to permit
flight outside the test flight area.
RV-7A quick build wing & fuselage kits, untouched
$10K for both, Santa Fe, NM Call 505-670-2009
Volksplane-Complete VP-1 Plans $64 w/FREE Design-
ers Handbook, Pilots Handbook, builders photos
& Flight Reports. www.volksplane.com & www.
evansair.com
11 Wooden low wing C. Piels designs. Catalog
$25.00. S.Littner, 432 Hamel, St-Eustache, Quebec J7P
4M3 Canada, 450-974-7001, slittner@videotron.ca
Skybolt plans $165, Pitts S1-C plans $250, S1-SS
updates $100, materials & components. Knight
Twister plans: single $250, two-place $285. Firebolt
plans $275. Great Lakes plans $350. Pilot & aircraft
accessories. Steen Aero Lab, (321) 725-4160. www.
steenaero.com
RV Builders-Upper/lower gear leg intersection fair-
ings www.aerosu.com 507-635-5976
Sonerai Aircraft. Sonerai I, II Original, and II Stretch.
Steel fuselage, fabric covered and foldable wings.
Plans built with many pre-fab parts. VW powered.
DVD/Info Pack $14.95. Plans $124.95. Great Plains
Aircraft. 402-493-6507 sonerai.com
AcroliteWinner of Scratchbuilt Design Contest in
1996. Quick & easy to build. Cruises @ 110 mph, takes
off & lands in 500 & designed for sportsman aero-
batics. Powered by Rotax, Info Pack is FREE & Plans
$295.00. Complete kits available. Contact Aircraft
Spruce @ 951-372-9555,www.aircraftspruce.com
Baby Great LakesThese aircraft are well proved
designs, which are easy to construct and fly. Classic
good looks & aerobatic. Plans available for Baby
Great Lakes $229.95, Super Baby Great Lakes (beefed
up version) $295.00 & Buddy Baby Great Lakes (two-
place) $250.00. Info Pack is $13.75. Contact Aircraft
Spruce at 951-372-9555,www.aircraftspruce.com
ChristaviaRon Masons field workhorse is easy to fly
and provides STOL performance, good cruise speed,
large cabin, low maintenance. Order Info Pack
(FREE), MK-1 (tandem) plans ($275.00) MK-2 conver-
sion plans (side-by-side) ($35.00), or MK-4 (4-place)
($275.00) from Aircraft Spruce at 951-372-9555,www.
aircraftspruce.com
One DesignDan Rihns high performance aerobatic
monoplane cruises at 160 mph and is ideal for basic
through advanced aerobatics. Quick, easy construc-
tion with outstanding performance. Info pack is FREE
and plans $376.95. Contact Aircraft Spruce at 951-372-
9555,www.aircraftspruce.com
StardusterLou Stolps classic Starduster Too is a
2-place, open sport bi-plane using a Lycoming O-360
engine. Features a 4130 steel fuselage with spruce
spars and 1/4 plywood ribs for simple construction.
Starduster Too plans $250.00. Plans are available
for Starduster, Super Starduster, Acroduster, Starlet,
and V-Star $115.00 each. Contact Aircraft Spruce at
951-372-9555,www.aircraftspruce.com
TailwindThe Homebuilt Classic from Steve Wit-
tmanCruise at 180 mph. Quick, easy build from
detailed plans developed by air race champion
Steve Wittman. Tailwind plans $195.00. V8 engine
conversion plans available. Plans now completely
re-drawn and updated. Contact Aircraft Spruce at
951-372-9555,www.aircraftspruce.com
Acro Sport I & II, Pober Pixie, Pober Super Ace, Pober
Jr Ace, Cougar-Plans $125, Postage $12; Info Paks $6,
Postage $6. Free brochure on Pober Jr Ace & Pober
Super Ace; Acro Sport, Inc, PO Box 462, Hales Corners,
WI 53130, 414-529-2609
PROPELLERS
www.PerformancePropellersUSA.com . Two & Three
Blade Multi-Laminate Wood composite propellers for
up through 300 HP. 713-417-2519
Prince P-TIP... Carbon Fiber/Wood High Performance
Propellers. Anti-vortex P-TIP, Automatic Pitch
Change. All Aircraft, Engines, UAV, Wind Tunnels,
Prototype Designs. Propeller Repairs. Worldwide
Shipping. Prince Aircraft Company, P.O. Box 2669-A,
Whitehouse, OH 43571-0566A. Phone: 419-877-5557,
http://princeaircraft.com, Credit Cards accepted.
MT & Hoffmann Propellers for aerobatic, homebuilt
& production aircraft. Call for quote. Steen Aero Lab,
(321) 725-4160. www.steenaero.com
REAL ESTATE
HANGAR ON ONE ACRE FOR SALE CALL BROKER BILL
760-792-8072
CRISPY CEDARS PRIVATE AIRFIELD - Beautiful Door
County WI - Lots on 2K runway. Just $44,900 -
crispycedars.com 920-495-7539
SERVICES
Patent, Trademarks, Copyrights. Robert Platt Bell,
Registered Patent Attorney, EAA Member, 821 River-
view Drive, Jekyll Island, GA 31527. robertplattbell@
gmail.com. PH. 912-635-2147.
WANTED
Looking to buy Rutans Vari-Viggen, Pkg 1 & 2,
ywgacgb@shaw.ca
Donate projects to Cornerstone 501c3, founded 68
205-821-9076 planekit@aol.com
donateyourplane.com
Donate your airplane, project, boat or RV to
Samaritan Aviation, a charity that provides mission/
medical services to remote areas of the world. www.
samaritanaviation.com 970-249-4341
 At your service: advertisers in this issue AD INDEX

Advertiser Page Website Phone Advertiser Page Website Phone

Advanced Flight Systems 109 www.Advanced-Flight-Systems.com 503/263-0037 J.P. Instruments 119 www.jpinstruments.com 800/345-4574
Adventure Pilot 44 www.iflygps.com 888/200-5129 Lancair International 99 www.lancair.com 541/923-2244
AeroConversions 141 www.AeroConversions.com 920/231-8297 Leading Edge Air Foils, LLC 145 www.leadingedgeairfoils.com 800/532-3462
Aerotronics, Inc. 101 www.aerotronics.com 406/259-5006 Lincoln Electric 123 www.lincolnelectric.com 888/355-3213
AEROX 116 www.aerox.com 800/237-6902 Lockwood Aviation 66 www.lockwood-aviation.com 800/527-6829
AIAA 125 www.arc.aiaa.org 800/682-2422 Lycoming 39 www.lycoming.com 800/258-3279
Aircraft Specialties Services 53 www.aircraft-specialties.com 800/826-9252 Mahindra Aerospace 117 www.mahindraaerospace.com 855/424-7826
Aircraft Spruce & Specialty OBC www.aircraftspruce.com 877/4-SPRUCE Marvel-Schebler 103 www.msacarbs.com 855/672-2272
Aircraft Spruce & Specialty/Cozy 145 www.aircraftspruce.com 877/4-SPRUCE MGL Avionics 103 www.mglavionics.com 877/835-9464
Aircraft Tool Supply Co. 66 www.aircraft-tool.com 800/248-0638 MODS International, Inc. 131 www.modsinternational.com 800/869-1277
Avidyne 35 www.avidyne.com 800/284-3963 MT-Propeller 141 www.mt-propeller.com 386/736-7762
Bendix King 29 www.bendixking.com 855/250-7027 New York Mint 144 www.newyorkmint.com 888/201-7064
Better Aircraft Fabric 26 www.betteraircraftfabric.com 907/229-6792 Pacific Health 135 www.claroxan.com 855/820-4050
Bose 17 www.bose.com/A20_13 888/501-8769 Phillips 66 65 www.Phillips66Aviation.com 800/234-6603
California Power Systems 115 www.800-airwolf.com 800/247-9653 Piper 11 www.piper.com 866/FLY.PIPER
Cessna Aircraft Company 59 www.cessna.com 800/4-CESSNA Plane Power 43 www.plane-power.com 877/934-5700
Cirrus Aircraft 41 www.cirrusaircraft.com 800/279-4322 Poly-Fiber Aircraft Coatings 4 www.polyfiber.com 800/362-3490
CSC Duats 36 www.duats.com 800/345-3828 Pratt & Whitney/Canada 23 www.PT6Nation.com 800/268-8000
CubCrafters, Inc. 15 www.carboncubex.com 509/248-9491 Progressive Insurance 91 www.progressive.com 800/PROGRESSIVE
Daher-Socata 25 www.tbm850.com 954/993-8477 Rockwell-Collins 21 www.rockwellcollins.com/prolinefusion 319/295-4085
DiNelly Aerosystems Ltd. 107 www.dinelly.com 49-89-20030790 Rotec Engineering Pty. Ltd. 31 www.rotecaerosport.com 61/3/9587-9530
DTC DUAT 61 www.duat.com 800/243-3828 Savvy Aircraft Maint. Mgt. 149 www.savvyanalysis.com 702/655-1359
Dynon Avionics IFC www.dynonavionics.com 425/402-0433 Sennheiser 7 www.sennheiser-aviation.com/S1 860/434-9190
EAA Aviation Insurance/Falcon 105 www.eaalowerrates.com 866/647-4322 Sigtronics 55 www.sigtronics.com 909/305-9399
EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2013 77 www.airventure.org 920/426-4800 Sky-Tec 28 www.skytecair.com 800/476-7896
EAA B-17 146 www.b17.org 800/359-6217 Sonex, Ltd. 143 www.sonexaircraft.com 920/231-8297
EAA SportAir Workshops 127 www.sportair.com 800/967-5746 Sportys Pilot Shop 9 www.sportys.com/stratus 800/SPORTYS
EAA Sweepstakes 2013 128 www.eaa.org/sweepstakes 800/236-1025 Stauer/Watch 137 www.stauer.com 888/277-8380
Epic Aircraft 51 www.epicaircraft.com 541-318-8849 Stewart AC Finishing Systems 133 www.stewartsystems.aero 888/356-7659
Flabob Flying Circus/Randolph 33 www.flabobflyingcircus.com 951/703-0091 Superior Air Parts IBC www.xp-360.com 972/829-4635
Flight Design USA 37 www.flightdesignusa.com 860/963-7272 Tempest 2 www.tempestplus.com 800/822-3200
FltPlan.com 33 www.fltplan.com 800/322-7526 Trade-A-Plane 145 www.trade-a-plane.com 800/337-5263
Flying Eyes Sunglasses 143 www.flyingeyessunglasses.com 888/568-8978 Trutrak Flight Systems 109 www.trutrakap.com 866/TRUTRAK
Ford Motor Company 73 www.ford.com 800/392-3673 UL Power 47 www.ulpower.net 573/434-0075
Garmin 5, 121 www.garmin.com/ads-b 800/800-1020 UMA Instruments 116 www.umainstruments.com 800/842-5578
Glasair Aviation 49 www.glasairaviation.com 360-435-8533 Vans Aircraft, Inc. 27 www.vansaircraft.com 503/678-6545
Grand Rapids Technologies, Inc. 56, 57 www.grtavionics.com 616/245-7700 Vertical Power 26 www.VerticalPower.com 505/715-6172
Hamilton Watch 67 www.hamiltonwatch.com 800/234-TIME Viking Aircraft Engines 100 www.vikingaircraftengines.com 386/566-2616
Hertz Rental Cars 104 www.hertz.com/eaa 877/826-8782 Wag-Aero 141 www.wagaero.com 800/558-6868
HondaJet 19 www.hondajet.com 888/453-5937 XM WX Weather 10 www.xmwxweather.com/aviation/ 888/355-0124
Icom America 63 www.icomamerica.com/avionics 800/872-4266 Zaon Flight Systems 115 www.zaon.aero/ 800/496-9430
Jeppesen 45 www.jeppesen.com/pilotpak31 800/353-2107

For more information from EAA Sport Aviations advertisers, please phone or visit them on the Web, and mention that you saw their ad in EAA Sport Aviation. Visit www.EAA.org for a listing of this months advertisers.
Copyright 2013 by the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. All rights reserved. EAA SPORT AVIATION (USPS 511-720; ISSN 0038-7835; CPC#40612608) is owned exclusively by the Experimental Aircraft Assn., Inc. and is published monthly at the EAA Aviation Headquarters, 3000 Poberezny Rd.,
Oshkosh, WI 54902. Periodical Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and other post offices. [U.S. membership rates are $40.00.] EAA STATEMENT OF POLICY Material published in EAA SPORT AVIATION is contributed by EAA members and other interested persons. Opinions expressed in articles are
solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. Accuracy of the material is the sole responsibility of the contributor. ADVERTISING EAA does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertising.
We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EAA SPORT AVIATION, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

www.eaa.org151
EAAs LOGBOOK
WHERE WE CAME FROM

INSIDE THE ISSUE

Highlights from July 1963:

PG. 4

Four friends from Chapter 22 in Rockford, Illinois,

calling themselves the T-Birds, decided to build
four Tailwinds together.

PG. 7

This issue featured Part 10 of the instructions for building

Rockford or Bust
the fuselage of the Thorp T-18, which is celebrating its 50th
anniversary at AirVenture 2013.

PG. 18
O
n the cover of the July 1963 issue, standing
next to his Starduster, is John Tucker, a
California airline pilot determined to make
the 1963 EAA Fly-In.
Despite a bomb threat that delayed his commercial
flight earlier in the day, John still managed to get to
his Starduster in San Diego on schedule. He arrived to
discover a faulty omni indicator, and had no choice but
to press on without it. A fueling mistake in Phoenix
caused 12 gallons of avgas to fill his cockpit, but he An ongoing series of articles on ultralight aircraft featured the
cleaned it out and was back on his way. history and specs of the Avro Baby biplane.

Even with some foul weather and a small course

deviation, John touched down in Rockford in time to View archived issues of EAA Sport Aviation in the
enjoy three days at the convention. Members Only section at www.Oshkosh365.org.

152Sport AviationJuly 2013

 July 29 - August 4
Buy your AirVenture Oshkosh 2013 tickets
today! Visit AirVenture.org/tickets