Presidents Corner
by Darrel Cook

Dear Fellow Members,

On December 15th, we will have our annual washday potluck. The washday will begin at 7:00 a.m. for the early birds, but come help whenever you can! The potluck will begin around 11:30 a.m. Please call Bob Finnin to see what items are needed for the potluck or just bring your favorite picnic food. The Club will provide paper goods and sodas. Bring your family, folding chairs, and enjoy the day.

Since the weather is changing, please make sure you check icing levels before you fly¾especially at night. We don't have a lot of icing in Southern California, but please be prepared.

Make sure you read the special notice in this month's mailing. We need to raise monthly dues to keep the hourly rates low and the planes in good condition. It is important you understand the issues and vote at the January General Meeting.

We didn't get much response to refinancing the Dakota within the Club, so we are looking for outside financing. If you are interested in investing some money at 7-8% return, give Terry Paik or myself a call.

From The Old Timer
by Harry McCoy

A LOVE OF MY LIFE
Part 19--1951

When I was selected to be the VIP Pilot, I had to take a check ride with our Operations Officer. I was already checked out in the airplane, but after the fiasco with the Old Man at Van Nuys, they were going to protect themselves.

The Operation Officer was a red headed fellow and from what I knew of him, a nice guy. He gave me all the usual things and finally I asked if I could go to the 'head' (john in Navy lingo). He agreed so I went to the small compartment at the rear of the cabin. The urinal was a sort of a bowl about 8" across with a lid, attached to the backside of the door to the compartment. I started to urinate, and all of a sudden the airplane started gyrating around in all directions. It drove me to my knees!! It was so sudden that I didn't stop urinating and I peed all over the door!!!! And splattered my flight suit!!!! After a minute or so, it subsided and I opened the door and Op Officer and the Plane Captain were laughing their heads off!!! The Op Officer rolled and pitched while the Plane Captain jammed the rudders back and forth!!! What a ride!!!! I went along with the joke, what was my alternative? It actually was funny after it was over!!!

I flew the Old Man to San Diego, and we didn't get headed home until late in the evening. China Lake was socked in, but they have a Low Frequency Range to make approaches. I had to come back at 11,000' feet (no oxygen!) because there was a 9000' mountain just a few miles to the west. I began my approach and the ice built up on the windshield and I called for my Plane Captain to turn on the alcohol. It didn't come on, and when I asked what was wrong, he said there wasn't any!!! I could have really socked it to him for that oversight, it was his responsibility. I thought for a few minutes and then told him to break out the "Aldis" lamp. The Aldis lamp was used to check ice on the rubber boots on the wings so it was fairly powerful. I had him hold it to the windshield directly in front of my face and I guessed right, there was enough heat that it melted the ice enough that I could see through. I didn't break out under the overcast until 2000' above the field. So I came in to land looking through an 8" hole in the ice on the windshield. It was better than having to look out the side window and try to land!!!

To be continued...

Safety Corner
by Carey Peterson

Well, its been almost 3 months since I left for ground school and began the journey to complete six weeks of intensive training. There were 30 of us "new-hires" attending class daily from 8AM to 5PM. The amount of material we covered everyday was overwhelming and our class quickly learned how to work together in order to survive. Quizzes and tests were routine but there were 2 "elimination" (I hate that word) exams which require 80% or better to continue in ground school. While everyone else treated this as a matter of life and death with constant studying, I had more important things on my mind, like wondering whether we would have to "pay" for our plane ticket back home after washing out or do they fly us back? Fortunately, I never found out as everyone in our class passed both tests. Needless to say the local bars and nightclubs received a little more business that night.

After ground school, we broke up into smaller groups and prepared for simulator training. Our training took place at Flight Safety in Long Beach, flying the full-motion, full-visual simulators. While very exciting and fun, the instructors push you to your limit and expect 100% effort all the time. The benefit of this training paid off later when each of us accomplished tasks and procedures we never thought were possible before. We covered every possible emergency from loss of cabin pressurization to hydraulic and flap malfunctions. We even experienced a control jam and had to disconnect the flight controls while shooting an approach. Trying to fly a perfect ILS with one pilot controlling the pitch and the other controlling the bank proved to be interesting at first and definitely redefines the term "crew coordination".

There were fun times too. For some reason, the sim instructors saw to it that each group crash the sim at least once during training. With only 2 nights of training left, my sim partner and I prided ourselves on the fact that we'd never crashed yet and always successfully flew out of every emergency we encountered thus far. And then it happened! We were shooting the ILS 24R into LAX, single-engine after successfully combating an engine fire in #2. It was after dark and the weather was right at minimums. We should have taken the "hint" when ATC cautioned us of numerous reports of severe wind shear in the area. Just over the outer marker, we lost 20 KIAS and the plane began to sink below the glide slope. Since I was the pilot flying, I shouted to my sim partner "set max power". He did and continuously called out our speed and sink rate as I pitched up to the stick-shaker, hoping to arrest the descent. Shortly after, the computerized voice of the Ground Proximity Warning System began shouting "GLIDE SLOPE", "SINK RATE", "TERRAIN". In a last ditch effort, I asked for "emergency power" as we were getting tossed around pretty good and stuff was flying everywhere in the cabin. We were well below glide slope at this point when the plane rolled violently to the right, pitched straight down and…froze. As my sim partner and I picked up our scattered Jepp manuals, TOLD cards, and checklists from the floor, we realized we had just been initiated into the "gotta die at least once club". Even though we were bummed at ruining our "perfect record", our check-airman said we did a great job of working together and fighting to recover it all the way down and never giving up.

I guess that's what flying is all about. Keep flying, training, practicing, and never give up.

Operations Report
by Bob Finnin

Just a short report. All aircraft are on line and waiting to be flown.

A problem with 15U last weekend was repaired on Monday. The airplane was grounded on Sunday. It was discovered the pilot had not secured the primer and this caused a rough running engine at any RPM lower than about 1900 RPM. Please make sure the primer is in and locked in all aircraft. You will notice a definite difference in the idle and running if it is not.

When starting the Archers, you might try this: While cranking the engine, pump the throttle full forward and back two or three times in rapid sequence. Always bringing it back to idle position. The engine should start in two or three rotations. I have used this method and have never had to use the primer on cold starts.

I will be coordinating the PotLuck lunch for the December washday and will try to have a great selection of delicious food for all. For that to happen, I will need your help, which you can provide by giving me a call at (619) 579-2287. I will let you know what type of food we have and what we need.

Thanks for all the help; I look forward to seeing you on washday, December 15th.

Treasure's Report
by Terry Paik

As of November 1, we had $3,789 in the bank. October net was -$3,316; and YTD was -$25,023. However, we did refund 3 Gold Memberships for $6,000 in the month. The balance on the a/c loan is $61,603, due and payable February 2003.

We flew 112 hours last month, slightly below the YTD average of 120 hours/month. Last year we averaged 134 hours/month. The Accounts Receivable is $8,961. We're currently at 66 members with the addition of new members: James Agnor and Mickey Raml. Welcome!!!

Don't forget to send or fax copies of you Medicals and BFRs. We must have proof of your currency for you to schedule aircraft or fly.

Remember, the more we fly, the cheaper we fly!