Presidents Corner
by Darrel Cook

Several members and I were able to make the trip to Palm Springs this year for the AOPA exhibits. If it had to do with aviation, it was there! While in Palm Springs we saw several members. It's great to be part of a club of people with similar interests. It's also great to see those members taking such an active interest in aviation.

We have lots of things for the Club in the works; the Christmas potluck, Club trips, and a plane wash. If you haven't made it to any of these activities in the past, you should try to come out and meet the other members. Specific dates and times will be forthcoming.

N8788E will be out of service for the month of November and part of December. It's getting a badly needed paint job and new interior. This work is part of our scheduled upgrades that the Club budgeted for. Such planned maintenance is why our planes fly and look better than most other planes on the field. Take pride in your planes and take care of them. Treat them as if they belonged to you, THEY DO!!

The Board is still discussing minimum hours per member, mostly for safety reasons. However, after speaking with several non-board members, we will probably be looking for other ways to make sure our members are current and safe. The Board is always open to suggestions. Speak with any board member, come to a board meeting, or run for the board to become active in the running of the club.

November Program

At the next General Membership meeting, I'll be presenting a program on value based survival kits and some of my thoughts on what I feel should go in them.

Much of the program will deal with exactly why specific items should be included in any survival pack you assemble and that almost any survival kit you put together yourself is infinitely better (and a lot less expensive) than one you can purchase.

Please join me on Thursday evening, November 14th for a program that I hope will be informative and interesting for any pilot or flying companion.

See you there - Steve Dari

A brief introduction: This next article is a real rollercoaster and clearly illustrates Dr. Bill Mann's expertise with the Dakota's Apollo SL-60 GPS. You can learn a lot from Doc Mann's tutelage, but don't let your concentration wander for even a moment! Okay, put your headphones and foggles on. Have someone start shaking your chair to simulate moderate turbulence. Ready? You're getting your last vector to intercept the final approach course and...

HELP! I HIT THE WRONG BUTTON AND MY FLIGHT PLAN WENT AWAY...
by Bill Mann

The lament in my title can be especially disconcerting if you are about to turn final while flying in IMC in N2904K. The VOR is supposed to be your primary navigation instrument the way 04K is certified. So you still have azimuth or localizer and glide slope, but to identify SAMOS, ESCON or DEASY you require the SL60 GPS, since the Dakota does not have a second VOR. If the moving map is still working after you made your fatal wrong button push, the waypoints may still be on the map. They do show up on the yoke mounted Garmin you refer to for back up, but usually with the Apollo, waypoints go away and only VORs and airports remain on the map. Hitting MSG twice accesses the "nearest" feature on the SL60. Then large knob one click clockwise to V. If you're lucky the VOR you need appears in the lighted window. If it isn't, one or two clicks small knob clockwise for the second and third closest VOR, should produce that one. Then hit "Direct" (D with the arrow through it), then ENT (or enter). The radial "to" the VOR will be displayed. Mentally, you will need to add or subtract 180 degrees to get radial "from" the station. This could result in a computation error, if you are stressed by an ATC call like, "3 miles from SAMOS, turn right two four zero, maintain five thousand four hundred until established, cleared for the Localizer Delta circle to land runway two seven, traffic 12 o'clock 3 miles, Boeing 747, eight thousand, opposite direction, caution wake turbulence."

To avoid this error, under stressful circumstances, I would personally check the trusty Garmin on the yoke mount even though it's technically not legal for navigation. There are also two maybe three alternatives. You can hit MSG, MSG, DIRECT, ENT without even looking at the lighted window for the SL60. This will give you a direct vector and DME distance to the nearest airport, which is Gillespie in the example. Then use your VOR to identify SAMOS. It doesn't matter if you are not perfectly on the localizer when you do this, since you can move right or left of the lubber line on the map until your desired track, DTK, reads 269 degrees. It's easier to line up TRK and DTK if you employ the automatic pilot. Hopefully your track TRK (by correcting for wind drift) also is adjusted to 269 degrees. If you receive the turn to final call while going to MYF, your nearest airport will be SEE not MYF. One twist of the little knob for the second closest gets you MYF. You can't do that one without looking at the lighted window.

A second alternative is to just hit MSG, MSG, then do nothing else except tune JLI 195 on the VOR. In the MYF example, turn the small knob one click, and tune the JLI 204 for NESTY. The DTK TRK and distance to the airport (not quiet the same as DME) will show up in the lighted window (but not on the moving map). DIRECT, ENT is required to also see the info on the moving map.

A third method is to use the nearest function to plug in your intersections, SAMOS for Gillespie or NESTY for Montgomery. So it's MSG, MSG, rotate big knob to I AAA' _USA, small knob to SAMOS or DEORO, DIRECT, ENT. For added elegance hit the MSG button one more time and the DTK, TRK, and distance (approximate DME) for the airport show up in the lighted window and the DTK, TRK, and distance to SAMOS or NESTY show up on the moving map. The reason I don't recommend this one is that the SL60 has three large knob positions for intersections. The first says I AAA' _USA, the second: IAA''_USA, the third: IAA''_CUBA. If you're twirling knobs in a panic, you will get the wrong intersection menu and then wonder why SAMOS and NESTY aren't listed. Incidentally, only the second bunch of USA waypoints seems to work for anything in the western US. I do like method 3 if I'm 10 miles or 5 minutes out from the final approach fix. If I do it wrong and get SAMOS in Cuba, I have time to do method 1. SAMOS is 15 degree radial "to" JLI, and NESTY is 24 degree radial "to" JLI. I'm thinking of penciling in all the radials "to" on the approach plates I use in N2904K since I can't even subtract the 8 from Zulu time, when ATC is jerking my chain.

(Wow! Good job Doc! - Ed.)

Editor's Corner
by Steve Dari

I'm happy to say that I have more submissions than I can print in this issue. Dr. Bill Mann has another excellent instructional article on shortcuts for 04K's SL-60 GPS and yet another on deck about his return trip from Houston in 04K. (His article on the trip there was printed several issues ago...) I also have a wonderful submission from Eric Hereth on his participation in the Reno Air Races! Member submitted articles really make this little newsletter fun for me to edit and hopefully fun for you to read. (Many thanks Harry!) Please keep 'em coming - and as always thanks to all the authors!

From The Old Timer
by Harry McCoy

A LOVE OF MY LIFE
Part 30--1954

We had a few days at home before we picked up our new Super DC-3 at NAS Alameda. We were lucky, the new wing also held twice the amount of gas as the old -3 so we could make it to Hawaii without an 800 gallon gasoline tank in the fuselage.

We left Alameda and passed over the Farallon Islands just outside of the Golden Gate. It was the last good check point for some time to come. In the Navy, we had to qualify as Fleet Navigators to become Aircraft Commanders, so we divided the chores, we flew 4 hours, Navigated 4 hours, and slept 4 hours. I was stuck with Navigating first. My chart to Hawaii was approximately 30 inches wide and 24 inches high, and represented 2500 miles. Our planned total time was 13 hours and we had to take a 3 star shot every hour which we hoped would intersect at one point for a fix.

I precomputed from the Air Almanac and set up for the first 3 star fix for the "Periscopic" sextant. It had a very small field of view which would have been all right except the plane didn't have an autopilot and a slight wing down would throw the field of view completely haywire. Even the best pilot could not keep the plane 'perfectly level'. I did manage to get the 3 stars shot, but it was definitely not going to be very accurate. I did my plot, and what a surprise! I had a triangle that took up about a quarter of the chart! I had no choice but to bisect all the lines and assume I was in the middle. The second hour went exactly the same, and now I was worried. Fortunately one of the young officer pilots came back and saw my chart. I asked him if he knew what was wrong. It only took him a minute to realize that I was 24 hours off in the Air Almanac. We had crossed the International Date Line coming from Japan and I had completely forgotten that!

However, there was one helpful navaid in the 2500 mile trip. Half way across, the Navy stationed a ship called an "Ocean Station Vessel" that had a beacon we could home in on with our ADF. Talk about a boring life for their crews! All they did 24 hours a day was make a 1 mile square pattern to remain in a "fixed" position for airplanes and small boats to home in on.

To be continued...

Safety Corner
by Jake Wilkerson

As the winter flying season rolls toward us once again, it's time to start thinking about the threat of ice. Luckily, our local conditions are typically non-conducive to airframe icing, due to the moderate low level temperatures we fly in. Although airframe icing may not be a large threat, carburetor ice is. The FAA estimates that carburetor ice is most likely to form in temperatures between 20 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit in conditions of high humidity and/or visible moisture. Carburetor ice well as the temperature. As the air cools down, any moisture in the air is condensed and freezes into ice. As ice builds up on the walls of the carburetor and creates a blockage, a drop in RPM will be noticed as well as engine roughness. In aircraft with constant speed props, a drop in manifold pressure will be noted, since engine RPM is regulated by the prop governor.

The solution to carburetor ice is carburetor heat. Carburetor heat is air which has been directed over a heat source before entering the carburetor. When we check the carburetor heat during a preflight run up, we note a drop in RPM on the tachometer. This drop in RPM is the result of an enrichened fuel/air mixture, since warm air is less dense than cold air. Therefore, you can anticipate that if you use carburetor heat to get rid of carburetor ice (which has already lowered your RPM) your tachometer will indicate a further loss of RPM. As the ice melts, a rise in RPM will be noted and the engine may run rougher, but it will gradually smooth out.

The ideal situation is to prevent the formation of carburetor ice. This can be accomplished by using carburetor heat while operating below the engine's normal operating range, as indicated by the green arc on the tachometer. This technique is pretty straight forward in regard to N46404, but is a little tricky in the Pipers. The pilot's information manual for the Archer says only to use carburetor heat when you suspect carburetor ice, due to the loss of performance that carburetor heat causes. While it is typically important to follow the operating practices of the airplane manufacturer, I still recommend the use of carburetor heat when operating at low power settings in these aircraft. The reason I say this is that at low power settings, the symptoms of carburetor ice are difficult to identify. Also, even a little carburetor ice can have a devastating affect on the performance of an engine, which is something you don't want to find out when you are attempting a go-around or a stall recovery. It is quicker and easier to switch the carburetor heat off than it is to burn off carburetor ice.

Fly Safe

Operations Report
by Bob Finnin

46404: Working well and no problems this past month.

8788E: The wing strobe lights are working again. The repainting will begin on November 12, 2002 and will take about a month. During this time we will have the interior reupholstered and have new webbing installed on the front seat belts.

3015U: Running well. The Autopilot will be repaired this week and should be usable by the time you read this article. It has a tendency not to follow the bug.

2904K: The only problem that manifested itself this last month was the DG. It just stopped working and has been repaired as needed and appears to be functioning as it should. A problem was noted with the Auto- Pilot and this was repaired at the same time as the DG.

Thank you all for taking care of the planes after you return to the field. Refueling is still a problem and needs to be given more attention. Please try to remain with the plane until it has been refueled.

The next wash day will be December 14, 2002, so plan on meeting some new members and having a great time.

Fly often, fly safe!

From the Board of Directors
by David Cooksy

Treasurer report: $23468 in bank; $9596 in account receivable; negative $25,935 net for the year; P/L Statement $ -2409 for Sept. $3400 insurance payment this month. $-1800 in member shares for the year.

By comparison to last year at this time, CFI is in better financial position as the planes are flying more and refinance of the 04K loan.

In addition, CFI is in a financial position to pay an additional $50.00 per month and recommends we do so. Motion made and passed to do so.

Operations Report - 15U: DG replaced, starter re-bolted. 404: no problems. 04K no problems. 88E: annual completed, strobes working after great difficulty in wiring. Required new wiring and strobe power pack and is now working fine.

Pacific Interiors estimate for 88E; cloth $3200, Bob to bring samples of to General Membership meeting next week. Seat belts and shoulder harnesses to be repaired also. Aero Paint est. $7500 for mid-Nov. raised price to $8500.

Reminder that charges will be assessed club members for not refueling a plane after a flight. Simply calling Royal Jet is not sufficient.

Calendar: Christmas Potluck and planewash on Dec 14. Bob Finnin to coordinate. Club provides sodas, paper goods, hotdogs and hamburgers.

Next Meeting: November 7, 2002

Treasure's Report
by Terry Paik

As of October 1, we had $23,468 in the bank. September P&L net was -$2,409, however we did pay the quarterly insurance payment of $3,423. YTD net was $19,513. We flew 133 hours last month, however 46404 flew only 15 hours. A/R balance is $10,603.

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