Presidents Corner
by Darrel Cook

January 2003 - This time of year I love going out in the morning after a night's rain. Everything is clean, the sky is brilliantly clear and there's a nip in the air.

Oh well back to reality. The club is moving along without any problems. Hopefully by the time the newsletter is out, 88E will be back on line with new paint and upholstery, and we can start saving for the next plane's upgrade. The club has had a good year and, hopefully, with the help of the board and membership, next year will be as successful.

We have looked at the flying costs of the Dakota and unfortunately they have gone up. The board was forced to increase the hourly cost to $95.00 just to cover the cost of flying it. The only way to keep its hourly rate down is to increase the number of hours it is flown.

I appreciate everyone's help on washday. I was not able to attend the potluck this year (it was the only time I could schedule my CFI check ride). However, everyone I spoke with said they had a great time. Thanks to all the people who participated and helped make our airplanes look wonderful. Thanks also to Bob Finnin for organizing the potluck cookout that followed.

This year the Super Bowl is being held in San Diego, as I'm certain everyone knows. If you are going to be flying from the day before to the day after, make certain you check the notams for any temporary flight restriction around the San Diego area. Security will be tight on the ground and in the air and there will be no leniency for anyone violating the airspace around the stadium.

The board would like to see all of the membership at the general meetings and we would like to have more members willing to share their flying experiences or any specialty they may have related to aviation. If you are willing to share your experiences, please talk to a board member.

Best wishes to all our members and their families for a safe, healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

A brief introduction: Clearly, Doc Mann is the Jedi Master of the SL60. Not only can he spin the little knob at hundreds of RPM until the unit has no choice by to submit to Doc's commands, he can explain all this too! In this article Doc introduces the very valuable three waypoint From/Next/To flightplan. I'll bet you a quarter that Doc was able to write this completely from memory without ever referring to a manual or chart. See what you think...

Editing Flight Plans En Route
or...
How to Handle a Capricious Air Traffic Controller
by Bill Mann

In previous articles on the SL60, I described editing from the ACTIVE FLIGHT PLAN (one push of the SYS button) or one of the 10 stored flight plans (two pushes of the SYS button, big knob to desired flight plan, push SEL). This method is very complex. It is probably the best way to edit a flight plan while on the ground or just after clearance delivery altered your filed flight plan. An easier and more intuitive way to program changes between the second and third waypoints of your plan while en route or on the ground is to use the NAV/FROM, NEXT, TO method.

Assume you're in the air. You just passed OCN, next way point SLI; subsequent way point LAX. SOCAL calls "Cherokee 2904K, I have an amendment to your clearance, say when ready to copy."

"04K's ready to copy."

"Cherokee 2904K, after Oceanside join Victor 23, Victor 363, Victor 16, LAX, then as filed." You scramble to find waypoints KRAUZ, and PRADO where the victor airways intersect. Your wife is irritated that your low altitude chart has caused her to lose the place in her novel where she was reading. (Wife has a parachute? Ed.) Before being cleared for take off at Gillespie, you should have pushed NAV, then rotated large knob 5 clicks clockwise, so that "FROM aSEE TO vOCN NEXT vSLI", was displayed. If not, do it now while your wife scans for traffic. Since you are now past OCN, the lighted window will show "FROM vOCN TO vSLI NEXT vLAX." Push SEL. "INS" will blink at you in place of vLAX. Hit ENT. The cursor will blink under the "v" in vLAX. Rotate small knob clockwise until the second bunch of intersections is selected, the ones that read "AAACES." Never select from the third "Cuba" or the first bunch "AAAMY" of intersections. Then rotate the large knob to the first letter, small knob to "P." Then large knob small knob to spell out "PRADO." You now read vOCN to vSLI next PRADO. Push SEL. The cursor flashes under PRADO. Push SEL. The cursor again reads "CHG." Rotate small knob to "INS." Push ENT. Then spell out "KRAUZ." The lighted window now reads, "FROM vOCN to vSLI next KRAUZ." Push ENT. Notice you have worked backwards inserting PRADO first, then KRAUZ. Your flight plan now includes the sequence: OCN, SLI, KRAUZ, PRADO, LAX. You can't delete the next waypoint SLI in the NAV/FROM TO NEXT mode. So push SYS once. This puts you into current flight plan mode. Push ENT. The lighted window shows OCN to SLI. Turn the small knob until it reads SLI to KRAUZ. Push SEL. "CHG" flashes in the lighted window. Rotate small knob until "DEL" appears. Push ENT. SLI is now deleted. Push NAV. Then rotate large knob clockwise 5 clicks to "FROM NEXT TO."

Because the cursor in the NAV mode lets you see what you are changing and deleting, and the insert takes place in the leg where it logically should (unlike when you are in ACTIVE FLIGHT PLAN mode), you probably didn't produce an error. If ATC had called you before instead of after OCN, you could have done the delete of SLI while still in NAV/FROM NEXT TO mode, but then you would have to scramble to also insert (in backward order) KRAUS and PRADO before you crossed OCN. The lighted window would then read "FROM vOCN TO vLAX NEXT" [whatever you have in "as filed"]. You would have to push SYS, ENT, then small knob to vLAX, SEL, small knob to "INS," ENT, then spell out "KRAUZ." The procedure would be repeated for PRADO.

Meanwhile you have replied, "N2904K looking" to the half dozen traffic alerts issued. Your wife was doing the looking.

From The Old Timer
by Harry McCoy

A LOVE OF MY LIFE
Part 31--1954

I reported in to North Island to VU-7 (V=heavier than air, U=Utility, 7 was the squadron designator) They were in the process of moving down to Brown Field so I didn't have much to do since I was so new. I did however, have to find a place to live. The Quonset huts at Brown Field had been demolished, so we bought an 18 foot travel trailer and settled in at the Bison Trailer Park in Chula Vista. (Its still there but with different owners!)

We had 5 different kinds of aircraft. An R4D for troop transport, an SNB (D-18) for miscellaneous (including photo) work, 2 JDs (Air Force A-26s), a TBM and an F9F Panther Jet.

Utility really meant "variety" here. We did a little of everything. The R4D was used to haul anything and everything. If the Skipper wanted to go somewhere, we usually took him in the R4D. We serviced the jets at Fallon, Nevada by towing targets with the JD. Also the crews of the large airplanes with turret guns practiced shooting at a banner that we would pull by them. We also operated out of El Centro Naval Air Station on the Chocolate Mountain Gunnery range which is north of I-8 almost at the Arizona border. Navy and Marines would fly their jets into the Marine Air Base just south of El Centro where they shared the airport with civilians.

We also towed targets for ships off the coast. Gunnery practice is a requirement every so often for proficiency by the ships' gunnery crews. We would trail a banner that was 6 feet tall and 40 feet long behind 1 to 2 miles of cable. (I was always glad for the length of that cable. Even at that, I nearly got shot down!)

There was also a sled target towed by a tug for the ships to fire at and we would sit up there in our SNB with a photographer taking pictures of the "splashes" or hits of the target. Dangerous damned work! Our F9F Panther jets were used primarily as targets for the Navy trainees at Point Loma to track with their radar. We would head out toward San Clemente Island and the turn around and head back. Boring - boring! Jet or not!

To be continued...

Operations Report
by Bob Finnin

46404: Is working well with no problems this month.

3015U: The landing light, and a navigation light were replaced. The sun visor is being repaired and should be completed within the week.

2904K: The small but consistent oil leak was traced to a small hole in one of the oil return pipes on a cylinder head. This was repaired. The shimmy in the nose wheel will be repaired by the time you read this. A problem with the autopilot following the heading bug has yet to be addressed, but should also be repaired soon.

8788E: We have experienced some delay in the refurbishing project because of the rain and scheduling. However, I am happy to report that the interior upholstery has been completed, the seat belts have been received and the new paint is drying as I write this article. The striping and lettering will be applied in the next day or two and I anticipate that by the first or second week of January the aircraft will be back on line. I happened to drop by the paint shop just after they completed the top coat of white paint. I am sure you will be pleased with the quality of the job. It will look like a new airplane inside and out!

Fly often, fly safe!

From the Board of Directors
by David Cooksy

The December Board meeting was comparatively brief with members reporting on and discussing current finances, operations, membership and future events.

2904K's hourly rate has been increased to $95.00/hr. to cover operating expenses.

Bob Finnin gave a detailed report of 88E's paint job and reupholstery status.

Planning for the planewash and potluck cookout on Dec. 14th, and a discussion on CFI's upcoming flight to Calexico on Jan 5th.

Treasure's Report
by Terry Paik

As of December 1, we had $25,801 in the bank. November P&L net was $2,294 and YTD was $22,788. We flew 112.6 hours last month (without 88E) and A/R balance is $8,676.

Cash flow analysis on 04K over the past 12 months revealed that we had an actual operating cost (including fuel, paint and overhaul allocations) of almost $94.00 per hour (avg. 20.7 hours/month). Last July we lowered the hourly rate for 04K to $89/hr hoping we would get more use on that aircraft. Prior to July, 04K's average was 20.4 hours/month, Obviously, our goal was not fulfilled. One aircraft cannot be subsidized by the others. Effective January 16, 2003, the hourly rate for 04K will go to $95.00 per hour. Of course, when usage goes up, we will be able to lower the rate again.

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