Presidents Corner
by Darrel Cook

As I mentioned last month the cost of flying has gone up. Starting November 16th the hourly rates will be:

• Dakota $97.00
• Archers $62.00
• Cessna $57.00

These costs reflect the actual cost of flying. We are also looking at an increase in the share value to more accurately reflect the assets of the club. I'd like to discuss the specifics of this and the reasons for a share increase at the general membership meeting.

I have asked Richard Bartlett-May to act as Safety Officer to complete Jake's term, and he has graciously accepted. Many thanks to him as he has always been a great resource for the club. Thank you again Richard for stepping up.

Unfortunately there has been an incident in 2904K. One of the members encountered what may have been a wind shear in New Mexico, and hit hard on the nose gear with a resultant prop strike. The aircraft has been recovered and is back at Gillespie. We still need to have the motor dismantled and inspected, and a new set of new prop blades installed. We are in touch with the insurance company and a claim is being filed. We will keep every one informed, and hope to have the Dakota back on line by the middle of November. We have also ordered a Lycoming factory remanufactured engine for 8788E, which will be here around the middle of November. By ordering this type of factory rebuilt engine we will reduce the amount of time the plane is out of service and we also get a zero time engine with a new logbook.

The club is again planning a Christmas potluck and planewash for December 13th. It's always proved to be a very fun and popular event. We will be washing the planes in the morning and inviting members and their families to come out and have a grillout and potluck on the Royal Jet ramp.

Safety Corner
Landing in Gusty Conditions
by Richard Bartlett-May

The winds on the west side of our local mountains (except during Santa Anna days) tend to be rather tame and quite manageable. Pop over Julian and down into the desert and it can become a whole new ball game in a hurry. Winds of 25kts with gusts to 35kts are common.

When dealing with any gusty wind, we should add half of the gust factor to our indicated airspeed. This will reduce the chance of a stall on final approach. We may still lose 20 knots when the wind suddenly drops, but the extra airspeed and lower pitch attitude will give us a little buffer as we add power to recover from the sudden tendency to sink. As soon as an aircraft starts to sink towards the ground, the tendency is to pull back on the controls. The addition of power also makes the aircraft tend to pitch up. This could result in a stall.

The amount of flaps used for an approach and landing should be decreased as gusts increase and probably should not be used at all when the wind is gusting to 10 knots or more, or when there is a gusty crosswind of any magnitude. Remember the stronger the headwind the slower your groundspeed, and the shorter your landing roll. It is very unlikely that you will run out of runway.

The slower an aircraft is flying, the more the wind affects that aircraft. The drag of the flaps also reduces the acceleration of the aircraft when power is added for a correction, reducing the chances of a successful recovery when things go wrong. As we are nearing the runway and the aircraft is slowing down, we must be prepared for the slightest indication of drift, sudden sinking or ballooning and we must correct before the errors get serious.

Gusty winds are always a challenge and should be regarded with respect. If we become complacent, or let our attention slip for a moment, we can find ourselves in difficulty very quickly. Before attempting to land, we should consider if we are capable of handling the conditions. A diversion to another airport with better wind conditions might be appropriate. If we decide to continue with the approach and landing, we must be ready to go around at the slightest hint of trouble. A lack of experience to draw on or a fixed mindset can quickly result in bent metal, or even worse - bent people.

Operations Report
by Bob Finnin

46404: has completed its annual inspection and is operating smoothly.

8788E: has been running well and has not had any major problems this month.

3015U: had a new permanent magnet starter installed. It now starts much stronger on far less power. This should be a big help on those cold morning starts when the aircraft cover has ice on it.

2904K: is back at Gillespie for repairs to the engine and prop after last month's prop strike. The engine will be evaluated for any possible damage and subsequent repair before installing the rebuilt prop. So far, no major engine damage has been detected. We'll know more soon.

From the Board of Directors
by Chris Jensen

The Board meeting and discussion was for the most part routine. Among topics discussed were:

Richard Bartlett-May was appointed, nominated, and confirmed as the new Safety Officer to fill out Jake's term.

Operational costs of all the airplanes. Assuming 46404 uses nine gallons per hour, all aircraft were performing approximately $5 below projected costs except the Dakota, which is breaking even. We are not seeing a rise in reserve funds however, since this extra money is used to pay off the loan. The Board voted to raise the hourly rate of each aircraft by $2.

If Dakota usage stays the same or decreases do we sell the Dakota? What should we replace it with? A Warrior?

Discussed repairs and return to service of the Dakota after its prop strike in New Mexico and overhaul costs for 88E. 15U received new magnetos.

Our next fly day will be Jan 10th and we will fly to the Pond Museum at Palm Springs. We will do some formation practice on the way.

Treasure's Report
by Terry Paik

As of October 1, we had $26,485 in the bank. September P&L net was -$3,001; YTD net was $2,503. However we made our quarterly insurance payment for $3,577 in September. We flew 106 hours last month; A/R balance is $13,106, and we are at 67 members. Also, average A/C usage YTD is 2.6 hrs. per month less than 2002.

After critical evaluation of actual flying costs, your Board has decided to increase flying rates by $2.00 per hour. Fuel costs alone have increased $0.20 per gallon since our last rate increase in February 2003 (based on 10 gph, that's $2.00/hr. just to cover the increase in fuel costs!). And this is only the third increase in rates since June 2001. The cost of fuel has increased $0.60 per gallon over the same period.

The membership also needs to have an active discussion on the topic of raising member share prices to more accurately reflect the equity the club has in our aircraft. This would also really help our reserve fund for unanticipated aircraft costs.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

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