January 2002
JANUARY MEETING

When: Monday, January 14, 2002.

Where: Chapter House, Entrance B, Lake Elmo Airport, Minn.
Time: Social hour 7 p.m. Meeting 7:30 p.m.

Program: "25 Secrets to Being a Better Pilot."

Paul Anderson is a single/multi-engine CFI living in Hudson, Wisconsin. He works with the 'Elmo AFB' (Airplanes From Basement) group on the north side of Lake Elmo. He enjoys flying and fixing the group aircraft J-3 "Cub", Navy N3N-3 "Yellow Peril", PA-23/150 "Apache", C-172 Skyhawk", and T-50 "Bamboo Bomber". The group is also restoring a L-3B "Defender". Paul is involved in the FAA Aviation Safety Counselor program, as well as a co-founder of the Minnesota Association of Professional Flight Instructors (MAPFI).


   IN THIS ISSUE

• President's Column
• From the Editor
• President's Column
• An Affair of the Heart
• Chapter Granted 501 Status
• Treasurer's Report
• Rich Stowell in Area Seminar
• To the Swift Goes the Rewards
• Project Notes
• From the Editor
• Technical Counselor Report
• Minutes of Last Meeting
• Building Fund Update
• Classifieds
• Calendar

President's Column

by Dale Rupp
It is nine days before Christmas as I write this my first column for our newsletter and it must be the season because I started to think about what we have to be thankful for. For the first time in our Chapter's 47-plus years, we have our own permanent meeting place. We have met at Holman Field in the old Northwest Airline hanger, then at the Wyland hanger at Lake Elmo for a few years. We lost the meeting space and the Lutheran Church in Lake Elmo came to our rescue for a few years when we moved into the old Elmo Aero building. We were trying to figure out how to make it permanent when a big wind destroyed our home.
     Back to the Church which got us really serious about our own building. So I am very thankful for our new Chapter House. I am also thankful for the hard work of Dave Fiebiger and his remodeling crew that fixed up our old school house. Without the money and materials contributed by many of you, Dave wouldn't have been able to do the remodeling. I am very thankful for our new Chapter 54 House.
     I was having coffee with Bill Schanks the other day and we started adding up the number of our members that are building or rebuilding an airplane. We came up with at least 20, which is 25 percent of our membership. One thing the EAA and our chapter does for these builders is provide help in the form of advice. Last Saturday I was working on various adjustments to the wings. Dick Wicklund helped me use Dave Fiebiger's laser level to check the forward sweep the wings. They were straight within 1/16 of a inch. I then had to set the angle of incident and, again, a chapter member, Jim Anderson, came to my rescue be lending me his transit. He also gave me lessons in its use.
      Paul Hove and Jim Michalski held the yardstick, and in short time we had the right wing adjusted and clamped. I am thankful for all the help and advice I get from everyone. I will be thinking of all of you when I fly the RV-6 Tuesday.
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An Affair of the Heart

by Bob Collins
      In April of 2000, I spent an hour or so at a supervisors meeting at work. Topic: Stress Management. I must've flunked, because not more than 10 minutes after the meeting, back in my cubicle, the room started spinning. Stupidly, I grabbed my keys and headed home, employing all the spacial disorientation techniques I've learned as a pilot - no turning the head to check if there's traffic in the next lane.
      I made it home and went to bed, but didn't recover. When my wife came home, she called the nurses hotline and told them I was unable to walk and pretty much unable to move. They told her to call an ambulance and get me to the hospital.
      The paramedics did the usual check when they arrived, but immediately became more interested in my heart than my head. It seems my heart rate was down to something around 30 beats and I was turning grey. When I arrived at the hospital, I could tell by the emergency room reaction that this was something serious. Oddly, my first reaction wasn't, "Am I going to die?". It was "This is really going to hose up my FAA medical."
      It did.
      They never did figure out what caused the diziness, but they did find a heart problem that I've probably always had and that - someday - will likely require a pacemaker. But for now, it's not heart disease and it isn't considered a problem, except to the FAA.
      When my medical expired at the end of of July and I went for the exam, I had to answer the questions truthfully, and when I did, the examiner kicked the whole deal to Oklahoma City for review, and refused to issue me a renewal. I was grounded, not knowing whether I've flown my last flight.
      Perhaps more so than any other affliction, the heart is a red flag to the FAA medical team. We're not talking about the justice system here. When the heart is involved in any medical situation, you're guilty (unfit to fly) until proven innocent. But like the justice system, resolution occurs at a governmental pace.
      It wasn't until September that I finally got the letter asking for a complete cardiovascular evaluation. Only then, could I begin the process of proving my fitness. In the process, I've learned a lot - most of it too late - about dealing with the FAA medical team.
      First and most important, if I knew back in the emergency room that I was going to have a problem with the FAA, I shouldn't have waited until the medical certificate was up to do something about it. I should've walked into the AME's office with the cardiovascular evaluation in hand. I was going to need it done anyway since I need to know for my own safety whether the heart was working the way it was supposed to. The AME likely would've still kicked it to Oklahoma City, but at least they'd have the data to make a decision. Instead, I'm just now - almost 5 months later - getting all the tests bundled up to send in, which brings up the second item - know EXACTLY what the FAA wants and then give it to them - no more, no less.
      I have ended up with stress tests and electrocardiograms and all sorts of tests to show my fitness. The cost to the insurance company - and inevitably to me - has topped $3,000. But it was only AFTER the tests that I checked the AOPA Web site to see what constitutes a complete cardiovascular evaluation. Most of that hinges on the stress test.
     This cardiovascular evaluation must be reported in sufficient detail to permit a clear and objective evaluation of the cardiovascular disorder(s) with emphasis on the degree of functional capacity, recovery and prognosis. Preferably, a physician specializing in internal medicine or cardiology should perform it. As a minimum, the evaluation must include:

 

  1. MEDICAL HISTORY. Particular reference should be given to cardiovascular abnormalities (cerebral, visceral, and/or peripheral). A statement must be included as to whether medications are currently or have been recently used, particularly any anticoagulant drugs; and, if so, the type, purpose, dosage, duration of use and other pertinent details should be provided. In addition, any history of hypertension must be fully developed; and if thiazide diuretics are being taken, values for serum potassium should be reported. A comment should be included on any important or unusual dietary programs.
  2. FAMILY, PERSONAL AND SOCIAL HISTORY. A statement of the ages and health status of parents and siblings is necessary; if deceased, age at death and cause should be included. Also, an indication of whether any near blood relative has had heart attacks, hypertension, diabetes or known disorders of lipid metabolism must be provided. Smoking, drinking and recreational habits of the applicant are pertinent, as well as whether a program of physical fitness is being maintained. Comments on the level of physical activities, functional limitations, occupational and avocational pursuits are essential.
  3. RECORDS OF PREVIOUS MEDICAL CARE. If not previously furnished to the FAA, a copy of pertinent hospital records, as well as outpatient treatment records, with clinical data, x-ray and laboratory observations and originals or good copies of all ECG tracings, should be provided. Detailed reports of surgical procedures, cerebral and coronary arteriography and other diagnostic studies are necessary.
  4. GENERAL PHYSICAL EXAMINATION. A brief description of any comment-worthy personal characteristics: height; weight; representative blood pressure readings in both arms; funduscopic examination of retinal arteries; condition of peripheral arteries; carotid artery ascultation; heart size; rate, rhythm and description of murmurs (location, intensity, timing, and opinion as to significance) and other substantive findings should be provided.
  5. LABORATORY DATA. As a minimum, must include actual values of:
    1. Routine urinalysis and complete blood count.
    2. Blood chemistries (values of normal laboratory ranges).
      1. Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides after 12-to-16 hour fast.
      2. Fasting blood sugar. If the fasting blood glucose is elevated, include a glycosolated hemoglobin (preferably A1C) or a complete evaluation for diabetes mellitus by the treating physician.
    3. Electrocardiograms
      1. Resting tracing.
      2. Exercise stress test (Bruce protocol) to 100% maximum predicted rate.
        1. Provide blood pressure determinations at rest, each stage of exercise, and every minute during recovery.
        2. Submit representative ECG tracings for the resting, hyperventilation, and post-exercise periods. Legible copies, but no computer generated, sample cycle tracings.
        3. Obtain recovery ECG tracings until there is a return to baseline configuration and/or until the baseline level of heart rate has been achieved.

NOTE: Stress testing should be accomplished to no greater than 100% of maximum predicted heart rate, calculated by subtracting your age from 220. In the presence of symptom limitations (fatigue, leg cramps or shortness of breath), the test may be terminated if at least 85% of maximum predicted rate is attained. Rate Pressure Product (maximal heart rate x maximum systolic blood pressure should total at least 25,000). (Above is from AOPA medical sheet)
     
      I did not have a heart attack, as it turns out. And the material I'm supplying may be enough to convince the FAA that I'm good to go. But what if I did have a heart attack or heart surgery, such as a valve replacement? All is not lost.
      The time frame is a little longer. The FAA will ask for the cardiovascular details described above. But it will want it at least six months after the event. It also want an electrocardiogram, probably, and you'll wear a 24 hour Holter monitor - basically a portable EKG unit. An echocardiogram is also likely, in which you'll get your heart "photographed" in a CT-scan-like unit, run on a treadmill, get shot with some radioactive solution, and then get your heart photographed again.
      AOPA says once you supply this material, the evaluation can take as long as 3 months. I'm guessing that's being charitable. In my case, I'm hoping to be back flying by summer.
      Every case, of course, is different. Before you take on the FAA, get together with your doctor before your AME appointment. I'll post some material on the EAA Chapter 54 Web site that you can print out and take with you, showing you the requirements for what the FAA will want, and you can get the process rolling. Related links are posted on the html version of the newsletter, available on the Chapter 54 Web site.
Aviation medical examiners
A searchable listing of AMEs in the United States
FAA-accepted medications
A listing of medications generally "approved" by the FAA
FAR Part 67
Medical Standards and Certification
Frequently asked questions
Answers to some common aviation medical concerns
Medical online status request
A form that allows you to provide AOPA with the necessary information to check the status of your medical certification application
Medical subject reports
More than 25 documents on subjects of medical importance to pilots
Meet the medical team
Brief profiles of the AOPA medical certification team
Pilot's Guide to Medical Certification
AOPA's publication on medical certification
TurboMedical
A Web-based tool to help pilots prepare to obtain their medical certificates
Web links
Links to pertinent medical Web sites.

Please note that most of these require AOPA membership.


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CHAPTER 54 GRANTED 501(C)(3) STATUS

On December 18, 2001 the Internal Revenue Service granted EAA Chapter 54 status as a 501(c)(3) organization. This determination makes the Chapter exempt from federal income taxes. Additionally, donors to the Chapter may deduct gifts and contributions as deductions for federal estate and gift tax purposes as long as no benefit is afforded the donor.

A great deal of effort went into the preparation of the federal application for this exemption and the chapter owes Bob Waldron a big "Thank You" for his work. The submission to the IRS was made through Dennis Hoffman's attorney at no cost to Chapter 54. Thank you - Bob and Dennis.

Shortly after the first of the year, the Chapter will mail thank you letters (receipts) to all who have contributed in 2001. These may be used as documentation for filing 2001 taxes. - Paul Liedl

Treasure's Report

By Paul Liedl
Cash on hand $ 25.00
Checking Acct. $ 2,414.50
Savings Acct. $ 3,838.78
Total $ 6,278.28
Income in December consisted of $180 in individual dues, $650 in gifts, and $5.56 in interest for a total of $835.56. Expenses for the same period were $189.28. They consisted of $123.36 for the Chapter house, $52.75 for the newsletter, $9.58 for meeting refreshments, and $3.60 for miscellaneous.
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Rich Stowell in area seminar

by Dave Briggs
     IAC Chapter 78, meeting at Flying Cloud, is hosting Rich Stowell to talk about flight safety with an emphasis on spin recovery and emergency maneuvers. The tentative plan is that Rich will be here on Saturday, March 23 for a session that will run from 9:00 AM to about 1:00PM. Location is TBA. Mike Wiscus, president of IAC Chapter 78 is the person promoting this and will have information in the Minnesota Flyer and will get the FAA and other flight organizations involved.

Rich is the first flight instructor to be designated "Master Certificated Flight Instructor-Aerobatic" (Master CFI-A) by the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) and the International Aerobatic Club (IAC). He lives in Ventura, California and is recognized as one of the premier flight instructors in aerobatics, emergency maneuvers and spin recovery.

Rich has agreed to come to Minnesota to share some his experiences and knowledge with us. There will be no cost to us as Chapter 78 was able to acquire at least partial sponsorship. This man is a recognized "black belt" in the aviation instruction field and non who fly should miss what he has to offer.

In an interview on AvWeb recently, Stowell was asked about whether spin training should be required as part of primary or commercial training. "That question is debated all the time on the newsgroups and elsewhere. There are really two issues. One, is spin training beneficial, and two, is it practical to reintroduce it into the training curriculum? I think it is beneficial if we define spin training as training that's integrated with typical accident scenarios, and that involves not just intentional one-turn spins left and right, but also the scenarios that lead to the spin, and unusual attitude spins. If the pilot has some tangible idea of the consequences, not only of spinning airplanes that aren't approved, but also of not being precise with the control inputs during the recovery sequence, then the answer is yes, spin training is beneficial. But just going out and doing one-turn left and one-turn right spins, completely divorced from how they relate to a skidding base-to-final turn, for example, is of no real benefit in the end. The FAA funded their own study back in 1976 which concluded that spin training -- as I've loosely defined it -- is beneficial in reducing the number of inadvertent spins. Why no one talks about that anymore I'm not sure.

"So I'd say if you properly define spin training, it is beneficial, but yet it's not practical to reintroduce it across the board without putting it in context. Today's flight instructors are really not capable of teaching spins. In a study published in 1993 that evaluated the stall/spin awareness of flight instructors, 98% of the respondents said that their formal spin training consisted of zero ground instruction and a total of one spin to the left and one to the right. By comparison, we'd say it would be ludicrous for a CFI to become a CFII with no formal ground instruction in instrument flight, and a total of just two instrument approaches. The spin environment is just as psychologically, aerodynamically and tactically demanding as the instrument environment. You can't afford to make mistakes in either one. Unfortunately, flight instructors generally are not qualified to teach spin training as I've defined it. Then you have to tackle the issue of suitable spin training platforms--there just aren't that many available on most flight lines. Then you get into insurance and airspace issues, and as a whole, it's not practical. There aren't a lot of places, especially in southern California, where you can do aerobatics without a waiver, either. And getting to areas where spins and aerobatics could be done legally might impose undue hardship on some flight schools."
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To the Swift goes the rewards

by Mick Supina
masupina@mmm.com
N80796's last landing, circa 1977, would be classified as 'good' since the pilot walked away. However, it was not classifiable as 'great' since she (the plane) has never flown since. This picture from the Swift "First 50 Years" album (below) shows how close to the grave she was.

I acquired the project from Bob Bailey about 4 or 5 years ago. I have never done a project and would not have considered this one except for the fact that one of the largest congregations of Swifters anywhere is located right here at the Lake Elmo, MN Airport. To a person, they have all been supportive, helpful, and generous of their time, experience, tools and spare parts. Of course, the biggest influence on my decision to proceed was the local presence of Jim Montague. His knowledge, expertise, guidance and hard work have propelled the project to its current state.

Jim has been able to get several field approvals, 337 sign-offs, etc. that have benefited the project. A few of the approved alterations include the smooth skin wings; improved hydraulic motor; Sensenich prop approval; Buckaroo wing tips, and more. At last count, Jim and I had identified over 10 other Swifts that have contributed parts to this resurrection - wings, rudder, stabilizer, gear doors - you name it! These pictures were taken during the trial fit of the Corben fiberglass cowling. A close look reveals the clecos holding it all together! It was the first time in 24 years she has looked like a proud Swift, so I could not resist sending the pictures to share, even though the cowling is not completely repainted.

A few specifics of interest: she has a Continental 145 HP engine; Goodyear brakes; electric booster pump; stock gear doors; basic instrumentation, but no radios yet. The battery will be aft mounted. The interior seats started out as original Swift units, but were 're-engineered' and re-built utilizing Thinsulate and light foam to remove several pounds from the original version. My wife, Sue, performed all the upholstery work and it can all be snapped in or removed in less than 5 minutes! The interior was not in place for these shots. There are many square feet of new skin throughout and loads of polishing work ahead. We still have lots of work to do, but I have the long Minnesota winter coming on and I have Jim's great expertise to keep me moving along the right path. Plus, all the other Swifters here continue to help in numerous ways! I am very hopeful that 80796 and I will be at some of the great Swift fly-in get-togethers in 2002!

Editors note: You can see many more pictures of this project in an online slideshow. Readers of the html version of this newsletter can just click the link and a popup window will appear with the images.
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Project Notes

Todd Balsimo (tbalsimo@north-american-trailer.com) is currently working on a Challenger II. It is a two-place airplane with tube-and-rag construction. Todd reports he has the airplane covered with fabric and is in the process of spraying the Stits Poly system. He'll install a 503 Rotax engine with dual ignition-dual carburetor. The airplane can be fitted with skiis and floats and cruises around 80mph. He purchased it through a local dealer called Zanklites in Bloomer, WI.

The addition of a little garage space heater has allowed Bob Collins (bcollins@visi.com) to continue a little bit of work on the RV-7A, which is good because he started over on the horizontal stabilizer after deciding he didn't like the workmanship. The second time around "feels much better." A little work over the winter should allow him to catch up with a couple of guys he met in the Van's Air Force- Minnesota Wing .

Tom Gibbons (tomsflyingby@dellepro.com) writes, "I am building a Pulsar that was delivered in October of 1990. Originally to be powered by a Rotax 582 engine, I recently took delivery of a Jabiru 2200 engine and firewall kit. This engine comes from Australia and is a 80HP, direct drive, 4 stroke, very light engine at only 124LBS. The engines are machined aluminum and have proven very reliable. My particular Pulsar has a header fuel tank in front of the instrument panel so I had to be concerned about weight if I wanted to go with a different engine.

A gentleman from New Zealand engineered a retro fit for early Pulsars with the two stroke engine. I am looking forward to installing this engine and am in the process of doing so recently.

The Pulsar was designed in 1988 by guy named Mark Brown. It is a composite aircraft with side by side seating, center control stick, wood spars with wood wing skins, low wing, that cruises around 130 kts and lands around 46 kts. It has a sliding forward canopy and composite landing gear with a simple nose gear system.

Now my project! Building too long but I still try to do something on it when I can. The past year I have been working pretty good on it. I have the fuselage together, tail feathers built, main landing gear installed and reinforced, one wing 80% done and the other probably 60% done, been working on wing lighting lately.

The fuel tank was done early on but I had to remove the front panel for some modifications to install the Jabiru. I have to build some hard points to install the Jabiru engine mount. I have some avionics still in the boxes, i.e. Bendix King KX125 and the transponder, KT76A. I also picked up one of those Grand Rapids EIS engine monitoring systems at Oshkosh this year. I do have most of the flight instruments, but I still need to obtain an intercom system and hopefully maybe a CD player of some sort. It will be a VFR aircraft with nav and strobe lights with recognition lights in the wing tips.

I am building this plane in my basement. Visitors are always welcome as I live only a block and a half south of the airport on Manning.

Jim Rusch (jrusch@pressenter.com) is working on a GP4 and he hopes to have the tail feathers ready to glass before Jan. 1, 2002. "I'm optimistic that it will fly faster than it builds," he says.
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From the Editor

By Bob Collins
Starting with this issue, hopefully, the "electronic" version of the newsletter will be available in a PDF format. I've purchased a copy of Acrobat 5.0 to make this possible. When you click a link for a pdf file - on the Chapter 54 Web site for example, or as an attachment mailed directly to you, you get a perfect reproduction of a printed newsletter. I find that creating an html (Web) version of this newsletter requires basically producing two newsletters.
"Minnesota airplane builders don't need no stinkin' heat!"


It can be e-mailed directly to chapter members rather than forcing them to go to the Web site to retrieve it, but it can also be made available on the Web site for those who wish to.

It is also easier to exchange newsletters with other chapters.

Not all chapter members get the newsletter electronically, but as the budget gets tight, I would encourage all members with Internet access to consider choosing this method of receiving the newsletter. The most obvious reason is postage. It costs nothing to make this newsletter in an electronic format, but over the course of the year, mailing the newsletter not only costs hundreds of dollars, it takes many more hours.

Another reason is more editorial in nature. With an electronic version of the newsletter, I can make each issue as big as you can stand, adding links and forms and surveys and other interactive features, using more images that are clearer and in color. I can also use a bigger font since I'm not trying to squeeze everything into 6-8 pages.

With the "hard" copy, I try to limit the total pages to 8 to keep the postage rate at one stamp. Even with this issue, for example, there's material that I have to leave out of the printed newsletter - links for one - that I 'm putting into the electronic version.

With a PDF newsletter, you'll get pictures that are clearer and in color, and the readability of the format isn't compromised by the limits of html design and the time it takes to accomplish it.

It's not hard to make your Internet browser able to "see" a PDF file. Just follow these steps.
  1. Go to the www.adobe.com site. If you click the above link, it'll open up a separate browser window.
  2. Fill in the form. Step 1 asks for your language, your operating system (Windows '95, for example) and your country. Step 2 wants your name, e-mail address, and country. Don't check the first two boxes if you don't want junk mail from Adobe.
  3. Under Step 3, slick the red download box.
  4. Wait a second and a box will pop up (it may take up to 30-45 seconds). It'll ask you if you want to open the program from its current location, or download to your own computer. For simplest installation, select "save this program to disk."
  5. A dialog box will open up giving you the option of selecting where on your computer you want to download this file. Everyone has their favorite spot - mine is the desktop - so just remember where you put it and the name of the file. At last check, the latest filename was (is) are505enu.exe.
  6. The program will now download. At a modem speed of 28.8, it may take 45-55 minutes. Your mileage may vary. Don't be surprised if it takes over an hour, time enough for a quick flight around the patch.
  7. When the download is done, you can dump your Internet connection if you want. Then find the file (if you saved it to your desktop, the file icon will be on your monitor screen, otherwise, use Windows Explorer to find are505enu.exe, or click the Start Menu, select "find," enter are505enu.exe, and it'll reveal its location. In either case, just click the icon or file name, depending on your method just described.
  8. When you click it, it takes a second for the file to be "unpacked," then a setup screen will pop up. Click next and select a place on the computer where you want to put the program. The program will now install.
  9. When the installation is complete, a box will tell you that you need to restart your computer. You can restart it now or later. When you do, you now should be able to view PDF files. When you find one - such as a newsletter on the EAA Chapter 54 Web site, just click the link and it'll load into your browser.
If you need to print out these directions only, you'll find the instructions posted on the Chapter 54 Web site.

Need more help?
Drop an e-mail to newsletter editor Bob Collins. In most cases, I'll respond within a few minutes. Alternately, you can call me at home (651) 730-4219 or at work (651) 290-1414. In-home service is available in exchange for a ride in your plane. (grin) Adobe also provides a help page if you encounter some serious problems.
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TECHNICAL COUNSELOR REPORT

by Bill Schanks
Now that I have finished my tour as president I can get down to the business of being a EAA Technical Counselor. What is a Technical Counselor? It is a person that has been designated by the EAA and a local chapter to provide advice and counseling to aircraft builders and restorers. To qualify for this position a counselor must have built an airplane and have expertise in one or more of the skills needed to build an airplane.

The skills include; welding, woodworking, sheet metal, composite, fabric covering and so on. The Tech. Counselor usually provides advice and guidance in the area to which his strength lies. For example; my airplane (an EAA biplane/Acro-sport) is primarily a steel tube fuselage and empennage with wood wings, all of which is covered in fabric.

Therein lies the majority of my knowledge and experience, so I am best suited to provide advice and guidance to builders in that type of construction. However, I am a licensed A&P Mechanic and have some knowledge of other methods of construction. Let me say here though that no one person is an expert and all knowing in every field. But being that I have been at this stuff for a number of years and due to the proliferation of projects within our chapter, I have been exposed to many people building many projects with a great deal of variety in the methods of construction.

What this does is provide me with a list of people, each a greatly experienced expert in their own areas of construction methods. So what I like to do when someone asks a question about a given construction method or procedure, or where the best places are to obtain materials, I refer that person to someone I know that can give them the best answer.

At the present time the Chapter 54 membership list is filled with the names of people who have a great deal of knowledge and expertise in aircraft building and restoration. There is hardly a day that goes by that I don't learn something new about aircraft construction during my rounds visiting the hangars and people with their projects at the Lake Elmo airport. We list more projects, either flying or under construction, within our chapter membership than we have ever had in the history of our chapter. Right now we are in the midst of "the good old days."

I would like everyone to understand that legally, because of liability considerations, I am not authorized to approve or disapprove anyone's project and sign it off as airworthy. The advantage of Technical Counselor visits is that after three visits by a counselor to an amateur built project the builder can apply for liability insurance from any of various aircraft insurance carriers and receive a substantial discount on the annual premium. The BEST advantage, safety wise, is that the more pairs of eyes looking at a project during it's construction phase, the better the chances are that a critical component or procedure will not be omitted or overlooked. I certainly encourage everyone to take advantage of this service, which is VOLUNTARY AND FREE!

One of the other advantages of the Technical Counselor program is that the counselor can guide you through the path of paperwork. There is registration to be applied for and where and how to find a DAR (Designated Airworthiness Representative) to do the final inspection and issue the airworthiness certificate that makes it a licensed airplane. There is a certain amount of record keeping required and also the State of Minnesota will charge you some sales tax and requires state registration. I'm here to help, so feel free to call on me.

I have discussed this column, i.e.; the Technical Counselor Column, with Bob Collins, the Newsletter Editor, and plan to use it to keep the membership informed of the latest news from EAA and on what's happening within our chapter regarding the progress of individual projects, hopefully with pictures, throughout the year on a monthly basis. I look forward to it and I think it's going to be a lot of fun. ?
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Minutes of Last Meeting

By Nick Stolley
December 10, 2001


Meeting called to order at 7:30pm. The second meeting held in the new chapter building.

A visitor was Gordon Stirling from Alaska. He found the closest chapter to him from the EAA Web site. It was joked that he moved south for the winter.

November meeting minutes and treasurer's reports were accepted as published in the newsletter.

Jerry Sarracco reported for the Lake Elmo Airport Association. He said that hanger insurance is now done in-house. Also, the hanger expansion project planned for 2002 is now planned for 2003, due to current events and the economic situation

The January Reliever Airport Advisory Committee (RAAC) meeting will be held at MAC's home office.

The Lake Elmo name change proposal passed MAC and went to the FAA for approval, which is mandatory, but there are few obstacles seen. It may take 6-8 months to get past the FAA. The predominant new name that has been suggested is St Croix Valley Airport.

Dave Fiebiger reported for the building committee. Carpet will be laid on Dec. 28th or 29th. The wood trim will also need to be installed. The speed at which the building was painted was noted. It took roughly 1 1/2 hours to paint all walls. This is a perfect example of many hands making light work. There are also screen on the windows, and whiteboards in the front of the room.

Al Kupferschmidt has 10 remaining kids wishing to fly from the pancake breakfast. He thought if anyone was going flying sometime, give him a call, and he'll give you a number to see if a young person may want to come.

Art Edhlund reported that the chapter's Flying Start program had been scheduled for mid April.

Marlon Gunderson, chair of fundraising, stated our building fund is at $3,900, with $300 in remaining pledges. This is just shy of our stated goal. However, the remaining pledges are waiting for either the new tax year, or 501(c)3 status. Marlon also stated that work on a plaque with the names of the contributors is hoped to be started in mid-January.

Paul Leidl, the new chapter treasurer, said our application for 501(c)3 status has been passed to the Feds in late November. This started a 120 day clock in which they can reply with a "yes," "no," or "maybe." So far, the only major expense was a $150 attorney fee, which was actually paid by a member. Paul also noted he has family with a plaque making business.

Jim Rush noted that on January 19 and 20, there are some workshops that may be of interest to aircraft builders. He also mentioned the availability of hangers at New Richmond airport. The airport manager, Mike Demulling, is looking into a residential airpark. Either owned by the city, or adjacent to the airport, and privately owned.

Tom Marson just bought a handy tool; it's a handheld infrared thermometer. It's also got a laser pointer to show where the tool is taking its temperatures from. Tom had found many uses for the tool, and probably didn't put it down for the first 2 hours of ownership. It's from Ratech and cost about $80.

Dave Holmes just got a massive boost on his Pitts S-1-11B project. He bought project that strangely enough, had most of the major airframe components that he hasn't built yet- a perfect match. Included with is deal was a fuselage welded by a master craftsman. It also included a stainless firewall, an instrument panel with instruments, horizontal, rudder, 5 point harness, alternator and wing metal pieces. Most wood work hadn't been done, and that was precisely what Dave had been working on. Dave needs an engine, prop, canopy, and landing gear.

Doug Wheler reported on RV programs, and the RV forum. He was asked how many RVs were in the group. He thought there were about 50 RVs in the group, and 20-25 flying in the metro area.

Tom Marson asked what was required to fly without Mode C in the "Enhanced Class B." Paul Leidl reported all that needs to be done is call the Minneapolis TRACON and give them your name and address, and it the waiver is good for the day. It was also worth noting that the requirements should be eliminated on the 19th of December, where the Enhanced Class B airspaces are due to expire.

Jim Anderson mentioned that there is supposed to be a TV program on the History Channel, at the Old Reinbeck Aerodrome in New York. The times are 9 p.m. Eastern, 8 p.m. Central. Featured will be a Sopwith Camel and Fokker D-VII.

New Business- The upcoming years activities so far include the Pancake Breakfast, and the Banquet. Also, the new chapter president for 2002 is Dale Rupp.

Al Kupferschmidt asked for a donation to Christ Lutheran Church, who so graciously allowed us to meet there on more than a few occasions.

Jerry Sarracco has 2002 calendars for sale.

members@eaa54.org had gotten on a nasty mailing list, and subsequently shut down temporarily. It was reported that at the time of the mailer was shut down, more than 1,000 emails were in the queue to be distributed to the membership. The solution was to only allow members of the chapter to post to the list.

The meeting was adjourned at (about) 8:20pm.?
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Building Fund Update

By Marlon Gunderson
To date, we have receipts of $4,225 towards our goal of $4,500. I have also been told that the IRS has approved Chapter 54 as a 501(c)(3) corporation, so we will be able to send out tax deductible donation receipts to our donors for their 2001 tax returns. These are great results and in January I expect to work with the treasurer to get receipts out and with others to establish a fitting tribute in the clubhouse to those who made the building possible.

Other general interest:

I was out in Davis, CA during the week of Christmas. Perhaps you read about the '46 Champ that escaped its owner in Sonoma County that week and went for a joyride for a few hours before a crashing near Lake Berryessa?

That was only a few miles from where I was staying and the local news was beating the story to death. "Experts" were quoted as saying that the Aeronca Champ is "notorious" for this type of behavior "due to its need to be started at full throttle" and listed 5 similar runaway incidents in the past 20 years involving the Champ.

There was no explanation of how it got away from the pilot, only that it was left unattended at full throttle.

I later found a clear story of the incident on the Internet which confirmed that it happened the way most of these occur: it was a warm start, not a cold start, and so the engine was prone to flooding, which it did; the common remedy is to open the throttle to full and throw the prop backwards 8 - 10 blades while the mags are off and then try a restart with the throttle back to idle; occasionally the pilot fails to turn the mags off during the reverse throw, or turns the mags back on for the restart but fails to close the throttle (and is ignoring, as usual, the insurance requirement of having a PIC at the stick or having it tied down), so the airplane starts at full throttle and demonstrates its short-field takeoff capabilities. I've heard of this happening before, and I'm hoping it will help me to avoid making this handprop mistake myself.
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Need a "load leveler?"

Jim Olson (FlynHobo@aol.com) has just built a load leveler, (to distribute a load evenly when taking an engine on or off an airplane or automobile). "It should fit quite nicely on a cherry picker. It's about 18-inches long and has a crank on one side to distribute the load evenly fore or aft. Anyone interested in borrowing it could reach me at 651-484-9459," he reports.?
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CLASSIFIEDS

AEROSHELL
Jim Rusch (jrusch@pressenter.com) has Aeroshell W 65, W 80, W100 and 15-50 for sale, along with Exxon Elite. "I just try to cover my costs including the sales tax to be legal, and so my old price list may not be accurate because as I buy new oil I usually get price increases and pass them along. I'll be bringing one case of Exxon to the Jan. meeting. No transportation charges since I'll be there anyway. I'll be in Texas during the Feb. meeting.

TAILWHEEL
For sale. I have a little used Maule 8 inch Pneumatic steerable tailwheel for sale $125.00. (715) 386-3448. Tom Marson.

WANTED: TV SET
For the chapter house. The other one flew away in the big wind storm. Please contact Jerry Sarracco. (Handjsarr@aol.com).

HANGAR FOR SALE
Benson Airport (6MN9), in White Bear Township, is interested in expanding the number of private hangars at its 2,000' grass airstrip. If you own a small GA, experimental, or ultralight aircraft and you 're interested in buying a T-hangar in a 2-6 unit condo, let me know. Final size and cost will be determined by the buyers, but will be around 40' x 32' x 12', and $10,000-$25,000 depending on amenities and how much work you're willing to do. Construction to begin in spring of '02. For more information, send an email to keith.bogut@wavefront.com or call (651) 631-8903.
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Calendar

January 19, 2002 - MARSHFIELD, WI - Chapter 992 Chili Feed Ski-In/Fly-In, 715-687-4120, bremers@commplusis.net.

January 20, 2002 - HAYWARD, WI - Third Annual Famous Dave's Ski Plane Fly-In, www.GrandPines.com, 715-462-3352

January 26, 2002 - ANE - Van's AirForce, Minnesota Wing, meeting. Subject: Working with fiberglas. 10 a.m. dougweil@pressenter.com.

January 26, 2002 - WAUTOMA, WI - EAA Chapter 1331 (Y50) First Annual - Wheel and Ski Plane - Chili Fly In (Snow day Jan. 27) davreich@aol.com or Denny (920) 787-5163

February 24, 2002 - WARROAD, MN - Warroad Lions 24th Annual Skiplane Fly-In, 218-386-1818

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EAA Chapter 54 News is published monthly by Chapter 54 of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) for the use, education and enjoyment of chapter members and others to whom it is provided. No claim is made for the accuracy of the materials presented. Editorial content is the opinion of the contributor and does not necessarily reflect the policies of Chapter 54, nor the EAA. Submissions for publication can be sent to Bob Collins, 2734 McKinley Dr., Woodbury, Mn. 55125-3487, or e-mailed to bcollins@visi.com.

 

 

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