If four thousand miles in an open cockpit biplane sound like an interesting adventure then you will enjoy the story of three of our Chapter 1217 members. At sunrise late last month three of our more adventurous members departed Casa Grande for a three week odyssey that would include a visit to the Antique Airplane Association Flyin in Blakesburg, Iowa and the ultimate goal being the annual Stearman Flyin in Galesburg, Illinois. Terry Emig, Roger Parrish and Bob Deford are flying their Boeing Stearmans and David Roberts is flying his 1930 Waco RNF, a design noted for speed. Since they only had made the outbound leg when the newsletter reached its deadline we can report that all is well and the planes have behaved flawlessly. The trip out included overnights in Van Horn, Texas, Sweetwater, Texas, Muskogee, Oklahoma, and St. Clair, Missouri before reaching Blakesburg. After a couple of days of enjoying Midwest hospitality they moved on to Chapter 1217 member Don Lindholm’s farm in Iowa with its manicured 1700’ grass runway. Terry said Don fed them so much Iowa beef and homemade ice cream they thought the runway might have grown a little shorter the next morning. The goal of Galesburg, Illinois was reached on schedule and they were planning to start the long upwind flight back to Arizona on Sunday September 12. When Terry checked in I asked him if he was still enjoying the ride at 500 feet and eighty miles per hour. He mumbled something about saving the Cessna 310 section of Trade-a-Plane!

This is a first in a series of commonly asked questions to Shell aviation lubricant technical specialists.

Oil analyses can help you discover engine problems before they turn into major failures. But the analysis information gained is only as good as the sampling procedure. Also, a single test is not enough to reveal trends and significant changes and can only tell you if there is already a serious problem, like a scuffed piston. Take oil samples properly. For best results, take the sample about midway through the draining of hot oil from your sump. A sample pulled off the beginning or end of the oil change may appear dirtier than it really is. Sample the oil the same way every time. An improperly taken sample can lead to some seriously inaccurate conclusions about engine malfunctions. Rely on a series of consistent tests over time. You are looking for significant changes or trends over time, not absolute values. People want to label the results of a single test as good or bad, but the system doesn’t usually work that way. Say you are buying a used aircraft. Don’t rely on just one very good result of just one report. It could have come from a 5 or 10 hour sample. Relatively constant numbers from the last six oil changes are a far better indicator that the engine is in good condition. Your record of regular oil changes and analyses is also helpful when selling an aircraft. Be consistent. If you change your oil at 50 hours, and then at 25 hours the next time, the first sample may show twice the wear metals. Expect higher wear metals during break-in or following some maintenance procedure such as cylinder replacement. Finally, always remember that oil analysis should be part of a good maintenance program, not a replacement for one.

If you have product or technical questions, please contact the Shell Technical Information Center at 1-800-231-6950 or visit www.aeroshell.com

After years of hard work by the EAA the final Sport Pilot rule is out and will take effect on September first of this year. It is divided into basically two parts. The first is the creation of a new category and class for the planes. The second part deals with the certification of the pilot. One of the really good things is that all private pilots are eligible to operate a light sport aircraft without taking another flight check provided they meet the requirements of the rule. The basic requirements for the plane are.

- Maximum gross takeoff weight-1,320 lbs (599 kg.), 1,430 lbs. if float equipped.
- Lighter-than-air light-sport aircraft maximum gross weight-660 lbs (300 kg.)
- Maximum stall speed-51 mph (45 knots)
- Maximum speed in level flight with maximum continuous power (Vh)-138 mph (120 knots)
- Two-place maximum (pilot and one passenger)
- Day VFR operation only
- Single, non-turbine engine only
- Fixed or ground adjustable propeller
- Unpressurized cabin
- Landing gear
- Repositionable landing gear for seaplanes allowing the wheels to be rotated for amphibious operation.
- Will have FAA registration-"N" number.
- Aircraft category and class includes: Airplane (Land/Sea), Gyroplane, Airship, Balloon, Weight-Shift-Control (Trike Land/Sea), and Powered Parachute.
 U.S. or foreign manufacture of light-sport aircraft is authorized.
- Aircraft with a standard airworthiness certificate that meet above specifications may be flown by sport pilots. However, that airworthiness certification category will not be changed to a light-sport aircraft. Holders of a sport pilot certificate may fly an aircraft with a standard airworthiness certificate if it meets the definition of a light-sport aircraft. Many certificated planes such as Cubs, Taylorcrafts, Luscombes, Vagabonds,  Champs and Ercoupes can be flown as LSA provided they haven’t had gross weight increases that take them over the limit.

CLASS  Light Sport Aircraft (LSA)

CATEGORIES

● Airplane (single-engine only)
● Glider
● Lighter-than-air (airship or balloon)
● Rotorcraft (gyroplane only)
● Powered Parachute
● Weight-Shift controlled (e.g. Trikes)

To see the entire ruling and requirements go to www.eaa.org and follow the links to Sport Pilot.

This years EAA AirVenture Flyin was the twenty-first consecutive one for me and my wife, Chris and it was one of the best by comparison. Gone are the fences and wristband checkpoints separating the members and non-member areas. It seems the EAA is making a real effort to make the Flyin more member friendly, and it shows.

After the first day of walking the flightline we met up with seventeen of our Chapter members and friends for the annual EAA Chapter 1217 Happy Hour. The real diehards airmen in our group who actually flew to Oshkosh were Don Lindholm who flew his Cessna 170, John Levitz who flew his Helio Courrier, Mike Berglund with his Barron, Bill Unternaehrer with a King Air, and Tom Weidlich who left his Stearman at home and flew a Cheyenne. The rest of us helped keep the airlines in business.

The standouts for homebuilts were a yellow two seater t tailed plane from Mojave. It was flawlessly constructed with almost invisible cowling seams. Looking at the performance numbers it flew as good as it looked. The other outstanding homebuilt was a 110 percent scaled up Sopwith Pup. Designed by Steve Culp this plane was beefed up to take a 400 hp Russian M-14P engine and stressed for unlimited aerobatics. From thirty feet away it looked like a real WW 1 fighter until you noticed the three blade prop and double flying wires,  Snoopy would have been proud.

The standout antique was a Hisso powered JN-4 from Sonoma California. One of my first jobs was working for Aero Meridian where we had built the wings for this plane back in 1979, I still have the scars from making the tip bows. It took the owner a few more years (24) to get it done but it was a beautiful restoration. They trucked the plane to Broadhead Wisconsin and flew it in the last 160 miles so it could be judged. Everybody had there favorite planes and these were a few of the standout in my mind.

Although the EAA put the attendance figures at 700,000, about 10 percent less than last year there was no shortage of people. Among the final figures for the event were:

More than 10,000 airplanes from North America, Europe, South America, Africa and Australia;

Among those airplanes were nearly 2,500 showplanes that were eligible for judging in one of 11 different categories;

A near-record 802 commercial exhibitors (record: 807 in 2003);

More than 30,000 campers housed along the EAA AirVenture flight line in aircraft camping areas or in the drive-in

Approximately 700 reporters from five continents, sending coverage worldwide;

In excess of 4,000 volunteers who contributed more than 250,000 hours of service

A total of 1,429 international aviation enthusiasts from 61 nations who registered at the International Visitors Tent (top three nations: Canada 438, Germany 144, Australia 117).

GREG BROWN’S NEW BOOK

Greg has a new book out called You Can Fly! which begins shipping this month from ASA.
Greg has been on a personal mission over the past several years to attract more people into general aviation. First came The Savvy Flight Instructor to motivate and assist CFIs in their recruiting efforts, then Flying Carpet to entice new pilots and the general public with the romance and adventure of flying. The remaining and broadest need was to create a truly fun and visually exciting book to inform and sell prospective pilots on flying.
Well, here it is -- You Can Fly! coauthored with his good friend, Laurel Lippert, CFI and Editor-at-Large for Pilot Getaways magazine. 
What's different about this book from other introductory texts about flying? Lots.

First and most importantly, the book is full color from beginning to end and jam-packed with good-enough-to-eat original color photographs showcasing the fun of flying.

1. You Can Fly! focuses on the joy and benefits of flying without all the dull "according to the FAA" verbiage found in other learn-to-fly books.
2. To make the book even more fun, we've loaded it with sidebars answering the questions that intrigue every aspiring pilot, like "How do you read an altimeter?" "What causes those annoying bumps?" and "How do pilots know where they are?" Each is explained in just a paragraph or two, complemented by simple and fun illustrations (again, all color).
3. Finally we have the long-awaited title for prospective aviators who ask, "What can I read to learn about becoming a pilot?" Between the dynamic color cover, beautiful photos by Tom Lippert (this could almost be a coffee-table book) and aggressive pricing by ASA ($19.95) we expect these books to recruit lots of on-the-fence prospective pilots. It's our objective that You Can Fly! will serve that role all across the market from general interest bookstores to online catalogs, pilot shops and for "closing the sale" at flight schools themselves.
    
   Visit Greg Brown's Adventure of Flying at http://www.paperjet.net/

SPACESHIPONE MAKES HISTORY
By Mike McGarry

On June 21, Burt Rutan and Scaled Composites made history when their latest project, SpaceShipOne, became the first privately funded flight to reach space.

With pilot Mike Melville at the controls and SpaceShipOne hanging from the underside of the turbojet powered White Knight launch aircraft, they taxied by a crowd of several thousand spectators at just past 6:30 am. A few minutes later they roared down the runway and into the air to begin the hour-long climb to a launch altitude of 47,000 feet.

At 7:50 am, the spaceship was released and its rocket motor ignited to begin its 76 second burn. As the motor burned out the spaceship was passing through an altitude of 180,000 feet and traveling at a speed of more than Mach 2.9; it continued to coast on up to its record breaking altitude of 328,491 feet. 

New astronaut Melville experienced 3 ½ minutes of weightlessness before the craft began its return to Earth. During this return phase, the tail was configured in a feathered position to increase drag. Upon reaching 57,000 feet, the tail was moved back to its normal position and the vehicle began a 20 minute glide back to the Mojave Airport which has now become the Nation's first inland Space Port.

The flight wasn't without mishap though. They had a primary pitch trim control failure and some damage was seen to the aft fairing covering the rocket nozzle. The trim problem caused the craft to go about 22 miles off course and also to come short of its planned altitude; however, it did still go past 62 miles high which is required to qualify as a space flight.

Rutan hopes to have the problems resolved and have SpaceShipOne flying again within a month or two, at which time they plan to compete for the Ansari X Prize of 10 million dollars. The prize is for the first civilian team to launch, reach space, and recover the same vehicle twice within 14 days while carrying 3 persons on board or their equivalent weight in ballast.

Burt Rutan will speak at this year's EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh including four forum presentations, plus his Theater in the Woods evening program "Fun at Mojave" on Thursday, July 29. The longtime EAA member has always been an active participant at Oshkosh, as his aircraft design and building roots with EAA go back more than 30 years.

For more information on the flight please check out these websites: www.scaled.com and www.xprize.org

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

The August issue of Kitplanes magazine has a real nice article on Chapter 1217 members Kevin Steiner and Brooke Bessesen's Velocity Elite. For those of you that haven't seen the plane in person it is based at Deer Valley on the north side and is absolutely beautiful. Also, on the cover and inside is an article about retired Chapter member George Best's GlaStar. The article compares the homebuilt GlaStar against the Symphony certified aircraft, which has the same basic outward appearance. The magazine is on newsstands now so pick up a copy.

YOUNG PEOPLE'S HELP NEEDED

Those planning the EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh are seeking help from young people who will be attending.

Many EAA Chapters have young people that are very active participants. They attend monthly meetings, help out at events, and shadow other EAA members in the building process. They are part of the EAA Chapter Family.

AirVenture planners are looking for a group of young EAA Chapter members planning to attend AirVenture who will take photos and write a short article about their experiences while attending AirVenture. The desire is to capture the AirVenture experience through the eyes of a young person. What is it like to camp with your Chapter, to volunteer, attend forums, watch the airshow, or attend Air Academy? How has participating as part of a Chapter influenced the experience?

The plan is to have the young people take disposable cameras and capture some of their favorite Chapter and AirVenture moments while they are there and then send a story to EAA Headquarters about their experiences. It is important that the stories to reflect their Chapter involvement and also their impressions of AirVenture as a young person participating as part of a Chapter.

Any young person associated with our Chapter between the ages of 8 and 17 that would be interested in being a "youth reporter" at AirVenture, please contact Brenda Anderson at banderson@eaa.org.

CATALINA ISLAND GOOSE NEWS

David Johnston has written a book that chronicles Catalina's aviation history. Includes personal stories from the people that were there.

The two buildings officially designated Federal Building 10-A at 800 Independence Ave. S.W. the Orville Wright Federal Building, and the Federal Building 10-B at 600 Independence Ave., S.W. as the Wilbur Wright Federal Building. The renaming comes just in time for the official opening of the newly renovated 10-B building. Replicas of the Wright Flyer and the Wright Glider will be hung permanently in each of the building lobbies.

The amateur-built aircraft accident rate declined significantly over the past year, and the FAA gives considerable credit for the drop to EAA's proactive safety programs that continually improve safety and competence among homebuilders. FAA says the homebuilt aircraft accident rate dropped 25 percent for the 12-month period ending September 30, 2003. Over that same period, the fatal accident rate fell 36 percent. At the same time, total U.S.homebuilt aircraft registrations grew to more than 25,000.EAA's Homebuilt Aircraft Council, a volunteer committee of EAA'ers who are experienced builders, provides solid support for EAA Technical Counselors, who advise builders during aircraft construction or restoration, and EAA Flight Advisors, who help pilots evaluate their own flying skills as they transition to newly constructed or restored aircraft. EAA Chapters provide excellent forums for homebuilders as they complete their aircraft projects. Most of the 1,250 EAA Technical Counselors and 560 EAA Flight Advisors are associated with at least one local Chapter.

The Prescott AFSS has recently issued a NOTAM commissioning a new RCO frequency at Ajo, AZ. The frequency is 122.65, and the site is physically located at a fairly high elevation near Ajo. As a result, we expect improved coverage for aircraft crossing the border northbound, and also in support of the DF site at Gila Bend.

Please spread the word to encourage users in south central Arizonato use this new radio outlet for communication with the AFSS. If you have any questions please e-mail or call 928-778-7810.

The reason is that I have had greatest success here in California by "getting the camel's nose under the tent" that is, starting off slowly and with just a few seaplane operations per month. Once the lake managers and law enforcement officials see that this is "no big deal", other options usually open up. As a matter of fact, I would suggest a one year trial seaplane use on the lake as a starting point, or at least keep that as a fall back position if we get some opposition.

CHAPTER MEMBER WEBSITE

Long time Chapter 1217 members Hal and Jackie Rozema have started a website dedicated to the construction of their Zenith VSTOL 701 airplane. See ThePlaneFolks.net to see their latest progress. The first addition of the website also includes links to Hal's Aviation Art, the 701 Construction Photos, and the Zenith Aircraft homepage. Don't fail to check out the VSTOL 701 photo galleries, a couple thousand photo from all over the world.

MORE HOMEBUILDERS BOOKS

Sonja Englert has added another book to her selection of homebuilder's books. This one is mainly for those who want to build metal airplanes or fabricate metal airplane components. The other books (composites, engine installations and flight testing) are also still available. Her website has slightly changed, so if you are interested, please look under: www.caro-engineering.com.

THE  FIRST  VFR  FLIGHT FROM NOME, ALASKA
            TO PROVIDENIYA, RUSSIA

Part 2

By Bill Brooks, Beaver owner/pilot

This is part deaux of this history making flight. Par one appeared in lasts month's newsletter.

By the time we got out of the aircraft out of our survival suits and into the tower, Miss Mona had contacted Russia again and had it all worked out. Good old Russian flexibility.

Our route out of Nome was northwest over Cape Douglas, Port Clarence, and look out for a 1,358-foot-high Loran antenna there right on the spit. Look out, then across 20 miles of open water to Lost River, York, Tin City and Wales. There were still snow drifts right at sea level in many areas. Also saw several icebergs drifting south. We were very pleased we didn't have to check out those survival suits in real conditions.

Wales is the turning point to leave the US. The International Date Line runs between the Little and Big Diamede Islands, about where the Chuckchi Sea and the Arctic Ocean meet the Bering Sea. The route heads west to the international reporting point BATNI at N65:43 W169:00, which is just a coordination spot in the air. This checkpoint is where today meets tomorrow, and is 3 time zones west of Anchorage, 21 hours difference. The place on the Earth where the day begins is East Cape, Siberia, the easternmost land closest to the International Date Line. We are instantly, for the first time in our lives, in Russian airspace flying a deHavilland Beaver. In addition, it may be that this is the first time a Beaver has ever been flown in Russian airspace. A lot of first, this entire flight being the first group to fly the new US and Russian-agreed air corridor - Nome, Alaska to Provideniya, Russia. One thought occurred to me at that point. For a short period of time, the engine and cockpit of the Beaver was 21 ours ahead of the tail. I'm having a Harvard graduate work this out.

Another thought on crossing the Date Line - we were as far west as you can go and as far east as you can go. Also before entering Russian airspace, we had the opportunity to look into tomorrow. However, it sure looked a lot like today!

We called LAVRENTIYA (UHML) Tower on 131.1 and reported in their airspace, and received clearance to continue. The English was a bit difficult to understand, but Joe Griffith did okay - he speaks some Russian, which was a big help. I'm very glad he was in that right seat.

Then BATNI to KILAK, LAVRENTIYA, and KADAT (which are coordinates only, no letters) to NALID, to MONUD, to PROVIDENIYA (UHMD), and switched to their contact tower 119.3. The airport starts at sea level, goes up a hill, and is 5,000 feet + of gravel. It was in good condition, however.

On the ground we saw a few helicopters, two of which had blades, and one big chopper. We also saw one IL28 (Beagle) Bomber aircraft parked. Russia has no small planes, as the US does, so no fuel was available. Everyone had to haul their own fuel. I had three containers of 20 gallons each, which gave me enough to get back to Nome.

Our visas were for 2 weeks, but our flight permission was good for 24 hours only. As weather grounded us on the second day, we were then in Russia without permission to fly in Russian airspace. Again, Mona carried the day. From Nome, she obtained the necessary permits to allow us to escape on the third day. We made it back to Nome and spent the night. Departed for Anchorage about 0900 the following morning. Weather south of us turned bad, and after looking for a hole for a couple of hours, trying to get into McGrath, couldn't make it so returned to Unalakleet. Made sure the Beaver was well tied down and locked, then departed for Anchorage via PenAir.

Ron Sheardown was kind enough to fly on a DC-6 back up to Unalakleet and get the Beaver back to home base. My wife had told me to bring back something from Russia. I did - a bad cold, which prevented me from flying to Unalakleet to retrieve the Beaver. Was very thankful to achieve completion of our trip.

We made new friends here in Alaska and, I hope, new friends in Provideniya. For one of the gifts I took over 2 dozen American Dictionaries and presented them to the school teacher in Provideniya. They had the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence printed in the back of the book. The teacher was visibly moved, as she indicated that no one had ever given her anything like this before.

The actual flying was a bit of an adventure. Seems there is always weather and other problems, but you can expect that also. Hit the check point and be on time. Conversation is a little bit iffy. Although English is the universal language on airways, understanding just what is said and its true meaning does sometimes get garbled. Captains on our international flights report similar problems.

Our friend Jim O'Mera and his wife Kim of Greatland Laser gave each of the pilots one of his Rescue Laser Flare units. Their signal is good up to 20 miles, and can send laser signals to rescue personnel. They are of value to anyone lost under any circumstances.

Would I go again? Well, give me a couple of days to think about that. We really saw what a government totally controlling the people can do. Total disaster.

THE  FIRST  VFR  FLIGHT FROM NOME, ALASKA
            TO PROVIDENIYA, RUSSIA
Part 1

By Bill Brooks, Beaver owner/pilot

The first of two parts of this history making flight appears in this month's newsletter. Watch for the February Thunderword for the exciting conclusion!

I had heard that a few of the pilots from the Alaska Airmen's Association were trying to put together an Inaugural Flight on this newly established route. One day in May, 2003, Ron Sheardown and I were sitting in our usual booth in the dining room of the Millennium Hotel on Lake Spenard.  I asked Ron, "Do you think I ought to do a thing like that and would you like to go with me?"  He thought about it for 5 seconds and said "Sure, why not?"  That kind of got the ball rolling.  The original plan was for us to go over in June but that time frame didn't work out, so we decided to go on August 9th, as scheduled, with the Alaska Airmen's group.  Ron couldn't make it on August 9th, so Joe Griffith volunteered as copilot.  Ron loaned us two immersion survival suits and a five man life raft.  We had an initial "try on" in our living room, which was beneficial because they are not easy to get into.  They are hot and very uncomfortable to fly in, but did give a sense of security when flying over the Bering Sea.

It was fortunate we chose the later date, because paperwork, insurance, pilot's license, visas, passport, radio permits, air worthiness certificate, current annual, serial numbers, tattoos and birthmark registration, current leprosy shots and certification that we had our own teeth took some time. 

Well okay I exaggerate a bit, but it was an almighty pile of paper.  My insurance agent, Mike Adams at AVEMCO, did find me coverage for deHavilland Beaver N324WB; but when I first asked about coverage, there was a long pause in the conversation before he asked, "Where? Who would want to go there?"  I explained where, but couldn't really draw up any enthusiasm or sympathy from him for
the "Who'd want to go there?" part.  To clear things up for him I copied and sent him Russian and Nome charts.  Proof of insurance arrived two days before departure.

Back at Control Center, our nurse and mother hen, Mona Holmes of the Alaska Airmen's Association, was hard at work with a dozen different interested victims, each with different problems.  Mona had her hands full and, believe me, without her patience, fortitude and just good common sense; this flight could never have happened.  One of her many phone calls to Russia went something like this: She called Anaydr Center in Anaydr to fix a minor glitch, saying, "Good
morning this is Mona in Alaska".  Before she could explain further he answered: "I am honored.  Vhat do you want, now?"  Guess she must have called them a lot.

Of the 13 pilots originally interested in the flight, only seven completed the trip.  The Russians turned down our friends in the AN-2 because their U.S. registration showed the word "experimental" and was not acceptable.  Strange, because the AN-2 is Russian and a great workhorse.  It's big and has an 1820 cubic inch engine with lots of power.  They went as far as Nome with us, camped out and then headed back to Valdez.  The seven that made the trip were: 

Our flight from Anchorage was through Rainy Pass, to McGrath, Unalakleet, Shatoolik, across Norton Bay to Elim, over about 30 miles of open water; then West along the coast to Nome.  Weather was good VFR.  Flight time was 4:45 hrs., 500 + miles.  Fuel burn was 20.4 GPH and used only 1 qt of oil; and on that Pratt & Whitney 985 engine, that's exceptionable!  A new Capstone GPS had just been installed in the Beaver.  Jeff Fondy, captain for ERA Aviation, helped install the entire route as a flight plan.  It worked beautifully.  That is one great GPS.  We were always right on course with the magenta line from station to the next station.  In Nome, we had reservations at the Aurora Inn, new and well done.  Dinner and the briefing meeting was at Fat Freddie's.  Good food. Mona had made the reservations and was there with her inevitable raft of paper and more forms.
 
Next morning the weather was marginal VFR.  Our flight would now take us over the Bering Sea, so we suited up in our survival suits.  I know, now, how the astronauts must feel.  Getting into those things is a job in itself, but they are great body finders in open water.  Getting into the cockpit of the Beaver was another challenging adventure in human adaptability - good thing I'm young and agile.  On board, we had a 5-man raft as part of our emergency gear.  I think we were the only aircraft so equipped.

There had been some numbers "cross-threaded" on one of the aircraft.  Seems it was the deHavilland, and after Joe and I had gotten into the survival suits, into the cockpit and were airborne, Nome FSS called us to return as our flight plan was not approved.  We landed and taxied back to the tower……..

To be continued next month...

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

Chapter member Billy Walker sent me an interesting email that might be an excellent opportunity to get in on the ground floor of something really fun.

He is looking for volunteers to man "Puff The Magic Dragon" AC-47 Gunship based out of FFZ.

Anyone who can join our nefarious group can call Chris Clark, Director of Maintenance, 480-985-8743 (Home) or 480-296-6695 (Cell). Or Darrel Massman (Puff's new owner) 715-281-5507.

Thanks, in advance, for any consideration to a great project to preserve and promote aviation history. Puff was built in Long Beach in 1942 and flew in the Normandy Invasion June 6, 1944, and later in the Berlin Airlift. Puff is now in Viet Nam AC-47 configuration complete with three 7.62 mm Mini-Guns mounted out the left side. There are 10 B-747 First Class seats for those wishing a memorable flight on one of history's most illustrious airplanes. The airplane is top shape thanks to Chris and his crew. Puff was at the Copperstate Flyin and is currently parked at Anzio Landing restaurant at Falcon Field in Mesa.

Volunteers can expect to have an opportunity to fly on Puff when seats are available.

New Airman Certificate

It was announced at this years EAA AirVenture Flyin that starting on August first of this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will begin issuing new, security-enhanced airman certificates to the nation's 650,000 active pilots. FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey unveiled the new certificate before hundreds of aviation enthusiasts at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture.

The new credit card-sized certificates are made from high-quality composite PVC media card stock and incorporate new security features, such as a hologram of the FAA seal. They will replace the existing paper airman certificates are easily damaged.

"The new certificate's durability and features will further protect pilot identities and add one more element of security to our aviation system," said Blakey.

The certificate will be issued to all new and existing airmen as they achieve higher levels or additional ratings. It will replace certificates that have been lost or damaged.

In keeping with this year's Centennial of Flight celebration, the new certificate features graphics of the Wright Brothers, 1902 Wright Glider,1903 Wright Flyer, Boeing jet aircraft, DOT seal, and a hologram of the FAA seal. Images of the Wright Brothers

were provided by the Wright Family Fund.

The new certificate was designed by the FAA's Civil Aviation Registry, part of the agency's Flight Standards Service. The Registry issues approximately 246,000 airman and 70,000 aircraft certificates annually

OSHKOSH AIRVENTURE
RAMP RATS REPORT

The overwhelming number of planes at AirVenture 2003 makes it hard to spot the new planes, but from the Ramp Rats perspective there were a few standouts that weren't just blatant marketing attempts to extort our hard earned skybucks. A new plane was the Nexus Mustang from Canada. Based on the Midget Mustang design, it was scaled up and stretched to become a very sexy two-place tandem plane. Still on the Mustang front, the Titan T-51 all metal Mustang replica was buzzing around all week. It combines the fuselage shape of a P-51D with a low speed wing…and does it look great in flight. The only negitive was the Rotax 912 they chose as an engine which sounds like a bloodthirsty mosquito. Bombardier, the parent company of Rotax had their prototype 300 horse engine flying on a Murphy Moose, really nice workmanship and quiet. Another favorite, Maule aircraft, has redesigned one of their first designs to come up with a Rotax powered two-seat light plane aimed at the Sport Pilot market. It was a little off base with a 990 lb empty weight but sure was cute. The Sport Pilot license as originally proposed has a max weight of 1230 lbs.

The new Apis 13 meter kit glider was on display and had a crowd of people in funny hats around it all week. I tried it on and found it to be quite roomy, and plan to take the owner up on his offer to fly the ship. The motorglider version would just fit in my hangar. "From Russia With Love" the sign said over the Beriev Be 103 amphibious six place seaplane. It was Russian all the way and had a lot of unique features. It received its US standard certification at the show and will be available for sale here. The Russians are serious, sending a AN-124 cargo plane over with two of the Berievs for the show; that wasn't cheap. On Saturday, they had one flying at the seaplane base and it was amazing how fast it took off in the rough water.

On the vintage plane front, the replica Hughes racer was on display. Aside from the amount of effort that it took to recreate this plane, the workmanship was flawless. It would have been nice to see it fly but it didn't on the days that we were there. The owner sat under the wing and was like a proud papa telling everyone what went into creating this masterpiece. The Ramp Rats number one pick of antique planes was a restored single engine S-39 Sikorsky flying boat. It was painted like a giraffe to resemble the one flown by the Johnson's exploring Africa. It was restored from a large pile of corroded aluminum into a picture perfect antique. Greg Herrick always finds some exotic new plane to bring to Oshkosh and this year he had a Buel Air Sedan. It is a closed cockpit biplane with a very small lower wing. All of Greg's fleet along with a bunch of other rare old planes will be spending the month of September flying a recreation of the Ford Air Tour around the Midwest, definitely worth seeing if you are anywhere in the Midwest in September. Now, the final plane that caused the Ramp Rats tail to twitch. It's a strange little autogyro called the Little Wing. This particular one had an Australian Rotac radial engine that sounded great on the ground and in the air. It captured the romance of an old 1930's autogyro that I always loved!

As we cruised the airport Chapter members seemed to be everywhere. Here is a list of the ones spotted or reported as sightings:

A LITTLE GUIDANCE PLEASE

EAA Flight Planner, working with partner AeroPlanner.com, has launched a new feature to assist pilots in their flight planning. Now you can find more information about fuel prices at thousands of locations throughout the United States with the new index map of fixed-base operators (FBOs). And, the only place it's available is through the EAA website. A price savings difference of fifty cents a gallon on typical flight is pretty common. Send half of your savings to your hardworking newsletter editor! For additional details: www.eaa.org/communications/eaanews/030708_fbos.html

SPORT AVIATION UPDATE ON 
CD-ROM AVAILABLE

The latest upgrade to the popular Sport Aviation on CD-ROM collection is now available, including the entire collection of Sport Aviation magazine from 1953 through 2002; an updated search database including 2002 articles, and improved search capabilities from the original version. The CD-ROMs are fully searchable by author, subject, date, and full text. You can view every article, every advertisement, photographs, drawings, and letters from a half-century of publications. The upgrade is part of all new set purchases.

For the more than 1,000 people who have original copies, the upgrade is available for $19.99, plus shipping and handling. They are available (new sets: $159) through the EAA Aeronautica website: http://shop.eaa.org/