August's meeting was held on Wednesday, August 6, 2008 at Hendricks County Airport. Chapter President Dale Gustafson opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance.
In Attendance: John Broyles, Skip Budny, Tom Chapman, Dale Gustafson, Doug Hatfield, Dave Helton, Dave Kopeschka, Steve Kopeschka, Jim Lewis, Dirk Melchior, Doug Moncreiff, Michael Mossman, David Parker, Gary Reynolds, Mark Rinehart, Bryan Ruberson, Kim Shumaker, Jim Snyder, David Stucker, Vern Sullenger, Paul Vogel, Steve Weathers, Jim Winings and Ernie Winters. If you were there but we didn't record it, let us know.
Guests: Myron Anderson, Leon Charles Shagoury, Denny Smith and Sanford Smith.
Treasurer's Report: $1,777.22 in the bank, of which $41 is for the tool fund, plus another $74 to deposit. We now have some money to send the tool shopper out for the next tool kit.
Secretary's Report: Michael Mossman read the minutes from the July meeting.
President's Report: There's not too much news on Oshkosh at this time except that we had the best weather ever. It wasn't too hot and we avoided most of the rain. The Indy Air Show is August 24 and 25; Bill Hamerstadt is looking for volunteers. Also, Marion's annual Fly-in/Cruise is in August 30, and Hendricks County Airport is hosting a cookout on August 16.
New Business: Michael Mossman is looking for contributions for the newsletter.
Young Eagles Report: The Hendricks County Aviation Association cancelled its plans for Young Eagles flights at its cookout on August 16.
Gus's Trivia Question: What is a Grumman 40C? Answer: It's not a Grumman, because Grumman wasn't building airplanes in 1929. The aircraft actually is the Boeing 40C, which was the Grand Champion Antiques at Oshkosh. The rebuilder put it together from two aircraft. Over the years the registration number was reassigned to a Grumman Ag Cat. The rebuilder continually re-applied for it, so when the Grumman Ag Cat recently crashed, the number became available and the Boeing owner then got it. Due to errors with the computer registration system used by the judges at Oshkosh, plus the fact that the FAA records weren't fully updated, the airplane in questions kept coming up as a Grumman.
50/50 Drawing: Kim Shumaker won $16.50 and donated it to the tool fund.
Program: Denny Smith talked about his Magni Gyro aircraft and gave a flight demonstration. See story at toward end of newsletter.
Web Newsletter in Two Sections
The web newsletter is divided into two sections to take some of the sting out of the download time. If you receive only one section of the newsletter, or if the sections you receive are missing the embedded photo attachments please contact the newsletter editor at michaelandkatie1@comcast.net. The PDF version that gets posted on the website will remain as one file. See http://www.eaa1311.org/newsletters.html to download a PDF newsletter. (PDFs are posted within one week of the email version.)
Welcome New Members
Frequent visitor David Parker joined Chapter 1311 at the August meeting. The second of 13 children, he describes himself as a lifelong aviation addict and recently graduated from the Vincennes University ATC. He received his A&P license in May this year and is now employed at AAR Aircraft Services in Indianapolis. In addition to attending VU, for the past three years he has been working on putting together a film on Indiana aviation history, owning an extensive collection of Indiana aviation history memorabilia. He started a Pietenpol AirCamper project at age 15 and loves to skydive.
We have had many guests over the past few months and many people have expressed an interest in our organization. Look around and see if you have any friends, family members or acquaintance that are interested in aviation. Take the time to invite them as a guest to the next meeting. If you see somebody new, introduce yourself, welcome him or her, and invite them to sign up.
To get a downloadable PDF membership application see http://www.eaa1311.org/PDF_files/membership_application.pdf
Grover RV Wins Bronze Lindy
Chuck LaBarreare, who built his RV-8A in Troy Grover's shop, won a Bronze Lindy at AirVenture this year. LaBarreare brought his aircraft back to Grove-Air for a condition inspection and nosewheel strut upgrade after it was painted in its quasi-military paint scheme in Texas.
Congratulations, Chuck and Troy, on this stunning achievement!
For more information on this aircraft, see the February 2006 and April 2007 newsletters.
http://www.eaa1311.org/newsletters/060201_newsletter.pdf or http://www.eaa1311.org/newslettersweb/060201_newsletter2.html
http://www.eaa1311.org/newsletters/070401_newsletter.pdf or http://www.eaa1311.org/newslettersweb/070401_newsletter2.html
Also, photos of the aircraft under construction may be viewed at Grov-Air's website http://www.grov-air.com
AirVenture Oshkosh 2008
Facts and Figures
Comment from EAA president Tom Poberezny: "The concern was that 2008 would be less than a banner year, because of questions and cheallenges in areas such as fuel prices and the economy, but it turned out to be an overwhelming week. Each day on the grounds was filled with outstanding activities that made every day at AirVenture a unique event in itself. This year's "Oshkosh" was the shot in of enthusiasm, inspiration and economic boost that aviation needed.
Attendance: Estimated 540,000, a slight decrease from 2007 and nearly equally to 2006's attendance.
Comment from EAA president Tom Poberezny: "This year's attendance held steady for a variety of reasons, including superb weather, the substantial number of outstanding programs, a large number of aviation innovations unveiled at Oshkosh, and the importance of EAA AirVenture to the aviation community. Initial exhibitor response indicates that the majority of exhibitors reported good to record-setting sales."
Total aircraft: More than 10,000 aircraft arrivinig at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin.
Total showplanes: 2,516. That figure includes 972 homebuilt aircraft, 822 vintage airplanes, 404 warbirds, 114 ultralights, 131 seaplanes, 40 aerobatic aircraft and 33 rotorcraft.
Commercial exhibitors: 797, which was up slightly over 2007
International visitors registered: Up nearly 25 percent, with 2,128 visitors registered from 71 nations, with Canada (492 visitors), Australia (299) and Brazil (186) the top three nations. This total includes only non-U.S. visitors who registered at the International Visitors Tent, so the actual international contingent is undoubtedly larger.
Total estimated campers: (fly-in and drive-in camping areas): More than 37,000.
Media: 865 media representatives on-site, from five continents.
What's ahead for 2009? EAA's Tom Poberezny: "We are already looking forward to 2009 with the expected attendance of Virgin Galactic's White Knight Two space vehicle, a reunion of participants from Concorde's five visits to Oshkosh over the past 25 years, and a salute to mission aviators who perform humanitarian work around the globe. Visitors in 2009 will also begin to see additional amenities and site upgrades that will make EAA AirVenture 2009 an even better experience and value as The World's Greatest Aviation celebration."
Indy Airshow Volunteers Needed
Bill Hamerstadt, president of Indianapolis Post Air EAA Chapter 900, is on the Indianapolis Air Show committee and is recruiting volunteers for the air show.
Hamerstadt would like to have 40 to 50 central Indiana EAA and CAF volunteers to help with ramp and logistic operations, as well as set-up and site preparation in advance of the event. In addition to those functions, he would also like to recruit more volunteers who are knowledgeable about the aircraft and event to work at the EAA tent.
Hamerstadt's most pressing need is for volunteers to work the week before the event on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, August 17-19, and/or Thursday and Friday, August 21-22. Volunteers will receive family admittance, parking tickets and lunch each day.
Anyone interested in volunteering (and getting those free tickets!) should contact Bill Hamerstadt at 317-695-5354 (cell phone) or email at hamerstaft@earthlink.net
For more information, visit the air show web site at http://www.indyairshow.com.
Ask Your Tech Counselor
By Michael Mossman
Question: My aircraft has bungee cords for shock absorbers. How long should they last?
That depends on whether or not you have a type certificated aircraft. A type certificated aircraft will likely have a set life span or otherwise be subject to a replacement schedule outlined by the FAA. But an experimental is another matter; if you built the airplane then you are the "manufacturer" so you determine whether or not it needs to be replaced.
Elastic shock absorbers comer in two types: Type 1 is a straight cord and Type 2 is a continuous ring, known as a "bungee." The Type 2 bungee is the easiest to work with and replace, as it doesn't need the ends to be terminated.
Shock absorber cords definitely have a finite life span, even in an ideal installation. Environmental factors such as ozone, untraviolet light, fuel and oil, and usage like normal wear and tear, can shorten the life of the shock cord.
Shock cords have a dating system built into their fabric covering that consists of a repeating pattern of three colored threads. The first two colors will be the same, reflecting the year of manufacture, and the third thread reflects the quarter of manufacture.
The color dating system:
Blue: 2000
Yellow: 2001
Black: 2002
Green: 2003
Red: 2004
Blue: 2005
Yellow: 2006
Black: 2007
Green: 2008
Red: 2009
Red: January, February, March
Blue: April, May, June
Green: July August, September
Yellow: October, November, December
Since the year pattern repeats itself every five years, you need to do a little guessing to determine when the shock cord was made. That means that you could have a cord that as marked could be just one year old, but it could also be six years old or 11 years old. It would be a safe bet to assume that you should not use a cord more than five years. Don't know how old a cord is? If in doubt, throw it out!
NOTE: There is a cord called the Elastic Exerciser Cord (MIL-C-5650) that looks like a shock cord, but it has a four-color code. According to Tony Bingelis, it is designed to be used primarily as an opening elastic on parachutes and will only test to about 50% of the load of a regular shock absorber cord. This cord is not an acceptable substitute for use on your landing gear.
I pulled this cord out of my aircraft for an example. Although it looks totally trashed, it hasn't failed and isn't likely to just "snap." It doesn't have full strength anymore and wouldn't hold the nose up properly. When a few more stands inside break inside it will get progressively weaker and therefore the risk of the prop contacting the ground will be greater.
How old is this bungee cord? The color scheme is red-red-blue, which could mean that it was made in the first quarter of 2004. But I installed the landing gear at least one year before that, so a more likely date of manufacture would have been the first quarter of 1999. Hmmm, that makes the bungee cord at least nine-and-a-half years old. What if it sat on the shelf a while before it was sold, perhaps removed from inventory for type certificated aircraft and sold into the experimental market? It could be 14.5 years old!
Dave Clark reports that one of the most important parts of bungee cord replacement is protecting yourself from the danger of removing the old cord and installing the new one. There is the very real potential of getting seriously injured, such as breaking an arm (or worse) from a stretched cord snapping off and hitting someone.
Each aircraft should have a documented procedure for installing bungee cords. Heed the designer's instructions, and if ever in doubt, be sure to consult your tech counselor or an A&P for advice or assistance.
Tech counselors, A & Ps and other skilled builders: How has your experience helped another builder or restorer? We have lots of builders in our chapter who may have encountered similar problems. Please share your skills and opinions in this newsletter.
Chapter Elections Time Approaches
Although Chapter elections are scheduled a few months from now at the November meeting, the time has come to do some serious thinking about who will be next year's officers and directors. We will be needing members to step up and announce their candidacies for office. We will need candidates for president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and board of directors.
How about you? Are you interested in helping the chapter to succeed? Now is the time to step up and offer your self as a candidate. We need you consider the chapter's needs and your ability to fulfill those needs. Remember, this is your chapter. What you do for the chapter comes back to you. Please consider taking a leadership role in the future of the chapter.
What if you are thinking about taking a leadership role in the chapter but are concerned about the responsibilities and workload? Let's look at what is required of the officers by the chapter bylaws:
"The Chapter President shall be the Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Chapter Board of Directors. The Chapter President shall have, subject to the advice, direction, and control of the Chapter Board of Directors, general charge of the Chapter business. The Chapter President shall jointly execute with the Chapter Secretary all contract and instruments that have first been approved by the Chapter Board of Directors. The Chapter President may call any Special Meeting of the Members of the Chapter Boards of Directors and/or general Chapter Membership.
Basically, the president's job is the PRESIDE over meetings. The president isn't necessarily the one who has to do all of the work, arrange for programs, chastise errant members, or flog the chapter into participation. The president is the main contact of the chapter, the one who sees that things get done, but doesn't necessarily have to do everything. It is perfectly acceptable (actually, preferred) that the president delegate responsibilities to members.
"The Chapter Vice President shall be vested with all the powers and authority of the Chapter President and shall perform the duties of the Chapter President in the case of the Chapter President absence, disability, or inability, for any reason. The Chapter Vice President shall also perform such duties connected with the operations of the Chapter at the suggestion or direction of the Chapter President."
Basically, the vice president's main responsibility is to step in for the president. Remember, the president gets to delegate responsibility to other members. If the vice president had to fill in for the president, then the VP gets to delegate, too!
"The Chapter Secretary shall have the responsibility to take and publish minutes of all meetings. The Chapter Secretary is responsible for publishing notice of all regularly scheduled Membership and Chapter Board of Directors Meetings. Additionally, the Chapter Secretary is also responsible for publishing notice of Special Membership Meetings, The Chapter Secretary, with the assistance of the Chapter Membership Chairperson, shall keep a Chapter Membership Book, Roster or Record showing the name of each Chapter Member."
Basically, the secretary's job is to keep the official records and perform the communications with members, EAA and groups as required by law. The secretary is not necessarily the newsletter editor; the newsletter editor is appointed by the president or the chapter board of directors, and can be done by someone other than the secretary.
"The Chapter Treasurer shall execute all checks authorized by the Chapter Board of Directors. The Chapter Treasurer shall receive and deposit all funds in a financial institution recognized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (for U.S. Chapters), and approved by the Chapter Board of Directors. The Chapter Treasurer shall also account for all receipts, disbursements, and the balance of funds on hand."
Basically, the treasurer receives the funds, writes the checks and keeps a financial record of all transactions.
Each of the chapter officers is a member of the board of directors. In addition to the four officers the chapter has three Class II directors. These directors meet at the board of directors meetings and exercise full voting privileges.
The workload isn't that high but the rewards can be great. As an officer or member of the board of directors you can have a direct and positive influence on the present and future of the chapter. We strongly urge you to step up and offer to take a leadership role in the chapter.
Chapter 1311 Builders' Local Resource Directory
We've all been around town trying to scrounge up a few AN bolts or perhaps some 4130 tubing to finish a last-minute weekend building or repair project. How much easier would it be to know where the best supplies of quality parts and materials are?
Local sources:
AED Motorsport Products, 5375 W. 86th St., Indianapolis IN 46268, 317-334-0569 http://www.aedmotorsport.com. AED specializes in 4130 chrome moly, stainless, aluminum, titanium, FK rod ends and spherical bearings.
Chance Aviation, 4444 Decatur Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46241, 317-486-8802, http://www.chanceaviation.com. Chance is a parts supplier tailored to the local FBO's,
Earl's Indy, 302 Gasoline Alley, Indianapolis IN 46222, 1-800-331-INDY http://www.earlsindy.com. Earl's specializes in hoses and related supplies and service, plus AN fittings and hardware.
McKinney Corp, Lafayette, IN http://www.mckinneycorp.com. They stock a wide variety of 4130 steel and 6061 aluminum tubing, AN hardware, NACA scoops, and other items.
Northwest Lumber Company, 5035 Lafayette Road, Indianapolis, IN 46254, 317-293-1100, http://www.northwestlumberco.com. Stock of quality woods and woodworking tools.
Start thinking of the places where you locally buy for AN hardware, sheet metal, paint, tools and other items. We'll need an address, phone number and web site, if they have one. Be sure to let us know if you would recommend them to others or not. The idea here is that members should be able to look to suppliers that you trust and would continue to do business with. Please forward your ideas and recommendations to Michael Mossman at michaelandkatie1@comcast.net
Check out our online directory at http://www.eaa1311.org. Click on the link "Homebuilder's Resources" on the left. Note that all resources listed are merely suggestions; as a chapter we do not endorse any of them. Our recommendation: "Caveat Emptor" (let the buyer beware).
Second Tool Scholarship Underway
With a successful first tool set completed and loaned, Chapter 1311 is now funding the second Eric Gustafson Tool Scholarship. The intent is to aid a financially stressed person get a start on the basic tools needed for the required courses while pursuing the A & P license.
The chapter is accumulating a second starting set of tools for a worthy Vincennes University A&P student. The basic tools to start with may be new or used but serviceable (not junk) and be contributed to the chapter. Just about every person involved in aviation ends up with surplus tools and equipment as time moves on and they no longer have a use for them.
The chapter has already begun the funding process, with proceeds from the 50/50 drawing at the monthly meetings, plus some seeding donations from members. If you have some tools that you would like to donate or purchase for the tool scholarship, check download the list of needed tools from the web site. Because the list isn't updated as fast as tools could potentially come in, check with Gary Reynolds at 317-745-6223 or n98gr@att.net for the current status of the tool list.
See tool list.
Boone County Airport News
First Solo: On Wednesday, July 16, student pilot Vern Samuels soloed for the time in his Cherokee 140/160. Chuck Long is the flight instructor.
New Ratings: On July 28, Randy Shrewsberry passed his private pilot checkride in his Cherokee.
Restoration Completed: Wayne Deckard completed the restoration of this Navion. The aircraft is now certified for IFR operation with Avidyne and Garmin avionics and is headed towards its new home in Oregon. To see photos of the project go to http://www.booneairport.org, click on the link "Projects" then click on the link "Rebuilding a Navion."
Hangar Space: All hangars are now rented. The club will post a waiting list for available hangars and will consider building new ones to accommodate new members. Anyone desiring to base an aircraft at the airport or use the maintenance hangar will be required to join the association. For more information contact Michael Mossman, association secretary, or see the website http://www.booneairport.org.
Hendricks County Airport News
The Hendricks County Aviation Association will be hosting a lunchtime cookout on Saturday, August 16, with a rain date of Sunday, August 17.
Elwood Airport News
Elwood Airport is scheduled to close permanently on September 1, 2008. The owners of the property currently plan on keeping the restaurant open.
Young Eagles News
EAA Young Eagles Update: By newsletter publication date more than 1,408,645 Young Eagles have taken their first airplane ride.
Calendar of Events
Chapter 1311 will try to list the aviation-related events in Indiana and surrounding states, plus the major events across the country. Do you know of an event that isn't listed? Please inform the newsletter editor to get it included.
August 23-24 — Indianapolis Airshow — Mount Comfort Airport (MQJ), Greenfield IN. For more information see http://www.indyairshow.com
August 31 — Fly-In/Cruise-In — Marion, IN (MZZ)
September 6-7 — EAA Mid-Eastern Fly-In, Grimes Field, Urbana OH (I74). For more information see http://www.merfi.info
September 10-14 — Reno Air Races
September 27 — Wood, Fabric & Tailwheel Fly-In — Lee Bottom Field, Hanover IN (64I)
October 3-5 — Victory Days — Columbus, IN (BAK)
October 10-11 — EAA Southwest Regional, The Texas Fly-In — Hondo Municipal Airport (HDO), Hondo TX. For more information see http://www.SWRFI.org
October 11 — Seymour Airport Awareness Day — Seymour IN
For details on EAA Chapter fly-ins and other local aviation events, visit http://www.eaa.org/events
Next Meeting
The next meeting will be on Wednesday, September 3, 2008, 6:30 p.m., at Hendricks County Airport. Program: Oshkosh debriefing
Directions from Indianapolis:
Take U.S. 36 (Rockville Road) west past Avon.
Turn left (south) on CR 300 E (84 Lumber is on the SW) corner of the intersection.
At about 1/2 mile turn right (west) into the airport.
The operations building is straight back from the road.
On the Radar:
September 3, 2008 — Oshkosh debriefing
October 1, 2008 — TBA
November 5, 2008 — TBA; Chapter elections
December, 2008 — TBA
January, 2009 — TBA
Newsletter continued on Section 2
I'll start my comments by saying that this year at Airventure was one of the best ever weatherwise. It was also better than expected in attendance with aircraft and people. The numbers are just starting to be published on EAA's website. They make interesting reading compared to what the national economy is doing now. The September meeting is for story telling about Oshkosh. Bring your pictures for showing. This should be an interesting meeting.
My subject for this month is paint schemes on aircraft. Some of the newer aircraft and their paint schemes are just plain wild and do not enhance the lines of the aircraft at all! Keep in mind that I am from the old school and many of you will not agree with me. Right now I'm thinking of a particular Norseman that has come to Oshkosh the last three years. The colors are maroon and gold. The colors are ok but the way they were applied? There is also a "For Sale" by the plane. Pastels, or soft colors, do not work either. Ninety-nine percent of the time a soft color on an aircraft was selected by the Mrs. Men want good solid colors and a not too complicated paint schemes on their aircraft. Look back at the old Stinsons, Howards, Fairchilds, Cessnas, Wacos, Pipers, Aeroncas, Taylorcrafts, Stearmans and all the rest of the aircraft manufactured in the late 20's. 30's, 40's amd 50's. Metal aircraft that are polished are also beautiful. A simple trim scheme only adds to its looks. They require a lot of time and effort to maintain, and after time they will no doubt become painted. Have I made my point? I will no doubt receive comments from the "better halves".