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Tomorrow at Planes of Fame
Flying Into Writing: Last Photo Mission Of The Year
By Eric McCarthy
Persistant haze over the central valley. (Eric McCarthy)The last day of the year started as a mostly clear day, a little haze visible on the horizon, but a good 20-25 miles visibility. The marine layer, so prevalent along the southern California coast at this time of year, had receded. My son, Mike, and I departed Palomar (KCRQ) around 9:30am headed north to our refueling stop at Los Banos (KLSN). Depending on the winds aloft, the flight usually takes two and a half to three hours – naturally, we got the three hour flight.
Passing through LAX’s Class Bravo via the Coliseum Route at 8,500-feet, I usually continue on course to Van Nuys VOR (VNY) and then, for no particularly good reason, my northbound route of flight usually takes us to Fillmore VOR (FIM), then northwest along V107 to Avenal VOR (AVE) and beyond. This time, however, the massive Thomas Fire, which had been burning for almost a month at this point, eventually consuming more than 280,000 acres, and its equally massive TFR necessitated a change of plans: we’d fly north to Gorman VOR (GMN), then to Avenal. Not a big change, but a change nonetheless.
Crossing into the Central Valley at Grapevine, it became clear – that it wasn’t anymore; as far as the eye could see, the valley was filled with low-level haze. I think this may be known as Tule Fog, but it really wasn’t ground-bound fog – just a thick haze that filled the valley. You could see the ground if you looked straight down, but slant-range visibility was very limited. The haze topped out at about 2,500-feet, so we weren’t concerned cruising along at 8,500-feet. But that would change soon enough…
The Los Banos AWOS was reporting VFR conditions, but as we descended approaching the Panoche VOR (PXN), still in the clear, I could see that this wasn’t going to be an easy VFR approach. The haze hadn’t lessened; in fact it may have thickened! I was talking to NorCal at the time and requested a practice GPS 32 approach, just to make sure I would be pointed in the right direction. The approach calls for a turn to the north at 3,600-feet from Panoche, so we were still above the soup until we reached the initial fix at ILESE; from there we began our descent into the haze. Forward visibility dropped considerably, although, as before, we could look straight down and see the ground beneath. The airport made its appearance right where it was supposed to be, visible right at the three mile VFR limit, and we made an uneventful landing.
Flying Into Writing: Some Things Have Changed Over the Years…
By Eric McCarthy
Buzzard’s Bay (Courtesy Ben Nugent/Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce)Ahh…it seems like only yesterday! My long cross-country as a student pilot…
I was speaking with one of my CAP squadron-mates the other day and asked how close he was to finishing his Private Pilot license. He said he had just a couple of items left, including his solo long cross-country. Since he was training at a Part 141 flight school, his cross-country merely had to cover at least 100nm. As I look at the FARs today, it appears that the requirements may have been relaxed from when I did my long cross-country years ago. As I recall, my flight had to have three legs of at least 100nm each.
At the time I was training at Turners Falls (0B5), a remote, picturesque airport located at a sharp bend in the Connecticut River in north central Massachusetts. The airport has a 3,200-foot runway that sits on a plateau about 50 feet above the river, which to me as a young aviator provided an exhilarating view when approaching runway 16 over the river.
I had planned my flight under the supervision of my instructor and just needed the weather and aircraft availability to cooperate. That day arrived in July, 1980. I had graduated from UMass that May, and had been making the 100 mile trek from my home in eastern Massachusetts to complete my training at 0B5 since then, but that was getting tedious – especially since I lived under the traffic pattern of Norwood Memorial Airport (KOWD). This would end up being my last flight from Turners Falls.
My flight would take me from Turners Falls to Portland International (KPWM); from there to Martha’s Vineyard (KMVY); and then back to Turners Falls; total distance: about 360nm. It would take me almost five hours’ flight time to complete in the club’s Cessna 152, N49394.
PLAYMOBIL Airport Rescue
Schweiss Provides Doors for New Entertainment Complex
Safe Landings: Re-Sourcing Crew Management
Flying Into Writing: Huntington Beach Airshow: Never A Dull Moment
By Eric McCarthy
(Eric McCarthy)Wow! Just…wow! Does it get any better than this? Beautiful Southern California weather and a world-class airshow, on the beach – or, in my case, on a boat! Sponsored by Breitling – makers of exquisite aviation watches – and in just its second year, the Huntington Beach Airshow managed, once again, to secure a plethora of top-tier performers for the weekend show that benefits the Aerospace Education Foundation of Huntington Beach.
Last year, it was the USAF Thunderbirds and the Breitling Jet Team headlining the show, with a host of other military and aerobatic performers, including an F/A-18 Super Hornet Demo, and performances by John Klatt, Bill Stein, and, having just finished their Red Bull Air Race season the weekend before in Las Vegas, both Michael Goulian and Kirby Chambliss. An impressive lineup for their inaugural event, and with just a few months’ marketing, they drew over a half a million people!
This year? Well, they really outdid themselves with wall-to-wall entertainment kicking off at noon each day! This year, it was the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the Canadian Forces Snowbirds that held the top billing for the show, with at least a dozen additional performers and demonstrations scheduled between noon and 4 p.m.
Editorial: The Mother Tongue
By Ed Downs
Is this going to be an English lesson… in an aviation magazine? Yep, and by the time you’re finished reading this, you will hear the long-ago voice of your fifth grade English teacher reminding your bored and disinterested self that, “someday you will need to know this stuff!” It may also interest the reader to know that the title of this editorial view is, in fact, plagiarized from one of the most fun books about English ever written, Mother Tongue, authored by famed satirist/humorist, Bill Bryson, who knows more than a little bit about just about everything. But English, the “mother tongue?” Isn’t that a bit disrespectful in a western world bent on nurturing “multi-culturalism,” meaning the support of separate languages and social structures within the borders of a given country? The short answer is no. In our world of aviation, English IS the mother tongue.
Let’s start at the beginning. A short time ago, the editorial crew at In Flight USA received a news announcement from Embry Riddle University announcing a new program and area of research. The contention of this announcement is that inflight communication difficulties, meaning language, have been a contributing cause to more accidents than previously thought. That research is just one part of Embry-Riddle’s overall Language as a Human Factor in Aviation Safety (LHUFT) Initiative to heighten awareness, improve aviation safety, and enhance future investigations. Two examples were given involving language-related confusion. Three new courses—Language as a Factor in Aviation Safety, Aviation Topics, and English for VFR Flight – are also being offered at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus to increase awareness and improve communication with the goal of expanding to Embry-Riddle’s worldwide campuses. Embry Riddle points out that English is the world standard for aviation, a fact that is technically defined by both international law and the FARs.
Airman Ropes Off Stress, Uses Music
By Airman 1st Class Tristan Biese, 633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Senior Airman Hannah Walker, 633rd Force Support Squadron food service journeyman, sings live music at the Langley Marina on Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., Sept. 23, 2017. A big inspiration for Walker’s music is her family, most notably her daughter. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Tristan Biese)Sitting on the edge of her stool, staring out at a sea of faces staring back, she tunes her guitar. Once the guitar is just right she takes a sip of her drink, grabs her pick, takes a deep breath and begins playing.
Senior Airman Hannah Walker, 633rd Force Support Squadron food service journeyman, is performing live at the Langley Marina. She occasionally does this to help de-stress and re-center herself.
“When you’re in the military and you don’t have a hobby or something to do outside of work, it can make you go insane,” said Walker. “I wear this uniform every day and I am an Airman whether I’m in uniform or not in uniform, but there is a time to take the uniform off and put it away and be who you’re called to be, whether that’s to be a husband, a wife or a musician. Those are the things that are going to keep you grounded.”
This Year's NBAA BACE Made Me 100,000 Times Happier
By Paul T. Glessner, M.S.
Tuesday (Oct. 10) morning speech participants. (Paul T. Glessner)This year’s NBAA-BACE held in Las Vegas last month marks the 70th anniversary of the organization and just nine days after the horrific shooting, was the first major convention since the nightmare. Extra security was present in the form of added staff to check IDs and plenty of K-9s. I have luckily attended a handful of these conventions over the last 20 years, including last year’s Orlando location, and I must say, if you have any business in aviation, you must attend! If not for the educational seminars and the tactile touch and display of products and aircraft, the social aspect where new acquaintances today mean more profits and avenues tomorrow. While I will do my best to give my personal overview in this short article, NBAA did a more extensive and detailed summary that can be found at www.nbaa.org/events/bace/2017/newsroom.
The event featured about 1,100 exhibitors, including more than 100 new exhibitors. Attendees, estimated at 27,000, represented all 50 U.S. states and dozens of countries, according to NBAA. Approximately 100 aircraft were on static display, both at Henderson Executive Airport and inside the convention center.
Tuesday kicked off with the leaders of six influential general aviation (GA) advocacy groups delivering a powerful and coherent message of united opposition against ATC privatization during the “No Plane No Gain” Media Kick-Off Breakfast. All the acronyms were represented: NBAA, EAA, GAMA, HAI, NATA, and AOPA.
“This year, we mark NBAA’s 70th anniversary,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “Starting at our first convention in 1950, 19 companies came together in a hotel to work together and pool their resources. They realized we could do more together than any company can do by itself. And today, we’ve grown to more than 11,000 members.
California ON
Lance Lockhart, Captain with Southwest Airlines and owner of Wyldebyrd Art secured the purchase of the fuselage of this iconic aircraft and is
Schweiss Doors Save the Day in Texas
Thank you, United Airlines, for being the host of Girls In Aviation Day 2017 in the Bay Area
By Ana Urbe Ruiz and Denise Donegan
Empowering women in many different areas of the aviation industry is key for the future of the industry.
Under the leadership of Marilyn Adkins, Sr. Production Controller Technical Operations, and Kim Pritchard, Sr. Mgr. Technical Talent Acquisition Tech. Operations, Girls in Aviation Day, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017 was a real success. Women In Aviation International - San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, with Co-President Ana Urbe Ruiz, joined them on Saturday to celebrate the day.
Cover Story: Julie Clark, “Taking Aviation by Storm”
By Ed Downs
Julie Clark behind the controls of her Beech T-34 Mentor, Free Sprirt. (Dave Swartz)
“Taking Aviation by Storm” is what editorial folks call a “tagline.” But the simple “tagline” definition leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to Julie Clark and the aviation businesses that she represents through sponsorships and endorsements. The fact is, Julie does “Take Aviation by Storm” in a way that is unique in the airshow industry.
It would be hard to find an aviation enthusiast that does not know the name of Julie Clark, or fail to recognize Julie’s famous Beech T-34 Mentor, painted in the colors and theme of Air Force One. The 2017 airshow season marks Julie’s 41st anniversary as a performing pilot and 38th year as a solo aerobatic act for her company, American Aerobatics. Julie Clark officially began her airshow company then named, Julie Clark’s American Aerobatics, in 1980. Julie and the entire Smokin’ Mentor T-34 aerobatic team have had a terrific 2017 show season and look forward to an exciting 2018 schedule. With 38 years of solo aerobatic airshow flying and more than 33,000 accident-free hours in the air, 11,000 hours in her T-34 alone, Julie and her beautiful T-34 Mentor have become the icon of airshow performances.
Julie’s airshow routine takes her beautifully restored T-34 “Free Spirit,” to the limits of its operating capability. Julie’s T-34 demands exceptional skill to perform aerobatics, and Julie’s experience has honed her coordination and responsiveness in a delicate balance. Her unique and patriotic presentation, “Serenade in Red, White and Blue,” is breathtakingly choreographed to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” or “God Bless You Canada.” To enhance her routine, multi-colored wing-tip smoke trails her every maneuver.
Editorial: Pilot Report by a Newbie
By Ed Downs
The Dromida Drone was a learning experience for this writer. (Courtesy Dromida)Like it or not, drones (Unmanned Aerial Systems) are becoming a major player in the National Airspace System. This writer decided last year to add one more pilot rating to the list I now have by becoming an FAA UAS pilot. Sure enough, I visited www.faasafety.com, took the UAS pilot training course, fought my way through the IACRA process (electronic 8710 form) and presto, I was a drone pilot … sort of. Yes, I had the plastic in my pocket, but had never actually flown a drone. Leaving that small detail behind, In Flight USA reached out to drone manufacturers, inviting them to submit news announcements that might help us provide the most current information to our reader base of contemporary (real?) pilots. In Flight USA is even attending the Drone World Expo, being held in San Jose in early October. But, the results of our outreach have been mixed, as the gaming and business world of drones has been slow to pick up on the fact that they are a part of the family of flying machines, mixing in with airplanes stuffed with people. But that suddenly changed, about two weeks before this October issue went to print.
An e-mail announcement from Hobbico Inc. suddenly showed up. Don’t recognize the name? Hobbico is the largest distributor of model products in the world, with more than 400 brand names and some 60,000 products. Do the names Revell Model, United Model, Tower Hobbies, Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, or Hobby Lobby ring a bell? Yep, this employee-owned company holds a leadership role in the world of drones, ranging from toys to professional commercial versions. The announcement addressed a new, low end, drone that probably falls into the “toy” category, but seemed to have some of the features normally reserved for the big guys. With a Wi-Fi connected camera that take photos and videos (direct to an app on your smart phone), hand controller, 3D goggles and all the accoutrements needed to fly (including spare rotor blades and even a small screw driver), my interest was piqued. With an MSRP of $89.99, this intrepid aviator figured, “how about getting hold of this critter and actually learn how to fly a drone, from the perspective of a pilot report.” Thus, began a trip into the world of technological humiliation, ending with an enlightenment about the world of drones that exceeded my expectations. Yep, an old dog can learn new tricks.
It’s All About the Journey… And the Eclipse!
By Sarah Fishman
The author getting set up for the perfect eclipse shot. (Courtesy Sarah Fishman)At 7 o’clock on the morning of Sunday, Aug. 20. I got into my beloved Chevy Trail Blazer and left my house in upstate New York, setting out for… somewhere on the path of totality. I wasn’t quite sure of my destination. I thought maybe it would be Charleston or Nashville, as they were about equidistant from my starting point, but figured I’d play it by ear and just head generally south until I made my decision.
I was making great time and didn’t feel restless or bored behind the wheel at all. Going in to the trip, I had worried about spending so much time alone with my thoughts, as I had just learned that my ex-boyfriend was cheating on me for half of our relationship. I was pleased to find, however, that being alone with my thoughts wasn’t scary at all. It was actually quite cathartic. I was able to think through all the reasons why it was a good thing he was out of my life for good. It was right in the middle of one of those thoughts, speeding down I-81 South in West Virginia, that I felt a jolt in my car. I looked down at my dashboard to see that my RPM had skyrocketed to 5,000 but my gas pedal wasn’t responding at all.
I quickly pulled off to the side of the highway and put the car in park. Realizing I wasn’t as far off the road as I would have liked, I shifted back into drive and attempted to pull a little closer to the guardrail. Instead the RPM jumped to 5,000 again and I started rolling backwards into oncoming traffic. Immediately I turned off the car and decided I was fine right where I was.