CASCADE FLYER October 2004, Vol. 04, Issue 10 The full PDF version of this newsletter is available at: http://co-opa.rellim.com/ Mike Bond, Cascade Flyer editor PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: I have heard lot's of great comments on the latest CO-OPA newsletter. Mike Bond has really done a great job getting it all together. Writing to a deadline is not my strong suit and Mike's persistence is making it happen in spite of my worst tendencies. It is traditional for pilots to honor those that have "Gone West". Cal Butler is one of those we will all remember. He spoke at one of our meetings last year and kept everyone enthralled for the entire evening. Someone at the meeting filmed his presentation. Clay Trenz is trying to track down a copy of that tape for a remembrance project. Does anyone recall who did the filming or where the film may be? If so contact me or Clay. Our airport manager, Greg Phillips, has put out a call for help. Greg is looking for volunteers to tend an audio operations counter. ODA has provided this device to allow us to gather statistics on airport operations. We need evidence this is an active airport, worthy of the investment the city has finally begun to make. Please contact Greg (gphillips@ci.bend.or.us) or Dale Evans (Gindevans@aol.com) if you can help. Our speaker this month will be Dave Hice from Epic Aircraft. Epic is working out a deal with the City of Bend to build a factory on the East side of the airport this winter. At that factory they plan to build the Epic LT. The plane will be a six place composite sitting behind a PT-6 turboprop engine. The specifications for the airplane are very impressive: 350 KTAS, 1600 mile range, 1350 lb. payload. You can find some details on the company, the plane and the plan at: http://www.epicaircraft.com. For a chance to get your questions answered in person, come to our meeting at The Flight Shop, 6pm, October 21st. Also at this meeting we need to discuss our officers for next year. Now is the time to speak up if you want to be on the committee or can help with our club duties. Calendar: 21 October - Montbly Meeting Discussion of possible 2005 officers. Guest: Dave Hice, Epic Aircraft 23 October - Montbly Flyout Nampa, ID 18 November - Monthly Meeting Election of 2005 Officers. Guest: John Taylor, MHCC 20 November - Monthly Flyout 16 December - Monthly Meeting Xmas Party 18 December - Monthly Flyout Mailing Lists: A friendly reminder that the main mailing list is for Chapter business that is of interest to all members. It is intended to be a low traffic list for important announcements only. If you have an empty seat, are looking for a safety pilot, want to seek or give opinions on any flying related topic then feel free to email to the gab list: co-opa-gab@rellim.com. CO-OPA members are NOT subscribed to this list by default. If you want to join then just send a message to the list. Oregon Airport Directories: The new ODA Airport directories are a big hit. There are still a few more for sale at $6 ea. They will be available for sale at the meeting. Gary Miller SAFETY CORNER: by Joel Premselaar When Mike Bond extended a not-to-be-denied invitation to me to again write articles for COOPA's newsletter, I had no choice but to accept. It will take weeks for my still twisted arm to heal. I mentioned to him that the last few times I attended a COOPA meeting, I noticed that there was a preponderance of strange faces. Mike has an answer to everything. He assured me that that's O.K. since all pilots are strange anyway. The point I was trying to make was that the new "strange pilots" ought to be exposed to the articles in the past newsletters, but I was concerned that those who had been subjected to the early writings would be "turned off" by repetition. Mike, being Mike, said, "That's fine, everyone needs a review now and then." We finally settled on reruns with embellishments. VISION Oh say can you see by the dawn's early light or at any other time? "Heck", you say. "I can see. Didn't I pass my flight physical?" Sure you did, but was the perception of your eyeballs tested under kinematical conditions? Forget about unusual attitudes for this discussion. Instead, think about fancy terms like (I hate that word - like) open field myopia, autokinetic effects, the Gibson effect, and other illusory tricks your rods and cones and that stuff between your ears play on you. Perhaps these phenomena will change your attitude regarding the unusual. My interest in this began when I was returning to the Naval Air Station Moffett Field from dive-bombing practice in a Cutlass (F7U). Two Cougars (F9Fs) were attempting to rendezvous over the base at 20,000'. They tried all the usual tricks but still could not see each other although I, some 30 miles away, could see them clearly. Superman, that's me, I thought. I then noticed that my gun sight was still on; so, looking at the armament panel, I turned the sight off. Closing on the Naval Air Station, I searched for the Cougars but could not find them. Why not? I was closer than when I first saw them. Cause and effect prompted me to turn on the gun sight again. After a bit of delay, there they were! Based upon their radio calls, I knew that they were still unable to make visual contact. Fast-forward about 12 years. I was engaged in fighter cockpit design for Boeing. When I related the aforementioned Cougar experience to Dr. Con Kraft, a Boeing experimental psychologist, he explained, "Because the gun sight image is collimated (makes all rays of light parallel), the reticle on the windscreen is projected to infinity taking the your eyes along for the trip! Without the gun sight to take your eyes to infinity, you experienced open field myopia. When there's nothing out there you become myopic; i.e., your eyes automatically focus to about 30 inches in front of your nose. You wouldn't see a 747 until it swallowed you." Con Kraft opted to jump at the chance to conduct experiments regarding open field myopia, an all new world to me. How about this? You're flying in a haze (not you, I mean the weather). Your gaze reveals nothing but haze. Or you're at a high altitude therefore the horizon is well below so nothing's out there but open sky. Or, you're a hotshot instrument pilot and you're in the soup exercising your sphincters. Your nose is glued to the instrument panel. All of the above produce the same effect via different means -- open field myopia. With your "head in the cockpit scenario" the results would be the same. You're myopic. "Okay. So what," you say. Well since you ask, I'll tell you. I was one of several pilot type subjects involved in a series of tests to determine the time it takes to adapt from near (myopic) to far vision. I was also one of the guinea pigs for other experiments. I'll describe those at a later time. The results of these tests were eye openers (pun intended). Focusing time to adapt from near to far vision depends upon the following: the time spent in a myopic state, the number of gray hairs you sport (age), and the level of illumination. Oh, you want numbers*. Well, if you're 21 to 25 years of age and your near vision dwell time was 240 seconds, it will require an average of almost 4 seconds to undo myopia; however, if you're 50 to 55, and you were at near vision for half that time, it will take almost 8.5 seconds to adapt. For an average aged person working at near vision for 240 seconds under low-level illumination (night), the average time to adapt is almost 5.5 seconds whereas with high levels of illumination (day), adaptation takes an average time of a bit over 3.75 seconds. Think about that 8.5 seconds for adapting from near to far vision, add 4.4 seconds for decision making, operating controls, and aircraft response. This totals about 12.9 seconds to clear that Mooney coming at you head-on. Suppose a rare day where visibility conditions are optimum. Forget that you have to be looking at a flyspeck and the need for the sun to flash that flyspeck. Assume a 350 knot head-on closing rate. You'll have to spot the small frontal area of the Mooney and take evasive action before he reaches 1.25 nm from your nose to keep from littering the terrain with aluminum, and other gross things. Studies of pilots' eye movements during landing showed that they were looking out of the cockpit only 56% of the time. The remainder of the time was the sporadic checking of airspeed. During a 60 x 1.3 (78) knot approach for landing at dusk you'd have to spot that deer on the runway from beyond a slant range of almost 1700 feet! Would you dare to look into the cockpit to check your airspeed? When airspeeds were fed to the pilots aurally, their eyes spent almost 100% of the time outside of the cockpit (gee, that must have hurt). Finally, assuming you're not bald, for you gray headed instrument pilots -- until head-up displays become cheap enough for G.A. aviation, rethink your personal minimums for instrument approaches. (More on this subject next month) * The numbers for this information came from Boeing reports, Wright Air Development Center Technical Report 58-399 "Vision in Military Aviation" and from personal experience. I have a copy of each report that you may peruse. SEPTEMBER 18TH FLY-OUT Planned destination, Tillamook, was IFR so BNO became the alternate. Only Norma, Don and Gary made it and they forgot their cameras, so the only proof was from Gary's cellphone (camera included). They were the only folks at the airport, so who took this photo? You'll never guess the answer ... [photo] Don Wilfong's narration follows ... We decided on a trip to Burns (BNO) ... "just for fun" we followed the highway all the way there. We did have to climb backup to get to pattern altitude at Burns. There was no one around at Burns Airport...but there was a set of keys and a sign-out sheet for the courtesy car (a Chevrolet Police Car) with fiber glass rear seat and no door handles in the back. (I wonder why Bend can't arrange for courtesy cars?). We drove on out to the Truck Stop in Hines and had a "Trucker" size meal ... there was plenty of food and it was really good. We enjoyed our visit and the many pictures and posters of old time actors like Marilyn Monroe, Jimmy Dean and others that adorned the walls of the café. The "small town" friendliness is always nice. We decided not to head straight home...so...we flew North and landed at the Ponderosa Ranch airport (OG14) which is 5000 ft. long and paved, but with a strong cross wind (in fact it was hard to determine which runway it favored) so we got some practice in cross wind landings. After we returned home I contacted the owner of the Ponderosa Ranch to see if we could have a fly-out there. They are not geared for a fly-in group...too bad as it is a beautiful place and would have been a fun place to go. We then flew a few miles North and landed on the Seneca Emergency Strip (OR98) which is gravel, narrow, short and has power poles close to the final approach. We had the same crosswind component there also ... more practice. The rest of the trip was uneventful and a little longer than usual as the strong crosswind turned into a strong headwind. Gary returned to Bend (S07) and we flew on home to Pilot Butte (8OR5). We understand the weather did not look excellent but we can almost always go one direction or another for our scheduled fly-out day (sometimes it's breakfast in Bend!) but give it a chance and come on out to the Flight Shop and be ready to go ... We missed you for this fly-out, but we had a great time anyway .... Bend Airport Ad Hoc Advisory Committee Completes Work contributed by Dale Evans The Bend Airport Ad Hoc Advisory Committee delivered its final report to the city council on September 20. The committee appointment expired at the end of the month. The June 4, 2003 resolution of the city council that established the committee specified four tasks the committee was to accomplish: 1) Recommend its vision for the future of the airport; 2) Based on that vision, recommend an appropriate management model for the airport, considering cost and funding; 3) Provide advice on whether the city should manage airport property through a ground lease program, or begin a program to develop city hangars for leasing; and 4) Recommend a permanent committee format to replace the ad hoc committee. The city council resolution also called for appointment of seven members, including two airport users, two residents from the vicinity of the airport, and the remainder from the community at large. Members included airport neighbor Kent Neuman, who was elected chairman, Curt Baney, John Flaherty, John Taylor, and OPA members Ed Endsley, Ken Sandine, and Dale Evans. Central Oregon OPA Chapter President Gary Miller attended all of the approximately 23-committee meetings, and provided valuable suggestions. The full committee report is not yet available on line at the city web site, and may not be put there. Airport manager Greg Phillips might be able to locate a copy. To ensure we were on the right track with the council, the committee, on January 5, 2004, presented a proposed vision statement to the city council ........ "The City of Bend envisions its airport to be a vital community resource and an integral part of transportation and commerce in Central Oregon." Because interpretation of this statement would guide management and future development of the airport, the committee deemed it wise to elaborate on the vision statement, and included a mission statement with goals for management and development. This was endorsed at the meeting by council member head nods. The committee then considered the second task, management models for the airport. We reviewed sale of the airport to a private entity, contracting with a private entity for management of the airport, and recommended the third option, that the city accept responsibility for the airport and employ an experienced airport manager. We were partially preempted on the airport management issue when, at the committee's February 9 meeting, the interim city manager and department heads advised us they had convinced the city council that professional management of the airport was necessary. The council, however, would only approve budgeting for a part-time position. On the third issue, the committee recommended the city not construct hangars, but instead lease available land to developers. We further recommended that the city proceed quickly to develop the east side of the airport to address the significant current demand for hangar space and aviation related commercial activities at the airport. For the long term, perhaps the most important task assigned by the city council was to make the case for appointment of a permanent airport advisory group to replace the ad hoc advisory committee. We briefly reviewed the history of airport management after the Bend Airport Commission was abolished by the city council on April 2, 1997. The committee's recommended steps to form a permanent advisory committee are discussed in the report. REMINISCING ABOUT '005 by Randy Potter My plane was at The Flight Shop having a radio installed, the KX-170B with KI-203 I had purchased recently. Imagine my surprise when I looked up and saw one of the first planes I ever flew sitting across the hangar. There it was, a red Cessna 150, N63003. I started learning to fly in Hillsboro in a Cherokee 140 owned by my instructor. After his students soloed he liked them to join the Portland Flying Club, $100 a year dues plus hourly rental charges, so they would not be tying up his plane. They had planes both at HIO and TTD, the former being where I took lessons, the latter being close to my house. Plane rental was relatively inexpensive back then, $19 and hour plus $10 an hour for my instructor. $17 an hour for a Cherokee in the club, but I switched to flying 150's because $13 and $15 an hour was even less expensive. And besides, when learning in a 150 you get more bang for your buck - since it flies slower. Though I flew several different 150's at the two airports, I did most of my solo time in that plane; 21 flights according to my logbook. I did my short and long cross countries in it. I learned stalls and spins in that plane. And I got my Ticket in that plane, from Carl Dietz at Mulino, back when it was a crossed set of grass runways, with grass and bushes so high you could not see cross landing traffic. I remember arriving at Yakima on my long cross country and not being able to find the airport. They turned on the lights, then turned them up, then flashed them on and off. It was an interesting lesson in 'how to find an airport', and I was afraid they would call my instructor and tell him how stupid I was and that I should not be allowed to fly unattended. On my next leg I flew at 10,500' over the Seattle TRSA on my way to Kitsap County Airport in Bremerton, to visit my brother - who was working so I had lunch with my sister-in-law. There was the time I flew my wife from TTD to Albany for dinner, a couple weeks after I got my license. Down in daylight, returned by the lights of I-5, street lamps and porch lights. Had a smooth flight both ways and a great time. I later learned I enjoyed it a lot more than she did. Then there was her second, and last, flight in a small plane. We were flying up to Arlington, Oregon, Sunday morning to preach at a little church. We hit some doozy turbulence, and a downdraft that dropped us from 2400' to 1800' in a couple seconds. My wife's purse floated up to the ceiling, she freaked out, and opened the door and tried to climb out - she even had one foot outside the plane! Thank you God for inventing seatbelts! Now, there was this time I was flying over the Coast Range when it got so hot in the cabin I thought there was an engine fire, radioed an emergency return to HIO, and had the fire extinguisher sitting on the passenger seat in case it was needed. My wife was a "burn nurse" at Emmanuel Hospital, and I knew for sure that I did not want to be her patient. (She lacks compassion - nobody wants to be her patient!) Turns out it was a broken heater control, so it was pumping maximum engine heat into the cabin, on an already hot summer day. But that was a different 150, not sweet 003. I had not seen that plane in 25 years, yet it still looked as I remembered it, and my mind went back to these, and many other, fun experiences I had in that plane. When I returned home I immediately went to my flight bag and opened my logbook to verify the tail number. Oops, it was N63005 that I flew, not Bob Nash's nice 003 ... two digits off ... but no matter, I enjoyed reminiscing about my early training, early flights, my instructor Ken Foote, trips I made and dreamed of making, and ... 63003, 63005, what the heck - just go flying. So I drove back to the airport, took off the cover, cranked it over and went flying in my Cherokee. When I landed, 90 minutes later, I realized I had just had one of the most fun and relaxing flights of my life. FLY-OUT ON SEPT. 25 !!! Sat. morning was clear and beautiful in paradise (Central Oregon) and visions of all the excitement at the "Astoria Airport (AST) USCG Open House and Air Fair" danced in our heads as we got up and around ready to fly. Our group consisted of Gary Miller (in his Turbo Centurion), Mike and Ann Bond in their Cardinal RG, Bob and Nancy Lecklider and Don and Norma Wilfong (in their Skylane) the Leckliders rode with the Wilfongs). [photo] We knew the coast would be foggy, with no clearing until after 11:00, so we planned to fly to one of our favorite spots, the Flying M Ranch (OR05), for breakfast (this would give the fog time to go away at Astoria) and then fly on over to AST for the days fun. But both the valley and the coast were socked in. We gathered at the Flight Shop about 09:00, checked the weather again, talked about going to Ontario for their fly-in and after much discussion it was decided to fly to The Dalles (DLS), have breakfast and check the weather again for Astoria. Gary called Dean and Wendy Cameron to have them join us for breakfast but they must have been out on their sail boat as we couldn't contact them. The weather at The Dalles was beautiful and if you can imagine there was almost no wind at this normally "very windy" airport. We had lots of time to visit while we waited for our breakfasts to arrive from the kitchen (while we were waiting for our food we heard a loud crash in the kitchen...it may have been a large tray with our food on it). We think the cook had to start over, but our food did "finally" arrive and we all ate our fill. We checked the weather again and decided we could probably follow the Columbia on down to Astoria. The Bonds headed on home to Bend and Gary, the Wilfongs and the Leckliders decided to give it a try. It was absolutely beautiful flying down the gorge. At about Cascade Locks we called Portland approach and picked up Flight Following. They directed us to fly directly to Woodland, WA and then proceed on to Astoria. Gary was in the lead (his Turbo Centurion is faster than our Skylane). By the time we reached the river we were at the old Trojan Power Plant and the weather had deteriorated to the point we decided we could not continue, so we turned back and landed at Scappoose. Airpark (SPB). We joined the line of waiting aircraft so we could fill our tanks with $2.45 a gallon 100LL (makes you wonder why we pay over $3.00 a gallon here). Gary has since found out there is a café across the road from the Scappoose Airport that might be worth lunch. We left Scappoose and headed on down to Chehalem (17S) (Near Newberg) where Gary landed (Gary is working on his list of Oregon airports he has landed at ... this makes 67). We circled over Newberg and waited for Gary to take off again and then we headed for home. We never saw each other until we saw Gary turn final at Bend. We landed at Pilot Butte International (8OR5). Gary drove on over to our place and we had snacks and refreshments, and discussed the days fun. Gary headed home and I drove Bob and Nancy back to the Bend Arport to pick up their car. We would like to encourage more of you to join us for the regular monthly fly-outs and for the other fly-outs we have (like this one). We may not always get to go where we planed but we always have a good time and hope you can join us soon. Don Wilfong City Council Moves Forward On Bend Airport Development by Dale Evans The Bend City Council has approved leases for Jeriko Developments and Paladin Corporation to construct hangars on the west side of the airport. Jeriko will build on what may be the last site available for large hangars at the north end, and Paladin will build on the paved, sloping north tie down area. Paladin will relocate the displaced tie downs to the area in front of the round-top hangars where the city's open T hangars were located. This will put all aircraft tie downs in one, more secure, less sloping area. Airport Development ... continued. Development was approved for a location on the east side of Bend airport, approximately mid-field. Aircraft Investor Resources, creator of the Epic LT six passenger composite turbo prop, will build there to continue development and manufacture of its new airplane. [photo] Epic LT The State wants Bend Airport to be the site for the proposed Epic Aircraft factory. They are talking to the city about $500k in outright grants and $500k in contingent grants to make it happen. That would fully fund roads, utilities and a factory building on the East Side, adjacent to the existing Lancair building. This is on the fast track and could happen this winter. A building rush may occur on the east side when infrastructure is provided, just as occurred on the west side of the runway when utilities became available. This would be a great thing for Bend Airport and for the local economy! Insights on technology Computer scientist Bjorne Stroustrap, who originally developed the C++ programming language, once said in an address: "I used to wish that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone. My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone." OCT. FLY-OUT !! Weather permitting, let's head for Nampa Municipal (S67) in Nampa, Idaho. The Warhawk Air Museum is located right on the field and it is a very interesting place. I will check for a good place to have breakfast at Nampa....or we could land at Caldwell Ind. (EUL) to eat...they have a great cafe with ham as big as your plate. We can discuss it at the meeting/potluck Thursday evening and I will send out an e-mail with the final decision... Don Wilfong [photo] The Evans' in Alaska A turbine powered DeHavilland Otter landing in Pybus Bay, southeast Alaska last June to pick up Dale and Virginia Evans and family at their cabin. The turbine Otter flies so much faster than the radial engine version that the hourly charter rates of $950 and $780 work out to be about the same for the trip. The radial engine sounds better, but the turbine airplane can back up! - - Dale