CASCADE FLYER December 2009, Vol. 09, Issue 12 Website: http://co-opa.com/ ****SPECIAL NOTICE**** Please note the change of venue for this month's meeting. We meet 6:00pm Thursday,17Dec at Black Bear Diner, 1465 NE 3rd St. ****SPECIAL NOTICE**** President's Message: Please note the change of venue for this month's meeting. We meet 6:00pm Thursday, Dec 17th at the Black Bear Diner, 1465 NE 3rd St. By popular demand we are going to try something a bit different this year. For our December Holiday Party we are going to meet at our usual time, 6pm on Thursday December 17th, but at the unusual location of the Black Bear Diner at 1465 NE 3rd St. Needless to say this will not be a potluck, we'll order off the regular restaurant menu. Our program this month will be our famous Yankee Swap aviation gift exchange. Everyone that desires to participate should bring a gift-wrapped aviation item. It need not be new, maybe a long unused doodad from the bottom of your flight bag. Since Ed likes the tail wheel spring so much I expect it not to make an appearance this year. If you attend one meeting this year, this is the one! Always a merry event. As always we must give thanks to our November guest speaker Heather Madden. Sometimes it is good to see the wonder of aviation through the eyes of a newly minted Private Pilot and it was nice to be there to congratulate Central Oregon's newest one. Even better she brought along a cheering section to swell our ranks. A good time was had by all. Calendar: 17 December - Monthly Meeting/Party 19 December - Monthly Flyout 21 January - Monthly Meeting 23 January - Monthly Flyout 18 February - Monthly Meeting 20 February - Monthly Flyout 18 March - Monthly Meeting 20 March - Monthly Flyout Web doings: You folks may have noticed that the FAA is no longer snail mailing notices to pilots. To mail a postcard these days costs almost $1/ea and the cost has become prohibitive. To stay up to date with the FAA you may now register your airmen's certificate online: https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/amsrvs/logon.asp Signup is quick an simple, you only need your email address and airmen's certificate number. Once there you can request one of the new style certificates for free if you still have your SSN# on your old certificate. Remember, you MUST replace your old paper certificate one way or another by 31 March 2010. As always you can check out current and past CO-OPA newsletters, view our membership list and view hot aviation links on our website at http://co-opa.com To access the members only areas the username is "BDN" and the password is "123.0". My Inbox: The Bend airport Manager Gary Judd has asked that I pass along some safety information: The increased helicopter training operations at KBDN have been leading to occasional traffic conflicts between helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. A root cause of many of these conflicts is the dip in the north end of the runway. Pilots need to note that aircraft on the ground at the departure end of runway 16 can not see helicopters departing on taxiways A1/A2 . In addition aircraft entering from the east side may be angled in such a way that they can not see the north end of the runway. If traffic is using 16 be doubly sure before crossing the runway. If you remember your student days you'll know why an extra dash of caution and good humor is in order. I also received complaints about aircraft noise during the Bend Xmas parade. Please remember to fly friendly. In a bit less welcome news, you should all have found your annual bill for the OPA in your mailbox. Still, at the price it is a great deal. All OPA memberships are now annual and are due by January 1st. Save a stamp and pay online with PayPal. Details on their web site: http://oregonpilot.org/membership/renew.html Random Thoughts: "Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!" -- Anthony Robbins As the first decade of the new millennium comes to a close it is fun to see how little has changed in aviation. Clearly Anthony did not understand aviation. Ten years ago the first aircraft with ADS-B started flying. Just this month the FAA finalized the specifications for ADS-B and the mandate to carry an ADS-B transmitter may not happen until 2025. Ten years ago the shutdown of LORAN-C was imminent, but going into 2010 it is still alive. Currently there are no funds for LORAN-C in the USCG budget for 2010 so the end may be near in spite of USCG support for continuing the system. Ten years ago the Russians began touting their GPS clone called GLONASS. Just this last week I finally talked to someone with a GLONASS receiver and he lives in Russia. Don't even get me started on even more moribund European GPS clone called Galileo. Ten years ago the lead additive required to make 100LL avgas was being made at just one single plant in England. We still depend on that one plant for this critical component and no viable solution has gained any traction. Ten years ago the FAA was pushing Highway-in-the-Sky (HITS) Displays as the answer to improved IFR safety. At least that is starting to come true if only for some lucky pilots. Let's hope the next decade brings more progress in general aviation than the last one. Or maybe I should be careful what I wish for, the last decade did not cost me money on mandatory upgrades. What else do I still use that was made in 1966 and still provides great value? Happy Holidays to you all! Gary Miller 'Through-the-fence' Christmas Valley Airport began as a private residential airpark with 38 homes along the airport boundary. Decades ago a bankruptcy caused the airport to be given to the local parks and recreation department, but the homes remained private and their owners use the adjoining runway by way of a legal contracts known as through-the-fence agreements. There is now some uncertainty as to the future of these agreements, in light of the FAA's draft policy titled, "Through-the-Fence and On-Airport Residential Access to Federally Obligated Airports," and despite a letter from the FAA ensuring the existing TTF operators agreements, it's still unclear as to what happens once those agreements come up for renewal. Four Bidders For Epic? (from Avweb) The Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Epic Aircraft continues to wind its way through the courts and the next hearing is set for Dec. 7 in Portland. Spokesman Christopher Sanders told AVweb recently there are four bidders vying to buy the company out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy including one established aircraft manufacturer. The names of the bidders are confidential for now but Sanders said at least two of them would be well known to those who follow aviation. There are currently 15 incomplete aircraft at the Bend plant and Sanders said he's talking with all the owner/builders to try and ensure they can complete their projects. Epic sold a $1.8 million kit that produced a six place turboprop aircraft called the LT and the 15 unfinished aircraft are in varying stages of construction. Sanders said he was hired shortly after the departure of former CEO Rick Schramek and his role is to "maximize the value of the company and to make the company viable again." The company ran into trouble earlier this year and the doors shut in August. By September, lawsuits were flying and the company was formally in Chapter 11. There have also been allegations of wrongdoing by some Epic executives but none have been proven in court. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- On a related note, there is a new operation in the old Leading Edge building at the north end of the field. TNT Aviation is now established as an Epic LT repair facility, with other activities planned for the future. Airship Eureka Eureka is the largest zeppelin in the world, at 246 feet, longer than a 747. The colossal aircraft is one of only three Zeppelins operating in the world and is the only airship licensed for commercial passengers in the United States. Unlike a blimp, where the balloon gets its shape from the helium, a Zeppelin has a rigid frame supporting its hull. The engines are attached high up on the frame rather than on the basket, allowing a very smooth and quiet ride. The maximum air speed for the Eureka is about 80 mph, but cruises closer to 35 mph, the better to enjoy the view. Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik (ZLT), the same company that built the Hindenburg in the 1930s, manufactured the Eureka, a Zeppelin NT (New Technology), in Germany. In the "New Technology" version, the flammable hydrogen that doomed the ill-fated Hindenburg has been replaced with non-flammable helium. The lightweight frame is aluminum and carbon fiber, and the same company that makes NASA space suits makes the high-tech multi-laminate skin of the balloon. The three 200-horsepower vectored thrust engines and tail fins are operated by two joysticks on either side of the pilot, allowing for precision control. Airship Ventures launched the first flight on the Eureka from its home at Moffett Field south of San Francisco in May of 2008. It carries 12 passengers. Each seat has a picture-window view (even the restroom has a window!), and passengers take turns sticking their heads out the two open windows. Pilot Kate Broad, is the only female airship pilot in the world, and Fritz Guenther, is the co-pilot and flight instructor, on loan from Germany. Currently, the Eureka alternates between the SF Bay Area and Southern California every other month, with the possibility of more frequent visits in winter. One hour and two hour flight itineraries are available, costing about $500 to $1000 per ticket depending on flight time. If your schedule is flexible, you can sign up for the Last Minute Special List to take advantage of any last minute discounts to fill seats. FAMOUS QUOTES "I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks." Daniel Boone =================================================================== COOPA officer contact info: President Gary E. Miller 109 NW Wilmington Ave Bend, OR 97701 541-382-8588 gem@rellim.com Vice President --------OPEN---------- Secretary/Treasurer Don Wilfong 210 SE Cessna Dr Bend, OR 97702 541 389-1456 Temp Fly-out Chair Don Wilfong 210 SE Cessna Dr Bend, OR 97702 541 389-1456 wilfong.d@gmail.com Program Chair Ed Endsley 63505 Bridle Ln Bend, OR 97701 541 382-6414 ed@edendsley.com And finally, send Newsletter inputs to Mike Bond 22052 Banff Drive Bend, OR 97702 541 317-8443 mvbond@spiritone.com