Feb. 2, 2015 Board Meeting 6:00pm Social 6:30 pm Meeting 7:00 pm At the Fond du Lac Skyport Terminal Chapter #572 www.fdl.net/ eaa572 President: Dennis Rasmussen 920-688-2210 Denis.e.rasmussen@ gmail.com Vice President: Keith Lee 920-929-4098 keleeke@charter.net Treasurer: John Zorn 920-921-3186 jzorn1@gmail.com Secretary/ Newsletter Editor: Dick Finn 920-670-0023 Rfinn5@hotmail.com Program Chairman: Pete Vercouteren 920-923-4077 vpete101@aol.com Young Eagle Coordinator: Jerry Paveglio 920-922-3477 Flyway Chapter, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Annual Dues: The dues notices were sent out on Monday December 22, 2014. Please watch for them and pay ASAP. Dues are remaining the same, $25.00 for a family membership. AND thanks to all who paid without the billing. You can pay your dues at at the February meeting or send a check to John Zorn at: John Zorn, Treasurer 89 ½ N Pioneer Road Fond du Lac, WI 54935 February Program For our February meeting, we will have a presentation on EAA Government Relations - Issues and Advocacy (Speaker Sean Elliot EAA Vice President, Advocacy & Safety) Continued on Page 2) February, 2015 Jan. Meeting Presentation: In January we had an excellent presentation by John Dorcey from the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame. John came prepared with a great Powerpoint on the career of Richard Bong. WAHF is a 501(c) 3 membership organization formed in 1985. It is their mission to collect and preserve the history of aviation in Wisconsin, recognize those who made that history, inform others of it, and promote aviation education for future generations. The WAHF exists physically as a wall of portraits at the EAA Museum. In addition to recognizing Wisconsinites who contributed greatly to aviation, the also provide scholarships to young people to allow them to follow their aviation dreams. To do this they rely heavily on memberships. If you are interested in joing the WAHF please visit their website at the following link: www.wisconsinaviationhalloffame.org Continued on Page 2) Page 1 EAA Chapter 572 Newsletter February, 2015
February Program (cont.): Sean joined the EAA staff in April 1996 and has been Vice President of Advocacy and Safety since December 2010. With this responsibility, he manages EAA s government affairs offices at both EAA headquarters and in Washington, D.C. He is responsible for reviewing and analyzing government policy on the federal, state, and local levels that affect recreational aviation, as well as advocacy for EAA members and private individuals who build and fly aircraft for recreation. After fours years serving as the Executive Director and President for the National Association of Flight Instructors beginning in 1996, Sean took over EAA s Aircraft Operations and Air Tours in 2000. As the head of EAA Aircraft Operations, Sean is responsible for the development of the Air Tour programs as well as the implementation of pilot training and standardization in some of the most rare and challenging aircraft to fly. In addition, the aircraft maintenance department reports to him and handles the significant challenges of maintaining the fleet. Oversight of a national B-17 tour, national Ford Tri-Motor(s) tour, and the annual carriage of over 16,000 passengers are all part of what EAA accomplishes with its very special fleet of aircraft and is a significant part of Sean s duties at EAA. Sean is a pilot and instructor in most of EAA s vintage and experimental fleet. He is qualified in many different types of vintage aircraft including: 1929 Ford 4-AT-E Tri-Motor, 1929 Travel Air E- 4000, PT-17 Stearman, 1937 Waco YKS-7, 1930 Pitcairn Mailwing, 1930 Consolidated PT-3, 1927 Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis Replica, 1935 Stinson SR-9, 1930 Stinson SM-8A, 1930 D-25 New Standard, 1927 Curtis Swallow, 1932 Waco UEC, North American T-6, Socata TBM 700, Douglas DC-3 (type rated), and Boeing B-17 (type rated). Sean s credentials include holding an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, FAA Aviation Safety Counselor designation, over 8,200 hours of Pilot in Command time, and over 5,500 hours of dual instruction given. He holds CFI, CFII, CFMEI, Gold Seal, AGI,and IGI. He will talk about current advocacy issues such as Third Class Medical, ADS - B, and other issues EAA is working on. Jan. Meeting Presentation: (cont.) My thanks to John for sending me a copy of his PowerPoint presentation to help me pull together this article. His selection of pictures is excellent. For many years (since 1983 specifically) we drove from Chicago to our cabin on Lake Winnebago. I always wondered what the sign pointing to the Richard Bong State Recreation Area was all about. I learned who Dick Bong was several years back but John s presentation filled in a lot of personal detail. Aside from the WAHF, the only other place in the state honoring Richard Bong is the Veterans Historical Center in Superior, WI Richard Bong s home town. Continued on Page 3 Page 2 EAA Chapter 572 Newsletter February, 2015
Jan. Meeting Presentation: (cont.) John brought along a collector card honoring Richard Bong and his election to the WAHF. They have similar cards for all of the honorees. The first of nine children, born in 1920 to a Swedish immigrant father and American-born mother in Superior, WI. He hunted and fished in the surrounding woods and streams, played on his school athletic teams and sang in his church choir basically, At the all-american boy. Front and back of the Bong collector card. Dick became enamored of flying as a small boy, watching planes fly over the farm carrying mail for President Calvin Coolidge's summer White House in Superior. As a college student he learned to fly in the Civilian Pilot Training program; at the age of 20 he became a flying cadet in the US Army Air Corps, in time for the entry of America into World War II. Dick became America's all-time Ace of Aces, downing 40 enemy planes in the Pacific theater of the war while flying P-38 fighter planes. His many decorations for outstanding skills and extraordinary courage included the Congressional Medal of Honor. Dick was ordered home for his safety and married his sweetheart, Marge, in Superior. Six months later he was killed test piloting the first Lockheed jet fighter plane. His death at the age of 24 occured the same day that the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, yet he received banner headlines in the national newspapers. Thousands attended Dick's funeral services in Superior, and many more lined the funeral route to the Poplar cemetery, where he was buried in the family plot. Continued on Page 4 Page 3 EAA Chapter 572 Newsletter February, 2015
Jan. Meeting Presentation: (cont.) Dick Bong nicknamed his plane Marge and pasted a portrait of her on the nose along side an impressive display of Japanese flags, each one representing one of his 40 kills. Dick Bong s P38 with the Marge nose art in the South Pacific. He nose art on Dick Bong s P38 I believe this was not the one he flew in the South Pacific. On one of his returns to the states, Dick gave his wife (Marge) a ride in a P38 Dick Bong being awarded the Medal of Honor by General Douglas McArthur. Page 4 EAA Chapter 572 Newsletter February, 2015
Doolittle s Raiders: Gary Hilbert forwarded the following to me. I was not able to link to it on the web as it is an email but I have copied it with some editing to fit it into the newsletter. As with many things of this nature forwarded by email there is no indication of who actually wrote the article. I sincerely regret not being able to give this person proper credit for his or her work. They once were among the most universally admired and revered men in the United States. There were 80 of the Raiders in April 1942, when they carried out one of the most courageous and heart-stirring military operations in this nation's history. The mere mention of their unit's name, in those years, would bring tears to the eyes of grateful Americans. Now only four survive. After Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, with the United States reeling and wounded something dramatic was needed to turn the war effort around. Even though there were no friendly airfields close enough to Japan for the United States to launch a retaliation, a daring plan was devised. Sixteen B- 25s were modified so that they could take off from the deck of an aircraft carrier. This had never before been tried -- sending such big, heavy bombers from a carrier. The 16 five-man crews, under the command of Lt. Col. James Doolittle, who himself flew the lead plane off the USS Hornet, knew that they would not be able to return to the carrier. They would have to hit Japan and then hope to make it to China for a safe landing. But on the day of the raid, the Japanese military caught wind of the plan. The Raiders were told that they would have to take off from much farther out in the Pacific Ocean than they had counted on. They were told that because of this they would not have enough fuel to make it to safety. And those men went anyway. Page 5 EAA Chapter 572 Newsletter February, 2015
Doolittle s Raiders: (cont.) They bombed Tokyo and then flew as far as they could. Four planes crash-landed; 11 more crews bailed out, and three of the Raiders died. Eight more were captured; three were executed. Another died of starvation in a Japanese prison camp. One crew made it to Russia. The Doolittle Raiders sent a message from the United States to its enemies, and to the rest of the world: We will fight. And, no matter what it takes, we will win. Of the 80 Raiders, 62 survived the war. They were celebrated as national heroes, models of bravery. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced a motion picture based on the raid; "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo," starring Spencer Tracy and Van Johnson, was a patriotic and emotional boxoffice hit, and the phrase became part of the national lexicon. In the movie-theater previews for the film, MGM proclaimed that it was presenting the story "with supreme pride." Beginning in 1946, the surviving Raiders have held a reunion each April, to commemorate the mission. The reunion is in a different city each year. In 1959, the city of Tucson, Arizona, as a gesture of respect and gratitude, presented the Doolittle Raiders with a set of 80 silver goblets. Each goblet was engraved with the name of a Raider. Every year, a wooden display case bearing all 80 goblets is transported to the reunion city. Each time a Raider passes away his goblet is turned upside down in the case at the next reunion, as his old friends bear solemn witness. Al so in the wooden case is a bottle of 1896 Hennessy Very Special cognac. The year is not happenstance: 1896 was when Jimmy Doolittle was born. There has always been a plan: When there are only two surviving Raiders, they would open the bottle, at last drink from it, and toast their comrades who preceded them in death. As 2013 began, there were five living Raiders; then, in February, Tom Griffin passed away at age 96. Page 6 EAA Chapter 572 Newsletter February, 2015
Doolittle s Raiders: (cont.) What a man he was. After bailing out of his plane over a mountainous Chinese forest after the Tokyo raid, he became ill with malaria, and almost died. When he recovered, he was sent to Europe to fly more combat missions. He was shot down, captured, and spent 22 months in a German prisoner of war camp. The selflessness of these men, the sheer guts... there was a passage in the Cincinnati Enquirer obituary for Mr. Griffin that, on the surface, had nothing to do with the war, but that was emblematic of the depth of his sense of duty and devotion: "When his wife became ill and needed to go into a nursing home, he visited her every day. He walked from his house to the nursing home, fed his wife and at the end of the day brought home her clothes. At night, he washed and ironed her clothes. Then he walked them up to her room the next morning. He did that for three years until her death in 2005." So now, out of the original 80, only four Raiders remain: Dick Cole (Doolittle's co-pilot on the Tokyo raid), Robert Hite, Edward Saylor and David Thatcher. All are in their 90s. They have decided that there are too few of them for the public reunions to continue. The events in Fort Walton Beach marked the end. It has come full circle; Florida's nearby Eglin Field was where the Raiders trained in secrecy for the Tokyo mission. The town planned to do all it can to honor the men: a six-day celebration of their valor, including luncheons, a dinner and a parade. Do the men ever wonder if those of us for whom they helped save the country have tended to it in a way that is worthy of their sacrifice? They don't talk about that, at least not around other people. But if you find yourself near Fort Walton Beach this week, and if you should encounter any of the Raiders, you might want to offer them a word of thanks. I can tell you from first hand observation that they appreciate hearing that they are remembered. The men have decided that after this final public reunion they will wait until a later date -- sometime this year -- to get together once more, informally and in absolute privacy. That is when they will open the bottle of brandy. The years are flowing by too swiftly now; they are not going to wait until there are only two of them. They will fill the four remaining upturned goblets. And raise them in a toast to those who are gone. Page 7 EAA Chapter 572 Newsletter February, 2015
Dec. Presentation: Homebuilding 101 by Charlie Becker I am a bit late with writing up our December Presentation. Just a few too many things on the plate over Christmas. Still, this was a presentation that was near and dear to my heary. Charlie Becker from the EAA Headquarters talked on Home Building. I must say that he did a super job. Charlie is a Private Pilot Single Engine Land. His home building career includes a Fisher Classic that was not completed. He did complete a Sonex and is currently building a Pirate Cub. There is a long history behind the home building movement: 1903 Wright Flyer 1920s Heath Parasol kit 1931 Pietenpol plans published 1940s Homebuilding regulated out of existence 1947 Amateur Built category established 1953 EAA started in 1953 Since then the movement has continued with more designs and greater innovation. The obvious question is why should you build when there are so many production aircraft available. Probably the most obvious reason is cost but there are others. You get to build it! Believe it or not, building is fun. Ultimate Freedom of choice Latest technology All new More performance we now have homebuilt jets available. Pride of authorship/ego Customization There are some limitations of Experimental-Amateur Built or E-AB You have to build it (or at least 51% of it) No commercial use There are limitations on Foreign travel He 51% rule is one of the requires that the builder prove through photographs, logs, purchase invoices and any other documentation that he or she is the builder. Despite this it is possible to purchase a kit where a significant amount of the work is complete (quick build). Continued on Page 9 Page 8 EAA Chapter 572 Newsletter February, 2015
Homebuilding 101 by Charlie Becker (Cont.): This is possible as all the tasks involved in building a plane are assigned an equal value of one point when computing the 51% that you must build. How much effort is involved in a task and the complexity is irrelevant. This makes it possible for kit manufacturers to produce standard kits where you literally have to do everything and quick build kits that have most of the major components complete. VANS RV-7 Standard Build VANS RV-7 Quick Build As can be seen, there is a significant amount of work and time saved by purchasing the quick build kit. Still, the kit meets the 51% rule. A concern many people have is a location to build their plane. This has been solved in many ways. I built most of my Cozy in the basement just taking care that no part grew to a size that would not fit up the stairs and out the door. All that is required is a little ingenuity as can be seen from the following pictures. Continued on Page 10 Page 9 EAA Chapter 572 Newsletter February, 2015
Homebuilding 101 by Charlie Becker (Cont.): Registration for home built planes is processed by the FAA in Kansas City and generally takes 90 to 129 days. This needs to be completed before the final inspection, For this to occur, the plane must be 100% complete. It involves a paperwork review and visual inspection. Once you have the FAA s stamp of approval you can proceed with your test flying. A key point is that you do not have to be the test pilot. In many cases a builder will have devoted his time and money to the project for many years and may be out of practice. If you are going to do the testing yourself you need to assure you become current. Recent changes will allow you to have an experienced person along with you while testing. The test periods are: 25 hours Certificated engine/prop combo 40 hours Everything else There are some secrets to home building. Build at home Keep your family involved You re building a part, not an airplane Publish your builders log Put your Technical Counselor on speed dial Stick to the plans Don t over think it 10 minutes a day Recharge your batteries-attend Oshkosh Page 10 EAA Chapter 572 Newsletter February, 2015
From a list of Actual Predictions: Something from Pilot Workshops Bob Martens explains how military operations areas are used, and why they must be factored into your planning. View the tip here... http://www.pilotworkshop.com/tips/military_operations_area.htm Page 11 EAA Chapter 572 Newsletter February, 2015
Interesting Stuff on the Web: Pretty much every year we see some new items showing a plane dropping water or chemicals on a wildfire. http://biggeekdad.com/2012/12/spanish-water-drop-planes/ http://biggeekdad.com/2014/01/firefighting-aircraft/ From Richard Blamey: We ve all seen pictures of Molt Taylor s flying car and I m sure everyone is familiar with the Terrafugia to say nothing of the Ford Anglia in the Harry Potter movies. The one shown at the Aeromobile site is really something. I can actually picture this one selling. http://www.aeromobil.com/ From Mike Snopar: It seems that the Western Automobile Museum is certainly worth a visit if you are ever in Hood River, OR. http://www.waaamuseum.org/coming-to-waaam EAA 572 Shirts and Jackets: Pete Vercouteren has arranged for us to purchase EAA Chapter 572 shirts and jackets. : The cost of the shirt with the chapter logo is: $28/ M $28/ L $28/ XL $30/ 2 XL The cost of the Jacket with the logo is: S-XL/ $47.95 2 XL/ $49.95 Please contact Pete if you are interested in purchasing. He can be reached at: vpete101@aol.com 920-923-4077 Page 12 EAA Chapter 572 Newsletter February, 2015
Dick Finn s COZY Mark IV: I ve been operating under the concept that things always take longer than you would ever expect. This is certainly true of mounting the canopy. I finally resorted to going to the Cozy email list to ask for some help. This started a great discussion relating to the geometry of the hinges and what the proper placement should be. The hinges are very much like you would find on the trunk of a car. I ended up having to cut into underside of the top forward of the canopy in order to move the hinge mount point up as high as possible. I also had to cut back the underside of the canopy frame so it would easily clear the top of the fuselage ahead of the canopy. So! Where it sits now is that the canopy is temporarily mounted and will open fully (at least as much as is allowed by the ceiling in the garage. I ve also temporarily mounted the canard and am doing the the final shaping of the fuselage in that area. Once that is done, I ll construct lips for the rear of the canard and front of the canopy to seal the gaps and minimize any water leakage. While my son was in town over the past week I imposed on him and one of his friends to help me get the wing spar down from where it has been hanging in the other garage ceiling. It is now sitting next to the plane and is ready to be mounted. Gap to be covered with a lip I may start mounting the spar while continuing to work on the nose area. Its more efficient to have several things going so you can continue working on a different area while a layup set up. WING SPAR We ll be on vacation for February and part of March so there will be little progress made. Page 13 EAA Chapter 572 Newsletter February, 2015
Attendance: We ve been tracking our attendance for about a year now. I thought it might be interesting to include some additional information along with the numbers so I am adding in the titles of the programs for each meeting. I m hoping that this will help us identify what our members are interested in. Members New Members Guests Refreshments Program Mar. 2014 16 0 1 Apr., 2014 12 0 3 May, 2014 18 0 2 June, 2014 9 1 0 July, 2014 12 0 0 Aug., 2014 Cleanup after Oshkosh Sept., 2014 14 0 0 Flight for Life Oct. 6, 2014 14 Fond du Lac Aeromodelers Nov. 3, 2014 16 Keith Lee Sharing the Air Space with Drones - Jim O'Connor Dec. 1, 2014 16 1 George Macias EAA speaker on homebuilt aircraft Dec 12, 2014 Christmas Party EAA Wright Bothers Banquet Jan.. 5, 2015 17 Gray Hilbert Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame (Speaker John Dorcey) Feb., 2 2015 John Bakos EAA Government Relations - Issues and Advocacy (Sean Elliot) Mar. 2, 2015 Dean Zakos Flight For Life - Janet Sierra April 6, 2015 May 4, 2015 June 1, 2015 VFR Communications - (Speaker TBD) AOPA Representative - (Speaker TBD) KMKE FSDO (Speaker TBD) Page 14 EAA Chapter 572 Newsletter February, 2015