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Old News 2009

Cirrus Training Complete: N768CD Here in Ithaca!

David is back home with the Cirrus SR-22 and you can read the whole story here here. The weather on the return was challenging but careful analysis and a very capable machine made this safe and fun. There is a complete analysis of the factors involved with the weather decision here. Remember we have an FAA Safety Seminar with Jill Browning this Thursday, the 17th at 7 pm and the plane will be in our hangar for display. The Cirrus is the high-tech wonder of the modern plane market and you will see why if you get a chance to sit in it.

n.b. Space is tight for the Thursday seminar so please let us know if you are not coming so we can free up some seats. We have had lots of calls from out of town folks looking for places. This should be a fun show!

Recent East Hill Pilot Accomplishments!

Eric Esty is a new instrument rated all weather pilot	Bruce Thompson is a newly rated instrument flying guy!	Congratulations Peter Brodsky: New PIlot!	Ginny Stromberg earns her private pilot

Congratulations to Matt McGIll on his solo. This happened quietly Saturday evening and we had to pry it out of him. Apparently he has the largest fan club for any pilot on Facebook...even the tower noticed the crowd of people gathering at the fence.	Congratulations to Steve Schaeffer on his first solo. Once we convinced him he was good at this, it was easy! Steve has a demanding day job at Taughannock Aviation fueling planes and moving jets around on the ramp so he does not get to fly enough!	Congratulations to Mark Finkelstein on his solo in the CT-LSA (our first sport pIlot to solo in this plane) Watch the video <here> This plane is a challenge on landing and requires a light touch and fast reactions, much like a slippery high-performance glider. This plane is recommended (along with our Citabria) as a skill-builder for any pilot!	Eric Poch soloed beautifully in N66230 8/30 despite rainy weather and wind from an approaching front. Eric is part of our TC3 Aviation Science Program. Incidentally, Eric also competed in the Trumansburg Fair Demolition Derby on Tuesday...we made sure he was not wearing his crash helmet for this flight! Instructor Mark Mendelson was calm throughout.

Get to Know East Hill People!

Mario Tomei washing planes in preparation for the breakfast	Capt. Tomei, July '69, after 125 combat missions over Vietnam	Jean-Baptiste flying with friends on a nice day at East Hill.	Jorgen Overgaard is working on his Light Sport certificate.

Great Gifts for You! Embroidered East Hill Jacket or ANR Headsets

Imprinted East Hill Jackets; only $69! These have gusseted sleeves and a hood; lots of pockets. (These are what our CFI's wear.)	The new digital transponders are now installed. This Skyhawk panel includes an Aspen, S-Tec auto pilot with GPS steering, GNS 430. We saved money on the recent install by selling a previously swapped out instrument ($1000 off)	These are the best buy in ANR headsets; $450 with 5 year warranty and back-up PTT. We have only 2 available, no tax, no shipping! (members only)

Visit Lady Liberty on the Hudson Corridor: Saturday, Dec. 19th Last time we flew the corridor it was 9 degrees below zero and we changed a tire on the ramp in Poughkeepsie. We chose a transitional season this year and there might even be a little color left in the hills. There are only two East Hill planes available so we are pushing for owner-members to help if possible. Plans will firm up as the date approaches but lunch will be part of this trip; either on Long Island at Farmingdale (but fuel is tough here) or back at Lilliana's at KPOU. See the previous trip for more information. The new rules are now in effect and on-line training is required for pilots. Bruce Thompson's Video of East Hill night Hudson Trip; November 8th, 2002.

Holiday Party and Welcome Mike!

Thanks to Joanne (right) for hosting a wonderful holiday party; she is a magic hostess with everything painless and perfect. 26 members attended.	The Henion Family was fully represented! Welcome to the very beautiful new granddaughter!	Welcome new member Mike Westbrook. He is a CFI in everything but joined to get more tail wheel time!

Michael flying Beech King Air		Trip log to Duluth at FL220. ILS was necessary at KDLH. Updated trip details here
Dale Klapmeier, Cirrus CEO		Justin Krom, my CFI (poor fellow!)	Old dog learning new tricks

We all hate those checkrides but it's fun to fly this plane! We are still an FAA- Approved 141 school!	Beautiful Duchess available at East Hill Flying Club for your training (or just try an hour for fun)! More info	CT is fun with a 25K wind..It helps to be a glider CFI ! Terry should be checked out soon.

Holiday Travel; Tale of Two Trips!

Every pilot has to make the choice: mix it up with the fools on the highway or take to the sky for a quicker trip! (IFR makes this flight manageable)

Recent Flight Accomplishments; Great Job!

Congratulations Tom Freeman: CT solo!Tom is a Sport Pilot in powered parachutes.	Congratulations to Carlos Santos: Great solo! After three tours in Iraq this was easy!	Julian Trutman soloed; congratulations!

East Hill RSS Feed Now Available

E-mail is increasingly unsuccessful for communication of our latest news. We cannot mail now to AOL, HotMail, MSN, Microsoft, and Live...you will not get our news! Please subscribe to our RSS feed and we will add the new information as an updated item. Keep in touch through RSS.

For those who do not use a reader (yet) it is kind of like a personal web crawler that seeks updates regularly from your chosen sites and presents them on one aggregate page. If you have seen the RSS "chicklet" up to the right of your address bar (Firefox) or on your navigation bar (Microsoft) clicking this will allow you to subscribe. More info in this article. Firefox specific info here, Internet Explorer here. There is a very comprehensive YouTube explanation here. If you want to enter our feed directly it is: http://www.lightlink.com/ithnet/Orgs/EHFC/EastHill.rss

Don applying fabric to the wing after welded fuel tank is re-installed in CItabria; The nice weather is a blessing!	Don and Allan at Finger Lakes Flying Service adjusting the idle on the CT-LSA.	Sarah Casselbury is attending Daniel Webster College in NH and flew in for a visit last weekend
Ithaca looks like a heliport with the Sikorsky S-76 and the Marine AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter (Bell 209). The Cobra (Snake) has the same engine, rotor system and transmission as the UH-1 Huey: Lycoming T-53 turboshaft engine.	The Cobra was created by Bell Helicopter in 1965 to assist troups on the ground in Vietnam. Bell was not chosen by the military to bid this project but invested $1 million corporate money to make this happen!	I can hear Doug telling Bob in the tower "YOU tell him he can't take off! Watch out for the C-152"

	"And they let these guys fly planes..." Another fun trip to Cherry Ridge. See Where to Fly? for more information. Thanks to everyone for staying busy flying and learning this year. East Hill will actually exceed last years flight numbers!
Doug Cross, Tim Fallon and Mario Tomei at Cherry Ridge. The "female friend" shall remain anonymous!		I think that "professor job" is getting to Doug! Ask him how he fits in a Cessna with that new hat.

	Aerial Rescue Wow, fly-in mechanics (just give them an excuse)!  Here is a "classic ride" 1950s Ercoupe. Too bad they had to call the tower on the cell phone when the radio would not work.  A new caliper for 30Q from Cessna is only $1,500...did you say you wanted to buy a plane? A refurbished part is on the way and we hope to have this plane flying by the weekend.
Pre-flight question: What is missing? A new caliper is on order, you can only fix these so long!		Allan and Matt flew in to fix the yoke problem on 25028 and the brake on N6230Q: thanks guys!

Members Moving Up to New Planes!

New member Vinay with a friend in the CT	Eric Estey steps up to the Mooney with Mike	Peter Brodsky learning the CT with Mike's help

Busy Thursday at East Hill!

Several members test flew the Remos LSA. This is similar to the CT in shape but quite unique.	Tom Kalina gave a GREAT talk on corporate flying. He is funny and quite an accomplished artist also. A good crowd and some new faces!	Brent Chidsey created this work of art for David's tools. A talented and generous guy!

Tail Wheel Finally Fixed!

The top spring was bent flat in a bad landing so we tried to re-bend it "by guess" and shim it with no success. The wrong spring (from Maule) gave us the right angle (finally)	Member Brent Chidsey re-bent original to the correct angle with a 50 ton press	Correct angle measured with a concrete floor and framing square.

The Life of a Corporate Pilot: Tom Kalina,Senior Pilot for S.C.Johnson,
will talk at East Hill Thursday, Oct 22 at 7pm

Tom Kalina spent his youth growing up near Chicago’s Midway Airport during its heyday before the advent of jet aircraft. Tom began flying in 1965 at age sixteen and had earned a private pilot’s license before he could drive a car!  He went on to college to major in aviation, graduating from the University of Illinois in 1969 with a Commercial Pilot’s license with a Multi-engine rating,  a Flight Instructor’s certificate and an A&P Mechanic’s license.

Tom’s flying career began in late 1971by flying the night mail in the same spirit of early aviators.  He spent the next several years building time and experience in a variety of small airline operations as well as a major corporate flight department.  In 1985 Tom was hired in as Captain with S.C. Johnson & Son (commonly known as Johnson’s Wax) of Racine, Wisconsin.  He is currently a Senior Captain and the Flying Safety Officer for S.C. Johnson.  In 44 years of flying, Tom has logged nearly 19,000 hours in more than 30 different types of aircraft.  He holds an Air Transport Pilot license with six type ratings.  His flying has taken him through many of the backdoors of the world, having been to every continent, numerous countries and hundreds of cities.

In addition to his professional flying career, Tom is also an Artist Member of the ASAA – American Society of Aviation Artists.  His works of art can be viewed on his website at  www.tomkalina.com

Biz, Wings and Wine Wednesday, October 14th; Quite a Party!

Business After Hours was well attended!	Lamoreaux Landing Winery made this event special; thanks!	Jazz classics added to the ambiance	The twin engine "power users" coalesce at the Aerostar!
Mike doing a great job selling some flying!	Larry sharing some flying stories!	Mark sharing his enthusiasm for flight	Fran Facer knew Mike when he was just 16!

	What a great seminar Friday with Bill, Alex and TIm from Penn Yan Aero. We had a full house and lots of good questions. Thanks so much to our engine rebuilders for supporting our mission of education and driving over on a rainy Friday to talk! View the engine bible here, also our last visit.

Our engine for N6230Q was completed at Penn Yan Aero!   Seminar here October 2nd!

It was depressing but educational to visit Penn Yan Aero and witness the extent of the corrosion in the engine removed from N6230Q. The piston plug that Alex is holding was previously 1/4" thick aluminum. When the barrel of the cylinder rusted, it basically filed away all the metal on the pin and blew the metal throughout the engine. The cam and lifters need replacement as well as the cylinders and the pistons. The engine case has a flaw so that will be replaced also. This work will be almost totally covered under warranty. Bill Middlebrook, third generation owner of this family business, is holding the piston that was over-heated through excessive leaning. See this article about our visit there last spring. Here is the bible of Lycoming engine management. This engine is back in service now! Sign up for this seminar here

We will not be using the timed engine heaters this winter since the heat cycling is implicated in creating moisture in the engines through condensation. Penn Yan will be hosting a seminar on engine operation on October 2nd here at the club! Another topic that will be discussed is excessive temperatures in flight due to leaning too aggressively.

Peter French: East Hill "Most Valuable Volunteer" Award!
(and other board actions!)

Club president Frank Adelstein presents Peter an award of flight training time. The East Hill Board of Directors recognized Peter French for his extraordinary management and improvement of our two annual breakfasts (you could not find a more deserving and hard-working volunteer)

In other board action we are going full speed ahead preparing for our October 14th Business After Hours. We will host 200-300 local business people at this event (1000 chicken wings are on order along with hors d'oeuvre and wine) and we need people to show up and share their passion for aviation (yes we are taking names and making a list!) Owner members are encouraged to bring their planes and prepare a "business flying" sign for their aircraft. Special thanks to member Mark Wagner for supplying wine and staff for this event! Mark runs.

John Hrubos is organizing a fly-out to Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome on October 17th (pilot's day). We will organize ground transportation for a fun group trip. This new date is to assure there are planes to fly! Sign-up at the club!

1914 America Seaplane Flies at the Curtis Museum in Hammondsport 09/19

View from above: crowds gathering for flight	We found a "Bell 47 parking space" at the museum	Brent Chidsey piloting his Bell 47 over Ithaca
1914 America in flight over Keuka Lake with antique OX-6 Engines!	Water salute for pilots and volunteers who built it Pictures from last year	America coming ashore with brave Pilot Jim Poole YouTube video from last year

Mike Shay with his newly painted SeaBee	It will soon start looking more like a plane (he says)	Katherine Babuka; our secret weapon on lawns!	Ron is of course carefully supervising this operation(?)

East Hill People at Oshkosh 2009

Airbus 380: Designed to look like a watermelon with some windows carved into it! Hard landing?	FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt is not only a pilot but is still a CFI! Speech here	David Flinn and Bruce Thompson at dinner	Airbus Chief Pilot Terry Lutz emphasizing "diverse training" not just rote learning
Jerry Friedman checks out Jabaru Engine. This uses of-the-shelf Toyota parts!	David flies Redbird full-motion simulator configured for Ithaca terrain	Redbird full motion simulator available for $59K...get your checkbook	Bruce Thompson getting some tips on the amphibious Sea Rey he is building
Predator and the remote pilot station behind. This plane was flying patrol in Watertown last month!	The RV-8 parked under the enormous Airbus 380 belongs to the chief pilot Terry Lutz	AeroShell Square with some unique and diverse aircraft. Ford also is a sponsor.	AOPA has a huge promotional presence at OSH and signed a peace treaty with EAA
Remos Amphibian with foldable wings	Republic SeaBee at Vette Seaplane Base	Piper Cub towed into a mooring at Vette	Evening Tattoo at Vette (different piper)
First Officer Jeff Skiles and Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger evening show	Livingston Taylor (Cessna driver) performing at the AirVenture Theater in the Woods	Beating a cold front out of Wisconsin with live weather on board; we own this, you can rent it!	Oshkosh travelers return: 3hr 28 enroute

More OSH photos from AvWeb here      Special panoramc photos here     Seaplane Base here    Additional Flying Mag commentary here

"Crossing Borders; Planning and Flying Long Cross-Country Trips"

Jack Henion gave a great talk on his recent trips all over the US and Caribbean. Covering the fun and excitement as well as the careful preparation necessary, this was a very inspiring and informative session! Jack has flown 120 hours in the C-210 since January covering 18,631 miles (he obviously keeps careful records!) Jack described recent trips to Salt Lake City, Edmonton, Alberta and Antigua. We had over 25 people in attendance from as far away as Batavia.

Hangar Floor All Done!

The "black stuff" specialists at work	Fran Facer leads the crew	All done in two hours! Thanks guys!

	Milestones! Congratulations to Doug Cross on earning his instrument rating. After flying, we wrestled with the IACRA system for a couple of hours before it finally produced his well-deserved certificate! Gary Schultz took that huge leap of flying all by himself and joined the ranks of aviators; congratulations Gary!
Doug Cross passed his instrument test; the hardest part was IACRA!		Gary Schultz soloed and we could even use the plane for another flight!

East Hill Flying Club Goes to Pancake School

The worst kept secret in Borodino: Sunday pancake breakfast the last Sunday of the month serves 1200 people.	The Amazing Rotary Grill: "Industrial Revolution in Pancakes!" Tim times production, Peter in love!	The one-on-one training session: true secrets of the pancake breakfast trade!

East Hill Angels!

People like Tom that help everyday! (Art Snyder quietly took all the garbage from the breakfast away!)	Brent Chidsey with amazing new grill tables for breakfast	Robert Sparks wiring wizard made the new layout function	Gary Schultz patching the hangar floor

Taughannock Aviation BBQ	Mike at the Runway Restaurant at Barnes	Garmin 496 paid for itself on the return from CT drop-off

Mystery Member: Win an East Hill Hat!

Who is this returning member? It is amazing the journey that a pilot takes from initial "aviation rapture" and training to perhaps aircraft ownership, then a family and college for the kids. This is a picture at least 30 years ago...who is this member??

Hints: I remember flying to Martha's Vineyard with this fellow in a club plane 20+ years ago! We landed at Katama and they had shipped in a whole jazz band and served lobster right on the beach. His son was a toddler (now graduated college) and captivated by the helicopter rides. CompuServe was the big geek buzz then (before internet and cell phones) Who is this member??

Mallory Airport, Mud Suck, WV

Never been here? Looks short and up hill-down hill (not even very straight), and with ridgetops presenting a 130 ft obstacle around the NW "threshold"! This current photo shows many improvements since the top photo was taken of our Mystery Member and his rebuilt Chief. Check the website : "Lying in the hills of W. Va. is a quiet little airport called Mallory Airport. Don't complain when you see it, because it used to be a lot narrower and much shorter. What is now the taxi way (along the hangars in the foreground) was the old runway." Our mystery member based here for several years (and survived!) I bet short fields are easy for him!

Make your guess,...who is this mystery member? Win a hat, just donate $5 to the engine fund! Not only do you help our long-term financial status, you could have a beautiful East Hill hat! Maybe we will throw in a plane ride to Mud Suck?

Put your $5 in the box with your guess (Please date your entry in case there are two successful players)

CarolAnn Garratt: Great Show at East Hill!

Carol Ann Garratt gave a wonderful talk on flying around the world in her stock Mooney 201. In December 2008, with Carol Foy, she set a world speed record of 156 hours (only 46 on the ground). The planning and execution of this flight were amazingly detailed and safety oriented. 60-70 people showed up to watch the show.

The impetus for both flights was to raise funds for the ALS Therapy Development Institute and to honor Carol Ann's mother who died of ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). Thanks to Tom Weber for "instant sound reinforcement!" and Lee White for transporting the breakfast chairs (again!)

Thanks for the Amazing Breakfast Here are some pictures from the breakfast. Hopefully, these pictures captures the spirit of the breakfast experience. The two line set-up kept the people moving and we never had a big backup. There were many activities; Dave Bliek ran the simulator (endlessly), Mike Brown showed movies, the Cornell Raptor Program brought five birds that were hugely popular (as always) and the Light Sport was a real destination also.. Mario mentioned quite accurately we had people staying and doing all kinds of activities. Thanks to everyone for helping. Special thanks to breakfast chairman Peter French and Volunteer Coordinator Betsy Grigoriu.

 

New Pilot at East Hill!

	Sarah Casselbury earned her private pilot certificate on Wednesday. Sarah is part of the TC3 aviation program and even got a chance to prove her ability on a grass runway after a simulated engine failure from 5 miles away! Grass runways are a great adventure for anyone that has not experienced this operation. Greene has a 50 foot bank down to a river on final when landing to the west that adds to the excitement.

Pancake Breakfast This Sunday, June 21st!           

7am-1pm: Come early! There will be lots to see and do! New this year: movies and "learn to fly" seminars

This breakfast will have a different layout from years past. The new configuration will have two grill lines in the center of the hangar (thanks to new wiring by member Robert Sparks) facing outward so we can feed two simultaneous lines. The batter mixing will be in the hangar also thanks to a new sink (by member John Hrubos, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing). New grill carts are being fabricated by Brent Chidsey of Stone Well Equipment to replace the greasy saw horse arrangement.

Another huge advantage of this layout is that the classroom is free this year. We intend to utilize this space fully by providing an introduction to flying with videos and question and answer sessions. We also hope to provide simulator training (and a signed logbook) to whomever wants a lesson. The sticker on the left will be distributed to all members to wear and encourage people to get involved in aviation (specifically at East Hill). This ambitious initiative will require more people: sign up early and often to help! This will be huge fun!

	Pancake Breakfast time again! Father's Day Sunday June 21st 7am-1pm; "All You Can Eat" $7 More Information   |   Last year  |  Roster
John Hrubos with new sink for mixing		Brent Chidsey with amazing new grill tables

Rochester Wings 2009

	What a great day at Rochester Wings! We had three planes at the show and the prime spot for our Light Sport and club display board. Mike and David flew 14 "Discovery Flights" in the Skyhawks. Thanks to Art Snyder, Tim Fallon and Josiah Boggs for manning the booth and answering thousands of questions. Tim got his first Light Sport flight on the way home!

EAA Young Eagles May 9th: Lots of Happy Kids!!

We had a great day flying at our Young Eagles Rally. The weather was mostly cooperative and we flew about 85 young people for their first time. You have to be there to fully understand the happiness and excitement this brings to these kids. There are now many Young Eagle Certificates tacked to bedrooms walls all around town and new dreams about flying planes and helicopters!

Thanks to all the members of East Hill and EAA 811 that flew or helped out at the learning stations or on the ramp. The coordination and set-up was superb this year. The food from Wings Over Ithaca was also very good. There were many smiles all around and we made lots of friends in our community. Watch for an Ithaca Journal article on Dave Stern later this week (the one that was supposed to precede and promote this event!) Thank-you also to Doug Lewis and Ithaca ATC for their fantastic support through-out this event and to Taughannock Aviation for the $.30 a gallon fuel discount and waiving the landing fees. Thanks also to member Laura Jones and the other CAP people provided excellent support with parking. (Pictures by Larry Baum, Mike Newman, D.St.G.)

2009 EHFC Annual Ground Briefing: Two required items!

To complete the annual check-out there are two required ground school items. First, please complete the "Flight Review Prep Guide" on the FAA safety web site. You must register and the course will generate a diploma when you are done. Find this course <here>   The second required ground school event is a briefing at the club involving dispatch and safety procedures. This covers everything from moving the planes safely (we had $2K in wing-tip damage in the last several years), to correct fueling procedures, 91.213(d); "dispatch with inoperative equipment" and location of the fire extinguishers. This annual training has been mandated by our FAA FSDO and our insurance company.

CFI Log: A Day of Flying at East Hill...

Early Ithaca overcast with VFR pilots sitting; go fly IFR "on top" for proficiency (Michael Bertenthal)	Good pilots seek challenging (and fun) flight reviews! Dave Tyler learning the CT Light Sport	Turning final in a technically advanced light sport plane. This plane even has an aural announcement at 500 ft	End of a busy day with a pretty sunset over Cayuga Lake. Four lessons in four very different planes.

Congratulations to Art Snyder on earning his instrument rating!	Alan Staff at Finger Lakes Flying Service with N25028 in pieces; old cylinders in background	Tom Farlow with another kind of mag-fired, propeller-driven machine: Thanks Tom!!

 EAA Young Eagles May 9th: Lots of happy kids! Thank-you members for your kind donation of time and skill! | member home 

A Wonderful Banquet at Wings of Eagles with Martha Lunken!

Martha loved the Liberty: "a great classic plane feel with all the new toys!"	The WIngs of Eagles is always an amazing venue to gather 120 pilots and friends. The Liberty was hugely popular.	Martha is a warm and accessible person who made this a wonderful evening for everyone.
Watch out Art; "Incoming!"	John and Doug try out the Liberty for "fit"	Telling "war stories" at the head table!

"Blue Shirt" Marketing Madness: The 04/11 Shows

Tom Farlow and Frank at the Mall	Mark Sanford with prospective members	Betsy and David at the History Center	Eric Esty and Peter at the Mall (photo: MJS)

	People in Planes! We love visitors! Here we have a happy group from the Learning Web in Ithaca and a local photographer. You owe it to yourself to give flying a try...go all the way and buy a Discovery Flight! On Saturday, May 9th, our club will host EAA Young Eagles: free flights for all people 8-17 years old.
Sue, Ani, Roman and Xavier from the Learning Web	Call: (607) 257-1313	Ithaca Journal photographer Erica Thum in the C-152

Flying to Antigua and The Return Trip

Jack Henion, a longtime pilot and East Hill member and I flew his Cessna 210 to Antigua. After many days and several thousand miles of over-water travels in his trusty Cessna, we are very glad to be back in the US. We finally cleared customs back home at 15:32 local Tuesday (KPBI; Florida). A wonderful, exciting, challenging trip with lots of new aviation experiences involving filing and flying in all kinds of airspace. Much of the challenge was crossing international borders and the unique airborne reporting (as well as paperwork on the ground). I have added "lessons learned" in the comment boxes in yellow. We will hopefully present this as an evening show sometime this summer.

This C-210 is an amazing plane with 7-8 hours endurance at 89 gallons usable (lean-of-peak operation). I was almost giddy on return to buy a room in the Holiday Inn where the electricity and water work reliably and there are no lizards crawling up the walls! This was a vacation to be remembered and a great aviation education. (Jack was my original mentor at the club in 1986). You can see more of the trip here. This first web page only covers the outbound trip to Antigua, the second shows the circuitous trip back with a side trip to San Salvador in the Bahamas. Each picture now has a hyperlink for a larger image (and they mostly match) Thanks to all club members for tolerating my time away from the my usual day job flying!--David St. G.

Jeff Maggard, former CFI with us, stopped by today with his beautiful new daughter Ayla. She is just over four months old and is already beginning to babble a bit (she will be a good flight instructor). Jeff is a dedicated daddy and though his plane is in Boston on a trip, he rented a car and drove home so he could spend the day with her.

Mike Newman's Talk on Flying a Navajo to Africa (3/20)!

We had our first BBQ and a wonderful talk from Mike Newman at the club Friday. Members filled the room and learned how primitive navigation and communication were in the mid-1970s. Mike described the preparation and techniques necessary for a safe transit from Ithaca to Casablanca in a rather shabby Piper Navajo. Mike Newman and Jerry Friedman flew this trip in November 1976. The fishing reel on the table was used to deploy the trailing HF antenna used to communicate over the large stretches of water. The Loran A, used to navigate, required tuning several stations and plotting coordinates. Due to the season and the northern latitude there was only two hours of daylight in Greenland and Iceland.
Here mike shows the fjord at Narsarsuaq, Greenland that leads to the runway after 700 miles flying from Goose Bay, Labrador. In the foreground is the famous "sunken ship" that is mentioned in novels by Ernie Gann. The cliffs on the right are about 3,000 ft high. At the end of this fjord is a 6,000 foot runway (and not much else) that is the critical stop on the way to Europe. Fortunately, they were blessed with beautiful weather along this route. The second leg ended in Reykjavik, Iceland; 1346 miles of stressful flying in one day.
After the talk there were many questions and reminiscences between Mike (r) and Jerry Friedman. Bruce Thompson is asking about the Loran system Mike and Jerry used to navigate this route. On the left is a rejoining member Mike Brown, who learned to fly at East Hill and is a local patent attorney. Mike Newman has promised to recount his adventures flying the Navajo he ferried in the Sahara. Mike had reluctantly agreed to provide support for this ferried airplane in Africa and spent two months flying "to every flea-bag airport" throughout this region. Thanks Mike!

Welcome new member Gary Schultz

Please welcome our newest East Hill Flying Club member Gary Schultz. Here is a guy that really has a passion for flying and decided to act now so he could have time to enjoy this recreation. Despite a full-time job and young children at home Gary knew the time was right to get started. Gary is flying the Light Sport here during his "Discovery Flight" and is still undecided if a sport or private pilot certificate is his first objective. Gary has previously flown flights for business with long-time member Jack Henion in his C-210 and Skylane. Once again, friends flying is often the first and best introduction to our club....get your buddies up in the air soon!

FAA Pilot Examiner Training in Albany

This is the first consolidated pilot examiner training the FAA has tried in this area. We had 32 pilot examiners from as far away as Alaska (that would be Vern) and Texas. Some of these people had 30K hours and had been examining pilots since the 1970s (that would be with the older "pilot test guides"). There was on-line training preceeding this event then 8 hours of presentations. They cover everything from the excruciating details of regulations and federal orders to the psychology of constructive criticism. There is a final hour-long test at the end to see if you re-qualify. Back at their home base every pilot examiner also must then fly with their Principle Operations Inspector on an annual basis for re-issuance of their examiner designation.

We can teach you to fly at East Hill!     This is fun and useful for business or as a career choice.    Call us today (607)257-1313; Lets Go Flying!
Try a Discovery Flight today	The new CT-LSA is just huge fun and practical for trips!	Piloting is an excellent career choice!
Martha Lunken will be speaking at our Annual Banquet April 18th   Please See: Members Homepage

Mike Thomas is now teaching in the Flight Design Light Sport plane. Here Mike is flying with Tom Freeman, our transitioning powered parachute pilot from PA. This incredible machine has two full glass displays and a Garmin 496 with Nexrad weather. It is also equipped with a two axis autopilot, a full ballistic parachute and cruises as fast as a Skyhawk.

For those who are interested in flying this plane, get busy since we have to get it flying or it goes away! We do not own this aircraft, it is on a lease and the owner would love to have it fly more! More information available <here> and full pdf manual <here>

We can teach you to fly at East Hill!     This can be for fun, for business or as a career choice.    Call us today (607)257-1313; Lets Go Flying!
Bring your friends on your DIscovery Flight!	Jessica flies a Cessna for the first time!	New aviators after their first flight experience!
Martha Lunken will be speaking at our Annual Banquet April 18th   Please See: Members Homepage

 

March 28th: Piper Museum "Fly-Out" with FAA Safety Seminar and Lunch!

8 a.m. departure for FAA Seminar, Register for seminar here. 10 a.m. for lunch and museum tour
(Please sign-up at the club either way for a plane of a seat) Lunch is available nearby (we do have a ride)

Join us for a full day of excitement on March 28th. This trip evolved from a fly-out with Piper Museum visit to include the FAA Seminar on bird strikes that is being offered at the airport this day (10 a.m.) Please register for the FAA Seminar if you are coming and want to attend this show (limited seating).

We plan to leave East Hill at 8am to allow arrival in time for the seminar, then enjoy some lunch before the tour of the museum. There are planes reserved but we do need to know who is coming so we can allocate and arrange the seats. We may split the departure times if some pilots want to fly down later and not attend the seminar.

This trip is open to everyone and students and junior members are highly encouraged to participate. A mid-afternoon return is probable. It would be wonderful to have a few Piper aircraft involved! I am not sure they allow Aeronca products there on the ramp but the Citabria and CT Light Sport are also reserved for this trip!

 

 

 

Club members flew five planes to Penn Yan Airport for a tour of the engine-rebuilding facility and lunch with the staff!
February 16th: Fly-out visit to Penn Yan Aero!
Our fleet of five planes on Seneca Flight Ramp	The new line-boring shop	Inspecting engine cases
The usual "pilots freezing on the ramp" photo!	Mike Shay "dumpster diving!"	Old becomes new at Penn Yan Aero!

East Hill Flying Club proudly flies behind Penn Yan Aero Engines! Five planes (C-210-C-150) and 12 members visited Penn Yan and had a wonderful tour of the engine rebuilding facility. Penn Yan Aero is respected world-wide for the quality of their engines and we were able to see why this is true. These people are craftsmen and rightfully proud of their product. We probably spent two hours looking around and then had lunch with the owner, Bill Middlebrook and two managers.

 

 

Friday, March 20th, BBQ at 5:30...(Spring Arrives!) Burgers and Beverages
7 PM: Mike Newman tells all: Epic Navajo Flight from Ithaca to Casablanca in 1976

Great Piloting Adventure! Mike and Jerry During this Flight!

Most people that have been around the Ithaca Airport for any time have heard snippets of the epic flight of Navajo 96Y from Ithaca to North Africa in the 1976 flown by Mike Newman and Jerry Friedman. This story has shades of Ernie Gann with the primitive HF antenna that was reeled out from the fuselage to transmit over the North Atlantic and the mysterious "Loran A" that required logs of coordinates to calculate position. Mike has a tray of slides and claims he will finally reveal the whole truth for us!

This is also the first day of spring and if the weather cooperates we will have our first BBQ in the hangar preceding the show. Food will start at 5:30 and the talk will begin at 7p.m. Flying over Greenland!

02/26/09; Tracking Maintenance Issues on N97266: The Repair of a Small Fuel Leak Leads to Discovery of a Spar Crack!
The original problem was a simple fuel leak that was welded nicely here.	Upon reassembly a crack was discovered in the rear wing spar that necessitated removal of the wing for a new spar.	N97266 waiting for the repaired wing. The wing is complete and the plane should be back in service next week.