LONG BEACH FLYING CLUB & FLIGHT ACADEMY

OCTOBER 2005 NEWSLETTER

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

 

visit us at www.lbflying.com

email club@Lbflying.com

 

Teaching the world to fly!

With all the aircraft you need from the first hour to an airline job and everything in between!

GOD BLESS AMERICA * WE FLY WITH CARE .... Now, more than ever *

 

Editor Candace A. Robinson

 

EDITORIAL

 

WHAT’S UP? MUST-SEE TV!  You just can’t miss this one — at the quarterly Long Beach Airport Association meeting we will have a guest speaker on “The Soft Field Landing” when the Chief Pilot of JetBlue, Charlie Andrews debriefs us on last month's fantastic JetBlue landing at LAX!  We held our breath and cheered in unison!  The event will be held at AirFlite with the buffet beginning at 6:30 PM and the program at 7:00 PM.  The Airport Bureau will conduct the Users Forum until 7:30, with topics: Upcoming Airfield Construction, Runway Safety with the Flashing Papi Video, and General Aviation Security.  Charlie will be on at 7:30.  Afterward, a raffle will be held with the grand prize a 13” TV/DVD combo plus the two newly released John Wayne DVDs, "High and Mighty" and "Island in the Sky."  Everybody is welcome to attend ‑‑ we hope to see you there!

 

Flight Training Financing Option Now Available

Check out www.pilotfinancing.com or pick up a Pilot Financing application at the club.  Interest rates vary from 9%.

 

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD will again this year collect shoeboxes filled with small toys and other items such as flashlights, school supplies, toiletries, clothing, books and hard candy.  Since 1993 Christmas shoeboxes have been distributed to children in more than 60 war-torn and struggling countries.  A collection box will be set up at Long Beach Flying Club for your donations of new items for children 2 to 14 years old.  The club will then arrange, wrap and deliver the shoeboxes boxes to an Operation Christmas Child center.  Help us share our holiday spirit -- please get your contribution to the club by December 12th!

 

 

HELEN'S CORNER

 

Security.  Please lock your airplane at the end of each flight.  We will be fixing the locks of several airplanes.  I’ve gone to airplanes with working locks and found neither the passenger nor pilot door locked.  Locking airplanes is a big theft deterrent.  You – the pilot – are the first line of defense against theft.

 

CFI Hours Log is changed to reflect that if you do not attend the mandatory CFI meetings and you do not notify the Chief Instructor that you shall be unable to attend, you will not receive the dues discount.  You are expected to adjust your flying to enable you to attend the meetings.  CFI meetings are your lifeline to current information and changes that are happening.

 

To prime or not to prime?

Written by:

George Mahurin, 562-420-1755

Email: George.Mahurin@faa.gov, Safety Program Manager/Airworthiness, A&P Mechanic

 

All piston aircraft have a means to prime the engine whether it is by a manual pump, electric pump or boost pump there is a means to prime the engine before starting it. Many pilots may or may not choose to use the primer pump(s) and although that may be an accepted way of starting engines, and even one frequently taught, it is a dangerous method.

 

Look at both methods.

Priming with the aircraft system, pumps an amount of fuel from the hand primer pump to the individual cylinders, utilizing a solid line from the pump to the firewall, then a flexible line from the firewall to the solid engine primer manifold. The manifold then splits the flow and sends it to the individual cylinders. The nice part about this and other priming systems is that the fuel is contained and directed in a safe and efficient manner. The hand pump has a locking mechanism that when set, keeps the fuel from flowing if the line to the engine is compromised. Contained in the pump there is a spring loaded check valve that forms an absolute shut off when engaged. On low wing aircraft the pump is slightly above the fuel level and on a high wing aircraft, the fuel is well above the pump. In the low wing aircraft the pump may need to be pumped a number of times before backpressure indicates fuel is being supplied. Once backpressure is felt one or two strokes should suffice and the engine should start easily. Same number of solid strokes should be used in a high wing aircraft, the difference being fuel availability to the primer pump. Then by going through the normal starting procedures the engine should start with minimal cranking saving battery power, starter motors and pilot frustration.

 

Now lets look at the "alternate method" of starting the engine.

Pump the throttle a number of times, turn the key and grind away until the engine catches. Seems simple but look at what is happening. The accelerator pump in the carburetor shots a stream of fuel up into the carburetor throat, if pumped more than once (and it usually is) there is raw fuel running back down the throat and into the air box. Without the engine running there is no air movement to draw the fuel into the engine. The fuel running back down the throat and into the air box collects and produces vapors. These vapors then begin to fill the cowl and if the box is not watertight (most aren't) the raw fuel then begins to drip into the cowl. The net result is the formation of an explosive, flammable mixture that could ultimately cause the loss of the aircraft.

 

Why you might ask.

Well when the starter is engaged there are sparks produced as the battery power is applied through the brushes to the commutator of the rotor. So here you have fuel vapors and spark. And if the sparks did not do it, the next possibility is that of a backfire through the carburetor. Once again you have a possible fire and if so, the box if it took the explosion, is now gloriously ablaze. The aluminum it is made of does not take heat well and begins to melt. The fuel now being sucked into the cranking engine is partially burnt, and all of this is taking air away from the engine.

 

The net result of starting this way (if it starts) is major damage to the carburetor throat and venturi, damage to the air box and its components and if the fire is bad enough the cowl is burnt and weakened.

 

There is more! The amount of time a starter can be energized without becoming overheated and damaged is called the "duty cycle". This amount of time is spelled out by the manufacturer and varies from starter to starter. When the engine is hard to start, pilots have a tendency to keep grinding until it does. After a few sessions of hard starting, the starter becomes weak and often times the engine can kick back because of this. In the long run the consistent grinding even causes the solder on the motor windings to be thrown off and eventually results in failure.

 

Any of these "non normal" instances has a direct influence on what it costs you to enjoy flying. Example: Wallet -maintenance costs = less cash to fly on. Regardless of who owns the aircraft, it must be maintained. If you own it, you pay directly, if you rent, the cost of operating the aircraft is reflected in the rates you pay. If you keep the cost of maintenance down the price of your hobby/career is reduced. Safety and your wallet dictate you take the time to prime the engine in the proper manner.

 

 

accomplishments

 

IKUO MAKINO

SOLO

C172

CFI HEISHU KIM

TAKAOKA MASARU

SOLO

C152

CFI HEISHU KIM

LEO JAUDALSO

SOLO

C152

CFI HEISHU KIM

MAXIM SENIN

SOLO

C152

CFI JAESEONG OH

RENE GARCIA

PRIVATE

WARRIOR

CFI RICHARD GARNETT

CARLOS FLORES

PRIVATE

C152

CFI EMI KENNEDY

RIN HONDA

PRIVATE/MULTI

SEMINOLE

CFI HEISHU KIM

FRANK REINMILLER

PRIVATE

C172

CFI JACK BASHFORD

JAE CHUNG

COMMERCIAL

ARROW

CFI HEISHU KIM

GARY REEVES

COMMERCIAL

ARROW

CFI HARRY LEICHER

URI LEVY

APT

C172

CFI HELEN CRANZ

HARRY LEICHER

APT

ARROW

CFI HELEN CRANZ

 

CongratS to RICHARD GARNETT, top Club CFI for September, logging the most hours of dual given in club aircraft!  Runner-ups were HEISHU KIM and JAESEONG OH!

 

TOP GUN AWARD goes to RENE GARCIA, logging the most flight hours in club aircraft in September. Runner-ups were MICHAEL COLLINGWOOD and IKUO MAKINO!

 

Our charter department has had several recent accomplishments with MIKE FORD, LEIF ROWE and JOEY ROEHRICH all accomplishing their IFR Single-engine Captain Part 135 recurrency checkrides!

Congrats to Jeff Rock on his recent FAA checkride to renew his Gold Seal CFI in a Lear 55!

 

 

True or False?

 

Pilots are encouraged to keep their landing lights off during takeoff and landing to the maximum extent possible to avoid blinding other aircraft that are taxiing or holding short.

 

If you answered “false” you are correct.  Pilots are encouraged to keep their landing lights on, not off, during takeoff and landing to the maximum extent possible to help other aircraft see and avoid them. Aircraft that are taxiing or holding short should keep their lights off to avoid blinding aircraft that are landing or taking off, not the other way around. Pilots are also encouraged to turn on their landing lights when operating below 10,000 ft., day or night, and especially when operating within 10 NM of any airport.

 

i.                Not all aircraft have landing lights, so they should not overly rely on this procedure to help them see other aircraft.

a.    Landing lights are not required equipment unless the aircraft is operated for hire at night.

ii.            Aircraft manufacturers’ recommendations for operation of landing lights and electrical systems should also be observed even if they conflict with the FAA’s voluntary pilot safety program, Operation Lights On.

 

And please follow club procedures and during daylight operations, turn off the landing and taxi lights after clearing the runway; the filaments of the bulbs aren't adequately cooled on the ground and will break..

 

BE PREPARED FOR MORE FLYING AFTER DARK

For most of the country, time switches back to standard time late this month, meaning earlier nightfall, more night flying, and greater need for caution.   Over well-lit terrain, VFR night flight is often a magical experience. But when ground lights are sparse, night VFR can easily become a challenge. This is certainly not to discourage appropriate night flight, which can be both beautiful and useful, but be sure you are proficient, more than legally current, so you can enjoy night VFR.  Additionally, “terrain avoidance in night VFR conditions can be almost as challenging as flying in instrument meteorological conditions," says AOPA Air Safety Foundation. There is a wealth of information on both VFR and IFR FAA charts that can help VFR pilots maintain a safe altitude over ground that darkness obscures, available through NOAA and AOPA.  The Air Safety Foundation a checklist for night VFR operations, see www.aopa.org/asf/hotspot/night_vfr.html.  We have handouts of the checklist available at the club.

 

 

NEW & REJOINED CLUB PILOTS

BIRTHDAYS

FERNANDO ROMO

TOMONORI YOSHIZAWA

CHRISTOPHER DAVIS

JOHN VOSS

TIM DEROSE

CARLOS MARTIN

GREGORY PETERSON

COLE STANDISH

DARWIN BICKNELL

JAN STEPHENSON

JASON MUSCAT

BRIAN CAYTON

KEMAL SAHINGILMAZ

HECTOR PADILLA

MICHAEL GADBERRY

THOMAS DAVIDSON

TIM ALSKY

CHRIS PINGEL

GREG BELOIT

MOHI CHAND

STEPHEN QUINN

CHRISTOPHER WATKINS

Christopher JAMES

DAVE ALTCHULER

PAUL BARNUM

PHIL BARTON

ANDREW BRESCINI

FREDERICK CALLISON

MARK CHOUINARD

ERIC DALTON

ABEL GONZALEZ

MIREILLE GOYER

PAUL HARFORD

BRET LYNES

DARREN MOON

DONALD PARDEW

DAVID PERRY

ROB PIKE

CHRIS PINGEL

DEOVANIS RUIDIAZ

KEMAL SAHINYILMAZ

JASON SCRIMPSHER

KELLY SIMS

DAVID STARCKS

ANDREW THOMPSON

JON WELTE

 

 

NOTAM:  Club pilots wishing to write safety articles for our monthly newsletters would be greatly appreciated!  Many thanks to Helen Cranz for the help with this newsletter!

 

SAFETY REMINDER:   CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD PRIOR TO EACH AND EVERY FLIGHT. Use a vertical motion with Pledge or other non-abrasive cleaner.  Circular cleaning motions tend to craze the plexiglass.  Damage was done last month to N48340 when someone scrubbed the windshield.  A little TLC goes a long way.

 

EMAIL:  If you would like to receive this newsletter or the LBAA newsletter via e-mail, send your address to club@lbflying.com.

 

NOTAM:  LONG BEACH AIRPORT ASSOCIATION NEEDS YOU!  LBAA applications are available at the club.  We need your support -- all LBAA membership fees go to printing costs of the quarterly newsletter and protecting General Aviation rights at Long Beach Airport.  Long Beach Airport Association dues donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE so sign up today!!!

 

Calendar

October 15: "CFI Safety Forum" Topic: A Program of Safety and Training Topics for and by CFIs at 10:00 AM at AirFlite , third floor. To view further details and to register for this event: www.faasafety.gov/SPANS/.

 

October 26: The Long Beach Flying Club and the Long Beach Airport Association General Membership Meeting will be held at the AirFlite facility on Taxiway Bravo at the end of Wardlow Road.  "Soft Field Landing" -- Charlie Andrews, Chief Pilot of JetBlue, will debrief us on last month's fantastic JetBlue landing!  A buffet will be served beginning at 6:30 PM with the program beginning at 7:00 PM.  Everybody is welcome to attend ‑‑ we hope to see you there ‑‑ sandwiches, fruit and dessert will be served!  This meeting will count toward CFI credit for October.

 

November 11-13: Fla-Bob Air Extravaganza, Veteran’s Day weekend.  Antique airplane displays, food vendors.  Fly or drive-in, come see the “new” airport!

 

November 30th & December 28th: Long Beach Flying Club CFI meeting from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm

 

 

ORDER TODAY!  Long Beach Flying Club Long Sleeve Polo Shirts in Navy, Black or Gray.  Sizes small, medium, large, x-large $24.95.  XX-large $26.95.  We’ll need your choice of color and size when you call us at 562.290.0321 with your credit card number.  Download from www.LBFlying.com or Email shirts@Lbflying.com an order form of our complete line of pilot shirts.  Shipping and handling $4.95 per order, CA residents add 8.25% sales tax.

 

 

Give the gift of flight! A Long Beach Flying Club gift certificate for any denomination you wish, be it for the first flight, pilot supplies, or aircraft rental, makes a great gift for any occasion!

 

There are three ways to obtain the gift of flight:

 

1.        Stop by and pick up a gift certificate during our office hours (8:30 am to 4:30 pm daily).  You can purchase accessories to go with the gift certificate such as a visor, aviation mug or LBFC logo shirt.

2.        We can send you a preprinted gift certificate for any denomination you wish -- just give us a call!  We'll charge your credit card and get the gift certificate in the next out-going mail.

3.        We can email you a gift certificate.  Send us or call us with a credit card number to activate it for any denomination you wish.  You will be given a Gift Certificate number to fill in at the bottom of your printout.

 

It's just that easy to give a unique and treasured gift.  Keep it in mind for upcoming birthdays or anniversaries!