August 10, 2005 Vol 7 Issue 8
September Fly-in
Plans in the Works
Planning and preparation is already underway for the September 4th Fly-in. The theme for this event is “A Salute to All Veterans on the 60th Anniversary of the End of World War II.” As usual, chapter members are asked to attend the next regular meeting to get all the details. This event is expected to be more elaborate than the spring fly-in, so member participation will be crucial to the success of the fun and activities. Bargain Hunter has contacted Terry Henry with a proposal to write a large article about our activities and plans. Terry reports that member projects will be the focus with emphasis on Mark Dusenberry’s Wright Flyer and Vince Welch’s RV-8. As usual, Frank Price will have the pancake part of the fly-in well in hand, but we need the manpower there to get the job done in fine style. A work session is planned for the morning of the 3rd of September at the main hangar at PHD.
The 1905 Wright Flyer Takes Center Stage
Mark Dusenberry and his soon-to-be-famous Wright Flyer have been making more news lately. Some are aware that the Flyer has been a central prop in a major film production. Filming took place at Huffman Prairie, site of the testing of the original Flyer by Orrville and Wilbur. Mark spent two weeks in front of the camera and was able to get in several flights at the historical site. The film is expected to premier sometime next year. While getting things ready, Mark asked the FAA to give the Flyer experimental aircraft status. After performing an administrative dance as only the government can choreograph, a special certificate was issued and gives Mark the freedom to legally fly the craft at Huffman Prairie and on his own farm. Mark received the certification from the FAA inspector flown in specially to perform the inspection. It is noteworthy that the inspector could only find one bolt that would need to be replaced. It can only be assumed that we will continue to hear more from Mark and his project in the near future. See Adobe version for photo.
A Bridge Too Far!
The Glasair Gang consisting of Ken Prater, Frank Price, Ken Stocker, and Glenn Davis have completed the mission of bringing the Glasair Super 2+ project to Ohio. Needless to say, South Carolina is quite steamy in the summer, and this trip proved to be no exception. The trip down was without incident, and the group was able to navigate directly to the Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, address of Henry Ravenel, the donor. Arriving in the evening, it was soon apparent that there would not be enough time to make it to the airport to load the remainder of the parts for the project. What was not calculated in this equation was the lack of hotel space which proved to be the most difficult part of the trip. It was late in the evening before accommodations were found, and the group bedded down for the night. Early the next morning was just as humid as the night before. It soon felt as though a fully-clothed shower had been taken. Once loaded and on the way, the trailer caused an unusual amount of rubber-necking from our traveling comrades up Interstate 77 to Stone Creek. In all the trip lasted some 1360 miles. With the high cost of fuel, the club treasury was depleted by $675.55. The Glasair is now temporarily stored at John Haines’ until a permanent facility is located. If you know of a building large enough to get this project started, bring it up at the next meeting. See Adobe version for photos.
Another Oshkosh Is In the Books
The annual convention of the Experimental Aircraft Association is now history. A few of the many sights to be had were as follows:
1. White Knight and Spaceship One made an appearance with Spaceship One eventually making its way to the new Udvar-Hazy Museum located at Dulles. It must really be true that bumblebees are not aerodynamically capable of flight but do it anyway. Proof of this can be found in the Rutan design for this unusual pair.
2. Global Flyer flew as part of the Friday afternoon airshow. It is difficult to imagine how much those wings flap up and down until you see it in flight. The word impressive comes to mind.
3. The Heritage Flight consisting of Glacier Girl (the P-38 Lightning pulled from under the Greenland icecap and restored), P-51 “Old Crow“, one of the last flying F-4 Phantoms of Vietnam War fame, and an F-16 flew only during the Wednesday afternoon airshow. It would have been great to see that combination more than just one time.
4. Vendors and new products were as common as the sunburn on the shoulders of most of the attendees. Bargains could be found, but it was more difficult to locate them than in previous years.
5. Beautiful airplanes were everywhere!
See Adobe version for many great photos.
Annual Family Picnic is Scheduled for August
Preparations are underway for the much anticipated get-together at Paul Giannobiles‘ airstrip set for August 14th. In case of rain, a rain date has been set for August 21st. Festivities are to begin at 1:00 PM. Members are requested to bring a covered dish and any family members who would like to attend. A hearty appetite is not required, but would certainly be a welcomed guest at the gala.
Pilot Shack the Place to Be
Saturday mornings seem to be the time to catch many of the members of Chapter 1077 at the airport. Local pilots have been meeting on an informal basis in the Pilot Shack located at the end of the T-hangars on the East High Ave side of the Airport at around 10:00 AM. Lots of late breaking news items seem to come out of these ad-hoc meetings. Come join us if you have the time.
Glenn Davis - Newsletter Editor