[Co-opa]October Newsletter

[Gary E. Miller]

                         OREGON PILOTS ASSOCIATION
                           CENTRAL OREGON CHAPTER

                         President: Nancy Lecklider
                            3054 NW Clubhouse Dr
                               Bend OR 97701
                                541 330-1853

                              MEETING NOTICE 

                             **** POTLUCK ****

Date:    October 18, 2001, Thursday

Time:    6:00 PM gather to socialize; WEAR YOUR NAME TAG
              A good time to meet other Central Oregon pilots.

         6:30 PM start through the potluck line 

         7:00 PM meeting

Place:   Flight Services Building, Bend Airport

Speaker: Dwight Coker, Air Traffic Manger, Redmond tower. Good time to
         learn about tower operations, and how September 11th has 
         impacted airspace and airport security. 

Hangar Flying // by Joel Premselaar

   Last month, during a post flight inspection, I found that I took a bad
   hit on my prop. The nick was quite deep and I didn't want to fly with
   a stress riser like that on the prop and on me. Filing out nicks is
   strictly a mechanic's job, but Sisters International Hub had no AIs
   available. So, just to get to "The Flight Shop", I filed it down to
   remove all evidence of the nick and included what I thought was a
   reasonable radius. I flew my machine to Bend at minimum power and low
   RPM so that Jack's gang could do the fix both legally and right.

   Props are usually given short shrift on preflight inspections. I can't
   think of anything that is subject to more stress from start to
   shutdown than a prop. Torque bends it along its plane of rotation,
   centrifugal force wants to tear it from its hub, thrust bends it
   forward, and the moment (read force) between its aerodynamic center of
   pressure and its axis tends to twist the blade. All of the
   aforementioned cold works the metal to its fatigue point (what happens
   when you bend a copper wire back and forth many times?). Foreign
   object damage can produce devastating stress risers that can
   ultimately break off a section of the blade. When I shot off chunks of
   my Corsair's prop, I thought I'd shaken the fillings from my teeth as
   well as the engine from the aircraft. In fact, a Brazil feeder
   aircraft did just that, shucked the engine when a section of blade
   broke off. What does one do when something drastic happens to the
   prop? Answer - reduce power, RPM, vocalize "Our Father who art in
   heaven?.," assume best glide speed, and aim the pointy end of the
   aircraft toward the smoothest terrain you can see.

   Is your prop due for an overhaul? Is the "track" of the blades within
   specifications as defined by the manufacturer? Does your pitch control
   move easily? Have you ever had the prop balanced? Have you checked for
   cracks on the spinner? While on the subject of spinners, does your
   spinner have holes drilled in the juncture of the spinner and its
   flange to let water drain? Are the holes free of dirt? Winter is
   coming and if, for some reason your plane is exposed to the elements
   and there is a freeze after a rain, you just might find a block of ice
   in the bottom of the spinner, this is not conducive to smooth
   performance or your longevity. I place my blade in a position where
   the hole accommodating the blade is down to allow water to pass
   through. This also provides a perch for only one bird. How accurate is
   your tachometer? Do you push or pull your aircraft with that handy
   handle called a propeller? That's a bit NO NO! Oh, I know you've seen
   mechanics do it, but it's still a NO NO. Paint applied to the back of
   the blades must be uniform; it's surprising how little will affect its
   balance.

   Good information on props may be found on the net. Try
   www.hartzellprop.com. Find your way to "Highlights", click on the prop
   hub photo then click on "Preflight Considerations".

Past and Up-coming Activities // by Dean Cameron 

   Last month's meeting was really great. Roy Panter with the Oregon
   State Police was our guest speaker. Roy flies almost every day of the
   week and has built up more hours than many of us combined. He shared
   many of his experiences, gave us tips on flying, and provided insight
   into his work. It was a pleasure to have Roy there and we look forward
   to seeing him in the skies and hearing from him again.

   Our fly-out for September was to Prospect, Oregon. The weather was
   absolutely beautiful! After landing we walked into town and checked
   out the Prospect Hotel, the restaurant and lounge, and the arboretum.
   We learned how to identify many of Oregon's trees and shrubs.
   Fortunately we had Dale Evans and Bob Lecklider with us. Both men have
   spent a lot of time in the woods during their lives, know most of the
   species, and made great guides for the walk. Don Wilfong went into the
   lounge at the restaurant and reports that it has some great wildlife
   mounts (cougars, deer, etc) which are well worth seeing. After working
   up an appetite during the walk we had a great picnic at the airport.
   They have a nice table under the trees and we barbecued hand made
   hamburgers, Polish sausage and chicken. I sure ate more than I needed.
   It was a very relaxing time and I enjoyed the companionship of the
   group. Thanks to everyone who made the trip! It was great!

   OCTOBER MEETING - OCTOBER 18th: Thursday night. This month we will
   have Dwight Coker, the air traffic manager, at the Redmond tower as
   our guest. Dwight is going to provide insight into the operation of
   the tower, ideas on how we as pilots can work with the tower
   controllers, report on how current events may be changing airspace and
   security, and answer any questions you may have. I've always gotten
   along really well with the guys at Redmond and look forward to meeting
   Dwight in person. Come and spend an evening with your fellow pilots
   and learn something new in the process. Social starts at 6:00, Potluck
   at 6:30 and meeting at 7:00.

   FLY-OUT - OCTOBER 21st - It is just about time for another fly out
   .....On Sunday Oct. 21, the Sweet Home Elks Club is putting on a
   breakfast.....ham, eggs, hot cakes, biscuits, gravy, juice & coffee
   ......Just $3.00 a person and they will provide transportation to and 
   from the airport.....I think we should plan to meet at the Flight 
   Shop at 8:30 A. M. as they quit serving at 11:00. If weather is a 
   problem we can pick a spot on this side of the mountains.....
   Chiloquin is always good and the walk to food is just cross the 
   highway from parking.

Internet

   Membership roster is online at:
   http://co-opa.rellim.com/members/members.html

   Web site is: http://co-opa.rellim.com

   Aviation weather address: http://adds.awc-kc.noaa.gov/

   For more information about up-coming events, please call Dean Cameron
   or Don Wilfong

Member Notes

   NEWSLETTER IDEAS? Do you have any ideas for the newsletter? Upcoming
   events you want published. Trips you would like to plan with other
   pilots? Something useful you would like to sell? We would like your
   input on the newsletter. Please feel free to write a short article
   about an adventure or experience you would like to share. Also we'll
   set up some space for a classified section if you have some aviation
   item you would like to sell.