Archive for April, 2020
Thursday, April 23rd, 2020
Laytonsville Cruise In virtual car show Friday June 19 2020.
The categories are below. Here is how it will work. Starting Friday morning June 19 2020, post a picture of your car on the Laytonsville Cruise In Facebook page. The entries have to be on the Laytonsville Cruise In Facebook page. VERY IMPORTANT. You must select one of the categories below and include that in your post. The vehicle with the most “Likes” for their category wins the plaque for that category. Get your friends and family members to “Like” your entry. The vehicle with the most overall “Likes” will also win a gift certificate from Rock Auto.
On Saturday evening June 20 after 4 PM, Harry will tally up the “Likes”. The plaques will be mailed out or you can make arrangements with Harry to pick them up. Winners will be contacted via Facebook if we do not have your contact info.
Antique
Classic
Custom
Muscle & Hot Rod
Rat Rod
Modern American
Custom Truck
Antique Truck
Modern Import
Modified Import
Classic Import
Vintage Motorcycle
Modern Motorcycle
Custom Motorcycle
Vintage Bicycle
Modern Bicycle
Custom Bicycle
Monday, April 20th, 2020
Here is a history of the E6B using Harry’s collection of historic flight computers.
Invented by Naval Lt. Philip Dalton in the late 1930s.
The name comes from the original part number for the US Army Air Corps.
Dalton teamed up with Philip Van Horn Weems to develop and market a series of flight computers.
The first popular model was the Model B. Here are a few Model B computers from Harry’s collection.
Mid 1930s he had the Mark VII.
The Model C, D, and G computers were used during WWII.
Kane Mark VI Dead Reckoning Computer from 1957.
Dalton E-6B Mark 1
Here is a Weems Dalton Dead Reckoning Computer.
Warner Model B-1.
E6B9
Felsenthal Dalton E6B Mark I.
A friend’s American Airlines issue Type C1.
Felsenthal AN-5835-1 (1944).
Here is another military issue altitude correction computer AN-5837-1.
A.C. Type G-1.
Air Force Type MB-2A.
U.S. Army Air Forces Type D-4.
ASA E6B.
APR E6B.
Does anyone know why they have the little eye or loop on one side? It is so that it can be secured to a lanyard around your neck. Early aircraft did not have a floor as we know it today and if you dropped your E6B, you would have a hard time getting it since it would fall between the spars and/or ribs of the aircraft. You would have to reach down and try to find it.
The flight computer was very popular during WWII. Along with the US, the British, Germans, and Japanese had their own version.
Here are some pictures of the German Dreieckrechner Flight Computer, invented by Siegfried Knemeyer.
Here is a rare Sanderson SC-6 Flight Computer. Here is a little history on the Sanderson name in aviation. The well know Jeppesen was once Jeppesen Sanderson. That company actually started as Jeppesen. It was founded in 1934, by Elrey Borge Jeppesen, a pilot working for an airline. He is credited with making the first aeronautical charts. At first he gathered information for his own use. Soon other pilots started giving him information to use on his charts. It wasn’t long before Jeppesen was too busy making charts, that he had to quit his job as an airline captain. In 1974 his company merged with Sanderson Films to form Jeppesen Sanderson. Sanderson Films was founded by Paul Sanderson in 1956. Here is another Sanderson SC-4 Flight Computer from Harry’s collection.
For a while, many fuel suppliers had their own flight computer that they would give out at FBOs. Here is a rare Esso Aviation Products computer in Harry’s collection.
Here are a few that were developed to assist in traffic pattern entry.
Here are a few that were used to determine aircraft performance. Note the name on them is the Federal Aviation Agency.
Some were developed to assist in ADF navigation such as these from Harry’s collection.
Many aircraft manufacturers made their own series of slide rule/flight computers that were aircraft specific.
Here are a few from Cessna Aircraft.
Here are a few from Piper Aircraft.
Other industries.
Slide rules are very popular in scuba diving.
Retail Sales. Here is one that is used for price mark up.
Thursday, April 16th, 2020
Defining Risk
Risk is the future impact of a hazard that is not controlled or
eliminated. It can be viewed as future uncertainty created by
the hazard. If it involves skill sets, the same situation may
yield different risk.
1. If the nick is not properly evaluated, the potential for
propeller failure is unknown.
2. If the aircraft is not properly bonded and grounded,
there is a build-up of static electricity that can and
will seek the path of least resistance to ground. If the
static discharge ignites the fuel vapor, an explosion
may be imminent.
3. A fatigued pilot is not able to perform at a level
commensurate with the mission requirements.
4. The owner of a homebuilt aircraft decides to use
bolts from a local hardware store that cost less than
the recommended hardware, but look the same and
appear to be a perfect match, to attach and secure the
aircraft wings. The potential for the wings to detach
during flight is unknown.
Thursday, April 16th, 2020
Recognizing the Hazard
Recognizing hazards is critical to beginning the risk
management process. Sometimes, one should look past
the immediate condition and project the progression of the
condition. This ability to project the condition into the future
comes from experience, training, and observation.
1. A nick in the propeller blade is a hazard because it
can lead to a fatigue crack, resulting in the loss of the
propeller outboard of that point. With enough loss, the
vibration could be great enough to break the engine
mounts and allow the engine to separate from the
aircraft.
2. Improper refueling of an aircraft is a hazard because
improperly bonding and/or grounding the aircraft
creates static electricity that can spark a fire in the
refueling vapors. Improper refueling could also mean
fueling a gasoline fuel system with turbine fuel. Both
of these examples show how a simple process can
become expensive at best and deadly at worst.
3. Pilot fatigue is a hazard because the pilot may not
realize he or she is too tired to fly until serious errors
are made. Humans are very poor monitors of their own
mental condition and level of fatigue. Fatigue can be as
debilitating as drug usage, according to some studies.
4. Use of unapproved hardware on aircraft poses
problems because aviation hardware is tested prior
to its use on an aircraft for such general properties as
hardness, brittleness, malleability, ductility, elasticity,
toughness, density, fusibility, conductivity, and
contraction and expansion.
Wednesday, April 15th, 2020
Welcome to the Kraemer Aviation/Flymall.org Wheels & Wings Newsletter.
To view our current newsletter click here. You can view past newsletters here.
This month: Bruce Jenner motorcycle cop? Bicycle lost for over 30 years and was found! A 200 hour ATP pilot. First Englishman that built a petrol vehicle. Shooting down an enemy aircraft with your pistol while parachuting from your own plane! And more!!!
Next month: A Cessna Helicopter. A Lamborghini tractor. A Ural powered amphibious car.
The Kraemer Aviation Easter 2020 celebration was much smaller this year due to the Conoravirus outbreak. The team spent Easter 2020 with a fellow bicycle/motorcycle collector. Click here for pictures.
Interested in living at an airport? Visit our Aviation Real Estate page here. We have a very nice hangar for lease at the Hagerstown Regional Airport. It has 40,000 sq ft hangar space with 20,000 sq ft. of office/shop space. Click here for more details.
Want to have your business highlighted on the Flymall??? We offer inexpensive rates to have your business featured on our Wheels & Wings page. Contact us for more info.
History Trivia: Owen J. Baggett was the first and only person to have shot down an enemy plane using a pistol. In fact he did it while parachuting to the ground after his bomber was hit. For more reading click here.
If you enjoy history we have a new aviation history fact each day at the bottom of our webpages. Some days there may be more than one, just refresh the page. And if you like Beatles history, checkout our Events Calendar and select the Beatles category. This is a work in progress, we’re building the most comprehensive calendar of important dates in Beatle history.
For those that like to stick with current news, we have an aviation news ticker on our home page. This is updated daily to show the current aviation news.
Here is a different piece of history trivia for this month. It about a ghost town in Pennsylvania called Centralia. A town that was built over an abandoned coal mine. The coal mine caught fire in 1962 and has been burning ever since. All the residents were force to leave their homes and businesses, all but 7 left. In 2002 the USPS discontinued the zip code for the town.
Achievements & Special Recognition: Do you have a memorable experience in aviation? Share it with us and we’ll post it here for you. Click here for Harry’s most memorable experience in aviation. Click here for more of Harry’s published material.
Instructors, what to highlight your students first solo or other achievement here? Just send us a short write-up and a picture or two and we’ll post it here for you. Click here for our contact info.
Aviation/Aviators in the news: About a year ago Harry returned from DPE school. Here is a picture that was taken at the FAA Training Center in Oklahoma.
When Harry returned from Oklahoma, a friend had a cake made from that picture.
A sign of the times. Airliners parked, not flying! All due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
The aviation section of the Flymall is full of aviation news, training info, and much more for the aviator.
Air show season is always just around the corner. Want to travel to air shows in your own aircraft? Visit our used aircraft page on the Flymall to view our inventory.
Car/Motorcycle Show News: Most local shows have been canceled through May due to the virus. We’re trying to keep our calendar updated. In the meantime, enjoy some of Harry’s pictures from past car shows, from past motorcycle shows, and from British car & motorcycle shows.
Sad news this month in the auto racing world. Sir Stirling Moss passed away.
Did you know that Bruce Jenner was a motorcycle cop? Yes he was, on the TV series CHiPs. In 1981 Eric Estrada asked for more money. His request was denied so he walked out. His character was replace by Bruce Jenner as Steve McLeish. This lasted just a half dozen episodes and then Estrada returned.
Want to go to car shows in your own classic? We have a Jaguar for sale and a MG Midget for sale on the Flymall.
Our Events Calendar has the most current info regarding local and national car shows, air shows, and more. With nearly 30 categories, there is something for everyone. The Day Tripper section of the Flymall has dozens of day trip ideals and interesting places to visit. Check it out here.
Barn Finds/Hangar Finds: This month we have a barn find of Harry’s that was purchased by him in the 1960s and became lost until about 2010.
Here is Harry on this month’s barn find “Growing up, our family was not very wealthy. Whenever I received a new bicycle for Christmas, my father would give me a lecture about when he was young, he never had a new bike. He would go on to say that every bike he had, he had to steal. After a few years of hearing this story, I decided to do something about it. For Christmas, sometime in the mid to late 1960s, I saved up my allowance and purchased my dad his first new bike. I was about 10 years old at the time. I surprised him for Christmas with it. Needless to say, it was very emotional. He passed away when I was 23 and over the years I lost track of the bicycle. Around the year 2010 the bike made it’s way back to me. The bicycle was in poor condition, however all of the parts were there. I recently had a local bicycle shop do a mechanical restoration on it. Here she is, purchased by me in the 1960s for my dad. Now she is ready to ride again. Now, as a serious collector of vintage bicycles and motorcycles, it sits proudly in my collection.”
It is rumored that after Harry’s father passed away, the bike was given/loaned to numerous different people. It’s amazing that the bike survived intact and undamaged over the years. She still has the original paint, wheels, decals, saddle, etc.
Whenever Harry gets together with other bicycle/motorcycle collectors, they exchange stories. This Easter we heard a story about a motorcycle collector that answered an ad for a Whizzer motorbike for sale. This was sometime in the 1970s. The ad simply said “Whizzer motorbike for sale, $50”. So the guy researched the address (back before the days of the internet) and found out that is was in a not so good part of town. He decided to go anyway. When he looked at the bike, he knew it was not a Whizzer. The guy still only wanted $50 so he purchased it. It turned out to be a rare 1901 Orient Motorcycle with a V-twin engine. He held on to the bike until he was ready to retire and downsize his collection. He ended up selling the bike for $60,000 and he did nothing to it.
Need an appraisal on your barn find? Visit our Appraisal Page for information on our appraisals.
Visit our online store to search for hard to find car parts, aircraft parts, and much more. You can pay online in our secure store, just click on the Store button on our home page.
Visit the Test Drive section of the Flymall for reviews on automobiles, aircraft, motorcycles, and more. Read about it before you buy it. You can also research price info on a wide variety of vehicles, collectibles, and more in the Market Watch section of the Flymall.
If you’re restoring a fabric aircraft, Ira Walker of Walker Aviation is your resource. Visit his page on the Flymall by clicking here.
CFI / DPE Notes: Over Harry’s many years of teaching and professional flying, Harry has used his real life experiences in his lesson plans for his students. Many of these “real life experiences” have been published in dozens of different aviation publications. Click here to view/read some of Harry’s published material.
Earlier this month Harry completed his 100th checkride as a DPE. And he did it in a plane that he sold new when he was a Cessna dealer. Allison, with only 200 hours, flew to ATP standards on her instrument checkride.
And the 100th checkride was at an airport (Frederick Municipal Airport) that he would go to with his dad in the 1960s. Pictured below is Harry at the Frederick Municipal Airport in the 1960s with his dad.
Visit Harry’s Practical Test page for information on his checkrides. You will also find useful information there to help you prepare for your checkride. You can also visit Harry’s Lesson Plan section of the Flymall for other flight training information. Visit our Flight Training page for information on our aviation training classes.
Weather in the news: On April 2nd & 3rd we had some strong winds in the Mid-Atlantic region. Checkout the METAR for KIAD. Click on the image for a larger view.
April 8th and 9th we had back to back storm systems roll through the northeast. As you can see, both systems had some intense thunderstorms associated with them.
April 8th
April 9th
Spring is the time for storms and Easter did not disappoint us. Easter Sunday and in to Monday, a storm system moved across the country. In this slide presentation, notice how the storm system went from one large system and then spun off in to two separate lines. Click here for the slide show. The TAF in the presentation was identical for both KBWI and KIAD. Checkout those winds!
Three Wheel Association (TWA): Meet Edward Butler – He is credited as the first Englishman who built a petrol vehicle.
Many major car manufacturers got their start building 3 wheel vehicles. In fact, the AC car company got their start with the AC Delivery Trike. Harry has a 1912 AC Delivery Trike in his collection of 3 wheelers.
Visit the Three Wheel Association page on the Flymall for more info on the association.
Want a reproduction vintage 3 wheeler. Walker Aviation can scratch build from pictures or drawings. Visit his page on the Flymall.
Prototypes: During WWII, while under German occupation, the French were not allowed to have petrol. So the French started improvising and coming up with many designs of pedal powered vehicles. Here’s one that probably needed some refining.
Animals in the headlines: Have you heard the story of Frank Hayes the jockey? It is quite remarkable. He actually won a horse race (he was the jockey) while dead. It was at Belmont Park in 1923. Sometime during the race, he suffered a fatal heart attack and died. The horse kept running and Hayes stayed in the saddle. His death was not discovered until race officials came to congratulate him.
We close this newsletter with these words: “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.“—Christopher Reeve
Thursday, April 9th, 2020
Vehicle Make & Year: 1996 Ford Super Duty Pickup Extended Cab XLT 4X4 F250
VIN: 1FTHX26H6TEA70648
Body Style: Extended Cab Pickup
Color: Prairie Tan
Interior (color/material): Prairie Tan/Cloth &vinyl
Special Features
(Mileage: 206308) The truck has been completely rebuilt using new parts, this includes the engine accessories, 4 wheel drive system, suspension, door seals, bumpers, exhaust, both gas tanks (18 gallon), front and rear windshield/window, headliner, door handles, etc. It has a Tuff Country EZ-Ride lift kit installed.
Comments
Engine/Engine Compartment, Transmission/Powertrain: (Overall Condition Grade 2) Stock 5.8 351 engine. Al accessories have been replaced with new parts, such as water pump, alternator, radiator. The transmission has been completely rebuilt.
Chassis: (Overall Condition Grade 1) The chassis has been completely rebuilt using new parts. The truck has a 3 inch lift kit with long shocks. It has the factory alloy wheels with new LT285/75/R16 tires. The frame has been treated/coated with POR 415.
Interior: (Overall Condition Grade 1) Prairie Tan in color. New carpet, headliner, new door handles.
Exterior: (Overall Condition Grade 1) Prairie Tan in color. The exterior has been wet sanded and clear coated. The front and rear bumpers have been replaced with new. The grille is new. All new emblems/name plates. It has a new front windshield and a new rear window. All of the door seals have been replace with new door seals.
Summary/Comments
All comparables and outside references can be found in the Market Watch section of Flymall.org, just select F250 Heavy Duty Supercab under Model and click on search. The appraised vehicle has an overall Condition Code of #1. There were 2 comparables online at the time of the appraisal. One was listed for $19,995.00 and the other was listed for $16,490.00 USD. Neither of these listings had the amount of restoration that Mr. Lethbridge’s truck has had. Mr. Lethbridge has invested over $20,000.00 just in the restoration of his truck.
Click here for all research and comparables. Click here for more pictures.
(Condition code: #1 Excellent, #2 Fine, #3 Very Good, #4 Good/Fair, #5 Poor/Restorable, #6 Parts Car)
After careful evaluation of this vehicle, based on my expertise and experience (and after consulting Old Cars Price Guide, NADA, Collector Car Auction Results, The Production Figure Book for U.S. Cars, the Internet, reviewing the International Vehicle Appraisers Network database, reviewing comparables, etc. and after consulting with other Professional Appraisers, museums, and automotive experts, etc., when necessary, I appraise (estimate) this vehicle as having a cash value of $29,900.00 USD
I state that I have received no compensation for this appraisal, from any source, other than my fee of $150.00 USD. Therefore I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in providing this appraisal.
Signed – Harry Kraemer
Saturday, April 4th, 2020
A day when just about everything that could go wrong, went wrong. However, I kept calm and flew the plane and made rational decisions.
This flight took place in the early 1990s. I was flying a Piper Arrow for a local car dealer. The aircraft was equipped with dual King KX165 NAV/COM radios and a KNS 80 RNAV. This was a few years prior to GPS making its way to general aviation aircraft. On this particular morning we were flying from Montgomery County Airpark KGAI to Lancaster Airport KLNS, a route that I did two or three times a week for this company.
We had planned for a 7 AM departure however the night before we had a few inches of snow and with rising temperatures in the morning we had thick fog. Low IFR everywhere. Our departure was delayed while we waited for the ceilings to lift. The entire mid Atlantic region was covered with fog and low IFR conditions. The low IFR/fog was so widespread, that I had a hard time finding a legal alternate within my fuel range. This is a disadvantage of needing to file an alternate, you need to have enough fuel to get to the alternate.
Once the ceilings started lifting towards the minimum for the ILS at Lancaster, we decided to launch. One last check of the weather showed signs that the ceilings around us were also on the rise and the forecast was calling for higher ceilings as well. So off we went. Shortly after be handed off the Harrisburg Approach we were informed that the weather went below minimums (bad thing #1) at KLNS and also that the glideslope had just been NOTAMed out of service (bad thing #2). Click here for an article I wrote regarding how to spot a glideslope failure. At the time, the KLNS ILS had a 200 foot decision height. This was prior to the era of XM weather and satellite weather, so I had to leave the approach frequency and contact flight service to get an update on the weather at my alternate. Flight Service informed me that my alternate was below minimums and in fact, most of the area was showing 100 foot ceilings or less (bad thing #3). So I simply throttled back to give myself some time to think about my options.
Basically I had no where to go that I could land (legally). This is a rare occurrence, however it can happen. Nothing within my fuel range was above the landing minimums. My best option was KLNS. I had been flying there two or three times a week for several years. I was very comfortable and familiar with the airport. Another thing on my side was that I had over 700 hours in the Piper Arrow that I was flying that day. I could have held somewhere to wait and see if the weather improved. I decided against that because what if the ceilings and visibility got worst.
My plan was to shoot the localizer approach and at the MDA I would just set up a descent in the landing attitude (like a glassy water landing in a seaplane) and just fly down to the runway. I knew the power setting and rate of descent that kept me on the glide slope, so with some slight adjustments, I set up for a glassy water landing (so to speak). As long as I kept the rate of descent that I normally saw on an ILS, I should land close to the landing threshold. The runway was almost 7,000 feet long (this was in my favor).
Once I was handed over to the tower, I was cleared to land. And the tower added “N9175Z report on the ground”. We did in fact land and I reported on the ground. I was within 100 feet of the runway before I had it in sight. I was asked to report clear of the runway and when I did, the tower asked at which exit did I take. And in that area, the fog was so thick, I could not see the taxiway sign. So I told them that I was clear and that I did not know at which taxiway. I was cleared to taxi to the parking ramp which I found very carefully. For the most part, it was an uneventful flight, although it did produce some pucker factor.
Training and discipline is what got me through this. My first flight instructor had a very similar incident. And during my training for my instrument rating, two of my instructors would routinely have me land the plane under the hood from an ILS approach. So I did it in practice and on this particular flight, I had to do it like my life counted on it. Yes, there may have been numerous other options. My decision to land at KLNS was based on the fact that I was flying there two or three times a week for several years, so I was very comfortable with the environment. And I was very familiar with the aircraft and avionics.
Wednesday, April 1st, 2020
I am often asked what was my most memorable moment or experience in aviation. Folks will ask: Was it the first time you flew a jet? Was it passing a checkride? Was it your first student passing their checkride? First solo?
None of the above. Here it is. This took place in the mid to late 1980s at Martin State Airport. The airport has a 7,000 foot runway and it is almost 200 foot wide. It was a perfect fall afternoon with blue skies, no wind, and low humidity. There was not a cloud in the sky. The perfect weather combined with the long and wide runway made the ideal conditions for me to give a young boy one of the most memorable experiences of his life.
At the time I was a relatively new commercial pilot (I do not think I was a CFI at the time). This was long before the term “Discovery Flights”. I worked at a flight school giving airplane rides and sight seeing flights. A guy walked in with a young boy (his son). By looking at the boy I could tell he had Down Syndrome. The two went on to tell me that they wanted to go for a plane ride. The son told me that he wanted to fly to Easton Maryland to fly over the state tree, the Wye Oak. I said it is a great day to sight see from the air. And I asked the young boy if he wanted to pilot the aircraft from the pilot’s seat. Now this is where a perfect flying day starts to become my most memorable experience in aviation. The young boy looked up to me and said very seriously “I can’t fly a plane, I am a retard”. Remember, this is the 1980s and this is what they were called at the time. My reply to him was “Sure you can fly a plane, I will tell you exactly what to do”. His face lit up with joy as he smiled and said “Really”.
The conditions were perfect for what I was about to do. My airplane of choice was a Piper Archer for this flight. The young boy helped with the preflight and I directed him to the left seat. I explained the checklist to him and together we started the engine, fired up the radios, and received our taxi clearance.
We were departing runway 14 and from Martin State Airport to Easton, it was just a slight right turn (see picture below).
I briefed the young boy on exactly what to do. I explained to him that as he added power, he would start to pull back on the yoke. I told him to do it very slowly and to stop when I told him to stop. My hands were nowhere near the yoke. The boy’s father was in the back seat behind me so he could watch his son fly the plane. Neither one could see my feet on the rudders or my hands on the trim wheel, both gave me the control that I needed on this perfect day. I watched the young boy’s face as he pulled the plane off of the ground, it was magical. Too bad it was long before the days of cell phone cameras and the GoPro.
We climbed up to 2,000 feet and I talked him through reducing the power using the tac and how to level the aircraft by looking outside using the horizon. He had the biggest smile on his face and the dad was simply amazed. The young boy had his own map with him and I showed him how to look at the map and compare that with what he was seeing outside. He was the one that knew where to go and he was able to find the tree. We circled the tree a few times and then headed back to Martin State Airport.
There was not the slightest ripple or bump in the sky that day. Smooth as silk. So it was time for his encore. Since the winds were calm and the runway was 7,000 foot long, we could land on 32. So I asked the boy if he wanted to land the plane. And eagerly he replied “Yes, if I can”. I also offered to let him call the tower for our landing clearance. This was long before we wore headsets and before planes had intercoms. So I wrote down what he needed to say and what the tower would say. He did exactly as I instructed him and he got our landing clearance by himself using the hand microphone.
Coming from Easton and landing on runway 32 meant just a slight left turn and we were on final. You could see the runway 20 miles out. So the young boy lined up on final and I gave him the power settings and we gradually descended towards the runway. The dad and his son were both smiling ear to ear as the son landed the plane and my hands were nowhere near the yoke.
I was in my early 20s at the time. I never thought to get their contact info to stay in touch. I don’t even remember their names, but I remember the experience. That day was probably one of that boy’s greatest memories. He did not look like he had the coordination or motor skills to ride a bicycle, yet on that day he flew an airplane and landed it!
I have told this story many times over the years, however I never wrote it down. Now it is online for folks to enjoy. Stay turned to my future newsletters, I will be posting more of my experiences from my over 35 years in aviation.
