Aircraft Registration: Re-Registration / Renewal
This Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on July 20, 2010, Page 41968. All changes established by this rule are effective October 1, 2010. This rule establishes specific registration expiration dates over a three-year period for all aircraft registered before October 1, 2010, and requires re-registration of those aircraft according to a specific schedule. All aircraft registrations issued on or after October 1, 2010, will be good for three years with the expiration date clearly shown.
Click here for complete details
Twas the night before Christmas
From the Courtesy Aircraft Website – http://www.courtesyaircraft.com/
‘Twas the night before Christmas all over the place,
When we were confronted by an old flying ace.
There was icing reported and turbulent air ,
He said, “File me a flight plan, I gotta get there”.
Outside sat his aircraft all ready to run,
And the old man walked out to that P-51.
“Bad weather’s no problem,” he silently mumbled,
The prop came to life…that big Merlin rumbled.
He eased in the throttle, the roar shook the ground,
He taxied on out and turned it around.
He went through the run-up and seemed satisfied,
Then he said to himself, “I’m in for a ride.”
So he lined it up straight as he poured on the coal,
The tailwheel came up as he started to roll.
Up off the runway, he sucked up the gear,
And that mighty V-12 was all you could hear.
He screamed overhead with a deafening crack,
Blue flames flying from each little stack.
“He pulled up the nose and started to climb,
No ice on that airframe, it didn’t have time.
On top of the weather with the levers all set,
He looked up above him and saw a Learjet.
“With jet fuel and turbines there just ain’t no class,
Gimmee pistons, and props and lots of avgas!”
Now he was approaching where he wanted to go.
But the weather had covered the runway with ice and with snow. How will he land it?
We just have to guess, because the only way in was a full I-L-S.
Then over the outer marker, he started his run,
The ceiling was zero, visibility…none.
Still going three hundred and he felt the need,
For an overhead break to diminish his speed.
Over the numbers he zoomed, along like a flash,
Pulled into his break, we just knew he would crash.
Oh, why do they do it on these kind of nights??
Then over the threshold, we saw landing lights.
I’m on a short final with three in the green,
And I see enough runway to land this machine.”.
Then he tied down that Mustang, and they all heard him say,..
“Next year, I’m stickin’ with my reindeer and sleigh..”.
Twas the Night before the Cruise-In
Twas the night before the cruise in, when all through the garage
Not a vehicle was running, not even the Dodge;
The spark plugs were removed by myself with care,
In hopes that my mechanic would soon be here;
My sockets were nestled all snug in their case,
With visions of a mechanic all dressed in lace;
While in my shop clothes with a matching cap,
I had just settled down for a garage floor nap,
When out in the driveway there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the floor to see what was the matter.
Away passed the Chevy I flew like a flash,
Jumped over the Ford but hit the Nash.
Hoping it was my mechanic but I didn’t know
So I directed my shop light out into the snow,
When, what to my wondering eyes did appear,
Was my mechanic drinking a beer!
With his little red Vette, so shinny and quick,
Wasn’t an automatic, it was a stick.
More rapid than a street rod with his tools he came,
He stumbled and stuttered and he called me by name;
The Chevy, the Ford both needed fixin!
Along with a Buick once owned by Nixon!
From the Harley to 4×4 so big and tall!
My mechanic he’d fix them all!
He’d fixed cars and boats and things that fly,
And little old me I wouldn’t try,
So over to the Chevy with the big block he flew,
The Ford, the Dodge, he fixed the Nash too.
And for a minute I’d thought he made a goof
But it was his beer knocked off the roof.
Startled and shaken he was turning around,
Just in time to see the beer hit the ground.
He was dressed in overalls from his head to his foot,
His clothes were all covered with grease and soot;
With a bundle of tools flung on his back,
If you need help again call I’ll be back.
His Vette – how sweat and clean, nothing but Cherry!
He built it for his wife, think her name’s Mary!
So tomorrow is the cruise in and I think I will go,
Invited my wife but she doesn’t know;
Polished my wheels with a toothbrush like my teeth,
This was a tip from a friend named Keith;
At breakfast I ate and stuffed my belly,
I had coffee and toast with strawberry jelly.
Out in the garage grab the wax off the shelf,
I waxed two cars all by myself;
I polished the Dodge so shinny and red,
So off to the cruise in I think I’ll head;
A great day for a cruise in and I don’t have to work,
An aggressive driver; what a jerk,
But who’s at the cruise in nobody knows,
I’m off to the Exxon where everybody goes;
There’s my friend Tom I’ll give him a whistle,
And there’s Joe with a old Ford Edsel.
But look at the cars here, man what a sight,
“Happy Cruise -in to all, and to all a good-night.”
How Long Does A Mechanic’s Lien Last
Answer is: an aircraft mechanic’s lien could be a problem for an aircraft for a very long time.
Click here for the full story from GlobalAir.com
Morgan Three Wheeler
In 2011 Morgan will once again be offering their 3 wheeler from the early 1900s. With a Harley engine and Mazda gear box this car will have the best of both worlds – classic look with modern power train.
Photo On Your Pilots’ License
Got your new plastic pilots’ license yet?
Standby. The FAA says it will publish a proposed rule in the next few months that would require a new pilot certificate which must to include your photo.
‘Flying Car’ Company Picks Up Defense Work
Terrafugia To Work With AAI Corporation On DARPA Transformer (TX) Project
DARPA has been talking for some time about developing a four person flyable and roadable vehicle it describes as a ‘flying Humvee’, a project with a budget of about $65 million. Terrafugia, the developer of the Transition Roadable Aircraft, or ‘Flying Car’, is the largest subcontractor to one of two winning teams, led by AAI Corporation and comprised of other Textron companies.
The Kettenkrad
While browsing the classifieds on Barnstormers.com I came across an ad for a Kettenkrad for sale. Intrigued I did some research on the net. And if this winter is anything like last year I think I’ll consider one of these as my next vehicle.
Referred to as the “tracked motorcycle” concept, the Kettenkrad was conceived and patented by a German inventor, Heinrich Ernst Kniepkamp, in June of 1939.
The SdKfz 2, better known as the Kleines Kettenkraftrad HK 101 or Kettenkrad for short (Ketten = tracks, krad = military abbreviation of the German word Kraftrad, the administrative German term for motorcycle), started its life as a light tractor for airborne troops. The vehicle was designed to be delivered by Junkers Ju 52 aircraft, though not by parachute. The vehicle had the advantage of being the only gun tractor small enough to fit inside the hold of the Ju 52.
Steering the Kettenkrad was accomplished by turning the handlebars: if little movement was used then the wheel would steer the vehicle, however if they were turned further they would engage the track brakes to help make turns sharper.
The SdKfz 2 was designed and built by the NSU Motorenwerke AG at Neckarsulm, Germany. It was first used in the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. Later in the war Stoewer from Stettin also produced Kettenkrads under license, accounting for about 10% of the total production.
Most Kettenkrads saw service on the Eastern Front, where they were used to lay communication cables, pull heavy loads and carry soldiers through the deep Russian mud. Late in the war, Kettenkrads were used as runway tugs for aircraft, including jets such as the Me 262. In order to conserve aviation fuel, the aircraft would be towed rather than run the engines while taxiing.
The vehicle was also used in the North African theater and in Western Europe.
The Kettenkrad came with a special trailer that could be attached to it to improve its cargo capacity. Other trailers used by the Kettenkrads could be used for other lightweight vehicles such as the Kubelwagon and the Schwimmwagon (pictured below – the two vehicles on the right).
Being a tracked vehicle the Kettenkrad could climb up to 24° in sand and even more in hard ground, as long as the driver had courage for it.
Only two significant sub-variations of the Kettenkrad were constructed, and production of the vehicle was stopped in 1944, at which time 8,345 had been constructed. After the war the production went on until 1948 or 1949.
Seaplane Crash in Lake Jessie
Just a week after a group of us earned our seaplane ratings at Jack Brown’s Seaplane Based an Okeechobee man was killed when his amphibious, ultralight airplane plunged into Lake Jessie.
Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base
The team at Flymall.org planned a trip to Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base to get our Seaplane Rating. What started out as just a simple trip for Pat and I turned out to be an adventure for a group of folks.
Founded in the early 1960s by Jack Brown (pictured below), Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base has trained more seaplane pilots than any other place in the world.
Pat and I headed south on Saturday morning driving our motor-home. We decided being able to stay right there at the seaplane base would make the training that much more enjoyable and less stressful. Our class did not start until Tuesday so we gave ourselves plenty of time to get there. Arriving on Sunday we set up camp with a view of the lake right outside our window. We checked in at the school to let them know we were there and eager to start training. The folks at the school informed us that our friends Susan and Andy Beall had checked in earlier that day. Accompanied with her flight instructor Gary, Susan flew down in her Cessna 172 and used the flight down as her long cross country for her commercial rating. And while Susan was out splashing around in the lakes in the seaplane her husband Andy (a student pilot) was flight training with Gary in their Cessna 172 and also logging some solo cross country time. Lin Caywood, her husband to be (Carlo), and Brenda (Lin’s flight instructor) also arrived on Sunday but their flight was not so uneventful. Lin owns a Cessna 182 equipped with the G1000. Well north of their final destination the alternator failed and they continued as far as they could using the backup battery. Lin was also using the trip down to receive some flight training with her instructor Brenda. Lin got as far as they could but did not make it to the seaplane base. They made it to Craig Municipal Airport in Jacksonville, Florida and rented a car to continue on. Both Lin and Susan were scheduled to start flight training on Monday morning. While Lin was training in the seaplane Carlo (an Airframe & Powerplant mechanic) drove back up to Jacksonville to try and correct the alternator problem. After a few trips to Jacksonville and numerous phone calls to find parts, Carlo finally corrected the problem.
Lin’s plane wasn’t the only plane that had issues. One evening Pat, Susan, and I were hanging out with one of the senior instructors at Jack Brown’s discussing what to expect on our flight test. Susan received a call from her husband Andy who was out with their flight instructor getting some night flying experience. Instead of out flying, he was calling Susan from a bar explaining to her that on one of their landings they blew a tire and couldn’t get it fixed until the next day. Susan’s plane is for sale if anyone is interested – click here for more information.
Mid week we were joined by Debi Dreyfuss and Linda Knowles who had also signed up for the course. Debi and Linda flew down in Debi’s Cessna 182 equipped with the G1000 system. Debi had the only plane that did not have any maintenance issues on the flight down. But Debi did have 2 seaplanes break down while she was training. By the way, I sold Susan and Lin their aircraft new when I was a Cessna dealer and I helped sell Debi her 182 just before I became a dealer.
The course is a two day class consisting of some classroom time and five hours of flying time. Lin Caywood got a bit of a scare and learned a lesson during a session in the classroom. One of Lin’s classroom sessions was interrupted by one of the employees barging in shouting “Quick where is the shot gun?” Well poor Lin thought “Am I doing that bad that they want to shoot me?” It turns out that they have a snake problem at Jack Brown’s. The Cottonmouth Water Moccasin to be exact. They are very aggressive and will actually chase after people. As soon as one is spotted there is no trial, nothing, they are shot on site. One of the instructors spotted one while she and Pat were getting ready to go flying. The video below sums it up for the snake.
The J3 Piper Cub, built in the 1940s is a very basic aircraft.
With no electrical system, this means no starter, so you have to hand prop the aircraft to start it.
But once underway it is nothing but pure fun.
We had one day when we could not fly due to high winds and one morning we had to wait for some fog to burn off, but other than that the weather was perfect. The worst part of each lesson was returning to the dock (the fun was over for this session).
It was very different flying experience for all involved. We never got any higher than 500 feet above the ground. Often while pre-flighting the plane or securing it for the evening you would see alligators on the beach or dock sunning themselves.
All total 6 of us received our seaplane rating over the course of the week. For more information on Jack Brown’s visit the Day Tripper section of our site or use the search box in the upper right corner of our site and search for seaplane.
Here are some shots of the wildlife that we enjoyed seeing during our stay.
Here is a slide show with some highlights of our visit at Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base.
Click here for Linda’s pictures of her adventure at Jack Brown’s.
