Nordo News

A Future for Lee Bottom?

2012-02-18T16:48:00.000-05:00

"An end result, imagined clearly and acted upon with expectation, will always force the circumstances necessary to bring about its own manifestation, no matter how unpredictable, unlikely, or even impossible those circumstances may have previously seemed." --A Note from the Universe

Lee Bottom Flying Field has some of the best supporters in the world. Over time, other airport owners have confirmed it. Most of them simply cannot believe how well our Lee Bottom Family steps up when needed. Every year, our calendars ship out to enthusiasts all over the world who share a single passion, the sport of aviation. Along with that, thousands upon thousands of people read our reports from the field and editorials found in NORDO News and elsewhere. Sometimes members of our family don’t see eye to eye with us but more commonly they do. Whatever the case though, they know they are welcome to say whatever they want as long as their passion, their goal, is the long term survival of the field. To all of you who do everything you can to support Lee Bottom and aviation, we want to express our most sincere thanks. As you read the following paragraphs, we hope you don’t get the wrong idea. Read it, absorb it, and if you have any questions send them our way.

At least once every year, usually around the fly-in, the wear and tear on us begins to show. Anyone who has been reading our NORDO News for the last three years can attest to that. But what causes it? Do you really know? Having discussed it at length between ourselves for many years, we have now decided it’s time for us to plot a new future for Lee Bottom Flying Field.

Before I discuss the future of the field, I would like to discuss some background issues. Let’s call these “Things we all know are true but may not discuss”. To help you fully understand what it is like to own an airport like Lee Bottom Flying Field in the modern world, I will have to break the green wall of silence; a code known only to flying field owners. This unspoken vow of silence is best described by a very well known and well worn quote from the movies, “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!”

Although I believe that most people can’t handle the truth or, at the very least they don’t want to hear it, I firmly believe it is far better for everyone to know it; all of it. Therefore, let me get straight to the point. Owning and operating a flying field is not always that fun. Really, it isn’t. In fact, it can be, and often is, a huge pain in the ass. As any owner could tell you but they won’t, it sucks money far faster than any aircraft, and it requires the expenditure of most your spare time to maintain it. There, I said it. That’s not the first time though.

Through the years, Ginger and I have explicitly warned people, those who excitedly notified us about their intent to purchase land and construct their own field, that is was a bad idea. To date, every single one of them has, at some point in time, conceded they should have listened to us. Acres of valuable farmland that produce profit, leveled and maintained for the use of aircraft, is the most illogical and financially unsound bit of thinking I have ever known. Yet, whenever we drop our guard and share this with people, they look at us like we’re joking. We aren’t. If you want proof, just think of all the airports and strips that have closed during the past two decades. If they’re so great, where did they go?

So why then do people think flying field ownership would be great? We know why. Every day of every year, some pilot who loves to fly goes to the airport, jumps in their airplane, and does just that. Along the way to the air they see friends, other airplanes, and they think about something they enjoy; flying. Once in the air, they have fun. If they fly to an aviation event they see more people like themselves, they have a good time, and then fly home still having fun. When they land at home, having just had a great flight, the airport is the last thing they see. All this combines in the mind to form the subconscious notion that the airport is the source of all aviation fun. But ask yourself, how many vintage automobile enthusiasts take out twenty acres of farmland to build a lane and a half, pot-holed, gravel road to drive around on? None. Yet, the simulated 50’s diner in a garage is so cliché that there are companies devoted to selling items that help you build such a thing. To old car enthusiasts, the diner is the airport, yet none of them go out and try to build and operate a full scale diner just to attract cars. That would be stupid. And yet people still think owning an airport would be great. Maybe that’s our fault.

Ginger and I have always tried so hard to be positive in telling people how great Lee Bottom is and how much we love meeting all the new people, we’ve actually made airport ownership seem easy. When we were up to our elbows in crap, sometimes literally, we put out posts about the joys of mowing the grass. When more dollars went out than came in, we posted about how nice it is to watch planes take off and land. But for the longest time, we never told people how hard it really is because when someone asks you how you are doing, they want to hear “I’m doing great” and when things are not good they really don’t want to hear it. There comes a point though where people should be told how difficult it really is and that’s what we’re hoping to do. Yes, there have been many great times and we have made some great friends because of the airport, but it certainly hasn’t been a cake-walk. Admittedly, if it weren’t for all the people who contribute every year, we’d have sold the place ages ago when we had the chance. And of course, there’s the fact that we love it and want to see it survive against harsh realities.

Hanging in there? We realize this may be a lot to digest but there is a point to it all.

Airports may be absolutely critical to the sport of aviation but when they are not used or supported they are not fun and they make no sense and they go away. In a world where so much is out of your control, the use and support of your favorite airport and aviation event may seem like a no-brainer. But in the real world, when it comes to talk or action, talk too often talk wins. Let me give you some examples.

1) A few years back, a local power company began erecting towers a few miles south of the airport and making plans to run power lines across the river. We only found out because a local pilot asked us about them. Being so busy with the airport, we had not flown in months and had not seen them ourselves. When we started looking into the issue, it became apparent they had conveniently “missed” our public use airport on the charts. Immediately pointing this out to the FAA brought their project to a halt while a determination on the project was sought. During this process, we put the word out to everyone on our list (around 7000) with emails, phone calls, etc. This was done because the FAA was allowing comments on the project and we wanted to give everyone the chance to speak up for an airport and the sport of aviation. Many people responded with disbelief, others snipped about greedy electrical companies, and others grumbled louder than usual. In the end though, three people commented; three people. YES, you read that right; just three people.

2) Being a mere thirty miles up-river from Louisville, our area has one of the highest concentrations of pilots in the country. This is thanks to the UPS air hub being based at Standiford Airport. Known also as a company that is very philanthropic to local causes, one of three fly-in planning volunteers, who is also a pilot at the company, attempted to gain UPS sponsorship for the fly-in. After several conversations, she was told that if enough UPS people could show they volunteer time at the airport then we would have a good chance of gaining the sponsorship. It was also pointed out that it should be easy because UPS values volunteering so much, they have a way for employees to sign onto the company website and list their volunteer time. Now, I’m not going to tell you how few employees actually did that. Instead, I will just say that we didn’t get the sponsorship.

3) The final example I would like to include is this. Over the past decade, as many as four EAA Vintage board members have lived within 100 miles of Lee Bottom. None of them ever visited the airport or attended a single event. After years of assuming they were interested in supporting aviation and inviting them to events, we gave up (and took a different approach).

Are you seeing a pattern here? Ultimately, I believe a lot of people think we get more support than what we do.

Why are we discussing the subject? Late last year, Ginger and I began planning the next twenty years of our lives. To many of you that may sound odd but that’s how we think; current, five, ten, and twenty years. Our plans included what we’d like to be doing and where we’d like to be at each sign-post. Critical to them all was Lee Bottom.

One thing I’ve never shared about the airport is something Fritz told me shortly before he died. He said he knew I would do everything in my power to keep Lee Bottom an airport but if I couldn’t, then I should do whatever I want with it and move onto a boat in the Caribbean. That’s another reason I loved the old guy so much; we thought just alike. Unfortunately for the boat dealer, I would prefer to keep Lee Bottom an airport. I would also prefer that everyone came along for the ride.

What I’m about to tell you, you’ll never hear anywhere else. Therefore, I hope you read it, take some time to digest it, and then join in the effort. Here goes.

Aviation as we have known it is dead and it is not coming back. Sport Pilot qualified aircraft are not going to bring it back. Young Eagles is not nor will it ever bring it back. Likewise, EAA and AOPA are not going to bring it back. And, unless each and every aviation enthusiast makes it their mission to save the sport of aviation, we might as well go ahead and send flowers in the name of “We sat by and watched” to the funeral home. It really is that simple.

Am I saying we should abandon aviation? No. Am I saying that a lot of people are abandoning aviation? Yes. And because of that, we must be willing to consider new ideas and we must stop the loss.

What can you do? Well, let me say that sending emails to your friends about all the evil things government is doing to aviation is not the solution. Ultimately, you are the government and you must become active. Aviation has always been one of America’s greatest symbols of freedom and if you want your freedom preserved, you must preserve it. If you want something saved you must save it. Yet, in a time when pilots worry “what is the government going to do to my airport next” owners of airports like ours, airports that offer a way around the razor wire, fencing, and SIDA badges, sit here looking for ways to secure a future. Unfortunately, reality dictates that some fields will disappear.

With ever expanding development and encroachment on airports, some airports will have to go despite how we feel about them. Try as we may, the contraction and consolidation of aviation will thin them out. Fortunately, every change offers opportunities. Lee Bottom is one of them.

Located within an eight hour drive of over 80% of the population of the United States and yet on the last undeveloped section of the Ohio River, the area offers the perfect chance for aviation to come together to save one old fashioned airport for future generations to enjoy. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Yet I feel I must once again point out that opportunity must be met with action; otherwise Lee Bottom too will be a thing of the past.

Is it worth preserving? Should it be preserved? Will it be here in twenty years? We have a plan that would work, but we can’t do it alone.

During the past year, I have personally spoken with some of aviation’s best known movers and shakers about the future of Lee Bottom Flying Field. As usual our ambitions are big and in speaking with these people the goal was to get a feel for how our idea played to a larger market. Thankfully, everyone I have spoken with is supportive and even open to helping. Yet, without your support, we just don’t see the purpose. Here’s why.

Lee Bottom is as much an idea as it is an airport. It is that place you think of when you haven’t flown in weeks; it’s the place you know you will be welcomed even before you arrive; it’s that place from your childhood where you took your first airplane ride. Lee Bottom is what aviation is supposed to be and it is the people who want that to survive who will determine its future.

With that out in the open, let’s discuss the first action item on the list. If we are to move forward with our long term plans for the airport, we feel it is important to first understand the demand, and amount of support, that actually exists for our annual fall event called The Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels Fly-In. Although this event brought us to where we are today, it continues to cause us induced heartburn and some things must be sorted out for it to continue. Let me explain.

In the past, whenever we have attempted to discuss this subject, the number one response has been something along the lines of “have a cookout and let them pee in the woods”. Although it may seem simple and harmless, to us it says so much more to us. Let me spell it out. If someone thinks the size of the fly-in is the problem, then they do not understand why we are doing this. And, if someone thinks making the fly-in simpler would solve our problems then they too do not know why we are doing this. Here’s where the problem is coming from. ARE YOU READY??? Take a deep breath; let it out; now read: We are not doing this for ourselves.

Yes, we understand that some people likely believe they are just supporting our hobby when they support the fly-in but that just isn’t the case. When you support these events, you are supporting the aviation community by giving it substance; something more than just you and your airplane. You are giving it a sense of community. And if aviation doesn’t want that, then we certainly aren’t going to waste our time grilling hamburgers for 13 people who want free food and entertainment. It is time for people to understand that they aren’t helping us, they are helping themselves. If people are just coming to support us, then they need to stop because they are causing us to continue our efforts to support aviation when the demand doesn’t really exist. Does that make sense? We hope so. It is critical to the future of Lee Bottom.

So, here’s where we are with this project. This Tuesday, we are having a meeting to determine how much interest there really is in the fly-in. If there turns out to be enough people on hand willing to commit to it, really commit to it, people who understand it takes money, time, and effort to host such an event, then we will continue to have it. If there is not enough support, last year will have been the last and we will move on to the next item on the list. If you are thinking this was really short notice, that’s not the case. We invited a core group of people to this event a month ago. The reason we are now telling the larger group about it is because soon there will be several more opportunities for you to become involved in the future of Lee Bottom. It is our hope that you will take this time to consider what it is that you could contribute to the effort so that when the next items come around, you’ll be ready to act. And if you are interested in, truly interested in helping with the fly-in, email us and we’ll get you the information for the meeting.

As I said earlier, Lee Bottom Flying Field has the best supporters in the world. Thanks to them, Lee Bottom has thrived when other fields suffered. Yet if we are to insure a long life for the airport, if we are to protect it from development and the march of time, we must take this opportunity to do so. The realities of aviation are upon us and we must face them head on, early, and strong.

Did You Know?

2012-02-11T23:06:00.000-05:00

Did you know that not every NORDO News blog post makes it to the newsletter? Yes that’s right; some posts are only received by those who have signed up to follow the blog or one of our social media sites. Therefore, if you’re not signed up, you’ve been missing a lot of inside information and editorials that can’t be found anywhere else.

To get the most recent NORDO News posts and dare to read editorials, sign up now. Here’s how:

Under the header NORDO News, at the top of this page and to the right of the photo slide-show, you will see a box that says “Follow our blog via email”. Below that title is a box where you type your email and then click “submit”. You are now signed up to receive every NORDO News posts.

If you want even more, look us up on social media. The Lee Bottom Flying Field facebook page routinely has photos from around the field that are not included anywhere else. These posts often come from people who have visited the airport and you are welcome to add some of your own.

The Calendars Have Left the Building

2012-02-11T22:29:00.001-05:00

It’s that time of year again. The limited edition Lee Bottom Flying Field calendars are on the way to their new owners. Printed every year since 1987, these old fashioned items are now a quarter of a century old tradition. If you receive one, we hope you have someplace special to hang it and put it to good use.

Hanging in offices, hangars, and homes around the world, the Lee Bottom Flying Field calendars have become somewhat of a secret handshake for true aviators. Therefore, if you love the good old-fashioned sport of aviation, and you see one of these hanging on a stranger’s wall, without a word spoken you can almost guarantee you are among friends.

As always, we hope you enjoy them.

Disclaimer: If you are not a true aviator, you have received this calendar in error; please give it to someone who is. This will save everyone some time and heartache. Any attempts to pass yourself off as a true aviator in order to keep the calendar will be discovered and you will be appropriately punished. Approved courses of punishment include tours of the local FSDO, one day as a volunteer stand-in for TSA cavity search training, three hours of listening to Michael Bolton, and the installation of radios in your favorite antique. You have been warned.

A Story to Tell

2012-02-10T22:11:00.000-05:00

Looking back through the first three rows.

"Three type ratings, an airline job, one airport, well over a hundred different airplanes, countless fly-ins, and a marriage have all come into my life since I last stood on these grounds." My mind raced with disbelief. "Could I have actually lost grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, acquaintances, and my father, in that period?" A scan of my memory confirmed the details, all of them points on a timeline. Yet somehow, time at Galesburg had stood still.

Earlier in the day, lifting up and away from the sweet smell of grass, my free hand reached for a chart. Lodged firmly between the combing and windscreen, a GPS plotted a future that I ignored. Having never trusted electronics, the chart was my choice and I worked to flip it open. Excited cannot explain how I felt.

Since the last snowflakes of Winter my trip had been planned. Seven months later, it was all coming together. Up front the “mail pit” was filled with bags. At capacity, the aft compartment bulged with degreaser and towels. Down in the cockpit, a pilot was going home.

Home has many definitions but they all have one thing in common; you can never go there again. I’ve found this true is so many places that, after all the planning I almost didn’t take off. Let downs are tough when you’ve been expecting great things. Yet, at the last minute, I knew if I did not go I would regret it. And so, on a September Wednesday, I pulled ten blades and away I went to the National Stearman Fly-In. After all, I had a story to tell.

Stearman C3B with a classic car at Galesburg

Smooth, clear, and fast was the trip. Inside, the airspeed read one hundred. Outside, section lines said otherwise. Cross a border, look at the watch, cross the other side, mark time. Grabbing the GPS to verify my math, I could see I was doing about one-fifty. It would be a beautiful but uncharacteristically short flight and I would have to work hard to not to miss my landmarks.

Regulars to Galesburg can get anywhere by the railroad tracks. For me, the iron compass was critical. Leading into town, a bend in the line would mark the arrival. From there I would set up for the grass and slip quietly to Earth. I’ll never forget my first time.

The year was 1997 and Old Bess’ engine was still pinking from heat when I first saw the vision of beauty. Having just arrived at our first Stearman Fly-In, sensory overload was approaching when all else vanished. There in the grass, seemingly by herself, sat a silver and red square tail. She was amazing. Walking toward her, I drifted by others that paled in comparison. She was even prettier up close; A thing of vintage beauty; A Varga Girl in a Hooters Calendar. My oh my was I in love.

Tom Lowe's C3R

Walking around, crouching down, and going up on the tips of my toes occupied the ten minutes that passed before the owner said hello. He had been there all along but my eyes saw only the plane. Tom Lowe was that man.

Anyone who has ever met Tom likes him, period. Placed firmly on most short-lists of nicest people they’ve ever met, he simply is best described as being “a great guy”. And, that’s exactly how I found him to be. He didn’t laugh at me for drooling on his plane, every stupid question was answered politely without condescension, and he even offered to let me look inside.

Then he excused himself, leaving me there to enjoy.

A peek inside the cockpit of "The R".

Later, I would tell my friends about the encounter with the airplane and the owner. “Oh you met Tom” they said, and from the tone in their voices, I could tell he was one of the fixtures of the event. “Tom was one of the guys that started Galesburg.” Yep, I was right, Tom was certainly a man of significance when it came to Galesburg and now I was embarrassed. “Great, I must have looked like an idiot out there” I said to my friends. “Nah, you look like an idiot all the time”. “Good point” was my response and the conversation moved on.

Rows upon rows of Stearman Aircraft

Back then, my life was vastly different. Owning little but ambition, I hopped rides in my Stearman wherever I could. This Illinois town was one of those places.

The world’s largest gathering of Stearmans is a great market for scenic biplane rides and for several squares on the calendar I flew into the last light of day. Because of this, by the time I was done, the evening’s festivities would be well under way and I would be alone on the flight line. Tying the last rope and securing the covers one evening, I strolled carelessly through the planes like night security at the mall. Only the music from the hangar could be heard among the airframes secured to their wires. Daylight was fading and once again I found myself with the “square tail” Stearman C3R. Alone with the plane, I pondered its history and context, when once again the owner said hello.

There's no shortage of cool Stearman Aircraft at Galesburg

Envy is not something I do. Coveting another man’s airplane? Now that is something all-together different. When Tom walked up, I was therefore extremely embarrassed. One rule of manhood is to never let another see you want something they have. Not only can it cost you dearly in dollars should a deal ever happen, it removes large portions of one’s self-respect. Oh well, I was had. Fortunately, Mr. Lowe was every bit the good guy my friends believed.

“Are you going to be out here early tomorrow?” he said. “Yes sir”, I replied. To which he responded, “Then I think you need a ride in this thing.” He was right.

The next morning I rode with Tom out over the corn fields to a point where he let me take the controls. I’ll never forget that flight as he led me through maneuvers to show me the plane, how airspeed would bleed off in turns, how it behaved in level and slow flight, and what if felt like to fly such history, I sat grinning ear to ear. It had just experienced my first true antique and I would never be the same.

Upon landing, I thanked Tom profusely and, to insure I wasn’t a nuisance, I walked away. Fourteen years later, I returned.

I was taxiing into a parking spot when I first saw her. There, a few rows back, was the silver and red beauty from all those years ago. My ride tied down and the area in order, I set out to see her.

My friends would have to wait, or so I thought.

Walking toward the C3R, a group of guys huddled nearby. Laughing and conversing, it was my friends and Tom Lowe. In an effort to not interrupt, I signaled hello to a buddy. As usual though, he insisted on pulling me in and, to those I did not know, I was promptly introduced. When things settled down and proper greetings were all in order, I took the opportunity to share the story I had come to tell.

Notice a lot of people are out flying their Stearmans.

“Tom, I know you don’t remember me but fourteen years ago I met you by this plane. I was here to hop rides but when I saw your plane just I had to come look it over. When you saw me drooling on it, you were very kind and offered me a ride. I know you don’t remember it, but I will never forget it. We flew out over the cornfields and once we were in the air you let me fly. You explained to me her aerodynamics, how she loses speed in a turn and how she feels when slow. The day of that flight was the last time I was at Galesburg. Now, fourteen years later, I want to thank you for that flight and tell you first hand the best part. When I finally made it back, I brought one myself,” and I turned to show him the C3B on the front line.

Tom knew the plane I was flying and was genuinely pleased with my story. He was, after all, largely responsible for me coming back and doing so in a “square tail”. Later that day I ran into him again and we talked about friends and other Stearmans we had flown. He too had been at the controls of the Stearman Cloud Boy owned by Ron Alexander (also owner of the C3B I was flying) and the mutual extremely rare experience left us both wishing there were more antiques left to fly. Unfortunately, I had nothing new for Tom to fly. But, being the guy he is, Tom had something for me. “Would you like to fly the R?” he said.

That's me taxiing the C3R back in after flying it around the Galesburg corn-fields.

The next day, fourteen years after my flight with Tom, on the same field, at the same event, I took to the air in “The R”, only this time I was alone. Roaring over the cornfields, I worked hard to take it all in. The most exciting years of my life were now defined, book-ended by this machine. The first true antique in which I ever flew was now the most recent model on a long list of those I had flown, and I wondered, “Where do I go from here”?


That's Tom on the right posing with me for a photo by "The R".

____________________________________________________________

If you ever have a chance to go to the National Stearman Fly-In at Galesburg, you should do it. It is a great gathering of wonderful aircraft and people. Everything about the event is warm and inviting and the planes are always flying. To give you an idea what it's like, below I am including a few of my favorite photos from the event.

They say the key to being a good photographer is never letting people see anything but your best photos. Well, quite frankly, I don't have time right now to run these through photo shop and pick only photos I would submit for revue. Therefore, you will just have to suffer through this fragment of the photos I took. I hope you enjoy them.


Marilyn and Pat; daughter and grandson of Lloyd Stearman. She was three when this plane was built.

Changes at EAA or Changing Times?

2012-02-06T00:29:00.000-05:00

Last month, the aviation public got its first view of changes that have been quietly sweeping through EAA. Unnoticed by rank and file members until that day, they have been occurring since Rod Hightower came to the party. Yet, let there be no doubt, these and many more have and will continue to happen. But are they that bad? It depends on what you believe about EAA.

There’s no question that many current and past EAA members are unhappy with the organization. Having started out as a grass roots, wrench it together in your basement, calloused hands type of assembly, it isn’t hard to understand why. Once a bastion of America’s salt of the earth, risk be damned, pursue your dreams citizens, in recent years it had become a bureaucracy of “Poberezny yes men” and ever lasting board members whose focus was Airventure, fundraising, and risk aversion. Then change happened.

That day, a quick scan of social networks and all other forms of messaging revealed immediately that people were not happy. Humans, by nature, do not like change. Pilots dislike the mere discussion. And so began the weekend of EAA facebook flaming.

One week later, fading embers gave up the remaining heat and it was over. Those who were let go were already talking of other options while those who would like to leave searched the horizon. Everyone else fell silent.

Looking back, it is apparent that some really good people were let go and some that should have been were not. Parallel to this, some of those remaining should have been promoted and some of those that were should not have been. That my friends, sums up the staff changes. Any questions?

As for the group’s leadership, EAA has been a free floating barge for some time. Yes, there was Paul and then there was Tom. Yet, despite all the good things I can say about both, the reality is that EAA has been adrift for the last five to ten years. Everyone knows this.

A few people still blame Paul, quite a few blame Tom, others who know the whole story say it was a combination of leadership, the board, and HQ employees that couldn’t say no. Whoever is right, in the process EAA became little more than Airventure and a magazine. But really, what group isn’t?

Look at any organization to see what defines the “group” and it almost always comes down to those who get the magazine and those that attend the event. You may not want to agree but that’s clearly what most organizations are. Those that are more have a spirit, a soul. EAA had that but most of it has gone. This is where the big debate about recent changes comes to a head; soul or money?

On the surface, the question of soul or money seems easy, doesn’t it? No real pilot would ever say money because aviation is a sport of souls. However, no successful organization ever operated long without money. So what’s a group to do? I believe Rod Hightower, and those around him, looked at the situation like a business, made decisions based on money, then, understanding they had to keep the membership involved, launched a plan to put the face of a soul on it. Now let me be clear, despite the evidence they are not being completely open with their members about changes, I am not saying they are being deceptive. Instead, I believe the new BMOC decided EAA needed to grow, broaden its base, and expand its level of influence and that to do so meant choosing money over soul, metal over fabric. Unfortunately, although I don’t know if it was the right decision, I do believe that had they chosen soul, to stay EAA, many more cuts would likely have been required. This too would have been wildly unpopular with members.

I wish I had a way of knowing how many true EAA members, in the spirit of the old days, exist today? Caution: being in love with the idea of being an old style EAA member does not make you one. Could EAA survive on them alone? Are there enough of them left? And what about the die-hard EAA members that complain but when talk turns to walk, they all want to go to Oshkosh because it is the biggest aviation event in the world? Are these people truly mad at EAA? If so, then wouldn’t they instead go to any number of other events struggling to attract followers? One would assume so yet, year after year, EAA members vote with their feet and go to Oshkosh after a year of bitching about Oshkosh. For leaders, it’s a tough place to be. This is no different than politicians dealing with constituents who complain about spending and then ask them to allocate money to their issue of choice; if people don’t like something, why do they keep coming back for more? For a group, or country for that matter, to be successful, everyone has to understand the issues at hand and be on the same team. Adapting to changing times EAA leadership understands. But, do the members?

What is it that EAA members are looking to get from EAA? My experience tells me they want to feel like part of a group, they like to attend Oshkosh, hope to read about homebuilt planes in Sport Aviation, and a few of them actually attend and are members of active EAA Chapters; remember those? Some of them still get together and go to Oshkosh as such. But, anymore a lot of them come away feeling like they brought a stage coach to a car show. Yes the old days are gone, but I believe most of the old time members are also. Yet, accept it or not, EAA continues to offer the things most modern members want.

Today the typical EAA member wants easy to build flying Lego kits like RV’s, feels unsafe without flight following, has no idea what a rudder is, and is deathly afraid of clouds. Yet, as soon as EAA puts an article in Sport Aviation about a turbine, they flip out. Yes, I flipped out over the hiring of Mac but I also don’t match the descriptors from the sentence two back. So what’s your excuse? Maybe you, like me, wish the old days never left, and if so, I feel for you. But let’s face it, as long as most members say one thing but truly believe another, EAA as we know it is dead.

Let me ask you something. If you were Rod Hightower and a member complained that you never covered cheap (inexpensive) airplanes, how would you respond? I know how I would because nearly every week I read some post from some guy bitching about all the expensive planes in Sport Aviation. The lucky few of these people I know get the same response, “Hey, I saw your post and wanted to let you know there’s a Fly-Baby for sale a hundred miles away for $7500, go get it”. All of them give me the same response, “Well, I’m not in the market for a plane”. “Then why the hell are you complaining about the lack of cheap airplanes?” I ask.

Ultimately, for EAA to support you as EAA, then you have to actually want EAA, not just talk about it. If you are happy getting a monthly magazine, like to attend the largest aviation event in the world as a member, and you like the way being an EAA member infers you are a little more of a pilot than others who are not, then hey, you are at the right place and you should be happy. But, if you wish all planes were taildraggers, ATC didn’t exist, and every runway was grass, then there are plenty of events for you to attend instead of Oshkosh. There’s this one in Southern Indiana next to the river but I digress.

If you’ve been reading my posts for some time, maybe you’re wondering what’s happened to me.

Yes, I have certainly had my share of issues with EAA through the years but I also truly long for the old days of EAA. Most in their hearts do not and, to me, that is a far bigger crisis than change at EAA.

Inside Information

2012-01-13T00:07:00.000-05:00

When a goal of yours is to keep your lobby groups hard at work, inside information is something to be cherished. And although almost any information can be bartered for or discovered through normal channels if you are persistent, knowing something others do not is harder and harder to come by these days. Let’s face it, the internet makes it tough. So, a few days ago, when I found out that EAA was about to let a large group of people go, I began to wonder if anything positive could be made of this negative.

What do you do with inside information? Well, I considered being the first to put it out there so the employees would have a heads up but decided against it because it wouldn't do anything but cause concern. Then I decided I would give it to an aviation news service but decided against it. If you’re asking why the second one came to mind, it’s because I think EAA needs to know that a lot of people are interested in what they are doing and a lot of people, including on the inside, don’t like a lot of it. Therefore, people on the inside are willing to share it with other people if they think it is going to help the broader membership base see what is going on behind the curtain. Essentially, it say’s to EAA, “You can’t hide.” Yet, my other thoughts easily won out and I didn’t post it at all.

I like EAA. Or maybe better said, I have met a lot of wonderful people that work for EAA, and in the end, I felt bad knowing people were going to lose jobs. Learning more, I also felt terrible for some who had already quietly agreed to go. EAA was in the middle of hope and change and all I could do is worry about who would be next. The ultimate answer, as I expected, was “the wrong ones”. But, I couldn’t let the information go to waste. At the very least I could let them know it wasn’t a secret.

Calling up EAA early this morning, I asked to talk to Dick Knapinski. When the receptionist asked what my call was in regards to, I said “About a reorganization that is going to go on today” and she seemed startled. That’s when I knew a lot of people didn’t know and I worried even more about the outcome. Would EAA end up better or worse?

Dick and I ended up having a long conversation and he was quite open and willing to talk without sharing too many details. Along the way he discussed what areas might be hit, what areas might be expanded, and what might be the reasons for these changes, never betraying EAA. In turn, he then patiently and politely listened to my thoughts about many of these areas and then we both decided it was time for us to get on with our lives. Dick’s a straight shooter from my experience and today I’m sure his job is a tough one. Not nearly as tough as those who lost theirs, but tough nonetheless. In any case, organizations sometimes become a little heavy in times of lean and tough decisions must be made. My concern is whether the right ones are.

After this conversation, I decided to let it go. I had done my part, called and questioned what was going on and what for, and everything was regrettably far outside my control.

For our friends who are no longer associated with EAA, you’ll always be welcome here. We know the job you did, what you had to work with, and what you were often up against, and we will not forget it.

As for the new executive positions, let me just say that EAA has gone overboard with their infatuation with celebrity. Good GA people were let go but Jeff Skyles, the guy who admittedly didn’t fly small planes for a long long time until fortune smiled on him and he bought a Waco, is now the VP in charge of Chapters and Youth Education. It was hard enough to swallow his articles knowing that someone believed a recent rediscovery of small planes, brought on by a water ditching, made him more qualified to talk about flying small planes that hundreds of other people with real qualifications and experience, but this new position is just silly. And God forbid you don’t talk politics to him. You might find he supports a lot of things that aren’t that friendly to aviation. Oh well, that seems to be EAA’s new direction.

Motion Induced Blindness

2011-12-18T23:50:00.000-05:00

A friend sent us this link the other day and I just couldn’t help but pass it along.

Remember as a student pilot how it was stressed that you must keep your head on a swivel, your eyes always scanning? There’s a reason for that; motion induced blindness. Not seeing another aircraft approaching can end your day in a really bad way. Yet, until demonstrations such as this were created, all we could do is trust that our instructor knew what they were talking about and always keep looking.

When you click on the link, read the instructions at the top and notice the buttons on the right. The buttons are there to show you that even as things get pretty large you can’t see them and there are also speed and background color buttons. It seems this phenomenon happens in all conditions. Focus on the middle dot and be amazed.

I bet the next time you fly you'll be more attentive to scanning for traffic.

Here's the link if you missed it earlier.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain

2011-11-13T20:20:00.001-05:00

If you’ve noticed a change in the magazines Sport Aviation and AOPA Pilot, then you are not alone. Do you remember Bill Murray’s character in the movie Ghost Busters? If so, then you likely remember the scene where he is trying to explain to the mayor just how bad things are about to get when he finally hits on something everyone can understand “…dogs and cats sleeping together”. Well, it seems the ghosts are loose and the streams are crossed.

Two years ago, if you and I had been hanging out and I had said, “Within two years, AOPA Pilot will be covering real aviation and Sport Aviation will be filled with articles about pressurized turbines, you would likely have laughed your ass off. Now though, a few of you are thinking “how did he know”.

Few organizations today do any long term planning. Having fallen into the trap of the instant gratification mentality of the internet generation, many non-profits have forgotten that although they have to be agile and open to change, there still has to be a goal, a destination at the end of a chart. Without that, all you get are answers to yesterday’s problems. Welcome to AOPA Pilot and Sport Aviation.

Only a few years back, a writer at AOPA Pilot would have needed to work every angle to get a story about flying a biplane cross country green-lighted. Today, Dave Hirschman has free reign to write about flying anything. Two years ago, the pages were filled with turboprops, and cold unspoken advertorials. Today, Dave Hirschman routinely argues passionately with some other guy about whatever gets people worked up. So what gives? I suspect several things.

Not that long ago, AOPA was in the hot seat and this is what I imagine went down. Complaints about the wine club and the advertorial disguised as a magazine were reaching record levels; levels that could not be ignored. Then, just as AOPA was about to do some impeaching, somehow, an adviser got a call through to Craig to offer a solution. “Mr. Fuller, I think I have an idea to rescue your Presidency. What if we covered aviation in our magazine?” And, for whatever reason, Craig thought “You know, this crazy idea just might work”. A poll was taken, the results came back favorable, and Dave was given the go ahead to place real airplanes in AOPA Pilot. There’s just one problem; other magazines already do that.

Memberships; just as every drunk needs a moped, AOPA needs memberships. When General Aviation manufacturers had money to burn, they could buy as many articles in AOPA pilot as they wanted. Faced with a choice, back then AOPA chose to drink the money and ignore the members. This was an easy call because members, like voters, would swallow whatever they were fed. Now though, AOPA has a problem; GA Manufacturers are broke.

Trying desperately to make up with the members it ignored for those with bigger bank accounts, AOPA now finds itself doing some serious sucking up. I tell ya, it’s like an after school special; AOPA is the fair weather friend and we’re the not so attractive but reliable types that are easy to take advantage of. Unfortunately, there’s an issue with this too. We lowly membership types can no longer afford multiple magazine subscriptions. Therefore, with AOPA Pilot starting to look like other magazines that cover real aviation, more substance will have to be added to the lobbying side of the operation if they are to retain subscribers, err, members. Why? Because they have a new competitor; EAA.

Have you heard? Sport Aviation is moving away from grass roots. You haven't? Well yeah, there is new leadership at EAA and although Sport Aviation technically has an Executive Editor, other people in the building insist on playing that role too. Therefore, like a pinball, Sport Aviation is along for the ride in a game of executive bumpers. But maybe I am ahead of myself.

Some time ago, a new Executive Director was brought in to Sport Aviation in an effort to rebuild the heart of a dying magazine. That person, for all practical purposes, did just that. Then a new President came along. He, and perhaps along with a few others, had something different in mind.

Being a business person, and therefore someone who needs benchmarks to keep score and earn bonuses, he began making many changes to the organization behind the scenes. Expenses were cut and potential profits were identified. The magazine would play a large role in the later. But again, I am ahead of myself.

Do you know how a President of a non-profit like EAA is judged by its members? Historically, although you may not wish to admit it, it has been memberships. One of AOPA’s past Presidents, John Baker, is well known for reminding his employees of this fact. “We’re not in the aviation business. We’re in the membership business”, he would say. And quite honestly, there is some truth to that. The question arises though, for what purpose are you in the membership business?

Now, understanding how a President is judged, put yourself in Rod Hightower’s shoes and find yourself a new batch of members with which to make your mark. Where would you look? What areas would you pursue? Do you have suggestions?

Well, this is how I think they now see it at HQ. They’ve had the homebuilders for years and they’re cheap. The vintage folks are the old timers who only want to talk about EAA’s past. And the warbird folks have run free for too long thus getting the best of everything while giving the least return. What does that leave EAA? The answer may frighten you but Sport Aviation has a new directive; focus on “The North-Forty”.

If you don't know what “The North-Forty” is, to regulars of Oshkosh, that’s Airventure to three or four of you, The North-Forty is the northernmost East to West parking area where modern flying machines, built on assembly lines, park. Fuel injection, turbo-chargers, aluminum, composites, glass panels, twin-engines, large N-numbers, and even jet fuel are likewise common to the area.

Now, if you know EAA, and you have a good feeling for what EAA is, then you likely see a problem. If Ferrari said it was going to focus on mass producing mid size, low performance, four door sedans for the broader American market, would you recognize that for the colossal mistake it was? Porsche tried something similar with the 924, and 914 before that, and it nearly killed the company. Why? Because that simply is not the business of Porsche. Likewise, the North-Forty is not what EAA does.

If you think I’m looking down on The North-Forty, think again. Those machines and their older brothers make up the majority of aviation. What they aren’t though is fitting material for Sport Aviation. If you don’t believe me, turn to page 25 of the November 2011 Sport Aviation. Look at that article and ask yourself if that piece belongs in that magazine. Does it feel right? No, of course not, its presence is a joke, and the fact the manufacturer has been around a hundred years does not make it appropriate. Furthermore, putting this nose-wart twenty pages from a full page add for the same manufacturer does not disguise what is going on here. Pay to print publishing has arrived, Sport Aviation is being rebuilt, and soon your beloved EAA magazine will be a mainstream aviation publication. What? You don’t believe me?

When I received this issue of Sport Aviation, I put it in my flight bag and took it to work. Over the next week, I showed the article to fellow pilots and asked them to guess what magazine I was holding. Amazingly, every single one of them, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, twelve total, made the same three guesses: AOPA Pilot, Flying, and Plane and Pilot.

If you pay close attention to the aviation publication industry, those results are not a good sign for Sport Aviation. But maybe you’re thinking that little experiment proves nothing. And you know what, it alone does not. But mark my words, that is what’s going on. Just look at their recent acquisition.

J. Mac McClellan has been a staple of the mainstream aviation publication industry (read boring) for a very long time. But, where was he before Sport Aviation? That’s right, Flying Magazine was his home and that is what he was hired to bring to EAA; Flying Magazine content. And why was he hired to bring Flying Magazine content to EAA? Because the North-Forty is the new largely unspoken vector for Sport Aviation. And why is the North-Forty the new direction? Because EAA is no longer in the aviation business, it is in the membership business.

Now folks, I’m going to say it again, this is a bad idea. Not only does this put EAA on a direct course with AOPA, a supposed new ally, it also has EAA trolling a segment of the industry in which it simply has no experience. It is not what EAA does. It is not what keeps EAA alive. And, if executives continue this pursuit, I believe it will be the ultimate downfall of the intent of EAA. I don’t care in how many issues of Sport Aviation, Vintage, IAC, or Warbirds, articles about PT-17’s appear. They will not disguise the fact that EAA is moving away from grass roots aviation and they will certainly not hide the fact who took us there.

As members of the Grass Roots segment of Aviation, we find ourselves in perilous times. Over-regulation, agencies such as the TSA, and a weak economy continue to swing at us with all they have. Yet that I can handle. It’s the thought of EAA and AOPA taking us down with the misuse of our money and trust that I cannot.

What other surprises are in store members?

Dreams of My Feathers

2011-11-08T13:58:00.001-05:00

Ever so often, a dream is so vivid I am compelled to write it down. My latest was, are you ready for this, about flying. Having recently reviewed my resume and all the experiences that go with it, apparently my mind has been working hard to put it all together as I sleep.

Take charter and 121 airline ops, airport management, tourism, and marketing experience, plus thousands of hours of general aviation flying, combine them into one position and you have only one option; a consultant for the expansion of aviation in China.

The dream started with Ginger and myself being approached by officials who were looking for someone with a broad background in aviation. Over dinner, we were told of aggressive plans to expand Chinese general aviation in five stages over five years; long term strategy, expansion of ATC and weather reporting infrastructure, airport location scouting and construction, aviation tourism development, and flight training were the stages. Then we were asked, “Are you interested?”

After of week of discussing what it would take for us to accept their offer, we met again with officials to negotiate details.

Our list was simple: we each make $300,000 per year tax free, free health care in any country, two homes (it’s a large country), full expense account, a budget for a world class museum and airshow (tourism development), and a fleet of aircraft for our exclusive use. We would need a CL-215T, C-46, OV-10, one Helio Courier on floats, matching T-38s, and a fully restored P-61. Additionally, a museum would be built at Lee Bottom and given a $500,000 million dollar starter budget for our team to work with while we are gone. With these items agreed to, we would rent out our house immediately and move to China for five years in an effort to expand GA in that country.

Staring at the list for at least a full five minutes, some whispering was exchanged by the ambassadors, and then one question was asked, “If we agreed to this, would you be open to flying the machines in the museum?”

I'm going back to sleep.

Confined to the Clouds

2011-11-08T12:15:00.000-05:00

Sitting alone at the table, spread before me was a life; two years of mine to be precise. Summoned to answer questions, logbooks, tattered charts, and scraps of paper were my witnesses, my alibi. Thankfully, the large pile of evidence meant the inquiries, where was I, and, what exactly had I been doing, were questions I could answer. Unfortunately, they would take a while.

Six blocks across and six down filled the page I was tasked with completing. Seven long lines ran horizontally below. Across the top, instructions read “Fill in the time grid below. Then, list all aircraft flown in the last two years”.

If you hate being a number, time grids are the worst. Take numbers, assign them numbers, and you have the essence of a grid. Write just one and suddenly, without concern for its self-worth, hour number 11,253 becomes applicant number 2198. Hour number 3187 and what you did to survive is now merely one hour of Part 121, point six of instrument, and one hour of FMS time. How you handled fifty passengers, another pilot, and an airframe that was along for a ride in level six weather and managed to come out alive is insignificant. Yes, even your numbers are numbers. Desperate for a way to stand out, I stared out the window in thought. A bright yellow Mustang drove by.

“List all aircraft flown in the last two years”. Were the streets outside filled with Model A Fords, I would own this moment. Upon completion, nearly thirty planes served as reference for two years of my life. Friends far and wide, machines rare and exotic, and once in a lifetime experiences were marked by each type. And yet, in this world, mine is not an amazing life, nor is it even a useful one. It is what it is; a telegram applying for the position of email, a man of yesterday in search of tomorrow. A life that was over before it came to be.

To all of you who have trusted me with your planes, I want to thank you again for the experience. Like a raindrop to a fish out of water, each flight was an avgas boost to my spirit. I am not a wealthy man, someone of importance, nor am I even the son or relation of someone important to the community. And yet, you have allowed me to fly machines in which most pilots are excited to sit. I am what I am; a pilot. Confined to the clouds, my soul exists, while my body goes to work, and you were kind enough to notice.

Rent a Home Near Lee Bottom

2011-11-08T10:11:00.000-05:00

Looking for a home near an airport? We may have what you want.

Before it is released to the local market, Ginger and I would like to let everyone know we have a nice home for rent just down the road from the airport. It has around 2000 sq.ft, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, eat in kitchen, fireplace, deck that over looks the river bottom, and possibly hangar space that could be rented. If there is anyone out there who is interested let us know. It would make a great place for a retiree, someone who wishes to get away occasionally, or a local pilot who doesn’t mind the drive to Louisville or Cincinnati.

Louisville is a one hour drive, Cincinatti is a 1 1/2 hour drive, and Indy is two hours. At Lee Bottom, the cost of living is good, the stars can be seen at night, and it is quiet. $600 per month plus utilities with a minimum year’s lease.

Terror Threat - What Do You Think?

2011-10-21T18:40:00.000-04:00

Ever so often, some occurrence in your life leaves you with questions; questions that breed questions. This summer such a thing came my way.

Back in February, I made a decision to hit as many aviation events as I possibly could during the year. Doing my best to coordinate with scheduling for time off, and by making every effort to drop trips (sacrifice work to someone who wanted it), I was able to attend many large and small airshows. It was during one of these, on an otherwise typical day of aviation, when I received a call from a friend.

Sitting in the grass answering a question about flying wires, I excused myself and picked up the phone. Having not even finished the word “Hello”, I was caught off guard when the voice on the other end jumped right in to let me know I really needed to come see what he was up to over in a remote corner of the airport. Doing my best to remember his directions, I then sat out to find him.

Looking forward to seeing whatever crazy project my friend was involved with, you can imagine my surprise when I found him sitting on a picnic table doing nothing but engaging in small talk.

Sensing my curiosity, he then told me, casually, his phone call was intended to lure me away from the more crowded area of the event. The reason for this? There had been a credible terrorist threat against the airshow and, according to him, if I didn’t believe him all I had to do was look at the small control tower. What I saw, with the use of my long camera lens, were soldiers better known as snipers.

Not one of the actual snipers

Now, quite honestly, while I was straining to see the large caliber rifles placed on high, two things went through my mind; “This is crazy” and “I have great friends.” Later though, I would have questions.

The next day, like every other good American, I had almost forgotten the previous day’s terrorist threat. Then I learned it had been considered serious enough to be escalated to the Governors office along with several other government agencies, and that the “soldiers” were back. That’s when the questions that breed questions entered my mind.

Should the crowd have been told? Were event officials right to keep the secret? And how did I feel about knowing of this threat, when others did not?

The pluses and minuses of informing attendees about a credible terrorist threat vs. not informing them are numerous. And although I’m sure the airshow officials went through them all, ultimately they chose not to inform. What would you do?

If you blurted out an answer, I would caution you rethink it. Making such a decision might initially seem easy but I believe arriving at the best answer to be much harder. Some may say the airshow should be obligated to notify the crowd and that to not do so is negligent. Yet, when you enter such an event, are you not accepting the risk of being part of such a large target and, could you not be considered a bigger target if you were crammed together at an exit trying to leave after having been told of such a threat? The possibilities are endless for both arguments. It is a very tough call.

Every potential plus to notifying attendees comes with a negative. For example, how exactly do you notify a complete airshow crowd? If you blurt it out over the PA system, you risk it sounding like a “take cover” message that causes panic. If you designate people to spread the word you risk taking too long or not getting the message to everyone. And if you post a sign at every vendor’s booth, then you simply risk missing the people on the flight line. So what do you do?

What if you manage to notify everyone? What happens? Do they panic? What if media outlets exploit it to the point people are scared to go to any airshows? Would TSA use it as an excuse to get involved with security? And worse yet, would someone or some insignificant group demand that all attendees of such events be screened by TSA? These are all valid questions.

How about the vendors? Things have been tough in aviation and losing out on the income from a false alarm could be a major blow to them. In some towns, the airshow is significant enough to affect the entire local and regional economy. What if an event is essentially cancelled due to a “threat” and the loss of revenue trickles down to job losses? This is a valid concern.

Then of course there is all the money that was spent on the event. It may seem callous to think of dollars during such a situation but what if those dollars belonged to a non-profit that used the airshow to raise money for homeless children, battered wives, or even an aviation lobbying group. The first two are obvious heart string pullers but the last one might be hard to understand. Yet, what if a favorite aviation lobbying group had a major loss on this event due to a false alarm and in the end did not have enough funds to defeat a new user fees bill? This could trickle down to all of aviation. It is a valid concern.

Worst case, let’s say you notified everyone, people left, vendors lost money, the event lost money, airshows nationwide took it on the chin, politicians insisted that all airshows have TSA screening, and crowds were thinner next year because airshows were now considered terror targets, all for a false alarm that didn’t even scrape someone’s knee? Is that the worst case?

What if you notified everyone, people panicked, attendees were trampled, a bomb went off at the gate through which everyone was attempting to leave, the airshow was cancelled, vendors lost money, the event lost money, airshows nationwide took it on the chin, politicians insisted that all airshows have TSA screening, and crowds were thinner next year because airshows were now considered terror targets, and twenty people were killed? Would the lawyers and politicians look at the event and say “You know what, they notified everyone, they did their part, so let’s just all leave them alone”? No way in hell would that happen.

Ultimately, there are situations that leave you damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Yet I believe there is an answer to this problem that may not be that obvious. It requires guts, principles, and a desire to do what is best for everyone even though it may cause a little grief up front. Here it is: If the event in question was yours, admit it was, and then take the lead in common sense airshow security. I believe it would be much easier than you think.

For starters, you could tell everyone the measures that were taken to secure the event. Next, you could express how difficult the decision was and then lay it on the line with a letter.

“Dear Airshow Attendees;
Life has risks. It is time we all admit it. Large gatherings of people, such as the one at our event, make desirable targets for anyone, or any group, wishing to cause mayhem. That is clearly and well understood by us and, as always, we will continue to provide a security presence for the event. But just so we’re clear, no amount of security can keep a crowd safe. Ultimately, your safety in such a group is a risk you are willing to take when you step onto these grounds and into such a group. You should educate yourself on these risks, learn to spot potential threats, and consider yourself in charge of your safety. With a people educated and self-responsible, together we can provide the common sense security that will keep us as safe as possible without the down side of giving in to or self-imploding events like these in the name terror (Post at every entrance and exit).” With that produced, follow it up with an open discussion.

Yes, that’s right; I believe the solution to this problem is an adult conversation on the subject. The ups and downs of both sides are debatable but preparing people for the possibility is not. Do it now and, should another threat happen, the answers will come much easier for everyone.

What do you think?

Rumor Has It

2011-10-21T16:45:00.000-04:00

It’s no secret that I’m a big proponent of private companies taking the lead in the space race. All one has to do is study history to see that when private companies take charge, the race accelerates. Yes, those who are incapable of studying history, always point to the disasters and accidents that befell private entities competing in any challenge. But what those people fail to understand is that setbacks are the signposts of growth.

Do something big and you can expect something big to go wrong. Aviation has a long and dubious record of such things. Historically though, one thing, above all else, has continually plagued aviation; powerplants. Early on it was the mere existence, or lack thereof, of powerplants that bound man to short glides. When that problem was solved, the issue of reliability reigned supreme. Finally, with dependability nurtured to acceptable levels, only one issue was left, engines with enough fortitude to power the machines our minds could dream up. Unfortunately, this final frontier refuses to go away.

Airframes that never went airborne due to the lack of appropriate powerplants would make a multi-volume novel. For whatever reason, human capabilities have no limits when it comes to creating the next jump in airframe technology. Yet, those same capabilities turn into limits when it comes to squeezing more power from the laws of physics. Or maybe the mind is simply more capable of dreaming up the dream than the how to. Whatever the case, one thing holds true with any flying machine; no matter how amazing the airframe, it is the powerplant that makes it all work.

Could Spaceship Two be next?

With great hopes for their success, I have watched Virgin Galactic’s operation. Organizations like this are the future of space transportation. They also serve as the only hope I’ll ever have of ever making it into space. So, as you can imagine, when I recently got wind from two different sources that Spaceship Two is falling prey to the final frontier of powerplants, I felt bad for all those involved.

What exactly did I hear? The rumor is, and I stress rumor, that the powerplant is not producing the thrust required and that a new powerplant may have to be designed and the spaceship redesigned to hold it. If true, that would be a huge setback. Wanting to know the truth, I contacted Virgin Galactic. What I got in return was a promise to discuss my question that never happened.

If like me you’ve been watching Virgin Galactic, you may have noticed the press releases about all aspects of the operation minus one, Spaceship Two. Although I cannot imagine how they would keep it quiet were such a problem to exist, several things appear to support something is up with the craft. I hope the rumors are wrong. I really want that flight into space.

Airport Closing Temporarily for Maintenance

2011-10-13T10:33:00.001-04:00

As you read in a previous post, we are currently doing some extensive work on the runway and parking areas in an effort to bring them back to our high standards. Up to this point, we have been able to do most of this work between operations but now we find ourselves running out of time. Therefore, we have decided to close the airport for a day or two in order to help us finish quickly.

By closing the airport, we will be able to work non-stop on our projects without the interruptions that are caused by landing aircraft. Although it doesn’t seem like much, having to leave the runway area for just one aircraft operation can really put you off course when attempting to sew a specific rate of seed over a specific area of turf. And since we often get fairly busy during the day, the operations can easily turn a three hour job into six.

It's That Time of the Year - Again

2011-10-13T10:25:00.000-04:00

After working year round to provide a green getaway for all of our aviation family, the grass has earned its annual fall days at the spa.

Over the past couple years, the grass has taken a beating. It went something like this: a record amount of airplane landings followed by flooding rains, then more record amounts of landings followed by a drought, then more flooding rains followed with a banner year of aircraft mixed with a drought. For humans this would be equivalent to being on a starvation diet, then running a marathon and a daytime dessert hike back to back without any water to drink.

Needless to say, the grass became very stressed over the past 30 months. Because of this, we have a bumper crop of warm season weed grasses we are trying to get under control. If we do not do something about it, we run the risk of this invasive weed taking over the entire airport. Those who don't deal with this on a daily or annual basis may look at the green grass and think it looks good. But that is not the case. This weed resembles the blades of grass that you land on during the warm summer season and then it goes into hibernation and turns brown as the temperatures drops below 55 degrees. The brown patches are hideous. Therefore, we've contracted with a company to apply a new herbicide this fall and hopefully again next spring that should help us eliminate this nasty little pest.

We are also aerating, overseeding at 3 times our normal annual rate, and applying a new form of fertilizer to feed the grass much needed nutrients.

With all this work, you might also notice a few areas where there is straw on the ground. These were the areas most torn up during the damp days of the annual fly-in. We ask that you use due diligence around these areas to not blow the straw. In these areas there are delicate blades of young grass trying to make it. Prop blast can cause the straw to go blowing and these younglings will lose their warm blankets which are there to help them get through the upcoming cooler months.

Thanks again to everyone who contributed to the Airport Operation Fund. As you can see, we put every penny right back into the grounds.

One Giant Leap for Aviation

2011-10-07T21:10:00.001-04:00

Last month I was lucky enough to spend a great deal of my time flying around in old airplanes. Because of that, some great little news stories came my way that I was too busy to put to words. One of those came in the form of photos.

While polishing, to the best of my ability, a large shiny spinner, a faint tone emanated from my phone sitting on the wing. Wiping the remaining black residue from the mirror like finish, I dropped the rag, grabbed my phone, sat down, and opened the digital package. It was from Addison Pemberton and anything from him gets my full attention. Why? He loves old planes?

Once opened, I found two files attached to the email plus a statement, “See 2 pictures taken by Liz Matzelle at the Historic Flight museum during the wonderful “vintage airplane weekend” hosted by the very kind and generous John Sessions at Paine Field north of Seattle. As you can see, I had the good fortune to fly formation with Clay Lacy in his DC-2 with the Boeing 40 which shows these two historic aircraft in their true element.”

Obviously, the two pictures are quite stunning. Yet, after seeing them, I had a question for Addison that I hoped would add to the photo’s story. In what years were these flying machines manufactured?

When he responded, the answer was as interesting as I suspected. His Model 40 Boeing was built in 1928 and the DC-2 was built in 1934, only six years apart! But that’s not all; the last Model 40’s were built in 1931 and the DC-1 that became the DC-2 first flew in 1933. Therefore, the leap from single engine, commercial, ragwing, biplane, passenger hauler all the way to the twin engine, aluminum, monoplane DC-1(DC-2) was only two short years apart! Just look at the photos and try to imagine what a leap of that caliber would be today.

Thanks again to Addison for sharing the photos and this unique look into aviation history.

Driving To The Fly-In?

2011-09-20T03:35:00.001-04:00

If you are planning to attend the 15th Annual Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels Fly-In by car or camper, please remember the number of tickets available are limited.

If you want to drive in and camp these slots are limited to 30 with many already taken. And, although not as limited, the number of drive in tickets for the fly-in is restricted to 750. So again, if you want to attend by car or camper and you want to make sure you have a spot, your best bet is to purchase your tickets in advance online by clicking here. Camper slots are getting thing.

Thank You Army for Listening

2011-09-20T03:34:00.000-04:00

When you host a large aviation event, you never like to see mass NOTAMS warning of large military training exercises in your area. That’s what recently happened to us.

Arriving in the mail, a few months back we received an envelope with printed NOTAM information. Basically, all the MOA’s to our north were going to be active for training UN pilots in American airspace during the time of the fly-in. You see, not that long ago, the military made a massive unnecessary airspace grab in our area that places MOA’s well over a hundred miles wide to our north.

When we wrote to describe our objections to this NOTAM and planned military exercise due to traffic that would be enroute to the fly-in, we didn’t hold out much hope for a response. Amazingly though and to our surprise, very soon after that letter left the mailbox we received a call from the Army’s Matt Sweeney. He had a question; what can I do to help? Yes, you read that right, his question was “What can I do to help?”

I must admit, at first I was doubtful. But sensing this, Mr. Sweeney stopped the conversation and explained. Apparently, the military has been taking heat from people like us for their airspace grabs and exercises. If you weren’t aware of it, the government took a lot of airspace a few years back with little to no fight from our aviation groups. Some even said our military needed this space but they seem to have forgotten we won the Cold War with much less. Unfortunately, being politically connected in the way our aviation groups are is not always a good thing. Often it means they give in to easy to their friends in D.C. and leave the real fight to the little people who are paying their salaries. Anyway, it was clear to me that for some reason, in this fight, we had a new friend.

Mr. Sweeney then went on to explain the Army had realized if they didn’t start working with people like us, then we as citizens would beat on our Congressional Representatives doors enough to where they could start losing more than just airspace. Therefore, they found people like Mr. Sweeney and put him in charge of solving this problem.

Now, before I to on to tell you how helpful Mr. Sweeney was, I would like to take this moment to say "you're welcome" to all those people who get upset when folks like me kick and scream about such things as airspace grabs. Personally, I’ve just had it with people who see the government like an alcoholic wife beating husband we shouldn’t question because he might get upset and start beating us. Sitting in a corner hoping you never get beat again while thinking about how nice they are when they aren’t high on booze (power) is the first paragraph in the novel titled “How to Lose”.

Opposing the book “How to Lose” is one titled “How to Win”. The first paragraph in that hard back is titled “Never Give Up”. If you don’t want aviation to die, don’t give up, raise the pressure, and as much as you may not like it, you have to realize politics will either be the end or saviour of aviation. Turning a back to it solves nothing. Take this case for example. Mr. Sweeney did everything he could to make sure our event was not effected. That didn’t happen because the Army looked around and said, “What could we do to make an individual’s day brighter?” Instead, they simply realized the power of citizens and did what they could so resolve those problems. But don't get me wrong; the military isn't the enemy.

I personally do not believe the military looks for ways to anger citizens. Instead, I think the most likely reason for mistakes made in the past by the military is the sign of an organization with no citizen participants. To be represented, people must give their input. Therefore, when people assume anyone, anything, or any organization is going to take care of them and that they do not need to stay up to date on the subject matter or give their input, then it is quite easy for a person or organization, such as the Army, to become out of touch. That’s how you end up with bad policy.
Yet, when citizens take an active role you get what you have here. The Army is being proactive and being a friend to us. This is great. I love it. And I hope it continues.

OH WAIT! I left out the best part. Mr. Sweeney said that because of the fly-in, they were going to limit, during daylight hours, the hot airspace to 5000' and above and would not be using the A and B MOAs they had planned to make "hot" during the fly-in and the week leading up to it so that all our traffic would be able to traverse the area with no issues. Don't forget, there are one or two RESTRICTED areas to the north that you cannot pass through. But those have been there a long time and are not very big.

IMPORTANT Fly-In Notes That Don't Fit Elsewhere.

2011-09-20T02:44:00.001-04:00

The following items are important things to know and or things we hope you will enjoy or use:

There will be a charging station for cell phones and electronics during the fly-in. It is being organized and run by instructors and students at the Shawnee Aviation Program. It will be open on Friday from 5-7pm, Saturday 8-8, and Sunday 8-Noon. We hope this is a useful service. Be sure to let us know how it goes.

In recent years everyone has been getting rental cars and therefore nobody has been using the shuttle to local hotels. Therefore, this year we are not having a shuttle this. If you need one, let us know as soon as possible by email.

This year is the 100th Anniversary of the first air mail flight and we will be fortunate enough to have a 1928 mail plane on hand for it. Look for the vintage Stearman by the Lee Bottom Family Member tent. If you contributed to the airport operation fund this year (2011), be sure to stop by the tent to pick up some items that will recognize you as someone who made a special effort to see there is a future for this fine little airport. Thanks again for your support.

We will once again have an ice chest on hand with bags of ice for sale.

There are several new Lee Bottom Apparel items in the store we're sure you'll like. All apparel sales revenue goes toward paying fly-in bills. Therefore, any time the fly-in is over and we are out of shirts, caps, and sweatshirts it is a good thing. Please take time to look through the store near registration to pick out something special for yourself or that special someone you left at home to feed the dog.

Please be sure to Register. Yes, when you register you also pay for your fly-in ticket. But registering is also how you get on the list for the limited edition calendars and for airport updates. Please do not attend without registering and paying. The funds go directly to paying fly-in bills so that we can have another fly-in for you to enjoy. No bucks, no Buck Rogers

Once again, there will be no fuel on hand at the fly-in. Self-serve fuel is available seven miles north at Madison (IMS).

If you want to see all the minute details on everything fly-in associated, please see the website. There you will also find the suggested arrival procedures.

Some local guys will have a collection of old one lung engines and other assorted items on display down by the red brick house. Please be sure to go down there and ask them to fire one up for you. They love to show these things off and share them with others.

Will You Be Here?

2011-09-20T02:14:00.001-04:00

The 15th Annual Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels Fly-In is only a few short days away (September 23-25). Will you be here?

As of today, the weather looks great and we've been hearing from friends everywhere they plan to be here. Will you be?

Some very nice flying machines and some great people are planning to attend. Will you be here?

We hope you will.

Volunteers Already Hard at Work

2011-09-20T01:45:00.000-04:00

Since early last week, volunteers have been coming and going from the airport to help prepare for your visit. One group of long time supporters were here last week to put up the showers, some folks from another EAA chapter dropped by to help with odd jobs, other friends helped us mark off the aircraft parking, and still others pulled tables and chairs out of storage to set up the outdoor cafe.

One friend, Charlie Laird, was even on his way to California in his Champ but stopped along the way to help out for a day. I'm sure emptying trash cans wasn't among the items he planned to do but, like so many others, he didn't complain. He even asked for more.

Thanks to everyone who has helped so far and to the rest of you, in advance, for your assistance during the upcoming days.

Aircraft Parking Volunteers Needed

2011-09-20T00:53:00.000-04:00

It is unusual for us to be short of aircraft parking volunteers but this year we are. Fortunately though, other areas of the event which are usually understaffed have plenty of help this year. So, if you have experience parking airplanes, or you are willing to learn on your feet, and you are in pretty good shape, then we could use your help.

Our needs are pretty specific. Friday evening and Saturday morning is where we are short. Therefore, you would also need to be available to volunteer during one or both of these times. If you feel you could be of help, please let us know by clicking here to email.

Volunteers get in free, get a free Lee Bottom shirt sponsored by Barfing Bee Honey, and if you volunteer on Saturday morning you get lunch.

First Ever Fly-In Wedding

2011-09-20T00:21:00.000-04:00

Through the years, many couples have come to Lee Bottom for romantic get-a-ways. Some have brought picnics, many have come on first dates, and quite a few have actually popped the question. Yet nobody has ever been married here. Well, that's about to change.

Jeff Moum and Jamie Litchfield recently visited the airport with our friend Rev. Jackie Litchfield Apted to discuss their wedding. Wanting something very simple and also memorable, they were curious if they could get married during the fly-in. Our answer of course was yes, and now Lee Bottom, and the fly-in, is set to have its very first wedding.

If you are here at 6PM on the Saturday of the fly-in, stop what you are doing and come see this couple say I do.

Fly-In Food

2011-09-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that getting a good food vendor for our fly-in has always been a headache. For as many reasons as you can imagine, the task has always required far too much time and effort on our part. Therefore, this year we set out to find a vendor that would handle all the food and everything to do with it. Not only does this free up our time, but it also offers some benefits to you, the fly-in attendees.

This year you no longer have to pre-purchase food tickets. Although you will be able to buy them in advance from the vendor while here on the field, you do not have to RSVP or pre-purchase any food. This frees you up to eat on your schedule. Then, in order to handle the changing consumption patterns, food concessions will be open from Friday noon to the end of breakfast on Sunday (closed only at night). So, look for continuous food availability during regular hours and hopefully less hassle.

If you want more information on the menu or hours, click here for a detailed page of food information. And free feel to tell us how you feel the new food setup is working.

An Awesome Machine

2011-09-06T10:08:00.000-04:00

On the way home from Oshkosh, my brother John and I stopped at Poplar Grove. While there we were treated very well as I was offered the chance to fly this amazing Waco SRE. Thanks to Steve and Tina for the opportunity.

If you want to read more about our trip from Oshkosh to Poplar Grove, check out the Lee Bottom Flying Field facebook page or check out the blog online.