Runway Improvement project at KLBE

I just wanted to give details about the upcoming improvement project on Runway 23-5 at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport.
As some already have heard, the runway will be closed from September 12th - 20th. The project will entail milling 1" off the entire runway, repaving with a 2" layer and painting the runway markings and resetting the runway lighting system.

The runway will be renumbered 24/6. Why? Here is the explanation in a nutshell:

• NOAA, NOS, and NGS (see below) provide the magnetic variation information, and publish it every five years. They work with a bunch of different offices, and different branches of the military as they make adjustments. When a determination is made that a runway number should be changed, they coordinate with several other groups (such as AeroNav Products, OSG-FPT, the applicable Airport Traffic Service Area Office, and the Airports Division), to choose the actual number used, based on "careful consideration and evaluation of a number of factors" and then to make the actual changes in charting, runway markings and signs, etc.

• They are supposed to change it when it is more than three degrees off from what it is should to be. AC 150/5340-1L - Standards for Airport Markings contains the official runway designator rules (paraphrased): If the actual magnetic course of the runway ends in 5, it can use either number, otherwise you round to the closest runway number (there are some variations for special cases like parallel runways and such, but this covers most runways). So in your example, 145 is still valid as runway 14, and they wouldn't need to change it until it exceeds 148 deg. In your case, the annual rate of change for Farmingdale airport (as of 2010) is 0.0 deg East, so I don't see that happening for awhile. 

After careful consideration, it was decided that closing the runway to do the work would be better in the long run. Closing the runway and performing work each night, then opening back up for day operations, would take longer and not be as efficient. The construction company will be working non-stop on the project. Weather permitting, it is possible that the project "could" be completed sooner than the 20th but there is no guarantee. It is wise to plan accordingly if you are anticipating a trip in your airplane during that period of time. 

Colorado Airports

While in Colorado, we had a little time from our intended trip duties to visit the Denver area. I weasled my brother into taking us to a couple of the small airports located in the area. We headed to the northwest corner of Denver to visit the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Jefferson County between Dever and Boulder. It was formerly known as Jeffco Airport; the name was changed in 2006.
It's a pretty cool airport to visit. Actually, I had been there previously (another weasel trip with my brother). As we drove into the entrance, we headed to the general parking. Straight ahead, the apron and runways and to our left a building that housed the local FBO, Denver Air Center. Located on the upper level is the Runway Grill. It's a great place to eat and it has a deck overlooking he apron and runways. You can sit, enjoy a meal and watch the activities on the airport.
I was struck by the amount of activity. We enjoyed watching airplanes taking off, taxiing, landing and performing touch and goes. A Robinson R-44 helicopter was performing maneuvers on the far runway.

Below, in the parking lot, I noticed a big black SUV and driver, dressed in suit pants and white shirt with a neatly groomed ponytail. He was wiping it with a cloth ever so carefully. I thought it rather odd until a jet landed and proceeded to taxi to the apron to park. The driver hustled to get his suit jacket on and ready to drive to the airplane to greet the passengers. The flight had originated from Santa Monica.


Often the non-flying public has a hard time recognizing the airport as a vital and valuable asset. Some neighborhoods fight to close an airport; some fight to keep them open because they see the economic benefits of having a genera aviation airport.
















By comparison to airports back in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Rocky Mountain was bustling with activity. My observation: the bleak economy hasn’t affected this area based on the numerous airplanes coming and going during our hour visit.

During the hub bub of activity, I noticed a DC-3 parked on the north ramp. We headed over to check it out.



 
This airport is very visitor friendly. Parents bring their children to airports to get them interested in aviation. It’s a fascinating hobby and many pilots have gone on to a career in aviation because of their exposure to flight. I applaude small airports for their accessability for both adults and children.

We left the airport, satisfied from the aviation interaction - eye candy to a pilot. :)


 

 

 

America by land

John and I headed out on a journey across the country, by car, to Colorado in August. Why didn't we fly? You know the old pilot saying, "if you have to positively be there by a certain date, drive".  Hence, we decided to four wheel it. We planned on invading my brother and family in a Denver suburb.
I'm a curious sort. Even though we didn't fly, I still find it fun to pick out what airports we're going to pass by along our route. As we drove through Kansas, I noted a small airport close to Route 70 on my GPS close to Topeka. I said "there's an airport just over there" (pointing to my right). We should just stop and check it out. Surprisingly, John steered the car off the exit ramp and we were headed to explore places unknown.
As we inched our way into the parking lot, the relatively new terminal building beckoned. I couldn't wait to get inside to investigate. As we entered, we noticed a woman accompanied two young boys. They were checking out things in the lounge area. I struck up a conversation with Grandma.  She said the boys were up visiting and were headed back home in Texas. It turns out Grampa was out on the ramp preflighting the plane . As he entered the building he announced "is everyone ready for the flight"? The boys, eager to fly, ran to the door. They kissed Grandma goodbye and headed to the plane. I watched as the grandfather carefully seated the boys into the plane.
We waited to see the plane start up and take off. That accomplished, we headed to the car and continued on our way west.    

The entrance to the Terminal building at KLWC

      




Aviation-themed bench

Sectional wall



Preflight performed and ready for launch

Anatomy of an accident (Part II) - repost from June2010

Okay, as you see, we were able to walk away without a scratch. The "dawg" is fine too. I don't know if she'd been having nightmares since the accident; or maybe she's just an utter wacko. But she thinks she's much wiser having gone through the near-death experience.

Through the process of analyzing the accident, as we tried to determine what happened, we learned a few things that I believe would be helpful to others who may experience a similar situation.

A lot happened within minutes after the accident. I have to say that the fire department was extremely quick to respond. I think we were out on the wing when we heard the sirens. As rapidly as they arrived, they applied foam in order to prevent a fire from erupting. Oh, and of course, the "news" helicopter was very prompt. We were surprised how quickly it appeared overhead.

We knew that there would be investigators from the FAA and the local Police interviewing each of us. Not the dog, though. She was busy running around the brush checking for birds. She wouldn't have been able to tell the police anything; she can't talk, nor can she fly.

The Penn Township Police officers were very nice and took information and a brief account of the accident. They gave us a business card and said "if you need anything, let us know". The next "interrogator" was from the FSDO. Actually, it wasn't a bad experience at all. The people from the FAA know "things happen"; they just want to find out how it happened so they can try to prevent future accidents. Fortunately, John and I are involved with the Wings Program and we keep current. Flying makes pilots proficient. What makes us somewhat unique is we want to know why things happen so that we can make sure we don't duplicate the act.

We also knew we would be contacted by the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) within days after the accident, to get our accounting of the accident.

The same day following the accident, John and I started to reconstruct the sequence of events. The facts were: the winds were coming from the west. The layout of the runway and airport would be conducive to the possibility of winds coming from all directions. As best we could conclude, either runway would work.

After all the excitement had subsided, John and I walked the runway to find clues, such as brake marks. As we traversed the path of the airplane we noticed nothing unusual. The plane simply went down the runway, across the grass and over the hill. No skid marks which would indicate there were no brakes. We knew that because we couldn't get any kind of braking action toward the end.

We talked and we tried to remember everything. Should we have gone around? Well, that was the first question out of those who witnessed and watched as we disappeared over the edge. Why didn't you go around? Interestingly enough, those who would ask that question wouldn't even think of doing touch and goes at this airport and most instructors in the area will not teach touch and goes at this airport.

During the sequence of events, John thought of a lot of possibilities. Do a go around? During the roll out, John thought "if I try to take off, there isn't enough runway to be successful". "What if I try to ground loop it? No, we had a lot of fuel and what if we ended up rolling upside down and got trapped?" Ride it out? A lot was going through his mind in a very short amount of time. Thankfully, he made the right choice given the circumstance.

I can name a few accidents where pilots chose to go around, even though they were on the ground, and ended up with disastrous results. Once home, John started researching articles and found pretty interesting information. The consensus from experts is that, if you are on the ground, stay there and ride it out. An accident is much more survivable when you do that. The alternatives we all read about.

Day two brought a new day of questions; and more research. The burning question still lingered - "what happened; what could we have done differently?" We headed out to the airport, once again, to look over the scene seeking answers. We got word that someone from the FAA had looked at the plane and declared that we had brakes. Now that was very perplexing news to us because we were in the plane we know we "didn't have brakes." John called the repair station that was going to fix the plane. After explaining what happened and the conflicting causes, John asked that the brakes be torn apart. We wanted to see them and try to figure out, if we had brakes, what caused them not to work. They were going to take the plane from the scene within the next few days and transport it to Allegheny County Airport (KAGC). The more we ran through the sequence of events; we were convinced we didn't have brakes.

John agonized about whether he did the right thing. Most logically-minded pilots we talked to said that we probably did the right thing; the damage was very minimal and we walked away from the crash unscathed. It doesn't help for others to judge or second-guess this kind of decision. In a lot of accidents, some things are blatantly obvious that the pilot made poor decisions and should have done something different to get a better outcome. But we are more cognizant that accidents are where you can learn things and it's better to leave the judging to the contest judges.

Once the plane was transported to KAGC and the mechanics started to look around, we insisted that they take a look at the brakes. We wanted to know. Once they tore apart the brakes, it was quite obvious what happened. During the weeks before the accident, the Club members were required to be checked out in it by the end of the month. Having a number of members flying the plane in a short amount of time, add to it 1/2 mile taxi one way to the active runway where the plane is based, the brakes will experience wear. People don't realize it but they can tend to ride the pedals when they taxi a plane. The mechanic found that the brake pads and rotors were worn beyond minimum limitations. Pictures were taken and sent to the NTSB investigator. After discussions with the mechanic and looking over the pictures,

he came to the conclusion that we "didn't have brakes." The Probable Cause on the NTSB website was listed as "Excessively worn brake pads and rotors which resulted in runway overrun."

What has been reinforced to me from this experience is when we fly, we need to always have our "MacGyver" file with us - that little box of knowledge in your brain that we may need to retrieve at any given situation. The way to build that file and be able to access it quickly is to be proficient. Read, talk, share and verify with other pilots and gain from their experiences; attend safety seminars when you can. In no time, your file box will grow and may just be there when you need it to save your ASSets.

Anatomy of an accident (Part I) (Repost from May2010)

I thought I'd write about an accident back in April 2006 at Greensburg-Jeannette Regional Airport 15 miles northwest of Latrobe. Even though it happened 4 years ago, I wanted to write about the event and the thought processes that one goes through post-accident.

Six months prior to this accident, I hit an 11-point buck upon landing at Rostraver airport. And no, I didn't hit it mid air. I can't tell you the number of times I got that question.

I digress. Since my airplane was down for repairs and major overhaul (here's a tip: if you're going to hit a deer, do it right before TBO), I was the passenger with John, my significant other. We were taking the Pittsburgh Flying Club Archer over to Greensburg-Jeannette Regional for an open house. There was a pretty hefty crosswind from the west

so either runway would have worked. There was a Cheetah taking off to the north (Runway 2 to those who like to visualize runway orientations).  John chose to use runway 2.  We came downwind, proceeded to the base then on to final. The swirling winds jostled the plane around; nothing unmanageable though.  As we approached the runway, the downdrafts pushed the plane toward the ground. John pulled the plane up in time to come over the numbers.

The winds got less squirrely just as we got over the numbers and we were able to touch down within the first 200 feet of the runway. Since the runway is 2,605 ft. that should be plenty of time to stop the plane; or so we thought. With the winds and a 2% downhill grade, it was going to get interesting.

As we rolled out, the plane started to decelerate, and as we approached the turn-off I noticed John gingerly applying brakes. As we passed the turn off, he was more frantic in his braking and announced "we have no brakes". "What do you mean we have no brakes?" "We have no brakes. Try your side." By this time, we're approaching the end of the runway. I stomped on the brakes on my side and got nothing. No little jerky braking action.... nothing. Nada; zip; zilch. By this time, there was not much to do but hang on and wait for the inevitable.

                                                                   

For those who are not aware of Greensburg-Jeannette Regional, it's basically on top of a hill with drop offs at both ends. I'd liken it to an aircraft carrier, only without water surrounding it. The drop off to the north is a little more steep with a heck of a lot of bumps, bushes and a bank of young trees at the bottom right before you end up in a barn. 

The airplane went off the end, initially wanting to become airborne, and then proceeded down the hill. I must say, it was a pretty rough trip. Since we were on the ground, we must have hit every rock and ditch located on that hillside. Toward the bottom, it was clear that we were going to hit into the bank of trees. There's not a whole lot you can do; you just have to ride it out and hope for the best.

And keep in mind, this all happened in front of about 15 pilots standing on the tarmac awaiting our arrival.

Now you can pretty much read into the scenario; there were going to be a lot of landing critiques.

The airplane finally ended up in the trees; an 8" trunk of a tree caught the wing root and abruptly stopped the momentum. The plane half spun around and came to rest slightly downhill. The items in the back seat, including a small dog that came along for the thrills, slid forward and landed on top of me. While we were assessing things, John yelled "get out, there's fuel coming in!" It turns out when the tree hit the wing root it breached the fuel tank.

I opened up the door and climbed out onto the wing; John gathered up the dog, brought her out onto the wing and tossed her to the ground. She looked back at him as if to say "hey, couldn't you, at least, give me a parachute?" John, then, helped me down off the wing. The plane wound up at the top of a three-foot bank so being on top of the wing, we were much higher off the ground.
 

Part II to follow..................

A Short Encounter (A repost from 2010)

A long time ago, a very good friend of mine suggested that I write a book someday. She was always amused at the short stories of my flying experiences. Perhaps that's why I started this blog. Maybe it was because my email list to relay upcoming events was slowly becoming shorter due to people changing their email addresses. Short explanation, the mailer demons were getting more frequent and driving me crazy.

So while I'm finishing the "Part II" of my accident story, (yes, I'm still working on it) I thought I'd talk about a flight to Clarksburg, WV a while back. A friend of mine, Chuck, asked if I'd be able to take him to Clarksburg for a meeting since his airplane was going through its annual inspection. I jumped at the chance because pilots are a crazy lot - they'd fly anywhere if given a chance. It's a good experience and adds another notch to the logbook entries.

I carefully planned out the flight and remembered to bring reading materials to give me something to do while I waited. I'd been to Clarksburg before so I'm not totally flying blind. I also know that it could be a quiet day with nothing to amuse me. I remember when I lived in Miami for a year back in the 70's, I was fascinated with aviation. The Boeing 747s had recently been designed and there were a few flights coming into Miami International. I used to drive down to the airport and sit in my car watching airplanes land and take off. I especially enjoyed watching the 747's come in. It was awesome.

Our family used to have a cottage along the Juniata River between Everett and Breezewood, PA. We would pack up the car and headed out for our weekend journey to the cottage. To my three siblings and I, we may as well have lived across the country. Children have no concept of time and travel. A couple miles seemed like an eternity to traverse. The cool thing about the trip for me was passing the Latrobe airport. I always crossed my fingers and hoped the timing would work out that when we got to that point, a small plane would fly over us. I thought that was a neat experience.

Okay, now that I've gone back in the time machine, I'll get back to my story. We landed in Clarksburg and I parked the plane in a space near the FBO. Chuck had prearranged to get picked up by the people he was meeting. As I watched them drive away, I grabbed an aviation magazine and plopped down on the bench alongside the FBO building facing the runway. It was a beautiful, summer morning and very quiet. I read an article and got up to stretch my legs.  A few doors down a hangar door was open and I noticed a mechanic there. It was a big corporate hangar and he was doing paperwork at a counter. I struck up a conversation with him. He asked where I was from. "Latrobe airport, I replied." I proceeded to tell him my purpose for being there. We chatted for a little bit and I headed back to the bench. Activity on the airport was now picking up. A few airplanes landed and taxied to their respective hangars. A couple airplanes had taken off to destinations unknown to me.

I read another article in the magazine I had, then walked over to my airplane to get a pice of gum. While I was standing there, I noticed a couple State Police officers emerge from the FBO and walk out on the ramp looking around. They disappeared back in through the door. Hmmm. They must have been looking for someone who hadn't arrived yet. I started to walk back to my "bench" and one of the officers came back out. He approached me and asked if I was with the Governor's detail. I replied that I was not. Convinced I was not a threat nor a secret governor envoy, he went back into the FBO office. As I was meandering the ramp, I detected what I thought was a band tuning up. ""Am I hearing things?" "What's going on?" Next thing I know, someone opened the door to the FBO and low and behold, the little band was inside. All of a sudden, activity picked up drastically. The band came out onto the ramp; a TV camera and news reporter came out. The news reporter grabbed my hand and said "Come on with us and meet the Governor." I told her "but I'm not from West Virginia." She said "That's okay." At that point in time, I noticed a King Air had landed and was taxiing to the ramp. The band began to play. The airplane shut down, the door was opened and out came the Governor, Gaston Caperton. He and his entourage passed by and into the FBO. The reporter and camera man headed to the grassy area outside the FBO and I followed. There were more people waiting in that area. The camera was rolling and the Governor emerged from the FBO. He began shaking hands of the group of people having little conversations with them. He came to me and asked my name and shook my hand. After a small speech, he got in the waiting limousine and drove off. I had a grin on my face because of the little charade that just occurred, but it was pretty cool. I wondered if anyone I knew from that area would be watching the news that evening only to see my mug talking to the Gov.

I returned to my bench and just sat and enjoyed the airport activity. An Army helicopter landed and got fuel; a few other airplanes landed; a jet arrived and dropped off their passengers and left. While I was reading a book I had taken with me, I noticed a yellow bi-plane had landed and taxied to the ramp and shut down. I noticed the gentleman hop out and the fuel truck pulled up to refuel him. He was holding an oil can when I walked over and sheepishly looked into the cockpit of the plane. It was a beautiful plane. I asked him if it would be okay to look into the cockpit. He said "sure!" As he was checking his oil, he asked where I was from. "Latrobe" I replied. "Ahhhh. I've been to Latrobe quite a few times" he told me. I complimented him on how beautiful his plane is and he thanked me. I walked around and was quite impressed with how well he had taken care of his plane. I noticed a picture on the side of the plane but I didn't pay too much attention to it. I asked him if he was based at Clarksburg. "No, I actually keep the plane in Summersville." I told him I had heard of Summersville but had never been there. The lineman showed up with the fuel bill and I told the gentlemen to have a nice flight. He replied "have a safe trip back to Latrobe; and tell Arnie I said "hi."
As I walked away, the mechanic I had befriended earlier in the day waved to me to come over. As I walked into the hangar he asked me if I knew who I was talking to. I said I didn't know his name but I was admiring his plane. The mechanic said "That's Stephen Coonts!
I said "who's that?".
He said "you don't know who Stephen Coonts is?"
I said "not really".
"He's a famous author. He wrote the Flight of the Intruder. And that's the Cannibal Queen!"

"Ahhhh. I guess I didn't really know but that's pretty cool." Hmm, just call me a goober for not knowing. I appreciate people who have notoriety but I don't slobber all over them. I do know some famous people but I respect their privacy. And so it goes. Mr. Coonts, wherever you are, it was a treasure to talk to you, albeit a short encounter.
My bench awaited me and I guess Chuck should be arriving any time now. I headed over to the plane and started my preflight. A half hour later, Chuck showed up. He apologized for being a little late and hoped that I wasn't too bored. I gave him an half grin. We got in the plane and taxied out. During our cruise back to Latrobe I recounted my "adventures" at the airport.

......one of the reasons why I love to fly.

The Reason We Fly (Repost from 2010)

A few weeks ago, we headed to Waynesburg Airport (KWAY) to watch John's son participate in a Cyclocross race conveniently located alongside the approach end of Runway 27.

The weather was perfect for the flight and produced ideal conditions for a Cyclocross race. Though, I have to qualify this because the racers, as in the past, have expected rainy weather. After all, one of the bicycle race circuits this time of year is called "Month of Mud".

We embarked on the 20-minute flight from Latrobe. The visibility was a million miles, accompanied by smooth morning air; one couldn't ask for better flight conditions. We landed, parked on the tarmac and walked to the biking venue. During the race, a number of airplanes landed. I heard a comment from a couple of cyclists who thought it was pretty cool to attend a bike race and be able to watch airplanes taking off and landing. Yes, I agree.

Between races, we sauntered over to the restaurant located on the field. John ordered a homemade burger that was nearly impossible to finish due to its size. Almost as entertaining was the group of pilots and friends, at a table near us, discussing flying and politics. Who needs Fox News when we have these guys?

After the race, we headed to the plane, did a preflight, and took off. As we climbed out we wagged the wings to say "nice racing guys and ladies".

A week later, I had to deliver some paperwork to a friend out in Harrisburg. Instead of putting the papers in the mail, we decided it would be a great little adventure to fly instead. The weather gods were with us, once again, and we launched from KLBE and proceeded to the "far east". We had a nice tail wind which turned the normally 55-minute trip into a 36-minute jaunt. (I know we're going to pay on the return trip).

 
It was pretty cool flying a wide left downwind to left base over the river, passing Three-Mile Island to our right and watching a small gaggle of geese pass below us. They were probably practicing for their journey south; presumably on a different frequency than we were. The air was smooth and the landing was equally grand.

Our friend and wife picked us up at Harrisburg International and took us to Hummelstown for a great lunch. We visited a while and then headed back to the airport. During the visit, I had checked the weather earlier on my Blackberry. There was a small rain cell hovering over Altoona. The weather briefing from Flight Service gave us a promising VFR trip. The cell had disappeared. We climbed into the plane, taxied out to Runway 31 and were cleared for takeoff. Climbing out, we were told to contact Departure. We climbed to 6,500. As we approached the mountains, we noticed some cloud activity ahead of us due to a stationary front in that area. Apparently, Departure thought we wanted to stay on flight following so they had us contact New York center as we proceeded west. The flight was uneventful except for the headwinds that slowed us to a healthy 81-knot ground speed. It took us 1.7 hours for the return trip but the flight was awesome.

As we passed over the terrain, we noted that the spectacular leaf colors would soon give way to snow. This is why we fly; to experience the wonders of nature and the camaraderie of great friends, from a different perspective.

We hear a lot about the negative aspects of flying every time a plane crashes in the nation; it makes the news. Hopefully, this will provide a positive side of aviation.

What's that goose doing at 6,500 feet? (Repost from November, 2010)

Sometimes you can spend a lot of time hanging out at an airport and, aside from the usual things that go on there, nothing much happens. This morning, John and I headed out to the airport to check over the plane (aka Mikey) and straighten out the hangar. I had to go to the local FBO to wash my hands and "powder my nose".

A couple pilots were checking up on the weather for their IFR flight home. I struck up my usual conversation "Where are you from?" "Zelienople", one of them replies. Have you ever been to that airport? "Ahhhh. I was in there quite a while back". "I think it was a goat path back then". Actually, I had flown in there over 20 years ago. It wasn't much of an airport at that time, as I remember it. But things change and it's a thriving airport these days.

As I headed back up front to head back to the hangar, I noticed a little activity on the ramp outside. A Mooney had just landed. I didn't notice much about the pilot who got out of the plane. Someone mentioned that the Mooney had struck a bird. I didn't notice anything and figured the end result was a minor dent. I walked outside to check it out. You know how it is, you always have to check out things of that nature to see the "damage". I was curious to know the circumstances of the flight. As I approached the front of the plane, it became more clear the extent of the damage. The passenger side wind screen was no longer there. I observed the thickness of the Plexiglas to be 1/4". The upper portion of the window frame was crushed in and back. As I glanced into the plane from that angle it became clear that this was no ordinary bird strike. Blood was splattered in the interior of the plane mostly in the roof. Behind the rear seat, I noticed black, webbed feet sticking up against the back of the seat.

As is customary, one of the airport employees was there to get the facts and file a report. I still hadn't seen who the pilot was; I asked Shawn, employee of Arnold Palmer Airport, what kind of bird did the plane hit. "You can check it out for yourself; he's in the baggage area." Wow. That explains all the mess. As I continued walking around the right wing, I glanced into the plane. Sure enough, there was a bundle of blood and white feathers resting in the baggage area; a pretty sad sight. It looked like a snow goose from what I could see.

I asked where it happened. "The guy hit it over Johnstown at 6,000 feet." Reminds me of the time I hit a deer back in November, 2005 on landing at Rostraver airport. I actually had someone say "was he on the ground?". I wanted to say - no, I figured I'd go out looking for Santa's reindeer practicing for Christmas and take him out before I landed. Six thousand feet is pretty high to be spotting a snow goose but it's migrating season so probably isn't too unusual given the time of year.

I asked where the pilot was. Apparently, he was in the FBO. I guess I didn't realize I probably passed him in the lobby. I headed back into the FBO and when I saw the pilot I realized he was a friend of mine. I didn't realize it was his Mooney. He looked calm considering he probably had a pretty harrowing experience. He had feathers embedded in his shirt as well as some in his hair. "Ralph! Are you okay?" He said he was fine; seemingly proud that he got his first "kill". He realized he was pretty darned lucky the bird went through the passenger side. He believes the install of 1/4" Plexiglas he had performed a few years prior was a pretty good investment.

John and I headed home. Curious creatures that we are, we headed up to our respective offices in the attic to check things out. What happens after you get a bird strike? We found out some pretty interesting statistics.

The FAA has been building a bird-strike database since 1990. They have recorded over 108,000 between 1990 and 2009. 92% of strikes occur below 3,000 feet. A lot of people may not know this but, geese are family oriented, mating for life. As they migrate, the families travel together. If any bird in the flock sees a threat, it will break away from the flock and dive toward the threatening object. Ralph said he noticed the flock above him and then saw the bird dive at him, maneuvering at a blazing speed to make sure it made its target. A 4-lb. bird colliding with an aircraft traveling 130 knots will hit that plane with a force equal to 2 tons. This bird weighed about 10 lbs. and the Mooney was traveling 155 knots. Whoa!

To avoid a bird strike:

• Don't fly beneath a flock of birds. When birds sense danger in the air they have a tendency to dive.
• If you are approaching a flock of birds you should pitch up to fly over them; or alter your flight path to avoid going under them.
• Turn on your lights. The birds may see you in time to move but don't rely on them doing so.

If you are involved in a bird strike remember to:

• Fly the Aircraft!
• Have a emergency plan in the event of a bird strike.

Once on the ground, contact the airport manager and call the FAA and file a bird-strike report.

.... and count your blessings.

Warning - Ramp Activities Rant

The safety seminar at Latrobe Airport went well. We had quite a crowd show up willing to subject themselves to 2-1/2 hours of safety talk. It is much appreciated.

The day before, John and I headed out to the airport to finalize things and stopped by the local FBO, Vee Neal Aviation to see what was new. As I strolled past the door to the ramp, I noticed a typed noticed on the door. It read something like - PILOTS please do not do run-ups on the ramp. I quizzed one of the line guys and asked "have you had pilots doing engine run ups where the airplanes park?". "Oh yeah" one replied.  "One airplane recently pointed his airplane toward the runway, advanced his throttle and blew stones and debris onto the parked cars outside the fence located directly behind the plane."

Last summer, I saw an airplane ready to taxi and decided to do his run up before leaving his parking spot. Two observations: There was an airplane parked directly in front of this plane. A mechanic, a pilot and his passenger were at the plane trying to trouble-shoot a battery problem. So, as the pilot was running his engine at high RPMs, what would have happened if he diverted his attention inside the cockpit and didn't realize his brakes failed or the plane was moving? He probably would have taken out an airplane plus 3 people. My second observation was the fact that there were three airplanes parked behind this guy. I was happy my plane wasn't parked directly behind.

I've noticed three such incidents on our "apron" within the past five years. Those are the ones I have witnessed. Since I don't live at the airport, I'm sure there have been more.

So, when did it become customary to do engine run ups on the ramp rather than at the run up area at the end of the runway, where they're supposed to be performed? In my early flight instruction, my CFI emphasized that you do any run ups where there aren't airplanes, people nor cars around to be damaged. We taxied to the runway and executed a run up just before takeoff. We made sure the plane was angled so we didn't blast an airplane in line behind us.

Let's look at this logically. It's a matter of mere courtesy and awareness of what's around you. Foremost, it's a matter of safety. My suggestion: Pilots please try to keep in mind, you are not the only ones on the airport; think about what's behind you when advancing the throttle.

Early Flight Lessons

As I was looking back through one of my old log books, visions of past flight lessons danced in my head. Yeah, yeah, it sounds like a clip from Christmas; I think it's a good way to describe it. Back in the early 1980s, I have to say the flight training curriculum was pretty superior. I learned to fly at Vee Neal Aviation, a Part 141 flight school through the Cessna training program.
Back then, flight instructors used a syllabus to plan each flight lesson. The CFI and I would sit down, before each flight, and go over what we were going to do that day. Scary thought - today, we're going out to practice engine-out procedures. Gulp!

Early on I would take a lesson once every two weeks and with that amount of time between flight lessons it seemed each flight lesson was like learning all over again. I was fortunate to be able to schedule more frequent flight lessons and progressed more quickly toward my goal of getting a private pilot's license; Frequent lessons got me to the point that I was comfortable with various flight configurations and scenarios and they started to make sense.

We recently had an accident on approach to Arnold Palmer Regional Airport where the instructor made a split decision to get a crippled airplane onto the ground. The result - airplane damaged; no injuries.

I wonder, had he not been current would he have had the presence of mind to make the same decision. Remember, fly often and fly safely.

Well, time for me to get a life again

Suffice it to say that another crazy tax season is "officially" over and I'm now able to breath and take care of business at hand. I'm sure my dreams of tax forms and "did I get every tax benefit for this person" will diminish as time goes on.

Just wanted to let my followers know that I am back.

Throughout the past 2 months we've been holding meetings working to organize our mini air show to be held August 20th and 21st. The committee has come up with some pretty good ideas and, hopefully, will have something the public will embrace and enjoy. That's the name of the game, eh? Let the public know about General Aviation and show them the benefits of having an airport in their neighborhood. As Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's Airport Support Network volunteer for KLBE (Arnold Palmer Regional) that is part of our mission and this is the perfect venue to spread that objective.

As the details become finalized, I will post.

For those looking for a safety seminar close to home, the FAA Safety Team folks are putting together Safety Stand Down. We held the same workshop last year on a Saturday. This year we are going to try it on Tuesday evening, April 26th from 7pm - 9pm at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in the Chophouse restaurant. Yes, that's next Tuesday.

John and I will be making the presentation; no hecklers, please.

Show me your ID, please

For those of us who carry a photo ID to allow passage through the gates at Latrobe airport, listen up. Some of you may already know it but when your ID is due for renewal, on your birthday, there is now a $5 charge for the renewal.

Also, the card will be good for one year instead of two years. I guess maybe it's to keep those potential "terrorists" on their toes; you know, the surprise tactic of the gate not opening up when they swipe the card.

film at 11.

Spirit's Maiden Flight from Latrobe

Today, I headed out to the airport where Spirit Airlines touched down to begin its inaugural flight to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. 

We awoke to a surprising dusting of snow on the sidewalks; a befitting day for a flight destined to the Sunshine State. They had planned the festivities to begin at 11:00 am at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport.

As I drove the road that paralleled the airport, I saw the brightly-painted Airbus A319 parked on the tarmac in front of the terminal building. It was, I must say, a sight to behold.

Once again, we will see scheduled arrivals and departures of an airline at our fine airport. I parked and walked to the terminal building. The wind was brisk but I was definitely dressed warmly because it was my plan to get out on the deck to take pictures. The winds were 15 gusting to 25. Brrrrr. I know it was cold; even ole Arnie was frozen solid.

As I was taking pictures, I happened to look up and realized there were people in the community room above me. They were invited to a gathering for this flight and seemed content to watch from the warmth of the room... wimps.  A few of those inside waved at me. I guess they figured I was a little loony standing in the cold taking pictures.

 Those who know me would have probably confirmed that description.

The ground crew was getting the plane boarded and ready for departure. They pulled the portable walk way from the plane, grabbed the wheel chalks and they readied the tug. As they repositioned the plane for taxi, the pilots started the engines.

The plane held 134 passengers and I'm sure they were anxious to get to their destination. The airplane taxied to Runway 23 and took the runway.

The engines spooled up and the plane headed down the runway. As it gained speed, it blasted the snow off the runway leaving a blizzard-like cloud behind the tail. It lifted off and disappeared into the mini snow shower off the end of the runway.

Destination......Florida!

In Sympathy

We lost two "brothers" in the pilot comunity on Saturday near Latrobe, PA. My (and I speak for the other pilots) condolences to the families of Ed Sobota and Ted Kokolis. I hope this piece from Ashley brings some peace to this tragedy.

When somebody dies, a cloud turns into

an angel, and flies up to God

to put another flower on a pillow.

A bird gives the message back to

the world, and sings a silent prayer

that makes the rain cry. People disappear,

but they never really go away.

The spirits up there put the sun to

bed, wake up grass, and spin the

earth in dizzy circles. Sometimes you

can see them dancing in a cloud during

the day-time, when they're supposed

to be sleeping. They paint the rainbow

and also the sunsets and make

waves splash and tug at the tide.

They toss shooting stars and listen to

wishes. And when they sing wind songs,

they whisper to us, don't miss me too much.

The view is nice and I'm doing just fine.

 - Ashley

FAA website - revamped

When was the last time you visited the FAA.gov website? If you haven't visited it lately, check it out. They've revamped it and it looks pretty good. It has lots of information for your perusal.

Reminder to Aircraft Owners & Maintenance Providers - AD Delivery

By now, no doubt, Aircraft owners received a little card from the FAA (that's Federal Aviation Administration for those who get confused with all these alphabet names) encouraging you to sign up online to receive your Airworthiness Directives (ADs) and Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins (SAIBs). As of March 2010, the FAA will no longer mail paper copies. While the FAA will continue to mail paper copies of Emergency ADs for the foreseeable future, aircraft owners and other interested persons will need to sign up to receive e-mail notifications for all other ADs through this free subscription service.

It's quick and easy.

Go to http://rgl.faa.gov  (note: there is no "www" needed). Click on the link "Subscribe for e-mail delivery of ADs and SAIBs" then select your specific aircraft, engine and propeller make and model information. Make sure you include all three so you're sure to get these updates specific to you.

You can also contact the FAA via email 9-AMC-FAA-Information-Products@faa.gov  (note: by clicking this link you will either open up Outlook, if you use that venue for emails; or you will be asked to set it up. The alternative is to copy and paste the email address and use your email service). Be sure to give detailed model numbers for your aircraft, engine and propeller in the email.

Or you can contact the FAA by telephone (405) 954-4103 and they will gladly register you.

Airport security and our responsibility as pilots

Well, you knew it had to happen. With the fascination of the news media regarding the escapades of Colton Harris-Moore aka "Barefoot Bandit", the scrutiny of General Aviation once again comes into play.

My fellow pilots please take heed to what I say. If we don't start being more prudent regarding the security of our airports and airplanes, the Government will surely come in and mandate that we do things that would drive us out of the picture. Fortunately, General Aviation does have allies in Congress but we must help them defend our freedom to fly by not making it easy for people to steal planes; though nothing is foolproof when it comes to criminals and their deeds. Criminals or people who have ill-intent have the desire and means to circumnavigate the means that the law-abiding citizens use to prevent this.

I just read, with interest, the news article written regarding the concern of terrorists stealing our airplanes and doing harm within this country. I agree with Chris Dancy of AOPA that small aircraft certainly do not make good weapons yet the news media feels they have to sensationalize and provoke this idea over and over again.

I know, you're saying "ahhhhh, it's not that big of a deal". Apathy on this drives me crazy. I'm not worried about the terrorists. I'm more worried about the guys who make the rules yet do not play the game!

Here are some steps that AOPA, in partnering with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), has recommended:

Lock Up

• Utilize aircraft door locks at all times when the aircraft is unattended.
• Consider the use of auxiliary locks to further protect aircraft from unauthorized use.
• Consistently lock hangar doors and close security gates. 

Look Out

• Look for anyone trying to access an aircraft through force.
• Anyone who misuses aviation lingo.
• Out-of-the-ordinary videotaping of aircraft or hangars. 

Let's be diligent out there, okay?  Protect our freedoms!

New Runway Procedure Issued from the FAA

This past winter, we attended a seminar on the new procedures that the FAA is going to slowly start implementing beginning in 2010. There will be changes to the terminology and airport ground movement that will  make these procedures standard, in cooperation with the ICAO, International Civil Aviation Organization. The first of the changes will be effective June 30, 2010 and it announces a change in Runway Crossing procedure.

Basically, it goes like this:

Beginning June 30, 2010 , controllers will be required to issue explicit instructions to cross or hold short of each runway that intersects a taxi route.

"Taxi to" will no longer be used when issuing taxi instructions to an assigned take-off runway.
Instructions to cross a runway will be issued one at a time. Instructions to cross multiple runways will not be issued. An aircraft or vehicle must have crossed the previous runway before another runway crossing is issued.

This applies to any runway, including inactive or closed runways.
Changes will also be made to the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) and AIP to reflect the new procedures.
Never cross a hold line without explicit ATC instructions.

If in doubt ASK!

Reminder: You may not enter a runway unless you have been:
instructed to cross that specific runway;
cleared to take off from that runway; or
instructed to position and hold on that specific runway.

Here's a  link to a brief video on FAASafety.gov that makes this pretty clear.

Jimmy Stewart Airport Festival - IDI

I know, for those of you who have read my accident story Part I, you are waiting for Part II. Rest assured, I am working on it. Good story-telling takes time. 

I just wanted to let folks know about Airport days being held at Indiana, PA (Jimmy Stewart Airport) June 12th - 13th, 2010. Details are on their website www.jimmystewartairport.com

A brief description of what will be there:

Hours are from 8:00am to 5pm

Pancake Breakfast

Static Displays - C-54, Helicopters and various aircraft

Aerial Demonstration by P40

EAA Young Eagles Program 

Airplane rides in various aircraft

There will be charges for some of the displays and rides.

Please try to attend either day. We need to support our General Aviation airports. Unfortunately, too many of them are being closed down. 

Yours truly will be there to help ramp movement - so we should all know the hand signals we all probably take for granted. 

Somewhere, Out There, We are Not Alone

So all day yesterday, I awaited a cool event that was going to happen at 9:12pm last night. The Pittsburgh area was to be able to see the Space Station overhead. As the afternoon wore on, I looked outside and noticed a bank of clouds coming into the Latrobe area. What? Where was THIS forecast. I whispered to myself that the "weatherman" who made the forecast earlier in the morning must have been smoking banana peels. I didn't see a forecast of rain... though I've been known to watch the weather and not really see the weather, if you know what I mean. I get that a lot. "Did you see the weather?" "Yes." "So what's it supposed to do today?" "hmmmm.  I can't remember."

I digress. Last evening, around 8:00pm, I noticed that the bank of clouds was moving to the southeast. I kept looking at the sky and figured that there was a possibility that we may be able to see it!! I sprang into action. I ran upstairs and announced that we were going to drive to Greensburg-Jeannette Regional airport about 8 miles northwest of the house, to see the Space Station. You see, the airport is up on a hill and would have a great vantage point for seeing a big portion of the sky.

As we drove, I kept glancing skyward to make sure the clouds were really dissipating. To my delight, the sky was turning out to be perfect for a spectacular view of the Space Station. While we were standing in the middle of a recently-mowed field, we scoured the heavens looking; my eyes darted in all directions. I just didn't want to miss it. Of course, there were plenty of jets streaking across the sky. Every time I saw a blinking object moving toward us, I said "is that it?" John would just say "no, you'll know it when it arrives."

Then, I spotted a bright light in the southwest sky. There was a thin layer of clouds obscuring the object but it had promise and it was very close to the time the Station was to pass through the area. As it approached us, it became very clear that it was the Space Station. It looked like a big star, moving very quickly across the sky. We watched it disappear to the northeast on its journey through space.

I thought to myself, that was pretty darned cool. I have a huge fascination of space exploration. While most people go through life and don't even have a clue what is out there in space, I hope, someday, they will understand the tremendous benefits we have gained from the progress of these missions. It's a pretty huge accomplishment.