MANG Newsletter 2011 #8

Dr. Gordon to Speak at MANG Meeting

Dr. Gordon, who many of you have turned to for your aviation medical exams, will be the featured speaker at the September General Membership Meeting. (Sept 13th, 6 PM). So if you ever have wondered which over-the-counter decongestants you can take before a flight, or what to do about high blood pressure threatening your certificate, this is the guy to ask. There will also be a short business meeting, and walk-in topics are always welcome.

Maintenance Corner

The autopilot on the Warrior is in-op. Recently we had some gyro problems with the Warrior (attitude indicator not spinning up, DG precessing). That is now fixed. But the autopilot is not working, so don't try to turn it on until you see a notice that it is OK to do so. The autopilot worked perfectly on the bench, but does not work when installed in the plane. This issue is being worked on.

The IFR certifications for all three planes are done. There are no major outstanding problems reported. Remember to report any problems to a maintenence officer.

Call for Towels!

Ever wonder where all those towels come from that we use at the plane washes? They are donations and cast-offs from members. But after the kind of use we give them, they become too bad even for drying planes. So occasionally we need new donations of towels. So look through your bathroom supplies and see if there are any old towels you are not using anymore. Drop them off on the table in any one of the hangars and Dale Thorsby will pick them up and see to it that they get added to the pool. Hand towels and small bath towels are best.

Look for Lower Cost Fuel

The current price for fuel at the self-serve pump at Willow Run is $5.80/gal. This used to be the "low-cost fuel", but it is not so low cost now. We anticipate it will go down when the current batch is used up, to match market conditions. In the meantime, if you happen to be near Ann Arbor, it is reported that they are selling 100LL for $5.38. And OZW (Howell Airport) sells fuel at $5.30 (on weekends only). We are not suggesting that you make a special trip to one of these other airports, but if you happen to be near there anyway and want to practice getting fuel somewhere else, then do consider these alternatives. It is a bit more of a hassle, getting reimbursed for fuel. But you will have the satisfaction of saving the Club some money. You will notice that we have not yet activated our fuel surcharge, even though the "trigger" price of $5/gal. at Willow Run has been passed. That is because enough members are flying and the maintenence costs have been low enough that we are still doing OK as a Club. Let's hope the trend continues.

New MANG website coming

We are in the process of redesigning our website to offer a more flashy homepage that is more promotional, not just utilitarian like the current one. The current newsletter pages and Club documents pages will be the same as they are now, but a new front end will be added. If any of you have any ideas on what you think should be part of such a redesign, please send your comments to Chris Willemsen or Bob Scott.

Flying Hours and Statistics

Here are the statistics for July 2011:

(Total HOURS)	54115	43755	33149	All Aircraft
July 2011:	21.3	35.4	23.4	80.1

Here are the top flyers in terms of flight hours for the month:

Mario Pecchia	12.1
Scott Rigstad	9.7
Dale Thorsby	5.8
Marcel Mikulec	5.8
Mark Calbus	5.1
Joe McEvoy	4.6

MANG AERO CLUB

Newsletter Vol. 9 No. 8 (August 2011)