In this issue:
June 13th, Saturday, 8:00 AM Plane Wash & 11:00 AM BBQ &
General Membership
July 13th, Monday, 6:00 PM Board Meeting @ Birdcage Lounge
August 8th, Saturday, 8:00 AM Plane Wash & 11:00 AM BBQ @ MANG Hangars
September 14th, Monday, 6:00 PM General Membership Meeting @ Plymouth
Library *
October 10th, Saturday, 8:00 AM Plane Wash & 11:00 AM BBQ @ MANG Hangers
November 9th, Monday, 6:00 PM Board Meeting @ Birdcage Lounge
December 5th, Friday, 6:00 PM Holiday Party & General Membership
Election @ TBD
(*) The Plymouth Library is at 223 S. Main St. in downtown Plymouth. Phone 734-453-0750
Nominations Open for MANG President
As you know by now, Dino Dinatale has been unable to serve as President due to a family situation, and Dave LaPointe has been filling in for him, in addition to performing his duties as Vice-President. Dave needs relief, and we are required by our Constitution to hold an election at the next General Membership Meeting. So far we have one nomination - Rob Butts. Any others who would like to toss their hat into the ring, please contact any Board member before the June 13th meeting.
Membership Meeting at the Plane Wash
Come one, come all, to the MANG General Membership Meeting at the next plane wash on Saturday, June 13th. There will be the usual fun and frolic of a plane wash and barbecue, along with the added excitement of a Presidential election. Come and get acquainted with the new members, or if you are a new member, come and meet the old members. Good weather is guaranteed!
Membership Still Low - Incentives?
We still number only 49, while we could have 55 members. These missing 6 members would provide $330 per month in dues that pays for fixed expenses, like hangar rental, insurance, etc. If this condition persists for too long, we may have to raise our dues to make up the difference. Now that we are in the prime of the flying season, it is a good time to encourage others to join our club. Not only does this help to keep our dues low, but it invigorates the Club.
At the last Board Meeting, several ideas were discussed to promote membership. For example, we could offer a bonus of one or two flying hours credit to any member who brings in a new member. Or we could offer new members some free flying time as well. We want to know what you think. What incentive programs would you like to see adopted by MANG? Bring your suggestions to the June 13th meeting so we can discuss them.
First Time Flying Since Last October
I hate to admit it, but your loyal Secretary had not flown since last October. And my Flight Review was due by the end of May. So I picked a really nice day and took the Warrior out for some practice. I was careful to follow the checklist slowly and deliberately. After a couple of touch-and-goes at Willow Run, I left the pattern and flew north to around Kent Lake at 3500 feet. I was pleased to see how quickly flying became familiar to me again. After a clearing turn, I did several steep turns, trying to keep the ball centered and the altitude constant. The first one was a little rough. Then I got better at holding altitude. I did both left and right turns. Then I set up for slow flight. After slowing down into the white arc region, I slowly began adding flaps - one notch, two notches, three notches. It takes a lot of power to hold altitude with three notches of flaps. It also takes more right rudder to keep the ball centered. Then I pulled back on the wheel until the buffets of an incipient stall were evident, and then recovered from the stall without loosing too much altitude. I returned to Willow Run for a few more touch-and-goes and then refueled the plane and put it away.
Three days later I was able to schedule a Flight Review with Jason Matoy, a CFI of Solo Aviation at Ann Arbor. Before the review, I spent a hour reviewing the FARs - mostly part 91 - so I would not be too embarrassed at my one hour of ground discussion in the Flight Review. That part went well. I had to do a weight and balance calculation. Fortunately, all the necessary information for that calculation has been extracted from the POH and placed in the Warrior checklist, so look for it if you fly the Warrior. Then Jason and I went to the plane. I made it a point to re-check the fuel and oil, and to use the checklist for the startup. Then we flew 10 miles west of Ann Arbor, where I got to demonstrate the same maneuvers I had practiced a few days before. Then Jason pulled back the throttle for a simulated engine out emergency. We were at 3500 feet with plenty of suitable farm fields below. But something Jason said earlier clued me in that he had something sneakier in mind. So I spun the right knob of the Garmin 430 all the way to the right, and there, at the top of the list of nearest airports, was 75G (Rossettie). It said it was at a heading of 290 and 2.5 miles. I knew that the Warrior could glide about 5 miles for every 3000 feet of altitude, so 2.5 miles seemed doable, especially since I was already heading 240. I glided to that little grass strip north of Manchester with plenty of altitude to set up for a base leg. We broke off the approach when it was clear I was going to make it. But the whole experience gave me more confidence in the "Nearest Airport" function of the Garmin 430. If you have not played around with it in the air, try it some time. It is super easy to use.
So, here I am with a fresh Flight Review. If any of you have not flown in a while, pick a nice day with no pressure, and set high personal minimums for things safety-related. Or fly with a buddy in the Club. There are lots of ways to get back into the swing of things. Just sitting in the plane in the hangar and going over the checklist can help with familiarization. Our planes are in great condition, ready for you to enjoy.
-Bob Scott
If you have flown from Willow Run recently, then you know it is undergoing some major construction that may take quite a while to complete. On my first time out this year, I actually had to ask for progressive taxi instructions because the clearance that ground gave me was so complicated. But the controllers at Willow are really patient and accommodating, so they were more than happy to take me step by step to my intersection departure on 23R at Charlie.
Right now it appears that everything in the vicinity of where runway 27L and 23L meet is torn up with heavy machinery pushing dirt around. This means (and you hear this on the ATIS) that runways 27L and 23L are closed, runway 32 is used for taxiing, and both ILSs are out of service. There are also some taxiways closed around the construction area. Expect to use 23R/5L or 27R/9L. Just listen to the ATIS carefully, and if you are confused, ask for progressives.
If you are looking for the old spray cans of Pledge for washing window, you will notice that they have been replaced by a clear plastic bottle of blue fluid and the name "Pledge Multi-Surface". Operations Officer Dale Thorsby assures me these are for washing windows, so just use it as you would the old spray foam stuff. As always, take care not to scratch the windscreens by using a new clean white cloth in the basket labeled for that purpose.