The January chapter meeting started with a short discussion by Tom O'Toole on Lycoming's recommendations for cold weather operation of their engines:
Triple check fuel samples and keep tanks full when the aircraft is parked.
Cold weather operations are at a mean OAT below 40 F. One should install a winterization kit or a thermostatic bypass valve for the oil cooler, or restrict airflow to the oil cooler.
Heat engines before starting when the OAT is under 10 F.
Starter duty limits are typically three 10 second crankings with a pause in between, and then a 5 minute rest.
Prime more than normal due to the increased air density and reduced vaporization.
To prevent fouling of plugs, idle engine above 1000 rpm.
While on the ground, verify the fuel selector works in all positions. Besides ensuring the selector moves, this also tests for water frozen in the lines inhibiting fuel flow.
When making power adjustments, limit the CHT change to 50 F per minute.
Cycle props once every 30 minutes to help prevent oil from jelling in the hub.
He also discussed the effect of cold on altimeter readings. "High to Low, Look out Below" applies to temperature as well as pressure; adjust per AIM 7-2-3, the ICAO Temperature Correction Chart. Around New Year here, temperatures were as low as -30 C with an altimeter of 30.70" giving a Density Altitude as low as -5000 ft. Under these conditions flying a 1000 ft AGL pattern at Mt. Hawley using 1800 ft MSL indicated, you are actually 190 ft closer to the ground. At touchdown, your altimeter will be indicating higher than an IFR TDZE.
At the previous board meeting, the Treasurer recommended last year's budget be used again for 2018. This was put to a vote at the chapter meeting and approved.
Ideas for chapter activities followed, and one of the new members suggested holding again a formal fly-in, one beyond the standing fly-in breakfasts; volunteers are sought. Another idea was weekend fly-outs organized by phone when the weather is found favorable. It was suggested we advertise the Thursday coffee meets and the breakfasts as fly-ins on the EAA site, as well as advertise there the IMC Club meetings. There was interest in forming a VMC club to complement the IMC club. Lastly, presenting the EAA webinars in the hangar using the flat screen display was suggested. Contact any board member if you'd like to see any of these pursued.
At the January board meeting, several ideas for using chapter funds to beautify the airport were raised; they can be found in the meeting minutes on the chapter's web site. As always, the desire to build up an endowment for chapter operations is on the other side of the financial balance. Your ideas are solicited.
Andrew Barth's father has volunteered to maintain the chapter's Facebook page.
Youth Programs
In January, our annual scholarship fund donation was sent to Lincoln Land Community College for their aviation mechanics school.
Ron Dorn reports no word from the Scouts regarding an Explorer's Post in aviation this year. We will continue to focus on the Dunlap High School Flight Club instead. Three chapter members have volunteered to mentor their work on the GAMA Challenge design contest.
Treasury
Other than the donation to the LLCC fund, there was no significant change in chapter finances. The annual audit of the Treasurer's work last year has been completed. Dick Barthel, Morrie Caudill, and Ann Lynch performed this work with Treasurer Rob Meyer. The auditors found no discrepancies but did recommend a second back up of the computer files be kept, with one stored in the hangar. You can find their report on the chapter web site under the Documents tab.
The chapter has a significant amount of donated material, and the board has considered insuring this against loss. Rob has contacted several insurers with disappointing results. The board will likely choose to continue a policy of self insurance.
For Sale
The following donated items are for sale, no reasonable bid refused:
• iPad first version, no GPS, great for kids
• Stratus 1, case, antenna for GPS will work with iPad second version
• Tail Gate Table Top Grill with two small propane tanks
• 9 2'x4' Ceiling light units (4 flourescent with cover)
• Bucks Juke box with computer; great for garage cave
• 2 outdoor Bose speakers
• Artex ELT, Battery, Panel switch, Antenna
• Goggle set (WWI style – chrome)
• 7 Contintental 0-200 cylinders & heads
• Used engine cases, 0-200, plus a bunch of pistons & cylinders
• Floor scale, HD, with weights for bar green in color
• 2 6" Azusa wheels with 5/8" ID sealed bearings (tire size 4x6)
• Brand New in the box Cessna 180 Windshield
• Cessna 180 curved winged tips
• Oil cooler for Continental engine (attaches to side of case)
• Antique radios for Cessna 180? And many more misc parts for same.
Contact Greg LePine at 264-5959, or you can find him most days in the hangar.
A chapter member has pointed out Evelyn Van Dalsem of Loveland, CO is selling her late husband's Vari-Eze. The airplane has always been hangared and has no damage history. The engine is a rebuilt Lycoming O-235-L2C installed in 1996. The asking price is $20,000, and she can be reached at (970)667-6734 or as vanlynn2 on the juno.com mail server.
VMC and IMC Club
Morrie Caudill is beginning a VMC Club this month. As with the existing IMC Club, the meetings will focus on discussing real world scenarios including accidents, map reading, etc. The first VMC Club meeting will be this Sunday 2/4 at 6 PM in the hangar.
The next IMC meeting is Sunday 2/11 at 6 PM in the hangar. These meetings are running a steady 5 to 7 people, and once a rhythm is established, they plan to advertise these meetings beyond the chapter. The agenda typically includes one of EAA's "scenarios," an accident report from AOPA, and discussion of a segment of an instrument flight or chart.
Volunteers
As always, kitchen help for the breakfasts is needed. The sign up sheet for 2018 is available in the hangar.
Members
Welcome new member Carl Wilbur:
I recently joined the EAA. I took lessons at Mount Hawley and received my license last fall. I am currently taking instrument lessons and hope to have that completed early summer. I am also a member of the Bradley Flying club and fly the club planes often.
Currently there are 51 memberships active for 2018.
The chapter is fortunate to have three Technical Advisors registered at headquarters: Bill Larson, Marty Martin, and Terry Moushon. Terry recently filed this report after looking over member Steve Jones' project:
On 1-22-18, I spent the better part of the day reviewing progress made by Steve Jones on his RV14A project. At present, Steve's fuselage is sitting proudly on its lower gear waiting for the delivery of his Lycoming engine. Elevators, Vertical & Horizontal Stabilizer, Wings, Flaps and Ailerons are complete and ready for final assembly. "Firewall Forward", (Engine, Exhaust, Heat Systems, Control Cables, Baffling, Cowling and Propeller) is the next major milestone he faces.
Steve is an engineer with a great passion for radio control airplanes. His professional training and attention to detail is reflected in his current project. I enjoyed the time spent, shared a few experiences, and best of all, learned a few things.
Steve hopes to be in the air yet this year.
In the (heated) chapter hangar, Tim Threw has moved his RV-7 in for an annual and replacement of hoses, etc, and Marty Martin has his twin Piper Apache in for annual as well. Greg LePine continues to make good progress on the metal skins of his half scale F4U replica.
Elsewhere on the field, Bill Larson has orded for his Sonex one of the newly revised Jabiru 6 cylinder, 201 cu in engines. He currently is flying behind one of the earliest installations of the Sonex AeroConversion turbo, but this has not proven satisfactory. He is hoping to retain his AeroConversion carb, though. Anyone who's had interest in this engine will want to follow Bill's progress with the installation. The current estimate is for the engine to arrive in March.
Airport
Local History
On the internet, I came across a scan from the UIUC of a 1955 book of aerial photos from Peoria county. Included was a map of Richwoods Township, and I was surprised how large the original Mt. Hawley airport was, with the three runways typical of the taildragger era:
While this map shows 3 distinct runways, Dewey Fitch recalls it was more like a large field on which airplanes could land in any direction. (The airport was moved north to its current location in the early 1960s.)
As most of you know, the large building used by Maloof realty near the corner of Pioneer Parkway and Knoxville Avenue was the original hangar for the old Mt. Hawley aiport. (About a mile SSE of it, above the word KELLER (sic) on that map, was the field where Lindbergh made the first mail runs through Peoria, in the 1920s.) One can find on the web a photo of the old hangar in use:
Looking at the map, one must conclude the location of the power lines was rather poorly thought out. Sadly, there was no aerial photo of the airport in the book, but there was this picture of PIA:
1955 view of PIA, from near today's Alpha Park
It was no surprise there were more runways then than today. The principle runways were what are now 4-22 and 13-31. I was surprised that in addition to the usual third runway, completing a triangle, is a fourth runway bisecting the triangle, but Dewey says that was not an unusual arrangement.
Intriguing was this fuzzy picture:
Referencing the map above, an airfield in Section 10 would have been located in the valley south of Detweiller Park, about where Lutheran Hillside Village is now located. However, neither Dewey nor Barb Brusseau can recall this Sky Ranch, and no such field was shown on a 1955 sectional I found at the library, so perhaps there was an editing error in the book. Do any of our older members recall this operation and where it was?
3MY
A letter commending Tammy Smallwood's work here at 3MY was prepared. The chapter president and others have signed it and forwarded it to Gene Olson, the head of the Airport Authority.
At the December AA board meeting, the topic of a vacuum for the ramp here at 3MY was brought up. Lacking free funds and not wishing to raise hangar rates, this will not soon happen.
At the January meeting, the board again considered the request for a vacuum at 3MY. The estimated cost is approximately a quarter million dollars, and a survey of surrounding GA airports found none had such. It was decided the non-vacuum brooms currently located at 3MY are sufficient. Our representative at these meetings, VP Kent Lynch, suggested designated run-up areas swept daily, but the issue did not meet with much concern from the board or airport management. Also brought up was a request to provide more coordination between staff and tenants for the next round of hangar inspections. At previous inspections, propellers have been moved, etc, and the airport director apologized and will follow up with staff. March 2 at 9 AM will be the presentation to the public of the 2018 budget, and this may be held at 3MY.
Havana
Again this year, the Havana airport and EAA chapter is hosting a fly-in to observe migratory birds, on Saturday February 24. Arrive before 9:00, and you'll be driven to Emiquon park on the Illinois river. At the park a wildlife biologist gives a guided tour with viewing of pelicans, geese, swans, and other wildlife. There is a $50 charge for the tour, but this includes lunch in Havana on the return from the park. Call Mike Purpura at 630-936-3282 to sign up or request more information.
