LadiesLoveTaildraggers

Sad news at Reno, sad news close to my home. It happened yesterday on a golf course not far from where I live in Indianapolis; another small plane when down, two fatalities. General aviation is a pretty small group and at least locally, we all seem to either know each other or at least know by association. So as always, my first thought was, “oh no, please don’t let it be anyone I know”. Watching the 6:00 news and seeing the pictures and videos it was difficult to tell what type of airplane it was – white, small tail/elevator, thin, high wing. Soon we found out it was a Remos and not from this area. OK, my friends and acquaintances were safe but somebody else was getting shattering news.

From impact photos and witness testimony it appears to be yet another stall/spin accident that took the lives of two 21 year old college students. A terrible, tragic loss.

For my own reassurance, benefit and safety, I spent some time today reading about aircraft accidents involving stall/spins. I suddenly wanted to educate myself and assure myself that I would not end up in a similar situation. I read that “stall/spin accidents tend to be more deadly than other types of GA accidents, accounting for about 10 percent of all accidents, but 13.7 percent of fatal accidents.” I thought the following info from an article in ‘Air & Space Magazine’ clarified how easily it could happen.

The Spin Debate
If spins can kill, why aren’t pilots trained to handle them?
By Joseph Bourque
Air & Space Magazine

IMAGINE YOU’RE FLYING A LEFT-HAND APPROACH to the local airport. you’re on the base leg, perpendicular to the runway, with its near end at your left front quarter as you bank into the left turn for the final leg. Halfway into the turn, you realize that a cross-wind is pushing you beyond the centerline, so you bank a little more. When it’s clear that won’t be enough to realign you properly with the runway, you kick in some extra left rudder to move the tail around, but that increases the bank angle. Your instructor has beaten into your head that you never make steep turns close to the ground, so you instinctively do what you always do to bring the left wing up: You turn the wheel to the right. To your surprise, the left wing dips further, so you turn the wheel still further to the right.

You have just made a classic mistake.

Suddenly the right wing flips up over the top, and the nose swings toward the ground as the airplane starts spinning. Since your altitude turning final is only 300 to 400 feet above ground level (AGL), do you have room to recover?

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I won’t reprint the entire article but suffice it so say the answer is no.

In this video it’s unbelievable how quick the transition from routine flight to disaster happened. I debated whether to add this video – its real – somebody may learn something – it ends abruptly. 

Fatal Plane Crash  L-19 Birddog

Fly-in Breakfast

KGEZ Shelbyville, Indiana

Saturday, September 17, 2011

$5/person 7 am to Noon

Nicole Mott is a student at Western Michigan University and based at 61D, Plainwell Municipal Airport, Plainwell, Michigan.

Nicole getting her tailwheel endorsement in an Aeronca, Champ

My name is Nicole Mott and I’m from Kalamazoo, MI where I received my private pilots license in the summer of 2009 in a C150. I currently attend Western Michigan University majoring in Aviation Flight Science with a minor in Mandarin Chinese. Just this past summer I got my tailwheel endorsement in a Champ and had the time of my life! For those who don’t fly they have no idea what they are missing. Rain or shine…it’s always a great day to fly (minus those silly lightening bolts)!

Celebration of Aviation

Max Westheimer Airfield KOUN

Norman, Oklahoma

October 15, 2011

5th Annual Aviation Festival, held on October 15th, 2011 9 AM – 4 PM which includes an open house, tours of the control tower, static displays, children’s activity area sponsored by Sooner Flight Academy, local law enforcement displays, remote control airplanes and many more exciting activities!

*****FREE ADMISSION*****

” I thought might just entice a few of your members to make a little cross country to Oklahoma, Norman OK and Max Westheimer airfield to be exact. October 15TH 2011 the airfield has a Celebration of Aviation, this is a yearly event and has been going on for some years now. Having a nice representation of taildraggers would certainly add much to this little get together.”

WAYNE SHALAMUNEC

Questions:

J. Schellon Adkins
Airport Operations Officer
(405) 325-7222

schellon@ou.edu

Fun birthday flying from Lisa Martin! Happy birthday Lisa!

Hi Judy. I turned 45 on Saturday. My husband asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday and I said, “Fly.”

NW end of Pathfinder

So we departed Worland, WY southbound for a place in central Wyoming called the Miracle Mile, a one mile stretch of river between Seminole Reservoir Dam and Pathfinder Reservoir. So called because it is suppose to be loaded with up to 2 lb brown trout, when they are running (spawning).

We could land there

Central Wyoming is notoriously windy, but we found glassy water. The Miracle Mile strip (or at least it used to be a strip) is un-charted and un-maintained but known by a few locals. It was rough! Sage brush, Yucca, anthills, gopher holes and cactus!

Rwy or at least it used to be

Wouldn’tcha know, we’d just switched from the Tundra tires to 8.5 x 6′s to save wear and tear from pavement landings. Shut down in a hurry, but no “flip”! Got in some “fly” fishing.

Fly fishing about mid mile

The browns haven’t started running yet so all us fisher-persons were skunked, but you know…”A good day flying and fishing is….” better than any other day I could pick.

Lisa having a GREAT day!

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The Mile from the south end

Sunday I flew up to Cowley, WY and started glider training! Logged my first two flights. It is so awesome! And hard (on tow)! All the aerodynamics of a powered airplane magnified at least tenfold, and with no ability to cheat and  ”power through” situation.

Glider flying

I have to fly my way all the way back to the ground…and every landing is an emergency landing (there will be no go-rounds)! I can’t wait for glider club next weekend

Lisa Martin

Wyoming

Jean O’Cuilinn is based at E38, Alpine-Casparis Municipal Airport, Alpine, Texas.

Jean's Super Decathlon

When I had about 30 hrs or so as a student pilot I went to take some aerobatics at Debbie Rihn-Harvey’s place in La Porte, TX in 2004. We flew a Super Decathlon and from that point on I decided that one day I wanted to get one of my own. In the meantime I bought a Cessna 152 and finished my ratings up through CFI (just this past January) and still have that plane and am using it to now train my students. Just soloed my first student last Thursday evening! I took more acro lessons off and on in a Pitts and Super Decathlon and eventually flew w/ a CFI out near El Paso in the plane that you see posted here – 102GD.

He needed to sell it and my husband encouraged me to go for it so we bought it! I’m now in the process of learning to fly her and LAND her (without screeching inside each time) and am having a great time. Frankly, I’m still working on wheel landings in Rosy (the SD).  I’m just jeeky about it – afraid of a prop strike mostly.  But, it’s getting better.  I’m fine in the middle of the air ! A friend of mine told me about this web site and when I checked it out last night I thought I’d better register and join in the fun.

My planes both have names. The C152 is Julie and the 8KCAB is Rosy- short for LaRosa which stands for “loops and rolls on Sunday afternoon”. I like acro but I don’t think I’ll ever compete. Might go help with a competition as a volunteer some day though. My friend Jeff is the Pres. for the chapter in Austin and they host the Llano Hammerfest each year.

Jean & friend Jeff with his Sukhoi 29 getting ready to go do some acro. He asked: so, what do you want to do today....... my reply: stuff I can't do in the Super Decathalon - so we did torque rolls, tail slides and even a lomcevak which was something to see.

The picture  was taken when he came out to Alpine and I got to go fly with him in the Sukhoi. Just added that in because I don’t have a picture of me w/ Rosy and well, the Suk is a tailwheel aircraft and I flew it- sure haven’t landed it though. HA.

I’m seriously considering flying Rosy up to McCall Idaho next summer to take the Mountain Canyon Flying seminar. Doubt I’ll use her for the backcountry strips – I’ll probably fly the Super Cub and that will mean that I’ve gotten to fly another tailwheel plane.”

Jean O’Cuilinn

More from Antique Airfield and the Airpower Museum at Blakesburg, Iowa sent in by Faith D. FYI ladies, she had a great time and wants to see more LLT’s there next year. Let’s make it happen! I’m putting together a list of 2012 fly-ins all across the country that would be great destinations for us gals to meet and Blakesburg will be on the list. If you have an event in your area that we should also consider please contact me at www.ladytaildraggers.com. Judy

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Judy, Blakesburg really was fantastic; this was my first time and it surely was worth the trip. Hope you can make it next year!

Stinson Tri-Motor

I had to work in Nashville the week before Blakesburg, so I was stuck arriving into DSM on Delta and driving down to IA27. However, a friend of mine flew up in his Piper Warrior, so I arranged to ride back home to Florida with him. We both arrived on Friday evening, met up with another gal pilot friend, and spent a fantastic Saturday making new friends and wiping our drool marks off of our favorite antiques.

Gail Schipper & Faith Saturday flying the Bucker

Saturday night saw a cold front passing through Iowa, bringing rain showers to frantically send the evening movie indoors, and cooling things off quite significantly. I sure was glad not to be camping that evening!

Rearwin Speedster

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Nord

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The museum had a Kinner engine on display; it of course made me think of Summer & the Student Prince. Now there's an antique that was very much missed - maybe next year, Summer??

On Sunday we had a hard decision to make: back to Blakesburg for some more fun, or try to beat tropical storm Lee before it stalled and prevented our trip back to Florida. We opted to make a beeline south as the cold front seemed to be keeping Lee at bay, but unfortunately Lee crept northward enough to leave us stuck in Little Rock for 36 hours while we waited for the storm to pass.

First signs of Lee

We entertained ourselves as tourists, visiting the Peabody to watch the ducks march and finding the little rock for which the town was named.

Peabody Hotel Ducks

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THE Little Rock

We headed back to Florida on Tuesday afternoon with the aid of excellent tailwinds, and arrived just in time to appreciate a beautiful sunset and Florida’s first taste of fall weather.

Mississippi River

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Sunset & Rwy Lights of Home

It was a memorable experience to be sure, and I am already hatching plans to be back next year! I’ll admit I got a bit over-excited and took fewer pictures than I would have liked, but I’m attaching a bunch of photos in hopes of enticing some more gals to come!  It would be great to have a big Ladies Love Taildraggers turnout next year!

-Faith

1st Solo!! Congratulations to Carla Kalke! Here’s a new update….

Carla's first solo

“Carla soloed the Citabria last night..there are 18 flight instructors in her school but only one is approved to teach in a tail wheel. Her Instructor announced to the group that it was OK for Carla to swagger a bit because she was capable of doing something that they were not, followed by a look over his glasses…LOL  Cheers, Robert Cardinal”

Carla & her instructor, Bob Salway.

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The following posted August 24, 2011

Carla Kalke is based at Abbotsford International Airport (YXX), Abbotsford, British Columbia.

Carla Kalke

Hi There,

I’m a half owner of an Acrosport 2 biplane. I started my flight training this spring and I am training in an early Citabria. I have also flown the 7AC Champ. My favorite is flying the Acrosport 2. I like the extra power and the climb as well as the control sensitivity. I have put in quite a bit of time flying the Acrosport but I have not soloed it yet. I’m fine right now on takeoffs but I have to work on the landings a bit more but that will happen, its just a lot quicker on the controls than the Citabria and a lot more fun to fly.

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My husband and I flew it back form Oklahoma this spring and it was a cold trip with over 2500 miles in that open cockpit, especially going through the mountains with outside temps well below zero.

Sheepskin helmets and face covers help but the outside temp is well below zero

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Flying thru the mountains in open cockpit in March

I’m really excited about getting my license and learning some basic aerobatics.

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Carla Kalke

Pretty darn funny, a beer stop in a Maule!

Gail & Faith

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Hi Judy,

My husband, Doedo, and I had to share the plane this year on our trip to Blakesburg for the Fly In held by the Antique Airplane Association. 2011marks the 40th anniversary of AAA and the Monocoupe was the featured airplane. In all about 350 airplanes were on the field, IA27. This field uses no radio frequency and operations are controlled by flagmen. Red means go away, green means do what you wish (land, fly by, take off, etc.) The runway at IA27 also has physical features not found at conventional airports; the runway is not straight, nor is it level across its length or width. It makes for some good practice.

We departed KLMO, Longmont, Colorado at 7:10 am on Thursday. Stops for fuel are needed every 2 hours. Our picks for this trip were Holyoke, CO, Hastings, NE, and Red Oak, IA. At Hastings something was odd on rollout and we discovered our tailwheel had started to go bad. It was scorching hot and the rubber was separating from the hard core. Note that this is not a stock Scott tailwheel but a little 4.5 inch hockey puck of a tail wheel that is not stocked by any aviation supply house. Two phone calls later and we had a new wheel lined up to be delivered to IA27 by our good friend Joe on Friday. The Bücker network is a great resource.

Arrival at IA27 was uneventful, except for the heat. Normally the air around the field buzzes with airplanes but we were the only ones in the pattern. It was too hot to fly with temps approaching 100 and 85% humidity at 4:00 in the afternoon. With slightly cooler weather, and a new tailwheel, Doedo, Joe and I each took our turn with the plane for an evening flight. I took a friend and airshow pilot, Erik, for a ride. I learned that with Erik ‘Would you like to fly the plane’ = ‘Yes, I’d like to do aerobatics’ and I had a lovely ride. Unfortunately the pre-flight was not fully performed for upside down and my hat and our flight log departed after a sudden stop to sustained inverted. We watched the two items flutter to the ground, one in a hay field and one in a scrubby area. Fortunately the log was in the hay field and was easily retrieved. The hat was replaced with one from ErikEdgrenAirshows.com.

Saturday morning Doedo and I took turns taking old and new friends for rides. Faith recognized me (or the Ladies Love Taildraggers shirt) and introduced herself. It was fun to have a fellow LLTD.com buddy to fly with. About noon the weather started to move in and all planes needed to be tied down.

Sunday early it was time to head home. Saturday’s bad weather was gone, as was the heat. It was darn cold in the rear cockpit for the first two legs. Strong North winds made ground handling sporty but by the time we hit the Colorado State line, surface winds were calm. We were back in our hangar by 5:30 that night.

Gail Schipper
Longmont, Colorado