December 2007 CPA newsletter

NEXT MEETING

Our next meeting will be held Sunday December 9th on the terrace of Corona Aero Partners at 5PM.  We will report on the Airfaire and if things work out we will have a program on flying the back country in Arizona and Utah.

The open house to show Classical Aircraft displays will be from 10AM until 2PM for the group display along Aviation Drive and the open hangers display will continue until 4:30 PM. There will even be Hot Dogs and soft drinks available. Plan on displaying your aircraft. This is an excellent opportunity to share with the community and to create interest in the airport and in flying, so let's all participate as much as we can.

CPA annually provides support to Wings of Faith and the Christmas season is upon us so remember to bring toys to this meeting. Bring small unwrapped toys. Remember they are being delivered to orphanages and other special need groups by aircraft so avoid heavy toys. Toys may also be left at Wings of Faith office or at the fueling station in what some might call the lounge. There is a box at that location where toys can be left.

This is the last meeting of the 2007 year and several issues need to be discussed. One of those issues is banners for the open house; another issue is whether or not to have any kind of a recovery party or gathering. The spring party was poorly attended and the association lost money. As a result no action has been taken for this year. It is hoped that a discussion will take place concerning what kind of a gathering to hold if any.


LAST MEETING

The turnout for the November meeting was very light. There were only about sixteen happy souls able to make this meeting. Our President and Secretary were off on a trip which is what retired people do. Our VP Dorothe opened the meeting and led the discussion.

The Treasurers report was delivered by Dennis Voll.

It was reported that eight planes were displayed along Aviation Drive and that food was not served but would continue next meeting.

Susan Brunner reported that a local helicopter pilot, Mark Waters, was injured in Florida in an accident that took the lives of the other pilot and the television crew they were flying. Mark is involved as one of the pilots flying the Corona police helicopter. 

Susan also reported that there was a need to collect socks and boxer shorts for Iraqi veterans.

A discussion was held about the development of banners for the open house display held by the CPA. Fred Peters reported on his efforts to develop a banner program for the display of classic aircraft. Because of the low meeting attendance, the item was continued to the December meeting.

A discussion was held about the duties of the officers of CPA. All agreed that an outline of the duties of the officers should be developed to provide better continuity of the organization. This item will be worked on in the future.

If it has not been done, and then a special thank you should be issued to Sun State Equipment and to James Falk for their support of the October Airfaire. In addition, a special thank you should be prepared for Dorin Machin and to the Bi-Plane owners who have done so much to support CPA during the year. They have been there to support every event CPA has held.

A discussion was held concerning the possible change of time for the monthly meetings. There will be additional consideration at the December meeting.

FROM THE PREZ

In light of recent events we should renew our Airport Watch Techniques. Remember that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and the same principal applies to our airport security. As we go about our daily routines on the airport we should always be aware, not necessarily suspicious, of any strangers we meet. We should get acquainted with our neighbors and keep an eye out for any activity that looks out of place in or around anyone's hanger or airplane. If you see a stranger, introduce yourself. Chances are the stranger is a new tenant or sometimes an old tenant that we have not met. On the other hand be grateful, not defensive, if we are greeted by an airport tenant that we do not know. I have seen people working on and around airplanes and I know they are not the owner of the airplane. I stop and make idle chat long enough to satisfy myself that they are not up to no good. They may think of me as a busybody but in reality I am just doing a little Airport Watch. Just think how much safer we would feel if every one on the airport knew everyone else. If you see anything suspicious, take a minute to note the circumstances and make a note of anything that may be of help if needed later such as date, time, vehicle type, license number or questionable load in or on a vehicle. Remember that the best criminals work in plain sight in broad daylight. Chances are that an open hanger with a truck being loaded with items from the hanger will raise little concern at 11:00 AM but would be immediately reported at 11:00 PM. Airport Watch means we want everyone at our airport to be secure and safe on the airport grounds and that includes look, take notes, call the police but in most cases do NOT confront.

CORONA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
By Rich Brodeur, Airport Manager

Now is your chance to get rid of those unwanted metal and wire items; a Metal & Wire Only Container… is located at the east end of the airport.  Please do not throw trash in this container. 
   
Upcoming events:
Friday November 30 & Saturday December 1, 2007 from 9:00 am to 2:00 City of Corona will recycle your hazardous waste at the Corporation Yard located on Cota Street.  This event is open to all Riverside County residents. 

Safety: none reported this month

Aircraft complaints:  One reported this month…an aircraft was report circling & flying low over a residence at Trailside Circle in the vicinity of Fullerton and Ontario Street. Please try to avoid this area whenever possible.

Thefts: Radios and GPS equipment were taken from 3 outside tie down storage areas. Please report any suspicious activity to your Master Lease Holder or me as soon as possible.

Insurance: Please make sure your insurance is current and up to date and indicates The City of Corona and the Army Corps of Engineers as additionally insured.   The Master Lease Holders have been issued a copy of all non-insured aircraft and will be taking corrective action to ensure 100% compliance to this ongoing process.  If your aircraft is not operational and does not have insurance, you must submit a Declaration of Non-Operation Status form.  Please contact your Master Lease Holder or the Airport Manager for this form. 

Recently an individual was cited by the Corona Police Department for dumping hazardous materials onto the airport premises. Along with this citation and court appearance, this person must pay for the clean-up process and will incur a substantial fine from the EPA. It is my sincere hope that this penalty will send a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated. This individual was apprehended thanks to one of our neighborhood watch personnel who reported it to the Lease Holder.

Thank you for your continued support and I hope that this Holiday Season is good to you.

Please help me keep our Airport Safe and Neighborly!  Thanks!!!!

PILOT PROFILE OF BOB GRAVES
By: Margaret Nunally
                                                                            
Bob is a retired aerospace engineer who has been engaged in airplane design and flying for much of his adult life, both as a vocation and as a hobby. As a vocation, Bob performed the wind tunnel design and testing of many of the Century Series Aircraft such as the F-100 Super Sabre, the F-104 Starfighter, and the T-38-/F-5 Talon trainer/fighter, as well as a supersonic jet transport that was dropped when the Concord development got too far out in front.  As a hobby, Bob took his first flying lessons in early 1946, soloing in a Taylorcraft and receiving his Private Certificate in 60 days after starting the lessons.

He became a one-third owner of his first airplane; a war surplus Fairchild PT-26A, while a first year student in the engineering college at the University of Nebraska. Bob's primary memory of the PT-26 is that it had the smoothest controls of any airplane he has ever flown, because all of the controls were pushrod controlled

After finishing college and coming to California in 1951, Bob ran across a 1946 Swift that a former RCAF pilot was offering for sale, and although it was only 85 HP the price was right for a retractable gear (and a taildragger at that), so a deal was made and Bob flew the Swift for several years. Bob made his first flight into Meadowlark Airport in the Swift in 1952 (in those days it was called the East Long Beach Airport).   His most exciting incident in the Swift happened once when he was about five miles east of Fullerton and the Aeromatic propeller failed in such a way as to put one blade into flat pitch and the other blade into a full feathered position. Chopping the power kept the ensuing vibration from shaking the engine from the airframe, and Bob managed to get the airplane down safely at Fullerton.

After taking a few years off to get married and raise two children, Bob started flying miscellaneous Cessnas at Harry Ross FBO at Meadowlark, and in 1960 joined the Smogcutters Flying Club based at Fullerton Airport. The Smogcutters were very aptly named, as Fullerton Airport was often very difficult to find from the air in those days due to the poor visibility. The good thing about the Smogcutters was that they had a nice C-35 Bonanza that would get Bob fully into the complex, high performance class of airplane and at a monthly membership fee of $25 and a rental fee of $10 an hour WET; the price couldn't have been more right.

In 1962 Bob and his family moved from Orange County to a new home in Norco, and his love affair with the Corona Airport began. He bought a tired Luscombe 8A that was for sale at Flabob, and spent the better part of a year restoring it slowly but surely in and about the late Emil Hesse's hanger at Corona. Bob flew the Luscombe several times out to Site Six (later Havasu City Airport) for overnight camping on the river bank with his son Jeff, and also to the Bombay Beach Area on the east side of the Salton Sea, where the RV access road made a perfectly good landing strip for the Luscombe. When the floods came to the Corona airport in the later 1960's, Bob pushed the Luscombe up onto the access road south of the airport, propped it, took off and flew it over to the Chino airport. Shortly thereafter, Bob sold the Luscombe for enough to make a good down payment on a 1968 Cessna 150.  Bob still considers the Luscombe to be the best 2-place airplane for off-airport operations, although the Cessna 150 also will go just about anywhere you ask it to, as long as you keep the nose well out of soft sand or deep gravel.  Bob got his Commercial Certificate at Parflight at Riverside airport in 1968, and followed that with a Certified Flight Instructor certificate at the Corona Airport in 1969.  An Instrument rating followed in 1971, after Bob moved back to Huntington Beach, and started flying from Orange County and Long Beach airports. Bob added his Seaplane rating in1973.

Bob's most favorite airplane of those he has owned was the 1965 Helio Courier, a 6-place high wing taildragger with huge fowler flaps, 100% span leading edge slats, and a 0-540 for power. As you can tell from Bob's list of favorite airplanes, he is really a frustrated bush pilot at heart and this is reflected in Bob's list of favorite cross-county destinations.

If time and money are not the limiting factors, then Alaska is the destination, especially if you don't mind more time flying than fishing.  If you're range limited, as in the Cessna 150, take the scenic route through Ft. Nelson. Cut eastward through the Rockies via Hudson Hope a little north of Prince George, then to Ft. Nelson and then follow the Alcan Highway. If you're not range limited, go straight up the Rocky Mountain Trench to Watson Lake, and then the Alcan Highway.  Either route will get you to Northway or US Customs as you re-enter the United States at the Alaskan border.

A much shorter favorite trip is to the Indian Creek Landing Field on the middle fork of the Salmon River in the Idaho Primitive Area.  Bob says it doesn't have the thrill factor of some of the other strips in the IPA, but it has a beautiful place to camp right by the river and a ranger station at the south end of the strip if you need any hand-holding. 

If any of you would like to hear about Bob's newspaper route (by airplane), that he had as a kid of 19, just ask him! You'll probably find him on the bench most any Saturday morning.


NEWS YOU REALLY NEED 

It is time to start thinking about the personal property exemptions for aircraft over 35 years old. If your aircraft is over thirty five years old or one of a kind and if you agree to display it twelve times each year then you can receive an exemption from the personal property tax. CPA sponsors an open house display the second Sunday of each month. Remember you must file that exemption request with the Riverside County Assessor before February 15th, 2008. Come to our meeting and learn more about this feature.

Our Members
Elias Ammar recently passed a check ride and is now one of our newest pilots, Congratulations Elias. Elias is Charlie's cousin and fearless Charlie had the honor of being Elias' first passenger. Way to go Guys.

On the BBS
Have you been checking out the bulletin board lately? There are a number of interesting things there.  Super Viking has posted several videos of his flights around the country. The latest one is an IFR approach to Santa Barbara. Check it out; better yet post some news yourself.

Look at what Cessna is doing.
Cessna will acquire the assets of Columbia Aircraft of Bend Oregon. Cessna says it wants to "broaden its single-engine product portfolio." Cessna officials said Columbia will take on the Cessna name, and the dual-turbocharged 310-horsepower Columbia 400 will become the Cessna 400, while the normally aspirated 310-hp Columbia 350 will be renamed the Cessna 350. Both use the Continental 550 engine.

Cessna Aircraft has also signed a deal to build its light sport Cessna 162 SkyCatcher at Shenyang Aircraft Corp. in Shenyang, China. The 56-year-old commercial and military fighter aircraft company has 16,000 employees. The company, located some 500 miles northeast of Beijing, will assemble the SkyCatcher while Cessna will design it, assure it meets the light sport aircraft standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials, and provide on-site personnel to oversee manufacturing, quality assurance, and technical design.

All this information comes to us from AOPA magazine but it appears that Cessna is moving.

Thanksgiving Day at the hanger.

CPA VP Dorothe put together a Thanksgiving Day gathering at her Hanger for those who do not have family in the area thus creating an airport family. There was a fine feast with turkey dressing and all the amenities.



End Newsletter