Category Archives: Fly Days

2019 January – Fly Day Over SW Michigan

Normally this time of year, January, usually finds the farm lands of SW Michigan coated with several inches of snow and the Lake Michigan shore line covered with at least a mile or so covering of shore ice.   This week, not so much.

Jan 5 was a fine day for flying with plenty of blue sky, light and variable winds and only the occasional down draft bump.  Hope you enjoy the area pictures.

2019 – Jan 5: Benton Harbor Regional Airport (KBEH). Looking closely, you can see several aircraft and a helicopter making used of today’s dry runways.
Jan 5, 2019: St. Joseph and Benton Harbor without snow and Lake Michigan without its normal ice covered shoreline.
Jan-2019: Benton Harbor on Cinema Way / Mall Drive – Big Box Stores and four new hotels.
Jan 5, 2019: Lakeland Hospital (Lakeland Health & Spectrum) and its new building right off Napier & Langley Ave in St. Joseph, Mi.
Jan 5, 2019: Lake Michigan College – Benton Harbor (off Napier Ave)
Jan 5, 2019: Four Winds Casino off Red Arrow Hwy between Hartford and Watervliet, MI.
Jan 5, 2019: I&M Solar Farm & switch yard in the Watervliet, Mi area.
Jan 5, 2019: Hartford H.S. and the Hartford Race Track -Hartford Michigan
Jan 5, 2019: Watervliet Airport (40c) – Located at the East end of Big Paw Paw Lake in Watervliet. Runways are a bit soggy and mushey this time of year.
Jan 5, 2019: Sister Lakes area – Dowagiac: Magician Lake with only a very small section having any ice. Very unusual for a January!

Jan 5, 2019: Magician Lake (Sister Lakes- Dowagiac) – The water clarity was very good today and as you can see the lake is getting much shallower.

Jan 5, 2019: Saw this around the Paw Paw Michigan area – Might be Doc’s Salvage- Junk Yard. Quite orderly for a junk yard.

 

 

FAA / WINGS presentation at the Dowagiac Airport (C91)

Over the weekend I was able to attend an FAA / WINGS presentation at the Dowagiac Airport (C91) on the South Bend Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) and Airspace & Services they provide.

Dowagiac is a smaller Michigan airport  so they do not have the ability to really clean the runway of snow and ice so I drove over rather than flew.

For non-pilots:  FAA = Federal Aviation Administration which is part of  the  Department of Transportation. The WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program is the FAA’s recurrent training program for general aviation (GA) pilots. The bottom-line mission of WINGS is fairly simple which is to reduce the number of GA accidents. To accomplish that objective, WINGS employs an assortment of targeted education and training opportunities to help pilots apply the principles of aviation risk assessment and risk management.

Did I mention they also usually have Free Coffee and Donuts for attendees 🙂

As a side note, one of my old skydiving and flying buddies has a hanger at the Dowagiac  airport so a few of us dropped over to check out his Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) that he is in the process of building.

 

End of a perfect fly day and just before the storm clouds settle in.

Today the weather was cooperating, and I was able to get a ride down to Michigan City airport to pick my plane after its annual inspection was completed.

One part of picking up my plane, especially if I did not do an owner assist, is to make sure as best I can that the annual  has been completed (ie: log books updated and signed) and that during the pre-flight inspection to really look to insure that all parts and pieces are where they should be and that there are no extra parts, pieces or tools hiding in the plane.

Per the FAR’s (Federal Aviation Regulation) the pilot in command of a civil aircraft is responsible for determining whether that aircraft is in condition for safe flight. The pilot in command shall discontinue the flight when unairworthy mechanical, electrical, or structural conditions occur.

With that said I like to be there early so there is no rush to get home before sunset, or to get it out of the shop before they close. It’s always a good idea to look under the cowl and take the time to look everything over paying special attention to any areas where work was done. Get the hands in there and test hose connections, etc. Then I do the external checks very thoroughly. Same deal on startup, every little thing gets tested.

It’s no problem to run up several times and check out the engine and prop for any out of the ordinary behavior. Make sure and check the flight controls a few times (physically and visually) for full range of motion, correct movement, and really pay attention to any change in feel or resistance.  Check the radio including the push to talk (PTT). That’s about it, other than expect the unexpected and have plenty of outs if things don’t seem right.  And with that said, I always stay in the vicinity of the airport for a bit until I am sure everything is okay.

And with all that completed it was back to Benton Harbor I went with the clouds following.  From the pictures included here you can see it was a good day for flying 😊

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drone Hunter

The ‘DroneHunter’ allows authorities take down rogue drones. T

This is not your average video carrying drone. DroneHunter hunts for unauthorized drones and captures them. It’s a fully-autonomous air defense mechanism.

Airport Hopping

Every year, or sooner depending on the aircraft and its use, aircraft owners are required to have their airplane inspected during what is called the “annual”. An annual Inspection is a complete inspection of an aircraft and engine, required by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), to be accomplished every 12 calendar months on all certificated aircraft. Only an Airframe and Power Plant (A&P) technician holding an Inspection Authorization (IA) can conduct an annual inspection.

Inspection requirements differ with the various uses of aircraft. For example, aircraft being used for compensation or hire must have a thorough inspection every one-hundred hours. Most aircraft, including those used for compensation or hire are required to have a complete inspection every year.
This year I flew in to the Michigan City Airport (KMGC) to leave my Cessna 150C for its annual and took advantage of my fly buddy Dave’s offer to attend the “Friday Fly In” at the Laporte Indiana airport (KPPO) and a return flight to Benton Harbor (KBEH).

As this was the last weekend of the skydiving season at Skydive Windy City here at the airport I took advantage of that and took a few pictures of tandems jumping in the cooler weather and then took a few pictures of the woodland color changes on the way to Laporte. After a great lunch at the Laporte Fixed Base Operator (FBO) building Mr. Dave let me fly his airplane back to Benton Harbor and dropped me off.

For general information, a FBO is the primary provider of support services to general aviation operators at a public-use airport and is located either on airport leasehold property or adjacent to airport leasehold property. In many smaller airports serving general aviation in remote or modest communities, the town itself may provide fuel services and operate a basic FBO facility. Most FBOs doing business at airports of high to moderate traffic volume are non-governmental organizations, i.e., either privately or publicly held companies.

 

 

 

 

Check out the “Last Weekend of the Jumping Season” – Skydive Windy City in KMGC

Hop over to the “Friday Fly In at KPPO – Laporte, Indiana” & And some of the planes there.

Sept 15: If you like airplanes:

If you like airplanes:

Aircraft enthusiasts from around the world flew into the Southwest Michigan Regional Airport this week. Ross Warner, Meyers Aircraft Owners Association president and The Meyers Aircraft Owners Association held its annual fly in today through Sunday, with the most activity Saturday afternoon.

The Meyers Aircraft Co. was a U.S. aircraft maker established by Al Meyers in Tecumseh, Mich., in 1936. Originally, the company produced a biplane trainer, the Meyers OTW, but after World War II developed a range of light utility aircraft, culminating in the Meyers 200. In 1965, the company and the rights to two of its aircraft, the 145 and 200, were purchased by Rockwell-Standard.

The OTW (Out To Win) was a conventional biplane with tandem seating for two in open cockpits and a fixed tailwheel landing gear. The aircraft was produced in two main variants; the OTW-145 powered by a 145 HP Warner Super Scarab, and the OTW-160 powered by a 160 HP Kinner R-5 engine.

Typical characteristics: Maximum speed: 120 mph, Cruise speed: 105 mph and Landing speed: 40 mph.

As a trainer in the Civilian Pilot Training Program during World War Two, it earned itself a reputation for reliability and safety that was second to none— reportedly a cadet was never killed while learning to fly in the old OTW.   http://www.  airbum . com / pireps/ Pirep OTW.html

Here are just a few pictures from the fly in.

1941 Meyers – OTW-160 from Indiana

OTW’s in formation flight
1942 Meyers – OTW-145 – from South Carolina
1942 Meyers – OTW-145 – from South Carolina
1941 Meyers – OTW – from MI
1941 Meyers – OTW – from MI
1941 Meyers OTW From New Mexico
1941 Meyers OTW From New Mexico
Meyers Model 200A, Manufactured: 1959 – fixed wing single engine from Minnesota

This  is called  a  taildragger (ie: has a tail wheel) and is special. Its a Meyers – Model MAC-145 from MI

The Meyers 200 was a single-engine light aircraft produced in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s.
Simple instrumentation – fly by the seat of your pants.

7 cylinder rotary power plant / engine – The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders “radiate” outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel.

 

5 cylinder radial engine –

September 1: Food for Reflection perhaps?

Food for Reflection perhaps?

This video was posted on the General Aviation Junkyard which is about neglected, abandoned and/or derelict aircraft. The site also provides a reflection about the history and its loss of general, commercial, and military aircraft.

This is one a video that I feel has significant and emotional meaning if you really think about it. It applies not to just the thoughts and memories of those in the wars, not just WWII, but can apply to all the following wars and conflicts since.

The mechanics of warfare have changed but the effect on those in them have not. What is the real cost in and to people, both service personnel and families? What of the tremendous cost conflicts impact on the economics of the country whether you are considered the winner or loser?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpGNKO6wz10

The Best Years of Our Lives 1946 airport scene Dana Andrews – Clip from the 1946 film with Dana Andrews walking through a aircraft graveyard. Film synopsis: Three World War II veterans return home to small-town America to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed.

August 3: Lunch on the Fly – Goshen Municipal Airport

One of my flying and jump buddies has Fridays off this summer and invited me to join him on their “Lunch on the Fly ” where he and other fellow aviators fly to a different airport every Friday for lunch rotating among five different airports.

This is about the same thing as doing the  $100 hamburger trip. Now that  typically involves flying a short distance (less than two hours), eating at an airport restaurant, and flying home.

“$100” originally referred to the approximate cost of renting or operating a light general aviation aircraft, such as a Cessna 172, for the time it took to fly round-trip to a nearby airport. However, increasing fuel prices have since caused an increase in hourly operating costs for most airplanes, and a Cessna 172 now costs $100–$130 per Hobbs hour to rent, including fuel.

A Hobbs meter, by the way,  is a device used in aviation to measure the time that an aircraft is in use. The meters typically display hours and tenths of an hour, but there are several ways in which the meter may be activated:

So my buddy  and another pilot flew their cub’s over to Southwest Michigan Regional Airport which is in Benton Harbor, Mi.  We had some clouds on the way to Goshen and felt bump or two  but it lightened up and brightened up just as we got to the airport and stayed that way the remainder of the fly day.

Here are a few pictures of some of the planes that flew in.  After a great lunch, we left Goshen and I got a little stick time in the Cub going to Michigan City Municipal Airport – Phillips Field (KMGC).

 

After landing and helping to put that bird in his hanger I went over to check out the skydiving plane at “Skydive Windy City Chicago” and took a few pictures.  Then Dave gassed up his Cessna 182  and  let me fly it  that back to Benton Harbor.

It was a great day for flying or jumping made even better when your friends are letting  you fly their planes 🙂

July 31: Global Positioning System (GPS Jamming)

If your flying this could make things interesting

While web surfing the other day I came across an article dated June of 2016 that was interesting because it brought to mind an occurrence that happened to me several years ago when flying a cross country flight from Michigan thru Indian and Illinois.

Now this was quite a few years ago and I was flying Visual Flight Rules (VFR) using compass and landmarks but had my GPS on as a backup. During the flight as I flew thru a Military Operations Area (MOA) my GPS lost all signal reference and was totally out of service.  At that time this was an unexpected occurrence but now days it may not be that unusual for that to happen.

The article I read about stated that “FAA Warns of GPS Outages This Month During Mysterious Tests on the West Coast”.  Very interesting I thought!

 Starting today, it appears the US military will be testing a device or devices that will potentially jam GPS signals for six hours each day.  

 The FAA issued an advisory warning pilots on Saturday that global positioning systems (GPS) could be unreliable during six different days this month, primarily in the Southwestern United States. The testing will be centered on China Lake, California—home to the Navy’s 1.1 million- acre Naval Air Weapons Center in the Mojave Desert.

It stated that the testing would be on June 7, 9, 21, 23, 28, and 30th with the GPS interference testing taking place between 9:30 am and 3:30 pm Pacific time. But it noted that if you’re on the ground, you probably won’t notice interference.

Now last month as I was checking out Notice to Airmen (NOTAMS) & Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR’s) prior to flying I came across the following “NOTC7933 – Flight Advisory GPS Interference Testing, August 02-15, 2018 Camp Grayling, MI.”

Now this month (August) Military Training is a routine part of the flying season in Alaska.  Sporting the largest contiguous complex of special use airspace in the country , military planners announced the dates of four Red Flag exercises over the coming months.  The thing that is a little different is that each of these 10 day exercises this year will include “GPS testing” where military forces on the ground will jam the GPS signal from participating aircraft, to test this real-world threat now faced by our armed forces.  The challenge is, it may also impact civil aircraft, outside the boundaries of the MOA’s and Restricted Areas used by the military aircraft. On the dates within these ranges that GPS testing is planned, NOTAM’s will be issued at least 72 hours in advance, with defined date and time ranges that will limit the testing.

Bottom line is If you are operating IFR, remembering to tune in the VOR and ILS frequencies from our “legacy” equipment.  For those of us that fly VFR, it might be a good idea to make a long flight flight or two this summer just navigating with a good old paper chart and compass, if your addicted to using your GPS, and re-discovering the joys of pilotage.

Definitions:

Military Operations Area (MOA) is airspace designated to separate or segregate military activities from Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) traffic and to identify for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) traffic where these activities are conducted.

During active times,  MOA’s often have different types of aircraft performing maneuvers at different air speeds and have  active and inactive hours, also known as “hot” and “cold” times. Check with a flight service specialist before you fly to find out whether the MOA is active or not.  Note that aircraft in MOA’s are sometimes granted permission to fly “lights out” training missions. Military aircraft do not have airspeed restrictions within MOA limits and the  250-knot limit for commercial aircraft, for example, does not apply to military aircraft in MOAs.

Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) is a notice filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the safety of the flight. NOTAM’s are unclassified notices or advisories concerning the establishment, conditions or change in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel and systems concerned with flight operations.

Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is a type of Notices to Airmen (NOTAM).  A TFR defines an area restricted to air travel due to a hazardous condition, a special event, or a general warning for the entire FAA airspace. The text of the actual TFR contains the fine points of the restriction.

 

July 29: Posted on Facebook

Fly Day!

Anticipate 1330 hrs from Benton Harbor Airport – trade manual labor for short flight?      First one to respond has the seat – anyone? ? ?

Yep- got a prompt response so Tom got the “Nuclear Plant Tour” route along lake Michigan. It was a Blue Sky day.

Note: Somebody asked what was the manual labor.  It is to simply assist in opening the heavy and sticking sliding hanger doors,  verifying my pre-flight inspection and moving the plane in and out of the hanger.  I have dinged up the  lower back  and really need the assistance.

Palisades Nuclear Plant – a few miles south of South Haven, MI – along Lake Michigan shoreline.interested?