It’s been a good flying week, warm temps and all. Folks just
avoided the midday heat and turbulence and got their trips in by flying high.
Smoke and haze continued, but their altitude was easily topped into the clear
air. There was concern about the windstorms that struck Kansas City on Thursday,
but Butler airport escaped and no parked airplanes were damaged.
There was considerable transient traffic; a Cessna Skyhawk, a
Cessna Skylane, a Piper Archer and a Grumman Tiger were spotted. David Bradley
was over from Booneville in his Cessna Skyhawk. On Friday morning, the FAA’s
Flight Check King Air 300 aircraft out of Oklahoma City came by, first flying
the VOR-A approach on a low approach and then completing the two RNAV
approaches, all completed in about 20 minutes. This yearly check confirms that
all is in order on our instrument procedures. Off the local ramp, Jim
Ferguson’s Cessna Skylane flew away, the AirTractor agplane braved threatening
weather to apply crop protection and Nate Shrock and Jeremiah McElroy were out
in Cessna 150’s.
Last week, the Secret Service announced expanded VIP no-fly airspace
for political candidates; instead of the usual Temporary Flight Restriction
covering a three-mile radius up to 3000 feet AGL, it’ll now be a five-mile
circle up to 5000 feet. These are totally eyewash measures, designed to regain
the agency’s credibility, which can entrap careless pilots but will do nothing
to deter a dedicated terrorist. Perhaps it will clear out peeping drones
though.
Once again, the Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture
fly-in at Oshkosh, WI reports a record crowd stats. Based on daily ticket
sales, attendance totaled 686,000, with 861 commercial exhibitors hawking their
wares. Some 10,000 airplanes flew in (counting outlying airports) and of that
total 2,846 were showplanes for display. Despite burgeoning inflation, aviation
enthusiasts always seem to find the resources to make the trip to Oshkosh.
The question from last week about how D-Day paratroopers found
each other in the dark was answered by the always-knowledgable Rodney Rom; his
veteran uncle told him they used "cricket clickers" to
rendezvous. Next week's question is,
"what's the difference between DME and the military's TACAN distance-finding
equipment?" You can send your answers to [email protected].
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