Despite the heat at ground level, aviators enjoyed nice
summer skies last week, with flat-bottomed cumulus clouds floating in clear
blue vistas. Even the thermal activity was fairly light, so no gliders were
reported in the air this week.
A Cessna 182 dropped in at mid-week, along with a Piper
Warrior and Sam Styron’s turbine Air Tractor from Harrisonville. An Army
Reserve Chinook CH-47 helicopter from New Century was seen muttering along
through the traffic pattern on Thursday. Locally, dawn to dusk activity was
logged by BCS aerial application, Jim Ferguson’s Cessna Skylane was out and Jon
Laughlin’s Piper Cherokee evaded bird bombing outside. A new student pilot was
created on Friday with a first solo flight being logged.
As was reported elsewhere, the SkyDive KC operation was
without its jump plane last weekend, as the King Air was involved in an
non-fatal accident while landing at New Century airport at Gardner, KS on the
previous Monday. After losing power on the left engine, veteran pilot Les
Gorden managed to bring the out-of-control aircraft to rest on a hangar roof.
It’ll be some time before the accident investigators release their findings of
the probable cause. Meanwhile, SkyDive KC is looking for a replacement
airplane.
This coming Saturday is the Fliar’s Club’s monthly
breakfast fly-out, so there is a call for assembly on the Butler airport ramp
at 0730 hours, whereupon the possibilities will be discussed. Some lessening of
the heat is on the long-range outlook.
There’s a small unique airport in North Dakota, located at
International Peace Gardens exactly on the U.S./Canada border, where pilots
from either country can land and park on their respective sides of the border.
Now, this long-standing convenient arrangement is threatened by the imposition
of bureaucratic standards, with no regard for “grandfathering” established
practice. The problem is, the taxiway to the Canada ramp exits the runway at a
45-degree angle, the shortest path, and new FAA airport rules say it has to be
changed to a 90-degree turnoff, making the Canadian government have to build a
new ramp, all for no reason except “it’s a rule.” Canada is naturally resistant
to the expenditure. Logic and common sense would dictate leaving it alone,
saving needless expense.
It was announced last week that Boeing may be restarting
production of the C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane, which was actually a
Douglas Aircraft design before the two companies merged. Ten years ago, the 289th
C-17 was built, the last one ordered, but now Boeing may have a customer again.
Capable of lifting 50 tons of cargo, the C-17 is only slightly smaller than the
Lockheed C-5B.
From last week, our question about
“which U.S. state has the highest number of winter thunderstorms” attracted no
response. The answer was Louisiana. So, for next week, can anyone tell me what
designation was given the Air Force’s Globemaster II? Richard-Gebaur AFB
veterans probably know. You can send
your answers to [email protected].
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