FLIGHT LEVELS

Presidents Message

By Bruce Wortmann

Common Ground – or is that Air

As a young boy, I grew up in West Caldwell, NJ just at the turn from base to final for runway 6 at Essex County Airport. I was hooked on aircraft and flying. Though I didn’t get my first flight until I was 12, I spent time around the airport watching the planes come and go. Mostly it was the small aircraft Cessna and Pipers with the rare visit from Arnold Palmer and his reverse swept wing Hannsa jet. As a teen I was running wingtips for the glider club, but piloting has always been my dream. We are now on the verge of having yet another way of pursuing our interest with the impending Sport Pilot classification. After all, flying and airplanes is what brings us together.

If you’re anything like me, you are hoping spring is just around the corner, with warmer garages and hangers for project work and a less vigorous storm track for better flying weather. While for a lucky few, the winter months provide an opportunity to make great strides on their projects; most of us are itching for the warmer skies and the approaching fly-outs and the start of Young Eagles events. So, come out on the 14^th and join us in a spirit of encouragement and comradely and bring your recent building story or challenge.

As a building chapter, we are here to support each other. If you are looking for a project, there is most likely someone here who has been down that road (perhaps I should say radial) already. Here you can find no end of advice on what’s good and what’s bad about any kit plane. But it has been my observation that many of our chapter members are already involved in projects to varying degrees and rates of advancement. Let me add my words of encouragement to keep working, or find a way to get back to a project that’s been waiting. Come and ask questions, get ideas, and use our chapter’s largest resource, our members, to build the highest quality and safest aircraft possible.

Good Building and Happy Landings.

Schedule of Events

April 2-8 Sun ‘n Fun

April 12 Annual Chapter Dinner (George Washington Inn)

May 17 Young Eagles at Robbinsville

Jun 14 Young Eagles at Twin Pine

Jul 29 – Aug 4 EAA Airventure at Oshkosh

Sep 6 Annual Chapter picnic at Twin Pine

Oct? Young Eagles at Central Jersey

Photo presented by Don Tarcza

Faa Manger Guest Speaker at Februarys Meeting

At the February meeting Mr. Richard Lea, FAA Manager gave us an extensive run down of organizational problems faced by the agency in coping with post World Trade Center attack. Mr. Lea also alluded to a harrowing experience in his career when he was almost blown off the roof of the World Trade Center while directing a helicopter unloading procedure. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him in behalf of the members of chapter 176 for taking the time and giving us a professional, interesting and informative presentation.

February Committee 2003

Chairperson Catchings, Frank Brooks, Benjamin

Goldberg, Lee Bertles, Ray

Osmundson, Don Spencer, Dave

March Committee 2003

Chairperson Huffman, Jeff Duick, Jerome

Conway, William Friedman, Michael

Mehling, Cy Misti, Jim

April Committee 2003

Chairperson Rommell, Joe Astrin, Jordan

Kianka, Bill Reside, John

Tarcza, Don Weasner, Bill

Minutes of the February 14,2003 Meeting of EAA Chapter l76

President Bruce Wortmann called meeting to order at 7:42 PM. Eighteen members attended, plus three guests.

Minutes of the January l0, 2003 meeting as published in the newsletter were approved with one correction.

Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer's Report for the close of business January 31,2003 was made
by Frank Catchings and approved.

Board of Directors

A Board Meeting was held January 30,2003. Decisions made were to:

l. Name Keith Caulton as Seat Coordinator for any upcoming #176 flights
2.Agree on specific and needed changes in #176 By-Laws at the next Director’s meeting, for subsequent submission to the membership.
  3.To recommend continuing our six honorary memberships.
  4.To make meetings friendlier for guests/potential new members including having new name tags prepared and worn by all members at meetings.
  5. Invest an additional $400 in our Fidelity Aggressive     Growth Fund
6. Have a new "Skills Survey" Form prepared by Frank Catchings, to be filled out by each member with any skills/knowledge/tools/etc., which could
be of interest to #176 builders

Flight Advisor--No Report

Young Eagles --No Report

Membership -- No New Members

Technical Counselor

Vic Holmlund reported that Frank Catchings had started construction of his
Steen Sky bolt.

Chapter Housing

Carpeting is to be laid in the entry room, with a small piece of linoleum at
the entrance.

Q & A

Bill Marx reported on an inexpensive and simple way to label homebuilt
aircraft controls.
Keith Caulton recommended that anyone buying or selling an aircraft make and keep copies of all relevant documents such as bills of sale, receipts, and both sides of cancelled checks.

Old Business -- None

New Business

The membership voted to continue the memberships of our six Honorary Members.
Victor Holmlund reported on a Drifter Ultralight for sale, with a great deal of additional equipment. If interested, see Vic.
The meeting adjourned at 8:20 PM, and was followed by a talk given by Rich Lea of the FAA, in which he detailed all the actions taken by the FAA immediately following the first 9/ll World Trade Center attack, and subsequent actions taken to make air travel as safe as possible. Rich also
answered a number of questions put to him by the members.

Another Great American Passes On

General Joseph J. Foss 1915-2003

In 1943 Captain Joe Foss was featured on the cover of Life Magazine after being presented the Medal of Honor by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

In the early part of WWII as a Marine Aviator Captain he was credited with 26 confirmed kills in the Pacific theater of operations. This record at that time equaled the record of World I Ace Captain Eddie Rickenbacker. Following the war he was a principal founder of the South Dakota Air National Guard and held the rank of Brigadier General in the Guard as well as in the Air Force Reserve. Some of the Generals other accomplishments include being a South Dakota state legislature and also serving as Governor. The General made the news in the later part of last year when an airport security guard tried to confiscate his Medal of Honor because the medal appeared to the guard to have sharp edges on it.

The most ironic thing I found about the passing of General Foss is the fact that his death to my knowledge was not mentioned in any of the major media outlets. The first place I discovered his passing was in a shooting supplier publication called The Blue press. The article was entitled Goodbye to Joe Foss, “America’s No. 1 Ace”

The General died on January 1, 2003

Ben Brooks News letter Editor

Directions to Twin Pine Airport

Twin Pine Airport is located in Pennington NJ, just off the Pennington Circle. Go east on Blackwell Rd. and turn right on Pennington Lawrenceville Rd.

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Chapter 176 Information

President Bruce Wortmann

215-736-0438 5043 Grace Drive

Morrisville, Pa. 19067

Vice President Joe Raimondo

609-587-9047 16 Cavalier Dr.

Mercerville, NJ 08619

Secretary William S. Conway

908-782-8412 30 Britton Road

Stockton N.J. 08559

Treasurer Frank Catchings

908-788-5870 213 Thatchers Hill Rd.

Flemington, NJ 08822

Young Eagles Representative

215-493-5603 Ray Bertles

Technical Counselors

Ray Bertles 215-493-5603

Dick Blair 609-859-3234

Don Osmundson 609-829-6460

Michael Arsics 908-657-8497

Victor Holmlund 908-359-8007

Flight Advisors

Ray Bertles 215-493-5603

Michael Arsics 908-657-8497

Chapter 176 Website

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/eaa176/

Requirement

To be a regular EAA chapter member, EAA bylaws stipulate that the EAA chapter member also be a member of EAA!!

(We will rely on the honor system to stay current.)

Newsletter Policy Flight levels is published solely to provide information to members of EAA Chapter 176. The opinions presented are not necessarily the official opinions of the Chapter. Use of technical information is strictly at the user’s risk, as we do not claim to be authorities in any technical field. Letters, articles, ideas, etc., are welcome. The editor reserves the right to correct, shorten, and reject items at his/her discretion. Items will be printed on a space available basis. Any submissions over 200 words MUST be emailed or handed in on 3.5 inch diskette (Word or good old ASCII text) unless previously arranged with the editor

Paid advertising is welcome; inquire of editor. Members may place announcements, requests for information, etc., in the newsletter free of charge.

Editors of other aviation publications are welcome to reprint articles from this newsletter. We do ask, however, that author and source be acknowledged.

Subscription to newsletter is a member benefit. Friends of EAA Chapter 176 who do not receive the newsletter under the newsletter program may subscribe at $10 per year. Visitors are welcome at Chapter meetings. Contact any officer for time, date, and place.

News Letter Editor Apprentice in Training

Ben Brooks

609-538-8334

benjamin.jr5@verizon.net

Web Manager Tom Curbishley

609-882-3828 TomCurbishley@yahoo.com

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News letter Changes

The changes for the January 2003 newsletter Chapter 176 Information page is
as follows:
President Bruce Wortmann
215-736-0486 5093 Grace Drive
Morrisville, PA 19067
Vice President Secretary William S. Conway
908-782-8412 20 Britton Rd.
Stockton, NJ 08559
Treasurer No change.
Technical Counselors Remove Dick Blair.
All others remain the same.