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An information exchange column with input from readers.
by Buck Hilbert (EAA 21, Ale 5)
P.O. Box 424 Union, IL 60180
Dear Mr. Hilbert, I agree 100 percent with your prac tice of pulling the prop through all compression strokes on a cold start. Having been pushed by a 215-hp Franklin for over 300 hours in a Re public Seabee I always pull the prop through six compression strokes on every cold start, even if it means put ting on the hip boots. It allows me to feel and listen to the machinery under the cowl. I get suspicious when some thing sounds or feels different. Keep up the great column. Bob Redner West Bloomfield, Michigan
Open replies to: Dario L. Toffenetti, EI Paso, Texas Dario: Thanks for the circular finally telling of the tethered picket balloons. These balloons, or "aerostats" as they are called, are drug interdiction tethered vehicles about the size of a 747 fuselage. I see there are now four of them tethered along the Texas Mexico border and I know of a couple more in Arizona.
The idea of them is great. They house electronic gear capable of spot ting drug running attempts via aircraft flying at low level. The glitch is they were cloaked in secrecy for a while and, in the main, were unlighted. I made inquires of the FAA and have yet to receive an answer as to why they weren't strobed or at least shown on the sectionals, etc. The circular says they are lighted, except for the tether cable which can be as high as 15,000 feet. This means they have a latitude of several miles at the top of the box and this cable could be anywhere below the balloon and off to the side of center. This could pose a real problem to the uninitiated VFR guy running along looking at the scen ery who comes face to face with one of these cables. Thanks for the info, Dario. Keep the Amigo Airshow going! Another call, Don Toeppen of St. Charles, Illinois. He's worried about the drug testing program and the fact that all commercial pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, in fact anyone who makes or earns a wage at commercial
aviation must have a drug testing pro gram set up so that if and when the FAA or anybody demands a drug test, you're ready. I'm worried, too, Don. I talked with the Great Lakes region of the FAA and also the CAP and there is some confusion as to how this will be administered and enforced. The CAP doesn't even have a plan at this time. More on this later. Here's a good one! A cassette tape from Father John Mac Gillvrary up in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. He reminisced about the early Rockford days and the fact that his Moth and Miles Hawk were such fun to fly to the Convention each year. He would like to see them fly, better yet he'd like to fly them again. For those of you who want to see them, they are in the Pioneer Airport hangars in back of the Museum. I've had all kinds of calls this past month. Some really good ones from people who really needed to know something. Some with sad tidings but most of them left me with good feel ings. Keep 'em comin' guys & gals. Over to you . • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15