The Patrician, December 2010

The Patrician VICTORIA FLYING CLUB

DECEMBER 2010

WWW.FLYVFC.COM

Merry Christmas FROM THE VICTORIA FLYING CLUB

The Patrician Monthly newsletter of the Victoria Flying Club

DECEMBER 2010

In this issue:

The Victoria Flying Club est. 1946

5 Flying With Friends —Doug Marin 9 San Francisco Photos —Laura Van Buskirk 13 Wait List Feature for Online Booking

“To promote flying and aviation in general, and to teach and train persons in the art and science of flying and navigating and operating all manner of heavier-than-air aircraft.”

(Victoria Flying Club Incorporation Bylaws, 1946)

Board of Directors President………………………………….….Lloyd Toope Vice President…………………………..Colin Dormuth Treasurer……………………………………….Ellen Wood Secretary……………………………………….Rob Shemilt Directors………………………………………..Sean Steele Colin Williamson Don Devenney Steve Demy General Manager………………………….Gerry Mants Chief Flying Instructor……………..Graham Palmer

Editor/Publisher: Christie Hall thepatrician@shaw.ca Midnight Design and Communication midnightdc@shaw.ca

1852 Canso Road Sidney, BC V8L 5V5

www.flyvfc.com

The Patrician accepts unsolicited submissions.

Phone: 250-656-2833 Fax: 250-655-0910 Email: info@flyvfc.com

This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, only with prior permission of the publisher or author. The opinions expressed are strictly those of the authors.

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Victoria Flying Club Holiday Hours

Merry Christmas FROM THE VICTORIA FLYING CLUB

December 24—closed at 4pm December 25—closed December 26—closed December 31—closed at 4pm January 1—closed

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Festive Flight Following

Only a few days left before Christmas and the pressure is on to get everything done – don’t let the “urgency” of the season take away from that which is most important. I sincerely hope that each of you will have the opportunity to slow down just a bit and share with family and friends the joy, the wonder and the true gift of Christmas. From all of us here at the Club to you and your families, a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year.

Santa has embraced the internet and all its social media outlets. You can send your wish list to Santa on Facebook well ahead of time to give the elves plenty of notice. Then on Christmas Eve, check the North Pole weather. If it’s especially cold, be sure to have an extra hot beverage on hand for the jolly guy. You’ll know exactly when to have it ready after checking the sleigh’s progress with Norad and Google Earth. And while visions of Garmin 5000s dance through your head, you can tweet Santa a last minute reminder of how very, very good you’ve been this year.

~ Gerry Mants, General Manager VFC

Santa on Facebook North Pole Weather Santa on Norad Santa on Google Earth Santa on Twitter

DECEMBER 2010 2

CHRISTMAS IN THE PILOT SHOP

Find gifts for all the pilots on your list at the VFC Pilot Shop!  



Stocking stuffers under $20 Check out the line of VFC Apparel including hats, shirts, jackets, and micro-fleece lined vests This year we have gift packages available . A gift certificate, with an accompanying gift from the pilot shop, wrapped in ribbon and ready to put under the tree.

VICTORIA FLYING CLUB INC. VICTORIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT #101—1852 CANSO ROAD SIDNEY, BC V8L 5V5 PHONE: 250-656-2833

$$$$

Gift amounting to DATE

12/25/10

Gift Certificate Dollars

GIFT FOR

CERTIFICATE NUMBER

PRESENTED BY

CERTIFICATE AMOUNT

My Favourite Aviator

1234

Your Co-Pilot

$$$$

Santa N. Claus

12/25/2011 VALID TO:____________________________

______________________________________ AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

WWW.FLYVFC.COM 3

Images courtesy of: Allen Lynch

This month’s winning photo: A beautiful shot of Lake Garibaldi, submitted by Jon Starodub.

2010 Photo of the Month Grand Prize Winner!

As promised a year ago, all photo submissions have been entered into a draw for a $100 gift certificate from the Victoria Flying Club. This can be used towards flight training, for pilot shop items and books, or deposited to your block account for recreational flights. A big thanks to everyone who submitted photos this year. We have seen some stunning landscapes, incredible airplanes, and various other interesting shots. We’ll continue the tradition in 2011. You can enter one photo each month to increase your chances of winning the monthly pilot shop prize, or the yearly $100 prize. Keep those photos coming! Submit by the 20th of the month to: thepatrician@shaw.ca

The grand prize winner for 2010 is Loren Brajkovic.

Congratulations Loren! You can pick up your gift certificate at the VFC office.

DECEMBER 2010 4

By: Doug Marin

Here

is a perfect example of literary procrastination. I wrote most of this article in 2006, and then didn’t finish the last couple of paragraphs until October 2010! I have at least 3 more just like it.

Maybe you feel like me. You’ve flown to Chilliwack so many times they’ve run out of any selections you haven’t tried before on the famous pie menu. The Boundary Bay traffic pattern entry is so familiar, the radios change frequencies all by themselves. Nanaimo Radio answers you by name; “Idiot in PFW, this is Nanaimo RADIO (Not Nanaimo Tower). Perhaps I exaggerate a little; however, the message is clear: At least once a year, make it a point to get way out of town and fly to some places you haven’t been to before or at least very often. It will positively make flying a whole new and wonderful experience for you.

Dan Waldie, Stu Knittelfelder and I (all 350 + hour pilots now) met each other at the VFC and have been flying together in club aircraft on extended cross-country trips for the past few years. We’ve been to San Francisco, California, Juneau, Alaska, and several distant BC locations plus on all kinds of shorter flights together. Yes, we are also “Hundred

WWW.FLYVFC.COM 5

Dollar Hamburger Guys”. If you check out the Photo Gallery on the VFC website, you’ll find a story about our trip to Alaska called “The Thousand Dollar Hamburger Run”. That 5-day trip cost us $1000 each and was worth every dime as all expenses were included. Aircraft, Hotel, Food, the works. Today trips like this will cost a bit more, not much more.

This year (2006), we split the difference, and went on a 3-day flying trip that cost only $555 each, all expenses in. What an exceptional Labour Day Long Weekend trip it turned out to be!

We flew almost 11 hours over the weekend.

Victoria to: Nelson, & Kaslo, BC, then on to Oroville, Washington for a very friendly USA Customs arrival.

An overnight stop at the Grand Coulee Dam presented us with a wonderful tour of a huge American Electrical and Agricultural Power and Water Facility. The evening “Laser Light Show” projected directly onto the dam was a lot of fun. We chanced on the use of free on field “airport car” to take us into town, almost 15 miles away. After that, we crossed over some more pretty formidable territory.

The GPS in some of VFC’s aircraft is a wonderful tool in these instances, as there were not a lot of distinguishing landmarks below to navigate by until

(Question: How many of you are flying with your own GPS in our aircraft now in 2010 ? I fly all the time with a Garmin Aera, but can’t plug it into ships power) Again, we got outstanding service after filling up the tanks at the Dalles FBO who provided another “free airport car” to take us into town to fill up on some great Burgers & Shakes. You just ‘gotta love the way they look after you in the USA! We bypassed Portland International Airspace by a few miles and flew up the bumpy Gorge River and Hood Canal while watching literally hundreds of Windsurfers go crazy on the river below us. Another couple stops at Sanderson and Port Townsend, WA then finally landing in Victoria completed all the trade off flying time all three pilots wanted on this trip. We all came out within 1/10 of an hour of each other in flying time. Again, an unplanned, but hoped for final outcome! I don’t know how we do it, but it always seems to work out.

Moral of this story? You too can meet some of the 500 wonderful people who are members of The Victoria Flying Club to FLY with. All you have to do is

show up at the club and talk with folks. Soon enough, you’ll be having the time of your life sharing the wonderful thing we do. Seeing the world from another perspective, no one other than pilots like us can describe. The key to making it all happen is as simple as an ordinary invitation to fly together. Have fun, and make your invitation to fly with someone you don’t know yet soon!

Photos: Previous Page: (left to right) Dan Waldie, Stu Knittelfelder, Doug Marin Below: Alaska, home of the $1000 burger

If you have an aviation story to share, send it, along with your best photos of your adventure , to : the patrician@shaw.ca Submissions are always welcome!

DECEMBER 2010 6

To Identify the aircraft above, please email: thepatrician@shaw.ca

Last Month’s Mystery The North American Aviation Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is a turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for counter insurgency (COIN) combat, and one of its primary missions was as a forward air control (FAC) aircraft. It can carry up to three tons of external munitions, and loiter for three or more hours.

Correctly identified by: Tim Martin, Shawn Carlow, Sam Fisher, Walter Salmaniw, Kurt and Eric Alisch, Mike Sugimoto, Angus Forsyth

WWW.FLYVFC.COM 7

Monday and Wednesday Evenings 1900—2200 Date

Topic

Instructor

Dec 01

Meteorology

Simon Dennis

06

Meteorology

Simon Dennis

08

Meteorology

Simon Dennis

13

Meteorology

Simon Dennis

15

Meteorology

Simon Dennis

20

Meteorology

Simon Dennis

Jan 03

Canadian Aviation Regulations

Dave Kupchenko

05

Canadian Aviation Regulations

Dave Kupchenko

10

Human Factors and Pilot Decision Making

Brad Fraser

12

Flight Operations

Yasuhiro Koide

17

Flight Operations

Yasuhiro Koide

19

Navigation

Jeff Lightheart

24

Navigation

Jeff Lightheart

26

Navigation

Jeff Lightheart

31

Radio and Electronic Theory

Dave Kupchenko

Review (Written Exam Seminar)

John McConnichie

Review

Brad Fraser

Feb 02 07

NOTE: There will be no Groundschool on December 22, 27, or 29th during the Christmas Break.

To sign up for Groundschool, or to purchase your Groundschool Kit, please contact the Victoria Flying Club Office at 250-656-2833.

DECEMBER 2010 8

Laura Van Buskirk sent this collection of photos from a recent trip to San Francisco.

What an amazing journey! Thanks for the photos and the inspiration!

I left my heart in San Francisco, high on a hill it calls to me. To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars. The morning fog may chill the air, I don’t care.

My love waits there in San Francisco, above the blue and windy sea. When I come home to you, San Francisco, your golden sun will shine for me. ~ Tony Bennett

Top: San Francisco’s infamous fog Above: Seattle—stopped to clear customs, Crater Lake in SW Oregon Opposite: (clockwise from top left) Northern California, San Francisco from the air, flying over the sand dunes in Oregon, Portland Oregon

WWW.FLYVFC.COM 9

Lindair Services Ltd

Note: A trip of this nature requires extensive flight planning and preparation. Start thinking now about where you’d like to go next spring/summer.

Research destinations, consider meteorological conditions, and don’t be afraid to dream big! Most importantly, maintain your flying currency so that when you travel into new territory, you are ready and well-equipped to enjoy the experience. And, of course, don’t forget to take photos, document your adventures, and share it with The Patrician!

Specializing in Cessna, Piper, Beaver float and wheel-equipped aircraft.

A high-quality Service Department that is ready to complete any inspection or repair requirement you may have.

5180 Airport Road South, Richmond, BC Tel: 1-800-663-5829 Fax: 1-800-667-5643

DECEMBER 2010 10

Images courtesy of: Allen Lynch

Kevin Skillings Instructor: Tristan Nano

Brett Wingerter Instructor: Brad Fraser

David Vucko Instructor: Sean Brenton

Sherjit Dhadwal Instructor: Dirk Pritchard

“Without disruption of air traffic, these fearless, forthright, indomitable and courageous individuals did venture into the wild blue yonder in flying machines. Furthermore, these skilful individuals did safely land said flying machines at Victoria International Airport, incurring no significant damage to self or machine, thus completing first solo flights.�

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New Members

Achievements First Solo

Iain Wallis

Kevin Skillings

Matthew McLaren

Sherjit Dhadwal Brett Wingerter

Jordy Harris

David Vucko

Navjit Dosanjh Ronnie Chung

PPL Written

Kent Wilson

Corinna Templeton

Keith Wilson

PPL Flight Test

Joshua D’Amours

Jatinder Parmar Recreational Pilot Permit Riley Bennett PPL Licence Jatinder Parmar Ken Wodlinger Gwen Hill Gabriel Knight

DECEMBER 2010 12

Online Booking Waitlist Feature

Step One: Hilight desired aircraft and time slot.

Step Two: Click on “Wait List” to automatically reserve the aircraft if it becomes available.

Did you know?...

Wouldn’t you rather be flying?

Next time you require a specific aircraft at a specific time, you can make use of a handy “Wait List” feature in the online booking system accessible on www.flyvfc.com. This is not a new feature but is improved! Previously, if you used the Wait List feature, you would receive an email if the time slot opened up on the desired aircraft. By the time you got the email and went online to make the booking, someone else may have beaten you to it. Now, if you are the first person on the waitlist, the program automatically books the aircraft under your name if it becomes available at the requested time. It’s easy to use. For example, if I wanted to fly ZMH from 1500-1700 on Thursday 02 December, I would highlight that time slot, and instead of clicking on “Book,” I will click on “Wait List.” This will be especially useful in the busy summer months!

WWW.FLYVFC.COM 13

Tax and financial planning Rapid refunds (electronic filing) Personal, corporate and estate tax

OWNER Evelyn J. Andrews-Greene, CA VFC Sustaining Member since 1983

250-386-4466

#202-31 Bastion Square CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT

DECEMBER 2010 14

Aircraft - Accommodation - Aviation Books and Gear - Help Wanted - Miscellaneous To meet the deadline for next month’s issue, email your FREE ad by the 15th of each month to: thepatrician@shaw.ca

Please enjoy a safe and happy holiday season.

Merry Christmas

Celebrate responsibly.

Christie Hall, BPA design & communication

Communications Consultant Digital and Print Media

Open 8am4pm daily

778-426-3452 info@midnightdesign.ca www.midnightdesign.ca

Victoria Flying Club

Join us for breakfast or lunch...inside or patio

101—1852 Canso Rd

250-655-9395

big business thinking for small business

The

Victoria Flying Club is very excited to partner with Thrifty Foods in their successful Smile Card program. Pick up your smile card today at the VFC office, and 5% of your grocery purchases will go towards creating scholarships and awards for VFC members.

Thank-you to Thrifty Foods for their support!

WWW.FLYVFC.COM

DECEMBER 2010 15