Canyon Pilots 2014 Christmas Party

The members of the Canyon Pilots Association, based at the Wellsboro Johnston Airport in Wellsboro Pa., gathered at the Antlers Inn for a holiday celebration.  

The gang gathered at newly reopened Antlers Inn located on US Rt 6 between Wellsboro and Galeton

Gary Morral, center, finishes off a sundae with wife Sharon and member Bill Hall as witnesses

One of the nicest mounts featured at "The Antlers Inn"

Canyon Pilots Association member Brady Baker and Joey Wolstenholme.  Brady is a key member of our association when it comes to helping at our major fundraiser breakfasts.  Thank you Brady!!

Bari Burnside and long time member Bill "Doc" Mitchell celebrated birthdays.  Doc is hitting 90 this year and we all wish we will have Docs health and desire when it is our turn to celebrate our 90th.  Bari is somewhat younger but none of the members, except for husband Joe, know how long before she hits the big 90.

This year CPA created a VFR Challenge.  The idea was to fly to 6 airports without following the GPS's pink line.  3 members completed the challenge and received a special shirt designed by LAB Creations of Mansfield Pa.  We are looking forward to the fun of flying to different airports as a club in the 2015 VFR Challenge.  For more information on becoming a member of the Canyon Pilots Association email canyonpilots@gmail.com

Canyon Pilot's Host Labor Day Breakfast at N38

The Canyon Pilots Association, based at the Wellsboro Johnston airport in Wellsboro Pa., hosted their annual Labor Day fly-in breakfast Aug. 31 2014.  According to one source who has was involved in the original fly-in breakfast held at the airport, the breakfast has never been rained out in its 47 year history. Mother nature came close to challenging that record today.  The pilots prevailed over the weather and served approx. 600 guests their famous buckwheat pancakes, eggs, ham and service with a smile.

Umbrellas were in order as the crowd wandered the ramp on a warm, wet, last day of August.

These two pilots were the only guys who arrived by airplane today.  Rumor has it that they are still sitting in their Cub somewhere near the airport waiting for some VFR weather.

The Mountain Modelairs RC Club were busy talking to attendees about their aircraft and club.  They have some pretty cool aircraft.

Long time Canyon Pilots Association members Ada Johnston and Skip Shaw

"Thanks for the hat Grandpa"  A potential future CPA member sports his new Canyon Pilots hat while preparing to check out the inside of Craig Musser's newly restored  Piper Cherokee 140

Bill "Doc" Mitchell once again manned the lead grill

The money changers "Team 1"

The money changers "Team 2"

A good crowd, not a large crowd, but a good crowd considering the weather

The T6 above and the Stearman below, are always favorites of attendees

A birds eye view of the feast

Make plans now to join us for the fun on Memorial Day Sunday 2015.  We will have airplane rides, helicopter rides, lots of inbound aircraft all weather permitting but one thing we will have for sure is great food, friendly faces and good fellowship.  Invite a friend and join the Canyon Pilots Association for a unique experience in Pennsylvania's Canyon Country!!

Wellsboro Johnston N38 to Cherry Ridge N30

Canyon Pilots Association August 9, 2014

August, a high pressure system and a clear, calm day.  What better conditions could exist for a Saturday afternoon flight? A Short wing Piper and a couple of Skyhawks from the Canyon Pilots Association made the trip from the Wellsboro Johnston Airport, N38, to the Cherry Ridge Airport near Honesdale Pa.  Beside the flight itself, the $100. hamburger at the famous Cherry Ridge Airport was the goal and the airport was another airport checked off the list of the six airports in the Canyon Pilots Associations VFR 2014 Challenge.  

Craig Musser's Skyhawk at an interesting Cherry Ridge runway.  One end of the runway is a swamp, the other end is in the forest.  The nose of the other Skyhawk in the photo belongs to Ron McClure

The airport and restaurant were oddly quiet for a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  The only activity was a Flightstar SC departing as we arrived.  

We arrived, parked, noticed how quiet the airport was and headed for the Cafe.  No wonder the place was quiet!!  The hand written sign on the door said "Cafe Closed Due To Maintenance Aug. 9"  As luck would have it they closed on one of the nicest flying days of the summer and they didn't even mention it in the NOTAM!!  That is a major airport bummer and should have been in the darn NOTAM!!

 CPA members left to right. Rob Fisher, Kevin Johns, Tom Freeman, Craig Musser

Photo by CPA member and Skyhawk pilot, Ron McClure

 Cherry Ridge, N30, was an interesting place.  It looks like it could be a busy place on any given day.  There are a lot of planes hangared there.  The hangar facilities were very old and in rough condition but they were full!  An FBO on the field had two Warriors on the field with his logo on the tail which were obviously used in flight training.  It looked like a step back in time.

Rob Fisher is Mr. Ercoupe of at N38.  He hit the jackpot at Cherry Ridge and at Seamans airport on the return flight.  There was another Ercoupe at that field too.

This 1959 Pacer was a pretty nice plane. Check out the hangar.  It looks like a two man job to enter and exit this hangar.  The doors as seen on the right were hinged and folded up to close that area but obviously have not been functional for a number of years.

This was a beautiful Cub and was kept in one of the better hangars

 The sight picture from the Tri-Pacer as we departed. The $100 hamburger did not cause us any reason to recalculate the weight and balance on this particular visit to Cherry Ridge

 On the return flight to N38 we knocked out another airport in the Canyon Pilots VFR Challenge.  This is the approach to 0PA3, Robbins Farm runway 17.  This is a very nice private grass strip near Troy Pa.  Thanks to CPA member Ron McClure for working with Mr. Robbins to allow this strip to be part of our VFR Challenge 

 As we returned back to Wellsboro we couldn't resist a turn-about-a-point over the demolition derby taking place on the final day of the Tioga County Fair!  

This was a beautiful day to fly with friends and enjoy some of the best scenery that God has created.  The Endless Mountains in Pennsylvania's Northern Tier are a special place to fly!!

ATC Q&A

The following ATC questions and answers are from the podcast and website  www.atccommunications.com  This is a very informative web site and gives great insight into communicating with ATC, VFR and IFR.  I am posting some VFR Q & A here.  Check out Jeff Kanarish's web site for more info.

“You are preparing to taxi at tower-controlled airport. You have contacted Ground Control for taxi instructions. The ground controller says, “Cessna 9130 Delta, Doryphore* Ground, Runway 28. Taxi via Alpha, then right on Delta, left on Bravo, hold short of Runway 3 on Bravo 1.”

Here’s your challenge: Give me a read back of these taxi instruction that includes only the items the AIM says are required in your readback.

Answer:

“Cessna 9130 D, Runway 28, hold short of Runway 3 on Bravo 1.”

Aeronautical Information Manual

4−3−18. Taxiing
a. General.

Canyon Pilots Memorial Day Breakfast 2014

The annual Memorial Day fly-in breakfast may have been a record breaking day.  The members of the pilots association, the Canyon Country Ultralight Club, family and friends or anyone else who could be talked into helping, served over 1200 breakfast.  Serving four breakfasts per minute for four hours and having everyone leave with a smile is quite an accomplishment. Plane rides and helicopter rides got over 100 people in the air at the Wellsboro Johnston airport in Wellsboro Pa.  N38 was a hot spot for aviation on this day!!

It was a rare site to see aircraft parked along the taxiway.  More than 50 aircraft flew in for the event.

The food line. This is why they come.

Sun 'n Fun 2014

Sun 'n fun has often been remembered by the weather for the week and the event took second fiddle.  Not so in 2014.  It was Chamber of Commerce weather all week. The crowds were up. The Blue Angels were back. Attendees were spending money and vendors were all smiles.  Paradise City, once home of the ultralight community and a virtual waste of space for the past 5-6 years was alive again.  A newly renovated grass airstrip supported ultralights, light sport airplanes, and gyros all at the same time!!  2014 may have been one of the best Sun 'n Fun events held in many years.  The 2015 event will be held April 21-25.  this is a good time to plan your visit to the annual spring break for pilots.

The big crowd enters the gates at the 2014 Sun 'n fun event in Lakeland Fl.

A Beautiful Beech 18 at the Splash in  portion of Sun 'n Fun

"The Father of Ultralighting" John Moody flew two of his original ultralights to Paradise City and visited with interested attendees.  He flew everyday day of the event!!  He loves to fly and visit with folks.

John Moody's original, formerly foot-launched, ultralight.  Coca-Cola sure got a big bang for their buck with a sponsorship deal signed decades ago.  

 The Aircam.  Was on floats and wheels.  Twin Rotax 912ULS engines.  What a nice plane.

While at Sun 'n Fun, we rented a Remos SLSA and flew around A04, Apopka

There are many forums included with you entry to Sun 'n Fun.  This is Jason Shappert, a nationally know CFII and podcaster.  He is a wealth of knowledge and has a vast online presence.  www.mzeroA.com

We took a little side trip to Skydive Sebastian, in Sebastian Fl. for a tandem skydive.  What a cool experience to free fall from 13,500 AGL.  The instructor said "just slide to the door and hang your legs out of the plane as if you are sitting in a chair."  RIGHT!!

Please read the April 10th post for some background to this post.

Well here is an update to some of the questions posted with regard to the current status of USUA, based on an email exchange with Roy Beisswenger, current President of USUA.

1)  There is a board of directors.  They are Roy Beisswenger President,  Jeff Goin Vice President, Skip Little Secretary, Vickie Betts Treasurer and director David Kantor.  I am not sure if or when this board was elected by the membership at large or if it was simply self-appointed.  I thank Roy for providing the list of names. Time will tell if elections for directors are held or if these folks will just continue to serve year after year.

2)  I had asked Roy numerous times to provide the organizations annual financial statements with no success.  Finally in Roy's last email reply he acknowledge that there are no annual financial statements, only a bank account and check register.  He gave no indication of an account balance, or how many members pay dues each year.  He did indicate that a big expense is maintaining USUA's membership to NAA and to FAI.  FAI allows records and contests for US ultralight pilots to count internationally. Other expenses are phone, Internet and postage. 

3)  Roy acts as USUA's voice to the FAA.  I imagine the board gives him input on their opinions but I wonder why the membership at large lives in a USUA vacuum when it comes to giving input.  

It was nice to get some answers from USUA President Beisswenger.  It is good there are some folks keeping USUA alive.  Roy said "there is always an intent to do more, especially regarding advocacy and pilot services.  Those things are now becoming a reality. The board has made other decisions that we are working to implement, but as volunteers we only have so much time to do things." To that I would say, Roy and USUA board thank you for your dedication. You have a national membership base, ask them to help. Empower them to help, after all it is their association too.

 

This blog post represents one USUA members view of USUA in 2014

 

EAA.....Impression.... homebuilders, experimental, innovators, member benefits, advocacy.

 

AOPA.....Impression....general aviation, major player, member benefits, advocacy.

 

USUA.....Impression...ultralights, former national organization, former innovator, former advocate, still taking members money, one man show.

 

As stated in the first line of this post this opinion represents one USUA members opinion.  I joined the ultralight world on in the early 2000's.  USUA was "the name" to join and create a new club or member organization with if you had or were starting a new group of ultralight enthusiast's.  I was part of a group of folks who did just that.  USUA Club 203 was an enthusiastic group of guys who grew from nothing to becoming USUA Club of the Year in 2008.  Then for some reason, unknown to Club 203, USUA fell on hard times.  As time rolled on we were not sure USUA was even still a functional organization.  One thing was for sure, our club wanted to make sure we supported USUA.  As the time and years rolled on we kept paying dues and bought a subscription to Powered Sport Flying Magazine for our members.  During this time the only USUA member benefit that appeared to be offered as a value to our members was a small discount on Third Party Insurance for members aircraft.  The USUA website became and still is stagnant.  Membership dues checks were cashed, club certificates that were always mailed out stopped. Members no longer received membership cards to provide to their insurance companies as proof of membership.  USUA seemed to have dried up and disappeared. ENTER ROY BEISSWENGER!!  I don't know where Roy came from with regard to USUA but hallelujah, USUA appeard to have a savior, a person that was known on the national stage and a advocate of ultralights.  USUA appeared to be a train wreck but Roy was gonna save our organization.  20 ataboys to Roy!!  We waited to see how Roy would recreate USUA.  I called him and offered USUA club 203's help and support.  He seemed appreciative, said to send him photos from our club, he would publish them in his mag. (by the way contacting him was a very long, difficult, pain in the ass process)

 

In summary, I think Roy means well with regard to USUA.  He has taken the reigns of USUA with or without the memberships approval. 

 

Here is my concern and what I feel should be every USUA members concern.  I have asked Roy several times over the last year to provide the names of the USUA board of Directors and provide an annual financial reports that reflect where our dues have been spent.  This is where the communication from Roy stops and my concern begins.  I have asked Roy to provide this info to USUA club 203 several times.  He will not provide this info and does not reply to these questions.

 

Is Roy Beisswenger using our dues to fund his pet projects?  I doubt it but who the hell knows, he won't provide annual financial statements.

 

Is Roy Beisswenger using the USUA name to place him on the natioanl stage at places like Sun 'N Fun and drive his own agenda home without membeship input?  I doubt it, but who the hell knows? He will not tell us who is on his board and how they form opinions to represent USUA.

 

Has USUA been hijacked by Roy Beisswenger to promote Roy Beisswengers agenda at the expense of the membership?  Who the hell knows, but as time rolls on it appears that may be the the case.

 

Sadly, I think I have paid my last USUA membership dues and as much as I like Powered Sport Flying Magazine, I don't think I will support Roy Beisswenger's magazine.  I am sure he had great intentions but his lack of concern to keep USUA members informed, even when we asked, has given me the impression that Roy only wants to use USUA's name to promote Roy.  Demand an answer from Roy, he cashes your checks.

 

Tom Freeman

USUA Member

 





Going To Sun 'N Fun?

Are you planning a trip to Sun 'N Fun in Lakeland this year?  There are a lot of other neat aviation things to do in central Florida while you are there.  Check out a few of them below:

Wallaby Ranch in nearby Davenport Fl. is a great place to spend some relaxing time.  Get towed into the air on a tandem hanglider by an ultralight.  Malcom and his crew are ready to show you a great time, take you up to a few thousand feet and cut you loose for a quiet ride back to the earth.  Al Roker of the NBC Today show and thousands of others have made the trip to Wallaby Ranch.  check it out www.wallaby.com

Another great place just a few miles south is Jack Browns Seaplane Base.  There is not a better way to spend an hour or two than jumping in a J3 Cub on Floats and start lake hopping.

Check out some of the videos, read some of the history and schedule and hour or two of dual time at one of the coolest aviation attractions in Florida.  www.jackbrowns.com

Skydive Sebastian!!!

Located on the east coast of Florida.  A trip to Sebastian is on my schedule of things to do on my Sun 'N Fun trip this year.  Great views of the coastline and Atlantic Ocean.

Ready....Set.....Jump!!  www.skydivesebastian.com

Don't miss the opportunity to take a flight in the "Pilot Maker" The North-American T-6 TEXAN

Take the controls in the front seat and let one of the experienced instructors show you how to fly the legendary WWII trainer.  Weather you want a thrilling aerobatic adventure or a straight and level flight, they will tailor the ride just for you.  www.warbirdadventures.com

"Fantasy of Flight"

Besides being a really cool aviation museum, Kermit Weeks Fantasy of Flight will host the Sun'N Fun Splash in on April 3 2014.

Take a ride in a Bi-Plane while you are there. Check it out at www.fantasyofflight.com

Sun 'N Fun is a great way to take a break from the daily grind, escape the long winter and enjoy an aviation spring break.  There are many more ways to add to the experience while you are there.  Take a day or two and try something different.  Enjoy!