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Fitchburg Pilots AssociationEAA Chapter 1454Newsletter

Inside This Issue

FPA / EAA 1454 Officers

FPA / EAA 1454 Committee Members and Chair

FPA Membership News: March 2016

Upcoming Events -

Oshkosh Planning

Fitchburg Airport Terminal Building Progress

Connections

Have you Been There, Done That?

Classifieds

Next FPA Meeting is:Tuesday April 5th at 7:00PM (6:00PM food)

Key Organization Links

www.fitchburgpilots.orgwww.meetup.com/fitchburgpilotswww.fitchburgairport.comwww.eaa.orgwww.aopa.orgwww.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/reregistration/www.massdot.state.ma.us/Aeronautics

Monthly Featured Link

www.aopa.org/aopalive/www.skyvector.com

Key Weather Links

www.aviationweather.govwww.usairnet.com

Key Reference Links

www.fltplan.comwww.airnav.comwww.flightaware.comwww.pilotgeek.comwww.skyvector.com

April 2016

President’s WelcomeLet’s go fly and have some fun!

Mark Estabrook - N79818President, Fitchburg Pilots Association EAA Chapter 1454

Despite this crazy weather (I’m staring at 3-4” of the white fluffy stuff rightnow), spring IS here! I refuse to accept otherwise. And just in time for spring,The Fitchburg Pilot’s Association Aviation Center is open for business! I hopeyou AND your family will join us for the opening and dedication on SaturdayApril 16th at 8:30AM, which starts with a pancake breakfast. We’ll haveactivities for the kids set up, and hope to have a good time for all.

That same day we have the preparation for the V8 Club event to be held thenext day. If you are able, and willing please consider leaving some timeavailable after the dedication to help move equipment into place over by RWY2/20. Of course we always need volunteers on the V8 event as well on Sunday.It’s an important fund raiser for us – really the only large one of the year, soyour help will be appreciated.

A note about volunteering - whether you like to volunteer at events like the V8club show, or Aero Fest or help build things (like hangars, picnic tables, parts ofairplanes, or even do a little landscaping), cook, create and deliver presentationon aviation topics, or listen to those presentations, write articles for thenewsletter, lead or join discussions, or just fly; the FPA / EAA 1454 is the placefor you! We talk a lot about volunteering but I want everyone to know this is anopportunity NOT a requirement of being an FPA member. Whether youvolunteer at every event, or you simply attend meetings once in a while you arean equal and valued member!

April’s regular meeting and all future meetings will be in our Hangar. This Aprilour regular meeting will include a review on the total cost of the hangar versusplan, what’s left to complete, and current monthly budget outlook. We can alsotalk about what you’d like to do with your hangar now that it’s done. Bring yourthoughts and ideas! Hold a practical class on riveting or welding? Have a movienight? Square dance? (just kidding…. right?)

Flying is an essential part of who we are. Have you thought about being a flight

lead for a fly-out? We have a lot of people who are students, pilots with lapsed

skills or people just interested in sharing the joy of aviation. Why not pass on

your knowledge and experience by leading a fly out? It’s really easy. Even a

single plane can be a fly out. If you are ever interested, but don’t know how to

lead one, give me a call (978-394-2903) or drop me an email

mestabr@gmail.com.

I or one of our coordinators (Deb and Brian) will help you set it up.

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FPA / EAA 1454 Officers

FPA / EAA 1454 Committee Members and Chair

FPA / EAA 1454 Key Contributors

Please note: Any member can be emailed through the Members Section of our FPA Meetup Site

Position Name

President Mark Estabrook

Vice President Glen Reinhardt

Treasurer Louise Anderson

Secretary Dave Babineau

Position Name

Safety Dave DionLouise AndersonDavid ReinhartGary ArcherBob AdelizziDick Maki

Building Mark EstabrookBob ScalesSteve BortleGlen ReinhartRichard Gammon

Fund Raising Matt ScalesDeb SchweitzerDave Babineau

Fly Out Brian GaudetDeb Schweitzer

Food Glen ReinhardtDave DionBob ScalesSteve Bortle

Scholarship Jim BissonDick MakiMark EstabrookEd Murphy

Past President, Organizer Steve BortleAssistant Fly-Out Coordinator Thomas R. Wester

Contribution Name

Program/Wings Coordinator Jim Bisson

Young Eagles Coordinator Dave Babineau

Membership Coordinator Louise Anderson

Newsletter Editor Jeff Scorse

Merchandise Representative Dave Babineau

Hanger Manager Dave Dion

Aero Fair Coordinator Dave Dion

Santa Visit Coordinator Deb Schweitzer

Oshkosh Trip Coordinator Cary Weber

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FPA Membership News: March 2016

By Louise Anderson, Membership Coordinator & Treasurerlouise@fitchburgpilots.org

THIS WEATHER IS, WELL, JUST WEIRD. I said the same thing last month and nothing has changed. We were teased

into spring with some 70-degree days and now it’s howling cold winds and snowing as I write this. Unfortunately, aviationand weather are connected at the hip, so it’s the main topic of frustration when it keeps us on the ground

DUES ARE PAST DUE! The third (and final) notice, this is a reminder that your $30 annual dues were due January 1. I’ll

be contacting you by email next month if you haven’t paid. It’s an easy breezy process to take care of dues by credit card;just go to www.fitchburgpilots.org, select the membership tab and click on the “Pay Now” button. No need for a PayPalaccount. Just a credit card. If you’re unsure of whether you’ve paid for this year, please contact me at

louise@fitchburgpilots.org and I’ll let you know the status of your membership.

New FPA members in March:

Andy Goldstein: from Stow, Andy is also a member of EAA Chapter 196 at Minuteman Airport (6B6)and a partner with Jim Ellis in a beautiful Cherokee180. As Young Eagle Coordinator at 6B6 and a stronginvolvement in some amazing music, he’s busy. Welcome, Andy!

Merrywood Aviation has joined Meetup for a three-month trial membership and we’d like to know who you are. Please

consider attending the next chapter meeting April 12th and saying hello.

HANGAR DEDICATION BREAKFAST on Saturday, April 16th at 8:30-10:30 AM at the new FPA hangar. Bring the

family and see our new digs!. This will most likely be posted elsewhere in the newsletter, but it bears repeating. See you

there!

PLEASE CONSIDER attending the Airport Commission meetings on the fourth Wednesday of the month. The

commission is different. Very different. New commissioners are Clayton Raymond (connected with aviation

maintenance) and Richard Liberatore, who has also served on the City Fire Department. In addition, the new Cityadministration is represented, including Mayor Stephen DiNatali, Council President Michael Kushmerek and City SolicitorVincent Pusateri. It’s been close to wonderful (certainly enlightening) with them all there during the past two months and I

think there’s a real promise approaching on the horizon toward a better airport. Stay tuned…

Miscellaneous notes:

A link to our new FPA merchandise site is on Meetup (lower left side of the home page showing an FPA hat. Check itout! You can see hats, shirts, jackets and other neat stuff all with the FPA logo. The items are priced reasonably and

really nice. Note to women: the sizes run a bit small, so if you wear a small, try a medium this time. See more athttp://fitchburgpilotsassoc.qbstores.com/ where special pricing is shown – 25% discount!

If you’re interested in reviewing the monthly treasurer report – I post it every month on Meetup in the “files” section and

bring copies to meetings.

We’re showing 66 current members in FPA/EAA 1454, and most of those are registered on our scheduling/event website at www.meetup.com/fitchburgpilots. All of us are involved in aviation on some level and I’ve really enjoyed getting to

know most of you.

Our somewhat flexible policy about Meetup: FPA uses Meetup to schedule its activities and is a benefit open to FPA members only.However, a three-month trial membership on Meetup is offered to new people who are interested in aviation but not sure about joiningFPA. It provides an opportunity to learn what kinds of events and activities FPA has to offer.

Our future, as well as the future of aviation, lies in the participation and creative action of all members. We welcome area pilots,student pilots, pilot wannabes, their families and others interested in aviation. We especially welcome the new ideas that come in thedoor with every one of you.

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Future Scholarship Program in Jeopardy.FPA members have supported an annual aviation scholarship for about a decade and it is one of the keytenants of our mission statement.

However, that was all before we began our ambitious work on the hangar project. Because of the cost of our

future hangar, funds contributed earlier, in part directed toward scholarships, were by necessity diverted to thehangar project. That decision was fiscally responsible. But, without added scholarship funds, that decision hasreduced the current balance in potential scholarship donations to approximately $1,200, or enough for one more

full year ($1,000) of an FPA scholarship.

With FPA leadership doing everything in their power to fund our top priority project, members should also beaware of the concern of the members of the Scholarship Committee that 2017 may see the end of one of our

key missions, offering scholarship support to students aiming toward aviation-related careers.

To forestall the demise of FPA scholarships, the Scholarship Committee has applied for a grant from theCommunity Foundation of North Central Massachusetts to serve as a "bridge" until FPA is in a better financial

position to reinstate our own support for the program.

The $3,000 grant request is in line with other scholarships supported by the Community Foundation for areastudents attending Fitchburg State University, Mount Wachusett Community College and similar institutions. If

awarded the grant, we would be able to continue to support our scholarship effort for four more years.Optimistically speaking, FPA should be able to resume support of our scholarship awards thereafter.

Officer’s Report

Treasurer: The detailed list of cash in and cash out is in the last month’s Treasurer’s report that can

be found at: http://www.meetup.com/fitchburgpilots/files

Secretary: The meeting minutes can be found at: http://www.meetup.com/fitchburgpilots/files/

Note: Only FPA members have access to this site

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Upcoming Events -For the latest details including new additions visit the FPA Calendar at meetup.com/fitchburgpilots

Rusty Pilots Seminar – April 23, 2016

Have you been thinking of getting back into the air, but just can’t find the motivation? Have you been wondering how and where to

start? I was there 3 years ago. After a nearly 10 year hiatus, I’ve became re-involved after my daughter (15 at the time) told me she’d

“like to go flying sometime”. I can personally attest that it is a bit scary to get back into the cockpit after such a long break. But now I

am flying nearly weekly and loving it!

Life may have gotten in the way, but the dream of flight can be yours again. Returning to the skies is not as difficult as most rusty

pilots think. We’re inviting you back in the cockpit and will help you get there. Come and participate in a FREE Rusty Pilots program

with fellow lapsed pilots. We will help you understand what has changed in aviation since you’ve last took the controls and brush up

on your aviation knowledge. The Rusty Pilots program is developed by AOPA in partnership with local flight training providers in

order to create the best environment for getting you back in the air and a part of the general aviation community.

Coming THIS month, the FCA Flight Center will hold a FREE Rust Pilots Seminar with their very own Chief Pilot/Instructor Jim Powell

(CFII, MEI). The seminar includes 2 hours of ground school that will count for that portion of the Biannual Flight Review (BFR) and

$10/hour off flight instruction (up to 3 hours) for FPA members. If you are not an FPA member, join for $30 and get your money back

while you complete your BFR through FCA while using the $10/hour off discount. The seminar provides Wings program credit.

If you’re a non-flying FPA member or a non-member who wishes to become more involved with a great group of pilots, come get

back into the air to enjoy the amazing freedom of flight like you remember from your first solo!

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Upcoming Events – Continued

Hanger FPA Official Opening & Dedication For FPA Members and Family – Saturday April 16FOR FPA MEMBERS & THEIR FAMILY !! We'll have our dedication on a Saturday morning. We hope everyone can make it.

It should be lots of fun. We'll plan a breakfast, a ribbon cutting if we can find a ribbon, and probably still run a movie for

the kids, and all around good time. We'll have some presentations

and unveilings (yes I'm being mysterious on purpose!) and a lot of

thank yous! We’ve come a long way baby!

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Early Ford V8 Club - Sunday April 17

The Early Ford V8 Club guys are holding their

46th annual car show at the airport on

Sunday April 17th. They have asked us to

cook for their event again.

On Saturday the 16th, we need to spend

some time setting up so we are ready for

Sunday morning. Please join me at 2pm to

help setup the food area. Stop by for an hour

or three to help. The more help the quicker

we can get setup.

This time, we will have the ability to use our

new hangar as our base!!! Yay!!! Find us

either at the FPA hangar or out on runway

20, just look for the crowd.

PS: If you have access to a pickup or similar

vehicle, please bring it!

Young EaglesDavid Babineau would like to know who has their EAA background check completed and plans to participate in the

Young Eagles events – Specifically the Aero Fair. Please send him along an email on Meetup to let him know, so he can

gather up a count of participants.

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Oshkosh PlanningCary Weber

By now you have hopefully decided if you’re going, how you’re going, when you’re going, and where you’ll stay. Checkout the website for updates: http://www.eaa.org/en/airventure. Tickets are now available on the website, at a discount.Things to think about this month are:

Route of flight if you’re going by personal plane:o Northern route – takes you over bits of Canada, and over Lake Michigan. This is the way I have gone every

time (spectacular views of Niagara Falls, pic below) but some special thought does need to be given to the lakecrossing. You will be out of sight of land for quite a while. You should have flotation devices readily availableand accessible in the plane. Lake Reporting Service is available for VFR pilots and is highly recommended.Check out FAR-AIM 4-1-21 Hazardous Area Reporting Service section e. for details. Fly as high as you’recomfortable/able; altitude as usual increases your options. Switch on the electric fuel pump, and your lights.Keep a lookout for ships, so you can steer there in an emergency. Know the proper ditching procedures foryour airplane. And be prepared for the engine to start sounding funny the minute you can no longer see land…

o Southern route – over Chicago on the southern tip of Lake Michigan. I have not gone that way but have heardfrom those who prefer this route, and evidently the views of Chicago are as spectacular as those of the Falls.You can choose to hug the southern shore of Lake Erie to avoid a water crossing, or traverse a small part of thelake in which case Lake Reporting Service as described above is also available.

Lodging:o We are currently full-up in the house, however potentially some sleeping bag areas are still available. The

basement is still available Sun through Wednesday. Cost per person will vary depending on how many peoplewe have in the house. Let me know.

Ride-sharing:o So far I have heard from only one person about ride-sharing, either offering or requesting. Brian Gaudet is

requesting to ride-share in a plane; if someone has a seat available, contact him directly. Let me know ifanyone else would like to ride-share, either in a plane or a car.

Trivia: Mystery Aviation Person (MAP) of the Month (answer next month):Answer to last month’s MAP: Bruce Bohannon

For this month, who is the guy in the red shirt in the pic below (yes, he was also slated to be one of our test pilots forthe electric airplane project in 2002)? He is a former American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronauticalengineer, and a retired NASA astronaut, as well as a professional pilot who currently races regularly at the annual RenoAir Races.

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Fitchburg Airport Terminal Building Progress

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Connections

I was recently contacted by a friend of FPA by the name of Scott Winick. He asked if I would include his introduction into

our newsletter, so here it is.

NorthEast Kingdom Pilot’s Association (NEKPA)By Scott Winick

By way of introduction, I was a flying member of FPA at FIT for many years, then I moved to Vermont. We have started a

new group in the Kingdom (as we call the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont). It is called NEKPA (NorthEast Kingdom Pilots

Association) and we are based in-and-around KEFK (recently renamed as the NorthEast Kingdom International Airport).

A few members of FPA are also members of NEKPA, and, of course I retain my membership in FPA. Why? Because I can’t

help myself. I like to keep up with all the shenanigans and maybe even participate in a meetup or fly-out destinations.

Here’s another connection: Matt Scales and his dad Bob have a car up here at KEFK that is used as our courtesy car at

the local FBO, “Lakeview Aviation”.

If any of you fly this far north, or want to give it a try, feel free to contact me and/or join NEKPA. It is free and will remain

so for quite a while. We have just begun to accumulate members (27 so far!) and we will most likely begin to have

regular meetings this spring / summer. One of the benefits of cross-joining would be that if FPA members come up to

KEFK, we can help with cars, rides, logistics, etc. I (pretend to) teach skiing at Jay Peak and during the winter can even

offer some guided tours of the extraordinary mountain we call “home” up here. We can also help with lodging, ski

tickets, and I think that I can even get some sort of a discount at the mountain for those who fly in and wish to ski, stay,

ride, waterpark, golf, etc. I have a 40’ x 40’ hangar on the field at KEFK in which I would be willing to offer a space to

visitors… and believe you me, you want a space in a hangar if you visit from November through April around this place!

Maybe FPA could reciprocate when they have their hangar and the two organizations could begin to act as brother or

sister organizations.

One more note. We’ll have a contingent of folks attending EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh this summer. We have three

planes with members flying in this year. Two from Napa Valley, CA and at least one (me) from VT. We rent a house only

a couple of minutes away from the festivities at Oshkosh and even may have 1 or 2 openings there for anyone

interested. We should definitely plan to get together for a cookout evening during the week in Wisconsin! More on that

later.

So if you’re inclined to be a cross-joiner, click on http://www.meetup.com/NEK-Pilots-Association-Meetup-Site/ and

we’ll see you around the pattern soon. Fly safely…

Regards, Scott.

ScottWinick@Compuserve.com

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Have you Been There, Done That?By: Dave Dion

I encourage all members to submit their aerial photos of places you’ve been, to see if your fellow pilots have Been There,

Done That?

Picture one - starting with an easy "city view". A placethat we are very familiar with but not from this view.

Picture two - a nearby financial district, and is that theNorth End with Old North Church steeple?

Picture three - sacred ground ("ground zero") on an island 2.5 hours southwest of FIT. Have you been there?

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Classifieds

iPad Air 2 (Gold)For sale $550.00

128 GB / WiFi / + Cellular (Sim Card) - includes Apple charger and cable Like new condition with protective skin and screen protector Leather case included AppleCare + warranty coverage until: October 27, 2016 This 128 GB model is no longer being made. Only the 64GB model is now available.

o iPad Air 2 - Technical Specification can be found athttps://support.apple.com/kb/SP708?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Brian Gaudet508-754-5664bgflyer@icloud.com

Garmin GTX-330For sale by Jim Ellis and Andy Goldstein

Looking for a transponder? Thinking about the inevitable ADSB upgrade? If you alreadyhave a WAAS GPS (like a Garmin 430W) and want an economical solution, consider this:

Buy our GTX-330 from N9040J, send it to Garmin for the 1090ES upgrade, and you’llbe ADSB compliant world-wide. Or just need to replace your transponder? You’ll findthis deal tough to beat.

GTX-330 transponder - green tagged - removed in working condition, cosmetically likenew. Priced to move at $1100. (Compare that to prices on eBay!)Add the Garmin 1090ES upgrade at $1200, and you have the equivalent of Garmin’snew GTX-335 ADSB out transponder, for hundreds less.

Basic specifications: 250 watt all solid state transmitter Push button squawk code entry Modes A/C and S, ADSB out after upgrade TIS-A traffic to compatible devices (like a Garmin 430) Multiple flight time and count-down timers Requires external altitude encoder Requires external WAAS GPS source

See more at https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/in-the-air/avionics-safety/traffic-solutions/gtx-330/prod201.html

Please contact me with questions.Andy.Goldstein@earthlink.net

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