WHAT’S UP
By LeRoy Cook
14 September 2020
We’ve gone through a difficult week of flying conditions, with a stationary front generating day after day of low ceilings, fog and rain. The problem was, even if you felt qualified to go up into the murk, there weren’t a lot of alternate landing spots within reach, needed to legally fly on an instrument flight plan.
On Thursday morning, a brave Cessna Skylane pilot made it in by flying the GPS 36 approach. His well-equipped airplane was modified with the Todd Petersen forward stabilizers on the engine cowling. By Saturday the skies had cleared, allowing Dr. Ed Christophersen to fly over from Olathe in his Piper Archer. Locally, Lance Dirks was out in the Cessna Skyhawk, G.R. Lowe flew the Aeronca Champ, and a Piper TriPacer was up. The SkyDive KC King Air did some jump runs after the clouds parted.
It’s amusing sometimes to see the lengths to which various regulatory agencies go to prove their lack of touch with reality. As you know, one of the “standing” temporary flight restrictions is a requirement to avoid flying near a sports stadium seating 30,000 or more. So, a warning icon is displayed on briefing sites whenever the Royals have a home game—even though there’s no one in the stands.
And then there’s the dirty-airplane problem in the state of California, where desert dust and salt-laden air demand frequent washing. Except the environmentalists won’t allow it because a bit of oil and detergent might run off into the drains. So, desperate owners have learned to take advantage of any passing rain showers, rushing to the airport to roll their planes out of the hangar to sit in the deluge for a soaking.
In accordance with required procedures, the Transportation Security Administration visited our massive “flight school” campus on Monday, checking paperwork and updating us on changes. Their job is make sure we’re not teaching potential terrorists and leaving planes, doors and gates unlocked. Makes you feel ever so much safer, knowing we’re being protected.
If you’re flying west, check the NOTAM list for changes. Emporia airport is closed for an extended period for runway repairs. Meanwhile, Burlington’s Coffey County airport is back open again with a fresh new runway, so maybe the Emporia airplanes can relocate over there for the duration.
Our week’s question asked about the unique aspects of the Lockheed F-104’s ejection seat system. Because the Starfighter had a T-tail, it was given a downward-firing seat. For next time, tell us the significance of aircraft registration number N16020, which has been retired, never to be used. You can send the answer to kochhaus1@gmail.com.
