"St Louis Flying Club Newsletter"

St. Louis Flying Club Newsletter - 20 June 2004

From The President - By Mike Piccirilli

Dear Members,

Much thanks to John for all his work with the starters over the last couple of weeks. It certainly was frustrating having the new overhauled starter not work after installation. Thanks also to Randy for his work on replacing the alternator. Hopefully, the plane is good to go for a while. So much for an easy and cheap annual!!

At least the insurance rates have settled down. Thanks Todd for handling the renewal.

I visited 2 fly-in resorts while I was down in Florida the last week. Both of these are just south of Orlando.

Westgate River Ranch - An older resort with a 5,000' paved runway. The resort is a dude ranch with a large stable and many horses. They even have buffalo. There is a saloon and a real rodeo on Saturday nights. The resort is being redone with timeshare cabins but the "aviator club" part of the concept is only an artist's conception right now. If you go, beware that many of the amenities are not available Monday thru Wednesday and the original hotel rooms leave alot to be desired. The concept seems great but it needs at least another year or two to mature.
Chalet Suzanne - 70 year old resort that smacks of old money and old architecture. Neat 2500' grass strip is directly behind the resort. The resort is definitely looking it's age but has that certain charm to it. Look out for the prices. I had talked the family into eating lunch there until we saw the prices on the menu, average lunch entree was $30.00. A little steep for our McDonald's taste buds! It does look like the perfect place to take a date to impress her (especially with the neat grass strip!!).

Happy Landings!

Pic

Treasurer's Report - by Marlin Sipe

The increase in fuel price to $3.05 means the hourly rate goes up $1 to $48, and will continue to be adjusted as fuel prices change.

The insurance was paid, with a price less than estimated. This surplus added $98 to the Treasury.

The cost of the starter ($539) and alternator ($308) has more than wiped out the money we had for maintenance, putting us in the red by $76. With the small amount of flying this past month, it will not recover much next month, (if any, depending on fuel expenses this coming month), but should eventually start building up again. There will be no special assessment for now, unless there are more surprises, or there isn't enough to cover th Annual next year.

ust as a note/reminder, the "Adjusted Treasury" is the number to watch. It is adjusted for member credits and unpaid bills, as if everyone paid exactly what they owe. The regular "Treasury" is related to actual dollars in the account, and is high right now because of the high credits (club expenses paid by members, but not reimbursed by the club) being carried by a few members.

Maintenance - by John Heilmann & Randy Skyles

The Bird is gone! - Now that the nesting season is over, our bird has given up trying to establish a nest in the engine bay. She may have been as frustrated as we were with the constant removal of the cowling that was required with the recent repair efforts. It is still worth checking during the preflight to make sure she hasn't returned.

Parker Hannifin Letter - The Flying Club received the following letter from Parker Hannifin concerning the importance of complying with Parker Airborne Service Letters.

The following letter from Parker Hannifin was sent to IFR pilots and reinforces the maintenance and safety warnings concerning Airborne Pneumatic components.

Airborne Service letter No. 31 states that a backup system MUST be installed in all aircraft that fly IFR. While not mandatory, it is something to consider. The Aero Advantage Dual rotor pump that we previously considered as a back-up was FAA certified last year but two subsequent dual rotor failures caused the pump to be pulled from the market. The company recently obtained a financial backer and is trying to correct the problems and bring the dual rotor pump back to market. If we want to consider a backup vacuum system in the near term, the SVS V system can be purchased for approximately $400.00. It uses differential pressure between the manifold and ambient air to provide the needed vacuum. The system is FAA approved, STC'd & PMA'd for ALL Lycoming aircraft engines. It includes a pump failure warning light and weighs only 24oz. forward of fire wall. The following diagram shows how it is installed.

Starter Replacement - Marlin reported that the starter drive gear would not retract after starting the engine. We tried spay silicone lubrication but could not get the drive gear to retract. Buelco had a rebuilt starter in stock so we replaced the starter. The starter came with the drive gear extended and when we started it the first time, the gear retracted properly and everything seemed to be operating correctly. After closing up the cowling and preparing for a test flight, we could not start the engine. The starter drive gear would not engage and rotate the engine for starting. We tried lubricating the Bendix drive unit but it did not help. This was a very frustrating moment as we thought the aircraft was fixed and ready for Marlins flight to Pennsylvannia in a few days. We returned the starter to Buelco for a full refund but they did not have another starter in stock. Since we had to order a new one which would require a few days, Marlin had to cancel his trip. Instead of going with another rebuilt starter, we ordered a new lightweight Sky-Tec starter. It weighs 8 lbs less and uses a solenoid to engage the gear instead of the old troublesome Bendix drive. The starter installation required some modification to the baffling and air filter support bracket to work with the smaller starter. The engine now starts very quickly due to the higher starting RPM with the Sky-Tec starter. The Weight & Balance form in the aircraft and on the website has been updated to show the new empty weight of 1460 lbs (savings of ~8 lbs).

Alternator Replacement - Marlin also reported that the alternator was not charging under load. The belt seemed to be at the proper tension but may have been slipping. We applied some belt dressing which improved the situation but there still was a slight discharge under full load. After the starter was fixed, we reevaluated the alternator performance. It was still discharging at full load and the ammeter needle was showing significant movement when the beacon was on. An electrical check indicated the alternator was not putting out the required voltage. The alternator was replaced with a rebuilt unit from Buelco and is now operating correctly.

Insurance - by Todd Michal

The insurance bill of $2,518.00 was paid to Avemco. This is $90 less than last year. The insurance link button has been updated to show the new coverage and costs.

BFR/Medicals Due - by Todd Michal

Here is a list of the BFR and Medicals that expire in the next few months:

John Heilmann: Medical due in July.
Todd Michal: BFR due in July.
Mike Russell: BFR due in August.
Randy Skyles: BFR due in August.

FAA Private and Instrument Test Questions

See how much you remember from your FAA Private Pilot and Instrument Rating Written Test by taking a quick 10 question test. Submit your answers and you will receive the correct answers and your score. (Don't worry, only you see the test results and your score.) This is a quick and easy way to keep familiar with the FARs. Use the links below and try to get a 100%:

The links above take you to Kip's FAA written Test Preparation Site. This site can be found directly at: http://www.exams4pilots.org/

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