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March Chapter Meeting Program - Leonard Harris and Fly-out/Drive-out to PeachState Airport

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:00:16 -0500

Meeting Friday - March 12

Fly-out/Drive-out/Museum Tour/Lunch - Saturday - March 13 details to follow.

Leonard Harris has a diverse background in aviation. As a Registered Nurse he sold medical equipment for many years and owned several airplanes that enhanced his ability to cover his vast sales territory. With a Multi-engine Commercial rating he has flown everything from Piper Cubs to a Pilatus PC 12. He spent four years "Crop Dusting" in South Georgia when he retired from his sales career, flying Ag-Cats and Turbine Thrushes and he still occasionally does some spraying to help out his friends.

The past ten years he has been manager and now he and his wife Amelia own The Pilot Shop at PDK formerly Wings and Things where they supply pilot paraphernalia as well as are authorized to administer FAA written knowledge exams. As the President of the PDK Airport Association he stays busy with airport projects and is also the VP of Membership of the Aero Club of Atlanta. Leonard loves PDK and enjoys flying every chance he gets. You can find him most days holding court at the pilot shop telling stories and making friends.

The monthly meeting and program will be held in the EAA Sport Aviation Building located on the north side of the Gwinnett County Airport in Lawrenceville, Georgia and is open to all. Come join us for an educational, informative program beginning at 8:00 P.M., with people gathering for some "hangar flying" around 7:30 P.M. Ample aircraft and auto parking is available. For additional information contact Herb Rusk or 770-678-1051. Many members gather at The Flying Machine for dinner around 6:00-6:30. All are welcome for some pre-meeting hangar flying.

"Behind the Scenes of the Gwinnett County Aviation Unit"

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:23:23 -0500

Without realizing it, we see the Gwinnett County Aviation Unit's helicopters overhead many times in the course of the week. Yet many have no idea of the Aviation Unit's existence and charter. On Saturday, March 6th, Gwinnett Count Aviation Manager, Mr. Marcus Head, will present a program entitled "Behind the Scenes of the Gwinnett County Aviation Unit" in the EAA Chapter 690 Hangar, located at Lawrenceville's Briscoe Field.

Mr. Head will discuss the history of the Gwinnett County Police Aviation Unit, the aircraft they use for their mission and how they provide the aerial support for the various operations of the Gwinnett County Law Enforcement Department. The Aviation Unit is responsible for providing direct aerial support to uniform patrol officers responding to criminal activity, and general support to all other divisions within the Gwinnett County Government. One of the county's helicopters will be positioned adjacent to the Chapter 690 Hangar for the presentation. Adequate time will be provided for questions and answers and to examine one of the aircraft close up.

Marcus is a native of Gwinnett County and a 14 year veteran of the Gwinnett County Police Department. He returned to Gwinnett after spending four years in the U.S. Coast Guard and upon Graduating from the University of West Georgia. As a supporter of General Aviation, in his spare time he enjoys flying his Cessna 172, making trips to Savannah, GA to visit his wife�s family.

An "all you care to eat" Pancake Breakfast and/or refreshments begins at 8:00 AM, with the program starting at 10:30 AM in the EAA Sport Aviation Center, 690 Airport Road, at Gwinnett County's Briscoe Field on Saturday, March 6th. The public, young and old alike, is invited and there is ample aircraft and auto parking. This promises to be a unique opportunity to see and learn about the technology being put to use in protecting our neighborhoods. For additional information contact Joel Levine: (404) 314-7573 or jlevine@bellsouth.net.

WW-I Aviation Historian Narayan Sengupta

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:27:57 -0500

FEBRUARY MEETING CANCELLED DUE TO SNOW - Program will be re-scheduled.

EAA Chapter 690's guest speaker Friday evening, February 12th, is noted historian Narayan Sengupta. Sengupta is a Past President of the Smyrna Rotary Club, the Organizer of the 90th Anniversary American Military Aviation in World War I, and is the author of �American Eagles: The Illustrated History of World War I.� He is Vice Chairman of the National Aviation Museum.

Narayan�s talk will focus on the United States Air Service in World War I. Throughout history, we�ve all heard of the Lafayette Escadrille, later the 103rd Aero Squadron, and such renowned pilots as Eddie Rickenbacker, Raoul Lufberry (famous for the Lufberry Circle), Quentin Reynolds, Billy Mitchell and Jimmy Doolittle. Of particular interest to Narayan is the fact that his grandmother, who lived in Saints, France during the war, billeted Quentin Reynolds when the Lafayette Escadrille was operating out of Saints Aerodrome, southeast of Paris.

Sengupta and his wife Janel live in Smyrna, Georgia along with their children. His interests center around art, photography, writing, history, political science, languages, military simulations and travel. With a love for languages, he speak English, French and Bengali fluently. Along the way, he learned or studied Spanish, Italian, Hindi, Urdu, German, Arabic, Russian, Japanese, Marathi, Portuguese and Latin. Software development is another hobby, but that doesn't count since he also does it for a living. Professionally, his company, New Frontiers International, does web-site development, search engine optimization, on-line strategy and web hosting.

"Flying the Alaska Bush" with Bush Pilot Jay Baldwin

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:04:46 -0500

Flying the Alaska Bush is both beautiful and frightening. Few places on earth have the majestic wilderness, towering mountains and ice glaciers of the Alaskan wilderness that present flying challenges and special techniques. On February 6th, Alaska's premier "Tail Dragger" instructor, Mr. Jay Baldwin of Palmer, Alaska, as part of his Tour Across America, will present a program on "Survival Flying" in the EAA 690 Hangar, located at Lawrenceville's Briscoe Field.

Jay will discuss flying challenges and techniques in a presentation that will be of interest to pilots and non-pilots alike. His presentation will touch on the year round beauty of the region, with pictures of the Alaskan Bush. Baldwin will be available for a book signing after the presentation and for the balance of the week he will be available for those wishing additional flight instruction focusing on tailwheel, flight review and advanced handling techniques. To schedule flight time contact Jay directly at, cubman@youflyalaska.com or (907)745-0945.

Baldwin has spent over thirty years in aviation. He earned a glider rating in 1971, got his Air Force Pilot wings in 1975 and spent the rest of the '70s instructing in T-37 military trainers. On his days off, he managed a glider operation and instructed in Piper Arrows. In the '80s he flew T-33s and F106s for the Montana Air Guard and in the '90s transitioned to F-16s and flew Boeing 747s for Northwest Airlines, now part of Delta Airlines. In 1997, he moved to the aviation center of the world (Alaska), hoping to employ a bush instructor to show him the nuances of Alaska flying. To his dismay, he learned that to become a bushpilot you had to buy an aircraft, wreck several times, and if you were still alive you could claim the title. Drawing from his prior experience, he wrote a syllabus and started training students in off-field operations. Jay has flown his Cub into high mountain strips in the Wrangles, onto glaciers in the Kenai, beaches on Kodiak and the pack ice of the Bering Sea. Each year he takes one or two students from scratch and trains them in the bush. The majority of his clients are rated pilots seeking off-field instruction to improve their skills and survivability in this hostile environment.

An "all you care to eat" Pancake Breakfast and/or refreshments begins at 8:00 AM, with the February 6th program starting at 10:30 AM in the EAA Sport Aviation Center, 690 Airport Road, Gwinnett County's Briscoe Field. The public, young and old alike, is invited and there is ample aircraft and auto parking. This promises to be a unique opportunity to see some of the back country area of our northern most state. For additional information contact Joel Levine: 404-314-7573 or jlevine@bellsouth.net.

"Large Aircraft Security Program - A Dilemma in the Making"

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:01:46 -0500

Click Here for Power Point Presentation.

Our guest speaker this Friday evening, January 8th, needs no introduction to EAA Chapter 690. Alan Armstrong has presented educational and informational programs at both our 1st Saturday breakfast meetings and our regular Chapter meetings over the years. Yet this presentation may raise a larger red flag than the "Red Rising Sun" on the sides of his Nakajima "Kate" torpedo bomber.

Early last year a far reaching piece of legislation began to circulate in Washington and beyond, known as the "Large Aircraft Security Program" or LASP. This program and its subsequent re-write would impose "a host of security burdens on operators of aircraft weighing in excess of 12,500 pounds." Two months later, on December 30, 2008, the TSA said, in a then classified report, that there was little evidence to suggest terrorists were turning their attention to General Aviation. In addition, Security Directives employed by the TSA (to bypass due process rule making requirements imposed by the Administrative Procedure Act), under the auspices of �national security� interests would allow: TSA employees to appear at airports and subject pilots, their cars, their persons, their planes and their hangars to random searches; and Relax Fourth Amendment protections and uphold warrantless (administrative) searches at airports in the interest of security. All this, after the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security in a report of May 27, 2009, found the threats TSA purports to combat with its initiatives are largely �hypothetical.� 1

In his presentation, Alan will review the LASP proposal as it currently stands and where it is heading in Congress. Of most importance, Alan will help us understand what we as an organization and as individuals can do to help minimize this attack to our freedom of flight. This is sure to be an informative and thought provoking presentation that you will not want to miss, especially in light of events of this Christmas Holiday.

Armstrong, a trial lawyer in Atlanta, represents clients in connection with aviation related matters, such as victims and their survivors in relation to personal injuries and wrongful deaths arising out of aviation accidents. He also represents airmen, aircraft operators, FAA certified repair stations and other clients in aviation related matters.

1- From a presentation presented to the ICAS Convention, Las Vegas, NV by Alan Armstrong, Dec. 2009

"The Blue Angels in Photo�s� with Photographer Paul O�Mara

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:31:15 -0500

Since it's inception in 1945, The Blue Angels� mission has been to enhance the Navy and Marine Corps recruiting efforts and to represent the naval service to the United States, its elected leadership and foreign nations. They serve as positive role models and goodwill ambassadors for the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps with there choreographed demonstration flights and the skills possessed by all naval aviators. The "Angels" perform the graceful aerobatic maneuvers of the four-plane Diamond Formation, in concert with the fast-paced, high-performance maneuvers of its two Solo Pilots. The team represents the pinnacle of precision flying while performing maneuvers locked as a unit as in the renowned, six-jet Delta Formation.

EAA Chapter 690 is honored to have Mr. Paul O'Mara, who traveled with the team photographing there performances over a three year tour of duty join us. Through the magic of his camera lens, Paul will take us with him on Saturday, January 2nd, 2010 in the EAA Chapter hangar located at Lawrenceville's Briscoe Field to many of the unique locations he and the Blue Angles have visited.

Paul O�Mara started his career as a US Navy Photographers Mate in 1977. He served on the USS Forrestal during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. In 1980 he was selected to attend the Military Photojournalism Program at Syracuse University, thereafter becoming a Navy Photojournalist. His next assignment took him to the US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron (The Blue Angels) in 1981 where he traveled and documented them until 1984. During his time with the �Blues�, Paul met and photographed many of the luminaries of that time: President Ronald Reagan, Bob Hope, Christie Brinkley, Tom Sellick, Ernest Borgnine, Tammy Wynette, Olivia Newton-John, John Travolta, General Jimmy Doolittle, Leo Loudenslager and Bob Hoover.

The next seven years found Paul as chief photographer at Rome News-Tribune in Rome, GA. Since 1992 Paul has worked as a commercial photographer based in Rome, GA. He provides photographic services to college preparatory schools, colleges, universities, industries, corporations and editorial clients. Paul, his wife and college aged daughter live in the Rome area.

An "all you care to eat" Pancake Breakfast and/or refreshments begins at 8:00 AM, with the program starting at 10:30 AM in the EAA Sport Aviation Center, 690 Airport Road, Gwinnett County's Briscoe Field. The public, young and old alike, is invited and there is ample aircraft and auto parking. This promises to be a unique opportunity to introduce that young person in the family or neighborhood to the inner workings of one of the nations best know ambassadors. For additional information contact Joel Levine: 404-314-7573 or jlevine@bellsouth.net.

Technically Advanced Aircraft - the Future is Here!

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:42:40 -0500

The transition from "steam gauges" to the world of the "glass panel" takes a substantial commitment. Yet many of us don't fully appreciate what is involved with the training and transition and what it takes to remain current in the world of the Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA). EAA Chapter 690, located at Gwinnett County Airport, Lawrenceville, GA has invited Mr. Dennis Erskine to discuss what is required, the benefits and what the future will bring on Saturday morning, December 5th at our 1st Saturday Aviation Program & Pancake Breakfast. Dennis will cover the transition issues, transition training, and transition challenges. In addition, he will talk about the chances of "getting hurt by the autopilot."

Dennis, who began flying in 1965 in his dad's Cessna 182, is a member of NAFI, the National Association of Flight Instructors, an affiliate of the EAA. Dennis holds CFI, CFII, MEI ratings and, having moved to the Atlanta area from Colorado, he is an instructor for Advanced Aviation located at Briscoe Field and now PDK. He specializes in technologically advanced aircraft training and transitions with a particular focus on IFR training. He has over 400 hours instruction given in G1000 based aircraft and up until about a year ago owned his own TAA aircraft... an Aerostar 601P. Dennis has an article entitled, "Where will you go?" reviewing the possibilities after an engine failure after take-off. The article may be found on the AOPA web-site. Dennis and his wife have one teenager and live in the Lawrenceville area.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ATLANTA AIRSPACE & LZU

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:56:11 -0500

The following came from EAA Chapter 1025 member Patrick Horvath via Emory Geiger and from 690 member Mike Stewart. The public meetings begin at the end of February with the one scheduled for the Chamblee Civic Center on March 1, 2010 from 3 PM - 8:30 PM. The announcement(s) follow. More information will no doubt be circulated in the coming months, but as my Scout Master always said, "Be Prepared." Mike Stewart has posted the material in the following link on the Chapter 690 web-site.

Click here to go direct.

----- Original Message -----

From: egeiger@bellsouth.net

Cc: jlevine@bellsouth.net

Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 1:41 PM

Subject: IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR ATLANTA AIRSPACE

The following note is from EAA 1025 member and professional pilot Patrick Horvath. Thanks, Patrick for providing it.

The FAA sent out an innocuous e-mail announcing �Informal Airspace Meetings� regarding the proposed changes to the Atlanta Class B airspace. They may be �informal,� but this is one of the only chances we have to protect our Class E airspace around Atlanta .

I was on the Atlanta Ad Hoc committee to give feedback to the FAA on this proposal, which is designed to provide more airspace to ease airliner flow into Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson. That committee met over the period of a few months to provide feedback and suggestions that would provide some balance for general aviation and the airports around Atlanta . Apparently the FAA ignored our input and is moving forward with their plan as is. This proposal is a big airspace grab on the part of the FAA/ATC, with the excuse of needing it for the new runway at Hartsfield. While we agreed that additional Class B was probably needed, the balance was far toward Part 121 operations at the expense of General Aviation around Atlanta .

For instance, in order to get north or south around Atlanta (without going well around it) everyone will have to be about 1000� AGL to remain clear of class B. That�s not a lot of margin, and doesn�t leave any vertical room for converging VFR traffic. The charts they gave us of the new airspace reached all the way out to Covington with a 4000� MSL floor to the Class B (3000� MSL out to Conyers). That takes an awful lot of our airspace away. Further, with the lines they�ve drawn, you�ll need to carry a moving map GPS to determine the boundaries of the Class B. They don�t follow VOR/DME lines like the current Class B.

The next step after these meetings will be a Notice of Proposed Rule making (NPRM) and a period for comments before it is made final.

It�s our airspace and once they take it, we�re not going to get any of it back. LET'S MAKE THESE MEETINGS AND HAVE OUR VOICES HEARD !

Thanks!

Patrick Horvath

EAA 1025

Don't stop reading now. The second shoe is about to drop.

And as if the above isn't enough, the following came from the Atlanta Journal via Chapter member Bob Toxen, with a little editing:

"An article in today's AJC says that County Commission Chairman Bannister wants to lease Gwinnett County Airport to a private company and put the $1 million dollars in the airport fund and put it in the county general fund.

It's time to start a major write-in. If this happens, then fees will skyrocket and quality will go to hell. I'd probably move back to PDK. We really need to mobilize for this!

AJC Article

Gwinnett Daily Post article

When Albany, NY and Worcester, MA privatized those airports, the airports were ruined with outrageous fees and poor quality. Our taxes and fees paid for this airport, it's not yet something else to try to make money off!"

Bob Toxen

John Wayne Graves to present November 13 program - Air Force 2, Behind the Scenes

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:28:06 -0500

Chapter Vice President Lee Olson has announced that he has arranged for what should be another informative and entertaining program for our November 13th meeting. John Wayne Graves, Lt. Col.. USAF (Ret) was a pilot on Air Force Two, the Vice President's plane, and also flew the First Family, (call sign Executive One Foxtrot) and the Vice-President's family, (call sign Executive Two Foxtrot).

Lt. Col. Graves was a pilot and Chief Of Aircrew Standardization in the 89th Military Airlift Wing, where his primary duty was to administer flight evaluations on all crewmembers. This responsibility included giving semi-annual flight evaluations to the Air Force One and Air Force Two pilots while flying line missions and on training missions where standard and emergency procedures are practiced and evaluated. He will share stories of unusual and never reported missions, and will reveal some of his favorite and not-so-favorite passengers.

Some of our Chapter members at meet at The Flying Machine for dinner at 6:00 p.m., and then we meet for hangar talk at about 7:30.p.m. in the hangar. The business meeting will be at 8 p.m. and the program will start at about 8:45. Refreshments will be served.

"We Can Do It" - The Story of Rosie the Riveter

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:24:02 -0500

If information is best learned by visualization, EAA Chapter 690, located at Gwinnett County Airport, Lawrenceville, GA will help make our history come alive Saturday morning, November 7th. During World War II, an unprecedented number of women responded to government encouragement to fill factory jobs left vacant by men serving overseas. "Rosie the Riveter" tells the story of American women who filled the factory jobs left vacant by the men and women during World War II. Affectionately known as �Rosies,� these workers opened the door for women to enter the workforce and helped keep the country functioning during the war.

Ms. Carol Cain will be our very special guest, as she tells the story of the women workers on the home front during World War II. Dressed in the uniform of the period---overalls, work boots, and a headscarf, her performance includes the stories of seven real-life "Rosies" who took a wide range of jobs during the war, everything from lubing cars to building bombers. Carol also brings her collection of Rosie posters, books, articles, and memorabilia. The program is designed to help both young and old better understand how the women referred to as "Rosie the Riveter" contributed so much to the war efforts.

The LaGrange Storyteller and actress, Carol Cain is a teacher by trade. After spending nineteen years as an English teacher, and earning her National Board Certification in that field, Carol became the Theater Specialist at West Side Magnet School in LaGrange, Georgia six years ago. She was named the 2000 Troup County Teacher of the Year and was a 2001 finalist for Georgia's Teacher of the Year.

Carol's initial work as Rosie the Riveter came in 1994 when she performed as Rosie for the Troup County Historical Society as one of the programs in a year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. Since that performance, Carol has performed as Rosie the Riveter for the past 15 years at the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia. Her performances there served as a springboard for a gathering of Rosies from across the Southeast who eventually formed the American Rosie the Riveter Association, now over 2000 members strong. Carol, herself, is a Rosebud member of the Columbus/Phoenix City chapter of the Baker's Dozen and the proud granddaughter of a former World War II Red Cross volunteer. In the summer of 2007, Carol traveled to Reno, Nevada to perform as Rosie for the national convention of the American Legion Auxiliary. She has performed as part of the World War II Heritage Days celebration in Peachtree City and for numerous civic and veteran's groups around the state. Most recently, Carol presented her Rosie program for the Lucky 7th Armored Division's 63rd annual reunion in Columbus.

An "all you care to eat" Pancake Breakfast and/or refreshments begins at 8:00 AM, with the program starting at 10:30 AM in the EAA Sport Aviation Center, 690 Airport Road, Gwinnett County's Briscoe Field. The public, young and old alike, is invited and there is ample aircraft and auto parking. This promises to be a unique opportunity to introduce that young person in the family or neighborhood to a segment of our history long overdue that special recognition. For additional information contact Joel Levine: 404-314-7573 or jlevine@bellsouth.net.