The Pasco Flyer

Chapter 791 Hidden Lake October 10, 2009

President: Scott Murphy tenraii@verizon.net
Vice-president: Steve Carper
Secretary: Pete Porebski
Treasurer: Les Conwell
Newsletter Editor: Dean Psiropoulos Phone: 727-937-7986 dean.psiropoulos@verizon.net
Flight Advisor: Les Conwell Phone: 727-841-9764
Technical Counselor: Rodney Daulton

The regular chapter meeting will be held on November 14th. Future chapter meetings will also be held on the second Saturday of each month, and will be continued on that date for the foreseeable future. Meetings are open to anyone with an interest in building, restoring, and flying airplanes. See instructions to our meeting place (River Ridge Golf course)and a map at the bottom of this newsletter.

Presidents Corner: Have you found yourself looking at your airplane more than flying it? The everyday excuses get in the way of flying, don't they? I need to get this done, I need to get that done. I'll go flying sometime soon, I just have too much to do. Maybe you work on the plane so much that you never get to fly. I know some people who've had that experience. I'd like to say to you all that you should take EVERY opportunity to fly that you can because you never know when you may never get to fly again, no matter what the reason. Get out there, enjoy it all you can, and have no regrets. Don't end up in the "I wish I had" category.

Opening: Scott Murphy called the meeting of EAA Chapter 791 to order at 0920 hrs on October 10, 2009 at the River Ridge Clubhouse meeting room with the Pledge of Allegiance and a Moment of Silence.

Guests and First Timers: Bill Jovic a new resident of Hidden Lake neighborhood, who lives on Skymaster Drive. He learned to fly at Sarasota and is looking to purchase a Lake amphibian.

Approval of Previous Months Minutes: Motion to accept and seconded. Previous months minutes were approved.

Treasurers Report: See Les Conwell for more information. We have 45 dues paid members. This year will soon be history and the chapter is now taking dues for 2010 so when you're writing that check to charity for Christmas...

Announcements:

• John Voda reports that Young Eagles (River Ridge H.S.) was moved back one week until 10/31 at Hidden Lake. Start at 0930 for pilot briefing.
• Old Buzzards flights? Dean and Scott still working on it.
• Alan Uhr's Zenith 601 is completed and signed off by the FAA. Now he needs a check out in it. Also, he mentioned that the FAA will inspect your aircraft for free if you ask them, Plane and Pilot has a one page article on Hidden Lake and also an article on what happened to Steve Fossett.

Old Business:

• EAA Chapter at Z-hills is having an airshow sponsored by the airport authority (Zephyrhills airport) on April 10th (Saturday). Does Chapter 791 want to put on some volunteer activity to raise money for the Chapter? Show of hands of possible volunteers. About 10 -12 people might be interested. Would we do something by ourselves or partner with the Z-hills chapter? Show of hands whether to partner or do our own booth. Scott spoke to Z-hills EAA and they are willing to split proceeds if we partner. Decision was to partner.
• Christmas Party - Scott still speaking with Mike Boyce about reserving the clubhouse. Price we paid for last year's party was $6.70 per person. At this time no price from River Ridge.
• John Voda spoke about Young Eagles - Oct 24 is the Hidden Lake picnic date which conflicts with the Ridgewood H.S. Young Eagle date.
• Next flyout? Last time Chapter discussed this subject it was decided to wait until Fall. Nothing firm decided. Possible candidates - the Honalawanna Inn at Venice airport, Bartow, Cedar Key, Inverness, Plantation Inn at Crystal River, AOPA summit in November at Peter O Knight. Decision postponed until November 14 meeting.

New Business:

• Next months speaker is Jim, the FAA guy who lives in Waters Edge.
• Scott needs ideas for future month's speakers. November is arranged, Dec is the party, but need ideas for future months.
• Discussion regarding continuing our meetings at River Ridge clubhouse. Positives - nice environment, breakfast. Negatives - difficult to schedule aviation related events. Alan Uhr said we aren't sweating in the FL sun. Motion by Bill to meet at River Ridge during summer months and return to the airport during winter. Specifically, June - Oct at Putters and Nov - May thru Sept at airport. Decision was to not vote and instead appoint Marcel & Scott to speak with Mike Boyce. Motion made based on availability to do wet season (June - Oct) at Putters and dry season (Nov - May) at Hidden Lake. Scott Post made motion, seconded Bill Rouseau. Motion passed. Jerry asked where next month's meeting would be held? Since FAA will be presenting, preference is at Putters.
• Steve Carper sent email that the Airport Board would consider having EAA take over the runway/neighborhood party/ picnic and combine it. General thoughts were liability issues (would need to be on our policy), would National EAA organization be negative to the idea? There were comments about some of the pilots being non-EAA, giving rides, and being responsible for their flight activities, lack of parking, alcohol being present. Decision was to postpone.

Safety Tips:Stay current. Bill mentioned about a PBS documentary on Tenarife collision in the Canary Isles where two B-747s collided on the runway. Point was to make certain you are clear about communicating your intentions. Jerry spoke about his experience with a banner towing aircraft. Warren & Stan spoke about Crew Resource Management (CRM). Mike Muetzel made a good comment that you should communicate but radio waves don't keep the plane in the air. Summary was to be alert.

Meeting Program:This month's presentation was by Mike Muetzel, a pilot for Bayflite medical helicopter.

• Mike's dad was a TBM Avenger pilot which introduced him to aviation. Mike joined the Navy and served on USS Herbert J. Thomas, a small destroyer (now an artificial reef), and the USS Independence. As a student he flew T34s, T-28s, TH-57 Jet Rangers, TH-1L Hueys, UH-1Hs from Army. In the fleet he flew SH-2 helicopters, starting on the USS Garcia. Later flew off Spruance and Knox class ships. He also was a T-28 flight instructor and later a SAR pilot at NAS Lemoore.
  
  
• Mike flies a Eurocopter EC135 helicopter for Bayflite, a subsidiary of Baycare, based at Community Hospital in New Port Richey, FL. Most of the business is falls, traffic accidents, domestic disputes, and heart attacks. The aircraft has medical equipment to stabilize the patient. It also has an automatic stabilization system that prevents the pilot from "over controlling" the aircraft. It has 2 autopilots (and one pilot). The back/medical end of aircraft costs $1.3 million! It can carry 2 patients. The biggest challenge is clipping an overhead wire. The aircraft loads patients from clamshell doors in the rear, and is equipped with a glass cockpit that uses paper checklists!! Like an alert fighter it should be able to get off ground in 5 minutes! Important points that the operation emphasizes are: Crew Resource Management, safety, and cockpit standardization.
  
  
• Mike also discussed Bayflite operations such as how they are dispatched, flight condition requirements, how they get paid, who his actual customer is (i.e. the person whose "knees are in the blood" e.g. the paramedic who calls the flight).
  
  
• Mike's email address: cdrmuetzel at juno.com.
  
  
• See below for some pictures of Mike's career.

Project Status:

• Alan Uhr -Zenith 601 Completed/signed off by FAA. Alan needs check out.
• Pete P. (Falco) - Still chasing vacuum leak on new/old C-172, no progress on the Falco.
• Les C. (GP4) - Completed landing gear repairs, new fuel system problem.
• Wayne (C-150) - Working on wings.
• Marcel B. (Lancair) - Flying approaches to Hidden Lake at 120 MPH. Whew!
• Rodney (Swift, Skybolt) - Polishing the Swift. No progress on skybolt.
• John V. (Lancair) - Lancair IVP Working on the floorboards
• Jerry A. (RV-8) - No news.
• Charles (Mustang II) - No news.
• Dean P. (RV-6A) - 17 hours total, idle issue seems to have re-surfaced.
• Scott M. (Mustang II) - Aileron dented so skinning control surfaces.

50/50 Winner: Total was $25. Winner was Richard Brinkerhoff!

Last item: Scott Post has customized embroidered shirts available. Alex also had some items from Oshkosh that were given out using 50-50 tickets. Jerry Hosten won a book, Wes Smith got an Oshkosh poster and Tom Hall got a Sun-N-Fun poster.

Adjournment: Scott Murphy adjourned meeting at 1115 hrs. The next general meeting will be at 0900 hrs on Saturday, November 14th at the River Ridge Golf Course clubhouse on Decubellis Road.

********* RIVER RIDGE GOLF COURSE MEETING PLACE ***********
Chapter meetings are now held at the River Ridge Golf Course clubhouse (11022 Tee Time Circle, New Port Richey, 727-848-1048) starting 9:00 AM. There is ample parking in front of the building. To get to the River Ridge Golf Course clubhouse you go EAST on Ridge Road (past Hidden Lakes) until it ends. Once there, you take a right turn and you are on Decubellis Road. Take Decubellis south a short distance untill you see Tee Time Circle on your left. Turn onto Tee Time Circle, the clubhouse entrance will be on your right. To join us for breakfast show up around 8:00-8:30.
********* RIVER RIDGE GOLF COURSE MEETING PLACE***********

Mike Meutzel Photos Below

 

One of Mike's Tours with the Navy

 

Angel in the Canyon

 

Bayflite Helo Touching Down

 

Wires in the Landing Zone can be a Problem

Thanks for the interesting presentation Mike!

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