CLASSIFIED PPNTK
Speaker: <DATAMASKED>
Tuesday, 20 July 1999
1700 hrs (5:00 PM Civilian Time)
USAF Test Pilot School Auditorium
Edwards AFB, CA
This month's program is CLASSIFIED PPNTK (Project Police Need To Know). Therefore, its contents will only be revealed to those who actually show up at the meeting. Critical information from the VGPCS will be disseminated. The contents are scheduled to be declassified prior to publication of the next newsletter.
By the way, your Newsletter Editor is out of the state for most of July, so this newsletter is being assembled earlier than usual. Somebody take notes for the meeting minutes!
The meeting was called to order at some time after 1730 following schmooze time, where we saw stuff we'd seen before. The Schmoozemeister, being ever mindful of chapter resources, was using up what was still usable from the big fly-in shin-dig. None of the Raven's Nest C3's made it, as none survived the week after the fly-in.
Janet Fischer was visiting with her member husband George.
Rich Turner was technically not a guest but a member. Rich is a charter member of our fine chapter, and has been living in Panama City FL for many years now. No, his Glasair II isn't finished yet. Rich was at Edwards at the request of his employer, and thus did what all good PPOs do on the third Tuesday of the month.
If you're interested in a Y2K-compliant EAA Calendar, let the Kommandant know. The chapter can order them in bulk cheaper than you can individually. That is, unless you wanted a few hundred...
Dave Fedors donated a King Schools promotional videotape to the chapter. This tape claims that after watching it, you will be able to make flawless crosswind landings. Your test will be at Rosamond Skypark the next time a south wind blows up. The tape also will tell you how you can win a free airplane. (Hint: Buy a video course from King Schools. Then take your chances with every one else who did.) No word on how you'll pay the income taxes on the "free" airplane. The videotape will be in the Chapter library at TPS.
The next big chapter event will be the Edwards Open House. The level of participation of the chapter is not yet defined. More to follow. The big news this year is that Sean D. Tucker is scheduled to perform. Highly recommended by the Kommandant. Maybe we'll be able to get him to hang out with the chapter.
Per George Fischer, Rosamond Skypark (L00) will be closed 19-20 July 1999 for applying a slurry seal to the runway.
Ever wonder how the specifications for seat belts and shoulder harnesses were determined? A lot of it came from the experiments done by Dr. Stapp. A sled track had been built at North Base (none of which remains today) by Northrop (as George Gennuso likes to point out) to test the U.S. version of the German V-1 "Buzz Bomb" cruise missile. The cruise missile testing was complete and the 2000 foot track was unused, so Dr. Stapp saw it as being useful for human deceleration experiments.
The idea was to determine what sort of forces a human could withstand in an airplane crash or ejection. To do this, "volunteers" were strapped to a rocket sled, instrumented, and given cool "tatoos" of that ever-popular photo target (square divided into four squares with black squares on one diagonal and white squares on the other diagonal). No mention was made of the depilatory effects of removal of said stickers. Frequently the "volunteer" was Dr. Stapp himself. Tests were made both facing forward and backward. The subject was then accelerated by firing rockets, coasting briefly, then decelerated by mechanical brakes from over 100 mph to about 35 mph in front of the data cameras. Data were collected on the acceleration and also the time rate of change of acceleration (referred to as "jolt" or "jerk").
After describing the tests, Dana showed us a video of an ancient Air Force training film recently sent to her by Dr. Stapp. It was everything you would expect of an early '50s Air Force training film. Besides describing the experiments, it also led to a Mystery Science 3000 (MST3K) type session, as the modern day engineers in the crowd heckled the film. Of particular note was that the "volunteers" looked very stylish in their shorts, no shirts, and Air Force uniform shoes while riding the sled. When administering the experiments or watching films in the office, they, of course, wore service dress. This is the Mojave desert. Right. Sometimes looking good for the cameras overpowers common sense or reality.
After completion of these experiments, Dr. Stapp would move to Holloman AFB to get the use of the new longer sled track and to escape personal differences with the Edwards command section. At Holloman was where he made his more famous sled rides to supersonic speeds and with the more powerful water brakes.
If you missed this outstanding historical presentation, be sure to borrow the meeting video from the chapter library and see it for yourself.
- Erbman, Psuedo-Secretary
Well, that's enough for the weather report. It's not too early to start thinking about the Chapter's next big adventure...Edwards Open House 99. This year's two-day show will put extra demands on your cache of volunteer time. Why not plan now to support one or both days? Many hands make light work...yada, yada...
That event will also be an ideal time for those of you contemplating a run for Chapter Officer to campaign among the membership. Most of the senior leadership positions are up for grabs this year. We will soon be forming a nominating committee. (Psst, one way to ensure that you are not nominated is to be on that committee...call me)
Oh yeah! I am delinquent in my task of thanking those of you that made May's Scotty Horowitz, etc. Fly-in successful. Most of you were mentioned in the report in last month's Edge, but I would like to make special mention of the efforts of Charleen Beam for importing the "brats" (no, she didn't bring any kids, they're hot dogs, er sausages, er...); George Gennuso for his tireless setup efforts and expert brat incineration technique; Doug and Gail Dodson for running the ramp and the food line, respectively; NLE Erbman for just generally being in charge of everything; Bernie Bakken for his critical Chapter 1 intel; and, of course, Pete "Paddles" Moore for waving in all the spot landers. Thanks also to Fly-in namesake, Scotty "Doc" Horowitz for gracing us once again (and for bringing Shannon along!). Finally, a BIG Chapter 1000 Thank You for A.V. Aviation for allowing us to use their facilities.
See you around the airport!
- Gary Aldrich, Kommanding
This month we welcome another fine Air Force Test Pilot to our ranks. Dave Evans is working as an instructor pilot at Project Police Central, also known as Test Pilot School. He has returned from Florida with his wife Windy Winters, and will soon be bringing his Cessna 152 back to California if he hasn't already. He is also building an RV-4, which has progressed to the "big parts" stage. Dave is a member of TPS Class 95A ("Spin Doctors") and is noted for providing some brake parts to now Chapter 1000 member Ed Dutreaux after he melted his Nylaflow brake lines on that long taxi in for the 1995 Edwards Open House. Welcome to the chapter Dave!
"Mauro went in for surgery on the last weekend in May and spent the next few days recovering at the hospital. The surgery was successful and he has since been resting at home, certainly reading a lot of aviation books to help speed up his recovery."
Sun'n Fun 1999
The full story of our Sun'n Fun adventures have been collected in a common location. Read the entire story.
No update this month, as press time is far too early this time to get a meaningful hit count. Besides, I'm out of space.
Jul 28-Aug 3: EAA AirVenture '99 Fly-In Convention, Oshkosh WI
Aug 4: No EAA Chapter 49 Monthly Meeting
Aug 10: EAA Chapter 1000 Board of Directors Meeting, 5:00 p.m., Edwards AFB. Test Pilot School, MOL Room (661) 609-0942
Aug 17: EAA Chapter 1000 Monthly Meeting, 5:00 p.m., Edwards AFB. USAF Test Pilot School, Scobee Auditorium. (661) 609-0942
Sep 1: EAA Chapter 49 Monthly Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Sunnydale School. 1233 S. Ave. J-8, Lancaster, CA. (661) 948-0646
Sep 10-12: Golden West EAA Regional Fly-In, Castle Airport, Atwater, CA
Sep 14: EAA Chapter 1000 Board of Directors Meeting, 5:00 p.m., Edwards AFB. Test Pilot School, MOL Room (661) 609-0942
Sep 18: EAA Chapter 49 Old Fashioned Fly-In, General William J. Fox Field, Lancaster CA (661) 948-0646
Sep 21: EAA Chapter 1000 Monthly Meeting, 5:00 p.m., Edwards AFB. USAF Test Pilot School, Scobee Auditorium. (661) 609-0942
Oct 6: EAA Chapter 49 Monthly Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Sunnydale School. 1233 S. Ave. J-8, Lancaster, CA. (661) 948-0646
Oct 9-10: Edwards AFB Open House and Airshow
Oct 7-10: Copperstate EAA Regional Fly-In, Mesa AZ
Oct 12: EAA Chapter 1000 Board of Directors Meeting, 5:00 p.m., Edwards AFB. Test Pilot School, MOL Room (661) 609-0942
Oct 19: EAA Chapter 1000 Monthly Meeting, 5:00 p.m., Edwards AFB. USAF Test Pilot School, Scobee Auditorium. (661) 609-0942
Nov 9: EAA Chapter 1000 Board of Directors Meeting, 5:00 p.m., Edwards AFB. Test Pilot School, MOL Room (661) 609-0942
Nov 16: EAA Chapter 1000 Monthly Meeting, 5:00 p.m., Edwards AFB. USAF Test Pilot School, Scobee Auditorium. (661) 609-0942
Dec 21: EAA Chapter 1000 Monthly Meeting, 5:00 p.m., Edwards AFB. USAF Test Pilot School, Scobee Auditorium. (661) 609-0942
Rotax Engine Model #583, 2 cylinder for sale. New with engine mounting, twin Bombardier carburetors, exhaust system, ignition system, reducation transmission for aviation application, service manual, shipping crate and small set of factory tools. Deborah Gravelle or Tim Watts, 707-523-3140, email creatopt@sonic.net
President Gary Aldrich: gary_aldrich@pobox.com
Vice President George Gennuso: pulsar1@qnet.com
Secretary Miles Bowen: miles_bowen@ple.af.mil
Technical Counselor Gary Sobek: gasobek@jps.net
EAA Chapter 1000 Home Page
E-Mail: Web Site Director Russ Erb
at erbman@pobox.com
URL: http://www.eaa1000.av.org/newsletr/9907nltr.htm
Contents of The Leading Edge and these web pages are the viewpoints
of the authors. No claim is made and no liability is assumed, expressed
or implied as to the technical accuracy or safety of the material presented.
The viewpoints expressed are not necessarily those of Chapter 1000 or the
Experimental Aircraft Association.
Revised -- 7 July 1999