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PUFA NEWSLETTER
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February 17, 1997
Jeff Rochon, President
Bernie Strotmann, Vice-President
Ken Buck, Treasurer
Glenn Ursel, Secretary
Mail to: Pacific Ultralight Flying Association
102-16071 82 Avenue
Surrey, B.C. V3S 2L6
PUFA Newsletter published by Glenn Ursel
From The President
by Jeff Rochon
In conversations with several fellow flyers, it is becoming more apparent that this spring will become known as the time float flying made its comeback. There was a lack of interest in floats for one reason or the other but, with the Searey flying boat making its debut at King George Air Park, the interest in water adventures has been rekindled.
There are at least three Ultralight owners locally that are ready to strap on Full Lotus or Puddle Jumper or whatever. Add that to the existing amphip owners, and the numbers of float equipped aircraft become considerable. Who knows, perhaps this summer might see a fly-in to a far off lake by a large gaggle of water geese.
In the past year your executive decided to give members a phone reminder of each upcoming meeting. In some months we did not call and the turnout seemed relatively unaffected. However, we all like to see good attendance so the phone policy will be put into action again on the presumption that it was not given a fair chance. See you at the next meeting!
Jeff's Renegade
Editorial Note
by Glenn Ursel
As you can see by the above, I am now the proud possesser of a page scanner for my computer. Unfortunately, the quality lacks somewhat due to the limitations of my somewhat dated 486 CPU. It looks better in colour of course.
For this news letter, we offer the President's third installment of his anecdotes of "Elmer" a pseudonym for a local character of the Ultralight scene of years gone by.
Also included is an article I copied off the Internet about a new computer program to test your knowledge of ultralight flying. What's interesting about the article is the statement that "Since the CARs have come into effect, TP4310E has been discontinued and replaced by a new study reference (TP12804E)."
I stopped by to see Reg Lumsden and am happy to report that he appears to be well along the road to recovery from the mild stroke he suffered in December, although he seems resigned to retirement from the ultralight aeroengine business...
Glenn's Spectrum Beaver RX550
Elmer's 'U' Turn
Elmer (not his real name) pulled the cord that started the engine. With a cough, the tiny power plant came to life. He reached for the other cord, repeated the action and got the same result with the second engine. The two engines revved up to a snarling crescendo. Elmer's next adventure had begun.
A little background is necessary concerning Elmer. He was an Ultralight pilot of some skill. However his youthful exuberance, and his questionable decision making, made for some dubious results. I was amazed how he managed to escape unscathed no matter what hair raising stunts he performed...not that his actions were always planned. As I listened to the little two cycle engines on his Lazair Ultralight turn to their takeoff RPM, I didn't know that this would be the beginning of another eye popping display of aerial antics that was Elmer's trademark.
I had dropped into the local airfield where several pilots kept their Ultralights, mine included. There was Elmer, tinkering with his Lazair. I had flown several different Ultralight models but never a Lazair with its two engine configuration and ground scraping seats. In a spontaneous mood, I put the request to Elmer. He readily agreed to let me try out his bird. There was just one thing: "I'll have to test her one time to make sure she's running right", he said.
So there he was, engines screaming, teeth gritted, his feet planted on the ground as he fought to hold back the twelve horses. He lifted his feet and allowed the craft to begin its roll into the light wind. He was in the air in seconds. Just as quickly, and only three feet off the ground, the engines came back to idle and he landed gently on the remaining runway. I wondered what was up as he taxied to the far end of the airstrip. He told me later that he had been satisfied with that brief test and was returning to give me my flight. At the time I thought that something was amiss and that he had aborted takeoff.
As the frail ship was spun around at the far end, I heard the engines come up to full power. What was he doing? As I watched, he roared back down the runway and was airborne again. Now, on the downwind, being airborne in his situation was definitely not good form. Everything happened very quickly after that. He had assumed that, after flying down the runway in one direction, he could simply fly back. That was Elmer all right. There was no way he could stop the plane in the remaining, and rapidly disappearing, runway!
He would have to go around. The problem was that, at the end of the runway and directly in his path, three giant evergreens loomed. The airfield had always been one way out. He made a valiant effort to save the day. Elmer let the craft build to best climbing speed and then yanked the stick back, or was it forward? Lazairs could be made to work either way. Anyway, the Ultralight stood on its tail and attempted to climb the tree...at least that's what it looked like.
As I gawked in disbelief, the ship ran out of steam about ten feet from the top of the trees. Desperately, Elmer tried to hammerhead the machine. That worked to some degree because he only clipped two branches before gravity took over and he headed back down in the inevitable second half of the maneuver. In the next second, he crumpled into the shrubbery at the foot of the evergreens. I thought the worst. He had crashed just yards from where I stood so I was not long in arriving on the scene. There, in the mangled Lazair, sat Elmer completely unhurt. I helped him out and waited for the blue streak to subside. "I guess I forgot about the wind", Elmer lamented.
The plane, amazingly, was eventually repaired and Elmer flew it again. However, I did not.
Jeff Rochon
ULTRALIGHT PRACTICE EXAM SOFTWARE
The Canadian Department of Transport requires ultralight pilots to pass a written, multiple choice exam, before becoming licensed. The "Ultralight Practice Exam Program" contains all the questions that could be on the DOT exam. The program randomly selects questions to produce practice tests, which a student pilot writes on their computer in order to get the feel for the exam.
Publicity from Canadian Ultralight News and word of mouth caused an excellent response to the program. Several ultralight pilots at Bright Aviation, the local ultralight school, passed the DOT exam with 100% scores after practising with the program.
Over time, I have received a number of suggestions to improve the program, and make it an even more useful study aid.
A new version of the program has now been completed that incorporates a number of refinements. The most important of these is a new option that allows the user to choose which questions they wish to see, instead of having the computer randomly select them. Difficult questions can be reviewed frequently. By stepping through the question lists, the student can become familiar with every question that could be on the DOT exam.
The program has been updated to include the fourth amendment to the Ultralight Aeroplane and Hang Glider Information Manual (TP4310E) and runs on IBM compatible computers.
Since the CARs have come into effect, TP4310E has been discontinued and replaced by a new study reference (TP12804E). This new reference uses substantially the same questions; however, some changes have taken place. There are no plans to release an updated version of the program at this time.
Anyone who would like a copy can mail me at:
David Lubitz
RR #4
Bright, Ontario
NOJ 1B0.
Cost remains $10, and disk size (5 1/4" or 3 1/2") should be specified.
Feel free to contact me if you have any suggestions, or would like more information.
W. David Lubitz
wlubitz@sdcc6.ucsd.edu