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PUFA NEWSLETTER
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September 18, 2002
Fred Glasbergen, President
Walter Klatt, Vice-President
Sandra Clark, Treasurer
Daryl Hegyi, 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 Fred Glasbergen
Interest in the ultralight movement is growing as evidenced by the recent ultralight reunion that took place at Glen Valley on September 7th and the PUFA breakfast the next morning. The hastily planned event can be termed to be a huge success since it attracted close to 100 enthusiasts, even on short notice. We were pleased to note that some of the people we haven’t seen for 5 to 10 years like Vic Magee, Ellie Halcrow (with her new husband), Bob Rittemann (Yellow Banana) and Bob Peters (also with his new spouse) showed up. Photo albums were brought out and people had fun reviewing old times.
The surprise highlight of the evening was the late arrival of a Remax hot air balloon which was quickly assembled and tethered to two vans for ascents up to 200 feet above the ground. Mike, the pilot from Remax, offered the rides free in return for his use of the King George Airpark as a base for launching his balloon this past summer.
With the support shown for this reunion, PUFA members might consider making this an annual event. The weekend after Labour Day appears to be a suitable time as most people are back from holidays and the weather is still fairly reliable.
Editorial Note
by Glenn Ursel
Well I hope everyone had a pleasant summer. I attended my first COPA convention at the Red Deer airport at Penhold, Alberta. Due to unstable weather conditions at the time, I rode there on my motorcycle. It was interesting to meet some of the COPA executive and hear them speak. Between motorcycling and bicycling, I managed to get some flying in locally. The most memorable was a trip to Saltspring Island with Gordon Brogan and Larry White!
We had a couple of flying incidents over the summer. One fellow landed his Beaver ultralight on a glacier somewhere near Squamish. I understand he had the plane rescued by the use of a helicopter. He later landed on a golf course due to the same problem - a faulty valve in his wing tank. Another pilot hit the top of a fence with his World War I scaled down replica on his first landing attempt. Thankfully, he was unhurt and the ultralight was quickly repaired.
Jeff Rochon is busy building floats for his Murphy Renegade and we await the test flight. Jeff recently informed me that his friend, Brian Doerksen, died of pancreatic cancer on August 24th, 2002 at the relatively young age of 47 years. Brian is survived by his wife and 3 daughters. Jeff told me that it was Brian who introduced him to ultralighting in 1983. Jeff plans to write a story of his friend in the near future for publication in the PUFA Newsletter.
A White Swan is Born
When you’re talking aviation, your talking big bucks or? The high cost of aviation is getting out of control what with GPS, transponders, anti-collision devices, ELTs and engine costs up to $25,000 for a Rotax 912. That’s only a 100 hp. What would it cost for a 200 hp Continental, probably $30,000. Now add floats to the equation and you’re talking real money. Add more weight to your plane and you in most cases need more power. It just goes on and on but it’s a lot of fun that float flying. I myself have acquired many hours in a Beaver ultralight on amphib floats and, strangely enough, a 180 lb Lazair with 50 lbs of straight floats strapped on under the belly. I had 18 hp total to take me up, a plump 200 lb guy. It’s almost analogous to a bumble bee that should not be able to fly but does.
Now I fly a Zenair 701 on amphib floats. But I can afford to switch around to this and that as most of us can; how about Charlie Six Pack? An ordinary guy with a desire to fly well, that is where I’m getting to with all this. I don’t know if you have met my friend, Mr. Fix-it, Larry White, an accomplished star gazer, a woodworker (his first love), a mechanic for 30 years and the proud father of Joanne and Debbie with the support of his lovely wife, Marie. Larry is an avid flyer, winter, spring or summer. Larry and Marie have a winter home at Bonita Beach, Florida.
Larry started flying 20 years ago and has accumulated 2000 hours of incredible flying experience. Larry flies his own creation, a one of a kind single seater with amphib floats. All made of wood, it has served him faithfully for 10 years. The aircraft has full flaps and the wing is a work of art. It stalls at 30 mph and cruises at 70 mph. It takes off in a 100 feet. It’s awesome! I watched Larry glue and fit the thousand of pieces to make up the wings. Larry made his own ribs. It took him a year to build the wings using scrounged Sitka Spruce that he had collected over the years.
The engine is a 65 hp two stroke Rotax engine. The 65 hp engine 532 Rotax engine does not come with duel ignition, but no problem for Mr. genius Larry. Larry took a solid piece of metal and made a new head with duel spark plug openings. He had to drill out all the water cooling canals in this major undertaking but the cost was minimal, just a 100 hours of time and a dedication to excellence.
Larry made his floats out of marine plywood. He used truck overload pots as an ingenious amphib air activated mechanism to raise and lower the wheels. It works well and has served him thus for 10 years. Larry also made his own propeller. Now that’s a feat! The total cost of Larry’s amphib float plane was $2,000. A conventional amphib Beaver ultralight (costing up to 10 times
this) would be not bad for a pilot with a limited pension income. So that blows the theory of the high cost of flying! If there is a will and a lot of talent, it’s amazing what a person can do and, more than all this, Larry is the most wonderful, pleasant person you could want to meet. Always helpful and never an unkind word to say about anyone. So if you are ever in the great beyond and you see Larry’s plane which he calls his “Cygnet” (a young White Swan) sitting on the beach in the Gulf Islands or at Pitt Lake, stop and say hello and meet a real gentleman and a most avid flyer - a float plane extraordinaire.
Larry White and James Sheremeta with Larry’s Cygnet
fRed Baron
Fond memories of Ron Bestword
This last spring, while I was away in the sunny south, my friend Ron passed away. I met Ron through Gordon Brogan who took myself and Bob McLellan out to visit this master wood worker of airplanes and boats. Ron turned out to be a great host when you visited, always had a project on the go to show and tell about with lots of stories to relate.
For many years his main passion was building and racing boats. His boats were in demand across America. I’ve seen some of the trophies he has won. He was also known for his work on Mosquito bombers!!! Wood working was his specialty but kindness and generosity was his trademark.
Ron built a few Fisher aircraft; then, in his usual fashion, built a bigger, improved model of a similar design which he called the Wood Duck with Subaru power. There are a few Wood Ducks nearing completion that he has contributed many, many hours and much of the materials for without taking any reimbursment. The plans for these planes were in his head. He needed no instructions or plans. Common sense and knowledge took the place of paperwork.
Some of the long time friends of Ron’s that I met at his memorial service told of a lifetime of generosity and helpfulness that will always be remembered.
When we would drop in by car or out of the sky, there was always time for a coffee and chat. You will be missed Ron!
Your friend, Larry White
Widgeon Lake Hotdog Fly-in
What a wonderful summer, warm evenings to sit outside with family and friends and reminisce about great adventures of the past. The airfields are all in nice condition; the water is calm and inviting for float flying and my little cygnet is always ready and willing for a fly in. What more could I ask for!
On August 31 there was a fly-in planned to Widgeon Lake. Some cloud in the sky, but the winds were calm with a ceiling of 4000 feet over the lake. I was first there and circled a few times, then saw Frank in his Beaver approaching. I landed and taxied up onto the beach, then guided them to a sandy spot. Soon Phil and Shawn arrived in their Lazairs on floats with their 9 horse power engines. We waited for Fred Glasbergen and Joseph to bring the hot dogs but I guess those Sea Rays just don’t have the performance of the inexpensive 2 stroke planes to get to these great spots. Luckly the bushes were loaded with juicy salmon berries and blue berries which were tasty and better for us than the hot dogs anyway! What a great day we had!
Safe flying… Larry White
Editor’s Note
Ray Crottey and I flew our Beaver floatplanes over from Glen Valley to attend the hot dog fly-in. When we neared Pitt Lake, we could hear Fred Glasbergen talking to Josef Kietaibl over the Fort Langley frequency. As Fred approached Widgeon Lake, he
Fred & Beverly Glasbergen, Glenn Ursel, Josef Kietaibl and Ray Crottey
spoke to Josef of his concern that we might be trapped if the cloud
cover above the lake suddenly descended.
They decided to divert to Pitt Lake to a spot on the beach about half way along the west side. Josef tried to attract the attention of Larry White but didn’t succeed apparently.
Fred Glasbergen’s SeaRey and others at Pitt Lake
Maybe planning for such events in the future should contain advice
regarding air frequencies to use and alternative sites should inclement
weather conditions appear.
Glenn Ursel
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