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PUFA NEWSLETTER
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January 7, 2004
Fred Glasbergen, President
Daryl Hegyi, Vice-President
Sandra Clark, Treasurer
Debbie Major, Secretary
Mail to: Pacific Ultralight Flying Association
102-16071 82 Avenue
Surrey, B.C. V3S 2L6
PUFA Newsletter published by Glenn Ursel
PUFA Website Version edited by Walter Klatt
Editorial Note
by Glenn Ursel
Just before Christmas, I happened to enquire about a GPS in a Canadian Tire store and got a Garmin GPS 12 on sale for less half its original price. When the snow is melted away by the rain in a few days, I shall try out my new toy in a test flight around the local scene. While this model is a hiker’s GPS and does not have an internal database, you can load in waypoints and navigate by them. The GPS also indicates ground speed very accurately and distance in miles or kilometres to your destination. I also got a Garmin MapSource database which I have loaded onto my computer. This software enables me to locate the latitude and longitude of any point in Canada by simply positioning the mouse cursor over the spot that you wish to enter as a waypoint. So one can plan out a trip on the home pc and then enter the waypoints into the GPS for the actual flight. Bloody marvellous, eh?
It is now 8 years since I started writing the PUFA Newsletter back in January of 1996. Over the years I believe that there have been some pretty good ultralighting stories documented for PUFA posterity. The very first story published, for example, was of Jon Ormaechea’s epic flight to Watson Lake in the Yukon via Prince George to Williston Lake and up the Trench to the Alaska Highway.
Another epic adventure was reprinted in the PUFA Newsletter from the original published in the RANS Newsletter which told the story of a crazy Frenchman, Laurent Bourgnon, who flew his Rans Coyote S-6ES from France over the Atlantic to attend the airshow at Oshkosh. He even brought his girl friend, Isabelle Patissier, along for the ride.
I have had many contributions from fellow ultralighters but I must say that Fred Baron has provided most of them including (by date of publication in my series of the PUFA Newsletter): A Helping Hand and The Vanishing Airfields (Feb., 1996), A Good Day and Flying Buddy (Apr., 1996), The Early Years, My Friend & His Ultralight and An Evening Flight (Oct., 1996), Mother and Hooked (Nov., 1996), My Instructor (Mar., 1997), Mothers’ Day Fly-in at Intergalactic Aerodrome (Jul., 1999), Friends in High Places and The Swain’s Appreciation Party (Jan., 2000), Hitchhikers (Feb., 2000), A Summer flight (Mar., 2000), Buddies (Apr., 2000), Murphys and Participation (May, 2000), The Shrinking Airways (Oct., 2000), Pilot Extraordinaire and One Man’s Dream (Apr., 2001), A Decision (Oct., 2001), A Lame Duck’s Flight (Nov., 2001), Apex (Jan., 2002), Humble Pie (Apr., 2002), A White Swan is Born (Sep., 2002), Life at the Intergalactic Aerodrome, Zenair 7001 and Cuba - A Tropical Island Prison (Jan., 2003), Geriatric Gang and In Memory of the Red Baron (May, 2003). A most prolific writer as you can see!
Jeff Rochon also provided some interesting anecdotes of his ultralighting adventures with his story The Adventures of Elmer (Apr., 1996), his story of his attempt to fly to the Yukon with fellow ultralighters Ken Hicks, Julius Szalontai, Josef Kietaibl and Bob Christen in Yukon or Bust (Sep., 1996), Elmer’s Wire Act (Oct., 1996), Elmer’s ‘U’ Turn (Feb., 1997) and Jeff’s nostalgic story of his flight to Mount Baker with his old friend, Bill Finlayson (Jan., 1999).
Several other people also provided gratefully accepted stories for my PUFA Newsletter. Larry White sent in A Sunny Misadventure (Mar., 1997) and Widgeon Lake Hotdog Fly-in and Fond Memories of Ron Bestward (Sep., 2002).
Patrick Simpson sent in his story of his flight to Arlington with Corncob Bob Peters in Arlington (May, 1997).
Beverly Lawrence contributed her story of her and Fred Glasbergen’s epic flight to Watson Lake in Flight to the Yukon in a Beaver Ultralight (May, 1998). Beverley also wrote up her and Fred Glasbergen’s attendance of The World’s First Searey Fly-in (Mar., 2000).
Bob Christen wrote up a story of his flight to the west coast of Vancouver Island with Ken Hicks and Julius Sxalontai in My Trip to Vargas Island (Apr., 1999).
Daryl Hegyi wrote a story entitled Powell River Fly-in 1999 (Sep., 1999).
Patrick Stanley described his attendance at the Oshkosh Airshow in AirVenture ‘99’ (Nov., 1999).
Ken Buck offered his humorous story of painting his townhouse entitled Chocolate Milk (Oct., 2001).
Walter Klatt contributed What is an Ultralight? (Nov., 2001) and Echo Bay Adventure (Nov., 2003).
Fred Glasbergen sent in Ultralights in the Movies (Jan., 2002) which described his ultralight flights in Nahanni River National Park to assist Artic Jungle Films in filming a documentary using ultralight aircraft.
Gordon Brogan sent in his very eloquent stories of his friends Karl Heep, To Bumble Bee from Eagle (Jan., 2002) and Terry Parsons, A Last Flight (Oct., 2002).
Fred Glasbergen’s struggle with the City of Surrey to maintain his flying School in the King George Airpark location was also documented in the pages of the PUFA Newsletter in the March, April and June issues of 1996 as well as in Fred’s story Re: The Ultralight Airfield That Won’t Go Away (Jan., 1997) and Beverley Lawrence’s story As the prop turns: The continuing saga of King George Airpark ( Sep., 1999).
The saga of the incorporation of regulations for ultralights in CARS was documented in the PUFA Newsletter (Jan., 1997) and Passenger Carrying in Ultralights was documented, perhaps ad nauseam, in subsequent issues of the PUFA Newsletter (Sep., Oct. & Nov., 1997 and Jan., Feb. & Apr., 1998).
I also contributed some ultralighting stories: My Early Years of Ultralighting (Mar., 1996), The CB Radio Era (May, 1996), Gerald Edward’s 5151 Mustang (May, 1997), 1998 Powell River Fly-in (Sep., 1998), Father’s Day Fly-in at Glen Valley (Jul., 1999), October Fly-in to Hatzic Lake (Oct., 1999), Airflow Hotdog Fly-in at George LeLoup’s Airfield (Feb., 2000), I flew the Howse Pass (May, 2000) and Ultralighting to Alberta (Sep., 2001).
At somebody’s suggestion, I interviewed and wrote a series of biographical sketches of some of our ultralight members in an effort to increase the interest in our flying club. The series included: Ray Crottey (Jan., 1999), Bob McLellan (Feb., 1999), Terry Parsons (Apr., 1999), Josef Kietaibl (May, 1999), Don Willoughby (Sep., 1999), Fred Baron (Sep., 2000) and Fred Glasbergen (Feb., 2001).
Finally, when no local story was available and not grabbing stuff off the Internet to produce the newsletter, I also wrote extensively of my recent holidays that I have enjoyed since I retired in June of 1999. These included: Paradise in Baja, Mexico (Feb., 2000), Flight to Hong Kong (Sep., 2000), Motorcycling to Inuvik and My Polar Bear Expedition to Churchill, Manitoba (Nov., 2000), Motorcycling to Mexico (Jan., 2001), The Comp Air Purchase and Back to Mexico (May, 2001), An Ultralighter’s Holiday in Mexico (Mar., 2003) and Sailing in Lake Nipigon (Sep., 2003).
Now I wish to pass on the torch to someone else to carry on with the documenting of our very interesting and enjoyable sport of ultralighting. Accordingly, this is my last newsletter. I thank you for your kind indulgence in tolerating my feeble efforts at producing the PUFA Newsletter these many years.
For my last newsletter, I am happy to include a short story of Vancouver
Islander Don Fern’s Spectrum Beaver equipped with an automotive Sprint
engine.
Spectrum Beaver with Turbo Sprint Engine
I got tired of the Rotax whine and decided to replace it with an automotive version. The engine itself, a 1990 Turbo Sprint, was about 45 lb. heavier than the Rotax 532 complete with rad and coolant.
Add the Sprint rad, coolant, exhaust, fuel system (dual electric pumps and filters), 72" 3 blade Ivo, and extra controls and wire would put you about 85 lb more than the Rotax.
But with a 3/4 throttle take off at 5300 rpm (solo) and a nice cruise at 3600 rpm, the Sprint outperforms the Rotax by a very wide margin.
Fuel burn is about 12 litres per hour. It has multi-port fuel injection with the engine computer management system from the car.
The O2 sensor and knock sensor control engine timing and fuel mix with altitude compensation. It has the car alternator, so lots of dependable electrics. The big scoop on top is forced air for the intercooler. Engine rpm is very smooth to control, no lagging or spurts. The belt drive, once worn in and set, can be "almost" forgotten. The Ivo prop has an electric in-flight pitch control with a toggle on the throttle handle
I added an after market electronic fuel mixture indicator that runs off the O2 sensor. The engine starts instantly (less than one revolution) in any kind of weather and is very quiet. Ninety percent of the noise is from the prop. I can cruise over town at 1000 feet and most people will not notice me.
The Turbo charged Chev 3 cyl. Sprint engine with Raven belt drive and
in-air adjustable 72 inch Ivo prop.
I could have saved up to maybe 30 pounds on the engine with a smaller radiator, single fuel pump, grind down castings, lighter materials for engine mounts etc. but I preferred dependability over performance.
I did all the designing and fabricating myself, except for a little milling machine work on the modified distributor mount.
Don Fern