Emergency Services Aerospace Education Cadet Programs

Civil Air Patrol: The United States Air Force Auxiliary

Falcon Times
November/December 2011 Falcon Squadron NY-379

Welcome to the Winter Issue

As 2011 draws to a close (and the squadron prepares for its winter break there will be no meeting 12/26), we look back at a successful year in which Falcon Squadron demonstrated yet again what it, and its members, are made of. We turned out in support of routine major events like LGA Kids Day and the Tunnel to Towers Run. But we also responded when genuine emergencies struck, even if it didnt mean running to our aircraft. Instead we showed NYC OEM and other partners our commitment to keeping our communities safe. Onward and upward in 2012. Happy Holidays!

Close Call at August SAREX

Capt Drew Hollander The sortie, part of the August 6 SAREX, started out with great promise. We were flying a Cessna 172 with two pilots, a Mission Pilot trainee, Capt Andrey Granin in the left seat, and Maj Steve Caldas, a qualified Mission Pilot who was evaluating Andrey, in the right seat. I was acting as Mission Scanner in the back seat. We were tasked with conducting photo reconnaissance along the I-95 corridor and identifying a yellow truck that was supposedly carrying a terrorist bomb. We were returning to our mission base at Islip somewhat disappointed about not having found anything (although we later found out that there was no truck after all) when one of the pilots noticed that the fuel gauges were indicating an abnormally low fuel load. We discussed whether it was appropriate to do anything, since fuel gauges are notoriously inaccurate and no fuel was visible leaking from any of the tanks, and Contents decided that the most con- Electrical Failure .............. 1 servative course of action Flying the Cub .................. 2 would be to divert to the LaGuardia Kids Day ....... 2 nearest airfield, Westches- Tunnel to Towers Run ... 3 Upcoming Events ............ 5 ter County Airport, just in Squadron Contact............. 5 case there was a fuel leak AFD ..................................... 5 we could not identify.
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Another CAP year ends; another CAP year begins Safe end to total in-flight electrical failure

Lt Sam Greenberg poses alongside a Stearman biplane at LaGuardia Kids Day. Article on page 2. Photo: Capt Ray Miller

Now online @ www.falconsquadron.org

The Falcon Times 1 November/December 2011

Falcon Commander Drags His Tail NYCG Supports Kids Day 11

Flying the Piper J-3 Cub
Capt Steven Pinello Vacationing in Sullivan County's Catskill Mountains in New York State, I had my fill of lounging around the pool and gazing at the puffy white clouds under the warm summer sun. But, the time came to excuse myself and leave the comfort of the beautiful Villa Roma mountain resort for a few hours and to head out to the nearest airport, any airport.

CAP planes & people at annual LGA event

Capt Ray Miller On 17 September 2011, New York City Group members came out in full force, once again giving their total support to LaGuardia Kids Day 2011. For some 25 years now LaGuardia Kid's Day has been sponsored annually by the LaGuardia Airport Kiwanis Club. Its purpose is to give NYC area kids hands-on experience with the world of aviation through a variety of aircraft put on static display at one of the worlds busiest airports: New York Citys LaGuardia International. Civil Air Patrol Members have provided flight line security at this event since 1997. This year, 32 members of CAP, both seniors and cadets, participated. Members from, NYC Group, Academy Squadron, Brooklyn Tech, Flushing, and Phoenix squadrons, and, of course, Falcon Squadron participated, generously giving of their time and energy in support of this popular Aerospace Education event.

How did a casual drive to Wurtsboro Airport one blissful June morning, end with me training in a J-3 Cub for a Tailwheel Endorsement a few months later ? Well, for those of you who have never been to Wurtsboro Airport, it is what you would picture a country airport to be: no tower, classic airA Cub in flight. Photo: Tom Gill/Flickr, per CCL planes, lots of gliders, This years Kids Day aircraft included brand new friendly pilots and aviation aficionados, with a lush green val- commercial aircraft provided by American Airlines ley and mountain ridges as a backdrop. and US Airways, an Air Force KC-10, an antique, WWII era Navy Stearman trainer, and a WWII era C Walking towards the glider launch area, I spied a Tiger Moth -47 cargo plane. Also on hand were the world famous biplane in an open hangar. It was being tenderly attended to SkyTypers (formation skywriting team). Civil Air by its owner. We did some hanger flying and shared aviation Patrol was well represented by our Cessna Skylane experiences, and I came to find out that Hans is a 747 Captain N9816E which was flown in from Islip Airport by our for KLM Dutch Airlines who is "based in the States" and pre- own Group Commander, Major Paul Zuckerberg. It fers it this way. proved to be one of the more popular aircraft there. He extended an invitation to take a flight in his Moth, an open cockpit British military trainer of WWII vintage. With my wife Ursula's blessing, I headed off to Wurtsboro Airport the next morning. The Moth stood in its British military livery colors and was rolled out of its hangar under the warm sunlight and blue cloudless sky, just like it must have been back in wartime England. What a coincidence! Just days before I had downloaded the autobiographies of several WWI fighter pilots to read. I was primed for this flight, this invitation to fly in a WWII era biplane so similar to the flying steeds of those WWI pilots. It could not have come at a better time! Now I would be able to
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The Falcon Times

Publisher Falcon Squadron/NY-379 Editor 2d Lt Daniel A. Greenberg Assistant Editor Capt Ray Miller Contributing Editor 1st Lt Eva Owen

The Falcon Times

November/December 2011

Tunnel to Towers Run

This September as in years past, members of Falcon Squadron woke up at the crack of dawn to support the 10th annual Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run. The run memorializes FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who on September 11, 2011, sprinted through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel in full firefighting gear to join his squad at the World Trade Center. He perished trying to save others. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation raises funds to perpetuate its namesakes legacy of doing good, by building homes for quadriplegic veterans and through an array of programs helping Lt Col Mac Brice & Capt Bill Toy prepare to distribute water to participants children in need.
in the 2011 Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run. Photo: Capt Bill Toy

Piper Cub (continued from page 2)

live out some of the sights and sounds I was reading about. I was smitten with a desire to fly an open cockpit airplane, and rushed off an email to my EAA friends at Sussex Airport, NJ. They promised me as a chapter member they would consider letting me fly the Baby Ace, an open cockpit monoplane of 1930 vintage powered by an antique Continental 65 hp engine with an Armstrong starter you start the engine by flipping the propeller with your strong Kids Day (continued from page 2) arms! I would just need to get a tail wheel endorsement in my logbook and renters insurance that covers experiThroughout the day the Sunnyside Marching Band provided mental aircraft. WOW... I was in airplane heaven. background music for the event and the Kiwanis Club provided free food and soft drinks for all. Kids there also enjoyed For my endorsement I chose Andover Flying Academy visits by the NYPDs K-9 (dog) unit and Mounted (horse) at picturesque Andover Aeroflex Airport, NJ. My flight Unit, and there was always a long line waiting for the face instructor is Damien DelGazio of "tail wheel instructor painters. fame." Andover airport and the yellow Cub Id be training in were all that I imagined it would be. I was flung back into the 1930s no control tower, no radio, no transponder, no starter, nothing but the bare minimum flight and engine instruments required by the FAA: a freestanding magnetic compass (no electrical system), airspeed indicator (no color markings), a simple onehanded altimeter, one gauge each for oil temperature and oil pressure, no mixture control, heel brakes, and only a stick float for a fuel gauge. I did not know how Those CAP units participating are to be highly commended to prepare for this training other than reading articles as they were well-organized, well-disciplined, and true to the (Continued on page 4) CAP motto: ever vigilant. CAP members provided the crowd (estimated at 3000) with a high degree of safety while they were enjoying Kids Day activities. Under the command of Project Officer Major Jose A.Velez Sr., our members were stationed at every sensitive position. In addition, when any aircraft movement took place our personnel manned the flight lines to keep the public a safe distance from the moving aircraft. They also provided the public with a wealth of information on all things "aviation related."

The Falcon Times

November/December 2011

Piper Cub (continued from page 3)

Electrical Failure (continued from page 1)

and the POH, then not much to do but relax and fly the real Along the way, more problems reared their heads. We thing one lesson at a time. were unable to talk to anyone on the radios, and soon the GPS stopped working. Then the alternator circuit Watch "Tail wheel 101" before you come out to the field, I breaker popped. The pilot tried resetting it but it was told. After initial ground school which was basically lis- popped again. tening to Damian and looking at his hand drawings in person By this point we knew we were in trouble with a com(just like in the DVD), we walked out to the yellow Piper Cub plete electrical failure. Now, these planes have three and did the preflight. I was told to sit in the back seat, as that independent electrical systems. Two fire the engine, is the position you learn to fly the Cub from. Damian used his and the third powers everything else. Therefore we Armstrong starter, while I followed his commands full knew we were in no danger of falling out of the sky, heel brakes, mags off, throttle closed while he primed the but we were unable to communicate or navigate. So we engine by hand-flipping the prop several times. Then the evaluated our resources and options. One of the pilots commands started again, brakes on, mags on both, throttle had a handheld radio in his flight bag, and I had a paper cracked! Damian flipped the prop and the engine came to life. chart of the area in mine. We used the chart to identify I was familiar with hand-propping airplanes, having done it a the appropriate frequency, raised the control tower, dozen times while training for my A&P certificate and back in and navigated to the airport using visual waypoints the 1970's when cold temperature made our C-150s batteries and dead reckoning. weak. It is something that most modern pilots are not familWe landed without further incident and used our cell iar with, but was an everyday procedure once upon a time. phone to call Mission Base and arrange a trip back. While taxiing any tail wheel airplane (like the Cub) you learn The only problem we had was that we were late for to make S-turns while taxiing will prevent you from running dinner. into things and keep you taxiing in the right direction, with Lessons learned: In any situation, keep calm and evaluthe control stick full back or positioned properly to correct ate your options; take paper backups of all electronic for wind. Then we moved up to high-speed taxiing on the information; bring a handheld radio; keep up your inadjoining turf runway. I practiced looking out the sides be- strument scan; and be sure to make note of the phone cause you cannot see anything in front of you, neither the in- numbers given out at the pre-flight briefing. strument panel nor over the nose. Once I had the proper sight picture and could keep the Cub moving straight down the turf runaway I took off with stick full back, increasing the throttle to full and keeping the Cub straight by using the rudders and looking out the sides. Then I relaxed the back pressure and allowing the Cub to come up on its main wheels, accelerate to takeoff speed and then gently lifting off at 45 MPH. We climbed between 50-55 MPH. Once airborne it handles like most airplanes, but with a more natural feel to the stick. Want to fly straight, just pick the right sight picture for that phase of flight (no fancy flight instruments to look at here, and you cant see the instruments most of the time anyway) and pick a landmark, a point, a road or cloud to keep you flying straight! Remember you can't see in front of you as you climb, only Damian's back! But occasionally I would steal a view of the airspeed indicator and altimeter. The door and window were kept open when not too cold, which allows you to feel the direction of the wind currents coming into the cockpit (hold on to your hat) as you bank. There was always an aroma wafting into the cockpit of whatever was being raised, growing, cut, or burned in the fields below. First we practiced traditional air work, straight and level flying, turns to headings, steep turns, then slow flight at minimum airspeed and stalls. It is a lot of fun and with the door and window open you have a "birds eye view". One day I would like to throw a sleeping bag in the back seat and head West IFR (I Follow Roads) at a leisurely 75 MPH!
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The Falcon Times

November/December 2011

Dont Neglect the AFD

The little green book is still relevant
Capt Steven Pinello The FAAs Airport/Facility Directory may still be printed on old-fashioned paper, but this wonderful compact 600-plus page directory is a valuable tool to have in your tool box (flight bag). I have spent countless hours leafing through the AFD and its thin sheets of paper with black print, not unlike I did with my encyclopedia as a young student. Add a sectional chart and you can plan simulated flights to future destinations and some far out landing fields. 1st Lt Eva Owen shares this photo of her posing with a strange-looking Yak18 at Qingdao Naval Air Museum in China The AFD is published for each of 7 regions and updated every 8 weeks. It indexes all open public airports, seaplane bases, heliports, military facilities and selected private facilities, as well as communications data, navigational facilities and special notices. FAA and National Weather Service contact numbers are also listed. With the computers and numerous intelligent wireless devices that pilots own and carry with them, you would think that the AFD is obsolete, but it's not. It remains a handy guide, readily available, and requires no batteries. And at $4.00 per Piper Cub (continued from page 4) edition its still cheaper than any electronic device youre likely We then started on three-point landings at nearby to find. Trinca Airport with [many!] crosswind landings and takeoffs, then moved on to wheel landings. At this point I am at third base running to home plate; my progress is coming along at good pace compared to other pilots, and I feel very confident because of Damian's excellent curriculum.

Upcoming Events
12/12 12/26 1/9 1/13-15 1/21-22 1/23 Squadron Dinner @ Pasta Lovers Trattoria NO MEETING Squadron Meeting Critical Incident Stress Management course Corporate Learning Course (CLC) Squadron Safety Meeting

After each flight lesson I drive twenty minutes further North to Sussex Airport, open the hangar doors, and visit the Baby Ace. I will be flying that Baby Ace soon, wearing my leather helmet and goggles and making funny airplane noises... you know what I mean.

Squadron Contact
Capt Steven F. Pinello, Squadron Commander spinello@falconsquadron.org 2d Lt Daniel A. Greenberg, Asst. Public Affairs Officer dgreenberg@falconsquadron.org (347) 886-3065 Or find us online at http://www.falconsquadron.org

The Falcon Times

November/December 2011

Civil Air Patrol: The United States Air Force Auxiliary

Falcon Times

Squadron/NYFalcon Squadron/NY-379 PO Box 300932 JFK International Airport Jamaica, New York 11430

The Falcon Times

November/December 2011