June 2016 - Idaho Aviation Association

Round Engine Roundup!
Thomas Hoff photo
Welcome New Members!
Brent Taylor, Meridian, ID
Jason Hull, Boise, ID
Jason Rogers, Colleyville, TX
Ron Coleman, Garden City, ID
Sandy & Linda Beebe, Boise, ID
Adam Day, Twin Falls, ID
Scott Henscheid, Nampa, ID
Wes Wright, Coeur d'Alene, ID
Thank You Donors!
Brent Taylor, Meridian, ID, Johnson Creek Level
Jimmy Tibbets, Rigby, ID, Johnson Creek Level
New Corporate Sponsor:
Foothills Aviation, Buhl Airport (U03)
Please send calendar and editorial submissions to:
editor@IdahoAviation.com
Deadline is the 15th of the month
June 2016
Events Calendar
May 21: Lord Flat Work Party contact Greg Bales 541-263-0250.
May 21: STOL Rally/Contest—Twin Bridges, MT (7S1) 10 a.m.
signup, flights begin 10:30, turf and asphalt runways, prizes, free
BBQ 2 p.m., contact Ryan@RubyValleyAviation.com.
May 28: Graham Work Party contact Aaron Hassemer 869-8093.
June 4: Thomas Creek Work Party Jerry Terlisner 208-859-7959.
June 11: Chamberlain Basin Work Party call J.T. at 859-7959.
June 12: Emmett (S78) Pilot Breakfast: 8–11 a.m.Pancakes, eggs,
sausage, etc.,$7.95 Emmett Golf Course Café, 365-2675, 401-5490.
June 13–15: ACE Academy (BOI) Intro to aeronautics careers for
ages 14–18, class, tours, demo flight, Tammy Schoen 334-8775.
June 18–19: Father’s Day Garden Valley (U88) Fly-In potluck
dinner on the 18th, breakfast 19th, contact Jerry Terlisner 859-7959.
June 18: Breakfast at Big Creek Idaho Aviation Foundation: 8–
10 a.m., $10, come see the new lodge! www.RebuildBigCreek.com.
June 18: Rexburg Airshow, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Legacy Flight Museum.
June 21–23: Wilderness Within Reach Joe Corlett 208-336-1097.
June 25: Orogrande (75C) Work Party: Mike Vanderpas 208-9839583 or mvanderpas@fs.fed.us.
June 25: Breakfast at Big Creek Idaho Aviation Foundation: 8–
10 a.m., $10, come see the new lodge! www.RebuildBigCreek.com.
July 16: Breakfast at Big Creek Idaho Aviation Foundation: 8–10
a.m., $10, come see the new lodge! www.RebuildBigCreek.com.
July 21–24: Women Wise Airmanship Adventure: Smiley Creek.
Presentations, workshops, fly-outs, fellowship, flight instruction, $335
Register at 208-315-3075 or www.ChristinaTindle.com.
July 23: Emmett (S78) Pilot Breakfast: 8–11 a.m.Pancakes, eggs,
sausage, etc.,$7.95 Emmett Golf Course Café, 365-2675, 401-5490.
Aug 20: Cavanaugh Bay Fly-In, Don McIntosh 208-123-4567.
Aug 21: Emmett (S78) Pilot Breakfast: 8–11 a.m.Pancakes, eggs,
sausage, etc.,$7.95 Emmett Golf Course Café, 365-2675, 401-5490.
Aug 27–28: Warbird Roundup at Warhawk Air Museum, Nampa.
B-25, P-51s, P-40s, more! www.WarhawkAirMuseum.org.
Sep 8–11: Women Wise Airmanship Adventure: Smiley Creek.
Presentations, workshops, fly-outs, fellowship, flight instruction, $335
Register at 208-315-3075 or www.ChristinaTindle.com.
Sep 24: Emmett (S78) Pilot Breakfast: 8–11 a.m.Pancakes, eggs,
sausage, etc.,$7.95 Emmett Golf Course Café, 365-2675, 401-5490.
FUEL/OTHER DISCOUNTS FOR IAA MEMBERS!
Print your IAA membership card for your wallet, and call:
Western Aircraft
Boise
338-1833
Turbo Air
Boise
343-3300
Jackson Jet
Boise
383-3300
Arnold Aviation
Cascade
382-4844
Aero Mark
Idaho Falls
524-1202
Atlantic Aviation
Hailey
788-7511
AvCenter
Nampa/Pocatello
866-3740
Reeder Flying Service Twin Falls
733-5920
Rapid Refueling
Caldwell
454-1669
Granite Aviation
Sandpoint
263-9102
Northern Air Inc.
Bonners Ferry
267-4359
Sulphur Creek Ranch Sulphur Creek (254) 378-7473
West Fork Lodge
West Fork, MT (406) 821-1853
More information available at www.IdahoAviation.com
Tell our sponsors “thanks!” when you stop by!
President’s Corner
Kerry Requa
We look forward to a great event
at the Idaho Falls Expo on May 20
and 21. We will have fantastic
speakers, interesting and new
vendors, door prizes and a lot
more, so please attend. This is our
Annual IAA General Membership
meeting. We’ll have news of
upcoming fun events this summer
and good times as we have every year. Most of your IAA
Directors, Officers and VPs will be in attendance so come
out and meet the people who make things happen for us. I
plan to arrive Thursday evening and stay thru Saturday
evening. I look forward to meeting and visiting with as
many members as I can. Saturday’s lunch will begin with
our annual IAA meeting, followed by our featured luncheon
speaker Kenneth McCune, a former missionary pilot who
will share some of his amazing aviation experiences. After
that it will be fun and door prizes. This year’s Expo is the
sixth annual, and it just keeps getting better every year. I
recommend you plan to attend some of the presentations
and seminars; we have some new and valuable classes
this year. Once again the Aeromark family has put together
an impressive event. I hope to see you May 20th & 21st
don't miss it!
As I write this we are trying to work with the Idaho
Division of Aeronautics to persuade them to include the
Big Creek 4 airstrips on the upcoming reprint of the Idaho
Aeronautical Chart. They have been on previous charts for
many years. We see no reason to remove them. The IAA
Board of Directors passed a resolution on April 9th urging
Administrator Mike Pape to continue to include the BC4. We feel that even though the Forest Service may want
them removed from the chart, doing so is a bad idea. The
BC-4 and all landing strips have value to pilots in a time of
need. The IAA's position is the charts are for reference and
not a flight planning tool, the State is free to put the strips
on the charts as they have in the past. I know Mike Pape is
discussing possible solutions with the Forest Service and
he feels he is making progress. We should all encourage
and support Mike Pape in his efforts to keep all airstrips on
the chart when it is printed this fall. I will continue to push
the issue. I know many of our members are very
passionate and concerned about the direction of this
process. We will stay engaged and work for a favorable
outcome.
The BC-4 is at the forefront of issues for many of you
but we have a lot more on our plate. I met with some of the
Twin Falls commissioners and city planners last week. The
topic was land use and airport protection areas. The Twin
Falls airport is undergoing some big changes and updates
this year. A new Federal Express facility is in the works, an
expansion and upgrade of the current passenger terminal
and several other projects are going on now. I am
encouraged by the fact that the commissioners are
thinking well into the future to protect the Twin Falls
Airport. The Burley airport planners are still trying to come
to an agreement on the future and very existence of the
airport. The Burley airport could be lost if an agreement is
not reached soon. The IAA was involved in the passage of
the Airport Protection legislation that has helped airport
sponsors become more aware of how to plan for land use
near airports. The legislation came too late to help Burley,
as the issues there have been evolving for many years. All
of us need to be on the lookout and watch our elected
officials and how they plan to address growth around our
airports. If we do not become more involved we could see
more airports deteriorate and disappear. Part of the IAA's
mission is to protect and preserve our airports; let's make
sure we all work to achieve that goal.
Tailwinds,
Kerry Requa
President, IAA 208-221-7417
District 2 – Lewiston/Moscow
Bill Ables
Warm soaking rains, warm nights
and a few sunny days thrown in
have been the norm for the last
several weeks here. These are
great conditions that make my
pasture flourish for my steers, but
they also grow weeds and grass on
our backcountry airstrips. Add this
all up and you get the makings for
a great reason to meet up at a
backcountry airstrip with other pilots, do some volunteer
work, listen to and learn a few tips from other pilots, share
a flying story with others and enjoy good food.
This is what has taken place at both Dug Bar and Big
Bar over the last few weeks. The Dug Bar work party took
place on May 2nd with 11 folks arriving in 6 aircraft under
cloudy conditions. Coming to help were Brian Rahn, Greg
Bales, Adam Stein, Stan Clark, Hoy Fultz, Hugh Donovan,
Ed Radtke, Rusty Bentz, Bryan and Jacob Lee and myself.
These folks mowed the airstrip as well as weed-eated the
runway end markers and wind sock areas.
The Big Bar work party took place on the following
Saturday, May 14th. 7 folks arrived in 4 aircraft under
sunny and hot conditions. Among those pitching in and
getting it done were Adam Stein, Greg Bales, Mike
Witherrite, Tim and Rhett Locke, Bruno Maques and
myself. The outhouse was taken down and stored as well
as weed-eating runway end markers and hazardous rocks.
At both of these work parties, we shared a lot of good
aviation information and consumed some good food and
drinks. Thanks again to everyone who came and also to
those of you who attempted to come, but could not get to
Dug Bar due to the weather!
Just a reminder to those of you who fly into Minam
Lodge, it will be closed during 2016 to expedite the
rebuilding of the new lodge, currently under construction.
At nearby Red’s Horse Ranch, the grass is quite high, but
will be mowed on or near June 11th. If you decide to go in
there before the mowing, beware of the TALL grass.
(continued on Page 3)
Page 2
This time of year brings on many things, but especially
for those commercial operators who routinely use the
backcountry, they see an increase in recreational
backcountry air traffic. I recently heard a very experienced
Idaho backcountry pilot express his definition of a position
report. Simply put; aircraft call #, location & altitude,
direction of travel and destination. In just 10 seconds or
less you could put this information out and it would be a
whole lot SAFER out there…thanks George.
Fly safe and watch those canyon
winds! —Bill Ables
Dug Bar—Bill Ables photos
Big Bar—Tim Locke photos
District 3 – Treasure Valley/McCall
Andrew George
Bikes Bikes Bikes...We have two
new sheds installing: at the Joseph
Airport and the Salmon Airport in the
next few weeks. This will bring our
count to three locations you can fly
to and have a way to leisurely get
into to town at no cost for resupply or
grab a lunch. The bikes are for you
to use and enjoy. The IAA costs for
these sheds are about $4,000–
$5,000, depending on the situation. We are building very
low maintenance buildings designed to last a long time.
What we still need, however, are the bikes themselves. We
are looking for about 8–10 more bikes to fully stock the 3
sheds in place for this season. If you or anyone you know
has a good usable bike no longer needed and taking up
space...please think of us and the other pilots out there
who could benefit from that. Contact me for the McCall
bike shed, Mike Hart for the Salmon bike shed, and Bill
Ables for the Joseph, Ore. facility, and we will help
organize the donation (see Contact list Page 6).
Weatherby was the recipient of the latest Work Party.
The heavy wear and tear from non-aviation use and the
usual winter soil movement needed some attention. See
Jerry Terlisner’s report on Page 6. It takes a volunteer
group of dedicated pilots and others to make these happen
and to those of you who participated, a big Thank You!!!
At this point the backcountry is pretty much wide open,
but never forget the basic rules to keep you safe. Overfly,
report positions, and keep your eyes outside when playing
in the best backyard we could have.
Maintenance—we all go dust the rust off when spring is
here. Your plane has it too, you know...it’s in the form of
hinges that may need lubricating, door latches adjusted,
cowl fasteners getting loose, alternator/generator belts
getting cracked—all things that we check at annuals.
However, mine is in November so it’s a good 6-month
checkup about now. One of the best ways to see what
your plane is feeling like is to give her a good detailed bath
and just spend time looking at all the small touches that
make up a big picture of healthy flying!
For those of you flying in to visit Idaho this year again or
for the first time: Let me remind you that the IAA puts a lot
of great information on the website about conditions, as
well as through direct phone calls to Directors. Never
hesitate to call or use the website/webcams to become
better informed about your trip and the potential hazards.
We are fortunate to live here and get to play all the time.
Our small aviation community allows for great information
shared between us, and that is free to all for the asking.
So to you "out of towners" headed this way: The IAA is a
great tool to enhance your and your passenger’s
experiences. We are here to always protect and preserve
aviation, but best of all enjoy what Idaho has to offer.
Andrew@BaseConstructors.com
208-794-4480
Page 3
District 5 – Blackfoot/Pocatello
District 6 – Idaho Falls/Salmon
Greg Cobia
Guest Column by Roger Blew, AOPA rep. for KIDA
Boise, Idaho: Birthplace of Air Mail
In 1925, Walter Varney, of Varney
Airlines, was awarded the first private
air mail contract after the U.S. military
quit the practice of delivering this
nation’s mail. Varney had long
envisioned a future where airplanes
would be the primary mode of crosscountry travel. In order to see this
vision turned reality, Varney had to
convince Boise’s business and civic leaders that it was a
feasible venture. Boise City had reluctantly granted him
use of the area south of the Boise River, where the Boise
State campus is today. Varney called on volunteers from
the American Legion, Rotary, Kiwanis, and even the Boy
Scouts to help clear brush and rocks from what would
become Boise’s first airstrip.
On April 6, 1926, Boise Municipal Airport became the
home of the first privately contracted air mail service in the
U.S. A crowd of spectators welcomed the small Swallow’s
pilot Leon “Lee” Cuddleback and his prized cargo. By 1927
Varney Airlines merged with William Boeing’s Boeing Air
Transport to form what would later become United Airlines.
Three pilots were responsible for the ‘Sagebrush Route’
servicing Boise, Elko, Salt Lake City, San Francisco,
Chicago, and even New York City. Later, the crew doubled
to six. By the 1930s, Varney Airlines was also the first to
offer commercial flights for passengers. By 1931, Varney’s
flights were capable of taking passengers from one coast
to the other in a single day. The municipal airstrip began to
outgrow its location next to the river. The airstrip was too
small and obstructed by urban expansion. In 1939 the
hangar that Varney constructed at the east end of the
runway, where Bronco Stadium is now, was relocated to
the new airport, south of Boise, next to the newly formed
Gowen Field military base. This hangar was still in use as
part of the Boise air terminal in 2003, when the airport was
remodeled. For more than 70 years it stood as a testament
to Varney’s daring attempt to create a reality that few
others could envision. His determination drew the interest
of several companies that are today’s technology giants,
and his vision carved out a place for commercial airlines in
America.
For the past six years, pilots at the Idaho Falls Regional
Airport (KIDA) have been working to save Runway
17/35. The 2010 Airport Master Plan called for Rwy 17/35
to be closed. Efforts by local pilots have stopped that plan.
We now face new threats that would establish a
displaced threshold to protect non-aviation businesses
under the approach to Rwy 35. An airport meeting was
held last June to inform local pilots about the proposed
displaced threshold and other non-standard conditions
associated with Rwy 17/35 that must also be addressed.
More than 60 pilots and aircraft owners attended that
meeting. One of the outcomes of the meeting was a
commitment from the FAA to fund a Runway Planning
Study for Rwy 17/35, which got underway in early April.
The study includes three phases. The first phase covers
inventory and facility requirements to determine the current
use of the runway and associated airspace, forecasts of
future use, and an assessment of the facility requirements.
This phase is underway now. A public meeting will be
scheduled this summer to provide opportunities to review
and comment on the inventory and forecast.
The second phase will be to develop a range of
alternatives that address the facility requirements and
forecasts established in the first phase. There will be a
second public participation opportunity. The alternatives
could be any combination of options including leaving the
runway unchanged, establishing a displaced threshold,
moving taxiways, eliminating taxiways, making new
taxiways, or even building a new control tower.
The third phase of the study will be to select a
development alternative and complete a cost analysis. No
matter what the eventual outcome, the final proposed
alternative must address the existing incompatible landuse under the approach to Rwy 35 and the non-standard
conditions, as well as reduce the potential for runway
incursions at our four Hot Spots.
Keeping and improving Rwy 17/35 is critically important
to the aviation maintenance businesses and flight schools
based on that side of the airport. It is also important to the
many eastern Idaho companies that use corporate aircraft
to grow their businesses. These are the same reasons that
make any airport an important economic engine for the
communities they serve.
Participation by pilots and aircraft owners has been a
key factor in limiting the erosion of our airport. Since the
2010 Airport Master Plan, pilots have been speaking up
with the result that we have not lost Rwy 17/35…yet.
Continued involvement by pilots has delayed the displaced
threshold…for now. The well-attended airport meeting last
summer and the opinions expressed by owners and pilots
were heard by airport management and city hall, and that
has made a difference. A large show of support at the
upcoming public input opportunities will make a difference
in the selection of a development option for Rwy 17/35 that
will benefit all airport users, including general aviation. For
more information and announcements, please follow us on
Facebook at www.Facebook.com/RWY1735.
Page 4
A & H Staff, “Boise, Idaho: The Birthplace of Air Mail”
Boise City Department of Arts & History. Used with
permission.
http://www.BoiseArtsAndHistory.org/blog/2013/05/14/boise
-idaho-the-birthplace-of-air-mail/, accessed May 19, 2016.
Never to be Repeated: A Ride Through Life
New Book by Larry Hayden-Wing
Crista Worthy, Editor—Most Idaho pilots know that
wildlife biologists play a crucial role in managing the
animals that make their homes in our beautiful
backcountry. Whether they work for the U.S. Forest
Service, Idaho Department of Fish & Game, U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service, non-profit conservation organizations,
corporations, or as free-lance wildlife experts, formallytrained wildlife biologists monitor and manage wildlife and
plant life in our forests, deserts, rivers and lakes. I should
have done this type of work myself, having trained for it in
younger years, but went in other directions. So I jumped at
the chance to read a pre-publication draft of the latest book
by Larry Hayden-Wing, a retired wildlife biologist whose
work took him around the world. He now resides in
Laramie, Wyoming.
Never to be Repeated: A Ride Through Life is filled with
Mr. Hayden-Wing’s personal recollections from a life that
began in small-town Iowa during the Great Depression.
Lured by dreams of the Rocky Mountain West, young Larry
took a summer high school job in the Montana mountains,
clearing berry brambles by hand with a crew of other
young men. His story of a black bear causing mayhem as
it casually strolled through the communal latrine after
dinner left a lasting image that still makes me chuckle. A
later story of trapping an angry cougar in the close
quarters of an Arizona cave was a more serious affair.
Whether smoke-jumping in the Fish Lake area or
studying deer at Cold Meadows, Hayden-Wing spent years
in the Idaho backcountry. Though not a pilot himself, he’s
spent more time in bush planes in the Idaho canyons than
many Idaho pilots have. In 1968, his parents and sister
came out from Iowa to visit Larry in Idaho. He paid Idaho
Aviation Hall of Fame pilot Bill Dorris to fly them in to Cold
Meadows, in what was then known as the “Idaho Primitive
Area.” The trip was a revelation to these flatlanders. The
photo, taken by Larry’s father, shows his mother sprinting
to give Larry a bear hug, while his sister negotiates the
185’s narrow stair and Dorris looks on in amusement. A
moment in time, frozen forever.
The book is limited to 100 hardback, signed, numbered
copies with 200 color photos, $52.48+ $10 shipping, 307745-6048, www.LMHVentures.com.
Bill Workman holds the immobilized cougar in place after its
removal from a narrow rock crawlspace where the cornered cat
threatened to shred the biologists to ribbons as they attempted to
dart it. Photo by Larry Hayden-Wing
Page 5
Weatherby Work Party Report
Jerry “J.T.” Terlisner, VP Activities
Saturday, May 14, was a great day for a Work Party at
Weatherby. I had forgotten what a great place it is. Bill
Nelson was there ahead of me and was busy weedwhacking around the runway markers and windsock pole.
After setting up the snack table it was time to get to
work. I brought new tiedown chains and repaired and
replaced what I could. We are still short one tail tiedown
chain. Stan Clark and Marsha Nelson from Redmond, Ore.
landed with the paint and supplies. They set off painting
the 8–10 runway markers. Stan took a chainsaw to several
encroaching trees. Bill and I changed the windsock, and
while I painted the pole, Bill brought in more rocks to
complete the circle, so I painted those too.
Then on to painting the tiedown blocks: they are much
easier to see now. Bill used his battery-powered weedwhacker on the weeds around the tiedown blocks too. Stan
took his gas-powered whacker to the weeds around all the
runway markers.
Flyline is in FULL COLOR online!
The online version has the FULL Expo seminar schedule
Just log on to
www.IdahoAviation.com
Click on “IAA Newsletters”
for past and present newsletters
Contacts
State President Kerry Requa
221-7417
State Vice President Andrew George
794-4480
Vice Presidents:
Bill Miller—Gov’t Affairs/Scholarships
853-8585
Larry Taylor—Agency Liaison
855-0261
Jerry Terlisner—Activities
859-7959
Doug Culley—Membership/Scholarships
861-6926
Joe Corlett—Communications
336-1097
Dave Rigby—Awards
343-1985
Don Lojek—Legal Affairs
484-2292
Andy Patrick—Commercial Operators
383-3323
Nadine Burak—Secretary/Treasurer
861-9056
Directors:
Director-at-large Jim Davies
859-5537
Dist #1 Don McIntosh
946-8490
Dist #2 Bill Ables
(541) 263-1327
Dist #3 Andrew George
794-4480
Dist #4 Kerry Requa
221-7417
Dist #5 Greg Cobia
785-5006
Dist #6 Mike Hart
528-7672
FLYLINE Crista Worthy
(310) 560-7324
editor@idahoaviation.com
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Idaho Aviation Association
PO Box 2016
Eagle, ID 83616
The FLYLINE
June 2016
The Monthly Newsletter
of the
Idaho Aviation Association