Toms First

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=120 BGCOLOR="#0000FF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="310a3640.gif" border=0 width="163" height="100" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></B></I><FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Britannic Bold" ><I><B>Van's Air Force - Minnesota Wing</B></I></FONT></div> <div> <I><B>The Twin Cities RV Builder's Group</B></I></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=20% BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>*  *  *  *  *</B></div> <div> <A HREF="default.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U><B>Home Page</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="About.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B>About Us</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B>Events</B></U></A><B> </B><A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="1641f0c0.gif" border=0 width="31" height="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="RVator.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="RVator Log"><U><B>The "RVator's Log"</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="MList.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Member List"><U><B>Member List</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Member Project"><U><B>Member Projects</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Completed aircraft"><U><B>Completed Aircraft</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="First flights"><U><B>1st</B></U></A><A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="First flights"><U><B> Flights</B></U></A><A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="1641f0c0.gif" border=0 width="31" height="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Techs.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tech counselors"><U><B>Tech Counselors and DARs</B></U></A><B> </B><A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="1641f0c0.gif" border=0 width="31" height="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Trans.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Transition training"><U><B>Transition Training</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Tips.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Builder Tips"><U><B>Building Tips</B></U></A><B> </B></div> <div> <A HREF="ForSale.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For Sale"><U><B>For Sale</B></U></A><B> </B><A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="1641f0c0.gif" border=0 width="31" height="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rec Links"><U><B>Recommended Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Vendors.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rec Vendors"><U><B>Recommended Vendors</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Join.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Join Wing"><U><B>Join the MN Wing</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><B>Join MN Wing Email Group </B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Contact.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>*  *  *  *  *</B></div> <div> <A HREF="Homecoming.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vans Homecoming"><U><B>2003 Van's Homecoming</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="VansTrip.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Trip to Vans"><U><I><B>A Trip to Van's </B></I></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=360 BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>First Flight - Tom Berge, Plymouth, MN</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>June 15, 2003</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="25e902c0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="300" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Yes, here is that infamous RV grin!!  </B></div> <bR> <div> Sunday, June 15, 2003 was a busy day.  After John Roscoe inspected Doug Weiler's RV-4 at Lake Elmo, he headed west to Anoka County airport in Blaine.  Tom's RV-7A was also ready for its FAA inspection.</div> <bR> <div> Tom's -7A is a fine example of Van's latest kit (click <A HREF="id86.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Toms RV7"><U><B>HERE</B></U></A> for construction details).  Powered by an Aerosport 180 horsepower engine with Hartzell constant speed prop, it also features dual electronic ignition and a dual electrical system.  It is completely IFR equipped with  Garmin 530 GPS/Comm, Mode S transponder with traffic alert, a three axis TruTrak autoflight system, ACS engine monitoring system, and a long list of other goodies.</div> <bR> <div> By the time the usual suspects assembled to watch Tom's first flight, it was 8:30 pm.  Alex Peterson flew chase again and Tom Irlbeck and Doug Weiler manned the handheld radio while Tom's wife Karen took pictures.</div> <bR> <div> The first flight was quit routine.  Tom and Alex flew about 20 minutes (limited by raising oil temps on the brand new engine).  As the sun set, Tom and Alex landed under perfectly calm conditions.   It was a busy day!!!</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="25f902c0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="300" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Tom recently added a vinyl graphics to his bright yellow paint scheme.  Click </B><A HREF="id97.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Toms graphics"><U><B>HERE</B></U></A><B> for the details.</B></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>