MN Wing News Archives - page
2
1/26/10
Guess it has
been a while since I updated the home page. Time goes fast when you
are engrossed in RV building!
The 2010 dues notices are at the print shop and should be in the
mail shortly. $20 again for the year to finance our meetings and
the September picnic.
The latest BIG news is this new addition to the Fruehling family.
Meet Teagan Skye Fruehling. Congrats to both Peter and Beth on the
arrival of this beautiful little one. Rumor has it that Tom Berge
is hard at work adapting a 6G-rated baby seat in the back of
Peter's -7.
Speaking of Peter's -7, Tom and Peter have added some cool
innovations lately. First here is a shot of the right seat's "plug
'n play" removable stick. Pretty cool...
Tom also engineered this alternate air valve for the round inlet on
the Sam James cowl. It required a unique double-hinge arrangement
that works super.
Also Paul
Irlbeck is working on a side-line business of making prop clocks.
He is still working out the details but if you are interested and
would like to get some more info, drop him a note at:
pirlbeck@lakes.com
12/30/09
Even though we
are locked into the winter deep freeze, Pete can't stay home if
there is a boxer in need. Read about the rescue of
"Sully"....
Here's some follow up information on this
story...
12/20/09
Alex Peterson
snapped this shot of Pete Howell's car. Read all about here...
12/15/09
Another great
meeting last Saturday as about 60 MN Wing members huddled in our
hangar at Lake Elmo. Pete Howell led off the program with an
informative talk on LED lighting and the APRS tracking system (and
very aptly defended his "geekdom")
Click above for a link to his PowerPoint
presentation.
Scott Smith was next up and discussed the in's and out's of RV
insurance. It was a very educational morning and it is always great
to get the group together (especially on those cold winter
Saturdays!)
After the
meeting, Pete departed in his RV-9A on another boxer rescue
mission. His tales of canine compassion are too good to pass up.
Check it out here:
Two other items on the agenda for the future:
1. The Blue Angels will be nearby this coming summer with shows in
Eau Claire and also St. Cloud. The St. Cloud folks want us to
organize a mass RV fly-in and static display (and we may do this
dfor EAU also). We'll be working on that effort in 2010.
2. Also FAA DAR Tim Mahoney is planning a trip to Sun N Fun and
will be trying to gather up some other RVs for the trip this
April.
Stay tuned for details on both of these events.
12/08/09
Just a reminder
of our upcoming meeting this Saturday. Got a note from Pete Howell
about his talk and I like his title: "Who You Calling a Geek?" Pete
will discuss all the "geeky" things he has done to his RV-9A and
also hopes to have a real-time display of the APRS tracking system.
AND... of course our guest speaker from Iowa will be insurance guru
Scot "Sky" Smith.
*******
ALSO... One of the towers controllers at Anoka is looking to
purchase a RV-9A or RV-7A. If anyone knows one, his name is Denis
Rinehart and his email is denisrinehart@me.com
11/30/09
Several weeks
ago there was a tragic accident involving a new private pilot on a
night flight from Lakeville, MN to Hallock, MN.
In the Flight
Safety link, Tom Berge has
gathered some thoughts regarding this accident. You can read his essay
HERE.
11/21/09
Our resident
technical advisor Tom Berge had a bad case of idle hands last week
and whipped up another one of his home-made RV tools. This time he
re-engineers a Vlasic pickle jar into a cool brake bleeder
contraption.
Check out the Building Tips link!
11/16/09
The
December
RVAtor's Log is ready
for download
HERE.
11/8/09
Sunday afternoon
was moving day for Peter Fruehling. The plan was to move his RV-7
project out to Bernie Weiss' hangar at Anoka (all this to make room
for one small baby en route for an early 2010 arrival). Providing
the muscle were Jim Fruehling (Peter's dad), Peter, Tom Berge,
Vince Bastiani, Nancy Burkholder, and canine supervisor
Otto. Check out the photo album.
11/8/09
Pete Howell
never lets a good Saturday go to waste. Here is his latest MN adventure:
11/5/09
Peter Gunness is
selling his RV-6A kit. Check out the For Sale
page.
11/4/09
In the last
RVAtor's Log I wrote about Canadian Terry Jantzi's altitude record
he accomplished in his RV-6. Several days ago I received a nice
email form Terry who I have not heard from in quite a while. Terry
is back to RV building (working on an RV-6) after falling over to
the dark side and building a F1 Rocket.
Terry asked if I remembered Wolf Irmscher. Wolf came to our Twin
Cities RV Forum in 2001 and talked about his amazing aviation
career as a Germany Luftwaffe pilot in WWII. Here is an excerpt
from Terry's note:
Remember Wolf? Well,
he’s still kicking around. He will be 90 in the spring. Of
course he is somewhat diminished from when you would have met him.
But, he still gets out twice a week to swim his 50 laps. He’s
like a cat with 9 lives. He’ll fall ill, spend time in the
hospital, look like hell and then bounce back. He’s a tough
old nut. His daughter and I arranged to get him a ride in a
Harvard/T6 Texan. I put the video on youtube
here.
It would be a great link for your site.
Take care and thanks once again.
Terry Jantzi
I don't recall Wolf's entire story but I believe he was one of the
youngest Luftwaffe pilots and flew a vast variety of German
airplanes. He was a fascinating guy and I am so glad to hear he is
still with us and had a chance to fly again. Check out the above
video and also here is a link to his PowerPoint presentation
that
he did during his Twin Cities visit in 2001 (note: a 10mb
file)
11/2/09
Pete and Bernie
took advantage of one of our rare flyable days and set out on
another boxer rescue mission. Another great writeup...
check it out!!!
10/30/09
Here it is
folks... for your cinematic
enjoyment... a spell-binding, death-defying, razzle-dazzle display
of the real "right stuff" by our own Alex Peterson in his RV-6.
ENJOY.....
10/19/2009
Jim
McIlrath has sent in a
write-up about his new RV-9A which flew in September. Check it out
on the Completed
RV's page. It's a
jewel!!
10/13/09
Although not
RV-related, I'd just like to make you aware of a great
website. Max Haynes is a
Minneapolis-based photographer that displays an
amazing talent for artistry with a camera. Much of his work is
aviation related, mostly covering the warbird guys, but his photo
essays are always well worth a few minute of your time. You can
subscribe to be notified when he has published a new essay. Here is
his latest.... enjoy...
10/09/09
Tom Berge has
officially inaugurated his RV Transition Training website. Click on
the logo below for details.
9/26/09
This morning
dawned with a blanket of fog hovering over most of the Twin Cities.
This didn't look promising. The weather folks said it would clear
up by noon and they're always right, right??? But today they were
spot on. By 11 am, it was clear, bright, sunny and virtually no
wind. This was going to be a great day! It was our 20th anniversary
RV Picnic!
The first Minnesota Wing RV Picnic and Fly-In was held on June 16,
1990, hosted by Jerry and Judy Grunsven here at Sky Harbor Airpark
south of Minneapolis. Their home and hangar was on the far
southeast corner of the field.
There were 53 RV enthusiasts in attendance and the format was
pretty much the same as today: lots of great food and RV talk and
some beautiful airplanes to check out.
For the first two years (1990 and 1991) there were two gatherings
each year (we had a lot of socializing to accomplish)! By 1992 we
settled into an annual event held in September with sometimes as
many as 150 attending.
For a number of years, the annual picnic was centered on a pig
roast spearheaded by Don Flander who would make the yearly trip
from Iowa and impress us with his culinary skill. For the last few
years, Larry Winn has taken over the cooking duties with a shorter
commute from across the field.
We have been blessed with generally great weather (sometimes a
little windy and cool but this is Minnesota). In 2001 we were all
grounded right after 9/11, but we still had a great turnout. And
each year we have been privileged to enjoy the great hospitality of
all the fine folks here at the Sky Harbor Airport.
Here are some "oldies but goodies" of
those times sent to me by Jerry VanGrunsven.
This year we had a great time. We tallied 39 airplanes in
attendance and officially 149 RV club members and families enjoyed
a great pot luck picnic. We sincerely thank Roy and Kim Fuhrmann
and all of the neighbors at Sky Harbor Airpark for putting this
together.
Here's a photo album to
enjoy...
9/23/09
Uber-RV-driver
Pete Howell is not one to let a beautiful Minnesota sunset slip by
him. Here is a great shot of Minneapolis/St. Paul last night from
his RV-9A:
9/21/09
Another
near-perfect weekend in the north country! Let's hope it lasts
through next Saturday which is our
20th Annual RV Picnic.
Don't forget!!!
Last Thursday, Pete Howell and daughter Kate and your's truly
borrowed SkyPig I (Bernie's Weiss' Bonanza) and motored down to
Mason City, Iowa for a short visit to Doug Rozendaal's weekly
hangar cookout. Attending were a couple RV's, Doug's F1 Rocket, a
Decathlon, and assorted others.
It was just a perfect evening and a couple dozen folks were on hand
enjoying a wonderful late-summer get-together.
A brand-new maxed-out Cirrus SR-22 showed up and Pete had to try it
on (just a tad more pricey than his RV-9A.)
Congrats to MN Winger and RV-7A builder Aaron Arvig on passing his
private pilot check-ride last week!! Read all about it here!!!!
9/17/09
Another
milestone accomplished yesterday with the delivery of my new
Aerosport engine for the RV-7 project. Peter Fruehling and I picked
it up at the Vitran Express terminal, loaded it onto his trailer
and safely got it to the hangar at Lake Elmo. Since the shop at
home is maxed out, it will stay there until installation time which
is still in the future. Like all Aerosport engines, it looks like a
piece of artwork. It's an IO-375 (195 hp) with dual Lightspeed
electronic ignition boxes. I'm hoping for a bitterly cold winter
which is ideal for RV building!!
Peter
manhandles my new engine into position. What a
hunk!!
9/14/09
Well
our trip to Larry Vetterman's Badlands RV Fly-In was thwarted by
fog and rain on Friday afternoon so Alex Peterson and I canceled
out. So while we grumbled about not making the South Dakota trip,
your resident MN Wing dog whisperer Pete Howell embarked on another
boxer rescue to Lone Rock, WI. Pete's alternator in his RV-9A was
on the fritz so Bernie Weiss, Pete, and daughter Kate jumped in Sky
Pig One (Bernie's E33 Bonanza) and made the trip.
Saturday was part of the Pilots N Paws mass transport this week....
the goal is 5000 dogs flown to new homes.
Kate and a new
friend.
It's a dogs
life. See
the rest of the photos here.....
9/02/09
Our
resident tech counselor Tom Berge has been working on his flight
instructor certificate for the past several months. In July, he
enrolled in the CFI course at American Flyers in Atlanta and spent
2 weeks being abused daily in the heat and haze of summertime
Georgia. Tom reported that the course was intense, sometimes
exhausting, but well worth the effort (since he had flown there in
his RV-7A, he took most of his classmates flying in the RV, all of
which landed with the requisite RV grin). Because of a tight
schedule, Tom elected to take the FAA checkride in in Minnesota
after his return.
Tom
and his American Flyers class in Atlanta this
July
He took the oral portion of the checkride a couple weeks ago but
was weathered out for the practical portion. Yesterday, Tom
successfully completed the checkride and is now a brand new CFI and
officially joins the ranks of RV transition training instructors.
Congrats Tom!!
8/30/09
On
August 4 of this year Fred Hiatt passed away after a long struggle
with a variety of health issues. Fred and his wife Carolyn were
tireless volunteers in the early days of the Minnesota Wing. They
were especially helpful in the planning, organizing, and execution
of the Twin Cities RV Forum held annual during the 90s. Although
Fred never finished his RV-6, he was a very knowledgeable builder
and was always ready to help others in sorting out the nuances of
RV construction. Fred had been an Air Force pilot in his youth and
later held a PhD in electrical
engineering.
His
wife Carolyn sent this note recently that I would like to share
with the membership:
"Dear
Doug:
Thank you for your thoughtfulness and the beautiful Peace lily. It
is a great remembrance of Fred's life. Our family and I appreciate
your gesture on behalf of the RV Club.
Over the years as Fred's health declined, he missed the friends he
had made in the club, the events we went to and the planes. He
loved flying: talking about it, building the plane and doing it.
Please let the club membership know how much he enjoyed being a
part of the "flying community." As he said, "Flying is an
attitude."
Sincerely,
Carolyn Hiatt"
8/25/09
A
couple folks asked if the video I mentioned in the September
newsletter was available for viewing. I put it on the
Video Clips page
or you can go here: David's First Carrier Landing.
8/24/09
The
September 2009 issue of the
RVator's Log is
now ready for download. The link is on the Newsletter
page.
8/17/09
I
received a note from RV exhaust guru Larry Vetterman announcing The
Black Hills RV Fly-In coming up the weekend of September 11-13.
Here are the details:
Vetterman Exhaust Inc and HSR Fueling LLC is hosting a RV fly-in on
Sept. 11-12-13 2009 at Hot Springs, SD (HSR). Located at the edge
of the Black Hills (where they
filmed 'Dances With Wolves'). On Friday
evening starting at 5 pm, we are hosting a
hamburger and hot dog cookout with all the
trimmings as well as refreshments at Vetterman's hangar. On
Saturday you will be invited to take an
aerial tour of the Black Hills. There will be
a local map of the Black Hills given out at the individual
pre-flight briefings to show you all the points of interest before
you leave. You can fly up and over Mount Rushmore,
Crazy Horse Monument, then
over Pactola reservoir and over
Spearfish Canyon, then over
to Devils Tower, on to
Bear Butte, and out to
the Badlands National Monument. The next
destination is to land at Wall, SD and walk to the world
famous Wall Drug Store for lunch. After
lunch return to Hot Springs and visit at the airport or go into
town and visit the Mammoth Site, or go swimming
at Evans Plunge (yes there is a
hot mineral water plunge here). The evening meal will be at Dakota
Steakhouse and Grill where they serve the best prime rib in the
country. Of course there will be other menu items available.
There are no car rentals available in Hot Springs, however we will
be providing ground transportation during the fly-in. There will be
a reasonable registration fee to cover the weekend transportation
costs and the evening meal.
September is typically the best flying weather month in the Black
Hills, so we are hoping that is true this year.
I am requesting that everyone give me a call prior to the event so
we can get a handle on the food etc. and you will be asked the
choice you prefer from the menu below.
Motels. Mention RV fly in when making reservations.
Holiday Inn Express 605 745 4411 $68.95 Located across the street
from Sat night banquet.
Best Western Sundowner 605 745 7378 $71.99
Budget Host Hills 605 745 3131 1 Queen bed $50.00 2 double
$55.00
Motel 6 Hot Springs 605 745 6666 Single $53.99 2 people
$59.99
Banquet at the Branding Iron. cash bar 5pm dinner 6:30 choice of
Prime rib, chicken breast with mushroom wine sauce, or salmon
steak. meal includes salad and dessert.
Bring your own tie down equipment (planes parked on grass).
Larry Vetterman
605 745 5932
vetxaust@gwtc.net
8/01/09
Like
many of our local RV builders, I spent a few days at EAA's
AirVenture at Oshkosh. This is a mandatory event for me out of a
long-standing tradition beginning WAY BACK to 1970 (and 2 trips to
Rockford before that). This was Oshkosh #37 for me (I did miss 2
conventions due to job commitments over the years).
This year, Australian friends Ross Rebgetz and Sandra Davey arrived
two weeks prior and stayed at our home logging their 5th trip to
the U.S. Ross' buddy Ross Warne arrived shortly before Oshkosh for
his first visit to the convention. Ross #2 is a 747-400 captain for
EVA airlines living in Brisbane and based out of Taipei. We drove
over and I stayed Monday through Wednesday and the Aussies stayed
the entire week.
Sandra
Davey, Ross Rebgetz, yours truly, and Ross Warne
I stopped by the Aerosport Power display and chatted with Bart and
Sue. Three MN Wing engines were on display: 2 IO-375s (Peter
Fruehling and Lyle Hefel) and an I0-360 (Vance Bastiani).
As usual, they are works of art.
Engine
guru Bart LeLonde with Peter Fruehling's
IO-375.
Wednesday morning I headed for the Warbird area for a quick
run-through and and noticed a BIG crowd surrounding a T-28. I
elbowed my way up to the front and there was Bob Hoover holding
court to a spellbound crowd.
When I was 17, I won an award at an airshow in Michigan for being
the youngest pilot that had flown in. The prize was to meet Bob
Hoover who was flying his yellow P-51 Mustang. I'll never forget
getting to shake the hand of probably the best stick and rudder man
of his generation. Bob is 85 now and looks thin and frail but he
will always be a hero in my eyes. It was a pleasure to see him
again.
7/31/09
Added
info and photos of Jack Blomgren's RV-8
to
the Completed RVs
page.
7/24/09
MN
Wing member and warbird superpilot Doug Rozendaal succesfully flew
the restored P-51C of the Red Tail Project. See Max Hayne's photo
essay HERE.
7/24/09
EAA's
Airventure is next week. For those of you going, have a great
time!!!!!
7/21/09
Dr.
Tom Stillwell is again coordinating the annual Minnesota Veteran's
Flight. This year the date is August 13 and we will be flying WWII
vets to Camp Ripley to visit the National Guard Museum on the
field.
Over the years we have had several of our MN Wing members donate
their time and their airplanes for this great event. If anyone is
interested and has not already signed up, give me a call at
651-398-1184 for all the details. Here is a link to
photos taken
during the 2007 trip to Granite Falls to tour Ron Fagen's warbird
"factory".
7/11/09
Our July lunch today was a great success with perfect weather (we
do have a couple of these a year!!). Great food and great folks as
always. Go HERE for a photo gallery of
the day.