WAUSAU FLYING SERVICE, INC.
"Flying Service with a Smile!"
taildraggerflyer@yahoo.com
725 Woods Place
Wausau, WI 54403
(715) 845-3400   Fax 842-1171

Line Services
Hangars
Courtesy Car
After Hours Contacts 
Kayak Rentals *COMING SOON!*

Rental Cars



Ground Transportation
Bike Rentals
Taxi Services


Hotels
"Mention Wausau Flying Service to get the crew rate!"




Flight Training
Common Q's Answered 
Instructor Biographies
Lasergrade Testing Center
Archie Towle Scholarship
Recreational Pilot Info
Private Pilot Info
Sport Pilot Info *coming soon!*

Air Direct Charter
Get a Charter Quote


Aircraft Fleet
Cessna C-172
7ECA Citabria *Taildragger!*
PCATD


Meet the Crew
Administration
John P. Chmiel
Angela Uhl
Pilots/Instructors
Robert Fenske
John P. Chmiel
 



Wausau Downtown Airport
Airport Layout Map & Photo
Airport Information
Approach Charts
Airport Q's Answered
How can I get there by car?
Airport Security Plan
Current Security Threat Level


Newsletters

January 10, 2004
January 26, 2004
February 23, 2004
March 8, 2004
March 22, 2004
April 5, 2004
April 19, 2004
May 3, 2004
May 17, 2004
May 31, 2004
June 12, 2004
July 5, 2004
July 19, 2004
August 9,2004
August 30, 2004
October 20, 2004
January 27, 2005
February 14, 2005
March 2005
April 11, 2005
May 16, 2005
June 13, 2005
July 11, 2005
August 25, 2005


 "Check Out Previous Aerial Adventures . . ."

January

New Year's Day 
Potluck Party
Introductory Ground School
Chili Fun Day & Ski Fly-In

March

"Survival/Altitude Chamber" Adventure

April

"Helicopter" Adventure
"Simulated" Adventure

May

Tailwheel Clinic*
"IFR for the VFR Pilot" Clinic*

June

 Youth Flight Camp (ages 8 - 10)
"Seaplane" Adventure

July

Youth Flight Camp (ages 11 - 13)
 Stall/Spin Awareness Clinic*
3rd Annual Balloon Rally

August

Youth Flight Camp (ages 14 & up)

September

 "Canadian Adventure" to
Sault St. Marie

November

Tailwheel Clinic*

* Indicates this "Adventure"qualifies as the ground portion of the FAA's Wings Program!


Year 'Round
Adventures
Northwoods Adventure
"Busy Airport Tour" Adventure
Summer Introductory Ground School
Sport Pilot Ground School


Aviation Links


 


Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics
EAA Ultralight Chapter 75
Virtual Spin Warbird Company
National Air Tour
Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame




As of December 2, 2005


Click Here to Check For Current Security Threat Level


"CONTACT!"
The Official Newsletter of Wausau Flying Service, Inc. & The Wausau Downtown Airport 
December 3, 2005     flywausau.com     email: taildraggerflyer@yahoo.com     Vol. 8 Issue 9
"BREAKING NEWS!!!" . . ."BREAKING NEWS!!!" . . . "BREAKING NEWS!!!"


(Casey Jones SR22 with poster & photography by Junion Photography 355-1228)
 

Thoughts From the Desk of John P. Chmiel . . . 

Feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends and if you know of someone who may be interested in receiving "Contact!", email me at taildraggerflyer@yahoo.com.  CAVU and wishes for safe flight to you all!!!
 
 

WFS Turns To Online Flight Scheduling

WFS is moving into the future by giving our clients the opportunity to schedule our aircraft and flight instructors online.  The system we are using is Flight Schedule Pro.  Here's all you have to do to get started:
 

  • Go to www.flightschedulepro.com
  • Click on the "sign-up & registration" link (on the left side column)
  • Click on "user registration"
  • Select Wausau Flying Service from the drop down menu
  • Complete the registration process
  • After email notification, WFS will approve you for schedule access & you're ready to go
These are just some of the advantages of our new online scheduling program:
  • 24 hour schedule access
  • email communications:
  • Sent to user when they are initially approved for access to the schedule

  • Sent to instructor when instructor is reserved
    Sent to user when instructor cancels or edits their reservation
    Sent to user when their backup/standby reservation becomes active
    Sent to users when their reservations are canceled due to maintenance override
    Sent to WFS on new reservation, cancellation, or edit of a reservation
  • automatic 30 day reminders for your FAA medical & biennual flight review due dates sent to WFS & user
  • You can access the month, week, or a day schedule. In addition to these standard schedules, you can create your own! 
  • Flight Schedule Pro has partnered with Verascape, Inc. to bring you a phone reservation system. The phone reservation system is directly tied to the web system. This means reservations can also be made over the phone and they're updated in real-time on the web system. 
  • Pilot access to current Hobbs times, maintenance schedules and squawks for each aircraft.
  • WFS customers will also be able to view current NOTAM's and news items for Wausau Downtown Airport that are displayed whenever you log in. 
You can either go to your computer now and click the "Flight Schedule Pro" picture link above and get started, or give us a call and we'll help you over the phone.  Don't worry, you'll still be able to call and schedule over the phone through WFS as well.  We'll be happy to hear from you!

So next time you want to schedule to fly at WFS, you can either go to www.flywausau.com and click on this link at the top:

or you can go direct to www.flightschedulepro.com.
 
 

Depressed because winter is here, ruining the evenings? 

Do you already miss Putt-Putt Patrol?

Well, smile again and join us for . . .
Flying Movie Night

Meet At Syd's Hangar
(If you think Syd's hangar is a dusty, musty, dirty, cold mess then you haven't been to Syd's hangar.  Don't worry there's a bathroom too!)

When: Every Tuesday night until Putt-Putt Patrol Starts!

Time: 6:30 p.m. 

Who: All Aviators 
 

Free admission, free popcorn, free soda, free coffee, free hot apple cider and free hot chocolate will be served!

DEC. 6, 2005 -- SOLO (1998) STARRING RANDY HAMILTON & SANDY KEARNS

or

DEC. 13, 2005 -- HELL’S ANGELS (1930) STARRING JEAN HARLOW


 
 

DEC. 20, 2005 -- SKY GIANTS (1938) STARRING RICHARD DIX

DEC. 27, 2005 -- WING AND A PRAYER (1944) STARRING DON AMECHE

FLYING MOVIE NIGHT SCHEDULE
2005-2006

JAN. 3, 2006 -- JET PILOT (1958) STARRING JOHN WAYNE
JAN. 10, 2006 -- GOD IS MY COPILOT (1944)
JAN. 17, 2006 -- SPITFIRE
JAN. 24, 2006 --THE THUNDERBIRDS (1942) STARRING GENE TIERNEY
JAN. 31, 2006 -- BATTLE OF BRITAIN (1969)
FEB. 7, 2006 -- BOMBARDIER (1943) STARRING PAT O’BRIAN
FEB. 14, 2006 -- ZEPPELIN (1971) STARRING MICHAEL YORK & ELKE SOMMER
FEB. 21, 2006 -- ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (1931) STARRING CARY GRANT
FEB. 28, 2006 -- HIGH FLIGHT (1958) STARRING RAY MILLAND
MARCH 7, 2006 -- FLIGHT COMMAND (1941) STARRING ROBERT TAYLOR
MARCH 14, 2006 -- ACE OF ACES (1933) STARRING RICHARD DIX
MARCH 21, 2006 -- FLIGHT AT MIDNIGHT (1939) STARRING ROBERT ARMSTRONG
MARCH 28, 2006 -- FLIGHT LIEUTENANT (1942) STARING PAT O’BRIAN
BREAK FOR SUN N’ FUN (APRIL 4 - 10)
APRIL 11, 2006 -- FLIGHT ANGELS (1940) STARING RALPH BELLAMY
APRIL 18, 2006 -- 30 SECONDS OVER TOKYO (1944) STARRING SPENCER TRACY
APRIL 25, 2006 -- WINGS (SILENT - 1927) STARRING CLARA BOW
PUTT PUTT PATROL BEGINS MAY 2

If you do not have gate access to the hangar area at the Wausau Airport, just park in the parking lot by the hangar fence by the new hangars.  Look for the white sign that says "Push Red Button to Ring Bell in Syd's hangar".  Syd will come out and let you in at the service gate.
 
 

Fenske certified as cirrus instructor 

Wausau Flying Service flight instructor Robert Fenske recently completed the CIRRUS Standardized Instructor Program at the Cirrus aircraft factory in Duluth, Minnesota.  Owner/pilots of Cirrus aircraft are required to receive their training from Cirrus Standardized Instructors.  This factory training is an insurance requirement for initial and recurrent training for pilots of the Cirrus series of aircraft.

Are you interested in learning more about Cirrus aircraft? Why does the FAA classify CIRRUS as a Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA)? What is FITS? Are you open to new techniques and teaching styles? These are all great questions that Robert has the answers for. 

CIRRUS Standardized Instructor Program [CSIP] includes the following for those who qualify. 
 

  • A Cirrus Standardized instructor is a Certified Instrument Flight Instructor (CFII) or International equivalent, who is standardized by Cirrus Design Corporation in combination with a UND Aerospace Foundation instructor. 
  • CSIP training emphasizes the primary differences of a technologically advanced aircraft (TAA) and the standard techniques involved in instructing in Cirrus aircraft. 
  • Testing on knowledge of the Cirrus Aircraft. 
  • CIRRUS Standardized Instructors are evaluated on flight proficiency and teaching ability while learning how to conduct scenario-based training (SBT). 


The course requires three days to complete and was accomplished in a CIRRUS SR22 aircraft.  As part of the WFS 2006 Adventure Series, Robert will be offering a clinic about Cirrus aircraft.  The clinic will include a powerpoint presentation, videos on the Cirrus systems, and avionics simulators.  Cirrus aircraft will also be on display.  There will be more on this that we will reveal in the future.  Plan on February!
 
 


 

"The Art of Flight"
It's in the details





While experiencing AirVenture 2005 I met Michael Maya Charles and purchased his book Artful Flying.  My son Wyatt and I also attended his seminar.  Shortly after I returned home I read the book.  Here is a segment from the letter I wrote to Michael, which in this case will serve as a review for his book. . . .
 

"What a great feast!  In my opinion it is right up there with Stick & Rudder and www.hikoudo.com.  Although the book is something you want to devour in one sitting, its best to savor a bite (chapter) at a time.  And then ponder the thoughts it provokes.  I will refer to it often in the future.

As we spoke at "The Show", my feelings about flying have most recently focused on its artful qualities.  It is a feeling I try to express in my flight instructing.  The art is in the details, and an artful flyer knows art when he/she sees it.  I have long felt that flying is an art, but rarely heard anyone else express it as such.  Until you read quotes from early aviators.  Wolfgang describes flying as an art in Stick & Rudder.  So does Charles Lindbergh.  It is not something you hear often from modern aviators.

I consider myself an average flyer, but work to be better every flight.  I'm "practicing" to be a great flight instructor.  You and Dave English are so right.  It is completely about the journey.  In fact, I'm not sure that I'm really all that interested in the destination.  I discovered hikoudo.com by chance on the internet early this year, and now I've read your book.  Both have made a huge impact and I'm thirsty for more!

Its actually quite unusual.  Many of your ideas are things that I have been trying to relate to the people I fly with.  Some get it and some don't.  I wrote Dave English an email after reading hikoudo and its the same thing I'll tell you.  It is very uncanny because in some cases what you have written is exactly what I would have said in almost the same words.  For the areas that I have been unable to explain, you have now provided the words for me.  And, you have expanded to areas that I hadn't even considered yet.  Thanks for enhancing the journey.  So, now all we have to do is "Do", not "try", right?

I don't know if the Artful Flying philosophy is catching on or if I'm just more tuned in than before.  Either way its something that I believe in and want to pass on.  I will definately lead by example as much as possible, but I would also like to sell your book at my FBO.  . . We'll display it next to Stick & Rudder, and The Compleat Taildragger Pilot."

John P. Chmiel
Wausau Flying Service, Inc.

Here's what other pilots you may know have to say about Artful Flying:

“All my life, I’ve simply challenged myself to fly more precisely each time I step into the cockpit. Artful Flying shows you ways to challenge yourself, giving you the tools to make your flying a work of art, whether you fly a famous P-51 or a simple Cub. This book could change your life.” 

Bob Hoover
Aviation Legend
Inductee, National Aviation Hall of Fame

“This is a great book—and it’s different from any aviation book out there. Parts of it remind me of Richard Bach’s writing, other parts have the steady wisdom of Richard L. Collins. Flying artfully is one of my highest personal goals and Michael Maya Charles, with Artful Flying, shows you how to make it one of yours.”

Patty Wagstaff
Three-time U.S. National Aerobatic Champion
Inductee, National Aviation Hall of Fame

So there is my recommendation.  We sell it at Wausau Flying Service, Inc.  We've sold 10 copies already and I'm just ordering 10 more in time for the holiday season.  If you want me to save you a copy email me at 
taildraggerflyer@yahoo.com
 
 

Potton Getting Back On Feet

     As many of you know, Wausau Flying Service flight instructor and Air Direct pilot Dale Potton recently had some physical set-backs.  He's recovering nicely and expects full recovery within a year.  He and Judy have been visiting the airport when they can.  If you would like to send get well wishes, he says feel free to give him a call at home.
 
 

Corn Maze 2005

Last year's Corn Maze honored the Wright Brother's and the 100th Anniversary of Flight.  The Willow Springs Garden 2004 Corn Maze paid tribute to the 200th Anniversary of the Lewis & Clark Expedition.  I know its a little late now, but this year's corn maze was a tribute to Leigh Yawkey Museum's "30 Years of Birds In Art"

Milestones

Steve Flage flew with only one soul on board an aircraft under his command for the first time on November 13, 2004.   Steve flew in Wausau Flying Service's 1998 Cessna C-172 Skyhawk N2151J.  Steve flew with WFS Flight Instructors, Dave Swain, Robert Fenske & Jeff Meachen to prepare for his solo flight.  Mr. Flage is the regional manager for Wisconsin at River Valley State Bank


Steve Foley flew with only one soul on board an aircraft under his command for the first time on October 19, 2005.   Steve flew in Wausau Flying Service's 1998 Cessna C-172 Skyhawk N2151J.  Steve's WFS Flight Instructor is Jeff Meachent.  Mr. Foley is the Assistant Vice President of the Bank of Wausau 


Jim Van Eyck flew with only one soul on board an aircraft under his command for the first time on October 20, 2005.   Jim flew in Wausau Flying Service's 1998 Cessna C-172 Skyhawk N2151J.  Jim flew with WFS Flight Instructors, Jeff Meachen & John Chmiel to prepare for his solo flight.  Mr. Van Eyck is a retired Vice President from Wausau Insurance. 
 


 Skip Loebig flew with only one soul on board an aircraft under his command for the first time on October 2, 2005.   Skip flew in Wausau Flying Service's 1998 Cessna C-172 Skyhawk N2151J.  Skip flew with WFS Flight Instructors, Jeff Meachen & John Chmiel to prepare for his solo flight.  Mr. Loebig is a nurse anesthetist at Aspirus Hospital.


Dr. Larry Markey earned his private pilot license this summer flying with DPE Duffy Gaier of Marshfield.   Larry flew his Piper PA28/150 Cherokee N8224N.  Larry and his son Ned own the Piper Cherokee 140 which they base at the Wausau Airport.  Dr. Markey flew with WFS Flight Instructors, John Chmiel, Robert Fenske and  Dave Swain to prepare for his private pilot check-ride.  Dr. E. L. Markey is an orthopaedic surgeon at the Bone & Joint Clinic, SC. 
 

Seehafer's Kitfox Update

Hey everybody, MY KITFOX FLYS!!!

And I thought you might enjoy some photos taken day of the 1st flight.  Also, if you want to see my 45 second (3.5 mb) video production of the 1st flight, just click on http://kitfox.lazair.com/movies/paulfloats.wmv .  And if that's still not enough, I copied over my complete posting that I shared with my buds on the Kitfox and Avid forums (with lots of technical detail jibberish if you are into that...)

Paul Seehafer

(Here's a copy of what I posted to the Kitfox and Avid internet forums:

After years of effort, and twelve million delays, my Model IV-1200 Kitfox finally took to the air Saturday November 12th, 2005.
And the first flight happened in the nick of time I may add.  Because I was so insistent that this 'Fox was going to be a seaplane, I spent a lot of extra time struggling with the installation details for the Aerocet amphibious floats.  And while I struggled with working in the backyard (the 'Fox sat too high on the floats to fit in the garage any longer), Wisconsin's winter was nipping at my heels.  Brrrr...  But having 7,000 acres of water runway right in front of my house, I really wanted to do the initial flight off the water. Well, I got lucky.  Saturday brought a warm 58 degrees and clear sunny weather (incidentally, that's twice as warm as 
our normal average for this time of the year).   And it was without question my last opportunity to do the flight off the water, as the weather turned windy and cold by late Saturday afternoon!  By the following Saturday we had 4 inches of snow on the ground, and ice on the lake.  Whew!  That was close. I really did get that flight in at the last opportunity.

I assembled a 45 second mpeg video (3.5 mb) of the first flight.  It is available for viewing on the Lazair Kitfox website.  Just click on this link http://kitfox.lazair.com/movies/paulfloats.wmv and with any luck you will be able to see it.  Also. make sure to check out the other cool videos, pics, and forum stuff on that site.   Their direct address is http://kitfox.lazair.com/    I will post still pictures on www.sportflight.com under the completions section, and will also put some pics up on the Lazair Kitfox site.

For any of you that are interested in more of the specific flight details, here's my "mini-book" with more specifics: 
After launching the Kitfox in the water and making sure it wasn't going to sink, I water taxied for about an hour at all various speeds.  This allowed me to make sure the engine and the airframe were operating as intended, and gave me a very good feel for the airplane (on water at the higher speeds you essentially are "flying" the airplane, using all the controls and engine power much like you would when flying at lower air speeds.  So it is a very good way to get a good feel for an airplane).  And I learned quickly that this Fox wanted badly to fly anytime the speeds approached the 40 mph mark.That was very encouraging, and I at times found it very difficult to resist letting it lift off.   But since me and my safety crew had spent a lot of time preparing a "first flight plan", I slowed things down a bit and stuck to the original plan of just step taxiing for now (that served well to keep my wife Ann, and my friends on the safety boat happy).

The Aerocet amphibious floats handled beautifully, and exhibited no unusual handling characteristics.  And the 81 hp Rotax 912 engine ran flawlessly, easily bringing the Kitfox up on the step immediately after full power application.  It seemed to have plenty of power, even though my IVO in-flight adjustable prop at  minimum pitch wouldn't allow for more than 5100 rpm static the day before when tied to a tree wide open.  Other than the lower than desired static rpm issue, from a seaplane pilots viewpoint,
it felt like everything was right for the first flight.  So after refueling, and then giving everything one final look over (hoping to avoid using any of that emergency plan stuff), I taxied back out into the bay.  Once the safety boat gave me a thumbs up to say they were in position and ready, I radioed my intentions to takeoff past the boat, and lined up into the wind.  Both me and the Kitfox were ready!

Making a final cockpit check, and rethinking one last time the worse case scenario emergency action plans, I looked left and right making sure my takeoff area was clear.  One last radio call, and it was time.  Applying full power while holding full up elevator, the little yellow Kitfox amphib plowed through the water as the bows of the floats raised their way up to the surface of the lake.  Within seconds, the water spray was all behind me and I was planing across the surface with the speed building steadily.  Man,
it felt good!  Smooth and stable.  No porpoising, and was easy to keep her in the right attitude for takeoff.  Finding the sweet spot was very easy (the position on the float bottom where the airplane balances hydrodynamically, and allows the wing angle of attack to be adjusted for liftoff with stick back pressure).  Only having gone a third of the distance I expected liftoff to occur at, the speed was nearly at 40 mph already.  Without even trying, at a little over 40 mph she lifted off all on her own.  Wow, what a rush!  It flys!  Concentrate, concentrate Paul... ok, ok. The Fox was flying very steady and stable at 80 mph at 5000 rpm so I climbed a few hundred feet. Knowing I had miles of water in front of me if I needed to set her back down was a reassurance that ran through my mind just momentarily, as the Fox flew so exceptionally nice that I just proceeded with the original plan of
circling the large island in front of my house so that everyone on the safety boat could keep an eye on my position should something go wrong.  But after making 6 circuits around the island at various altitudes and speeds (of course while also providing the boat with a lot of photo & video opportunities), and verifying good engine temps and pressures, as well as overall airframe
controllability and handling, I climbed a couple thousand feet (at 1,000 fpm according to my VSI), and then slowed the Kitfox down to explore more of the flight envelope.

After slowing to 50 mph I put on flaps one notch at a time, checking for aileron effectiveness (the gear up handle limits right aileron movement somewhat due to squashing ones right knee between the stick and the handle when full right aileron is needed and the gear is up.  But it turned out to not be a problem as there was plenty of aileron authority in all settings.  Significantly better than the earlier models I had flown).   That Model IV-1200 aileron setup has a really nice roll rate.  Crisp and quick. 
But not too quick.  Very, very nice control feel!

Seeing how things were working out so well thus far, I decided to be brave and see how fast this little Fox could go straight and level.  So I firewalled the throttle handle, and bumped the IVO prop pitch up a bit as soon as I realized I was hitting 5800 rpm.  That brought the rpms down to 5500 and shortly afterwards it brought the airspeed to 110 mph!  Wow!  I didn't think it would go that fast.  At least not on floats.  Wanting to test it multiple directions to verify those numbers with my GPS, I changed my mind when realizing how much I was getting bounced around by the ever increasing strong and gusty winds. Go easy there Paul, there will be plenty of time to verify top speeds some other day.

So I decided it was time to get to the airport, where the Kitfox would have a nice hangar to keep it out of the elements. Of course, that meant I had to prepare for a wheels down landing.  Even though I retracted that landing gear in the back yard I swear a thousand times, and everything was working perfectly, I will admit there was a little lump in my throat the first time
I reached over and pushed the gear extension (Johnson-Bar) handle down.....Seconds later, just like the doctor ordered, I could see all four wheels down-and-locked in the float mirrors.  Ahhhh...   Much more at ease after that first in-flight gear test, I flew past the boat one last time so they could make a final inspection of the airplane before I headed towards the airport twenty miles away.  After verifying there were no loose parts hanging down, smoke trails, or flames (chuckle), I turned north and climbed
to 3,000 ft agl.  As promised I gave my wife a radio report of my location in relationship to "the plan" we had made earlier whereas I would follow highways and roads that had landing areas next to them should I need them, and I would give her a radio report every couple minutes as she drove to the airport in her car (was an easy thing to do for her peace of mind).

Wanting to stay in radio contact range with her, while thoroughly enjoying flying the Kitfox, I intentionally made the flight last as long as possible.  Even though it was now getting exceptionally windy, I decided to play around with some of the goodies I had installed.  Particularly that IVO prop.  So I slowed the engine down while bumping the electric IVO prop pitch up one finger-flick at a time.  You hardly had to move it to feel the change in the pull.  And so smooth.  This is one sweet prop.  And apparently very efficient. At 4200 rpm (somewhere around 50% power and 2.5 gph?) I was still able to maintain altitude, and fly at 75-80 mph.  Talk about fuel economy...   And so quiet too.  Kind of nice way to go if you're not in any hurry.  Incidentally, I was flying with 20gallons of fuel, me (180lbs), and a 775 lb Kitfox for a total weight of 1,075 lbs. Of course, it was only 58 degrees, and it was windy.  But overall, I was really impressed with how well that IVO prop and that 912ul could handle the bulk and weight of this amphibious Kitfox.

Before I knew it, I was entering the airport traffic pattern for my first wheels-down landing.  While doing my last minute cockpit check, and saying out loud "this is an airport landing, the landing gear is down" and verifying landing gear position again, I heard a familiar voice call a base to final turn on the same runway I was setting up for.  It was my friend from the neighboring town flying his Sube powered Model IV Kitfox (small world).  Seeing him bounce around I came to realize not only did we not 
have a good runway choice that was into the wind, but it was gusty and there appeared to be some wind-shear issues as well.  Why today?  Why couldn't it be nice?  Oh well, since when did complaining about weather do anything to improve it?  So I reminded myself that even though I've not had a go-around in an airplane in years, that I should plan for one on this day.  And 
if it takes me ten go-arounds before I get one good landing, so be it.  So I continued on my approach.  It was gusty, but overall the Fox was handling things better than anticipated.  Keeping the approach speed a little higher at 70 mph gave me a nice smooth descent right down to the runway threshold.  Once over the runway I just pulled back power some, raised the nose some, and bled off speed gradually.  Amazingly, the turbulence was minimal and things were steady and stable.  Before I knew it, I heard a 
double-squeak out of the main gears.  Now all I had left to do was to gradually lower the nose at the slowest possible speed so as not to create any undue stresses on those small castoring nosewheels out front.  Squeak, squeak....I was down on the ground on all four wheels.  Hallelujah! 

Taxiing in I announced "Experimental Kitfox Amphib clear of all runways".  My grin was ear to ear.  I could feel a warm flush feeling come over me as I taxied up to the hangars.  I was feeling better than good.  Just as I shut the mags off and the prop stopped turning, before I unbuckled and opened the door, I reflected for just a second.  Only one thing came to my mind.  So I
said it out loud.  "Far Out!"   I had just completed quite an accomplishment.   And I will be the first to admit I'm not typically very
emotional.  But that day, I caught myself being a little teary eyed when it was all over.  What a thrill to see that all my hard work had paid off.

My wife always says that a man flying an airplane for the first time has to be the closest thing to a man being able to experience giving birth.  Obviously, us men wouldn't have any way to really know that.  But what I do know is that I now have a new baby to show off...
 

Paul Seehafer
Central Wisconsin


 
 

F-16 Flight Of A Lifetime!

John, don't know if you are interested, but here are some shots, I got a ride in an F16D last week Thursday.  Some specifics:

Max G I took:   9.0 
Did over 7 G at least 10 different occasions 
I flew about 1/3 of the flight, he taught me how to do some basic loops and rolls.  My loops were poor, but got pretty good at Aileron rolls. 

Spent about 5 minutes flying 400-500 feet at 700 knots, must be atmospheric conditions, but mach 1 was showing as about 790knots that day.

Did hit .99 mach at one point 
3 gun passes over Hardwood, first one a dive from 10K to the deck, 2 more staying on the deck, then after the last did max performance climb, went from 500 feet to 18000 in about 10 seconds.

I did one max perf climb myself, took me about 15 seconds to reach 20000 from 3K or so, it was hard to get myself completely vertical at first.

It was odd to get to altitude, flip over backwards, then roll straight, didn't seem natural, but once I got the hang of it, it was better on the stomach than the neg G's of pushing forward.

Pretty cool to fly upside down for awhile, I did a 1/2 roll, then held it there for about 30 seconds and looked up at the scenery.

On take off, we were at 400 knots by the end of the runway, then snapped up to 10K assigned alt in a few seconds (he had to answer for that one).

Did some emergency procedures at Volk (engine out practice), then another max perf climb out to 18K. 
Right about then, my stomach was maxed out, turned out perfect, we were out of fuel and needed to head back. 
Had fuel for about an hour of normal manuevers, used it up in 40 minutes, so we were in Afterburner quite a bit, he said since I was taking the G's so well, he decided to have a bit more fun than normal.

I started to go black on the 9 G turn, but was able to bear down a bit harder and clear up, that was the only time I got close.

I'll never forget this, pretty much culminates my 20 years in the Air Force.  I thought my B-52 flights were the ultimate, I'm still amazed at what that aircraft can do, but the responsiveness and performance of the F16 is amazing.  I can't believe these guys can keep any kind of situational awareness when pulling those G's, but they do, I guess you get used to it.  Also odd to have no outside visual references, I kept trying to fly without looking at the HUD, but not possible, nothing to really reference the horizon on.  Also too much information available, I finally decided to concentrate on the horizon reference, the compass, and airspeed, ignored everything else and it was much easier to fly.  I could go on forever, but won't.

Dave Zoromski


 

TSA Inspections For GA Airports

Many of the airport tenants are not too keen on the new security gate system at the airport.  Here's an email I received recently. It's giving Wisconsin airports the heads up about TSA plans. 

Marty Lenss, Ops Director at Madison, relayed the following to me.  Stay tuned for further information as we get it. 

“The TSA is in the process of developing an "Annual Aviation Inspection Plan" specific for WI.  Elements of the plan include quarterly inspections of GA Airports, flight schools, "major" repair stations, commercial airports, and cargo facilities.  TSA is in process of coordinating a meeting with WI Bureau of Aeronautics to coordinate the inspections of the aforementioned entities, excluding commercial airports and cargo facilities.” 

Pete Drahn, Ex. Dir.
WAMA

Right now, airport tenants and users are the working part of the "Airport Watch" program.  All active U.S. flight instructors are required to perform annual security awareness training.   It's really just a mindset change.  Here are ways that pilots and airport tenants can help:

  • Always carry your picture I.D. whenever you go flying, and when you are at an any airport. (It's an FAA requirement!)
  • Secure your aircraft when not in use (lock, remove keys, prop lock if necessary, even in the hangar)
  • Stop at the gates until you can confirm they are secure
  • Be friendly to transient users of the airport
  • Report gate and lighting system failures to management immediately
  • Don't assume that just because you have access to the hangars at one airport, that you will have access at all airports 
  • Inform airport management when you will have a visitor that needs to get to your hangar
  • Please cooperate with airport management.  This isn't any fun for us either.  Your help and understanding will go a long way!  It has created a lot of hassle and work load for us.  We're only the messengers.
Let's work together to make our Airport Watch program successful.


2006 Wausau Adventure Line-Up

     The WFS crew is coming up with ideas for the 2006  Adventure Season.  Here's the tentative line up.  Right now, the events that you see specific dates for are set.  We'll have more info and descriptions of each event in future issues of "Contact!"  Please email us with your input on future Adventure ideas.
Chili Ski Fly-In
"What's Up With the Cirrus?" Clinic
Tailwheel Clinic 
May
Putt-Putt Patrol 
May - September 
Tuesdays 5:00 p.m. - sunset
Youth Flight Camp 
June
Wausau Balloon Rally 
Stalls & Spins Clinic 
Canadian Adventure
Wausau Air Rally 2006 
Sun 'N Fun Adventure
(Also known as the "Flight From Cabin Fever")
March 30 - April 12
Flying Movie Night
November - May
Tuesdays 6:30 p.m.

Look Who's Using the Wausau Airport

 


Lear 28


An Exec Jet.  We think this might be a Canadair Challenger?  Feel free to educate us!  I don't really know my jets.
 


Stinson 108-1
 


Two Wausau based Cirrus SR-22's owned by Wausau Supply Co. (left) & Wynn Jones and Associates


Two Lancair Columbias trying to be based at the Wausau Downtown Airport.  They were here for a demo flight.


This big Sikorsky still had the recip radial engine to do the heavy lifting on the A/C unit for the new Menard's Building.  All the turbine helicopters were down in New Orleans helping with the clean-up.


Wisconsin Army Guard Blackhawk helicopter


Ercoupe 415 C/D from Stevens Point for a business meeting.


Warren Knighton's experimental Daphne qualifies in the new light sport category (LSA).  They flew it up here for the summer from their home in Arizona.


One of the new airport tenants is Bill Holm and his Siai Marchetti.


Nice cockpit.  PIC flies this baby from the right seat.  Its IFR certified, fully aerobatic and cross-country ready!


This is the newest airport tenant aircraft.  This is River Valley Bank's Cessna 421B.  The airplane is based in the Wausau Downtown Airport corporate hangar.
 

Just some of the other people and businesses benefitting from use of the Wausau Airport this month include:  River Valley Bank, Ameralloy, Gov. Doyle, Wausau Supply Co., & M & I Bank. Why do people use the Wausau Downtown Airport?  Because we are the most conveniently located airport to their destinations in the Wausau Metro Community.

(3) T-Hangars Available January 1st!

     There are three immediate T-hangar openings at Wausau Downtown Airport. As of January 1st, 2006.

  • T-hangar #8 has a manual door and rents for $90.11 (includes tax) & faces west.
  • T-hangar #23 has an electric door and rents for $131.43 (includes tax) & faces west
  • T-hangar #24 has an electric door and rents for $131.43 (includes tax) & faces west
You must have an airplane in the hangar within 60 days of signing the lease.  Please contact me at  taildraggerflyer@yahoo.com or 715 845-3400 if you are interested.
 
 
CLASSIFIEDS
  • "Got some pilot supplies just sitting around gathering dust?  Wanna upgrade your old headset, hand-held radio or GPS?  What should you do with your old one?  We can sell it for you through our consignment program!  You set the price.  We'll display it and advertise it. 
  • Want to display your aircraft for sale in "CONTACT!"?  $50 gets you 6 months.  Includes color pictures and spec. list.  We'll include an automatic email link for your ad too.  If you sell your airplane through your "CONTACT!" classified we ask for an additional $50 commission.  "CONTACT!" comes out twice monthly and goes out to 500+ subscribers.  Our subscriber list is growing every day.  Just email us at taildraggerflyer@yahoo.com for details!"



CUSTOM LOG HOME ON SIXTY ONE ACRES
PRIVATE AIRSTRIP

Custom Wisconsin Log Home- a ‘10’ thru out! Lo-E glass, Peachtree doors, birch custom cabinets by Showcase Kitchens, oak and Italian quarry tile floors, custom woodwork and real plaster walls, hot tub room w/ air exchanger, guest room/office and work-area over garage, craft room, lockable storage, emergency power circuit and more. Outside a nature lover’s paradise with the headwaters of the Eau Pleine running thru open and forested rolling terrain with bountiful wildlife. Horse facilities and trails including 200x200 v-weaved fencing, shelters, winterized water supply, and training ring. Also 48x24 Pole Building plus workshop area in heat-able garage. Priced at $549,900. 

CONTACT ROB FLANNERY at 715 571 0427 or 866 348 5300 

robflannery@kw.com or see more on realtor.com 

KELLER WILLIAMS INTEGRITY REALTY 

115 SIXTH STREET 

WAUSAU, WISCONSIN


PITTS S2A

Factory Built  1974,  973 TTSN  A&E,  2 Place aerobatic,  200 hp. Lycoming,  Inverted fuel & oil,  Hooker Harness,  Narco Nav-com,  Fresh Annual with sale!

Now Only $52,900
Call Glen at 715 571-2121

For Sale:
50% Share in 1979 Mooney 201
N4583H
(Mooney Flyers of Wausau)

Cruise 155 kts@ 10 gph
Major Engine Overhaul Completed May 2005
Leather Interior
Full IFR Panel
Panel Includes:
  • Garmin 430 GPS - IFR Approach Certified
  • Stormscope Wx500
  • HSI, ADF, RNAV
  • King KFC 200 Flight Director/Autopilot w/Altitude Hold
  • JPI Engine System/Fuel Monitor
  • Garmin Audiopanel 4-place intercom
  • Garmin Transponder
CONTACT:  Don Dixon 842-7688 or Dave Piehler 842-5475

For Sale:  1973 Cessna 421B
was priced at  $178,000
Now Reduced to $120,000!!
Will consider all trades & offers!

General Aircraft Specifications:

 Total Time: 6908 
 Engines: 1600 T.B.O. by Western Skyways    L1004/R328
 Props: Left - 629, Right - 728 
 IFR. Certificates: 2254 
 Reweighing Due: September 2003 
 Fuel Capacity: 255 (Long Range) 

Avionics Specifications:

 Comm #1: King 900A 
 Comm #1: Garmin 250XL 
 Nav #1: King Gold Crown KNR600/GS KGS681 
 Nav #2 / RNAV: KNS80-IFR Certified GS KGS681 
 ADF: KR85
 XPDR: KT76 
 Audio/Marker: KMA20 
 Radar: Bendix RDR160 
 Autopilot: Bendix FCS810 
 HSI: King KCS55A
 Encoder: Yes 
 RMI: King KI226 
 GPS: Garmin 250XL, Moving Map 
 Intercom: Flight Com

Special Equipment:

 Cleveland wheels and brakes
 Copilot instruments 
 Oxygen system 
 Ground power plug 
 Cabin deck divider
 Part 135 current
 EGT
 Refreshment center 
 Full de-ice
 Flight hour recorder 
 Heater hour recorder 
 Wing & tail strobes 
 JB air conditioner 
 Courtesy lights 
 Executive tables 
 Engine heaters 
 Tail beacon 
 New main and horizontal boots 

Miscellaneous Specifications:

 Paint: White / Tan (8 out of 10) 
 Interior: Light brown cloth (6 out of 10)
 Annual Due: 08/03 
 Damage History (Major): None 


Call 715 845-3400 or email taildraggerflyer@yahoo.com