EAA CHAPTER EAA Chapter 119, 60 Aviation Way, Watsonville Airport, Watsonville CA 95076

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1 EAA CHAPTER 119 FLIGHTLINE EAA Chapter 119, 60 Aviation Way, Watsonville Airport, Watsonville CA August 2008 By Brian Moffet (written in 2005, updated 2008) In 1976, Dan White started flying, at first the home made kites and ultralights, eventually moving to the ubiquitous tail-wheel Champ to get his pilot s certificate. Dan had a strong desire to see the land from a different view, to be free of ground obstacles. From that desire, Dan had some adventures in the early days of ultralight aircraft. His first ultralight had retractable landing gear - his own feet. He would take off running, first taking normal steps, then 10-foot steps, and finally 25 feet between steps, and when he was finally airborne he would lift his feet into the aircraft. In 1979 I flew my homemade pre-ultralight on the first cross-country, from a driveway off Trafton road in Watsonville (my temp airport) to the driveway at my parent s house in northern California by Knights Landing, 150 miles, 4 hours. (It was the longest ultralight flight in history in 1978.) This happened three years before I was legally soloed and before I knew how to fly a real plane. But, by being a novice I had the pleasure to personally experience the discovery of many things that I should have safely paid an instructor to show me. As you read the list, imagine the thrill of self discovery to a young man who was LIVING his dream. I discovered that: You can see further than you can fly on two gallons, farmers will help you get gas, if there is a headwind use max power because you will fly backwards when the wind is strong enough, the roads are all off by 15 from a compass, some clouds suck air up fast, if you smell alfalfa at 1,000 feet you can turn off your engine and still go up, hot air is hard to fly in, so morning flying is easier, fog is scary if you are over 50 feet up, air goes different directions at different altitudes, and the return trip was way faster with a road map. Dedicated to Dan White (Jan 19, Jun 21, 2008) Dan and his trike Dan was teaching. Dan came from a technical background, having taught science and electronics to high school students at Harbor High in Santa Cruz. He spent 35 years teaching, at a time when electronics was going through some upheaval, from simple transistor circuits to integrated circuits. The advent of personal computers came about while When he was 16, he was given a flight, and he remembered that flight. So the chance of passing that excitement on to today s youth was strong in his mind. He has flown 149 children on their Young Eagles flights. The most memorable, in Dan s words, Over the ocean, past a cloud, back over a mountain and back to land, slowly and very quiet at 1800 rpm, 70 mph. Mostly Hands off, so they think it flies itself and therefore even they could do it. Dan s favorite airplane was a C-172M with an 150hp lyc e2d engine because it is the safest most dependable and easy-to-fly plane in the world. I just like to fly as easily as possible. I like my wings to go over the top of the tullies when I land on a ditch bank. I like to see the wheels. I like shade and a place to hang my black shower bag at Oshkosh. After what would seem to be more than his fair share of time, Dan retired from public teaching, but not really. He accepted the position of teaching at the Air Academy at the EAA 119 Hangar. While he disliked that some of the kids he taught didn t really want to be there, the ones that did want to learn, and the fact he could be at the airport and show kids how to do and build neat things, made up for the problems. Plus, he got to be around the hangar continued on page 4

2 EAA CHAPTER 119, 60 AVIATION WAY, WATSONVILLE AIRPORT PAGE 2 President s Corner From Bill DeRouchey Flying is dangerous. We know this down deep and work hard to manage the risks. Every once in a while it feels so very good to relax the vigilance, look out at the wonder and let the plane fly itself. Almost all of the time this euphoria passes with no issue as the weight of responsibility descends on the mind. This is how I imagine Dan during his last flight locked into euphoria and living large. Dan was attending the wedding of one of his high school students and hit electrical wires as he circled for a good-bye pass. It is very interesting that Dan created a lifetime relationship with a student so deep that the student invited him to his wedding. I don t remember the name of any of my high school teachers. Clearly there was much going on inside this seemingly light-hearted man. Dan was born with the itch to fly. At a young age he built a hang glider and tested it on a local hill. Then he flew hang gliders at the Big Creek Lumber airstrip where the updrafts are fierce. He owned (in partnership) a Cessna 172, a powered trike, and a Kitfox. He taught aircraft fundamentals to the Young Eagles and at Day in the Sky, and helped kids build model airplanes. I still remember him at Day in the Sky teaching while wearing a silver hat with a rocket passing through his head. The antics held the kid s attention. He was always cheerful and always working with fundamentals. He was almost as excited about electronics as with airplanes. Dan was the source of the gate openers, Ken Lock-Paddons LED-based NAV lights, Said Karsslis landing light circuit, and countless other projects. He was also President of EAA Chapter 119 for two years and an active board member. It is an unfortunate human trait to not know what you have until you lose it and this will be the case with Dan. We will all miss him. Onward and Upward, Bill DeRouchey Early ultralight Dan s latest ultralight

3 PAGE 3 From Jeff Roper I met Dan in 1996 on a backpacking trip in the Ventana Wilderness near Pico Blanco Boy Scout Camp. Our boys were in the same scout troop and we were camping out along the Little Sur River. I remember him telling us about his latest adventure flying into the Idaho back-country, soaking in hot springs and telling jokes around the campfire. That sounded like heaven to me. I had always wanted to learn to fly, but didn t think it was within my reach. After I expressed my interest to Dan, he invited me to go flying. He showed me the basics of flight and I was hooked. In 1999 I earned my private pilot s license and started looking for an airplane to buy into. Dan mentioned that one of his partners in his plane had purchased a 182 and wanted to sell his share of the 172. I jumped at the opportunity to be a partner in a plane with Dan. A week later, Dan and I were flying to the Golden West Fly-In at Castle Air Force base. Thus began our flying adventures together. In 2001 we took a week and flew to Montana, Idaho, and Washington to attend the Arlington Fly-In. We were getting the hang of camping out under the wing at airports along the way. In 2003 we flew to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the big air show. I took two days to get there and two to get back in the 172. We camped out under the wing in the north 40. We attended Oshkosh again in 2004 & 2005 until we had our fill. We also flew together to the Idaho back-country every year starting in Dan was a great mentor to me. His vast knowledge of aviation was impressive. He had a way of explaining things so that everyone could understand. I guess he gained that skill from all those years of EAA CHAPTER 119, 60 AVIATION WAY, WATSONVILLE AIRPORT teaching high school. He had a gift with dealing with kids. He would talk to them on their level as a friend and gain their confidence. Back-country Flying Chapter 119 Membership Dan made friends easily. I remember landing at an airport in Wyoming on the way back from Oshkosh and Dan striking up a conversation with a couple that had also just landed. Before too long, we were both invited to dinner with them. Dan loved to hangar talk. Dan introduced me to many people and invited me to join several of his organizations. I considered Dan my closest friend. Flying will not be the same without him sitting beside me. Flightline is published monthly and sent to all Chapter 119 members either by or in hard copy. Membership in Chapter 119 is $15 per calendar year. Checks payable to EAA 119. Mail to: 60 Aviation Way, Watsonville, CA 95076

4 EAA CHAPTER 119, 60 AVIATON WAY, WATSONVILLE AIRPORT PAGE 4 so it was open for the rest of the members who needed tools. He would also teach the ground-school at Day in the Sky. He eventually went back to his roots, flying a trike built from somewhat newer materials. When position lights were needed, Dan worked out the necessary parts to run ultra-bright LEDs, using the wire to provide the necessary resistance so they wouldn t burn out. He also accepted the position of President of EAA Chapter 119, because he told himself that after he retired, he would help. After 25 years of doing nothing except taking from EAA, I thought I should help for a while. He was spurred on by his respect for the people who make things happen, Paul Poberesny, Burt Rutan, Neil Brooks, Bud McCrary, Duane Hodgkinson and most of you guys. Pilots who build their own are GODS to aviation. He has flown to every USA landmark he can think of, except for a tropical place and outer space. Dan s stated goal was to fly in silence, to put out my hand and touch the face of God. EAA 2008 Calendar August Pot Luck at Tom Hoyt Park bring spouses September (Possible) FAA Reps JR Robinson & Don Mountz on Light Sport regulations and what the FAA is looking for during building inspections. October (Possible) Don French on Airport Status November Don French on Airport Status and John Randolf on WVI WAAS approach December Christmas Party 2008 /Chapter 119 Officers and Position Holders President Bill DeRouchey billderou@yahoo.com VP Mike Corder mike.corder@sbcglobal.net Secretary & Membership Neil Brooks neiltbrooks@comcast.net Treasurer Mary Doherty maryatscruz@aol.com Director Thad Fenton thadfenton@msn.com Director & Young Eagles Bob Sliter rasliter@cruzio.com Director & Hangar Boss John Davi aptos@sbcglobal.net Tech Advisor Dennis Thomas dthomas733@sbcglobal.net Flight Advisor Larry Baker larrybaker@earthlink.net Webmaster Richard Yee Ryee-98@yahoo.com or Newsletter Brian Moffet moffetb@cruzio.com Copy editor Naomi Brokaw wordstakewing@skyhighway.com

5 PAGE 5 Flying with Danny From Dan Chauvet EAA CHAPTER 119, 60 AVIATION WAY, WATSONVILLE AIRPORT conservative aggressiveness. The bottom line is that we will miss Dan s enthusiasm and personality. A number of years ago Danny White called me to schedule a BFR (he s Danny, I m Dan). On the day of the BFR the weather was about feet overcast with tops about 3500, a thick stratus layer. We decided to finish the oral review first and then reassess the weather. After the BFR oral the ceiling was still low. I said if you want to do this now, we can climb to on-top and do most of the BFR there. Danny said, Sounds interesting, let s go. After finishing all the BFR maneuvers, I put the hood on him for some steep turns, recovery from unusual attitudes, and practice of the Chauvet Banking Rules, a warm-up for the descent through the stratus. Then he called approach control again for the Watsonville localizer approach. In the clouds he did very well on both aircraft control and com with approach. After breaking out the bottom there was enough ceiling for some low pattern work and we completed soft and short field landings. It was a very interesting and different BFR for Danny. We discussed the instrument rating. He was not very interested too regimented. When you fly with somebody there is a special relationship that never goes away. I had a close friendly relationship with Danny White. I asked him to be on the Pajaro Valley Aviation Academy (PVAA) board of directors. PVAA awards scholarships to young people for pilot and aviation mechanic ratings. He accepted, which was great because of his background as both teacher and pilot. He was PVAA s secretary. In many ways he was a participant. So he leaves a big hole in our aviation community, EAA, WPA, and Quiet Birdmen (QBs). Speaking as a flight instructor, aviation is not supposed to be dangerous. It s safer than many things we do. But too many adverse factors came together causing the accident. I think safety is enhanced by a little paranoia along with Relaxing in the back-country First to offer a beer after Bill Randolph s return from flying around the world

6 Watsonville Chapter 119 Experimental Aircraft Association Watsonville Municipal Airport 60 Aviation Way Watsonville CA Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds,--and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov ring there, I ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless falls of air... Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, nor eer eagle flew-- And, while with silent lifting mind I ve trod The high, untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand and touched the face of God. -- John Gillespie EAA 119 Memorial Picnic for Danny White TUESDAY, Aug 5, 5:30 PM TOM HOYT PARK (End of Y Hanger, WVI) Bring a main dish or a side-dish to share along with your stories. The Chapter will provide soft drinks & coffee. Friends & family welcome.