March Meeting Minutes
Respectfully Submitted by Jeff Dinius, Secretary

The meeting was called to order by vice president Dave Nabors.

Visitors: The two visitors present were Jane Peters and Kelly Risley from the old Fort Collins Downtown Airport Pilots Association.

Treasurer’s report: The chapter has $2106.39.

Young Eagles: The date is April 28th and there are currently 9 signed up. Contact Tom Barlow if you are available to fly or act as ground crew.

Dave Nabors made a suggestion of putting an ad in the Thrifty Nickel or some other local publication announcing the Young Eagle event and see if we cannot generate additional youngsters for rides. No further actions suggested.

There were several short project updates. Seems several members were busy building this winter. Some progress is being made on several airplanes.

Dale Matuska made a comment that there were going to be several T hangers built at FNL and that not all of them had names attached as of yet. If you would like more info, contact Dale.

Glenn Hetchler gave information on a traveling transponder check person. He only performs IFR level checks. He is found to be easy to work with and performs good work. Glenn felt he was reasonably priced for the work he performs. If you are interested, contact Glenn.

Jane Peters and Kelly Risley gave an update on the proposed northern Colorado general aviation airport. With the closing of the Ft. Collins Downtown Airport, Colorado Department of Transportation feels a need for a new airport in the northern Colorado area. The current site chosen is in the Wellington area (roughly north of Wellington, south of the Owl Canyon glider port, and west of I-25).

The airport has a proposed runway of 1.5 miles in length and wider than the old downtown runway. It is expected to handle corporate jets. The Wellington town council is behind this project and see it as a positive for future growth in Wellington.

The airport is in the feasibility study phase. Burgess Carter is slated to do the study which will be funded 95% by FAA, 2%-3% by CDOT, and the remainder by the pilot’s association. The pilot’s association wants this to be a grass roots effort with the money for their part coming from pilot’s donations. They would like to have many pilots contribute. The association has about $1500 but needs $5000. They are asking for donations for the remaining $3500. The study is to take 5 months with the pilot’s association to be billed $1000 per month. If you wish to help out, please contact Jane at flyingladyj@comcast.net.

Doug Dempsey has the program for next month and put some additional info on the board.

The April meeting will be held the 3rd of April at the FNL jet center.

Steve Boese of Laramie will be giving the presentation on his Mazda powered RV-6. The plan is for Steve to fly into the Jet center and pull the cowl so everyone can have a look. Doug encouraged anyone with a camera to bring it for pictures. The plan is for there to be some flying of the RV-6 with inspections until about 7:15. Steve will then present about 35 color slides of the system and 10 color graphs of various parameters. Steve will then allow inspection of the installation after the presentation and the engine has cooled.

Bring your own chairs for use during the presentation.

The formal program for the evening did not materialize so Jeff Mullens offered an impromptu presentation on electrical noise, the common sources, and how to minimize it. Jeff did a good job explaining a fairly technical subject off the cuff. The only bad part of the presentation was Jeff announcing he would be leaving the area and moving back to Minnesota. We wished Jeff good luck with the next phase of his life.

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FNL Open House Update
From Bill Cherry

At the FNL open house on the 4th of July, there are at least 3 ways that EAA 515 can participate:

A Young Eagles Day

This would need to be set up at the Eagles Air Hangar apron area, as quite a bit of the apron near the jet center will be roped off. Apparently the bombers (B-17, B-24) are going to fly early morning and late afternoon on July 4th, but will just be on static display during the core of the day.

A Booth

There will be booths set up for the public in the roped off area. EAA 515 could use a booth to show the good qualities of the EAA programs. Perhaps sign ups for the Young Eagles could be taken there.

Aircraft Static Display

Some experimental aircraft owners may want to display their aircraft and handicrafts.  There will be some guidelines coming out for this. Perhaps unusual aircraft or exceptional aircraft could be shown; something like the jet Berkut or an exceptionally well finished, painted RV would be good

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Supporting General Aviation in Northern Colorado

Your monetary support of the Wellington airport feasibility study is tax deductible.

Make checks payable to:	Town of Wellington
Note in Memo:	Airport Feasibility Study
Mail to:	Jane Peters 2807 Whitworth Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525
Questions:	Call Jane at (970) 223-1402

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New Instrument Panel

Check out Joe Copley's new instrument panel, rumored to have been made with the club's new hole cutter.

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New O-320-D1F For Sale
From Mike Stolle, Secretary EAA 800

What: Engine with mags, plugs, fuel pump, starter, carb, vacuum pump drive and is C/S prop capable.  The engine is still "pickled" as it came from Lycoming. 

Price: $24,950

Location: Grand Junction

Contact: emike107@msn.com, or 970.858.9740 (H), or 970.361.6659 (cell)

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Safety Thoughts
From the EAA Chapter 105 (Portland, Oregon) Newsletter

Article: Are You Blind?

Author: Len Kauffman

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EAA's Case Against User Fees

EAA is continuing to work with other general aviation organizations to oppose the FAA's proposal for funding the nation's air traffic control system. The funding plan, which reflects the advocacy of the powerful big-airlines lobby, would implement user fees and sharply increase fuel taxes to replace the current, time-tested system of excise taxes on aviation fuel and airline passengers. EAA and the other general aviation groups view this as nothing but a ploy by the airlines to offload more of their costs onto general aviation while grabbing more control of the nation's airspace. Meanwhile, their proposals would require the establishment of a new and potentially costly bureaucracy.

In the past 10 years, the airline industry received a $5 billion government bailout, a $10 billion loan guarantee program, and a shift of some pension obligations to the U.S. taxpayer. Now, as many airlines are experiencing a recovery, they want to jettison even more costs by imposing user fees on general aviation.

The airlines, represented by the Air Transport Association (ATA), falsely claim they pay more than 90 percent of all aviation taxes but make up only two-thirds of the operational activity in the system. Yet in the 35 airline hubs that receive the vast majority of FAA funds and resources, general-aviation operations account for only 6% of the total. For example, when general aviation was prohibited from operating at Washington D.C.'s Reagan National Airport in the wake of 9/11, overall ATC costs there were not affected.

However, the cost of the user fee proposals to participants in general aviation, including the many EAA members who enjoy personal flight as a pastime, would be sizable. The FAA's proposal includes new fees to pay for the costs of numerous certification and registration activities, such as: registering an aircraft ($130), replacing an aircraft registration ($45), issuing an original dealer's aircraft certificate ($130), issuing an additional aircraft certificate ($105), issuing/renewing a special registration number ($80/$50), recording a security interest ($130), recording a security interest in aircraft parts ($130), issuing or replacing an airman certificate ($50/$25), issuing an airman medical certificate ($42), and providing legal title opinions pertaining to aircraft transactions ($100).

And, of course, there's the potentially devastating 3.5-fold fuel tax increase, from 19.4¢ to 70¢ per gallon, and a series of other user fees for access to the nation's busiest airports.

The FAA maintains that its plan is essential for funding the creation of the next generation air traffic control system. Adding insult to injury, the concepts and proposals for accomplishing this modernization entail greater restrictions and costs for general-aviation operations.

Meanwhile, projected revenue from a user fee system in 2008 would be approximately $600 million less than the funds that would be raised by maintaining the current excise tax structure. The shortfall would persist, amounting to approximately $900 million less funding from 2009 to 2012.

Another reason why general aviation opposes user fees can be found north of the border, in Canada: Ten years ago, when the ATC system was established as a government corporation (NavCanada), light general aviation was exempted from ATC and airport user fees. Now, despite an appeal to the Canadian Transportation Agency, general aviation light aircraft operators will pay charges for the use of seven important airports (including several reliever facilities) for the first time. According to the Canadian Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the airline community is viewing this as just the beginning of general aviation paying user fees in Canada.

Even more extreme examples of user fees harming or practically killing general aviation in numerous other countries add to the condemning evidence. Common sense indicates that any initial user fee scheme will eventually trickle down and be imposed on all flight-related operations.

The FAA's proposal would also transfer control of agency funding and oversight away from Congress and dramatically reduce public control of how the FAA exercises its discretionary spending.

"EAA remains categorically opposed to user fees," said Doug Macnair, EAA vice president of government relations. "Such a system will not enhance safety and it will not improve services. It will add barriers for thousands of recreational aviators while being a costly burden to the federal government."

How, then, do the big airlines and the FAA attempt to justify such an imbalanced, unfair, and flawed proposal? Their rhetoric asserts that "fat cats" in private jets should pay more for using the nation's ATC and other services. But it conveniently overlooks the oppressive effects their proposals ultimately would have on average aviation enthusiasts like the members of a thousand EAA chapters across the nation. Those chapters are made up of people who already make sacrifices to afford their enjoyment of personal flight. They should not have to underwrite big businesses' use of, and attempts to commandeer, the nation's airspace.

What can you do? Write a letter or send a fax to Representative Wayne Allard and Senator Ken Salazar. For more information, see the EAA website (www.eaa.org).

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Looking for an EAA Tech Adviser
From Jason Rouault

I am building an RV-7A and have the empennage, wings, and part of the fuselage complete. The engine will be arriving soon. My first EAA Technical Adviser inspection was done by Dean Hall on my empennage quite some time ago. I think it is time for a second inspection. Since Dean is no longer advising on homebuilts, can some recommend a technical adviser in the area?

Thanks!

See the project, and contact Jason: http://www.rouault.us

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