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AE S RONAUTIC Spring 2011 Serving Idaho’s Aviation Community for over 60 Years Vol 57, Issue 2 The Amazing Rescue of Fango 45 By: William C. Miller, with Frederic M. Wilson and Michael P. McGrath On 8 April 1982, the following crew conversation takes place inside FANGO 43, an Idaho Air National Guard (ANG) RF-4C flying a twilight low-level radar mission over eastern Oregon: 43 PILOT: “Ground speed set at 480.” 43 Weapons Systems Officer (WSO): “Okay, turn right to two- zero-three.” 43 PILOT: “Steady two-zero-three.” 43 WSO: “Okay, come one-half left and hold that.” 43 PILOT: “Rawj.” 43 WSO: “Clear your clock. After we Idaho Air National Guard RF-4Cs. Photo courtesy of Bill Miller. hack, turn left two-zero-three and hold that ‘till we cross the target. 43 PILOT: “Mike, that’s Fred, and over there to join up? He really Ready, ready—Hack!” he’s in big trouble! We’re needs our help.” 43 PILOT: “My clock’s runnin’; I’m abandoning this low-level, and I’m SLC: “FANGO 43, squawk ident. turning to two-zero-three…okay; headin’ over that way right now; Radar contact, 105 west of Boise.” steady on!” coming to a two-two-zero heading.” 43: “Roger. He’s probably heading 43 WSO: “We’ll cross the target at toward Boise; should be around fifty-two seconds. Then climb FANGO 43 was about 20 miles east 250 knots.” straight ahead to 7,300 feet, switch of FANGO 45, and their new SLC: “Okay FANGO 43, I’ve got a to TAO, make a 45-degree-bank southwesterly heading would quickly 4300 squawk in that vicinity, left turn to one-eight-five.” put them close to FANGO 45, who bearing two-zero-zero for 21.” 43 PILOT: “Okay …. There’s forty- indeed needed help. They radioed Salt 43: “Okay, that should be him; five seconds ….” Lake Center (SLC) for radar assistance thanks. When we join up, we’ll 43 WSO: “The IR’s comin’ on. We in locating the distressed FANGO 45 keep you advised.” should be over the target right and to aid in a rapid join up. now…Okay, now start your climb 43: “Salt Lake Center, FANGO 43; FANGO 45 had also been flying a to 7,300 feet and switch to …” 100 northwest of Boise.” low-level mission, traveling at 480 knots (RADIO CALL ON DISTRESS SLC: “FANGO 43, Salt Lake, go groundspeed in a low-level training CHANNEL) “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, ahead.” corridor and had taken a 20-pound MAYDAY! FANGO 45, MAYDAY, 43: “We just heard a Mayday from Tundra Swan in their left windscreen, MAYDAY. 150 MILES WEST OF FANGO 45, he’s about 150 west BOISE HAS A BIRD STRIKE. of Boise; reported a bird strike. See Fango 45 MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY!” Can you see him and vector us Continued on page 14 INSIDE Airport System Plan ........ 2 Radio Chatter ................. 4 Color of Aviation..............10 Training ...........................3 Barefoot Bandit .............. 6 Calendar of Events...........12 Airport System Plan Gains National Honor By: ITD Transporter Staff The Recognition of Idaho’s Airport airport System Plan, completed in 2010, system plan reached new heights recently when it was funded earned a national award from the by a Federal American Council of Engineering Aviation Companies (ACEC). The plan that will Administra- guide future investments in Idaho’s tion grant airport system, received ACEC’s 2011 and was Engineering Excellence Award in completed national competition – the “Academy by Awards” of the engineering industry. consultant Wilbur The National Recognition Award is Smith Director Brian Ness and Aeronautics’ Bill Statham a “prestigious distinction for projects Associates. accept ACEC award for ITD. that demonstrate exceptional achieve- Aeronautics project manager Bill annual economic impact of $2.9 billion ment in engineering.” ITD was formally Statham began working with consultants on the state’s economy. recognized during a program and dinner in 2008 to develop the study, which April 1st in Washington, D.C. also included T-O Engineers, HDR and Idaho’s ACEC chapter selected the ES Engineering. airport system plan for one of its annual awards in 2011. The honor was formally The Rudder Flutter is published by the Idaho Division of Aeronautics, Office of Safety and Education. Articles The goal of the plan was to “provide presented at the 2011 Engineering appearing in this publication are the opinion of the a blueprint to ensure that Idaho’s future Excellence Awards luncheon at Boise writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Staff, the Administrator, or the Department. All system of airports meets the state’s needs in April. reasonable attempts are made to ensure the accuracy as viewed at a macro or top-down of the articles contained herein. The Rudder Flutter is published quarterly. All articles must be submitted to perspective,” according to the executive this office for review. summary. “This approach allows each airport’s role in the system, its Idaho Transportation Department demand for Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter aviation, and its Director Brian Ness infrastructure to be Administrator John “JV” DeThomas evaluated in this Aeronautics Advisory Board larger context.” Chairman Rodger Sorensen Members Chip Kemper, Scott Patrick, According to Dan Scott, and Mark Sweeney the comprehensive Division of Aeronautics study, 75 Idaho 3483 Rickenbacker St., Boise, ID 83705 airports are located Website: http://www.itd.idaho.gov, Ph: 208.334.8775 within a 30-minute Rudder Flutter Editor: Frank Lester drive of 89 percent Email: [email protected] of the state’s Assistant Editors: Tammy Schoen population. It also Email: [email protected]; Laura indicates that Adams, Email: [email protected] Graphic Design: Pauline Davis Idaho’s airport Email: [email protected] system is a significant contributor to the state’s economy, accounting for approximately 23,000 jobs, with an annual payroll of about $718.5 million. Airports have an estimated Page 2 Rudder Flutter Training Made to Order By: Aka Evans that I would soon The story of boy meets plane is an be overwhelmed if old one. The sequel is boy meets flight he didn’t intercede. instructor, which can have either a “This is your pleasant ending or a sad one. Although airspeed indicator, the outcome depends largely on the pilot, your altimeter is in reality, the instructor plays a dramatic here, RPM is here, role in the future enjoyment and the and I’ll monitor safety of both pilot and public below. engine temps and pressures until you Paul Leadabrand of Stick and Rudder are familiar with the Aviation is the sequel with the pleasant layout,” he said. ending, the one to call when you need The arrangement to learn the characteristics of the Kitfox. worked well and I I know, because I bought a Kitfox and understood the asked Paul to show me the ropes. What basics. Kitfox Super Sport - Photo courtesy of Aka Evans. he showed me was a treasure box of capabilities, and a simple line of thinking Because I already held a tail dragger Turning toward an airstrip, Paul again for staying safe and having fun. endorsement, my training would focus took the controls and demonstrated the on safe handling of the aircraft during landing approach with a simple set of Unfortunately, when I called Paul, I takeoff and landing. We moved onto the linear instructions, “We’re shooting for hadn’t visited his website and didn’t active runway while Paul handled the 65 mph in the descent with the power have a clue about what his company radio. Paul made the initial takeoff and at idle. We use power to adjust the offered other than Kitfox-specific turned us toward the practice area. He descent and the round out in the final training. It soon became clear that one then gave me the airplane and said, “Play phase of the flare.” I was really enjoying of the features of his training schedule with it.” My timid movements probably myself. I was learning, and I was flying. is … your schedule: What do you want gave him the impression that I was and when do you want it? When I told intimidated by the shiny new airplane The Kitfox is not the plane I learned him about my “short window,” he and the video-arcade cockpit display. in. The flight characteristics and overall answered with a time frame that would Giving me a series of instructions, he performance were so different that it work for both of us. His specific goal encouraged me to get to “know” the seemed almost foreign. In spite of the was getting me checked out so I could airplane, and then I started to have fun. learning curve, Paul made me feel like fly my plane. His cockpit manners gave me great a pilot, relieving my tension at flying a confidence and I couldn’t have enjoyed truly high performance airplane. Let’s When I flew in to Boise, Paul had the instruction more. face it, power to weight ratio is not an already arranged for my hotel and unfathomable concept to understand, provided me ground transportation. It was time to get to work, so we and the Kitfox has a lot of power for After about an hour of gentle probing headed for a wide canyon to practice a its weight. conversation about my experience (70 technique designed to teach ground hours in a J-3 cub), we drove to his reference and altitude control. “Stay My first takeoff was exciting as I hangar and climbed into his pristine, above the canyon rim and fly the middle allowed a wing to come up during the made-to-order Series 7 Kitfox Super so you can get used to controlling speed ground roll, flying the craft on one Sport.

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