Orphaned Comanche
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APRIL 2015 VOLUME 42, NO. 4 The Official Membership Publication of The International Comanche Society CONVERT TO CURRENT NEXT GENERATION POWER-IN-A-BOX Truth is, your old generator is tired. And while you’ve had many great years together, it’s time to modernize to a safer, more reliable charging system, capable of maintaining the main ship battery at its peak. Plane-Power has the answer, with the most complete boxed alternator conversion kits available. Gear- or belt-driven and robustly powerful at low RPMs, we have a cool- running solution to feed any power need. 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Managing Editor Melissa Frisbie E-mail: [email protected] CONTENTS Senior Advertising Director John Shoemaker 2 Letter from the President Bob Cretney (800) 773-7798 Fax: (231) 946-9588 E-mail: [email protected] From the Logbook Advertising Administrative Assistant 4 Trading Post & Classified Advertising Voyage to Madagascar — Part Three Stephan Hodgson Betsy Beaudoin Ph: (800) 773-7798, Fax: (231) 946-9588 10 ICS Membership Form Email: [email protected] 12 ICS and Tribe Officers Graphic Design Brandon Hoffman Board of Directors, E-mail: [email protected] Tribe Chiefs & Tribe Representatives Printer ICS Standing Committees Village Press 2779 Aero Park Drive 13 Traverse City, MI 49685-0629 Maintenance Resource Advisors www.villagepress.com CFF-Trained CFIs President: ICS Tool Loan Program Bob Cretney, ICS #2269, SC Tribe 428 McDaniel Rd, Ferris, TX 75125 Online Intelligence Cell: (214) 725-6584 14 Email: [email protected] AFMS for S-TEC 60 Vice President Feature Berl Grant, ICS #10704, NC Tribe 426 Mutton Creek Drive, Seymour, IN 47274 20 Orphaned Comanche Steve Zaboji Ph: (812) 522-2587 Convention News Secretary: Ron Keil, ICS #7001 24 2015 Convention LaVerne Stroh 1135 Christine Dr., Lapeer, MI 48446 Ph: (810) 406-2065 Cell: (810) 834-0168 26 Registration Form Email: [email protected] Treasurer: 32 ICS Items for Sale Pat Donovan, ICS #12246, MS Tribe 421 Piper Ct., Troy, MO 63379 34 Comanche Joe Phone: (636) 462-8370 Email: [email protected] 36 From the Tribe Chiefs CFF President: (non-voting) 37 Map of Tribe Boundaries Mike Foster, ICS #14077, SC Tribe 970 Flightline Dr., Spring Branch, Texas 78070 39 Cell: (210) 701-6795 ICS Name Badge Order Form Email: [email protected] Feature Maintenance Resource Advisors & ICS Tool Loan Program Contact 40 Needs your Stories, Tips and Tricks! (located on Page 13) Feature The Comanche Flyer (ISSN 08994223, USPS 2-324) is available to members; the $25 annual subscription 42 The Infamous Cracked Main Charles Littwin rate is included in the Society’s Annual Membership Landing Gear Strut Housing dues in US funds below. Comanche Flyer is published monthly by Village Press 46 Comanche Classifieds U.S., Canada, Mexico One year $72, Two years $136 47 Advertisers’ Index UK, Europe, Asia & Africa One year $98, Two years $188 48 Last Laugh All Other Countries One year $86, Two years $164 Spousal Members [Editor’s Note: In the March 2015 issue, there was a misprint in Steve Zaboji’s article, One year $36, Two years $72 “Orientation = Presence = Stabilized Approach = SAFE LANDING.” On page 20, Cover Photo Stephan Hodgson’s Comanche 260 Turbo C third column at the bottom: “... 30 degree radial 9 of the waypoint (airport) ...” Copyright Notice — the “9” should not be there. I apologize for any confusion it may have caused.] The act of making a submission for publication is an express warranty that such contribution does not infringe on the rights or copyright of others. Nothing appearing in the Comanche Flyer shall be reproduced or distributed without the express permission of the publisher. INTERNATIONAL Postmaster Send address changes to the above address. COMANCHE Periodical postage paid at Traverse City, MI 49686 SOCIETY, INC. APRIL 2015 Comanche Flyer • 1 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Welcome to the April issue of the Comanche Flyer. he visibility is one mile in opinion, as time moves on, this effort snow as I write this letter will be required for the survival the from my office, south of Comanche and ICS. Dallas, Texas. What is wrong T ICS should make every effort to with this picture? Spring is supposed support this process. Group pur- to be here! For me, it really doesn’t chases of avionics, paint, interiors, matter, as my Comanche is still in the large maintenance items, and financ- shop getting its face-lift prior to paint. ing would provide the avenue for our From time to time the subject comes members to achieve this goal. In turn, up regarding the future of Comanche as this ICS support gets the younger Aircraft and the future of ICS. The group involved in the Comanche, they 30-plus-year-old pilot who generates perpetuate the organization. an income which will support a $200K aircraft is usually not interested in the Examples of these upgrades include Comanche, due to its dated avionics, Lee Hussy’s 400, Dave Lessnick’s 250, paint and interior. If those issues were Marvin Wade’s 250, Av Shiloh’s C Model commensurate to today’s leading edge 260, Bill Schaeffer’s PA-30, Alan and production aircraft, the Comanche per- Kate Burrows’ C Model PA-30, and the formance statistics would make it a latest, Ed Pepper’s C model PA-30, purchase option for that type of indi- which should be at OSH this summer. vidual. The last few years have seen I’m sure I’ve missed other members a number of ICS members upgrade who have totally renovated and mod- their aircraft in this manner. In my ernized their Comanches — please Comanche Flyer Submission Guidelines All members are encouraged to submit articles for publication in Although submissions are reviewed for technical accuracy, the the Comanche Flyer. If you have an article about a maintenance event, information in this magazine is meant for reference only. Any trip, piloting technique, or anything else pertinent to Comanche modifications, alterations, or major repairs to U.S. aircraft require ownership, please share it with your fellow members. FAA-approved data as a basis for beginning work, and as such should not be based solely on information contained in this magazine. The For those with access to the Internet, please submit the article International Comanche Society does not endorse any piloting via e-mail, preferably in Microsoft Word. You may also include the adverse to published FAA regulations. article in the body of your e-mail message. Include your full name, as you would like it published, and your ICS number. Submissions are subject to editing and revision unless specifi- cally requested to be published as submitted. The right is reserved Please attach digital pictures, if applicable, in jpeg format. to publish or not, any submission. For best results, use the highest resolution setting your camera will allow. Photo files under 500 kb in size typically do not Deadline for all submissions is the 20th of the month, approxi- reproduce well. mately 40 days prior to month of publication. Send to: Melissa Frisbie, Managing Editor at [email protected] Articles and photos may also be sent via U.S. Mail to: Melissa Frisbie • 125 N. Turnberry St., Wichita, KS 67230 2 • Comanche Flyer APRIL 2015 accept my apologies. The point is, with Museum (CWAM) at LNC will be • The ICS Spring Board Meeting less investment than would be made in used for ground school. The Dallas (SBM) will be held in Santa Fe, a used new generation airplane, you area provides a variety of different New Mexico, April 18, 2015. We will can have a comparable Comanche with types of airports in close proxim- use Landmark Aviation at the Santa more payload, range, lower operating ity to LNC, as well as many open, Fe Municipal Airport (SAF) as the costs, and room. We just need to get uncongested areas for flight train- FBO and the Doubletree by Hilton that message out to the flying public. ing. Fuel at LNC is some of the for rooms and the board meeting. In Look for a great article by Comanche lowest in Texas and maintenance is addition to meeting old friends and Flyer contributing writer, Steve Zaboji, available, if needed. A great speaker gaining new ones, you will learn a on Ed’s plane in the April AOPA Pilot will address us at the Saturday lot about ICS and the issues that Magazine. This is an excellent example Night dinner. generate what you, as a member, of how to do it. experience. • The 2015 Annual Convention will Last but not least, read the As I've mentioned in previous be held June 17-20 in Oklahoma “Orphaned Comanche” article in this issues, the following upcoming events City. Each issue of the Flyer will issue. It is a heartwarming story that are worth noting and ones you should contain updated information about describes the spirit and type of people really consider attending: the convention, attractions and who make up ICS.