lA.ots5 PtSvJtfu-CI+$5

s. c. sT{i[ ilEF r,nY

STI\, f i- ngclttrtE}tT S

PalmettcAUIAIIOT

VOLUME 34, NUMBER 5 Published by the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission

PcrlmettoBcrlloon Clcrssic

Conway show featuresaerobatics, fish fry

On Saturday, May 15th at 10:00A.M., North American Institute ofAviation and the Omar Shriners (Chef

Division) proudly present "Airshow82" at the Conway-Horry CountY Air-port. NAIA and the Shriners intend tomake this years show bigger and bet-ter than ever belore with some of thebest flying you'll ever see and best

food you'll ever eaI with an "EventFish Fry" heading the menu.

Featured performers this year are

led by Mr. Bob Russell, from Colum-bia, dean of South Carolina'sAerobatic Pilots. Seeing a highlY

modified Dehavilland "Super Chip-munk" powered by a 295Horsepower Engine with Bob at the

controls means you'll see low levelaerobatics flown to razor sharp preci-

sion. Bob's highly polished and pro-fessional flying techniques come fromthousands of flight hours and years oftraining and self discipline whichbegan while he was still a student at

Clemson University in the early 50's.Mr. Kim Pearson from Sumter will

be shetching his wings with us for thefirst time this year as a highlighter.This young featured performer will be

turning his Pitts S2-A Biplane insideout in a dazzling array of back to backaerobatic maneuvers guaranteed tokeep your gaze skyward.

Last, but far from least, Col. Bobby

Jonte of the Confederate Air Force,returns to demonstrate to an expectedcrowd of over 4,000 the ins and outsof crop dusting in his Piper Pawnee.As usual we expect Bobby, who hails

from Manning, and is a thoroughlyaccomplished aerobatic pilot, to havea few surprises for us.

Col. Larry Barton, Commander ofthe 354th Tactical Fighter Wing atMyrtle Beach Air Force Base, has

once again consented to seek AirForce approval for the participation ofA-10's in the days featured events.Their appearance last year was a realshow stopper and we look forward totheir return.

The South Carolina Army NationalGuard and U.S. Army AreaRecruiting Headquarters are arranging

for Helicopters and military parachutedemonstration teams. These profes-

sionals always steal the hearts and im-agination of the spectators.

Mr. Tom Bales of CarolinaSailplanes will be back to demonstratethe serenity and precision ofpowerless flight and will be joined,this year, by Mr. Jerry Austin whowill fly his "Ultra-Light" the latest in

back-to-basics aircraft.Joining us once again as show an-

nouncer will be Mr. Hugh Oldhamfrom Anderson. This fine professionalwill keep you spellbound with his run-ning commentary on the showsevents and as a pilot himself will ex-plain the fine points of every aerobaticmaneuver and each aircraft beingflown.

Mr. Wayne Weible and others willagain terminate their 16 mile run fromMyrtle Beach at the airshow in theirannual effort to raise money for theHeart Fund. Last year each par-

ticipating runner must have had a

$500.00 pledge to even qualify forthis grueling challenge. '}

BreakfastClub

The S.C. dreakfast Club will meetat the following airports for breakfastbeginning at 10 a.m.

May 16 John's lslandMay 30 Hogan's Field (across U.S.

76 fuom McEntire ANGbase)

June 13 SumterJune 20 Clemson-special meeting.

(All day program forfather's day)

June 27 House Movers field (south

of Batesburg on sectionalchart) .

July 4 Camden-special meetingcelebrating independenceday

PALMETTO AVIATION is anofficial publication of the SouthCarolina Aeronautics Commis-sion. It is designed to informmembers of the aviation com-munity, and others interested inaviation, of local developmentsin aviation and aviation facilitiesand to keep readers abreast ofnational and international trendsin aviation.

The Aeronautics Commissionis a state agency created in 1935by the S.C. General Assembly tofoster and promote air commercewithin the state.

Richard W. RileyGovernor

CommissionersJoseph Wilder, chairmanBarnwellRalph Schmidt, vice chairmanGreenvilleEdwin PearlstineCharlestonNorman J. ArnoldColumbiaMichael L. LaughlinAikenFred Eugene RachelsChesterFred G. EdwardsHemingway

StaffJohn W. HamiltonDirectorBill GoodwinEditor

Olft es at Columbra Mclofr.)hlan Arrp()rl

MarIng AddrersP O l)rawer l()l{7Columhra. 5 C 2(r2o2Phone lt{):J TirB a(}ll7

PalmettoBalloonClassic

Hot-air balloons will fill the skies overCamden, South Carolina on May 15, 1982as the Second Annual Palmetto BalloonClassic gets underway. The annual bdlloonfestival will be held this year at Camden'sfamed Springdale Course, home of theCarolina Cup steeplechase.

The initial Palmetto Balloon Classic was award-ed top honors at the recent Governor's Conferenceon Tourism and Travel as the Best Privately FinancedTourism Attraction in South Carolina for 1981.

The Classic will bring hot-air balloonists to Camden forthe annual "Hare and Hound" race, the Mass Ascension,and all the fun and games of Classic Day. Balloonists alreadyregistered for the Palmetto Balloon Classic include aeronautsfrom as far away as Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Missouri andColorado.

The Classic Day begins early on Saturday, May15, 1982, as the hot-airlballoons risewith the strn for the annual "Hareand Hound" balloon race. ,The"Calhoun Balloon" of pro-moter Ashley Calhoun willinflate and leave as therace's "hare" approximatelyfive minutes before the restof the balloonists, or"hounds". The winner ofthe accuracy race is theballoonist who maneauvershis balloon closest to the lan-

ding site of Calhoun.Thousands of dollars awaitsthe best balloonists as officialprize money.

The Mass Ascension of the hot-airballoons, termed one of the most"breathtaking sights in the South" willbe held Saturday afternoon. Other at-tractions on Classic Day includeskydivers, antique airplanes, musicalgroups, including a bluegrass band,plenty of food, and the old timeCounhy Fair. Additionally, the annualArts and Crafts show and sale adds tothe days festivities.

The Palmetto Balloon Classic's pro-moter is Ashley Calhoun of CarolinaBalloon Promotions of Columbia. Thesponsor for the event is the GreaterKershaw County Chamber of Commerce.

EVENTS

Hare and Hound Race.early morning

r Mass ascension of allballoons, late afternoon

e bluegrass band

o arts and crafts fair. parachuting exhibition

o shag contest. antique airplanes

r hot dogs, box lunches,refreshments

o novelties, badges, balloonsr county fair

Ashley Calhoun is one aeronautthat's pumped up about the

upcoming Palmetto Balloon Classic.Calhoun will be the "hare" in the hare

and hound race at this year's classic."Last year's was nice.

There were about 19 balloonsparticipating, I think. But we're

hoping for 30 to 50 this year," he said.This year the classic will be held at the

Springdale race course. "lt was at HistoricCamden last year. That was not a bad place,

but it was a little crowded," he said.Calhoun says there will be a full day of events,

from concessions to.crafts to parachuting exhibi-tions. He says that one of the side effects of

moving the fun to the race track will hopefully be theidea that - like the steeplechase races - the balloon rally

is an all-day tailgate picnic affair.And if he gets half of the tentative committments already received

it will certainly last an entire afternoon."W€'ve had inquiries from Minnesota, Texas, Florida and Ken-tucky, among other places," he said. "We hope to get Gilley's

balloon, the one that advertises Gilley's bar in Houston.Calhoun has been spreading the word during the last few weeks

at various events around the state.

Among the promotions at the classic will be advertising sponsor-ships where a local business can sponsor a balloon in the race.

"For a fee, the business will get its banner on the balloon, sort oflike NASCAR sponsorships," he explained. I

Jammed shockabsorber isblamed inThunderbirdsfatal crash

The chain reaction crash which kill-ed four Air Force Thunderbirds inJanuary has been blamed on a jamm-ed shock absorber, according to AirForce investigators.

Gen. W.L. .Creech, commander ofthe Tactical Air Command, said theproblem in the lead plane was not ap-parent to the pilot, Maj. NormanLowry, until he tried to pull from thebackwards loop.

The other three pilots, flying inclose formation and keying onLowry's aircraft did not realize whatwas happening until too late andfollowed Lowry's plane into theground, the general said.

The accident occurred Jan. 18 as

the precision flight team, flying T-38Talon jets, practiced at Indian Springsauxiliary airfield, 40 miles from NellisAir Force Base near Las Vegas, Nev.

"The leader in no way contributedto this accident," Creech said.

Lowry had 3,326 flight hours and265 combat missions, as well as 97aerobatics sorties with the Thunder-

Does August 3, 1981 ring a bell?That is when PATCO went on strikecausing an abrupt halt to the flow ofair traffic throughout the United Statesresulting in a restructuring of the FAAAir Traffic Control System. A lot ofchanges have occurred since then thatelfect everyday flight operations forboth civilian and military aircraft. AGeneral Aviation Reservation (GAR)

system was developed, more em-phasis was placed on the use of VFRflight, and military controllers weredeployed throughout the UnitedStates to assist the FAA. Thedevelopment of the GAR system andthe increased emphasis on VFR flighthave greatly increased the number of

birds, including 513 loops.The front half of the loop was

perfect, Creech said, but on the backside Lowry could not move his

horizontal stabilizers to the properangle becuase the stabilizers' loadrelief cylinder - basically a shock ab-sorber - was jammed.

Lowry had both hands on the con-trol stick on impact, apparently tryingto move the stabilizers, Creech said.A pilot normally has one hand on thethrottle, where the radio button is,also indicating that Lowry lacked timeto warn the other pilots, the generalsaid.

With the investigation complete, theAir Force will fill the vacancies left bythe four deaths. The team will alsoswitch to F-16 fighters and will beready to deploy with a regularsquadron in case of war, Creech said.

BYCaptain Mike Ryder

1200 transponder codes on the radarscopes throughout the United States.South Carolina is no different, thenumber of VFR flights in the statehave increased appreciably. The ap-proach of summer and good flyingweather will further increase thenumber of VFR flights in SouthCarolina. Keeping this in mind, the"See and Avoid" concept as outlinedin FAR Parf 9l.67 becomes very im-portant and must be applied to assuresafe flow of air traffic.

There are a lot of things the VFRpilot can do to help guarantee a safeflight from point A to point B. First ofall, any pilot should thoroughly reviewthe sectional aeronautical charts prior

There will be no Thunderbird per-formances through mid-August orlater, Creech said. "We hope to be

back up at the end of the year," hesaid.

A videotape of the accident showedthat the horizontal stabilizers movedonly from 4.3 degrees to 7 degrees,when a loop recovery normally wouldhave them positioned at 17 degrees.

Also, the relief cylinder on Lowry'splane indicated tension - from hispull against the jammed mechanism

- while the cylinders on the otherplanes did not.

The investigators think thatwhatever jammed the cylinder couldhave been jarred loose and migratedduring moments of weightlessness atthe very top of the loop, Creech said.+

'See and avoid'even more important now

to flight to become familiar with allairports and control zones they maybe flying over. Additionally, take a

Iong look at the military bases thatconduct extensive jet training daily.Aircraft from these bases use thevarious military operating areas(MOAs) , restricted areas, and lowlevel training routes throughout thestate. It is most imperative that a piloton a VFR flight. not under the controlof an approach control facility, beaware of the possible conflicts withlow flying, high speed, camouflaged,jet aircraft!

After a pilot has completed his flightpranning and takes

T;#:) :i:::" ,

In Searchof BuriedTreasure

Greenland. The world's largestisland, almost completely coveredwith a permanent ice cap. A barrenland of icebergs, jagged mountainsand often fierce winds. Not exactlyone's idea of Treasure Island.

But to an adventurous Atlanta FBOand three friends, this icy land is justthat - a treasure island. Because insoutheastern Greenland, buried under40 years of snow and ice, are six rareWorld War ll P-38 fighter planes.They hope to recover them this sum-mer after more than a year's effort.

The fearless foursome includes PatEpps, president of Epps Air Service.Other members are pilots Russ Rajaniand Roy Degan, partners in a com-pany which searches for vintageplanes around the world and restoresthem to usable condition, and RichardTaylor, an Atlanta architect.

Epps Air Service, operates out ofDeKalb Peachtree Airport, Georgia'ssecond busiest. The FBO has thelargest flight training operation inGeorgia, although its primary businessis maintaining and servicing transientcorporate aircraft and 200 aircraft bas-ed on the field. Professional Pilotmagazine's readers ranked the FBO as

one of the country's top 20 for 1981.Pat Epps said he became interested

in the Greenland expedition. "Aboutfour years ago, Russ came to see meand said there were six P-38 fighterplanes in Greenland and asked if I

were interested in recovering them. I

said, 'No, not really.' Then in the spr-ing of 1981, I was talking to acustomer who had just bought a newLear jet. I was telling him how much I

admired his plane and he said, 'Yeah,but I've always wanted a P-38.' And,ding! A little bell went off in myhead."

The planes they hope to recoverwere part of a U.S. Air Force flight

bound for Europe in 1942. Theplanes, after receiving false directionsfrom a German U-boat, got lost inbad weather. They were forced toland on Greenland's ice cap when thefighters ran low on fuel. The pilotswere rescued, but the P-38s were lettbehind.

Nearly 10,000 P-38s weremanufactured by Lockheed duringWorld War II, but today only five arestill flying. They are worth hundredsof thousands of dollars each.

The fighters, all "low-time" planes,may be buried under more than 20feet of snow, geologists estimate. Ac-cording to photos, the aircraft sufferedlittle, if any, structural damage duringtheir landing. Experts believe theplanes have been preserved by thefrigid Arctic temperatures.

After talking to several pilots of the1942 mission and sifting throughmounds of Air Force and CoastGuard records, Russ Rajani determin-ed the downed planes'coordinates.All are within three miles of eachother.

Verifying these coordinates was thepurpose of the group's first trip toGreenland in July, 1981.

"We also wanted to talk to the peo-ple, stay on the ice cap, see how coldit was and try to predict any futureproblems," continues Richard Taylor.

And judging from the men'sanimated discussion, the four-day,three-night trip was the experiencethey were looking for.

"What a fantastic place!" exclaimsRajani. "No noise at all. You can talkto someone a mile away."

As the words tumble out, they ex-citedly tell about leaning overcrevasses to take pictures, digging ahole for their dining room, or "con-versation pit," and their spacious liv-ing quarters - a four-man tent!

But the best part of the trip, theyall agree, was comparing 1942 and1981 landscape photos to verify thegeneral location of the aircraft. "Weknow now that we're looking in theright area," says Epps.

A second expedition was attemptedin October to find out how muchsnow buried each plane. But becauseof violent weather in Greenland, thetrip was aborted.

But the men say they've learned alot from their visit to Greenland."We've learned that you don't goagainst the grain when it Comes toweather," says Epps. "And if youneed a nail," adds Rajani, "You betterbe sure you bring one. It's not likejust going down the road to get it."

This story doesn't have an ending

- yet.The group plans to return toGreenland this Juty to dig out theplanes, fly at least four of them hometo Atlanta, and load the others ontobarges. They're currently looking forinvestors to help defray some of thecosts. But the enthusiasm still flieshigh among the men. As RichardTaylor says, "We expect there's a

chance of doing all of this and payingfor it with the sale of the airplanes." *

Seaplane meetset for Junein New York

The Seaplane Association is co-sponsoring a June meet atSpeculator, New York to include con-tests, seminars, flight reviews andspecial speakers.

The weekend event, June lI, 12,and 13, at nearby Camp of theWoods, will include a manufacturers'display area, an aerial rescue contest,spot landing competition, presenta-tions on seaplane home-builts ar,dother events.

Oscar Bakke, former FAA official,will present a feature on fail-safedesign.

Transportation to Camp of theWoods from Piseco Airport will befurnished for landplane pilots.Seaplane parking and ramp space areadjacent to the park. An FAAweather briefer will be on-site.

Further information is available fromthe Chamber of Commerce,Speculator, at telephone (518)548-4521.

Other sponsors include theChamber of Commerce, SeaplaneOperators of Northern New York, theSeaplane and Float Manufacturers'Association, the Ninety-Nines and theAlbany General Aviation District Of-fice. *

Cant Reach F55?n When the FSS Phone is Busy, use an 800 Number

to Call Another in the Arean Before Calling FSS, Have Your Proposed Route in Handn Plan for Lower Altitudes, Off-Peak Hour Departures

and Avoid Busy ARTC CentersI List Data Needed Before Calling

(NOTAMS, Winds Aloft, etc.)o Keep FSS Calls Short

. . ,\,:r,tru:

AOPA to form divisionfor ultralight members

The Aircraft Owners and PilotsAssociation is forming an UltralightDivision and will integrate this growingsegment of flying into its membership.

AOPA President John L. Bakersaid the association is responding toan approach from the ultralightcommunity.

"Whatever a person flies," Bakersaid. "there is a need for informationand understanding of all other avia-tion activities." He added that AOPAalready has the broadest spectrum ofmembership of any aviationassociation.

The AOPA Air Safety Foundationnow is conducting a feasibility studyinto issuing ultralight pilot certificatesand establishing a central registry forthe vehicles. Dissemination of safetyinformation, standardized training andproduct reporting are also beingstudied.

Baker said that members of theultralight community who have beenactive in the United States HangGlider Association approached AOPA

about representing their interests. "Webelieve there is a commonality of in-terests and a need for closercommunications. "

He said the association is nowdeveloping the full program for theUltralight Division. "Although therewill be some unique needs of thesepilots, most can be served through theregular structure of the association."

It will be several weeks, he said,before the full extent of activities ofthe Ultralight Division will be finalized."We can say this, the ultralight pilotwill not feel like an outsider at AOPAand the FAA certificated pilot willhave a better understanding of thisrapidly-growing community and willgain from the added support of thesenew members toward solving com-mon problems."

AOPA currently has a membershipexceeding 260,000. Baker said theassociation has no firm estimates nowas to the number of ultralight pilotsAOPA expects to enroll. *

Low levelexercise set

week of May 10The 354th Tactical Fighter Wing

(TFW). Myrtle Beach AFB will con-duct the second of its programmedseries of low level training exercisesthe week of May 10th.

General avaiation pilots are againasked to be extra viglliant whenoperating in the eastern portions ofthe state. Pilots should be extremelycautious in the vicinity of theGamecock C Military Operating Area(MOA). A-10 Thunderbolt Il flight ac-tivity in this area will be heavy fromsunrise to sunset.

Pilots using Andrews orHemingway-Stuckey Airports shouldcontact Myrtle Beach Approach Con-hol on 1L9.2lor haffic advisories.This important radio call will provideyou with traffic in{ormation on militaryflights in your area, and, it will alertthe military pilots to your presence.

Other areas of heavy A-10 activitywill include the Gamecock I MOA andthe restricted area R-6002 south ofShaw AFB. The majority of A-10 ac-tivity will be 1500 feet AGL andbelow. Other aircraft participating inthe exercise include 0-2 Sky masters,A-7 and F-4 jet fighters and HH-2and UH-l helicopters. *

More than $2.4 million raisedfor EAA aviation center

Wisconsin Governor Lee Dreyfusrecently told 60 corporate, media,and community leaders that the EAAAviation Foundation's $10 million en-dowment for a new aviation center inOshkosh deserves national support.

In an address at the MilwaukeeAthletic CIub, Dreyfus told the StateCampaign Executive Committee thatthe Experimental Aircraft Associationand the EAA Aviation Foundationwere part of the "cutting edge" forwhich the state was reknowned infields of endeavor such as industry,labor, management and education.

Dreyfus said what EAA does is im-portant and exciting to Wisconsin.

"lt ought to be preserved, ought tobe expanded and ought to be kepthere because this is the place wheremany of the experiments in terms ofexciting new ideas are generated forthis whole country," said Dreyfus.

When completed in 1983, the newaviation center will be the interna-

tional focal point will be the interna-tional focal point for aviation andhome to the largest non-governmentalsupported aviation collection in theworld.

Foundation president, TomPoberezny, said $2.4 million alreadyhad been received and pledged sincefund-raising efforts began in August.

The national campaign is beingheaded by Senator Barry Goldwater(R-AZ).

Included on the 24-member sleer-ing committee are golfer ArnoldPalmer, race car driver JohnnyRutherford, and John W. Joanis,chairman of Sentry Life InsuranceCompany.

The EAA and EAA Aviation Foun-dation's co-sponsored Annual Fly-lnConvention in Oshkosh is scheduledfor July 31-Aug. 7. More than500,000 people are expected at theworld's largest aviation event. *

'See and avold' .continued from page 4

may be further enhanced by re-questing stage services from thevarious air traffic control facilities.However, keep in mind that stage ser-vices will be provided "only when traf-fic loads permit". Unfortunately thePATCO controller strike affected allFAA facilities in South Carolina: addi-tionally, most military ATC facilitieshave deployed controllers to bolsterthe FAA. The resulting limited mann-ing at some facilities has reduced theavailability of stage services.

Because of the lingering effects ofthe PATCO controllers strike, therewill undoubtly be an increase of un-controlled aircraft in the skies thissummer. If it is to be a safe summer itis imperative that all pilots make thatextra effort in flight planning and inflight to avoid situations of potentialconflict with other aircraft. *

SOUTH CAROLINAAERONAUTICS COMMISSIONP.O. Drawer 1987Columbia, South Carolina 29202

BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDColumbia, S.C.PERMIT NO. 75

Commission concerned over effortsto eliminate airport grass cutting

The South Carolina AeronauticsCommission expressed concernrecently over efforts by the GeneralAssembly to stop the cutting ofgrass at airports around the state.

Commission chairman JoeWilder said a proviso had been in-serted into the 1982-83 appropria-tions bill that would eliminate thegrass cutting services by the state.In the past, state Aeronautics Com-mission personnel have cut grass at44 airpofts. The grass cutting is ahigh priority safety item since iteliminates.bird nesting sites nearairports.

Wilder said he felt the provisohad been inserted in the money billbecause of a "misunderstanding."He said efforts will be made tohave the proviso removed whenthe bill comes up for debate in theSenate.

Wilder said there is sentimentamong lawmakers that the state notbe in the airport grass cuttingbusiness. However, he said, mostcounties in the state don't have theequipment to cut the tall, toughgrasses and he expressed the hopethat, if the legislature insisted oneliminating the grass cutting, thatthey at least give enough time for

the local governments to developthe capability themselves.

The grass cutting discussion sur-faced during the April meeting ofthe Commission in Columbia.Commission director John W.Hamilton noted that the agencyhad been trying to get new,hydraulically powered mowers formore than two years. The cutterspresently used by the Commissionare belt driven models designed in1935. Money which was to be us-ed to buy new mowers has beenfrozen by the state bond committeeuntil conditions stabilize in the bondmarket.

Hamilton also expressed thehope that if the legislaturereinstated the grass cutting service,it would make available enoughmoney to cut grass at every airportin the state.

"We would like to provide thesame service for everyone," hesaid.

In other business at the meeting,Gordon Barrington, public affairsmanager for Delta Airlines spoke tothe Commission. He noted that re-cent advertising by commuterairlines had criticised Delta'sfamous "Atlanta connection." But,

he said, Columbians were fortunateto have a major hub so close. As aresult, they have a wider choice ofservice and times to choose fromthan people who don't have a ma-jor hub nearby.

Barrington said Columbia couldbecome a commuter hub, but cau-tioned the Commission that theroute structure must be set upcarefully. He said Commuters shouldfeed the truck carriers, not competewith them.

In other action, the Commissionreceived as information a letterfrom the FAA concerning the Spar-tanburg Tower. The FAA tem-porarily closed the tower last yearand was trying to close itpermanently.

The FAA apparently receivedcomments from citizens opposingthe closing because the agencysaid, "We have elected to delayany further action on the proposalto permanently decommissionSpartanburg tower. ."

However, the letter went on tosay the FAA would reassess thesituation later this year and make a

decision on the tower's future then.+