Letters from our December 2018 issue

I enjoyed Alton K. Marsh’s recent article about the B–29s Fifi and Doc (“Memories from the Superfortress”). Fifi made a somewhat unplanned two-day visit to my home field (SWO) in September 2011. On short notice I asked the ground support group about a tour for my son’s Boy Scout troop. They most graciously arranged that special tour and allowed the boys to climb inside and look around. The boys were very impressed, but the adult sponsors loved it, too.

As a pilot I had to check this off my list of “things I’d like to do someday.” So I bought a ride in Fifi sitting on the left side just behind the aircraft commander’s seat. What an incredible flight! And to highlight the entire experience I got to meet Charles Chauncey after the flight. I still treasure the Fifi ball cap that he autographed for me. I did not know he had passed away until I read Marsh’s article. I’m very grateful for men like that and to the Commemorative Air Force for preserving these amazing aircraft.

Bill Arrington
AOPA 917185
Stillwater, Oklahoma

Wakeup call

I want to thank Catherine Cavagnaro for her insight on wake turbulence (“Proficiency: In the Vortex”). I am one of those who took the concept of vortex generation in the Aeronautical Information Manual at face value. A bit of reflection however, would have easily revealed the truth. It’s obvious that vortices are generated as soon as air moves over the wing. The only magic in the rotation point is that it is (approximately) where the lift becomes greater than the weight of the aircraft. Reading her article made me question what other erroneous aeronautic dogma I’ve been practicing.

David Fisichella
AOPA 8979607
Falmouth, Massachusetts

Easy does it

I recommend you add a bold-text tip to your ADS-B rebate validation test flight webpages and articles (“ADS-B: FAA’s ADS-B Rebate Returns”) as follows: Do not perform aggressive maneuvers on your rebate validation flight.

I had a L-3 Lynx NGT-9000 installed in my Cessna 172K in 2017 and did my validation flight above 10,000 feet. I killed time at altitude by doing turns around a point and flying square patterns. Got home and downloaded the report to find out I failed! The shop found the system working perfectly, so on a second flight I flew search pattern grids to kill the time. Another failed test report. I finally figured out the turns in my flight path were allowing the wings and fuselage to block signal from the single-antenna installation, causing dropped signal segments. My third was a nice, level, straight flight at altitude for the test duration and I passed.

The NGT-9000 is fantastic. It’s a lot of capability for a 172 but worth it for the ADS-B In data.

Keith Lanning
AOPA 4743745
Everton, Arkansas

More to the story

Julie Summers Walker’s 2018 article, “Dubious Honor,” was interesting but I believe in error regarding Leslie Irvin and the Caterpillar Club. While Leslie Irvin did patent a heralded static-line parachute in 1918, it was my grandfather, (James) Floyd Smith who in 1918 patented the free-type manually operated (ripcord) parachute that saved tens of thousands of lives. That parachute and credit to Smith are on display in the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio.

Since the free-fall type parachute was his idea—and with the support of Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell—Smith was appointed as civilian head of an Army Air Corps team to develop the ripcord chute. Irvin was one member of the team. Irvin is remembered in history because he was the first person to test Smith’s ripcord invention while Smith made the error of flying the airplane instead.

Following the successful demonstration, Irvin was granted permission to leave the service of the Army. He then started his own parachute company, the Irving Air Chute Company. Smith’s request was refused, so Irvin got a head start cashing in on the new invention. It wasn’t long before Irvin was claiming the ripcord as his. Smith sued Irvin for patent infringement and won the case, but the damage had been done.

Bruce Smith
AOPA 406452
Vancouver, Washington

I just read Julie Summers Walker’s excellent article in December 2018 AOPA Pilot entitled “Dubious Honor.” I ejected from a Navy EA6B Prowler in April 1986 due to an engine fire and complete hydraulic system failure. Glad to be a member of this dubious club (member #4123 in the Martin-Baker Tie Club) as the alternative to being eligible for membership was not to my liking.

Allen Wineland
AOPA 7201309
Arlington, Virginia

I read Natalie Bingham Hoover’s “Naughty or Nice” column and was reminded of an event a few years ago in Longmont, Colorado. There was a fly-in, and a temporary control tower had been established. Many pilots did not read the notam. The FAA inspector who was there could have been walking around with a bunch of citations to give out, but instead, he had a stack of NASA forms, for pilots who landed without a clearance.

Brian Lewis
AOPA 568356
Alexandria, New Hampshire