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Dedicated to Aviation, Safety, Friendship, Community Involvement, and Education since 1984
DEDICATED TO AVIATION, SAFETY, FRIENDSHIP, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, AND EDUCATION SINCE 1984
propwash
May 2025
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Presidents Message Update from the Managers Desk 2025 Scholarship Awards Luncheon 2025 Flight Safety Conference How To Preflight Your Airplane Lessons Learned Flying to Alaska As The Prop Turns
MISC.
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In This Issue
NEW Redbird Simulator at KAUN Spring Picnic Fly-In at KAUN Hayward Air Rally Support AAA Endowment Join Us!
ARTICLES
INFO of INTEREST
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE: pick a card and note what you've accomplished
Once, as an exercise at a business conference, we attendees were put into groups to play a values-oriented game. Dealt a set of cards with a value named on each, we had the opportunity to pick up new cards either from the deck or from a discard pile. The object was to assemble a hand of cards that represented our own values. Honesty, integrity, ambition, courage, compassion–I watched the cards go by. Yes, of course those cards belonged in my hand, I thought, wondering how I would narrow it down to a representative list. Curiosity, creativity, commitment, balance, determination went by. When my neighbor picked up the card “ACHIEVEMENT,” I felt a clear and strong urge to possess the card. I watched like a hawk for an achievement card to become available, and then finally negotiated with another player to give me the card in an exchange. Achievement stood out to me not only as a value, but as a road to the other items like integrity, accountability, courage. But values aren’t boxes to be checked off or milestones to be reached. Goals that sounded like “take up running,” and “become fluent in French,” might as well have been saying “show commitment,” “be disciplined," or "be accountable.” Without achieving these goals, did that mean I had failed in the values that might help accomplish them? In the end, the exercise revealed something deeper: while mastery goals focus on becoming better for the sake of growth, they can feel never-ending. Achievement goals can act as drivers that bring clarity and structure to our values. Striving to achieve something finite—whether it’s mowing the lawn or achieving a flight rating—gives form to abstract values like discipline, and accountability. There’s power in noting milestones you have accomplished, even if you’re on the road to something bigger and harder to define.
Chris Haven, AAA President
General membership meeting menu
Retired United Airlines Capt., Tedd Stiles: "Is there a Gouge for that?"
5AC Meeting0 5/06/2025 5:30 PM (PDT)The Barnstormer Room and online Monthly Membership Meeting 05/07/2025 6:00 PM (PDT)13666 New Airport Rd, Auburn, CA 95602 Aircraft Display Days at KAUN 08/02/2025 10:00 AM (PDT)13666 New Airport Road, Auburn, CA
upcoming events:
Main Dish: M-Z Side or Salad: A-F Dessert: G-L
this months speaker
An update from the managers desk of kaun
As we move deeper into the new year, March has been a month of progress, challenges, and valuable learning opportunities at Auburn Airport. Here’s a look at the key events that have shaped our month: Annual Safety Meeting The annual safety meeting is just around the corner, if you have not already please sign up and join us for this vital discussion on safety and best practices on the AAA website. Space is limited so are the prizes! Your participation is essential as we work together to ensure Auburn Municipal Airport remains a safe and thriving aviation hub for all. Updating the Minimum Operating Standards As many of you may recall from a few months back, we embarked on updating the Minimum Operating Standards for Auburn Municipal Airport. Our goal is to craft a document that can serve the airport well for many years with little need for further changes. The updated standards could end up being drastically different from what we currently abide by—or nearly the same. Ultimately, it’s up to you! Please reach out to me or any of the team Project liaisons listed here to share your insights and opinions. Every idea is welcome your input is invaluable in shaping a robust and lasting set of standards. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to making Auburn Municipal Airport a safe and thriving community. Project liaisons: Ken Dwelle, Kent English, Dan Flom, Richard Byrod, Bryan Souza, Andy Robinson Storm Repair The heavy rains of March tested the airport’s drainage system, with only a few areas experiencing issues. Just south of Taxiway A, erosion occurred but was quickly mitigated by reinforcing the drainage system’s edge. Large crushed rock was used to stabilize the area, preventing further erosion and redirecting water flow to a more suitable location. This repair helps ensure the long-term safety of the ramp. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions. The door is always open! Together, we continue to make Auburn Airport a safe and thriving hub for aviation. Safe flying! Tyghe Richardson Your Airport Manager Auburn Airport City of Auburn, CA (530) 888-8174
Tyghe Richardson, Airport Manager
2025 scholarship awards luncheon
(L/R) Noah Brandt, Shaea Payne, Emily Okunami, Marilyn Schackner, Danielle Colburn, Andrew Van Wagner, Blake Cannon, Dillon Holloway
A luncheon was hosted by Auburn Aviation Association on March 29th for the 2025 scholarship recipients. Scholarship sponsors, mentors, and guests were also in attendance. This annual event provides a venue for the new scholarship recipients to meet and thank the people representing the organizations that provide funding for their flight training. Awardees are also introduced to the mentors that will assist them towards completing FAA certification. It is worthy of note that nearly all of the mentors are previous scholarship recipients and now are CFI’s or soon to be a CFI. Expectations and milestones are set with the mentors and a photo session concludes the event. Best wishes to our new group of awardees as they begin their next exciting journey in aviation.
Don Wolfe, AAA Scholarship Director
The annual Flight Safety Conference was held on Tuesday evening April 22 with over 75 in attendance. A lively crowd of local pilots enjoyed pizza while watching aerial footage with music created by Mark Bateson. The program kickoff at promptly at 6:00 PM with Don Wolfe reviewing the evening’s program: Ken Dwelle- Lessons learned from decades of flying at KAUN Tyghe Richardson- Airport Manager’s update Mia McKnight- Radio procedures and traffic patterns Captain Joe Sobczak- Single Pilot Resource Management Juan Browne- Aeronautical Decision Making. The presentations were informative as well as entertaining and the feedback following the meeting was positive. A CFI Flight Safety Conference in a similar venue is in the planning stages for this October. Local pilots will also be invited to attend. The raffle was conducted at the end of the meeting with over $3500 worth of items presented. The results were: Ex-Navy Navigation Flight Instructors Raffle- Dan Flom- Asian Bottle Opener Flight School CFI Raffle- Brett Bickerstaff- Radio Simulator Training- Danielle Colburn Radios-Owen White, Amy Whelan, Peyton Brothers, Daniel Velez Lightspeed Zulu Headsets- Kellen Bodine, Levi Gillett
Juan Browne and Audience
Captain Joe Sobczak
2025 flight safety conference
(L-R) Danielle Colburn, Peyton Brothers, Amy Whelan, Brett Bickerstaff, Daniel Velez, Owen White, Levi Gillett, Kellen Bodine
Mia McKnight
Sounds pretty simple, right? You’ve done it hundreds of times. And yet there are still accidents and incidents that suggest maybe it’s not so simple. Running out of fuel, trying to taxi with the wheels chocked or tiedown still attached, taking off with gust locks installed, starting the engine or (yikes!) taking off with a towbar attached. I have even heard actual stories (well, as ACTUAL as a pilot story can be) about gliders declared ready to fly with the wings missing! In this article I want to pass along one simple tip to help you prevent the above indiscretions and possibly many more. When I go to fly my F-16 Fighting Falcon or Boeing 777 (OK, when I used to go…), I have the luxury of a professional ground crew to help me get going. The Crew Chief (F-16) or mechanics and ramp workers (777) are there to get the plane ready. They make sure safety pins are removed, the aircraft is fueled, and basic servicing such as adding oil or airing up the tires is done. But just like when I fly my Cherokee or you fly your 150, 172, Bonanza, or Extra, we are required, as PIC, to complete a preflight walkaround inspection and verify that the machine is airworthy. Most of us were simply taught to use the checklist provided by the aircraft manufacturer when doing a walkaround. But, given the plethora of safety incidents that are traced back to an inadequate preflight inspection, maybe there is a better way. My suggestion is to complete your preflight walkaround in two separate phases: One, prepare the aircraft for flight and, two, inspect the aircraft for any discrepancies. In Phase One, you are the “maintenance crew,” “crew chief,” fueler, or ramper and will be doing all the “heavy lifting.” Pull the chocks, remove the tiedowns, open the hangar door, tow the plane to where you will start the engine(s), add fuel, oil, and air as needed. Service your consumables (oil, air, oxygen, fuel) as needed. Unless you just landed and are not adding fuel, always drain a sample and check for water or contaminants. Clean the windows, set up the cabin or cockpit for your passengers or secure the unused harness for solo. Fill up the smoke tank (just for fun!). Connect your headset and put your iPad, charts, E6B, flashlight and anything else you need in a convenient spot in the cockpit. Phase Two: Leave your POH and checklist in the plane – you don’t need it for this phase of the Walkaround and it will probably be a distraction and get in your way (if there are any complex or unfamiliar tasks involved with getting your plane ready, then, of course, use of the checklist or POH would be advised).
how to preflight your airplane
As explained in my previous story, “Backcountry Flight Planning in Central Idaho”, I am interested in flying through remote and mountainous regions. This past August my wife and I planned a flight to Ketchikan, AK. Our trip involved 9 days with ~3000 miles of flight through central British Columbia and southeast Alaska. Safe flight through remote areas requires additional planning and research. Especially when compared to the basic flight planning many of us did as Student Pilots. Below is a list of hurdles Alaskan bound pilots will need to clear: ·You will need a Radio Station and Operating License from the FCC ·Your will need a current DHS decal ·Your route across the border will need to include the following: o US and Canadian customs must be coordinated with regarding your Airport of Entry (AOE) o Flight plan information must be submitted to US and Canadian Customs and Border Protection offices via their eAPIS and CANPASS systems o Flight plan information must be filed via LEIDOS/ICAO through typical channels (I used Garmin Pilot) ·Radar services are unavailable through much of British Columbia (i.e. no Flight Following) and flight plans will be needed for each leg of the journey ·Logistical items like appropriate survival equipment, alternate destinations, airplane tie-down, overnight lodging, transportation, food, water, and coffee will all require attention In addition to the above, our trip involved one additional complication… The 2024 forest fire season was severe in Southwest Canada. Towns burned to the ground and numerous households were displaced. In addition, these fires interrupted avgas deliveries throughout British Columbia resulting in months long fuel shortages along much of our route. The iPad (Garmin Pilot) was a somewhat reliable source of information as airport managers did their best to post fuel NOTAM’s predicting when to expect their next fuel delivery. We always had an alternate fuel stop planned and worked hard to speak in advance with a live person at each planned stop to ensure avgas availability prior to departure. In short, lack of fuel availability coupled with old Cessna fuel gauges, smoke filled air, and some tricky afternoon mountain weather provided me with a valuable lesson in real-world airplane performance. Below are a few questions for you all to consider: -Does your plane really fly the published performance numbers in your POH? For years I simply used a dip stick to verify fuel quantity during every preflight inspection, but rarely determined actual fuel burn. Our POH provides performance information intended for planning purposes. But what happens when circumstances like those explained above necessitate great distance between fuel stops? -Are you comfortable flying your plane all the way to the right-hand side of your POH endurance table? As student pilots, we are taught to use the POH, forecast weather, and a sectional (or iPad) to determine fuel requirements. But our trainer airplanes came from the factory with wheel pants, and I suspect its lack of pants results in performance numbers different than those reflected in the POH. What about the engine upgrades we made a few years ago… does your plane still meet the published fuel burn numbers? My Cessna 182, for example, would run out of gas if I blindly flew the POH numbers. It has a modified wing (STOL kit and VGs), it has an Airglas fork with larger than stock tires. It hasn’t had wheel pants for 30 years. It probably flies one or two of the published numbers … but it stalls slower, cruises slower, takes off shorter, and ultimately uses more fuel. When departing Ketchikan, AK the nearest Canadian Airport of Entry is Prince George (CYXS), 400 miles away. Prince George is a major regional airport, but had no fuel available. My eAPIS and CANPASS filings required I stipulate a border crossing time & place, as well as an arrival time in Price George. Our route involved a 60 mile open water crossing, flight through a major mountain range, transiting three active forest fires, and two in-route weather stations. Upon clearing customs in Prince George we continued for another 120 miles for fuel in Williams Lake (CYWL). As planned, we arrived with just over an hour of fuel remaining. Reflecting upon this trip, I am left with the following lessons: 1.Some flight situations require the full capability of our airplanes. 2.We will not learn the real-world performance of our planes if we are not paying attention. If you have made it this far… thank you for reading! I enjoy sharing and encourage you to learn more about your plane’s performance. Let’s work to learn our POH and where our plane’s deviate. Doing so will instill confidence and unlock the full capability of our airplanes. If you need help planning your own trip to a remote area, want an extra set of eyes looking over your border crossing preparedness, want some help determining your plane’s real-world performance numbers, or simply want to share your own story, please reach out. I can be found several days a week at Sunshine Flyers. Or contact me directly via cfi@terrafirmaaviation.com. Chris Hale, Signing off…
Chris Hale, CFI
lessons learned flying to alaska
Heidi Kaiser DPE and Casey Kleeschulte
Mike Duncan, Sunshine Flyers
Mark Montague DPE and Kellen Bodine
Carol Zerbe DPE, Logan Reid, and CFI Chris Hale
As the prop turns
Karsten Murphy
It looks like summer has arrived early this year, and it is time to plan that summer vacation. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to land below sea level? Try Furnace Creek in Death Valley (-211 ft.). This is the best time of year to go because the temperature is still not to hot and the wild flowers are in bloom. Additionally, if you ever wondered what the desert sky looks like at night without any ambient light, it is defiantly black with a great view of all of the stars out there. With any luck, you will be there at the same time the Astronomy Society from Las Vegas will be there with telescopes. The flight there is only a little over two and half hours in a C-172. You might need to plan a fuel stop either coming or going because there is no fuel at Furnace Creek. Stovepipe Wells is close by and has accommodations, but still no fuel. You will need to bring your own tie downs because the winds do pick up in the afternoon. ATC is a big help in getting through the MOA’s. Just let them know you are going to Furnace Creek and/or Stovepipe Wells and they will be a big help to you. The students are starting to come out more and fly. Cole Osborn was able to solo in a Cessna 152 with Dwight Stalker as his instructor. Dwight was not through yet, he was also able to solo Greg Len in Cessna 172. Dwight is so prolific as an instructor in soloing students that I am thinking of giving him a wall to himself for all of the solo shirt tails he has created. Brian Lima was not that far behind by soloing a Cessna 172 with Ruvim Kukharets as his instructor. The most unusual first solo goes to Karsten Murphy, in a RV-12iS (Light Sport). His instructor was his own father, Mike Murphy. For Mike it was his first time to solo someone. In a way it is a first solo for both of them. While I am on unusual things in aviation, Kellen Bodine earned his Commercial Rating in a 1946 J-3 Cub. Mia McKnight was the instructor and Mark Montague was the DPE. How many people today can say that they even fly a J-3 Cub, much less pass a Commercial check ride? Last, but not least, both Casey Kleeshulte and Logan Reid who earned their Private Pilots License in a Cessna 172 with Chris Hale as their instructor and female DPEs: Heidi Kaiser and Carol Zerbe. Congratulations to all on job well done. The Red Bird simulator is now up and running. Currently it is only available from 9am – 5pm, through Mach 5 scheduling. As soon as the new door locks are installed it will be available 24/7 to any of the local instructors who are checked out in the unit. At $85/hr, it is cheaper than an airplane and the time counts toward your ratings. Any profits from it’s use will go toward AAA Endowment for future scholarships. So, not only are you getting cheaper flight experience, but you are contributing to the future for others. Auburn Aviation Association’s Annual Flight Safety Conference was a big success. Approximately seventy five to eighty people show along with several good speakers. The event was sponsored by the City of Auburn (thank you for the pizza) Auburn Aviation Association, local EAA Chapter 526, Sporty’s Pilot Shop, Light Speed Aviation, and Juan Brown (Blancolirio podcast). Don Wolfe will have more on the success of the conference in his article. Thank you all for your support of safety in aviation. Well that is about all for this month. Fly safe and Good Night Miss Daisy. The Prop Turner Mike Duncan
Father son teams @ united
Captain Todd Ondracek and his son, First Officer Rory Ondracek seen above. Rory is a previous AAA member and completed all of his pilot training at KAUN, who also went on to instruct at Sunshine Flyers.
First Officer Brice Cocoran and Captain Tom Cocoran are also also a father, son duo at United Airlines. Brice is also a former AAA member.
big jets now & big jets in the future?
AAA Members, Mia McKnight and Kadie Jacobs on the flight deck of a United Boeing 777.
with much gratitude
2025 AAA Scholarship winner, Shaea Payne, writes the AAA a thank you note with her gratitude for the opportunity.
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Scholarship Winners/Lifetime Members
GENERAL MEMBERS
OFFICERS President - Chris Haven - president@auburnaviationassociation.org Vice President - Dan Flom - vp@auburnaviationassociation.org Secretary - Doug Fee - secretary@auburnaviationassociation.org Treasurer - David Dwelle - treasurer@auburnaviationassociation.org BOARD MEMBERS Past President - Doug McDougal - pastpres@auburnaviationassociation.org Scholarship Director - Don Wolfe - flyfund@auburnaviationassociation.org Assistant Scholarship - James Jacobson - skyfund1539@gmail.com Membership Director - Daniel Colburn - membership@auburnaviationassociation.org Publicity Director - David Sanborn - publicity@auburnaviationassociation.org Propwash Editor - Mike Duncan - duncan7kcab@sbcglobal.net 5AC Chair - Ken Dwelle - 5ac@auburnaviationassociation.org Board Member at Large - Joanie Mooneyham - joaniemoon05@gmail.com Donations Coordinator - Nancy Benjamin - don_benj@pacbell.net Special thanks to Brooklyn Brown for laying out the newsletter and David Sanborn for managing distribution of the newsletter.
2025 AAA Board