propwash
may 2026
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Auburn Aviation Association Archive Photo
DEDICATED TO AVIATION, SAFETY, FRIENDSHIP, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, AND EDUCATION SINCE 1984
2026 Aviation Career Day Redbird Simulator Rates Wreaths Across America
ARTICLES
President's Message An Update from the Managers Desk of KAUN As the Prop Turns Sierra Air Update Safety Meeting Recap Waxing a Spitfire
AAA Events Photos Endowment Fund Corporate Sponsors Member List 2026 Board Members Support AAA Endowment Join Us!
INFO of INTEREST
MISC.
In This Issue
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
NEBIL ALMAKDESHI, AAA PRESIDENT
Hello all, As more eyes in the spaces that a lot of pilots want to go (Big 4 primarily), start to take notice, how to convey how the Auburn Aviation Association functions, not only as a community association, but as well as levels of understanding and training in aviation should be somewhere in your arsenal. How mentors and CFI’s are the front line of a new pilots understanding, layered with some senior mentors guidance, teachings, and advice on their aviation experience (see simulator piece by Tedd Stiles at our meeting on the Redbird, and why that is such a cost effective and airline way of training, and candidate separation). So when/if you are asked in an interview “What was you’re training like”?, you should be able to hit on all the levels that got you there confidently, mistakes and successes, and hopefully separate yourself from a lot of other candidates, as the competition gets tighter. Fly safe. See ya! Nebil Almakdeshi President Auburn Aviation Association
Main Dish: M-Z Side or Salad: A-F Dessert: G-L
meeting
General membership meeting menu
Join us for our monthly membership meeting and potluck dinner. Guests and non-members are welcome! This month's speaker will be John Tillison, Author, speaker, Coach, CFII.
EVENTS
this months speaker(s)
please provide according to your last name
05/06/2026 6:00 PM (PST)13666 New Airport Rd, Auburn, CA 95602
Aviation Career Day Saturday, October 17, 2026 Save the date!
upcoming
UPDATE FROM THE AIRPORT MANAGER
Fowled Runway We all train for emergencies and often look for ways to improve our preparedness. One area that is often overlooked is what happens after an emergency landing. What should we do when an emergency—or even a non-emergency—fouls the runway with an aircraft or debris? Who do you call first? How do you close an airport? How do you handle aircraft that are inbound to land? At our airport, the first call is 911. Our first responders are trained to handle all situations that could foul the runway. If you’ve seen events unfold over the past few years, you know that many resources arrive on the field shortly after a call is placed. Fire equipment will position itself on the runway with lights activated—not only to be in the proper location to assist, but also to clearly indicate that the runway is out of service. During this time, medical aid or fire response will be provided as needed. In addition to fire engines, the dispatch process notifies Battalion Chiefs, Auburn Police Department, Placer County Sheriff’s Office, AMR (ambulance services), and myself. The next step involves a series of phone calls. Emergency responders notify TRACON, Flight Service, the FAA, and others as required. These notifications are critical, with safety being the primary objective. During the initial closure of a runway, the “X” markings are often the last items placed on the runway. This is due to the time required to deploy and remove them. If the runway closure is expected to be brief, the “X” markings may not be used at all. With all of this in mind, the key takeaway is simple: call 911. They are there to dispatch the help that may not only assist you, but others as well. This well-orchestrated response—almost like a ballet—is trained for, reviewed, and ready to be deployed when needed. Auburn Airport SWATing Incident On April 13, Auburn Airport received a threat concerning the safety of all individuals on the field. The threat was reported to Auburn Police dispatch, where trained dispatchers worked quickly and diligently to assess the situation and initiate an appropriate response. In the interest of public safety, law enforcement resources were immediately deployed. This coordinated, multi-agency response ensured the safety of both aviators and non-aviators at the airport. The response was swift, organized, and effectively executed. Thanks to the extensive training of local, state, and federal agencies, the airport was quickly searched and secured. It was ultimately determined that the incident was a swatting call. Once the threat was resolved, the airport was safely returned to normal operations. Auburn Airport Apparel T-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, and more are available for order just in time for the holidays! Visit the online store here: Auburn Airport Store Fly CA Passport You can now get your Fly CA Passport stamped at KAUN! The stamp is located in the pilots’ lounge and can even be your very first stamp in the passport. If you need a Fly CA Passport, they can be found here: https://flycapassport.com/ Safe flying! Tyghe Richardson Your Airport Manager Auburn Airport City of Auburn, CA (530) 888-8174
TYGHE RICHARDSON - AIRPORT MANAGER
AS THE PROP TURNS
Malia Guibert was able to solo at Auburn in a C-172 with Peyton Brothers as her instructor.
MIKE DUNCAN - SUNSHINE FLYERS
Is a million dollar foundation in our future? I was informed a few days ago that our scholarship foundation is eight years old already. It seemed like only yesterday that we started it. Our hopes at the time was to collect enough money to perpetuate a $2500.00 dollar annual scholarship. In order to do that we would needed to set aside approximately $50,000 in a foundation in order to live off of the earnings for our scholarships. Our hopes were for 3 -5 years to do that. AAA set aside the first $25,000 and we would try and collect the balance over the next few years. The generosity of our members and many other individuals was far beyond our expectations and we reached that goal ahead of schedule and are now approaching $800,000. As we approach our ten year anniversary our goal is a $1,000,000. There is a nice ring to that number. I just wanted to thank all of for your efforts. The foundation is our legacy to those that will follow in our foot steps. Thank you all for your generosity again. While on the subject of the future generations of pilots, the following have reached their bench marks in flying. On March 9, Malia Guibert was able to solo at Auburn in a C-172 with Peyton Brothers as her instructor. Not far behind is Clay Jones was able to solo, also in a C-172 on the same day, with Sofia Goodwin as his instructor. Euan Uvarov also soloed on March 22 at Auburn in a C-172 and Sofia Goodwin as his instructor. Langdon Fielding passed his Instrument check with Mark Montigue and Holly Brusa as his instructor. Congratulations to all on a job well done. While on the subject of moving on in aviation. Kristian “Kiki” Kopp has gone on to the Air Force and is currently in their early stages of flight training. Because she already has her Commercial and Instructor ratings, here in Auburn, she has had a lot of down time while the rest of the candidates catch up to her. To help pass that time away, she joined the local CAF (Commemorative Air Force) chapter. CAF is dedicated to preserving the aviation military history by preserving aircraft. As a volunteer she is able to work on some of the aircraft and meet a lot of those “old guys” who helped make that history. Currently she was assisting on assembling a Stearman and was hoping for a ride in it when it was completed. She has yet to get that ride. As a consolation prize she got to go up in P-51 Mustang instead (I am very envious). I am looking forward to seeing the pictures and perhaps a short story. What a way to start your aviation career in the Air Force. Another instructor to move on, is Peyton Brothers. She is moving to Indiana to fly with another flight school and pass on all that she learned here. Ok, she is really going back to be with her boy friend and go back to school to get her Masters Degree. Good luck to her in her endeavors. Matt Carlson has been hosting once a once a month FAAST (FAA SAFETY TEAM) seminars on various subjects. This past month he conducted a session on traffic patterns. Answering all of your questions on them from what is legal, what is safe, and what is required at a non tower airport. Matt’s classes are free to everyone and he can give you credit for the FAA Wings program. For those unfamiliar with the Wings Program, It is an FAA program for continuing education for pilots. By attending these ground sessions you can get credit for the ground portion of your biannual flight review. All it takes is three wings credit a year to apply toward the ground portion. You can also accrue an additional three credits toward the flight portion of your flight review. Check it all out on the FAA website. Your insurance company likes the continuing education you do. Well that is about all for this month, GOOD NIGHT MISS DAISY The Prop Turner Mike Duncan.
ELIZABETH LEWIS, SIERRA AIR HELICOPTERS
We are having so much fun and are busy with Events and Students: Flower Drop to kick off the first day of Spring for a Temple in Rio Linda. Throwing flowers has been a tradition for many years and creates a beautiful display. This month’s Gender Reveal was successful using bright pink eggs for a young couple near Sacramento. Congratulations!! Big thanks to Brennen and Justin, the dynamic duo! Back by popular demand, The Pink Bunny! (guess who?) The Trinity Church in Sacramento invited us to host their Great Egg Drop to celebrate their Easter Event. Brennen did some exceptional flying, allowing Pink Bunny to pace eggs with precision! Celebrating Students: Congratulations on all your hard work and competing your Private Pilot Certifications: Kol Hanson Dylan Dingman Congratulations Amy Mathews, you’ve come a long way to achieve your Commercial Certification! For all you Golfers, we hope you enjoyed our flyover during the national Anthem at The Ridge Golf Course, starting off the Fundraising Tournament for Bowman High School! “MAY the Sky be Clear and Your Flight be Swift, Fellow Flyers”
HOWDY FELLOW FLYERS!
Two raffle winners took home Lightspeed headsets! Big thank you to Lightspeed for their support of aviation safety.
Airport Manager Tyghe Richardson speaks about radio communications and ground operations at KAUN.
David Sanborn, AAA Publicity Director
Pilots, students, CFI's and airport stake holders from all facets of the aviation industry came together on April 28 for the 2026 Auburn Airport Safety Meeting. Speakers included local instructors and Airport Manager Tyghe Richardson who spoke on topics like safe ground operations, radio communications at non-towered airports, and some interesting new regulations regarding light sport aircraft and pilots. Juan Brown from the YouTube aviation channel Blancolirio spoke about recent trends in general aviation safety and how training is essential to maintain safe airports and airspace. Upset recovery training was also a huge topic of the evening, highlighting the need for consistent, quality and real world upset recovery and spin training. And of course, pizza and a raffel to round out an educational, fun and engaging evening. Thank you to all who came out, and especially the amazing speakers who shared their knowledge and experience to benefit everyone who flies in and around the Auburn Municipal Airport.
AUBURN SAFETY MEETING RECAP
BEN MARSH - EHGF BOARD DIRECTOR
I met Woodson “Woodie” Woods and his recently acquired Spitfire MK. XVI in Chino at the Gathering of Eagles airshow in 1978. I was staying with my air racing friend Jim Mott and his family a fair amount that summer. When the airshow came along, I was assigned delineator duty for crowd control, both set-up and teardown, working my first 12+ hour days at the age of sixteen. It was kid heaven, hard work to be sure, but I was surrounded by warbirds of nearly every cut of cloth, airplanes I’d only seen in books, never in person. Mr. Woods’ Spitfire was the first I’d ever seen. Twenty or so years later, I would meet that Spitfire again, in battle. The Stearman I was flying was decked out in silver with British rondel markings, fitted with a Continental R-670 radial engine and a constant speed propeller, which made it a good airbatic ride machine. That was my weekend gig for about two years, based at Sonoma Valley Airport, Schellville. It was good flying, and a great experience barnstorming at a fixed base operation where Sonoma County met the San Pablo Bay to the South, bordering Napa County to the East and Marin County to the West. We hopped rides throughout the weekend, tourists on their way to or from the wine country of Sonoma and Napa Valleys, and the Carneros, an appellation shared by both counties. Everyone was pretty happy. The tourists, our victims, were out for a good time; and we were happy to entertain them with some fun flying. It happened late in the day on a summer Sunday. I was climbing Stearman 233 (two-three-three) toward our practice area, a mile or so West of the pressure ridge formed by the Rodgers Creek Fault. We were headed North in our climb through about 2,500 feet when I saw a fast mover in the distance near Gnoss Field to the West. My passengers in the front seat, a gentleman and his lady were up for an airbatic ride, a loop and a couple rolls, then back to the airport. We continued our climb to 3,000 feet AGL, performed a clearing turn to identify potential traffic threats, then proceeded with the airbatics. Midway through a wingover to the right, about 1,000 feet below, the fast mover crossed under us at the 90-degree apex of our turnaround. It was the Woods’ Spitfire. Mr. Woods passed some years earlier and his son was maintaining and flying the Spitfire, Britain’s famed fighter from World War Two. The junior Woods recently returned the family Spitfire, designated SL721, to its World War II paint scheme, sky-blue overall with British insignia and markings for Air Chief Marshal Sir James Milne Robb. Robb was a World War I ace with seven kills, whose storied career spanned World War II in high level service with Eisenhower through to the jet age of flying. This was Robb’s assigned Spitfire during the war. I’d seen the airplane up-close in this scheme; it was beautiful. But right now, it was the enemy and young Master Woods and I were locked in a dogfight. Woods was in a right turn on his cross-under, speeding along at near 200 miles per hour. I abandoned the last half of the wingover, opting for a hard right turn on the descent to get inside the Spitfire. Woods certainly saw us lining up on him, so he pulled hard to try getting around me with his significantly higher speed, but I had him dead to rights. In 180°of the turn, the nose of our Stearman pointed directly at the cockpit of the Spitfire. My quarry was turning hard-over with 70° of bank and more, while we maintained an easy 45° turn, comfortably able to position the nose of the Stearman around the Spitfire for any imaginary shot we fancied. Our windscreens were full of Spitfire, held in perfect position, never closer nor losing distance from Woods. We pivoted in space in a formation of sorts, but I had the angle. Leading the cockpit of the Spitfire just a bit, my forefinger squeezed the imaginary trigger on the stick and I gunned Woods to smithereens. The kill was mine. Woods and I continued the turn for a couple compass rounds before I leveled my wings to return to base. Coming over the ridge to set-up for left downwind on Runway 25, I saw the Spitfire approaching from the right. He crossed over us in a gentle left turn, with enoug separation for safety, and close enough that we could hear the Rolls Royce Merlin engine roar above the Stearman’s Continental and the buzz of the wind around our flying wires. Game, set and match went to Mr. Woods and his Spitfire, just as I knew my shot was true. Back on the ground, I shut down the Stearman, mixture, mags and battery, then unbuckled my four-point harness in reflection. Linda-Sue came out to attend to the customers (victims) asking them, “How was that?” The gentlemen exclaimed, “We got into a dogfight with another airplane!” Linda-Sue continued the banter, “That sounds exciting.” She knew the score. The people floated away, back to their car, back to their world. I sat there in Stearman 233, thinking about my dad, who never got to solo an open cockpit biplane. In the few hundred hours I logged flying Stearman, I was never alone in flight. Though Dad passed six years earlier, just into his 66 th year from his third heart attack, and never knew what adventures I got into building and flying old aeroplanes, only knowing of my solo and private pilot certification, he was always with me, guiding the controls, seeing the world from on-high in a two-winger, the wind rushing around us, time ticking away, each moment grand and as one.
DISTANT BIPLANE MEMORIES: WAXING A SPITFIRE
Mr. Woods’ Spitfire at the Gathering of Warbirds in Chino, July 1978. Photograph by Verne Geddes via Glen E. Chatfield
Image from Dave O’Malley’s book Supermarine Superstar.
Chris Woods in the family Spitfire. Photograph by Roger Cain.
Stearman Two-Three-Three on the vertical over Rogers Creek Fault. Sear Point Raceway on the mid-horizon. Marsh photo, 1993.
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GENERAL MEMBERS
OFFICERS President - Nebil Almakdeshi - president@auburnaviationassociation.org Vice President - Doug Bolsover - vp@auburnaviationassociation.org Secretary - Doug Fee - secretary@auburnaviationassociation.org Treasurer - Deborah Sandbank - treasurer@auburnaviationassociation.org BOARD MEMBERS Past President Chris Haven pastpres@auburnaviationassociation.org Scholarship Director Don Wolfe flyfund@auburnaviationassociation.org Assistant Scholarship James Jacobson skyfund1539@gmail.com Membership Director Andrew Van Wagner 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
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