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Greenbank Airport Newsletter for October/05
Well I suppose I should really welcome everyone at the airport officially so welcome everyone. Our hope is that everyone will get along and if there is a problem, we will solve it immediately to everyone's approval.
I have had in my mind for the last couple of months the thought of a monthly newsletter because as I would go around the airport, I would think how I would like to mention this or that about some of the things that I will mention in this newsletter. I will try to do one every month as each month brings so many new issues up that things keep changing and if I can advise or deal with everyone and everything in the new age of mass e-mail then I will attempt it. As you can all see, we finally have fuel. The margins are low but that is fine with Dorothy and I. We really want to make sure that this need is met. We don't have any Mo Gas (not more gas) yet but will shortly. I now know why airports shy away from this fuel as there is almost no margin at all. You cannot purchase it much less than the large gas station chains but we will do our best. We think that we will carry 94 Octane as the cost difference is small and I know that many light planes will like that as 91 and 94 super carries no ethanol whatsoever in it. The card lock method is a no brainer and please do put in your tail numbers so that we can keep track of who is doing what. Make sure that you are grounded so that you don't hurt yourself. Around the airport you will see a lot of earth that is attempting to grow grass. Please try to stay off of it until we get grass. I am thinking about cars especially around the new hanger. The parking lot is meant for that –parking so please try to park there unless you have some kind of emergency. The driveways are fire routes and we need to keep them clear. Winter is coming and we will attempt to clear snow that needs to be clear for access and runway. Last year we kept the main open all winter and believe it or not it was easier than cutting grass. I think that this year I will try to keep some snow on the runway and roll it at about 2 to 3 inches. I am told that this is like a paved runway. We will see. I do have a feeling that in the next month or so while the ground is not frozen, we will see some soft turf so be aware of that and don't get stuck. If you do, let someone pull you out so that you don't get stuck worse. Everyone must absolutely have a radio. If you are found nor do, you will be asked not to fly until you do a radio check. There are no exceptions. If you are not sure about your radio ask Ian in the flight school to do a ground check or myself before you get airborne. Let me quickly mention teaching. There is no teaching flying here unless you are qualified and insured. The flight school here has gone to extreme expense to insure that they are legally covered in a liable situation. Also they pay a lot to be a flight school here and that means that they free to teach. No one can just come to Greenbank and teach a student to fly here unless they qualify. They need to speak to me if they intend to teach or be taught. We don't have a problem if someone is being checked out but there is a fine line between that and being taught to fly. Bottom line is if you have and run a flight school here, you can teach. If not you cannot. That I the law and you are not insured to teach. Can I please mention what you can do in a hanger and what you cannot do. First you cannot start an engine in a hanger especially any confined space. It is both illegal and dangerous. You jeopardize everyone's safety and of both man and other people's property. There is also no open flame or spark and that includes smoking so please do not smoke. In the car (Canadian airport regulation) is states that there is to be no smoking anywhere on an airport except where it is designated. The hanger is not designated nor is the apron or the runway so please do not smoke. If you really need to find an outside spot away from any aircraft or hanger. Just for your information, I have a lot of my own fuel in my hanger and I am sure that some of you also. Often my fuel caps are on loosely so that they can breathe. That means that there are fumes that will ignite in the right conditions. Also when you run an engine in our t hanger for example, the fumes permeate everyone else's space as the ceiling is open and the exhaust goes everywhere. Thanks. For your information, no one can start an engine inside of any hanger at most airports. Please do not paint inside of any hanger. Paint will adhere to the walls and you will end up paying for an extensive cleanup. If you need to paint, do so outside away from the hanger to avoid over spray. Please do not put any holes in the steel walls to hang anything up. If you need to hang something, use the existing screws by taking them out and hanging a hanger and then put the same screw back in. In the case of the studded exposed wall, please use screws and not nails to hang stuff. If you want to insulate any part of your hanger, you must first advise me and we will use the exact same steel and color of the other walls. That also pertains to the ceiling. Do not basically construct anything attached to the walls without permission. When you use the override switch to increase the height of the bi fold door, you do so at your own expense if you damage the door. The limit switch is meant to deter warping and bending the door as the geared motor is very powerful and will buckle the door if pushed too far. Do not hang anything from the rafters unless you speak with me. The ceiling is no t designed to hang aircraft and aircraft engines from. Use an engine hoist. Starting soon or around October, please do not drive a vehicle on the grass as you will damage it. Based on my experience of last year, you won't be able to drive a heavy car on the grass until June. Again that is why we spent thousands building a parking lot. A real bad spot is in front of the flight school hanger door. I will be blocking that off soon for the winter to vehicles. Next summer one of our projects is to deal with drainage in such a way that there will be minimal soft areas that we drive on a lot. For example in front of the new t hanger, we hope to pave a taxiway along the length on both sides and along the short side between the new and old hanger. One of my next primary goals is to replace the lighting on the main runway. First I need to build the lights. If anyone has any time to help me do that I would appreciate it. Also I need to get the cement bases made but the pre cast company can do that quickly. I then need to attach the underground cable to the main electrical terminal with an Arcal switch and bring the beacon on top of the flight school to the top of the fuel tank. These will all take time but I am on it. A very large concern is the tree that is at the end of the runway 34 on the approach. If someone hits it with the runway lights on, we would be held liable and we could lose everything. One of the ways around that is to install a very expensive "pappy" light that determines the approach angle of the incoming aircraft so that they miss the tree but it still scares me. I am going to approach the neighbor soon to see if he will work with us on that issue. If he does, it will become a mute point. Lets hope. Dorothy and I are in Europe from the 17th of October to November the 2nd. Ian Ross at the flight school will be in charge or if you need to you can call my father in law Bill at 905-852-6092 in any emergency. I just returned from a talk to the Oshawa RAA and they are very excited about the new Greenbank Airport. It seems that some of them had wanted to purchase it but could not put it together before Dorothy and I did. They wish us all the success and have asked if they might do a fly in this spring. Sound good to me. If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to send me a note. I will try to address it and let everyone else know you thoughts. Talk to you all again in November.
Just a last note. For anyone that is flying ultralights that are a little more noisy than regular GA aircraft. Please do not do continual circuits around the airport. Once airborne please leave the circuit and return after you have done your flying as circuits can become very obnoxious. If you are an ultralight flight school, we might consider living with that type of intrusion. As there is not an ultralight flight school here, please try not to do continual circuits with ultralights. Lastly, those of you in the new hanger, please do not taxi up the hill towards the runway. Please taxi in front of the cement pads towards the south to the mature grass in front of the old hanger and then taxi away.
Thanks and I hope that I did not appear too negative. Whatever I am asking you to do is for the betterment of the airport for all of us—thanks Micky and Dorothy Jovkovic |
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