CONGRATULATIONS to Tiphani Laura for soloing this month! We are all so proud of your accomplishment – and are happy that you are well on your way to your Private Pilot's license! I shared some of the solo photos on our Facebook page SLO 99s – if you haven't joined the page please do[the link is https://www.facebook.com/groups/756663417784561/ ]! It is an easy way to share activities and pictures, etc. without cluttering up in-boxes!
"Enjoyed working the SLO airport terminal VIP reception with several SLO 99s"(Susan Conner-Steeb in her Facebook post)
The new terminal sounds exciting and thank you to Susan Steeb for taking charge of keeping the 99's active and in the loop of what is going on at the airport. The best way to grow our membership is to stay in the public eye and volunteering at aviation events is the way to do that.
Don’t miss our next meeting(Nov 1); our tower manager, Dylan, will be our guest speaker and he will update us on what is going on at the airport and what we need to know when we are departing and arriving.
The local EAA Chapter 170 is working at rebuilding membership. I have been forwarding messages from Vince Rubatzky regarding meetings. Elizabeth is a long time member of both, the SLO 99s and EAA Chapter 170 and does a wonderful job juggling both groups. We have volunteered with EAA during the Ford Tri-Motor visits and it is always fun, plus, between us we always have enough people to make the program enjoyable. Hopefully some of our members will join the local EAA Chapter, I have been an EAA member for some time(Sport Aviation is a great magazine and worth the price of membership) and am happy that the local chapter is more visible. Their Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/EAAChapter170/
Fly-out Report Camarillo Oct 28
By Grace Crittenden
After days and days of clear weather, we woke up to fog Saturday morning. The morning was fairly warm and the fog was projected to clear by 0930 and Camarillo had similar TAF. We had 3 planes ready to go. We had scheduled a rain date for the next Saturday, but the day promised to be VFR and good for flying.
The fog was a little slower to burn off, but we all took off about 1030. My plane was the first to depart. I requested flight following at my usual low altitude of 3500 feet. I was glad to be the first off the ground since my little Cessna 172 was significantly slower(and fully loaded with two passengers and my dog, Kay) than the 2 Bonanzas on the fly-out. The fog was extending inland almost to Santa Maria Airport but the route ahead was sunny. As we passed over San Marcus Pass we could see Santa Barbara’s airport was VFR but the beaches and coast line were covered with fog. As we flew over Lake Casitas there was a significant ground haze but we could see the fog was burning off and Santa Paula was clear.
When we were handed off to Mugu Approach, there was some discussion of special VFR. We decided to head inland for a little detour and were over Ojai when we heard the controller announce that Camarillo was now marginal VFR. The visibility was hazy and 3-4 miles. We could see the ground but not the airport, but thanks to GPS we knew exactly where we were. Soon we were over Highway 101 and in right downwind, cleared to land, with a good view of the runway.
After we were on the ground, we called the other pilots to find out they were already back to KSBP. They had turned around when advised that Camarillo was IFR.
The Waypoint was in full swing with pilots and locals. We did have to wait for a table on the patio and had a chance to visit Heidi’s pilot shop while we were waiting. The restaurant’s special was Tri-tip. We had a fine lunch and an uneventful flight home. Flying back at 6500 feet, we could see the fog was still covering the shoreline. There was fog over Arroyo Grande and the Morro Rock, but San Luis was clear and sunny.
The lesson learned on this trip was it is a good idea to have a rain date AND an alternative airport for fly-outs!
Minutes for Meeting of Oct 4
By Grace Crittenden
The new terminal will be opening Nov 1. Susan Steeb will contact the airport administration to see if we can participate[see short report and photo above].
Kristina Carroll, a future woman pilot, came for he first chapter meeting. She started flying with her grandfather. She started flying lessons this summer and is hoping to finish up her training and check ride this fall– she is a history major at Cal Poly with interest in women in aviation.
Cal pilots will be having an expo on Nov 11-12 and Susan Steeb will send more information.
For introductions, we shared our flying experience. Janice O’Dell has a 1982 V-tail Bonanza that was built to celebrate 35 years continuous Bonanza production. Grace Crittenden is part owner of a C172. Liz Dinan has been flying for years – used to fly for Claire Walters at Santa Monica. Susan Steeb is flying a Bonanza built in 1986 and flies to Van Nuys two days weekly and Palo Alto frequently for work. Tiphani Sach, a student pilot is training in a Cessna 152 with SunWest and is almost ready to solo[in the meantime, Tiphani soloed, see above]. Erin is flying a Club 150 and working on her CFI. Marina is currently an observer with the dream of flying.
The Estrella Warbirds would like to give a presentation to their group in February or March. The chapter members expressed some interest. And we will get some more details.
For upcoming chapter activities, we can plan a tour of Cal Fire in Paso. We have the Christmas party upcoming – always a fun event. It looks like Airport Day will not happen this year.
We have invited the airport manager to come in January and will invite Dylan Krassensky, the control tower manager, to come to the November 1 meeting[he’s now scheduled].
Sully Sullenberger will be at the PAC Nov 30.
The next SW Section Meeting will be April 26-29 in Bakersfield and promises to be lots of fun.
Van Nuys does a fun picnic fly-out to Santa Inez on the Saturday closest to Valentines Day. In 2018, Valentines Day will be a Wednesday so we will have to find out exactly what day it will be scheduled.
The chapter does have several pilots with planes and we will schedule a fly-out to Camarillo Saturday, October 28(with a rain date Nov 4) with invitations to fill any empty seats[see the fly-out report above].
Chairman’s Message
Fly-out Report Camarillo Oct 28
Minutes for Meeting of Oct 4