Letters

Pitcairn's legacy

I would like to thank Alton Marsh for writing " Son of a Pioneer" (April Pilot) about Stephen Pitcairn and his collection of Mailwings and the PCA-2 Autogiro. I am originally from southeastern Pennsylvania and learned a lot about Pitcairn Aviation while growing up. I even had the treat of visiting the Pitcairn Aviation hangar at New Jersey's Trenton-Robbinsville Airport in the early 1990s when I had time to kill while waiting for parts for a broken helicopter. Once I went through the doors, it was like going back 70 years to see the aircraft, memorabilia, and the craftsmanship applied to restore these treasures.

I have enjoyed talking to Stephen Pitcairn at airshows at Naval Air Station Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, where I served as a U.S. Army Reserve helicopter pilot. Watching the PCA-2 land, it is amazing to see the slow-turning rotor of an autogiro compared to that of a helicopter.

There is one memory I will never forget. I had worked the first day of the NAS Willow Grove airshow and was admiring the Pitcairn aircraft with Pitcairn. The next evening I was sitting at a traffic light and watched the two-ship formation — the Mailwing flying lead with the PCA-2 flying on its wing — returning to Trenton-Robbinsville Airport. What a spectacular sight it was to see both of these rare aircraft flying together.

Edward W. Wolfe Jr. AOPA 1311072
Albrightsville, Pennsylvania

I was a flight instructor at Trenton-Robbinsville Airport for close to three years, and hardly a day went by that, when I had no students scheduled, you couldn't find me down at Pitcairn's end of the field, getting in the way. How or why he ever put up with me, I'll never know — but I'm certainly glad he did. I was given the opportunity to see and do some things that most may only dream about, and for that I'll always be thankful. Thank you for such a wonderful article — it reminded me of all the good times I had there, and that I really need to get back and visit.

Sean Curry AOPA 1302188
Presque Isle, Maine

My family is originally from Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. My father used to be an over-the-road owner-operator truck driver. Sometime in the late 1970s, or perhaps the early '80s, when I was a wee lad of 6 or 7 years, Steve Pitcairn contacted my father to do some work for him. The first trip was to make a pick-up at a small airport in St. Augustine, Florida. The load was an autogiro fuselage, wings, and rotor blades. After I showed "Son of a Pioneer" to Dad, he believed the load to be either the PCA-2 pictured, or parts to assist in the restoration of the PCA-2. Approximately a year later, Pitcairn called upon Dad to make another trip. But it was the first trip, where Dad hauled the PCA-2, of which I have fond memories.

I remember Dad coming home on a Friday night after being on the road for a few days. Since the next day was Saturday, he asked if I wanted to go along when he delivered the load, to which I enthusiastically responded "yes." The next day we headed over to Robbinsville. Pitcairn, Dad, and some helpers un-loaded the aircraft while I wandered about the hangar in lust — I had never been close to an airplane before, and Dad remembers that I was in awe, and most likely drooling.

After the load was safely in the hangar, Dad commented to Pitcairn that he had seen an ad near the gate advertising airplane rides for $15 and asked where he could park the truck so that he could get me a ride. Pitcairn politely said, "You will not." He then preflighted a small craft — I think it was probably a Cessna 140 — and told my Dad that we would be back in a half hour! Well, the starter on the Cessna jammed, and Pitcairn could not get it to start. So, he preflighted his 1946 Luscombe 8A and took me up on my inaugural airplane ride.

I credit Steve Pitcairn and that plane ride with sparking my deep interest in aviation, police helicopter aviation operations, and aircraft crash rescue firefighting. Thanks for a great article.

Randy Yardumian AOPA 3852739
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pilot's new look

I just finished reading the latest copy of the redesigned AOPA Pilot magazine (April Pilot). What a treat. Having been an AOPA member for several years, I don't remember any issue being this jampacked with articles. It was a great read, and I enjoy the changes you made.

Keep up the good work, and keep the great magazine coming.

Larry Williams AOPA 1228526
Jacksonville, Florida

I wanted to comment on the magazine's new look. I am a long-time AOPA member so I have seen the magazine evolve over the years. Moving the monthly columns to the front was a good idea and since I read Thomas B. Haines' column, then Mark R. Twombly's, and then Rod Machado's — in that order — you saved me some page flipping. Their experiences are ones I can relate to. Also, white space is good; I really like the clean and bright look.

I am also a subscriber to ePilot and look forward to reading Friday's e-mail. I think this change and improvement is an indication that the people at AOPA Pilot are very aware of what is happening in aviation, technology, and publishing. Keep looking forward.

Cary Weltken AOPA 702020
Petaluma, California

Cali's lessons

I just finished reading Bruce Landsberg's " Safety Pilot Landmark Accidents: High-Terrain Tangle" (April Pilot). There were certainly some good lessons for IFR flying. "A thorough brief before leaving cruise altitude" is the best start for the successful conclusion of a flight. Not making visual approaches at night is another good policy. Several years ago, I was on a four-day flight as a first officer in a company plane. We were making a dropoff in Lebanon, New Hampshire, after dark and after a long cross-country. We were IFR but the weather was clear. The captain briefed for a visual into this airport, which has some terrain obstructions. I suggested that flying the full approach (nonradar) would ensure terrain clearance. He took my suggestion and we made an uneventful arrival. We lost a friend in a Lear a year later at this airport.

I can't tell you how many times I have said to my instrument students that former President Ronald Reagan said to "trust but verify,'' and this applies to everything you do in instrument flying. I find that there are many times that the "magic" does increase the workload. Dropping down to the tried and true is a smart move. Having the underlying approach set up has saved more than one approach.

"Ditch the magic and fly the airplane" certainly supports Landsberg's "simpler is safer." Good lessons for all of us to use and remember. No flight is so important that we cannot take time to make it a safe flight.

David Faile AOPA 200622
Fairfield, Connecticut

Faile is the 1999 national flight instructor of the year — Ed.

As I read Landsberg's story on the American Airlines crash at Cali, my jaw dropped to my chest in astonishment at how far we have gone toward removing common sense from our flight procedures. Without all the superfluous gibberish about Rozo Arrivals and Romeo NDBs, the case boils down to this: The pilot told his computer to fly the airplane into a mountain, and the computer obliged.

The Colombian equivalent of our NTSB said that the flight crew should have done the following: find the approach chart for Runway 19, program the flight management system for the new approach, recalculate configurations, and coordinate with ATC about increased descent rates. That's what heavy iron flying IFR has to do. Here's what no-iron-at-all on VFR does: My GPS receiver is connected to a laptop computer screen which shows precisely the picture of a sectional chart. The moving arrow on my screen represents me, pointed in the direction I'm flying. The instant my airplane turned east toward that towering mountain range, I would have screamed, "Good grief! What is it doing? Kill the autopilot!"

Jim Thorn AOPA 896314
Dayton, Washington

Perception correction

I just wanted to comment (OK, complain) and compliment Julie K. Boatman's " Ounce of Prevention: A Momentary Lapse of Reason" (April Pilot). Most of her points were well presented. But as an aerial application pilot (cropduster), I wanted to comment on a couple of points. I've been in this business most of my life and I've yet to put a skin-eating chemical in my hopper. Most of what we use is the same stuff you put on your lawn or that's in the flea collar on your cat and dog. Our perception by the general public is threatened enough by misinformation, so please don't help them unless you plan on beginning a new diet.

With airplanes costing $500,000 and up and going at speeds of 140 mph across the ground, the distance to obstacles has increased dramatically. Cleanup passes made in a perpendicular fashion at the end of the fields are always common practice. Obstacles are always going to be a part of our business, but with proper training and a little bit of common sense (a rare commodity in today's world), low-level aviation offers great rewards.

Tom Miller AOPA 633698
Ingalls, Kansas

Miller is chairman of the Kansas Agricultural Aviation Association's Operation SAFE — Ed.

Salmon River fires understated

As an owner of a cabin on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, it was interesting to see " Postcards: Ah, That River Life" (April Pilot). However, I think your description of the damage of the fire this past summer was innacurate.

My place is located on the Middlefork Ranch Inc. at Pistol Creek. On the ranch, an old homestead site, 17 of 21 privately owned cabins and half of the other buildings were destroyed during the fire. Although most of us had insurance, replacing the cabins is a major project because of the fact that virtually all construction material must be flown into our backcountry airstrip.

Ray L. Leadabrand AOPA 171070
Boise, Idaho

We welcome your comments. Address your letters to: Editor, AOPA Pilot , 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701. Send e-mail to [email protected] . Include your full name, address, and AOPA member number on all correspondence, including e-mail. Letters will be edited for style and length.