Letters

Dave Hirschman’s real-world test of whether vortex generators make a measurable performance difference prompted further questions, and a few stories, from members.

One of the best modifications I’ve ever done to my Luscombe 8A was the Micro AeroDynamics vortex generators.

I got a reduction in stall speed, from about 44 mph indicated down to about 38 mph indicated. But the biggest benefit is the stability.

Previously I could slow-fly my Luscombe at about 50 mph indicated, but I had to work hard to keep it under control. With the VGs I can slow-fly it about 37 to 38 indicated hands off! I just sit there with my arms folded. The vortex generator kit for a Luscombe costs $600. And I installed them myself, under the supervision of an IA. First wing took about one and a half hours, second wing took 30 minutes.

Well worth it, for the safety if nothing else.

Trent Sanders
La Canada, California
AOPA 1482002

I just read your September article on vortex generators installed on the wings of a Cessna 172. Your observations were as I would expect. You neglected, however, to comment on what I believe is significant, but little considered.

You reported an apparent stall speed reduction of about five knots. The reduction of stall speed of five knots means that additional total lift is available from the VG-equipped wing. All things being equal, a wing modification that results in a lift increase should also result in a reduction in the noted indicated airspeed at the top of the green arc and a reduction in the published maneuvering speed. A quick estimate: I would expect these speeds to be reduced by about 10 knots. Alternatively, perhaps the Utility category certification of the 172 might be reduced to Normal category only.

I certainly hope Micro AeroDynamics has addressed this issue in their certification.

John L. Geitz
AOPA 410696
Trophy Club, Texas

An airspeed indicator change is only required for those STCs in which Micro AeroDynamics has a applied for and received an official stall speed change.—Ed.

Aviation legends: The world according to Clay Lacy

Reading my latest issue of AOPA Pilot magazine, I noticed an article on Clay Lacy. The magazine forgot to include one other significant accomplishment Mr. Lacy achieved: that of scab.

Lacy was put on the master scab list in 1985 for crossing the United Airlines picket line. If AOPA wants support for third class medical reform from as many members and nonmembers as possible, they probably should rethink articles glamorizing individuals such as Lacy.

Tom Messer
AOPA 6159621
Coarsegold, California

I read your article on Clay Lacy—great job. He’s his own Wikipedia—well done boiling it down to a fascinating portrait of quite an aviator.

Marc K. Henegar
AOPA 1073441
Bend, Oregon

Pilots: Flight of Passage Author

Having read Flight of Passage several years ago, I particularly enjoyed Jill Tallman’s article on Rinker Buck (“Pilots: Flight of Passage Author”). The departure airport for the intrepid Buck boys was the (long gone) Somerset Hills Airport in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. I was taking my first flight training there in the mid 1950s and soloed Piper PA–11 N4589M on October 13, 1956, after being signed off by Tom Lowden. At that time, the airport property was owned by Harry Calvin, who was a flight engineer with Pan Am. I never met the Buck brothers because I had other obligations by the mid-1960s. However, the article rekindled many fond memories of that era.

John Pace
AOPA 1096053
New Bern, North Carolina

A hiking GPS in the sky

Welcome aboard. I purchased an eTrex when they first came out and were yellow. It has lived in my flight bag ever since. It, a handheld radio, and a Swiss army knife have branded me with the nickname MacGyver. All have come in handy on various trips.

Jeff J. Jacober
AOPA 686171
Bensalem, Pennsylvania

A Trustee’s Thanks

Editor’s Note: Paul Heintz (“Pilots: AOPA Advocate,” October 2015 AOPA Pilot) served on AOPA’s Board of Trustees for 40 years. In September he retired as an active board member and was elected by the board to an emeritus position, joining Andy Pew.

I was overwhelmed by the attention given me on the occasion of my retirement from the board. The outpouring and honor were both unexpected and deeply appreciated. Thank you so much.

Anyone who knows me is well aware of my lifelong passion for flying. However, few know of the length and depth of my connection with AOPA and the mixed emotions that I felt and still feel upon my retirement as a trustee. It started when I was 15 with my visits to the then-AOPA headquarters on East-West Highway as I walked home from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. That was enhanced by my first flights as a teenage CAP cadet in a Stinson L–5G from the (now closed) Congressional Airfield just up the road. That connection was strengthened by my fortunate meeting, and becoming personally acquainted, with three of the five AOPA founders, Laurence P. Sharples, J. Story Smith, and Alfred L. “Abby” Wolf, in the late ’60s when I became a lawyer in Philadelphia. The fact that AOPA headquarters ended up on Frederick Airport, the very airport from which I soloed a J–3 Cub and obtained my private ticket in an Aeronca Champion 7AC over 57 years ago, seems more than a coincidence.

In the over 60 years since I first took the controls of that L–5, I have seen the ascendancy and the decline of general aviation and AOPA membership. Notwithstanding the decline in numbers in the last few decades, though, I have always remained optimistic about the long-term prospects of GA. Simply put, the magic, utility, and pure fun of flying will always exist and hold a strong core of like-minded people. I believe we are just trending toward a more sustainable, and probably healthier, new normal.

I have always remained optimistic about the future of AOPA, too. GA has needed, and will always need, an organization to eliminate or manage the typical challenges it has faced since its earliest days, including airports, airspace, aircraft and airman certification, and aircraft equipment issues.

However, where AOPA now seems more important than ever is handling a challenge that could not have been fully envisioned by the founders: the need to attract and retain both pilots and members. Obviously without both, AOPA’s advocacy clout and the very vitality and viability of GA will be threatened.

It has been a privilege and honor to serve as a trustee, indeed, to serve as one of the stewards of that most precious organization, for almost 40 years and to have played a role in passing along to a future generation of board members the principles held so dear by our founders. Thank you again for the wonderful farewell.

Paul Heintz
AOPA 173148
Radnor, Pennsylvania

We welcome your comments. Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701 or email ([email protected]). Letters may be edited for length and style before publication.

Hangar Talk

“I make my living as an airline pilot, but I’m a general aviation guy at heart,” says contributor Chip Wright (“Island Hopping,” p. 94). “The Air Mike/United Airlines Island Hopper is about as general aviation as you can get flying a 737. Because of the critical need for the service we provide, the Hopper is much more than just a trip to fly; people count on us. It’s the South Pacific version of what aviation provides in Alaska. For the pilots and flight attendants, the Hopper is a long day, and it’s a lot of work that may take place under some trying circumstances. That said, the reward (depending on the trip) is a two- or three-day layover in Hawaii. I’ve also spent a week each on Chuuk and Kosrae diving. If you’re of the right mind for an adventure to a place that most people will need to Google in order to learn where you went, this is the place for you. The people are wonderful, the water is clear, and the food is fantastic. And I know how you can get there.”