Let’s GO to the Idaho Aviation Expo!

IDAHO AVIATION EXPO: Held in conjunction with the IAA Annual Meeting! Free to all IAA members! New and vintage aircraft, maintenance and parts suppliers, avionics, clubs and associations, and workshops. Martha Lunken of Flying magazine is a guest speaker! Richard Holm, author of Bound for the Backcountry: A History of Idaho's Remote Airstrips, will be signing his book and giving a presentation during the expo on Friday the 17th.

The Flyline is in FULL COLOR online!

Just log on to

www.idahoaviation.com Click on IAA Newsletters for past and present newsletters

Please send calendar and editorial submissions to: editor@idahoaviation.com

Deadline is the 20th of the month

April 2013

Events Calendar

April 9 Treasure Valley Chapter Meeting Div. of Aeronautics Bldg., 3483 Rickenbacker St., Boise. April 20 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Emmett Wings & Wheels Breakfast: Spot-landing, short-field, and other flying contests; Show N’ Shine for antique/classic cars; fuel at cost; breakfast benefit for TV Chapter; contact John at 208-365-2164 or 365-4135. May 4 Lewiston (LWS) EAA Art Along the Runway: Fly-in breakfast and artisans festival. Breakfast 8–11 a.m. by EAA Chapter 328, $5 donation, info call Bud 208-816-4373 or 208-743-5626. May 11 Ontario Fly-in Breakfast: 7:30–11 a.m., 208-739-3979. See the new improved FBO and airport; breakfast donated by Ontario Air Faire and pilots; all proceeds benefit the IAA. May 17–19 Idaho Aviation Expo 2013: Idaho Falls. Aircraft, avionics, seminars, door prizes, IAA Gen. Meeting, 208-524-1202. May 25 Weiser Airport 3

nd Annual Fly-in and Breakfast:

Bob & Mary Sue Patrick hosting; breakfast 8–10 a.m. by TV Chapter; drawings for rides in a Waco; 208-634-4824. June 1 Carey(U65) fly-in: Breakfast starts at 7 a.m.; “Carey-er” spot-landing contest; more info contact Paul Olsen 208-309-2181. June 13–16 Super Cub Fly-in at Johnson Creek: www.supercub.org. June 15 Breakfast at Big Creek: www.rebuildbigcreek.com. June 15–17 Garden Valley Father’s Day campout/breakfast: A Treasure Valley Chapter event, everyone invited, 208-861-6926. June 24–26 ACE Academy: ID Div of Aeronautics; Tammy Schoen 208-334-8776, tammy.schoen@itd.idaho.gov. June 28–30 Backcountry Pilots Fly-in at Johnson Creek: www.backcountrypilot.org. June 29 & 30 Breakfast at Big Creek: www.rebuildbigcreek.com. July 5–6 Steve Rogers Fly-in & Campout: Treeport (ID22) Spirit Lake, donation supper Fri night, presentations, movie, Sat breakfast. July 12–13 Cessna International 180/185 Club fly-in at Garden Valley: Campout/BBQ, www.skywagons.org. July 12 & 13 Breakfast at Big Creek: www.rebuildbigcreek.com. July 12–14 Wilderness Within Reach: Sulphur Creek Ranch, call

Joe Corlett 208-890-1819. July 20 Breakfast at St. Marie’s(S72) August 2–4 International Cessna 180/185 Club Fly-in at Johnson Creek: Campout, BBQ, www.skywagons.org. Aug 3 & 4 Breakfast at Big Creek: www.rebuildbigcreek.org. August 23–25 Cavanaugh Bay Fly-in Campout and potluck BBQ More info call Doug 208-861-6926. August 24 Oregon Pilot’s Assoc. Aviation Show/Meeting: Albany Airport(S12),9 a.m.–5 p.m., seminars, festival, www.oregonpilot.org.

MORE FLY-INS AND EVENTS ON WEBSITE CALENDAR.

2013 Work Party Schedule (weather permitting) Come help your friends, get dirty, and have fun!

June 8 - Atlanta/Graham Jerry Terlisner 859-7959 June 22 - Cabin Creek Jerry Terlisner 859-7959 July 6 - Chamberlain Basin Doug Culley 861-6926 July 13 - Big Creek Dale Gust 375-6759 July 20 - Cold Meadows

Check the website for more details and updates

www.idahoaviation.com

President’s Corner Jim Davies

Greetings Flyers, I am pleased to report we had

very successful showings at the Northwest Aviation Convention in Puyallup and the Trade show in Montana. The volunteer efforts led by Stave and Nadine Burak, JT Turlisner and Mike Hart paid off in new memberships and important exposure to the flying public. We can now turn to the premier event taking place in Idaho Falls on May 17–18. Presented by Aero Mark and the IAA, the event should be even better than it has been in the past. The show will feature displays, seminars and static displays. Of particular interest to us all, as well, is the Annual General Membership Meeting and luncheon.

The meeting is open to all of you and will feature a free lunch, business meeting and guest speaker. Also, as has become a tradition there will be a very desirable door prize. Admission is free. I encourage everyone to attend. It will be a great weekend. Updates on show information and IAA activities will be posted on the website. News Update from Government Affairs: Two bills sponsored by Idaho’s Division of Aeronautics passed both houses of the Idaho Legislature and should take effect July 1. One bill rescinds Idaho’s requirement for airmen to register with the state; the second will increase aircraft registration from 1¢ per pound of gross weight to 3¢. These measures were deemed necessary because of declining revenues to the Division of Aeronautics from aviation fuel tax. (The Transportation Board and Governor’s Office withdrew their support for an earlier proposal to hike jet fuel and avgas taxes.) The net annual addition to Aeronautics budgets will be approximately $157,000.

Although opposed by the AOPA, the IAA’s Board of Directors in January voted to support these aviation bills to increase Aeronautics’ revenues, which support maintaining Idaho community airports, state backcountry airports, and aviation safety and aerial search and rescue programs. Our Board felt that even though the increase would be borne by our pilots, Aeronautics under both former Administrator J. V. DeThomas and current boss Mike Pape has made commendable progress in cost-cutting and implementing efficiency measures, and was confident the Division would put the increased revenue to good use. An aircraft with gross weight of 2,500 pounds would now owe $75 instead of $25.

Also, I would like to bring your attention to the article in this issue reprinted from IFR Magazine. It’s an interesting approach to risk taking, safety and personal discipline. I appreciate being allowed to print it in The Flyline.

Summer’s coming! Jim

Why We Crash Remarks by Frank Bowlin, Editor, IFR Magazine

© Copyright Belvoir Media Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. Originally published in the March, 2013 issue of IFR Magazine.

The FAA says we should stop crashing—good idea, yes? The problem, though, is to figure out why we crash so we can stop doing whatever it is that makes us crash. I have a few broad-brush ideas about why we crash: bad luck, incompetence and bad judgment.

Unavoidable factors like engine failure at 400 feet after take-off, or an elephant who wants the same part of the runway you’re using to finish your take-off are just bad luck. Not much you can do about that. Fortunately, engines are pretty reliable and there aren’t many airport elephants we need to worry about. That leaves us incompetence and bad judgment, often hand in hand.

Say crosswind landings were never your thing and you find yourself with 30 knots right across the runway. The pilot with sound judgment goes somewhere else, protecting himself from his lack of crosswind competence. The pilot with bad judgment, though, tries it anyway and becomes an RLOC statistic.

Incompetence can usually be converted into competence with training, but teaching good judgment has been the challenge of the industry forever. After all, you should know you can’t handle crosswinds, but we don’t usually go around deliberately and knowingly making a bad choice. We only get to label it bad judgment in the rear-view mirror of life. So, the trick becomes how to recognize something out the windshield that, when we get to look at it in the rear-view mirror, we might conclude was a bad idea.

I’ve got a lot of flight hours and I’m at that age where wisdom and good judgment are supposed to replace testosterone and bravado. As a career professional pilot, when considering something that my wisdom suggests might not look too good in the rear-view mirror, while my bravado is telling me to go for it, I often stop to ask myself how the accident report might read.

A friend of mine flies big jets across the Pacific Ocean. He also has a Cub. The other day he and another airline pilot friend took the Cub into the coastal mountains looking for deer to buzz. We joked later about how the accident report might go: “Two ATP-rated pilots in a Cub were buzzing deer in a mountain clearing. One rather large buck snagged the Cub with his antlers. The plane crashed 10 feet from the deer, instantly killing both pilots. The deer walked away with a headache, proud of his accomplishment.” Yup, stupid pilot trick.

They say you can’t fix stupid. In this context, I disagree. Since we don’t deliberately do stuff that we know will kill us, it only becomes bad judgment because of the results. So, the next time you’re flying when anything—and I mean anything at all—out of the boring routine pops up, ask yourself how that might look in the rear-view mirror. If you don’t like the answer, do something different.

If more of us do that, some of us just might live a little longer. Let’s make the FAA happy on this one.

Oh, and while you’re at it, consider getting a little help

with your crosswind landings. Page 2

District 2 – Lewiston/Moscow

Bill Ables

Here we are getting blown into April by the March winds. Between the fronts moving through, we’ve had pretty good flying weather. The Canyon strips are in great shape and turning deep green with the 50–60 degree days. It really is another world down in the Canyon.

On one occasion, Nick Reid and I took our bright red and yellow airplanes into Pittsburg Landing

and had a great luncheon there and were very comfortable in short sleeve shirts. On another occasion I took my son into the Canyon to do a little fishing and before we were done, we had three other planes, one from Elko, NV landing and enjoying the gorgeous weather. Nothing like impromptu company and conversations with other pilots; all of us doing what we enjoy.

A member from Bend, OR emailed me to ask if I would fly into Hell’s Canyon with him, as he had never landed in the Canyon before. After some discussion I found out that Richard had flown into some of the Idaho strips and had in fact taken two of the Backcountry flying classes. I’m not one who will jump into just anyone’s airplane and go flying, but my gut said give it a go and my schedule said the same. Richard showed up right on time and after some conversation and canyon briefing it was obvious that Richard was an accomplished pilot, and in my mind, a wise one for asking for advice before going off someplace where he’d never been. We decided to take my airplane to Dug Bar first so he could watch the approach and landing without the stress of having to do it initially. Then we were to come back to 8S4, if the winds were not an issue, with his Cessna 182. It turned out the winds cooperated and Richard did a great job in his 182 and we had a perfect day of flying and conversation. Listening to my gut feeling has kept me out of trouble many times while flying, as well as during my past occupation. And spending this day with a fellow pilot, whom I’d never met, proved it right again.

Three of us flew into Minam Lodge a few days ago and talked to Aaron and his crew. They are hard at work and have one cabin completed and are working on the next of four more. Aaron said if things go on schedule, in three years, it will be completely rebuilt. They have a sawmill on site and are using their own timber for this project. They will be open to fly-in guests, but ask folks to email them ahead of time; check the website for photos and contact info; www.theminamlodge.com. The strip is in good shape; upriver landings are the norm.

I also stopped in at Temperance Creek and talked to Shelly, the caretaker. She said they are considering catering to the flying community by offering both overnight stays and meals. I will keep in touch with her and let you

know as things progress. Cheers, Bill

Right: Minam Lodge photo by Bill Ables

Dug Bar comes into view Bill Ables photo

At Dug Bar Bill Ables photo

Dug Bar looking upstream Crista Worthy photo

District 3 - Boise/McCall Wayne Thiel

The calendar says it’s spring but the

weatherman has not decided to give us perfect flying weather yet.

After 75 Bravo’s annual, I have been out tuning my skills for some good mountain flying. This included a trip to Garden Valley for my first grass landing in over a month; then to the Middle Fork of the Salmon with stops at Mahoney Creek and Lower Loon. At the Flying B my pilot-passenger Keefan

Caron and our friends Bryan, Dave, and Cindy, in N180BD (another 180) enjoyed brownies and coffee. The weather was beautiful with no wind (not a usual March day). We saw several herds of elk and deer along the way.

Check the front page calendar and work party schedule for all the upcoming events. Also, check the website before you head out for a work party. Sometimes weather and conditions change at the destination.

If you’d like to contribute to the upkeep of our back country landing strips and meet some fun pilots, work parties are a great place to go. The tools you will need to bring are garden rakes, shovels and leather gloves.

Treasure Valley Chapter will be hosting two great fly-in/campouts again this summer. Father’s Day weekend at Garden Valley (U88) is June 15–17, with breakfast 7–10 a.m. Sunday. Saturday evening is the pot luck BBQ where you bring something to cook and something to share. The Chapter will furnish chairs, tables and grills. The 2

nd flying

campout will be at Cavanaugh Bay (66S) on the southeast corner of Priest Lake near the Canadian border; dates are August 23–25. This is a very beautiful area and well worth the trip. Coffee is brewed daily by Allen, the airport caretaker. There will be a pot luck BBQ on Saturday evening, so bring something to cook and something to share. For both, contact Doug Culley at 208-861-6926.

The Treasure Valley Chapter bi-monthly meeting will be held April 9 at the Div. of Aeronautics, Boise at 7 p.m. Our guest speaker will be Alexandria Chris Streich (the gun lawyer). Her topic will be “Planes and Guns.” Many of us carry firearms in our planes and land at State or Federal (US Forest Service) airstrips. Have you ever wondered what the law is concerning this? Come and find out!

On March 9th, Ponderosa Aero Club at the Boise airport

sponsored “Fly It Forward 2013” for women who would like to go for their first ride in a small plane. T-Craft Club, Jet Stream and Kitfox also helped fly 107 female passengers. Wow, what a great thing this is turning into. They will probably break 200 next year. Treasure Valley Chapter donated $300 to help with costs.

Don’t forget to check Notams & TFR’s and get yourself

and your plane ready for a great flying season.

Fly safe, Wayne Thiel 4775B wthiel@idahoflyer.com 890-8866

District 4 – Magic Valley Galen Hanselman

WWII Fighter Pilot Denny Pace Dies at 93 By Tony Evans, Idaho Mountain Express Staff Writer

Longtime Ketchum resident and retired Air Force Colonel John “Denny” Pace died March 3 at Blaine Manor in Hailey.

Denny flew a twin-engine Lockheed P-38 Lighting out of North Africa during WWII for 50

missions over Italy. Returning stateside, he flew most of the planes in the Air Force inventory, running acceleration tests on the first fighter jets and becoming part of the first jet squadron. As the story goes, Denny piloted the first jet over Idaho and surrounding states. He returned to a hero’s welcome in Sun Valley, where he had lived since 1939.

Family members stated that during his distinguished 30-year military career, Pace was awarded 16 air medals: the Legion of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses and a medal from Generalissimo Francisco Franco of Spain.

“He was a very interesting character and well-traveled,” said his son, John Pace. “He got onto every continent, including Antarctica, on supply missions, as well as plenty of islands and remote archipelagos.” John Pace said his father skied both Bald Mountain and cross-country well into his 80s. “I have a picture of him bungee jumping in Australia when he was 83. That tells you what kind of guy he was,” he said.

In 1998, Pace recounted to the Mountain Express his wartime experiences in 1943 during the invasion of Salerno, Italy. Pace led the third and last squadron of P-38s escorting a bombing mission. Of his squadron of 36

planes, 13 were shot out of the sky. With just 50 hours of flight time,

Pace went up against German aces during WW II who’d been on the Eastern Front fighting the Russians for years. One day, Pace found himself dueling a Luftwaffe pilot. “I had one I couldn’t shake over Sardinia,” he said. “Finally, he got my left engine—I thought he got my left engine.” Pace let the plane spin and drop to 4,000 feet. But he hadn’t been hit. The left

engine had conked out because Pace had forgotten to shift his fuel supply when one tank got low. With the other plane out of sight, he said, “I switched my gas tank on and went home. That probably saved my life, screwing up.”

Pace was called back to the military in Korea to train pilots in combat. He later volunteered and was sent to Vietnam as a wing commander. In Vietnam, he flew multi-engine C-123 cargo planes, dropping flares at night for the fighters and hauling cargo for the troops.

During the 1970s, Pace served as Commander at American Legion Hall Post 115 in Ketchum. In 2004, he represented the Wood River Valley at a special May 29 ceremony to dedicate the new National World War II

Memorial in Washington, D.C. Page 4

District 6 – Idaho Falls/Salmon Mike Hart

Mud has Sprung Between winter and summer

there is mud. I suppose there is some wind as well, but mostly mud. Still, there are bluebird days where you can easily justify getting out to fly—just don't land on anything other than a firm surface.

While the weather can be blustery, so can the politics of “sequestration”. The looming closure of contract towers like the one at KIDA has a lot of people's hair on fire. For non-IFR general aviation it is usually not a significant issue, but for economic development, community pride, business convenience and scheduled airline service it is a very big deal. As of March 20, despite bipartisan backing, the Senate refused to even vote on whether to shift $50 million from other accounts to keep 170 towers open, so at this point they may close April 7. I know we can be safe without a tower, but we are safer with a tower and I will leave it at that.

One of the best things about spring in Eastern Idaho is the Idaho Aviation Expo. Each year this event gets significantly better. This year will feature Flying magazine's Martha Lunken, Bound for the Backcountry author Richard Holm, backcountry expert Pete Nelson, and Idaho Div. of Aeronautics Director Mike Pape. Vendors will include avionics shops, aircraft manufacturers, aircraft parts suppliers and aviation organizations. Workshops will cover backcountry flying, iPads, UAVs and more.

In terms of aircraft, there is always an impressive array of new aircraft from the big names like Aviat, Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft, Cirrus, Piper, and Quest. This year we will also have a King Katmai in the hangar. If you have ever wanted to see a 182 on steroids with a canard, May 17–18 will be your chance. (Editor’s Note: Having flown in this airplane, I am still amazed at how it extends the safety envelope for flight in tight canyons and operations on short, high density altitude strips!) So in a nutshell come to the Idaho Aviation Expo: If you want a signed copy of Bound for the Backcountry with no shipping fees. If you want to hang out with other pilots and hear cool stories about airplanes. If you want to know what's going on in aviation in Idaho. If you want a chance to win some great door prizes (like a Nexus 7 tablet with goodies).

I look forward to seeing everyone here at the Expo. Katmai At Mile Hi

We ain’t afraid of no stinkin’ mud! photo courtesy John McKenna

Quest Kodiak—Getting it done around the world—see it at the Expo

Signed by the author for you at the Expo!

Let’s Go to the Idaho Aviation Expo! May 17–18, Idaho Falls

Page 5

Legislation Success Mike Pape, Idaho Div. of Aero. Administrator

Idaho Aviation Stakeholders:

I’m proud to announce that HB 117 (Pilot Registration Deletion) and HB 118 (Aircraft Registration Rate Increase) have been passed in the legislature and signed by the Governor. This revenue increase will provide a small but important financial boost to search and rescue, pilot safety programs, backcountry airport maintenance and community airport projects.

My genuine appreciation goes to those whose support was so instrumental to the success of this legislation; especially the Idaho Aviation Association, the Idaho Airport Manager’s Association and the Recreational Aviation Foundation. I wish all of you could have witnessed the pride Idaho legislators have in our state public airports.

I look forward to many successful cooperative efforts in

the future. Mike Pape

Changes at the Caldwell Airport Café

Crista Worthy

Becky Aldrich joined the IAA and then took it upon herself to contact your Editor to let you know that she has taken over management of the Caldwell Airport Café after her grandmother retired in February.

The Café has been spruced up with new paint and new chairs, and now Becky is in the process of updating the menu. Pancake lovers may be pleasantly surprised by some new seasonal offerings, including Huckleberry or Blueberry, Banana Walnut, Fresh Strawberry, and even Chocolate Chip pancakes!

Carnivores have plenty to choose from as well. Hamburgers are one-half pound and made with extra-lean beef, and hand-pressed and shaped. They come with your choice of fries, tater tots, macaroni, potato or green salad, or soup. They also have bacon/cheddar and mushroom/Swiss burgers. The Caldwell Café is also known for its “Airport Special”, a plate-size ham steak with hash browns, two eggs, and toast, all for

$7. The Daily Special includes Homemade Soup of the Day and runs $6. Becky cooks Mon–Fri and is out serving on Saturdays, when the special is a Chicken-fried Steak and hash browns, two eggs, and toast for $6. She looks forward to meeting pilots from Idaho and beyond! If a pilot flies up when they’re getting ready to close, they’ll gladly serve them. Says Becky, “The rule of the kitchen is, nobody walks away hungry!” Open Mon–Sat 7 a.m.–2:30

p.m., Sun 7 a.m.–1:30 p.m., 208-546-2233.

Sorry, No Coverage Aviation Attorney Don Lojek

Remember, an insurance policy is a contract between

the aircraft owner and the insurance company. Typically, an aircraft policy will contain an exclusion providing that the policy coverage does not apply to “the liability of any insured who operates or permits the operation of the aircraft: (1) in violation of its Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Certificate . . .”

Under FAR § 91.169(a), an Airworthiness Certificate is effective only “as long as the maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations are performed in accordance with Parts 43 and 91 (14 C.F.R. § 21.181(a)(1)).”

In a previous column we have already discussed the typical policy endorsement indicating that the coverage afforded by the policy does not apply while the aircraft is operated in flight by other than named pilots with certain minimum total logged flying hours in the same make and model aircraft.

In one case, a prospective purchaser of a Cessna Cardinal took the left seat and the seller, a named insured under the policy, occupied the right seat and off they went. The left seat occupant was a commercial pilot with 10,000+ hours but zero hours in the Cardinal. The owner (right seat) provided verbal advice about certain aspects of the aircraft’s operation during the flight. The NTSB report took the position that the right seat occupant was the PIC.

At the time of the crash the aircraft had not received its annual inspection and the right seat occupant had not received his biennial flight review. With the violations of the FAR’s, the airworthiness certificate was no longer in effect and the insurance company would not pay for any injuries to the aircraft occupants or for damage to the aircraft.

The court overruled the NTSB as to who was the PIC, reasoning that the right seat pilot’s failure to have a biennial flight review and a current medical suspended his pilot’s certificate for violation of regulations so that he could not be the PIC.

Then the court ruled that the commercial pilot, since he was not the sole manipulator of the controls, could not be the PIC either. This left the owner of the aircraft with a) no aircraft; b) injured passengers who were suing him; and c) no insurance coverage. An unfortunate trifecta.

Given that many insurance companies seek to avoid paying claims whenever possible, the lesson is obvious: comply with all FAR’s and read your insurance policy so

that you will never hear: “SORRY, NO COVERAGE.”

Page 6

Another Step Forward For Big Creek Lodge!

Progress continues for the Idaho Aviation Foundation’s project to rebuild Big Creek Lodge in Idaho. The USFS has signed a Decision Memo which will enable the IAF to conduct fly-ins and visits this summer.

The Big Creek Lodge, on U.S. Forest Service land in central Idaho, was a premier fly-in destination for pilots from Idaho, the U.S., and around the world, until it burned down in October 2008. In late 2012, after working successfully with the USFS and previous lodge owners, the Idaho Aviation Foundation acquired the remaining buildings at Big Creek, including utility infrastructures. The IAF intends to build and operate a new lodge for the public, and on February 12, USFS Payette Forest Supervisor Keith Lannom signed a Decision Memo to reissue a Special Use Permit for operations to resume at the Big Creek Lodge site. This will lead to a Special Use Permit for ongoing operations, expected in the spring 2013. “The Krassel Ranger District and the Payette National Forest have wanted public operations at Big Creek ever since the fire,” noted Krassel District Ranger Anthony Botello.

The IAF is working to complete a Master Development Plan that meets USFS requirements by the Fall of 2013. The IAF will host fly-in breakfast events at Big Creek on June 15, 29, and 30, July 12 and 13, and August 3 and 4, 2013, and plans to have the lodge completed and fully operating in 2015. Rebuild Big Creek Lodge fundraising efforts have already raised well over $400,000, more than half the stated objective. The $800,000 objective includes design, engineering, permit requirements, transportation of materials, construction, and long-term operation of the lodge. Should donations exceed the $800,000 goal, they will be applied to future lodge operations. The IAF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

The IAF’s new Rebuild Big Creek website has detailed information, photos, and can accept credit card donations or pledges; 208-861-9056; www.rebuildbigcreek.com.

Or via mail: IAF; PO Box 2016; Eagle, ID; 83616

Rolling out at Big Creek photo courtesy Bill Miller

Below: Preliminary rendering of the new Big Creek Lodge Design courtesy of Houston-Bugatsch Architects

BOOK: "WEST by 180" A Journey into some of the most Rugged

and Remote Airstrips in America. Join Captain Harden as he flies around the West for three months with no

place to be and no time to get there. $16 + 3 mailing CaptainHBH@aol.com (812) 338-3845

Page 7

Red Eagles: America’s Secret MIGs Book Review by Bill Miller

Did you know Soviet MiGs were

operating in the U.S.? They were, in a top-secret program conducted in the Nevada desert for nearly 20 years. Why were MiGs here, and why didn’t anybody know about them?

The dismal record of US fighter aircraft against MiGs early in the Vietnam War led the USAF to seek a solution. Red Eagles is the story of the program that evolved and

eventually put US fighter aviation in the winner’s circle. Red Eagles was a ‘black program’ using ‘borrowed’ Soviet-built MiG aircraft, many details of which were only recently de-classified. Author Steve Davies tells the full story of a program, officially begun in 1968 and designed to exploit enemy aircraft capability and combat performance, and ultimately give US fighter pilots air-to-air training against adversary aircraft. The Red Eagles, as they called themselves, were the 4477

th Test and Evaluation

Squadron, created as an adjunct to USAF’s Fighter Weapons School at Nellis AFB NV. Flying MiG-17, MiG-21, and MiG-23 aircraft, the Red Eagle Squadron eventually provided secret combat training against MiGs for USAF, Navy, Marine, and Air Guard fighter pilots. Davies describes how the airfield at the Tonopah Test Range was built from scratch, and later improved to handle aircraft like the Mach 2 MiG-23 and high-performance US fighters. The Tonopah site abutted the so-called Area 51 of even greater top-secret fame. Davies interviews over 30 Red Eagles pilots and others in the program to bring the Red Eagles’ operations back to life. The personalities who initiated and operated this small chapter of US military reform are highlighted, and their stories are well told. For example, the ‘buck fever’ phenomenon universally affected US pilots flying their initial encounters against MiGs, causing confusion, hesitation, and poor response—even though briefed beforehand that this would happen.

Detailed discussion of the three MiG models’ flight characteristics--attributes and quirks--will pique any pilot’s interest. Although not 'one of them', author Steve Davies tells the Eagles’ story as though he’d been one. Red Eagles is a 'must read' for anyone interested in how our poor air-to-air record early in the Vietnam war was recognized and dramatically improved using secret

captured MiG aircraft as training tools.

Hardcover: 352 pages; ISBN-10: 1846033780 Publisher: Osprey Publishing, Sept. 2008 Bill Miller is a former Aeronautics Administrator, founding member of the IAA, retired Air Guard pilot, Board Member of the Idaho Military Museum, author, and currently the IAA’s Governmental Affairs Vice President.

MIG17 in front, MIG 21 in rear, accompanied by a pair of F-5s Over the Tonopah Test Range Photos courtesy Bill Miller

MIG21 at Tonopah Test Range, home of the Red Eagles

FUEL DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE TO ALL IAA MEMBERS Print your IAA membership card for your wallet, and call: Western Aviation Boise 338-1833 Turbo Air Boise 343-3300 Arnold Aviation Cascade 382-4844 Jackson Jet Boise 383-3300 Aero Mark Idaho Falls 524-1202 Atlantic Aviation Hailey 788-7511 Back Country Fuel Emmett 861-9055 AvCenter Nampa/Pocatello 866-3740 Reeder Flying Service Twin Falls 733-5920 More information available at www.idahoaviation.com Tell our sponsors “thanks!” when you stop by!

Contacts

State President: Jim Davies 859-5537 Vice Presidents: Jack Kotaki—Back Country Issues 340-7177 Bill Miller—Gov’t Affairs 853-8585 Larry Taylor—Agency Liaison 855-0261 Jerry Terlisner—Activities 859-7959 Doug Culley—Membership 861-6926 Joe Corlett—Communications 336-1097 Paul Jorgensen—Awards 343-0290 Nadine Burak—Secretary/Treasurer 861-9056 Directors: Dist #1 Jan Lee 255-9954 Dist #2 Bill Ables (541) 263-1327 Dist #3 Wayne Thiel 890-8866 Dist #4 Galen Hanselman 788-5176 Dist #5 Kerry Requa 785-8980 Dist #6 Mike Hart 528-7672 FLYLINE Crista Worthy (310) 560-7324

editor@idahoaviation.com Page 8

Page 10

Page 11

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Page 12

Idaho Aviation Association PO Box 2016 Eagle, ID 83616

The FLYLINE April 2013

The Monthly Newsletter

of the

Idaho Aviation Association