Category: Newsletters

For me, it has been an active summer so far. I hope you are enjoying it also.

NEWFOUNDLAND

Four couples flew Bonanzas to Newfoundland:

• Michael Madigan and Bella in his A36
• Brent & Jean Hippert in his V Tail
• Dave Harnitcheck and Cathy in his V Tail
• My wife, Ginny & I in our Debonair.

We all landed in Deer Lake, in the center/west of the island. From there we drove many hours to Twillingate on the north shore. Three days later we drove back & visited Gros Morne National Park which is close to Deer Lake.

I have been traveling to Newfoundland in my Debonair for some 20 years now. It used to be that all tourists flying the airlines went to St. John’s on the eastern tip, which is the capital. It is obvious that there are many more airline flights to Deer Lake now.

At Deer Lake, there are 2 FBO’s, one that only sold 100LL and the other that only sold Jet A so making a choice was easy. Nalair was very gracious, almost like a FBO in the U.S. with a few twists. They were not open many hours and charged us show up fees. The fuel was self-serve but they had to supervise it, we couldn’t buy fuel unless they were present. But they wouldn’t pump it for us (I prefer to pump my own anyway). Also, access to the ramp was only when they were there.

I have read on BeechTalk about new Canadian ADSB requirements. They have implemented a satellite based system and use a different frequency than the U.S. (They match the rest of the world). My ADSB in/out dates back to when it was first available.

Anyway, it was pretty transparent to us except that a controller did say that we had bigger separation requirements because 2 of us were non-compliant. When I came back I made an appointment to get that upgraded to the latest, compliant everywhere transponder.

Twillingate was wonderful with great hikes, a great day cruise, a very funny comedy theater with dinner and great times together. Twillingate is the self-proclaimed iceberg capital of Newfoundland and we were there at the end of June, prime iceberg time. There were icebergs, but not when we were there. I had seen icebergs at Twillingate before and they are impressive.

Twillingate has no real hotels; it has a few motels & B&Bs. We rented a house at Merritt’s Harbour, a nearby town with 3 couples staying there. It was a completely restored large old farmhouse overlooking the water with hiking trails adjacent.

Dave rented a small house overlooking the harbour right in Twillingate, walking distance to everything.

After 3 days we visited Gros Morne and stayed in the little town of Rocky Harbour, overlooking the water. Many of us hiked the trail over the Earth’s Mantle exposed and the tablelands hike out to dramatic cliffs. Some stayed a few extra days to do more hikes and visit some of the historic towns, and to do the day cruise on the inland lake, that used to be a fiord.

OSHKOSH

Like many of you, I have been to KOSH many times. In the past, I slept in a tent next to my airplane. I am getting a bit old for that, especially with heat, storms, rain, etc. So, this year I drove out towing my 28’ Airstream Travel Trailer. Michael Madigan accompanied me. It is a 3 day drive although we chose to take the ferry across Lake Michigan which occupied most of the third day and was relaxing.

We arrived Friday before the B2OSH mass Bonanza arrival and left Friday a week later.

One of my goals was to be there for evening activities including events at the Theater in the Woods and the night airshow and we were not disappointed. I went to many forums learning about electronic ignition (I have a SureFly magneto on my IO550), MOSAIC rules that are extending the sport pilot rules to heavier, faster airplanes, and saw many, many aircraft. The military aircraft were particularly impressive, including the B52, C17, Harrier, F22, etc. which flew frequently. You could walk through and/or under many of them.

The Wednesday night airshow started during twilight and went to 10PM. During the last half hour, the sky was full of drones with lights that formed images in the sky, with simultaneous fireworks, and simultaneous aircraft flying with lights shooting out fireworks from the airplane. Very impressive.

Weather was basically perfect the entire week; very unusual. Rain one night, and daytime temperatures in the 70s. Thus, attendance broke all records, with 686,000 attendees, 10,000 aircraft and 40,000 people camping.

The EAA does a great job, but you could tell the crowds were stressing the various transportation and parking systems. I was very happy to have a comfortable bed with AC, heat, fridge and kitchen and bathroom walking distance from all the activity. A couple of nights we cooked great meals.

SCHENECTADY

On August 24 we are going to KSCH which has a fantastic museum. The Empire State Aerosciences Museum is a one-of-a-kind cultural resource located at Schenectady County Airport at the site of the former General Electric Flight Test Center. The Museum offers visitors a variety of enjoyable and educational experiences, including interpretive exhibits, and a spectacular collection of restored aircraft.

Thanks to Michael Shehl for organizing this.

As you can see, we can park right at the museum

The museum will be open from 10am – 4pm. Please plan your arrival at 10am. We can then have a group tour from 10:30am – 12pm. Following the tour, there is a NY Style Bistro & Bagel shop across the street, which is a 5 minute walk (Manhattan Bistro & Bagel). You can decide to stay and grab lunch or head out after the tour.

In regards to fuel, we spoke with Richmor Aviation (local FBO), and they indicated if folks would like fuel, they should taxi down to their ramp, or there is a self-serve pump nearby.

I am looking forward to it.

Mike McNamara

610-220-3140

mikemcnamara88@aol.com

Newsletter JUNE 2024

As near as I can tell, it’s been 15 years since I’ve had the privilege of taking the helm as President of the Northeast Bonanza Group. There have been challenges but mostly great times with great people.

Volunteer organizations like this do better when new blood brings new ideas. The board of the American Bonanza Society is forced into constant turnover by their by-laws. The president is only there for 1 year with him being on the board prior and staying in an advisory role for a few years after.

Northeast Bonanza Group is in fine shape with money in the bank, a good web site and solid membership. Thanks to the team of:

• Brian Seltzer, Treasurer
• Aram Basmadjian, Secretary
• Paul Stavides, Web hosting.

Our next election is in November in Reading. Hopefully someone else will be interested in taking the helm. I will still be around to support.

NEWFOUNDLAND

Newfoundland is one of the places I have enjoyed the most in my travels over the years. In a few weeks a group of us will be going there again. 4 couples are signed up and committed reservations. You can still go, contact me if you are interested.

We plan to fly into Deer Lake airport (CYDF), spend 3 nights in Twillingate and 3 nights at Gros Morne National Park. Twillingate is the iceberg capital of the world, and a boat trip is already booked for the 8 of us. This is iceberg season. We are also booked at a dinner theater comedy event.

CHATHAM, MA

May 30 to June 2, Michael Madigan, my wife and I spent a lovely weekend in Chatham on Cape Cod. Beautiful beaches, and a great little town with fabulous seafood restaurants were enjoyed. We went to the shark museum and found out that Chatham is the Great White Shark capital of the world. The good news is that real sharks are not as big as the one in the movie Jaws.

Michael Madigan asked about ocean swimming. The shark expert at the museum said, if seals are around, get out of the water. Sharks eat seals.

We also learned that sharks are snowbirds. They stay south until the water warms up.

We also took a nice boat ride out to the deserted Monomoy islands to see the seals and we visited the Marconi Museum, which was very worthwhile. There are several nice beaches worth visiting.

WESTFIELD, MA

On May 11, Michael Shehl and I visited the great little EAA museum on the field and had lunch in the restaurant in the terminal building. The museum has a great collection of flying airplanes, and the members spent a lot of time showing us around and discussing the various aircraft. I picked up Michael at Poughkeepsie; his airplane is in the process of having the engine replaced.

GPS ANTENNAS

On May 11, with very nice weather, I flew from my home base at Pottstown, PA to Quakertown to fly Young Eagles; then to Poughkeepsie, NY to Westfield, CT to Poughkeepsie and home. Great weather.

I run 3 GPS systems, a Pro Max Iphone on the yoke, an Aera 660 hard mounted, and my trusty Garmin 530W, installed 18 years ago. I also keep an Ipad in my flight bag. I have power cords for both the Iphone & Ipad. My airplane has a backup generator. What can go wrong?

The first indication was my Iphone, which lost position at my first stop in Poughkeepsie. By the time I got to Westfield, the Iphone was back but Aera lost position. By the time I was on my last leg I lost all 3 GPS position sources including the Garmin 530W. I learned that when the magenta line goes away on the G5s, the GFC500 autopilot reverts from NAV mode to ROLL mode. Interesting.

Because this was happening across several states, I ruled out a ground-based problem, so I knew the problem was in my airplane. I had installed nothing recently. I decided to look out the window and find my way and land.

Apparently, avionics shops know of this problem where old Garmin 530W antennas have a failure mode where they turn into GPS jammers. I didn’t. It is an active antenna. Check the weather seal around the antenna (mine was deteriorated). Ask your local avionics guy about the antennas prior to a certain serial number that do this.

Mike McNamara

610-220-3140
mikemcnamara88@aol.com

We have been working hard to flush out the details of our events schedule; it will be a busy year for those of us going on these adventures.

April 20 – we are still tentatively planning on lunch at Montauk, NY (KMTP) but the landing fee is $40 (more for Baron’s). Within a short walk is Inlet seafood, a great restaurant in a dramatic setting with ocean beaches and hiking trails adjacent. Land at 11AM, walk down to the area at 11:30, restaurant actually opens at 12noon.

May 11 (changed from May 18) – Westfield, MA (KBAF) for lunch and a visit to the museum afterwards. Mike Shehl is organizing I have Young Eagles that morning (I do it monthly) so depending on things, I’ll be late or on time or not at all. The museum has a great collection of old interesting aircraft.

May 30 to June 2 – Chatham, MA (KCQX). Great town on Cape Cod with nearby attractions including beaches, Wildlife Refuge, lighthouses, museums and a great little town with shops and restaurants. I am staying at the Chatham Wayside Inn downtown. There are numerous accommodations of all types. Since it is a little early season, there should be some availability. I reserved a rental car through National to be dropped off at the FBO.

June 6 to 9 – Formation flying at Barnes (KBAF), Paul Stavrides organizing.

June 23 to 29 – Twillingate. Being organized by Michael Madigan, Brent Hippert and I. There have been some changes to the itinerary, but the following is cast in stone:

— June 22 – Ginny & I will fly to Maine somewhere & stay overnight, TBD

–June 23 – Arrive in Deer Lake, Newfoundland, CYDF. They do have fuel. Leave the airplane
there all week. Stay overnight, I booked Madigan and myself in the nearby Holiday Inn Express. Michael Madigan & I will share a rental car, which I booked.

–June 24 – Drive 4+ hours to Twillingate. Twillingate, located on Iceberg Alley, is Newfoundland and Labrador’s ultimate outport experience and adventure. An ocean playground with icebergs, whales, rugged coastline and unique island culture – the island connected to Newfoundland by bridges and causeways at the end of Route 340. It is a small island and lodging accommodations are unusual.

o We will schedule an iceberg tour and hopefully get tickets to the playhouse.

o There are no big resorts. There are 2 motels, The Anchor Inn and the North 99. There are B&Bs and lots of houses to rent (surprisingly). The Madigans, Hipperts and I jointly rented a big house out of town on the water with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. I recommend contacting Outport Realty. I talked to Marie Magnin, 709-893-2160.

— On June 27, we are driving to Gros Morne (4+ hours). Soaring fjords and moody mountains tower above a diverse panorama of beaches and bogs, forests and barren cliffs. Shaped by colliding continents and grinding glaciers, Gros Morne’s ancient landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gros Morne National Park is truly one of the world’s most unique and spectacular tourism destinations.

o Gros Morne National Park is large, with seven different communities located in the South, Centreal and Northern section of the Park. Each area has numerous accommodations to chose from including B &B’s, Hotels, Inn’s, Cottages, Hostels, RV Parks, and Parks Canada Campsites. I have not yet made arrangements for lodging in Gros Morne.

I have been to both Twillingate and Gros Morne. And both are spectacular. Gros Morne is a national park on par with any national park in North America. Note that we are doing Twillingate first for the icebergs. They arrive in the spring and eventually melt. Many icebergs get stuck in the irregular coastline around Twillingate. The tourist season up there starts July 1, a holiday.

Mike McNamara
610-220-3140
mikemcnamara88@aol.com

Mike McNamara