Hi everybody! First, Happy Easter to everyone. Here is a letter I replied to in teference to tiedowns. This is one reason , especially at somewhere like Oshkosh, it so vitally important to tie down an airplane properly. If anyone was at Oshkosh last summer and recalls the big storm that hit, well I was out on the fileld in Vintage section helping to hold down airplanes and evacuating people to the Red Barn, and other stronger and safer places such as some of the major hangars until the dangerous storm passed, using the vehicles provided to us by the EAA. This is why we ask everyone to tie down their airplane. The idea of finding an airplane lying on top of a tent full of campers is not a pleasant one, and so far we have never had it happen. Though I do have pictures of airplanes totally destroyed in windstorms at Oshkosh. As a member of Vintage Security at Oshkosh, we are there to help folks out, and be of any service we can. Some of you might have recognized a guy named Dave Beltz( my buddy) and his amazing likeness to the infamous "Harvey High Speed" (supposed famous WW1 Flying Ace) who from time to time is seen along the flightline during the afternoon airshows Well Harvey passes on his best wishes to all Coupers as he himself is on occasion getting some time in in N99879.
----- Original Message ----- From: Ed <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 12:03 PM Subject: Re: [COUPERS] EOC Fly-In/Tiedown/ > Hi Ed, > My name is Ed also, and I am the owner of Ercxoupe N99879 (46 Model 415 C). > I work in VINTAGE SECURITY at Oshkosh, we are the guys who ride around at > night with the Jeeps with flashing yellow lights. > I like your idea about tying down a Coupe and setting the controls and trim, > and will pass it on to the flightline aircraft handling gang at Oshkosh. > Perhaps we can prevent other planes from rolling up into balls! > Last summer, it took five of us (all big guys) hanging onto the struts of a > J3 Cub which the owner parked in the late evening, and left without tying > the plane down, and then a major storm hit. We later got it tied down during > the storm, but it took 5 guys all weighing over 200 pounds to hold it down > until Steve Weiland (flight ops ) got all the tiedowns attached and anchored > down. > And believe me, hanging on the struts of a J3 during a raging thunderstorm > with lightning is not a pleasant thought, but there were many campers in > tents behind the parked airplanes who could get SERIOUSLY HURT if airplanes > are not tied down securely. > This is one of the reasons if security at Oshkosh asks you to tiedown your > airplane, because an unsecure airplane can become a very dangerous > projectile in a bad storm, and with so many campers near airplanes, the > danger becomes very imminent. > But you have a great suggestion about tying down your plane with the > controls set as such. > Thanks for your information! > Safe flying and perhaps we will see you at Oshkosh this year. > > Respectfully, > Ed DeBolt > EAA 411562 > Vintage Aircraft Security Team > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Ed Burkhead <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: Coupe-list <[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 8:38 AM > Subject: Re: [COUPERS] EOC Fly-In/Tiedown/ > > > > At the national convention? Or some other fly-in? > > > > I'd observe that previous National Conventions have run from about 30 up > to 118 > > Coupes and a few Cherocoupes and off brands. You need to bring your own > tie > > down equipment whenever you go to a fly-in. You can expect the permanent > tie > > down locations to be taken early. You can't count on the locals selling > you > > quality tie down equipment -- it's a hassle for them and an unnecessary > expense > > for you. > > > > Now, I use the _very_heavy_ duty, spiral, dog tie down gadgets and nylon > rope, > > when I'm traveling. (At home, I hangar the plane.) > > > > I'd suggest avoiding the cheap, light-weight spiral dog tie downs. We're > > talking about thousand(s) of pounds of pull in a storm. > > > > In the past, I used, and liked, the cable anchors that have a long shaft > and a > > spiral disk near the bottom. These are unquestionably strong and the tie > down > > ring would break off before these would pull out of the ground. It took my > tow > > bar to crank these into the ground. But I changed away from using them > when I > > went to some fly-ins at airports with rocky ground. The cable anchors just > > WOULD NOT go in the ground at those airports. > > > > Also, important, when I park the plane outside, I tie my control wheels > > together and move trim to maximum cruise (>110 mph). Then, if a tie down > pulls > > loose, the trim of the plane will make it stay nose down till the airspeed > > exceeds 110 mph. I've seen a Coupe be the only intact plane after the > windstorm > > rolled the other tied out planes into balls. The Coupe pulled loose from > its > > tie downs, but just sat, jiggled, bounced and weathercocked into the wind > as > > the wind shifted. The trim was set to high speed. > > > > If I ever get stuck away from home with no tie downs and no hangar, I'd > set the > > plane way away from other planes (the other side of the runway?), with the > > ailerons tied and the trim at max and expect it to weather anything short > of a > > tornado. > > > > > > > > g w wrote: > > > > > > Hi all, I was just wondering if anybody knows how many planes are > expected, > > > and what kind of tiedown would be neccesary. If they don't have the > number > > > of tiedowns, I guess it would be neccessary to get a set of those spikes > and > > > ropes they sell in the catalogs. I wonder what is the best kind? > Maybe > > > some nylon ratcheting tiedowns from Walmart would do the trick. Also, > what > > > is the best day to come to see the most planes? I am going to fly out > and > > > back in one day as it is only 1.5 hour. Considering that I have never > flown > > > my plane out of the traffic pattern, it should be quite a trip. PS It > tooks > > > the feds only 3 weeks to replace my lost certificates. Glen Ward > > > > > > > __________________________________________________________________________ __ > ____ > > > To unsubscribe from this list please send > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ________________________________________________________________________ > > > Start an Email List For Free at Topica. http://www.topica.com/register > > > > -- > > Ed Burkhead > > Peoria, Ill. > > Ercoupe N3802H, 415-D > > > __________________________________________________________________________ __ > ____ > > To unsubscribe from this list please send > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > _________________________________________________________ > > Enlighten your in-box. http://www.topica.com/t/15 > > > __________________________________________________________________________ ______ To unsubscribe from this list please send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] _________________________________________________________ Enlighten your in-box. http://www.topica.com/t/15
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