Valley Fliers February Board Meeting

February 9, 2015

Valley Fliers February Board Meeting

Present: Botezatu, Lawton, DeWitt, Vader, Bryce, Patrick, plus 14 members, one prospective member, and two guests

Meeting called to order at: 6:30.

Approval of January Meeting Minutes

Florin moves for approval with misspelling correction. Eric seconded. Motion approved unanimously.

Treasurer’s Report

See Alan’s handout. It was a regular standard (busy) month. Aircraft rates are substantially lower than they were a month ago due to a decrease in fuel costs. The bank statement had not arrived until today, so the figures are not reconciled to that statement. This is a low month in terms of revenue, as January generally is. Florin notes it would be useful to compare the costs to last year. Alan notes that he likes that report, and will do it for the annual report presented at the annual meeting. The fuel rates decreased in the middle of January. January looks like a low maintenance month, but we’ve not yet received Mike Boatz bill for the two annuals he did in January. The fixed assets don’t yet reflect the simulator and other adjustments. That will be corrected in the annual report. The sales tax number includes both fourth quarter and January taxes because the state does not accept the money until into the new year. Tom asks if we still have a long waiting list. Eric says yes, and the web site reflects that the list is currently closed. The queue has nine people in it. Tom notes we’ve never seen a line like that in January.

Maintenance Officer’s Report

See Tom’s handout.

9MA – in annual now. One cylinder has marginal compression. Mike Boatz did a borescope inspection on the valves and they look OK. Tom notes that while the engine is a 1500 hour engine, but we believe it is more of a 2000 hour engine provided we watch it closely. Question from the floor: because we are not an FBO we don’t need to do the 1500 hour rebuild? Answer: Yes, and we also don’t have to do 100 hour inspections. We are missing one piece of interior plastic (it has been ordered), but it may not be done until after the annual. The plane should be available Saturday or Sunday.

34H – We turned in our old elevator as a core and got a replacement. It looks good and it cost about $2700. The engine heater is epoxied on. The plug is next to the dipstick. It should be plugged in the night before. It is not designed to heat the engine in half an hour before a flight. Eric asks if we need to write some guidance about how to use the heater. Tom agrees he will create a write up.

The 2015 aircraft registration expirations on Tom’s handout are incorrect. The correct date is 2018.

Tom and Alan are still working to get the oil secondary containment. Alan will supply the containment and a pallet.

Safety Officer’s Report

Ed has created checklists for the airplanes and will have them in the airplanes this week. Ed will send electronic versions to Roland to get them posted on the web site.

Old Business

Wash Company Reimbursement for Transponder Antenna

The company will credit us against an invoice, but Alan needs to send them receipts.

Engine Heaters

See Maintenance Officer’s report above. Florin is interested in adding Reiff hot bands around the cylinders. Those would heat the engines faster. Costs run around $100/cylinder plus installation. Florin suggests we think about adding them for next season. He says doing so would be good for the engine and safety. Eric suggests we should try the new heaters we have first. Alan suggests our procedure should be plugged in every night. Comment from the floor: there are outlets that are temperature triggered, plugging in to those would make it simple if the heaters were always plugged in. Those outlets turn on at 35 degrees and turn off at 45. Question from the floor: will the airport management allow us to use the heater? Florin notes that is a good question, but many folks are plugging things in all over the airport. Eric notes that heater usage would be a reasonable expectation on the part of the airport. Commenter suggests GFCI and switches might be required. The commenter suggests it is required if the plug is 18” or below. The hangar and plane plugs are above 18”. Florin tabled the hot band heaters for now.

Garmin 650 with 430 move to 34H

Ed and Alan looked at drop in replacement radios. The panels that will drop in are all Garmins. If we want to do major panel revisions we can do something else, but a Garmin 650 will just drop in. The negative is it is a touch screen, the positives are that it is not near obsolete and will easily upgrade to ADS-B. The 650 will only cost a few grand more than a 430. Ed has a student that has one and he is often pointing things out on the screen and touches it, causing it to do things. Every manufacturer is going to touch screens. Comment from the floor: Commenter has some experience with it and you get used to the touch screen. Another commenter notes that there is a large fleet of 430s and they are unlikely to actually end support. Ed notes that last month it was viewed as useful not to have all the radios go out of date at once. Question: what does lack of Garmin support mean? Answer: no new Garmin parts. Someone will fix them if they can get parts, but they may have trouble with parts. Suggestion from the floor: think of this as what will we do in 2020? Comment from the floor: Won’t Garmin fix the touch screen interface with all the complaints? Perhaps. Florin asks if we are ready to vote. Eric notes it doesn’t feel good to buy something obsolete. Eric moves we go with a 650 and put it in the 182. Florin notes that makes sense to him. Eric asks the members in attendance if they object to a 650? None. Florin seconded. Board votes unanimously to purchase a 650. Alan notes the next step is to get quotes from several shops. Tom and Alan will get those quotes. Florin notes we could use the guy at KPLU or Arlington to put the 430 into 34H. Alan notes we can get both to bid on the combined work. 9MA will require a little rewire and a new backplate. The ones we remove can go into 34H. The 650 will require a new antenna.

Oil Collection Drum Containment

See discussion in maintenance officer’s report above.

Letter to Instructors noting they are not covered by club insurance

Eric sent the letter yesterday.

Annual Meeting

Florin will be out of the country at both the beginning and end of March. We will target late mid March. Tim notes he will propose a bylaws change to allow board members to be compensated so the club could provide a flight hour a month as a reward to Alan for the work he does on the club’s behalf. Florin notes we may have to have a quick board only meeting to set agenda and plan for the meeting. Alan notes we should set the date for the meeting. The board tentatively sets Monday March 16th as the date for the meeting, and a 7 pm start time with plan to be done by 8:30. Tim needs to send an email to the membership soliciting candidates for the board.

New Business

Hangar Enclosing Project

Airport Management is enclosing the hangars next to ours and will be charging in the $400s per month for them. That won’t happen to ours for about a year, but will probably do it then and we won’t have an option. Comment from the floor: BFI cold old T hangars are $1000/month. The airport has more demand for enclosed hangars and has decided open hangars are not good business. (All that is predicated on the airport’s success with enclosing the row.) If we hear about openings in the next row over, we should start moving there so we can keep costs low. The airport will let us keep the office.

New Potential Member

Ben is leaving the club and has brought a new potential member: Scott Glassmeyer. Has been in the Seattle area since 1980. Hasn’t flown actively in the last few years, but wants get back involved. He has ~500 total hours and is about half way through an instrument rating. Ben vouches for Scott. Scott is an electrical contractor and electrician. He has worked at Auburn, Tacoma, and Crest. Eric moves that we accept Scott as a member should he wish to join. Florin seconded. The board approved unanimously.

Free flight hour won by: Karl Rufener

Meeting adjourned at: 7:46