President:
Bernie Berger bberger4@tampabay.rr.com
352-799-2721
Vice-President:
Tom Longo tclongo@att.net
352-232-2825
Acting Secretary
Edgar Fleig ezedgar@tampabay.rr.com
(352) 428-4507
Treasurer:
V. Jim Doan dejidoan@tampabay.rr.com
352-797-4797
Webmaster
Larry Wimble
Technical Counselor:
Dan Landry dan@3dsky.us
352-397-5729
Newsletter Editor
Falk Nicolaus bayrischerhof@gmail.com
.
Chapter 1298
Brooksville, Florida
May 7, 2011
C h apter meetings are held on the first Saturday of the month.
All meetings are open to anyone with an interest in building, restoring, and flying airplanes. The meetings are held at the EAA hangar at the Hernando County
Airport (BKV) and start at 9 am. There is ample parking in front of the building.
Please note that the Chapter does not meet during the months of July and August
.
Any questions on meeting location, contact Bernie or Tom Longo.
President’s message
Greetings fellow Chapter members. Well summer is on us even as it snows up north:)
For general information we are going to have our monthly meetings on Saturday morning (9:00 to 11:00) for the next few months at the Chapter hangar. If you need a gate access code let me know.
Important:
On Thursday April 28th, 10:00 to 12:00 we are hosting a school field day at
American Aviation. Those folks who volunteered their time and planes, please confirm with me as soon as possible. The folks who volunteered to work as ground and safety personnel please confirm that you will be there.
The International Learn to Fly Day is still in debate. There wasn't much enthusiasm generated at our last meeting so we might take a pass on that event.
Rick Hughes has space in his motor home for the trip to Oshkosh so if you are interested in joining up for the trip call Rick at 727-856-9631 for details
Walt Doiron, is providing input to the newsletter and would like feedback.
The next meeting we will have a speaker.
See you there.
Respectfully submitted by
Bernie

Secretary’s Report
The April 6, 2011 meeting started at 7:15 PM. After the Pledge of Allegiance, Edgar presented last month’s
Secretary’s report, which was accepted as read. Next Jim Doan presented the Treasurer’s report:
Beginning balance $2,923.61
Donuts -$5.00
50/50 $15.50
Member fees: $60.00
CAP -$20
Ending Balance $2,974.11
Attendance: 23, including 2 guests
Bob Nicholas ordered a Zenith750 model light Sport Plane Kit. The lead time for the kit is 2 months.
Dan Landry, Jim Wright, Tom Longo and James went to the Sun N’ Fun.
Bernie’s plane is flying again but he has still a few minor issues to resolve.
International Learn to Fly Day is on May 21st. We discussed whether to participate but have not made a final decision.
Walter Dorian was next on the agenda. He presented his ideas which resulted in our monthly meeting to be moved to the first Saturday of the month at 9 am. 14 members voted to trial this new meeting time and location.
Food including brats and potato salad will be served following the meeting. Walter also brought up the idea of making space available at the hangar for a team to build an LSA aircraft. Follow up discussions will take place.
Our guest speaker was Mr. Smith with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) who explained what CAP is all about.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted
Edgar Fleig
Acting Secretary
THE NEXT CHAPTER continued
By Walt Doiron
The Next Chapter is a series of articles intended to inspire positive change within Chapter 1298 through active participation with some of the more successful chapters in our area. This is the fourth installment of the series.
Last month we discussed three ideas that I feel will help create an environment in which our Chapter can grow and provide a much more rewarding experience for the membership. These ideas were formally proposed at our last meeting on April 6 prompting much lively discussion, while generating a few more good ideas. The proposal to make the chapter hangar our permanent home by conducting our meetings there received overwhelming support. The second part of that proposal, to change our meeting time to 9:00 AM on the first Saturday of the month also enjoyed a strong majority.

The proposal that the Chapter obtain and pay its fair share for a space in the Chapter Hanger and make that space available to the membership for ongoing aviation related projects seemed to generate the liveliest discussion. While many saw the merits of such a program, a few seemed vociferously opposed. Why should our chapter become involved in providing an environment by which the membership can become involved in learning the skills necessary to build an experimental airplane? The answer is very simple.
Isn’t that what EAA is all about? If not your EAA Chapter, then who?
I understand that there are some who prefer to fly solo on their projects and prefer to work in their own shops and that’s great. But, in my humble opinion, this –“I’ve got mine, now it’s up to you to get yours” attitude, which seems to be so prevalent in general aviation, is a significant factor in aviation’s continuing decline. Instead, we should be ready to embrace new ideas, or, as in this case, an idea which has been demonstrated to work successfully.
Rather than consume the entire meeting with discussion, a Chapter Projects Committee was established to work out details, which would be satisfactory to the majority of the membership. Seven volunteers stepped forward to work on a proposal that will be fair to the other hangar renters by providing consistent income for the space, fair to the Chapter by insuring that no disgruntled hangar renter can exclude the Chapter from the hangar, and attractive enough to the project owner/owners to share the project with the entire membership by scheduling and organizing workshops in which the membership will be invited to participate. We hope to have a working proposal in your hands prior to the next meeting on Saturday, May 7.
New Idea
I’ve got other ideas for our chapter, and this is one that I feel will increase activity and make our chapter more desirable to potential members. With more and more airplane owners flying less and less due to increasing expense, wouldn’t it make sense to have a mechanism by which owners can contact eager members who would love to fly and are willing to share expenses? Flight Share could easily be accomplished via our Chapter Web Site. Chapter 282 has a members section on their website where it is possible for any member to communicate with the entire membership. Perhaps that might be worth running by our webmaster.
Those airplanes, collecting dust in your hangar are better maintained through regular flight. Contact a fellow chapter member and Let’s Fly!!! Remember, activity breeds activity, and activity is certain to attract active new members.
FLYING THE SEAREY LSX
By Walt Doiron
I probably wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice when it comes to writing a flight performance review. To date,
I find that the finer subtleties of airplane handling and performance still remain elusive. Fortunately, one flight characteristic that I can recognize with unmistakable certainty is FUN, and Progressive Aerodyne’s
Searey LSX is certain to keep the fun meter pegged.
I’d been quietly watching the evolution of the Searey Amphibian for quite some time and the LSX combines all of the many refinements made over the years. But, it wasn’t until reading Ed Wischmeyers’ great flight review in Kitplanes (February, 2011) in which he states “The Searey LSX may be the best handling homebuilt,” that I decided to take the plunge, so to speak. A call to Derrell Lynd, Progressive Aerodyne’s
Director of Marketing, and a demo flight was quickly arranged. After a tour of the new factory facility in

Tavares, Florida, I was introduced to designer Kerry Richter, who is always eager to demonstrate what his latest creation can do.
Because the typical empty weight comes in around 850 pounds with a gross weight of 1430 pounds, the
Searey retains a generous payload of 428 pounds even with the larger optional 26 gallon tank full of fuel.
The LSX we flew had all the bells and whistles, slick leather interior, state of the art avionics, electric gear, flaps and trim, and even a gear warning system that announces whether you are configured for a water landing or a hard surface landing when the flaps are actuated. This LSX was also equipped with the heavier
115 hp Rotax 914.
Although the Searey has a single brake lever which controls both wheels, Kerry demonstrated that sharp turns on the ground are no problem. After allowing the Rotax 914 to reach minimum operating temperature,
Richter pointed the bow towards the facility’s new ramp and into Lake Idamere. As it should be, all of our takeoffs and landings today would be from the water. The sliding windows can be left open if desired during flight, but unsure of just how wet the takeoff might be, I left mine open about one third, where it remained for the entire flight. At the press of a button, the gear is raised, and a female voice announces
“Gear configured for water take off”.
Throttle forward, “one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three”, and we’re on step and accelerating. Nine or ten seconds later we’re airborne and climbing. Advertised water take off time is 12 seconds, while published maximum rate of climb is 980 fpm.
“You want to see a full power stall?” Kerry asked after we had reached a safe altitude. “Of course” I responded. At that, Richter removed his feet from the rudder pedals and lay them flat on the floor. “Get ready” he said, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he pulled the stick full back. The horizon was quickly replaced by sky and as the nose continued to rise, the airspeed began to bleed off. A quick glance revealed that the rudder pedals remained unattended and the stick remained full back. This could get interesting I thought, but about that time, stick still full back, the Searey slowly lowered its nose and regained speed. At this, Richter released the back pressure and resumed level flight. “Like to give it a try?’ he asked. I repeated the maneuver and achieved the same result, proving that even an inexperienced Searey pilot can’t get the airplane to do a full power stall, but I guess that was the whole point. “Ever try that in your Cessna ?” he inquired. “Nope” I responded. “Probably never will.”
“Let’s try an accelerated stall,” Kerry suggested. He banked into a steep left turn, the steepest turn I’ve ever seen from the inside of an airplane. Pinned to my seat, we continued around, once, twice, before pulling out of the turn. The point was clear. There would be no accelerated stall.
Eager to showcase the Seareys capabilities, Richter inquired if I was up for more high g maneuvering. My stomach and I both agreed that the time might be better served by doing some water landings and takeoffs.
Richter handed over the controls so that I could develop a feel for the plane as we headed for nearby Lake
Harris. The main difference I found was in the throttle response. Because the Searey is a pusher, increasing the throttle lowers the nose, decreasing the throttle raises the nose, just the opposite of what I’ve grown accustomed to.
Kerry demonstrated the first water landing. 30 degrees of flap are available, but Richter used 20 degrees and gently flew the Searey onto the water. The demonstration included step turns. The LSX carved through turns, much like a speed boat, except that opposite aileron is used to keep the wings level. Richter continued to showcase the Seareys forgiving nature, by demonstrating a water take off without touching the stick. Using the pedals to steer, with 20 degrees of flap, full nose up trim and full throttle, the LSX climbed onto the step, accelerated, and was soon airborne. Before long, I had performed four landings and take offs, none of them great, but not bad either. “A bit more stick time and you’ll be fine” Kerry assured me.

So far, we had attempted to do power on stalls without use of the rudder, and performed a water take off, hands off the stick, prompting me to wonder what was yet to come. The answer was not long in coming;
Low flight. “Keep an eye on your wing tips and avoid sharp turns” Richter calmly advised. “Dipping a wing in the water can ruin your entire day” he continued. Our altitude was about 10 feet above lake level, gently following the contours of the shoreline. During the demonstration, Kerry showed off a bit by kissing the tall grasses with the hull. It was a sight picture that took some getting used to. Back over open water, he opened the throttle and lowered the altitude to a few feet above the surface. Imagine skimming just above the water at 85 miles per hour. Back on the stick and instantly the water morphed into sky. Pressed into our seats, we rocketed skyward. The low level experience continued as we followed the meandering course of a waterway between two lakes at low altitude. Way better than the movies!!!!
The flight returned to reality as we gained altitude and cruised above Lake Dora’s waterfront homes, Kerry proudly pointing out the homes whose lucky occupants were Searey owners. Although we had been out for well over an hour, the flight ended all too soon as the gear was lowered and the LSX coaxed back up the ramp
Has this been the most fun I’ve ever had? Well there is a time or two that comes to mind, but as far as flying goes Absolutely!!! That in itself is worth the price of admission. Along the way I also discovered a sweet handling aircraft with a very forgiving nature that even a novice seaplane pilot such as myself can safely enjoy from day one, and grow to appreciate its many capabilities.
If you would like to enjoy the Searey experience for yourself contact Progressive Aerodyne at (407) 902
9164, or go to searey.com.