Flightlines
Chapter Chair’s Message:
December 2013
IN THIS ISSUE:
fp. Chair’s Message
fp. Birthdays & Anniversaries
Pg2. Aviation Headlines
Pg2. FAA News
Pg3. News and Notes
Pg4. From the Flight Surgeon
Pg4. Chapter Event Flyers
Pg5. On the Horizon (calendar)
OFFICERS
Chairman
Shannon Cunningham
shanskier@yahoo.com
Vice-Chairman
Elizabeth McGhee
Greetings 99s!
Last year, I was honored to be asked to join the HeckselSutherland Scholarship selection board. Since we only had
one applicant, our job was very easy and Jennifer Phillips
used her well-deserved scholarship to obtain her private
pilot certificate. This year was a different story. We had 6
qualified applicants who each brought her own unique
experiences to the interview. Rosemary and I suspected we were going to
have a difficult decision after the first interview and we knew we were in
trouble after the second one. Each of the applicants were deserving of the
scholarship money and we had to dig pretty deeply to decide who would
make the best use of the award. I think we made the best decision possible
and hope we have plenty of chapter members on hand at the AE brunch to
help us congratulate our pick.
Our next event is our Holiday party on December 7th. I'm looking forward to
seeing everyone there, Denise has been working hard on making the
evening a success. Thank you Denise!
Safe Flying!
Shannon
Happy Birthday!
momofmanymcghees@aol.com
Secretary
Rebecca Duggan
Nicki Acker
Dec 2nd
rebdpilot@wideopenwest.com
Vi Daniels
Dec 25th
Treasurer
Rosemary Sieracki
Barbara Goodwin
Dec 26th
sierackr@att.net
Members at Large
Jennifer Phillips
chattydane@gmail.com
Denise Johnson
todenisej@yahoo.com
Membership Anniversaries!
Shannon Cunningham 3 years
Gloria Buck
24 years
Caroline Haley
37 years
Addy Schmidt
23 years
Susan Siporin
33 years
1
Making Aviation Headlines
 Reno National Champion Air Races is in jeopardy.
The organization must raise $500,000 by Dec 15th in
order to survive and host the 2014 race scheduled for
September. Reno Air Races celebrated its 50th year
of competition in 2013.
 Joying Riding in Stolen Plane. Geoffrey Biteman,
an 18-year-old Minnesota man, was recently arrested for
stealing a Cessna 150 to go joyriding. The airplane, owned by
two brothers who are both serving overseas in the military,
was kept in an unlocked hangar with keys inside. The young
man was not licensed pilot. He flew the plane numerous
times over a period of several months before being discovered
and arrested. He is facing a 10-year felony charge.
 2013 Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy. In November, the
Pentagon recognized Major Douglas Witmer for safely
landing his AT-63 Pampa II aircraft (and his student) after
losing 80% of its left wing in a midair collision. Witmer was
flying as part of a six-plane formation demonstration in August
2012, at the Centennial Celebration of Argentine School of
Aviation, Cordoba, when another aircraft turned aggressively
hitting Witmer’s aircraft.
Lightspeed Aviation Foundation
Grant
WINNERS
The Ninety-Nines, Inc was one of 10
organizations to receive a 2013 Lightspeed
Aviation Foundation grant. This was the 4th
year in a row that the Ninety-Nines received
the Lightspeed grant. The $8000 grant will
be used for the Ninety-Nines Endowment
Fund.
The Air Race Classic, an affiliate
organization of the Ninety-Nines, also
received a $2000 grant from the Lightspeed
Aviation Foundation. ARC grant money will
be used for youth outreach programs.
These awards were made possible by the
votes and the vote gathering efforts of the
supporters of the Ninety-Nines and the Air
Race Classic.
FAA News…
Enhancing Commercial Pilot Training
Air safety is the FAA’s number one priority and ensuring properly trained and highly qualified pilots
are in the flight decks of U.S. airplanes is what newly issued training standards are intended to do.
The FAA’s new standards raise the baseline knowledge and skill set of pilots entering air carrier
operations focusing on ground and flight training that enables pilots to prevent and recover from
aircraft stalls and upsets.
The new training standards were established in part because of the tragic crash of Colgan Air 3407 in February 2009,
and to comply with the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010. Standards to prevent
pilot fatigue that were issued in December 2011, and increased qualification requirements for first officers of
passenger and cargo planes were issued in July 2013 to also comply with the Act.
These new standards will require air carriers to track remedial training for pilots based on performance deficiencies
such as failing a proficiency check or unsatisfactory performance during flight training; include training for more
effective pilot monitoring; enhance training on runway safety procedures; and expand crosswind training to
specifically include training for wind gusts.
Air carriers have five years to comply with the new pilot training requirement allowing time for the necessary software
updates to flight simulation technology.
2
NEWS AND NOTES!
News from Barb Lewinski…
Hello 99s!
Hope everyone enjoyed the fall colors. FALL is my FAVORITE
season! Marquette's colors were beautiful and Gary, Ruger
and I extended the season with a 2 week road trip the end of
October first of November to Ohio, TN, and NC. We spent a
week in Asheville and the colors were at peak. Checked off
another "bucket list wish" Gary and I did ziplining in Asheville-what FUN!!!! and I hope to do it again. While visiting friends
in Tellico Plains, TN who foster dogs, we adopted their 34th
rescue. Ruger now has a 15 week old, female catahoula pup
named Remi. We figured it was sure FATE that we got
Remi. The Cray's never had a catahoula rescue before
(Ruger is a Catahoula also) and Gary and I said if we got
another dog, it had to be a rescue. So, on our drive back
home from
Asheville, we
picked Remi up
and they both
are best of
"bud's". Remi is our FIRST female dog.
OK, so you might be wondering how our Sonex is coming
along.
We hope to start the engine before the year is out and get
798GB up flying sometime in February. Had a few set backs
with the windscreen and canapy. :-( We bought memory foam
and leather for the seats in Asheville. I found a discount place
and what a savings from ordering on line. :-)
Also, wondering if you know about
SAVETHEBOMBERPLANT.ORG.??? Another extention til
May, 2014 to save a portion for the new home for the Yankee
Air Museum. I am wondering if those that want to donate, if
Michigan Chapter would match funds??? If it could be brought
up at a meeting?
MAY THE PEACE AND BEAUTY OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON
BE WITH ALL OF YOU THROUGHOUT THE COMING YEAR!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND THE BEST FOR
THE NEW YEAR!
Barb Lewinski
3
From the Flight Surgeon…
One of the most frustrating issues we run into with FAA aero-medical certification is
the topic of what medications are allowed and which are not. And there is no more
confusing area we deal with than diabetic medications.
It sometimes seems like one medication is allowed with another medication but not
another. And that combination may be ok only during certain phases of the moon (just
kidding!)
Seriously however, the FAA appears to be going to allow additional medications for
treatment of diabetes. But we are waiting for them to come up with a relatively simple
way of being able to tell which combinations are allowed.
So, if you have been on a medication for diabetes that is not allowed by the FAA stay tuned as we anticipate
new policy coming out of Oklahoma City.
Fly safe!
Gregory Pinnell, MD.
Senior AME/Senior Flight Surgeon
USAFR
www.airdocs.net
Sunday,
March 16, 2014
Courthouse Grille
in the Walden Room
41661 Plymouth Rd.
Plymouth, Michigan.
Luncheon will begin at 11:00am
Cost is $25 per person
Guest speaker:
Brigadier General Linda K. McTague
United States Air Force, Retired
Bring your family and friends!
If you are flying in to Mettetal (1D2), call Rebecca at 586-839-7252 for a ride.
----------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- --AE BRUNCH RESERVATION FORM
NAME:__________________________________________
ADDRESS: ______________________________ CITY: ____________________ ZIP __________
PHONE: _____________________________
Number of Attendees: ______ X $25.00 = _________
Make Checks Payable to “Michigan Chapter 99s” and mail to:
Rebecca Duggan, 22436 Mylls Street, St Clair Shores, MI 48081
Reservation Deadline: March 01, 2014
4
On the Horizon
Please submit events that you think will be of interest to the membership
2013
December 07 Chapter Holiday Party, 4:30pm, EAA Building at Mettetal Airport (1D2)
2014
February 16
Chapter Valentine’s Meeting, Noon, Pontiac Air Center, Oakland-Pontiac Airport (PTK)
March 6-8
Women in Aviation Conference, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Lake Buena Vista, FL
March 16
AE Brunch and Scholarship Awards, 11:00am at the Courthouse Grille, Plymouth, MI
April 1-6
Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-In & Expo, Lakeland FL. Celebrating 40 Years
April ??
Chapter Meeting & Pinch Hitter Review, Exact date, time and location TBD
April 4-6
NCS Conference, South Bend, IN
May 16-18
Pinch Hitter, Ann Arbor (ARB). Registration is now open. Spread the word!!
June ??
Airmarking and Chapter Meeting, Brooks Field (RMY). Exact date and time TBD.
July 8-13
The Ninety-Nines International Conference, New Orleans, LA
October 25
Girl Scout Aviation Day. In the planning stages. Tentative location is PTK.
If you would like to host a Chapter meeting or event in your area, please contact Vice-Chair
Elizabeth McGhee at momofmanymcghees@aol.com
PLEASE SUBMIT YOURS NEWS AND NOTES, PHOTOS, INTERESTING
ARTICLES, AND AVIATION EVENTS TO REBECCA
rebdpilot@wideopenwest.com
FOR PUBLICATION IN THE
NEXT FLIGHTLINES
5