BTP Summer 2014 - butler county airport

BTP News
Summer 2014
Volume S,lssue
1
Super Cold and Some Seriously Drifting Snow
During the Winter of our Discontent
Butler County METARS on NOAA's
Website during this past winter had
some impressive numbers. Minus
9 rings a bell. lt is safe to say a lot
of nose wheels were in serious need
of nitrogen and cold weather pilots in
need of hot chocolate.
To all of those who helped rid the airport of the snow and ice this past winter we thank you for all that you have
done under extremely difficult and un-
pleasant conditions.
It is curious that although we did not
have enormous amounts of snow, we
did have constant replenishment of the
white stuff on pretty much of a daily
basis. This created a problem in that
even though there was not spectacular
accumulation, we had to address the
daily ice and snow removal. lt never
went away unless we took it away.
Butler Gounty
Airport Authority
Richard "lke" Kelly
Chairman
Jim Opalka
Secretary
Edward Rawlings
Vice Chairman
Thomas Roe
Bill Giallombardo
Harry W. Boben
Tim Shields
Members
Michael J. Pawk
Solicitor
A, Dale Pinkerton,
Butler County Commissioner
Advisory Member
lvan Longdon
Airpoft Manager
Roy Uptegraff
M anager
Associate Airpoft
Eileen Albert
Administration
Chuck Ritchey
Maittenance
Condolences to the Family of our
Colleague and Friend, Gregg Kerr
Gregg Kerr, a most respected, productive,
articulate and vibrant member of the Butler County
AirportAuthority passed on March 2,2014.
Gregg's service on the board was invaluable.
His insightful approaches to problems and their
sensible and logical solutions were vital.
Truly, our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the
family members who were blessed by the many
years they had with Gregg. May he rest in peace.
A Word From Commissioner A. Dale Pinkefton
Commissioner Pinkerlon
extends his sympathy and
"
-
-
[,
t
,
we were fortunate to have him with us.
The commissioner also welcomes a new board
condolences to the family of member, Tim Shields. Tim is a respected and viGregg Kerr who passed on tal name known at the airpoft and in our commuMarch 2,2014.
nity. We are fortunate and happy that he is willing
Gregg was the textbook ex- to share his valuable time and experience for our
ample of a good man, a family cause.
man, and a credit to his proWe also have another viable and exceptional
fession, his country, and the addition to the airport staff. We welcome General
community.
Roy E. Uptegraff lll, Retired, as lvan's associate.
We sorely will miss the friendship and great contributions this fine man made over the many years
Roy has already grabbed ahold of his duties and
has been running with them since day one.
The Elusive but Materializing Fuel Farm Project
Here's how everything stafied out in a perfect 3, put in new taxiway. However, all has to be
world. Let's build two new rows of hangars on coordinated in order to make the entire project
the GA side of the field. Hey, ya' know what, a act as one. That's the way it has to be.
nice little fuel farm over there would be a great
The really good news is that the fuel farm
idea. And we'd just have to make some chang- in particular has been studied, restudied, apes to get some underground juice to the hangars proved, and
officially launched. We're talking
and farm. No poles. Real modern. Real safe. grants, engineers, bureaucrats, and all manner
And we'd just have to make some changes to of individuals that are important to this seemthe taxiway. No big deal. Oh, really.
ingly small project. ln terms of how long, the
best-case scenario will be that it will be well on
the way by the time this newsletter comes out.
Don't ask me when the newsletter will be
done. We're waiting for just a few more important changes to repofi to you before we go to
print.
No excuses here. But in the real world it's
never easy, no matter how cooperative Harrisburg and Dave Parker, Project Manager - Region 1, are. Dave and his team are bending
over backwards to make it all happen.
It's like this. !f each project were taken individually, all would be simplified. Number 1, build
hangars. Number 2, build fuel farm. Number
The Airpoft Restaurant is no longer the Runway.
Or is it The Runway Restaurant is now 473 Hangar?
Of course the above title is strange and confusing, to a degree.
The concept clears up when we understand lhal 473 HANGAR is
now the new name of the restaurant on the field - and the address.
It has gone or it is in the process of going through (not sure when
this newsletter will appear in print) a massive remodeling in terms
of a tasteful renovation and new menu offerings. Really, this impressive project would have made a great reality program.
lf you haven't been there you will not recognize it when you walk
through the doors. Although this future patron hasn't seen it yet it is
understood the motif is patterned after let's say the roaring 20s and
30s. We're talking an age of distinction; post WWl, where lazz music, Art Deco, movie stars and sports heroes reigned.
Anyhow, check it out. Sounds great. We'll have photos and more
info next time.
Bird Spikes
All airports periodically have bird problems. Actually, it may be more accurate to say they have
bird problems daily. To help deal with at least
one aspect of the bird issue we're going to install
some bird control spikes at Butler County.
- Not Strikes
They're a little louder than the birds, to say the
least.
No cannons at Butler. We have the spikes.
A bird control spike, also known as an anti roosting spike or roost modification, is a device consist-
ing of long, plastic, needle-like rods used for bird
control. They can be attached to building ledges,
street lighting and commercial signage to prevent
wild or feral birds from perching or roosting. As a
result, bird control spikes are used to deter these
birds without causing them harm or killing them.
Land down in Daytona, Florida at DAB and you'll
hear the very loud acoustics of what sounds to
be some field artillery going off. Actually they're
propane cannons, otherwise called gas guns.
I
A Note From Roy Uptegraff
As we move into the airport's busiest months of
the year, I have been taking a look at the airport's
master plan created in 2012. lke, lvan and I are
going to review this far-reaching document and
present a condensed briefing at a board meeting
later this summer. This will be a good exercise
for the board to review the plan, note changes
since it was developed, and continue to stay focused on the priorities of the airport as identified
by the master plan. Expect a presentation that will
educate our community and provide guidance for
near and long-term future operations. lt is already
a pleasure [o serve the airport community!
Tom and Todd
- A Project, no, Two Projects at Butler County
Building an experimental aircraft is not always
about speed. But it is certainly nice to know that
your finished project will go like hell. But truly it is
not all about swiftness. How about the true love of
constructing a beautiful flying machine. And for a
sweetener you build it capable of some breathtaking speeds.
Now it is understood that along with loving to
build an aircraft there can be some frustration. Just
check out some of the photos of the Glasair in progress, Tell me any normal man or woman would not
periodically go nuts with all the problem solving.
Tom and his son Todd are building this type of
aircraft at Butler County, a Glasair lll. A word of
warning takes place at this point. You need to be
very careful if you find yourself wandering into their
hangars at Butler County Airport.
Unknowingly, Tom (the primary builder) spins a
hypnotic aviation web over those who enter. And
even though it is obvious this gentleman thoroughly
enjoys telling you about the Glasair project he is
currently working on, you will feel guilty.
You have taken him away from an endeavor he
truly loves - the methodic and complex task of constructing a single engine two place aircraft with Vspeeds that would even knock off the supersonic
socks of Chuck Yeager.
Of course the ship he is constructing with Todd
is subsonic. But this Hamilton designed Glasair lll
they are working on, certainly keeps up with the air
traffic. Depending on where you look, the speed for
his aircraft can bounce around the 290 MPH arena.
This can be debated if you want. The bottom line is
that this puppy is one fast piece of equipment.
It should be mentioned that Todd, also a pilot, is
still working at a real job and kindly permits his father to build aircraft while he goes to his place of
employment and brings the aviation bacon home to
pay for Garmins, clecos (not to mention large engines) and sundry important parts that keep homebuilt complex aircraft flying.
And speaking of projects, they completed another
one not too long ago in the form of a Glastar. They
have an up and running (and I do mean running)
Glastar in another hangar here at Butler. This is
a two passenger, high wing, 160 HP aircraft that,
according to Tom, grossed out (excuse the expression) and climbed out with Tom and Todd at 1,400
FPM. And on 160 HP! lt's a beautiful thing.
Thank you Tom and Todd for your time, your stories, and your kind patience. And thank you for letting me enter your hangar and see what engineering and construction wonders you perform.
There are a lot more craftsmen and craftswomen
on other fields and on this field. Hope I can keep
up with tracking them down. I do know my old VTail isn't even going to get close enough to sniff the
resin on your Glasair - or Glastar for that matter.
Hey - what's a few knots between friends?
Joe's Ercoupe 41.6 C I D, Another Classic at Butler County
Joe, another hangar neighbor at Butler County,
came by his Ercoupe in a very personal way. lf
you see him in his hangar you'll want to stop in
and ask about the really touching story. He's not
there much lately. He's busy with one of those
residencies at UPMC that requires most all of
your attention and time.
also needs
to be said that
the photo of
the Ercoupe
taking off with
some jet assist was not
But
it is a photo
of an actual
"rocket-assisted" take off made possible with a
solid propellant JATO booster producing a thrust
of 28 pounds.
It
Joe's.
-
Joe's ride is normally aspirated and began life
with a 65 HP Continental 4-65-8. Apparently Ercoupe was really trying to be progressive back in
the day. ln 1946 one was built with a retractable
undercarriage. None were produced for sale.
They were also touted to be un-spinnable, to coin
a term - thus the placard: "This aircraft built to be
characteristically incapable of spinning."
The message here is about getting back to the
basics, according to some stories Joe shared.
Note that there is no Startus sitting atop the
glareshield to complement the ForeFlight-pro on
your Retina display lpad. There is, however, a
whiskey compass to direct you in the direction of
your Saturday pizzaburger. Not only that, there
is a hand-held Velcroed to the panel. Got to love
that Velcro.
A nice feature I hope to experience on a warm
day, if Joe can let me bum a ride, is the pleasure
of taking one of the sliding windows and scooting it down to let in some welcome sunshine and
warmth. Real close to being a true open cockpit
experience. lmagine that at the end of the 2014
winter of our discontent.
Joe's plane started out as a C model. Meaning it had a Continental 65 and no rudder pedals.
It had the C/D conversion at some point, which
means it was upgraded to an 85 horse Continental. ln addition, Joe's ride has rudder pedals now.
I had forgotten about the C/D conversion and
wrote to Joe to get my facts straight. He explained
he was in the middle of a 36-hour shift and started
his day at 5:30 AM. He says he's really enjoying
all the learning and surgery. Maybe when he finishes up he'll take some time and put a nice little
aftermarket jet-pod mod on his ship. Then again,
maybe not. Just put a couple windows down and
enjoy.
Twp. Volunteer Fire Depaftment
l"nn
l'oo! Bash and Upcoming Mega Cruise
Large and small machinery were given away every hour at the Penn Twp. Fire
Dept. Tool Bash held at Butler County Airport on May 3. The grand prize was a
Husqvarna "0" turn mower.
The next Penn Twp.Fire department eventyill be the Mega Cruise on
July 12 again, at the Butler County Airport.
Gary and his RV 6 A at Butler Courty, Plus More RV Stuff
Gary is another hangar neighbor at Butler County. Actually it's not a large airpofi so everyone on
the field can be considered a neighbor.
Gary's ride is an RV-6A, the tricycle gear cousin
to the RV-6 center-thrust taildragger, introduced
in 1986.
Of course center thrust is not totally accurate,
or necessary. lt's just that it makes the aircraft
sound faster. Not that either RV needs to sound
fast. Both are quick. With the 180 horse Gary's
RV top speed numbers bounce off the 210 mph
mark, with a take off distance ol 270 feel. Naturally with those numbers this kit aircraft became a
top seller in its field during the 1980s Gold Rush
to homebuilts. Also impressive numbers are the
solo 2500 fpm to 27,500 feet.
Back a number of years ago those significant
specs would have been an anachronism for a
homebuilt aircraft, like Abraham Lincoln pictured
flying a Citation Mustang. Twenty-seven-thousand feet in a two-place homebuilt? Who would
have imagined?
Gary is only one of the RV owners on the field.
There's another neighbor down the way who
sports a beautifully built RV-6. lt's the earlier tandem seat taildragger version. See the photo (the
green one) of Dave and Kathy's prize-winning
ship. The picture taken in the garage is a photo
took probably back as far as 2001 when film was
still used in cameras. Remember the old Pentax?
The other photo was taken at Grove City (29D).
I
Hopefully we'll catch Dave and get some information about his RV and some of the places his
homebuilt has seen throughout the US. lt is unreal. You hEve got to see it.
The Butler County Airpoft Authority
Wholeheaftedly Welcomes Tim Shields
to the Butler County Airpoft Authority
We are fortunate to have a new member
Currently he has to worry about no pushing
and long time resident and supporter of But- at all in a community hangar where he housler County Airport on our board. Tim first es his Rockwell Commander 6908. Really
flew at Butler County in 1977. His aviation though, we're working on that T-hangar thing.
background includes a Bachelor of Science in
With Shields Asphalt Paving lnc., CommerAviation Management and a Bachelor in Aero- cialAsphalt Supply !nc., and Grove City Matenautical Science. Tim has owned and kept 9 rials, Tim and his family have been in business
aircraft at Butler.
in our community for over 55 years. Over that
That means he has gone through that right of time he has sponsored a great number of lopassage many of us have had to go through. cal community agencies.
That being, dealing with opening and closing
We welcome Tim and all he brings to the airjust
perhangar
old
doors that
do not like to fit
port. We thank him for his loyal patronage
fectly sometimes.
over these many years.
i
Wings Weekend at Butler County (KBTP)
Scheduled for September 12th and 13th, 2OL4
The Wings event, no matter which airport
hosts it, saves lives. This is not wishful thinking. lt's a natural fact, as stated by Henrik Vejlstrup, FAASTeam Program Manager.
Henrik frequently brings this point home in
the forms of print, overhead projector, his inimitably engaging verbiage, or any manner of
communication he can muster to stress this vital fact.
two of the program organizers, there is a need
for more CFI volunteers. Again, check out the
website. And of course, to keep this important
program moving forward, donations are alThe operative word here is "fact." Just ask ways appreciated. Contact Marlene Basinger
him and he'll spout off the undeniable statistics a|724-775-0447 or Eileen at the airport office.
to bring his point home.
Rick McPherson is designing a website that
!f you are unaware of what the Wings Weekend can do for you and your family or how you
will be used for future Wings programs. The
website is www.westernpawings.com. As of
can take part in it please visit Pilot Proficiency this printing it is not up and running. Keep your
Award Program (WINGS) at: https://www.faasafety. govAff I NG S/ppp nfo/def au lt. aspx.
i
Talking
to Bob and Marlene Basinger,
web eyes open, as the Wings date gets closer.
Get onboqrd this safety train. Don't let anyone stop you.
General Roy E. Uptegraff III, Ret. Onboard at Butler County Airpoft
Actually, Roy Uptegraff has been onboard at
Butler for a very long time already. That is to
say his daughter, Julie, is the third generation of
Uptegraffs to fly. So Roy and his family are no
strangers to Butler and have been here for quite
awhile.
feet. At his first Butler County Airport Authority
meeting Roy distributed a sort of outlined syllabus of goal projections for our website. To say the
least it was all inclusive and if we can make it all
happen it should be one great website., especially the interactive idea.
lncluded were items as far ranging as: archiving
board meeting notes, newsletters, photo gallery,
airport history, events, wx, field conditions and on
and on. lt's a beautiful thing. Really. And it is just
one project.
With such a long and varied career in the military in addition to business, commercial aviation
and more, this brief introduction and welcome to
our new friend and colleague could go on for quite
awhile. I mean really, from KPIT to the Golf of
Sidra / Operation Odyssey Dawn and a fun flight
with Julie in his 172 - this could be a novel.
However, since Roy's retirement from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard he has taken on the
newly established job as lvan's associate at Butler County. His responsibilities include, on a paft
time basis, helping move the airport along with its
goals and projects. Roy will especially be concentrating on contemporary innovations, improvisation and a forward-looking mindset for Butler
County.
Roy at the airport is a real nice fit for lvan. They
have known each other for a number of years.
Say hello if you see Roy hanging around aC-172.
It's his.
Roy was off and running at the first meeting he
attended. No TFRs were growing beneath his
Say hello when you see him. This is a patriot
and good man. We are blessed to have him here.
If you have related KBTP stories, events
or photos for our newsletter, please contact
Jim Opalka at [email protected].

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