fatboyz aviation newsletter · cove, and climbed to gregory ball to join the party already there,...

© 2003 FatBoyz Aviation All Rights Reserved June 2003 Edition of 17

FatBoyz Aviation NewsletterJune 2003

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

1 MKAA Meeting Info

2 Spotlight DKX, Submitted by Bob Davis

6 Aviation Lessons Learned, Buzz Witherington

6 Flying IFR, Daryl Moore

7 Tailwheel Training for Dummies Part 1, Don Hammer

10 Idaho Backcountry Flying, Brandon Hughett

12 Trip Report – Smithville, TN Buddy Farmer

13 Trip Report - Philadelphia, PA Don Miller

14 Young Eagles Day at DKX, Don Miller

15 Marker Beacon Hardware, Thad Phillips

The FatBoyz Aviation Newsletter is a monthlypublication for pilots, owners, instructors, technicians,and enthusiasts interested in general aviation activitiesin the East Tennessee area. Each month will feature

an aviator, flight instructor or aviation expert thatcontinually contributes time and experience to thelocal aviation community

commentary from local flight instructors for thelatest rule and regulation changes

owner’s perspective of the joys and pitfalls ofaircraft ownership, annuals and owner-performedmaintenance

travel stories and pilot reports of our latestpurchases, etc.

Visit the web http://www.geocities.com/fatboyzaviationfor updated weekend flying schedules for those $100hamburgers, links to flight planning and weather sites,information for local aviation resources (flight schools,CFI, AME, DE, I.A. A/P, insurance) and informationpertinent to our local aviation community.

MKAA Meeting InfoThe Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority(MKAA) owns and manages the McGheeTyson Airport and the Downtown IslandAirport. The MKAA includes a Board ofCommissioners, nine individuals appointed bythe Mayor of Knoxville, and a support staff.(http://www.tys.org).

The MKAA holds monthly meetings in theBoard Room on the 3rd floor of the mainterminal at TYS. Meetings start at 4:00 p.m.unless otherwise indicated. The latestinformation on meeting dates, times andmeeting agenda can be found on the web site.

Meeting datesJune 18, 2003July 16, 2003

August 20, 2003September 10, 2003

October 22, 2003November 19, 2003December 17, 2003

Last month the tenants of DKX received notificationthat hanger and tie-down rental rates are increasing10% effective July 2003. This rate increase comesjust ten months after a 10% increase was leviedSeptember 2002 for a combined rate increase of 20%in less than one year.

Don’t procrastinate. Make plans to attend the nextmeeting. Ask questions, voice your concerns andobserve how the MKAA makes the decisions thateffect us.

http://www.geocities.com/fatboyzaviation

http://www.tys.org


SpotlightDKX – HistoryBob Davis, CFI DPE

Knoxville Aero Corp. in 1922 Tackles the Mountains

“Aerial Craft Penetrates Cade’s Cove Blazing Trail toTop of Gregory Ball; Highway Soon To Reach CarolinaLine,” by J.R. Miller, KS, June 25, 1922.

Note: author refers to “Gregory Ball,” now known as“Gregorys Bald,” so transcriber will use currentterminology.

On board airship Knoxville: aerial flight from Knoxvilleto Gregorys Bald, more than 6,000 feet above the seaand in excess of one mile higher than the city ofKnoxville, is a thrill soon to be enjoyed by devotees ofthe aviation pastime.

A brand new highway from Knoxville through Maryvilleand on to the Tennessee-Carolina state line, there tomeet a similar road into the Carolinas and thence toAsheville, also is an early prospect.To determine a landing place for the aeroplane on thesummit of Gregory Ball Mountain, on the Tennessee-North Carolina line, was the purpose of an expeditioninto the Great Smoky Mountains by a number of the

leading men of Blount County and a Sentinel reporter.

The party, consisted of J.M. DePew, A.J. Fisher, J.H.Staley, D.W. Brooks, S. H. Franklin and Prof. HoraceEllis, of Maryville college, acting secretary of theMaryville Board of Commerce. They left MaryvilleThursday afternoon, to motor as far as possible intothe mountains and then continue the journey afoot toGregory Ball. The foot of that eminence, which liesbeyond the Chilhowee Mountains, on the east side ofCade’s Cove, was reached late Thursday evening, andthe party spent the night in a cabin on the property ofthe Butler Timber company.

The route from Maryville to Gregory Ball winds throughthe Chilhowee range, beyond Walland, and over RichMountain and Cade’s Cove Mountain, into Cade’sCove, level, fertile valley, about nine miles long, andseveral miles wide. It is between Cade’s CoveMountain and the Forrest Ridge, which mounts up toGregory Ball, Thunderhead, Blockhouse, Clingman’sDome, and other of the highest points of the GreatSmokies.

Blount County has completed an excellent gradedroad, twining around among the great mountains anddown into Cade’s Cove, to a point eight miles from theCarolina boundary. From this point there is no road.The scenic value of the route cannot possibly be overestimated, or praised too highly. It lies in the mostbeautiful mountain country of the eastern portion of theUnited States threading the sides of the ranges, andaffording marvelous views of others, standing blue andsilent in the distance. Mt. Le Conte can be seen abovethe others, standing as if ruler of them all.Swain County, North Carolina has already providedfunds for the construction of a road westward as far asthe state line. Blount county is expected to meet thishighway with an extension of its newly completed road,crossing the last eight miles, through Cade’s Cove,passing by Equineetle Gap to the state boundary. Thisproposed extension would open automobile travel intoNorth Carolina over a new, and much shorter and morebeautiful route, connecting with the main highwaybetween Asheville and Murphy, N.C. at Bushnell, andcutting in half the touring distance from Knoxville toAsheville. Unless Blount county does meet the Swaincounty road at the state line, the new highway will notbe of use to East Tennessee, because of the eightimpassable miles which lie between the end of thepresent Blount county road and the state boundary.

Swain county has provided $400,000 to build its end ofthe new highway and $100,000 will be sufficient tobuild Blount county’s part, to meet the work of theNorth Carolina county, and open the incomparablescenic route for through touring between the two

Spotlight DKX - History continued on page 3


Spotlight DKX - History continued from page 2

Local Designated Pilot Examiners

DAVIS, ROBERT L.1915 PINE RIDGE ROADSEYMOUR TN 37865Phone: (865) 996-3903

RASMUSSEN, JERRY LEE7232 COLERIDGE DRIVEKNOXVILLE TN 37919Phone: (865) 584-5091

PRICE, BEVERLY F132 OUR WAY LOOPCROSSVILLE TN 38555-5789Phone: (931) 456-8791

BARNETT, BEVERLYBOX 1106BLOUNTVILLE TN 37617Phone: (423) 325-6466

See the complete list of local DPEs in TN areahttp://www.geocities.com/fatboyzaviation/dpe/index.html

Spotlight DKX – History continued on page 4

states. Blount county will not rely upon federal andstate highway aid in this undertaking, but will endeavorto secure sufficient funds through the means of a bondissue, to be authorized by the county court. A petitionfor the authorization of such a bond issue will bepresented to the County court on July 3. All Blountcounty eagerly awaits the outcome, hoping to be ableto finance the enterprise. That would open up a sectionof country that is thus far only known to a limitednumber of fortunate people who have been able tomake the journey into the region as best they could.

Mile Higher Than Knoxville

Early Friday morning, the party of men from Maryvilleleft the cabin in Cade’s Cove for a three hours’ climb,up over Forrest Ridge to the top of Gregory Ball, apoint about 6,000 feet above sea level, andapproximately a mile higher than the city of Knoxville.A mountain herdsman who was well acquainted withevery trail in the whole countryside led the party bysteep and winding ways, through the dense timberlandup to the summit.

Gregory Ball derived its name from the fact that at thehighest point on the mountain there is a largesemicircular tract, of about 100 acres, shaped exactlylike a gigantic ball. This is entirely without trees orunder brush. It is covered with grass and rocks andforms an impressive contrast to the densely woodedcountry all around. From the top of Gregory Ball there

is a view which cannot be called anything but inspiring.The line of sight is not obstructed in any directions, asthere are no trees and the summit is one of the highestpoints in the section. As far as the eye can reach aremountains, range upon range, towering irregularly, aswithout plan. From Gregory Ball, which is one of theGreat Smokies, can be seen the Blue Ridge, theChilhowees, Clinch, the Cumberlands, and all the restof the Smokies, including Le Conte, over them all.

Airship in Cade’s Cove

It was on this site that a landing place for aeroplaneswas sought. J.G. Ray, of Knoxville Aero Corporation,arrived early Friday afternoon with J.H. Mitchell, ofMaryville. Mr. Ray landed his ship in a field in Cade’sCove, and climbed to Gregory Ball to join the partyalready there, and investigate as to availability of anaeroplane landing. Mr. Ray decided that space wassufficient and many rocks were removed to assure asmooth landing. The original plan was to effect alanding on the Gregory Ball summit Friday. Butunusual wind conditions, brought about by a stronggale blowing straight from the north, caused the aviatorto postpone the first landing until a day in the nearfuture when wind conditions may be more nearlynormal. Mr. Ray is confident that a regular landing fieldcan be established upon Gregory Ball, which in suchan event, will be selected by the Knoxville AeroCorporation as a destination for regular flights, carryingpassengers from Knoxville and Maryville. This trip willbe one of the best scenic excursions conceivable, andwill afford the people of East Tennessee anextraordinary opportunity to become acquainted withthe natural scenery of their own country.

It is the dream of men interested, to establish a resorthotel on the summit or some other suitable site nearbyon Gregory Ball. With aeroplane transportationassured, and a private road built to join the proposedhighway through Cade’s Cove, access to the resortwould be made easy.

It is never hot on top of Gregory Ball, even in themiddle of the hottest day. Pure water flows from anumber of clear, cold springs very near the summit;and the beauty of the immediate vicinity is onlysurpassed by the glory of the outlook the Tennessee-North Carolina mountains. Only a few desolate patchesof cultivated land can be seen among the mountains.As most of the land is in the hands of lumbercompanies, whose welfare demands that the timbersupply be kept up, it is probable that the wild beauty ofthe unsettled land will be retained for all time. Thelaurel, the rhodedendron, and the many, colored wildhoneysuckle, among the gnarled little red haw trees,furnish a free, wild beauty incomparable to the work of

http://www.geocities.com/fatboyzaviation/dpe/index.html


E V E N T C A L E N D A RTN20 Seymour Airpark Seymour TN, Fly-in breakfast8AM – whenever each Sunday

1ST WEEKEND

BGF Winchester TN. Saturday fly-in breakfast.931-967-3148

LZU Lawrenceville, GA. Saturday fly-In breakfast.770-394-5466

2ND WEEKEND

Saturday, MBT Murfreesboro, TN, Fly-in Breakfast.David Swindler, 615-890-2439, [email protected]

RMG Rome, GA. Saturday fly-in breakfast706-235-06443RD WEEKEND

3M3 Collegedale,TN Saturday fly-in breakfast423-236-4340

OWB Owensboro, KY. Saturday monthly breakfastWayne Gibson 502-684-2859

3M5 Huntsville, AL. Saturday fly-in breakfast256-880-8136. [email protected]

16J Dawson, GA. Saturday fly-in breakfast.Ron Acker 912-888-2828

4TH WEEKEND

2AO Dayton, TN. Saturday monthly breakfastWanda Fulmer 615-775-8407

5TH WEEKEND

4A9 Fort Payne-Isbell, AL. Saturday fly-in breakfast205-845-9129

All event information listed is provided by the general public.FatBoyz Aviation is not responsible for false or inaccurate information.


Spotlight DKX – History continued on page 5

the most accomplished landscape expert. A hotel onsuch a place would be a boon to many people who areunable to know the real beauty and grandeur of thiscountry so close to home, because of the actualabsence of means of transportation into it, and ofproper accommodations there.

Late in the evening the party descended from GregoryBall – descended much faster than they had ascended.They arrived in Cade’s Cove, tired, but thoroughlyenthusiastic over the revelation which had come of thetrip, and hope of securing by highway, hotel andaeroplane, a possible way to introduce travelers intothis little known region.

On account of the late hour, Mr. Ray volunteered tobring a Sentinel reporter, who had accompanied theMaryville party, back to Knoxville in his plane. If thereis anything in the world more glorious than being in themountains, it is being over them, and surely there is nopossibility beyond this. The route of the aeroplane wasout of Cade’s Cove, around the end of Rich Mountain,over the Chilhowee Range, and above Townsend,Walland and Maryville to the aviation field of theKnoxville Aero Corporation on Kingston Pike. Theentire trip, including a stop in Maryville for Mr. Mitchellto disembark required less than forty minutes. In spiteof the great speed maintained, there was no sensationof speed or instability, only a feeling of hovering overthe mountain tops, as if moving at a very slow rate.The sensation of speed was comparable to that ofriding in an automobile, on smooth road at a rate ofmany miles per hour. The still mountains down below,darkening in the falling light of evening, standing guardover innumerable little valleys and coves made a sightincomparable.

Did “Knoxville” ever land on Gregory Ball? The rockswere removed and supposedly the pilot was waiting fora day with favorable winds. No mention has beenfound so far in this effort telling of that landing. We doknow of landings at Elkmont.

“Airplane Flies Over Mountain,” KJ&T, June 19, 1922,p. 3.

“The first flight by aeroplane to Elkmont wassuccessfully made yesterday by the airship “Knoxville”with a passenger. The pilot, Charles G. Ray, carriedDan Chambliss, president of the Knoxville AeroCorporation. The landing field at Elkmont is perfect inevery detail and was prepared by the Applachian Club.

“We left our flying field in Knoxville about 11 o’clock,flying over the (Cherokee Country Club) golf links anddirectly over the river at the big bend making a direct



line for Elkmont,” Mr. Chambliss said. “We did nottouch Maryville, Wallend, or Twonsend but could seethe towns perfectly and the scenery was wonderful.After the Chilhowee Mountains were passed, however,and we headed for the Cove Mountains (and soon) wewere in the Great Smokies and the scene was one ofgrandeur.

“After crossing Cove Mountain and Wonderland Park,we could see Elkmont in plain view. The heavy timberon the sides of the mountains looked like mereshrubbery. The lofty top of Mount LeConte seemedalmost within reaching distance, although we wereflying at a height of 4,000 feet. We lost altitude bycircling and dropped down perfectly on the landingfield. We found that the landing field was almostperfect (for this airship) and made a fine three-sided(point) landing.

“A large number of people had gathered and werepleased to note that the trip from Knoxville could bemade without danger. Many of those present statedtheir intention of making the trip by air soon. Afterdinner we took off at two o’clock, and after circling afew times to gain altitude to clear Cove Mountain, weshot toward Knoxville arriving here at two-thirty o’clock.We could see Knoxville plainly when we crossed (the)Chilhowee Mountains, though it was miles away. Onthe trip back there were heavy clouds all around usand we could see rain falling. But the pilot skillfullycleared the rain clouds and only a few drops touchedthe plane.

“I firmly believe that the members of the AppalachianClub and the Wonderland Park Club ever pleased thefact that they could make the quick and novel trip byaeroplane between Elkmont and Knoxville. And theywill make frequent trips by the air. I cannot understandwhy people think they will be dizzy or sick in the air.This is not so. There is no reason to be afraid ornervous. Just try it and you will agree with me. TheKnoxville is a safe ship (with a) powerful engine thatwill clear any of these mountains. That’s what was inCharlie Griffiths’ head when he bought this 160horsepower motor (instead of the 150-hp one). Theship is so well balanced that it will fly straight and levelwithout holding the stick. Mr. Ray has been flying eightyears and has never yet had an accident. He playssafe at all times and goes over the engine verythoroughly before he takes off.

“Yesterday was opening day for the Appalachian Cluband everything is in good order. This hot weather willsoon send crowds up to Elkmont and I know many willgo by the air route.”

“Chambliss Enjoys Air Trip To Elkmont,” KN, MondayJune 19, 1922.

“Hanging Over The Mountains At Elkmont,” KS, June25, 1921.

“This picture of the aeroplane “Knoxville,” as it waspoised above the landing field at Elkmont, near theAppalachian Club, was taken by Professor Bentley ofthe University of Tennessee. The time was last Sundayafternoon, when at 2 o’clock the aeroplane left Elkmonton its return trip, which was made in thirty minutes.

The pilot Charles G. Ray, had one passenger, Mr. DanChambliss, president of the Knoxville AeroCorporation, on the return trip, which was made inthirty minutes.

Earlier in the day Mr. Chambliss had accompanied Mr.Ray to Elkmont by way of aeroplane, leaving Knoxvilleabout 11 o’clock in the morning. They took the directair route to Elkmont that is about thirty-five miles long.Upon reaching Elkmont they found that the landingfield near the Appalachian Club had been completelyprepared. A landing was made without difficulty.

Both Mr. Chambliss and Mr. Ray were enthusiastic inregard to the initial trip made by the “Knoxville,” whichwill fly during the summer between this city and themountain resort at Elkmont. The easy motion of theaeroplane, the utter absence of any “air-sickness,” thebeautiful scenery, and the feeling of exhilarationexperienced when flying at the altitude of about 4,000feet, at a rapid rate of speed through the air, wascommented on with pleasure by both men.

Mr. Chambliss states that the “Knoxville” is a safeaeroplane with a powerful engine that will enable themachine to keep clear of even the highest peaks alongthe air route. The pilot, Charles Ray, has an eviablerecord as an air pilot, never having had an accident inthe eight years of his aeroplane experience.

It is expected that many visitors to Elkmont thissummer will avail themselves of this safe, comfortableand quick means of transportation to the mountainresort.

FatBoyz DisclaimerAlthough care has been exercised in preparing the informationcontained in this newsletter, FatBoyz Aviation does not and cannotguarantee the accuracy thereof. Anyone using the informationdoes so at their own risk and shall be deemed to indemnifyFatBoyz Aviation from any and all injury or damage arising fromsuch use. We do not endorse or otherwise recommend serviceproviders or individuals identified within this publication.References are included only to provide contact information.


Aviation Lessons LearnedBuz Witherington, CFII

I’m sure that I read about it in one ofthe magazines or newsletters that Iwas receiving at the time, and Ithought it was a great idea. Now thatI am several years down the road offlying experience, I look back at thoselessons with a smile and a noddinghead.

The idea was to elaborate on the Comments columnthat is usually placed at the far right portion of thePilot’s Logbook entry. Our logs have a very smallspace available for comments germane to the recordedday’s flight. There isn’t enough space for muchinformation regarding a routine flight, but for a flight fullof eye opening experiences, the entire log can’t dojustice. So, the plan was to keep a separate log of thedetails of experiences encountered in the early stagesof a flying career. I named mine: “Aviation LessonsLearned.”

Here are a couple of my early experiences.

22 Aug 98Today I flew on a local flight with friends Bobby andPam. They had not flown in any airplane ever, but theywere excited about the opportunity. Bobby reallywanted to see her home located near Wartburg. WhenI picked them up at KRKW, the day was warm andbumpy with the usual summer haze. In my zeal toplease, I went round and round Bobby’s house whileshe took photographs. The girls’ laughter and gigglesbecame very quiet very suddenly.

Lesson Learned: Don't do more than one 360 turn withnovice passengers, it makes them sick.

19 Aug 98Mary and I were air touring in northern Michigan withanother couple. The ladies were in the back seats ofmy Dakota while the boys were pilot and copilot. Ineeded to refuel and I noted a Class D field located inthe middle of nowhere at the edge of Lake Huron. Theairport was KAPN, Alpena, Michigan.

After tuning ATIS and talking to the tower, I wascleared for the straight in to runway 19. The finalapproach was over the water of Lake Huron, and theladies in the back seat couldn’t really see anythingbecause of the nose up pitch of the airplane whileflying slowly. On short final I looked to the hold shortarea and was momentarily shocked to see a row of six

A-10 Warthogs waiting on me to land. Putting two andtwo together (Class D in the middle of nowhere +military planes), it occurred to me that I was about toland at a restricted military base and would soon haveto fork over my brand new pilot’s license! Withoutthinking, I blurted out two words, “Oh, s**t!”

Just as quickly, I noticed a Bonanza holding for me onthe other side of the runway. I then realized thatAlpena was a joint use airport with military and civiliansharing real estate just like KTYS. But the damagewas done. Without being able to see out front andhaving Lake Huron in view out the side, my poor wifewas convinced that we were about to crash into thewater.

Lesson Learned: Know your military bases. Don'tmake exclamations while on short final because itscares the passengers that can't see out the front ofthe plane.

Stay tuned, more to come!

Flying IFR - continued on page 7

Flying IFRDaryl Moore, CFI

After a student has mastered the localizer approaches,I feel that it is time to start them on the ILSapproaches. This is where things really start to getinteresting and a little intense. The reason I say this isbecause the initials ILS are short for the nameInstrument Landing System. While a general aviationaircraft isn’t going to actually land using this system,you are going to get down to 200 feet AGL in anaircraft that is traveling near 100 MPH without anyvisual reference outside the plane. Pretty cool don’tyou think?

To accomplish this you will need to start the same wayas the other approaches, such as the VOR or localizer,with a standard pattern to prevent omitting any steps. Inormally start at the top of the panel with the compass,matching it with the directional gyro and working myway down the stack stopping at each radio and askingmyself what I may need with this item. After doing thisroutine you should have your local weather, windsaltimeter, ceiling, localizer frequency, and tower ifneeded. Also don’t forget your marker beacon.

The navigation radio is actually receiving two separatesignals, one is the localizer, and the other is the glideslope. That is the difference in a localizer approachand an ILS approach. So if the glideslope portion of thesignal was lost, either before or during the approach, itwould then become a localizer using the marker to


Tailwhel Training for Dummies - continued on page 8

Flying IFR - continued from page 6

start your timer and decent.

To assure the frequency you tuned is the correct onebe sure to turn up the volume on the navigation radioto verify the Morse code in the signal. You really don’twant to descend to ILS minimums of 200 feet whiletracking the wrong signal. That would be a very badday.

While you are doing all of the above tuning andidentifying you should still be communicating with andfollowing the headings given by the controller.However you must keep yourself oriented to yourlocation relative to the airport and navigation aids andanticipating the controllers next instruction. Don’t bejust following blind headings, what if you have acommunication radio failure, you will have tocomplete the approach on your own. Now which waywas that airport going to be?

The headings the controller is going to give you willline you up with what is called “The Gate.” That is athree-dimension point in space approximately 4 milesfrom the marker beacon at a specific altitude. This isdesigned to get you in position to get in position andstabilized to begin the approach.

Once the controller gets you to “The Gate” they willlikely give you the needed phrase “Cleared for theApproach.” At that time it is up to you to watch for thelocalizer needle as well as the horizontal glide slopeneedle. The glide slope will begin to show movementjust before reaching the marker. As you intercept theglide slope with the trim set for your desired airspeed,a little power reduction should be about all that isrequired to maintain the glide slope. In most lightaircraft you will need about 500-700 feet per minutedecent rate to do this.

As you continue the approach to the marker thecontroller will pass you off to the tower. If thecontroller hasn’t you should possibly remind him, orgo ahead and call the tower. In keeping the needlescentered and on airspeed with the decent you shouldarrive at the minimum altitude, which is also themissed approach point, in position to land.

If done correctly this is a very safe and useful tool forthe instrument pilot to get down in some pretty lowweather. It will however turn very dangerous, as willany approach, if the procedures and altituderequirements aren’t respected. If you arrive at theminimum altitude without acquiring the runwayenvironment visually you need to execute the missedapproach procedures immediately. You did review

Flying IFR - continued on page 8

Tailwheel Training for Dummies(Tailwheel Transition Training Part 1)Donovan Hammer, CFI-ASE, CFI-I, CFI-G

Introduction

With a title blatantly ripped-off froma popular series of primer textbooks,one can correctly assume that thisarticle is aimed at the “newbie” whoaspires to make the transition totaildraggers. The reasons forpursuing a tailwheel endorsementcan vary widely. Some valid reasons might be plansfor the restoration or purchase of a classic airplane, thebuilding of a home-built sports plane, or maybe to justtake on a new challenge. Whatever the reason, theproper education and preparation will go a long way inprotecting that all too precious classic or home-builtairplane. The topic of tailwheel flying is far tooextensive to be dealt with in a short article such as this.So, the focus here will be to touch on a very briefoverview of taildragger basics as well as to highlightsome of the things to look for in this type of training.

The tricycle airplane has been very successful inrelegating the taildragger to the fringe of our aviation-oriented universe. Nonetheless, the tricycle airplanecan probably be given the credit for making the modernFBO feasible because of its tolerance to a broad rangeof piloting experience and proficiency. The tailwheelairplane, on the other hand, is less tolerant of theoccasional, inexperienced, or inadequately trainedpilot. The scarcity of tailwheel airplanes at our FBOsmay be some of the strongest evidence of this fact.The sometimes-maligned taildragger has acquired areputation that is not entirely undeserved, butsimultaneously, it has been overly demonized as well.It is easy for the active and properly trained pilot todevelop a strong and long lasting love affair with thetaildragger.

Tailwheel BasicsThe main difference betweentaildraggers and their tricyclebrethren can be distilled down tothe position of the main landinggear. A tailwheel airplane pushesits main gear out ahead of theCenter of Gravity (C.G.). On theother hand, the tricycle airplanedrags its main gear behind the C.G.

The dynamics about the vertical (yaw) axis will bediscussed first. Consider the mental image of an


Tailwheel Training for Dummies - continued from page 7

Flying IFR - continued from page 7

this previously didn’t you? This obviously isn’t the timeto get the approach plate out to read the missedapproach procedure, remember you are very near theground.

Take care of the aircraft first on the missed, then tellthe controller your intentions. Always remember toaviate, navigate, and then communicate.

On the other hand if you do see runway environment ator before the minimum altitude then it is time to cutpower and land visually. Once you have completedyour approach at a controlled field the controller willclose your flight plan automatically when your wheelstouch down. Just one more advantage of going IFR.

airplane during landing that travels along a centerlinedirected north (i.e. 360 degrees). By definition, boththe centerline of travel and the yaw axis pass throughthe airplane’s C.G. Now visualize that the airplane isnot aligned with the centerline of travel in that its noseis pointed 10 degrees to the left (i.e. 350 degrees).Upon touchdown in this situation, the main gear will notbe aligned with the direction of travel and will want toroll in a direction 10 degrees left of the centerline. Forthe taildragger, the main gear will be ahead of the C.Gand to the left of the centerline of travel. The maingear will want to go to the left while momentum carriesthe airplane’s C.G. along the centerline of travel. Thispulls the front half of the airplane to the left and rotatesthe airplane counterclockwise away from the directionof travel. Now the main gear is even more unalignedand the rotational forces are even greater. If leftunchecked in the early stages this action will causeloss of directional control and can potentiallydegenerate into a ground loop. Of course, the besttechnique is to land with the airplane properly alignedwith the direction of travel in the first place. When atricycle airplane is placed in the situation above, attouchdown its main gear will be behind the C.G. and tothe right of the centerline of travel. As before, the maingear wants to go to the left while momentum carriesthe airplane’s C.G. along the centerline of travel.However, this time around it is the back half of theairplane that is pulled to the left and it is now pulledtowards centerline. This action rotates the airplaneclockwise and brings it back into alignment with thedirection of travel. Directional control is maintainedautomatically by the design of the tricycle landing gearand in spite of the pilot’s inattentiveness to alignment. This is a good time to switch the discussion to thedynamics associated with the pitch axis. Considerwhat happens during a landing as an airplanedescends towards the runway. As an airplane ofeither configuration contacts the runway, the main

gear’s vertical descent is halted, but momentumcauses the rest of the airplane to continue itsdownward motion. This results in the main gearpushing up on the fuselage at its mounting point. Forthe case of the tricycle gear airplane, this mountingpoint is behind the C.G. and at the moment of contact,when the motion at the C.G. is still downward, thefuselage just above the main gear remains relativelyfixed. This creates a rotation that lowers the nose ofthe airplane, which decreases the wing’s angle ofattack. This in turn decreases the lift produced by thewing and reinforces the downward motion to help holdthe airplane on the ground. This is considered a stablecondition and makes the pilot look good. On the otherhand, what happens to the taildragger is quite theopposite. The main gear on the taildragger is mountedahead of the C.G. and therefore as the main gearcontacts the runway, it pushes the nose up. Thisaction increases the wing’s angle of attack resulting inincreased lift that tends to oppose the desired motionand can actually send the airplane back into the air.The later situation is known as a “bounce” - althoughthis term is somewhat misleading - and it does little to

enhance the pilot’s image.

In summary, we have described the two banes oftaildraggers, which are the loss of directional controland the “bounce”. But, before I conclude this section Ishould point out that there are some things thatcounter the instabilities of the taildragger’s landing gearconfiguration. The horizontal and vertical stabilizerscertainly offer some help as long as sufficient airspeedexists. That little wheel in the back, which gives thetailwheel airplane its descriptive name, also provides ameans to maintain directional control. However,ultimately it is the pilot and the use of proper techniquethat tames the taildragger. The tailwheel pilot mustpay strict attention to control of airspeed, attitude, flair,and alignment. Additionally, the tailwheel pilot mustalso plan ahead on each landing to consider anypotential problems and then predetermine theappropriate escape plan if something does go wrong. Iam not implying that these piloting techniques do notapply to tricycle airplanes because they most

Tailwhel Training for Dummies - continued on page 9


emphatically do. But unfortunately, the favorablecharacteristics of the tricycle gear have left many pilotsblissfully ignorant and complacent towards landinghazards. Too often a successful landing in a tricycleairplane is more due to the design and ruggedness ofthe landing gear than due to the training and techniqueof the pilot.

Flight TrainingThe first step taken towards the tailwheel transition isto select an instructor and a training program. Toooften tailwheel training is treated as simply an airplanecheck out. Perhaps in reality tailwheel flying bearsmore resemblance to flying gliders or, say, floatplanesthan to flying that “Wichita Ironclad”. Certainly onewould expect glider and floatplane transition courses tohave some substance to them. Why should thetailwheel transition be any different?

The ideal flight instructor should have significantexperience in tailwheel airplanes and hopefully fliestaildraggers on a regular basis. Also, the instructorshould be able to present a detailed syllabus. Thisindicates to the student that the CFI has a goodunderstanding of the training issues and will ensurethat all topic areas are covered properly. Be sure thatthe training process includes some ground instruction.The airplane makes a poor classroom and a CFI thatskips ground instruction denies the student the criticalknowledge-based fundamentals that are needed.Finally, select a good textbook because it offers a richsource of information and can be cheaper than payingan instructor to cover the same material.

An example of a tailwheel transition syllabus might looklike the following. It is a modified version of oneproposed by Harvey Plourde the author of a timeproven text entitled “The Compleat Taildragger Pilot”.The syllabus not only covers the obvious subjectareas, but also makes an effort to emphasize sometopics that may be incorrectly perceived as trivial suchas brake usage or taxiing.

The flight instruction portion is divided into fiveblocks:1) Aircraft familiarization, taxiing basics, basic air

work, demonstration of take-offs and 3-pointlandings.

(2) Normal take-offs, normal 3-point landings, bounceavoidance/recovery.

(3) Light wind crosswind take-offs and 3-pointlandings.

(4) Wheel landings and more bounceavoidance/recovery.

(5) Moderate wind crosswind take-offs and landings(both 3-point and wheel landings).

Tailwheel Training for Dummies - continued from page 8

The ground school portion is divided into thefollowing ten topics:

(1) Aircraft familiarization.(2) Left turn "torque" sources and their control.(3) Taxiing techniques.(4) Use of, and considerations for, wheel brakes.(5) Normal take-offs and landings.(6) Wheel landings.(7) Crosswind take-offs and landings.(8) Cause and recovery from bounce (jounce).(9) Different types of tailwheels (e.g. free-castering,

steerable, locking, etc.)(10) Guidelines to predicting aircraft behavior based on

configuration characteristics.

I have covered a lot of ground here, and I judge, anadequate dosage for a first exposure. It is my hopethat I have given those aspiring taildragger pilotssomething to think about as well as a starting point tolaunch their new endeavor.

Don HammerCFI-ASE, CFI-I, CFI-G503-627-4666 (day)503-692-3471 (night)[email protected]

[Don Hammer provides tailwheel training through theFBO at McMinnville. If you’re interested in tailwheeltraining and this syllabus, he invites you to contact himby phone or email.

Don has authored additional articles amplifying onWheel Landings and Crosswind Technique. These willappear in the coming months. – ed.


Idaho Backcountry FlyingBrandon Hughett, ATP CFII

Homeward BoundIn the April 2003 issue ofFatboyz Aviation, I began a storytitled “Flying the Great Southwest.”It included the events that myfriend Todd and I experienced whileembarking on an 8-day trip to remember forever. Thearticle included the events as they unfolded from ourtakeoff in Oneida, Tennessee to destinations such asNew Orleans, Grand Canyon National Park, and LasVegas, Nevada. I continued the story in the May 2003issue of Fatboyz Aviation titled “Idaho BackcountryFlying.” It included the events from Las Vegas, Nevadato Salt Lake City, Utah then, continuing to Boise, Idahoand the Idaho backcountry. This article will continuethat story as we continued our voyage to explore thewestern portions of the United States.

After departing Stanley, Idaho late afternoon onThursday, May 17, 2001, Todd and I proceeded towardJackson Hole, Wyoming. It took nearly 45 minutes togain an altitude of 11,500 feet but we would need sucha high altitude to cross Teton Pass near Jackson Hole.Teton Pass is nestled in the Grand Teton Mountains at8,431’ msl with surrounding mountains reaching almost14,000’. The Appalachian Mountains are nothingcompared to the Grand Tetons with their rocky andsnow covered faces. There ain’t no trees on them therehills!

Jackson Hole Airport is located at the base of theGrand Teton Mountains at an elevation of 6,447’ msl.With it’s class D airspace and 6,300’X150’ runway, itcan accommodate most any aircraft including airlinerssuch as Boeing 757s. The service at Jackson Hole

Crossing Teton Pass with Jackson Hole,Wyoming in the center

Aviation was outstanding with friendly and promptservice. Todd and I rented a car and began ourexploration of Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone is the only national park that I have everseen with such a diverse atmosphere. The park roadsare lined with buffalo and elk that are not afraid ofanyone. Every turn in the road offered somethingdifferent from magnificent waterfalls, hot springs andgeysers, to bubbling mud. It seemed as thoughsomething different was around every corner. We sawOld Faithful and the Lower Falls which makes it’sdescent into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.The Smoky Mountains ain’t got nothin’ on Yellowstone.

After staying two nights in Jackson Hole, Todd and Iboth agreed it was time to go home. At approximately1:00 pm eastern on Saturday, May 19, 2001, weblasted off from Jackson Hole, homeward bound. Ournext fuel stop would be Laramie, Wyoming. It would beour highest takeoff and landing on the entire trip at anelevation of 7,278’ msl. Believe me, a 250 fpm climbtakes a long time to climb. We diverted slightly north toavoid a thunderstorm then continued to North Platte,Nebraska for our next fuel stop. North Platte Airport ismuch lower in elevation at 2,779’ msl and has an on-field restaurant that caters to general aviationcustomers, airline passengers, and most importantly,the locals. I was amazed to see so many locals havingdinner at the airport restaurant. The menu includedalmost any dinner including steak and hamburgers.

Before take-off from North Platte, we had to do somecareful preflight planning. The warm afternoon hadsparked multiple thunderstorms across the Midwestincluding a line of storms stretching southwest tonortheast across most of the United Sates. Also, nightwas falling across the plains, which meant a limitednumber of open FBO’s. Our plan was to take turnsflying all night till we reached home and to land attowered airports to refuel the plane. The only problemwas the weather. How would we get through the line ofthunderstorms? I studied the radar picture for about 15minutes and discovered a 30-mile wide gap in the line.I studied the picture to see what direction the gap wasmoving in hopes of passing through it. I knew once wegot east of the line, the weather would be great for theremainder of the flight home. We estimated where thegap in the line of storms would be on our arrival, pickedan airport to aim for with our Garmin 295 GPS, andtook-off from North Platte. Our plan was to land inManhattan, Kansas for fuel once on the eastside ofthe line. The next two hours of the flight was tense.The blackness of night showed us a magnificentfirework show as we approached closer and closer tothe storms. The lightning would blind us as we watchedthe huge streaks slice the dark skies even though we

Idaho Backcountry Flying - continued on page 11


were 30 to 50 miles away. I kept in touch with flightservice every 15 or 20 minutes to get updatedinformation about the radar picture and to see if thegap in the storms was going to be where we thought iswas going to be. Our planning worked! We passedthrough the gap with only a few sprinkles, defeatingMother Nature once again.

While beginning our descent into Manhattan, I beganto hear something smacking the windshield. I hadnever heard anything like it before. It sounded like wewere getting pelted with something. I turned thelanding light on to discover the largest flying bugs that Ihave ever seen. They looked like giant white bats. Ifyou’re gonna fly in the Midwest, get ready for somebug smashing.

On the ground in Manhattan, we decided to make ournext fuel stop in Kansas City, Missouri. With St. Louisbeing just over 3 hours away, we decided a larger fuel

Idaho Backcountry Flying - continued from page 10

Lower Falls pouring into Grand Canyon

The Grand Tetons

reserve would be wise since it was night time and wewere in unfamiliar territory. Kansas City was about anhour away from Manhattan and St. Louis would be anadditional 2 hours away from Kansas City. Upon arrivalin St. Louis, Missouri, low visibility was forecasted forthe remainder of our flight home to Scott Municipal inOneida, Tennessee. We filed an IFR flight plan fromSt. Louis to Oneida using a straight-line route. With anestimated flight time of 3 hours enroute to Oneida, wewould make a final decision over Bowling Green,Kentucky to decide if we had enough visibility to land inOneida. If conditions were questionable, we would landin Bowling Green for additional fuel in anticipation of adiversion to Knoxville due to fog.

Over Bowling Green, I called the AWOS in Oneidafrom my cell phone to find 7 miles visibility and goodceilings, which gave the go-ahead to continue homewithout an additional fuel stop. Guess what happenednext? Twenty miles west of Oneida, the AWOSreported skies partially obscured. I said “Oh no! We’vebeen sucker punched.” I proceeded northeast ofOneida to line up with the SDF approach in hopes ofcatching a glimpse of the ODAL approach lightingsystem at the threshold of runway 23. Just north of theairport, I caught a glimpse of something. But what wasit? Is that what I think it is? Yes it is!! It’s the ScottMunicipal Airport hangar!! And there’s the runway!! Iwon’t have to do an approach after all! “Indy Center,Cancel IFR! I have the field insight!” Our wheels hit thepavement at 7:30 am, Sunday, May 20, 2001. It waslike going around the world in only 8 days. What a tripto remember forever.

Todd and I still talk about the experience we gainedfrom this trip. I’ll never forget the people we met. Therewere drunks, tourists, gamblers, mountain people,Alaskans, and many others such as Bubba. We saw,cotton fields, swamps, deserts, canyons, lakes,massive dams, snow-covered mountains, a rottweilernamed Bear, geysers, hot springs, buffalo, giant flyingbugs, and so much more. What more could one ask foron an 8-day trip traveling the United States?

This trip took months of planning. Flying a 150hpCessna 172 across the US, takes careful planning dueto lack of power at high altitudes. Specific routes had tobe planned through the mountains following valleysand through mountain passes. Flying by pilotage was amust even though we had a GPS since it only givesyou a direct line route. With 14,000’ mountains in theRockies, the GPS would route you right through apeak.

We chose the month of May due to coolertemperatures hoping for lower density altitudes whilethis month also was before tourism season in thenational parks. Crowds were virtually nonexistent.

Idaho Backcountry Flying - continued on page 12


Trip Report – Smithville, TnBuddy Farmer , PP-ASEL

It was finally Friday, the end ofan exceptionally long work weekwhen Xen Portwood called andsaid “wanna go get a burger?”.He heard about a place inSmithville, Tn and asked if Iwanted to accompany him to check it out.

Didn’t have to ask me twice or twist my arm. Xen and Ihave been good friends for a while now. He is also agood co-pilot to have around when you are going on atrip for the hundred dollar hamburger.

We arrived at the airport at 6:30 on Friday evening. Wecalled to see if there were any TFRs along the route.Everything looked good to go. This was going to be agood night for flying. We took off about 7:00 or so.After we got airborne, I was noticing how long the tripwas going to last. The Garmin 430 said 40 minutes tothe destination airport. This was going to be a fast trip.Along the route the visibility was the best I seen in awhile. About half way into the flight, I could seeJamestown off the starboard wing and Athens off theport. When we were crossing over Rockwood, wecould ahead to Crossville. The sky was clear as clearas you could ever want it to be.

At 40 miles out we could see our destination. The ridealong the route was smooth. We had turned on theautopilot after leaving Oak Ridge and didn’t have totouch a thing until we started our decent. This is one ofthe advantages of having an autopilot. It lets you enjoythe trip and take a few pictures at the same time.

Along the route I was noticing the ground speed. It wasaround 195 knots. We be smokin now! When we were10 miles out, Xen looked over and asked “You think wecan do this?” “Sure,” I said. He just kind of smiled andsaid “Whatever.” When he turned for final approach, itwas just like he had been there before. He brought itdown like a pro. He touched down just past thenumbers and made the first turn off at that. He can flythat bonanza as good as anyone.

After fueling ourselves and the plane, we turnedaround and headed back to Knoxville. Climbed to5500 feet and enjoyed a nice tail wind with a groundspeed of 205 knots across the ground. We could seeRockwood long before we got to Crossville. It was ahalf moon and the stars were bright that night. Therewasn’t much traffic out that night. You would expectthat on a clear night everyone would be flying. Finallywhen we were crossing over Rockwood, we could seethe beacon at downtown. As we got closer Xen said hesaw white and then green. I began to see the samebeacon but about 15 miles out, we noticed that wewere looking at the wrong beacon. It was Sevierville,TN. Now were we lost or just plan blind? We were justlooking at the wrong beacon since the night was soclear. We then saw the right beacon. There is a bridgeabout ¾ of a mile from the airport which is Hwy 441. Ithides the beacon from that angle. There was no trafficin the area. So we proceeded to runway 26. It’s justhard to believe we were just about the only locals inthe air that night. That’s just UNREAL, I think.

Idaho Backcountry Flying - continued from page 11

Sporty’s Pilot Shop must have been happy with thepurchase of more than 18 VFR sectional charts whileFBOs across the nation collected approximately$1,000 from us for fuel purchases. Crossing nearly 15states and landing at 26 different airports created avariety of challenges with 3 of those landings just tryingto cross Texas.

We encountered many different weather conditions butwith the exception of leaving Tennessee and returningto the Volunteer state, the entire trip was VFR. I hopethat others will do as we did and follow in our footsteps.Do lots of planning, set limitations such as fuelreserves and runway lengths, and know your airplane.

If I can be of any assistance in helping you plan yourtrip across the United States, please contact me. I stillhave all the VFR sectionals with our route drawn onthem. Until next time, happy flying, be safe, knowyour limitations and stay proficient.

Brandon Hughett(865) 686-0717 home(865) 617-8018 [email protected]

Air Race Classic!On June 21st our own Linda Meese and Martha Millerwill embark upon an aviation adventure. They willcompete in the 27th Annual Air Race classic, an all-women’s cross country air race known as the Air RaceClassic.

http://www.airraceclassic.org/pages/1/index.htm

Starting in Pratt Kansas and ending at Kitty Hawk inManteo North Carolina, the course coversapproximately 2200 statute miles and should becompleted within 4 days.

Linda and Martha have T-Shirts for sale. See Sheila atthe airport or contact Linda at 865-591-6004.

Fat Boyz logo is on the back. Thanks Linda!

http://www.airraceclassic.org/pages/1/index.htm


Trip Report - PhiladelphiaDon Miller, PP-ASEL

We just returned from Philadelphia. A family eventprovided a good opportunity to try my new ticket. Theforecast was seriously off, as we found ourselves in thesoup for 5.5 hours of the six hours to Wings Field. TheO-320 and navigation systems performed beautifully.

We found the Camp David prohibited zone expandedto 10 miles and were routed to the west via SCAPEintersection and Martinsburg VOR rather than Victor143 which is just inside the 10 mile radius.

We discovered a delightful FBO at Hagerstown. RiderJet Service is run by a guy who had been on thereceiving end for several years and now runs a poshFBO unlike anything we have seen. The rest roomswere like a 5 Star hotel and the pilot service area waselegant. The personal attention was again like a 5 Starhotel.

The ATC around Dulles and Philly were excellent. Thereturn trip was only half in the soup, but much of itbetween layers at 8,000'.

Be warned that most regional airports seem to haveelected to isolate the FBO from the terminal for securityreasons. Our planned lunch at the Charlottesvilleterminal on the return was changed to vendingmachines.

Don’s lovely wife making sure he doesn’t bust altitude!

Entering the pattern at Wings Field

Anna’s turn at the controls.


Young Eagles Day!Don Miller, PP-ASELEAA Chapter 17 Chairman

"Let The Dream Begin" - the caption on EAA's Young Eagle brochure.

More than 2000 East Tennessee youthcan thank Chapter 17 members for their opportunity toexperience the thrill of powered flight since 1993!

May 3 dawned with an overcast, but little wind.Chapter members, family and friends came out in forceto support aviation and join the fun.

We had 23 volunteers present along with MihaiMigelskei, Knoxville Airport Authority; TonyChamberlain & Bill Wilson Knoxville Sheriff's AviationUnit; Pat Roush with hot air balloon; and RobertAlexander, Piedmont Hawthorne DKX.

Due to conflicting events with Boy Scouts andchurches, we had a light turnout of youth. The staffand children really had a good time due to the relaxedpace and improving weather. The improved recordkeeping process made light work of registration andcertificate delivery.

Ground school was managed by Ed Dumas and LeeErickson with Tom Lester and Jim Golden ready to doa parallel class if the crowd was big. Jeanie Lester, BillLofgren and Mary Carpenter did a wonderful job ofpublic relations and registration.

Thanks to all who were there to make it a really specialevent!

All EAA members are invited to participate in thenext Young Eagle Day activities.

Where: Skyranch Airpark TN98

When: June 14, 9:30AM to noon

How:• Send or bring your currency and insurance

records to Don Miller.• Biennial, medical, insurance binder if you did not

supply it to Gordon Webster in May.

Let me know your plans so I can makebusiness cards for you. We can save a hugebacklog of paperwork by supplying eachchild flown a card. The card is then turned in tobe stapled to the registration form to go to theEAA for the national logbook.

Logistics:• Skyranch protocol is CTAF 122.9.• Runway announcements are North or South• If not a Skyranch member come with tanks full.• If possible, we will send out for sandwiches (bring

cash)

Ground School:• Lee Erickson and Ed Dumas will head up ground

school.• Ask one of them if you want to help.

LoadMaster:• Sam Suffern headed it up last time. Call him for

advice or to volunteer.

Donald R. MillerChapter 17

Young Eagle ChairmanN129S

865 482-3167IFR Rating May 2003

Thank you Miss Evelyn


Marker Beacon HardwareA Primer for TechnophobesThad Phillips, PP-ASEL

The humble marker beaconreceiver is a very simpleinstrument by design, but animportant component of the instrument pilot’s avionicstoolkit for flying an instrument approach. The markerbeacon is used to indicate the aircraft’s positionrelative to the runway threshold while approaching onthe extended centerline of the runway. Instrumentapproaches incorporating a marker beacon usuallyoffer lower minimums giving the pilot a better chance ofseeing the runway and avoiding a missed approach.

Ground EquipmentThe ground based marker beacon equipment consistsof a radio transmitter and directional antenna arraylocated along the extended centerline of the runway.An instrument approach usually includes two markerbeacons. The outer marker (OM) is typically located 5-10 miles from the runway threshold at the initialapproach fix (IAF) where the aircraft intercepts the ILSglide path. The middle marker (MM) is typically located3500 feet from the runway threshold. If centered onthe glide slope, the aircraft will be approximately 200feet above the runway touchdown zone when crossingthe marker.

Airports with a Cat II ILS approach will also have aninner marker (IM) located approximately 1000 feet fromthe runway threshold at a designated decision height(DH). These approaches are not applicable to the GApilot as our aircraft are typically not equipped to fly CatII approaches and special training is required to fly theapproach.

The transmitter emits a continuous 75mHz 3-watt RFcarrier that is amplitude modulated (Morse code). Theouter marker is modulated with a 400Hz tone, themiddle marker is modulated with a 1,300Hz tone andthe inner marker is modulated with a 3000Hz tone.

These unique modulation frequencies determine whichlamp is illuminated in the cockpit and heard in thepilot’s headset as the airplane crosses over the markertransmitter.

Marker Code Light

Outer Marker (OM) − − − Blue

Middle Marker (MM) − − Amber

Inner Marker (IM) White

The antenna array is designed to produce an ellipticalpattern radiating 1,000 feet above the antenna,approximately 2,400 feet wide and 4,200 feet long.The minor axis of the ellipse is in line with the extendedcenterline of the runway. The radio beam is projectedvertically toward the airplane and horizontally (in casethe airplane is slightly off the glideslope), but not alongthe centerline of the runway as to interfere with theadjacent marker.

Aircraft EquipmentMost general aviation aircraft will have an antennamounted on the underside of the airframe and coupledvia coaxial cable to a marker beacon receiverincorporated into the audio panel. Other installationswill find the antenna connected to a separate receivermounted in the rear of the fuselage which is connectedto a remote display on the panel.

Marker Beacon Hardware - continued on page 16


Current generation avionics equipment installed inaircraft today includes marker annunciators in theGPS, moving map or EFIS display data, putting themarker data front and center of the pilot’s field ofvision.

When incorporated into the audio panel, the markerreceiver will have switches to select the audio (MKR)allowing the pilot to hear the audio tones in theheadset, test (TEST) the indicator / annunciator lampsto verify operation and select the sensitivity (HI/LO) ofthe receiver.

While executing an instrument approach, the pilot willtypically push the TEST button to verify the indicatorlamps are working and depress the MKR button so theaudio signal can be heard in the headset. The HI/LOswitch selects the sensitivity of the receiver. When setto LO, receiver sensitivity is reduced requiring theairplane to be positioned over the marker locationbefore the audio tone will be heard and the markerlamp illuminated. When set to HI, receiver sensitivity isincreased and the audio tone can be heard in theheadset before the airplane crosses over the markerlocation, but the lamp doesn’t illuminate until the planeactually crosses the marker.

What is the correct setting for the HI/LO switch? Theequipment manuals I’ve reviewed provide few details.FAA circulars suggest using the LO sensitivity settingfor proper reception of marker beacons. I think thesensitivity sitting is pilot preference and typically usethe HI setting initially to provide a ‘warning’ that I’mapproaching the marker and remind me to set thetimer. I then select LO and soon as the audio soundsagain and lamp comes on, I start the timer and beginthe descent.

Marker Beacon Hardware - continued from page 15

How It WorksThe marker receiver is probably the simplest electronicdevice found in an airplane. As illustrated by the blockdiagram, the receiver consists of a 75mHz amplifier,mixer, synthesizer, detector, and audio filters. Notshown is an audio amplifier to drive the headphone /cockpit speaker.

The marker beacon antenna mounted on the undersideof the fuselage is connected via coaxial cable to themarker beacon receiver. Inside the receiver, RFsignals captured by the antenna are coupled to a high-gain single transistor amplifier incorporating a LC filtercircuit to pass the 75mHz signal and reject out-of-bandsignals and noise. This assures the receiver will not‘false’ on signals from other sources such as the NDB,AM radio stations, etc. The amplified 75mHz markersignal is coupled to the mixer, a simple nonlineartransistor circuit which combines the 75mHz modulatedsignal from the preamplier (f1) with a 75mHz referencesignal from the synthesizer (f2) to produce the productof the trigonometric relationship cosw1tcosw2t, audio(f1- f2). The audio is then coupled to simple state-variable bandpass filters used to illuminate the lamps.The bandpass filter is a state-variable filter circuitconsisting of a single integrated circuit and severaldiscrete components. When the correct marker tone isreceived, the filter activates a transistor switch causingthe corresponding marker lamp to illuminate. Theaudio is also coupled to the cockpit speaker and pilotheadphones.

Typical Receiver SpecificationsFrequency 75 MHzInput impedance 50 ohmsSensitivity (Lo) 1000 uV (High) 200 uVSelectivity 6 dB (min.) @ ± 10 kHz 40 dB (max.) @ ±200 kHzExternal lamps Active Lo 125 mA max. sink current

References:Marker Beacon Performance Requirementshttp://www.risingup.com/fars/info/part171-207-FAR.shtml

Minimum Requirements for Approvalhttp://www.risingup.com/fars/info/part171-205-FAR.shtml

AIM, Air Navigation Aidshttp://www2.faa.gov/ATpubs/AIM/Chap1/aim0101.html#1-1-9

http://www.risingup.com/fars/info/part171-207-FAR.shtml

http://www.risingup.com/fars/info/part171-205-FAR.shtml

http://www2.faa.gov/ATpubs/AIM/Chap1/aim0101.html#1-1-9


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