EAA Chapter 249
October 1998 Newsletter

Alvin James says the FALCO fuselage is partly built, good wood workmanship and a real unique aircraft. Interested parties should contact him soon; there have been distant inquiries already.

AGL (A Good Laugh)

One day at a busy airport, the passengers on a feeder airliner are seated, waiting for the cockpit crew to show up so they can get under way. The pilot and copilot finally appear in the rear of the plane, and begin walking up to the cockpit through the center aisle. Both appear to be blind. The pilot is using a white cane, bumping into passengers right and left as he stumbles down the aisle, and the copilot is using a guide dog. Both have their eyes covered with huge sunglasses.

At first the passengers do not react; thinking that it must be some sort of practical joke. After a few minutes the engines start revving and the airplane starts moving down the runway. The passengers look at each other with some uneasiness. They start whispering among themselves and look desperately to the stewardesses for reassurance.

Then the plane starts accelerating rapidly and people begin panicking. Some passengers are praying, and as the plane gets closer and closer to the end of the runway, the voices are becoming more and more hysterical. When the plane has less than 50 feet of runway left, there is a sudden change in the pitch of the shouts as everyone screams at once. At the very last moment the plane lifts off and is airborne.

Up in the cockpit, the copilot breathes a sigh of relief, gets on the intercom and says "You know, one of these days you passengers aren't going to scream loud enough, and we're gonna get killed!"

Bumper Snickers:

Friends help you move, good friends help you move bodies.

All generalizations are false.

Time is what keeps everything from happening at once.

I get enough exercise just pushing my luck.

EAA Headquarters will donate $10 to a chapter’s treasury for each new member recruited! Got a buddy who wants to join EAA national? See Dave Meyer.

Safety First – Just received an EAA note relaying the sad news that a pilot and passenger on a Young Eagles flight in Colorado Springs, CO went down with both lives lost. No word at this time about cause; clear weather and no apparent flight difficulties. We both stand out in the public’s eyes and introduce youngsters to the excitement of flight every time we participate in a Young Eagles rally. Good airmanship and safe practices are even more important at these times.

Final Flight – Sad news that a longtime pilot in the area, Hubert Leon Barnes, died recently in a car accident. Leon, born in Somerset, KY, retired from military service which included B-29 flights and running the flying club at Donaldson when it was an active base. He had let his license lapse after retiring, but picked it up again in the early 80s, and at 82 was believed to be the older active CFI in South Carolina. Donations are being accepted to include his name on the memorial plaque at the 18-36 overlook at GMU. Donation name and address will be announced in our next newsletter. Condolences to his family and friends.

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are held in the front conference room located in the main terminal building of the Greenville Downtown Airport, Cornerstone Aviation, 100 Tower Drive, first Monday of every month at 7:30 PM. The Chapter 249 Newsletter of the Experimental Aircraft Association is a monthly publication and is distributed to all members in good standing of Chapter 249. Any articles, items, stories, etc., contained within are not to be interpreted as 100% factual. Reproduction and use of material printed in this publication is approved and encouraged, and permission of EAA Chapter 249 is not required unless stated otherwise. Kindly cite the source as the Chapter 249 Newsletter. Articles published herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Chapter, the editor, membership, or officers. The deadline for items to be published is Monday following the monthly meeting. All copy and other materials should be mailed to the Newsletter Editor at 115 Greenbrier Dr., Simpsonville, SC 29680.

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