Page

MSO GA NEWS Spring 2018

MSO Runway numbers change. Read more

MSO hosts AOPA Regional Fly-In in June. Read more

Airport badge renewal due. Read more

Pilots brush up on ATC phraseology. Photo courtesy of Morrison Maierle.

Read more

Runway safety excellent at MSO. Graphic courtesy of Keith Eberhard, Serco.

Read more Museum of Forest Service History growth continues. Photo courtesy of Lisa Tate. Read more

Aviation dream come true. Trevor Steen photo Read more

Aviators thinking about the “D” word,” discipline. Read more

500 attend Montana Aviation Conference in Missoula. Read more

1913: Walter Beck makes the first airplane flight through the perilous Hellgate Canyon into Missoula. 2018: A new flying club emerges; and other Airport news. Read more

Neptune moves forward after P2 retirement. Don Pogue photo. Read more

Page 2

The category for this article is; “Things you don’t know

that you don’t know “. For instance, most of you probably

know that magnetic declination or variation is the angle on

the horizontal plane between magnetic north and true north.

Magnetic declination has a very important influence on air

navigation, since the most simple aircraft navigation

instruments are designed to determine headings by locating

magnetic north through the use of a compass or similar

magnetic device. But did you know that magnetic

declination varies both from place to place and with the

passage of time? In fact slowly, over time, the magnetic

pole has shifted at MSO to such a degree (no pun intended)

that it will require the repainting of all surface markings and

the replacement of all signage that reference the current

runway designations. That’s right 11/29 and 7/25 are going

away and being replaced with 12/30 and 8/26. Weird right,

but necessary all the same.

All of this work will take place from April 24th through

May 1st. The Airport will be closed during each day from

1:00 PM to 8:00 PM during this time. This project also

changes the airport’s approach procedures and that will

require coordination with the Federal Aviation

Administration. They will have to flight check the new

designation and approach procedures using an instrument

landing system. So all in all this project, while disruptive,

is very necessary to the continued safe operations of all

Aircraft here at MSO.

So know you know. My only question is this; Will the

7/25 hangars have to be renamed the 8/26 hangars? I hope

we don’t have to change to that degree (pun intended)!

From Dan’s Desk By Dan Neuman, MSO Business Development Manager

Runway 29 will become Runway 30. Martin Kidston photo.

With summer and nice weather hopefully approaching

soon, we are moving closer to our prime construction

season. The next few years will see a number of projects

and events taking place at the Missoula International

Airport. The first item up for this year will be a Magnetic

Variation and Pavement Maintenance Project (MagVar),

which will be taking place April 24th – May 1st.

The primary purpose of this project is to renumber our

existing runways to account for magnetic shift, which has

altered the magnetic runway headings since they were

originally constructed. During this time we will also be

repainting a number of surface markings and fog sealing

runway surfaces. To allow our crews to complete this

project with as little delay as possible, Runways 11/29 and

7/25 will be closed for operations between the hours of

1PM – 8PM on April 24th – May 1st.

During the hours of the closure, there will be no

commercial or general aviation activity arriving into or

departing the airport with the exception of rotorcraft

which may continue to operate normally. All of the air

carriers serving the airport have been notified and flight

schedules during this time period have been adjusted to

reflect the closure.

Air traffic controllers will be on duty during the

entirety of the project and any potential movement during

closure times (for example, repositioning from one

location to another on the airport) can be coordinated

with controllers.

The terminal and all concessionaires (restaurant, coffee,

gift shop) will remain open during this period to tenants

use.

For more information:

Nate Cole –Airfield Operations Manager

Tim Damrow – Manager of Projects

ncole@flymissoula.com

tdamrow@flymissoula.com

406-370-2206

702-821-6199

MagVar Project: Changing runways 11/29 and 7/25 to 12/30 and 8/26 Notice from Tim Damrow, MSO Manager of Projects

Page 3

Please consider registering for the Fly-In at the links below so AOPA’s planning can be done more adequately.

Each of the four regional fly-ins follows the same format. As described in AOPA Pilot magazine:

“The early bird workshops run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays during the event and include a tuition fee. Also on Fridays, the exhibit hall, AOPA Village and aircraft display open at noon, a happy hour runs from 4 to 6 p.m. in the exhibit hall, and the Barnstormers Party presented by Jeppesen runs from 6 to 9 p.m.”

“After a full day of fun and learning on Friday, the fly-ins offer another full slate of activities on Saturday, including a pancake breakfast, free seminars, the exhibit hall and aircraft display, lunch, a Pilot Town Hall with AOPA President and CEO Mark Baker, and an ice cream social.”

Go here for more information and to register for the MSO Fly-In:

https://www.aopa.org/community/events/aopa-fly-ins/2018-aopa-fly-ins/missoula

Double the fun! Register here to participate in the MSO Fly-In as a volunteer:

www.AOPA.org/volunteermso

Added attractions! Three fly-outs during and after the MSO Fly-In

Friday, June 15th. Fly over the scenic Bob Marshall Wilderness and the unique wilderness airstrip Shafer Meadows. After a quick break at Kalispell City (S27) You will head out for a visit to the exceptionally well-endowed Stonehenge Air Museum (01MT, at Crystal Lake, near Fortine, MT), home of over two dozen vintage aircraft.

Saturday, June 16th. Join the Recreational Aviation Foundation for a fly-out to Seeley Lake (23S) and a potato bake. If you're feeling exceptionally adventurous, camp out and stick around for the Seeley Lake Aviation Foundation pancake breakfast the next morning.

Sunday, June 17th. After a Saturday evening viewing of the iconic Steven Spielberg movie “Always,” at the Museum of Mountain Flying, fly to Libby, Montana (S59) where the movie was filmed. After touring the movie set, depart on a short 30-minute flight to the Sandpoint, Idaho airport (SZT) to tour the Quest Aircraft facility. Get up close and personal with “sport utility vehicles with wings.”

Register here for the fly-outs:

https://www.aopa.org/community/events/aopa-fly-ins/2018-aopa-fly-ins/missoula/fly-outs

For more info, contact Gary Matson, AOPA MSO Regional Fly-In planning group, (406) 370-6584, gjmatson@montana.com

AOPA Regional Fly-In coming to MSO June 15th and 16th

Fly the Big Sky license plates are now available through regular

county motor vehicle licensing departments. For each license

purchased, EAA Chapter 517 receives $20 to further its activities

promoting aviation. The additional cost for the specialty plate with

standard numbers is about $30, and for the personalized plate about

$60. Plates can be ordered at any time without affecting the renewal

cycle. Standard renewal rates apply, with the specialty plate cost being

added.

Page 4

MSO Airport access Badge Renewals A notice from Tim Damrow, MSO Manager of Projects

The airport will be replacing expiring Air Operations Area (AOA) badges beginning April 9th, 2018 through June 30th,

2018. During this time, all current AOA badge holders will need to resubmit applicable paperwork with the 2 required ID’s

and complete mandatory refresher training. Forms can be obtained from the Missoula Airport Administration Office.

We’re encouraged renewal to complete this process as soon as possible as wait times will increase as we get closer to

expiration dates.

Please ensure the following are completed before sending applicants for renewal: Signatory Section of the application has been completed

Applicant has 2 ID’s per requirements listed on paperwork

Ensure all paperwork has been completed in its entirety

For any SIDA/Sterile badge holders, we will begin re-badging starting May 15th, 2018. We will reach out closer to this

point with additional details.

Moving forward, all Missoula Airport Badges (SIDA, Sterile, AOA) will expire on the card holders birthday and will

need to be renewed prior to expiration. To accommodate this change we are asking applicants to provide an email on the

application paperwork that will be used to send out expiration reminders.

Badge expirations 2018 – 2020

Badges will continue to expire every 2 years, per TSA regulations. However, while we migrate from our current expiration

window this first round of new badges will be a bit different. For applicants that have a birthday between January 1st and

the Badge Issue date, their badges will expire in two years. For those with birthdays that fall after the date they have

their new badge issued their badge will have to be renewed next year, at which point it will be a two year renewal. This is

a result of the current expiration falling halfway through the year.

For questions please contact:

Bob Otte Tim Damrow

Chief of Public Safety Manager of Projects

406-728-4381 702-821-6199

botte@flymissoula.com tdamrow@flymissoula.com

Page 5

I presented an FAA Safety team seminar on January 13th

at the Missoula International Airport on the subject of proper

communications with Air Traffic Control. I chose this topic

to discuss for several reasons. As an active full time flight

instructor I often find that local pilots I fly with struggle or

are nervous with mandatory communications. I attribute this

to two factors. First, where we live is extremely rural. In a

state larger than the country of Japan yet the third sparsely

populated in the country the necessity to talk to Air Traffic

Control is minute. Montana boasts a whopping six control

towers in the state so naturally we don’t have the

requirement to converse with ATC as we do other places

outside of Montana. Secondly, it’s scary. I also chose this

topic to discuss for the simple sake of safety. A study done

by NASA proved that incorrect or incomplete pilot-

controller communication is a

causal or circumstantial factor

in 80 percent of incidents or

accidents. In my very humble

opinion this can easily be

improved on with some simple

discussion and a little bit of

good ol’ fashion review.

Our discussion first started

with some very basic yet

important review of receiving

clearances and correct

responses to those clearances.

For example; when you receive

a clearance from ATC, you are

required to respond. Your response should be a “readback”

of your clearance. A reply of “roger” or simply replying with

your tail number in affirmation is incorrect and doesn’t

confirm that you received or understand the clearance.

When contacting a control tower, listen to the ATIS

information current for the airport and contact the tower

saying the following; who you are calling, who you are,

where you are, what your intentions are, and that you have

the current ATIS information. There is no need to give your

altitude unless you’re approaching Class C, B, TRSA airspace.

Also leave out heading, aircraft color, current speed, current

health and any future life aspirations as it is unnecessary

information.

Once you have established two way communication be

sure you follow your clearance specifically. For example; if

you are cleared to land you must execute a full stop landing,

not a touch and go. A touch and go is in actuality two

clearances, a clearance to land, and a clearance to take off. If

you take-off without a clearance you are in direct violation.

Be specific with your intentions when calling the tower or

request “the option,” defined in the AIM as touch-and-

go, low approach, missed approach, stop and go, or full stop

landing at the discretion of the pilot. Go arounds naturally do

not fall into this category. If an unplanned go around is

necessary notify the controller as soon as safe and practical

and await further instructions.

Once you’ve landed taxi clear using the nearest and

available taxiway. The controller will often not direct you to

a specific taxiway so the nearest available is practical. Do

not, however, taxi onto a

runway. Taxing onto a runway

requires specific controller

clearance. At this point in the

discussion an attendee asked a

very poignant question which

started a wonderful discussion.

The question was as follows. If

I exit clear of the runway and

do not hear instructions to

contact ground from the

controller, do I do so on my

own, or stay with the tower

frequency? In a message to

MSO GA News after the

meeting, MSO Air Traffic

Control Manager Keith Eberhard clarified the question. He

gave this citation from the Aeronautical Information

Publication issued by the International Civil Aviation

Organization: A pilot who has just landed should not change

from the tower frequency to the ground control frequency

until directed to do so by the controller. Once clear of the

runway without having been contacted by the controller,

contact the tower for taxi clearance before any further

movement,

When a ground or tower controller gives taxi instructions

to a pilot it is often at a rapid fire pace. This is often a point

of frustration and stress for pilots as giving a correct

readback of all taxiway instructions is mandatory. My best

suggestion for this is to prepare in advance. Have a taxiway

(See Communications continued on page 6)

ATC and Pilot Communications

By Megan Siler CFI, CFII

The definitions for airport “movement” and “non-

movement area can be confusing. Graphic is from the

AOPA airport signage flash card series.

Page 6

diagram as well as pen and paper to write down a clearance.

This will save you much time and error in both readback and

execution. The second responsibility of the pilot is that they

understand the airport signage and markings that they

encounter. Be sure you are familiar with all rules of the road,

markings and indications. A particularly confusing topic is

the difference between the movement area and non-

movement area on a tower-controlled airport (see

illustration). An airport movement area is under ATC

control; a non-movement area is not. ATC clearance is

required to cross from the non-movement to the movement

area, e.g. from an FBO or hangar ramp to a taxiway. I think

of these markings being the same as a threshold to a runway

marking. To cross the solid line one must have ATC

clearance.

Lastly we discussed departure from a towered airport. The

order of procedure is simply the reverse process from

entering. There are only a few minor differences depending

on the class of airport from which you’re departing. First, we

listen to the current ATIS information. Secondly we either

contact ground control or clearance delivery if we are at a

radar controlled airport.

Your airport diagram will quickly tell you if there is a

clearance delivery frequency. If you are talking with

clearance delivery the initial call should include; who you are

talking to, who you are, if you are VFR or IFR, direction of

flight, cruising altitude and that you have the current ATIS

information. They will give you a squawk code and a

departure frequency. If you are just contacting ground control

your altitude and cruising level are unnecessary and they will

just give you specific taxi instruction. Be sure to be ready to

copy!

After you are airborne it is important to remain on tower

frequency until out of airspace or on departure frequency

until instructed to change to an advisory frequency. A tower

controller may not advise you to change frequency so do not

expect it.

Communications with ATC are important but don’t need

to be stressful. Ultimately we all just need to be on the same

page so that we are aware of our expectations and are

operating safely. If there is ever confusion swallow your

pride and simply ask for clarification. I look forward to

hearing all your radio chatter in the sky. Fly safe everyone.

(Communications continued from page 5)

MSO Air Traffic Control Manager Keith Eberhard hosted

a March 26th meeting regarding Airport safety. The annual

event brings together local stakeholders to identify and

mitigate the risks of significant surface events at the Airport.

Overall, this year has been a very safe one. Controllers are

justifiably proud of their record. Pilots have been interacting

appropriately with controllers and there have been few

problems.

The three types of incidents that occur at an airport are:

Runway incursion. An aircraft, vehicle, or person

encroaches upon the runway or runway safety

area creating a potential hazard for aircraft

landing or departing.

Runway excursion. An aircraft veers off or overruns

a runway.

Surface incident. Unauthorized operation by aircraft,

vehicle, or person within the Airport Movement

Area in a way that compromises safety of flight.

Runway incursions have received the greatest attention

because they have the greatest risk to human life. Nationally,

incursions during Fiscal 2018 were about the same as during

the previous year. The most frequent cause of aircraft

incidents is the runway excursion, leading to more runway

accidents than all other causes combined. Runway excursion

causes include unstable approaches, runway contamination,

adverse weather/wind, mechanical failure, and pilot error.

MSO had 3 incidents during FY2018. Two were runway

excursions and one was a surface incident. None led to

damage or conficts with aircraft.

In general, pilots and controllers can celebrate another

year of safe operation. There are some things we pilots can

do to keep the record clean. Pilot-controller communications

are a most important key. A pilot must listen actively, being

prepared for e.g. a different clearance than the one you

normally get. Those of us who operate routinely at our

Airport become so accustomed to a “usual” clearance that we

are in danger of assuming that all will be the same. Speak

clearly and slowly enough to be understood. If you don’t

understand a clearance, don’t hesitate to request it be

clarified. Controllers would rather repeat a clearance than

risk compromising safety. After landing, we’re expected to

exit at the nearest taxiway unless otherwise instructed by a

(See Safety continued on page 7)

MSO Air Traffic Control hosts safety meeting By Gary Matson, MSO GA News

Page 7

controller. However, never exit onto a runway without a

specific clearance.

MSO GA News thanks Keith Eberhard, private air traffic

control provider Serco, and the FAA for sharing the Power

Point slides viewed at the March 26th RSAT meeting.

(Safety continued from page 6)

Dreams can come true

Most Missoula pilots are acquainted with Trevor Steen, a

CFII who has been a well-respected and sought after CFII at

Northstar. The following story is reprinted from MSO GA

News, summer, 2010. Since that early time in his budding

career, Trevor has added ratings and certifications on his way

to becoming a professional airline pilot. He’s now achieved

that goal, flying the Dash 8 Q400 for Horizon Air. Trevor has

about 120 hours in the Q and about 2700 total hours. Trevor

lives in Missoula with his young and growing family.

Trip of a Lifetime

By Trevor Stene, for the MSO GA News, summer, 2010

A pilot of 2 years with close to 150 hours, I decided it was

time to take the next step in my desire to be a part of General

Aviation. Preparing for the Cross Country of a lifetime, I left

Missoula bound for InyoKern California to inspect and

possibly purchase my first airplane, this is my story.

She was a red white and blue 1978 Cessna 152 with a

SparrowHawk 125HP engine with just over 200 hours. I tell

you what, I could have stayed all weekend and talked with the

mechanic and seller about GA flying. Two great guys who

loved flying as much as me. Their stories were captivating and

always put a smile on your face to reminisce with the old

timers. We looked at some areas of interest on the plane,

cleaned the plugs, looked at paperwork, then my friend and co

-pilot Matt arrived and shortly after I decided that this was a

plane I could see myself flying and enjoying and we made the

deal.

Thursday afternoon we left InyoKern around 1:30pm and

headed for Van Nuys and the famous One Six Right! We

contacted approach for flight following over Lake Hughes

VOR and traffic was pretty sparse aside from 1 or 2 planes on

the ILS 16R. Shortly after we were handed over to the tower

and cleared to land ONE SIX RIGHT!!!! My heart jumped! It

was the African American controller from the movie too! I

recognized his voice... landing went well…

We left Van Nuys around 4:30pm and remained south of

the mountains with flight following over Pomona and through

the TRSA with Palm Springs until we broke off Flight

Following to get fuel in Blythe as the sun was dropping below

the horizon behind us. After the call out fuel service arrived

we got 20 gallons and blasted off for Phoenix where I would

drop Matt off at home and continue on to Casa Grande to meet

my family and spend the night in Maricopa. When I landed in

Casa Grande and got out of the plane I was tired and ready to

sleep and anxious for tomorrows flight to Tucson on my own.

A gorgeous flight on Friday! So much to do and see but so

little time. My friend Jessica took me to the Pima Air Museum

in Tucson, and then I was able to take her on a flight up to

Pinal where we gawked at the aircraft stored there and left

there at 6:00pm bound for TUS and to meet a fellow Flight

Simulator pilot Ken. Ken met us at the Premier FBO and then

I had to be on my way as I wanted to minimize my night

flying in my new plane while I was still getting accustomed to

her, turns out she is just as wonderful at night too! I gave one

more friend a quick ride at Casa Grande, fueled up and headed

for Goodyear to spend the night with Matt; we would depart

in the morning.

5:30am and it was time to get up to a clear blue sky on

Saturday morning. An hour later we were bound for Cedar

(See Trevor continued on page 8)

Missoula pilot Trevor Stene in the cockpit of a Horizon Air

Dash Q400. Trevor began his career at MSO, flying his

Cessna 152. Photo by Trevor Stene.

Page 8

City by way of Sedona and the Tuckup Corridor over the

Grand Canyon, a 3.3 hour leg (the longest too!) We hit the

Tuckup Corridor right on the nail! And didn’t see or hear

another plane in the air until Cedar City. The air was smooth

and clear! We refueled in Cedar City and proceeded on to

Ogden to meet another fellow pilot. After fighting the shifty

winds into Ogden I grabbed some chow to go, got fuel and

the windshield cleaned and dropped Matt to catch a flight

home to Phoenix and I headed north for home.

The next stop was Pocatello but I wasn't ready to stop yet

so I pressed on, this entire leg had been turbulent and

continued on that way for the next hour and a half until I

decided to stop at my alternate for a break in Salmon. What

a relief it was to be on the ground and stretch! YES!! And

the best part, the skies were clear and there was still plenty

of daylight left! So I notified folks back in Missoula that I

was returning home in an hour and a half and got back in the

plane and took to the air for the final leg of my journey and I

arrived in Missoula at 7:30pm and parked and I was drained!

Now it’s time to start enjoying the kind of flying I love the

most, in the beautiful mountains of Montana.

Trip details: Charts/AFD's, $73.95; Shirts, $46.85; Plane

Ticket to California, $136.68; Rental Car, $362.82; Hotel,

$84.10; Tiedown Fees, $10.00; Fuel, $568.47. Goodyear-

Missoula HOBBS: 10.4 hours Total trip time: 12 hours.

Embarking on a journey of a lifetime, sharing the experience

with friends and family, and owning your own airplane...

PRICELESS

(Trevor continued from page 7)

The National Museum of Forest Service History campus

is growing and so are our programs! Last year the Museum

hosted several events and one thing became very evident-

people are responding to our mission. Thanks to our

supporters and members we were able to raise the necessary

funds to open the Museum campus to the public for the first

time in Summer 2017.

This year, we have the opportunity to add another phase

to the Museum site: a Stage and amphitheater, to host

lectures, oral histories and stories, cater to field trips, and

serve as a community resource for other Museum cultural

events.

The design of this stage will also provide an opportunity

to exhibit the skills and experience of the timber framers, by

employing the art of historic joinery that exemplifies the

highest use of the these timber products.

A generous donor has made a $30,000 gift to start this

project, and we will be raising the additional funds to bring

this new addition to life in 2018.

The Museum Visitor Center and Forest Discovery Trail

will be open this summer Memorial Day to Labor Day 10am to 4pm 7 days a week. We hope you will come and visit

us…and bring your friends!

The Airport’s close neighbor, the Museum will add a stage

and amphitheater to host lectures, oral histories and stories,

and to serve as a community resource for other events. The

amphitheater will be similar to the one pictured, the Mirror

Lake Amphitheater Stage in Baraboo, WI. Photo courtesy of

the Wisconsin DNR and the Museum.

Progress continues at the National Museum of Forest Service History An update from Lisa Tate, Executive Director

Newly appointed Aeronautics Division Administrator Tim

Conway visits with Conference luncheon speaker,

Neptune’s Ron Hooper. Rich Poitras photo.

See story, page 9.

Page 9

This year’s annual Montana Aviation Conference, held at the Holiday Inn Downtown during March 1-3 was attended by

approximately 500 persons. The Conference has gained a reputation throughout the region as being the “best” and this year’s

matched expectations. Among the features of the Conference are concurrent speaker sessions, over fifty exhibitors with the

latest in aviation equipment and information, luncheons and a banquet with well-known speakers, and aviation mechanics

seminars for certification renewal. This year’s airport tour was hosted by the Montana Pilots Association in Northstar’s new

Hangar 7 and featured displays of aircraft of special interest because of their historic interest or visual appeal.

Luncheon speakers were MSO’s own Neptune CEO Ron Hooper and the Honorable Virginia Seigel, U.S. Army Chinook

helicopter pilot now serving as Havre City Judge. Mark Baker, AOPA President, spoke at the Saturday evening banquet.

Among his organization’s impressive contributions to aviation is the latest one, the defeat of the effort to privatize air traffic

control in the U.S.

Concurrent sessions ranged in topics from Jerry Cain’s “Pilots ‘n Paws,” a volunteer effort to relocate orphaned pets to new

homes, to Missoula pilot Adam Davis’ event-filled story of flying to “AirVenture” to share in the widely acclaimed and

“biggest” annual gathering of planes and pilots, held at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. AOPA’s Tom Haines told of the unusual and

important contributions made by general aviation aircraft in recovery efforts after the 2017 hurricanes.

Colonel Frank Borman and Major General Charles Kuyk held their audience spellbound in an exceptional Friday afternoon

session. Their conversation, titled “There I Was” brought out stories of high risk and adventure of the kind experienced only

by exceptional individuals during exceptional times.

The Conference was also the occasion to recognize Montana Aeronautics Division new Administrator, Tim Conway. Tim

takes the reins from recently retired Debbie Alke. The Division’s talented staff participated fully in the Conference, with Effie

Benoit doing a spectacular job recruiting, coordinating, and scheduling the exhibitors, speakers, and events.

Next year’s Conference will be held in early March, 2019, in Fairmont Hot Springs. The venue will offer a resort atmosphere

that organizers hope will add even more to this traditionally popular and well-respected conference.

2018 Montana Aviation Conference By Gary Matson, MSO GA News

Top: EAA Chapter President Steve Rossiter presents the Chapter’s $1,000

Post Solo Flight Training Scholarship to Jordan Carter of Florence,

Montana. Rich Poitras photo.

Bottom, L: Northstar/Neptune’s crew provided a robust presence at the

Conference. L to R Todd Franicevich, Ben Coe, Robyn Jurinski, Crystal

Carter, John Nelson. Gary Matson photo. Bottom, M: A highlight of the

Conference was the presentation featuring no-minced-words tales shared

by Colonel Borman and Major General Kuyk. Rich Poitras photos.

Bottom R: “Mr. and Mrs. EAA, Steve and Sherry Rossiter, at the Missoula

Aviation Conference EAA exhibit. Gary Matson photo.

Page

10

As a result of budget uncertainty and issues surrounding the issuance of their Next Generation 3.0 contract solicitation, the

Forest Service is entering the 2018 fire season with fewer Exclusive Use large airtanker contracts and a greater reliance on

Call When Needed contracts. The Forest Service will begin the season with 13 Exclusive Use contracts as compared to 20

last year and 11 Call When Needed contracts. Of these, Missoula based Neptune Aviation will provide four BAe 146

airtankers on Exclusive Use contracts and four on CWN Contracts. Neptune Aviation was also recently awarded a Call When

Needed contract with the State of Minnesota and is on a Call When Needed contract with the State of California.

Neptune has nine BAe 146-200 airtankers available for service and has recently acquired an Avro RJ100 to pursue a

research and development project. In addition to fighting fires in the USA between February and December 2017, Neptune

Aviation also had one of their BAe 146 airtankers in Chile between February and March 2017 supporting wildland firefighting

efforts in that country.

Montana endured devastating wildfires that ravaged the State during 2017, making it the most destructive wildfire season

for the State on record when considering total acreage burned on private, state, and federal lands. Combating these fires was

a massive task for the fire-fighting community with aerial firefighters playing a prominent role. Neptune Aviation’s fleet of

P2V and BAe aircraft flew over 476 hours, performed 559 missions and dropped 1,373,490 gallons of retardant in our home

state, operating out of the USFS air tanker bases in Missoula, Billings, and Helena.

P2V Retirement locations

Over the last two years 14 different organizations submitted official proposals to Neptune for their 7 retiring P2 airtankers.

Here are the final locations:

Alamogordo Airport/ALM (Alamogordo, New Mexico)

-N203EV (former Evergreen Tanker 142)

Estrella Warbirds Museum (Paso Robles, California)

-Tanker 7 (P2V-5)

Glendive Airport/GDV (Glendive, Montana)

-Tanker 5 (P2V-5)

To be determined

-Tanker 12 (P2V-5)

T61 Memorial & Klamath Falls Air Base (Klamath Falls, Oregon)

-Tanker 6 (P2V-5)

Yankee Air Museum (Belleville, Michigan)

-Tanker 45 (P2V-7)

San Diego Air & Space Museum (San Diego California)

-Tanker 43 (P2V-7)

Neptune Aviation Services

-Tanker 44 (P2V-5)

-Tanker 14 (P2V-5)

(See Tankers continued on page 11)

Neptune Aviation news By Michelle McCue

Page

Missoula International Airport/MSO (Missoula, Montana)

-“Old Tanker 10” (P2V-7) was placed as a Gate Guard in front of the Missoula International Airport last year where it

will remain.

All aircraft, expect Tanker 12, are expected to be delivered to their final locations in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2018. The large

date range is due to the complexity of coordinating ferry flights and delivery of 6 aircraft to these different locations.

All four P2V-7 airframes parked just outside the Missoula Airport are not owned by Neptune; they were donated to another

party several years ago.

(Tankers continued from page 10)

11

Above: P2 lineup at Alamogordo.

Photo by David W. Smith.

Above: Bruner Mountain Fire, Roundup, Montana.

Photo by Mark Overton.

Right: Lolo Peak Fire. Photo by Aaron Bennett.

Page

Page 12

A FEW MSO AVIATION INFORMATION NUGGETS

New Flying Club!

This note from EAA Chapter 517 President Steve Rossiter:

I'm pleased to announce that the "Let's Fly Montana Flying Club" has been established. The membership has elected to

start with an LSA as the first airplane although we expect as the club grows, other aircraft will be acquired. There are still

openings for first round membership in the club available. There are still a lot of details to be worked out, but we are off and

running. If you have an interest, please send me an e-mail at: letsflymontana@aol.com

MSO Airport Authority contribution acknowledged

TJ Johnson of the University of Montana Police Department (UMPD) attended

the January Missoula Airport Authority Board meeting and thanked MCAA for its

donation to the Officer of the Year Award program, which is sponsored by the

Missoula Exchange Club. He then presented Chair Shane Stack with a plaque and a

challenge coin for the airport. Commissioner Larry Anderson added that over

$30,000 was raised during the Exchange Club’s fund drive, and over 300 meals

were served to officers and their families at the award dinner.

Detective Mike Sunderland with the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office received the

Officer of the Year Award at the 45th Annual Missoula Exchange Club Law

Enforcement Banquet Dec. 6 in Missoula.

First airplane flights in Missoula

Ellen Baumler, an interpretive historian for the Montana Historical Society, writes in her blog about Eugene Ely’s

making the first flight of an airplane in Missoula. http://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/2013/08/early-aviation-in-montana.html

On June 28, 1911, he took off and landed at the baseball field at Fort Missoula. He made three successful flights, the third

with his mechanic as a passenger. It was the first dual flight in Montana. His Curtiss Pusher airplane arrived at the Missoula

depot by train after similar flights in Butte, Great Falls, Kalispell, and Lewistown. To transport excited spectators to the fort

for the event, both the railroad from the Bitterroot Valley and the Missoula streetcar line added extra cars. Over three

thousand people witnessed the flight.

Kim Briggeman in his Missoulian story of September 30, 2012, wrote about aviator Walter Beck’s subsequent flight from

a spot near the dam which would come to be called the Milltown Dam:

“…the Hellgate was on the cusp of witnessing its first flying machine. In 1913, Walter Beck would assemble a plane at

Riverside Park near Clark’s Dam and fly it through the jaws of the canyon into Missoula as automobiles raced him on the

road below.”

Kim provides this further note about Beck’s flight, from Frank Wiley’s "Montana and the sky; the beginning of aviation

in the land of the shining mountains" published in 1966:

“On September 9, 1913, Beck made a flight from just east of Bonner through the perilous Hellgate Canyon to Missoula.

This was the first airplane flight through the Canyon and into Missoula. That flight today is remembered as the beginning of

cross country flying in the Missoula area.”

Weather “Did you know?”

Current Aviation weather information at MSO is available 24/7 at 728-3743. A real weather person is available in the

MSO-based National Weather Service office for unofficial aviation updates at 329-4840.

Northstar Jet honored

Northstar will be the Featured FBO for May, within the Phillips 66 national Network. Congratulations!

UMPD Officer TJ Johnson presents a

token of appreciation to Shane

Stack, MSO Board President, at the

Board’s Jan. meeting. Deb Poteet

photo.

Page

Whether one’s professional endeavors mold us into “cooks,

bakers or candlestick makers”, we each face individual and

collective challenges from time to time. While overtly

admitting that after 40 years of flying I am still chasing that

“perfect flight”, I do reflect on some salient points (that by

either having a vested interest or simply being in the wrong

place at the wrong time and unfortunately morphing into a

witness) I have learned much over those 16,000 plus flight

hours. While some of those lessons have been easily

learned, others have been a product of that great learning

institution - the school of hard knocks, where the tuition is

often the bent metal of an airplane, or worse, a funeral.

In the early 1980’s Dr. Clay Fouschee, an internationally

recognized expert on human factors, found that failures of

airmanship mostly occur not because a lack of proficiency

or skill, but because of an inability to coordinate skills into

effective courses of action. These failures may indicate that

one or more of the pieces of the airmanship puzzle may be

missing, at least in some of us. I know to this date, I still

find myself asking some very familiar questions “what else

do I need to know?” and “where do I go to get it”?

From the beginning of our existence, mankind has dreamed

of flying, forever gazing skyward at the majestic flight of

birds, wondering what it must look like and feel like to have

control of that endless blue. Before mankind ever left the

ground the idea of flight became intoxicating and remains

so today. From the childlike awe of the uninitiated spectator

watching a military aerial demonstration for the first time to

the seasoned operational pilot making a crosswind landing

at weather minimums, flying looks and feels good when it’s

done right.

In their recently published bestseller book Real Life MBA

former GE CEO Jack Welch and his wife Jackie speak of

“doing it right”. One of their (once again cornerstones)

emphases is on continuing education, and that mental

toughness to seek personal improvement on a consistent

basis. How then can we as aviators abide by this wise

council? The alternative for us is to conveniently fall prey to

“the expert’s curse”, which is flavored with apathy and

complacency – ripe ingredients in the accident recipe. So

what is it that allows us to “do it right”? Historically great

aviators tend to possess certain common qualities and

characteristics.

As we glimpse into the crystal ball, these common qualities

take on very little change despite enhancements of

technologies and complexities. Extended, time-proven

analysis of these cornerstone traits reveals three

foundational principles of expert airmanship (regardless of

time frame analyzed) – skill, proficiency and the discipline

to apply them in a safe an efficient manner.

Skill, being that hand eye coordination, that ability to

perform whatever mechanical/mental tasks are required.

This to a large extent comes through repetitive exposures

over more often than not, long periods of time, and in a

myriad of scenarios. Proficiency is simply how current you

are at performing those skills.

Discipline in this case is “the strength of will required to

systematically develop all areas of airmanship and execute

sound judgment in the presence of temptations to do

otherwise; and to safely plan and employ an aircraft within

all operational, regulatory, organizational and

commonsense guidelines”.

For a few moments, let’s accept this definition “hook-line

and sinker”. How do we handle distractions and temptations

that may cause a failure of flight discipline? And as we

ponder these, let’s remember that rules are in the books for a

reason. There are usually a lot more reasons to follow the

rules than to break them. Let’s think through the following

questions:

What tempts us to stray outside the lines?

What weaknesses do we overlook?

What technology do we take for granted that

lets our fundamental flying skills grow soft?

What factors would it take to push us over the

line into a region of poor judgment?

In contrast, in a focused study of expertise in aviation in

1986, Dr. Bob Helmrich and Dr. Clay Fouschee found the

following characteristics present in their definition of an

expert pilot.

Recognizes his/her personal limitations.

Recognizes diminished decision-making

capacity in emergencies.

Discusses personal limitations.

Openly encourages others to questions

(See Discipline continued on page 14)

Flight Discipline Thanks to MSO USFS pilot Joe Sanella for providing this article by Utah Soaring Association Safety Officer Mario Jimenez

Page 13

Page

decisions.

Knows what rules apply to their flight

environments.

Keep themselves out of tight boxes that may

require emergency deviations for standard

operating policies and procedures.

Has the ability to master the temptation to

deviate unnecessarily.

Each of these characteristics highlights the

importance of an individual’s ability to self-

regulate and practice sound discipline. In the

end as we examine one last issue by

comparing risk vs. reward we come to

realize that there is in fact a cost-benefit to

flight discipline.

Flight discipline violations have obvious and

unseen costs to the individuals and organizations

in which the aviator flies.

The potential costs eventually outweigh the

potential gains from an event of poor discipline.

Elementary conclusion of this equation is that

it’s not worth it to tempt fate with an act of poor

discipline, either in preparation or execution

phases of flight.

Violations of flight discipline have an insidious

creeping effect on an aviator’s good judgment,

often negatively influencing future courses of

action.

A single step down the slippery slope of ethical

compromise can deflect future judgment and

willpower – often leading to decisions to accept

current risks based upon past violations that did

not end badly.

Aviators who get away with bending the rule in

one situation are far more likely to try it again in

a tighter box of conditions.

In group settings, violations of flight discipline

are contagious, and require quarantine at the first

symptom.

In the 1980’s Malcolm Gladwell published his

bestseller, titled The Outliers in which he describes high

levels of success in many different fields. – The common

dominator is the “10,000 hour rule”, yep after that many

hours practicing a specific task – we would be really good at

it. And while I am not proposing that you spend that amount

of time on flight discipline, do give it some serious thought.

The challenge to all of us is to make it a big part of our

“repertoire”. If it’s a bit dull and has not been polished in

a while, let’s do so prior to the next flight – let’s make sure

we add it to our bag of tricks.

One last challenge – when was the last time you actually

practiced a “rope break”?

Fly Safe. Mario Jimenez, USA Safety Officer

My thanks to Dr. Tony Kern for providing most of the

material for this article, referenced in his book Redefining

Airmanship.

(Discipline continued from page 13)

Page 14

Fly the Big Sky license plates are now available through regular

county motor vehicle licensing departments. For each license

purchased, EAA Chapter 517 receives $20 to further its activities

promoting aviation. The additional cost for the specialty plate with

standard numbers is about $30, and for the personalized plate about

$60. Plates can be ordered at any time without affecting the renewal

cycle. Standard renewal rates apply, with the specialty plate cost being

added.

5225 HIGHWAY 10 WEST MISSOULA MT 59808

MSO GA News thanks Kim Briggeman, Missoulian writer; Tim Damrow, MSO Manager of Projects; Keith Eberhard, MSO

Air Traffic Control Manager; Michelle McCue, Neptune Aviation; Dan Neuman, MSO Business Development Manager;

Joe Sannella, Pilot, Smokejumper Inspector Pilot; Megan Siler, CFI, CFII; Kynan Spethman, General Manager, Northstar

Jet; Trevor Steen, Horizon Air pilot; Lisa Tate, National Museum of forest Service History! If you have something

interesting to write about we'd like to put it in the newsletter and share it with the Missoula aviation community! Long (about 500

words), short, funny, serious, whatever. The News is published intermittently. Interested in contributing? Contact the editor (see

below).

MSO GA NEWS is published in Missoula Montana by Missoula International Airport and The Experimental Aircraft

Association (EAA) Chapter 517.

Editor and reporter: Gary Matson, Box 308, Milltown MT 59851 • 370-6584(c) • gjmatson@montana.com

Missoula International Airport: 5225 Highway 10 West, Missoula MT 59808 • 728-4381 • www.flymissoula.com

EAA Chapter 517: eaachapter517@aol.com • www.eaa517.org

MISSOULA AVIATION WEB SITES Missoula International Airport: http://www.flymissoula.com

Homestead Helicopters: http://www.homesteadhelicopters.com/

Minuteman Aviation: http://nkmamuzich.wix.com/minutemanaviation

Neptune Aviation: http://www.neptuneaviation.com

Northstar Jet: http://www.northstarmso.com

Aerotronics: http://www.aerotronics.com/

Museum of Mountain Flying: http://museummountainflying.org/

Nat’l Museum of Forest Service History: http://www.forestservicemuseum.org/

Metro Aviation: http://www.metroaviation.com/ Flying drones safely: http://knowbeforeyoufly.org/

Page 15