July 2022

Friends and Family of W10,
Summer is upon us! We are looking forward to all of the upcoming community events and hoping for sunshine! Please keep an eye out for any announcements regarding future events so that we can enjoy the summer together. 

Saturday Social @ W10
We had a great time at our last Saturday Social! The next social will be on July 2nd at 10 am at the Seabiscuit bakery. Sky should be able to join us at this social as well! So rain or shine, we hope to see you all there.

Good Eats and Coffee at W10
We have even more good Seabiscuit Bakery news! Summer hours have begun. Seabiscuit is now open Thursday through Tuesday, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. or until sold out. Yes, Tuesday has been added as another day to get goodies!!! Click HERE to see the details from Seabiscuit Bakery or follow them on Facebook for the most recent updates.

​Instructors Corner Summer Flying
Well, I certainly don’t have to tell anyone of the virtues of the nice weather (finally).  We are all planning excursions and looking forward to new adventures.
As most of us will be visiting airports we don’t often frequent, I’d like to focus on a common scenario that warrants extra attention. 
When we think of summer flying, of course, increased density altitude comes to mind.  Immediately picture weight and balance, runway length, wind, etc.  In short, we often focus on high density altitude takeoffs, but what about landings?  The fact of the matter is that we are also at an increased risk during landing under high density situations, maybe even greater than during takeoff.  
We know that the air is less dense, so we get less performance from the engine, wings and propeller.  We fly the same pattern and approach airspeeds, but in reality, we will be flying at a faster ground speed. AOPA article FLYING SEASONS DENSITY ALTITUDE July 1, 2007, notes that ground speed can be up to 20 kts faster. This sensation may fool your “subconscious pilot” into wanting to pull back to slow down, then add a base turn towards ascending terrain with less lift available. You may then have some uncomfortable feelings working against you.  Know what to expect before you get there and by all means, recognize early warnings when airspeed and altitude creep down on you. Power away and come back again after a go around if you need to get stabilized. When flying in high density altitude, it is easy to let these factors get ahead of you until you have lost too much “energy” and it is too late to recover, i.e. stall/spin low to the ground.   
Think these facts over:

• You will fly the same airspeed; however, since the air is thinner, you will actually have an increased ground speed.
• Your subconscious will make note of the increased ground speed; you will “feel” as if you are going faster through the air.
• You will have less lift and may need more power to manage your descent rate.
• Airports in valleys will often have you turning base towards rising terrain.  This can be very unsettling…check out S03 (Ashland, OR).
• If you set up your downwind too tight, DO NOT steepen your bank to make up for it.
• Keep your turns coordinated at all times.
• If you even think that you might be falling behind, add more power, get stabilized, and sort it out. You can come back and do it again.
• If you allow yourself to get behind, you may not be able to recover.

Enjoy the weather but stay ahead of the warm weather effects…they can sneak up on you.

Safe flying
-Dave

If you have questions related to aviation, or if you have any suggestions about other educational opportunities, you can reach Dave Bennett at [email protected].



DART Exercise
On Saturday, June 18th, 2022, Whidbey Airpark participated in an emergency preparedness drill called the “Thunder Run.” Sky Terry, NW Regional Emergency Services Director, organized the event. The drill saw participation from various small airports from California to British Columbia. The exercise is designed to train pilots for a worst-case scenario disaster such as a high-magnitude earthquake that would potentially disrupt access to the coastal areas of Washington, Oregon, and California. By the end of the day, 19 tons of food had been delivered to various regional airports by over 50 small aircraft and pilots. 
Emergency preparedness is crucial for rural communities as they are much less likely to receive swift aid from FEMA in the event of a natural disaster. Due to Whidbey Island’s limited access which is mainly regulated to boat access and the bridge at Deception Pass, we saw high enthusiasm for aiding in an exercise designed to ensure resources are not entirely cut off for the community. Island County’s Department of Emergency Management teamed up with several Disaster Aviation Response Teams, or DART, to volunteer in the international drill. Volunteers aided in shuttling thousands of pounds of food and water to Whidbey Airpark and AJ Eisenberg Airport, which was then donated to food banks across the island. Local volunteer pilots included Dave Bennett, who flew his Cessna 182, Larry Naylor, who flew his plane “Buttercup,” and Sky Rudolph, who flew local celebrity “Scarlett.” 
Local resident Tom Gideon also volunteered to fly in the drill. Unfortunately, due to weather concerns, plans were altered to ensure safety. Though the exercise was scheduled for earlier in the day, volunteers stood by until the weather was safe enough for take-off. The team waited patiently for the weather to cooperate and began the drill around 1:40 p.m. Thankfully, Seabiscuit Bakery provided free drip coffee for the volunteers that participated; we thank them for their generosity and participation in this community event!
For island residents, disaster preparedness is made even more critical due to the problem of accessibility. Residents have few choices for receiving resources like food and water should the ferry docks and bridge at Deception Pass be destroyed in a natural disaster. Luckily, Whidbey Airpark is a community resource should the need arise for fast access to the mainland in an emergency. Unfortunately, small airports have been disappearing from flight charts for years due to a lack of funding and a diminishing interest in small-scale aviation. We believe maintaining W10 to be a vital aspect of our community preparedness. 
As many of you know, Sky and Tara are current members of King County Search and Rescue; it is important to us to invest in emergency preparedness. We were happy to be involved in this “Thunder Run,” and we look forward to future events. The next “Thunder Run” will be conducted in 2023, but a date has not yet been announced. If you want to get involved in community preparedness, signing up to be a part of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a great first step! The next CERT training event will take place on August 5-7 at the South Whidbey, Bay View Fire Station. You can find more information about upcoming CERT training events by clicking the attached link to Island County’s Emergency Management site. 
-Erica Bower

Scarlett and the South Whidbey Flying Club
As the sun (hopefully) becomes more frequent with the onset of summer, you are likely to see a local celebrity breezing through the skies. Keep an eye out for a little Cessna 150, named Scarlett, taking off with a future pilot in the left seat. Scarlett is a dream maker, career builder, and a source of pure joy for many people so W10 feels privileged to be called her home. Of course, what is Scarlett without Fred Lundahl, founder of the South Whidbey Flying Club. 
 
If you are interested in aviation and would like to know more about learning to fly or about the South Whidbey Flying Club, contact Fred Lundahl via [email protected].  

W10 Projects

• Grounds keeping
  • Mowing & weed eating
  • Tree debris clean-up
  • Removing scotch broom & blackberries
  • Filling dips and rehab grass
  • Extend fence
  • Patch runway cracks
  • Pressure wash the moss off of the runway
• Vehicle maintenance
  • Lawn mowers
  • Courtesy cars
  • Fire truck
  • Loaner bikes
• Facilities
  • Porter hangars
    • Roof & gutter replacement
    • Repair/rebuild doors
    • Siding
  • New FBO building
• Special projects
  • Convert PAPI hardware to LED & Solar, then install
  • Set up runway cameras and get them streaming to the internet
  • Set up Live ATC stream for the field
  • Run firewood processor to turn cleared trees into firewood 

*If you would like to volunteer for an upcoming project please contact [email protected].

W10 Classifieds
Job listing! We are looking to hire a Project Manager for our QuickSilver Construction team! Seeking an experienced project manager that is comfortable with both residential and commercial projects. Upcoming projects may include hangars, a multi-use facility, and small community projects. 
Please send your resume to [email protected]. 

*If you have something you'd like to put in the classified section,  just let us know and we can add it to the newsletter.  

VENMO Info
Whether you want to park overnight, camp, or just support the airport with maintenance or upcoming projects, feel free to use this easy method of payment.  (Last 4 digits of the associated phone number is 1182)


W10 Swag
Picnic blankets with full logo ($25)
Whidbey Airpark Caps (other cap colors available upon request) * ($20)
Cinch Bags* ($15) 
Beanies* ($15)
W10 oval vinyl stickers ($5) 
50 sheet post-it notes ($3)
*Add a custom name or tail number to the cinch bags or back of cap for an additional $5.
Available now so you can represent your favorite little airport in the woods.  All proceeds go towards the airport to help with maintenance and improvement projects.  
                
                                                  

W10 Newsletter
We'd be more than happy to accept any pictures and/or contributions related to W10 for the next newsletter.  Thanks!

Tara and Sky Rudolph
Phone: 360-321-0510
e-mail: [email protected]