Chino Airport (CNO), formerly known as Cal Aero Field, is a general aviation reliever airport, which serves private, business, and corporate tenants and customers from Southern California’s Inland Empire area. Chino Airport is situated on 1,100+ acres and features three runways: 4,858′ instrument runway, 7,000′ non-precision runway, and a 4,419′ non-precision cross-wind runway. The Airport is conveniently located 3 miles south east of the City of Chino and is situated minutes from Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties.

Chino Airport is rich with history; rooted back to the early 1940′s when the airport was home to the Cal Aero Cadets. The Airport has transformed from a training facility for the war effort into a major economic engine for the Southern California region. Chino Airport has over 600 based aircraft, 100 businesses, 2 aircraft museums, the ever popular Flo’s Cafe, and 345 days of VFR weather. With room to grow, Chino Airport is your flight to opportunity.

The Planes of Fame Air Museum is an independently operated, non-profit 501(c)(3) aviation museum that is dedicated to the preservation, perpetuation and exhibition of historical aircraft, and to the men and women, both famous and unknown, who devoted their lives to flight.

The  The Yanks Air Museum is a relative newcomer, but has an impressive collection of flying and static aircraft numbering over 120 aircraft.  The focus of the collection is on US-built civil and military aircraft, and many of the aircraft are flyable.  Aircraft in the collection run the gamut from First World War-era Curtiss Jennies to such modern staples as a Grumman F-14 Tomcat, EA-6B Prowler, and E-2 Hawkeye.

Flying In

Planes of Fame Museum Fly-in visitors are welcome. Please consult current charts, NOTAMs, weather forecasts, etc., before your flight to CNO (Chino Airport).
Upon landing, request transient parking near Planes of Fame Air Museum, where you will find tie-downs.
Once your aircraft is secured, proceed in an easterly direction to the roll gate at the south end of the Museum property; there is also a walk-through gate in that fence.
Proceed to the Gift Shop (attached to the east end of the Maloney Hangar) to pay admission and receive entrance stickers.

By the way, stunning scenery flying over the Aleutian Islands. Everything was going fine until 100 miles out from Tokyo and in the descent for arrival. The first indication of any trouble was that Japan air traffic control started putting everyone into holding patterns. At first we thought it was usual congestion on arrival. Then we got a company data link message advising about the earthquake, followed by another stating Narita airport was temporarily closed for inspection and expected to open shortly (the company is always so positive).

From our perspective things were obviously looking a little different. The Japanese controller’s anxiety level seemed quite high and he said expect “indefinite” holding time. No one would commit to a time frame on that so I got my copilot and relief pilot busy looking at divert stations and our fuel situation, which, after an ocean crossing is typically low.

It wasn’t long, maybe ten minutes, before the first pilots started requesting diversions to other airports. Air Canada, American, United, etc. all reporting minimal fuel situations. I still had enough fuel for 1.5 to 2.0 hours of holding. Needless to say, the diverts started complicating the situation.

Japan air traffic control then announced Narita was closed indefinitely due to damage. Planes immediately started requesting arrivals into Haneada, near Tokyo, a half dozen JAL and western planes got clearance in that direction but then ATC announced Haenada had just closed. Uh oh! Now instead of just holding, we all had to start looking at more distant alternatives like Osaka, or Nagoya.

One bad thing about a large airliner is that you can’t just be-pop into any little airport. We generally need lots of runway. With more planes piling in from both east and west, all needing a place to land and several now fuel critical ATC was getting over-whelmed. In the scramble, and without waiting for my fuel to get critical, I got my flight a clearance to head for Nagoya, fuel situation still okay. So far so good. A few minutes into heading that way, I was”ordered” by ATC to reverse course. Nagoya was saturated with traffic and unable to handle more planes (read- airport full). Ditto for Osaka.

With that statement, my situation went instantly from fuel okay, to fuel minimal considering we might have to divert a much farther distance. Multiply my situation by a dozen other aircraft all in the same boat, all making demands requests and threats to ATC for clearances somewhere. Air Canada and then someone else went to “emergency” fuel situation. Planes started to heading for air force bases. The nearest to Tokyo was Yokoda AFB. I threw my hat in the ring for that initially. The answer – Yokoda closed! no more space.

By now it was a three ring circus in the cockpit, my copilot on the radios, me flying and making decisions and the relief copilot buried in the air charts trying to figure out where to go that was within range while data link messages were flying back and forth between us and company dispatch in Atlanta. I picked Misawa AFB at the north end of Honshu island. We could get there with minimal fuel remaining. ATC was happy to get rid of us so we cleared out of the maelstrom of the Tokyo region. We heard ATC try to send planes toward Sendai, a small regional airport on the coast which was later the one I think that got flooded by a tsunami.

Atlanta dispatch then sent us a message asking if we could continue to Chitose airport on the Island of Hokkaido, north of Honshu. Other Delta planes were heading that way. More scrambling in the cockpit – check weather, check charts, check fuel, okay. We could still make it and not be going into a fuel critical situation … if we had no other fuel delays. As we approached Misawa we got clearance to continue to Chitose. Critical decision thought process. Let’s see – trying to help company – plane overflies perfectly good divert airport for one farther away…wonder how that will look in the safety report, if anything goes wrong.

Suddenly ATC comes up and gives us a vector to a fix well short of Chitose and tells us to standby for holding instructions. Nightmare realized. Situation rapidly deteriorating. After initially holding near Tokyo, starting a divert to Nagoya, reversing course back to Tokyo then to re-diverting north toward Misawa, all that happy fuel reserve that I had was vaporizing fast. My subsequent conversation, paraphrased of course…., went something like this:

“Sapparo Control – Delta XX requesting immediate clearance direct to Chitose, minimum fuel, unable hold.”

“Negative Ghost-Rider, the Pattern is full” <<< top gun quote <<<

“Sapparo Control – make that – Delta XX declaring emergency, low fuel, proceeding direct Chitose”

“Roger Delta XX, understood, you are cleared direct to Chitose, contact Chitose approach….etc….”

Enough was enough, I had decided to preempt actually running critically low on fuel while in another indefinite holding pattern, especially after bypassing Misawa, and played my last ace…declaring an emergency. The problem with that is now I have a bit of company paperwork to do but what the heck.

As it was – landed Chitose, safe, with at least 30 minutes of fuel remaining before reaching a “true” fuel emergency situation. That’s always a good feeling, being safe. They taxied us off to some remote parking area where we shut down and watched a half dozen or more other airplanes come streaming in. In the end, Delta had two 747s, my 767 and another 767 and a 777 all on the ramp at Chitose. We saw to American airlines planes, a United and two Air Canada as well. Not to mention several extra Al Nippon and Japan Air Lines planes.

Post-script – 9 hours later, Japan air lines finally got around to getting a boarding ladder to the plane where we were able to get off and clear customs. – that however, is another interesting story.

By the way – while writing this – I have felt four additional tremors that shook the hotel slightly – all in 45 minutes.

Cheers, J.D.”

PS – Personal note: I did not see anyone in the news even mention anything about this problem. Which, to me, meant everyone made it ‘on deck safely’ – perhaps not where they thought they would be that night but still ‘safely on deck’.

But, I do not excite myself- I stay calm.  Excitement causes a wobbly gun barrel.  Slowly I draw up my rifle, the locking of the bolt being the only sound my prey hears of me, which serves not to scare off but rather to paralyze, and to raise the deer’s head conveniently towards it’s messenger of death, in order to align the chest and heart with my sights.  Hesitate I do not, but with a respectful acknowledgement of my opponent I pull the trigger smoothly, downing my kill.  Now excitement can be free to come out from the inside, where it has been restrained until now!  I have done it!  The thrill!  The sense of accomplishment!  Success!

It is only proper that I should feel these things as I combat machines of the sky from the other side.  I will hunt them.  My cover will be the clouds and the sun.  I will see them, and they will not see me.  I will sense their presence, yet they will not sense mine.  I will not hesitate, but I will fight with respect.  I will not be beaten, and THEY WILL KNOW MY NAME.

-M. von Richthofen

Thursday August 18th from 7pm – 9pm Red Baron will be co-sponsoring the following seminar.  It will be held at Red Baron not the visitor center.  The speaker for the seminar is Bob Crystal CFIAIM, ATP CE-500/525/560XL.

Learn proven techniques that simplify instrument scan to include glass transition instrument scan.  Control and performance instrument scan can be simplified with proven techniques with flying by the numbers or targets in the sky.  This seminar promises to simplify instrument scan with a different approach.   A must for the rusty scan or the pilot who is getting ready to start an instrument rating.  As an extra bonus all attendees will receive a free simulator demo and apply instrument scan techniques learned in the seminar.

To register please click link  -   FAA Safety Seminar – TARGETS in the Sky!

Peggy

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Until then, I’d like to bring you an interim column, entitled:

This Month in Aviation: A collection of fantastic historical facts, one for each day of February!

Here goes…

Feb. 1, 1975… A McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle completes its sweep of all eight world time-to-climb world records by streaking to an altitude of 98,425 feet in less than 3.5 minutes!

Feb. 2, 1974… The F-16 Fighting Falcon flies for the first time!

Feb. 3, 1982… A Mil Mi-26 helicopter sets a world record in the U.S.S.R., lifting 125,153.8 lb. to a height of 6,562 feet!

Feb. 4, 1902… Charles Lindbergh, American pilot, was born (d. 1974). Charles Augustus Lindbergh, also known as “Lucky Lindy” and “The Lone Eagle,” was an American pilot famous for the first solo, non-stop flight across the Atlantic, from Roosevelt Field, Long Island to Paris in 1927 in the “Spirit of St. Louis!”

Feb. 5, 1949… An Eastern Air Lines Lockheed Constellation lands at LaGuardia, New York, at the end of a flight of 6 hours 18 minutes from Los Angeles, a coast-to-coast record for transport aircraft!

Feb. 6, 1946… A TWA Lockheed Constellation lands at Orly airport, Paris, from LaGuardia, New York, to complete the airline’s first scheduled international flight!

Feb. 7, 1932… Alfred Merrill Worden, American astronaut, was born. Worden was the command module pilot for the Apollo 15 moon mission in July-August 1971!

Feb. 8, 1988… The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) retires an aircraft registration number for the first time – that of Amelia Earhart’s airplane, which disappeared over the Pacific in July 1937!

Feb. 9, 1969… First flight of the Boeing 747 “Jumbo Jet” airliner takes place in Seattle, Washington. The wide-bodied, long-range transport is capable of carrying 347 passengers, and is the largest aircraft in commercial airline service in the world!

Feb. 10, 1962… American U-2 pilot Gary Powers, shot down and arrested in the U.S.S.R. in May 1960, is released in exchange for Soviet spy Colonel Rudolf Abel!

Feb. 11, 1959… A US meteorological balloon achieves a record height of 146,000 ft. carrying a special package of detectors sending information by radio signal to the ground!

Feb. 12, 1928… Lady Heath (formerly Mrs. Elliot-Lynn) becomes the first woman to fly solo from Cape Town, South Africa to London, England!

Feb. 13, 1923… Feb. 13, 2006… The 5,000th 737 comes off the production line. The 737 is the most-produced large commercial jet airplane in aviation history!

Feb. 14, 1942… The Douglas C-54 Skymaster makes its first flight. Designed as the DC-4, it is adapted for military use. During the war Skymasters complete 79,632 transoceanic flights with only three ditchings, one of which was a test!

Feb. 15, 2005… The first 777-200LR World Liner, the world’s longest range commercial airplane is rolled out in Everett, Wash. It can carry 301 passengers up to 9,420 nautical miles!

Feb. 16, 1922… Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, German fighter ace, was born. Schnaufer was the top night fighter ace of all time! He flew with the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War. All his 121 victories were scored at night, most against British four-engine bombers. He was nicknamed “The Night Ghost of St. Trond!”

Feb. 17, 1956… Lockheed YF-104A Starfighter makes its first flight at Edwards Air Force Base, piloted by Tony LeVier!

Feb. 18, 1832… Octave Chanute (1832-1910), first great historian of aviation, is born in Paris, France. Brought to the US when young, Chanute was a civilian engineer before turning to aviation. In 1894 he published “Progress in Flying Machines.” The book became a bible for the Wright brothers.

Feb 19, 1982… The first Boeing 757 takes to the air on its maiden flight. With capacity for between 178 and 239 passengers in a wide variety of configurations, it has a cruising speed of 528 mph and a range of 2,100 mi., or 5,343 mi. at economic cruise!

Feb. 20, 1968… A standard Learjet 25 sets a new “time-to-climb” record by climbing to 40,000 feet in 6 minutes 29 seconds!

Feb. 21, 1979… Former astronaut Neil Armstrong climbs to 50,000 feet in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in just over 12 minutes in a Gates Learjet Longhorn 28, breaking five world records for business jets!

Feb. 22, 1912… The Fokker Aviatik G.m.b.H. company is entered in the trade register at Berlin, Germany with a quoted capital of 20,000 marks. The company’s Holland-born founder, Anthony Herman Gerard Fokker, was brought up in Haarlem, the Netherlands and moved to Germany where he developed a passion for aviation before designing his first airplane – the Spider No. 1 – in late 1910!

Feb. 23, 1909… John A. McCurdy flies the Aerial Experimental Association’s Silver Dart biplane 40 feet over the frozen Bras d’Or lake at Baddeck Bay – the first flight of a heavier-than-air machine in Canada!

Feb. 24, 1983… The youngest pilot known to have made a solo flight in a powered, heavier-than-air, flying machine takes to the air for the first time at age of 9 years 316 days. The flight takes place near Mexicali, Mexico and the aircraft the boy pilots is a Cessna 150!

Feb. 25, 1990… Smoke-free flights become mandatory throughout North America for all US airlines!

Feb. 26, 1955… Test pilot George F. Smith makes the first supersonic ejection. Blasting out of his F-100, he recovers after five days of unconsciousness!

Feb. 27 1965… The world’s largest aircraft at the time, the Antonov An-22 Antei, makes its first flight. It is powered by four 15,000 EHP Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprop engines!

Feb. 28, 1918… Regulation of the airways begins as US President Woodrow Wilson issues an order requiring licenses for civilian pilots and owners. Over 800 licenses are issued!

Check out more fun facts @ http://www.centennialofflight.gov/user/fact_feb.htm

By: Bob Johnson – ATP, CFII, MEI

In instrument flight training we learn early on to scan critically and analytically. That is, given our pitch, bank and power, is the aircraft performing as anticipated? And are the primary & supporting instruments in agreement? Actually, it would behoove us to apply the same type of critical thought process to all our flying. Consider the following examples:

• Is our departure airport weather as the forecast predicted earlier in our planning?
• Are the engine gauges indicating normally early in the take off roll? Are we accelerating as expected?
• Did we achieve at least 80% of our lift off speed by the mid point of the runway?
• Did we get off the ground at the expected point along the runway?
• Is our rate of climb as expected?
• If departing IFR, are we achieving the required climb gradient? (e.g., for a 200′/nm climb we should have a climb rate equal to approximately 3.5 times our ground speed in knots, or more conservatively 4XG.S.)
• Is our true airspeed what we expect given the power setting and density altitude?
• Do the oil temperature, pressure, cylinder head temperature, and EGT indicate as we expect?
• Do the fuel flow and/or fuel quantity rate of change agree with what was predetermined? (Always consider you have the lesser of your indicated or calculated fuel.)
• How is the weather at your destination and alternate (if required) compare to the forecast? (consider providing a PIREP to Flight Watch and obtain an en route update)
• Are DME, GPS, and calculated distances and ground speeds agreeing?
• Did you get a good I.D. on the VOR receiver? And is the course set properly on the OBS?
• While flying your planned course line, are landmarks appearing where and when you expect them?
• Is our planned altitude still appropriate considering weather, winds, obstacles and airspace?

• Is your planned descent point still valid given your actual ground speed and expected approach to the pattern? (Since 500 f.p.m. is comfortable on our passengers’ ears and the engine for most unpressurized light planes, we can use double the ground speed in nm/minute as a multiplier for the thousands of feet to loose. e.g., At 2 nm/min., you would travel 4nm for each 1000′ of altitude you need to lose.)
• If you’re flying an ILS glide slope or other 3 degree visual glide slope (VASI/ PAPI) at your destination, does the descent gradient look right? ( You should be approximately 300′ above the touch down zone for each nm out. That is 1500′ on a 5nm final.)
• Do you know the runway length?  Is it sufficient, with margins, for your planned touchdown point, considering obstacles on final and any displaced threshold?
• Is a point on the surface prior to your planned touchdown point (equal to your float distance) fixed on your windshield while on final and configured at approach speed?
• Is the runway centerline in front of you and aligned with the planes longitudinal axis?

Continual monitoring and assessment as depicted above is clearly nothing more than setting goals, asking critical questions and scanning for answers. This technique can prevent your planned flight from getting too exciting by spotting potential problems early.

Fly Safely,