LETTERS FROM OUR DECEMBER 2018 ISSUE More memories Alton K. Marsh's story on the last two flying B-29 Superfortresses brought back memories. PILOT BRIEFING 32 SWEEPSTAKES 34 YOU CAN FLY 36 MUSINGS 40 TEST PILOT MATT HERRING I enjoyed Alton K. Marsh's recent article about the B-29s Fifi and Doc ("Memories from the Superfortress"). Fifi made a somewhat unplanned twoday visit to my home field (SWO) in September 2011. On short notice I asked the ground support group about a tour for my son's Boy Scout troop. They most graciously arranged that special tour and allowed the boys to climb inside and look around. The boys were very impressed, but the adult sponsors loved it, too. As a pilot I had to check this off my list of "things I'd like to do someday." So I bought a ride in Fifi sitting on the left side just behind the aircraft commander's seat. What an incredible flight! And to highlight the entire experience I got to meet Charles Chauncey after the flight. I still treasure the Fifi ball cap that he autographed for me. I did not know he had passed away 44 BUDGET BUY COMPILED BY JULIE SUMMERS WALKER www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 29 Allen Wineland AOPA 7201309 Arlington, Virginia until I read Marsh's article. I'm very grateful for men like that and to the Commemorative Air Force for preserving these amazing aircraft. Bill Arrington AOPA 917185 Stillwater, Oklahoma If there were no limitations, would you equip your certified or Experimental aircraft with an airframe parachute? Yes-I would install an airframe parachute 54% No-I would not install an airframe parachute 41% My airplane already has an airframe parachute 4% Aviation eBrief poll I just read Julie Summers Walker's excellent article in December 2018 AOPA Pilot entitled "Dubious Honor." I ejected from a Navy EA6B Prowler in April 1986 due to an engine fire and complete hydraulic system failure. Glad to be a member of this dubious club (member #4123 in the Martin-Baker Tie Club) as the alternative to being eligible for membership was not to my liking. 4% 41% 54% Wakeup call I want to thank Catherine Cavagnaro for her insight on wake turbulence ("Proficiency: In the Vortex"). I am one of those who took the concept of vortex generation in the Aeronautical Information Manual at face value. A bit of reflection however, would have easily revealed the truth. It's obvious that vortices are generated as soon as air moves over the wing. The only magic in the rotation point is that it is (approximately) where the lift becomes greater than the weight of the aircraft. Reading her article made me question what other erroneous aeronautic dogma I've been practicing. David Fisichella AOPA 8979607 Falmouth, Massachusetts 14 | AOPA PILOT February 2019 Easy does it I recommend you add a boldtext tip to your ADS-B rebate validation test flight webpages and articles ("ADS-B: FAA's ADS-B Rebate Returns") as follows: Do not perform aggressive maneuvers on your rebate validation flight. I had a L-3 Lynx NGT9000 installed in my Cessna 172K in 2017 and did my validation flight above 10,000 feet. I killed time at altitude by doing turns around a point and flying square patterns. Got home and downloaded the report to find out I failed! The shop found the system working perfectly, so on a second flight I flew search pattern grids to kill the time. Another failed test report. I finally figured out the turns in my flight path were allowinghttp://www.aopa.org/pilot