President: John Murphy 783-1515 Ted Yon 783-7966

Vice President: Eric Kennard 631-3264 John Murphy 783-1515

Secretary/Treasurer: John Soukup 783-7128 Young Eagle Coordinator

Newsletter Editor: Fred Mahan 452-5797 Tony Yacono 459-0080

The next meeting will be the second Wednesday of February

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EAA Chapter 724

P. O. Box 320923

Cocoa Beach, FL 32931

Mar 9 Sebring, FL, South Florida Seaplane Fly-In, 813-382-0110.

Mar 14-16 Tico Airport, Valiant Air Command’s "Happy 50^th – USAF", 407-268-1941.

Mar 22 St. Lucie Co. Airport, EAA Chapter 908 pancake breakfast and flea market, 561-465-2372.

Apr 4-5 Daytona Beach, Spruce Creek Airport, SX-300 Fly-In, 904-788-9528.

Apr 6-12 Lakeland, Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In, 941-644-2431, http://www.sun-n-fun.com

Apr 26 Orlando Executive Airport, EAA Chapter 74 flights for Make-A-Wish Foundation kids, 407-677-6675.

Apr 26-27 Griffin, GA, EAA/Aircraft Spruce workshop, 1-800-967-5746.

May 3-4 Ft. Lauderdale, 1977 Shell Air & Sea Show, 954-527-5600, ext. 88.

May 10 Lockwood Aviation Supply, Sebring Regional Airport, Parts Flea Market and Sale, 941-655-5100.

May 24 Orlando Executive Airport, Orlando Air Fair ’97, 407-678-5873.

May 24 Crestview, EAA Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast, 904-862-2673.

May 24 Decatur, AL, EAA Chapter 941 9^th Annual Fly-In, 205-971-4060 or 961-4640.

Jul 30 - Aug 5 Oshkosh, WI, 45^th EAA Annual Fly-In, 414-426-4800, http://www.eaa.org/

Every First Saturday, Cannon Creek Airpark, Lake City, Fly-In Breakfast, 904-755-4760

Every Second Saturday, Charlotte County Airport, Punta Gorda, EAA Chapter 565 pancake breakfast, 813-627-6461.

Every Third Saturday, Sebring Airport, EAA Chapter 803 pancake breakfast, 941-465-6996.

Every First Sunday, Ft. Myers Airport, Chapter 66 pancake breakfast, 941-945-7000.

Every Second Sunday, Naples Airport, EAA Chapter 1067 Fly-In Breakfast, 941-261-5701.

Every Third Sunday, Kissimmee Municipal Airport, west side of the field, 9 am on.

Every Fourth Sunday, Bob Lee Airport, De Land, Fly-In Lunch, bring your own, 904-985-5373

Every Last Sunday, Quincy, FL, EAA Chapter 445 Pancake Breakfast, 904-421-4335.

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Don’t forget to check with Eric or Cindy Kennard at 631-3264, or call Eric at work at 454-7004, regarding Banquet tickets. The banquet is scheduled for April 4 at the Cocoa Beach Hilton. Happy hour will start at 5:50, and dinner at 6:45.

Prez Johnny Murphy has lined up Mike Seager of Van’s Aircraft as out guest speaker. Mike is part of a program to check out RV pilots, and should have some good tips for the neophyte and experienced alike among us.

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Charlie Gray, who has run the races at Sun ‘n Fun for 13 years, recently sent a letter to officers of EAA chapters across Florida. He is looking for help running the races, and for someone to take race organization over from him.

For this year, he needs two observers at each race turn, with a handheld radio and video camera. They also need their own transportation to get to the site of the turn.

"If you or your chapter are interested in working with the EAA Fly-In running these two races, please contact me before this year’s race (April 7^th and 9^th)," he says. "I know time is short, but I need your help. Charlie Gray, Aero Acres Airpark, 18701 Mach One Dr., Ft. Pierce, FL 34988, home: 561-466-4460, hangar: 561-464-7705."

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Your editor recently saw a post on the Internet from Sid Lloyd, President of EAA Chapter 774, Brookshire, TX, regarding price increases at Sun ‘n Fun. He said that a week pass is now $70 for non-members and $60 for members. No family discounts are available -- spouses are no longer free, but must pay full fare. Children will still receive discounts. Camping is $60 per week, with no pro rata for the number of days camped. An additional $15 per night is to be charged for camping nights spent before the first Saturday.

If you wish to voice an opinion: Sun ’n Fun EAA Fly-In, P. O. Box 6750, Lakeland, FL 33807, 941-644-2431, You can reach their internet web site at: http://www.sun-n-fun/com and you can add /info.html and use their E-mail form to contact them, or add /feestructure.html to see the price increases and the rationale for them.

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The Tico Flyer announced in the February, 1997, issue that on January 30, 1997, Space Center Executive Airport changed its name to Space Coast Regional Airport.

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Do you want an EAA Chapter 724 logo embroidered on your shirt? The Robin’s Nest in Byrd Plaza (810 Dixon Blvd., Cocoa, FL 32922, 636-4320) has the computer program in their automated embroidery machine to put the logo on your shirt. They can embroider in three colors. The logo is $7.00, or they can embroider your name for $4.00, prepaid. They also have shirts for sale from $15.00 to $25.00.

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By Bob Nuckolls, Aeroelectric Connection

Myth: Light bulbs manufactured specifically for aircraft applications are superior in quality and performance to lamps manufactured for other vehicles.

Fact: A number of lamps have been manufactured and marketed for applications specific to aircraft. The most notable of these are sealed beam landing lamps, followed closely by internally mirrored position lamps. They are notable mostly for their cost. Both types of lamps were marvels of progress in lighting technology when they were first developed 40 to 50 years ago.

Unfortunately, the market for these lamps is growing smaller as thousands of certified airplanes are shipped out of the country and/or bashed beyond repair every year. It’s not hard to understand why manufacturers have not invested research and development dollars to upgrade technology for these lamps.

However, the automobile has always enjoyed a growing market and aggressive, competitive suppliers. Automobile headlamps began as replaceable lamps in front of reflectors that rusted and lenses that got dirty. Sealed beams for cars and airplanes came into the world about the same time. The completely closed system kept the reflector shiny, the lens clean and the lamp bright throughout its service life. The 80’s and 90’s brought us further improvements in the production of halogen cycle lamps that produce more candlepower per watt than their ancestors. Some cars are even going back to replaceable lamps in front of aluminized plastic reflectors that do not rust and plastic lenses that are protected from contaminants and are easy to clean.

An aircraft sealed beam landing lamp can set you back anywhere from $25 to $75 a pop at Gold Plated Airparts, Inc. The internally mirrored position lamps go for $15 to $20 each.

A trip to an automotive parts store or a browse through a J. C. Whitney catalog will reveal a plethora of lamp fixtures intended for illumination of roadways in front of cars. If a lamp is suitable for lighting the road in front of a 65 mph automobile, why wouldn’t they work for an airplane landing at 50?

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1947 Ercoupe 415D N94665, C-85 engine, all AD’s completed with wing inspection plates installed. Last annual 4/96. No rudder pedals. $11,500. Lee Roman, 561-460-8377. St. Lucie Co. Airport.

RV6A Quickbuild Kit #31, 1500 hrs. labor completed, (1,000 by factory and 500+ by John Lia). Options include: Fixed tri gear, sliding canopy, electric flaps, electric trim, cowl and spinner for 180 hp engine & c/s prop. Kit comes primed from the factory. Almost completed. Not much left to do. $23,500. Mulberry, FL. 941-646-7512.

Banty project. Never completed. Minor garage rash. Includes Rotax 277 engine, and most of what you’ll need to finish it. $1,200. Hudson, FL. 813-856-6123.