THE THOMPSON VALLEY

VOICE
View of Airbus 320 from cockpit of an A318
represented the rst of many that are being scheduled as part of the new tour and guest speaker program. The CSU wind lab has been the center of excellence for fundamental and applied research in wind engineering for over 40 years, and is one of the international laboratories where the foundations of wind engineering were established. Although the labs history does include aerospace-related studies, such as on the space shuttle and launch pad, the labs current area of research and service is primarily focused on the wind effects on buildings and structures as well as the dispersion of pollutants. Thanks to the time donated by Dr. Bogusz Bienkiewicz (director of the lab and internationally-respected professor in the eld of wind engineering), members of the squadron got to see rst hand the three large boundaryContinued on Page 2

JUNE 2009
The ofcial newsletter of the Thompson Valley Composite Squadron of the U.S. Civil Air Patrol.

GUEST SPEAKER AND TOUR PROGRAM

TVCS Members Tour CSU Wind Lab & Frontier Airlines, Learn From Guest Speakers
By Chad Morris The Thompson Valley Composite Squadron recently initiated a new guest speaker and tour program designed to provide interesting and educational opportunities to the squadron. Many of the topics are intended to be associated in some fashion with the many aspects of the Civil Air Patrol such as leadership, aerospace, homeland security, emergency services, history, or even weather. However, any topic that might be of general interest to the squadron is welcome and will be considered as an option. So far, members have attended two tours and one presentation (see below) with another presentation to be given by representatives of Lockheed Martin on Thursday, 4 June 2009. CSU Wind Lab On Thursday, 26 February 2009, members of the Thompson Valley Composite Squadron visited the Colorado State University Wind Engineering and Fluids Laboratory. The tour

A demonstration testing the stability of photovoltaic cells when installed on buildings.

Propeller of one of the nonrecirculating wind tunnels (NOT turbocharged!!).

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SPEAKER & TOUR PROGRAM - CONTINUED

layer wind tunnels, which represent the core of the lab, as well as numerous smaller tunnels. The three large tunnels consist of a Meteorological Wind Tunnel, an Aerodynamics Wind Tunnel, and an Environmental Wind Tunnel. One of the tunnels was even red-up in order to give a live demonstration of the effects of wind on the stability of photovoltaic cells mounted on the roof of a building. TVCS Members Treated to Presentation about Ion Propulsion On Thursday, 19 March 2009, members of the Thompson Valley Composite Squadron were visited by Dr. Paul Wilbur from Colorado State University, who has been a member of the faculty since 1968. Dr. Wilbur specializes in and has signicantly impacted the eld of ion propulsion and space exploration. His work includes the development of an ion propulsion lab at CSU, which has led to many advances within NASA and the JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory). He has also trained many of the engineers working for NASA in the area of ion propulsion. Dr. Wilburs presentation explained the benets of using ion propulsion rather than chemical propulsion (i.e. rocket fuel) to propel spacecraft on deep space missions. He described how hundreds of ion thrusters are used on existing satellites to maintain or adjust orbits, and that they were also used on NASAs Deep Space 1 Mission where the ion thruster accumulated more than 16,000 hours of use. The process of ion propulsion was explained to TVCS members, and Dr. Wilbur also told the squadron about the status of NASAs current mission that utilizes ion propulsion called the DAWN Mission. The purpose of the Dawn mission is to investigate in detail two of the largest protoplanets remaining intact since their formations, Ceres and Vesta, which reside in the extensive zone between Mars and Jupiter together with many other smaller bodies, called the asteroid belt. If you missed the presentation or would like to learn more, details regarding the Dawn Mission can be found by visiting the following website: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov The Dawn Mission website also contains some interesting information about ion propulsion as well as some interactive activities that allow you to design your own ion engine. See the following website for details: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/ion_engine_interactive Frontier Airlines Service Hangar On Thursday, 23 April 2009, TVCS members loaded up in the CAP van and traveled to DIA to visit the Frontier Airlines service and repair hangar. The tour was led by John Schierle, who is the Tool Room Supervisor at the hangar. The tour began by viewing the entire hangar as well as two of the aircraft in Frontiers eet. One of the aircraft, an Airbus 318 (the aircraft equipped with the photograph of Foxy the Fox perhaps youve seen it), was in the hangar to receive one of the many scheduled service and maintenance checks (C-checks) that occur approximately every 18 months. The Airbus 318 series aircraft are powered by two General Electric (GE) CFM 56-5B5 wing-mounted engines. Members were then allowed to explore the aircraft inside and out. They each even got to sit in the cockpit and view the yby-wire controls (nopeno oor mounted yoke on this one)!

The second aircraft in the hangar at the time of the visit was a new Airbus 320 (complete with Mustang decal), which was getting a nal checkout prior to being put into service. The A320 is longer than the A318, and is powered by two GE CFM 56-5B4/3M wing-mounted engines. The nal stage of the tour consisted of a look around the mechanics tool and fabrication rooms. In general, the mechanics have the capability to fabricate or repair any piece of the aircraft, but typically rely on outside sources for their larger fabrication needs.

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BIVOUAC 2009 HEALTH & WELLNESS by dr. ed carr, medical officer

Broccoli could reduce the heart damaging effects of diabetes
Researchers have discovered eating broccoli could undo the damage caused by diabetes to heart blood vessels. Professor Paul Thornalley and his team from the University of Warwick have found a broccoli compound called Sulforaphane. This compound can encourage the body to produce more enzymes to protect the vessels, as well as reduce high levels of molecules which cause signicant cell damage. Past studies have shown that a diet rich in vegetables particularly brassica vegetables such as broccoli is linked to decreased risk of heart disease and stroke. People with diabetes have a particularly high risk of heart disease and stroke and other health impairments, such as kidney disease, are linked to damaged blood vessels. Sulforaphane is also found in other commonly available items like Brussels sprouts and cauliower.

Eating Beef: Grass Fed or Grain Fed?

Grass-fed beef is vastly superior to grain-fed beef, and in fact its the clear beef of choice you should be eating. It is far more important to choose grass-fed than to choose organic, as most grass-fed beef are also organic. Not only is it raised in a more sustainable way for the environment, and a more humane way for the animal, but its the superior choice for your health. Grass-fed beef, for instance, is lower in fat than regular beef and, more importantly, contains higher amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid. Grass-fed animals have from three to ve times more CLA than grain-fed animals. CLA has been making headlines for its extreme health benets, which include: Fighting cancer and diabetes Helping you lose weight Increasing your metabolic rate, a positive benet for promoting normal thyroid function Helping you maintain normal cholesterol and triglyceride levels Enhancing your immune system The article Better Beef, written by California rancher Dave Evans, gives a great indepth view of the many benets of grass-fed beef, from environmental sustainability to the sheer difference in taste and nutrient content of the beef. Keep in mind that grass-fed meat is almost always preferable to certied organic meat also because most organic beef is fed organic corn, which is what causes the myriad of health problems associated with eating beef. If you can nd organic, grass-fed meat, that would be ideal. Dr. Ed Carr DC 970-690-9084 dred.carr@comcast.net ............take care of your health today or you can take care of your sickness tomorrow.

Cadet Doe breaks ranks

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OPERATIONS & ICS TIDBITS

by sue wolber, operations officer
Operations: New Qualications - congratulations to: - John Owen for G1000 add-on Renewals - thanks to folks for staying current: - John Owen Form 5 round dial - Sue Wolber mission Form 91 Jeffco squadron is organizing a G1000 training session mid-May with a second group starting early June. Short-term, with only three G1000 aircraft (FNL, COS, APA) and a lot of pilots in training, there will be increased schedule stress. Hopefully we'll get another G1000 aircraft soon to help us get everyone qualied in both G1000 and round-dial. Meanwhile, expect to see some unfamiliar faces training in 2CP.

personnel update
by terry thompson, personnel officer
I was going to comment on the lack of uniform changes weve had in the last year or so, but I was afraid if I said anything I would jinx it. CAP Regulation 39-3, Award Of CAP Medals, Ribbons, And Certicates, is being rewritten, and a draft of the new version is available online. Several new medals and awards are being added, including the new CAP Achievement Award. There are also several OTY (of the Year) awards being added. I will let you know when the nal version is out. Our TVCS Mentor program is looking for a few good men and/or women. When a new member joins CAP, he/she is assigned a mentor from our squadron to help them thru the maze of training and tests the newbie has to go thru. Basically you would be their go-to person for any questions or problems they might have getting started. The appropriate guide for the Mentor Program is CAPP 50-7. I dont know that very much is written in stone about qualications, but my suggestions would be: 1. Have a couple of years in CAP and be an active and progressing member. 2. Be knowledgeable about the requirements for the rst couple of steps in the progression up the Professional Development ladder (Level 1 & Level 2). 3. Be willing to be a friendly and outgoing support for the new member, and be proactive in helping them get a good start in CAP. 4. You cant be an expert in everything, so one of your duties would be, when faced with a question/problem you couldnt solve, know to whom in TVCS you can send the newbie for help.

Your reward will be helping our squadron grow with active and motivated new members, and probably making a friend in the process.

COMING SOON!
June 6 - 7 ICS 300 Class - Fort Lupton June 13 - 20 COWG Encampment June 27 - 28 ICS 400 Class - Fort Lupton July 17 - 25 July 24 - 26 Ground Search and Rescue School to be held in the Gore Range, west of Kremmling. Evaluated SAREX @ Greeley Dont forget to check the COWG Calendar occasionally. You can nd it on the Colorado Wing website.

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The Comm Shack

By Eric Schwarm, Communications Officer
IN PROGRESS - Narrow Band Transition Its been coming for years. Many of us probably wondered if it would really happen. On April 28th the COWG Communications Engineering Ofcer, Dave Novotny, met TVCSs Mark Sheets on a mountain top overlooking Fort Collins. Working with personnel from the Larimer County communications shop they removed our old wideband repeater. In its place is a new Motorola Quantar repeater that works on the narrowband and P25 digital channels. The designator is FNL R25. Additional channel info is available on our website. For more information on repeaters, view the Wikipedia article found here. Narrow Band Radios A lot of people have asked how they can obtain a radio for use on the new narrow band system. Unfortunately, the days of buying cheap ham radios for CAP use are over. New radios complying with the narrow band requirements are relatively expensive and may require a substantial investment in programming software and hardware. Alternately, they may be programmed at a commercial radio shop, but that requires individual approval from NHQ. Used radios can be found via eBay or other sources. They are cheaper than new radios, but have the same programming considerations as new radios. As with any used electronics: buyer beware. If you are considering a radio purchase, I encourage you to work with one of our communications staff to navigate a path through all the necessary considerations. A list of compliant radios may be viewed on the CAP National Technology Center website: https://ntc.cap.af.mil/comm/equipment/equipment.cfm

FNL R25

Alert Staff Needed

By Dick Hamilton, Deputy Commander
The Alert team is looking for a few good men and women to serve as Alert Ofcers. Alert Ofcers are the rst to receive word of a new mission, and they work with the IC to nd qualied air and ground crews. Squadron Alert Ofcers are actively on alert once every six to eight weeks. While on alert, they carry a pager (or pageable cell phone) and need to be available to make phone calls to help the IC locate crews. If you are interested in learning more, contact Dick Hamilton or anyone on the Alert Staff. Current Alert Staff: Dick Hamilton Roy Schutt Bill OConnor John Owen Brenda Kononen Steve Schnieder Chad Morris Eric Schwarm

Repeater installation and radio tower on Horsetooth.

THOMPSON VALLEY COMPOSITE SQUADRON

PO BOX 270885 FT. COLLINS, CO 80527

CIVIL AIR PATROL

Civil Air Patrol, the ofcial U. S. Air Force Auxiliary, is a civilian, volunteer, nonprot, service organization. Its unpaid members perform more than 80 percent of inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue and Coordination Center. Volunteers also take a leading role in aerospace education and conduct one of Americas nest youth programs, the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program.

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