page 45 - American Bonanza Society

President’s Comments
It’s A Small Thing
Having just returned from Sun ’n Fun, I am reminded how
important the work of many is in supporting ABS. I would like
to express, on behalf of the ABS Board and staff, our gratitude for
the volunteers, sponsors, and Beechcraft who helped make this year’s
attendance at Sun ’n Fun a success.
On the flight back to Cincinnati I saw
the passenger next to me read ing ABS
Magazine. I wondered if he noticed the
additional pages and content added to
the magazine. What did he think of the
new BPPP on Online+Flight? Would he
encourage his personal flight instructor
to become a part of the Flight Instructor
Academy? How long has he been a
member? My curiosity got the best
of me, so I asked the gentleman what
he thought of the ABS Magazine. He
paused and then answered with a
strong sense of purpose how he has
enjoyed being a member, and the articles
in the magazine have provided
some assistance with the owner ship
of his airplane.
We immediately struck up a
conver sation about his Baron that
had a persistent issue with stabilizer
vibration leading to loosening of the
trim tab and other tail components.
I suggested he contact Mike Stanko
at Gemco, who has done extensive
work with Beechcraft in the Ohio
area. Later I heard that Mike discovered
a sheared off engine mount,
but felt that the ultimate issue was
buffeting from uneven prop wash.
The owner of the Baron sent both
props out for inspection and reseal,
and found that the left prop had two
of the three blades off by 3 degrees,
confirming Mike’s suspicion. The
owner had been chasing this problem
for some time, and after the adjustments
the Baron’s first cross-country
flight was vibration free.
www.bonanza.org
It’s a small thing, but knowing who
to call or to refer is important. The
contributions by our Beech family and
the teams of people who support the
operation and safety of flight are critical
to the preservation of the Beechcraft
fleet. Because of the knowledge bank
at ABS I was able to help connect our
member with the right person. I look
forward to the day we have many
ABS-trained mechanics and flight
instructors across the country, so that
ABS members have immediate and
local access to the resources that make
Beech ownership head and shoulders
above the rest.
In the daily operation of ABS,
attention to the small things often is
the difference between overwhelming
success and just an average outcome.
We can probably agree it’s always a
series of adjustments that continually
guide our course. Our Board and the
ABS staff have worked hard to ensure
we don’t miss the details, and we
watch the affairs of ABS with great
care. I hope you find the 2012 Financials
as presented in this issue a
testament to the diligence of the ABS
staff. It is because of this attention
we are able to provide services such
as the Flight Instructors Academy,
the Maintenance Academy, BPPP
Online+Flight, Service Clinics, Technical
Advi sory, and the continued repre
sentation of our members’ changing
needs in the General Aviation community.
Thank you again to all of our
members who continue to support
and guide the future of the American
Bonanza Society.
Blue Skies,
Keith Kohout
Volume 13 • Number 5 AMERICAN BONANZA SOCIETY 3