April 2004

April Gateway meeting:  Wednesday, April 14 at the Columns in St. Charles.  Bob Kraemer will discuss his experiences at the Reno Air Races as a fan sponsor of Rare Bear, a highly modified F8F-2 Bearcat that is the world’s fastest propeller-driven air racer.  The dinner buffet will include a crudite tray with ranch dip, cream of broccoli soup, roasted Cornish hens, beef Stroganoff, buttered noodles, peas and carrots, rolls and butter, and peach cobbler for dessert.  Dinner is still just $13/person.  Doors open at 6 pm, serving begins at 6:30 pm and the meeting and program get underway at 7:30 pm.  Phone your dinner reservations to Jean Murry at 314-469-3541 by Monday evening, April 12.  Please join us and remember to bring a friend

Fifty-two members and guests attended our March meeting to hear Don Dunn discuss his trip to Russia in 1999 as pilot of the L1011 Flying Hospital.  The Flying Hospital was originally financed by evangelist Pat Robertson as a medical missionary aircraft to bring modern medical care and to train health professionals in third world nations.  The cost of a mission is about $5 million.  The Russia trip was largely financed by the Siberian Oil Company.  The L1011 has three operating rooms, two dental suites, a 12-bed pre- and post-op facility, a full pharmacy, and all the additional rooms and equipment needed to provide full medical, surgical and dental care.  It can carry up to 67 health care professionals.  On this trip, the L1011 flew one-way around the world, starting in Norfolk, VA to Gander NF and on to Moscow where they picked up their interpreter.  From there they went to Karasnoyarsk and Bratsk where the medical staff and local doctors performed eye surgeries on about 200 poor residents who could not afford to be treated at the local clinic.  From Bratsk they flew to Anchorage AK and back to Norfolk where the plane was based.  The Flying Hospital has been idle for the past two years and is currently in Tucson.

In addition to five guests in attendance, Don brought along his FAA support team consisting of his wife, Harry Pujji and Bob Linenweber and their wives, Larry Barklage, and Fred Harms.  We hope to see all of our guests at future meetings.

Ten members and guests in five airplanes braved the bumpy air and gusty cross-winds to attend our first chapter fly-out to Quincy, IL on Sunday, 21 March.

Libby Yunger
Newsletter Editor
(314) 725-0428

The President’s Corner.  The attendance at the March meeting was encouraging!  Our “bring a friend” campaign seems to be working and I hope our members will continue to invite their friends to our meetings and let them see what a friendly group we are.  At the rate we are losing older members, we need to continue to interest younger pilots in the MPA.  It is really an investment in their future flying and ours.  We were glad to see our friends from the STL FSDO again and hope they will come often!

As chapter elections near, our nominating committee is hard at work finding candidates to fill the officer and director slots.  The committee is composed of Rick Albrecht, Walter Gummersheimer and Steve Pierce.  They will announce the proposed slate of candidates at the April meeting then elections will be held in May.  Nominations from the floor will also be accepted.

Latest word on the MPA State Air Tour is that it will be held on May 1, and will include Camdenton, Sedalia, Jeff. City (lunch), Mexico (flour drop) and Moberly.  Everything is still tentative, but be thinking about it.  Information should be out in the next MPA NEWS about the 2004 State Convention at Lake of the Ozarks on June 11-13.  Please think about joining us for all or part of the event.  Besides a lot of fun, it is a great way to meet your fellow aviators from all around the state.  A boat cruise is part of the planned activities.  After all the work Gateway did hosting the 2003 convention, it will be fun to relax and enjoy the events this year.

Speaking of the state convention, Jim Morris, president of the Lake of the Ozarks chapter wrote a very nice letter thanking Gateway for our donation to the annual affair.

I’m glad that the first fly-out of the season did so well, but sorry that we missed it.  The moderate turbulence was just too uncomfortable so we turned back.  Doug Allen did a great job of coordinating on Sunday morning despite the fact he had to work.  Thanks Doug! 

Chuck Maggart
Gateway President
(314) 731-0199

Safety tip of the month from Rick Albrecht, president, GSLFIA:  Beware of the winds of spring!  Nearly 80% of landing accidents are cross-wind related.  Now is the time to get with your favorite instructor and review your aircraft’s cross-wind capability and upgrade your cross-wind landing skills.  Remember to know your own ability and always leave yourself an out.  If necessary go to an alternate airport where the winds are more in line with the runway orientation.

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