January 2003

Lana and I hope each one of you had a very happy holiday season. Gateway's Christmas party was one of the most fun gatherings we had last year. Jim Hostler and Larry Snyder did a great job on guitar and banjo and Rick Albrecht and Bob Kraemer joined in on a few songs and displayed their talents. I never knew that Bob was also a musician. The sing along was really fun. We have some talented people in this group! The Chinese Gift Exchange, hosted by Bob Kraemer and Libby Younger was the highlight of the evening. After about twenty gifts were given out, the pace slowed down and some serious swapping started taking place. By the time we left, I couldn't remember which gift I ended up with. It was fun and a good way to end the year. Some pictures of the party are included with this newsletter. (Click Me to see some of the pictures.)

The last fly-out / drive-out of the year was at Kilroy's Restaurant on Smartt Field December 15. Eleven members and one guest showed up on a beautiful day for flying. Several other members passed through, but couldn't stay. After eating, we went outside to inspect Spanky's recently purchased Aeronca Chief. The addition of a 115 h.p. engine should help its performance a little bit! We all took advantage of the good flying weather afterwards. Be thinking of some fly-out destinations for the next season, starting in March, and let our fly-out chairman, Bryan Brinker, hear from you. Bryan has had to create the list without any input for the last several seasons, so please give him some suggestions and tell him "where to go"!

The annual WINGS contest will end on March 31st, so please send a copy of your application or of your award to our WINGS chairman, Carl Schaffner, before then. Carl's address is: 1844 Santa Clara St., St. Charles, MO 63303. You can attend the Super Safety Seminar on January 25, and fly with your favorite instructor for three hours before March 31, and be qualified to earn your WINGS in the FAA's Pilot Proficiency Program.

The next Convention planning meeting is on January 9, 7:00 PM at our home in Hazelwood. We should (A) wrap up our discussion on the meeting agenda and (B) begin discussions on donations and (C) discuss the flyer we will be sending to the MPA NEWS in January. If you are an officer, board member or volunteer, please be there. It really saves time for all of us when the right people are there to coordinate in person and to help with crucial decisions. Please put it on your calendar.

Time is running short for donations for Gateway's January Silent Auction. The proceeds will go towards financing the 2003 Convention this coming June. Please contact Flo Wyatt, 314-839-9788, if you can donate something for a worthy cause. A big "thank you" for those that have donated so far! Since we are a not for profit organization, tax letters will be provided upon request.

The January 8, meeting will be the Silent Auction. So far some of the items include a Flight Physical, courtesy of Dr. Sill, a four place portable Flightcom intercom, a reproduction antique pub sign with a clock and a Stearman on it, a stereo system with extra speakers and manuals, a Warbird video, Classic Civil Aircraft book, PA-28-140 handbook, two electronic E6B computers in their carrying cases, a Texas Instruments graphing calculator, two small Maglites, a Howard Miller Clock, two new watches, ceramic music box and many other items too numerous to mention. You may have noticed that we do not have a speaker. This is to give the serious shoppers more time for bidding wars and to give the less aggressive shoppers more time to hangar fly. I hope everyone will come and bring their friends to help support the Silent Auction.

Please join us at The Columns in St. Charles. The dinner will consist of: tossed salad, Italian bean soup, cannelloni, chicken madiga (grilled w/ provolone and white wine sauce), vegetable medley, rolls and spumoni w/ shortbread cookie. Dinner is still $13 per person. Social time begins at 6:00 PM, the serving line opens at 6:30 and the program begins at 7:30. Dinner reservations are required and can be easily made by calling Jean Murry at 314-469-3541 by Monday evening, January 6, or better yet, call now - before you put this newsletter down! Please come and bring your friends for the food, fellowship and hangar flying.

Chuck Maggart
Gateway President
(314) 731-0199

Click an envelope to send an e-mail to the Gateway Chapter

Return to our Main Page

Return to the MPA Home Page