July 2001

Did everyone get enough of the chicken and home cooking? The successful June picnic was well attended by about fifty-seven of our members. A large thank you to the volunteers that made it happen including Rick and Gen Albrecht, Harry Schulz, Walt Petring, Walter Gummersheimer and Jean Murry. Also a large thank you to the members and guests that attended and helped make the picnic the fun event that it is. Absent this year were Gateway's president and vice president. The Butlers were away on business and African safari and we had a family emergency out of state. Many thanks to Harry, Tony and Jean for filling in. I heard there were several aircraft that flew in so the weather must have been pretty good. You also got to see the MoKan trophy that you helped the MPA win back from the Kansas Pilots Association this year. Thanks to Bob and Donna Crandell for bringing it to display. The trophy will travel to all the chapters for viewing this year. Lori and her staff from Kilroy's Restaurant did a great job cooking the chicken (boy, I'm sorry I missed that), and I really want to thank Lyle Bjerkestrand for allowing us to use Smartt Field again this year. By the way, is there any chicken left?

Fly-out chairman, Brian Brinker, reported that five airplanes and twelve members flew to Kentucky Dam State Park on June 17, and that they had very nice weather for the round trip. One sad note was that one plane had to be left in Kentucky due to mechanical problems, but the crew got a ride back. He also reminds us that the next Gateway fly out is to Lambert's Restaurant in Sikeston on July 15. Lambert's provides royal treatment by picking us up and returning us to the airport. They also take us right in and seat us. Excellent service and you will need to do a new weight and balance before leaving. Call Brian (314-647-1138) to coordinate or to check on empty seat availability.

I recently received a report that Bledsoe's Restaurant at Columbia (COU) has closed. The airport manager said there are no plans to reopen it at this time.

The Safety Tip for the month comes from St. Louis Flight Instructor's president, Rick Albrecht. Rick's topic is one we have heard a lot about lately and he suggests getting your favorite flight instructor to work with you. For IFR pilots, work on emergency instrument training including partial panel. For VFR pilots the emergency training should include preparation for accidental cloud penetration and lost instruments. These are items that can fit right into your WINGS program this year.

While on the subject of WINGS, please remember to give Carl Schaffner, our chapter's WINGS chairman, a copy of your WINGS application or of your FAA certificate for his records. This is how we can compete in the state MPA competition and for the MoKan trophy with the KPA. It still surprises me how many people don't know about the FAA's Pilot Proficiency Program. As Fred Harms, the FAA Safety Program Manager, has said, the biennial review makes you legal, but WINGS helps to make you a more proficient pilot.

Some of you probably know that Tony and Rosemary Petruso have flown their Piper Tri-Pacer to Anchorage, Alaska for the Short Wing Piper Club Convention. They have a website at <alaskatrip.8k.com> and display some of the pictures they are taking. We have already asked them to speak and show their pictures at a meeting sometime after their return. They also made a special flight to the Arctic Circle, surprisingly in T-shirts! Tony and Rosemary can claim flying their Tri-Pacer from the Statue of Liberty to central Florida and to the Arctic Circle now. Not bad for a plane (and pilot) over forty years old! Carl and Wil Schaffner are also attending the convention via the "big iron bird". We need to find out more about the Butler's trip to Africa also. Maybe material for another meeting?

The St. Louis Aviation Museum is having a general meeting in the James McDonnell Prologue Room at Boeing on Monday, July 16, at 7:00 PM. Their guest for the evening will be Lou Lynch, a W.W. II fighter pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen. For more information, you can call the Museum at 636-536-0228 or Bob Boelling at 314-832-0349. The public is invited.

The Gateway Chapter still needs a membership chairperson. If anyone is interested, please give me a call at 314-731-0199.

Gateway's July 11, gathering at The Columns (711 Fairlane Dr., St. Charles), will feature Curator Sharon Smith of the St. Louis Historical Society. She will show and tell us about some of the items that will be displayed in the forthcoming Lindbergh display at the History Museum. If you haven't been to the renovated History Museum lately, it is a good way to spend several hours. In addition there will be a short business meeting and a lot of hangar flying! The doors and the serving lines open at 6:30 PM with the program beginning around 7:30. Please phone your dinner reservations to Jean (314-469-3541) by July 9, the Monday evening before the meeting. The menu will include tossed salad, chicken and rice soup, chicken marsala, sliced roast beef in BBQ sauce, herb whipped mashed potatoes, honey glazed baby carrots, rolls, strawberry shortcake and lemonade. Please join us and bring your friends!

GATEWAY CHAPTER of the MISSOURI PILOTS ASSOCIATION

OFFICERS (2001- 2002)

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gateway Chapter's calendar of events

July 08 State Board Meeting in Columbia. Dutch treat lunch at noon and meet at 1:00. All MPA members are invited.

July 11 Gateway Chapter meets at The Columns at 6:30 PM.

July 14 Cape Girardeau - "Heroes and Legends" - Airshow featuring the CAF with a Pearl Harbor reenactment, B-25 Bomber, F-18 Hornet and more. Starts 1:00 PM

July 15 Gateway fly-out to Sikeston - Lamberts Cafe.

July 24-30 EAA Airventure 2001 at Oshkosh.

Aug 8 Gateway Chapter meets at The Columns at 6:30 PM.

Aug 12 State Board Meeting in Columbia at 1:00. All MPA members are invited.

Aug 19 Gateway fly-out to Decatur, IL.

Aug 25 Zenith Aircraft's Open House in Mexico, Mo.

Sep 1-3 St. Louis County Fair and Airshow.

Sep 3 Gateway fly-out to Mattoon, IL - Labor Day.

Sep 12 Gateway Chapter meets at The Columns at 6:30 PM.

Sep 22 MPA State Air Derby. Starts in Grand Glaze.

Sep 29-30 WWI Replica Fly in and auto concourse at Creve Coeur.

Oct 10 Gateway Chapter meets at The Columns at 6:30 PM.

Oct 25-27 Gateway fly-out to Dayton, OH and the Air Force Museum.

Nov 4 Gateway fly-out to Jefferson City, MO

Nov 14 Gateway Chapter meets at The Columns at 6:30 PM.

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Contact Brian Brinker (314-647-1138) at least one day before trip to coordinate or to check on available seats. Times and places subject to change. 3000 feet and 5 miles minimums. Normal arrival time for lunch is 12:30 PM. Bad weather alternate is the noon Sunday barbecue at Creve Coeur Airport.

Chuck Maggart
Gateway President
(314) 731-0199

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