Missouri Pilots Association
44th Annual Convention
St Louis Missouri
June 5-7, 1998
Our theme was
"Feel the Spirit ... of St Louis"
and we hope everyone did.
- Friday afternoon MPA members began converging on the Marriott Hotel and found their way to the Hospitality
Suite where we had the registration table set up. Suite 239 became the focal point because you could always find
someone there talking, eating or having refreshments. Decided to close the Hospitality Suite Friday evening and
head out to Harrah's Casino for a fabulous buffet dinner as well as trying our luck.
- Saturday morning the Hospitality Suite was open for breakfast and then we started the Safety Seminar with our
friend from the FAA, Fred Harms. A "sell-out" crowd had gathered for Fred's new topic "Know Your
Bird" - a review of aircraft performance parameters and fuel management techniques.
- Our speaker at the next meeting was Loretta Jones who had recently been inducted into the Women in Aviation
International's Pioneer Hall of Fame. Loretta is from the Kansas City area and enlightened us with her wisdom and
entertained us with her humor.
- Our Luncheon was a beautiful buffet poolside at the Marriott. The sun was shining - what could be more perfect?
Warmth would have been great and a lot less wind would have helped but everyone made the best of the slightly cool
and windyweather.
- After the Luncheon the State Awards were presented. Ed Duckworth received the Aviation Award for his contributions
to safety, education, and aviation in general. The Media Award was presented to Ingram's Magazine and accepted
by Jim Evans, Vice President. The magazine "When Dreams Take Flight" was given to all members and it
had deserving articles on Theda Benningfield and Bob & Earlene McClure for their contributions to aviation
in the Kansas City area.
- Carl Shaffner made the presentations for the Wings Awards: first place (again) - Ozarks; second place - South
Central Missouri; third place - Gateway. There were 102 participants in this year's Wings Program. Next year, let's
make that figure 150. Certificates of Appreciation for safety in the State of Missouri were awarded to Ed Duckworth
and Fred Harms.
- Won't elaborate on the Membership or the Board of Directors Meetings since the Secretary will report in an
official capacity on them.
- We gathered again in the Hospitality Suite for refreshments prior to the Banquet. Must say the banquet room
was fantastic with those large helium airplane balloons. Harry Schulz of the Gateway Chapter made up some neat
signs. Almost forgot he also made a a great one for Loretta Jones which she took home as a souvenir.
- Joseph Lintzenich was our guest speaker at the banquet. Joe is Chief Engineer for an aviation engineering company
that provides technical assistance to the FAA and airport authorities. He punctuated the potentially bad news for
General Aviation with some great humor and ended on a positive note for us to take home.
- We hope everyone did receive a door prize -- we had enough of them which is why we gave them away while the
salad was being served, plates taken away, etc. etc. If we had waited until the traditional time after the banquet
speaker we wouldn't have had time to go back to the Hospitality Suite.
- It was breakfast in the Hospitality Suite on Sunday morning and by noon all members wereeither on their way
home or at Spirit of St Louis Airport for the St Louis Aviation Museum's Aviation Day. We know one of our members
won the silent auction for a ride in a T-28.
To all who came:
Thanks for making the 44th Annual Convention a success!
It was our pleasure being your host!
The St Louis Chapter Members
Missouri Pilots Association
Hope you have felt the "Spirit
of St Louis".
"May Day"