July 2006

Summertime Greetings to All!
Wasn't it fun…meeting in the new Chapter hangar for the first time? As always, the potluck was just great. It's my favorite way to “meet and eat!” There's still finish work to be done, for sure, and the builders continue to have regular work days every Wednesday and Saturday. It would be good to have everything finished and ready to go before the dedication this Fall. Ron says there are a lot of things that need to be painted. Work days are usually every Wednesday and Saturday. Call Ron or John Smith to check before coming, though.

A little conversation as we settle down for the meeting, the first one in the Chapter hangar. Ted Businger accepts a certificate recognizing his donation of the aviation library.
Photographs by Sue Kalhoefer

The June Meeting
We had guests at the June meeting. Ted Businger was brought to Willow Springs from his home in Ash Flat, Arkansas, by his son, Herb. He was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation for the library materials by President Henny Christensen. Herb Businger, in turn, presented the Chapter with an additional video copy of an old and hard-to-get movie, called Wings. It is a digitally-restored version of the first movie to receive an Academy Award, made in 1927, with Clara Bow and Gary Cooper. In conversation later, I discovered Herb has a very interesting job. He is a major league farm club umpire. During the baseball season, he is on the job up and down the West Coast. He was on a short trip home when he brought his father to the meeting.

Herb Businger presents the video version of the first Academy Award-winning picture, Wings.	Henny shows the certificate received from Houston’s Chamber of Commerce for Young Eagles.
Photographs by Sue Kalhoefer

Henny displayed a certificate from Brenda Senter of the Chamber of Commerce in Houston, Missouri, thanking us for holding the Young Eagles Rally during Emmett Kelly Days in May. Houston never fails to show appreciation for offering this activity for the kids.

Fly-In Set for October
The Fly-In Planning Committee has been hard at work, too. The framework for two different events is set. The fly-in itself will be a public event. The hangar dedication and sponsor recognition will be by invitation. The fly-in will be Saturday, October 7, 2006. The call has gone out for volunteers to be chairpersons of subcommittees. (You can also serve on one of the subcommittees without being the chairperson.) The subcommittees are Publicity; Aircraft; Airport and Grounds; Activities; Displays; Pilot, Guest and Public Services; Vendors; and Budget. Phyllis White has already agreed to head the publicity subcommittee. MPA has joined us as cosponsor, but just in case you think that will mean lots more help, remember that “they are us”—meaning that most of the active MPA membership is also EAA membership. So, if you haven't committed to a job on a subcommittee, we really need you. As with all our endeavors, the more help we have, the more successful the event will be. Let's get it right the first time, OK?

New Members
Jim and Susan McCord became Chapter 1218 members at the meeting. They've settled in Cabool, coming from Ocala, Florida. They are originally from Wisconsin.

Millie is tickled by something Jim is saying about his new book.	Jim McCord introduces himself and his wife, Susan, to the Chapter. They are new members.
Photographs by Sue Kalhoefer

Jim's New Book
Also at the June meeting, Jim Tausworthe donated ten copies of his new book, Through the Eyes of the Tiger, to the Chapter to be sold at $15 each. He also donated another five copies of his previous book, The 405th, also to be sold at $15 each. This book has been very popular, and all the copies Jim donated to the Chapter the first time have been sold. Jim personally autographs each copy at the time of sale. If you haven't read any of Jim's books, now is a good time to start. They really draw you in.

Oshkosh Time
Is anybody planning to go to Oshkosh? Henny and I are going again this year. We are planning to stay for the whole week, camping next to the ultralight landing strip—same place as last year.

The Hangar
Some more of the cabinet work has been completed. Interior doors are installed. A handrail on the stairs to the loft has been added. The guys are talking about the “porch” with lean-to cover to be added on the east side of the hangar, along with a paved walkway to the bridge over the creek. They are planning the shelving along the walls of the meeting room to house the library material.

Interior doors to the upstairs rooms and downstairs utility room, and the handrail.
Photographs by Sue Kalhoefer

Member News
Ed Walker finally moved from Memphis to Missouri. However, he didn't end up in Mansfield as first planned when he bought the hangar there. Instead, his address is now in Fair Grove, Bolivar being the closest airport. The Mansfield hangar is for sale, by the way.

It is so good to see Margaret Ghan out and about again, looking like her real self. She is an inspiration for others battling serious illness to hang tough, and follow through with treatment. Oh, it is not all over, to be sure, but the worst is behind her.

Bill Marx is still wrestling with health problems and needs our prayers, as does Mary.

Jim Evertsen is in the process of developing a website to advertise his helicopter service for rides and tours, aerial photography, and viewing construction sites. It's coming right along—take a look at www.omhllc.com. Henny and I have been pleased to provide him with pictures.

Member Bios & Projects
It's been a while since we had a member bio for the newsletter. There are members who've never submitted their stories. We also like to feature stories on the website about the airplanes our members are building or restoring. And we have one other category of story we like to feature from time to time called Most Memorable Flights. Think about the stories you've enjoyed reading in all three of these categories. Somebody had to submit each one of them. You may think nobody is interested but, believe it or not, they are. We try to keep our newsletter filled with our own original Chapter material, not something that has been published somewhere else. Your editor will help you pull your story together if you will just say you are willing to do it. So let's hear from you. Bill Ghan submitted a series of pictures on DVD last week about “Two-Week Sonerais.” This will appear on the website under Member Projects in the near future. Thank you, Bill, for sharing the story.

July Meeting
The meeting this month will again be at the new hangar, and again we will have potluck. Ron's barbecue will be available for cooking burgers. We will have a short meeting starting at 4:00 p.m., then eat. Days are long enough to fly in and still get home before dark. See you there! Till then, tailwinds!

We Celebrate

July Meeting Announcement