September 2006

Hello, Members!
Summer is winding down, while work on the hangar is speeding up. It seems to be no time between one meeting and the next, one project and the next, as we get ready to dedicate the hangar in October. And we keep welcoming new members, a great thing.

Ron planes a board which will become a cabinet door.	The cabinets require a lot of doors.
Photographs by Fred Kalhoefer

Hangar Work
Can you believe how quickly time is marching toward the hangar dedication? I know the folks who are working hard to complete the project are aware of it. Just about nothing else occupies their time and their thoughts. Workdays twice a week are paying off. The work now is quite specialized; cabinet making calls for real talent. Much of this work has taken place at Ron White’s home workshop. One team works there to build drawer fronts and doors from raw lumber, while the other team works at installation and finishing at the hangar in the meeting room, kitchen, and bathrooms. At the same time, utility shelving is being built in the loft, and the staircase is being finished.

One of the upstairs storage room walls ready for shelving.	Lots of strong shelving for tools and supplies in each room.
Photographs by Fred Kalhoefer

Bill sands a door for finishing. Installed doors are seen in the kitchen.	Tom Bentele’s friend, Ben, came to work and painted the stairs to the loft.
Photographs by Fred Kalhoefer

August Meeting: Dedication Planning
At the August meeting, discussion was mainly of preparation for the dedication ceremony at the October 7 meeting. The committee responsible for planning is attending to every detail. Formal invitations have gone out to EAA officials in Oshkosh, other EAA chapters, the multitude of sponsors, and a general invitation to MPA members is in the September state newsletter. The program agenda is developing with recognitions and entertainment. Local area politicians have been invited as speakers and attendees. A T-shirt for Chapter members to wear, identifying us as hosts, arrived and was distributed. Members who no longer have (or never had) name pins were encouraged to order new ones before the dedication. Members with experimental aircraft parked them in front of the hangar and pictures were taken to include in announcements and programs. Signs will be placed in various areas of the hangar denoting the sponsor who donated the materials for that portion of the project. Directional signs, food, music — a myriad of other details — are all being done. Last but not least there will be a cleaning day announced for all members. The chairs, especially, need to be scrubbed. Plan to make time available for this.

Good attendance at the meeting.	Henny calls for officers’ reports.	Ron White gives the hangar report.
Jim Vokac gives the dedication planning committee report.	Food in the almost-finished kitchen.	Donations for kitchen utensils.
Photographs by Sue Kalhoefer

After the meeting, we all enjoyed burgers and brats cooked by Tom White. We had numerous delicious side dishes, too. Isn’t it wonderful how our members always go all out when it comes to bringing food. It’s been a while since we last recognized you—you are appreciated!

Young Eagles Activities
A small group of Young Eagles took flight on August 16 at Mountain Grove. They were mainly members of one family of home schooled children, plus the “airport kid” from Mansfield. Henny and Sue made the flights, while paperwork was handled by Arnie Zimmerman, in the Ozarks for a visit to his vacation home at Arnika Ranch. Arnie is the Young Eagles Coordinator for Chapter 461, outside of Chicago. At the airport where that Chapter meets (a small airport with a large airport name, Clow International), they have a Young Eagles Rally every first Saturday of the month from April to December. Word came back from Arnie that they flew 59 Young Eagles on September 2. Oshkosh attendees know Arnie as the guy with the Breezy who gives free rides.

A family of home schooled children came for Young Eagles rides.	Arnie Zimmerman prints certificates.	The kids flew the simulator, too.
Photographs by Henny Christensen

In the meantime, our planned Young Eagles session at Mansfield for a group of Baptist Church kids, had to be canceled for thunderstorms. (The rain was needed and welcome.) It is rescheduled for this Saturday, September 9, in the morning. Fly to Mansfield for Young Eagles, then fly to Willow Springs for the meeting.

Our school team has been requested to come to the Mountain Grove Home Schoolers Cooperative again this year and teach the classes for one day, with opportunity to fly the simulator. This session will be September 22. Denise Kelley, the school’s representative, said the classes held last year made a tremendous impression on the students.

A new project involving Boy Scouts was requested by James Wiley. This will be a little different than anything we have done with youth to date. The Scouts have their own program criteria, which leads to merit badges. Jim Evertsen volunteered to help James with this, having prior experience working with Boy Scouts through his church, and Tom White also offered to help. They should feel free to call upon our existing school team members wherever and whenever needed.

MPA Visit
South Central MPA had one of their best-attended meetings in months at our new hangar on August 26 in the afternoon. It has taken a long time to get away from “restaurant hopping,” as Bob put it, but it may pay off. Potlucks forever!

September Meeting
This month’s meeting on Saturday, September 9, will be the last general Chapter meeting before the dedication ceremony/meeting. Everybody please plan to attend, find out what is left to do, and do it. The meeting will be at 4:00 p.m., followed by a supper of ribs and brisket about 5:00 p.m. Bring sides and desserts, as usual. We are expecting our newest member, Al Grant, to be there. He has the little airplane you’ve noticed in Chuck Hiett’s hangar at Willow Springs. At first glance, it looks like a Piper Cub. But it is an ultralight dressed up as a Cub, a Kitfox “Kitten,” really cute.

The invitation in the state MPA newsletter next to the new “patch” printed on T-shirts for members.	Al Grant’s Kitfox “Kitten,” an ultralight dressed up as a Piper Cub. Al, a student, is practicing ground handling.
Photograph by Sue Kalhoefer	Photograph by Fred Kalhoefer

We’ll see you all at the meeting. Till then, tailwinds!

We Celebrate

September Meeting Announcement