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Upcomming Events

Sat Nov 1st

CAP Plane Wash

For more information call Tom Baldwin at 850-575-0596 or Kevin Smith at 671-6716 to reserve a time slot .

Wed Nov 5th

Big Bend Flying Club 7:00PM at Western Sizzlin Speaker TBA

Tuesday Nov 11th EAA 445 Monthly Meeting  6:30 PM at the old terminal bldg at TLH.

Lt Col Melvin A. McKenzie, USAF, Retired will share his experiences as a B-17D pilot, navigator, and maintenance officer in the 19th Bombardment Group, the first U.S. bomber unit to fight in World War II.  Two-thirds of his unit, which deployed to the Philippines in October '41,  were killed or captured by the Japanese.  McKenzie survived numerous close calls and flew twenty-five combat missions before returning from the Pacific with two Silver Stars, a Distinguished Flying Cross, and Bronze Star. 

We will also be electing new officers for 2004.  If you are interested in serving as an officer or if you would like to nominate someone, click here and type in name and office interested in.

Saturday Nov. 15th EAA 445 Fly-in Breakfast and Young Eagles Rally.  Breakfast will start at 9am. Young Eagles flights will begin at 10AM till around 2PM. Lunch will also be served by Chef Dupuis!

EAA Chapter 797 in Live Oak has a monthly fly-in breakfast
from 9-11am the 4th Saturday of each month.  All are welcome!

Former Commercial Pilots Aiding Iraq Airlift 

Article Submitted by Captain DIck Norman

Membership form added to our Website.       Vance White of EAA202 in Panama City helped us with a membership form for the website.  Now it's easy to join or renew your membership to EAA445.  Dues are for one year and are due in Jan but you can join or renew before then  if you would like to.  Click here to go to the form.  You get a  T-shirt for joining.

Park-Airport Plan Proposed For Meigs Site
The Friends of Meigs Field unveiled late Thursday its comprehensive proposal to not only rebuild and reopen an improved Chicago lakefront airport, but to recast the site to also include ample park space, an aviation museum, and many other public amenities. FOM claims its vision, which it would call Bessie Coleman Park, can be funded without Chicago taxpayer contributions by obtaining funds through the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP).
(read more)

EAA 445's  Electronic Newsletter

November   2003 

B17 tour successful despite the weather

Marc Dupuis, Jim Pierce, Rhet White and CAP Cadet 1Lt David Wesolowski  win a ride to Ocala in the B17.                       The CAP was invaluable in making this event possible.

Low  ceilings and rain kept the B17 on the ground most of the time but it didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the volunteers and those that came out to see it.  The event raised an estimated $1,000.00 for our club and allowed us to meet some interesting people.  Like Lt Col Melvin A. McKenzie, USAF, Retired and Virgina Wise who as a WASP was one of a handfull of women who flew the B-17. A special thanks to Flightline and Eagle Aircraft for their support of this event.

Never Again by Walt Critchlow

This incident occurred during the last 53 miles of a 200 mile home bound flight. It was one of those super evenings, visibility 30 miles plus. Not a bump to be found anywhere, so there I sat 4000 feet, fat and happy as can be.

When checking for traffic and monitoring engine gauges I looked with amazement to see the control stick almost over to the passenger side. With disbelief at what I was seeing many things went through my mind.(read more)

Picture of The Month 

An unidentified man pops his head out of the top of the B17 to get a better view as it flies over the federal courthouse in Tallahassee. Click here for a full size view.

AOPA goes to bat for another waterfront airport

Oct. 14 — AOPA is stepping up efforts to protect Albert Whitted Municipal Airport (SPG), located on the bay in St. Petersburg, Fla., from renewed attack. A well-financed vocal minority of anti-airport activists have forced an initiative onto this November's ballot demanding that the city close the airport and turn at least half of it into a park by 2011, 10 years earlier than obligations to the FAA would allow.

"AOPA has been involved in the fight to keep Albert Whitted open for years, winning many battles in the past," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "But as the issue comes to a head on this November's ballot, we're bringing the full weight of AOPA's considerable experience in protecting local airports to bear." Just last week, Boyer and AOPA Vice President of Airports Bill Dunn traveled to St. Petersburg to meet with airport advocates and discuss strategies and how AOPA could support their efforts. More...

Click here for more information on how you can help save SPG.

No one hurt when plane forced to land  

A Comair plane made an emergency landing with no injuries at approximately 8:15 p.m. Thursday 10/23 at the Tallahassee Regional Airport, said Officer Richard McGowan of the Tallahassee Police Department. The plane, traveling to Orlando, had to turn around and come back to Tallahassee because of engine trouble, he said. The unknown number of passengers had to deplane the flight, he said. The plane was manufactured by Canada Air, said Lt. David Hendry of the police department. - tdo online

Rich Ledson oversees engine replacement on the Comair RJ.

EAA445 Member opens a new business in Live Oak

Jim Fessler, one of our Chapter members, is proud to announce the opening of Fessler Aviation, Inc at the Live Oak Airport (24J) in  Suwannee County.

Fessler Aviation is a Modernization and Performance Center specializing  in Piper models, mainly Comanche, Aztec and Senecas at this time. Their mechanic will be performing panel and avionics upgrades, air conditioning installations, turbo-normalizing, inter-coolers, for starters.

Jim is also brokering airplanes as he has done in the past with an aircraft sales company some year back specializing in high-performance twins. He now has two twin Comanches and three Comanche 400s for sale.

Take a short flight and stop by and visit him at his new offices at the Big Hangar (the only one) in Live Oak.

Contact Jim at 386-330-0291 or visit his website   www.piper.aero

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