The Voice of General Aviation in Montana

VIGILANTE HANGAR REPORT

Reported by Nigel Davis 3-26-03

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COLSTRIP HANGAR REPORT

Reported by B J Egan 4- 27-03

Life is good! The Colstrip Hangar has moved their meetings back to the airport for the summer. Our meetings are always a very social time with great food and camaraderie that leaves one fearing the scales the next morning.

Plans for summer projects are to finish the siding of the equipment shelter and to rebuild the segmented circle. The Antique Aircraft Association has been kind enough to include Colstrip in their noon lunch stop on June 18th. Tours of the mining operation and the power plants will be arranged along with a good lunch.

Just two weeks later on the 12th of July we are having an Airport Appreciation day with breakfast and entertainment to get the Community out to see and enjoy their airport.

We are planning one fly-out this summer. The site is chosen fairly close by so that all classes of airplanes can participate and travel together. Hopefully arriving about the same time. Sheridan Wyo. is always a favorite. The Holiday Inn has a Sunday Brunch that is great and they provide free transportation to and from the airport. Planning projects always has its problems with shift work schedules. We never get the whole bunch but try to do the best we can. Overhaul of the steam fired electric generators takes place in April through June every year. It is important that the down time takes place during the high water flows when the hydro driven generators can generate electricity much cheaper than the coal fired generators. During this time most every one works long hours with considerable over time and little time for flying and doing fun stuff.

Call us, there times that not all are working and we like to join in your flying fun. ( 406-477-6645 )



GREAT FALLS HANGAR NEWS

Report by Dan Prill 4-25-03

The Great Falls Hangar is meeting the third Tuesday of every month in conjunction with the Great Falls chapter of the EAA. We alternate with the EAA as to who will provide the program for the month. Our last meeting was April 15th and we had Bob Gadsby from US Customs give a talk about the procedures for flying into and out of the USA. The talk was very informative and will be helpful to those of us who want to fly to Canada. Things have changed and tightened up so pilots need to be informed before leaving and when entering our country.

The Great Falls Hangar is planning a poker run on June 20th. The preliminary itinerary is Great Falls, Lewistown, Cow Coulee (A Missouri River Breaks Strips been cleaned by the Recreational Airstrip Committee), Chinook, Big Sandy, and Great Falls. Fort Benton will be used as an alternate for those who do not want to go to Cow Coulee or if Cow Coulee is muddy. We will advertise on the MPA web site and hopefully we can get participation from our hangars.

We have had plans to help with the Missouri Breaks strips but the weather has sent them amuck.

The Great Falls Hangar has two people on a joint committee with the Great Falls Airport Authority and the Great Falls chapter of the EAA to work on the 2004 Aviation Conference to be held in Great Falls. Our first meeting will be May 8th. Debbie Alkie will meet with us and start the process of organizing the conference Debbie has now met with the Missoula folks and will brief us on the do’s and don’t for the 2004 Conference. The Great Falls Hangar representatives are Mike Reardon and myself. I will keep you informed of the progress.



SANDERS COUNTY HANGAR REPORT
Plains, Montana
September 13, 2002


The Sanders County Hangar of the Montana Pilots' Association met for its September quarterly meeting in John and Frances Rotter's hangar on the Thompson Falls airport. The Rotter's graciously cooked hamburgers and furnished soft drinks for the 25 members and guests that attended on the late-summer evening.

Socializing before dinner at Rotter's hangar at Thompson Falls.

Hangar president John Rotter asked each pilot in the group for a recounting of their flying adventures during the summer. The stories ranged from local flying and camping in western Montana and Idaho to Rotter's trip to Alaska and Dan Lilja's fishing trip in Saskatchewan. Eric Doty noted that he'd taken 9 people for first-time flights in the last month! Pete and Dave Bennett told about being asked to brief the Noxon / Heron Emergency Responders on priorities at an aircraft accident. Earlier in the summer a Taylorcraft airplane had crashed at a private strip near Noxon. The ELT remained activated for several days after the crash and the responders were unfamiliar with master switches and fuel valves. Dave landed his seaplane Super Cub on the river at Noxon and Pete threaded his Cessna 206 onto the little-used railway grade / airstrip between the river and town for the briefing. The Gipes mentioned several fly-ins and breakfast hops they made this summer including Colville, Washington and Elk River, Idaho. Some of the members also participated in the June Poker Run the hangar sponsored. Jim and Connie Gipe were the winners with two pairs.

Dave Bennett showed some slides after the sun went down from his trip this summer to Oshkosh. Dave was very impressed with the airshows and new gadgets and planes on display at the EAA show.

The group dispersed about 9:00 and the few that shunned surface transportation and flew into THM enjoyed a beautiful night flight home on a warm moon-struck evening.

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