How Do You Want Your Newsletter Delivered? You Decide...

As we start the 2005 year rolling along, we would like to take this opportunity to ask you how you would like your monthly "Low Approach 704" newsletter delivered. With our chapter adapting to the "electronic age", we now have 3 options that you can choose from:

1. US Mail, we’ll mail you the printed version the same way you’ve always gotten it.

2. e-Mail, a ".pdf" file (Adobe PDF Acrobat file) containing the newsletter that will look exactly as the printed version (you can print it yourself or look at it on the screen)

3. Website, all of the information from the newsletter will be posted on the new EAA 704 website/weblog: eaa.blogspot.com

If you would like to remain on the standard mailing list, you need not do anything, the printed newsletter will continue to be sent to your home.

If you would like option 2 or 3, please send an email to: eaa704@gmail.com (don’t forget to include your name) and let us know which option you prefer.

The 2005 EAA Chapter 704 Calendars

The 2005 EAA Chapter 704 Calendars have arrived and are available for purchase.

Stop by the airport lounge and pick one up today (See Vic, Brita, or Chris).

They are priced at $10 each or 3 for $27.

A Message From Our Chapter President, Ron Fritz

I hope this first Chapter 704 newsletter finds you all comfortably through the holiday season and looking forward to the rest of 2005. As your new chapter president I look forward to this coming year and its many challenges.

First, I want to thank the 2004 officers for their efforts to keep the chapter going for another year. The new officers have pledged to take up where the old left off and try to manage the chapter for another successful year. The front page of the newsletter lists the new officers, with one change. Our elected treasurer, Sue Folkringa, has taken a position in Florida and will be leaving Michigan in January. We are sorry to see her leave but wish her the best in her new position in Florida. Jay Dean will take over the job of treasurer in her place.

Your officers met at the Sparta Airport lounge for a pre-meeting meeting on Sunday, January 2nd to set down some ideas for the coming year and try to come up with ideas for chapter activities. We will be doing the same for each upcoming meeting. We will be holding meetings each month, a change from previous years when we cancelled meetings for January and February.

At the before mentioned pre-meeting meeting we did make tentative plans for a chapter banquet for February. At the time of this writing we can’t set down many details as we haven’t reserved a restaurant and meal yet. That will be done by the time of the upcoming January meeting and I hope you can all come to give us some idea what to expect for attendance. The tentative date has been set as Friday, February 18th and our restaurant of first choice is The Swan Inn on Alpine. This will give us two meetings and two newsletters to finalize all details. Watch for this one.

Our newsletter editor, P. J. Bevelacqua, has some wonderful plans for the future newsletters, which he will outline in his newsletter and at the meetings. One will be an on-line newsletter. This will be good.

So much for now, see you at the next meeting.

December Meeting Minutes - EAA Chapter 704 Meeting

December 13th, 2004 7:00 p.m.

Snacks and pizza were consumed prior to the meeting, which was called to order by P.J. Bevelacqua, the only officer present.

Vic Johnson filled us in on the new MDOT programs that would be available in 2005.

The annual election of officers was held. Ron Fritz is our new president, Kathy Hakeem is vice-president, and continues as Young Eagles manager. Sue Folkringa remains treasurer, and Jay Dean is our new secretary. Dan Bauman continues as technical advisor, and P.J. Bevelacqua will continue to handle newsletters, future Web site, and anything else we can stick him with.

We voted to continue having meetings in January and February, and discussed having a banquet at a restaurant or banquet facility. Ron Fritz will check out details, and we will make a decision at the January meeting.

There will be a meeting of the new officers at Sparta Airport, Sunday January 2nd.

We discussed the relative merits of adopting a project (acquiring an airplane or kit to rebuild/build), and of confining our meetings to presentations instead. The matter was tabled for future discussion.

The new officers’ paperwork was gotten out of the way, and the meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

Submitted by Doug Lugthart,
filling in for Secretary Sue Folkringa.
December 16th, 2004

THANK YOU!

On January 2nd, the following message was sent out by one of our members (and former chapter president), Tom Kozura, to all of the students that have used the services of Koz Aero over the past 3 years. I would like to share Tom’s message (below) with all of you and also I would like to thank Tom on behalf of all of us in the EAA Chapter 704 and others around the Sparta Airport.

Thank you Tom, for all that you have done for us and your involvement in helping our Airport grow over the past few years. Your dedication to the students, our chapter and the airport has not gone unoticed. We wish you the best in the return to your flying career and hope to see you when you are not busy flying the "heavies".

-P.J. Bevelacqua, EAA 704 Newsletter/Website

Dear Friends, (January 2, 2005)

It has been really fun these past 3 years here at Sparta. As some of you know, I began instructing here when I was furloughed from Northwest Airlines and in March, I'll be heading back to fly the NWA heavies again.

The School will remain unchanged as Brita will be the new Chief pilot and I will continue to do Tail Wheel on my days off. You will probably see some new planes and faces here this Spring but it will still be the same little flight school you have always known. We have grown to over 200 students and pilots and 26 of you have purchased your own planes. I am proud of each one of your accomplishments from solo to license and it is great to see new pilots at the airport or hear you on the radio and know that we have flown together. It has been my pleasure to fly with all of you these past few years. I hope I have helped you in learning to fly. You have certainly made me a better pilot.

Emerson once said; "To laugh often and to love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of ones self; to leave the world a bit better; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived- this is to have Succeeded"

I believe this School has been a great success and I owe this to you!

Stay in touch!

Thanks everyone!

Keep the greasy side down!

Sincerely,Koz (Tom Kozura)

Congratulations, Goodbye, and Farewell...

On January 1st, New Years Day, our 2004 Secretary/Treasurer Sue Folkringa, passed her IFR Checkride and Oral Exam. She became the first pilot from our airport to get and IFR ticket in 2005.

On January 2nd, the chapter officers had a meeting and Sue announced that she will be leaving our airport and our chapter. Sue got a job offer and is moving to Florida in a week or two.

Sue, on behalf of the chapter and the aiport, we would like say "Congratulations" on becoming an IFR pilot and would like to wish you the best of luck as you and Doug head south. Thank you for your participation and involvement in our chapter, you will be missed.

-P.J. BevelacquaEAA 704 Newsletter/Website

Low Approach January 2005 Newsletter Links From EAA

YOUNG EAGLES VOLUNTEERS ALLOWED CERTAIN TAX DEDUCTIONS
http://www.eaa.org/youngeagles/tax_deductions.html