St Louis Flying Club Newsletter - 15 August 1993

From The President - By Mike Piccirilli

Dear Members,

We must all be livlng right! When the last newsletter went out, the 172 was awaiting the insurance paperwork to be processed to get the aileron replaced. As we were waiting, the flood waters kept inching up. The insurance claim adjusters wanted pictures, copies of the logbook and registration. But the long pole was getting an estimate. The threat of the levies breaking was causing the repair shop to put us on the back burner so he could get the planes in his shop repaired. I finally bugged him enough to get the estimate and mail it off to the claims adjuster. Instead of waiting for the official OK from the adjuster, I told the repair shop to get an aileron, based on my authorization, so the 172 would be fIyable. The aileron arrived Thursday, 29 July. The repair shop promised to put it on the next day. At 7:00 Friday, the 30th, Spirit Airport called me at home and stated they were issueing a precautionary evacuation order. At 12:00, I got a call at work that the airplane was ready to go. C.J. offered to drive me to Spirit so I could fly the plane to Weiss. C.J. then went to Weiss, helped me tie it down and drove me back to work. 10:00 Friday night the levy broke!

For those of you that haven't been to Weiss to see the airplane, it is parked on the west side (the runway runs North and South) behind the row of T-hangers, on the grass. Welss ls jammed with planes and they have set up a temporary control tower, operating on 120.3. You have to take the plane to the pumps to get gas. Pay for it yourself and the club will reimburse you. Make sure you check carefully for water in the fuel as I know it has been sitting with only partially full tanks.

With all the commotion of the flood and I am starting a new job at MAC, I didn't get to go out to check the aircraft log. The only person I know that has flown it over the mlnlmum this month was Charlie so I Just estimated the time. I will correct them to actual readings next month.

Emerson has started doing some work with the Red Cross and he wanted me to tell you that the best time to reach him for scheduling the 172 is late afternoons or evenings.

Bill Wagner called me to check on the 172 since he saw the flooding in Chesterfield on the national news. Bill is living in Arkansas, close to the Cherokee Village airport. His phone number is 501-257-4822.

Charlie McMullin has good news on the appeal. The appeal will be argued on Sept. 7. The appeals court had alerted both lawyers that they didn't feel they needed to hear any arguments, that the transcripts of the case were self explanatory. But the county lawyer asked for the arguments to be heard anyway as he wanted the experience.

The appeals court action can be construed to mean that they don't think the county has any basis for winning the appeal. Charlie also stated that if we win, the county owes us 9% interest from the time of the decision ln January.

I haven't received a bill for the aileron repair yet. I did get insurance paperwork to sign that states they will pay us the estimate $700 minus the $100 deductible. The repair shop estimate included $100 for palnting. Since we got a salvaged aileron that was in good shape, it didn't need to be painted. It looks like the $600 insurance check will pay off the repair in full!

Happy Landings,

Mike Piccirilli

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