"St Louis Flying Club Newsletter"

The plane has successfully passed it's annual inspection and in record time. Thanks to Randy, and John for their help! Even though the annual was completed quickly, the compression test has raised concerns. More details are in the Maintenance section but it appears we may need to do a top overhaul within the next year or two. The good news is we do have the engine overhaul reserve to draw from to pay for the engine work but it will reduce the amount we have when the overhaul comes due. We''ll discuss that in detail at a club meeting once we know more.

In response to the request to use the club's home page photo by the Greyhound Companions, I sent the attached note. I haven't heard a response from GCMO.

To: Pat Grunwald and Ron Michalsky,

The St. Louis Flying Club, Inc. authorizes the non-profit organization, Greyhound Companions of Missouri(GCMO), to reproduce the likeness of our aircraft, superimposed on the arch photograph, for use on fund-raising merchandise that would directly benefit GCMO only. In return for this right, St. Louis Flying Club, Inc. would like seven (7) samples of each different type of merchandise. Please ship the samples to:

St. Louis Flying Club
14815 Sycamore Manor Court
Chesterfield, MO. 63017

Signed,
Michael Piccirilli
President - St. Louis Flying Club, Inc.

Next time you go flying, I hope you notice there is a towel stuffed in the bottom of the cowl to keep birds from building nests in the cowl (thanks to the donator of the towel).

It seems birds have been really motivated to build a nest in our cowl as shown to the right. Please remove and replace the towel, in the opening around the nose gear, on each flight to discourage them. Please ensure there is no nesting material in the cowl, especially on top of the cylinders!

The bill for the annual was much less than usual, coming in at $559.13. This leaves the Adjusted Treasury at about $794, meaning we have money for maintenance or improvements, or at least a good head start on next year.

On the last fuel charge I saw, it looks like fuel is up to an $3.05 per gallon. This is enough to raise the hourly rate by $1 to $48 per hour. With Pic's approval, the bill next month will reflect this. With the auto-gas prices so far up recently, I would not be surprised to see AvGas up more as well. The hourly rate will be adjusted as fuel prices change.

The annual inspection went very smooth this year and was completed in only one day. The compression on one cylinder was down to 61. We will check the compression again when we change the oil in approximately 20 hours to see if there are any improvements. Oil analysis results and oil filter inspections do not show any indications of unusual wear.

When doing your preflight, make sure to look into the oil access door to see if there are any indications of birds nests. You will probably need to use a flashlight to be sure. Based on past experience, you will need to remove at least the top half of the cowl to get all the nest material removed. Do not forget to remove the towel from around the nose gear strut openning to the cowl.

The insurance quote for June 2004 - June 2005 was received. Based on an insured aircraft value of $47,600, the insurance premium is $2,518.00. This is $90 less than last year. The insurance link button has been updated to show the new coverage and costs.

See how much you remember from your FAA Private Pilot and Instrument Rating Written Test by taking a quick 10 question test. Submit your answers and you will receive the correct answers and your score. (Don't worry, only you see the test results and your score.) This is a quick and easy way to keep familiar with the FARs. Use the links below and try to get a 100%:

The links above take you to Kip's FAA written Test Preparation Site. This site can be found directly at: http://www.exams4pilots.org/