What a winter we are having. Some of the mildest temperatures in recent history and the least amounts of snow for a while. With another annual dinner and silent auction in the record books, it can certainly be called a success. Hats off to Dave Procyshen for going above and beyond the call of duty by pulling the whole thing together in grand style. The room was large and exclusive. I sense that it was quite the event since there seemed to be no lapse in the conversation at any of the tables. The items up for bid seemed to be well received; no items were left over after the final clinking of the coffee mug. We raised a good amount of revenue, and we look forward to all the good that we can do thanks to your generosity.

To recap the last meeting in February, special thanks to Stu for his detailed analysis of the Linden incident. Seeing the end result and the series of events leading to that point proved to be very informative as well as beneficial to all those who will take the lessons to heart. Thanks also to Bob Kirkby for his report to the club on behalf of COPA. I think we can all agree that good representation on those matters dear to us is an advantage. Seeing some of the narrow-mindedness that we face in keeping the Banff strip open reminds me of just how important his role is.

Thanks.

The next meeting will be with the search and rescue gang. A big tip of the hat to Warren Arnholst for putting us in touch with his friends at CASAR. Not many people know, but Warren has been doing a lot of training with this group. He has flown a few missions looking for aircraft in the mountains, as well as the bald prairie. I will have him speak a little more at the next meeting. Have your questions ready; it will be a rare opportunity to have some interesting stories told.

The Fuel Mule is gone to a new owner. Three people had called within the first week. Pat Cunningham is the new pilot. We found that the prop had corroded out for one reason or another. It made a full power takeoff less than appealing. I found that in flight it was cruising really well. We did a little work on it, and the last report says that all is better. I am glad to see it go to a conscientious, well-rounded, enthusiastic pilot. No tears on my part. I have more than enough memories and pictures to keep me going for a long while. The next project is in the works now, and it will have two engines; stay tuned.

Dan and I flew on the Feb 26. Seeing all that fresh powder and no tracks made it irresistible. We were trying to see the swirls of snow left behind in our wake. Doing touch and goes could be very interesting. The braking action of five inches of powdery white stuff would make Midas Muffler and Brake envious. The only saving grace is a real solid three-point landing, nice and slow. We were very conscious of the nose-over. That day turned out well, and I am looking forward to the longer days ahead.

Wishing you tail winds and no bumps.