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  • 14 Mar 2024 1:02 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    State Aviation Day Scheduled for April 2

    The Missouri aviation community will be meeting in the Capitol on April 2 to participate in State Aviation Day.  This year’s event marks thirteen years in which all segments of the aviation industry have converged on Jefferson City in order to meet with their legislators.

    From 9 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon airport managers, pilots, technicians, consultants, and business owners will be circulating in the capitol in  the third floor Rotunda area.  ALL GSLBAA MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND.

    Gatherings of this type provide opportunities for constituents to have conversations with freshmen legislators who perhaps are just learning about the various facets of the aviation industry and to re-establish relationships previously developed.  In addition, this event provides a venue where stakeholders from across the state can meet and discuss issues they may be facing in their own communities.  

    Aviation plays a critical role in the lives of Missouri citizens, as well as in the operation of farms and businesses resulting in an economic impact of $857 million. General Aviation supports just under 7500 jobs statewide and overall Missouri’s airport system supports over 100,600 with an annual payroll of  $3.1 billion. There are just a few states across the nation that celebrate the economic impact of their aviation industry in a similar fashion. 

    The driving force behind the development of this event have been 3 associations; the Missouri Pilots Association (MPA), the Missouri Airport Managers Association (MAMA), and the Missouri State Aviation Council (MOSAC). More information is available at mama-mosac.com.

  • 01 Feb 2024 10:27 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Obituary

    Rodney McCoy, 76, formerly of East St. Louis, Illinois, was born Saturday, February 23rd, 1946, and died while surrounded by his loving family on Friday, January 20th, 2023, at his home in Ormond Beach, Florida.

    Rod retired after 32 years with Emerson Electric (Corporate Pilot) in St. Louis, Missouri. He flew all over the world and made numerous long lasting friendships with his coworkers. He enjoyed bass fishing, even competitively fishing in BASS tournaments throughout the United States. Rod also enjoyed playing golf, archery and had a passion for his many corvettes. Coaching his children’s sports was also a beloved activity. He joined the Route 66 Corvette club in 2005, served as club president for a term, loved racing autocross, and joined in road runs. He moved to Florida from Lake St Louis, Missouri in 2015.

    Rod was preceded in death by his parents, John and Frances McCoy and the family that raised him, Michael and Lillian Kokotovich, and his sisters Cheryl, Marsha, and brother Brian.

    He is survived by his wife, Victoria; son, Ken and Debbie McCoy; daughters, Staci and Matt Lockey; Jennifer and Dustin Waldrop; twelve beloved grandchildren and one much loved great-grandchild; brothers Terry and John; sisters, Colleen and Robin, and stepson, John Dennis.

    Rod’s wishes were to donate his body to science in hopes of furthering cancer research, and there would be no formal memorial service. His wife, children and friends celebrated his life in a private gathering at his home.

    Rod loved his pets dearly, in lieu of flowers a donation to your local Humane Society or Cancer research in his name is suggested.

  • 15 Jan 2024 11:14 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    It is with heavy heart that we share this sad news. Dave Thompson, former SUS based aircraft maintenance technician died suddenly at his Franktown CO, home during the night of January 7, 2024.

    When as a young man, Dave came to St. Louis, he worked for Surdex Corp, then Executive Beechcraft Stl Inc, where he was a highly regarded team member. He was then hired by Charter Communication where he worked for many years as their Director of Maintenance.

    Dave’s most recent position was that of Director of Maintenance for a Gulfstream based at Centennial.

    Dave is survived by his dear wife Karen and their two children. Dave will be greatly missed. He was a very smart, passionate and energetic gentleman.

    There is currently no actual obit. Services will be this Thursday, January 18, 2024, 3:00 - 4:00 in Parker Colorado at the Parker Funeral Home and Crematory.

  • 27 May 2023 11:38 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of GSLBAA President Jeremy Cox. Jeremy was a leader in our community and has furthered business aviation for all in St. Louis. From flight departments to students, Jeremy has championed our needs and promoted our industry without waiver. Jeremy passed earlier this week. We will continue to keep everyone posted on the funeral arrangements.

    Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts.

    Tom Buffington
    GSLBAA Vice President

  • 17 Apr 2023 12:43 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    John Joseph Speckin, 57, of Olathe, KS, passed away on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Visitation will be Thursday, April 20th at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 13615 W. 92nd Lenexa, KS 66215. A Rosary will be prayed at 4:00 PM with visitation until 7:00 PM. Funeral Mass will begin at 10:30 AM with Eulogies at 10:00 AM Friday, April 21, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Burial will be in Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa, KS.

    John was born October 14, 1965, in Kansas City, KS to Paul and Dorothy (Otten) Speckin. He attended Saint Joseph Grade School and Aquinas High School in Shawnee, KS. He loved all sports and excelled in basketball and football. Many of his friendships formed during those years remained strong and intact. John attended the University of Kansas and received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in May of 1989.

    John was introduced to his future wife, Kim, by his close friend and roommate just before the KU ’88 National Championship run. They were married on July 7, 1990 and have four children. Family and faith were cornerstones of their relationship. John was kind, caring, and selfless in every aspect of his life. While leading quietly by example, John was a perfect role model to his children and others on how to emulate Christ through being an amazing spouse, father, son, sibling, friend and colleague.

    Upon graduating KU, John began his 34-year career with the FAA as an engineer. One of his personal favorite claims to fame was both designing and building the still strong standing MCI Air Traffic Control Tower. In 2007, John was selected as the Deputy Regional Administrator for the Central Region encompassing the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Serving as a subject matter expert in a variety of areas, John was also selected for numerous details that included Acting Regional Administrator, Manager Technical Operations and Acting Director of the Aviation Logistics Organization where he provided executive oversight of the FAA’s real and personal property assets. In 2022, John was selected as Executive Director, Service Centers where he provided executive oversight of shared services delivery to air traffic controllers and technicians, which is accomplished by over 1,200 employees located in the three Service Centers in Atlanta, Fort Worth and Seattle. John honorably served the federal government in a variety of technical and leadership roles, including his thorough research and work on the national COVID Response Team. John won numerous awards for his government service including peer awards for Employee of the Year, Central Regional Manager of the Year, COVID Team Award, recognition by the Federal Executive Board Team on Environmental Processes, among other awards. John was a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia and was a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Kansas.

    John will be remembered for his love of family, loyalty to friends and eagerness to always help others. He had a passion for all things sports, but none more important than the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) where he coached all four of his children and their many friends. He was a proud Board Member for five years that included presiding as President for the last three years. John was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society.

    John was preceded in death by his father Paul; maternal grandparents Carl and Anna Otten; paternal grandparents Paul and Sadie Speckin; and brother-in-law Greg Hill. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Kim, and their children: Andrew (wife Abbey), Alex (wife Rachel), Anna and Abby. Siblings: Alisa Ford (husband Bill), Mark Speckin, Kathy Hill, Mary Mathew (husband Todd), David Speckin (wife Mary) and numerous nieces and nephews whom he cherished. As well as Myron and Marge Lang (In-Laws), Lisa Storms (husband Andy) and Jarrod Lang (wife Karen). He will forever be known as the glue to our family foundation.

    Though John’s sudden passing has left us with much sorrow, we find comfort in knowing he will continue to be a hero as an organ donor. We have many people to thank that starts with First Responders who were called to our home, the ER staff of Overland Park Regional Medical Center, the HCA Life Flight crew, the Neuro ICU staff at Research Medical Center, the Midwest Transplant Network team and the legions of prayer warriors that includes family, our community of friends, co-workers and the many others we have yet to meet who were praying for our family.

    In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions to St. Jude's Hospital or CYO (Catholic Youth Organization). As it was so very important to John that those in need be able to participate with sports in their Catholic communities, CYO has established The John Speckin Scholarship Fund. You can visit the following link https://cyojwa.org/donations and view Featured Items to locate the Scholarship Fund.

    John Speckin Obituary, Death – John Speckin, the Deputy Regional Administrator for the Central Region of the FAA, which includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska has died. Mr. Speckin oversees FAA projects such as airport obstruction standards, succession planning for regions and center operations, and optimization, and he collaborates closely with aviation stakeholders, airport authorities, local and state governments, and Members of Congress.

    Mr. Speckin was also the Acting Director of the Aviation Logistics Organization (ALO), where he was in charge of the FAA’s real and personal property assets. He was in charge of approximately 267,000 assets, a motor fleet of over 4,400 GSA and 218 FAA-owned vehicles, 3,500 leases, and the DOT’s real property asset management, which included 62,000 assets, in that role. ALO also manages 1.5 million square feet of administrative space and designs and constructs offices.

    Mr. Speckin began his career with the FAA as an engineer in 1989 and was named Regional St. Louis Program Manager in 1996, where he oversaw the $2.6 billion expansion of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, integrating both FAA and airport activities required to commission the new runway and other airfield improvements. In 2001, he was employed as the Air Traffic Organization’s Terminal Planning Account Manager, where he was responsible for all Central Region Terminal facilities’ tactical and strategic planning.

    As an Account Manager, Mr. Speckin was responsible for national planning initiatives, the development of sustainment models for ATCTs and TRACONs, and the design of NextGen control facilities, including the larger East coast facilities. In 2007, he was assigned to his current position as Deputy Regional Manager, Central Region. Mr. Speckin earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia, and is a Kansas-licensed Professional Engineer.

  • 10 Feb 2022 3:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    Bi-State Development Names New Director for
    St. Louis Downtown Airport


    Bi-State Development is excited to announce Sandra Shore as the new director to lead St. Louis Downtown Airport operations starting February 28. The airport is the busiest general aviation airport in Illinois and the third busiest airport overall in the state after O’Hare and Midway. St. Louis Downtown Airport contributes more than $422 million in annual economic benefits to the local economy and is located on 1,000 acres in St. Clair County in Cahokia Heights and Sauget, just across the Mississippi River from the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.

    Shore is currently the airport director at Quincy Regional Airport in Quincy, Illinois where she has held the position since 2018. Prior to that, Shore was the airport manager at Floyd W. Jones Lebanon Airport in Lebanon, Missouri. Her experience ranges from general aviation and fixed based operation to Part 139 certified air service airports. During her time at Quincy Regional Airport, she managed more than $7 million in federal Airport Improvement Funding, secured an additional $18 million in funding, and has programmed another $17 million in airport funding over the next two years. Shore replaces Erick Dahl who served as director of St. Louis Downtown Airport for nearly 8 years before leaving last fall to pursue another opportunity.

    “We are pleased that Sandra will join our team to lead our airport operations into the future. With St. Louis Downtown Airport being located on 1,000 acres of prime real estate practically in the shadow of the Gateway Arch, we welcome her fresh view on generating new business and new tenants which will benefit St. Clair County and our region,” said Taulby Roach, President and CEO of Bi-State Development, the organization that owns and operates the airport.

    “My passion is capital and business development. I welcome the opportunity to join the Bi-State Development team and look forward to exploring new capital and business development opportunities that could bring new aviation related jobs and new partnerships to St. Louis Downtown Airport and St. Clair County,” Shore said.

    Read More

  • 10 Feb 2022 2:52 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    DALLAS, TEXAS (January 25, 2022) -- TAC Air is moving Christina Lang to lead its St Louis fixed base operation (FBO) as General Manager (GM) at Spirit of St Louis Airport in Chesterfield, Missouri after serving as GM at the Fort Smith, Arkansas FBO for the past two years. An eight-year veteran of TAC Air, Lang joins the team at TAC Air - SUS as a hands-on manager of the business utilizing experience from her time as GM at TAC Air - FSM. Lang, excited to take on her new role, expressed “Fort Smith was an amazing location to hone my General Manager skills. FSM does a bit of everything including airline support, military support services, general aviation ground services and air charter ground support. I know I will be able to take what I learned at FSM and apply it to SUS, one of the largest GA-only airports in the Midwest.”

    Lang relocated to Fort Smith from Dallas, where she served three years in a system-wide role for TAC Air as Manager of Administrative Services. Prior to that, Lang worked as Customer Service Manager (CSM) at TAC Air - RDU in Raleigh-Durham, NC and Customer Service Representative at TAC Air - PVU in Provo, UT. She charted her course in aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ, where she studied Aeronautical Science. Lang completed her commercial pilot certificate and worked as a corporate pilot flying mining executives in Arizona and New Mexico.

    Christina Lang Press Release.pdf


  • 19 Jan 2022 12:05 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    We are saddened by the loss of Carol Becker. She was Monsanto's scheduler from 1996 until she retired in 2010. Per her request there are no services scheduled. Carol was loved by many and will be missed by all.
    Obituary

  • 23 Dec 2021 8:03 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    NEW AVIATION SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS IN THE MIDWEST

    A longtime flight instructor and avid supporter of general aviation is being remembered through a scholarship, keeping his name and legacy alive for future generations of aviation students.

    Ed Shafer (left) with Paul Guse (right) and Guse’s former aircraft co-owner, Cindy Heilig. Photo courtesy of Paul Guse.


    Ed Shafer (left) with Paul Guse (right) and Guse’s former aircraft co-owner, Cindy Heilig. Photo courtesy of Paul Guse.

    The Edward B. Shafer Future of Flight Scholarship Endowment Fund was established through a generous gift to the AOPA Foundation by member Paul Guse. The endowment will provide a $5,000 annual scholarship to be awarded to an individual pursuing a career in aviation, including aerospace engineering; flying professionally as an airline pilot, corporate pilot, etc.; flight instruction; aircraft maintenance; and airport management.

    Shafer was renowned in the St. Louis-area GA community, serving as a flight instructor for more than six decades. A U.S. Air Force veteran, his enduring commitment to aviation safety was recognized in 2019 with the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. As owner and operator of St. Louis Metro-East Airport/Shafer Field, he positively influenced hundreds of new and experienced aviators, generously sharing his knowledge and experience with kindness, patience, and humor.

    Shafer died in September 2020 at the age of 89.

    “Ed was a rock of aviation in the St. Louis region,” said Guse. “He was my dad’s CFI, I grew up around him and he helped foster my passion for flying. His legacy is more than worthy of this scholarship program.

    “Every hour I spent with Ed, whether in the cockpit or just sitting in the hangar, was an amazing hour. While he was passionate about safety, he knew flying had to be fun—he had an amazing gift to combine the two.”

    To be eligible for the scholarship, each applicant must be:

    • A current AOPA member at the time of application and award.
    • A U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident.
    • Currently enrolled at an accredited university or college and pursuing a career in aviation.

    Applications for the 2022 cycle will be accepted until February 11. Learn more about the AOPA Foundation Flight Training Scholarship program and how to apply.


    Article:
    https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2021/december/20/new-aviation-scholarship-available-to-students-in-the-midwest

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