The second regular meeting of the year 2000 will be held in the Anchor & Shield Club on Thursday, February 17, at 1930.

Alex Grimes

I know some of you may be wondering what is going on with the Air Ops part of our flotilla. While you may not have heard much, we have been very busy trying to get all of the pilots qualified and hopefully another facility approved. Then we can begin in earnest getting the ones who are interested qualified as Observers. I am happy to report that as of now, there are three qualified pilots in the flotilla. Myself, Harold Martin, and Mike Grimes. We have one operational facility, a Cessna 172. Ronnie Wolfe is busily studying for the pilot exam and should be taking the written shortly. Ronnie owns a Cessna 150 and we will be trying to get it operational in the very near future. With two facilities and four pilots, we should be able to meet all of the mission demands as well as provide the necessary experience to those in the Observer program.

In addition to the qualification flights, we have flown approx. 25 hours of MEP (Environmental) patrols with MSO Mobile personnel aboard. These flights are normally 1.5 - 3 hrs in duration, but by the time all of the flight planning, aircraft preflight, calls to CGAS NOLA for orders and then getting the aircraft to Brookley, you have spent the better part of a day. Once the MSO personnel arrive there is a series of briefings, donning of the survival gear, and finally you are ready for the flight. Usually we fly a predetermined route along the western side of the bay, over to Pascagoula, out over the barrier islands and then back up the eastern shore to Brookley. On occasion the route is upriver on one of the many river systems we have. It just depends on where MSO needs to go. Unfortunately, we have yet to patrol without finding some form of pollution. The MSO people aboard have cameras to document all that is found. I will admit, it has been an eye-opener for me. Some appear to be accidents, but others are just wanton disregard for the rules.

Larry Patrick was the first of the Observer candidates to participate in one of these missions. I'm sure he can add more to what these missions are like as he has the surface experience to compare it too. I think, with the exception of one landing, he found it to be pleasant and rewarding.

To those interested in the observer program, one of the requirements is the two-day seminar that includes the survival swim. I am told that it is planned for May this year instead of June. I am also told that space is limited, so please let me or one of the others know so I can try to secure all of us a slot. I can assure you it is a worthwhile and fun weekend.

The Greater Gulf Coast Boat Show starts Thursday, February 17 at the Mobile Convention Center and continues through Sunday February 20. Please contact Deborah Shaw to arrange a time to help man our booth.

The winter doldrums offer an opportunity to do many of those maintenance tasks that often fall victim to procrastination during the spring, summer, and Fall boating season. One of those tasks is inspecting and cleaning the backfire flame arrestors on those boats equipped with installed gasoline engines. The Federal Requirements state, Gasoline engines installed in a vessel after 25 April 1940, except outboard motors, must be equipped with an acceptable means of backfire flame control. The device must be suitably attached to the air intake with a flame tight connection and is required to be Coast Guard approved or comply with SAE J-1928 or UL 1111 standards and marked accordingly.

The purpose of installing a flame arrestor is to prevent an engine backfire from setting fire to combustible materials or explosive fumes near a gasoline engine. After some hours of engine operation there may be an accumulation of oil or grease on the inner and outer surfaces of the flame arrestor. In a worse case scenario an ordinary backfire could ignite this oil or grease and start a fire in the boat’ s engine compartment. Such a fire if undetected and extinguished immediately could result in severe damage or even loss of the boat. It is a good practice to inspect the flame arrestor on a regular basis and to make sure it is free of any accumulation of oil or grease. How often oil or grease will build up on a flame arrestor, if at all, will depend on the type of engine and how it is used and maintained. As the old saying goes, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Donald Krispin, DC-L

Federal income tax regulations allow deductions for out of pocket unreimbursed expenses incurred in the performance of authorized CG or Auxiliary activities as a charitable contribution under section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. These deductions are only allowable if you itemize and meet other IRS criteria. While you should always consult with your personal tax advisor as to the particulars, the following are the sorts of items that may be considered:

• The cost of and maintenance of uniform items which have no civilian utility.
• The payment of dues and donations of money to the Auxiliary.
• Unreimbursed expenditures for meals and lodging contemporaneous with an overnight trip.
• Unreimbursed out of pocket expenses for gas, oil, etc for operating an automobile or facility.

Please be mindful that while the above may be deductible, no portion of boat loans/mortgages, interest, insurance premiums, dockage, storage, annual maintenance, or ancillary equipment (e.g., marine radio, radar) is deductible. This determination applies even if the sole use of the facility or equipment is in support of the CG or AUX as the individual retains both title to and control over the property.

The Directory of Services of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is a guide for the reader to become acquainted with the capabilities and missions of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. It is a 211kb Adobe AcrobatÔ file located at: