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October 29, 1987 goes down in the record Gabby's saddest day. This is when Amy, his beloved wife and partner of 32 years died. The Black Sheep Squadron flew in formation and dropped flowers over her grave in the Church cemetery, Pikesville. Gabby has continued to live in the same ranch home in Gilbertsville that he and Amy bought together on July 3, 1955.

Gabby lost a good friend on September 25, 1983. This was the upbeat and very popular weather man Jim O'Brien, seen on WPVI-TV broadcasts each weekday. He had visited at Gabby's home several times. Jim was killed in a skydiving accident at the New Hanover Airport only two weeks after attending a picnic at the Renninger home. He had been jumping with the United Parachute Club for seven years and was considered an excellent jumper who was very safety conscious. Jim was also host of a feature show, Prime Time, and had once done a segment on skydiving at the New Hanover Airport.

Gabby's aviation associations, in this area and on a national scale include membership the Civil Air Patrol, Allentown Pilot Club, Western Pilots Club, Reading, Pennsylvania; New Jersey Pilots Association, Trenton, New Jersey; Penn Ridge Pilots Club, Perkasie, Pennsylvania; Aircraft Owners & Pilots Associations National, Washington, D.C.; Perkiomen Valley Tail Draggers, Experimental Aircraft Association, Hales Comers, Wisconsin; the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Quiet Birdmen Hangar.

He holds honorary membership in the OX-5 club of Pennsylvania, Silver Wings Club of Pennsylvania, Delaware County Aero Club, Chester County Aero Club, Lancaster Aero Club, New Philadelphia Aero Club, Aviation Council of Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh Aero Club.

He takes pride in having personally met these people: President Lyndon B Johnson; General Carl A. Spaatz, General lra C. Baker, and Lt. Gen. Elwood Quesada (all three from the Question Mark crew); Governor Milton Shapp, Governor Robert Casey, Vice President Dan Quayle, Oliver North, Robert Reynolds, Lou Davis, Bob Hoover, Art Scholl, Bill Sweet, Duane Cole and wife Judy, William Heller, Paul Harvey, John Baker, Harry Magee, John McFarlane Kay Brick, Najeeb Halaby, Earl Steinhauer, Geo Haddaway, Blanche Noyes, Robert Wallace, Max Karant, Paul Garber, Cole Palen, Albert C. Haynes, Herb Fisher, Harold Blackburn.

And Arthur Godfrey, Clifford Ball, Ernie Hall, Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle, Capt. Ralph S. Barnaby, Max Conrad, William T. Piper, F. Lee Bailey, William Lear, and important aviation figures J. B. Hartranft Jr., John L. Baker, and Astronaut Charles "Pete" Conrad. He entertained at his home and at the Flyer's Roost Astronaut John Fabian.

Another Narrow Escape

Gabby Renninger was one of four people who walked away from a plane crash in the Poconos on September 22, 1991.

Pilot John Yingst of Douglass Township, with passengers Gabby, Marjorie Culcama of Pottstown and Phyllis Oehlert of Royersford, had taken off from Birchwood Pocono Air Park for the return trip of a Pottstown Aircraft Owners & Pilots breakfast flight.

Suddenly the engine didn't have the right power any more, Gabby said later. The plane hit several trees and then cartwheeled. He credited the pilot with doing "a hell of a good job" in bringing the plane down.

None of the four were injured seriously, but they were banged up from the bumpy landing. Gabby suffered a cracked rib and a badly bruised wrist. But of course he will continue flying as long as he lives!

Gabby Retires Again!

When the Pottstown Aircraft Owners and Pilots, Inc. met in February 1991 it was to plan the celebration of its 43rd birthday and to elect a new president. After 32 years of service, Alvin E. Renninger decided to retire.

At that time the PAOP had grown to 339 members, including 29 women pilots, and 86 privately-owned airplanes.

"For me, it has been a lifetime of dedication to a great organization," he told the membership. "I shall remain as a member and now be able to sit back and enjoy the fellowship without the responsibility of leadership. You people made me with all your support at the social affairs planned throughout the 37 years.

"My Dad told me when I was young, 'If you want to do something, do it right or leave it alone.' I was dedicated to this great club. I spoke it, I slept with it, and I ate with it. I always tried to come up with something different. Keep 'em flying; I'll keep trying."

In retiring Gabby recalled the successful history of the club under his leadership:

The club has logged more than 13,153 hours in the air during its breakfast flights, which have taken members to numerous places in a 300-mile radius of Pottstown.

The annual Fly-In Breakfasts over the past 37 years have accommodated 8,740 planes and 30,392 people.

Gabby may have retired as PAOP President, but he continues to be one of the most active persons in the southeastern part of the United States in promoting aviation, patriotism, and good citizenship.