The weather forecast didn?t look too good for an all-dry LOE?06, but as Rick Freeman always says, ?never cancel on a forecast.? We had VFR for the arrival from Dallas but the return was going to be work. As it ended up it was partial work. We flew VFR most of the way home (40min to go) but couldn?t get any closer than Abilene, so we landed, had a nice lunch with one of our pilot?s Dad at a local steakhouse and rented a car for the final push. Lots of laughing on the way back. We?ll get the planes later in the week when the weather is better ? Abilene is pretty close via RV. In the office and no worries Monday morning?a good decision to stop.
I?m told there were 110 RVs at the event, a few spammers and one T-28C that did an awesome set of fly-bys on Saturday. The prep work done by the War Eagles Museum was spectacular - we had everything we needed. Friday night?s ?sunset social? did not disappoint. I was told there was four times the beer this year from last and some of the guys that actually MADE the microbrew were in attendance to answer questions. The only item on the agenda Friday was the 4pm ?sunset social?. It?s always fun and laid back.
After that a few of us went to a nearby restaurant and hit the sack early ? earlier plans were changed at the last minute in order to go to bed sooner. Too pooped?
Saturday we woke to rain, but most of the people had arrived already so we milled around the planes and toured the beautiful museum. Around 1100 the sky was good for some air to air, so we crammed the camera gear and my skinny hide in ?Beautiful Doll? and went up with the goal of photographing some RV-10s. Stay tuned on this?.we got some really good shots of Tim Olson, Vic Syracuse and Alex DeDominicis? RV-10s both in formation and solo. I think you?ll be pleased!
Lunch followed and more socializing, and more RV gawking, until around 3:30pm when we ran back to the hotel to rest and clean up before the banquet/raffle. 5pm had us back at the field for some more microbrew and socializing. The food was outstanding and plentiful, just like last year. Everyone got all they could eat with the added bonus of one of the prettier sunsets I?ve seen in awhile ? we opened up the hangar doors so people could enjoy the view from their tables. Several folks got up and went outside to take pictures.
Red gave his always-entertaining pep talk, Larry Vetterman told a quick recap of the history of the event and Ken Krueger talked about the RV-12. Trophies were handed out and then the raffle drawing was held. Red?s daughter Amy and her husband Joe sat and sold tickets all weekend and wouldn?t tell ANYONE how much they had collected. Tim and Andrea Olson?s young daughter Colleen had the honors of picking all the winning tickets and did a great job. Just before the grand prize drawing Amy handed me a slip of paper with a total on it: $14,260.
You read that right. $14,260?in cash.
Reps from the two charities were brought up and were each handed a LARGE envelope with $7,130 in each. Lots of clapping, whooping and feeling good followed.
To bed and early up had us at the field 0700 for some standing around. The return trip was a challenge and (for us) a wonderful opportunity to show the people in the group with less-than-ATP experience a real-world example of ?when to stop?. We all got home later in the day via rental Chevy SUV.
This event does not occur without sizable effort from Red Marron, Larry Vetterman, the War Eagles Museum and many others, not to mention the CONSIDERABLE generosity of several companies and all the attendees. Wonderful, wonderful people all and I?m honored to call them all friends.
Hope you can come next year!
dr
I?m told there were 110 RVs at the event, a few spammers and one T-28C that did an awesome set of fly-bys on Saturday. The prep work done by the War Eagles Museum was spectacular - we had everything we needed. Friday night?s ?sunset social? did not disappoint. I was told there was four times the beer this year from last and some of the guys that actually MADE the microbrew were in attendance to answer questions. The only item on the agenda Friday was the 4pm ?sunset social?. It?s always fun and laid back.
After that a few of us went to a nearby restaurant and hit the sack early ? earlier plans were changed at the last minute in order to go to bed sooner. Too pooped?
Saturday we woke to rain, but most of the people had arrived already so we milled around the planes and toured the beautiful museum. Around 1100 the sky was good for some air to air, so we crammed the camera gear and my skinny hide in ?Beautiful Doll? and went up with the goal of photographing some RV-10s. Stay tuned on this?.we got some really good shots of Tim Olson, Vic Syracuse and Alex DeDominicis? RV-10s both in formation and solo. I think you?ll be pleased!
Lunch followed and more socializing, and more RV gawking, until around 3:30pm when we ran back to the hotel to rest and clean up before the banquet/raffle. 5pm had us back at the field for some more microbrew and socializing. The food was outstanding and plentiful, just like last year. Everyone got all they could eat with the added bonus of one of the prettier sunsets I?ve seen in awhile ? we opened up the hangar doors so people could enjoy the view from their tables. Several folks got up and went outside to take pictures.
Red gave his always-entertaining pep talk, Larry Vetterman told a quick recap of the history of the event and Ken Krueger talked about the RV-12. Trophies were handed out and then the raffle drawing was held. Red?s daughter Amy and her husband Joe sat and sold tickets all weekend and wouldn?t tell ANYONE how much they had collected. Tim and Andrea Olson?s young daughter Colleen had the honors of picking all the winning tickets and did a great job. Just before the grand prize drawing Amy handed me a slip of paper with a total on it: $14,260.
You read that right. $14,260?in cash.
Reps from the two charities were brought up and were each handed a LARGE envelope with $7,130 in each. Lots of clapping, whooping and feeling good followed.
To bed and early up had us at the field 0700 for some standing around. The return trip was a challenge and (for us) a wonderful opportunity to show the people in the group with less-than-ATP experience a real-world example of ?when to stop?. We all got home later in the day via rental Chevy SUV.
This event does not occur without sizable effort from Red Marron, Larry Vetterman, the War Eagles Museum and many others, not to mention the CONSIDERABLE generosity of several companies and all the attendees. Wonderful, wonderful people all and I?m honored to call them all friends.
Hope you can come next year!
dr
