Spring 2004 SOAP Fly In and Meeting
 

VOTE FOR THE LOCATION OF THE SPRING '04 SOAP MEETING!

During the Spring '03 meeting, the following committee was appointed/drafted to plan the next meeteng: Larry Bowdish, Kevin Kenison, Paul S. Rooy, Jerry De Santis and Brian Von Herzen. We figured the best procedure would be to come of with a short list of locations, and then have prospective attendees vote on the winning location. After many e-mails we came up with the following short list of locations (in alphabetical order) to have the meeting at around the same time as the Spring '03 meeting: April 22 - 24/2004 (Thu - Sat):

1. Key West, FL: Key West features Duval St., with lots of shopping, Sloppy Joe's Bar (ex-Hemmingway hangout), Schooner's Seafood Bar with rooftop seating overlooking the port, day and 1/2 day reef snorkling trips, and of course the Conch Train and the lighthouse musem. An hour's guided tour of Hemmingway's House with its 7-toed mutant cats is a low-cost and interesting visit. It is de rigeaur to be at Mallory Square for sunset and the street performers - with any luck the tightrope-walking dog is still there, and the band Caribe is generally plaing latin music. Fun, sand, beaches, margaritas. Maybe we can do a short hop to Cuba by then, and pick up some cigars :-)

2. Memphis, TN: Centrally located to maximize attendance. Memphis' DeWitt Spain is a charming little airport just north of downtown Memphis, and last time Paul was there (7/03) self-serve fuel was $2.49/gal. The Sleep-In downtown was $79/night breakfast included, and within easy walking distance of Beale Street (home of the BIG HUGE carry-out beers, and Delta Blues being played by good local bands every other doorway). Of course there are other things to be seen there - the Mississippi River museum, featuring full size boat section mock-ups and a working scale model of the Mississippi river about 1 mi long (you walk along it), Graceland (with two of Elvis' airplanes), the Botanical Gardens, etc.

3. Oklahoma City, OK: Don Neiser, Commodore Aerospace, lots of Skymaster parts, home for the FAA. Don has said that there is a meeting facility on/near the airport which could be rented for our meeting. There are lots of nearby motels. MillionAir is the only FBO, they manage the airport for the town. Don currently has 4 O-2's in his hangar under some form of restoration.

4. Pueblo, CO: Skiing and hiking in the mountains, depending on the time of year. Very scenic! Maybe we can all go spend a week at Brian's Von Herzen's place after the get-together.

5. Santa Fe, NM: Has a great art scene, restaurants and a good airport. Brian Von Herzen goes in there often to visit friends and enjoy the town. It even has some skiing in the winter! Best times in Santa Fe are fall and spring.

Voting closes on 12/6/2003, so please record your preference by then. One vote per prospective attendee, please, and remember - if your choice wins, you're morally obligated to attend!

For clarity, liability, etc. etc.:

The organizers of this meeting have chosen to call it a "SOAP meeting", but there is no affliliation between this web site and the organizers of this group. (Well, there is some affiliation - they are our friends, regular users of this site, a great bunch of guys, etc. But other than helping publicize the event, this site has no connection with the group organizing this meeting, nor with the event itself.)

Paul, Larry, et. al. - Sorry, I didn't notice that you were calling it a SOAP meeting when you ran this by me earlier. Sorry.

Kevin

I will vote in the poll for Oklahoma City, in part because it's central, so it should attract greater attendance. But this message is intended to take some of the luster off Key West.

I'm in Miami, so Key West is far more convenient to me. But others may find it a bit far. Been there many times in my airplane. My main problem is that there's essentially no beach. Anywhere. (Yeah, yeah, they claim to have a beach, but it ain't, not by any reasonable standard.) There is indeed lots of shopping, but given the expected attendees, is that important? Hotel rooms are generally expensive. Yes, both night life is good and food is good.

I know the poll limits your choice to just a few locations, but if there's a desire to go this far south, why not go to Harbour Island in North Eleuthera, Bahamas? About the same distance. Much more adventuresome. Ought to be cheaper, with a room right on the beach. And what beach, one of the world's best (the famous "pink sands"). Night life and food about the same as Key West.

For what it's worth.

Ernie

Kevin, I can call it something else.
Ernie, a meeting in the Bahamas poses all kinds of logistic challenges.

Larry:

There may be good reasons for not going to the Bahamas, but logistical challenges isn't one of them. The procedures for the Bahamas range from straight-forward to trivial. Bob Cook may be willing to help and I will certainly provide all the info needed, as I did for the Treasure Cay meeting in 2002. For someone travelling from the middle of the country, the trip to Florida is far more challenging than the hop to the Bahamas. And Harbour Island has a real FBO with fuel.

One other point. The approach to Key West is tricky, and you first talk to controllers at the Navy base before you talk to the tower. Not a big deal, but more complicated than going to the Bahamas.

Another perspective: my travels take me both to the Bahamas and to the Cocoa Beach area east of Orlando. I don't need to tell you which is easier.

Ernie

Central location
 

I know there are two locaions on the vote that are not central to the nation. To serve the most people we can, I believe one of the central locations should be picked. A committee has stepped up to the plate to do this task. In the spring meeting I am sure a new group will be chosen to do the 2005 meeting. The way to really get involved in that manner is to come to the 2004 meeting wherever it happens to be.

My vote is for Memphis.
Jerry
N34EC:cool:

Key West is Central to Something
 

C'mon. We're talking about Key West here! No, it ain't the Bahamas. But were talking Mallory Square. Duvall Street. Marguaritaville. Jimmy Buffett. Ernest Hemingway. Fishing. Diving. Partying. Really tacky cheap T Shirts. No customs, ADIZ, or approaches where you can't find or buy an approach plate to save your soul. It's the only place on the list of sites where your significant other and your friends are actually going to *ask* if they can come along.

Regarding approaches, flew into Nassau this past July and had to shoot a VOR/DME almost down to mins. So, I'm not much worried about Key West's approach. (Bob, if you're reading this, I was cursing you at the time under my breath because you promised me last year that no one ever has to shoot an approach into the Bahamas!!!) And hey, you can always bail out to Marathon where they have cheap 100LL.

Notwithstanding the above, I'm going to keep my vote confidential. :-)

Keven

Someone has cried foul about the voting software. Something about hanging chads, and going to the Florida supreme court. So, I need to do a recount. If you voted for Key West (only Key West), please send me private email to webmaster@337skymaster.com.

Thanks!

Kevin

VOTE
 

Gosh Keven...why didn't you tell us sooner! If I knew there were cheap tacky tee shirts in Key West I might have voted for that location.
Jerry:D

CUBAH
 

It appears as though, despite some tough lobbying by some people in Florida, that the travel ban to Cuba may be lifted

Cuba

How far is Key West from Havana?:) :)

George W.
 

Must not smoke cigars, or has a secret stash, because he has promised to veto the bill if it's passed. Hmmmph.

Keven

I was in Cuba In April ( weird) I was shoting a documentary on Cuban music and arts, the food is horrible, the people kind, the police on your butt all the time. A member of the group was almost send to jail because he brough a apple in from Jamaica.


HE EAT IT. what apple? he told the policeman.

no thanks not Cuba not jet.

Why Not...
 

Wichita, Kansas... the place that started it all?

I bet there are still folks at Cessna that remember building our winged friends.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein
C336 Pilot (at last, I can even land it too!)

Well, I intended to vote for Key West but the ballot was confusing and my mind was blank so I may have vboted for Prague. I'm calling my Governator!

Hugh

p.s. - I will make it if I can whatever the location but I doubt I will be in a Skymaster yet. Will you guys talk to me? What if I wear a tee shirt with props on the front and back?

Hugh

You won't be the first
 

We are friendly folks, we'll talk to you even if you show up in a V-Tail Bonanza

I vote on OK. An ugly state (oops, did I say that out loud!), but to see Don out there would be WELL worth it.

This northeastern US resident voted for Memphis due to its central location. The other sites represent quite a hike from New York State. Key West might be nice for the weather but following so closely on the heels of Sun n' Fun didn't make sense. One of the other posts suggested that a high profile resort location might actually detract from the educational and social purposes of a meeting and I think I agree. Although you all are a swell bunch of folks, I would probably choose other company to spend resort time with. Education, conversation and a good meal are about all I would be seeking. I recently paged thru a web site for Gaston's Resort (www.gastons.com) in Arkansas. Some of you may know of it. Although I have not been there, the idea of airport, restaurant, conference room, entertainment and accomodations all on one site seems appealing.
As to the question of preregistration with financial commitment, I can certainly understand the desirability of a known attendence and budget but for some, such as I, the attendence decision will, of necessity, be rather last minute. I would hope some provision for late commitment could be accomodated. Possibly having a minimum confirmed attendence prior to booking a site but retaining flexability as to final numbers.
Whatever the committee decides, I hope to be able to attend again in '04 and see you then.

The things that must happen to make it work.

1, Someone must take charge and do the work. A committee can be formed to assist in the planning. The reason for the legal entity is to keep the committee from being sued and held harmless. It also assists in getting speakers to come and gives a sense of structure. The meeting is SEPARATE from the board. No one is going to get sued for saying someting, but as soon as you start charging money and people travel to an event, stuff happens and people sue. You crash on the way to the event, I can guarantee that someone is going to enjoin someone with a suit.
The only other way is to sign a holdharmless that at least gives some basic protection but does not offer any guarantees. I for one would not want to see SkyKing in court.

2, Establish a fee for the meeting. The folks doing the planning need to know the budget so that they can make the arrangements. I would recommend that a $100 be donated by each confirmed attendee. I am assuming 25 attendees, more people attending lowers the money needed. This gives the committee some seed money to make plans.

3, Set the location and dates and start advertising to non-members of the board. The current survey shows that Oke City is the leading location for the meeting. I have said before that we need to get the dates set, so we can get it on calendars and advertise it to the non-members of the board. I feel that the guy who steps forward to take the lead is the guy who should make the decison as to the dates.


4. I will be willing to be part of a committee to organize the next meeting if their some protection in the form of an legal entity in place. Otherwise, I will sit back and wait until another idea surfaces and catches on.

In any event, I look forward in seeing you all at the event, wherever and whenever it takes place.

GATHERINGS - they have been happening from the begining of time. eons ago you just showed up with your bedroll, no resversation, no deposits, if you wanted you did. it requires very little money (if any) to assist a gathering, just a little effort.
if it was to be held in mmsf, i can assure all they yould have a motel room (under 75, most likely 50) a place to meet (at no charge) dinning, fishing and other activies at reasonalbe costs. they would get red carpet treatment on landing and express service through customs, immergration and landing processing. (16 per landing and 8 per day parkng {maybe i can midigate even that}.


great side trips
short strips (if you wish)
lots more (miles of beaches and islands)
don't want to spend any cash?, camp on my beach. remember it's a gathering, not "hotel.com". crap who knows maybe gmas will show? remenber it's about the love of flying, not structure!

rick

Meeting
 

As I see it, I really don't care where it is held. I missed last year but will definetly be there this time. I personally think that the whole thing is being beat to death. To many saying "lets go here, lets go there". I feel lets just go somewhere. It's a time to fly and go somewhere. That's what it is all about. So, what ever is decided I will be there (bar anything tragic happening). Look forward to seeing all of you

Bob

This poll and thread are closed. To make further comments on the April 2004 meeting, please go to this thread:

http://www.337skymaster.com/messages...s=&postid=5376

Thanks,

Kevin