Kitty Hawk on Dec. 17th - Who's going?

[Frank]

Syd's post on ways to mark the 100th anniversary made me think this is a
good time to ask who's going to the celebration and maybe get a little
info....

I got my tickets late so there weren't any hotels available close by. So
we're staying in Norfolk and driving down. I've decided to let a
professional fly us out instead of doing it myself as I haven't finished
the IFR ticket yet.

I've got tickets for Tuesday also, we're going to check out the route to
avoid suprises on Wed. AM. I'm figuring less crowded also, so we can see
the site a little better.

I'm hoping some here could provide some info about the layout of the site.
I'm particularly worried about the fact that their website emphasizes
Jumbotrons. They make it sound like there won't be much chance to actually
see anything.

Any other info/advice about the area or the event will be greatly
appreciated.

TIA,
--
Frank....H

[Jeff Franks]

I had planned on going for years. But then about 9 months ago, I started
digging to find out what kind of "events" they were having, etc. turns out,
I couldn't find squat. Even the "official" site was severely lacking in
detail. I made some phone calls to the NC tourism board and got a little
more info. Basically, I determined that it wasn't worth taking 3 kids and a
screaming wife..(no wait..that's backwards) all the way to the Outer Banks
just to see John Travolta fly his 707 while wearing his pretty captains
outfit.

Oh, well. Hope there's more there than I could find. Be sure to report
back on how much I missed :)

Jeff


"Frank" > wrote in message
...
> Syd's post on ways to mark the 100th anniversary made me think this is a
> good time to ask who's going to the celebration and maybe get a little
> info....
>
> I got my tickets late so there weren't any hotels available close by. So
> we're staying in Norfolk and driving down. I've decided to let a
> professional fly us out instead of doing it myself as I haven't finished
> the IFR ticket yet.
>
> I've got tickets for Tuesday also, we're going to check out the route to
> avoid suprises on Wed. AM. I'm figuring less crowded also, so we can see
> the site a little better.
>
> I'm hoping some here could provide some info about the layout of the site.
> I'm particularly worried about the fact that their website emphasizes
> Jumbotrons. They make it sound like there won't be much chance to actually
> see anything.
>
> Any other info/advice about the area or the event will be greatly
> appreciated.
>
> TIA,
> --
> Frank....H

[Jim Weir]

You mean you've got three wives and a screaming kid? You from somewhere in
rural Utah, boy?


{;-)


Jim


"Jeff Franks" >
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

Basically, I determined that it wasn't worth taking 3 kids and a
->screaming wife..(no wait..that's backwards)

Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

[vincent p. norris]

>I'm hoping some here could provide some info about the layout of the site.

I've been flying down every year but I don't think I can help you
much, because I believe everything is going to be different this
year.

Previously, we landed at Manteo, rented a car, and stayed at the
Comfort Inn South, at Nags Head. Morning of the 17th, we drove north
several miles to the park site, where we turned left, drove in,
parked, and walked to the museum area, where the ceremonies took
place.

This year, I've been informed, no private cars may drive in. Busses
will carry people WITH TICKETS from pick-up points (presumably the
various motels in the area) to the site.

I reserved a motel room last year, before I left, for this year. I
heard all rooms were gone in just a few days after they began taking
reservations.

> They make it sound like there won't be much chance to actually
>see anything.

I heard 35,000 ticket were sold. If that's true, you probably aren't
going to see much unless you're in the front row. I doubt very much
the Park Service built bleachers for 35,000 people.

vince norris

[Jim Fisher]

"Jim Weir" > wrote in message
...
> You mean you've got three wives and a screaming kid? You from somewhere
in
> rural Utah, boy?

I'm sure he meant three screams and a kidding wife, Jim.

I'm thinking about driving over there. Kinda close to my neck of the woods
and that will be about the time I need a break from my recent house
sell/purchase/remodel. . . .

.. . . Unless, of course, some kind feller is passing over north Alabama on
the way to NC.

--
Jim Fisher

[Jeff Franks]

.....or southern middle Tennessee :)


> . . . Unless, of course, some kind feller is passing over north Alabama on
> the way to NC.
>
> --
> Jim Fisher
>

[John Roncallo]

Frank wrote:
> Syd's post on ways to mark the 100th anniversary made me think this is a
> good time to ask who's going to the celebration and maybe get a little
> info....
>
> I got my tickets late so there weren't any hotels available close by. So
> we're staying in Norfolk and driving down. I've decided to let a
> professional fly us out instead of doing it myself as I haven't finished
> the IFR ticket yet.
>
> I've got tickets for Tuesday also, we're going to check out the route to
> avoid suprises on Wed. AM. I'm figuring less crowded also, so we can see
> the site a little better.
>
> I'm hoping some here could provide some info about the layout of the site.
> I'm particularly worried about the fact that their website emphasizes
> Jumbotrons. They make it sound like there won't be much chance to actually
> see anything.
>
> Any other info/advice about the area or the event will be greatly
> appreciated.
>
> TIA,

Three of us from CT will be going down there in Archer N325AV.

John Roncallo

[Jim Weir]

Gail and I will be there on Monday in the BlueOnBlue 182 N73CQ. Listen for us
on 2 meter 52 simplex coming truly cross-country from California.

Jim


->
->Three of us from CT will be going down there in Archer N325AV.
->
->John Roncallo

Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

[vincent p. norris]

>Gail and I will be there on Monday in the BlueOnBlue 182 N73CQ. Listen for us
>on 2 meter 52 simplex coming truly cross-country from California.
>
>Jim

IIRC, Jim, you were pretty unhappy about the parking fee at Manteo.
Did you decide to land there anyway?

I decided to try another eastern NC field, but by the time I got
around to checking, rental cars had all been reserved, so I'm flying
to Norfok and driving from there. It's only 85 miles and I'd need to
rent a car anyway, regardless of where I landed.

vince norris

[Jim Weir]

vincent p. norris >
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

->IIRC, Jim, you were pretty unhappy about the parking fee at Manteo.
->Did you decide to land there anyway?

I don't know where Manteo is. My bitch is with Dare County. I thought their
tiedown policies were outrageous.

I went so far as to email my colleagues on the Dare County Board of Supervisors
(Board of Commissioners, Board of whatever your state calls the County Board)
and told them that they were sticking it to their visitors, and that this
visitor wasn't particularly happy about it.

Guess what? For all the foofaw about "southern courtesy", these jerks didn't
even have the common manners to write me back telling me to go to hell or
anything else. I am embarrassed as a former County Supervisor (Commissioner)
that these yo-yos didn't have the cojones to respond to a simple request for
information.

So far as I am concerned, the Dare County Board of Commissioners is a bunch of
arrogant locals who have no concept of trying to build some sort of visitor base
for the future. I see them as a "stick the visitor" because they have no
concept of trying to build up the "we're going to make your visit pleasurable".

All they can see is that this "centennial" isn't going to happen again for a
hundred years. What they FAIL to see is that they could parlay this celebration
into hundreds of us coming once a year or so to honor the event, rather than
thousands coming once every hundred years. What shortsightedness.

Dumb. Terminal dumb. I hope this email works its way into the hands of the
current incumbents' opponents who will use it to unseat these unresponsive
goofballs.


->
->I decided to try another eastern NC field, but by the time I got
->around to checking, rental cars had all been reserved, so I'm flying
->to Norfok and driving from there. It's only 85 miles and I'd need to
->rent a car anyway, regardless of where I landed.

I wouldn't have needed a car had Dare County been reasonable, but I'm also going
to Norfolk and spending my money there.

Jim

Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

[vincent p. norris]

>I don't know where Manteo is. My bitch is with Dare County

Dare County Airport is at the town of Manteo. Same place.

>So far as I am concerned, the Dare County Board of Commissioners is a bunch of
>arrogant locals who have no concept of trying to build some sort of visitor base
>for the future. I see them as a "stick the visitor" because they have no
>concept of trying to build up the "we're going to make your visit pleasurable".
>
>All they can see is that this "centennial" isn't going to happen again for a
>hundred years.

I can understand why you're angry, but I've been going there every
year since 1993. The field is always full of visiting aircraft, so
those folks do know that it's a yearly event.

And they have always had a great spread of free food at the FBO.
(First time I landed there, I thought it was for the Governor or
someone like that.)

And parking has always been free; and last year I got a free jump
start.

So this year's parking fees are quite "out of character."

I decided not to pay this year's fees, but if I'm still able to fly a
year from now, I'll head for Manteo.

>I wouldn't have needed a car had Dare County been reasonable, but I'm also going
>to Norfolk and spending my money there.

We always rent a car because of the convenience. It's some miles from
the airport to the motels and from there to the Memorial.

The motel prices, BTW, are also much higher this year. Last year a
nice room with two double beds was about $39; this year, about a
hundred.

vince norris