"Jay Honeck" wrote in
news:IwoVk.388782$TT4.149115@attbi_s22:

So I've been contacted by half a dozen folks, telling me that my
absence was the topic of a rather lively thread here -- so I thought
I'd pop in for a peek at my old stomping ground. How's everyone been?

No, we're not dead. On September 4th, after over ten years of daily
postings on these groups, I joined the ranks of "former RAPpers" by
quitting, cold turkey. Nothing specific precipitated my departure --
it was just a long, slow, gradual culmination of many things. The
signal to noise ratio here had deteriorated to such a level that no
number of killfiles could do the job -- and what was left after
culling the herd of trolls was pathetically small. Pilots of America
called to me, warts and all, so I jumped in with both feet and haven't
looked back....

....until now.

It's been a lively few months. Martin (if you're still out there) we
made it to Munich for Oktoberfest, where I turned 50 years old by
partying with 4 million of my closest friends. We drank beer with
Croats, Austrians, Germans, Brits, Irish, Italians, and (of course)
Germans, and had a wonderful time. Man, my Bavarian kin certainly
lived up to their advanced billing -- it was the Mother of All
Parties.

While we were there, we took a day trip up the autobahn to Salzburg,
in your beloved Austria, and were in awe of the place. There's
something humbling about eating in a restaurant that has been
continuously in business for over EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS. It sure puts
everything in perspective! And, of course, sitting in the church
where Mozart was baptized was a magical experience.

We even hooked up with this group's own Markus (largely a lurker, from
Germany, whom we've met at Sun N Fun and Oshkosh) while we were there.
He met us in Munich and gave us the chance to go "off-tour" with a
native -- a real treat after being trapped in buses and cabs. We
visited Dachau with him, both the concentration camp and the city, and
marveled at man's capacity for cruelty -- and beauty.

Since then, Mary and I have been doing lots of flying, both in the
Ercoupe and the Pathfinder, with trips to Wisconsin, Illinois,
Missouri, and Minnesota. We've also developed a lively email group
made up of many former members of this group. We email daily,
sometimes a dozen or more times -- so it's kinda like the way this
group used to be, back in "the day"... It's funny/sad -- none of us
would have ever met each other without this group -- a group that
taught us all so much -- yet none of us still visit here.

Businesswise, things are just like you might expect -- sloooow. The
wheels came off our local economy the very day that Congress announced
the $800 billion bailout plan, and hasn't recovered since. It's like
the entire business community let out a collective gasp, and all
business travel ceased, virtually overnight. Scary stuff.

Luckily, this comes after a record-busting year for us, so we are
perhaps better able to absorb a business slow down. Not so with
several of our business neighbors -- we've lost three nearby
restaurants in just the last month, as they were unable to weather the
sudden loss of business.

Our son is first year Army ROTC, doing well, flying when he can. He's
still jazzed by all the attention he received for flying into Oshkosh
this year, but college is keeping him busier than ever. Our daughter
should start flight lessons next spring -- so we're keeping the
aviation ball rolling!

I hope everyone here is healthy, happy, and well. I'll hang around
long enough to see if anyone I know responds to this -- but mostly you
can catch me over on Pilots of America, a wonderful, moderated group
of aviation enthusiasts.



Yes, control. that is what you need.




Fjukkkwit.




Bertie