Dean_Dolph
10-13-2004, 06:24 AM
I extracted the following from a post that Scott Hager made in another thread because I wanted to comment but didn't want to hijack the thread. I guess the topic of the moving the annual PRA convention will continue to pop up and I don't believe there is any way to put it to bed once and for all. So I'll probably just keep replying to whoever and whenever the issue is raised. :)…. I did attend one of the yearly conventions as a non-flyer, I think in 1999. The most attention I got was from the rude person who was much more concerned about getting a parking/entrance fee from me then telling where I could get info about gyros when I asked. Didn't even answer my question, just pointed. I then waited 20 minutes in the office for someone to show up and give me an events schedule. Well, what nice welcome to the PRA after traveling all the way from California. Yeah, our PR needs some polishing since you are not the only one that has reported this type of experience. …Seemed like a very "clicky" group of guys that didn’t seem very interested in promoting anything remotely attached to the PRA. More like a good ol' boy fly-in than a "convention". Hey guess what, I got the same feeling when I went to my first Convention in 1967 in Hemet California and then again when I went to the one in Rialto California! And I only had to travel an hour or so from Lakewood, where I lived, to get to those events. I finally decided it was because there wasn't enough volunteers to handle all the load of organizing and running the events. And I think that is still true today. I just don't think a permanent airport location benefits the greater membership, and that the yearly event should be moved around the country each year. So that way the "PRA" can be seen by the membership in different regions. I don't care if I ever see the Mentone Airport again, and I doubt most paying PRA members do either. Well, I guess the same thing can be said about Oshkosh since the EAA 'Convention' is held there every year. The Mentone airport came about because of a Texas fiasco (We seem to have a monopoly!) in '91 where the Hearne Airport management pulled the rug out from under us, the PRA, at the last moment, just before the Convention. The left us scrambling for a place to hold it and we were fortunate to have the Brookville Ohio Airport people step up.
People here keep talking about fly-ins and the 'Convention' as if they are the same but in fact there is only one 'Convention' and then there are regional fly-ins, or whatever the other gatherings are called. These gatherings are well known, fairly well publicized and the only thing I would like to see added is formal recognition by the PRA BOD that they are a PRA function. I believe that alone would help promote the PRA. If that ever happens are you guys in Chapter 1 prepared?!
Moving the Convention around the country isn't going to make it any better than what it is at Mentone and in fact has the very real possibility of being worse. Moving it around would make it more convenient for members in the area to attend. And might provide an excuse for more regional members to get out of the house and travel to the 'Big' convention but it isn't going to promote the PRA anymore than a regional event does. Remember the PRA is you, me and other members so 'seeing' the PRA means meeting and visiting with us and seeing our machines. Paul Plack and Todd did just that by traveling a fair distance to see you guys at El Mirage. By a quirk of fate, or stroke of luck, there are some of us that are located where it is about the same distance to all of the gatherings but I can sympathize with those that find Mentone, or other events, to far away and too expensive to attend. But then again the PRA, just like the EAA, has a special place it can call home. And everyone needs to go home occasionally.
People here keep talking about fly-ins and the 'Convention' as if they are the same but in fact there is only one 'Convention' and then there are regional fly-ins, or whatever the other gatherings are called. These gatherings are well known, fairly well publicized and the only thing I would like to see added is formal recognition by the PRA BOD that they are a PRA function. I believe that alone would help promote the PRA. If that ever happens are you guys in Chapter 1 prepared?!
Moving the Convention around the country isn't going to make it any better than what it is at Mentone and in fact has the very real possibility of being worse. Moving it around would make it more convenient for members in the area to attend. And might provide an excuse for more regional members to get out of the house and travel to the 'Big' convention but it isn't going to promote the PRA anymore than a regional event does. Remember the PRA is you, me and other members so 'seeing' the PRA means meeting and visiting with us and seeing our machines. Paul Plack and Todd did just that by traveling a fair distance to see you guys at El Mirage. By a quirk of fate, or stroke of luck, there are some of us that are located where it is about the same distance to all of the gatherings but I can sympathize with those that find Mentone, or other events, to far away and too expensive to attend. But then again the PRA, just like the EAA, has a special place it can call home. And everyone needs to go home occasionally.