GyroRon
Former Gyro know it all
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2003
- Messages
- 16,888
- Location
- Fort Mill South Carolina
- Aircraft
- Vans RV4 / Dominator 582 Ultrawhite
- Total Flight Time
- ALOT
First off, Gabor, I am NOT suggesting sunstate move Bensen Days around to different locations or even different states. It is where it is, because it is where the club wants it to be.
Of course part of why it is where it is, is because Wauchula is a small town, off the beaten path, low amount of air traffic which makes for safer flying operations during the event, and..... Also.... The club has heavily invested into the site, with power and water and all the things needed to hold a event. Not many other airports around here have what is basically a campground, on the field
Bensen Days is successful, because it IS in florida and it is held just as spring is beginning. People are tired of the cold of winter and they are ready to gather and fly, and what better place to do that than warm sunny florida? Make sense?
Mentone is held in the heat of summer, and although for me I enjoy the less hot and less humid summer air there, for most people its just another hot summer week-weekend.
Anyway, no I am not saying Bensen Days should be moved, Im just saying why should Mentone move.... and saying asking for mentone to be moved for reasons of distance as Gabor mentioned, would be like asking for Bensen Days to move for the same reasons.
I am lucky enough to live about halfway between Mentone and Wauchula. And yeah, for someone who is based at Wauchula, to go to Mentone would be dam near 22-24 hours of driving. It is a big commitment for someone to drive that far to attend a event. But at the same time, its just as much of a commitment for people to drive from the north or even places such as Texas or Kansas or even Washington State to attend either fly-in.
Do I really care where these events are held? No. But they are held where they are held and it is what it is. Either you want to go and to do what you have to do to get there, or don't go. No matter where you hold the event, its going to be a long drive for most people to get there. Think of all the people who live on the west coast, or in the rockies or plains.... They got a 2-4 day drive to go to either event. What would us east coaster's think if they wanted to have the event in Denver?
I personally don't think location is a factor in this. It would be nice to think that if it was further south it would have alot more people from Florida or the carolinas and Georgia in attendance..... But thats hogwash, as we already have a event here.... ROC / Wrens every fall and hardly anyone from Florida attends, and a good chunk of the Carolina and Georgia people don't hardly attend no more.
The turn out is small, because people just aren't as interested in going. In comparison to Bensen Days, Mentone is held in the middle of summer. People have a ton of choices in what to spend their time doing. All kinds of stuff going on and to do. People have NOT been couped up in the house all winter and are itching to get out and fly in the warm florida spring time air.
Thats my take on the subject.
As to the PRA, I support the PRA and believe it is a good thing. I support the idea of the PRA owning the airport, I believe that is also a good thing. But truthfully, I no longer pay my dues and I am not a current member. I probably won't renew either, not until I see something wildly different from the PRA. Im at the point now, where I believe although it doesn't hurt to have a " PRA " I also believe its not doing us any real good to have a " PRA ". Im not seeing a current value or pressing need for the PRA to exist. And I certainly do not see a need to send in 50 bucks.... It would be alot different if it was 15 or 20$.
The PRA needs to find itself, decide on a mission and get it done. What I have noticed is the PRA is full of ideas, and full of talk, but other than one or two individuals ( like Tim Oconner ) who do what they say they will do, nothing ever gets implimented or done.
I believe the idea of folding, and coming in as a chapter of the EAA would be the smartest thing the gyro world could do at this point.
I also thing the Manufactors and gyro parts people, and gyro instructors would be crazy if they didn't also want to do the same.
For the gyro community to rebound, and the events to rebound... for the manufactors to start selling more machines and the instructors to stay busy instructing, the gyro community is going to have to stop being a "gyro exclusive doing its own thing" Organization to one that is just a lily pad on a pond full of different flavors of aviation.
I think the idea of having the events the week before or a week after the big EAA events should be rethinked... WE should be at these big events. Not at our own the week before or week after. We can have our own events a month or two later or before.... but we should be at Sun-n-fun and Oshkosh.
We shouldn't be expected to send in 50$ a year for a membership thats doing really nothing, when we could be sending in 42$ a year for membership to EAA that really is making differences and positive things happen, and getting great magazines in the mailbox once a month again.
Anyway, I gotta get to work.... debate away.
Of course part of why it is where it is, is because Wauchula is a small town, off the beaten path, low amount of air traffic which makes for safer flying operations during the event, and..... Also.... The club has heavily invested into the site, with power and water and all the things needed to hold a event. Not many other airports around here have what is basically a campground, on the field
Bensen Days is successful, because it IS in florida and it is held just as spring is beginning. People are tired of the cold of winter and they are ready to gather and fly, and what better place to do that than warm sunny florida? Make sense?
Mentone is held in the heat of summer, and although for me I enjoy the less hot and less humid summer air there, for most people its just another hot summer week-weekend.
Anyway, no I am not saying Bensen Days should be moved, Im just saying why should Mentone move.... and saying asking for mentone to be moved for reasons of distance as Gabor mentioned, would be like asking for Bensen Days to move for the same reasons.
I am lucky enough to live about halfway between Mentone and Wauchula. And yeah, for someone who is based at Wauchula, to go to Mentone would be dam near 22-24 hours of driving. It is a big commitment for someone to drive that far to attend a event. But at the same time, its just as much of a commitment for people to drive from the north or even places such as Texas or Kansas or even Washington State to attend either fly-in.
Do I really care where these events are held? No. But they are held where they are held and it is what it is. Either you want to go and to do what you have to do to get there, or don't go. No matter where you hold the event, its going to be a long drive for most people to get there. Think of all the people who live on the west coast, or in the rockies or plains.... They got a 2-4 day drive to go to either event. What would us east coaster's think if they wanted to have the event in Denver?
I personally don't think location is a factor in this. It would be nice to think that if it was further south it would have alot more people from Florida or the carolinas and Georgia in attendance..... But thats hogwash, as we already have a event here.... ROC / Wrens every fall and hardly anyone from Florida attends, and a good chunk of the Carolina and Georgia people don't hardly attend no more.
The turn out is small, because people just aren't as interested in going. In comparison to Bensen Days, Mentone is held in the middle of summer. People have a ton of choices in what to spend their time doing. All kinds of stuff going on and to do. People have NOT been couped up in the house all winter and are itching to get out and fly in the warm florida spring time air.
Thats my take on the subject.
As to the PRA, I support the PRA and believe it is a good thing. I support the idea of the PRA owning the airport, I believe that is also a good thing. But truthfully, I no longer pay my dues and I am not a current member. I probably won't renew either, not until I see something wildly different from the PRA. Im at the point now, where I believe although it doesn't hurt to have a " PRA " I also believe its not doing us any real good to have a " PRA ". Im not seeing a current value or pressing need for the PRA to exist. And I certainly do not see a need to send in 50 bucks.... It would be alot different if it was 15 or 20$.
The PRA needs to find itself, decide on a mission and get it done. What I have noticed is the PRA is full of ideas, and full of talk, but other than one or two individuals ( like Tim Oconner ) who do what they say they will do, nothing ever gets implimented or done.
I believe the idea of folding, and coming in as a chapter of the EAA would be the smartest thing the gyro world could do at this point.
I also thing the Manufactors and gyro parts people, and gyro instructors would be crazy if they didn't also want to do the same.
For the gyro community to rebound, and the events to rebound... for the manufactors to start selling more machines and the instructors to stay busy instructing, the gyro community is going to have to stop being a "gyro exclusive doing its own thing" Organization to one that is just a lily pad on a pond full of different flavors of aviation.
I think the idea of having the events the week before or a week after the big EAA events should be rethinked... WE should be at these big events. Not at our own the week before or week after. We can have our own events a month or two later or before.... but we should be at Sun-n-fun and Oshkosh.
We shouldn't be expected to send in 50$ a year for a membership thats doing really nothing, when we could be sending in 42$ a year for membership to EAA that really is making differences and positive things happen, and getting great magazines in the mailbox once a month again.
Anyway, I gotta get to work.... debate away.