AOPA Expo 2008

musesierra said:
I need to start working on dinner plans for Friday. Here is the list of those attending from what I pulled from the thread.

Chris Linderman (arrives Friday)
Mark Gooderum (will be there for entire week)
Doug Muse (will be there for entire week)
Rick Spann (arrives Friday)
Bob Lewis (arrives Friday)
Mike Samac (lives in the area)
Aris Westbrook (Bob's passenger - arrives Friday)
Marshal Whatley (will be there entire week)
Steven Frieson (arrives Friday)

Dinner for Friday:
Chris and LeeAnne (50% owner)
Mark Gooderum
Bob Lewis and Aris Westbrook
Doug Muse

Any others? I would like to make reservations by Wednesday.

Thanks,
Doug
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Hey Doug, Go ahead and add me for dinner on Friday, I just got in a few hours ago, I'm parked at Reid-Hillview (RHD). Got a little actual IMC on the way in, but it's suppose to clear up by late Mon / early Tue.
 
Sounds good Marshal.

OK.. breakfast in the Linderman room Saturday morning. Chris is ordering room service. :)

Where is everyone staying:
Doug Muse (Embassy Suites - Santa Clara)
 
I'm at Hotel Zico in Mountain View until Friday than at the Doubletree by SJC through the weekend.

Conways idea of meet at 6p for cocktails is good and we can take it from there. It might be good to have an afternoon meet at the show too.

I'll be there Friday afternoon and all day Saturday and will be in one of my BAC shirts both days.

Are any other BACers besides Doug and I already in town? From the post, Marshall, you here? Where are you staying?

Doug and I are getting together for an informal dinner Wednesday evening - any BACers in town (already or early) are welcome to join us. PM or email myself or Doug. Mike? Marshall?
--
Mark
 
mgooderum said:
I'm at Hotel Zico in Mountain View until Friday than at the Doubletree by SJC through the weekend.

Conways idea of meet at 6p for cocktails is good and we can take it from there. It might be good to have an afternoon meet at the show too.

I'll be there Friday afternoon and all day Saturday and will be in one of my BAC shirts both days.

Are any other BACers besides Doug and I already in town? From the post, Marshall, you here? Where are you staying?

Doug and I are getting together for an informal dinner Wednesday evening - any BACers in town (already or early) are welcome to join us. PM or email myself or Doug. Mike? Marshall?
--
Mark
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Yep, I'm here, I'm staying at the:
Moorpark Hotel
4241 Moorpark Ave
San Jose

It's closer to the work campus then the convention center, and less traffic. I can't do Wed night, I have a lot of work meetings, etc. I plan to be at the Expo pretty much all day Friday, and half on Sat. I'm not too sure I'm going to do the party thing on Friday night, I'll have to see what they have planned. But I'm up for anything Fri night, and breakfast on Sat would be great.
 
Mark,

I am driving a Van all day tomorrow for AOPA to and from RHV (I volunteered a couple of months ago), and then I have an interview on Thursday at Cisco. I cannot do dinner, I need to be fresh for the interview, sorry.

I am up for meeting at the SJ Convention Center, drinks, and dinner on Friday!

Mike
 
Thank you Bob, I will do my best!

Silicon Valley welcomes pilots to Paradise. One of the drivers who welcomed folks into town!

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I welcome the first Eclipse Jet into RHV! Wow, what a ride.

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Nice Panel!

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Look at some of the nice new hardware RHV has to tug the "big boys".

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Here are some of the parked airplanes. 31L is closed to park airplanes, and there are many other areas cleared. There are about 500 spaces on tarmac for AOPA airplanes available. There is still plenty of room, come on in!

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Mike
 
Oh, driver! Could you get my bags please! :lol:

Mike, this may be a start of a whole new career path! I can see it now, Mike's Limos for hire! A fleet of thousands! Can I have a job if you do?

See ya soon!
Chris L.
 
I just want that tug! That would be so much fun riding on that thing moving large objects all over. It bet it could do a mean 360.

See fellow BACers at the Expo.

Doug
 
I flew to AOPA Thursday and Friday. Both days were picture perfect, post card days and nights for flying. The controllers were extremely helpful to all pilots and the ground crew at RHV were professional. The fuel prices were 30 cents a gallon lower than my home airport at 4.99 and I took advantage of their kindness. It was great to see some BAC members shopping the expo and we made at least one new member. There was a discussion on 100LL. The projected future of this fuel is in doubt. AOPA, the FAA and others are looking for a solution and I have no doubt one will be found. The electronics sections of the expo were crowded. The Garmin 696 had been announced and everyone, me too, had to have a look see. I have to confess, I was disappointed. I have seen the anywhee Map and a couple of other companies that offered approach plate software and the little airplane will fly on the plate. Garmin only displays the plate and, you lose the GPS situational awareness by bringing up the plate format. Personally I want both. The size of the Garmin is nice and easy to see. The information is lacking-my opinion. The King series of radio/ GPS panel mounts will challange Garmin. They are user friendly, have more goodies, (Synthetic 3d views) and a good size screen. I looked at the ICON anfib and it looked like fun. It is in the flight test stage. The piper Jet Mock up looked sexy but, the protype that is flying looks nothing like the display. The proto type looks like a Malibu with a jet engine cobbed onto the rear. UGLY Betty. I thought it interesting that Eclipse Jet pulled out of the expo. What does that say for their company? Anyone with a deposit might want to retrieve it SOON. Anyway, it was a good time. I'm worn out from the walking and standing but, I am happy I went. I had two great Guys that went along and company is always more fun.
 
Bob is right, a really good time had by all. I am heading up to SF shortly, the wife left without me, but the girls had makeup appointments, so the other BIL and SIL are to meet in San Mateo and we are off to the St Francis.

Bob and Airis were not there this morning, but Chris L. may have a photo of them at cocktails last night.

This was taken this morning at IHOP before we spread out. Some of us went to SJC to see the airplane displays, some headed to the SJ Convention Center, and Airs headed to the airport to go home. What a wonderful time we had.

From bottom left going up and clockwise, there is Richard, Marshall, Jeff, Jeanne, LeeAnne, Chris, Mark, and Mike (aka C-dawg)! What a gooooood lookin' bunch of BAC'ers!

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Bob thought San Jose was a beautiful place to meet, and I agree, I live here. He said that perhaps we should consider having our national convention in conjunction with AOPA and make a full week out of it. For example, BAC over the weekend before, and then AOPA the rest of the week. AOPA is planning to come back to San Jose if this convention was a success in four years I think. It looked like a very good convention to me, and that is with the very iffy economy, I cannot imagine the turnout if people's portfolios were doing a little better.

We’ll see you all soon!

Mike
 
I agree - great time by all. Looks like most of us have scattered to the 4 winds already - Jeanne, Jeff and I are off to dinner on Castro Street (Mountain View, not the City).

I went two years ago and wished I had a 2nd day. This time was about right although next cycle I'll probably walk the floor quicker and spend more time in the seminars. Of course if I win the the Lotto and have $$ to spend that could change.

The show specials were typical - although not quite as good as past years but with prices being down across the board street retail I think there was less room for discounting.

The Garmin 696 was okay - the new Bendix boxes were much more exciting. The Av8or has a very bright screen (I had a Skymap III that was the best display in bright sunlight ever, tech seems to have carried over) and the touch screen interface was great. Their "big" tablet does have moving map and unlike the garmin has a full AHRS module so it functions as a full backup instrument set with slaved heading, attitude, etc. BK is giving garmin a run for the money and the competition will be good. Their 530W killer (the 770) has all the value of a 530W+a MFD for a price less than a 530W. And their panel PFD is priced at almost half a Garmin 600 so competition was good.

It was interesting seeing the proliferation of flight planning and EFB software. A couple of vendors had portable AHRS units priced surprisingly low (sub $500). So the PC based in-aircraft EFB is soon going to gain full backup instrumentation abilties - great value for us small plane, single pilot guys. Full GPS and AHRS even with a total electrical and vacuum failure is hard to beat.

Anyway - off to dinner,
--
Mark
 
It has been quite some time since posting here, but it was great getting away and enjoying the company of the BAC group! Mark was a great tour guide of San Jose...It was awesome to finally meet Chris and LeeAnne, see Bob and Rick again (thanks for the pandora app tip :]) Dinners were very good and I ended up with an AirOx system and a new battery (wallet says "ouch!") but both were purchases that needed to be made. It was good to be able to shop the deals ask questions and be able to make an informed decision. Mike is getting good with that camera...

Doug and Marshall nice to meet you guys! I am sure I am missing people, the get together for drinks was larger than my list here...

Thanks again for all the hospitality! Hope I can return the favor when AOPA is in Long Beach... :)
 
It was great to see old and new faces at the BAC gathering.

I am back at my other home on the east coast. Will be taking N18859 up for the owner flight and my first flight in a LONG time Tuesday. Can you say EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!!!! I have to run by the hangar tomorrow and touch it to make sure it is really back home after taking up all that space in Laurens for so long.

Doug
 
Hey all, it was really great seeing a lot of you at the Expo. Sorry I didn't get to catch up with you all as much as I'd like... hopefully some time soon, though!

Cheers!
Chris
 
I would say that the AOPA/BAC fly-in was a success. LeeAnne and I were delighted to meet Jeane and Jeff. And it was fun to get together with other members that we have met many times before!

For those of you who flew your planes, don't forget to report your PT mileage to me. And, no Bob, you can't count both trips to the event....just one!!! :lol:


Chris L.
 
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