IMPORTANT NOTICE
 

The Stratosphere Hotel has a policy that they will only reserve the block of rooms for events until 30 days prior to the event.

Today is the last day you will be ensured a room. The hotel informed me that the week of the SOAPA meeting is a very busy week so please call and make your hotel room reservation by 22:00 PST today, Aprit 17, 2006.

You can always cancel your room anytime up to 48 hours prior to the reservation date and not have to pay for the room, so if any of you think you may be coming to the event, I suggest you get the hotel reserved now!!!

By last count there are only about 12 to 16 rooms left for our party and they will be released after 22:00 today.

Thank You!
Jerry

airfield
 

we are coming, but we don't know where to land (airplane) we have reservations for hotel where are we parking the plane.
Thanks

Airport
 

North Las Vegas VGT. Go to North Las Vegas Airport Terminal. Run by the city. They have parking, weather info and fuel.

Cheers
Jerry

West Coast
 

Soapa decided to have the meeting in Las Vegas to give all you folks on the west coast an opportunity to join in on the fun and help direct the organization as it grows. Sure like to see more of you sign up for the meeting. Remember, if you want to have input on the direction of the organization, you must attend the meeting.

Jerry
N34EC

North Las Vegas also has a free shuttle to strip hotels. McCarren is much closer, but the cost of fuel is out of sight, to discourage small aircraft. The cost of fuel at North Las Vegas, on the other hand, is usually very inexpensive. Or at least all this was true 3 or 4 years ago. Man, I am so out of touch now, I should just keep my mouth shut. Sigh...

Kevin

Fuel Prices
 

http://www.airnav.com/fuel/local.html

I've found this site to be pretty good.

west coast
 

It appears that most people going to the Las Vegas meeting are not from the west coast but more central and east coast folks. Where are all you west coast 337 owners? This is a great opportunity to join in and help run this new orgaization. Let's see more of you come to the meeting. Sign up now!

Jerry
N34EC

Some things to be aware of:
1. Our meeting room is in the tower, and the tower has it's own elevators.
2. All the elevators have elevator attendants. Tell the elevator attendant you are going to the SUNRISE ROOM.
3. There is security for the tower. You have to empty your pockets, pass through a metal detector. Fortunately, you don't have to take off your shoes:D
4. We will have coffee in the morning.
5. The entrance to the tower is on the second floor above the casino. Just take the escalator up to the second floor, and follow the signs for the tower.
6. I think you have to take the elevator from your room to the casino, cross over to the tower. I don't think you can get off at the second level where the tower elevators are, but I could be wrong.
7. We'll try and start on time each day, so please be prompt. Allow plenty of time for the security screening and elevators.
8. The meeting room is called the SUNRISE ROOM because it faces east, and Sunrise Mountain, a local landmark. It also faces south, and there is a good chance you will see planes on approach to LAS.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there, Thursday morning.

Have Fun!
 

Wish we could join you but it just didn't work out this year. Maybe next year. Have a great time and we will be thinking of all of you!

Jim and Jenny

Jim and Jenny, we'll miss you until we see you.
The meeting room is really spectacular, on the 103rd level, overlooking much of Las Vegas, and off in the distance you can see Nellis AFB.

next year
 

would it be possible to consider scheduling next years meeting for after the end of may? this would allow my father and I to attend after i get out of school.

2007 SOAPA Fly-In.
 

Dear jbona,

The dates for the Fly-In are decided by the Executive Board. Last year we had 25 Executive Board members, and determining the Fly-In dates took three votes! We'll take your request under advisement, and to have the most impact, please consider joining SOAPA and the Executive Board - you can do so by notifying Larry Bowdish, SOAPA Vice-President/Secretary.

Paul S. Rooy
SOAPA President

Re: next year
 

Send me an email, I'll put you on the discussion list

ljb@safetyservicesinc.com

When did you want to have it? First week of June, second week? Any locations in mind.

I thought that Mystic would be a cool place. GON has a nice airport.

really any time after june 1st, and location is less important. its just that the last two years its been the week before i have exams

Fly-In Report.
 

Fellow Flyers,

The following is a report from yours truly to the new Executive Board, some or all of which may be posted on the SOAP home page along with pictures (Larry and Kevin M. are working on that as we speak).

Esteemed Cessna-nauts:

Looks like we did it again (staged another SOAPA Fly-In), and CONGRATULATIONS all around!!! No pilots were actually harmed (though some were slightly hung-over) during the event. Skymaster Happy Hour was held 108 floors above street level, and the view was amazing! Good job, Larry Bowdish and Jerry DeSantis! Mary Lightfine handed out pre-stuffed attendee envelopes, each containing a copy of the proposed SOAPA By-Laws, a Skymaster Happy Hour free drink coupon, a Desert Queen paddle-wheeler dinner boat ride ticket, and a colorful name tag featuring a Skymaster flying in front of a palm tree, with a city (Las Vegas?) in the lower back ground. Mary had to make up each name tag separately (the program refused to do a database merge) - and also designed the T-shirt and hat logos and ordered hats for this year - thanks for the hard work, Mary!

We had 19 attendees sign up, of which all but a few attended. Following Larry Bowdish's welome and introduction, Paul Rooy presented the proposed SOAPA By-Laws, advised the attendees what the 2006 Executive Board officer nominees were (Paul Rooy - President, Larry Bowdish - Vice-President/Secretary, Jerry DeSantis - Treasurer), and invited floor nominations until the Friday elections.

Jim Sandman did a fine job of discussing C&D aircraft heaters, and Larry Bowdish told us more about Simple Green than we ever knew before - I'm going to buy some. Sparky Imeson gave an excellent presentation on mountain flying (remember, never go into a canyon farther than you can turn around, and the FAMOUS 50/70 RULE: If you've achieved 70% of your take-off flying speed at the time you're 50% of the way down the runway, then there's enough runway to take off - but watch out for rising terrain and obstacles - the 50/70 rule merely addresses runway length, not whether one can clear obstacles or terrain AFTER take-off.

The Desert Queen dinner cruise was great fun, and the food unexpectedly good! Wayne Craw, Jim Muse, and Paul Rooy ended up on the open-air third level smoking cigars and drinking beer out of HUGE commemorative cups (48OZ?), while the rest of the attendees lounged in air-conditioned comfort on the first level, munching salad and socializing. David and Yvonne Jarrett and Jim and Joyce Muse were kind enough to choffer everybody to the boat lanch in Boulder City and back - thanks! Jim and Joyce Muse brought professional PA equipment along, including a large LCD projector, and a Chevy Suburban to help ferry attendees around - good job, guys!

Friday morning started with Larry Bowdish relating a brief history of SOAPA followed by a SOAPA business meeting, during which the By-Laws were unanimously approved with the change to Par. 1 deleting a membership fee and providing anyone interested in Skymasters may join by notifying the SOAPA Vice-President/Secretary. A copy of the SOAPA By-Laws as approved is attached to this e-mail. No attendee was brave enough to volunteer to be an officer, so the 2006 Exeucutive Board proposed slate was unanimously approved: Paul Rooy - President, Larry Bowdish - Vice-President/Secretary, Jerry DeSantis - Treasurer.

Keven Kenison introduced and screened a fascinating video on Skymaster acrobatic flight. Herb Harney related how he, Larry Bowdish, and others have started a Skymaster formation flying act (we're going to have our own AIR SHOW next year!), and presented an excellent video on CD he produced. It's really good, with original musical soundtrack, and Herb donated the $10 sales price to SOAPA ($80 collected towards next year's Fly-In)! The overhead shots of Larry Bowdish's C337 steadfastly flying across the countryside as if wearily returning from some endless crusade, set to slow, ploding music, evoked images of some war-sick Hobbitt finally retuning home after epic adventure. When the mains finally touched the green turf of Larry's home strip all heaved a sigh of relief. If you want one, contact Paul Rooy for your copy - send $10 plus $5 shipping, proceeds going towards next year's Fly-In and the U.S. Postal Service.

Bob and Herb Harney did an excellent job of reviewing ADF (invented by Bill Lear) navigation (three of us still have one aboard) and trips to Canada and Alaska using same.

Following was a discussion period, during which we brainstormed ideas for next year's Fly-In. David Jarrett donated $100 towards next year's Fly-In and volunteered to research how to perform an efficient post-card mailing to Skymaster registered owners (maybe con the Baron Thomas organization to do it for us?), a job Kevin Mackenzie has done during the previous two Fly-Ins - Thanks, Kevin!. Joyce Muse volunteered to spearhead the effort to identify items and side activities which will appeal to spouses/significant others during next year's Fly-In, and Keven Kenison volunteered to research Trade-A-Plane ad costs (in the C337 For Sale section, of course) to publicize the Fly-In. Yvonne Jarrett suggested we all relate the stupidest flying blooper we've ever starred in, and at the end of the Fly-In, all can vote on the best blooper, with a prize going to the winner! Good idea! (humor is the best medicine... :-)

We then descended upon the Thai restaurant across the street (large spicy lunch specials for $5.99) en masse, and continued our discussion, followed by an afternoon at the pool and free evening. What a great time! Thanks to everybody for making it work, including the 2006 Exec Board - you did a great job! Thank you, Jerry DeSantis and Larry Bowdish, for co-chairing the event. Larry Bowdish carried a SOAPA 2006 FLY-IN hat with him to give to Jerry as a "Get well soon" gift.

Well there you have it, Argonauts - two attendee's view of the Fly-In. Let's do it again next year!

This e-mail is addressed to the 2007 Exec Board as well as the 2006 Exec Board. 2006 Exec Board members: please let me know by return e-mail whether you wish to remain on as Exec Board members for the 2007 Fly-In - if I don't hear back from you I'll understand you do not wish to remain on the E-Board, and I'll remove your name, with my profuse thanks for your help organizing the 2006 Fly-In.

Paul & Mary
N462DA