Originally Posted by
mcoates
Just confirming, you were going, but now aren't as it's too expensive? Not at all, just remember the early days with Gail when it was free for pilots and then a donation in the past few years but if you are flying down in your own aircraft by yourself because you have a bit of camping gear it gets a little bit expensive..
One of my best memories ever was New Year's Eve when they had catering that canceled without notice and had to pull in someone at the last moment and we were all sitting there at midnight unfed and chanting "We want food" because the replacement caterers arrived with empty gas bottles and nothing was cooked until about 2am... They were great days back then ! Some here will remember that event because we had pilots from as far as Melbourne that flew in.
Fly in for free.... if it wasn't for the planes it would be nothing on display at the airshow..... Sure you can have a few display aircraft but people like to look at all the odd varieties of aircraft out there and many of them are one seat or two seat aircraft. not five seaters
They were talking at our club today and many were not going because of the cost because 99% of the aircraft at our airfield are two seaters.... and will be flying alone because of carrying camping gear, but I still expect that many will be going and they were just using the cost is a reason to stay away or have a winge.
mcoates, I think I see what you're getting at. Few points.
Whilst I understand your reasoning about aircraft on display, the vast amount of fly ins I've been to, the aircraft are parked miles away from the public, thus defeating the purpose of people getting up close with what flew in.
I am guessing your club is a flying club trying to foster more private flying and trying to get more people into aviation, which is a great goal. Therefore whats wrong with paying $60 for the privilege of going to arguably the best fly in on the East Coast and getting to camp? Yes I know things were different in the past, but unfortunately we live in a strange new world. There are people in the UK that would probably pay multiples of that same $60 to even be able to fly for fun at the moment.
Finally, if you can afford a couple of hundred dollars to hire and fly a club aircraft or fly your own down, $60 shouldn't worry you. And if it worries your club members, they were probably going to be miserable about everything, from the price of beer, the price of food, why do they always do it at Easter? There's too much blue sky etc etc.
Anyway, not meant in anyway as an attack, I just find it strange that on one hand we all want a vibrant and healthy GA sector, but also expect everything to be free. It isn't that way anymore unfortunately, I truly wish it was.
j3