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Convention 2013 Schedule Details

Short Wings Over Saratoga – SWPC Convention 2013 – July 1st – 4th

This information, submitted by Convention 2013 chair, Andy Seligson, can also be found in the May/June issue of the Short Wing Piper News, pages 28-32.

Note – you can also check our Convention Schedule for detailed information on each day’s events.

There was a time when we in the northeast had a frequent saying. It was something like – “we have plenty of time.” That time is now! The 2013 SWPC Convention is just around the corner. Registrations are starting to come in. I’m sure that when you can register & pay online from our new website, the speed of the process will increase! I hope you’ve seen and navigated the new site; it’s wonderful. Hats off to Myrna Mibus! To put on a convention like ours is a daunting experience. I’d like to thank Rico Cannone, Steve Sevits, Tom & Amber McKernan, Amy & Stan Smith, David Adams, and the usual cast of characters for all their time and effort!

We have narrowed down some of the specifics (schedule) for this affair. As they say in one of the industries that I am part of (show business) – “Program subject to change.” Some of these events/times are set in stone; some of these in gravel. When you arrange a program/seminar with a concern that changes ownership and the new owner is not interested, what do you do? Following is a good idea of the final schedule. Remember that arrivals will probably be starting Sunday June 30 & Monday July 1st. The Holiday Inn’s convention rates start on (I believe) Sunday.

Monday July 1st

Arrivals all day. Registration at Holiday Inn. Executive Board meeting at Holiday Inn will begin at 2:00 pm and should last about an hour and a half. The general membership  is welcome. It should be noted that this is a Board meeting and member input will only be entertained when asked for from the chair. The purpose of this meeting is to conduct Board business. At 5:00 pm, there will be a meet & greet with a cash bar and hors d’oeuvres at the Holiday Inn in the lounge and patio. Dinner is on your own. As we’ve said before, Saratoga has it all when it comes to food. From McDonalds to gourmet restaurants are an easy walk from the hotel, which has a pretty good restaurant itself.

Tuesday July 2nd

The bus tour of the Saratoga National Battlefield Park will be from 9 – 12. Upon our return to theHoliday Inn, the Members Luncheon will run from approximately 12:45 – 2:15. Our guest speaker at the luncheon will be SWPC member #1 – Robert Fuller. Following the luncheon will be the annual Membership Meeting. One of the items on the agenda is the formal presentation from the folks hosting next summer’s convention in California. At approximately 4-4:30 President Peter Lubig will present a seminar on aerial photography. This should be a popular event. Do you have time to breathe yet? Dinner is on your own.

Wednesday July 3rd

For some of us lucky souls, the chapter Presidents meeting will take place at 7:00 am at the Holiday Inn under the direction of our new Chapter Coordinator Adolph Svec. I’m sure there will be a lot to discuss about chapters in the SWPC. What with new chapters being formed/resurrected, inactive chapters, how our by-laws pertain to chapters, and a new Chapter Coordinator, there will be a lively discussion. There will also be some sort of continental breakfast provided. Wednesday morning will also be the planned time for our Poker Run. The exact time will be determined. If weather gets in the way, we’ll try again on Thursday morning. We encourage anyone with a plane who is going to participate and has an empty seat, to offer it to a member who didn’t fly to Saratoga. This goes for any flying activity. If you plan on going flying and have an empty seat, please offer it to someone. We will have an information board at the Holiday Inn where pilots can post any flight and potential passengers looking for a flight. There probably will be a seminar on Aviation Weather at some time in the early afternoon. It will be presented by Randy Colvin, a senior FSS briefer. The evening’s activity starts in late afternoon with a trip to Lake George for the Lake George Dinner Cruise. Buses will depart the Holiday Inn about 4:45 pm and the boat returns to the dock about 8:30 with a return to the Holiday Inn around 9:15.

Thursday July 4th

This our “free day” with no real planned activity until the banquet in the evening. One suggestion was a flight up Lake George & Lake Champlain to the Basin Harbor resort for lunch. This resort has a wonderful 3000′ turf strip adjacent to its Red Mill restaurant. The scenery, location, and food are well worth the trip. For those that want a longer trip, you could fly down the Hudson River all the way to New York City and see the spectacular skyline & Statue of Liberty. We’ve done this a couple of times at previous conventions as a planned group flight. It is approximately a 2 hour each way excursion, so you are on your own. One should consult the NY Terminal chart for procedures to fly in the Hudson River exclusion (or ask me). The Closing Banquet will be in the evening at a time to be determined. We are trying to coordinate this with the Saratoga fireworks display which is right outside the hotel’s door in the park. We will have awards from the aircraft judging as we’ll as any other awards, results of the election for SWPC President, any pertinent speeches, and our guest speaker Troy Hamon. He will have a presentation about flight training in Alaska and his book 14 Days To Alaska. My feeling on the timing for the banquet is that the fireworks would have to be after sundown. As soon as we can determine the time of that event, we can work around it.

Friday July 5th will be the departure date.

We encourage all who attend to view the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce website for the many attractions, museums, galleries, shopping, and restaurants that are very close to the Holiday Inn. We had hoped for a seminar (on site) on crafts & jewelry, presented by a local store. That was the company that changed ownership. I’m sure that many of our women could easily walk into the village and do some major damage in the many shops, boutiques, & galleries. We are still trying to arrange something along these lines for our women. The many activities for children has been addressed in a separate article. If a group of women (of course men are included) want to have a tour of the nearby Museum of Dance, we can arrange that.

Car rentals for people flying into Albany, N.Y. commercially was discussed in another article. For those flying into Saratoga (5B2), we have made arrangements with Enterprise (518-587-0687) for a discounted rate. You must tell them that you are flying into North American (FBO). They have a discounted rate. On top of that, if you are a member of AOPA or EAA, give them the Enterprise code and they will take off even more from North American’s rate. While the hotel gave us a good rate for “high season” I think the car rental rate is compatibly higher. If you can find a better rate from another agency – take it.

We are encouraging all who attend to purchase the shirts and caps with the convention logo. This information is on the registration form. Yes we will always need volunteers for various things like aircraft parking, registration, shuttle van drivers from the hotel to the airport, etc. In the matter of airport parking, bring your own tied down ropes! There is no parking on any grass area. There are tie down rings on the ramp to attach your ropes to. We are also asking (begging) for donations of any door prizes to be raffled away. While we are asking for aviation related things, any reasonable item will be much appreciated. These can be sent to me at: Andrew Seligson 331 Westchester Avenue Yonkers, N.Y. 10707. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at: [email protected] or H: 914-337-2968 or C: 914-522-3341. We are looking forward to having a good time with you all this July! Safe flying to you all.

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