Apache Pass Aerotow 2019

[Mark9]

Join us at the inaugural Apache Pass Aerotow event to be held at the Apache Pass Event Center located just northeast of Austin, TX on April 25-28, 2019 outside of Rockdale, TX.

***Click Here To Register for this Event***

The facility is an incredible destination flying site with many amenities:

• The two grass runways will be available to be used for the event
• Event fee $60 for the entire event or single days $25 per day
• Lunch will be available daily on the field ($ TBD)
• Four national chain motels and an equivalent locally owned motel are approximately ten miles from the flying facility in Rockdale, TX
• An RV park is just off the end of the runway with full hook ups available (contact Apache Pass Event Center for information, see below for their website)
• Also located at the event center is an outstanding steakhouse and icehouse
• Saturday evening banquet ($ TBD)
• Also, Austin with great shopping and history is just about an hour away

E-mail (TBD) for more information about the aerotow event. For more information on the Apache Pass Event Center and its amenities please see the website:

http://www.apachepass.com/airpark.html

Get your reservations in early. April is the best time of the year to fly in Texas and the lift is usually good.

[jfrickie]

Im in.....

[ARUP]

I think I'll make it!

[Mark9]

Hope you can Michael.

[edfmaniac]

It's going to be good times.

[DennisB]

Tom Harper and Walt Higgins both live near or in Austin, I hope they read this.

[Mark9]

Don, if you have their contact information please give them a ping.

Mark

[edfmaniac]

I told Walt about it. Not sure about Tom but I have his number somewhere. Hopefully this get together will break the ice so we can get some regular towing going on in Austin. The suspense is killing me.

[Mark9]

Yep, it would be good for me too. Only about a 3 hour drive, if I don't have to go to south Austin...grin.

[ARUP]

Lack of on site storage for assembled sailplanes is sometimes a 'deal breaker'. Will there be any place to store sailplanes overnight on site?

[Mark9]

Michael our team has yet to come to a consensus. Renting a container is a major expense (may sink the whole event in the future without enough participants) and many think a U-Haul van or two would be inadequate. So, still at this time it's a TBD, sorry.

[Steve P]

Mike -- are you drinking that imitation Kentucky bourbon they sell behind the 7-11? ;-) As your neighbors might say, that comment is about as useful as a steering wheel on a mule. On-site storage is a rare exception at soaring events, not nearly the rule. So if I have this right, we spend months or years building planes and we can't possibly endure ten minutes taking them apart in the evening!? Find a field, fuel a tug and have an event. All else is optional. :-)

[ARUP]

Steve P- believe it or not most of the events I've attended had on-site storage. So... even though it might not be the 'norm' for most fliers, in my experience and, maybe, others', on-site storage feels like a 'given' or a standard expectation. I do realize that this expectation is NOT the norm in any case. Thus the inquiry.
When I was younger we didn't have to make liquor... we just 'obtained' barrell squeezins', preferrably at night when nobody was looking, at the nearby distillers. They used to store emptied whiskey barrels outside on their unfenced lots. A little bit of 'product' would leach out of the wood to be collected by us 'barrel tippers'. I have consumed much un-taxed liquor in this manner which made it taste even better!
To turn a mule to the right- Geeee (some say 'Yeeee'). To turn a mule to the left- Hawww. To start a mule- Gid-yup. To stop a mule- Woe (say it really fast).

[jfrickie]

The U-haul idea works great at Sled -Works in Minnesota. They had about 20-25 flyers and plenty of room.

[Mosquito]

Rent two of them. One smaller for tugs and a bigger for sailplanes. Back them up at night snuggly to each other (back door to back door) that keeps thieves from an easy access to the trailers. Or, at least slows them way down!

[ARUP]

Maybe there is a business that might loan a box trailer like Wenger did for Sled Works a couple of years in a row. Thanks again Wenger... AWESOME!



Here it is in 2016 with most attendees/fliers in the picture.

[lenb]

Not to pee on anyones parade here, but............ There's a saying we use when talking with potential event organizers about setting up their first event, "just provide a field, a place to pee and maybe a little food at noon.... don't get hung up in the rest"

All the extra amenities are difficult to arrange when starting out. You don't know what the turnout will be and its impossible to guess so why bother and run the risk of having out of pocket expenses that can't be covered by the attendance. Just hold an event, the guys can take their planes apart each night and put them back together the next day, we've all done that for years. Eventually, when you know what to expect each year you can add niceties to the event. Remember its a privilege for us pilots to attend an event as a guest. Without people like you going through all the effort to put it together, we would be sitting in our shops polishing the canopies.

My 2 cents

( sorry Mike, I still love you man )

[ARUP]

No worries... logical info!

[ARUP]

Bummer... looks like I won't make this event because my professional 'continuing education' classes are this weekend. It's always the weekend before the Kentucky Derby which is held the first Saturday of May. I like attending inaugural events. I've done Frankenmuth, Clover Creek and Winamac.

[JimD]

Event registration is now open!

You can visit the website www.scalesoaring.com or you can simply click on the link below!

***Click here to register***

[Mark9]

For those of you who are on the fence about coming to Apache Pass because you have concerns about our tow planes, I think we have you covered. At the moment we have 7 tow planes lined up and we can handle sailplanes from the 2 meter class up to the large 75 lbs. plus class. We also have some very experienced tow pilots committed to attend.

So, with the venue, which you really need to see, this should be a great event. I’m hoping you will come join us for our inaugural event in April the flying should be excellent. Get your registrations in at the link provided above.

Co-CD,
Mark

[Mark9]

To let everyone know I was talking with Gene, our ED (it's an event not a contest) and planning is proceeding well for our event. We have many tow planes set up and our pre-registered pilot count is up to 27 at the moment. Spring has come to Texas and the wildflowers are starting to bloom. I hope that you come to join us. It should be a fun event just northeast of Austin.

Your Co-ED
Mark

[BryanB]

If you haven't booked your rooms yet there is a really neat old motel that's been in their family for 111yrs. They are also friends with the owner of Apache Pass Airfield. They still have single rooms available during the week but only suites on the weekend that are reasonable. So you can book a single room for the weekday and a suite for the weekend!

RAINBOW COURTS MOTEL
915 E. Cameron Ave.
Rockdale, Texas 76567
Phone: 512/446-2361

[Tom McP]

That's where I reserved a room last week. Looks like a nice place.

Tom McP

[Mark9]

First thank you to all those that have registered so far, we have 26. Also, I talked with Gene T. your primary ED (it's an Event not a Contest) yesterday and he has reserved two of the 26' U-Haul vans. We plan to pick them up on Thursday morning. These will be used first to store tow planes and secondly gliders, if room is available. Additionally, he has told me he has a few fun surprises in store for the Saturday group get together.

The spring flying season is getting a good start. Despite the storms Sunday evening our local group here in the Dallas area met at the North Dallas RC Club yesterday for a towing session. We were warmly welcomed by some their of their members and Charles Schafer, our Event Coordinator, arranged to have us all fed well. I had a great time and enjoyed the day with some nice flights on my little Ka-8b. We all on the team hope we have a good event and you have a good time. See you in Apache Pass, your assistant ED.