Is there any interest in a weekend get together in South Central Pennsylvania this summer. My wife and I would be happy to host it at our airport. There are dozens of grass strips around here we can visit. You can camp by your plane. We have restrooms and a shower available. Gettysburg and York (HD factory) are only 25 minutes away. I have a couple of beater cars for road trips.

Our private airport is PA72 Circle W Airfield in East Berlin PA. Runway 15/33 is 2700' in length by 100' wide with displaced threshholds at both ends because of trees. The runway is level and smooth. We have room to park about 20 airplanes, possibly more.

We are completely open to suggestions for activities, food, and dates.

Thanks, Cliff and Joyce

cliff wrote:Is there any interest in a weekend get together in South Central Pennsylvania this summer. My wife and I would be happy to host it at our airport. There are dozens of grass strips around here we can visit. You can camp by your plane. We have restrooms and a shower available. Gettysburg and York (HD factory) are only 25 minutes away. I have a couple of beater cars for road trips.

Our private airport is PA72 Circle W Airfield in East Berlin PA. Runway 15/33 is 2700' in length by 100' wide with displaced threshholds at both ends because of trees. The runway is level and smooth. We have room to park about 20 airplanes, possibly more.

We are completely open to suggestions for activities, food, and dates.

Thanks, Cliff and Joyce

Im down for this. I can help you out as well.

I would like to try and get some of the OBP crew over this way if possible.

Sounds good.

Bummer, I thought maybe there was some people in the group who would enjoy meeting each other.

cliff wrote:Bummer, I thought maybe there was some people in the group who would enjoy meeting each other.

Cliff, I'm going to say the prob is completely about people not seeing this thread, rather than not wanting to get together at your place.

There are a good amount of east coasters n here, but not everyone checks every day. Give it a few weeks. Maybe edit your thread title with your state. Post a photo of your airstrip. Dangle some bait.

I'd certainly join in if the flight wasn't so long.

cliff wrote:...There are dozens of grass strips around here we can visit. You can camp by your plane. We have restrooms and a shower available. ...

Me too. Souns ike a great place to fly.
Can you move all that about 2000 miles west please?

Depending on dates, I'm interested. Always like flying somewhere new.

Summers are tough for me to get time off (we own a whitewater rafting and outfitting business) pretty much 7 days/week, but I would try to peel a couple of days out of the schedule if it allowed. 50 - 50 odds, but I think it would be great. If the summer doesn't work out. Any time after Labor Day would be all good.

Pete

Thanks for the responses, I have never reached out through a forum to have an event, so I wasn't use to the low level of enthusiasm. When we plan events here within our circle of aviator friends the response is alway very enthusiastic, with everyone participating in the planning of the event. And of course it would be because we all know each other and we get excited about having a good time with each other. None of you know Joyce and I or each other for that matter, so you don't really know what you will be getting yourself into. I am now understanding the difference and I am working on how to make it happen.

Here is a little background on us. I was born into an aviation family, Dad flew skydivers. My brother and I started skydiving , flying, and working at the dropzone at a very early age. I got into the skydiving business when I got out of the Army in 1987, Dad supplied the planes, I ran the skydiving school.
I met my wonderful wife Joyce on the dz in 1990 and we were married a year later. She supported my aviation lifestyle even though she didn't share the passion. My fulltime occupation was an auto body painter and airbrush artist, Joyce was in the printing business. We ran a weekend dz together until 1998 when I took a job as a manager of a fulltime, multi turbine, dz in NC. We learned alot about the business and we organized and planned many large, successful skydiving events along the way. Joyce did the catering or organized the catering for events with hundreds in attendance. She is an awsome cook, unbelievable baker, and first class party hostest. We learned a lot about the skydiving business when we were doing it full time, the biggest thing we learned about the skydiving business was that we didn't want to be in the skydiving business the rest of our lives. So. in 2002 We moved back to PA and started a custom paint business, we out grew the old shop and bought the airport in 2014. We converted the existing hangar into a body and paint shop. We live on the property in a double wide trailer (yuck). We are in the zoning process of building a pole building to house all the lawncare equipment ,airplanes, and junk we have accumulated over the years. We love flying and meeting new people. We pride ourselves on throwing epic parties that people remember. Last years halloween party was one to remember. We also enjoy quiet evening campfires with a few friends and family, which has become a weekly summer thing here. That's us in a nutshell.

We are open to suggestions, What do you guys like? We need to come up with a date, After Labor day works for us.

Cliff
I really appreciate your enthusiasm for wanting to have a public event on your private strip, that's a pretty rare thing these days in the Northeast. I would be up for attending your flyin for sure. A summer date would be best for me. My schedule tightens up a bit when my kids start school, but I would still try and make it if a fall date is scheduled.
Tom

I know that at least one more from WV that will probably attend. Possibly one from PA also. Then there are the Ohio boys. I am working on them. We will make this a good one.

I have been in talks with a private resort owner about opening up his runway to pilots for overnight/weekend camping. This location is in a "remote" (it's all relative, right?) section of PA. There are activities there such as quad/atv rentals, fishing, and a nine hole golf course and of course hiking and the norm.

I have scheduled a future meeting with him to talk about the details. Fingers crossed. May have a new destination for pilots on the east coast to fly in and camp. I'm pretty excited about it.

A place like that would be great, keep us informed. We don't need to hold it here. A more Backcountry setting would be nice.

I'd come down, in the process of moving to a strip in NH. I have to finish my cub first.

cliff wrote:A place like that would be great, keep us informed. We don't need to hold it here. A more Backcountry setting would be nice.

Not what I was getting at all. Just wanted to let the east coasters know. I think your place would be great.

I say we do both!

Don't worry about 100 people not signing up. Pick a date and they'll come.

Thanks for starting to put this together.

I would just publish a date rather than try to heard the cats. Put a circle on the calendar and folks will make plans.

For this crew, I think it would be the flying (exploring new/challenging strips) that would be the ticket. Day trips to HD factories etc., not so much. Give me a date and I will try to make it!

If the timing works, I'd come and probably bring a few from Vermont. The first couple of weeks of September are always nice.

Joyce and I will check our schedule and come up with a date.

Sept 9, 10, and 11. We will get an agenda together and go from there. Your imput is appreciated.

Great! Count me & my wife in. If the weather sucks we might just drive down.

Pete