CHGPA at the Smithsonian/Blossom Kite Festival : Sun Apr 10

[pch]

"By the time we got to Woodstock, we were half a million strong!..." - Hugh

Sometime I'll have to tell you my Woodstock stories Hugh.

[mingram]

From the organizers, "Due to the weather forecast for this Sunday, March 27 (snow/rain/cold) we are postponing the Blossom Kite Festival.  The new date will be announced on Monday.
 
We will add an announcement on our webpage for the Festival and Danielle Piacente, is circulating information to the media as well."

[CraginS]

Blossom Kite Festival presented by the National Cherry Blossom Festival
Apr 10, 2011

http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestiva ... -festival/

Time: 10 AM – 4 PM
Location: Washington Monument grounds – Constitution Avenue & 17th Street, NW (map)
Cost: FREE
The first annual Blossom Kite Festival presented by the National Cherry Blossom Festival showcases the creativity of kite makers and skill of kite fliers from across the US and other countries

After 44 years sponsored by the Smithsonian, the kite festival is now sponsored by the Cherry Blossom Festival!

[mingram]

Beat me to it! Does this mean you can join the fun?

Matt

[mingram]

So Hugh has a previous engagement the night before the kite fest. Any other hang gliders want to volunteer? It's forecasted to be mid 60s - hopefully clear skies.

Matt

[mcelrah]

I might be able to make it after all, but driving from Charlottesville that morning and might not make the window to get a car in close - so if there's another volunteer, please go ahead! - Hugh

[mcelrah]

Hey Matt,

If no one else steps forward, perhaps I can get with you Friday and turn over a hang-vehicle (with glider attached) to drive to the Monument by 7 AM Sunday morning. You unload it, I show up around 9 AM and you can have your first HG lesson helping me set it up. Call me to coordinate.

- Hugh
301 980-6381

[CraginS]

My current plan is to take part. If I can find the kid's harness I have carefully stored, I will bring it, allowing young'ns to swing under a glider. They loved it last time we did that.
Sadly, the Batglider will be MIA.

Keep an eye on the government shutdown news. I heard on the radio this morning that Cherry Blossom Festival activities will not take place if the Feds shut down Friday.

Of course, if it is a pretty day, crowds on the Mall might enjoy seeing a glider or two, anyway.

[mcelrah]

OK Craig, if you are in, I'll probably come down but not try to bring my glider due to the tyranny of distance (I'm starting from Charlottesville that morning).

Back on the previous date that was canceled, Sallie and I rode bikes under the cherry blossoms and there were plenty of kites flying.

Hopefully we would be allowed to freelance a glider display in the absence of government funding.

In other news, I have put in a request to Regal theaters to set up a glider at the opening of the animated hang-gliding themed movie "Rio" on 15 April (NOT tax day, which is the 18th this year, to the consternation of Grover Norquist).

- Hugh

[cthornberger]

Hey, I can get my glider down there. I'd be happy to lug it down there for the Kite Festival. I should be down there in time to get the car close.

-Chris Hornberger

[mcelrah]

GReat! Yours is nice and crispy. Guidance was to arrive at 7 am but if no gov't perhaps the lawless mob wil figure it all out without supervision... - Hugh

[mingram]

Yeaaaa! Thanks guys!

Cragin, I hope you can make it. The more the merrier. I have your phone number.
Chris, I can't find you on the club roster! PM me your phone number so we can coordinate on Sunday.

73 for a high on Sunday! It should be a great day, especially if the Man ain't around. We WILL have a tent provided the gub'ment employees are around to set it up. If not I have Amy's tent just in case.

I'll wait to see what happens with the shut down to make an ETA decision.

Matt
804.399.5155

[markc]

Hiya Matt! Do you, or anyone else who plans to be at the Kite Fest, have a copy of Gary Smith's DVD of local HG and PG pilots flying our area sites? If not, let me know and I'll try to get a copy to you for tomorrow. The video would be great for display purposes, and there's nothing 'commercial' about it, so the organizers shouldn't have any problem with it.

MarkC

[CraginS]

I found the kids' harness. I'll bring it and my Pulse.
Are we still asking folks to bring laptop computers so we can each use our battery limits to have videos playing?
Gary's or Rich's or some other?
(I do not have any of the dvds; sorry)

[mingram]

Great! I'm bringing my laptop. Bring yours too. I didn't get the Gary smith video, but have the USHPA DVD and personal vids. I have the club banners from Carlos and a ton of swag.

ETA 8am (damn that sounds early)

Matt

[deveil]

[markc]

I'll get a copy of Gary's 'Glide / Ratio 2004' DVD down to the K-Fest tomorrow AM.

MarkC

[cthornberger]

ETA 0750.
See ya there!

618nine74 3486
- Chris Hornberger

[cthornberger]

hey, club! get down here and fill these tents, yo. You know you're not flying today .

[deveil]

i just left four sooper trooper ambassadors down on the mall. i hung out with them for a while and bought some pizza but these guys were really selling it! All-Day-Loooong!

[pink_albatross]

pix at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gendv138/5608075974/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gendv138/5608085310/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterhutch ... otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterhutch ... otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterhutch ... otostream/ (nice booth, guys! )
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterhutch ... otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterhutch ... otostream/ (good job, Chris and Matt!)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterhutch ... otostream/ (paraglider at the kite festival - whose?)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterhutch ... otostream/ (Gary with the kiddie ride)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterhutch ... otostream/ (kiting with a serious wing)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterhutch ... otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterhutch ... otostream/

[CraginS]

Super day at the Kite festival. I arrived at 7:30 to stake out our area, and Matt I and Chris T were both there before 8. We set up the booth with local club and USHPA schwag, as well as two gliders. Just the three of us until after noon, so we were pretty busy talking up the sports and hanging kids under a glider. MC and Gary D both arrived and did yeoman's work with the crowd. We had flyers, maps, calendars, magazines, buttons, and LOTS of questions and kids.
All afternoon we were hanging kids under my old Pulse, with Gary, Chris, and Matt all taking turns lifting the keel to have the kids fly. They and the parents loved it. Talk about photo ops for the families!
Joe G and Mark dropped by to visit. Apparently Ellis was lurking in the area, based on her two Flickr photos, but I did not see her.
Thanks to everyone who helped out.

To see a batch of my photos from the day, hop over to today's entry in my blog:
http://craginsflightblog.blogspot.com/2 ... -2011.html

[pink_albatross]

No I wasn't there, the pix posted are not mine. I found them on the net

[mcelrah]

A big THANK YOU to all who showed up and represented! (You did NOT miss any great flying at Daniel's yesterday.) - Hugh

[pch]

Looks like it was fun! I had to work. Maybe next year.