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

All things flight-related for Hang Glider and Paraglider pilots: flying plans, site info, weather, flight reports, etc. Newcomers always welcome!

Moderator: CHGPA BOD

pch
Posts: 96
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2010 8:44 am

Re: CHGPA at the Smithsonian Kite Festival : The National Ma

Post by pch »

mcelrah wrote:"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.
User avatar
mingram
Posts: 987
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:46 pm
Location: Washington, DC

Re: CHGPA at the Smithsonian Kite Festival : The National Ma

Post by 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."
Matt Ingram
CHGPA President
P4 Observer
804.399.5155
mingram@vt.edu
User avatar
CraginS
Posts: 769
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 9:11 am
Location: Franconia
Contact:

April 10,Re: CHGPA at the CHerry Blos Kite Festival : Postpo

Post by 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!
User avatar
mingram
Posts: 987
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:46 pm
Location: Washington, DC

Re: CHGPA at the Smithsonian Kite Festival : Postponed!

Post by mingram »

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

Matt
Matt Ingram
CHGPA President
P4 Observer
804.399.5155
mingram@vt.edu
User avatar
mingram
Posts: 987
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:46 pm
Location: Washington, DC

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

Post by 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
Matt Ingram
CHGPA President
P4 Observer
804.399.5155
mingram@vt.edu
mcelrah
Posts: 2323
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:30 pm

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

Post by 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
Posts: 2323
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:30 pm

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

Post by 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
User avatar
CraginS
Posts: 769
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 9:11 am
Location: Franconia
Contact:

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

Post by 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
Posts: 2323
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:30 pm

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

Post by 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
User avatar
cthornberger
Posts: 109
Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2010 12:38 am
Location: Baltimore-ish, Md
Contact:

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

Post by 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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris __-_-->
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
mcelrah
Posts: 2323
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:30 pm

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

Post by 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
User avatar
mingram
Posts: 987
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:46 pm
Location: Washington, DC

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

Post by 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
Matt Ingram
CHGPA President
P4 Observer
804.399.5155
mingram@vt.edu
User avatar
markc
Posts: 3204
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2003 12:50 am

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

Post by 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
User avatar
CraginS
Posts: 769
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 9:11 am
Location: Franconia
Contact:

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

Post by 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)
User avatar
mingram
Posts: 987
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:46 pm
Location: Washington, DC

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

Post by 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
Matt Ingram
CHGPA President
P4 Observer
804.399.5155
mingram@vt.edu
deveil
Posts: 1336
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:13 pm
Location: garyD - Falls Church, Va

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

Post by deveil »

8)
garyDevan
User avatar
markc
Posts: 3204
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2003 12:50 am

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

Post by markc »

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

MarkC
User avatar
cthornberger
Posts: 109
Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2010 12:38 am
Location: Baltimore-ish, Md
Contact:

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

Post by cthornberger »

ETA 0750.
See ya there!

618nine74 3486
- Chris Hornberger
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris __-_-->
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
User avatar
cthornberger
Posts: 109
Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2010 12:38 am
Location: Baltimore-ish, Md
Contact:

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

Post by cthornberger »

hey, club! get down here and fill these tents, yo. You know you're not flying today ;).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris __-_-->
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
deveil
Posts: 1336
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:13 pm
Location: garyD - Falls Church, Va

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

Post by 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!
garyDevan
User avatar
CraginS
Posts: 769
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 9:11 am
Location: Franconia
Contact:

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

Post by 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
User avatar
pink_albatross
Posts: 599
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2005 12:20 pm
Location: Ellis from Arlington

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

Post by pink_albatross »

No I wasn't there, the pix posted are not mine. I found them on the net :-)
mcelrah
Posts: 2323
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:30 pm

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

Post by 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
Posts: 96
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2010 8:44 am

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

Post by pch »

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