Club News

Pool Party a Big Splash

Everyone had a great time at the annual RFPA pool party. Over thirty members and guest turned out for the evening at Jon's home. Thanks Jon, for providing the location and many thanks for Robert for cooking the burgers. Pictures are online at our website.

August RFPA Happy Hour

About twenty of you enjoyed Happy Hour last month for the "Monthly Third Friday RFPA Happy Hour" at Bill's Hideaway Club. The next Happy Hour is scheduled for Friday, September 17th. Everyone meets on the patio at Bill's. This event and many others are featured on our website in the "Events" section.  For more details about club events and functions click here.

Photographs from RFPA Trip to Llano

We got a little behind with the uploading of photographs on the website so there's a lot of new pictures for you to see. Here on the right is one of the photographs from our recent Llano lunch trip. Click here for more photographs.

Feature Website of the month:

http://www.faasafety.gov

A new website has been set up by the FAA where pilots can register for local FAA Safety Seminars. Last week, I attended the seminar on Risk Management and Avoiding Runway Incursions and used the website for the first time. To use the site, pilots are required to sign up, get a user name, and provide a password. Once you're registered, you can then sign up for the safety presentations and seminars. Other events that are listed are local FAA sponsored fly-in's, airshows, and many other events of interest. One of the best things about this process is that the system will email a reminder at a time determined by you during the event registration process.

The Trip is Set for Hot Springs, Arkansas

Our September event is one not to be missed. We've been there before and it is certainly time to go back!

Hot Springs is a beautiful trip in the Fall. The Ozark Mountains turn beautiful shades of orange and red as the fall colors penetrate the countryside. This trip is planned for Saturday, September 25th. We need pilots to sign up immediately so we can begin the flight planning process. Both Pilots and Passengers have signup forms on our website. Click here...

Hot Springs is a small and beautiful city nestled in the Ozark Mountains and is the center of the Hot Springs National Park. Known for it's therapeutic baths, Hot Springs has a rich history and has been a tourist destination for over a century.

RFPA members that flew with us on our last trip to Hot Springs toured the historic bath house on bath house row, walked the trails, and had lunch at one of the restaurants not far from the Arlington Hotel. To learn more about Hot Springs click here...

Jon Alston is our flight coordinator. To sign up for this flight click here...

Call 1(877) anyAWOS

There's a FANTASTIC new service that's FREE. The service called "anyAWOS" lets pilots call a toll-free number and listen to any AWOS/ASOS or transferred in the continental United States that has a public phone number. After dialing the number, you're asked to input the three digit airport identifier using your telephone keypad. A list of airports will be presented and you select the appropriate one. Your call is immediately transfered to the that airport's weather service. While the call is being connected you'll listen to a short advertisement of one of the service sponsors. A small price to pay for the convenience.

Event Change:  Night Flight Date Change Notice

The date for the annual Night Flight has been changed to October 16 due to a conflict with the Dallas Black Tie Dinner. We want the night flight to be something that everyone who wants to can participate in. Hence the change. Details for the flight are in the process of being finalized, so keep checking the website for updates.

Join NGPA in New Orleans for Halloween

This year, I am the event coordinator for an NGPA event that will be held in The Crescent City, otherwise known as New Orleans. It being held over the Halloween weekend (October 29 and 30).

NGPA is sponsoring a Welcome Cocktail Reception Friday evening, October 29th, at the host hotel followed on Saturday morning by a Continental Breakfast and Aviation Safety Program. Saturday afternoon, the NGPA members and guests are free to roam the city in search of whatever their hearts desire. There's city tours and of course, "everything" else about NOLA that captures the interest of you. Saturday night, a dinner at some Cajun Restaurant in the Quarter (still working on those details) followed on Sunday by Brunch.

The host hotel for the event is the Doubletree Downtown Hotel at 300 Canal Blvd. This is an excellent location for enjoying the many entertainment opportunities of the Big Easy. NGPA has reserved a block of rooms at a special rate of $149.00 per night, double occupancy. The last trip NGPA made to New Orleans was so much fun! I hope you can plan to attend. More information about this trip will be available on the NGPA website soon. But, if you're interested in knowing more about the events, the hotel, how to make reservations, etc., click here...

Another year at Oshkosh, Wisconsin’s EAA Airventure has come and gone.

I flew up with Robert Moore this year in his incredible ’65 Bonanza.

The trip up was great, VFR on top a good bit of the way. Lunch and a top off in St. Joseph, Missouri, then on up through Iowa and into Wisconsin to avoid some cells. Ducking under the cumulus for the last 50 miles, we approached Ripon, Wisconsin, the start of the most legendary visual approach in the world. This was my second time to fly into Whitman Field. The first was last year in my Bonanza with Eddie Carter. When Eddie and I arrived, our eyes nearly bugged out of our heads. Everyone gets into single file at 90 knots, flying over a railroad track. More...

RFPA dues are $35.00 per year and are due during the month of August. The club's treasury is used to supplement creating material for RFPA's Annual Discover Flying Day, administration, and to have enough money on hand to purchase food and beverages for the Pool Party and our Lake Trip. Your officers are extremely frugal with your funds and we also rely on many volunteers to supplement the operating expenses to keep your dues low. Please join RFPA is you have not, and if you have, thanks a bunch. Send your dues to: 
RFPA Treasurer c/o Robert McWilliams, 4411 Hockaday Drive, Dallas, TX 75229 (the form is online, click here)