Thread: THANK YOU

Many many thanks to all of you that attended the 2008 fly-in here in McMinnville. Not only does the plane make this a great event but what a bunch of great guys and gals.

Oregon cooperated with some great weather so we could all see it's great beauty making the flying a delight.

I hope the event continues to grow and that more will attend and find out how informative and how much fun this event really is. Many thanks for our Canadian neighbors who attended - that takes a little extra effort and it was greatly appreciated. And thanks to Yossi for showing us what can be accomplished if you set your mind to it.

I hope you all enjoyed it as much as my wife and I did and that we can see you all again soon.

Thank you, thank you, thank you

Roger H

Roger,

I just arrived home late yesterday, following my after fly-in trip to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.

I told you before leaving McMinnville, but again thank you so much for your, and your lovely wife's, efforts at organizing such a great event. I had a blast. The flying was great, the weather was good, and the people were fantastic.

It was great to be able to fly your wing this year also.

THANK YOU ALL !!!

Words-alone cannot describe the gratitude I feel for being invited to participate in the 2008 Flight Design CT Fly-In in McMinnville, Oregon.

Flying cross-country with Yossi was an unforgettable experience for me—a relatively newly-minted (March ’07) private pilot. Yossi’s 2005 CT is an absolute JOY to fly, with unparalleled visibility, feather-light controls, and all the gadgets you’d want for a cross-country flight (auto-pilot, traffic, XM weather & radio, etc.). We encountered all kinds of weather, dodged windmills in OK, grabbed the “Oh *#%t” bar in typical mid-afternoon turbulence near Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and Mammoth, CA, and were blessed with “severe smooth” skies (and tremendous company, thanks to Ed & Erin) from Mammoth to McMinnville.

The sites we saw along the way were occasionally breathtaking. (I can’t wait for Hedger to post some.)

But, for me, the most memorable parts of the trip were the awesome friends we met & made along the way. The Flight Design “Family” exudes a camaraderie, a community spirit, and a zeal / respect for “all things aviation” that I have never before encountered.

In Tulsa, I met the Gutman family—who welcomed us into their home & spent an afternoon “tweaking” Yossi’s plane and installing a new Garmin 496. In Mammoth, I met Ed & Erin, who taught me a lot about mountain flying & how to relax & enjoy thermals. In McMinnville, Roger "supervised" our oil-change, while others helped balance carbs, etc.

But the “family spirit” we encountered in McMinnville (especially with Roger and Liz) was truly unforgettable! The event was tremendously well-organized, the accommodations were excellent, the meals and the wines were as extraordinary as the company, the weather was great, and the flying was probably the most enjoyable three days I’ve EVER flown! The destinations chosen (Tillamook, Mount Hood, Mount Saint Helen’s) were gobsmackingly beautiful unto themselves—but when you add in the aviation museums, the formation flying photography, tasty airport restaurant cuisine, and the chance to chat about how to be a better CT pilot—it was truly astounding!

Flight Design's recognition of Yossi’s cross-country flight—and Roger's arranging for the newspaper article were quite touching! And all of the Flight Design “family” made me feel completely “at home,” despite being a total newcomer to the group. I’m already looking forward to participating in the 2009 Fly-In in Idaho.

Thanks again for all of the en-route technical assistance & moral support! Yossi & I REALLY appreciated it.

Because of high winds in CA/AZ and bad weather in TX/OK, Yossi & I flew back to NYC “as human cargo” on a commercial flight. :^( But we’ll return to CA to fly 107WW home in a week or so. We’ll be sure to take lots of photos as well.

Thanks again for hosting such a wonderful event!

Best Personal Regards,

Derek