2003 Southeast Regional Convention VTCI

428QBird

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2003 VTCI South East Regional Convention
September 4 - 7, 2003

The Dixieland Thunderbirds of Warner Robins, GA will host the 2003 Vintage Thunderbird Club International South East Regional Convention.

The hotel of choice is the Ramada Inn and Conference center - Warner Robins, GA. We have tentatively reserved 40 rooms and have negotiated a special rate of $59 per night plus tax. This rate includes hot or cold breakfast in the dining facilities at the Ramada. You may reach the Ramada for room reservations by calling 800-545-7321. Please note that reservations should be made early enough to insure room availability. The location of this Ramada is ideally located near shopping centers, restaurants, and if needed Auto Parts Stores.

Registration for the VTCI Southeast Regional Convention 2003 will begin at noon Thursday, September 4, 2003. Thursday evening we will be hosting a Georgia BBQ dinner at the hotel in the courtyard area. The price of the BBQ is included with your registration at the Ramada. Alternate menus will be available at the Ramada or local restaurants can be used if you so choose.

There will be 4 birdbaths available on the hotel property. These will be utilized for preparation of the automobiles for the judging event and will be scheduled for 30-minute periods. The Bird Bath will open on Thursday from Noon to 6 PM and on Friday from 7:00 AM till 6:00 PM. Available times will be posted in the Hospitality suite.

There are several events of interest on Friday. We will be leaving the Ramada at 10:00 heading to the Air Museum for a photo opportunity. While at the museum you will have the opportunity to have your Tbird’s picture taken with an F105D painted like the famed P40 Warhawk flown by General Scott. After ward we will meet General Scott in the Museum Theatre. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet a real Flying Tiger. We will be leaving the museum at 1:30 heading back to the Ramada. A police escort has been arranged for this travel event. At 3:00 there will an hour long Judges training held in the Magnolia room at the Ramada. Friday evening dinner will be a low country boil starting at 5:00 PM. There will be an alternate children’s menu if desired. This event will be at the Ramada around the pool area. At 7:00 PM the Poker run will kick off at $10 a hand. This will take you on a tour of Warner Robins stopping at several pre set stations picking a card from the deck. Best hand wins $100, 2nd will get $60, and 3rd will get $40. This event is open to all clubs and enthusiasts from the area. We will end up between Sonic and Fuddruckers where if you like you can order desert.

There will be plenty of time this weekend to explore the Middle Georgia area to see local events and venues. Some of the attractions you might choose to see are:

Museum of Aviation
Museum of Arts and Sciences
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
Georgia Music Hall of Fame
Ocmulgee National Monument and Indian Mounds
The Cannonball House and Museum
The Hay House - Palace of the South
Sidney Lanier Cottage
Woodruff House

Additionally during the VTCI Convention, Robins Air Force Base is hosting their open house September 6th and 7th. There will be static displays and an air show featuring the USAF Thunderbirds. The Museum of Aviation is now the second largest museum in the United States Air Force. Displaying 93 aircraft and hundreds of exhibits on a beautiful 43 acre site. Admission is Free! The museum is open 9am to 5pm, seven days a week.

Saturday will be filled with activity surrounding the Thunderbirds. Judging will begin around 9AM and finish before 4PM. The hospitality suite will be open from 9AM till 4PM. The convention banquet will be held in the main ballroom at the Ramada, beginning at 5:00 PM. During this time the hospitality suite will be used for a children’s sitting service during the banquet. A separate children’s banquet will be served in the hospitality suite for the children. Televisions, movies and other fun activities will be part of their evening. A nominal fee will be charged for this sitting service.

Besides the Concours awards given out for each Division, there will be 2 special awards. Our Best of Show award will be named after our hometown Hero, General Robert Lee Scott. General Scott is the author of God is my Copilot, having flown with the famed "Flying Tigers" squadron of World War II and a leading Ace of World War II. Our Peoples Choice award will have special significance. This award will be given based on donations given as votes for the car of their choice. These donations will be awarded to Shriners Hospitals for Children. The Shriners provide medical care for children throughout our country and community. Our goal for this convention is to provide a $2000 donation to the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

For those of you wanting to come and show your wares, there will be vendor slots available. Ramada Inn has offered to let us have indoor and outdoor vendor spaces. Charge for the vendors slots are $50 / per day or $75 / weekend. The only requirement will be that the vendors should be providing products related to Thunderbirds. We will also have space for a Bird Cage (aka Car Corral). If you have a Thunderbird you will be able to place it in the Bird Cage with information on the car and how to contact you while at this convention or when you return home.

Your registration packet will have details on local attractions and activities. If you have any questions please contact Rick Powell at 478-953-1411 (yensid@powell-i.com) or Bill Hunter at 478-922-5002 (hunte818@bellsouth.net). For the latest information check the Dixieland Thunderbirds web site at http://clubs.hemmings.com/dixielandtbirds.
 
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Man, I read that book 35 years ago... I thought General Scott had passed away.. Now I'm going to have to go home and see if I can find it in my old book archive... I know I keeped it...

This sounds interesting, I'll have to keep it in mind...

RJ
 
General Scott

General Scott of Flying Tigers fame turned 95 in April 2003. He remains the spokesperson for the Air Musem at Robins AFB. He is a Macon, GA native and very active in the community. For a 95 year young man he is amazingly active. I think his last Jet flight was two years ago in an F15 exceeding mach 2 - he was the pilot on this flight. No one mentioned it, but I think he likes it when his hair is on fire. Since his return to the Warner Robins area he has soloed on the F15 and F16, flown as pilot on a B1 and as co pilot on a B2. He just loves to fly.

Having met General Scott on a couple of occasions I can say that this man is very young at heart. He loves to share with others and takes a genuine interests in others and the community. In a world full of so called heros full of themselves, its nice to meet the real deal.

:)
 
I met him when my dad was stationed up at Warner Robins.... Early 70s, I think when we came back from Agentina... I knew he had to be way up there cause he was old when I met him... Of course I'll never forget shaking his hand...

Being a USAF brat, I was one of the truly interested parties to meet him. The Flying Tigers era and WWII was the most interesting to me, I studied all I could.

Dad also flew during WWII but mostly bombers, over the years I've managed to get a flight in a lot of the planes Dad flew, B-25J, B-24, B-29. One of Dad's best friends and commander at one point or another was a P-51 pilot over WWII Germany, he told some of the best stories ever told. Col. A even got me a ride in an F-106 when I was in CAP, that was one heck of a lot of fun. Out of all the years and all the air shows I've been to, the one bird I never got to see in, or get in was the P-40.... that was a bad bird, especially in a dive.. Really miss those day, growing up in the early 60s a lot of the old war birds were still around... It's too bad, I don't think there are any flying anymore, last one I saw was 10 years or so ago, they dug it out of a swamp south of us, around Okkachobee I belive. Wasn't a lot left of it, I think they were going to rebuild it but I've never seen it fly..

Lost Dad about 8 years ago this June, he would have been 84 this Nov., that would be something if Gen. Scott remembered my Dad wouldn't it... They tend to forget all but the most exciting times in their lives, mostly war stories..

BTW.. Most fighter pilots never knew how to act unless their hair was on fire..

RJ
 
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Here is a picture of the P40 that is on display at the museum. Friday when we cruise out to the museum we will have time to meet General Scott and browse around the planes and other exhibits. One of my chapter members is a curator at the museum, so we hear about all the exhibits and events going on there. If you would like to visit the museum's web site goto http://www.museumofaviation.org .

See you in Sept.
 

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Chassis Dyno

Friday afternoon (Sep 5, 2003) at this convention we will taking a trip over to Reeves RPM performance for some time on their Chassis Dyno. We have worked out a price of $75 for each car. That is $20 off the normal rate. This allows up to 3 pulls on the dyno.

Reeves is also giving us one freebie which we will raffle off to some lucky owner.

Their Chassis Dyno is a Superflow AutoDyn. This was installed into one fo their bay floors. Be prepared for a chassis inspection prior to pulling. Steve at RPM will be there to insure the best results from your pulls and to insure safety.

Need more information check out the Dixieland Thunderbirds web site at http://clubs.hemmings.com/dixielandtbirds

Hope to see you there.

Rick
 
P40 still flying

Kamakazi...

Found out from the museum that there is at least 1 P40 still flying. It's owned by a private investor and makes the rounds at air shows.

Rick
 
Re: P40 still flying

428QBird said:
Kamakazi...

Found out from the museum that there is at least 1 P40 still flying. It's owned by a private investor and makes the rounds at air shows.

Rick

Really!! I've been going for years and never have seen one fly at any of the shows I've been at. I'd like to find out his schedule..

RJ
 
Update on the Thunderbirds

Just found out from the Ramada Convention Center that there will be another group of Thunderbirds there at the time of our Regional. Maybe you have heard of them... the USAF Thunderbirds. They will be staying at the same location as our SE Regional Convention.

See you there.

Rick
 

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