Monthly Recap and Trip News.  The month of July had no planned trips, but we had a great time at the Lunch-Bunch outing at the Spitfire Deli in Winder (KWDR).  We had a great turnout, with 7 aircraft and 15 people attending. We also met with 3 potential new members and swapped some tall tales during the lunch.                                                                                                                                          

Unfortunately, the September 8 - 10 trip to Franklin, Pennsylvania, hosted by Sam DiGiammarino, has been cancelled.  

Also coming up is The Great Southeastern Air Tour, October 6 – 8, featuring airports in Tennessee, also hosted by Sam and his committee. This will be our first air tour of Tennessee, so you’ll want to be sure to be there.  As always, you can make your reservations by email atreservations@georgiaflyers.org or by contacting Sam directly. The calendar athttp://www.georgiaflyers.org/calendar.htm gives the rundown and contacts for remaining 2006 events. 

Lunch-Bunch News.  The next Lunch-Bunch event is planned for Saturday, August 26th at Marietta McCollum (KRYY) from 11:00 - 4:00. Transportation will be provided from McCollum airport (KRYY) Northside Aviation to downtown Kennesaw where we will have lunch at the famous Whistle Stop Café.  Across the street from the café, you can visit the memorial park where the Confederate locomotive “General” was captured by Union raiders on April 12, 1862, starting the Great Locomotive Chase (see http://www.locomotivegeneral.com/locomotivechase.html for a brief history of the capture and chase).  For those interested, we will tour the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History (at a discounted rate) where “The General” is located. The museum is just across the tracks from the memorial park. Other items of interest located within easy walking distance are By-Gone Treasures, Collectibles & Antiques, Kennesaw Trains & Hobbies, and Dent Meyer’s “Wildman’s” Civil War Surplus (truly a one of a kind experience you won’t want to miss). There is also a small playground across the street from the museum to allow an energy outlet for our young flyers. Northside Aviation has offered a $0.25 per gallon fuel discount for all Lunch-Bunch flyers (cash, check or Shell credit card). Transportation to/from McCollum and the Whistle Stop Café (a 1.5 mile trip) will be available throughout the period from 11 am to 4 pm. Contact Sherri Platt with headcount by August 23rd by emailing her at lunchbunch@georgiaflyers.org.  This looks like a great Lunch-Bunch event. Sign up early!

Meeting News.   Our next get together and meeting will be at our Summer Dinner Dance on Saturday, August 19th at St. Ives Country Club.  Invitations have been mailed to all members.  Please promptly respond if you have not already with your check as specified on the invitation. The evening will begin with socializing and cocktails at 6 pm, followed by dinner, dancing and more socializing until 11 pm.  Note that this party is taking the place of our Christmas holiday party as that was becoming too expensive and difficult to make reservations.  As such, the admission for Georgia Flyers members is partially subsidized. So you will want to be sure to attend.

Meet a Member.  This month, we are featuring members John and Stephanie Horton.   John and Stephanie Horton met at The 1988 Okie Derby, a Ninety Nines pilot proficiency race in Oklahoma City.
Stephanie was the Ninety Nines private pilot scholarship winner that year. She recalls, "I had a brand new private license, and he showed up with a really nice Cessna, so it was love at first sight for me!" Their daughter Grace was born the following year.
John, a native of Dallas, Texas, earned his private license in 1973. He has owned a Piper Cherokee, two Cessna 182s, and a recently acquired 1976 Beechcraft V35 Bonanza which is undergoing extensive panel renovations.

John is a digital logic design engineer who designs chips for broadband applications.
Stephanie holds a master's degree in American literature and is beginning a collection of short stories.
The Hortons typically fly to visit family in Phoenix, San Diego, the Bay Area of San Francisco, and the upper Midwest, in addition to enjoying many Georgia Flyers destinations. They make many trips to Dallas to visit friends and sample John's favorite barbecue and Mexican food (which of course is better in Texas than anywhere else). Next year, the family plans to take a flying tour of the great national parks of the West.
John and Stephanie are the proud parents of Grace, a high school senior and an aspiring actress; Nemo, a talkative Moluccan cockatoo; two goofy dogs and two geriatric tomcats, Norm and Bob.

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I am also looking for volunteers to be the subject(s) of the monthly Meet a Member article.  It is easy and painless.  Just give me your information background information and a photo if available and that is it.  Please let me know if you would be willing to participate.

Stay tuned next month, when Thomas and Lesa Rader will be the subjects of our next “Meet a Member” article.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the August Georgia Flyers events.

Ron Deering