Newsletter February 2023
From the Prez,
February 4th we had lunch at KLNS, Lancaster, PA. We had Drew McWilliams and copilot William Reigle, Walter Harris with his son Nathaniel, Tom Johnston, Dan Maul who now flies a Malibu (but used to fly a Bonanza) with his copilot Derrick. It was a great time.
April 1 will be a BPPP Live event hosted by the American Bonanza Society at the Reading, PA Airport (KRDG). Please sign up for this event on our web site. Attending this event satisfies the ground school requirements of getting a BPPP (Bonanza Pilot Proficiency Program) certificate, which usually will give you an Instrument Proficiency Check and Flight Review. After this session, you call a BPPP instructor, arrange the flight portion (usually 2, 2-hour flights on the same day) and get the certificate. The BPPP certificate is the gold standard for Bonanza instruction, whether you are new to Bonanzas or Barons or
have been flying them for a long time.
I have done the BPPP many times and I always seem to learn something. Plus, my insurance company likes it. The advantage of the BPPP Live event is face-to-face interaction, the ability to ask questions and share experiences with other Beechcraft pilots.
If you fly into Reading, you shouldn’t need to rent a car. If you use Millennium FBO, you can walk across the parking lot to the terminal (where we will have the class) and across the parking lot the other way to the Holiday Inn Express. There is also a restaurant in the airport terminal, Klinger’s at the Airport, open for lunch and dinner.
By the way, parking in front of the terminal (like we sometimes do) will be closed off; they have a 737 charter coming in that day to drop off passengers.
UPDATE – as of February 17 we have 34 people coming; we don’t expect to exceed the room capacity. But I still need you to sign up for the event.
The Holiday Inn Express may run out of rooms; their yield management software is already increasing the prices from around $100 to over $200. If you can’t get in there, another alternative is to get a rental car from either of the 2 FBO’s and stay at any one of numerous places in the area.
As for Klinger’s restaurant in the terminal, I talked to them about having 40 people for lunch and dinner; they said it will be no problem. I told them to expect us in groups of 3-6, no tables for 40. Note that they do not serve breakfast; I may try to bring donuts & bagels or something.
May 6 – Lunch at Montauk, NY (KMTP). Land 11:30AM, gather, walk short distance down to the Inlet Seafood restaurant which opens at Noon. Walk on the beach and through the county park.
May 18-21 – Formation training at Martinsburg, WV, (KMRB). This is the only mid-atlantic formation clinic this year. Presented by NEBG member John Zazworsky, attending and completing this formation clinic qualifies you to fly in the B2OSH mass arrival for Airventure Oshkosh. If you haven’t flown into Oshkosh with the B2OSH group, it is a hoot and one of the best ways to attend Oshkosh. Sign-up at the Bonanzas to Oshkosh Website and let us know you’re gong on the NEBG website.
June 1-4 – Hyannis, MA. I have landed at Hyannis but never stayed there. This village on Cape Cod is known for its wide beaches and the private Kennedy Compound. The John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum chronicles the assassinated president’s family vacations through videos and photographs. At the Hyannis harbor, the Cape Cod Maritime Museum has boat building exhibits. Main Street in downtown Hyannis is known for specialty shops, restaurants, and attractions.
As for lodging, the Hyannis Harbor Hotel looks to be the place where we can gather, socialize, and depart for various activities. I have already made my reservations; less than $1K for 3 nights with fees.
BANKING – Chris Nowak, our treasurer is still trying to unravel our banking issues. Meanwhile, we have had no access to our bank account for some time.
The great news is that NEBG member Brian Seltzer from Harrisburg is now helping. He is somewhat in the banking industry, and I am optimistic.
Right now, the NEBG still owes me $1,209.26. I seem to recall that we had $8,000 in the old bank account; now we are not even allowed to check balances. Money collects on our web site from dues, which Paul Stavrides collects every so often.
If anybody is willing to help Chris unravel this, give him a call. You will probably need a lawyer. We use the money collected for ground transportation at events (or used to).
CALENDAR
April 1 – BPPP, Reading, PA
May 6 – Montauk, NY lunch
June 1-4 – Hyannis, MA. Stay downtown, JFK museum, beaches, shopping, great restaurants
August 13-19 – St. Johns, Newfoundland. Side trips to St. Pierre, France, Bonavista Coast (great history), Terra Nova National Park, Avalon Peninsula.
October 6-8 – Kennebunkport, Maine
November 4 – Reading, PA annual planning meeting.
Please sign up for events on northeastbonanzagroup.org.