Did anyone go to NEAT show in Downsville, NY this last weekend?
09-16-2008, 12:12 AM
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Did anyone go to NEAT show in Downsville, NY this last weekend?
I ALMOST missed going this year because TOO much was going on around here and didn't realize that the summer is GONE!
My grandson couldn't go because "Grammy" couldn't go and I can't handle him alone anymore. I called a good friend of mine on Wednesday and we arranged to go on Saturday.
We saw a lot of good pilots and aircraft in the 6+ hours we were there. We got there around 11 am and left at approximately 5 PM. The weather threatened to rain all day but we didn't hit any rain till we were about 30 miles west of Downsville (almost to Deposit, NY) where it rained cats and dogs from there to home.
It appeared to me that there were about the same number of vendors there EXCEPT the fastener vendor Ron Blake( http://www.jrhobbyhardware.com/shop/ ) wasn't there but I found out from another vendor (who is a good friend of his) that Ron has a back injury that is KILLING him. I emailed Ron and wished him well when I got back home and Ron replied that he couldn't risk riding 4+ hours and back home. I also didn't see the Velcro vendor either but didn't hear a reason why he wasn't there. "Show" prices seemed to be about the same that you could get the same thing on the internet or at your LHS too. There were some good prices on some small things like servos, wiring harnesses, and LED's, but aircraft kit prices weren't that much of a savings (but I also promised myself "NO MORE PROJECTS TILL I FINISH WHAT I HAVE ON MY PLATE! LOL!) so that my have convinced me that I didn't need anything.
One thing that my buddy and I notiiced was that there didn't seem to be as many people there. My son and I went to Maple Grove, Pa for what used to be called the Keystone Nationals last month and notiec that the stands were about 80% full. The NEAT show appeared to have the same 80% body count too. I guess people are staying home rather than spending the bank on gas to travel.
My grandson couldn't go because "Grammy" couldn't go and I can't handle him alone anymore. I called a good friend of mine on Wednesday and we arranged to go on Saturday.
We saw a lot of good pilots and aircraft in the 6+ hours we were there. We got there around 11 am and left at approximately 5 PM. The weather threatened to rain all day but we didn't hit any rain till we were about 30 miles west of Downsville (almost to Deposit, NY) where it rained cats and dogs from there to home.
It appeared to me that there were about the same number of vendors there EXCEPT the fastener vendor Ron Blake( http://www.jrhobbyhardware.com/shop/ ) wasn't there but I found out from another vendor (who is a good friend of his) that Ron has a back injury that is KILLING him. I emailed Ron and wished him well when I got back home and Ron replied that he couldn't risk riding 4+ hours and back home. I also didn't see the Velcro vendor either but didn't hear a reason why he wasn't there. "Show" prices seemed to be about the same that you could get the same thing on the internet or at your LHS too. There were some good prices on some small things like servos, wiring harnesses, and LED's, but aircraft kit prices weren't that much of a savings (but I also promised myself "NO MORE PROJECTS TILL I FINISH WHAT I HAVE ON MY PLATE! LOL!) so that my have convinced me that I didn't need anything.
One thing that my buddy and I notiiced was that there didn't seem to be as many people there. My son and I went to Maple Grove, Pa for what used to be called the Keystone Nationals last month and notiec that the stands were about 80% full. The NEAT show appeared to have the same 80% body count too. I guess people are staying home rather than spending the bank on gas to travel.
09-18-2008, 10:00 AM
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RE: Did anyone go to NEAT show in Downsville, NY this last weekend?
Yes, I arrived at 9:30AM Thursday and left at 2:00PM Sunday. I'll be doing a write-up, and posting some videos for RCU. Keep your eyes open in the coming weeks.
Thursday was a beautiful day for flying. By the end of the day nearly all the pit areas were gone. I lucked out and got a spot 19 spaces from show center even though there were people camped out in spots much farther away.
Friday started out great, but ended not so great. At least the rain held off until the demos ended roughly at 1PM. It rained pretty much all the rest of the afternoon. My group left around 3:30 to dry off at the hotel before dinner.
Saturday was the busiest day. I got my one and only flight of the entire meet in at 4:30PM, just as it started to sprinkle. I had just gotten the plane back to the trailer and under cover when the skies opened up. Fearing the worst, everyone in my group agreed to pack up and be ready to roll out first thing in the morning, so I spent 1-1/2 hours stowing all 12 planes I brought back in the trailer for the trip home.
Sunday was sunny and MUGGY!!! About 1/2 the pilots had left during the night, so the wait at the flight line was nonexistent. I spent the morning getting more photos for the article, and picking up some last minute items. By the time the noontime demos started, I was pooped from swimming through the heavy air, but I did get a video of the full scale Cessna 206 coming in on the flying field and some good shots of the other demos.
Just from my observations, pilot participation was UP from last year. The pit line was extended for this year, clear from the nasty bathrooms on the North to the first row of campers on the South. They were all filled by Saturday morning.
Spectator attendence was down, but I attribute that to the threatening weather. It's amazing the difference a sunny day makes to a model airshow. If the sun had been out Saturday, you wouldn't have been able to walk around.
Thursday was a beautiful day for flying. By the end of the day nearly all the pit areas were gone. I lucked out and got a spot 19 spaces from show center even though there were people camped out in spots much farther away.
Friday started out great, but ended not so great. At least the rain held off until the demos ended roughly at 1PM. It rained pretty much all the rest of the afternoon. My group left around 3:30 to dry off at the hotel before dinner.
Saturday was the busiest day. I got my one and only flight of the entire meet in at 4:30PM, just as it started to sprinkle. I had just gotten the plane back to the trailer and under cover when the skies opened up. Fearing the worst, everyone in my group agreed to pack up and be ready to roll out first thing in the morning, so I spent 1-1/2 hours stowing all 12 planes I brought back in the trailer for the trip home.
Sunday was sunny and MUGGY!!! About 1/2 the pilots had left during the night, so the wait at the flight line was nonexistent. I spent the morning getting more photos for the article, and picking up some last minute items. By the time the noontime demos started, I was pooped from swimming through the heavy air, but I did get a video of the full scale Cessna 206 coming in on the flying field and some good shots of the other demos.
Just from my observations, pilot participation was UP from last year. The pit line was extended for this year, clear from the nasty bathrooms on the North to the first row of campers on the South. They were all filled by Saturday morning.
Spectator attendence was down, but I attribute that to the threatening weather. It's amazing the difference a sunny day makes to a model airshow. If the sun had been out Saturday, you wouldn't have been able to walk around.
