Dana Lowell

...if you plan to attend the AAF Tank Museum "Extravaganza" on April 29, 30, May 1, 2011, in Danville, Virginia.

Panther G

I'm going. I sent you an E-mail Dana. I'm trying to get the rest of the N.E.A.D. guys to go also. Me and Bob are gonna strong arm some of them if we have too.
Failure is NOT an Option.

Imnotanace

I will try to make it .This would be my first time. gotta talk the wife into it[>:]+
Ron

Ex_Pat_Tanker

Posted our projected attendance on the H*E*A*T board [8D]
Hope to have 6 DTC members and a couple dozen tanks up for that weekend
[8D]
Mart

Dana Lowell

Very cool, guys! Keep up the pressure on your local tankers to commit. Like I said, this will be the "big one" for the year.

I just got a note from a vendor of smoke units for RC tanks who will be visiting from Minnesota.

Hey, maybe the California tankers can convince someone from Tamiya-USA to make an appearance too!

Fireman Tim

My Feedback: (3)

I want to drive down for this event from Ontario, but my wife wants to make it a family get away. Are there any indoor water park / resorts nearby? That way I can drive tanks while they chill out by the lazy river.

Dana Lowell

Hi Tim,

-About 2-1/2 hours drive South of Danville is a big amusement park called Carowinds in Charlotte, NC http://www.carowinds.com/public/park/rides/index.cfm

-There is a big outdoor waterpark 1 hour South in Greensboro, NC, but it does not open until the end of May. But there are various resort hotels and golf resorts in the Greensboro area that have pools and hot tubs.

-About 90 minutes South of Danville is the Asheboro Zoo, which has all the animals outdoors in realistic settings. www.nczoo.org/index.cfm

-Then it's a 3-1/2 drive East to the huge Busch Gardens theme park at historic Williamsburg. www.buschgardens.com/BGW/default.aspx

So most of your big attractions will take a little effort, but it can be done. -Dama

Fireman Tim

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks Dana,

we are researching a vacation plan now. We may head to Virginia or Myrtle beach afterward.

All Tanked Up

Dana,

I am planning on going to the April event but I will not be staying at the Museum's recommended hotel. I will be at the Comfort Inn like usual.

Also, I will be coming in on Friday late morning/early afternoon. Will the museum allow us to at least unload our stuff on that day ?

Bill Will
CO/A.C.E.

Panther G

Thats a good question Bill. I was planning on being there on Friday also.

Dana Lowell

Yes, The Extravaganza in April is a 3-day event.
So you can start loading in as early as 8:00 am on Friday, April 29th.
In fact, on Thursday, April 28th, early-birds can load in during the afternoon until 4:00 pm.
The Extravaganza is the only time the museum is open on a Sunday. So on May 1st we will try to keep battles running for museum patrons until closing time at 5:00 pm...and then pack up and clean up.


Hey Bill Will, I'm really glad to see you are going to be able to make it!


Dana Lowell
www.heatarmor.com

HAL_HUSKER

Guys, just to share some experience,
how do you get to all the events - by car or you use other means of transportation?

Dana Lowell

Hi Hal, the distances to travel in Russia are surely much greater than in the USA. (Just ask Nepoleon and Hitler!)
But around here the tankers mostly attend events by car. But some do fly on occasion.

BYCAR:
My H*E*A*Tclub members are all within 1 to 2 hours of the Museum, so of course we drive. However, some guys do get a hotel room in Danville so they can play late and arrive early the next morning.

Most of the ACE club members live in the region near Washington, DC, which is about a five hour drive. But most ACE guys bring motorpools of 5 or more model tanks, so they definitely have to drive. Willy drives over from Tennessee, and brings 15 or more tank carrying cases full of all his RC trucks and such. (And what should be a 3 hour drive...Willy does in under 2).

The guys from NEADclub in the New York region have to travel more than 8 hours on the road. Bob Held usually drives his large RV camper to live in...and sometimes brings his whole family. I believe he might have come by air once before.

The Florida club, FCAD, once drove up to Danville as a group and it took them 8 or 12 hours, I don't recall which.

There is a large group coming down from Michigan to Danville this April. I'm guessing it will be about a 12 hour drive. But if they share the driving, it should be a fun trip. They really need a couple full-size vans to carry all the tanks and men.

BY AIR:
Back in 2002 or so, Kevin and Dick of AGE and EastPak flew from this area to Denver, Colorado to visit the FRAG outdoor battlefield. They took their tanks on the jet and had no problems with breakage or inspections.

In 2005, Tomas of Texas Armor (TAA) flew by jet to an event at Danville. But he was smart and packed his two tanks in a sturdy box and sent them separately by Greyhound bus. No problems.

In 2008, I took two of my tanks to the TAA outdoor battlefield in Houston, Texas by jet airliner. I packed them carefully in a large suitcase as checked baggage. All the small parts were broken off on arrival. (My Tiger I was so messed up that I decided not to bring it home, so I gave it to Tomas as a donation to their battlefield). By the way, the airport security people left a note in my bag saying it had been inspected by hand. Apparently the x-ray showed a lot of wires and batteries in my tanks...and they may have been suspicious!

In 2009 Willy of ACE went to the Texas battlefield as well. It was a stop-over on a business trip. But I don't recall if he drove or flew, or if he had any tanks with him.

And in 2010 Bob of NEAD went all the way from New Jersey to Texas for a battle. I believe he flew, but he might have taken his RV. (I'm sure he will add a comment soon).




Anyway, to answer your question, most guys live within a reasonable driving time of Danville. But some guys are so far away that they can only choose one event per year. I am hoping that this April Extravaganza will be the one they choose, because of the added fun of the WWII flamethrower demonstration and the Patton tank crushing cars. I hope we can set a record for the largest gathering of RC tankers in the world!

So, Hal, what about you! How about flying from Russia to play with us at the big indoor battlefield in Danville! If you can afford the long flight, my buddies and I will surely buy your meals here! I might even find a place for you to stay at night for free! How about it! You would be our first international RC tanker! That would be very cool.


Keep tanking! -Dana

Fireman Tim

My Feedback: (3)

YES! I am coming! Your event is now international! 11 hour drive from Fort Erie, Ontario.




But I have to leave Sunday morning, so only Friday and Saturday for me.

Dana Lowell

very cool, dude!

Fireman Tim

My Feedback: (3)

I am so pumped about this.

Now, if I can just recruit a few more Canucks, we could have our own Canadian Task Force.

Dana Lowell

Right! Bring other guys to help share the travel expenses!

Hey, whatever happened to that RC tanker named "Whitewolf"? He was from Canada.

Fireman Tim

My Feedback: (3)

Whitewolf lives in Ottawa I think, 6 hours east of me. I have not heard from him in awhile.

Viper54

My Feedback: (1)

I will be their with the DTC Club

YHR

Well I am working on it. Just ran it by the wife, and she said lets use up some airmiles, and go. If I go ahead with this I will be flying down though so need to send a tank down ahead of time. Can someone set me up with someone at the museum who will be willing to accept a package and hold it for me. I just can't see incurring all that expense and not have one of my own tanks to battle with.

girltankette

Hi YHR,

Mail away - you can send it to:
AAF Tank Museum
3401 US Hwy 29
Danville, VA 24540

Just have your return address on it and when we receive it, it will be put out on the battlefield tables for pick up when you arrive.

Karen/Girltankette

PS: leave a good 2 weeks for it to arrive - customs can hold things up

Dana Lowell

It's great to see so many out-of-towners planning to attend the April event!

Let me clarify one detail about the hotel situation in Danville. Right now Karen is just trying to get a decent head count of those who will be interested in a hotel room. This is so she can block off a chunk of rooms with the hotel management. This is not a binding reservation. You will still need to make your own room reservations with the hotel, not Karen.

Thanks, and go for it!

Fireman Tim

My Feedback: (3)

YHR,



If it is cheaper, you can ship your tank to me and I will bring it down to Danville.

HAL_HUSKER

Dear Dana,
thanks for sharing, this was just a logistics question for me as the organiser as well.

I used to visit States quite often before I got mad and "married" to RCTanking Hobby!

But still Ido hope that I could makeit some day to come to visit our RCTanks' friends in States. This would be a big honor for me personally.
I visited Sev that summer 2010, we hadfun and even battled a little.

I would love to bring my big team of 10 or 12RC Tankers, but stillweare inspecting and studying the question with airport andaviation security (+ I know how severe is HomeLand Security).
So I do not know when it coud happen.

We actually meet now four times a year in Moscow and in Tula (3 hours drive) at our Battlefield Base in the city, at Hobby Expo, in Tula and in Kubinka Tank Museum ( a gang of 16-20 RCTankers)...

So far that is it at the momment.

My appologies for OFF.

Dana Lowell

Hi Hal, if ever there was a good event to attend in the US, this April one would be it! But I realize you are half a world away...

But still, it would be cool if you could somehow make it. You and also Bob Hearne of Savastapol. Bob was one of our "founding fathers" at Danville and I think he would be impressed by the improvements to the battlefield and progress of the sport in general.

Anyway, happy New Year, Dana