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2012
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2009
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2007
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Winter Haven
2006
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Winter Haven
2005
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Winter Haven
2004
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Winter Haven
2003
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Lancaster, PA
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Redcliffe, Australia
2002
Winter Haven
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Lancaster, TX
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Nanaimo BC
Winter Haven
2001
Concord, CA.
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Salisbury, NC
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Winter Haven
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2000
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Aurora IL
Sun & Fun
California City
1999
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Sun & Fun
Plymouth MA
1998
Ocean City
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Grand Geneva Convention
2004
An enthusiastic group of Cardinal Flyers gave a warm response to cool weather, proving that everything doesn't depend on perfect days. A few arrived a few days early and were able to tell us stories of balmy zephyrs and shirt-sleeve nights.
We had been blessed with several weeks of such weather, but even the normal highs of 65 degrees were not to visit our little event. Instead a variable mix of conditions rolled through, bringing a little rain, a little cold and a good dose of wind. We had a great time anyway.
Arrivals were well cared for by Dick Almay, who made sure everyone had a place to park and a quick ride up to the resort. Thanks, Dick, for taking over this part of the convention and making it run so smooth. It really was appreciated, by the organizers as well as those just hoping to get out of the chill wind!
Everyone got a chuckle at the two Cardinals which arrived with an identical towel tucked up into the identical corner of the windshield, having flown through rain on the way. Later in the week we talked a lot about resolving that little issue. We look forward to towel-free arrivals in the future.
In fact the weather continued to have an influence even after we were safely indoors. Several people called in their regrets, each with a sad story of weather predicted to move on, but remaining at low IFR.
Several gave up on their flying plans and got in the car, making the hard choice to drive to a flyin. We were glad to see them and didn't make fun of them at all... parts of the country were getting quite a soaking, even though we avoided rain for most of the weekend.
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By the end of the event a dozen aircraft had made their way to Grand Geneva and many more than that had arrived by other means. We had plenty of people to enjoy ourselves and all the more food to go around!
Formal events started with a picture show, a sort of quiz-and-learn session that presented a number of interesting Cardinal shots. The Flyers brought their own knowledge and experiences to the table and got us started.
Afternoon brought a slight improvement in weather, and with forecasts of worse to come we took advantage of what we could get. An RG and an FG were inspected by the hands-on group, with a number of small issues noted and many excellent details called out.
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Al Van Lengen from Covington, GA, offered up his new RG after only a couple of weeks of ownership, and took good notes. We learned that the Cloud 7 flying club had taken good care of their ship and seemed to have handed an excellent aircraft over to Al. He was quite pleased to hear this news.
Not to be outdone, Doug and Lorrie Bacon of Humboldt, IA opened up their FG for a similar discussion. It too was found to be in good shape, although not without a few details to discuss as usual.
A few members brought specific issues for inspection, including one aircraft which was running a little warm. Experience owner eyes were applied and a few words of suggestion offered. As subsequent digest entries have noted, application of these ideas brought some immediate benefit, with hope of more improvement to follow as the rest of the ideas are put to work.
Part way throught the afternoon we realized that there was sun on our faces and blue sky above. The afternoon breeze was blocked by a grove of brilliantly colored trees, and we were surrounded by Cardinals. That's pretty good weather in anyone's book! But we didn't find ourselves removing any layers as we continued our walkaround.
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Each member spent a few minutes telling their story and sharing their knowledge and experiences. As always, the aircraft in attendance proved to be well cared for, each with a unique touch.
While we were playing airplanes a number of the spouses were enjoying a range of activities at the resort. They reported on their enjoyment of the options with enthusiasm, leading to a strong vote of approval for the choice of location.
Our banquet ended the first evening, but I'll talk about that below where there is room to share pictures of the attendees.
The next day dawned colder and windier, we were glad we had completed our ourdoor events the day before. We took over the auditorium and returned to our videos and images, sorting through the accumulated Cardinal knowledge in the room.
Mid morning we were pleased to welcome Bob Russell and Pat from Aviation Plus, as hoped. Bob shared his thoughts on items we should all be watching on our Cardinals and answered questions on a wide range of topics.
Bob showed his deep expertise and a remarkable sense of humor as he guided us through a number of his more interesting learnings. Even his recent gear up landing provided an education, along with a little humility for the master.
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Although the winds and cold were enough to cancel the hay ride, we did pile onto the Grand Geneva Trolley for a ride up the mountain (admittedly, a mountain only by Wisconson standards) for our evening meal.
The ski chalet was transformed for our benefit into a very pleasant dining environment and experience. We had time to talk, compare notes on favorite places to fly and to enjoy the fall colors from the many windows. We also enjoyed watching a 152 come by and attempt to land. By all accounts he gave up after several tries.
The evening concluded with a memorable event, the camp fire. This was no ordinary campfire, it was a combination blast furnace and deep freeze, with a strong wind pushing the fire to a remarkable level of heat production while the Wisconson evening cooled those body parts not being roasted by the fire.
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A few jokes and stories were told, one or two songs raised and the reminder to 'rotate' rang out at intervals, reminding us to roast/cool alternate body parts and giving new meaning to the concept of a 'two minute turn.'
It was all done in good humor, and was more memorable than uncomfortable. Although few chose to linger longer into the evening as the embers faded.
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There were a few prizes presented at the banquet. First, for flying the furthest to this convention, Lowell Dexter won a bottle of Cardinal Wine. For driving furthest due to the challenging weather, Lloyd and Pat Edson from Omaha were the winners, just nosing out Mikey Fowler and Kathy Vesely from Minneapolis.
Finally the door prize of a JPI 450 fuel flow system was won by Nancy & Patrick Reagen. Their airplane had just completed it's annual and addition of a few other new gadgets at Aviation Plus, but they decided not to ask Bob Russell to work all day Saturday to install the system for their flight home.
These were the tables at the banquet, enjoying another great meal after an afternoon of airplane gazing at the airport.
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Sunday dawned bright and clear, with just enough wind to help a Cardinal off the ground: excellent weather for the various flights home. Many kind comments were shared about the event and the facility, adding up to a resounding endorsement of doing another event at Grand Geneva in the future.
Kathy Vesely shared her quick report from the weekend as follows. I did steal a few of her pictures for the report above... thanks, Kathy!
Variable weather was to blame for a small, yet enthusiastic, turnout at the Grand Geneva Resort for the Fall CFO Fly-In Event. Arrivals were scattered and strong winds made landing a challenge for some. Some members drove, disappointed, but determined to attend.
The Fall Colors were at their peak near Lake Geneva and the grounds of the resort begged for attention from golfers. The airplanes were the stars of the show as usual. The sun peaked out for an afternoon of show and tell along the tie-down line.
The Grand Finale was an indoor picnic followed by an out door bonfire. The weather cleared beautifully for the Sunday morning departures.
Several things follow below: First, a chance to leave both public and private feedback on this event. Secondly, pictures of the aircraft in attendance, and finally the list of people who signed up to attend.
Keith Peterson
CFO Webmaster
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The following public comments about the flyin have been entered:
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| | Thanks to all who assisted with this event. We had a great time and really enjoyed getting to know the folks who attended a little better. After bad weather for Winter Haven and now Geneva; we're expecting great weather for the next several years of CFO events! |
| Many thanks to Keith; Paul; and especially Debbie for a wonderfull weekend. Katherine and I enjoyed meeting all our new Cardinal friends and learning more than I ever expected about this fantastic airplane! We are looking forward to our next event! Al & Katherine Van Lengen |
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| This was my first CFO meeting and I must say I had a great time. As a new Cardinal owner; I'm thankful for the opportunity to get so much information over such a short period of time. Everything was well organized yet changes to the agenda were made as needed to make everything flow nicely. It was especially beneficial for me to hear from and to meet Bob Russell. After owning six planes; I think I finally have the perfect plane for me in a Cardinal and to have the resources of the CFO and contacts like Bob Russell should help me optimize the use of this outstanding aircraft. Many thanks to all involved in organizing and working the fly-in. Dave Cope N34992 |
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The following aircraft were in attendance. Click on any image to load a larger one.
The following people registered their plans to attend this CFO Convention:
| Name | Departing
From | Aircraft
Year/Type | Registration
Number | Comments |
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| Keith and Debbie Peterson | Hampshire, IL (68IS) | 1976 177 RG | N33267 | This is going to be fun; a relaxing time at a great location. We look forward to seeing you there! |
| Bruce & Betsy Hutchings | Lancaster, NH (HIE) | 1977 177 RG | N52061 | We; too; are looking forward to this year's convention |
| Lowell Dexter | Escondido, CA (F70) | 1976 177 RG | N177R | |
| Jimmy and Sandy Honeycutt | Locust Grove, GA (GA04) | 1976 177 RG | N177BS | We're smiling already. Looking forward to seeing our Cardinal friends and relaxing. 'Be seeing you there!' |
| Dean & Sue Cook | Elkhart, IN (3C1) | 1971 177B | N177XC | |
| Dick Almay | Holland, MI (BIV) | 1975 177 RG | N2643V | |
| John & Mary Anna Palmer | Oxford, ME (81B) | 1973 177 RG | N1909Q | |
| Nancy & Patrick Reagen | Keene, NH (KEEN) | 1978 177 RG | N53170 | |
| Bill and Lily Butler | Mundelein ; Ill, IL (ENW) | 1969 177A | N30571 | |
| David Cope | Canton, IL (CTK) | 1976 177 RG | N34992 | |
| Don Barnes | Dekalb, IL (DKB) | 1976 177 RG | 7546V | |
| Winn & Phil Brown | Horn Lake, MS (AWM) | 1968 177 | N29563 | Phil will contact Debbie about a jacket. |
| Terry Ehrhardt | Harrisburg, (HSB) | 1978 177B | N1345C | |
| Lloyd Edson | Omaha, NE (OMA) | 1976 177 RG | N177EF | |
| Dick Williams | Poplar Grove, IL (C77) | 1975 177B | 99Px | We will be arriving Friday afternoon |
| Al Van Lengen | Conyers, GA (9A1) | 1978 177 RG | N53257 | Looking Forward to our first owners get together! Also looking forward to meet those that have been so much help this year in purchasing our RG! |
| Jim & Linda Paschal | Burlington; Wi, (BUU) | 1977 177 RG | N35914 | |
| Paul Millner | Berkeley, CA (OAK) | 1976 177 RG | N177SD | Looking forward to a great Fall outing! |
| Jim Hausser | Waukegan, IL (UGN) | 1978 177 RG | N52802 | |
| Mikey Fowler | Golden Valley, MN (ANE) | 1976 177B | 16034 | |
| Vince Kreizinger | Birmingham, MI () | 1977 177 RG | | First flight in 1 1/2 years. New Non D engine; O/H prop; motor mount. Off to San Diego afterwards. I will send a check for event and CRO registration as I've been remiss in doing such lately. Sorry! |
| Doug&Lorrie Bacon | Humboldt, IA (0K7) | 1971 177B | N34011 | |
| Keith Peterson | Hampshire IL, () | | test | Just testing... |
| Rick Shoemaker | Sheboygan, WI (SBM) | other | N567WC | |
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