[BruceS]

Homecoming Pictures

Here are a few pictures I took Fri and Sat at Independence during the Homecoming. It seemed like planes were coming and going just about all the time, lots of great subjects to shoot. I do believe the first shot will make the RV Coffee Table Book, what a beautiful paint scheme. A lot of the folks that have the privilege of living at the air-park had hangar doors open and I snapped a few of shots. Everyone was more than accommodating in trying to help me get the "right shot." One gentleman asked if I needed a 6', 8' or 12' ladder for the shot of the two planes in the air-park. What a great group of friendly people! If you look closely you can see the threshold numbers in the upper right hand of the picture, how nice. The shot of the Bi-plane, well, he did a fly-by with smoke for everyone on Sat, that was a nice touch.

This link will take you to the other pictures.
http://picasaweb.google.com/bwsturgill/RVHomeComing#

 

[hydroguy2]

Thanks Bruce

 

[erich weaver]

Very nice Bruce. Especially like the last sunset shot

erich

 

[DeltaRomeo]

...this is a dupe of what I put up on the front page this morning. Placed here for archiving.

It's been one busy and laughter-filled RV weekend. I Super 80'd up to KPDX for Homecoming on Friday morning, and after all was said and done rolled into the factory parking lot around 1pm local in my rented Suzuki SomethingOrAnother. Visited with friends and watched them going about the normal routine in their natural setting (as opposed to standing in a tent in a field in Wisconsin). By 5:30pm lots of folks had ended up at Independence, the site of the gathering, myself included. Beers, BBQ sandwiches, good laughs, a really nice sunset and a DJ'd dance in a hangar. Friend, that Rosie can dance! I saws it with me own eyes I did.* Spectacular airpark and wonderful folks. My hosts, the Turnbull's, even stocked Dr. Pepper for this guy. 5 star living.

Saturday was spent walking around the ramp enjoying the beautiful airplanes and catching up with old and new friends. So many laughs and smiles it's hard to remember them all. The chapter (292) put on a fine pancake breakfast, I had lunch at the on-field cafe, and the evening banquet was held right there in a tent next to the parked planes. Had RV's within putting distance the whole weekend.

The banquet was fun as always. A very pleasing mix of (really) good food, tasty wheat beer and RV-themed ambiance. Look east and you've got Tom Green telling another horrible chicken joke, look west through the tent windows for an incredible sunset over the coastal mountains, and look all around you to find you're surrounded by your RV friends.

Sunday several of us had breakfast at the airport cafe before saying our goodbyes. The rest of my day was dealing with airline fun, which I won't bore you with it. Turned into the driveway at 7pm local and caught up with the folks that mean the most to me.

Hope you can come to Homecoming next year if you've never been. It's a beautiful part of the country and these are good, good people.

Pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/VansAirForce/Homecoming2009

Collage from the pics above:

 

[Mike S]

Hope you can come to Homecoming next year if you've never been. It's a beautiful part of the country and these are good, good people.

Gotta second that one.

Our third year with the same family, cream of the crop folks.

Thanks Dennis, and Eileen

 

[the_other_dougreeves]

Hope you can come to Homecoming next year if you've never been. It's a beautiful part of the country and these are good, good people.

I may have grown up in Houston, but Portland is still my "home town".

TODR

 

[frankh]

Typical

I live 20 miles south of Independance and I have to travel to Colorado on the same weekend..Oh well there is always next year..

Frank

 

[Bob Brown]

2009 Homecoming by the numbers

Sorry it's taken so long to finish this up, my employer has designs on my time that don't always dovetail into mine...

If you missed Van's Homecoming in 2009, there's always next year. Here are a few details to think about and look forward to when you come next year!

We had 154 people register at the sign-in table, which was open Friday and Saturday. The 154 people represented 71 aircraft (those were the people and planes who chose to register, some of you run in stealth mode) from 10 states and Canada. 25 host families at Independence Airpark opened up their guest bedrooms, their hangar apartments and shared friendship with their guests. Some of you drove and stayed in hotels, some camped in tents in yards and around on the ramp.

Here's the list of where you all came from:
Alabama-2
Colorado - 6
California - 45
Canada - 11
Idaho - 7
Oregon - 66
South Carolina - 2
Texas - 3
Utah - 2
Washington - 8
Virginia - 2


We served over 150 people at the Friday night BBQ. After the BBQ, at least 85 people attended the Hangar Dance in the Krummel Hangar.

Saturday morning, we served 215 people for breakfast. People walked the ramp all morning as aircraft came and went. Tom Green, Van and several employees from Van's hung around their planes and around the tent and just enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Saturday afternoon 25 people enjoyed the winery tour, then the beer tap opened up about 4PM and people visited in the hangar and tent until the banquet started at 6:30. The banquet was sold out after Van's sold 110 tickets, so we called the caterer, brought in some more table and chairs, sold a few more tickets and enjoyed the rest of the evening.

Here's a link to a few more pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/flyer3144z/VanSHomecomingFlyIn

As people send more pictures, we'll put those links up on this thread as well.

A million thanks to all the volunteers at Independence Airpark who worked with Van's to put this on. Planning is underway for 2010, don't miss this laid back event in the land of Van.