Good morning from a Brit, who'll soon be making a pilgrimage to AirVenture 2012

[The Cameraman]

Good morning Ladies & Gentlemen,

I've been dreaming of this moment for many of my 50 years on this planet and the day will soon be here!

Due to my personal working situation (a nice way of saying 'I don't get paid much'), the cost of travel to the US have been beyond my budget but two years ago I started saving any spare funds that came my way. I also stopped attending UK and European Air Shows and put aside the average costs that I would have spent over such weekends. Other weekend activities were stopped, including my much loved camping weekends on my trusty Yamaha XT225, all to ensure that I get to Oshkosh.

Afterall, you're only 50 once, so my present to myself is a trip to AirVenture 2012.

Digital camera's have been cleaned, extra memory cards purchased, batteries charged, and I'm raring to go!

I'll be staying with my greatest friend from school days, Ste Owen (a well known figure on his scooter around the twin parking area) and aim to 'pack in' as much as I can into my stay.

Being a float plane nut, I'll be using the bus service to commute twixt the airfield and the water base, after helping out as a volunteer.

To say I'm a little excited is somewhat of an understatement. I can't wait to get there.

So it's a big hello to everyone on the website.

Kind regards

Stuart (Reggie) Martindale

[Janet Davidson]

You're staying with Steve O? You're a braver man than most.....

[Inspector Fenwick]

Reggie, I assume you will venture over to the Seaplane base. Very serene place to "sit a bit". Now, if you are wandering around the Vintage area, stop at a grey and white Cessna 195 and enjoy a COLD beer.

[The Cameraman]

You're staying with Steve O? You're a braver man than most.....

Hi Janet,

I taught him all he knows!

God help us all.

Regards

Reggie

[The Cameraman]

Reggie, I assume you will venture over to the Seaplane base. Very serene place to "sit a bit". Now, if you are wandering around the Vintage area, stop at a grey and white Cessna 195 and enjoy a COLD beer.

Hi Larry,

how could one refuse a combination of a cold beer, whilst photographing a beautiful aircraft!

I'll see you there.

Regards

Reggie

PS I'll be easy to recognise, I'll be the little bearded Brit, with a big grin and a camera permanently raised to my eye and a spare one around my neck!

[Janet Davidson]

I taught him all he knows!

You have a lot to answer for!

[The Cameraman]

You have a lot to answer for!

Hi Janet,

you're so right!

Even neighbors have instructed Pat to hide the paint brushes, after what we did to the front of his house in the midst of a party! No one had ever seen a Japanese flag painted across the whole of a white cottage before! Never mind the large black letters that said 'Made in Japan'! It even made the front page of the local news paper. The morning after the party, Ste had gone to work and I was awoken from my slumber. I went to the door and was met by a local reporter who asked if I knew anything about the painting on the house. I immediately said no. The reporter then asked me why I was covered in red paint splodges!

Those were the days.

Things are usually pretty OK until we get together, then anything can happen!

It should be a laugh, that's for sure.

Regards

Reggie

[Janet Davidson]

If you make it here by the 22nd, tell him to drag you over to our pizza party. Just don't bring the paint brushes.....

[Joe Delene]

Welcome Reggie, you will have a great time.

[The Cameraman]

If you make it here by the 22nd, tell him to drag you over to our pizza party. Just don't bring the paint brushes.....

Good Morning Janet,

Yep I'll be arriving on the 18th, so I'll ask the big lad to get things sorted out!

Thank you kindly for the invite and I'm really looking forward to the social element of the event.

I promise not to bring either paint brushes not spray cans. They only let me use crayons these days!!!!!!

Hugs

Reggie