johnh wrote:
How about 26/27th April just to get the discussion started?
Good for me. Peter often makes Telegram groups for these; that would be useful here too.
My advice on this would be to not set up the telegram group too early, because a lot of people don’t use telegram, and once discussion moves there, no new people will be hearing about it.
Later on, I can run a bulk email to existing forum members who have email permitted in their profile (currently about 1500) and this usually boosts the interest substantially.
But over-promotion is dangerous – please read e.g. around here as the moment the number of people expressing interest reaches the airport’s parking maximum, the fly-in rapidly collapses! Other approaches are the Cirrus €400+ method or the even more outrageous Mermoz €3000+ method
I am sure @aart will have input here too. The September Spanish fly-ins which we have had the last few years (which were super-successful) had some careful planning put in, to create a group of a manageable size. For example, there was no email promotion.
I think the starting point will be to sort out the destination and their “parking attitude”. At the risk of sounding controversial Cannes, while being highly, ahem, a “spouse friendly” name (almost as much as Venice; people often ask me how long it takes me to fly to Cannes!!) is not the only usable airport in S France.
Cannes is not the only usable airport in S France.
Undoubtedly true but it’s the only one I live near and will therefore organise! I’m happy to do that, but even happier to go somewhere else that someone else organises.
There is plenty of parking BUT it is all grass. There is no hard-surface visitor parking at all (at least, not unless you’re willing to pay bizjet FBO prices).
To be fair, the extra charge for hard parking (which means, paying handling) is “only” about 50€ at Cannes. Not per day, but just as a one-off fee.
But the issue is this is PPR and they will never allow a group of SEPs to occupy the whole main apron for a whole weekend… so yes, their (questionable) grass it would be.
johnh wrote:
There is plenty of parking BUT it is all grass. There is no hard-surface visitor parking at all
<lang:fr>dommage</lang:fr>
boscomantico wrote:
But the issue is this is PPR and they will never allow a group of SEPs to occupy the whole main apron for a whole weekend… so yes, their (questionable) grass it would be.
Well, maybe only a small minority of us would insist on hard parking and they would accept those?
I got hard parking last time I went there but it was a fuel stop only. Spent half a day there due to some problems
Yes they clearly “can” do hard parking if they want to, for some pre-agreed # of planes. April is hardly peak season.
The way it went on the Spanish fly-ins:
1. Gauge general interest on the forum. 15+ means critical mass.
2. Start Telegram Group about 3 months before.
3. Regularly gauge TG participants as to their commitment to come.
4. Should the TG fall below 15, repost on the forum.
In the end 50-70% of the TG show up.
Like Peter says, important to keep the airport operator in the loop especially to secure parking. I don’t know how much space there is at Cannes. In spring it may start filling up?
Cannes is of course a nice destination and I will gladly join, although I personally prefer a small, informal, non-ATC field, where we can mingle on the platform and where it’s easy to go for some flying on the Saturday. Like Montelimar.
Like Montelimar.
You’re just wanting to visit the nougat quarry (this is just north of Montelimar).
We could e.g. do a visit of the Fragonard perfume factory in Grasse?
The local car rental company at the aerodrome has “pilot specials” with last minute cancellation possible, etc.