This is a very well written and well thought out analysis of not only the KR Gathering but also the attendee.
The one item that I believe the Gathering can do better is to add the N number of the plane that the pilots have committed to fly to the event, to their name tag. This will let the attendee know who the pilot is of each plane at the event. Another is to give those "Look but dont touch" prop signs to each pilot and the pilot can identify their self on that tag. If you are interested in a particular plane, just go to the plane and usually the pilot will show up, because we like to talk about our planes and answer questions. If you see a crowd around a plane, you can be pretty sure that the pilot is among them and he will not be hard to identify. As for the forums, they are what they are. If the attendee needs more, stay after class or ask questions during class. This is the responsibility of the attendee. However, the point is well taken that everyone in the forum is not a seasoned vet and maybe we should assume that the person attending the forum does not much about the subject. As for the workshops, that is a great comment. We should remember that everyone does not know how to work with fiberglass and maybe some of the other techniques that are needed to build a KR. I remember my first gathering after I started building this second KR. It was in Pine Bluff and Mark Langford was giving a demonstration on doing a fiberglass layup. I thought, "I don't need to go to this, I have already built a KR". But, having nothing else to do at the time, I looked in. To this day, I use at least 3 of the things that I learned at that "workshop", every time I do a layup. So, maybe you "Experienced" builders can be thinking of what you can present at the next Gathering, and if possible, make it a "Hands On" experience for the attendees. Now, for the attendee... If the attendee really wants to get the full "bang for the buck", that person should plan ahead and set priorities so that the attendee can get there on Friday morning and be there through the banquet on Sunday night. The attendee may consider making a list of the subjects he wants to get more information on and maybe make a list of questions he wants to get answers to. One year there was a young man who came up to me and asked if I had some time to answer his questions. I had a flying KR, but it was not at the event that year. He proceeded to ask all the questions he had for me and then went on to the next pilot on his list. I understand that he developed his list of questions by reading all he could get from the various web sites that some of the pilots keep. Regarding "For Sale" stuff, I think you need to have someone there to "Sell" the stuff, and who wants to spend the entire Gathering sitting at a table of stuff waiting for someone to come up to buy it. I have a list of stuff on my web site that is for sale and occasionally make a post on the KR net. If anyone wants any of it, I will be most happy to bring it to the next Gathering, with the exception of the 2276 Great Plains (Mostly) VW engine that I have for sale. Maybe we all can make a posting of what we have for sale before the Gathering and take "interest" orders and bring those things that people ask for, to the Gathering. The next thing that I think should be done address the "planes" comment. Yes, we all want more planes. However, all persons who come to the Gathering need to know the great expense that some pilots incur just to get their planes there and back home safely. For years, pilots have had to fight the weather, sometimes getting weathered in on the way to the Gathering or going back home. Often, this means having to stay extra nights in hotels and paying hangar fees to keep their prize possession out of the weather. Sometimes it even means losing your KR and sustaining moderate to severe injury. If you have not flown your personal plane to the Gathering, this may be not so easy to comprehend, but the first time you do it, you will have a great appreciation for what the pilots go through every year. This brings up the next subject that I have been pushing for ever since my first flight to a KR Gathering. We need to consider moving the Gathering to a later date, like the middle of October, to give us a better opportunity for good weather? We came very close to losing another KR Builder and flyer this week and did lose another KR. I know you cannot outsmart mother nature, but I asked our meteorologist a few years ago, what is the best time of year for the greatest chance of good weather across the entire country. He told me October. I will bet that if I had asked him what was the worst, he would say September, or any other time when the seasons are changing. I have never flown to a Gathering without having weather trouble. If I had made it to the Gathering this year, which may have been a possibility, there is no way I would have made it back home. It was pouring rain from north of Atlanta, all the way home to South Carolina. To all you attendees, rest assured that every pilot will take almost any measure to get his KR to the Gathering. Sometimes it is just not possible. In summary, I am very glad you took the time to write the "Post Gathering" critique. We all should get a lot out of it. Thank you for taking the time to do it. See N64KR at http://KRBuilder.org - Then click on the pics See you at the 2013 - KR Gathering in Mt. Vernon, Il MVN Bad Weather at Gathering time, is a killer or a real bummer. Daniel R. Heath - Lexington, SC
