WOG at Pine Mountain!!

[Randy Dupree]

At last!!
the long wait since last year is over!!
The rally starts on Wed. (i think!),but today (sunday) theres a large group of bird already here at PM.
We had a good long BS session as soon as i got here!

We shared some boiled P-nuts and at 6pm we had the first unplanned pot luck dinner!!
I think i know almost everybody thats already here!

The pot luck food was awesome (as usual!) and the group of people sharing it was even better!

We have a special group this year.
For the first time that i can remember we have 3 (yes 3) single women/owners that drove down to the WOG.
I can't remember having one single women drive down by herself in the past,and this year we have 3!!

3 very special women.
Way to go girls!!

Tonight at dinner we sat with the Pappas family,in 1994 Carol and i were at the rally in the valley and an old FC pulled in,a young couple and a couple of really young kids on board!
I was so excited,at that time i was maybe 35 and Caro was 29 or so.
We were the youngest couple at the rally,until the Pappas famiy came in.
I went over to that couple and i told them "man,am i glad to see you!"

They still have a Bird,and so do we!
Their kids all all grown up and here we are,still having a grand time!

Carol and i were walking the dogs,and this is a dark park,but one area was all lit up and when we got closer we could see it was John Finns Bud bus,LED lights all around it,on it,under it!!
It looked like an airport or something!

Tomorrow we will take a Hurricane heater out of an M380,in an attempt to fix a coolant leak.
10am at Don Bradners coach,hecklers and sarcasm required!
Bring your own chairs!

[bubblerboy64]

Which brings up a point. We've got to get some younger folks into this game. How do we do that? The median age of the owners is getting scary. Do we have any owners under the age of 40? These buses will out live many of us but if we don't get some younger folks involved in the hobby they will not be maintained and kept up.

I understand the financial realities but surely there are some younger people who would be ideal owners if we could get the word out. It's not like they are out of the boating and aviation hobbies.

Seems like we're missing something.

[pairodice]

I FEEL under 40, does that count? lol...
Seriously, I agree we need to figure out how to get the word out about Wanderlodges. I think a lot of young people go for a camper or pop-up trailer before ever considering one of the 'those gas guzzling road hogs' as my niece called it... The pre/mis-conception is that flying a family and staying in a hotel for a vacation is cheaper/easier than taking a coach. I think the coach is cheaper and the drive is way more fun... Maybe we need to create a Young Birds website for kids and indoctrinate them in the ways of the Wanderlodge...

[dentmac]

Possibly Fractional ownership.
Works for Planes, boats.
25% 50% cost, responsibility and feeling that it must be used.

OK Randy, there is your opening -- and with your money ........

[bubblerboy64]

I don't know what Randy or others think but I personally would never own an interest in a BB.

Two reasons. My pride of ownership issues (I would NOT be happy with some one else using my baby) Secondly I can see nothing but trouble handling repairs and maintenance issues because no two individuals would agree on what when how and who.

Rent one and let the dealer take care of it? Yep maybe. Then he has all the trouble.

Randy want to own a fleet and rent them out and fix all the broken stuff and listen to the complains?

Shoot me now and save the trouble right?

In a perfect world maybe. Perhaps others think differently

[Turbokitty]

My 2 are fractional... fully funded but very fractionally used

[Jim Brookshire]

The problem as I see it is not only money, but TIME !!!I could have never justified a bird of almost any age while I was still working. You need to either own your own business or be retired to be able to justify a bird at least in my opinion. And at least most of us need to be OLD to be retired.

[dentmac]

John,
Personally, I understand. The only item ever leased/shared was 50 % in an aircraft and that went very well.
But times are quite different - fractional ownership of condos, cottages,planes, boats is popular.(rental is quite different -- no pride of ownership) The younger group wants to be more mobile in their limited time off together, especially when both are working-they want it all-- travel (islands,cruise),BMW,boating. Look at the usual honeymoon now-- not just a camping trip but 2 weeks in Europe.

[bubblerboy64]

Yep, times and people have changed. I do feel however that there are a lot of people who would be interested if they just had an opportunity to be exposed.

Lots of younger fellows could own and maintain a BB if they were interested. May not be able to use it as much as us old folks but you know people find a way if they want it badly enough.

How many young people do you know who have boats or street rods or motorcycles and ATV's which they rarely use and those toys may be more expensive then a vintage bird. (Or not?)

Priorities. Right?

[mike meyers]

What a treat. Good to see old friends and meet new ones.
We may just be the youngest couple here!!! Brought the kids too.
All the beautiful coaches and the place to learn and fix things.
Watching Shane and Thomas make new cables.Nice job Shane!!
Thanks to all the nice folks who organize and host this.