MAAM-SIM PRESS RELEASE

MID ATLANTIC AIR MUSEUM - 2003 WORLD WAR 2 WEEKEND REPORT

MAAM-SIM, the in-house flight sim development team of the Mid Atlantic Air Museum, consists of volunteers Bill Rambow, Jan Visser, Fred Banting, Rob Young, Bill Womack, and Mike Hambly.  All proceeds from the team's Douglas R4D (DC-3) and North American B-25J Mitchell 'Briefing Time' aircraft package sales benefit the museum's restoration programs.  MAAM's World War 2 Weekend Show, held every year on the first weekend of June, provides the team an opportunity to demonstrate and sell the products to air show attendees, many of whom have never seen a computer flight simulation program before.

Bill and Vicki Rambow's Southwind motorhome, serving as mobile HQ of the Mid Atlantic Air Museum Simulation team, MAAM-SIM, pulled in to KRDG amid the bustle of final preparation for the museum's big WW2 Weekend Show on Thursday the 5th.  Every storage compartment was stuffed with computer equipment and display materials and all the tanks topped off to go four days, self-contained with six people aboard.

The forecast all during the week preceding MAAM's huge World War 2 Weekend Show, June 6 through 8, at the Reading Regional Airport was for a three-day rainout.  So when Friday dawned with no rain, many of the crowd who would have come for the full show Saturday and Sunday ditched work and school for a fantastic Friday turnout.  For MAAM-SIM, it was the beginning of a very busy weekend.  By the end of the day, sales of the B-25J 'Briefing Time' CD, and the old standby Douglas R4D (DC-3) CD's had set a one-day sales record.

The Friday turnout was especially remarkable, since the only flying scheduled was the arrival of some of some of the war birds and the "top cover" mission of 'Briefing Time' over the 'Liberation of Reading' antique military vehicle convoy.  But the Mitchell was grounded because of a mechanical problem with the new engine installation she received this winter.  It was a disappointment to those who came to see BT fly, but a bitter blow to the MAAM-SIM helpers who had traveled from Illinois, Maryland, and the Netherlands to get a memorable ride on BT that day.  They settled for a tour of the aircraft, a rare treat since BT is never opened to the public.

Although the big BT was dormant on the ramp, the award-winning simulation she spawned saw a lot of flight hours in the hangar.  In fact, on Saturday, she and her MAAM-SIM hangar-mate, the Douglas R4D NATS 50819, were the only aircraft flying as the deluge set in again with a vengeance.

By the end of a wet, dreary, but very busy day, the team had already surpassed the total sales of any previous WW2 Weekend show, and its biggest day was still ahead.  Flying the Mitchell and Dakota were helpers, real pilots, 'wannabe' pilots, kids, and some genuine heroes...

When it was time to wrap up on Sunday evening, the "R4D Team' had doubled their previous show sale figure, and despite the damage done to the overall show attendance by the weather, the boss was smiling.

Thanks to everyone who braved the weather and made the show a tremendous success.  If you did not make it, by all means try to come next year. See www.maam.org for details.  

The next show for the MAAM-SIM team will be at the AVSIM Simulation Exhibition and Conference at MAAM on September 26 and 27.  The team has big plans for the convention.  First, the long-awaited, all new Gmax R4D will be released at the show for both FS2002 and 2004, Century of Flight...

'Briefing Time' will be used in AVSIM's Fly-Off landing competition at the exhibition and the winner will fly as the tail gunner aboard the real BT during a special flight on the 27th.  Joining him will be the three winners of the "Briefing Time Low Level Lottery" drawing, the Grand Prize Winner of which flies as bombardier.

Also scheduled for release at the AVSIM convention is Bill Womack's KRDG / MAAM scenery.  Below are a few shots of the preliminary work that was demonstrated at WW2 Weekend...

Among the papers being presented will be one on scenery design by MAAM-SIM's Bill Womack.   We hope you can make it to Reading in September.  It's going to be a really great event!  Sign up now for the AVSIM 2003 Simulation Exhibition and Conference.