Hi Bill,I have a couple of questions regarding the WW 2 Weekend coming up. I live about 275 miles from the museum and really would like to find out some things about the area and the show itself. I will most likely leave Friday after work and travel most of the way there (if not all the way). What motels are close by and do they fill up during the weekend of the show? Is it better to stay somewhere a few miles away from the show? I know the show is from June 3-5, but is one day better than the other? Obviously this is my first time attending and I really don't want to miss anything. I am really looking foward to this (even have the wife and kids excited about it). I've been to MAAM's website and read through everything, but I thought you might be able to add a few things that are'nt there. Thanks in advance for your help,Hawk

Hi Hawk,There are a lot of hotels in the Reading metro area, including a few very close to the airport. These closest ones, including the Holiday Express depicted in our KRDG scenery, are probably already booked for WW2WE. But if you book now you should still be able to find nearby accomodations. I recommend you look in the Wyomissing area, a suburb that lies between Reading and the airport. There are a number of places to stay, the biggest, though not the cheapest, being the Sheraton, which features an indoor pool and a lot of other goodies. But there are also a Clarion, Econ Lodge, Country Inn and probably a couple others I'm forgetting.Another advantage of this area is the plethora of restaurants and shopping very close by. (I highly recommend the ribs at the Texas Roadhouse, BTW.) The museum is just a five minute drive on 222 - well, probably not on show days. ;-)As for a preference of days, Friday is not an air show day, but 'Briefing Time' flies to provide top cover for "The Liberation of Reading", a convoy of military vehicles through the streets of Reading. The B-17, SNJ, and Stearman will be giving rides that day, too. Finally, some planes will still be arriving, so there will be a number of aircraft in the pattern, anyway.Saturday and Sunday have identical full air show and ground skirmishes schedules - weather allowing (knock on wood!). But what makes Saturday top choice is the Big Band and swing dance in the hangar. It's great entertainment and I suggest you order the advance tickets for the chicken barbeque dinner that is served just before the show. All in all it's a really unique experience and far more than just an air show. Even my wife, Vicki, who does not particularly like airplanes or airshows likes WW2 Weekend.Don't wait to book rooms. Come early to avoid some of the traffic and be sure to stop by and say hello to Mark and me in the hangar, first display on the left.Bill Rambow MAAM-SIM - Rambow, Visser, Banting, Young, Womack, Sodja & Beaumonthttp://www.fssupport.com/maam_sim/maamsim_logo2.gif

To give you an idea as to how big MAAM's WWII weekend is, I'm a WWII re-enactor out here in California and even I've heard of it. Way huge and way good.

Hawk as in Robert Hawk, perchance?Anyway, as Bill says, it'll be well worth the trip. Some of my 'DC-3 Airways' pals even managed to get a visa to come down from Canada last year, although I think the 50 degree heat got to them. You can't miss Bill and our team; we're the ones batting small children about the head with old copies of the Reading Gazette, trying to get them to fly sunnyside up. Alternatively, you might find us patiently listening to dear old gentlemen who start "Of course, in my day .....", or trying to get the chewing gum out of throttle quadrants. Anyway, we all have a lot of fun and you won't want to miss the pretty lasses on the Saturday night, as Bill says.Mark "Dark Moment" Beaumonthttp://www.swiremariners.com/newlogo.jpg

> (I highly recommend the ribs at>the Texas Roadhouse, BTW.)Was that the waitress who couldn't say "Worcester" (IT'S WOOSTER, PEOPLE, NOT WARCHESTER!!! ;-)) or the one that wanted to be packed in our hand luggage so she could visit Europe?Ian P.:-halo

Thanks for the replys guys. Hey Bill you were right, Holiday Inn Express is booked already. I just checked Sheraton's website and there are vacancies there. Calling them when I get off here. As for Texas Roadhouse, I live about 50 miles from one and you are right. Very good indeed. We will be coming up on Friday night so we can get to the show early Saturday morning. I am really looking foward to this. I will make sure to stop by and say high. Now let's all make sure to do our Sunshine dances :)Thanks and see you at the show,HawkP.S. It would be fantastic if I could pick up the new Avenger CD while I'm there. :)

I can suggest some good hotels and restaurants in the area. To start off, some local hotels are: The Inn at Reading, the Sheraton, the Hampton Inn, Country Inn and Suites.... Those are the main ones anyway.http://darkstarorder.com/sigs/Batman/SigFinal.jpgKen Weik [link:maam.org|MAAM-SIM][link:library.avsim.net/search.php?CatID=root&SearchTerm=kenneth+weik&Sort=Added&ScanMode=0&Go=Change+View]My AFCADs

Thanks Ken, I made reservations at the Sheraton a couple of nights ago. Can't wait!!! :)Hawk

You didn't answer my Q, Hawk ... are you Robert Hawk?Mark "Dark Moment" Beaumonthttp://www.swiremariners.com/newlogo.jpg

No sir that's not me, sorry.Hawk

Your cover is going to be blown when we see you at KRDG anyway - you might as well tell us your name. We have ways of making you talk!;-)Bill Rambow MAAM-SIM - Rambow, Visser, Banting, Young, Womack, Sodja & Beaumonthttp://www.fssupport.com/maam_sim/maamsim_logo2.gif

Bill has ways... not me :(http://darkstarorder.com/sigs/Batman/SigFinal.jpgKen Weik [link:maam.org|MAAM-SIM][link:library.avsim.net/search.php?CatID=root&SearchTerm=kenneth+weik&Sort=Added&ScanMode=0&Go=Change+View]My AFCADs

Jeff :)

Jeff? JEFF? THE Jeff? Hey, everybody, Jeff is coming ... hold onto your hats ... he's got beer money too, lots of it ... yeeehaah.Looking forward to meeting you, Jeff.Mark "Dark Moment" BeaumontP.S. Nobody tell Ken.http://www.swiremariners.com/newlogo.jpg

I have photos of what happened last year... there's no need to pretend that I don't know about the beer money. :)http://darkstarorder.com/sigs/Batman/SigFinal.jpgKen Weik [link:maam.org|MAAM-SIM][link:library.avsim.net/search.php?CatID=root&SearchTerm=kenneth+weik&Sort=Added&ScanMode=0&Go=Change+View]My AFCADs