Your Invitation to the 16th Annual HOPS Party in the North 40

Jay Honeck

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Jay Honeck
Hurricane Harvey be damned -- this is your official invitation to our annual HOPS Party in the North 40 during Oshkosh Airventure. ("HOPS" stands for "Homebuilt, Owning, Piloting, and Student" -- the old rec.aviation Usenet groups that pre-date the modern internet.)

Mary and I are long-term EAAers, and this will be our 36th consecutive Oshkosh Fly-In! As always, this party will be held at our campsite in the North 40 aircraft camping area on Wednesday during the week of Airventure. This year, that will be Wednesday, July 25, 2018.

If you're wondering what it's all about, here are some pix from each year's event. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...073741826.100000777116758&type=1&l=2c184c945a

It's laid back, fun, and allows all of us to put faces with the names we've seen on-line for years. Amelia's Landing Hotel provides the food, while "admission" is a six-pack of good beer from your hometown. Because we're from everywhere, this lets us all sample beers from all over the country. It's great fun!

How does one find this party, you ask, in a sea of aircraft? It's actually easy, with a bit of planning. Simply stop at the EAA booth at the entrance to the North 40, and either give them our name, or our N-number -- N14EG. They will vector you right in to our site.

Just remember that the EAA camping booth closes around 6 PM, so you should obtain the party location earlier in the day. (Someone usually posts it here as well.)

The party starts after the airshow ends -- we usually have a nice crowd watching the arrivals/departures that begin as soon as they reopen the airspace. Bring a chair if you can, as that's usually what runs out first.

If all else fails, look for the blood red RV-8A named "Amelia" in the North 40. It will probably be the only RV-8A out there! We also usually fly an enormously tall Texas flag over our site, so that should help to track us down, too.

Hope to see you there!
--
Jay & Mary
 
Kudos Jay. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
After all you and Mary have been through this past year it would not have been unexpected that you skipped OSH in 2018.
I won't make OSH this year, but here's to a grand turnout at the HOPS party. And maybe a bit less rain than last years deluge. :cheers:
 
Oops, didn't see this post until I had posted elsewhere asking if HOPS was on.

Anyhow, great news and looking forward to stopping by again. This year my wife will be with me. I can introduce her to the imaginary people I talk to on the Internet. :D
 
That’s awesome Jay— looking forward to it! It must have been in the cards because I wore my Amelia’s Landing t-shirt from last years HOPS party yesterday at a cookout and wham here’s your post.
 
That’s awesome Jay— looking forward to it! It must have been in the cards because I wore my Amelia’s Landing t-shirt from last years HOPS party yesterday at a cookout and wham here’s your post.

... and I wore mine to trim the azalea's on Sunday. They must be magical t-shirts!
 
If the offer is open, I'd love to enjoy the chance to catch up with you guys again. ( and considering its tanker themed I know just the drink to bring ;-) )
 
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Mary and I are long-term EAAers, and this will be our 36th consecutive Oshkosh Fly-In! As always, this party will be held at our campsite in the North 40 aircraft camping area on Wednesday during the week of Airventure. This year, that will be Wednesday, July 25, 2018.

Would you like me to bring the taxi strobes again and see if we can actually entice an aircraft into the fence this year? :cheers:

Jim & Cyndi
 
Would you like me to bring the taxi strobes again and see if we can actually entice an aircraft into the fence this year? :cheers:

Jim & Cyndi

Sure!

The Dildo Light (that we had affixed to the big flagpole as a beacon) died a couple of years ago, so we have been without lights on the pole. Maybe you can rig up a brighter beacon that will last the week?
 
Looking forward to attending again! And, yes, please - lights, flags, tethered airships, anything that would make it easier to find the compound would be great. (Due to pilot navigational errors, I think I walked the entire North 40 last year.)
 
I've still got the lights, but the 12 volt battery went woxo a while ago. I misremember. Do you have a generator set up or some way of providing either 110 volts AC for a wall wart or 12 volts DC and a way to keep it charged at The Show?

Jim
 
I've still got the lights, but the 12 volt battery went woxo a while ago. I misremember. Do you have a generator set up or some way of providing either 110 volts AC for a wall wart or 12 volts DC and a way to keep it charged at The Show?

Jim

We have a generator that runs in the morning for coffee, the evening for cell charging and microwave popcorn. :)

In sure we can find an empty outlet for y'all.
 
I should say that Jay's party is a great place to watch the night airshow. Our only problem was that the skies opened up on us heading back down to vintage, but we did wrangle a golf cart ride from around warbirds down to Scholler.
 
In. Looks like there will be some combination of pale ale, British best, Vienna lager and saison on hand. Got a vote for one or two, Jay?
 
Beers brewed here all suck, but I’ll try. Hope you have room in the RV for a good piece of Origami (to replace what was lost to the hurricane).
 
In. Looks like there will be some combination of pale ale, British best, Vienna lager and saison on hand. Got a vote for one or two, Jay?
Oooo, like a kid in a candy store!

Vienna lager and saison, please! :)

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Jay - I doubt if I can make it to the party but I may try to look you up this year to talk about your friend who puts RV buyers together with builder/sellers. You're the Ryan Gosling look alike who's always surrounded by autograph seekers, right? :)
 
Jay, I was already prepared to head out for your Arizona beer when a couple days ago a guy crashed into my truck, so no dragging my camper to OSH this year while it gets repaired, would have been my 31st OSH. See you next year! Glenn
 
Jay, I was already prepared to head out for your Arizona beer when a couple days ago a guy crashed into my truck, so no dragging my camper to OSH this year while it gets repaired, would have been my 31st OSH. See you next year! Glenn
Ah, that is a bad deal. Sorry you will miss the show.
 
Jay, I was already prepared to head out for your Arizona beer when a couple days ago a guy crashed into my truck, so no dragging my camper to OSH this year while it gets repaired, would have been my 31st OSH. See you next year! Glenn

Oh, man. That sucks! Sorry...
 
Jay - I doubt if I can make it to the party but I may try to look you up this year to talk about your friend who puts RV buyers together with builder/sellers. You're the Ryan Gosling look alike who's always surrounded by autograph seekers, right? :)

lol Yeah, that's me.

Except I've gained weight. And years. And lost hair.

Tell you what: Look for the sunburnt old white guy wearing a floppy hat. That's me. ;)
 
Bailed on flying. 318 beer from Great Raft. Arriving Saturday night
 
Jay, I'm hoping to attend this again this year. We're all a year wiser now!
Any updates or specifics about where you ended up setting up camp?
Visual aids to navigation?
 
Jay, I'm hoping to attend this again this year. We're all a year wiser now!
Any updates or specifics about where you ended up setting up camp?
Visual aids to navigation?
Head for the Teaxs state flag on a flagpole. Get there early, while still light. Or check with the booth (his tail number) before the booth closes.
 
We are in Row 509, right up by Rwy 27.

We will have a big white chalet awning tent and a tall Texas flag. See y'all Wednesday!

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We are in Row 509, right up by Rwy 27.

We will have a big white chalet awning tent and a tall Texas flag. See y'all Wednesday!

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Wishing you a "dry" event this year Jay! ;) :thumbsup:
 
We are good to go in Row 509, about 150' from Rwy 27.
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If you're in Oshkosh, tonight is the 16th Annual HOPS Party, right after the afternoon air show is over. We are in Row 509, right up at Rwy 27. Look for the white chalet and big Texas flag.

"HOPS" stands for "Homebuilt", "Owning", "Piloting", and "Student" -- the original aviation newsgroups on Usenet, the predecessor to the worldwide web. That's how long we've been doing this!

Sponsored by Amelia's Landing Hotel, food will be provided, and the first 40 attendees will receive one of the coveted HOPS Party 2018 T-shirt!

If you can, bring a 6-pack of good beer from your hometown to share -- extra points awarded if you can't see through it. We will all share the beer, and get to sample beer from all across the country. (If you can't, no worries. There will be plenty.)

Hope to see you tonight!
--
Jay & Mary


The view from our chalet ain't half bad... :)
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Glad the weather held off for you.looks like one happy group.
 
So who’s who in the pic?

The one and only POAer I met during the show was Jay on Monday, cuz I was leaving Tuesday. (Thanks for the invite to Friar Tucks, sorry I was too worn out to go).
 
Hey better than last year because I can recognize at least 6 people. Jay (just a head in the middle), Mary (left of banner as seen in picture), Kevin, Jaime (above the E in hotel) and Andrew (in back above the A in Amelia) and I "think" the leaning tower of Steingoo (4th from left) on the left.
 
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My daughter Sam is standing above the “ing” in Landing, my wife Toni behind her and me in the back with the dark ball-cap. Flyingron is to Sam’s right and his wife Margie is on the front row with the orange vest.

Thanks Jay and Mary for a great time! Already looking forward to next year.
 
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