HOPS Party Needs a Sponsor

Jay Honeck

Jay Honeck

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Jay Honeck
As many of you know, Mary and I sold Amelia's Landing Hotel to a fellow from California last fall, and retired.

This splendid turn of events has had only one downside thus far: the loss of the HOPS Party sponsor.

This Oshkosh party, always held on Wednesday in the North 40, dates back to the old Usenet days (HOPS stands for "Homebuilding", "Owning", "Piloting', and "Student" -- the four main aviation newgroups), and routinely attracts between 40 and 80 pilots from all over the world.

It's fun, and, since "admission" is a 6-pack of beer from your hometown, we always enjoy beer from all over America and the world.

The sponsor buys the food for the party, and provides the location (usually our campsite, in the past). Food is kept simple -- bready stuff that soaks up beer is best. (Long time attendees may recall the very first HOPS party, which was an absolute debacle because there was no food provided! People were waaaay too drunk, with predictable results.)

Food is therefore a must. lol

So, anyone interested in taking over this fun, low-key party? Or is it time to let it die?
--
Jay & Mary


Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk
 
Well, I certainly can't take it over because I definitely don't get amazing camp locations like you do (I'm usually in South BFE, ie, Camp Scholler... and in the boonies, at that). I was thrilled to make it to the last HOPS party and meet many fine, fine people, including yourself! So while I probably can't host, I'd be happy to continue to support the event by providing some of the grub or chipping into a communal pot o' money for food (perhaps using a GoFundMe or Venmo account?).

It's a pretty great event, and it would be sad to see it go away. That said... thank you and Mary for all of your incredible work over the years!
 
I’ve only been to one so far, and I’m not qualified to host, but I basically look forward to this little party all year. I wonder if we can bribe our outgoing hosts into an apprenticeship program to get someone new up to speed.
 
If we sort out the sponsoring, are you guys open to hosting? Or, is it torch passing time?
 
Mary and Jay, congratulations on a well-earned retirement!
We haven't even decided if we're going to OSH this year, and already host our own party. No way can we take over a second!
I'm sure you'll find someone worthy to carry the torch (or lighted beacon, as the case may be!)!
 
I've never been to the HOPS party (only been to Airventure once... shame on me), but if Mary and Jay are still willing (and going to Airventure), can we just contribute funds to keep the HOPS party going? I won't make it to Airventure this year, but maybe in 2022 and would love to partake in the HOPS party...
 
Let’s see what it requires ... I’ve only been to one and my memory is perhaps hazy, but here’s a stab at it:

1. Campsite. This is easy enough in theory, but if there is a trick to getting a campsite with a good view of the runway I don’t know what it is. Also, I don’t know if there are any rules about having this kind of gathering that would require special approval from EAA. And I have no idea if there are rules about portable generators that would enable the use of crockpots.

2. Tables. Maybe also chairs. This one would be a challenge for me in the RV-14, but not so much in the 310.

3. Beer coolers and a few sixers of seed beers to get the exchange started. Again, not hard except for space limitations in the RV.

4. Food. This isn’t really that hard, especially if we run a potluck where 3 or 4 of us coordinate some contributions.

5. Utensils, plates, napkins, etc.

6. Trash receptacle to make items #5 easier to haul off. One of those wire-frame lawn bag holders is probably adequate.

7. Name tags so we can impersonate POA celebrities.

8. Shelter? I don’t even know if the 310 would fit the bulk of those portable shade tents, but maybe.

What am I missing?
 
iamtheari said:
Let’s see what it requires ... I’ve only been to one and my memory is perhaps hazy, but here’s a stab at it:

1. Campsite. This is easy enough in theory, but if there is a trick to getting a campsite with a good view of the runway I don’t know what it is. Also, I don’t know if there are any rules about having this kind of gathering that would require special approval from EAA. And I have no idea if there are rules about portable generators that would enable the use of crockpots.

2. Tables. Maybe also chairs. This one would be a challenge for me in the RV-14, but not so much in the 310.

3. Beer coolers and a few sixers of seed beers to get the exchange started. Again, not hard except for space limitations in the RV.

4. Food. This isn’t really that hard, especially if we run a potluck where 3 or 4 of us coordinate some contributions.

5. Utensils, plates, napkins, etc.

6. Trash receptacle to make items #5 easier to haul off. One of those wire-frame lawn bag holders is probably adequate.

7. Name tags so we can impersonate POA celebrities.

8. Shelter? I don’t even know if the 310 would fit the bulk of those portable shade tents, but maybe.

What am I missing?
Click to expand...
Let’s see. I may have been the cause of other peoples haziness on more than one occasion.
1. Campsite in N40 - early check in is key. I could actually swing this one as I am fairly close flight-wise, but this year I am may only make it a day or two, so some one else needs to buy this. I can’t do a week day, so it would be the weekend before.
2. Yeah, Jay had these and I threw one or two into his stack too. A couple bikes too for the quick jump to the potties.
3. Yep. And not sure anyone is going to Oshkosh without starter beers, but just outside of the fence are plenty of options for beer.
4. This one potluck can round out, but having seen enough of these, some substantial food is required to be provided by hosts. Jay did long subs which were pretty much unbeatable for the vagaries of weather. And most people bring beer and not water, so a case of that or more is important.
5-7 yup
8. Another important one. The HOPS party went through a few before an acceptable ruggedness was achieved. I think weights plus flaps was the winning combo.
 
If I’m not mistaken, Jay has a rental unit he keeps everything in. Might be easier to take over the rent.
 
We are having the jambalaya & chili party this year. Find the thread and respond. :) I'm not calling it the HOPS party, that's Jay and Mary's moniker, but y'all are invited! We intentionally did not do it on Wednesday when we started to avoid their turf! Jay and Mary and the "kids" can attest to the quality of our party (well, Jay could if he could remember it! LOL).
 
I will be first-timing it to OSH this year, planning to arrive on Wednesday evening. If this is happening I'd absolutely bring some hometown beer!
 
Nice to see this thread gaining some traction. We have had some nibbles from potential new sponsors, but no one wants to step up.

FYI: If you're interested in doing it, here's what you need to do: (This is the canned spiel I've been giving interested parties.)

*************************
The HOPS Party dates back to before the internet! (No, really!). HOPS stands for "Homebuilding", "Owning", "Piloting", and "Student", the four main Usenet (pre-worldwide web) aviation newsgroups.

It's obviously beer-centric. "Admission" to the party is a 6-pack of microbrewed beer from your hometown. This gets tossed into a bunch of common coolers.

End result: We all get to sample beers from all over the world!

We have had attendees from everywhere, including Europe, Russia,and Australia. If you're a beer snob, it's a wonderful thing.

The sponsor does a few things. First, they publicize it. For many years I was very active in Piloting groups of all kinds, so that was easy. Our aviation themed hotels benefited greatly from this activity. Given your business, I imagine you want to have a presence on all of them, too.

Second, the sponsor provides food. The very first HOPS party, way back when, was beer only -- and it was a debacle! Combine 12 hours on the flight line, heat, humidity, and dehydration with alcohol and you get what you would expect.

The following year, and every year since, we have provided lots of good, bready food. Some years we have cooked, but -- given the ban on open flames in the North 40 campground -- it's much easier to provide things like sub sandwiches, potato salad, etc. This is available at Pick N Save, which is less than a mile away.

Total food and soft drinks cost is usually ~$300.

We always buy SOME beer, just in case. That's another ~$50.

Then there's the HOPS Party t-shirts. We always had 40 made, and the first 40 scored a free shirt. (We tried hats, but shirts are a premium. You see them everywhere on the grounds in the days after the party. The whole back had our logo on it, of course!)

We had VistaPrint do them. Total shirt cost was around $600.

Then, of course, you have the venue. We have always held it at our campsite in the North 40. This presents a challenge since you cannot reserve a spot -- you end up where you end up! So, you must resort to social media to spread the word about the location.

It's an easy, fun, low key affair. We always do a group photo with everyone wearing their shirt. This is like herding cats, of course, but you get a LOT of publicity. Often EAA will use the pic, for example. lol

It's always held on Wednesday night. In recent years this has coincided with the night airshow, which works out perfectly. We all watch from the party.

So there you have it. Questions? It's a great way to get your business name around the Airventure grounds.
***********************

Anyone want to do it?
--
Jay & Mary

Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk
 
Jay: Thank you for posting that. I wish I had a business that would benefit from the publicity that the HOPS party offers. Still hoping I can contribute to keep the party going. I get the no open flames rule, but are there other cooking options that wouldn’t get one ban-hammered from Airventure? Small generator and crockpots, for example?
 
iamtheari said:
Jay: Thank you for posting that. I wish I had a business that would benefit from the publicity that the HOPS party offers. Still hoping I can contribute to keep the party going. I get the no open flames rule, but are there other cooking options that wouldn’t get one ban-hammered from Airventure? Small generator and crockpots, for example?
Click to expand...

I've been camping with the Cessna 195 crowd in Vintage for a long while now and that's exactly what they do for their annual picnic dinner. It's a traditional burgers, brats, chips, salad, drinks kind of a thing, but without a grill to do the meats. So what they do is pre-cook the meats offsite and then use generators to power sous vide heaters to get everything hot for serving at the event.
 
iamtheari said:
Jay: Thank you for posting that. I wish I had a business that would benefit from the publicity that the HOPS party offers.
Click to expand...

I'm in this boat, too. Those cost estimates are pretty great and not bad at all. I camp out in Scholler, and often out in BFE, so I never have a good place to host. But I'm happy to help in whatever way I can. I have two sous vides I can bring to keep food hot. I can sling drinks. And I can promote the heck out of stuff.

So, it seems like we have lots of people willing to do what they can to help. Just need a ringleader for the circus now! :D
 
I'm sure we could pass the hat and make this happen without a sponsor. The cost of attending Airventure makes this a drop in the bucket for many of us. But I think it's a good opportunity for a business that would benefit from the publicity so I don't want to steal that opportunity.
 
We are fast approaching the fabled date. Has anyone stepped up to host/sponsor HOPS? As I've mentioned, I would, but a) I don't have a business to promote and b) I camp out in Scholler, so a less than ideal location. But I'm willing to pop some $$$ in to keep things going.
 
Okay, this just simply needs to happen. I plan to arrive at Oshkosh on Wednesday morning and go to homebuilt camping. I won't mind hosting at my location but I am space-constrained in the RV as far as what I can bring, especially tables. I'll make every effort to show up with a fair quantity of canned beer and any other contributions I can.

Can we get pizza delivered? That's the path of least resistance for beer absorbent. It won't be as fancy as years past, but it will be better than just a bunch of us standing around drinking beer.
 
Soooo, two weeks to go, sponsor ain’t happening (shirts, banner, tent, etc). But, PoA (second?) party with pizzas, heck yeah. My more charismatic bud is there Sunday through Wednesday and I am not there until Thursday. HOPS is typically Wednesday so still need someone to say “Yup, bring a crap ton of beer to my place, I’ll have the pizzas and a tip jar. Here’s how to find me…” Maybe he will as he’s pretty famous for trying to get up early after having a social. @SixPapaCharlie
 
masloki said:
Soooo, two weeks to go, sponsor ain’t happening (shirts, banner, tent, etc). But, PoA (second?) party with pizzas, heck yeah. My more charismatic bud is there Sunday through Wednesday and I am not there until Thursday. HOPS is typically Wednesday so still need someone to say “Yup, bring a crap ton of beer to my place, I’ll have the pizzas and a tip jar. Here’s how to find me…” Maybe he will as he’s pretty famous for trying to get up early after having a social. @SixPapaCharlie
Click to expand...
Here's what I'm envisioning. This could be Wednesday to keep the HOPS time alive or Thursday to make life a little easier. The airshow TFRs seem to be 2:30-6:30 every day and 8:00-10:00 Wednesday. (Does the everyday one apply on Wednesday as well? I don't know if they do two airshows that day or only the night one.)

Someone with a decent campsite will need to volunteer to be the location of the party. That person or someone camping very near will need to bring a larger cooler than I'm willing to haul across the airport on my back. That person or someone camping very near will also need to fly out, pick up the best pizza in Wisconsin*, and fly back in. If the DPDP (designated pizza delivery pilot) has a plane that works for this, he or she can and should take a buddy or two with to help carry pizzas.

We will also need a folding table to make pizza distribution remotely reasonable. Some rolls of paper towels, trash bags, a trash bag frame (or duct tape to the edge of the table). What else?

Schedule: Someone sets up the cooler with a bunch of ice in the afternoon. People show up whenever and contribute their beers. The pizza flies in when possible. The party continues.

* - Best pizza in Wisconsin is defined solely by distance from the airport where we will pick it up.

Let's do this. We all deserve a beer and pizza airshow party with the people we stop short of personally attacking online only because the new MC are a bunch of nerds.
 
I'm not flying in, so I can't be the DPDP (otherwise known as the Dip Dip). Additionally, I'm in Scholler (arriving Thursday afternoon, so I assume all the actual good spots will be gone), and I presume that it is preferable to do this in the North 40 for the views. We can bring trash bags and paper products. We also have a folding table but hopefully someone up in N40 can provide one because hauling a 6' folding table from south BFE sounds like a terrible time.
 
Steve Costello said:
I'm not flying in, so I can't be the DPDP (otherwise known as the Dip Dip). Additionally, I'm in Scholler (arriving Thursday afternoon, so I assume all the actual good spots will be gone), and I presume that it is preferable to do this in the North 40 for the views. We can bring trash bags and paper products. We also have a folding table but hopefully someone up in N40 can provide one because hauling a 6' folding table from south BFE sounds like a terrible time.
Click to expand...
I'd say that people would generally be better off bringing beverages. I'm thinking that the most efficient pack-in method for party supplies would be to haul them in the beer cooler, then buy ice at the show. I have no problem supplying the cooler and disposable party supplies, possibly even the table if I can fit it into my plane, but will I have a decent spot for watching arrival shenanigans if I fly into HBC on Wednesday morning?
 
Given the late date - I'd recommend low key.

Wednesday night.
We need someone to host the location - no cost, just effort. North 40 preferred with a large marker, like a big flag.
We need some coolers and a few tables - no cost, just effort
We need someone to pick up the food - no cost, just effort

If these 3 things can come together before Friday evening, I will spring for the cost of the food. And I'll throw in an extra O&H kringle.

Come on guys, we got a monkey clear across the united states in a mere 9 months give or take, we can do this, right?
 
Okay. Let's stick with Wednesday night.

I'll start the sign-up sheet here.

EDIT: @Jay Honeck has us covered, we only need people to bring food and beer.

See you all there on Wednesday afternoon!
 
Last edited:
Please reply to this and add your name. Look from the bottom of the thread up to find the most recent signup.

  • Campsite (ideally N40): ______________________
  • Flag to mark campsite: ______________________
  • Tables (the more the merrier): __________________
  • Coolers (the more the merrier): __________________
  • Cash jar (proceeds to compensate legitimate party costs; any excess can go to the POA non-profit entity): @iamtheari
  • Pizza delivery: __bflynn_(Brian)_______ (but probably subs from the Pik-n-Sav)
  • Bags of ice (the more the merrier): ___________________
 
bflynn said:
Please reply to this and add your name. Look from the bottom of the thread up to find the most recent signup.
Click to expand...
I'll try to keep my post #27 up-to-date with signups. Thank you!
 
Bump - no one else?

Is it just the two of us?
 
bflynn said:
Bump - no one else?

Is it just the two of us?
Click to expand...

I would contribute to bringing tables and/or ice, but I'll be in Scholler (and by the sounds of how it's filling up, I'll be WAY down in Scholler) and I'm not sure how to lug stuff down there up to near where you all will be. I'd be open to suggestions, though!

Are wagons (like, pull behind wagons) permitted in there? And if so, where's the shortest entry point between Scholler and the N40?
 
Jay Honeck said:
As many of you know, Mary and I sold Amelia's Landing Hotel to a fellow from California last fall, and retired.

This splendid turn of events has had only one downside thus far: the loss of the HOPS Party sponsor.

This Oshkosh party, always held on Wednesday in the North 40, dates back to the old Usenet days (HOPS stands for "Homebuilding", "Owning", "Piloting', and "Student" -- the four main aviation newgroups), and routinely attracts between 40 and 80 pilots from all over the world.

It's fun, and, since "admission" is a 6-pack of beer from your hometown, we always enjoy beer from all over America and the world.

The sponsor buys the food for the party, and provides the location (usually our campsite, in the past). Food is kept simple -- bready stuff that soaks up beer is best. (Long time attendees may recall the very first HOPS party, which was an absolute debacle because there was no food provided! People were waaaay too drunk, with predictable results.)

Food is therefore a must. lol

So, anyone interested in taking over this fun, low-key party? Or is it time to let it die?
--
Jay & Mary


Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Jay, it is good to see you here again. Congratulations on the retirement.
I remember the rec.aviation days. I hadn't realized that was the origin of the HOPS name. Why did you leave out rec.aviation.ifr?
 
I'm now planning to arrive on Tuesday morning. I tried and couldn't fit my folding table into my RV-14. The table seems to be the major shortfall to have any kind of party.
 
iamtheari said:
We'll have beer and food. It won't just be the two of us. But yeah...what's with the crickets in this joint?
Click to expand...
We should be there on Wednesday, do have a decent spot and even a table…albeit small. I’m just not 100% on what I’m doing that day. Have 3 other requests for our time…who knows maybe we’ll say screw it party at our spot. Unfortunately I won’t know for a bit longer.
 
Radar Contact said:
We should be there on Wednesday, do have a decent spot and even a table…albeit small. I’m just not 100% on what I’m doing that day. Have 3 other requests for our time…who knows maybe we’ll say screw it party at our spot. Unfortunately I won’t know for a bit longer.
Click to expand...
It would be awesome if you could make it work to set up a table for us. The food won't be a full spread so a small table should get the job done. We can be flexible on time to make it work. I'm planning to be there all day Wednesday now, so it won't be hard to find time to set things up. I can probably even haul a cooler over from HBC and make a few trips with ice.
 
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