2017 I&i?

[Stargrunt6]

Yeah people, are you coming to my AO or not?

 

Heck, we might even get MCab to come back home again.

The state medical board needs an enema since they are so backed up with applicants.

[Harold Jones]

I realize it's 4 months out but the sooner we pick a date the better for me. I'm on call the week of Easter but can trade it if I have enough lead time. Since those of you of the foreign ilk have the farthest to travel I'm willing to leave the choice of dates to you.

 

 

'

[shep854]

It's looking like I can link up in Mobile, at least.

[Mike Steele]

So what is on the agenda?

[On the way]

Is it too late to put in my choice? San Diego.

 

Jewel in the crown is of course, USS Midway Museum. There is also the Flying Leatherneck Aviation museum, San Diego Air and Space museum, the Maritime Museum, Marine Corp mechanized Museum also in Camp Pendleton, and MCRD. If we drive 1.5 hrs up I-5, there is Chino Air museum and all the other LA area museums like CAF Camarillo, USS Iowa, Planes of Fame, American Military museum, and of course, Disneyland.

 

Just putting in my 2 cents :-)

Edited January 25, 2017 by On the way

[FlyingCanOpener]

So what is on the agenda?

 

New Orleans has the National WW2 Museum and the Battle of New Orleans historical site, not to mention the possibility of a riverboat cruise for some. Mobile has the USS Alabama, and Pensacola has the Naval Aviation Museum and Ft. Pickens, and between the two places are other former Gulf Coast coastal defences. West of New Orleans in Baton Rouge is the USS Kidd destroyer and the Port Hudson battlefield as well. There's other cultural things in between but who cares--ships and planes!

[shep854]

Ft Rucker with the Army Aviation Museum is not too far from Pensacola as well.

 

As a matter of fact, a Wiregrass I&I is possible with Alabama, Pensacola (NAVAIR), Ft Rucker (Army Aviation), and Ft Benning (Infantry and [some] Armor) within a day's drive of each other. ATL is up the road from Columbus for flights home.

[Harold Jones]

I'll propose this as a framework. Remember that a herd of tanknetters will spend about twice as long as the general visitor will in any given museum or historical site so one major and two minor* sites/activies makes for a pretty full day.

 

Day 0 Arrive New Orleans

Day 1 WW2 Museum and Battle of New Orleans Battlefied Overnight in Baton Rouge

Day 2 USS Kidd Baton Rouge, USS Alabama 3 hours from Baton Rouge Overnight in Mobile

Day 3 Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum 1 hour from Mobile

Day 4 National Infantry Museum Ft Benning 4 hours from Pensacola Overnight in Columbus

Day 5 Atlanta 2.5 hours from Ft. Benning (lots of Civil War and other stuff to do in and near Atlanta)

Day 6 Depart

*what constitutes a major/minor site like everything else relating to tanknet is open to much discussion.

Edited January 26, 2017 by Harold Jones

[BP]

If ya'll do the USS Kidd, let me know, as my late uncle had an artifact he wanted donated to the museum.

 

Nobody else in the family knew but me, so I treat it as an honor to do it on his behalf. Two birds, one stone thing.

 

He was on Kidd's sister Black, and I think might have been the last president of their squadron association before they all faded away.

[sunday]

Looks like arriving in NOLA, and departing from ATL.

 

Hotels in NOLA, Mobile AL, Columbus GA, and Atlanta GA.

[Harold Jones]

If ya'll do the USS Kidd, let me know, as my late uncle had an artifact he wanted donated to the museum.

 

Nobody else in the family knew but me, so I treat it as an honor to do it on his behalf. Two birds, one stone thing.

 

He was on Kidd's sister Black, and I think might have been the last president of their squadron association before they all faded away.

Added a stop at the Kidd, which adds a few hours to the drive but we should have plenty of time at the Alabama

[Allan W]

Harold, that's an awfully tight itinerary. I'd like to see Fort Morgan when we are in Mobile.

[Harold Jones]

We could lop off Georgia and fly in/out in New Orleans. I'm sure there's other stuff around the area but haven't really looked into it.

[shep854]

Rucker/Benning could be a separate I&I, with ATL as in/exfil point.

Edited January 27, 2017 by shep854

[Allan W]

I was thinking fly into New Orleans and fly out of Orlrando. Lots of flight choices.

[FlyingCanOpener]

Rucker/Benning could be a separate I&I, with ATL as in/exfil point.

 

Benning would need special permission to look at the Armor stuff, but being TankNet, it's a given. They also have the Infantry museum there, but apart from that Benning and Columbus is a dump.

 

What's the dates for this shindig? I'm out of school from 8-17 April, so if it can't be then, make sure if we can that the Louisiana stuff is over the weekend. End of April-Beginning of May is testing season, so I'd be drawn and quartered if I had to miss any work.

[FlyingCanOpener]

Bah, website had the date wrong. Boo!

 

However, the New Orleans JRB airshow is the weekend after Easter. Website is sketchy on the details though.

 

http://www.neworleansairshow.com/

Edited January 27, 2017 by FlyingCanOpener

[Harold Jones]

I was thinking fly into New Orleans and fly out of Orlrando. Lots of flight choices.

Orlando is about 6 hours from Pensacola and at least at quick glance there isn't much to see, so I will probably just fly fly back to Denver from Pensacola. Found this just near Pensacola http://www.afarmamentmuseum.com/

[Allan W]

Orlando gives you the Kennedy Space Center and would be significantly better for international flights.

[Harold Jones]

So something like this?

Day 0 Arrive New Orleans

Day 1 WW2 Museum and Battle of New Orleans Battlefied, overnight in Baton Rouge

Day 2 USS Kidd, 10:00-12:00 3 hours to Mobile overnight Mobile

Day 3 USS Alabama 9-1, Fort Morgan 1-4 1 hour to Pensacola overnight in Pensacola

Day 4 Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum 9-2 6 hours to Orlando

Day 5 Kennedy Space flight center 1 hour east of Orlando

Day 6 Depart

[Allan W]

 

So something like this?

Day 0 Arrive New Orleans

Day 1 WW2 Museum and Battle of New Orleans Battlefied, overnight in Baton Rouge

Day 2 USS Kidd, 10:00-12:00 3 hours to Mobile overnight Mobile

Day 3 USS Alabama 9-1, Fort Morgan 1-4 1 hour to Pensacola overnight in Pensacola

Day 4 Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum 9-2 6 hours to Orlando

Day 5 Kennedy Space flight center 1 hour east of Orlando

Day 6 Depart

 

That looks good, although I will probably aim to arrive in New Orleans on day -1 so as to have a day seeing the sights in the Big Easy...

[sunday]

In April 19th and 21st there are direct flights to NOLA from LHR with British Airways on 787. Cheaper in the 21st. Connection in USA is generally in suboptimal airports, like Miami, Philly, NY. There is also the possibility of flying American via DFW, or Air Canada via Toronto.

[On the way]

 

Rucker/Benning could be a separate I&I, with ATL as in/exfil point.

 

Benning would need special permission to look at the Armor stuff, but being TankNet, it's a given. They also have the Infantry museum there, but apart from that Benning and Columbus is a dump.

 

What's the dates for this shindig? I'm out of school from 8-17 April, so if it can't be then, make sure if we can that the Louisiana stuff is over the weekend. End of April-Beginning of May is testing season, so I'd be drawn and quartered if I had to miss any work.

 

 

will the non US citizen tanknetters be allowed into Benning and Rucker?

[On the way]

 

So something like this?

Day 0 Arrive New Orleans

Day 1 WW2 Museum and Battle of New Orleans Battlefied, overnight in Baton Rouge

Day 2 USS Kidd, 10:00-12:00 3 hours to Mobile overnight Mobile

Day 3 USS Alabama 9-1, Fort Morgan 1-4 1 hour to Pensacola overnight in Pensacola

Day 4 Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum 9-2 6 hours to Orlando

Day 5 Kennedy Space flight center 1 hour east of Orlando

Day 6 Depart

 

 

where are the Tanks in this itinerary?

[Harold Jones]

 

 

Rucker/Benning could be a separate I&I, with ATL as in/exfil point.

 

Benning would need special permission to look at the Armor stuff, but being TankNet, it's a given. They also have the Infantry museum there, but apart from that Benning and Columbus is a dump.

 

What's the dates for this shindig? I'm out of school from 8-17 April, so if it can't be then, make sure if we can that the Louisiana stuff is over the weekend. End of April-Beginning of May is testing season, so I'd be drawn and quartered if I had to miss any work.

 

 

will the non US citizen tanknetters be allowed into Benning and Rucker?

 

The Infantry Museum is off post as near as I can tell so that's not an issue. Not sure about Rucker, but if the post allows non-DoD civilians to enter then non-citizens are also allowed so long as you have a passport or other government photo ID. I think lately the trend is civilians are allowed on post only when escorted by a military ID holder or retiree.

 

As to where the tanks are, the WW2 museum has a few and there's a small collection of armor at the Alabama. That will have to suffice unless one of the local tanknetters knows of a private collection somewhere in the area. Plus tanks and geeking out about tanks is a small part of the I&I experience, a bigger part is finally being able to put a face and voice to that asshole you've been arguing with about the thread count and pitch of wear plate bolts for the past 20 years.

Edited February 1, 2017 by Harold Jones