We are proud to announce that we will be inviting our National 8th Air Force Historical Society members to attend the 2009 Andrews Air Force Base Air Show, Friday, May 15, 2009. This undiscovered Air Show is, without a doubt, the largest and most spectacular military air show presentation in the world.  While there are acres of static aircraft on display, with many available for "walk through" including some vintage warbirds, there are several modern day military aircraft exhibiting their extreme "in flight" airpower all day long, as well as several other private aerobatic aircraft displaying their extreme radical abilities. And at the end of the day the star of the show is either the Air Force Thunderbirds or the Navy Blue Angels, providing an absolutely awesome climax to the day's events.

This Air Show is attended by the general public on Saturday and Sunday with attendance numbers well in excess of 250,000 people each day.

However, we have access to the Distinguished Visitors Presentation on Friday, and you are invited to attend. The DV Presentation is by Invitation Only, and is attended by about 12,000 people. The crowd of 12,000 people on the Andrews tarmac is equivalent to a crowd of 120 people in a Wal-Mart.

But due to security restrictions, we will only be allowed to bring 55 national attendees, as a group, onto the base in 2009, so please know that our first year event "HAS EXTREMELY LIMITED PARTICIPATION" We hope to increase that number to 110 for 2010, as we expect this to become a recurring event. You may also possibly be required to provide your Social Security number prior to the event; we are working with Security on that now. (Local NCAC members will still have their usual access).

NOTE: on line registration is expected to be available on, or shortly after, January 5, 2009. Please check back with the web site or just download the regular form and complete your registration by regular mail.

All the necessary arrangements have been made for our National attendees. We have a limited number of rooms booked at the Crowne Plaza National Airport, at a rate of $109 per night, however, because of other event activities occurring that weekend, we are limited to only 9 rooms with 2 Queen beds, so those of you needing "doubles" should book right now, as they will sell out very quickly. If you need 2 beds and cannot book that way, flexibility will be required on your part (this year) as there are several rooms available with 1 king and a sofa bed, or roll away beds are also available. The Hotel can be reached at: 703-416-1600, or toll free at: 1-800-227-6963.

ATTENDANCE WILL BE LIMITED TO THE FIRST 55 PEOPLE REGISTERED AND PAID IN FULL

For those of you arriving by air, your airport of choice should be Ronald Regan National Airport, DCA. Our hotel has a complimentary airport shuttle running every 15 minutes, and cab fare is only about $12 dollars, one way.

For those of you who must arrive the area at Dulles International, IAD, you can expect a $75 to $100 cab fare to the hotel with the ride taking perhaps an hour, depending upon traffic.

Our event package registration will cost each attendee $275 per person (sorry, no "Kid Rates" are available for this event), and will include the following:

• A well stocked Hospitality Suite Wednesday night thru Saturday night
• Admission and transportation to and from our Friday Air Show event
• DV seating for our veteran members and their immediate family members during the Air Show.
• Thursday night group Buffet dinner, to include Grilled Chicken or Roast Prime Rib, served from a carving station
• A full Buffet Breakfast Friday morning in the Hotel restaurant
• A plated group dinner Friday evening (casual dress), with your choice of Filet Mignon or Popcorn Crusted Salmon. Musical entertainment will also be provided during our dinner.
• A full Buffet Breakfast Saturday morning

For those of you wishing to arrive early or stay late, we have arrangements for early attendees to visit the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum for 3 to 4 hours on Thursday for a charge. Likewise, for those of you wishing to stay a bit longer, we offer you a very nice Saturday tour of Washington D.C. specifically visiting the WW-II Memorial, followed by a lunch at the 94th Aero Squadron, in conjunction with the local 8th Air Force Historical Society Chapter luncheon. Just indicate your interests on the registration form, and we will make it happen.

I have personally attended this air show every year (except one) since 1997 and consider it to be a most awesome event, and one not to be missed. Early registration is essential, and Hotel room bookings are even more important. Please book your room ASAP. To guarantee your spot for our reunion, you can book your room at the Crowne Plaza by calling 703-416-1600, or toll free at: at 1-800-227-6963; just say that you are booking with the 8 Air Force group.

THIS EVENT IS BEING OFFERED TO YOU ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS, MEANING THAT ONLY THE FIRST 55 MEMBERS PAID WITH THE SOCIETY WILL BE GUARANTEED ATTENDANCE.

IF YOU ARE NOT PAID IN FULL WITH OUR GROUP OR NOT REGISTERED AT OUR HOTEL BY APRIL 15, 2009, YOU WILL NOT BE ATTENDING THE AIR SHOW AS A PART OF OUR GROUP. THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS DIRECTIVE.

If you have any questions whatsoever, please read that last paragraph again.

Please visit our web site for additional information and frequent updates, where you may also register on line and pay securely with a credit card, download a mail-in registration form, or call George Hoidra at 301-953-2813, for additional information, but please book your hotel room now. We can make everything else work folks; we always have.

ADDITIONAL INFO THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• As just stated, this is a "First Come, First Served" event. If you are booked at the Hotel under our room block but not registered and paid with our Society event by April 15, 2009, your room will be returned to the Society block for use by our members on the waiting list, and they will receive your room at our Group rate and will attend the Air Show. You will be rebooked at the Hotel at their going rack rate, assuming that rooms are available, you will be responsible for any charges for same, and you will not attend the Air Show with our group. Our room block belongs to the Society and we are legally in full control of it.
• As I said, this event will sell out quickly, and a waiting list will be developed for those who expressed an interest and paid, but were locked out. Those on the waiting list who become eligible to attend will be notified by April 25, 2009, at which time you may (1) choose to attend (2) decline and receive a full refund, or (3) put your name on the list for the 2010 Air Show.
• If you are locked out of the 2009 Air Show altogether, you will have the option of receiving a full refund, OR you may opt to be placed top of the list on the 2010 roster of attendees for a non-refundable $50 deposit; the balance of your payment will be returned.
• The weather in Washington in mid-May is an absolute Crap Shoot; I have been to Air Shows where the weather was absolutely perfect, and I have attended when the weather was very hot and have actually gotten sun burned. I have seen warm, but rainy and windy days, I have seen cold and very, very windy days, and I have seen days that were rainy and windy, with low clouds. Anything can happen, but the Friday Air Show goes on in any case, with aerial events being restricted by weather conditions and cloud ceiling, as need be for safety.

Back-up plans are being developed for "a really bad weather day" and will be posted on our web site as soon as they are finalized, however, there can be absolutely no refunds for bad weather conditions.

HOTEL HANDICAPPED ACCESSABILITY: The hotel has 4 rooms with "roll-in" showers, 7 others with ADA required wall and bath rails, and will provide 3 wheelchairs for use by our members, both on-site and off-site. ADA rooms have King beds only, however, roll away beds are available upon request. None of these rooms are currently blocked specifically for our group, however, they will be available at our Group rate on a first come, first served basis. If you have any specific needs or concerns, please contact George Hoidra directly to avoid any unexpected problems.

Additionally, the Motor Coach provider that we will be required to use for access to Andrews DOES NOT have a wheel chair accessible Coach, so anyone truly 100% wheel chair bound will need to furnish their own private ground transportation. (However, we can still provide you with access to Andrews, even if you do not arrive with our Group).

CANCELLATIONS: Your room is fully cancelable up until 72 hours before your arrival. However, attendance at the event is cancelable only up until 21 days before the event and is subject to a $25 cancellation charge, per person. Cancellation within 21 days of the event is not refundable, as our numbers are locked in with our vendors and your money will be fully committed. We regret that there can be absolutely no exceptions for extreme situations or medical events.

PLEASE CHECK BACK FROM TIME TO TIME FOR UPDATES