Oceano Airport Celebration May 11 and 12th

[mooneygirl]

Friday May 11th:  Beach Burger Fry and Dance.  We have tickets for sale for the Beach Burger Fry and Dance on May 11th from 5:30 to 9:30. The $10 ticket buys dinner and the dance. The music will be provided by The San Luis Jazz Band. This is a fun opportunity to see the best dance band in Central California. [Front man is an Ovation Pilot too!]

Saturday May 12th: Oceano Airport Celebration Day 2012. A Salute to Veterans. 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  Free admission.  Wheel of Fortune: fuel discounts.  Lions Club pancake breakfast, static displays, emergency responder displays. 12:00 opening ceremonies and veterans recognition 12:30 Lunch served by the EAA Weanie Wagon and Oceano Elks Lodge. Live big band music: Central City Swing Band. 2:00: raffle. Free Children's activities. Family fun. Lodging discount:  Pacific Plaza Resort: Mention Friends of Oceano Airport pricing [$65 king suite] http://www.PacificPlazaResort.com

New this year:  we will be collecting items for Arbiter Systems Troop Support program.  Cathy Baker started this after she lost her son in Iraq.  The company she works for, Arbiter Systems has paid for the postage for the over 10,000 care packages sent to troops to date. 

Please bring the following items if you are able:
Protein Bars
Trail Mix
Jerky
Canned Meats
Sausage/Cheese pack, Slim Jim's
Hard Candy
Baby Wipes [unscented soft packs best]
Black or Green heavy duty work socks
Travel Sized Toiletries
Cup O Noodles
Lunches to Go [tuna/chicken with crackers]
We will have donation boxes onsite for the care package items.

Point Person: Mitch Latting

[MooneyMitch]

............and here's the video trailer 

 

I hear that the band is GREAT!  They tell me you can't sit still when you hear them.............!!!

 

New this year:  we will be collecting items for Arbiter Systems Troop Support program.  Cathy Baker started this after she lost her son in Iraq.  The company she works for, Arbiter Systems has paid for the postage for the over 10,000 care packages sent to troops to date. 

Please bring the following items if you are able:
Protein Bars
Trail Mix
Jerky
Canned Meats
Sausage/Cheese pack, Slim Jim's
Hard Candy
Baby Wipes [unscented soft packs best]
Black or Green heavy duty work socks
Travel Sized Toiletries
Cup O Noodles
Lunches to Go [tuna/chicken with crackers]
We will have donation boxes onsite for the care package items.

Point Person: Mitch Latting    Weather promises to be OUTSTANDING!!

[mooneygirl]

We also can use Dog Treats for our K9s serving in the military. This is a great way to give back to our communities.  Perhaps you can think of a charitable element that could be added to an exisiting airport day or fly-in event in your town. This is a component of a new project for the Ambassadors: Mooney Ambassadors Care.

Toys for Tots is another fun way to help the children in your area.  If you would like further information please give either Mitch or myself a PM or email.  Let's do this!

[MooneyMitch]

Ok, this is getting more exciting !!  We're gathering some very, very nice local raffle items, and now, some very fun silent auction item from folks such as:  Whelen, JPI Instruments, Aircraft Spruce, Foreflight, Sporty's, AOPA, Avemco.............and more to come!  Bidding will start LOW!! 

Along with this fun aspect, is our "care package" effort for our overseas front line service people.  Bring an item for them and we'll get it sent over.  See www.friendsofoceanoairport.com for specific item needs please.  Thank you everyone!

Please come and help us celebrate our "little slice of paradise" Oceano Airport [L52]. 

[MooneyMitch]

Electronics International has donated http://www.buy-ei.com/Pages/Clocks/ASC-5A_Overview.html for our silent auction.  I think you all need to fly to our event and help us keep this airport spiffy.  We're getting some very, very cool raffle and silent auction stuff. 

We give a HUGE thank you to EI ! 

 

[mooneygirl]

Plus we have certificates for SkyDiving, Kayaking and a Boeing Stearman ride!

[HopePilot]

This is a mandatory event for everyone in the Western States.  See you all there!

[MooneyMitch]

Joe Borzelleri sent us a Facebook message saying he was INSPIRED by "Friends of Oceano Airport" to step up and save his hometown airport.  This is just gratifying and it does prove we can all do something to help our airports. 

See his article:

whttp://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/airport-114471-first-time.html?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150667510052661_22118844_10150668217132661#ff06b216c209e2

[MooneyMitch]

Ok, in addition to the other cool things we're gathering for the silent auction [Whelen LED landing light, JPI fuel flow, Electronics International chronometer, etc], David Clark is donating a new headset! 

We'll start the bidding on all the items ridiuclously LOW ! 

Thank you for coming.

[MooneyMitch]

Front row parking for Mooney airplanes too!!!

[mooneygirl]

All are welcome, but think about coming Friday afternoon and staying at the Pacific Plaza [http://www.pacificplazaresort.com]  They have a $65 and $40 rate which is wonderful and you are a 1/2 block from the airport.

I think that shaking your groove thing to San Luis Jazz Band on Friday night is a highlight too.  [The front man is an Ovation pilot!]

Come one, come all.

[mooneygirl]

We have received several wonderful gifts that will go into our silent auction and/or raffle. Highlights include:

JPI fuel flow meter
Foreflight annual membership
Whelen LED landing light
Banner Airways: Stearman ride
David Clark headset
Electronics international chronometer
Aircraft Spruce $100 gift card
Rod Machado: private pilot audio book CD
SkyDive Pismo Beach: 10K tandem jump
Sportys instructional DVD
AOPA annual membership plus gear
and more!

http://www.FriendsofOceanoAirport.com

Please mark your calendars! May 11th: Beach Burger Fry and Dance 5:30-9:30 p.m.; May 12th: Celebration Day 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Watch our fun preview

http://youtu.be/3fM_xUE4gVo

[mooneygirl]

It is 8:10 a.m. and I am WIDE awake on a rainy day. You try to sleep when LightSpeed just donated a Zulu 2 headset to the Friends of Oceano Airport Silent Auction on May 12th.  David Clark stepped up too... Wonder if Bose is joining suit?  Need a headset?  Come and place your bid! 

[mooneyflyer]

Jolie, all of your work aside at Oceano which everyone appreciates... just curious... Is Friends of Oceano Airport a non-profit 501 (c3)?  After three years, how all our donations are accounted?

[IFlyMooney]

Interesting that Jolie has not responded to Phil’s question here.  She did post on the AOPA forum and stated that Friends of Oceano Airport is a 501 ©3 organization. As such,  it would be registered with the Internal  Revenue Service, with public disclosure of the Tax .  I was not able to find any reference to Friends of Oceano Airport on any official list.  It is possible that it was registered under another name.  Care must be taken in supporting organizations that cannot support  claims made, and does not provide full disclosure. The public support of general aviation is tentative enough, without unnecessary controversy.  It seems to me that all of the promotion being done with the Oceano Airport day is to buy tickets to the meal and show, and the selling of t-shirts, hats and other revenue generating items.  Where are the profits for this going? I am concerned.

[DonMuncy]

Kevin,

You wouldn't be if you knew Jolie and/or Mitch. Both are of the highest moral character. I would trust either of them with any amount of money with no questions asked. They are both motivated by a deep and sincere love for general aviation and especially Mooneys. I know nothing about the structure of their operation, and really don't care. Their word is more than sufficient for me.

[mooneyflyer]

Don,

Innocent question then for Mitch & Jolie:  what is the EIN for the 501©3?

 

[DonMuncy]

Phil,

The easy answer for me is that I don't really care. I contribute to various Universities and other charities and I don't know their EIN either. I suppose if I was donating enough money or had some reason to think the organization is a scam, I might be asking the same questions. You must understand that I am not faulting you for wanting to know that your charitable donation is going to a good cause. If you have concerns, I would think that you would not want to donate, until you were satisfied. My only statement is that I know them personally, and am well aware of their motivations, so I don't have any concerns.

 

 

[HopePilot]

Knowing the passion, character (Toys For Tots, children, scouting, and veteran events, etc.), and commitment of Mitch and Jolie (flying to Kerville on their own dime to document the company), and the sacrifices they have made (sorry, not enough bandwith on this server to give them adequate credit), I must assume that anyone who questions their intentions is either not very active in the Mooney community or has alternative motives. 

[pjsny78]

I have had the privilege of meeting Mitch, Jolie and their son. I was even invited to their house. To this day I still feel horrible about forgetting my drink on your fireplace. L

They are such wonderful people, and have done so much for aviation and the state of California in particular (This is coming from a New Yorker). I am with don and really don’t care about any particular charity and how it may be structured. The results of their work for everyone in aviation speak enough for me. However I can understand your concerns, but in the end the airport gets much needed attention, Troops get supplies and appreciation, Attendees have a great time,  bidders get brand new equipment hopefully for far less than you could get anywhere else. I do not really see a downside to this other than you have to be present to bid. J  

[Ron McBride]

Phil

You and Linda were very good friends with Mitch and Jolie in the past.  Why are you starting this crap??  Mitch and Jolie are doing wonderful things for Oceano Airport, General Aviation and our Mooney's.   Knock it off.

Ron

[mooneyflyer]

Ron, why did my asking about whether FOA is a 501© cause your response? its an Honest question. I checked the IRS database and couldn't find it, so I asked.  Why would you attack me and why doesn't she just publish the EIN?

[IFlyMooney]

I too, know Mitch and Jolie personally.  I have seen first hand their "highest moral character" at work and their selfless  "motivation" as well. That is why I am concerned.  Bernie Madoff's family and friends thought he had the "highest moral character". They have claimed the hard work of others as their own, and have been promoting themselves as the saviors of Oceano airport, when in fact it never was nor is at risk.  I can produce proof  of this.  What threw me over the edge was when they claimed to be a non-profit organization, when there is no evidence that they are.  They are pretending to raise money for a cause, that in fact does not exist.  There is also, no evidence that they have spent any money on Oceano airport either.  The only thing that it appears that they have used the funds for is to travel  to events that gets them publicity for being the "saviors" of general  aviation and Mooney in particular.  I have not seen anything of real value come out of anything that they have said or published.
Their "organization" does not exist.  It consists of a husband and wife, who sometime pretended to be strangers,  who find aviation events that others have organized, and  done all of the work for, and publish a date and place for Mooney owners to fly to and socialize.  If your into air shows and having strangers crawl over your airplane, then good.  I have no beef with that.  What I object to is the representation made that they were and are involved in the actual organization, planning and execution of these events.  For most of them, they have nothing to do with them, other than encouraging the community to participate.
I bring this public, because they have chosen the public forum.    Also, this is a public issue since they are asking the community for money.  They have publically stated that they are helping save general aviation.  I would like to see an accounting of how.  None of the things that they have suggested have they actually done that I know of.
I actually have been very involved in the Mooney community at one time.  I was behind the scenes, helping orgainize and coordinate fly ins.  I did not care to be in the lime light and did not care who knew that I did anything at all.  It was all for fun.
I have no alternative motive, other than to make people aware that they might be donating time and money to something that is not what it is purported to be.  Accepting donations under false pretenses to an organization that is supposed to be a non-profit is fraud.  I hope  I am wrong.  I believe though, that I probably am not.  If it is shown that I am, I will publically apologize

[DonMuncy]

When I first saw the question about the status of Mitch and Jolie's Oceano efforts, I thought this was an honest attempt to find out about the non-profit staus. I now see this is

[mooneyflyer]

Quote: DonMuncy

When I first saw the question about the status of Mitch and Jolie's Oceano efforts, I thought this was an honest attempt to find out about the non-profit staus. I now see this is personal. I do not know the detractors, but in any personal attack, I pick Mitch and Jolie.