The R.O.M.E.O.S.

[Mike Griffin]

Several years ago, I suggested that our flying club should get together once a month for lunch and go to different restaurants once a month.  One thing we have in New Orleans is great food and lots of restaurants to serve it.  I gave the group the name ROMEOS which stands for Retired Old Men Eating Out.  It is going on several years now and has been more fun than I can tell you.  There are about 10 of us that do this on the second Wednesday of every month.  Maybe some of you have done the same thing and i hope you have.  We talk about models and a whole lot more.  We have solved many world problems and the lunch table.

Mike

[Ty Marcucci]

There is a group here in Huntsville by the same name.. I wonder if one of them used to be in your group?

[Mike Griffin]

There is a group here in Huntsville by the same name.. I wonder if one of them used to be in your group?

I have no idea, Ty.  I borrowed the name from a group my uncle belonged to in Paducah, Kentucky.  They have all passed on now but I really liked the name and what it meant.  Everyone that I tell what the name stands for gets a good laugh about it. 

Mike

[Dan McEntee]

    How about FFARTTS ??  I was, and still am, a member of the local free flight club, the Kirkwood Thermaleers. This was back in the 80's and early 90's, and there were many members who were retired. I was the "kid" of the organization at that time.. They all decided to start getting together on Tuesday mornings to fun fly at Buder Park. Tuesday was picked because that seemed to be the one day of the week that no one scheduled doctor appointments on !! They would fly free flight until noonish, then most would head to the Burger King that used to be on the other side of the highway across from the Park, After lunch, then they would head back and some would fly R/C 1/2A Texaco models or keep flying free flight if the winds cooperated. Then about 2:30 to 3pm they would head home to beat rush hour traffic. After a few months of this they decided that they needed a name and someone came up with The FFARTTS !! This stands for The Free Flight Association of Retired Tuesday Thermal Seekers !  Everyone thought that was pretty funny except for Carl Fries. he thought that was not very classy, especially if you were trying to attract new interest into free flight!! Carl was the co-founder of the National Free Flight Society with Dick Black, and was a great mentor to me as I was learning the ropes if indoor and outdoor free flight, and a great friend. To me he was "Uncle Carl." The group got quite large and I got stuck on second shift about 1995, but just couldn't work Tuesday mornings into my work routine to take advantage of the group, so I cut back my F/F activities for a long time. All those guys were great people and some very good and notable free flight modelers like Chris Matsuno, Bob Mattes and Larry Coslick. There are just a few left now and no more regular Tuesday gatherings but we still get together for a "meeting" every month. i sure do miss all the other guys also. great guys and I learned a lot from all of them.
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Steve Helmick]

"Retired Old Modelers Eating Out" is a local group that has met weekly for about the last 30 years. Currently, they meet at Denny's in Kent, WA, on N. Central, across from Tractor Supply. I'm not that keen on going to a Denny's, to be totally honest.

I recently suggested that we meet once a month at Gator's Grill & Bar, about 1/2 mile north of there, because the food is way better. This idea came from the Alberta Controline Flying Club's "Pub Night" meetings. I don't think any of our NW Skyraider's crew would be awake at night, so suggested 9 or 10am.  Steve

[bob whitney]

the FMA (florida modelers association) has a 2 day free flight fly in each month we all get together at the fired up pizza joint on the first night usually ten to 15 flyers.been doing it for at least 10 years

[Jim Kraft]

  I use to be a ROMEO. Retired old motorcyclist eating out. Mostly in Kansa, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. We all rode to a different town anywhere from 10 to 150 miles away for lunch. There were like five different branches in Kansas. The north central Kanas bunch were mostly out of Salina. Wichita bunch met up with us once in a while. At 83 years old and physical problems I do not do that anymore. Still ride the back roads around where I live. Hard to stop doing the things we love. Even if we just slow way down. I bought my first Harley, a 1942 "45" flat head when I was 14. Started riding on Whizzer motor bikes when I was 8. I have almost always had a motorcycle of one kind or another.