Welcome to the 2018

FAC Reunion - Seattle

Send in your registration and book your hotel room!

The reunion dates are: September 17-22, 2018.

Mark Your calendars! 

The registration form is available now!

THE HOTEL:

 The RED LION Hotel, 11211 Main Street, Bellevue, WA 98004 that is about 10 miles from downtown Seattle has been selected for the reunion. It was the obvious choice due to lower cost, no additional cost for amenities such as Wi-Fi, parking and meeting facilities. The location is ideal, right on I-405, a direct shot North to Paine Field, and South to Boeing Field and SEATAC airport. JONAH’S Restaurant is on the Red Lion premises. There is an Outdoor Pool and Health Club. Complimentary hot breakfast buffet. Free parking, and complimentary meeting rooms.

1. Be advised that the hotel web site has PARKING at $9/day. That is an error on their part. DO NOT PAY FOR HOTEL PARKING. (RAQUEL WHEELER, SALES MANAGER)
                                                                   2. The room cost turns out to be $139.57 per night.

Hello to all
I am concerned that folks that intend to come to the reunion are delaying their registrations. We have a total of only 55 FACs and guests registered so far. I need to have a head count for the hotel room reservation contract by July 16. Please use whatever contacts you have to spread the word to fill out and send the registrations ASAP.

"Deadline for guaranteed room reservations is JULY 16, 2018. After that date, the hotel does not have to reserve the full number of un-booked rooms we contracted for, and my sell them to others. On JULY 16, I will have to guess how many are going to attend and, if necessary, reduce the contracted number of rooms due to low turn-out, if that is the case. So, DO NOT DELAY booking rooms at the hotel until after July 16, they may be sold out."

Joe Sowa
Chairman
2018 FAC Reunion - Seattle
360-362-2812

Room rate is $122/night + taxes=$ 139.57. You may check in as early as the weekend before the reunion starts at the same rate.

The Hooch will be open and in operation daily. We can bring in our own dry snacks and drinks.

The Hooch costs are covered by the registration fee,  You may bring your own if you wish, but be prepared to share.

Dry snacks only.  Hot snacks or prepared food h’oerduvers may only be purchased from the hotel. 

TRANSPORTATION:

I recommend renting a car if you want to take full advantage of the sightseeing opportunities in the Seattle area. I have arranged for buses to take us on the excursions if enough people sign-up for it. Other tours around the area are at personal preference with your own transportation.  Hertz has an office in the Hotel lobby.

Airporter service, Taxi and UBER are available. 

If you fly in, note your flight arrival and departure times on the registration sheet and we will see what we can do to arrange transport.

Chartered Bus transportation round trip has been arranged for those who desire it rather than drive to the excursion venues.   The price for this service is listed on the registration sheet and is pre-paid.  There is a Hertz office in the lobby of the Red Lion Hotel.

REGISTRATION AND BOOKING:

To book a room, you can use the FAC Reunion Reservation link for rooms during the duration of the conference.

Pre and post room can be booked by calling 800-RED-LION, group code is:  FACUNION.

 Or you may call: 1-800-RED-LION (1 800 733-5466)

REGISTRATION DATE FOR ADJUSTING THE HOTEL CONTRACT IS JULY 13TH, 2018. AFTER THAT DATE, WE ARE BOUND TO THE CONTRACT TERMS FOR NUMBER OF ROOMS WHETHER YOU SHOW UP OR NOT.  So don’t delay.

The registration form was designed to be interactive using Adobe Reader. If you don't have this program on your computer we would suggest that you update your computers Adobe Reader, you can just click on the icon to the right and download it from there.                                                     Once you have done that download the registration form to your computer, fill it out, send a  completed copy of the form via email to joesowa@reagan.com . Then follow the instructions on the form and mail a paper copy of it and your check to Pete Ruppert. NOW YOU CAN CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE REUNION

 Note: your shirt order is included on the registration form.  

    The BANQUET, a HAT and CHALLENGE COIN ARE INCLUDED IN THE REGISTRATION FEE FOR FACS.   

GUEST REGISTRATION DOES NOT INCLUDE A HAT AND COIN UNLESS YOU REGISTER THEM AT THE $120 RATE

Reunion Schedule:

Monday, Sept. 17:

 Arrival, registration, local area sightseeing and call sign group meetings as desired. These would be good days for ferry rides, AND SIGHTSEEING:

See:  www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/.  For schedules and routes.

You might enjoy a close look at Mt Rainier or Mt. St Helens, or LeMay’s world famous car museum in Tacoma (www.americascarmuseum.org/); and Pike’s Market, Patriot Square and the Space Needle in Seattle.

 Lists of popular local sightseeing destinations with addresses, phone numbers and information will be in the welcome package. (OR GOOGLE THEM) 

 You are encouraged to rent a car so you can be independent in deciding where and when you go sightseeing. The meeting hotel does not charge for parking. 

Tuesday, Sept. 18:  THE TILLICUM CRUISE IS ON!!

Drive yourself to the Argosy Pier or sign-up for bus transportation.

Day cruise on Puget Sound.  Argosy cruises, which provides this activity during the summer goes on off-season schedule after Labor Day.  They have booked us a special event on Tuesday, September 18.  The cruise includes a stop at Tillicum on Blake Island, a historic Indian village. Here is the deal: 11:30am – 4:30 pm.  $100 per person – includes narrated cruise, full meal, tour presentations, all services, gratuities, fees and sales tax. 

www.argosycruises.com/argosy-cruises/tillicum-excursion

Money WILL be collected AT REUNION REGISTRATION   THE TRIP IS ON!!

ARGOSY HAS ENABLED THE EXCURSION TO GO ON BY OPENING THE UNSOLD SEATS TO THE PUBLIC.  WE WILL HAVE COMPANY AND THE 60+ FAC REUNIONISTS WILL HAVE MORE COMPANY.

 BUT YOU MUST INDICATE ON THE REGISTRATION FORM YOUR INTENTION TO EXPERIENCE (AND PAY FOR) THIS CRUISE.

Wednesday, Sept. 19:

Drive yourself or sign-up for bus transportation.

 If you have a special status with any of these venues such as museum membership, Boeing employment, etc. write in your status and ticket cost to you so we can pay the proper amount as we pre-purchase the group tickets and avoid a lineup at the door when we arrive.

Group tour to The Boeing Museum of Flight: www.museumofflight.org

This is a world famous collection of old and modern aircraft, including an Aviation Pavilion display of a Concorde and an Air Force One Boeing 707 (Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon).

Thursday, Sept. 20:

Drive yourself or sign-up for bus transportation.

1. Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour: www.futureofflight.org/  takes 90 minutes from start to finish, where you will see large commercial aircraft being assembled in the world’s largest (by volume) assembly building. 

 2. The second destination on Paine Field is the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum, www.flyingheritage.com/ --about 15 minutes from the Boeing factory tour.

Paul Allen, of Microsoft fame is assembling a collection of vintage aircraft with the object of keeping them in flying condition. The collection is small but growing. We will be there for about an hour which is what it takes to see it all including an F-105 “THUD”.

Important information for Thursday:

1. The Boeing tour does not have rest rooms available in the factory, so you will have to hold on for 90+ minutes. Restrooms are available in the museums.   A deli is available but it has a very limited sandwich menu and slow service.

2. The Flying Heritage Museum has restrooms, is all on one level, but has no food service. I am researching lunch boxes to bring on the buses for this day’s tours.

Friday, Sept 21:

This is the day for FAC Association meetings and the closing banquet at the hotel with a guest speaker.