For those of you still trying to decide whether or not to come to the AMSAT Symposium in Orlando, here is some information that may entice you.

We are planning to arrange transportation from the hotel to Skycraft (www.skycraftsurplus.com/about-us.aspx), the famous surplus store here in Orlando on Friday morning. We will leave around 09:00 AM and go directly to Skycraft . Afterwards the group will stop at the famous Four Rivers Smokehouse (4rsmokehouse.com/) and will return back at the hotel in time for the beginning of the Symposium at 13:00 (1 PM for the non hams). This transportation will be provided by volunteer local hams so be sure to let the team know you will be going by sending an e-mail to amsat@cfl.rr.com or call Martha.

For the Sunday outing, we are planning a trip to the Orlando Science Center (OSC) (www.osc.org), leaving the hotel promptly at 09:15 and arriving at OSC around 09:45. At 10:00 AM we will receive a special back stage tour. From 11:30 to 12:00, the group will tour the center’s featured Star Wars Exhibit, then have lunch at a local restaurant from 12:15 to 13:15 (1:15), returning to the hotel by 14:00(2:00 PM).

It is important that we know as early as possible that you will be taking this tour so that we can try to get everyone into the Star Wars Exhibit together so don’t wait to sign up.

On Monday, Oct.29 a trip is planned to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The price AMSAT is charging covers transportation to and from the center and entrance into the Visitor Center.

The Bus will load up and leave the hotel promptly at 08:00 and arrive at the visitor center around 09:00 when the visitor center opens. For the first twenty attendees that sign up there is a unique tour of KSC awaiting you. After the first twenty there are at least two other choices of standard KSC tours that you can take at the standard fee. All of the tours are excellent!

Our group will reassemble at 16:00 (4:00 PM) for the trip back to the hotel arriving around 17:00(5:00 PM).You can go on the KSC Visitor center web site (www.kennedyspacecentertours.net/) to view your options.

Our banquet speaker will be Sam Durance N3TQA veteran ham astronaut. Sam flew with our friend Ron Parise WA4SIR on STS-35 and STS-67. Sam is currently serving as Professor of Physics and Space Sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology.

We are all looking forward to hearing stories of his adventures aboard the Space Shuttle and operating the ham radio system SAREX (Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment).

Lou McFadin

W5DID Symposium Co chair

w5did@cfl.rr.com