The Phoenix Section of the AIAA has been planning an excursion to Tucson since early this year. This event has two purposes:

- To kickoff the Fall '99 Phoenix program schedule

- To get together with Tucson section members and help them return to an active schedule of events.

Events are planned for the weekend of September 25-26, 1999. The activities have been designed to be flexible for both Phoenix and Tucson members, and to allow a lot of interaction and social time together. From this event, Phoenix members will have an enjoyable and educational outing and Tucson members will have a chance to get reacquainted with each other and become inspired to form a new Council and become a fully active Section. Here's the plan:

Phoenix members will drive to Tucson on Saturday morning, September 25. Members of both Sections join for an informal lunch at the Big A, right across Speedway from the Plaza Hotel. The Plaza will be our base of operations. All participants may leave their vehicles there for the duration, as lunch is across the street and tour bus transportation for all other activities will be provided. After lunch, we take the bus to the Pima Air and Space Museum for a few hours of exploring their great collection of aircraft and historic aviation memorabilia. Following that, the bus takes us to the unique Mirror Lab at the University of Arizona.

We'll be back at the Plaza by 5 pm or so, in time to check in for those planning to make a weekend of it. This will be followed by an informal joint dinner meeting with both the Phoenix and Tucson Sections at the Plaza. Our guest speaker will be a researcher from the U of A who will explain how the giant mirrors made in Tucson will revolutionize Earth-based astronomy.

Phoenix Section members could return home that evening, or spend the night and join in on Part Two of the weekend's activities on Sunday. That will involve a bus ride to the Kitt Peak National Observatory and a behind the scenes tour. After that, we'll have a picnic lunch on the mountain. The bus should have everyone back to their awaiting vehicles in Tucson by 3 or 4 pm.

The AIAA national office is anxious to see Tucson get back on their feet, and is planning to subsidize a significant portion of the weekend's activities. We'll have details as to your cost in a few weeks, but it should prove to be a great value for a fun weekend with other Arizona aerospace professionals. So reserve that weekend now, and plan to get the Fall season and the new Tucson section off to a great start!

Please call Mike Mackowski (days: 480-732-3064) for details.

Dates: Sat. & Sun., Sept. 25 - 26, 1999

Sat. Times: 11:30 am - Lunch in Tucson

12:30 pm - Bus departs Plaza Hotel

for Pima Air & Space Museum

1:00 pm - Tour Pima Museum

4:00 pm - Tour UofA Mirror Lab

6:00 pm Social

7:00 pm Dinner

8:00 pm Speaker

Dinner Location: The Plaza Hotel

Speedway & Campbell, Tucson

Sun. Times: 9:00 am - Bus departs Plaza Hotel

for Kitt Peak Observatory

11:00 - KPNO tour

1:00 - Picnic lunch

3:30 - Bus returns to Tucson