President's LetterA Message From 2011-2012 LPBA President Robert L. Feldman Welcome to the LPBA website. If you’re a member, and have been to our meetings, then you already know and appreciate the quality of our organization and the value of your membership. I thank you for your support. If you’re not a member and have arrived at this page out of curiosity, through a search engine, or just by serendipity, then I bid you a hearty welcome. I come to the position of president with great optimism for the future of LPBA. LPBA is like no other bar association. It is a 52-year-old, international, non-profit association that fills a unique niche in the multitude of bar associations and affiliation groups of lawyers, groups of pilots and groups of aviation aficionados. Many people do not realize that you do not need to be a lawyer, a pilot, or a lawyer-pilot to belong to LPBA. All you need is an interest in aviation and the law, or an interest in participating in an organization with a unique focus and membership. We welcome new members. You are the future of our organization. Membership benefits include our Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association Journal, which, under the stewardship of Gary Allen, Editor-in Chief, assembles, articles of interest to pilots, aviation enthusiasts and, of course, to lawyers who practice aviation law. Click here to see a sample issue. We have two meetings a year, in the summer and winter, always in interesting locales, with lots to see and do. You will be surprised at how different our meetings are from any other bar association meeting or CLE program you have attended. Besides CLE, which is always planned to be educational and entertaining, there are planned activities for spouses so that their meeting experience is worthwhile as well. My wife, Jeanine, heads up the spouses’ activities committee and will continue to do so, along with help from our treasurer’s wife, Betsy Gilman, and others. We’ve had meetings in the Florida Keys, Mackinac Island, the Bahamas, Cancun, Whistler, Carlsbad, Virginia Beach, and many other locations too numerous to mention. With CLE only in the mornings, the afternoons are free to explore the area. Organized afternoon activities have included a wine tasting tour and a visit to the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum. Our meetings always include a golf tournament and a fun run or walk event. Location permitting, we also have tennis, skeet shooting and even a spot landing demonstration in which our members can participate. On the nights when there are no scheduled activities, most of the attendees pick a local restaurant and dine en masse. Each night, after dinner, the hospitality suite fills up for good conversation and libations. Check out photos of our last meeting, held at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, in Idaho, here. Many of the hotels have children’s activities, and if you have children, whether they are tots or teenagers, I urge you to bring them to our meetings. LPBA is an organization where children are truly welcome at the meetings, and the benefit of being around adults, who interact with them at a professional meeting, is an unusual enrichment to their lives. As a member for more than twenty-eight years, I have met other members’ children when they were toddlers and have watched them grow to adulthood. Some have become lawyers and have joined the LPBA themselves. Perhaps one of the most significant benefits of meeting attendance is the opportunity to network with our peers. When I need to find a lawyer in another city, state or even country, I think of those whom I’ve met at LPBA meetings. Spending over three days with a group of lawyers in a professional setting does not give the opportunity to truly get to know the personality and character of the lawyers. Spending the same amount of time in a setting that combines CLE, social events and lots of time for conversation does. While legal directories such as Martindale-Hubbell have their place, one cannot learn from a curriculum vitae, or a rating, whether one can work comfortably and effectively with a particular lawyer to achieve the best results in a case. After getting to know the lawyers who attend our meetings, it improves the knowledge base for choices I make. I can personally attest to successful pairings originating from contacts I have made at our meetings. Members also have access to the online member directory and to past issues of the LPBA Journal. Another benefit of attending meetings is the pure fun of conversing with lawyers with similar interests. It’s hangar flying on steroids and a great opportunity to learn from, and share your knowledge with, your peers. Ever wonder what it’s like to fly aircraft such as a Cirrus SR22 Turbo, a Phenom jet, a Cessna 182, or a J-3? You might meet a member at a meeting who has the aircraft about which you’re wondering and get your questions answered. You might even get a chance to ride with them and experience the answers for yourself In trying to think of unique places for our meetings, I have selected Hawaii for the Winter 2012 meeting. It will be held at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, on the Big Island of Hawaii. The dates are 29 February 2012 to 4 March 2012. Hotel rates are incredibly low, considering that it will be peak season, as low as $215 plus tax for an island view room. Partial ocean view and deluxe ocean front rooms and even suites are also available. As an added bonus, the convention rates will be available for stays of four days prior to and four days after the meeting dates. This means that you can stay for up to 12 days at the convention rates. Besides the CLE sessions, we are planning a buffet dinner, a luau, cocktail receptions, a golf tournament, a silent auction and other events. For other activities, consider that it will be whale watching season, and the whales can be seen both from the shore and from a boat. Kilauea volcano is still erupting. Nearby Volcanoes National Park, with lava flowing into the sea, building more Hawaii is unique in our National Park system. You can also visit ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs or walk into lava tube caves. There may even be an opportunity for pilots who are current to rent an aircraft to see the island from above. More information is available at the LPBA website (www.lpba.org). There are direct flights from the mainland to Kona, on the Big Island, or you can connect through Honolulu. We expect our room block to sell out fast, so don’t delay in booking your rooms. The Hilton reservations number is 1‑800‑HILTONS (or 1‑800‑445‑8667), and the Group Code is “LPA.” Or, you can click here to book online. Our Summer 2012 meeting will be held at the Kingsmill Resort, in Williamsburg. The dates are 11 July 2012 to 15 July 2012. The resort is on the James River and is only a couple of miles from the Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area, to which there is complimentary transportation. The Historic Area has been restored to what it was in pre-revolutionary times. With costumed guides speaking in character, traditional period craft methods demonstrated in the shops and restaurants serving typical 18th century fare, such as Brunswick stew, it’s an experience for the whole family, not to be missed. Kingsmill Resort is a full-service resort with a spa, golf, tennis, and even boat rental. For those of you flying in, Richmond, Norfolk and Williamsburg airports are all nearby. Next door to the resort, is Busch Gardens, one of the best amusement parks in the country. Rides such as the 240-foot high Mach Tower (not for acrophobes!) and the Alpengeist roller coaster are waiting to thrill you. There are also tamer rides for the more faint of heart. Other local attractions include the Jamestown Settlement, the oldest English colony in what is now the United States, founded in 1607. Virginia Beach, with its famous boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean coast is only an hour away. Look for more information about this meeting soon on the website and in future issues of the LPBA Journal. For those reading this column who are not members, please consider joining so you can share in the benefits of membership. Annual membership dues are a low $119 per year. You also have the option of paying $250 for a sustaining membership, which gives you special recognition in the Journal, on the website and at meetings, a link to your website from ours, and the knowledge that you are making a definitive statement of support for our organization. You can apply online or you can print out a membership application and send it together with a check for the dues to Lawyer Pilots Bar Association, P.O. Box 1510, Edgewater, MD 21037. You can also fax the application to (410) 571-1780. If you have any questions, please call our Executive Director, Karen Griggs at (410) 571-1750. If you are already a member, or if you are about to join, I encourage you to become more active in LPBA. If you are interested in becoming a state chair, or even a regional vice-president, please let me know. I would like to thank my fellow officers, Gary Evans, Jim Gilman and Russ Klingaman for the help they give me. I also would like to thank Gary Allen, the Editor, and Ellen Riddle, the Associate Editor, of the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association Journal for the fine work they do in compiling our signature publication. Finally, my thanks go out to Karen Griggs, our Executive Director, for keeping everything together. I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can during my term as president. Please know that we welcome new ideas and suggestions from all members on what direction LPBA should take, where our meetings should be held, and what we can do to improve our organization. Please email me or call me (305-598-4841 or feldmans48@hotmail.com) at any time, or email or call Karen Griggs (410-571-1750 or lpba@comcast.net).
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