The April date has not been set yet. It was a good suggestion to coincide April 18th with the Doolittle Raid anniversary, that is all. Moving that date shouldn't be all that complicated at this early stage. There may be more folks with vacation / schedule events that are similar to Ghost, but haven't raised the issue.
No matter what is done, we might as well plan for a rainy day. Anyone know if they have space or would allow an event tent?
I am OK with any date, however, here are some thoughts:
Late April is usually a good time in the DC area for weather and crowds at the museums.
June/July
can OK but the weather can get hot and the crowds can be unreal on weekends. (Not saying they ARE, only that they CAN be unreal)
August the weather will be very hot and humid, however, the crowds will have dropped off. In fact, August is the month when you can usually get the best rates on Hotels and convention space. My sister who used to plan conventions in the DC area never had any problems getting great deals for groups in August. (B/c most people who have been to DC in August promise that they will never return in that month again).
I do not think that rain will be an issue. I think everything is in doors. (There maybe something outside - I just do not know)
I do not think that you can get a tent but they do have conference rooms there. I do not know if you can book them/use them.
I do not know if we can, but I think it would be interesting if we could get a tour of the Restoration Hanger. Here is a small cut n paste from the site:
"Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar
Many significant artifacts in the collection are in the queue for restoration. The first artifact to be restored in the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar was the Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver, the type of aircraft former Museum director Don Engen flew in World War II. The Helldiver is on display in the Boeing Aviation Hangar.
The next major aircraft project will be the Martin B-26B-25-MA Marauder Flak-Bait. This medium bomber flew over 200 missions during World War II, the most for any American aircraft. Flak-Bait's nose section has been on display in the World War II gallery on the Mall since 1976 with the rest of the artifact being in storage at the Paul Garber Facility. At the Udvar-Hazy Center, the Museum plans to preserve Flak-Bait to retain its original condition, reassemble the entire aircraft, and place it on display in the Boeing Aviation Hangar."
http://airandspace.si.edu/visit/udvar-hazy-center/things-to-do/restoration-hangar.cfmYou may want to plan a trip to the downtown mall.
They have a 262 down there:
http://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/jet-aviation/And other World War II Aviation planes:
http://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/WWII-DC/