To Randy and the rest of the FlyerTalk community,

First I would like to let everyone know that I very much appreciate all of the positive chexfan comments that have been made either in this thread or via electronic mail. Some from friends, some from others who I don't know. All from people who I didn't bribe!!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

In what has seem to be a whirlwind past 24 hours, I have tried to pull all my thoughts and ideas together. When I ran the idea past my friends, I received a resounding "Go for it!". When I ran the idea past my family, I received an emphatic "Go for it!" (even my mother said this was a better idea than going to Singapore for 8 hours!). With the support of the FT Community as well as my family and friends, I feel that my participation would be successful on so many varying levels.

I began to browse the "Packing List" and I knew that I would be able to handle what was required. I created my own packing list with the help of my roommate who thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and I was getting more and more excited.

Even though I wasn't smart enough for Who Wants to be a Millionaire, I took the Travel Quiz and got 11 out of 12 questions correct. It had to of been an omen!

Things were looking good!

...............
I think the initial major qualifications that the candidate must possess are:
a) the willingness
b) personal financial backing
c) the time

The figurative hammer dropped on me this morning, when my manager denied my request (after an initial verbal approval http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif ) for 18 days away from my job through a combination of personal days, sick days and vacation that I have accumulated.

There's no fighting it. My bribery attempts failed... miserably. I have been shot down and denied by "The Man" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif

So unfortunately if I am playing by my own standards above, I can only guarantee my personal financial backing and willingness, but I cannot give the time and cannot therefore play the game. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

sincerely,
Mike
(aka- chexfan, chex, chexy, fan 'o chex, Bill)

[This message has been edited by chexfan (edited 09-05-2002).]

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I've taken the task of choosing the team so there is absolutely no conflict with the TalkBoard. I'm awaiting final confirmation from a few members as to their absolute commitment - thus the announcement by chexfan, Pete and gottigotti among others who in the final round were having conflicts with work which is not unexpected. I expect to announce in the next day or couple of days the team members. It's very difficult since i as well as you know there are multiple great candidates on FT and perhaps next year we'll raise the funds to help support several teams.

In the meanwhile I'm back to reviewing the team applications - and man do i ever feel small compared to the life adventures of some of our members.

Please no voting - it doesn't influence me and actually a lot of my attention is on members you might not have heard much from but are very capable of representing FlyerTalk on this great challenge.

Thanks for the tantalizing update - now I'm really intriqued!

Not for Canadians. I have 2. A Canadian and a EU. I believe US citizens are SUPPOSED to renounce their other Passport, but I have a few friends who hold EU as well. Its just less complex when it comes to working overseas.

I have thought about having more than one team from FT. But with contributions slooowly coming in, how can FT have more than one team when the first team hasn't enough funds yet? I'm making a contribution today, not much, but every little bit counts. Ten dollars from 1000 FTers is 10,000 dollars. Just don't rent movies from your local video store, or buy your triple shot hazelnut mocha latte from Starbucks this week. Suffer a little. If the candidates turn out to be someone you really want to back, contribute again.

Not having ever read the Talkboard forum, I had assumed Randy would choose the FT team. This is not a popularity contest. These people are representing Flyertalk, which means they are representing Randy. And us, of course. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif I am thinking objectively about all the factors a team member should possess. We do want to win, right?

The spotlight of television!!!
Definitely an exciting challenge.

Linda

Hey. . .I think that your boss requires a bit of a visit from some of us at FT. . .perhaps there are ways we can "convince" him??? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Email us his name. . .I'm sure some of these techy folks can figure out some way to make sure you get to go. . .like an email to your boss from Larry?! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Okay...

This is something that you would remember for the rest of your life....

I believe that the team should consist of someone who is above a team player, able to communicate on all levels and have the energy and enthusiasm to carry others.
Humor when it gets tough.

Please count me in.

---

Illegal? Nah! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

This "possess multiple passports" comeent/attribute is naturally subject to interpretation in many different ways, no? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

We surely have many FT'ers with two passports who are simply multinationals!

We also have those with two passports for visas to the Mideast and such, where reflecting a given stamp may well preclude obtaining a visa and thus entry to another nation.

Lastly, and most importantly, IMHO, we have those with expired passports who are on their third, fourth, or whatever passport number now! My 11 year old son already has three passports, two expired, reflecting travel to 30 or so countries. The admittedly minimal point was just that, IMHO, having 10 or more years of travel experience, in perhaps at least two dozen diverse countries, would be a great asset, or perhaps a minimum qualification! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

---

Where might contestants be sent?

Countries of the World

COUNTRY/CAPITAL CITY/CONTINENT (A)
Afghanistan (Kabul) (AS)
Albania (Tirane) (EU)
Algeria (Algers) (AF)
Andorra (Andorra la Vella) (EU)
Angola (Luanda) (AF)
Antigua and Barbuda (St. John's) (NA)
Argentina (Buenos Aires) (SA)
Armenia (Yerevan) (EU)
Australia (Canberra) (AU)
Austria (Vienna) (EU)
Azerbaijan (Baku) (AS)

(B)
Bahamas (Nassau) (NA)
Bahrain (Manama) (AS)
Bangladesh (Dhaka) (AS)
Barbados (Bridgetown) (NA)
Belarus (Minsk) (EU)
Belgium (Brussels) (EU)
Belize (Belmopan) (NA)
Benin (Port-Novo) (AF)
Bhutan (Thimphu) (AS)
Bolivia (Sucre) (SA)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo) (EU)
Botswana (Gaborone) (AF)
Brazil (Brasilia) (SA)
Brunei (Bander Seri Begawan) (AS)
Bulgaria (Sofia) (EU)
Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou) (AF)
Burma/Myanmar (Yangon) (AS)
Burundi (Bujumbura) (AF)

(C)
Cambodia (Phnom Penh) (AS)
Cameroon (Yaounde) (AF)
Canada (Ottawa) (NA)
Cape Verde (Praia) (EU - Portugal)
Central African Republic (Bangui) (AF)
Chad (N'Djamena) (AF)
Chile (Santiago) (SA)
China (Beijing) (AS)
Colombia (Bogota) (SA)
Comoros (Moroni) (AF)
Congo (Brazzaville) (AF)
Congo, Democratic Republic of (Kinshasa) (AF)
Costa Rica (San Jose) (NA)
Cote d'Ivoire/Ivory Coast (Yamoussoukro) (AF)
Croatia (Zagreb) (EU)
Cuba (Havana) (NA)
Cyprus (Nicosia) (AS) and/or (EU)
Czech Republic (Prague) (EU)

(D)
Denmark (Copenhagen) (EU)
Djibouti (Djibouti) (AF)
Dominica (Roseau) (NA)
Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo) (NA)

(E)
East Timor (Dili) (AS)
Ecuador (Quito) (SA)
Egypt (Cairo) (AF)
El Salvador (San Salvador) (NA)
Equatorial Guinea (Malabo) (AF)
Eritrea (Asmara) (AF)
Estonia (Tallinn) (EU)
Ethiopia (Addis Ababa) (AF)

(F)
Fiji (Suva) (AU - Oceania)
Finland (Helsinki) (EU)
France (Paris) (EU)

(G)
Gabon (Liberville) (AF)
Gambia (Banjul) (AF)
Georgia (Tbilisi) (EU)
Germany (Berlin) (EU)
Ghana (Accra) (AF)
Greece (Athens) (EU)
Grenada (St. George's) (NA)
Guatemala (Guatemala City) (NA)
Guinea (Conakry) (AF)
Guinea-Bissau (Bissau) (AF)
Guyana (Georgetown) (SA)

(H)
Haiti (Port-au-Prince) (NA)
Honduras (Tegucigalpa) (NA)
Hungary (Budapest) (EU)

(I)
Iceland (Reykjavik) (EU)
India (New Delhi) (AS)
Indonesia (Jakarta) (AS)
Iran (Tehran) (AS)
Iraq (Baghdad) (AS)
Ireland (Dublin) (EU)
Israel (Jerusalem) (AS)
Italy (Rome) (EU)

(J)
Jamaica (Kingston) (NA)
Japan (Tokyo) (AS)
Jordan (Amman) (AS)

(K)
Kazakstan (Astana) (AS)
Kenya (Nairobi) (AF)
Kiribati (Bairiki) (AU - Oceania)
Korea, North (Pyongyang) (AS)
Korea, South (Seoul) (AS)
Kuwait (Kuwait City) (AS)
Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek) (AS)

(L)
Laos (Vientiane) (AS)
Latvia (Riga) (EU)
Lebanon (Beirut) (AS)
Lesotho (Maseru) (AF)
Liberia (Monrovia) (AF)
Libya (Tripoli) (AF)
Liechtenstein (Vaduz) (EU)
Lithuania (Vilnius) (EU)
Luxembourg (Luxembourg) (EU)

(M)
Macedonia (Skopje) (EU)
Madagascar (Antananarivo) (AF)
Malawi (Lilongwe) (AF)
Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) (AS)
Maldives (Male) (AS)
Mali (Bamako) (AF)
Malta (Valletta) (EU)
Marshall Islands (Majuro) (AU - Oceania)
Mauritania (Nouakchott) (AF)
Mauritius (Port Louis) (AF)
Mexico (Mexico City) (NA)
Micronesia (Palikir) (AU - Oceania)
Moldova (Chisinau) (EU)
Monaco (Monaco) (EU)
Mongolia (Ulan Bator) (AS)
Morocco (Rabat) (AF) (including Western Sahara)
Mozambique (Maputo) (AF)

(N)
Namibia (Windhoek) (AF)
Nauru (no official capital) (AU - Oceania)
Nepal (Kathmandu) (AS)
Netherlands (Amsterdam, The Hague) (EU)
New Zealand (Wellington) (AU)
Nicaragua (Managua) (NA)
Niger (Niamey) (AF)
Nigeria (Abuja) (AF)
Norway (Oslo) (EU)

(O)
Oman (Muscat) (AS)

(P)
Pakistan (Islamabad) (AS)
Palau (Koror) (AU - Oceania)
Panama (Panama City) (NA)
Papua New Guinea (Port Moresby) (AU)
Paraguay (Asuncion) (SA)
Peru (Lima) (SA)
Philippines (Manila) (AS)
Poland (Warsaw) (EU)
Portugal (Lisbon) (EU)

(Q)
Qatar (Doha) (AS)

(R)
Romania (Bucharest) (EU)
Russian Federation
(east) of the Ural Mountains (AS)
Russian Federation (Moscow)
(west) of the Ural Mountains (EU)
Rwanda (Kigali) (AF)

(S)
Saint Kitts and Nevis (Basseterre) (NA)
Saint Lucia (Castries) (NA)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Kingstown) (NA)
Samoa (Apia) (AU - Oceania)
San Marino (San Marino) (EU)
Sao Tome and Principe (Sao Tome) (AF)
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) (AS)
Senegal (Dakar) (AF)
Seychelles (Victoria) (AF)
Sierra Leone (Freetown) (AF)
Singapore (Singapore City) (AS)
Slovakia (Bratislava) (EU)
Slovenia (Ljubljana) (EU)
Solomon Islands (Honiara) (AU - Oceania)
Somalia (Mogadishu) (AF)
South Africa (Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein) (AF)
Spain (Madrid) (EU)
Sri Lanka (Colombo) (AS)
Sudan (Khartoum) (AF)
Suriname (Paramaribo) (SA)
Swaziland (Mbabane) (AF)
Sweden (Stockholm) (EU)
Switzerland (Bern) (EU)
Syria (Damascus) (AS)

(T)
Taiwan (Taipei) (AS)
Tajikistan (Dushanbe) (AS)
Tanzania (Dodoma) (AF)
Thailand (Bangkok) (AS)
Togo (Lome) (AF)
Tonga (Nuku'alofa) (AU - Oceania)
Trinidad and Tobago (Port-of-Spain) (NA)
Tunisia (Tunis) (AF)
Turkey (Ankara) (AS) & (EU)
Turkmenistan (Ashgabat) (AS)
Tuvalu (Funafuti) (AU - Oceania)

(U)
Uganda (Kampala) (AF)
Ukraine (Kiev) (EU)
United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi) (AS)
United Kingdom (London) (EU)
United States (Washington D.C.) (NA)
Uruguay (Montevideo) (SA)
Uzbekistan (Tashkent) (AS)

(V)
Vanuatu (Port-Vila) (AU - Oceania)
Vatican City (na) (EU)
Venezuela (Caracas) (SA)
Vietnam (Hanoi) (AS)

(Y)
Yemen (Sana) (AS)
Yugoslavia (now Serbia & Montenegro) (Belgrade) (EU)

(Z)
Zambia (Lusaka) (AF)
Zimbabwe (Harare) (AF)


http://www.worldatlas.com/nations.htm

---

Some other unrelated world "facts!"

http://www.worldatlas.com/geoquiz/thelist.htm

---

I just reviewed the GreatEscape website materials again! It's a great cause! And very excting too! This will likely prove to be an immense challenge, and lots of fun for someone! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Determination, rather than anything else, may well prove to be ones greatest asset here.

-Mark


[This message has been edited by doc (edited 09-06-2002).]

I definitely would love to do this!

My best two attributes to be selected:
1) Resourcefulness/athleticism -- lettered on 4 sports teams back in school; since have jumped from airplanes, ran marathons, and played on basketball teams (you get the point: still in shape and relatively fearless)
2) Able to get along with all types -- I grew up in a family with 6 children with all types of personalities and quickly learned how to get along with others in order to survive and thrive!

Thanks for your email Randy, I received it while away and am only now able to post an answer.

After seeing all the great postings from FlyerTalkers, I am a bit reluctant to submit my background but here goes:
Education & Credentials- MBA and Ph.D.- Psychology. Licensed principal broker of real property management firm. Licensed inactive travel agent. Formerly a registered principal broker of small investment company.

Work:
3 years USN Airborne Electronic Counter Measures (spook and surveillance stuff), later Hurricane Hunter (into the eyes of the storms).
Lifetime career: entrepreneur and business founder, (financial, insurance, resort management,and hospitality company). Presently: mentor to my firm's management team and strategic planner and marketing schemer, dreamer.

Just for fun: Foreign travel 3 months a year,
skiing, hiking, scuba diving, swimming, biking, music Appreciation (wildly varied taste but no personal musical talent).

Passions: Fine wine, gourmet and ethnic foods, writing, art, digital photography, designing and building custom beach houses and their landscapes.

Health: Good, non smoker and not needing of a lot of sleep.

Most heard criticism besides being a pain in a_ _: Too goal directed or workaholic

I have the enthusiasm, time, sufficient and ready money, and many of the skill sets needed for this competition. I can travel during the period 10/17 or 10/18 for 23 days ± and to the prior meeting. I need to return home by December 20 ± but other wise I am good to go. And go and go and go....

Thanks for asking.

Donald

...

[This message has been edited by fallinasleep (edited 10-01-2002).]

Doc -- you forgot a whole bunch of VERY eligible places in your list. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif


http://www.worldatlas.com/dependtr.htm

------------------
~ Glen ~ Calling all United 1K Members - please join .. www.1Kflyers.com

Add me to the list. I have plenty of time and will travel anyplace anytime. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

According to the GreatEscape website, the following are the countries that "may" be visited:
"Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Nepal, India, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Italy, Slovenia, France, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Hungry [sic], Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Austria, Andorra, Spain and Canada"

These are obviously listed in the order of travel (heading west from L.A.)...
j.

Since the emails that went out, has there been any updates?

------------------
Somewhere in the world a Boeing jet is taking off or landing every second —24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To bad that none of the Scandinavian countries are listed. I will be very happy to assist any FTers on the Great Escape if you travel through this part of the world.

Seems like it's close to the final date, isn't it? Any news?

Yes we're very close to naming our first member of the team. As you can see there is a lot of interest (emails went out to the 50 who were interested) but there are quite a few like chexfan that are finding it very difficult to get the necessary clearance from "the boss" to actually be gone for 23+ days. so I'm allowing some last minute confirmations to take place before actually knowing my team players to choose from. I can say that i like the 'resumes' of some of the members who have posted so far on this thread. I have others that came in private email. I do think i can't go wrong with the choices to be made - they all are very much travelers to be acknowledged. All I know is that it's not easy picking the team.....kind of like draft day in the major league sports.

Please take me off the list of intrested people. Thanks and good luck everyone!

While this thing still sounds very cool, I doubt that I could seriously take part (it was more wishful thinking I guess). So please take me off the list.

Go Team FlyerTalk!!

------------------
airOli, the Swiss Air Line. ;)

Is there anything specific we can tell you, Randy?
(Like a draft-day scouting report, I guess.)
Anything in particular you'd like to know that can let us help you make the (admittedly tough) decision?
Perhaps it'd be useful to pare the list down to a more manageable group of finalists (say, 6 or 8), and then pepper the lucky few with specific questions...

j.

Was I supposed to get an email? I hope I didn't delete it thinking Randy was trying to sell me Viagra or a mortgage! (Would i get miles for the Viagra?)

I have also been interested since the beginnning and received no email. I would just be curious why? My email is valid.

Chris

You might want to send an email to Randy then.

Catwood: please recheck your mail. you were send an email about your interest along with 49 other people on September 4 at 6:20 pm from me. All received the message and have responded except for one other person who also had an AOL account. I resent to him and it was fine. Ohers with AOL addresses did get theirs. Not sure of the problem but have just resent so you can see the time stamp and verify that your email address was indeed on the orginal list.

As we say, YGM....again. Hope there's time to include you in the final consideration.

Thanks Randy for resending I have gotten the new one. Let me go through it and process everything you have sent. As always thanks for your time and your support of projects like this on Flyertalk.

Chris

We are aiming to announce this years Team FlyerTalk for the GreatEscape2002 on Friday September 13.

Next year with much advance notice and having gone through it - we'll (actually me) will be better prepared to get all this done. It has been extremely difficult in trying to name members to the team as there is an absolute amount of travel experienced people on FlyerTalk. We are trying to blend various types of members and while far from perfect, think we'll field a very strong team.

Randy

Sadly, it has just come to my attention that it will perhaps be best for all concerned if I remove myself from any present or future consideration as a possible candidate - and so I am!

-Mark

CHICKENS! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

[duck]

Now that the time is close everyone is backing out. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/tongue.gif

[/duck]

[This message has been edited by wingless (edited 09-13-2002).]

So was the team announced?

------------------
Somewhere in the world a Boeing jet is taking off or landing every second —24 hours a day, seven days a week.

As of Friday evening, the team has not yet been announced.

j.

I've 3/4 of the team picked and the last slot is going down to the wire. I think there are five candidates we're down to and it ain't an easy task. Hopefully over the weekend. As you might imagine as we get down to a final commitment - it gets scary. 23 days of travel outside of your job.

Welcome to my world http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I was amazed and a little disappointed at the lack of donations toward the Great Escape. Only 32 so far! I have gained alot from this site (free stuff!) and thought it was the least I could do , to give a little back. Come on everyone, support Randy and the FT team.

I think once we name the team that the fundraising will pick up so not a big deal right now.

We've had a few members in the very last 2-3 candidates have new job conflicts come up at the 11th hour so please bear with us.

Confused here

How many teams are we sending? I thought there were 2 people on a team

Looks like 2 teams to me.

This is kinda coming down to the wire. This starts in basically a month.

------------------
Somewhere in the world a Boeing jet is taking off or landing every second —24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Just wondering when the offical word will come down. I'm holding off other plans, while waiting for the offical word.

------------------
Somewhere in the world a Boeing jet is taking off or landing every second —24 hours a day, seven days a week.