Plane Trip

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959

When the 1957 Convention was given to London, Dave Kyle organized a group trip to the con by American fans, chartering a plane for the purpose. He described himself as "President, London Trip Fund of the WSFS Inc" when it appeared that airlines would not accept an individual's charter for a speculative group of travelers. Other members of the WSFS (chiefly the Dietzes and Raybin) holding that this made the society itself liable, tried to set up a committee, including themselves with Kyle, which would have official standing to deal with the London Trip Fund. (Previously they had met with Dave unofficially, as advisors.) The London Con-committee authorized this, tho Kyle continued to handle all business arrangements, such as the one that made necessary a switch of airlines from Pan-American to KLM when PA couldn't guarantee a return flight. Trouble really began in April, when Ted Carnell of London, who'd written Ruth Landis -- who was acting as Kyle's secretary -- for a list of those passengers who paid either entirely or in part for the trip and got no reply, asked the other committee members to see her in person. The Dietzes called on her and by persistence persuaded her to supply a partial list of names, an action which Kyle resented, calling it an "infamous inquisition". Later George Nims Raybin suggested that he -- Raybin -- be listed as co-signer at the Chemical Corn [how stfnic!] Exchange Bank, where the London Trip funds were deposited, "in case of emergency". (Dave lives in Potsdam, outside New York City.) Personality clashes between the two factions also seem to have played a part in creating bad feeling before the trip. After the trip resentment mounted over the number of nonfans on the plane and over the action of some plane-trippers in leaving the con hotel early, sticking the committee with the balance of their guaranteed room-booking; a certain amount of ill-feeling rose when Dave and Ruth Kyle (nee Landis -- they took the trip as a honeymoon) were given the sum ($5 from each passenger, deposited to secure the flight) originally supposed to be refunded to the trip-makers; and it was alleged that this ill-feeling was at the bottom of the lawsuit that eventually broke up the WSFS Inc.

See also Charter Flights.