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David Millhouser
July 10, 2024
191 views

Spring Fling 2024 is now “in the books” as one of the best ever.

Approximately 400 bus enthusiasts and industry veterans made the pilgrimage to the Museum of Bus Transportation/AACA Museum in Hershey, PA, for this annual event. In recent months, the AACA Museum has been redefined as “America’s Transportation Experience,” and this year's Fling met that standard.

Held annually for over 20 years, Fling has yet to suffer bad weather… and this year’s May 31/June 1 event was no exception.

This year's Fling was a family reunion for bus people and a celebration of Prevost’s first century serving the bus industry.

Prevost brought a new H3-45 Demonstrator and a shell coach to help centenarian Clarisse celebrate her 100th birthday. Prevost staff (including descendants of founder Eugene Prevost) lovingly built an accurate replica of the first body and mounted it on the original 1924 REO chassis. She is named Clarisse, and she still runs.

New H3-45 Prevost Demonstrator
New H3-45 Prevost Demonstrator

This is the first Fling where a manufacturer brought a shell, just as it comes from the factory. This allows folks to see what a motorhome looks like before the converter works its magic.

Since Eagle departed from the shell market in the mid-1990s, Prevost has dominated the field with a product specifically designed for converters and a nationwide network of service facilities. 

In addition to the new buses, Clarisse was joined in front of the museum by ex-Annett and Passaic Valley Coach Prevost Mirages, which are part of the museum collection. Passaic Valley is the oldest continuous operator of Prevosts in the US.

This past year, the committee that organizes Spring Fling made a concerted effort to listen to members and make some additions and changes to the traditional format.

For example…  the majority of the Museum’s fleet was moved from the nearby annex to the main campus. This gave visitors easier access to the coaches and (showing off a bit here) demonstrated that most of the collection is operable. Moving the buses and cleaning and prepping the annex required a great deal of effort from 26 volunteers over three days.

People in the neighborhood and early arrivals at the museum were treated to a steady parade of antique buses, a peek into the past.

Thirty of the historic fleet joined 38 visiting buses (including two charters from NYC) at the museum’s main campus. In addition, Fling offered regular transportation to the annex for those who wanted to see the rest of the fleet.

Visitors could see and climb on approximately 95 buses, ranging from a 1912 White Transit to several brand-new coaches. The White, on loan from Martz Company, is the oldest operable transit bus in the US.

Another new wrinkle was a tent the Pennsylvania Bus Association provided next to the outdoor display area. In addition to being ideal for the annual museum “Town Meeting,” it provided a cool place for people to gather all day. The PBA supplied a similar tent last year as Fling helped celebrate their 100th anniversary, and it was so well received that they repeated it.

Tent provided by Pennsylvania Bus Association
Tent provided by Pennsylvania Bus Association

Saturday morning’s “Town Meeting” was very well attended, perhaps because of the timing and the tents' proximity to the buses. A large crowd was on hand to hear about the state of the museum and future plans from Tom McCaughey and John Bailey. Fleet Chair Randy Wilcox thanked the volunteers who worked so hard all year and went into overdrive for this year's Fling.Wilcox also surprised Wilmajean Leister with the museum’s “Volunteer of the Year” award. She shouldn’t have been surprised… Wilmajean is known for seizing every opportunity to help and working hard the whole time.

Former MOBT President Tom Collins and Founder Bob Smith were honored for their decades of dedicated service to the bus industry and the Museum of Bus Transportation. Sadly, neither could attend because of family responsibilities. It was a bit of a letdown to honor them at a distance because both have meant so much to the museum, and each not only helped preserve bus history but, in many ways, made it.

Bus Memorabilia Marketplace occupied 23 tables this year, about the same as in the past. An anonymous but generous donor paid for the tables, hopefully making the day more fruitful for the vendors.

Bus Memorabilia Marketplace
Bus Memorabilia Marketplace

Spring Fling’s success is largely due to substantial support from the bus industry. Five manufacturers contributed greatly, including ABC, Irizar, MCI, Prevost, and Temsa. In a sort of Bad News/Good News situation… only Prevost and ABC could bring buses because everyone has been ”sold out” for many months. If you have a problem, that’s a good one to have.

In addition to supporting the museum all year, Mike Lo Presti of Fuel and Tire Saver Systems helped sponsor AND brought donuts. If this is an effort to win friends and it’s working.

Wolf’s Bus Lines continued their tradition of operating the shuttle bus between the museum and the annex. A valued supporter for many years, this is their most visible effort.

Wolf’s Bus Lines Shuttle Buses
Wolf’s Bus Lines Shuttle Buses

Pennsylvania Bus Association, which celebrated its 100th birthday last year, and Michaud Bus Services were major contributors, not just in terms of resources but also of planning and effort.

United Motorcoach Association’s Ken Presley and Maryland Bus Association’s Mary Presley were both seen working on buses at the annex on Friday. 

One valued Fling tradition has been the bus procession at the end of the event. Four awards are voted on by attendees, and the winners drive through the museum portico for a presentation and photo shoot. 

Bradley Weisenstein ’s 45’ Model 15 Eagle won the Best Conversion Coach award. Prevost’s H3-45 won the best Demo, while Venture Tours' H5-60 articulated Prevost won the best modern coach award.

Stan Holter and the Bus Boys Collection drove off with two prizes… Greatest Distance Traveled and Best Antique with their GM Buffalo “Military Police” bus. They made the trek all the way from Minnesota, and the crowd appreciated it… the lights and siren were a hit.

In years past, some visitors have not stayed around for the “parade”, perhaps getting a head start back home to NYC, Baltimore, DC, Philadelphia, etc. This year, it felt like more had stayed for the finale. Perhaps it was the fine weather, but whatever the reason, it made for a fitting end to a great day.

We hope to see Prevost (and all our sponsors and guests) back for Prevost’s 200th   😉

Article written by David Millhouser

Dave Millhouser started driving buses cross-country for a non-profit Christian organization called “Young Life” as a summer job in 1965. They carried high school kids from the East Coast to ranches in Colorado in a fleet that consisted of three 1947 Brills, a 1947 Aerocoach, and a 1937 Brill. Their fleet grew to 23 buses and traveled all 48 contiguous states and much of Canada.

When Young Life dropped their bus program, Dave ended up selling parts for Hausman Bus Sales. In 1978 Dave was hired by Eagle International to sell motorcoaches and spent the next 30 years doing that… 13 years with Eagle, as well as stints with MCI, Setra, and Van Hool. His first sale was an Eagle shell for a motorhome, and his career ended selling double-decker Van Hools.

Dave had a side career in underwater photography/writing, and Bus and Motorcoach News asked him to do a regular column in 2006. Millhouser.net is an effort to make those columns available to bus people.

If you find value in them, feel free to use them at no charge. Dave would ask that you consider a donation to the AACA Museum aacamuseum.org in Hershey, Pennsylvania. They recently merged with the Museum of Bus Transportation, and maintain a fleet of 40 historic coaches, lots of bus memorabilia, and hundreds of antique automobiles.

If you are anywhere near Hershey… Dave says, “You will love it.”

In May of 2015, the Editor of Bus & Motorcoach News called Dave a Bad Example for Motorcoach Drivers… his proudest accomplishment to date. Read the columns and you’ll see why.

Click here to reach Dave by email: davemillhouser@icloud.com
Click here to visit his website: https://www.millhouser.net/

Click HERE to read other articles by this Author
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