snf today apr. 10, 2016

Sunday, April 10, 2016

The Official Daily Newspaper of the SUN ’n FUN Fly-In — www.sun-n-fun.org

Table of ContentsFlying for a higher purpose .....................................................4In search of perpetual flight ....................................................5Master Pilot award recipients ................................................8Saving lives at the fly-in .........................................................11My first SUN ‘n FUN ................................................................12Map of the grounds .................................................................20SUN ‘n FUN Awards ...............................................................30Stay an extra day .....................................................................36What’s happening today ........................................................37

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99-year-old volunteer receives awardPage 3

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April 10, 2016 Sun ’n Fun Today - www.sun-n-fun.org 3

By JONI M. FISHER

On Friday, volunteer Jim Eaton was sitting at the Raider’s tent giving an in-terview for SUN ‘n FUN Today when SUN ‘n FUN Chairman of the Board Bob Knight and President John “Lites” Leen-houts surprised him with the Chairman’s Award for 42 years of volunteer service.

The 99-year-old volunteer from Oak-mont, Pennsylvania, is an active IA and A&P.

More than four decades ago, he was in-vited to the SUN ‘n FUN Fly-In by neigh-bor Len Elswick and has been a volunteer in the Raiders since. He has owned six airplanes.

The Raiders have about 40 to 45 volun-teers who drive tractors to place and emp-ty 450 blue trash barrels situated all over the SUN ‘n FUN grounds. Eaton credits Raider co-chairs Jeremy Brown and Rick Hayes with excellent management of the volunteers.

“We pick up about 60 tons of rubbish each year,” Eaton said. “Originally we also operated a crane, driven by Earl Humble. He used it to right aircraft after a crash. We had an old Dodge truck which had only second and high gear and we used it to haul barrels to the concession stands.”

Before retirement, Eaton sold Stude-

baker cars, Honda motorcycles, and worked as an aircraft mechanic. He has been flying since 1938 and only gave it up because he had a heart bypass.

“It makes me mad I can’t fly, but I can’t do anything about it,” he says, noting he is selling his Bonanza 35.

He owns 13 tractors that he collects and maintains for fun. He also owns six cars: a Mercedes Benz SL-500, a Saab convert-ible, a Corvette convertible, a Dodge Ram pickup with 390-hp, a 1924 Motel T-Ford

Touring car, and a 2003 Cadillac “for ev-eryday use.”

His friend Ray Rivers helps him rebuild and repair aircraft. “He has good hands,” Eaton says. “I show him how to do some-thing once and he’s got it.”

Eaton says he’s been volunteering all these years because, “Aviation people are the finest people in the world. I’ve had the chance to make friends with people from all over the union and even the Philip-pines.”

Additional Chairman Awards• Kim Capozzi, Vintage Hospitality, 17

years;• Rich Denton, Volunteer Kitchen, 15

years;• Bill Doty, Aircraft Judging, 25 years;• Wendy Gaynor, Parts Exchange, 25

years;• Leonard Kress, Aircraft Judging, 25

years;• Mike Lunsford, Emergency Response,

34 years;• Woodine Schoeler, General Aircraft

Parking, 17 years;• Harry Silcox, IT Department, 14 years• Ron & Judy Stiltner, Preferred Seat-

ing, 7 years.

Jim Eaton receives Chairman’s Award

SUN ‘n FUN President Lites Leenhouts and Chairman Bob Knight present the Chairman’s Award to 99-year-old Raider volunteer Jim Eaton.

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4 SUN ’n FUN Today - www.sun-n-fun.org April 10, 2016

PLEASE REMEMBER TO RECYCLE

ISSUE 6 — SUNDAY APRIL 10, 2016

PUBLISHERSJohn “Lites” Leenhouts

Ben Sclair

EDITORIAL STAFFJanice Wood

PRODUCTIONRussell Kasselman

DISTRIBUTIONArthur Ward, Paulette Ward,

Murray Kot, Jason Kot, Samantha Kot, Paul Luckett

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSJoni Fisher, Jack Neubacher, Tom Snow, William Walker,

Elizabeth Walker

PHOTOGRAPHERSMatt Genuardi, Ken Strohm,

Ryan Cleaveland, Jason McLemore

SUN ’n FUN Today is published each day of the SUN ’n FUN Fly-In by Flyer Media, Inc., publishers of General Aviation News and Living With Your Plane. Copies of SUN ’n FUN Today are distributed free of charge throughout the fly-in grounds.

Subscriptions to General Aviation News, $29.95 for 1 year or $49.95 for 2 years.

The views and opinions contained herein do not necessarily reflect those of SUN ’n FUN Fly-In, Inc. Neither SUN ’n FUN Fly-In, Inc., nor Flyer Media, Inc. endorse or sanction the products advertised herein, and do not assume responsibility for such advertising.

www.sun-n-fun.orgwww.GeneralAviationNews.com

© 2016 Flyer Media, Inc., SUN ’n FUN Fly-In, Inc.

All rights reserved. Reproduction of photos or articles by any means is prohibited without written consent.

BY JAMES BARKER

Want to do something bigger with your flying? Then the International Missions tent located in the SouthEast Exhibit area is a great place to check out.

Nine missionary organizations are ex-hibiting in the tent at SUN ’n FUN, which is surrounded by several aircraft used by the organizations.

There is a lot to see and do at the tent — including the chance to fly a simula-tor — but here’s a quick rundown of who is there:

Mike Mower is the Director of Mis-sions at the Airport, a division of the Jun-gle Aviation And Radio Service (JAARS), who operate air, sea, and land transporta-tion for missionaries, as well as using communication technology to help with missions logistics. Just ask him about the time he spent working in the Philippines. You can find out more at JAARS.org.

There’s Brian Behal, the Southeast Re-gional Recruiter with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), an organization using aviation to reach isolated peoples around the world so that they can be transformed by the gospel. Check MAF out online at MAF.org for more info.

Jeff Yannucciello, the Director of Mis-sionary Services with Agape Flights, is helpful, can show you how the organiza-tion he represents is supplying logistic sup-port for the mission field. Find out what they mean by “Agape” by talking with him or going online at AgapeFlights.com.

Debby Abitz, a church building mis-sionary, is here with New Tribes Mission (NTM), an organization that is planting churches in remote tribal locations, as well as providing health care transporta-tion for locals. She and her husband Bill Abitz are great to talk to, or you could get information at NTM.org.

Tim Huggins is the president of the College of Missionary Aviation, which is training missionary pilots at 25% of the typical cost of similar flight schools. Check out his booth for more information or look up CollegeMissionaryAviation.org.

Megan Mike is the executive admin-istrative secretary with Adventist World Aviation, which is an organization fly-ing people to hospitals and training high

school students for missionary aviation. Ask her about a free DVD.

Also there is Ric Hallquist with Mis-sionary Flights International (MFI), which transports supplies and people mostly in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. More info is at MissionaryFlights.org.

Steven Thimsen is representing Moody Aviation, which is an organization train-ing missionary pilots and mechanics to be sent to other organizations, many of which are represented in the International Missions tent.

Also represented is Missionary Flight Training, an organization dedicated to training pilots for missions aviation work in a Christian environment. Find out more at MissionaryFlightTraining.org.

Flying for a higher purpose

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SUN ’n FUN first timers

Students from Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Upton, Mass., made their first ever trip to SUN ’n FUN with chaperone Raymond Lehner Jr., Science Department Team Leader.

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By TOM SNOW

With a goal of “perpetual flight,” Dan-iel Preston and a small group of engineers and professors are working to design an unmanned, autonomous, solar-powered electric airplane that can achieve that milestone of staying aloft around the clock … even during the longest, darkest night of the year.

And why, you might ask, would you need such a plane?

Although most of us in the developed world take cell phone and Internet service for granted, there are still 4 billion people without access to the benefits of being connected.

The potential benefits for mankind are a major motivator for Preston. As he ex-plained, “a fleet of unmanned computer-controlled aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying in the stratosphere could carry the tele-communications equipment needed to provide connectivity at a much lower cost than launching satellites, building cell towers or running wires and fiber.”

“Given their mission profile and ca-pabilities, our planned UAVs have been called stratospheric satellites,” added Preston.

His new enterprise, Luminati Aero-space, was formed only four months ago as a “skunk works” for an unnamed Fortune 250 technology company. What Preston describes as a “dream team” of engineers and professors has been assem-bled on Long Island, N.Y., at the former Grumman facility located on the historic Calverton Airport.

“We bought a portion of the airport and the company’s offices and manufactur-ing facilities occupy the same buildings where Grumman manufactured F-14s,” said Preston, a native of New York, who is thankful to not be working out in the middle of the desert somewhere. “We control a 10,000 foot runway at Calverton for the next 30 years.”

Evidence of what the lean, 22-person company can accomplish quickly is be-ing shown for the first time here at SUN ‘n FUN. The piloted quarter-scale proof-of-concept electric motorglider, a single-

seater called the vO Substrata, boasts a 200 nm range and a four-hour endurance. If the wing-mounted solar cells are in di-rect sunlight, battery recharge time is four hours.

“It can also be plugged in,” says Preston, “and a ‘$100 hamburger’ flight of 200 nm would only cost around $4 in electricity.”

Still in the flight test stage, the 27-hp motorglider, which has a wingspan of 43 feet, has climbed to a theortical maximum altitude of 28,000 feet. With a full-feath-ering prop, the plane’s glide ratio is 32/1, which can be increased to 120/1 with solar-powered electric assist. Luminati’s test pilot, Rob Lutz, accompanied Pres-ton to Lakeland and is helping to answer questions at the booth.

Although not originally envisioned as a commercial product, the vO Substrata has attracted enough attention from uni-versities and early adopters to justify a production run of six tandem-seat ver-sions, which will probably sell for around $250,000 each.

“Our current aircraft will serve as a test bed for several unique technologies we are pioneering, such as autopilots that are not simply designed for point-to-point flight,” Preston explained. “They will also be tasked with maximizing solar energy generation and wind energy harvesting.

At present, Preston is confident his team can design a solar-powered plane that will have enough battery power to fly through the night during the summertime and he looks forward to continued improvements in battery and solar cell technology … and hopefully better prices.

Two sets of wings have been construct-ed to experiment with different types of solar cells. The cells currently installed cost $40,000 and are 24% efficient. The plane’s second set of wings are equipped with solar cells typically used in satellites that are 31.6% efficient, but they cost 10 times more, or $400,000.

If there’s a solution to that challenge, count on Preston to find it. After all, the 44 year old engineer and inventor started college at age 12.

See it yourself at the Manufacturer’s Display Area, 11B.

In search of perpetual flight

Daniel Preston (left) and test pilot Rob Lutz with the Luminat v0 Substrata.

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Scenes from SUN ’n FUN

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By JONI M. FISHER

On Friday, nine pilots were presented with the prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.

This award recognizes individuals who have ex-hibited professionalism, skill, and aviation expertise for at least 50 years while piloting.

After each of the recipients and their spouses were introduced, FAA Deputy Administrator Michael Whitaker presented them with a copy of their paper-work from the FAA, along with plaques.

In addition to receiving the award, the Master Pilots were paired with students from the Central Florida Aviation Academy to mentor.

The new Master Pilots are:David Barron, who has flown 5,000 hours. He

earned his multi-engine rating and flight instructor certifications on the GI Bill, worked as an air traffic controller, as a pilot for American Airlines, and later worked at the Central Florida FSDO. He will mentor Michael Murrillo.

James Beisner, who has logged 4,000 hours. He soloed in a Piper J-3 Cub and worked at East Rich-mond Airport in Indiana. He and Clay Bruckner set up a high-school aviation program at Troy, Ohio. He will mentor Carter Clay.

Estan Fuller, who has logged 32,000 hours. After serving in the Navy, he joined Eastern Airlines and has flown 30 different models of aircraft. He will mentor John Wilhite.

William Hoenstine has flown 13,800 hours. Serv-ing in the U.S. Army he was awarded the Distin-

guished Flying Cross for Valor. He flew both corpo-rate and commercial flights before creating the first FAA-sponsored CFI Enhanced Safety Program and the FAA computer bulletin board system, which be-came the first online aviation service for pilots and mechanics. He is mentoring Matt Atkins.

Dennis Kochan has logged 20,000 hours. After serving in the Navy, he earned his flight instructor certificate, taught at Brown’s Seaplane Base, per-formed pilot check-outs in an aircraft leasing opera-tion, flew a G-159 for Disney, and earned his me-chanic certificate. He is a volunteer B-17 pilot, and instructs on the T-6 at Warbird Adventures in Kis-simmee. He is mentoring Craig Nolen.

Roger Lund has logged 20,000 hours. He was an air defense alert pilot and an Air Force reservist fly-ing RF-4Cs, F-4Ds, F-16s, and the C-26 at the 179th

Fighter Interceptor Squadron in Duluth, Minnesota, for 23 years. He also worked as a corporate pilot. He is mentoring Justin Keen.

Daniel Polchinski has logged 17,420 hours. He has worked as a flight instructor, flight engineer, and commercial pilot in New York, Peru, Zaire, Austra-lia, Hong Kong, and Taipei. He has flown 14 differ-ent Boeing aircraft into more than 350 airports in 75 countries. He is mentoring Ian Keel.

Everett and Betty Williston, Jr. share a love of aviation. Everette has logged 4,745 hours and Betty 1,550 hours. Everette is an ATP, and worked as a commercial pilot. Together they built a Schweizer 1-26 glider. They are mentoring Timothy Dalen and Mikayla Cates.

Class of 2016: Master Pilot Award recipients

Betty Williston

Estan Fuller

Roger Lund

Bill Hoenstine

Everett Williston

David Barron

Dan Polchinski

Jim Beisner

Dennis Kochan

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BeLite Electronics’ new Capacitive Fuel Probe is bendable, works with wa-ter present as well as a variety of fuels (straight or mixed). BeLite’s probe is a flexible wire assembly that will ac-commodate any length between six and 40-inches.

How’s it work? “The design uses a very stable temperature compensated capaci-tive oscillator in conjunction with a tuned inductive filter. As fuel surrounds the wire probe, the capacitance changes. The circuit is capable of resolving very small changes in fuel height and converts this to an output voltage, which is linear to the fuel level. The more fuel, the higher the voltage.”

The controller board on the fuel probe has one switch. For calibration, after pow-ering up, press it quickly to set the “low” fuel point. After filling with gas in the

tank with the probe, press it longer (a few seconds) to set the “high” fuel point.

Pricing begins at $200. Custom lengths are available and first shipments are pro-jected for the second quarter of 2016. Or-ders received by April 30 receive a 25% discount.

See Belite Enterprises at SUN ‘n FUN in Paradise City, Space LP-051.


By BEN SCLAIR

Have you seen the composite con-structed, twin-engine, t-tail, experimen-tal in the Manufacturer’s Display area?

If not, you should make a plan to check out the V24 from Softex Aero.

The V24 is a four-seat low-wing twin-engine pusher. The wing is constructed as a single piece. According to Softex Aero’s Dara Voss, the composite fuse-lage then sits atop the wing.

“The V24 is an experimental-ama-teur built,” said Voss. “This plane was shipped to the U.S., from the Ukraine,

two weeks ago and assembled over three days here in Lakeland.”

An integrated parachute comes stan-dard and the airframe has three engine options. Interestingly, the engines sit atop pylons, somewhat similar to the HondaJet’s engine configuration, and can accept Rotax 912 ULS/S, Lycoming IO-320 or TP100 turbine.

The V24 is priced at $550,000, but at SUN ‘n FUN they are offering a show special at $375,000.

For more information see the V24 at Softex.aero or at SUN ‘n FUN in the Manufacturer’s Display, Space 5B.

Softex shows off twin pusher

Belite debuts fuel probe

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Win $1,500 towards seaplane ratingWipaire will give away $1,500 to be

used toward a seaplane rating. It can be used an initial rating or an advanced add-on. Stop by Wipaire’s booth in the Manufacturers Display (MD) area, Space 3D for more information.

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By BILL WALKER

Four years ago John and Jan Sessions were looking for a plane with short field capability. John was in the process of bulldozing a flat 700-foot-long spot on top of a hill in the Texas backcountry and needed a plane that could take off and land in that space.

He chose a Helio Courier, one of the most capable short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft in the world. The couple flew that plane, a Helio Courier 391B, to SUN ‘n FUN from their home in Kir-byville, Texas, this week.

“I’ve been fascinated with the Helio for a long time,” said John, a physician and aviation medical examiner. “I met a per-son from JAARS at Oshkosh 10 years ago and I was fascinated by their jungle fly-ing. And I always like to have something out of the ordinary. So I put an ad in that I wanted a Helio Courier. I got a call from this person in Washington State that this plane had been in the family since new and they were selling it. I went up to look at it and bought it. They flew it back to Texas for me.”

“I got about an hour’s training from the guy who owned it before I flew it,” John said. “They told me to lock the tailwheel because it had a tremendous tendency to

ground loop because of the huge tail. I haven’t had a ground loop, but I’ve had a couple of off-road experiences in the grass.”

Jan, also a licensed private pilot and a registered nurse, usually flies right seat for her husband. “She is the best VFR pilot you can find,” John said. “You just turn it over to her. She can hold a course and altitude as good as any autopilot.”

“It is a very, very different airplane,” Jan said. “I have never landed it. I have held the controls and worked it down on the descent. It is so strange. It is a delayed response. You have to be way ahead of it. It flies so slow it is disconcerting. You feel like you are going to fall out of the sky, but you don’t.”

The Helio Courier has been known as a great short field and backcountry per-former since the first plane came off the production line at the Helio Aircraft Co. in Pittsburg, Kansas, in 1954. More than

a dozen versions of the Helio were built, including a twin-engine model thought to be exclusively for the CIA.

The Sessions’ Courier has a 39-foot wingspan, a loaded weight of 3,600 pounds, and a range of about 950 miles carrying five people. The aircraft, N4121D, has a geared Lycoming engine, the GO-435.

To improve slow-flight characteristics the Helio uses Handley Page leading-edge slats that deploy automatically when the speed drops below approximately 60 mph. In addition, the plane has high lift slotted flaps and a large vertical tail sur-face and large rudder, ensuring control down to about 27 mph.

About 500 Couriers with various con-figurations and engines were built over the 20-year production span of the plane from 1954 to 1974. Production was re-sumed under new ownership briefly in the 1980s but only a handful of planes were assembled.

“I spent a fair amount of time at SUN ‘n FUN and at Oshkosh conversing with people who flew the plane and also time

on the phone talking about the plane,” John said. But in the end, he had to take it into the air himself and learn its flying characteristics. And that produced one big surprise.

“I went out one Sunday morning before church with a north wind howling,” John said. “I only had about 20 hours in the air-plane at the time. I finally got lined up on the runway and put in 10 cranks of flaps, about 15°, held the brakes and powered up. To my amazement the airplane never rolled, it just lifted off the runway where it was sitting and began to climb. When it was 10 feet in the air it started forward. I knew I was flying but at first I was not going anywhere.”

The Sessions’ Helio is based out of KJAS airport at Jasper, Texas, north of Kirbyville, but they also have their own grass strip and hangar. In addition they also own two more airport hangars that house their other planes. “We also have a Champ, a PA-12, two 150s and two 182’s,” John said. If he had to pay han-gar rent, he would probably sell the other planes off, he added.

Flying A Helio Courier


By EMILIO GILER

SUN ’n FUN doesn’t just provide people with the opportunity to see all the aviation exhibitors or watch their favorite air show performers. It also gives people the chance to save the lives of others by donating blood.

Located behind the Veterans Plaza is OneBlood’s signature Big Red Bus, which is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. As an appreciation to all the donors, they also receive a free SUN ’n FUN T-shirt after their blood donation.

In front of the Big Red bus is Accoun-tant Representative Christine Turner, who not only provides donors with free snacks

and water, but also answers any questions they have regarding the process of blood donation.

“It’s important that every donor is well informed and taken care of,” said Turner. “Because without them, our company would not be successful in saving lives.”

Each donation can save up to three lives, she noted.

One of the many donors at this year’s fly-in was Kelly Nelson, 50, who came all the way from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to donate blood for the first time at SUN’n FUN.

“I just wanted to give back and help people,” said Nelson. “I think it’s great to be part of the reason why somebody else in world can live on to see another day.”

Saving lives at SUN ’n FUN

Avidyne has added an iPad-based ap-plication — the IFD100 — that mimics all the functionality of its IFD-series GPS Flight Management System.

The app is a fully redundant, large-format map that wirelessly connects to IFD 4- and 5-series units. All knob and touch functionality can now be controlled remotely by the app in real time. ADS-B weather and traffic and Synthetic Vision are also updated wirelessly for display on the large-screen moving map.

The app can also be used to create flight plans away from the cockpit and then wirelessly synch them to the aircraft.

“The IFD100 is a powerful extension of the panel-mounted IFD,” said Avidyne’s Mitch Biggs. “We’ve ported all the actual flight code and optimized the user inter-face for the iPad, so it’s really like hav-ing another IFD in the cockpit, but with an even bigger touch-screen display. And what’s more, it’s provided at no additional charge for all of our IFD owners.”

The IFD100 will be available as part of Avidyne’s upcoming Release 10.2 soft-ware upgrade for the IFD540 and IFD440 GPS FMS systems. It is also compatible with all of Avidyne’s newly announced IFD systems, including the IFD550, IFD545, IFD510 and IFD410.

For more information go to Avidyne.com or their display in Hangar C, Spaces 71-73.

Avidyne adds iPad controller

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By EMILIO GILER

If someone would have told me a year ago that I would be going to SUN’n FUN to see all the airplanes, meet people with incredible flying stories, and writing for the SUN ’n FUN Today newspaper, I would have thought they were crazy.

After all, I really didn’t know that much about airplanes. My initial thought of avi-ation was shrouded by my narrow-minded opinion that planes were built for trans-portation purposes, not entertainment.

About three weeks ago, I was informed by my college professor, Philip Maschke, of an opportunity to be a intern for SUN ’n FUN Today. Ambitious to get published by a newspaper, I accepted the opportu-nity with no questions asked.

Getting closer to the start of the fly-in, I decided to do some research to find out what SUN ’n FUN was. Once I found out it is six-day event full of a world of aviation I knew nothing about, the fear and doubt started to kick in. I could not fathom the idea of interviewing people for newsworthy information, let alone write an article about them.

Almost to the point of quitting, I de-cided to go to SUN’n FUN for at least one day and if I didn’t like it, then I would leave and never come back.

For the first day at SUN’n FUN, I head-ed out with three other students hoping we would all have a worthwhile experience. The car ride there seemed longer than what it was supposed to, not to mention nerve-wracking, because of all the un-certainties going on in my head. Writing for a newspaper for the first time was one thing, but writing on something I knew very little about was an additional stress.

As soon as we got to the SUN’n FUN grounds, I headed to the media center with the other students — Alexis Brim, James Barker and Sophia Ando — where we were treated to blueberry bagels, sweet muffins and, most importantly, delicious hot coffee that could wake any news writ-er up on any given day.

After breakfast, we met up with SUN ’n FUN Today’s editor, Janice Wood, who

gave us our assignments. Knowing that it was our first time writing for a newspa-per, Wood really helped us with the whole process of finding out where we had to go, who to talk to, and what questions we should ask people.

When walking around SUN ‘n FUN and talking to other people, I was able to take in many inspiring stories about other peoples’ aviation experiences, their ca-reers in flying, the accidents they experi-enced while flying, and, most importantly, all the relationships they’ve made, includ-ing love stories.

After seeing the willingness of the pi-lots to share their life experiences, I start-ed to realize that you don’t have to be a pilot or have to know the name of each and every plane that was ever made to write a story about the people at SUN ’n FUN. All you have to do is be willing to take in all of these great stories, because everyone has a story to tell.

Poet Robert M. Hensal said, “The mind is like a sponge, soaking up endless drops of knowledge.”

I came to SUN ‘n FUN not know-ing much about aviation and well, I still don’t. However, that did not take away from the invaluable experience I had here and I look forward to “soaking up” more great aviation stories at next year’s fly-in.

My first SUN ‘n FUN

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Interns Emilio Giler, Alexis Brim, Sophia Ando and James Barker.

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14 SUN ’n FUN Today - www.sun-n-fun.org April 5-10 , 2016

In cities across the U.S., vintage mili-tary aircraft rest quietly in museums where school children and tourists admire them, take their pictures and leave them behind closed doors at the end of each day. But at this year’s SUN ’n FUN Inter-national Fly-In & Expo, the Commemora-tive Air Force (CAF) will blast aviation history out of the museum and into Flor-ida as they roar into Lakeland this week.

The CAF is bringing two unique assets to help tell the story of the Tuskegee Air-men, America’s first black military pilots and their support personnel. Texas Raid-ers, a fully restored B-17G Flying For-tress, is appearing at this week’s show, along with the CAF Red Tail Squadron’s RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit, a mo-bile theater featuring an original film about the Tuskegee Airmen. This duo shares an important story that honors the history and legacy of these World War II aviators, and serves as an inspiration to current generations to RISE ABOVE ob-stacles in their own lives.

The CAF Dixie Wing’s P-51 Mustang Red Nose will also be on site with the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit for view on static display on the Warbird Ramp.

Visitors can tour the cockpit of the Fly-ing Fortress and step inside a world of living history. Admission for this special

appearance is $10 for adults, $5 for chil-dren under 12, and $20 for a family of up to five members.

Entrance is free to the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit 53-foot mobile pan-oramic theater. All ages are welcome to enjoy a chance to learn about the Tuske-gee Airmen.

Special Opportunity for Veterans

In addition, all aircrew from the World War II, Korea, and Vietnam eras are invit-ed to attend a special event on Wednesday, April 6, at 11 a.m. Come see the Flying Fortress take to the air and meet today’s crews alongside yesterday’s heroes.

The CAF will host a meet-and-greet with original Tuskegee Airmen, and will share with guests how the unique relation-ship between the bombers and the Tuske-gee Airmen ensured the success of critical bombing missions.

Veterans are invited to gather for a spe-cial photo commemorating their success.

History comes alive on Warbird ramp

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The theme of this week’s fly-in is Hon-oring Our Armed Forces.

A number of activities have been planned to fit into the theme, but the highlight, according to SUN ’n FUN of-ficials, will occur Thursday around 7:30 p.m when a Flight to Honor will land at

Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport with much fanfare, returning from Washing-ton, D.C., after carrying World War II and Korean War veterans to the nation’s capi-tal to view the various memorials.

The Veterans Plaza returns even bigger this year in the Southeast Exhibit Area,

while a variety of military aircraft will be featured during the daily airshows, in-cluding: • The U.S. Army Golden Knights Para-

chute Team;• A U.S. Navy F-18 Hornet Demo;• A U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper demo;

• A U.S. Marine Corps aerial demo;• Coast Guard Search & Rescue demos;• A U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight; and• A U.S. Navy Legacy Flight — back

after three years, a dramatic forma-tion flight with modern jet and vintage World War II fighters.

Honoring our Armed Forces

General Aviation News has great content scheduled for the remainder of 2016 but we're looking to share unique stories. Do you have a story related to one of these topics?

• Business of Aviation (June)• Aviation Lifestyle (July)• Warbirds (September)• Homebuilts (October)• Flying for a Purpose (November)• A Year in Pictures (December)

Stop by the SUN 'n FUN Today of�ce (near the Cessna exhibit) and tell us your story.

Or, drop an email to [email protected] and we'll follow-up after SUN 'n FUN.

So... what's your story?

WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

(800) 426-8538 | www.generalaviationnews.com

Photo courtesy Lockheed Martin

The F-16 Viper demo is part of the week’s activities. The F-35 will make its first appearance at SUN ’n FUN this year.

Photo courtesy U.S. Navy

April 5-10, 2016 Sun ’n Fun Today - www.sun-n-fun.org 17

Making its first appearance at SUN ’n FUN will be the F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter.

There also will be a daily vintage War-bird Flying Showcase featuring the EAA Warbirds of America.

The Golden Knights Parachute Team.

The Viper Demo Team’s F-16s have a distinctive “SW” tail marking signifying that the jets are assigned to Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

Photo courtesy Lockheed Martin

Photo courtesy U.S. Army

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A first for SUN ’n FUN — and other air shows — will be this week’s demon-stration by two Red Bull Air Race pilots, Michael Goulian and Kirby Chambliss.

The demonstration will give attendees at this week’s show an idea of what they can expect if they ever attend one of the eight Red Bull races taking place around the world this year.

Master Class pilots Goulian and Cham-bliss will showcase their skill and daring for the fans at SUN ’n FUN while flying at top speeds around the race’s signature 80-foot pylons.

While not an actual race, SUN ’n FUN attendees can learn how the races operate with regard to scoring, rules and timing, SUN ’n FUN officials explained.

The new Challenger Class will also be described, showing how aspiring pilots hone their skills to one day fly in the Mas-ter Class.

This is the first time such a demonstra-tion has been presented at a North Ameri-can air show, SUN ’n FUN officials said.

“We are thrilled to be the inaugural venue for this exciting event. It will treat our guests to a rare and intriguing peek at one of the most prolific and famous avia-tion spectacles in the world,” said SUN ’n FUN Airshow Director Greg Gibson. “We make a huge effort to bring new and ex-citing content to our show each year, and hosting the Red Bull Air Race team really adds a fresh and exciting element to SUN ’n FUN.”

“We are excited to be a part of SUN ’n FUN for the first time,” said Red Bull Air Race General Manager Erich Wolf. “We have a fast growing fan base in the U.S. and our American pilots will certainly showcase our World Championship Se-ries at its best.”

Fans also are being treated to a Red Bull Air Race World Championship ex-hibit in the Southeast Exhibit Area on the SUN ’n FUN grounds with tours of a full scale pylon, virtual reality simulators, merchandise, and more.

You also can buy tickets this week for

the two 2016 U.S. races in Indianapolis and Las Vegas later this year.

The Red Bulls are scheduled to appear

during the afternoon airshows on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting.

RedBullAirRace.com

Red Bull Air Race demo premieres

Aircraft Emergency Repair, located on Taxiway Echo, is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

If you would like to be a blood donor, visit the Bloodmobile in the Southeast Exhibit Area in Veterans Plaza.

Check cashing is provided to members of the Florida Air Museum from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in the Finance Office at the Main Registration Building by the park-ing lot. ATMs are located throughout the grounds. Check the map on pages 20-21 for locations.

Handicapped Services, located on the west side of the Main Registration Build-ing, is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Internet Cafés are in the Visitors Cen-ter (near Hangar A) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Aerospace Discovery at the Florida Air Museum from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Inter-net access and printing are available.

SUN ’n FUN fast facts

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By JANICE WOOD

“Don’t Miss Out — Tune In.” That’s the message that SUN ’n FUN Radio Chairman Dave Shallbetter wants every-one on the SUN ’n FUN grounds — and beyond — to get again this year.

There is so much going on during the week that it’s impossible to be everywhere to enjoy it. But with SUN ’n FUN Radio’s remote broadcasts and live streaming, you can virtually attend the evening programs, air show, and more during the week.

In keeping with the SUN ’n FUN 2016 theme “Honor Our Armed Forces,” SUN ’n FUN Radio will have numerous inter-views with veterans and active military. Some special guests include the Tuskegee Airmen on Tuesday and the Women Air-force Service Pilots (WASP) on Thurs-day and Friday.

Radio Chairman Dave Shallbetter also noted that this year there’s something new: The SUN ’n FUN Radio Mobile Studio, powered by Aviators Hotline.

“A specially equipped vehicle will be roaming the grounds seeking out some of the many great stories at SUN ’n FUN,” he said. “If you see them, stop and say hi. You could be our next interview.”

“Our morning show returns, sponsored by Wipaire, broadcasting from various

remote locations around the grounds,” Shallbetter adds, noting some of those lo-cations include the Recreational Aviation Foundation Fire Hub in the campgrounds, The Texas Raider’s B-17, Paradise City, and Saturday morning’s Balloon Launch.

Live streaming of all SUN ’n FUN Radio programs is thanks to Live ATC (Live-ATC.net/SNF), an audio streaming site, which gives the radio station world-wide exposure.

Did you miss an interview? You can check out the radio station’s archives at ChatsFromTheDeck.com.

The station, which has a cadre of 40 or so volunteers, is always looking for more help. If you are interested in volunteering, stop in at SUN ’n FUN Radio during the week. The station is located at the end of Club House Path next to the Quiet Bird-man Clubhouse and across the road from the Sunset Grill.

And if you have a story you think the radio station should cover, Shallbetter in-vites you to stop by the station and talk to one of the volunteers. Or you can email your suggestions to [email protected].

Also, he asks that you like the sta-tion’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/ SnFRadio) and follow them on Twitter (@SnFRadio).

Tune in to SUN ’n FUN Radio

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For the second year in a row, the Bre-itling Jet Team will roar into Lakeland to perform for the SUN ’n FUN crowds.

The team made its North American de-but at last year’s SUN ’n FUN, kicking off a tour of air shows around the country.

The Breitling Jet Team is made up of seven L-39C Albatros jets. The team promises a meticulous performance where the aircraft fly within 10 feet of each other, at speeds of almost 435 mph and up to 8G accelerations.

The third annual SUN ’n FUN Car Show returns to the grounds Saturday and Sunday in the Southeast Exhibit Area. The car show was added to the fly-in for the first time in 2014.

“I’m a car guy,” says SUN ’n FUN President John “Lites” Leenhouts. “And all my buddies are car guys. I think if you have an airplane, you probably like cars. They go together.”

The show is limited to 150 cars and mo-torcycles each day. Rare beauties from the earliest days of driving will be on display. Be sure to make your way to the show.

Breitling Jet Team returns to SUN ’n FUN

Car show set for this weekend

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• Educational Workshops • Aircraft on display • Rides available in Vintage Aircraft

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The Parts Exchange, which returns this year to Hangar E, is a popular stopping place for aircraft owners and homebuild-ers in search of the perfect part to com-plete their project.

Items at the Parts Exchange are sold on consignment. Those wishing to sell parts can purchase tags for the items for 50 cents each.

Parts of all types are accepted for sale. The exception is tires and batteries, which Florida law prohibits.

Tires mounted on aircraft wheel assem-blies will be accepted if described as such on the tag, Parts Exchange volunteers add.

The Parts Exchange will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day of the fly-in, ex-cept Sunday, when sales stop at noon.

All payments must be made in cash un-

less the consignor specifically states on the tag that he or she will accept a per-sonal check. No credit cards are taken at the Parts Exchange and there is no check cashing available. Volunteers note that ATM machines are located on the grounds for those planning to shop at the Parts Ex-change.

Consignors may claim unsold items or change prices at any time during regular business hours by asking for assistance from any Parts Exchange volunteer. No items will be sold if the tag has been al-tered in any way or is not legible.

The Parts Exchange will be open for consignors only on Sunday, from noon until 5 p.m., to claim unsold items.

Any unclaimed items will become do-nations to SUN ’n FUN.

Shop til you drop at the Parts Exchange

The Ladies Pavilion in the camp-grounds has a week of activities planned.

It’s a great place to take a break from the fly-in, meet new friends and see old friends, according to organizers.

Events begin on opening day, with a Tupperware party (10 a.m.), followed by an Open House party (12 p.m.) and a

Pampered Chef party (12:30 p.m.)Wednesday begins with a Quilt Show

(10 a.m.), followed by a Tea Party (11:30 a.m.) and a Tastefully Simple party (2 p.m.).

Thursday opens with a Tastefully Sim-ple party (10 a.m.), followed by a Pam-pered Chef party (12 p.m.) and a Tupper-

ware party (1 p.m.).Friday kicks off with a Pampered Chef

party (11 a.m.), followed by a Tastefully Simple party (1 p.m.).

Saturday’s big event is Square Dancing, (10 a.m.), while Sunday church services will be held at 10 a.m. on closing day.

During the week, the Ladies Pavilion

will also host Brian White, a massage therapist. There also will be Thelvia’s basket making, make and take sewing projects with the Quilted Lady Bug, Scolo Candles, Cross Stitch greeting cards, 31 purses, Soaps and Such, Strawberry Tree Farms soups and spices, Mary Kay, free daily drawings, and much more.

Ladies Pavilion plans fun-filled week

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The SUN ’n FUN workshops are popu-lar, not only among homebuilders, but also with aviation enthusiasts who want to try their hand at various aspects of aircraft building or maintenance.

All of the workshops are staffed by a combination of amateur and professional instructors with experience in the subjects they present. Many hold FAA Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) ratings and have extensive experience with vendors sup-plying the aviation community. Most of the volunteer instructors are builders themselves and enthusiastically share their experience with novice builders.

The workshops include:• Woodworking, which includes con-

struction of wing ribs, fuselage, jigs and tooling and adhesives.

• Metal fabrication, which includes sheet metal selection, cutting, drilling and riveting, fabrication of all metal aircraft components.

• Metal shaping, which covers the shap-ing of custom compound shapes in

aluminum using various metal shaping techniques and equipment.

• Oxy-fuel Welding of both steel and aluminum.

• TIG/MIG Welding of both steel and aluminum.

• Avionics/Electrical installation, which covers the proper wire, terminals, tools and techniques for installation of a re-liable aircraft electrical system.

• Electrical Noise, which includes the proper installation and isolation of circuits to reduce interference and “noise” in avionics systems.

• Fabric Aircraft Covering, where you can get hands-on experience in fabric covering and doping.

• Rib Stitching, which demonstrates the attachment of fabric to wing structures.

• Composite Construction, which in-cludes foam shaping and cutting, fiber-glass and resin selection and applica-tion and vacuum forming.

• Safety Wiring and Cable Swaging, which covers the use of safety wire and

proper tools for installation of safety wire and swaging of control cables.

• Engines and Firewall Forward Installa-tions, which covers all things engines. Engine maintenance, assembly, modi-fication and installation are addressed, as well as display and run-up of vari-ous engines.

Many of the workshops are approved

by the FAA for IA renewal, SUN ’n FUN officials note. Check in at the workshop to get the proper forms.

The Workshops, which run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day of the show, are locat-ed near the Buehler Restoration Center.

There is no additional fee for attending any of the workshops, according to fly-in officials.

Hone your skills at a workshop

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New this year at SUN ’n FUN is Ace’s Flyin’ Flix in the campgrounds.

In the past, the nightly movie has been held in the Aerospace Pavilion, next to the museum.

“I’ve camped at SUN ’n FUN for years and though it was always nice to go over to the pavilion for a movie, a lot of people didn’t want to trek all the way over there and all the way back,” noted SUN ’n FUN President John “Lites” Leenhouts. “It was kind of stoic in the pavilion and I thought ‘why don’t we take the movie to the peo-ple?’ I thought we would try that in the

forest.” “We’re always looking at ways that we

can enhance the customer’s experience,” he continued. “We had an area back in the campgrounds that we thought we could carve out. Yes, it will take away a few camping spots in the trees, but it seemed like such a cool environment, we thought we would give it a shot. If the public doesn’t want it, we’ll take it away.”

Playing on the giant screen — as part of the fly-in’s honoring of the military — will be vintage movies from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s that Leenhouts said will

“speak to the service members that we’re trying to recognize.”

Movies scheduled include:• Tuesday: “The Story of G.I. Joe” –

Army;• Wednesday: “Bridges at Toko-Ri” –

Navy;• Thursday: “Flying Leathernecks” –

Marines;• Friday: “The Guardian” – Coast

Guard;• Saturday: “Iron Eagle” – Air Force.The movies will start at sunset.“All the movies will be done by 9:30

p.m. so that the quiet hours at 10 p.m. will not be violated and people can get to sleep,” Leenhouts noted.

The outdoor theater is located just south of Showerhouse D in the conven-tion campground. You can see it from the Recreational Aviation Foundation’s Fire Hub, Leenhouts said, adding the movies are near where the Royal Air Force cadets make their camp.

Bring a chair or blanket to help increase your comfort while watching the movie.

And just like at any other movie, pop-corn and refreshments will be available.

Now premiering: Ace’s Flyin’ Flix

Win a chance to fly a P-51 Mustang, while helping Mercy Flight Southeast.

Raffle tickets will be on sale through Saturday for the flight, donated by Stal-lion 51, based at Kissimmee Gateway Airport in Florida.

Mercy Flight Southeast provides free air transportation to far-from-home medi-cal appointments through its network of volunteer pilots. While pilots donate their airplanes and fuel, the non-profit organi-zation relies on donations and fundraising to pay for support services.

The prize includes a one-hour dual-cockpit orientation flight at Stallion 51’s headquarters in Kissimmee. The experi-ence includes a pre-flight briefing, cock-pit orientation, hands-on flight, post-flight briefing, flight video, photo, a flight cer-tificate and round-trip airfare up to $500.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at MercyFlightSE.org or at Mercy Flight Southeast’s exhibit in Hangar B, booth 108. The winner, who need not be present, will be selected Saturday afternoon at the Stallion 51 exhibit on the Warbird Ramp.

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Visitors to SUN ’n FUN from around the globe are invited to stop in at the In-ternational Visitors hospitality tent, which is located at the treeline in the Southeast Exhibit area. From the front gate walk di-rectly towards the flight line.

At the tent, you’ll find volunteers who are continually working to meet the needs of guests expected to arrive in Lakeland this week from more than 80 countries.

The tent features a board that tracks vis-itors. Each international visitor is asked to register and stick a pin in a world map de-picting “home.”

Translators fluent in many languages are at the tent to assist in communication

needs, from buying tickets to finding a ho-tel to getting tickets to nearby attractions, including Legoland, Sea World, Busch Gardens, Disney and Universal.

The tent also features refreshments and a gathering place on the grounds for inter-national visitors, courtesy of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. The tent is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A new addition to the evening event for international guests is a Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally with a DJ on Wednesday eve-ning. Complimentary coupons are offered to international guests, but everyone at the fly-in is welcome to attend, according to SUN ’n FUN officials.

International visitors welcomed

The Seabird Organization at SUN ’n FUN is prepared for a gathering of sea-plane pilots, seaplanes and enthusiasts at this week’s show. However, there will not be a Splash-In again this year.

The Seabird hospitality tent is located at the same location as last year, off Taxi-way E-1.

The tent will be the center of activities for seaplane pilots throughout the show this week.

SUN ’n FUN will award trophies for the Best of Show Seaplanes for pilots desiring to have their seaplane judged. “Judge me signs” are available at the Sea-bird tent to mount on aircraft. Awards will be presented at a ceremony on Saturday evening.

Seabird pilots wishing to participate in the Seaplane Pass-In-Review, a flying event, should attend a briefing at the Sea-bird tent at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

Seabirds flock to SUN ’n FUN

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One of the most beautiful SUN ’n FUN traditions — the Balloon Launch — is also one that many people haven’t seen since it begins at the crack of dawn.

On Saturday morning, starting about 6:30 a.m., hot air balloon pilots will in-flate their balloons just past the Warbird Ramp.

Weather permitting, the balloons will launch in a traditional “Hare and Hound” race. As the name suggests, this event involves chasing a single balloon after it takes off. This balloon acts as the “hare” and floats in the air for a short while before other balloons are allowed to take off. The balloons that follow are the “hounds,” and the winning balloon is the one that lands closest to the “hare.”

During the week, look for daily demon-stration flights of balloons from the Ultra-

light field by commercial firms, usually around 7 a.m.

Also look for the “balloon glow,” when the balloons inflate, at twilight and before the two night airshows.

The pilots who bring their balloons to SUN ’n FUN are part of a group of sea-soned air show veterans from around the world.

Hot air balloon pilots carry an FAA is-sued pilot’s license in the “Lighter than Air” Category. In addition to passing the traditional written tests, a pilot is special-ly trained in balloon mechanics, safety, procedures, and the unique flight charac-teristics of balloons. Rated as either pri-vate or commercial, pilot competence can only be attained by extensive experience in actual flight, according to seasoned bal-loon pilots.

Annual Balloon Launch set for Saturday

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Photo by Ken Strohm Photo by Matt Genuardi Photo by Matt Genuardi

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DETAILS: Subscription and hardware sold separately. Fees and taxes apply. The subscription plan you choose will automatically renew and you will be charged according to your chosen payment method at then-current rates. To cancel you must call us at 1-866-635-2349. See our Customer Agreement for complete terms at www.siriusxm.com. Data displays vary by device; images are representative only. SiriusXM Services may include weather and other content and emergency alert information. Such information and data is not for “safety for life,” but is merely supplemental and advisory in nature, and therefore cannot be relied upon as safety critical in connection with any aircraft, sea craft, automobile, or any other usage. SiriusXM is not responsible for any errors or inaccuracies in the data services or their use.© 2016 Sirius XM Radio Inc. Sirius, XM and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Sirius XM Radio Inc.

Visit Booth N-036

For SHOW SPECIALS & to enter

DAILY PRIZE DRAWINGS including

a guitar signed by JIMMY BUFFETT

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Commercial Displays

Best Indoor Commercial Display Elizabeth The Gold Lady C-21

Best Outdoor Commercial Display Daher MD-22B

Antique (Before 8/31/45)

Grand Champion Antique 1937 Spartan Executive N13PH Pat Hartness, Woodruff, SC

Reserve Grand Champion Antique 1930 Waco Straightwing N662Y Dave Allen, Elbert, CO

WWII Era Champion Military Trainer Antique 1942 Boeing Stearman N851WM Triple Tree Aerodrome Foundation, Enoree, SC

WWII Era Champion Antique 1943 Howard DGA-15 PR-ZDK Mauricio Frizzarin, Aventura, FL

Classic (9/1/45 To 12/31/55)

Grand Champion Custom Classic 1952 Beech 18 N52DN Timothy Patterson, Annapolis, MD

Reserve Grand Champion Custom Classic 1948 Navion A N888LW Larry E. Woodfin, Lake City, FL

Best Classic 0-100 Hp 1946 Ercoupe 415D NC94196 Syd Cohen, Wausau, WI

Preservation Award PA-16 Piper Clipper N5834H Gilbert Pierce, Germantown, TN

Contemporary (1/1/56 To 12/31/70)

Outstanding In Type Contemporary 1957 Cessna 180A N6180 Torsten Gust, Berlin, Germany

Outstanding In Type Contemporary 1963 Bonanza P-35 N373T Mike Jones, Angleton, TX

Seaplane

Grand Champion Seaplane 1959 Piper Super Cub PA-18 N4273S Raymond Cook, Spring Grove, IL

Best Amphibious Metal Seaplane 1947 Seabee Republic RC-3 N398CM Bill Bardin, Granville, NY

Best Float Plane Metal 1978 Cessna 185 N185GS Greg Smith, Montgomery, TX

Best Amphibious Over 12,500 1947 Mallard N98BS John Bart, Greenwich, CT

Best Homebuilt Seaplane 2007 Glastar N110BJ John Willard & Tania Merette, Rockwood, ME

Best Commorative Seaplane 1954 HU 16-B Grumman N226CG W C (Connie) Edwards, Big Springs, TX

Rotorcraft

Grand Champion Rotorcraft 2016 Rotorway A600 Talon N250RF Richard Fuist, Waterdale, FL

Most Innovative Rotorcraft 2016 ELA 10 Eclipse Daniel Lopez, Cordoba, Spain

Light Sport Aircraft

Outstanding Fixed Wing Light Sport Aircraft 2015 Ekolot N898DR Don Reece, Odessa, FL

Special Award For Innovation Light Sport Aircraft 2015 P&M Quik GTR N315PM Tony Castillo/P&M Aviation, Foley, AL

Special Class Light Sport Aircraft 2014 Pipistrel Virus SW N3852D John Wilson, Fairfax, VA

Ultralight

Grand Champion Ultralight 2016 Sky Cycle Trike Michael James Theeke, Wildwood, GA

Best Trike 2016 Sky Cycle Trike Michael James Theeke, Wildwood, GA

Antique Ultralight Restoration 1976 Easy Riser John Moody, Brandon, FL

Homebuilt

Grand Champion-Kit Homebuilt 2015 Lancair Legacy N72LE Larry Eversmeyer, Oklahoma City, OK

SUN ‘n FUN Awards 2016

AWARDS | See Page 32

Warbirds Grand Champion is the 2015 North American P-51B Mustang N515ZB by Max Chapman, Houston, TX.

Grand Champion Homebuilt is a 2015 Lancair Legacy N72LE by Larry Evers-meyer, Oklahoma City, OK

Meet your newlogbook.

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In a seamless experience from takeoff to touchdown, your data is automatically and securely stored in the ForeFlight Cloud, and always available to access on your iPad or iPhone.

Learn more atforeflight.com/logbook

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Reserve Grand Champion Homebuilt 2015 Van’s RV7 N599V Eduardo Iglesios, Miami, FL

Grand Champion-Plans Homebuilt 2012 Rutan VariEze N924FS Shane Banquer, Denham Springs, LA

Best Metal Homebuilt 2007 F1 Rocket N14ZM Danny Melnik, Melbourne, FL

Best Composite Homebuilt 2014 Quickie Q200 N480KS Kevin Sheely, West Palm Beach, FL

Best Fabric Homebuilt 2015 Carbon Cub Ex N9PW Pete Meyer, Severna Park, MD

Best Wood Homebuilt 2013 Woodpecker N809BA Brian Austein, Hernando, MS

Best Biplane Homebuilt 2004 Hatz CB1 N255MS Mac Hodges, Andersonville, GA

Best Workmanship Homebuilt 2016 Tisdale/Aircam N331TT Matt Tisdale, Woodruff, SC

Best Interior Homebuilt 2007 Venture N53TL Tom Losey, Ft. Myers, FL

Best Auto Engine Homebuilt 2010 Van’s RV7A N462WP Samuel Hodges, Dawson Springs, KY

Outstanding Homebuilt 2015 RV-10 N10GT Aaron Sims, Locust Grove, GA

Outstanding Homebuilt 2015 RV-8 N151BL Bob Lund, Vero Beach, FL

Outstanding Homebuilt 2011 Van’s Rv-8 N345RT Robert Traynham Simpsonville SC

Outstanding Homebuilt 2000 RV-8 N84TG Tim Guddard Perry GA

Spirit Of Homebuilding 2016 Van’s RV-8R N9699K Brian Kelly, Port Orange, FL

Warbirds

Grand Champion 2015 North American P-51B Mustang N515ZB Max Chapman, Houston, TX

Reserve Grand Champion 2015 Fairchild PT-19 N58109 Michael H. Mock, Tampa, FL

Grand Champion Post WWII 2014 Bell AH-1F Cobra N826HF Army Aviation Heritage Foundation

Best Fighter 2006 North American TF-51D NL51TF Ryan P. Miles, Triple Tree Aerodrome, SC

Best Trainer 1994 North American AT6C N8021R Tim Brown, Spartanburg, SC

Best Trainer Post WWII 2016 North American T-28A Trojan N145DK Bob Knight, Lakeland, FL

Best Jet Trainer 1996 Aero Vodochody L39-C N711LC Steven Greenberg

Preservation Award North American T-28A N3313G Bill Cherry/William S. Cherry, Wilminston, NC

AWARDS | From Page 30

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By TOM SNOW

Although known more for football than flying, Auburn University in Auburn, Al-abama, could be a good choice for high school students looking for an aviation career.

Located in a rural college town with lots of history and charm, the 25,000-stu-dent university owns its own large airport, which the Wright brothers helped found.

Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the university’s FAA-approved Part 141 program is the oldest continually op-erating flight school in the country.

Aviation students at Auburn can choose from three different degrees: Professional Flight Management and Aviation Man-agement fall under its College of Busi-ness, while Aerospace Engineering is part of the College of Engineering. Apollo as-tronaut Ken Mattingly is a graduate of the Auburn aviation program.

Auburn’s Professional Flight Manage-ment degree now includes the opportunity to earn an ATP rating with 1,250 hours of logged flight time rather than the tradi-tional 1,500, and the school’s goal is to

get FAA approval to reduce the require-ment to 1,000 hours.

Another first for the Auburn flight school is a new three-day drone flying course. An FAA 333 exemption allows the university to train pilots to fly drones commercially.

Auburn Aviation students Will Lev-eille, Hanna Fowler and Josh Melton are at SUN ‘n FUN representing the program and their well-marked tent is on the west side of the flight line.

Fowler recently founded the school’s Women in Aviation chapter and Leveille is co-founder of the school’s aviation am-bassador program, Striped Wings, which staffs outreach events, such as air shows and college fairs. They also provide cam-pus tours for prospective aviation stu-dents.

The school’s War Eagle Flying Team competes on a regional and national basis.

“Auburn’s goal is to grow its aviation program,” said Leveille, a senior, “and we have a new building in the works to replace the original 1947 facility used by students at the airport.”

Find out more at Auburn.edu.

Auburn University: More than football

Both the Civil Air Patrol and the Royal Air Force Air Cadets are celebrating 75 years of service during 2016. Both organizations have a long history of assist-ing operations at SUN’n FUN. Learn more at GoCivilAirPatrol.com and RAF.mod.uk/AirCadets.

L-R: Auburn Aviation students Will Leveille, Hanna Fowler and Josh Melton.

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Cadets celebrate 75th


By BILL WALKER

South Carolina aviator Jeff Warren liked the look of the Bellanca Cruisair Senior the first time he saw it. And when the opportunity came to buy one, Warren, an architect from Simpsonville, jumped at the chance. That was in 1991 and War-ren says he has been answering questions about his plane ever since.

“It is unique,” Warren said, standing in front of the aircraft in the Vintage Aircraft Camping area earlier this week. “I get a lot of people stop by interested. I don’t mind talking about it and learning a little at the same time. I’ve done my own re-search and I think there’s only about 300 to 350 registered in this series in the FAA registry. There are maybe about 100 out of the approximate 3,500 entire produc-tion of the 14-13 series still flying.”

The 14-13-2 designation comes from designer Giuseppe Bellanca’s tradition of identifying the model first with the wing area in square feet, then the horsepower, both with the last digit omitted. In the case of the Cruisair Senior, the naming con-vention didn’t match up since the plane came with a 150-hp Franklin engine.

“It has a wooden wing covered with a plywood skin and this one is covered with Ceconite, originally covered in canvas,”

Warren said. “This model is a 1946. What they changed eventually in the Cruismas-ter was the increase of about 4 inches in the cabin, the change first to a Lycoming and then to the Continental O-470, and in the wings was to beef them up structurally as the later models gained weight. Basi-cally it is the same wing dimensionally.”

Warren, who flies from Parker Field (SC47) at Simpsonville in the upstate of South Carolina, said, “I visited a friend at St. Augustine, Fla., and he had a Crui-sair. I was interested. I thought it was a nice airplane. It seemed like good value for the money, given its performance. I

liked the retractable gear. The aileron control is outstanding, very responsive. The plane doesn’t fishtail around or do anything weird in turbulence.”

Warren is an accomplished aviator who became an architect after an early career in flying. “I learned to fly in 1965,” he said. “I got my private pilot’s license in May 1966 and went in the Army in 1967. After the Army I got my commercial, in-strument, multi, and CFII on the GI Bill in 1971. I instructed for a couple of years and then got involved in a construction business in North Carolina. Then I went back to school and became an architect

and didn’t fly much until I bought the Bel-lanca.”

He has about 1,700 hours in his logbook and has flown the Cruisair Senior approx-imately 500 of those hours. He also owns a J-3 Cub and is building an RV-14A.

The Cruisair Senior performs well on cross countries, he notes. “I’ve been to SUN ‘n FUN a couple of times and to Oshkosh,” he said. “The plane cruises at full power leaned, 2,600 rpm, 5,500 feet, about 145 mph true air speed. It approach-es over the fence around 60 and touches down around 50. This is just an easy plane to fly.”

Bellanca Cruisair Senior turns heads at show

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During this week’s fly-in Rotec’s direc-tor, Paul Chernikeeff, will be at the com-pany’s Booth #33 in the Outdoor North Exhibit area, offering show specials.

Only offered at SUN ’n FUN, the spe-cials include discounted shipping to the USA for any purchases made at the show, as well as free shipping within the USA. Show specials will be offered on radial engines, TBI fuel injectors, Jabiru liquid-cooled heads, and after-market products.

The booth also features several ex-amples of Rotec Radial powered aircraft including:

Brian Kelly’s Van’s RV-8R conversion

(pictured). Now flying and powered by the Rotec R3600, the World War II loo-kalike fighter was inspired by the iconic Grumman Hellcat.

Steve Wolf’s ¾ scale Samson Mite air-craft, still under construction, a throwback to the original Pratt & Whitney powered Samson, now scaled down and fitted with the mighty 150 HP Rotec R3600 radial.

Ed Leineweber’s tandem open cockpit Locamp, powered by the Rotec R2800 ra-dial engine. This aircraft is the first in a range of Locamp designs, offering a clas-sic open cockpit for wind in the hair fly-ing at its best.

Rotec boasts one-of-a-kind planes

AAA for your planeSporty’s has launched its new Break-

down Assistance Program for aircraft owners who need mechanical help away from home.

“Traveling by GA airplane can be one of the most exciting and valuable ben-efits of your pilot certificate. But, an un-expected mechanical can quickly ruin a trip – expecially if you are far from home and it’s late at night or over the weekend,” said Sporty’s John Zimmerman

In cooperation with Mike Busch’s Sav-

vy Aircraft Maintenance Management, Sporty’s Breakdown Assistance Program is a 24/7 partner for aircraft owners. With one call to a toll-free hotline, an aircraft owner gains immediate access to Savvy’s team of A&P/IA mechanics.

When an aircraft owner calls the Break-down Assistance phone number, the on-duty mechanic will respond anytime, day or night, typically within 15 minutes. The A&P will assist in troubleshooting the problem and help determine whether the

aircraft is safe to fly home. If it isn’t, the aircraft owner will receive recommen-dations of nearby shops and mechanics, based on Savvy’s database and experience.

Once an airplane is in the shop, help from Sporty’s Breakdown Assistance doesn’t stop. The aircraft owner will re-ceive help in determining the extent of repairs and obtain cost estimates and provide oversight of the service until the work is complete. Finally, the main-tenance records and invoice will be re-

viewed on behalf of the customer.The program is intended for owner-

flown aircraft, and does not include rou-tine preventive maintenance such as oil changes. For Sporty’s Breakdown Assis-tance to be in effect, the pilot and aircraft must be more than 50 statute miles of the airplane’s home base.

Prices start at $149 a year for single-engine piston aircraft. Find out more at Sportys.com or at Sporty’s exhibit in the North Exhibit Area, Space 100.

Come visit our booth at Southeast Exhibit Area Lot 1 on Doolittle Road.

This mother is not thinking about the inspections this airplane has undergone—her only concern is that it can carry her sick child to get the care he needs. See how your support allows us to maintain our airplanes so we can share Christ's love.

maf.org


Central Florida’s Polk County offers a wide range of activities and attractions for SUN ‘n FUN attendees to enjoy, so much so that you might like to “Stay An Extra Day.”

The Detroit Tigers are celebrating their 80th Spring Training season at TigerTown in Lakeland, extending the longest-stand-ing relationship between a major league team and a current Spring Training host city, so be sure to catch a game.

Enjoy today’s featured attraction and for more reasons to “Stay An Extra Day,” stop by Visit Central Florida’s Visitor In-formation Center here at SUN ‘n FUN, or go to VisitCentralFlorida.org.

Explore the OutdoorsNo matter if you are looking for adren-

aline-pumping, rod-busting action of landing a trophy bass, or looking for a lei-surely afternoon bird watching in an area preserve, Central Florida can provide you with the perfect outdoor experience.

Polk County provides ample oppor-tunity for you to have a “fish tale” that you can tell throughout your lifetime. The title “Largemouth Bass Capital of the World” is a testament to the king of the Polk County waters, the largemouth black bass. The temperate climate of Cen-tral Florida not only allows for the waters

to produce an abundance of largemouth bass, but also nurtures them to grow into very impressive sizes.

Polk County is home to the state’s cer-tified record Florida Largemouth Bass, which weighed in at 17.27 pounds, and of the “Top 10 Largemouth Bass Lakes in Florida” ranked by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, five of them are located in Polk County. Fisheries such as the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, Tenoroc Fish Management Area, Mosaic Fish Management Area, Lake Weohyakapka (known as Lake Walk-in-Water) and the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes regularly produce catches of bass topping the 10-pound mark.

Abundant sunshine and pleasant tem-peratures allow for fishing in Polk County year-round on the region’s more than 550 lakes that occupy over 135 square miles.

Lakes, Parks and PreservesSome of the county’s best attractions

took 4 million years to build. Polk County is home to some of the best preserved na-ture areas in Florida with 554 lakes, 37 nature parks and preserves — spanning more than 25,000 acres of environmental lands — and the Lake Wales Ridge.

Long before Florida had theme parks or even humans, Central Florida was mostly

covered by ocean and the eastern part of Polk County was its beach. Now Lake Wales Ridge is home to many rare plant and animal species, some found nowhere else in the world.

Explore the parks, lakes and nature areas by airboat, hiking trail or cycling path. In Central Florida’s Polk County, the choices are as diverse as the wildlife.

Circle B Bar ReserveNamed one of the “Top 50 Places to

see Wildlife” by USA Today, Circle B-Bar Reserve includes freshwater marsh-es, hardwood swamps, oak hammocks, creeks, and lakes on the property, which is home to waterfowl, ospreys, eagles and alligators.

Once a functioning cattle ranch, Circle B Bar Reserve has been restored to its original natural state as one of the most impressive bird habitats in Central Flor-ida.

Complete with numerous trails, Circle B Bar Reserve offers something for ev-eryone. Bicycling, horseback riding, fish-ing, hiking, and picnicking are all encour-aged at this free admission reserve.

The Polk Nature Discovery Center helps visitors of all ages understand the delicate ecosystem of Central Florida with indoor and outdoor classrooms and numerous exhibits. The free Discovery

Center has exhibits specifically designed to engage and excite young minds, mak-ing it a great choice for families.

With 120 trails covering more than 375 miles, the trail systems of Polk County provide nearly limitless opportunities to tour the region, whether on foot, by bi-cycle, while paddling, or on horseback. Many of the area’s trails provide a con-nection to larger state and national trail systems, such as the Florida National Scenic Trail, General James A. Van Fleet State Trail, and the Everglades Paddling Trail.

This interconnectivity allows travelers to use Polk County as a “base camp” for further exploration of the trails that navi-gate throughout the state of Florida. From flat multi-use urban trails to hilly natu-ral Florida scrub lands, Central Florida’s Polk County offers unique terrain and picturesque settings that are sure to make your day on the trail enjoyable.

Central Florida is a region where, in the span of only a few miles, you can go from a freshwater marsh, on the shores of a lake, to the desert-like scrub habitat complete with prickly pear cactus.

Polk County is host to a variety of eco-systems, many that house rare and endan-gered plant and animal species.

For more information, go to VisitCen-tralFlorida.org.

Stay An Extra Day


WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAYSUN ’n FUN 2016

7 am Volunteer Parade, begins at the FAA Safety Center and winds through the convention grounds

8:30 am Non-Denominational Church Service, Aerospace Pavilion

SUN ’n FUN FORUMSForums are held in classrooms at the Central Florida Aviation Academy (CFAA). Volunteers are near all entrances to help you find the right room.

9 AMRm#

1 Foreflight 101 - Beginner Course, Thomas Daugherty

2 On and Off Airport Emergen-cy Landings - What would you do?, David Joseph

3 Airspace: What your Instruc-tor Forgot to Tell You, Chris-tian Pezalla

4 Engine Failures & Fires - You can Survive, Gary Reeves

5 Flying cars of the past - now the Samson Switchblade, Brian Purdy

10 AMRm#

2 Checklist: Flying to the Is-lands of the Bahamas, Terry Carbonell

3 Advanced IFR Holding, Christian Pezalla

4 TFR’s & Intercepts: How to Avoid a Fighter Escort, Lt. Col. Mike McMillin

5 The Seaplane Pilots As-sociation Water Landing Directory App 101, Steve McCaughey

11 AMRm#

2 Selecting a 5 Star Airpark, George Gratton

3 A&P / IA Licensing Process and FAR Review, Thomas D. Black

4 Superior Air Parts Complete Engine Options for Kit Build-ers, Bill Ross

5 Your Flight Simulator In Ac-tion, Joseph Szpak

12 PMRm#

2 Maintenance & Inspec-tion of Standard & Tuned Exhaust Systems, Darren Tilman

4 Lean of Peak: Myths, leg-ends and the naked truth, Continental Motors

5 Bush Flying in Southern Africa, Robert DeLaurentis

1 PM Rm#

2 In-Flight Loss of Control Prevention, Paul Cox

3 Risk Management for Light Sport and Ultralight Pilots, David Conrad

4 Covair Engine Conversions and Saberwing Aircraft, Bill Clapp

FAA FORUMSFAA Forums are held at the FAA Aviation Safety Center

located in the middle of the ex-hibit area at the corner of Laird Drive and SUN ’n FUN Drive. The FAA Center opens daily at 8 am and the FAA Exhibits are open daily 9 am to 5 pm.8:30 am Accident Prevention, Patrick Hempen, FAA10 am In-Flight Loss of Con-trol, Paul Cox, NTSB Air Safety Investigator11:30 am Unmanned Aircraft Systems 101, Mike Wilson, FAA

SCHEDULE | See Page 38


Scenes from SUN ’n FUN

1 pm Bahamas Flying, Eliza-beth Vance, Bahamas Minis-try of Tourism

MUSEUM PROGRAMS10 am Watch volunteers from the Florida Aviation Histori-cal Society assemble a scale model of the Benoist.10 am-12 pm Free Sumi Ink Portraits11 am-1 pm Movies TBD: Selections from the Florida Aviation Historical Society.2 pm Meet and greet the class of 2016 and past hon-orees from the Florida Avia-tion Hall of Fame.

AIRSHOWThe airshow launches at 2:30

pm and goes through about 6 pm (weather permitting). Slated to perform today are:Larry King CircleAce Maker AirshowsBat CopterBreitling TeamGolden KnightsGreg ConnellGreg KoontzJoe F. EdwardsKirby ChamblissKyle FranklinManfred RadiusRedBull DemoWill AllenF-18 HornetF-22 Raptor

SCHEDULE | From Page 37 High Flyin’ Mayor

Howard Wiggs, Mayor of Lakeland, does loops and rolls with the AeroShell Aerobatic Team, compliments of Honda Generator who is a proud sponsor of the team and SunNFun. At first apprehensive, he later said that he thoroughly enjoyed the ride and agreed that it was a thrill of a lifetime.

Photo by Ken Strohm

Photo by Ken Strohm

Photo by Ken Strohm

Photo by Ken Strohm Photo by Jason McLemorePhoto by Jason McLemore

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snf today apr. 10, 2016

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