snf today, tuesday april 5, 2016

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

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

Table of Contents727 classroom dedicated .........................................................4A Flight to Honor ........................................................................5Forget the presidential debates .............................................8KLAL’s new tower dedicated ................................................10Protecting grassroots aviation .............................................11Map .............................................................................................20Career Fair returns to SUN ’n FUN ......................................32Stay an extra day .....................................................................34What’s happening today ........................................................36

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April 5, 2016 Sun ’n Fun Today - www.sun-n-fun.org 3

By JANICE WOOD

For the first time in SUN ’n FUN his-tory, the fly-in opens not only debt free, but with more than $500,000 in the bank.

That’s the latest report from SUN ’n FUN President John “Lites” Leen-houts, who added that the fly-in also has $175,000 that it is building into an en-dowment fund.

“That means we will be able to con-tinue to fund flight training, A&P and col-lege scholarships,” he said Sunday before the show opened.

Each year, SUN ’n FUN funds almost half a million in scholarships, as well as continues to build new facilities on its campus. This year’s big achievement was the completion of the Lakeland Aero Club Hangar, which Leenhouts says is the “capping component” of the Aerospace Center for Excellence.

“We have the largest high school flying club in the world,” he noted proudly. “Our philosophy is that if we can capture their interest in middle school, we can provide a high school and college right here, as well as after school programs that provide an opportunity for them to stay engaged in aviation.”

The Aerospace Center for Excellence, which began with construction of the

Central Florida Aerospace Academy high school on the campus a few years ago, has become an example that school districts around the country are eager to emulate.

Last year the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association held an Aviation High School Symposium at SUN ’n FUN, with repre-sentatives from 150 schools from around the country, according to Leenhouts.

And while many of them wanted to duplicate what SUN ’n FUN has done, Leenhouts said SUN ’n FUN was also ea-ger to hear what others are doing.

“My philosophy is copy us all you want and I will copy you,” he said. “It will make all of us much more robust.”

Much of what has occurred here has been due to the good works of James Ray, who provided the capital to build the high school, as well as other facilities on the campus.

It’s built on his philosophy — shared by so many others — that once you solo an airplane, it changes your life, Leenhouts said.

“The confidence you get, the skill set, is applicable to any way of life,” he said.

Ray, who will be on hand Wednesday morning for the dedication of the Lake-land Aero Club, also is being inducted into the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame this week.

Economic ImpactAnother sponsor recently came forward

and offered to pay for an economic im-pact study from two professors at Florida Southern College. What they found is that SUN ’n FUN generates more than $137 million of economic growth to the region every year.

That’s about double previous estimates.An evaluation completed in 2011 found

about a $64 million economic impact, ac-cording to Leenhouts.

“I was anticipating that we would be somewhere in the $90 million range,” Leenhouts said. “I had no idea what we were really generating.”

The economic impact is fueled, obvi-ously, by the more than 200,000 people who attend the fly-in annually — who spend money at local restaurants, hotels and stores — but also by the volunteers who spend up to half a year here, as well as the construction that is going on on the campus, as well as all the other year-round programs, such as the car shows, summer camps and more.

The study found that SUN ’n FUN brings in about 1,600 employees that ro-tate throughout the year, some who stay for just a week, while others stay for up to six months, Leenhouts explained.

The study’s findings are being used to

“promote collaboration and support from the community to continue to grow our educational programs,” Leenhouts said. “We showed them that by us raising mon-ey for education, which improved their student lives and the literacy rate in Polk County, it also generated income for their city.”

Everybody wins, he added.“In essence, we’ve got a lofty and ad-

mirable goal of repopulating the aero-space professional population and the side benefit is we create really good citi-zens and a better economy for everyone,” he concluded.

SUN ’n FUN by the numbers

John “Lites” Leenhouts

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

PLEASE REMEMBER TO RECYCLE

ISSUE 1 — TUESDAY APRIL 5, 2016

PUBLISHERSJohn “Lites” Leenhouts

Ben Sclair

EDITORIAL STAFFJanice Wood

PRODUCTIONRussell Kasselman

DISTRIBUTIONArthur Ward

Paulette WardMurray KotJason Kot

Samantha KotPaul Luckett

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

Elizabeth Walker

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

© 2015 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 JONI M. FISHER

About a month before SUN ’n FUN opened, SUN ’n FUN officials and lo-cal dignitaries convened on the SUN ’n FUN campus as Lakeland Mayor Howard Wiggs declared March 8 Aerospace Cen-ter for Excellence (ACE) Day.

The pronouncement was made during the annual Mayor’s Breakfast, held in the Florida Air Museum, with tables and chairs placed under and between static aircraft on display.

John “Lites” Leenhouts, SUN ’n FUN president, reminded those gathered that SUN ’n FUN operates all year long to raise funds for aviation education, not just during the week-long annual fly-in.

“We have given out $432,000 in schol-arships and we are the No. 1 world pro-ducer of teen pilots,” he said. “We have trained 46 private pilots between 17 and 18 years old. The Aircraft Owners and Pi-lots Association chose ACE as its bench-mark high school education program.”

He told of the “carseat to cockpit” men-toring programs and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) classes that train the next generation of students to take on careers in aviation.

As the meeting neared its close, Robb Williams, ACE executive director, intro-duced a group of cadets who would guide the crowd of 250 people to tour the newest part of the ACE campus — a 727 donated by FedEx. The aircraft is now called the Piedmont Aerospace Experience Exhibit and is parked on the corner of Tom Mack Drive and Doolittle Road.

Four years in the making, the function-ing 727 has been remodeled to house a conference room, a classroom, and to of-fer hands-on experience for training stu-dents in aviation.

Community partners that helped in the project are the City of Lakeland, Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Florida Modifi-

cation Specialists, Polk State College, Central Florida Aerospace Academy, and Traviss Career Center, with donations from the Tom Davis and Emil Buehler Foundations.

“Don Bruce, of Florida Modification Specialists, crafted the conference table from an aircraft wing,” said Williams as he led a tour of the aircraft. The chairs in the conference room and classroom are refurbished passenger seats.

Inside the classroom, an electronic

white board connects to student’s tablets. Cameras in the cockpit connect to the whiteboard as well, so students can learn the specific instruments and controls in the cockpit.

In a ceremony held alongside the 727, Wiggs and Jacqueline Byrd, the super-visor of the Polk County School Board, used giant scissors to cut a ribbon. After the ribbon-cutting, Williams fired up the 727’s engines to demonstrate that the air-craft is more than a static display.

727 classroom dedicatedPhotos by Joni M. Fisher

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By JACK E. NEUBACHER

What could possibly be more fitting for SUN ’n FUN 2016, especially consider-ing it’s a year dedicated to honoring the military, than to include a “Flight to Hon-or” as part of the fly-in activities?

The Polk County Veterans Coun-cil’s next “Flight to Honor” will launch from Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (KLAL) Thursday, April 7, during SUN ’n FUN, carrying veterans to Washington D.C., to visit the memorials erected in their honor. They plan to have wheels up at 6 a.m., with a planned return time of about 7:30 p.m.

Due to TSA requirements, the flight will depart from the terminal building, but the return will be in the Warbird Ramp on the SUN ’n FUN campus.

The flight was arranged by Flight to Honor Polk Florida (FHPF), established in January 2015 as part of the Polk Coun-ty Veterans Council, the local veterans group. Previous flights were done in co-ordination with the National Honor Flight organization from Springfield, Ohio, de-parting from the airport in St. Petersburg.

According to Gary Clark, Colonel USAF (Ret) and chairman of the Polk County Veterans Council, “We still oper-ate under the criteria and the same model as the national organization, but doing these flights independently gives us more flexibility.”

He relates that the Lakeland/Polk County area is sandwiched between two chapters of the national organization — one chapter flying out of St. Petersburg and another leaving from Sanford. The flights alone make a long 18-hour day for the veterans. Adding another three hours for ground transportation to and from the departing airport makes it even harder for the veterans, he noted.

While FHPF is based in Polk County, any veteran is welcome to apply for a Flight to Honor flight — not just the ones from Polk or the surrounding counties.

Priority on the manifest is given to those with severe medical conditions, fol-lowed by World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans. This prioritization makes sense, as nationwide we are losing about 640 World War II veterans daily.

The flights are a way to validate the con-tribution all veterans have made to their country and our way of life, but officials note they especially they want to recog-nize the World War II veterans. Of all the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation, as well as the survival of our European and Pacific Allies. The time to honor our “Greatest Generation” of sail-ors and soldiers is now.

Some have asked if a veteran is still eligible for an honor flight if they didn’t serve in a combat zone. The answer is yes.

“We encourage veterans to apply, even if there is a question, because sometimes as we find out based on the last flight, for various reasons, veterans will initially

be manifested on a flight, and before the flight departs, either for a medical or some other types of emergency, may fall out, and we need to have some folks ‘on deck’ if the need arises,” Clark said.

Veterans are not charged for these trips, and each vet is accompanied by a guard-ian who can help them during the day. Many of the veterans are in wheelchairs and the organizers take additional wheel-chairs with them to take the strain off the aging vets on this action-packed day.

These guardians have the rewarding tasks of helping get the vets on and off the airplane, to the buses, plus helping them navigate the grounds of the memorials. All the guardians are volunteers and are asked to make a donation to help defer the expenses for the trips.

Upon the return of the flights in the past, the Polk County Veterans Council was amazed at the number of area resi-dents who came out welcome the veter-ans home. Nearly 3,000 folks came out to wave flags, shake hands and applaud the troops on their arrival.

“It also gives us in the community a chance to recognize what these brave vet-erans have done for us,” Clark said.

The crowds also contain many youth groups, such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. This gives young citizens the chance recognize what was done in the past by all these veterans.

“If we can’t pass along to the future generations the sacrifices that these vet-erans made on their behalf, how are they going recognize this in the future?”

Clark, a Vietnam and Desert Storm vet-eran, elaborates: “We stood on the shoul-ders of these guys and gals who went before us. There is no amount of effort that we can put forward that would totally compensate them for what they did.

Welcome Them HomeSUN ’n FUN attendees are encour-

aged to remain on the grounds Thursday to welcome the veterans home from their Honor Flight.

If you’d like to find out more about the Honor Flights or the Polk Veterans Coun-cil, visit their exhibit in the Veterans Plaza on the Southeast Exhibit area or go to PolkVeteransCouncil.com. There you can learn how a veteran can apply for an hon-or flight, how to apply to be a guardian, and how to donate to fund the next flight.

Tax deductible contributions can also be made to: GiveWell Community Foun-dation, Flight to Honor, 1501 South Flori-da Avenue, Lakeland, Fla. 33803.

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By DAN JOHNSON

These highly watched broadcasts have frequently been described as “political theater,” where personalities clash and important policies seem almost over-looked. Many think we can do better.

While unabashedly mimicking the presidential debates, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA) “Great Debates” — sponsored by Avia-tors Hot Line — will deliver real infor-mation to those in the audience and those listening via other sources.

On each of SUN ’n FUN’s first four days, the Great Debates will cover topics of great interest to the pilot community.

Each debate panel will feature a mod-erator who will direct the activities, aim-ing to keep the discussions lively, enter-taining, and informative.

Sebastien Heintz of Zenith Aircraft will host the engine debates, while Rob-ert Helms of UL Power will moderate the other three.

On opening the kick-off debate will feature Rotax Aircraft Engines’ Marc Becker; Continental Motors (now in-cluding the Titan engine) sales manager John Heitland; Pete Krotje of Jabiru North America; and UL Power kit engine distributor Robert Helms.

On the second day of SUN ’n FUN, April 6, LAMA Show Center will host popular aviation writers addressing the future of light aviation. Debating will be Robert Goyer of Plane & Pilot magazine; Paul Bertorelli of AVweb; Pia Bergqvist of Flying magazine; and Ben Sclair of General Aviation News and SUN ’n FUN Today. All these pilots have solid experi-ence flying light aircraft of several kinds.

On Thursday the avionics experts take the stage, featuring representatives from Dynon, Garmin, MGL, and TruTrak, all leading suppliers of avionics to the light aviation industry.

LAMA Show Center concludes the de-bate series on Friday with tech develop-ers from popular iPad and Androids apps featuring Garmin, ForeFlight, WingX Pro, and Seattle Avionics’ FlyQ.

All debates will begin at 1 p.m., after the morning rush and before the noise of the airshow begins. The public is invited to these free events, with seating for 100.

LAMA is pleased to report that SUN ’n FUN Today — produced by the General Aviation News staff — will have a daily article about the debate and will preview the next day’s panel.

SUN ’n FUN Radio has also commit-ted to do a few live remote broadcasts that can be heard on the grounds and by

those not even present for the show.

So Much To See and DoThanks to support from Aviators Hot

Line, LAMA will run a new, large Show Center pavilion in Paradise City in a central location surrounded by modern Light-Sport Aircraft in what’s called the LSA Mall, a fixture of SUN ’n FUN since 2007.

Paradise City is something of an air-show-within-an-airshow. If you’ve at-

tended SUN ’n FUN and not seen this area, you missed a real treat. This is where affordable aviation lives. It is also a charming area where a good time seems certain.

Paradise City was once known as the Ultralight Area, then the LightPlane Area. However, all along it had the nick-name “Paradise City” due to its special attractions. The name has stuck and now

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many refer to it by the unofficial moni-ker.

Paradise City has always had its own displays and a separate grass runway that operates simultaneously with operations on the main SUN ’n FUN runways. At different times of the day, you can see ultralights, Light-Sport Aircraft, light kit aircraft, powered parachutes and weight shift trikes, plus light rotorcraft. Morn-ings and evenings powered paragliders also fly and the whole day is most en-tertaining.

Grab a SeatYou can get close to the runway and

watch the action unlike on the main SUN ’n FUN runway, where greater separa-tion is preserved. Some days, the crowds at the fence at the Paradise City runway are several people deep. For 2016, Avia-tors Hot Line will also provide bleachers right at runway’s edge (behind the fence line) to make viewing more fun and comfortable.

The Paradise City runway has been steadily improved over the years and for 2016 will feature several hundred feet of runway extension. The Central Florida Aerospace Academy also has a brand-new hangar nearby because the newly improved and extended runway is planned for year-long use by the Lake-land Aero Club, which provides primary training to students enrolled in the aero-space high school on the SUN ’n FUN campus.

Nearly all parts of the day, the Para-dise City runway hums and buzzes with activity. From very close by you can ob-serve aircraft you may wish to buy. Pi-lots of various aircraft types will launch and land throughout the day. Plenty of affordable aviation exhibits are avail-

able near the LSA Mall and the LAMA pavilion.

Party on, aviators!The LAMA Show Center tent will be

next to a new “beer garden,” for those who enjoy a cold beverage (assum-ing they are done flying for the day, of course).

However, the LAMA pavilion will also host some evening parties. From that tent you can watch the flying easily and enjoy camaraderie with fellow avia-tors as several vendors host receptions or parties.• Check out these events and stop by.

Tuesday: DeLand Airport Reception and Party with Announcements;

• Thursday: Hansen Air Group Pizza Party;

• Friday: Swift Fuels Reception and Party;

• Saturday: Flying Musicians Acoustic Jam Session.

Get a Free RideIf you’ve been before, come on back

and see the changes and improvements, plus catch the daily debate at 1 p.m. You can enjoy the shaded “porch” just out-side the LAMA debate tent and watch the flying action in comfort.

If you’ve never been to Paradise City, treat yourself to the most charming area of SUN ’n FUN. Except during the main airshow, the action is nonstop. Two six-seat golf carts, sponsored by Rotax Air-craft Engines, roam the main areas all day and will deliver you to or from Para-dise without cost.

At day’s end, instead of sitting in your hot car waiting to exit the crowded main parking lot, come on over and watch fun airplanes fly. The action starts up each day when the main airshow officially ends.

Enjoy some Paradise!

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By JANICE WOOD

A ribbon-cutting was held Monday be-fore SUN ’n FUN opened at the new air traffic control tower at Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport.

The ceremony caps a year of improve-ments at the airport, which began at last year’s SUN ’n FUN when ground was broken for the new tower.

The new 142-foot tower replaces the old 50-foot tower, said Gene Conrad, air-port manager. He noted that controllers in the old tower couldn’t even see the end of the runway.

“The perspective that they have now is just phenomenal,” he said. “You’re look-ing down on the airplanes and have a view of the entire air field. It is unbelievable.”

With the new tower, of course, came upgraded equipment, which arrived just in time, according to Conrad.

“Last year we ran a 107,000 operations out of the old tower. We already up 3,000 operations year-over-year this year, to date,” he said. “We’re super-busy right now. It couldn’t have come at a better time to have this new facility.”

The new tower means a more safe air-field, according to Conrad. “When the original tower was built both our runways were 5,000 feet long,” he said. “Now our

main runway is 8,500 feet. One day, it’ll go to 10,100 feet. It’s put in the right loca-tion so you can see everything.”

It also will improve conditions for con-trollers working in the contract tower. “During SUN ’n FUN, there’s periods where there’s 15 to 20 people up in that cab,” he said.

Meanwhile, right after SUN ’n FUN, the switch will be flipped on the third so-lar farm on the airport grounds, he said.

“Last February we partnered with the Florida Department of Transportation and purchased 32 acres just adjacent to our property line on the southwest side of the airport. We’ll have 8.6 mega watts on the airport once this thing goes live.”

What does that really mean? The air-port will receive 2 cents per kilowatt gen-erated, he said. “At the end of the day, we’ll generate anywhere from $325,000 to $350,000 in credit towards our util-ity bill. Eventually we won’t have one. They’ll write us a check at the end of the

year.”Next on the agenda are new T-hangars

for aircraft owners who are now on a waiting list. With all that’s going on at KLAL, the airport is in “good shape” for this week’s fly-in, according to Conrad.

“Even with everything that’s been go-ing on, we are ready,” he said. “I have a great team of people who are passionate about aviation and super-dedicated to what we do. They all push through to get it done.”

Honoring one of their ownMonday’s ceremony closed with a

special dedication of the new tower cab to long-time air traffic controller Patrick Austin (pictured above with his family).

The Lakeland native is a 35-year air traffic control veteran who was hired by the city of Lakeland in 1980 when the original tower was erected. He made the first transmission in the old tower, as well as the last transmission, according to Con-

rad. He then made the first transmission in the new tower on March 17 of this year.

Surrounded by his wife, Lynn, and fam-ily members, Austin noted that the old tower was like “a Model T, while the new tower is like a Rolls Royce limousine.”

Austin is one of six controllers who work year round at the tower. For this week, a whole cadre of controllers — wearing bright orange shirts — will han-dle traffic for the fly-in.

New tower dedicated at KLAL


By JACK PELTON

SUN ’n FUN always marks a big time of year for many of us who fly elsewhere throughout the country.

It marks the end of the season where our priorities are making sure the engine heater is plugged in, the snow and ice are chipped away from the hangar door, and weight-and-balance includes the weight of a parka.

We can now look ahead toward calm evening flying, open hangar doors, and the company of friends who have projects we can “inspect.”

Those idyllic images are what come to mind when we think about grassroots fly-ing. Those kinds of warm, friendly expe-riences make it all worth it, because being involved in aviation has always been a challenge. It’s the kind of challenge that we accept, though, because we have a passion to fly that binds us together.

The Experimental Aircraft Associa-tion’s founder Paul Poberezny often talk-ed of making sure the “little guy” had a place in the national aviation conversa-tion. When asked who the little guy was, Paul never missed a beat, saying, “The lit-tle guy is anyone who pays his own way.”

As he often did, Paul brought truth and unity to a diverse community. We in grassroots aviation fly everything from ultralights to jet warbirds, but we share the idea that an individual should have the access and freedom to pursue flying, just the same as those who see aviation as a purely commercial venture.

That’s important as we face many of the issues that challenge recreational aviation today. One of the most recent and most important was the battle over privatiza-tion of the national airspace system. EAA quickly stepped into that debate when legislation was introduced in late Janu-ary, because there was a dire, immediate threat to our access to the sky. Such key issues as aeromedical reform would be-come moot if we didn’t have access to the airspace system in the first place.

EAA members saw that threat as well, as thousands of letters and emails went to Congress. Soon, the House leader-ship dropped the bill from possible floor debate. The issue is far from dead — we must remain vigilant to measures that would have negative consequences to our individual ability to fly.

Note that I wrote that “we” must remain vigilant — not just EAA headquarters, or GA’s Washington lobbyists, or those who follow such goings-on closely. When you hear an airport friend say that someone has to do something to protect and build aviation, remember that someone is us.

Each one of us has a responsibility to

our greater flying community. As much as we’d sometimes like to hide in our hangar and only emerge on calm, sunny days to go flying, we can’t. We all must be engaged to ensure we have those future flying days.

That can mean being engaged when is-sues demand it to protect grassroots fly-ing. It also means more of the fun stuff: Sharing our passion for flying with oth-ers. That’s where I can get back to talking about fun things.

This year, EAA’s Young Eagles pro-gram will fly its 2 millionth young person. Think about that — what an incredible ac-complishment! And it happened because the idea that “someone” should fly kids became a program where “we” fly kids.

It’s even more gratifying when I meet some of the early Young Eagles from the 1990s who are now flying Young Eagles, too. They were the next generation of aviation we wanted to reach 24 years ago. Now they are reaching the new next gen-

eration. We’re going to celebrate this re-markable achievement at Oshkosh in July.

There are other ways we can protect and grow grassroots flying. For EAA, it means everything from Eagle Flights and SportAir Workshops to AirVenture and our great chapter network.

Beyond that, though, we must remem-ber that although at Lakeland and Osh-kosh it looks as if there are many of us, we are a small community. We must think of our ourselves as grassroots aviators first, ahead of whether we are homebuilders or warbirds or ultralighters or vintage fliers.

Only then can we have the freedom, as Paul was also fond of saying, to explore that great ocean of air above us.

Have a great week at Lakeland!

Protecting grassroots flying

Jack Pelton is CEO/Chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA.org). Find out more about EAA during the fly-in at the association’s exhibit at LD-007 and LD-013.

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By JACK E. NEUBACHER

In volunteer terms, Tom Ruhlman is what is known as an “Early Bird.” Be-sides being a big help while the show is going on, he is a helper from January on.

Ruhlman, who lives in his home town of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, about 65 miles south of Oshkosh, is also a volunteer dur-ing Air Venture.

After Ruhlman and his wife, Pat, retired, they made their way to Florida, staying in a campground close to Disney World. There he “heard about the Florida Air Museum and got to talking to a couple guys. They told us about the Early Birds and the next year we came here instead.”

They chose to volunteer at SUN ’n FUN since they enjoy airplanes very much, but also enjoy tinkering.

“I couldn’t leave home for three months unless I have something to do,” Tom laughingly said, noting he is a retired en-gineer who likes to tinker.

Tom wife, Pat, a retired teacher, is also volunteer and works in the museum doing cataloging and other chores.

“It’s fun working on the projects and also learning new skills from the people here,” Tom Ruhlman said. “I also like helping with the forward progress of SUN ’n FUN and the displays. It’s exciting to

see the changes and every year it just gets better.”

During this week’s fly-in, you can find Tom in the tent right near the museum in the special events area. Being an Amateur Radio operator, they have erected a new

beam antenna and will continue to send messages around the world from right here at the SUN ’n FUN campus. “Last year with the old antenna we reached 38 states and several other countries, includ-ing the Caribbean, and with the new an-

tenna we should double that. That’s a lot of fun, also,” he said.

Between you and me, I think just talk-ing with people is Tom’s joy.

And that’s just one of the reasons he and his wife are volunteers extraordinaires.

Volunteer Extraordinaire Tom Ruhlman

Tom Ruhlman beside one of his prized displays at the museum, a Wright Flyer propeller donated by Steve Chalke.

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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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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

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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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By JONI M. FISHER

The Lakeland Aero Club’s new hangar is scheduled for completion by April 5 to coincide with the opening day of the SUN ’n FUN.

The 12,500-square-foot facility has of-fice space, restrooms, and will house six aircraft. It is on Doolittle Road near the light sport and ultralight aircraft exhibits and parking.

Mike Zidziunas, president of the Lake-land Aero Club, explained that the 50 members of the club, who range in age from 15 to 25, learn and solo in taildrag-gers owned by the club. The members also restore aircraft, like the 1939 Taylorcraft they are currently working on. The club owns two Piper Cubs, two Taylorcrafts, a Cessna 150, a glider, and a two-seat Re-mos light-sport aircraft.

According to SUN ’n FUN President John “Lites” Leenhouts, the Lakeland Aero Club is “the largest high school fly-ing club on the planet.”

Zidziunas said he is driven to bring young students into aviation because “there is a two-generation gap between students and instructors. Who’s going attract and teach high-school age pilots? The secret to my success is that I never grew up. I tell them, Don’t let someone tell you that you can’t do something. Be persistent. Try until they throw you out. When you’re young you can ask for out-rageous things. The worse that can hap-pen is they’ll say no. Sometimes they’ll say yes.”

“We have taken 23 students to Oshkosh over the last three years,” he continued. “Donovan Richards, for example, did his dual long cross-country to Oshkosh in 2013.”

Last year, club member Phillip Her-rington produced a YouTube video of his demonstration flight at Oshkosh in the Super Cub that Zidziunas says made him a celebrity with young girls at Oshkosh.

In addition to flight training and aircraft restoration, the club plans to participate in the April 16 airshow in Freeport, Baha-mas, and a Young Eagles event in coop-eration with Western Air.

“If you make it all about them, you get pulled along to new places,” Zidziunas said. “And you get to enjoy them discov-ering new places. On the way to Oshkosh they had to fly over mountains. They’ve never flown over mountains before.”

Zidziunas said he often wondered if they were really listening through their training. He knows now that they have.

On March 5 he led a caravan of three planes on a cross-country flight out to the west coast of Florida and back. Donovan Richards and Tyson Trentham were fly-ing a 1939 Taylorcraft BL-65 over St. Pe-tersburg, Florida, when Richards noticed power fluctuations. He put the plane down on the 12th fairway of the St. Petersburg Country Club’s golf course.

Zidziunas showed a Google Earth map of the golf course and pointed out that

“with 900 feet of total green space, Dono-van safely landed in 870.” The left wing clipped a tree. He said he was very proud the 18-year-old pilot landed without inju-ries in the heavily populated area.

After the landing, the plane was in-spected. Zidziunas showed a photograph of sheared bolts and said, “The 76-year-old engine had its head bolted on. The failure of the head bolt caused a chain re-action failure of the surrounding bolts that caused the head to nearly blow off.” The Taylorcraft is being repaired by members of the Lakeland Aero Club.

One of the club’s Piper Cubs (N32721) was named in honor of Zidziunas’s Aunt Betty. In 1946 at age 19, Aunt Betty learned to fly when women were discour-aged from pursuing such activities. Zidzi-unas was 8 years old and his aunt inspired him to love aviation. Betty later married her flight instructor. The club members registered the plane under the N-number of Aunt Betty’s favorite plane, her Piper Cub. They also painted AUNT BETTY on the fuselage.

Recently, a taxiway was built over the drainage ditch that runs between the 2,800-foot grass runway known as Para-dise Field and the club’s new hangar. Paradise Field will be the primary land-ing strip for the club. Paradise Field is the runway used during SUN ’n FUN for light sport and ultralight aircraft. It is lo-

cated south of the end of runway 5.The long-term plans are for the club to

become a legacy club. The earliest mem-bers of the club are beginning to age out,

Zidziunas noted. He added that past club members will always be welcome and “after age 25, they become mentor mem-bers.”

Club’s new hangar opens in time for fly-in

Above: Lakeland Aero-Club President Mike Zidziunas (second from left) with club members Trevor Penix, Mi-chael Jenkins, and Tyson Trentham in front of the club’s Piper Cub named Aunt Betty (N32721) outside the new hangar.

Right: The new hangar has parking space for several airplanes and the club’s mobile education classroom.

Lakeland Aero Club members P.J. Ohsiek, Philip Herrington, Cate Rosenoff, and Dane Busone stand in the club’s new hangar.

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By JANICE WOOD

The third annual SUN ’n FUN Career Fair returns to the fly-in tomorrow, with hundreds of job seekers expected to be on hand.

The career fair, slated from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Aerospace Discovery at the Florida Air Museum, is a partnership be-tween SUN ’n FUN and JSfirm.com, an aviation-only job site.

“Each year the Career Fair becomes more popular with aviation companies because of the quality of talent in one place. This year will be no exception,” said Robb Williams, executive director of the Aerospace Center for Excellence.

Companies that will be looking for po-tential employees this year include Delta Airlines, Frontier, Compass, GoJet, Trans States, Republic, Allegiant, Endeavor, FlightSafety International, PSA, Express Jet and Ameriflight.

Working with SUN ’n FUN on the Ca-reer Fair just made sense to JSfirm, ac-cording to Abbey Hutter, the company’s marketing coordinator.

“We feel that our goals align with SUN ’n FUN,” she said. “JSfirm has always been a free resource for job seekers, and our newest initiative is to get into the schools and let students know that we are

there for them.”And while everyone in aviation knows

about SUN ’n FUN, there are still those who are unfamiliar with JSFirm, she noted.

“We feel the career fair is a way to help a great cause and to get our name out there and let people know that we are a free resource for them,” she said.

Something new at this year’s Career Fair is that interview space will be avail-able at the museum so the companies can actually conduct interviews with the most promising candidates.

And with the shortages that aviation is facing for pilots and maintenance person-nel, the companies are definitely hiring, Hutter said. In fact, according to a recent survey by JSfirm.com, 85% of aviation companies expect to hire additional em-ployees in 2016, with maintenance tech-nicians, pilots and avionics technicians in the highest demand.

And the SUN ’n FUN Career Fair has proved to be a win-win for both job seek-ers and employers, according to Hutter.

“We hear back from job seekers all the

time that they got hired — especially last year,” she said. “A bunch of people actu-ally got a job from that career fair.”

So if you notice people walking around the fly-in Wednesday dressed in suits, don’t think they are crazy. They are just looking for a job.

Hopefully they will have brought a change of clothes, because once the Ca-reer Fair is over, all the job seekers are encouraged to explore the SUN ’n FUN campus and enjoy the air show.

Find out more at JSfirm.com.

SUN ’n FUN Career Fair returns tomorrow

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By BOB MACKEY

There are many reasons to go to a fly-in and I’m betting looking for aircraft insur-ance isn’t one of them. However let’s say you are looking for an airplane or a kit and you’re at the fly-in to check out some options. Why not check out insurance? There are all sorts of exhibitors, including aircraft insurance brokers.

There are roughly 15 aviation insur-ance companies and all but one work ex-clusively through aviation insurance bro-kers. The broker works for you to finds the right insurance at the best price. The broker gets paid a commission when they arrange insurance for the aircraft owner. Your goal is to find the right broker who will do the best job for you.

If you are interested in checking out some aircraft insurance options, what do you need to know?

Look at the list of exhibitors and iden-tify the aviation insurance brokers.

Go to each exhibit and stand back to see what’s going on. Also, check out each ex-hibit to see what their message is.

When you are ready introduce yourself, let the broker what you are looking for. I call this the “listening stage.”

If the broker goes directly to asking all sorts of questions about your aircraft so they can get a firm quote for you, just says

no thanks and walk away.

The broker will definitely ask you some questions about you, your airplane, the kind of flying you do, and what insur-ance coverage you are looking for. This is only so they will better under-stand your objectives. But a good broker will listen to determine how they can help you achieve your goal.

The broker will then either give you a ballpark price or will move to get all of the details for a firm quote if that is what you want. Remember it is up to you. In ei-ther case, the broker should explain cov-erage options and they may offer other suggestions that will help you maximize your protection and minimize the cost of insurance.

If you are looking for a firm price, the broker may need to contact several avia-tion insurance companies to get the best options for you. Regardless, the broker will give you their contact information and they will follow up with you or you can contact the broker after the fly-in.

The one thing you do not need to do at a fly-in is go around getting aircraft insur-ance quotes from every broker. As I men-tioned earlier, there are a limited number of aviation insurance companies and the brokers all go to these same companies for quotes. What you are looking for at a fly-in is the broker who listens to you and will get you the right insurance at the best price based on your objectives.

Enjoy the fly-in!

Shopping for aircraft insurance at a fly-in

Bob Mackey is a representative for the EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan, which is administered by Falcon Insurance Agency. You can find out more at the show at the EAA Insurance Solutions administered by Falcon Insurance Agency, booth at LD-007/013 or at EAAInsurance.org.

Bob Mackey

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Dare to FLY Fashion, an online boutique store featuring aviation-inspired apparel not found in off-the-rack locations, debuts at this week’s show.

The fashion line is made exclusively for those seek-ing to showcase their passion for flight, as well as inspire oth-ers to fly, according to designer and boutique owner Jen Toplak.

Topeka noted that a percentage of the proceeds goes to aviation scholarships because she believes flying enriches peo-ple’s lives by build-ing self-esteem, a sense of freedom and empowerment.

Dare to FLY Fashion’s pieces are in limited supply, Toplak added, which

means if you find a shirt or cap that you “must have” you shouldn’t wait to buy it.

See the full line at Dare to Fly’s exhibit in Hangar B, space 16.

Dare to FLY Fashion debuts


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 attractions 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.

Safari Wilderness RanchWitness the dramatic landscapes of the

Serengeti without ever leaving Lakeland, let alone having to secure visas or vac-cines. A 30-minute drive from the SUN ’n FUN campus to North Lakeland will transport you to another world.

At Safari Wilderness Ranch — named one of the “10 Best Safaris in the U.S.” by Fodors.com — there are no crowds or lines, just the pristine wilderness that is home to more than 600 animals from Africa, Asia, and America.

You’ll board a canopied safari vehicle with experienced guides to explore lush

wetlands and open grasslands where you’ll enjoy close-up encounters with roaming herds, including zebra, kudu, springbok, and water buffalo.

For an even more exotic adventure, reserve a Camel Tour or the new Kayak Safari, where you’ll navigate through freshwater areas for close-up encounters with wetland species such as red lechwe, sitatunga, waterbuck, barasingha, and wa-ter buffalo.

Game viewing by kayak offers a unique perspective that is both adventurous and educational. Approximately one hour is spent on the water. Midway through the safari, you will navigate to lemur island, where you’ll hand-feed grapes to a troop of ring-tailed lemurs. Also included is an abridged (roughly 15-30 minute) vehicle safari with a water buffalo feeding en-counter.

This 260-acre preserve is surrounded by

Florida’s Green Swamp, an 870-square-mile watershed that is the source of four of Florida’s finest rivers.

Reservations are required and tours operate Wednesday through Sunday at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. The ranch, which is a family-run enterprise, also offers group

Stay an extra day

STAY | See Page 35

The Singing Tower at Bok Gardens.

View exotic creatures at Safari Wilderness Ranch.

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The next two years will see a milestone for the Experimental Aircraft Associa-tion’s Young Eagles program. In 2016, the Young Eagles program will fly its 2 mil-lionth young person since its founding in 1992, a spark that will lead the program into its 25th anniversary in 2017.

“When Young Eagles started in the early 1990s, there were those who said that EAA members wouldn’t be able to fly a million young people, and they were wrong,” EAA CEO/Chairman Jack Pelton said. “We’re now on the verge of reach-

ing 2 million Young Eagles during 2016, and that’s a credit to all the volunteer pi-lots and ground volunteers through the years. More important, we’re seeing those young people flown in past years now in-volved in aviation and even flying Young Eagles of their own.”

Sean D. Tucker, the air show performer who serves as Young Eagles chairman, will again be flying young people at each of his air show stops during 2016. He has already flown his initial Young Eagles in 2016 as part of his “Every Kid Can Fly”

program in his hometown of Salinas, California, and will make his first public flight in the New York City area during an air show performance there in early May.

Special recognition of the 2 millionth Young Eagle will be at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016 in late July. As part of that celebration, EAA is seeking former Young Eagles who are now pilots and fly-ing Young Eagles on their own as part of the overall recognition. If you’re one of those aviators, contact the EAA Young Eagles office at [email protected] or

through its Facebook page at Facebook.com/EAAYoungEagles.

Pilots are always invited to fly Young Eagles. Go to EAA.org/YoungEagles to complete all the necessary requirements to start flying young people and join the thousands who will be helping to reach the 2 million milestone.

“The future of aviation depends on you and me,” Tucker said. “Get out there, get yourself ready and fly Young Eagles. Let’s make this year one that will be an unforgettable, positive one for aviation!”

On the verge: 2 million Young Eagles

rates and private tours.For more information, or to make res-

ervations, go to SafariWilderness.com or call 813-382-2120.

Bok Tower GardensRising 205 feet over central Florida’s

rolling hills is one of the great achieve-ments of America’s “golden age of archi-tecture.”

Built in 1929 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993, Edward W. Bok’s art deco, neo-Gothic Singing Tow-er houses one of the world’s finest caril-lons and serves as the iconic focal point

of Bok Tower Gardens.Publisher, philanthropist, and naturalist

Edward Bok commissioned two design-ers — landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and architect Milton B. Me-dary — to create a sanctuary that would preserve the area’s natural beauty and be-come a haven for birds and wildlife. The result is a meandering, historic landscape garden in an informal woodland setting offering a series of romantic recesses and tranquil resting spots, picturesque vistas and breathtaking views of Bok’s 60-bell, marble and coquina “Singing Tower” car-illon.

According to David Price, president of Bok Tower Gardens and co-author of

“Bok Tower Gardens: America’s Taj Ma-hal,” Edward Bok’s story is one of appre-ciation and giving back to the country that afforded him so much over his lifetime.

“Bok wanted to create a place of beauty as a gift to the American people, and the culmination of his life’s work was the dedication of the gardens and tower in 1929,” Price said. “It’s part of American history, a story that deserves to be told.”

Bok Tower Gardens sits atop Iron Mountain on the Lake Wales Ridge, one of the highest points in peninsular Flor-ida. The surrounding low lands were al-most completely covered by ocean 2 mil-lion years ago, leaving just the elevated Lake Wales Ridge to protrude above the

surface until the waters receded, reveal-ing Florida as we know it today. By virtue of that elevation, the Lake Wales Ridge and Bok Tower Gardens are home to rare plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world, including the threatened gopher tortoise.

Bok Tower Gardens is in the midst of the largest expansion in its 87-year his-tory, a $12 million capital improvement project that will expand the attraction to include an interactive children’s area, wild and pollinator gardens, outdoor kitchen, edible garden, and a new entrance that features an oval lawn.

For more information, go to BokTow-erGardens.org.

STAY | From Page 34

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

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WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAYSUN ’n FUN 2015

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 Lycoming Engine Care & Maintenance, Frank Lu-kachinsky

3 Panel and Cockpit Design, Chuck Rowbotham

4 Flying Around The World Can Be Safe & Fun, Caro-lAnn Garrett

5 Flying cars of the past — now the Samson Switch-blade, Brian Purdy

6 Decrease Costs: How to Minimize & Avoid Bird Strikes, Gary Cook/Lt. Col.

David Paulsgrove 7 Care & Maintenance of your

Cleveland Wheels & Brakes, Vern Rodgers

10 All Auto Conversions: What’s New, What’s Old, What Works, Patrick Pan-zera

10 amRm#

1 Flying the Tailwheel Air-plane: Key Points for Be-coming a Great Stick and Rudder Pilot, Jim Alsip

2 Maximum Performance Flying in Beech Bonanza & Barons, Thomas P. Turner

3 TFRs and Intercepts: How to Avoid a Fighter Escort, Lt. Col. Mike McMillin

4 Corvair Engine Conversions and Saberwing Aircraft, Bill Clapp

6 Is a Drone in your Future?

Scott Sky Smith 7 800WXBrief.com, Michele

Rash 8 ADS-Be Ready: 2020 Starts

Today, Peter Ring10 Auto PSRU’s Chevrolet LS3

& Subaru Engines for High-Performance Aircraft, Stuart Davis

11 amRm#

1 The Next Revolution in iPad Flying: Combining the iPad with Web-based Planning, Steve Podradchik

2 Spark Plug Design & Main-tenance, Brian Cox

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

4 On and Off Airport Emergen-cy Landings: What Would You Do? David Joseph

5 Electric Aircraft Projects, Neil Cosentino

6 The Ultimate Off-Road Ad-venture: Flying a Seaplane, Steve McCaughey

7 Understanding DUATS, Leon Thomas

8 Short Field Takeoffs & Land-ings, John Hook

10 Pegasus 58-hp 1/2 Conti-nental O-200 conversion, TBA

12 p.m.Rm#

1 iPad Take Flight: Advanced iPad Use, Charles P. Schnei-der

2 Innovator Flight & Perfor-

mance Test, Richard Hogan 3 Alphabet Airspace: Know

Before You Go, Jack Vande-venter

5 K6-12+ STEM Pilot Wings Program, Neil Cosentino

6 Nic3 Cylinders, TITAN by Continental Motors

7 The Luscombe Association, John Hoffmann

8 Panel Layout for Experimen-tal Aircraft, David Weber

10 UL Power, UL260i 95-hp@164 lbs., Robert Helms

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

1 p.m.Rm#

1 What You Need to Know About ADS-B, Tom Harper

2 Taming the Tailwheel, Jim Guldi

3 10 Tips to Get Your Pilot’s License and Be Safe, Jack Vandeventer

5 The Florida Global Airport Project: Why Global Airports Are Needed in the 21st Century, Neil Cosentino

6 Pilot Reports, Paul Suffern 7 IFR Made Easy, Gary Reeves 8 Compression Testing Air-

craft Engines & Maximizing Cylinder Life, Bill Ross

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

10 Revmaster’s New Turbo VW Engine and New Redrive Design, Patrick Panzera


11 LSA Flying and Buying Tips, John Calla

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 a.m. ADS-B and NextGen, Robert Jex, Orlando FSDO10 a.m. Pilot Reports, Paul Suffern, NTSB Air Safety Inves-tigator11:30 a.m. ADS-B Avionics So-lutions, Jay Shears, Bendix-King1 p.m. Expectation Bias in Pilot Deviations, Rick Lovell, Daytona Beach Air Traffic Organization

PARADISE CITY FORUMSLight-Sport Aircraft, Sport Pilot and Ultralight forums are held in the Paradise City Briefing/Forum Tent.9 am Daily Devotional: MASA Tent10:30 a.m. Starting an EAA Chapter Light Plane Area, Carla Lash12 p.m. Getting Started in Ultralight Flying, Timm Bogen-hagen1 p.m. Light Aviation Engine Debate, featuring Continental, Rotax, UL Power and Jabiru1:30 p.m. Drone/UAV: FAA’s Latest Updates, Steve Gowdy3 p.m. Flying Safe In and Around Florida, Steve Mc-Caughey

MUSEUM PROGRAMS10 am: FAA Southern Region General Aviation Awards11 am: FAA Southern Region CFI of the Region11:20 am: FAA Southern Re-gion FAAST Representative of the Region11:40 am: FAA Southern Re-gion AMT of the Region

FORUMS AT THE AOPA ACTIVITY TENT

A variety of forums will be held throughout the week at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots As-sociation (AOPA) Activity Tent.10 am: Mind Over Matter, George Perry11 am: ADS-B Panel Discus-sion: 978UAT vs. 1090ES, What Is Best For My Airplane? Mike Collins12 pm: Jeppesen: RNAV Re-vealed, Slim Morgan1 pm: Are You Breathing Enough Oxygen? Dr. Paul Buza2 pm: NTSB’s Most Wanted, Loss of Control: Introduction to Aspen’s Angle of Attack Indica-

tor, Scott Smith

AIRSHOWThe airshow launches at 2:30 pm and goes through about 6 pm (weather permitting). Slated to perform today are:Larry KingBob CarltonEAA Warbirds of AmericaGary WardGolden KnightsJason NewbergJerry ConleyLima Lima Flight TeamRedline Airshows

Rower AirshowsStallion 51,TigersWildHorse Aviation

EVENING ENTERTAINMENT6-8 pm: Music by Justin Grimes in the Corn Roast Area7-10 pm: Stargazing, Astrono-my Workshop7:45 pm: Pilot Error, Movie & Q&A, Roger Rapoport, in the Aerospace Pavilion

EVENING MOVIEAt Ace’s Flying’ Flix in the CampgroundsSunset: The Story of G.I. Joe

Only 30 tickets to go…Only 30 tickets remain for Thursday’s

Flight to the Future Fundraising Dinner, which launches at 6 p.m. at the Buehler Aerospace Skill Center. Once the 30 tick-ets are gone, “this will be the first time ever we’ve sold out the fundraising din-ner,” one official noted.

You can buy tickets at Sun-n-Fun.org.


Scenes from SUN ’n FUN

Did you shoot a great photo at SUN ’n FUN this morning or afternoon? Want to see it in tomorrow’s edition of SUN ’n FUN Today?

Bring your camera to the SUN ’n FUN Today trailer near the Cessna dis-play by 1 p.m. We can download your photo and then we’ll put the best ones in the next day’s paper.

Or, you can text photos from your phone to (253) 228-1634. Be sure to include your name, the names of any people in the picture and a few details about what’s happening in the shot.

Not every picture will make the pa-per, so bring us your best and get that instant gratification of seeing your name in the paper the next morning.

Calling all photographers

Photo by Ken StrohmPhoto by Matt Genuardi

Photo by Ken Strohm

Photo by Ken StrohmPhoto by Ken Strohm

Photo by Ken Strohm

Phot

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Husky. Your Ride to Freedom.BeachHounds

307.885.3151 AVIATAIRCRAFT.COM HUSKY ★ PITTS ★ EAGLEPost Office Box 1240 Afton, WY 83110

Photo: Bob Kaufman ©2016 Aviat Aircraft, Inc.

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snf today, tuesday april 5, 2016

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