By JONI M. FISHER
Earlier the week at SUN ’n FUN, Roger and Jeanette Glazer of Newport Beach, Calif., donated a Twin Bee seaplane (N123BR) to the Vermont Flight Academy.
On hand Wednesday to present the keys were the Glazers, Steve McCaughey, executive director of the Seaplane Pilots Association, Douglas W. Smith, president of the Vermont Flight Academy, and pilot Eric Weaver.
Before donating the plane the Glazers had it renovated by Harry and Christopher Shannon of Amphibians Plus in Bartow, Florida. Weaver was hired by Roger Glazer to fly the plane from Chino, California, to Florida for the restoration. He connected the Glazers to Smith at the Vermont Flight Academy, the state’s only FAR 141 approved school.
“I am thrilled to have this plane because students can get three separate ratings with one plane and have a lot of fun doing it,” he said. “We’ll be the only college aviation program with a seaplane rating.”
The airplane bears logos for both Vermont Flight Academy and Vermont Tech College.
“We’ve added the names of Mr. and Mrs. Roger Glazer to always remember who made this incredible gift possible for so many students,” he added.
N 123 BR the Twin Bee was formerly owned by BB Robozo, friend of President Richard Nixon. I flew it in 1994 when it was used by Jack Browns Seaplane base for training.