Jay Carter’s FutureFlight-I vehicle looks more like a flying motorcycle than a flying car, but it demonstrated the concept impressively during an April flight from Georgia Tech in Atlanta to Sun ‘n Fun. The three-day flight included stops at two motels and several restaurants, where parking lots served as airports; a Harley-Davidson dealership; the University […]
Buehler Restoration Skills Center opens on Sun ‘n Fun campus
The newest addition to the expanding Sun ‘n Fun campus — the Emil Buehler Restoration Skills Center — was dedicated at this year’s fly-in. The 8,000-square-foot facility, located next to the Florida Air Museum, will house Sun ‘n Fun’s year-round aircraft restoration activities. It was made possible by a $300,000 grant from the Emil Buehler […]
Cessna Center dedicated
The newest permanent building on the Sun ‘n Fun campus at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Florida was dedicated opening day of this year’s fly-in. The Cessna Center will be used to support year-round education programs at Sun ‘n Fun, according to Greg Harbaugh, Sun ‘n Fun vice president. “This will foster the next generation,” […]
Beat the heat
Necessity is the mother of invention. Just ask Greg Turton, an Atlanta businessman who owns a Cirrus. Often spending 30 minutes or more waiting to takeoff in the crowded Atlanta airspace, he realized he needed air conditioning. But at $25,000 to $30,000, it was just too expensive. “I wouldn’t pay that much for it,” he […]
What’s it like to be a fighter pilot?
What’s it like to fly F-15s? “It’s a great job,” says Capt. Tony Bierenkoven, demonstration team commander and pilot for the West Coast F-15 Demonstration Team, which performed at Sun ‘n Fun. “I’ve flown every day this week.” The team that flew at Sun ‘n Fun is based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. […]
Forward looking with Forward Vision
When most of us think of Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) we envision police helicopters looking for people on the ground or expensive all-weather systems in Gulfstream cockpits. It’s hard to imagine FLIR in small general aviation aircraft at a price of $18,680. Harder to imagine than that is the many ways in which FLIR can […]
ADS-B for situational awareness
If you’ve never heard of ADS-B or seen how it shows what’s sharing airspace with you, you need to get together with Todd Sprague of PC Avionics. He can show how his software and an ADS-B box aboard your airplane can enhance your safety exponentially. ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) tracks all air traffic around you […]
Flying machines with souls
The very newest thing in Light Sport Aircraft looks for all the world like an airplane from the early years of aviation. It’s the Aerolab LoCamp from Italy, sporting two open cockpits, fabric covering, a fine wood instrument panel and a radial engine – but it’s so new that it has yet to achieve LSA […]
Sensenich adds composites to classic wood propellers
Sensenich Propellers, among the oldest in the aviation business, showed the newest of propeller technology at Sun ‘n Fun this year. Famous for its elegant wooden propellers – things of beauty as well as function – Sensenich featured its new composite props at its fly-in display. The ground-adjustable blades are built of carbon fiber and […]