Making a historic flight takes more than just kicking the tires and lighting the fires. Robert DeLaurentis is taking steps to prepare himself – mentally and physically – for his pole-to-pole flight.
Pole to Pole circumnavigation: Aircraft and logistics preparation
It takes a lot of preparation to fly from the North Pole to the South Pole.
Terrific twin T-34s
In 1987, Reid Garrison bought a shell of a T-34A Beechcraft Mentor that had been languishing in a hangar in Memphis to restore with his sons Brett and Jeff. It had no canopy, no engine, no instrument panel, and no control surfaces. This did not faze Reid. He had already restored two T-6s. And his […]
Couple builds replica Sopwith Schneider
Their love of aviation and history have led Retired USAF Colonels Blake and Sandy Thomas to build replicas of World War I aircraft. Last year at SUN ’n FUN, they brought the replica they built of a 1917 Nieuport-28. This year, they brought a replica 1915 Sopwith Schneider they built in 2012. It took them […]
Formation flying with the Phillips 66 Aerostars: Pardon the shouting
The most exciting perk of working as an aviation reporter is that, occasionally, I get invited to ride with airshow performers. Four of us from the media pool at SUN ‘n FUN 2018 enjoyed that thrill on Thursday, April 12, 2018. Kimberly Moore of The Lakeland Ledger newspaper, Phil Lightstone, a freelance writer for the Canadian […]
Building Chris’s Bliss
Members of The Lakeland Aero Club are building an experimental Sonex Motorglider to fulfill a father’s promise. When Leslie Johnson made plans to build a Sonex Motorglider with his son, no one knew his son Chris had cancer. “The garage was set up with tools, supplies, workbenches, you name it,” said Lakeland Aero Club Director […]
Sun sets on Knight’s days as chairman of SUN ‘n FUN
When SUN ’n FUN closed on Sunday, April 16, 2018, Chairman of the Board Bob Knight stepped down as the point man of the organization after serving for six and a half years. While this was his last fly-in as chairman, he will remain on the SUN ’n FUN board. A tall, genial Southern gentleman, […]
Transition to the Sky
One of the many educational events hosted by SUN ‘n FUN during the year is a new program called Transition to the Sky. Designed to introduce flying to travelers with special needs, Transition to the Sky allows people to experience the process and the procedures of commercial air travel. The step-by-step practice and explanation of […]
Build and fly at Central High
Like many high schools, Westosha Central High School in Paddock Lock, Wisconsin, struggled to make science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies relevant and exciting. “Unfortunately, a lot of programs misuse the term STEM,” said James Senft, a pilot for the last 30 years who taught high school physics and is now a college administrator. “Kids are […]