As this year’s Sun ’n Fun winds down today, there’s a new TBM 850 owner: Dr. Bruce Feldstein of New Hampshire. The sale was made at the fly-in by Ken Dono, director of sales at Columbia Aircraft Sales, TBM distributor for the northeastern USA. “This is the first time we have sold a TBM 850 during […]
AOPA Foundation’s Hat in the Ring Society to honor GA
The AOPA Foundation has unveiled a plan to expand its Hat in the Ring Society and bestow four awards on those in the general aviation industry who have made significant strides in each of the categories. The society, chaired by actor and GA advocate Morgan Freeman and co-chaired by author Stuart Woods, air race pilot […]
Winner of ‘Fly a P-51’ Fundraiser chosen
On Saturday, March 31, the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) held the drawing for a flight in Stallion 51’s P-51TF, “The LITTLE Witch” at Sun ’n Fun. Standing beside the airplane on the Warbird Ramp at Sun ’n Fun, Stallion 51 Owner and Chief Pilot Lee Lauderback randomly drew the winning ticket from […]
Master Pilots honored at Sun ’n Fun
On Friday, March 30, a distinguished group of aviators received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award during a ceremony at the FAA Production Studios on the Sun ’n Fun campus at Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport (LAL). The seven recipients, plus their friends and family, packed the room, as FAASTeam Program Manager Jim Minardy hosted the festivities and […]
Warbird Doctor
When Jamie Trudeau was a kid, his dad, who was a fighter pilot, wouldn’t take him to the airport. “Aviation is an addictive disease,” his dad told told him, “and there is no rehab.” But Trudeau didn’t listen. He got his license, then built six ultralights — and promptly crashed five of them. He found […]
Aero 454 debuts
Guardian Avionics by CO Guardian has introduced the Aero 454, which receives data from your airplane’s Garmin GPS system (430, 530, 650, 750, G900, or G1000) and transmits it simultaneously to as many three iPad/tablet devices held by pilots or passengers. The new Aero 454, an FAA/TSO certified product, can reference locations, maps, flight plans, […]
King Schools releases two new courses
While at SUN ’n FUN, John and Martha King of King Schools reported they will release an online Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC) by the end of April. The course follows the latest guidance from the FAA recently released as revision “G” of FAA Advisory Circular 61-83, which specifies more up-to-date topics for flight instructors […]
McCauley now accepting direct orders
McCauley Propeller Systems has begun retail sales, giving customers the option of purchasing propeller products directly from the OEM or through a McCauley Authorized Service Facility. “After analyzing the general aviation market and economic trends, the business decision has been made to alter and expand our current distribution strategy to accept orders directly from any […]
Checkertails slate reunion
The 67th annual reunion of the World War II 325th Fighter Group “Checkertail Clan” will be hosted at the “Wings Over Camarillo” Air Show Aug. 15-19, in Camarillo, Calif. Checkertail veteran pilot Frank Bolek and his daughter, Gayle, were at Sun ’n Fun yesterday visiting the airshow. The Checkertails, a legendary World War II unit with […]