Sun 'n Fun 2012

Flying down Wednesday, probably won't go to the show until Thursday.
 
I may show up saturday - i've browsed the notam and it looks like I would need to plan on arriving before noon on saturday and departing after the airshow sunday is over at 5:30.. is this correct?
 
I may show up saturday - i've browsed the notam and it looks like I would need to plan on arriving before noon on saturday and departing after the airshow sunday is over at 5:30.. is this correct?

They do close departures in the afternoon for the airshow and then it is great fun getting out once they let folks start moving. It is like the Long Island Expressway except airplanes and you line up in tandem on the runway and take off alternating left and right. Great fun!
 
Flew in today. Perfet weather and went straight in on the arrival with no holding. Easiest arrival yet in the last 10 years.

The arrival ATIS was almost usless as usual. They just took 5 min to read the arrival procedure and finally gave the landing runway at the very end. No cloud info, no winds, and no altimeter setting. Plant City was the closest AWOS with the useful info.
 
The arrival ATIS was almost usless as usual. They just took 5 min to read the arrival procedure and finally gave the landing runway at the very end. No cloud info, no winds, and no altimeter setting. Plant City was the closest AWOS with the useful info.


Im glad I drove in, lol. I will be here until Friday.
 
FXE --> LAL --> FXE
3/30/2012 same day return
IFR certified 172SP on a VFR flight.

1 open seat left to fill.
If you're interested let me know!
 
And don't forget about the PoA lunch at the Sunset Grill at 12:30pm Wednesday... that is tomorrow! David W., Mike N., and Steingar I know are already here (I mean there... I am commuting back and forth to KLAL from KZPH...) anyway, come and join us! :D
 
Planning to fly in for the day either tomorrow or Thursday depending on coordinating schedules. Red and white Lear 24, don't know where we will park.
 
And don't forget about the PoA lunch at the Sunset Grill at 12:30pm Wednesday... that is tomorrow! David W., Mike N., and Steingar I know are already here (I mean there... I am commuting back and forth to KLAL from KZPH...) anyway, come and join us! :D


I'll be there. I'm coming in for lunch and the afternoon I think. Although AOPA is doing a pancake breakfast at 8am. Any certain spot to find you all?
 
How about by the bar area?? There are some patio type tables there in front of the Sunset Grill. Hopefully, we won't have too much trouble finding each other!
 
I didn't see anyone at Sunset Grill, but then again I wasn't sure who I was looking for. I am here through Saturday, so hope I can meet some of you.
 
We must have missed you. Then again I wasnt sure who I was looking for. :)
 
Yeah. Did you meet any of the others? Tomorrow I'll be in work attire. Tan shorts, blue shirt, tan hat. Everything will say "Aviall" on it if you see me. Or send me a text MSG. 352.502.5431.
 
Aaron Tippin walked into the booth this afternoon. I got to spend about 10 minutes talking to him about the comet, flying the B-29, SNJ, J-3 and Luscombes. A really great guy from an aviation family. We gave him a Comet tee shirt and he let some of the guys get pictures.
 
Yup. Thursday.

http://db.tt/CBAG88in

That's my goofy voice y'all are hearing on SnF Radio in the above linked recording.

Dave Shallbetter wrote the copy and asked me to record the announcement a while back.

Wish I could get down there to meet Dave and all the PoA folks there!

Have a great time!
 
It was a great time! I wish I'd gotten to meet the few people from this thread that I hadn't had a chance to meet yet, but it was fun seeing David, Mike N., Steingar, and Kim P. again! I'm headed north-ish again tomorrow. :( Until next year....
 
I left Sun 'n' Fun around noon today. Got there Tuesday night and camped in the West 40. Had a great time. Wed, attended a talk on flying to the Carib and another on mountain flying. Both by knowledgable folk, both pitching a product but that is fine, fair exchange and all that.

I forgot to go to the meet-up on Wed. Arrgh. Was walking around the show with my son and could have popped in but it slipped my mind.

My memorable moment was getting a bit of heat for taxiing fast down Papa on arrival. I landed long on 9R as directed and rolled all the way to the end. Then had to taxi well over two miles to camp. It was getting late, I wanted to start setting up and I was moving a bit, shall we say briskly once past all the flaggers. "7-4 Tango, where's the fire?" comes on this deep and slow southern drawl, "you taxiin' or you takin' off? How's about you slow it down a scootch. There ya go." Priceless.

The weather was gorgeous! Bit warm but I watched the sun come up this morning with nary a cloud in the sky. Cool with ground fog over the turf and was treated to five balloons gently drifting across the rising sun. A definite keeper!
 
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I left Sun 'n' Fun around noon today. Got there Tuesday night and camped in the West 40. Had a great time. Wed, attended a talk on flying to the Carib and another on mountain flying. Both by knowledgable folk, both pitching a product but that is fine, fair exchange and all that.

I forgot to go to the meet-up on Wed. Arrgh. Was walking around the show with my son and could have popped in but it slipped my mind.

My memorable moment was getting a bit of heat for taxiing fast down Papa on arrival. I landed long on 9R as directed and rolled all the way to the end. Then had to taxi well over two miles to camp. It was getting late, I wanted to start setting up and I was moving a bit, shall we say briskly once past all the flaggers. "7-4 Tango, where's the fire?" comes on this deep and slow southern drawl, "you taxiin' or you takin' off? How's about you slow it down a scootch. There ya go." Priceless.

The weather was gorgeous! Bit warm but I watched the sun come up this morning with nary a cloud in the sky. Cool with ground fog over the turf and was treated to five balloons gently drifting across the rising sun. A definite keeper!


LOL... but wasn't flying the approach procedure F-U-N??!! I did it twice and am already looking forward to next year. I think I like it better than flying the arrival procedure into Wittman during Airventure! The visual reference points are easy to find and it's short and sweet. Used 9L both days, but you knew that already. Hey.... where were you sitting in the room at the Caribbean flying seminar?? I was at that seminar! Oh well, Steingar, David, Mike and I missed seeing CMTowner at the Sunset Grill too. Hope you got a nice tan at the show. I sure did! :D
 
LOL... but wasn't flying the approach procedure F-U-N??!! I did it twice and am already looking forward to next year. I think I like it better than flying the arrival procedure into Wittman during Airventure! The visual reference points are easy to find and it's short and sweet. Used 9L both days, but you knew that already. Hey.... where were you sitting in the room at the Caribbean flying seminar?? I was at that seminar! Oh well, Steingar, David, Mike and I missed seeing CMTowner at the Sunset Grill too. Hope you got a nice tan at the show. I sure did! :D

We got in easy but it was late and most of the traffic was off. We flew directly to the power plant and then turned in. I called turning south off I-4 and landed 9R.

I was 2nd row left of center with my 13-year-old son. I was the guy that mentioned my club losing radios in the Bahamas.

Good on the tan. I am a Miami boy and as tan as I am going to get.
 
Getting in was certainly,...err...entertaining. Getting out was certainly easy. Now back home safe and sound.
 
Got in yesterday. Landed just as the T-6s were taking off to start the Airshow! I knew it was going to be warm here, but WHOA!
 
Mass exodus from Lakeland. Weather sucks, I can't go any further north than Ocala. They are gonna get hammered with Tstorms
 
Mass exodus from Lakeland. Weather sucks, I can't go any further north than Ocala. They are gonna get hammered with Tstorms

I saw that last night and was thinking about you... UGH! Thought there might be some motivation for people to start for home to beat the weather. Be safe... And definitely let us all know when you make it home and can GET A HAIRCUT!! ;)
 
I saw that last night and was thinking about you... UGH! Thought there might be some motivation for people to start for home to beat the weather. Be safe... And definitely let us all know when you make it home and can GET A HAIRCUT!! ;)

Why does he need a haircut? ;)
 
It wasn't that bad. Had some stiff winds blow through and a short rain shower. I think only 1 or 2 shows cancelled and a couple actually flew DURING the weather! I'm planning on a 5:30 dept tomorrow. Hopefully can squeeze the jet between a couple of Cessnas in order to get out! Lol! Stopped by the weather office just prior to the storm and there where only a dozen or so people talking about leaving this afternoon or in the early morning.
 
Oh yeah, and the temp dropped 15-20 degrees which made for a really nice afternoon!
 
Oh yeah, and the temp dropped 15-20 degrees which made for a really nice afternoon!

What came thru lasted maybe a half hour and was very light rain at best, a little wind but nothing serious and the temps got a whole lot nicer and the day turned out really well. Almost everything skirted North of LAL.
 
Getting out was simple enough. Didn't have to squeeze in between Cessnas, actually had to takeoff right after and below a pair of AirCams! Just read an article that claimed attendance was up this year (at least on Friday)!
 
I recognize none of those planes but that is why they are cool. That guy flying the old one sure has courage.... I heard a lot of those crashed and hurt pilots.

Left to right

FiFi - B29 flown by the CAF http://www.cafb29b24.org/

Ford Tri-Motor owned by the EAA and tours the country.

http://www.airventuremuseum.org/fordtrimotor/

Red Tail P-51 Telling the Tuskegee Airmen Story

http://www.redtail.org/

1911 Ely-Curtiss Pusher Replica

http://elycurtisspusher.com/
 
I recognize none of those planes but that is why they are cool. That guy flying the old one sure has courage.... I heard a lot of those crashed and hurt pilots.

Naw, you heard wrong. It was the pilots that crashed and hurt those beautiful planes.
 
I heard the pilot of the Curtiss discussing what a handful the aircraft was during his flight.
 
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