Category Archives: affordable flying

2017 SUN ‘n FUN Numbers

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2017 SUN ‘n FUN Numbers
The 43rd Annual SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo presented by VISIT FLORIDA and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association took place April 4 –9, 2017 in Lakeland, Florida. SnF17 was the best fly-in SUN ‘n FUN has ever had. We are pleased to release the following data and fun facts:
•                    Approximately 200,000 guests attended from over 60 countries
•                    Brazil, Canada and United Kingdom once again had the highest amount of visitors
•                    SUN ‘n FUN ordered over 400 Portalets, 18 light towers, 415 golf carts, and 120 tents
•                    More than 4,000 rolls of toilet paper were used during the week
•                    SUN ‘n FUN distributed 90,000 bottles of water and approximately 19,000 sandwiches to volunteers
•                    More than 3,000 volunteers helped during the 6-day event
•                    HAM Radio worked 39 States, 12 Countries, Canada, Italy, Norway, Estonia are some of them and had a total of 742 worldwide contacts for the 6 days.
•                    38 Student tours were conducted with 969 students
•                    Approximately 400 people attended educational workshops
•                    500 Students attended the Blue Angels Symposium
•                    10,000 Visitors toured the Piedmont Aerospace Experience, the only working Boeing 727 Classroom on a high school campus
•                    7 speakers in the Museum that travelled Mach 3  (3 times the speed of sound) in the iconic SR-71 Blackbird
•                    130 Career Minded individuals from 48 states and 3 countries attended our 4th Annual Career Fair with 14 exhibitors
•                    One astronaut, Senator Bill Nelson, spoke to educators during the Aerospace Educators Workshop
•                    First ever UAV Demonstration during an Air Show
•                    500 People participated in the inaugural Drone Zone
•                    443 media representatives attended from 16 countries
•                    5,988 people attended 331 forums
•                    3,228 People attended 56 workshops
•                    over 9,000 aircraft movements took place
•                    510 Exhibitors participated in the event
SUN ‘n FUN Radio stats:
·         Total connections: 21,882 (up 0.5% over 2016)
Total unique listeners: 8,431 (up 0.35% over 2016)
·         More than 44 hours were live broadcasted over the 6 days
·         Approximately 120 Live interviews and 120 field interviews were conducted
Social Media stats:
•                    Total Reach (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) = over 2.5 million
•                    Total Impressions = almost 10 million
•                    Engagement Rate = over 500,000 on Facebook
•                    Surpassed 80,000 Facebook followers
•                    Fielded more than 500 direct messages for customer service – and responded to 99% of them in fewer than 20 minutes
Florida Aviation Network stats:
·         82 Volunteers were on the crew and worked throughout the week of SUN ‘n FUN 2017 .
·         Broadcasted 45 interviews from our set at the Florida Aviation Museum and shot numerous reports from the field.
Jackie Jenkins
Communications Coordinator

Proficiency training Simulator or aircraft?

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The following question from a customer asked about doing regular training.  Its important to note that sometimes insurance companies require training in a specific class or category of aircraft.  For example; if you fly a pressurized or cabin class aircraft, you will probably be required to get “factory approved”  initial ground and flight training along with recurrent training after that. Most companies require recurrent every year but there are a few that will go for two or three years between the training. A lot depends on the type of aircraft you are flying.   
That said —- 
Q. Proficiency.  I’m thinking of going to a school such as RTC, Flight Safety etc.  Most of these companies do simulator training.  Am I better off going out with an instructor, doing the FAA Wings kind of thing, or going to a school?  Training in the airplane will give me some dual, my Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) and my flight review?  Which is a better way to go?

A. That’s a tough one.  From an insurance standpoint, many of the underwriters require training from a factory approved school that specializes in your specific aircraft.  That training is often in a simulator and counts as your IPC, flight review and dual.  That is if it’s from an approved school or training institution. 

I’m a big believer in the FAA Wings programs and flight simulators to keep a pilot proficient.  If the weather is really bad or your checkbook is a little empty, flying with a Flight Simulator program on your home computer can be a great help.  While it might not be logging “real” hours, it can sure help keep your mind in the flying mood.  The Flight Sim program can overlay weather, set up approaches and do almost everything a pilot need s to do to feel comfortable in their aircraft.  Flying to a new destination?  Set up the Flight Sim program to fly into the area, make a few approaches and you’ll feel like you been there before when you get there for the first time.

Whenever possible take advantage of flying the real thing and practice.   Sure I like simulators and software, but I think the real proficiency comes from flying the aircraft.  That’s why we buy an aircraft to begin with.  Hook up with a qualified instructor that you like and go out and have fun and learn at the same time.