Category Archives: sun n fun

SUN ’n FUN ANNOUNCES EVENING PROGRAMS: TOP NAMES, INFORMATION & ENTERTAINMENT

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March 23, 2010
SUN ‘n FUN CAMPUS, LAKELAND, FL. – From Congressional Gold Medal recipients from the Womens Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) and other “Women of the Air” to US Airways Flight 1549 First Officer Jeff Skiles discussing his “Miracle on the Hudson Landing,” this year’s line-up of Evening Programs is one of the strongest in the history of the SUN ’n FUN International Fly-In and Expo. This year’s Fly-In will be held April 13 – 18 at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Fla.

In addition to the programs mentioned above, the remainder of the week will include a look at recently completed or currently in the works Hollywood productions whose focus is on aviation; AOPA President Craig Fuller reporting on the state of general aviation and issues that impact the flying community; and a concert by “Aire Traffic,” a talented group of musicians comprised of current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Traffic Controllers.

“This year’s Evening Programs are shaping up to be the best Sun ‘n Fun has ever offered,” said SUN ’n FUN President and Convention Chairman John Burton. “There’s something for everyone each night of the week. What a great way to cap off an exciting day with an informative, entertaining and inspirational evening session. Bob and Beverly Hayden (Evening Program Co-Chairs) and the Evening Programs team have outdone themselves this year!”

Evening programs are held in the Florida Air Museum’s outdoor Pavilion, which is located adjacent to the museum itself. Programs generally begin at 8 p.m., although the Aire Traffic concert will be staged between the afternoon and night air shows on Friday, April 16 (likely 6 to 7:30 p.m.)

Following is a breakdown of the week’s Evening Programs:
Tuesday: “Women of the Air” – hosted by Women in Aviation International (WAI) President Dr. Peggy Chabrian with members of the Womens Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), who recently received the Congressional Gold Medal in Washington; Elaine Morrow, Past President of the 99’s; renowned air show performer Patty Wagstaff; and Martha King, recognized as one of the “100 Distinguished Aviation Heroes” of aviation’s first century by the First Flight Centennial Commission.

Wednesday: Jeff Skiles, First Officer of U.S. Airways Flight 1459 that became known as the “Miracle on the Hudson” landing, presents the lessons, training and scenarios that led to the successful landing of an Airbus 320 on the Hudson River off Manhattan Island after both engines lost power due to multiple bird strikes with a great sense of humor and natural storytelling ability. Hear his incredible story of people overcoming adversity and tremendous hardships.

Thursday: “Engaged with Aviation.” AOPA President Craig Fuller Craig Fuller discusses the numerous challenges facing aviation in the months and years ahead in a focused, “Town Hall” type environment. With user fees off the table and elections approaching in November, the general aviation community has a unique opportunity to seek change through a positive agenda of our choosing. Learn more about how you can get engaged in GA to build a better future.

Friday: Aire Traffic – In Concert (between the afternoon and evening air shows). Aire Traffic is a unique blend of original jazz and rock music written and performed by air traffic controllers. Enjoy the concert prior to the spectacular Night air show!

Saturday: “Aviation at the Movies” – hosted by Mort Crim, noted newscaster, commentator and author; featuring Susan Butler, author of the book East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart, on which the movie Amelia is based; Rico Sharqawi, Executive Producer and CEO of Wilco Films, which is producing the movie “A Pilot’s Story” and the film’s Director, Will Hawkins; and Nicholas Spark, Producer and Writer of the movie “The Legend of Pancho Barnes: A Documentary” (the movie will be shown at the conclusion of the program).

SUN ’n FUN’s Evening Programs are traditionally followed by aviation-themed movies. This year, several movies will be featured, each introduced by members of the Production team, including:
“Over Africa! Low and Slow with the Kenya Wildlife Service” on Wednesday, April 14 (following Jeff Skiles’ Evening Program). This film tells the story of the brave game wardens who fly for the Kenya Wildlife Service in small, single-engine airplanes over the spectacular parks of Kenya to protect their endangered inhabitants from the threat of poachers and human encroachment. Renowned air show performer and champion aerobatic pilot Patty Wagstaff, with support from the Lindbergh Foundation, traveled to Africa to teach the Kenya Wildlife Service the correct methods of flying “low and slow” over the expansive plains to look for poachers. The film was directed by former CNN correspondent Miles O’Brien, who documented the inspirational story with a team of fellow aviators and environmentalists.

“Der Rote Baron” (The Red Baron) on Thursday, April 15 (following AOPA President Craig Fuller’s presentation). German production (in English) tells the story of Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the most feared and celebrated pilot of the German air force in World War I. To him and his companions, air combats are events of sporty nature, technical challenge and honorable acting, ignoring the terrible extent of war. But after falling in love with a nurse, von Richthofen realizes he is only being used for propaganda. Caught between his disgust for the war and his sense of responsibility for his fighter wing, von Richthofen sets out to fly again.

“The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club” on Saturday, April 17 (at the conclusion of the “Aviation at the Movies” Evening Program). This film chronicles the thrilling life and extraordinary times of aviation pioneer Florence Lowe “Pancho” Barnes, one of the most colorful and accomplished women pilots of the earliest 20th Century, and an ill-behaved woman who made history. The project features newly discovered documents from Barnes’ personal files, never-before-seen photos and rare movie footage to tell her story plus interviews with her friends, historians and biographers.

Sun ‘n Fun Today back for 2009

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Repreinted from General Aviation News and The Pulse of Aviation.

Mar 16, 2009 07:57 pm | Ben Sclair

Sun ‘n Fun Today, the popular up-to-the-minute daily newspaper for Sun ‘n Fun, will again be produced by General Aviation News.

Distributed free throughout the fly-in grounds, a digital version of the newspaper will also be published on www.generalaviationnews.com enabling aviation enthusiasts worldwide to keep up with all the events.

For those unable to attend the fly-in, Sun ‘n Fun and General Aviation News will send daily more than 15,000 emails, promoting the digital version.

General Aviation News Publisher Ben Sclair reports all advertisers will have their websites linked directly from their ads in the digital edition of Sun ‘n Fun Today.

All six issues will remain online long after the show ends and will be accessible from the General Aviation News website.

Sun ‘n Fun Today will be packed with daily happenings, ads from exhibitors and all the latest news. Want to be sure your product news gets into a daily? Sun ‘n Fun Today will accept press releases starting now for exclusive publication in pre-determined issues.

Send advance press releases with an embargo date to: Janice Wood, Editor (888-333-5937).

To place ads in Sun ‘n Fun contact: Larry or Mickey Price at 888-735-9379.

Sun N’ Fun is just around the corner.

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As far as I am concerned, Sun N Fun is the big kick off airshow for the season. Sun N Fun is the time when we all get to see what is on the drawing boards for the rest of the year and what was in the shops over the winter. It is one of my favorite shows with a laid back, small show personality, but with the quality, quantity and performance of a big show.

Since it is the first show of the season it s also the first time many people get their planes out and take a trip. Who doesn’t want to start their aviation year off with a trip to central Florida for warm temperatures and sunshine, which is usually what Sun N Fun is like? The year 2008 started a little different, with about five inches of rain that turned the place into a giant mud puddle. Even an AOPA article coined the phrase “Mud N Fun”.

The mud and the weather surrounding the show was a deterrent to a few people. Many of the exhibitors I talked to had display planes stuck all around the country. Planes were arriving all week and the booths filled up along with the parking lots. Once the mud started to dry up it was probably even better than the previous years. Usually Sun N Fun is hot and dry. There have been times that cars have started fires in the parking lots because the grass was like kindling. At least that was not the problem in 2008.

Another nice thing that happens at Sun N Fun is getting to see a lot of the planes that I insure. Many of my customers travel to the show as a vacation. They too feel this is the start of the season, even if they have been flying their planes all year long.

Seeing a customer’s plane on display is always encouraging but also a little worrisome. I worry because no matter how good a pilot, airshows bring over confidence, risks and potential losses. So before you ever take off for the next show, make sure you have the correct coverage.

What type of coverage needed depends on what you plan to do with your plane once you get to the airshow. If you are the average fly-in attendee with a goal of parking the plane out in the field, pitching a tent and enjoying the fly-bys, you probably won’t need anything. But if you happened to have an aircraft that gets a lot of attention, parks in the manufacturers booth or you participate in the fly-bys you should make sure you have the correct insurance coverage.

The typical fly-in risks are things like: damage from storms, theft, and damage from other people or crashes. If all you are doing is parking in the boonies, then your regular coverage should protect you the same as any other day. Just because you are at a fly-in shouldn’t change the coverage you have.

But, if on the other hand, you put your plane in the manufacturer’s booth or on display in a specific area (make and model display, type club, warbird area, etc.) you might not have coverage. Certain companies actually have limitations as to how you display your aircraft. Its one thing to park it at an airport, but it’s a whole other risk if you put it on display and tempt the public to touch it. I know, touching is not what most people are asking the public to do, but the thought is, if it’s on display, the risk changes and there is more potential for damage. The risk will change even more if you decide to fly it in any of the fly-bys like a manufacturers showcase.

If you decide to put I on only “static display” most aviation insurance companies will cover the plan at whatever policy limits you have purchased, as long as you are not being paid to display your aircraft.

Has the airshow or manufacturer offered a free room or fuel if you will display your plane for them? If so, you might fall into a commercial category or, “for hire”. It is important to note that what I am talking about is from the insurance perspective not the FAA’s regulations. The insurance underwriters do not control the FAA regulations but their policy requirements and language can often go beyond the FAA scope.

Since getting a tank of avgas and a free hotel room constitutes payment for services your aviation insurance policy might not provide coverage while the plane is on display. This is a “gray area” of what is constitutes “for hire” and nothing more than “reimbursement of expenses”. The Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) state something about reimbursements of expenses which doesn’t include making a profit or being paid to fly.

If you are at the fly-in and you are asked to make a few fly-bys the risk changes again. If you are getting the free room and the fuel it might be construed as payment for flying or “for hire”. Most policies will not cover that type of usage. Now, if you buy your own fuel and rent your own room and you aren’t making any money, it’s not “for hire”. But it still might not be covered by the policy. Every now and then an aviation insurance policy will have some language about using the aircraft for demonstration purposes, whether flying or static, make sure you check yours before volunteering.

In the beginning I mentioned that there is also overconfidence during fly-ins and airshows. It seems there are always a few pilots that try to take off a little too short or fly a little to fast or even climb a little to steep. It’s this kind of behavior that causes accidents. Many people that attend airshows can’t wait to get in the air and show off their pride and joy. There is nothing wrong with that, it is just how you do it that gets you in trouble.

One popular way is formation flights of aircraft that are all the same make or model. Formation flights are visually appealing to the spectators. From an underwriter’s position, the formation flights need to be done by experienced formation pilots. Many aviation insurance companies will require formation classes and training before adding coverage for formation flights to the policy.

Even if you have the formation training, remember the bit about being paid. In fact, that’s probably the biggest issue about taking your plane to a fly-in or airshow. If you get paid through rooms, fuel or money, you need to have a policy that covers commercial use and you need to be qualified to act as a commercial pilot. If you do not have either of those, your coverage could be voided. That is if you have any coverage for that usage to begin with.