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                             Sun ‘n Fun 2004

                                  

                                   By Don Miller

                                   Columnist                  

 

Is there a special thing you always wanted to do? Do you have lots of “friends” who keep bragging about the great time they had doing this thing? Well I decided this was the year to see what all the excitement was about in Lakeland, Florida!

 

My planning started in January when the local flying was slow enough to give me the time to plan. The EAA web site listed tantalizing bits of the puzzle that month, and more each week in February. As the reality of the trip became more apparent, it also became obvious that my usual trip partner was otherwise obligated. And so planning continued and my empty “shotgun” spot was listed on the Fat Boyz e-mail list.

 

The no wind flying time for my 172 is five hours to Lakeland. As the several travelers from Downtown Island began to talk about this trip it was obvious that a midpoint stop to refuel was not easy to choose. Gas prices seemed to go higher with more and more navigation capability. Waycross has an ILS, VOR, NDB and GPS approaches with 100LL priced at $2.69!  Hazlehurst has an NDB and GPS approach, and fuel at $1.99.

 

As the day of launch came closer, our local travel crew began to regroup with personal and business commitments getting in the way. Finally we were poised on runway 8 for the beginning of a new adventure!

 

Armed with a filed IFR plan to Waycross my partner Jean-Francois Reat and I began the takeoff roll. The latest outlook and terminal forecast was for VFR over the east coast and so we elected for flight following to Georgia leaving the IFR plan to catch dust. Our route in the general direction of Waycross was well clear of class B airspace and restricted areas. As we streaked through the skies of Tennessee and Georgia we discussed the program features we lusted after. I had cleverly printed the seminar list and vendor locator map, which we considered. 475 vendors were listed in the Exhibitor Listing! I had already guessed that Bose, Spruce, Sporty’s and PS Engineering were stops I wanted to make. Jean noticed that several aircraft vendors were to be at the fly-in with new models. The Czech Republic was well represented with light planes and military trainers.

 

After what seemed like a short time, we were faced with a decision. One of the small airports with cheap fuel was right in front of us but 8,000 feet below.  The forecast had held up and we could easily drop the flight following to begin our decent. Just ten miles ahead was Alma who was reported to have gas at $2.05. So Alma it was for our rest stop. The price was as advertised and the FBO was “manned” by the operator’s teen-age daughter. She was nice enough and offered to help with the self-service pump. She announced that in honor of the Sun ‘n Fun traffic they were providing free snacks and drinks. We topped off our tanks and scoffed down the sandwiches we brought along with the free offerings. Soon we were in the air again and on our way to Lake Wales.

 

Our research prior to departure found no vacancies within 25 miles of Lakeland! Future travelers take heed; to have a hotel room in Lakeland requires reservations several months in advance. Late arrivals usually do find on-field camping. After some serious WEB surfing I found a nice Best Western in Baseball City, FL.

 

Now back to the flight; almost immediately we discovered that JAX center was out of transponder codes and were refusing flight following. It seemed that all of central Florida was filled with airplane noise. Over flying central Florida is quite an experience. The many cities with lake in their name is easily explained. Our airport choice was in Lake Wales. Good gas prices and friendly service. Our rental car was delivered as promised and soon we were on our way to Lakeland Linder Regional airport, LAL.

 

This major EAA fly-in often has 200,000 or more visitors in its six days of operation. We found that the city of Lakeland is not quite as excited about Sun ‘n Fun as Oshkosh is about AirVenture. The local signs directing us to the fly-in were few and found only within a mile or so of the airport. We arrived about 3 PM on Friday and easily found parking space within 100 yards of the ticket booth. All of us had pre-purchased our ticket on the web and exchanging it for a wristband was quick and painless, almost. I had cleverly noticed that my Saturday pass was part of an annual museum membership. So I exchanged my WEB printout for a color-coded wristband, placed it on my wrist and proceeded to the museum booth to exchange my museum membership printout for Saturday’s band. Hmmm; the volunteer at the booth looked at my band and my printout and said, “You must be trying to get two bands for one membership”  He absolutely refused to change that position. Well I was in a hurry and had one good band, so off we went to the adventures of the show!

 

The afternoon air show was in progress so we watched that a bit and then off to the vendors tents and buildings. One thing former Oshkosh visitors notice at Sun ‘n Fun is the less formal policing of activities. We were able to walk around most show planes, hot taxiways and military jets without restriction. Also some vendors were scheduling visitors to take demonstration flights in new singles of many different kinds.

 

The walking made us thirsty and hungry, but onsite choices for food were plentiful. After filling our voids we were off again walking around the home builts and many new airplanes. As dark approached we decided it had been a long day and headed back to the car and our 30 minute drive to Baseball City. 

 

Day two was to be full and fruitful. After a Micky D’s breakfast sandwich we were ready to do the seminars, full air show, and vendor areas again. A new day and no visible wrist band was all I needed to get a Saturday pass with my museum printout!!  As much as I looked and discussed with salesmen, I came home without a new ANR headset or GPS. The new equipment is better and more useful in some ways, but the sticker shock got me.

 

Our trip home was uneventful and the fair weather Gods were with us.  Our stop in Hazelhurst – AZE was an especially nice surprise. A very impressive new terminal building with rockers on its huge front porch, a city car parked under a car port to keep it cool, keys in the ignition and self serve $1.99 fuel! We drove to a family restaurant in town and enjoyed the Sunday buffet.

 

I recommend Sun ‘n Fun to anyone who wants to see the Oshkosh size vendor and homebuilt airplane show without the 700,000 visitor crush it has.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Want to read more from Don Miller?  Check out of his other columns.

Got a comment, question or suggestion for future article? eMail Don.

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