Aviation events in Florida 2005
Plan to spend some time in the sun this year and visit as many aviation events as possibe.
Apart from Kermit Weeks' museum and the Warbird place at Kissimmee, what else is there in terms of aviation interest in the Sunny State? |
Piper factory at Vero Beach (they do tours).
Some at Sebring (though I think the P51 has now been brought to Duxford?) Smaller places: they restore Spitfires at Bartow. They had the two seater PT462 there for a while but were restoring a couple of others. Got other planes under restoration as well. Of course the big event is to go for Sun'n'fun. <<edit: Piper factory at Vero Beach (they do tours). |
A visit to Jack Brown's at Winter Haven for some out and out fun flying Cubs on floats is a must.
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Ah, when did they stop doing the Piper tours?
It's still on the website: http://www.newpiper.com/teampiper/tour.asp But since you mention it, I do seem to remember somewhere that they weren't going to do them any more as the people were getting too old? Something like that. Oh, and if it's of any interest at all, you can go to the Air-Cam factory at Sebring. No tours, it's just one hangar, just stick your head round the door and say hello. http://www.avweb.com/news/newacft/182373-1.html http://exp-aircraft.com/aircraft/pag...-Lockwood.html <<edit: Paul - the tours were stopped on 9/11 - a VERY few have been conducted since then (as things calmed down a bit) - but now they have serious hurricane damage (mainly Jeanne) and they have 'laid off' dozens of staff.>> |
The Sun N Fun fly-inn every april is a great place to see airplanes. Kind of like a mini Oskosh. Been there many years and always enjoy it.
www.sun-n-fun.org |
Fougapilot - that wasn't you I met in Winter Haven a few years back was it? Shiney polished Fouga Magister? That person was down for Sun'n'fun.
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No, wasn't me. Our Fouga is based in Montreal, Canada. I do go to Sun n Fun every second year, but not with the Fouga, way too expensive on the old fuel bill. Took the CJ to Oskosh every year since 1998, but not the jet. Our Fouga is painted "Red Devils" colours in honor of the Belgian Air Force demonstration team.
Cheers, Dan |
Ah...this guy said he ran it on central heating oil. Bought it by the tank full and it cost him less to fly the Fouger than it cost me to fly a Warrior! :-) He also had some deal on new engines.
Do you have a link to a picture of yours? Paul |
You might research the EAA: Experimental Aircraft Association, which sponsors the huge show each fall in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. They have quite a collection of aircraft there each year, but if you want a motel room, it must be booked very, very far in advance.
As for Pensacola, it is in the Florida panhandle and the state is very big. Beware of the Florida wildlife if you wander off the roads-many aggresive reptiles reside there (with 'green' cards), and they also have bears on the Eglin ranges.:eek: |
Not far from the Weeks' museum is the Sensenich prop factory...they do tours, on a PPR basis.
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The Navy Museum at Pensacola is superb, well worth a visit if you are in that area, but its a long way from Orlando area!
Lots of interesting aircraft at various "community airstrips" Spruce Creek is one of the biggest, I believe they have some kind of fly-in every Saturday morning. Leeward Air Ranch in Ocala also has a lot of interesting aircraft resident |
Paul,
Heating Oil! Why not. If this is all life is worth to him, personaly I beleive a Jet airplane should run on Jet fuel. I wouldn't burn heating oil in my Challenger, so I wont burn any in my Fouga. Everyone gets a good deal on engines. They are worth about $5000 for a servicable one, and $15000 for a new one. Quite cheap for a jet if you ask me. I dont have a site, but if you pm me I will gladdly email some pictures and specs. Ignition, The EAA event in Florida is at Lake Land and is called Sun N Fun. Actualy, the EAA is nop longer associated with SNF, but the Warbirds of America still participate. All the warbirds at both Oskosh (which is in July) and SNF are privately own and operated (OK, some do belong to private museums...) BTW for all those whishing to go to Oskosh 2005, Aviation et Pilote is organizing a flight leaving Paris for KOSH. Perhasp this would be a good occasion for all those wanting to do their first crossing... www.aviation-pilote.com Dan |
Fouga Pilot
In the industry, at refinery level, oil companies make DPK (dual purpose kerosene) a product that can either be used for central heating oil or can be rebranded as Jet A1. The only difference between the two being in the way that Jet A1 is "delivered" and stored. Essentially it resides in dedicated Jet storage and is filtered and quality controlled more robustly than heating oil which could be put straight into a tank that most recently contained gas oil (diesel). Depending upon when and where in the supply chain that the other Fouga driver acquires his "heating oil" it might be exactly the same as the Jet A1 that you pour into your CJ! I, of course, am not advocating the use of heating oil - just ponting out that at source it and Jet A1 are often interchangeable. Stik |
That FAA SEP Rating at Jack Brown's look's interesting (if a touch expensive by US standards).
Does anyone know if an FAA SEP holds any water over here (pun intended)? |
Florida 2005
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Everyone seems to rave about Jack Browns and it has got to be on my hit list for the near future .
Ive done Kermit Weeks Museum and really enjoyed it , and i have also done Sun n Fun twice which is just brilliant, if you show your pilots licence at the ticket window , they give you a pass to access behind the scenes for no extra charge ,great day out or couple of day's !! The weather in April and May is Superb as well. EL:cool: |
Jack Brown's comes thoroughly recommended by me.
A little indulgence.... :) http://www.habu.freeserve.co.uk/images/cub1.jpg http://www.habu.freeserve.co.uk/images/mrtj3.jpg http://www.habu.freeserve.co.uk/images/mrtj3a.jpg WF. |
sun n fun
When is sun & fun anyone?
AC PS jack brown's here I come |
Sun & Fun's web site says April 12-18th.
Just got back from Florida - here's what I did: Wings over Miami - http://www.wingsovermiami.com Fantasy of Flight - http://www.fantasyofflight.com (do the tours, see the demo) Waldo Wright's - http://www.waldowrights.com/pages/special.htm (passenger flight) Flying Tigers - http://www.warbirdmuseum.com (museum only just reopened, so no guided tours and no charge) Warbird Adventures - http://www.warbirdadventures.com White 1 - http://www.white1foundation.org (recommended) New Symrna Beach - http://www.epicaviation.com/vintage-bi-plane-ride.htm (orientation flight - plus there's a couple of hangars across the airfield with B17 and T34s) Valiant Air Command - http://www.vacwarbirds.org Jack Brown's - http://www.gate.net/~seaplane (orientation flight) Sun & Fun - http://www.sun-n-fun.org/content/mus...section=museum (ask for the other hangar where Kermit's planes are) Also there's: Eustis - http://www.flytailwheel.com Stallion51 - http://www.stallion51.com/home.cfm |
The NTSB has issued its preliminary report on the May 9th accident; it doesn't really say much, however. I hope that the final report will be rather more illuminating.
Warbird Aventures certainly is going through a rough patch ... last year they had a couple of airplanes severly damaged in Hurricane Charley, and now this. :( I wish them well, and am confident that they will resume operations soon. |
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