Air Shows & Events

About the only word that comes to mind when assessing the 2003 version of EAA Sun ‘n Fun is “dialectic” — that is, the annual spring aviation celebration generated generally opposing reactions from those who came, saw, bought and bartered. At the seven-day fly-in that ended Tuesday, aircraft and kit manufacturers mostly reported good business […]

EAA Sun ‘n Fun opened on a strong note April 2, and into the weekend gained attendance and momentum as the fans of aviation’s spring fling adjusted to the new Wednesday-through-Tuesday pattern adopted this year. But despite the schedule alteration, the best parts of Sun ‘n Fun remained unchanged: Plenty of ultralights in Paradise City, […]

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Sport Pilot The State Of The Industry… We’ve waited and waited, the excitement has come and gone, but while foreign companies wait to send an initial wave of invading aircraft compliant with the requirements of the elusive Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) category, U.S. companies are sitting tight … and, for the most part, are quite […]

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Midweek Opening Thins Crowds If we had to pick one word to describe the mood at Sun ‘n Fun’s opening day on Wednesday, April 2, it would be: tentative. What with war jitters and a soft economy looming, we didnt expect to see record crowds and we generally didn’t. A couple of exhibitors told us […]

Best Of The Breed There Are Those That Stand Out Every year at Sun ‘n Fun the best and the brightest show off their latest. From the tried and true to the leading edge of innovation the show offers the average pilot a rare chance to get face to face with the people behind the […]

Heading to Sun ‘n Fun this year? If so, then take a minute or two and stop by and see some of your favorite AVweb sponsors and say hi! Tell ’em AVweb sent you! Print this list out and take it along with you! SPONSOR BOOTH/SPACE # Aeroshell C-085-089 Aerox Oxygen Systems B-005 AOPA Flight […]

(click photos for larger views) Hughes H-1, S/N 2; Note the Low-Drag NACACowl Howard Hughes never did anything halfway. From the HK-1 Hercules, a.k.a. “Spruce Goose,” to his business empire, to Jane Russell’s brassiere, Hughes was on the leading edge. His H-1 Racer, designed and built in 1935, was no exception. The H-1 was the […]

The Smothers Brothers hadn’t yet taken the stage for the annual safety awards banquet that closed out official business for the 55th Annual Meeting and Convention of the National Business Aviation Association when the airways leading out of the Orlando Class B started to fill with departing aircraft. But surprisingly, many an NBAA static-display airplane […]