Sun ‘N Fun

Fallout from last year’s devastating hail storm at the Columbia factory in Bend, Ore., has yielded some encouraging information. After the storm, Columbia did some structures testing that convinced the FAA the planes were safe to repaint and ship to customers. But the FAA also wanted the long-term durability of the hail-pummeled airframes put through […]

James Bass, president and CEO of Piper Aircraft, this week revealed that the Vero Beach, Fla.-based aircraft manufacturer plans to announce a new airplane later this year. “We can’t tell you much about this new airplane, but it will be very, very special,” he said at the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla. “It […]

At the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In, Avidyne said it plans to expand its reach into the lower end of the general aviation market, a segment that includes more than 70,000 airplanes. With this goal in mind, the company has teamed with Southern Star Avionics to offer the Envision integrated flight deck in most Cessna 300 […]

Diamond Aircraft launched its long-awaited Diamond Flight Center (DFC) program this week the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In at Lakeland, Fla. “We have heard for some time that flight schools wanted a fresh alternative to the status quo,” said Diamond Aircraft Industries President Peter Maurer. “There were several key elements we wanted to have in place […]

Recommend a Video |VOTW Archive At the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In a few weeks ago, AVweb‘s Russ Niles got to left-seat in Herpa’s DC-3, courtesy of Incredible Adventures. Join us for what some would call the experience of a lifetime, as Dan Gryder guides us (carefully) through the flight. Don’t see a video screen?Try disabling […]

On Wednesday afternoon following the daily airshow, the popular general aviation podcast, Uncontrolled Airspace, will be recording a special episode live from the Sun ‘n Fun fly-in grounds. Uncontrolled Airspace is a weekly, one-hour podcast featuring Dave Higdon, AVweb editor Jeb Burnside and Jack Hodgson, along with a variety of special guests. The episode to […]

Epic AIR introduced two smaller versions of its emerging line of turboprop and jet aircraft at Sun ‘n Fun on Tuesday afternoon. The four- to five-seat Victory single-engine jet will be powered by either a Williams International FJ33 or Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615-series engine. The Escape is also four to five seats with a […]

Comp Air owner and president Ron Lueck is wearing a giant smile this week at Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Fla. That’s because the Comp Air 12 made it to the airshow as promised, just days after making its maiden flight. In a media briefing on Tuesday morning, Lueck said the airplane flew gear down […]

Those attending this week’s Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla., can catch a glimpse of Cessna’s possible future. The Wichita-based airplane manufacturer is displaying its Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) and Next Generation Piston (NGP) “proof-of-concept” airplanes at the show, though a white picket fence prevents attendees from getting too close to the NGP prototype. […]

Aviat Aircraft says FAA approval is imminent for a 200-lb. increase in gross weight for its popular Husky bush planes. The extra weight required beefing up landing gear and changing the angle of incidence for the horizontal stabilizer, but the extra utility it will bring is considerable. A full 192 lbs. of the weight increase […]