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Sun n Fun Arrival Procedure

J

jartlip

Well Known Member
I'm planning on flying into Sun n Fun this year but I have a question for you pros regarding the arrival procedure. I have read the NOTAM, but I am a little confused about the tower frequencies to be used. You monitor the ATIS, then switch over to Lake Parker Arrival frequency. But is there a point at which they switch you over to Lakeland tower frequency for a landing clearance? Or do you you stay on the Lake Parker Frequency the whole way in?

I will be in the overnight camping area with my AA1A for sale, and looking for an RV3 to purchase. Any of yall feel free to stop by; I will have as much beer as I can fit into the Yankee and still be within W&B. I am arriving Wednesday morning and departing Friday afternoon.
 
sun n fun

Is it possible to fly in for the show every day, then fly out in the afternoon? Do they have FBO parking with access to the show? Big hassle? Cost?
I want to stay over at Daytona beach, and fly back and forth...
Any thoughts?

Dennis
 
Dmadd said:
Is it possible to fly in for the show every day, then fly out in the afternoon? Do they have FBO parking with access to the show? Big hassle? Cost?
I want to stay over at Daytona beach, and fly back and forth...
Any thoughts?

Dennis
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This is common for many groups. There are a few lodges around on airports so people like to stay there and commute to SNF.
 
jartlip said:
But is there a point at which they switch you over to Lakeland tower frequency for a landing clearance?
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Good question.

Stay with Lake Parker until they tell you to switch to a specific tower freq.

Don't forget your placard telling the ground crew where you want to park.

Enjoy the show!
 
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I'll answer both of the posts....

Regarding the arrival procedures, it's a piece of cake. After you fly over the power plant using they will tell you which tower frequency to monitor, depending on which runway they are using. The tower will then usually see you on downwind or base and give you more explicit directions, such as which runway and which colored dot to land on/near. Just LISTEN, and don't talk unless specifically asked to acknowledge by radio. Usually you are asked to acknowledge by rocking your wings.

As for flying in and out every day, yes that is possible. They only close the field during the airshow, which varies every day. It does get hectic, and sometimes weather fronts can come through that make you wish you didn't have to leave, so plan accordingly.

Vic
 
i have

found that a switch to tower is when you turn from a west heading to south. keep your situational awareness of planes behind you and be safe. arrive as early as possible and you may see 3 or 4 planes in the arrival. one may be me. they dont use any ifr arrival slots anymore. not many people were using it. just file as usual.
 
Dmadd said:
Is it possible to fly in for the show every day, then fly out in the afternoon? Do they have FBO parking with access to the show? Big hassle? Cost?
I want to stay over at Daytona beach, and fly back and forth...
Any thoughts?

Dennis
Click to expand...

Yes, you can commute..Arrival is all the work but an easy procedure. Departing is quick and easy. Only issue will be that you can't depart while the airshow is going on. With an early daylight savings this year you should still have plenty of daylight outbound.
 
time for the yearly CFI talk. Guys/Gals go out and practice your speed control, slow flight, and spot landings, please. nothing worse than the guy behind you not doing the specified speed or a guy landing long or short when you are on the runway. Also, I never taxi down the centerline after landing. Once you have the airplane slowed down, move over to the exit side of the runway, (cold side) that way if someone behind you screws up and over shoots, he/she has a little more pavement to miss you on. See ya there.

bob burns
RV-4 N82RB
 
Once you get to Lake Parker and sequence yourself in, you just monitor the frequency(no communication on your part). They will spot you and have you confirm with rocking your wings. From there, you just follow the aircraft preceeding you. Within view of the tower, they will communicate your landing spot, usually green or orange dot (long or short).
SNF will publish the procedures.
Arrive early in the morning when there is less traffic and you avoid flying the holding pattern.
 
jartlip said:
Actually, it doesn't say when to switch over to the tower frequency. That was my question...but from the other responses it sounds like they will give you a tower freq after passing lake parker.
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A bit later than that, basically you'll fly west from Lake Parker to I-4 and then SW along 4 till you see this large white ball on a tower and then turn south, shortly after you turn south toward midfield they will give you the tower frequency which is generally 127.95. Over Lake Parker they use the normal twr freq of 124.5 to talk to arrivals and the atis is 128.575 which lays out the procedure. It's a fairly easy arrival although some folks do miss the ball. You'll most likely be following other aircraft but even if you're not, just turn when you dead north of the airport at midfield and aim for the control tower.
 
snf

i have not flown there the last three years but if it still the same you can go online and have a small pamplet with detailed instructions and diagrams for all procedures sent to you. as easy as this is every year people show up and start calling on the radio even though the notam say not to. be aware it can get very crowded and you usualy use a taxi way for arrivals not the runway. also they will have one landing long and one landing short pretty close together and if you have to hold at lake parker it can get crowded fast. winterhaven or plant city are close alternates.
 
its that time ..............

of year again. see you at the arrival to SNF.
img2268.jpg
 
Sunday Arrival?

I plan to arrive Sunday morning prior to the actual start of the show. Are the procedures spelled out in the previous posts and the NOTAM applicable to early arrivals such as mine?

Does that also include the parking? Will there be someone there directing me toward the HB parking when I place my sign on the dash?
 
RVbySDI said:
I plan to arrive Sunday morning prior to the actual start of the show. Are the procedures spelled out in the previous posts and the NOTAM applicable to early arrivals such as mine?
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The arrival Notam is effective Sunday March 27th at 7AM Eastern:

http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/notices/2011-02-10/2011 SUN N FUN NOTAM 011311.pdf

You must know the landmarks to navigate the arrival proceedure. Study the pictures carefully.

And please, everyone get some tight pattern practice. You will be expected to make a spot landing on a 75 ft wide taxiway from a short base leg.

Does that also include the parking? Will there be someone there directing me toward the HB parking when I place my sign on the dash?
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I'd bet on it.
 
I understand we are to land on 9L or 27R (page 18, Sun n Fun procedures) depending on the wind of the day.On page 21, it says aircraft landing on 9L, turn off to the left. Parking is shown on the right of 9R. What is the procedure for taxiing around 9R for parking?
Thanks Ron
 
Look at page 23...when I last landed on runway 9L at SnF a few years back we turned left on either Runway 5/23 (see the Red X's? that runway will be closed for the week) or the parallel taxiway and then taxied around the east end to get to the south parking area.

There will be ground folks waving their colored sticks, and telling you where to go (in a nice way! ;) ).

You can do it!
 
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HB Parking

Hello There,
I'm Jerry the Parking Nazi in Homebuilt Parking and we will be more than happy to park you. Just hold up your "HB" sign and the ground crew will direct you. Please bring cold beer as it becomes very hot in the latter part of the day. JK:D

DanH said:
The arrival Notam is effective Sunday March 27th at 7AM Eastern:

http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/notices/2011-02-10/2011 SUN N FUN NOTAM 011311.pdf

You must know the landmarks to navigate the arrival proceedure. Study the pictures carefully.

And please, everyone get some tight pattern practice. You will be expected to make a spot landing on a 75 ft wide taxiway from a short base leg.



I'd bet on it.
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100kts at 1200 or 150kts at 1700?

Hey Gang,

Yeah I know, and old thread, but relevant.

So, I'm looking at the Sun-n-Fun procedures (page 6) and as a first timer flying in, I've got a question. It says 100kts or less at 1200 and 150kts at 1700, however, in parentheses it says (Aircraft not capable of 100kts safely). Well, our planes can do both, and going slower gives more time for decisions, but some aircraft (such as my old biplane) can't do 100kts unless they're pointing straight down! In fact it liked 75-80mph and that's about it. Do you guys fly low and use a bigger circle than the low/slow crowd, or fly the high fast circle?

Thanks, Lance
 
Managing the arrival with Cubs, Kitfoxes, etc. can be a bit tricky, but the NOTAM specifies the low/slow arrival for aircraft which are capable, so that's where I fly.
 
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judoka5051 said:
Do you guys fly low and use a bigger circle than the low/slow crowd, or fly the high fast circle?
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Regarding holds at Lake Parker...It sometimes gets crowded for evening arrivals when the airshow goes long. It's not in the notam, but the controller there can (and has) declared two low circles, one inside the lake shoreline for the really slow stuff (65hp Cubs, your old biplane etc), and one outside the lake shoreline for everybody else. Works really well. If one circle starts becoming a mess, prompt the controller, and ask for two.

Regarding the inbound from Parker... the controller is usually pretty good about spacing. Given no choice, pass a slow bird before the turn to the south. It's safer for both of you when compared to dealing with the clowns who claim they can't fly at 100 knots, and descent blindly from 1500 when they approach the airport.
 
Usually I fly the lower 100kts arrival. I've had a couple occasions where they cleared me on top due to confused bonanza drivers not up on the notam. It seems almost every year on my arrival there's one not on the same notam page.

I don't mean to dis anyone, just stating my experience over the last 15 years. It's become somewhat of joke for us in our group.
 
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