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Sun n Fun Report

morganjp

Well Known Member
I flew back from Sun n Fun last night. Great time; great weather and great people.

I got to spend some time with Paul & Louise and the RV1 team and have pics of Van working on the RV1. I would post them except I am old and technically challenged. If anyone can tell me how to upload a picassa picture link to this post I will do so.

Not a lot of planes at the homebuilt campground through Thursday but almost all those there were RV's.:p

The folks running the campground were great!


John Morgan
 
The RV-1

When I was there the brake pedal was being modified to be safer. There is a large gap between the rudder pedal and the brake.
 
Sun N Fun thoughts

This was my first time at SnF. I really liked the size of it and all the vendors that are present compared to Northwest EAA Arlington flyin that I use to go to. Here's my one big beef. Great smathering of RV's of all varieties and colors. Beautiful. But, you better do your looking before 12 noon because they boot you out of home built parking area just before the airshow starts. It's that whole FAA and 500 foot safety area thing I was told. What a bummer. People really do go to these shows to look and take photos of the many beautiful examples of work we builders do. And ask questions of us builders when we are at our planes. But not after 12 noon. Everybody, out until after 5 in the evening. And then the chinese fire drill starts and a lot of folks leave for the day. Many lost opportunities the way I see it. Enough said. I'll probably write to the SnF big wigs but will it fall on deaf ears, we will see. Otherwise, great show and beautiful weather this year so far.

Jeff Liebman
RV-8. 365 Hours TT
IO-360A1B2
Airglades Airport, FL
 
Absolutely.

Jeff, you hit the nail on the head! I've sent emails direct to the top (I think?) but not even an acknowledgement of receipt, addressing the same issue.

You can only stomach so many lomcevaks and vertical rolls and so on. Performer after performer does get old, but hey, skip Sun 'n Fun a time or two and try a venue like Triple Tree, S.C. where you can walk and browse airplanes all day long.

Best,
 
Jeff & Pierre, I completely agree, I was very disappointed in being locked out of the RV parking area. When the airshow was over yesterday I expected to be able to get back in for another picture or two, but the T-birds extended their show w/ extra practice, so the area remained on lock down.

I was really looking forward to talking to more RV builders & owners, but during the time I walked through the parking area, most of the owners were off presumably browsing the vendors.

It was nice to be able to examine the -10 up close at the Van's booth. I find it quite helpful to see what the finished product looks like up close since I'm still working the tail cone.

I'm thinking of doing Osh this year. How is the ability to browse aircraft there - much better?

Ken
RV-10
Tailcone in progress...
 
I'm thinking of doing Osh this year. How is the ability to browse aircraft there - much better?

Ken
RV-10
Tailcone in progress...

They don't shut down the parking areas during the show at OSH. It is a much better place to view RV's than SnF.
 
I've done a couple of days this year - going today for the final time but we will leave as the airshow starts - I can't stand the inane announcers making basic mistakes and playing loud music all the time.

I guess I am getting old !

Our friends are down from Harford County Maryland and they have a resident announcer up there - Howdy McCann.

Now there is a good show announcer, on the ball, informative and knows when to shut up !

RV formation was very impressive, night show was good but I still wish the Aeroshell guys would pull those props back just a bit more....:rolleyes:

Also, where did all the beer vendors go ?

There were 2 outlets last night and neither knew how to serve at shows - long lines.

Good showing from the vendors, managed to sort things out and buys lots, including an extra case for the return flight.

Off around the type clubs today and get final bits and pieces.

Oh - 1 final beef. Arrrived at 4:30 for the night show yesterday and they wouldn't sell me a night ticket unless I waited in line 30 minutes. Got scorched for 3 full price tickets for 30 minutes of day show :mad:
 
SNF vs OSH

Ken

You will enjoy OSH better for viewing planes. The parking areas are sectioned off to where you can view at all times. The RV's all park in the homebuilt area. Imagine 200 to 400 at all times for your viewing pleasure. Many of them with the owners camping and sitting next to them much of the time. It is truly awesome!

I hated the same thing about Sun N Fun. Also if you are just there for the day you cant even go get something from your plane so you better take what you need for the day.
 
I guess nobody is going to help me with getting my sun n fun pics on this site,. If you know how to do this send me an email address and I can send a link to the picassa web album the has the pics. and you can post it here.

John Morgan
 
I guess nobody is going to help me with getting my sun n fun pics on this site,. If you know how to do this send me an email address and I can send a link to the picassa web album the has the pics. and you can post it here.

John Morgan

John. Post the link here. I will put up the photos.
 
Sun'n Fun

Hi folks,

I'm visiting Sun'n Fun since 1998 with 3 or so interruptions in between (didn't make it last year for example). I have the feeling, that Sun'n Fun is shrinking - less homebuilts / other planes; less vendors, less airshow performers - even less warbirds. I really like Florida in spring over Oshkosh, but Oshkosh is a much better opportunity nowadays to see vendors and planes.

Left early today due to the rain....

Thilo
 
I guess I am a glass-half-full kinda guy and really don't get the complaining and moaning about SNF. I have attended the last 13 years and flown in since 2007. I try to make each year better than the last. That means that I time my arrivals and departures to minimize hassles, am aware of schedules for the airshow, camp in HBC where I provide my own shade, drink free beer and coffee, and enjoy the fellowship of like-minded folks in the campground. If you want to look at RVs during the airshow times, come see us. We probably had as many RVs there as there were in the HB parking area, including Kevin Horton's immaculate RV8. Last night, we enjoyed grilled steaks, chicken, fixens and desert just before the night show got started - there is nothing better than Friday night at SNF in HBC! Yes, some planes make lotsa noise and make conversation difficult. :eek: Maybe when they are all electric we will miss the T6 buzz and only be able to describe it to others as the "good ole days."
I know, I know OSH is better in every way. So I hear. But I can't swing the time off work to get there while SNF is only 2 hrs in my -9 from home and satisfies my airshow itch for 12 months.
A good organization is always seeking ways to improve and to make as many people happy as possible. There has to be compromises though, like our airplanes...total performance, remember?
 
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I've attended SnF probably 16 out of the 18 years since I got my license. Certainly, the event feels like it is in a slow decline. It seems that they (probably at the prodding of the FAA and TSA) have tightened the rules again and again and again.

When I first started attending, the posture of the people managing things (security and the volunteers) was "Well, there isn't a rule against it, so go ahead." Today, the MO seems to be "Nobody has told us to allow that, so you can't do it."

One of the things they do a very bad job of is *effectively* communicating when they will close the flightline. Sure, they post the airshow times, but they don't post when they will stop allowing you through the gates prior to the show.

Another change is that they have shifted the focus of the show from being a pilot oriented fly-in and more towards being an airshow, attempting to bring in more traffic from the local population. I understand why they do that and that SnF has to pay bills too, but the cleanlieness, politeness, etc. of the crowd has definitely dropped a couple of notches. Realistically, I expect more of this because the number of active pilots is shrinking pretty rapidly.

In the end, it is a fun show, with an airshow, industry vendors, workshops, etc. for everyone, and as Bruce said, it is close to home, so it is an easy trip. Oshkosh is an hour and a half farther away, which seems like a lot, for some odd reason.
 
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Every show is going to have its pluses and minuses. this was my first time at Sun n Fun (Hard to believe, I know...), and we had a good time - maybe because the crowds were much smaller (according to folks who have spent many years there. HBC was nice, and the camp hots outstanding - but man, it is of the edge of the map....LITERALLY! Louise and I camped four nights, and when we left the tent for the day, we knew we wouldn't be trekking back until the day was done.

Meeting people at he RV-1 tent....Priceless!

Flying in the "Flyby Showcase" with the "ONE"....a priceless experience, but not something that I will do again with their current level of organization. The Flyby guys don't talk to the Ground Handling guys, and ATC is doing their best to keep thing ssafe...but don't have a clue what the SnF guys (either air or ground) are planning on doing. With props swinging and people, scooters, golf carts and flagmen darting in front of me....this is a safety problem they need to deal with. We actually aborted on Tuesday because of the level of disorganization at the briefing.

We couldn't have asked for nicer weather though - and overall it was a successful week. As usual, it was the folks we met that made it so!

Paul
 
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I went today for a day trip.

1. I will never go on a Sunday again. War bird row was almost empty. I did get to see FiFi. HB parking was almost deserted.
2. I don't care what time the notam says the airport will close, it will close earlier. It was supposed close at 1230. It closed as I crossed lake parker and I was the last one. I was parked within spitting distance of RW 27 departure end. It had to have been a 2 mile walk to the vendor area. Of course the air show had started and home built parking was closed.
3. The vendor booths were packed.
4. Since I was parked in the boone docks, NO FUEL truck. I had to stop off at Cross City for fuel. Not a bad price BTW.
5. I now know why I need bluetooth headsets. I had to depart IFR from my home base (low ceilings). It felt like 15 minutes in the runup area with a cell phone stuck to my ear to get the clearance.
6. Van's personnel were not talking about the RV-14A.
 
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My trip report

Finally got most of my trip report done. It's on my web site here:
http://home.newwavecomm.net/bobbyhester/2012Flying.htm

There is a link there with my pictures!

Sun-n-Fun2012.jpg
 
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Week At SNF

Mon-Fri at SNF. Not many good buys from the vendors. The night air show was fantastic. The Tbirds did good also. The ice cream from the antique machine was the best from the food area.
 
We were there Sun-Sun. I went down early to help set up the Goulian Aerosports Whelen/Goodyear hospitality area which provided an excellent place to watch Team RV and the RV 1 arrival. Team RV put on a great performance during the week. Louise gave my wife and I an excellent tour of the RV 1 and I watched the Thunderbirds with Turbo from the observation deck on top of Mike Goulian's truck-best seat in the house! I picked up some tools from Bob Avery and spent what seemed to be equal amounts on Bose headsets and homemade ice cream. I made it out to homebuilt parking and homebuilt camping where my wife and I spent some time with the RV guys in the Dreamland Squadron. This SnF I spent less time looking at planes and more time with new and old friends and my wife and I had a great time. We are already looking forward to next year!
 
the best snf ever.

the wx was perfect except for a brief shower and some wx to dodge headed home on saturday. temps cool at night, warm to hot during the day. always a breeze.

flew 12 hours commuting to home each day. no fog, even arrived at lake parker one morning at 8am and fell in behind the venice flight of three. what a surprise. morning gary.

picked up 6 cases of oil for $50 each. that should last a year, i hope!

a group of friends from chester ct flew down and we had a ball hanging out with Whelan and company on top of there 'new' nascar trailer with a deck on top. great view of snf and the airshow. the tbirds were ear busting.

met wingnut at the Whelan exhibit and talked rvs for a long time.

RV1was a big hit this year. welcome to FL paul and louise.

chopper town and paradise city are shrinking but there is always friends to see. gyro guys[ yes i got lift off in my single seat gyro too], mosquito guys and jay with his rv 6.5 light sport rv6. how he does it i dont know!

they blew up a ton of gas with the explosions and needless to say the grass will not need to be mowed for a long time.

no jay pratt at the avery booth.

team rv looked fantastic.

velocity has a twin engine.

the garmin booth gets bigger every year.

sorry to say my sd card locked up and i have no pics to share. first time ever. ouch. it was even a sandisk card. any ideas?

google earth now has an aviation overlay. http://www.wikihow.com/Overlay-Sectional-Aeronautical-Charts-in-Google-Earth

so much more, see you at OSH.:D
 
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HMM, I've been going since 1983, and I cannot disagree with any of the posts above, but Bruce has the right idea if you ask me.

HBC is the only reason I keep going. There are a lot of RVs and they are viewable during the airshow. The hosts are just impressive, and have become like family. Seeing friends that I only see once a year makes it fun.

Almost every year during the show, I get a military pilot that wants to see my RV-8. This year it was an F-18 guy, a couple of years ago it was a U2 pilot (had to fly in in a T-38). I just love the airplane discussions that go on in HBC. I was just a lowly CH47/AH1 pilot, so I get tickled when a U2 dude gets excited when I let them sit in Miss Sue!

I admit I was just there Fri-Sun, and I only made two short forays into the main area, and I did get run out by the folks prior to the airshow, but that is the story at Sun N Fun. Same thing happened 20 years ago.

Yes, it is a lot more commercial, and in many cases inconvenient, but be sure what you go for, and don't expect a lot of changes due to common sense.

I just wish I had gotten there in time to see more of the RV-1, Paul and Louise, but I did get an iPhone shot of Paul taxiing out.

Oshkosh seems a lot better in many ways, but their HBC area does not have SHADE!, just an amazing amount of RVs and all the others to boot. Also it is an EAA event. Both fun events if you van get your expectation aligned with what is there.

Paul's comment on safety got my attention, as something weird happens to me every year in the entry pattern, so I highly recommend that you remember that you are the PIC and don't assume the other planes have, and actually read that notam. This year the ground controllers seemed to catch everything, but the planes I was following never turned toward the airport. Like I say a little different every time. Last year going into OSH, the guy two planes in front (flying at 80kts) never did figure out FISK, so it happens.

Airplane, friends, and a little flying--think positive, and stop at Cedar Key for lunch on the way home.
 
I've been going to SNF for the last 13 years. I thought this year was very well attended when comparing it to the last few years. Part of this was due to the beautiful weather the whole week, other than a passing shower on saturday.
Thursday was busy, but Friday was more crowded than I've seen recently.

New management is trying to do a better job of attracting homebuilts to fly in as they had a better fly-in package than in previous years.

I agree with others, regarding the restrictions into the Homebuilt Corner from 12:30-5:00. I like to attend the forums but always have to rush back to have access to my RV before they shut me out. Then, I'm boxed out.
When they reopen it, I'm outta there. It's 17 RV minutes flight back home.
 
One constructive suggestion, if anybody is listening....

Cancel the daytime Friday airshow. Just do the night show, which everybody loves. Leave the field open for arrivals all day Friday.

Here's why.....lots of us work all week. We can sneak away early on Friday, but right now it is a mess to get in on Friday evening during the 2 hour window between NOTAM closures. You get this great gaggle of airplanes circling Parker, then a big toilet flush arrival, then just a few minutes to tie down before you get run out of homebuilt parking.

The alternative is to fly in Saturday morning, but then you've already missed the best part of the day....not to mention a lot of social fun with friends on Friday night.
 
Dan, what did they do differently? I obviously overlooked it.

$30 entry
You still get the $5 discount, same as EAA or AOPA, & free fly-in hat & pin.

Extra this year, $2 discount on SNF shirt, free bottle water, & free soft drink or draft beer from the sunshine cafe. It amounts to about $10 of additional discounts on items we all usually purchase.
 
$30 entry
You still get the $5 discount, same as EAA or AOPA, & free fly-in hat & pin.

Extra this year, $2 discount on SNF shirt, free bottle water, & free soft drink or draft beer from the sunshine cafe. It amounts to about $10 of additional discounts on items we all usually purchase.

The first 200 flying in got a free hat also. Not really a big deal but at least it showed they gave a ****.
The airshow comments are spot on. It's endless. We got thrown out of warbirds before 11:30 and homebuilts usually closed at noon. The shows are a classic example of too much of a good thing. 3 hours of shows would be plenty instead of 5 or 6. Not only can't you fly in all those hours but you can't even look at the planes on the field.
The attendance bump was mainly due to heavy advertising in the Tampa and Orlando markets. Planes constantly flying make some sense for a general public type crowd but even they have very limited time on the flight line. SNF needs to prioritize the trade show aspect, not the airshow.
One other gripe..You can't tell the campers that it's quiet time after 10 pm and then have a SNF sponsored event with very loud music (dozens of drunken karaoke singers) in the middle of the campground till midnight.
 
Hello Jeff
I see you are close to us in pmp, so I thought i would say hello. If your interested, we are having a BBQ on the 21st April at our hanger at PMP, hanger #16 132/B and looking to get some RV's and any homebuild people their for a few hours. If you could RSPV if you can make it and any other guys you know ,let me know.
Thanks
Alan
building RV6A
PMP
[email protected]
 
Triple Tree Aerodrome...google it and take a look. Lots of airplanes and lots of RVs. Tons of pilots. Over 400 planes last year. Several thousand people and NO airshow. It is a Flyin. Great camping with modern clean facilities
 
Triple Tree Aerodrome...google it and take a look. Lots of airplanes and lots of RVs. Tons of pilots. Over 400 planes last year. Several thousand people and NO airshow. It is a Flyin. Great camping with modern clean facilities

I went to TripleTree last year & had a blast. My wife & I will be back.
We taxied thru the woods & camped out.
On Saturday, they took the women on a field trip to the local horse stables. It enabled me to view all the planes on the flight line.
 
There are some excellent suggestions in this thread. Here are ones I think would be useful:

The announcers don't need to be "disc jockeys" spinnin' the patter during the dead spots - too much noise. Also too much music and volume - only Spinal Tap should use the "eleven."

The shows should be shorter - 3 to 4 hours.

Drop the Friday day show and concentrate on the night show. The Thunderchickens could still do their practice inside a 2 hour window. That leaves more time for folks to come in.

Staff is too paranoid about getting everyone out of HB before a show. Fifteen minutes should do it. I was "whistled out" an hour before the show, and then it didn't actually start until 1320.

The perks that some have mentioned were actually there: I got a free ball cap, and the coupon for a free beer was well appreciated.

The port-a-potties have improved a lot! They had really nice ones between the vendor hangars - they actually had soap and water...

The "shuttles" are getting better, but their routes get all messed up because of the areas shut down for the loooong air shows.

The comment on the airshow for the locals versus the trade vendors is right on. The food vendors love the locals coming in, but the folks that really pay the bills (trade vendors) need more pilots, not day trips from the local junior high.

This one will never happen - if they planted a good turf grass on the HB area and kept it mowed, we wouldn't have to go to full military power to taxi, blowing a ton of dirt/dust on everything.

My two cents...
John
 
My second post here on this subject. I'm absolutely with you John, all the way. I was made aware that there were other RV's in HBC area but didn't head out that way, oh well. I still would have preferred all parking areas to have access during airshows. Just my two cents on that. On my day 2 of SnF, I was aggressively shooed away from my airplane not only by a "sort" of rude volunteer (I'm sure he was just the messenger), but by a uniformed police officer on a motorcycle who wasn't very happy. All I can say is wow! My first time at SnF and this! I'm sorry but it ain't right in my book. And the time was like just before noon. I guess we're just gonna have half the group here feel that this is just the way it is and the other half resent it like me. Ain't America beautiful?

What makes me sad is that from the moment I parked and shutdown, I was barraged with other builders and folks asking all the normal RV builder questions we all get at flyins, and I couldn't even finish. I thought that this was one of the true purposes of this type of flyin, not 5 hours of loop-d-loops, rolls, afterburners, etc. but I guess that's what brings in the "coin". Enough said. I'll end my peaceful rant now and still consider myself a blessed man to be part of the RV community. I Love It..

Oh, and your right about that parking area. Lots of power to taxi, and boy was my airplane full of dirt when I got to it at 6 o'clock after the show to leave. Happens at other shows too, so being fair here.

Jeff Liebman
RV-8. N139JL
365 Hours TT
Superior IO-360 Hartzell Blended Prop
Airglades Airport, FL
 
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