Sun-N-Fun Camping w/ Photos

[Flyrod]

Camping at Sun N Fun was a blast. I hope to be able to do it every year. If you time your arrival at just after sunrise and your departure just before sunset, you can avoid the long taxi lines. Bring your air mattress, because it seems the ground is harder now then it was 30 years ago. Gladders Gal and I gave out 15+ lbs of Gladders Gourmet cookies, upholding a John Glader tradition. Some of the attending supportive vendors that rated high on the cookie scale were Aerotronics, Whirlwind Aviation (Titain), Electroair, Chelton Flight Systems, Superior Engines and STEC. If Aerosport had been there, they would have been right at the top of the cookie meter, because they have been very helpful in answering my many questions. The volunteers attending the home built camping section had been working Sun-N-Fun for 22 years straight! They were great and very helpful.

On an interesting note, I was sitting in the airplane at HBC waiting for another RV7 on the taxi way to crank up. As I sat there patiently, this elderly gentleman came waking by my plane at a brisk pace. It was none other then the RV in RVs, Richard VanGrunsven. In our short conversation, I learned he was doing his morning walk. Morning walks must be a great idea because RV appears to be in great shape. Check out the 116 photos at the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/Flyrod01/SunNFun2007

[jdmunzell]

Very nice pics... thanks for sharing them with those of us who were unable to go to SnF this year. Looking through your album sort'of recreates the trip for the rest of us.

..There's nothing quite like sitting around in lawn chairs near your airplanes and tents, with a full belly from a great steak dinner and a couple of beverages, chatting with new and old friends, enjoying the warm sunset!

[bsacks05]

Great pictures! Thanks for getting a few of my -9 "Catalina". My son and I had a wonderful time. My only regret is that we did not get around and meet everyone at the campsite.
There is always next year!

[Rick_A]

Bruce, I like the paint job on your plane so much that I've got it as my desktop background - the pic with the fog in the background.

I've been considering doing a similar paint job. I must have left SnF before you got there.

[Bob Brown]

Very very nice...thanks for the treat. I always marvel at the workmanship and variety I see on these birds...

It says a lot about the type of people who build and fly 'em.

[bsacks05]

Originally Posted by Rick_A

Bruce, I like the paint job on your plane so much that I've got it as my desktop background - the pic with the fog in the background.

I've been considering doing a similar paint job. I must have left SnF before you got there.

Thanks Rick! The design was done by Bob Hamilton, retired B-1 instructor pilot. I told him that I wanted a rugged, olive drab, utilitarian look. I had the painter use a flattening agent because I did not want anything glossy.
It was really neat taxiing from the runway at SNF with a motorcylcle escort and a few folks taking pictures. I told my son we were getting the celebrity treatment! What a blast and I can't wait to do it again.

[NYTOM]

Couldn't make it to S n F this year but these photo's are the best coverage of the event I have seen anywhere and I have searched all over the web. I can almost smell the wet grass & 100LL. Great Job.

[rv8guy]

Great Pictures. We ran into Van Sunday morning ourselves. It was nice to get there and meet another Whirlwind 151 guy!

We had a great lunch at Cedar Key on the way home.