Before we close the door on Sun 'n Fun 2009, we have one final treat for our readers — three exclusive AVweb desktop wallpapers from photographer Mariano Rosales! Click here to view & use the wallpapers.
Sun 'n Fun Wraps On An Up Note By Mary Grady "We came into this week not knowing what to expect," said John Burton, president of Sun 'n Fun, in a wrap session with reporters on Sunday. "And we're all relieved -- we made it through this week safely and successfully." The week got off to a bit of a slow start, he said, partly due to weather that delayed some flights, and partly due to cost-saving tactics by vendors. "Less than half of our exhibitors had checked in by last Sunday," he said, which was unusual. For a vendor, cutting their show time short by a day or two can be a substantial savings. Overall, this year's show hosted 500 exhibitors, down a bit from last year's record of 522, but pretty close to the usual number of 505 to 510. Reports about sales activity were mixed, but Burton said each vendor is surveyed as they leave the show and he expects to have those numbers soon.
Seawind Is Back In Business By Mary Grady The company that has been working for over 10 years to bring the Seawind amphibian to the certified market is back up and running, Seawind President Dick Silva said this week. "The Seawind people don't know how to give up," the company said in a news release. A year and a half after the only prototype was lost and the test pilot was killed in a crash, the company has reorganized and found new funding to re-hire staff and complete certification of the airplane.
AirplanesDirect Aims To Be Aviation's Amazon By Mary Grady A new vendor at Sun 'n Fun this year is AirplanesDirect, an online company that is working to bring advanced Web tools like those used by Amazon and other online sales sites to the aviation marketplace. The site aims to provide buyers and sellers of aircraft with an interactive site that supports live chat, video uploads, photo galleries, and other features such as an acronym decoder that will help buyers who may not be sure what HSI or SOH means. "We're removing the communication barriers between buyers and sellers, taking advantage of the Internet to enable real-time interaction," said MP of marketing Joey Maxwell. This week, the company's team is not only showing the system to all comers, they are collecting input on a whiteboard from visitors who have suggestions what they would like to see on the site.
Cessna Offers New Options For Flight Training By Mary Grady The nationwide network of 275 Cessna Pilot Centers will work with a new AOPA program to help student pilots access financing for their flight training, Cessna announced this week. The program can help students access up to $25,000 in loans for training. "The AOPA program is a great opportunity for people who have always wanted to learn to fly, but felt the cost was a barrier," said Tom Aniello, Cessna VP of marketing. The company also is offering a new configuration of the Skyhawk for flight schools, replacing the rear seats with a single, forward-facing seat placed just behind and in the middle of the pilot and co-pilot seats. The new position makes it easier for a second student to ride along in back on training flights and get a better view of the flight deck, allowing the student to be more involved in the flight. The configuration change also adds 27 pounds to the useful load.
One of these years, we'll get out to Sun 'n Fun's Splash-In first — but for now, we're content to let it be our Saturday indulgence at the show. As always, AVweb shutterbug Mariano Rosales had his camera handy ... .
Benefit Air Show Raises $110,000 For Alan Henley By Mary Grady
When the aviation community learned last year that Alan Henley, the lead pilot with the Aeroshell Team, had broken his neck in a fall at home, they quickly rallied to find a way to raise some money to help him and his young family -- and a benefit air show was soon in the works. Bobbi Thompson, one of the show organizers, announced this week at Sun 'n Fun that the show had raised $110,000, an amount that brought a smile to Henley's face and brought his wife, Jennifer, to tears. "That is unbelievable," Henley said. "Thanks to everybody." The show was held earlier this month at Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Fla., and featured more than six hours of flying over two days, with 35 acts. "By golly, we had an airshow!" said Thompson. The Henleys live in Alabama, where Alan continues to undergo rehabilitation. The Aeroshell team has established a foundation to benefit the family, donations are accepted online.
JPI Engine Monitor Upgrade By Russ Niles JPI has introduced an innovative new engine monitor that solves the age-old problem of where to put a square box on panel of round holes. The EDM 730/830 fits in a standard 3 1/8-inch hole and the face is offset. The display can be mounted two ways horizontally and two ways vertically so the combination of orientation and the offset should allow it to fit in most panels without obstruction of other equipment on the panel. Also, the monitor only protruded 2.5 inches through the panel. The monitor also boasts more information on a bright color LCD display.
Flight Design Launches Pilot Centers By Mary Grady With the world economy still in an uncertain state, many manufacturers and other vendors came to Sun 'n Fun with low expectations, but some at least have been pleasantly surprised. "We sold this airplane within two hours of the start of the show," said Tom Peghiny, president of Flight Design USA, as he stood in the shade beneath a CT's wing. Altogether, by Saturday he had sold five or six airplanes, he said, "as good as any show ever." Peghiny also said the company will be establishing a Flight Design Pilot Center program, to help provide support to flight schools that use the CT for primary training. "Flight schools have been showing a lot of interest in our airplanes," Peghiny said, and he added that the latest designs are well suited for that role. "We have good training aircraft now," he said. "Our latest models are easier to fly, they have springy gear, a longer fuselage, and a more substantial feel." And they are available with glass panels and other options that make them suitable for flight training at all levels, through private pilot on up to ATP.
"Flying Motorcycle" Prototype Coming Soon, Company Says By Mary Grady Sam Bousfield, CEO of Samson Motorworks, came to Sun 'n Fun this week with a scale model of his planned two-seat "flying motorcycle," along with some nifty computer animations. But he promised that by later this year, in time for EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh, he'll have some actual hardware -- not a complete prototype but at least part of one, with a chassis and some of the moving parts ready to display. By sometime in 2010, he hopes to have achieved first flight. Bousfield has been working with Swift Engineering, of San Clemente, Calif., the same folks who partnered with Eclipse to design and build the single-engine E400 jet. Bousfield's folding-wing design features a clamshell case to protect the wing from road rash when it's in motorcycle mode, as well as a steel keel in case of more severe road bumps. Bousfield said he hopes the aircraft will expand the usefulness of aviation and help to attract new pilots. He plans to market it as an Experimental, with a builder-assist center in California, but may later consider LSA or certified versions if the demand is there.
