Social Flight

While the actual football game as part of the 53rd Super Bowl might have been less than thrilling even for hardcore Patriots fans, the halftime show got a literal lift from a synchronized drone show during Maroon 5s She Will Be Loved.

As the 2018 show reaches its halfway point, Sun n Fun President Lites Leenhouts reported an increase in attendance, revenue and high vendor satisfaction from years past. Attendance as of Wednesday was around 125,000, exceeding Leenhouts expectations.

Deon Mitton sent us this beautiful shot of a Kodiak and a Beaver in formation taking a fun flight. This amazing photo happened at the 2017 Sun n Fun Seaplane fly-in in Tavares, near Orlando FL. Deon described the scene:Late afternoon - with both seaplanes at the lake, we decided it's time to go and play and get some aerial shots. Shown here, in this late afternoon shot, are Michael Marco, with his restored DeHavilland Beaver, and Mark Brown, chief demo pilot for Quest Aircraft, flying the Quest Aircraft Kodiak 100. I am in a Jones Brothers 185 on straight floats. We took off, played a bit over the lakes and rivers close to Tavares, Fla. It's always so great to fly with friends. It's what makes aviation so special, and the view of these two, beautiful aircraft in the air was very special.Who is ready for Sun n Fun?!

The Air Care Alliance is holding its annual conference on the East Coast this year and public benefit pilots will meet April 21-22 on Long Island, New York. Patient Airlift Services is hosting the event and there are plenty of topics of interest who donate their time and aircraft to help others.

The Weekender will kick off October with some scenic fly-in destinations on SocialFlight.com. On Saturday in Greenville, Illinois, see a special appearance by a TBM Avenger at the 50th anniversary of the Greenville Airport Fly-In/Cruise-In. Also on display will be a Stearman and Waco biplanes, T-34s, a T-6, vintage cars and more. Rain date is Sunday.

The Weekender plans to take in a variety of classic planes, cars and historical attractions found on SocialFlight.com. Head to Santa Rosa, California, this weekend for the Wings Over Wine Country Airshow, presented by the Pacific Coast Air Museum.

The Weekender's headed to all four corners of the country with festivals, air tours and airshows to choose from on SocialFlight.com. Head to the Hop Capital of the World, Independence, Oregon, for the Hop & Heritage Festival Friday and Saturday. Fly into the Independence Airport on Saturday morning for the Flap Jack Feed, a fundraiser for a local youth aviation scholarship.

The Weekender's off for another mini-vacation, this time to take in pilot-friendly events found on SocialFlight.com. The 10th Annual Triple Tree Aerodrome Fly-In in South Carolina kicks off Wednesday with arrivals throughout the day for a long weekend of workshops and seminars for GA pilots. EAA Chairman/CEO Jack Pelton will speak on a variety of topics.

The Weekender is looking forward to long Labor Day getaways, plus breakfast destinations found on SocialFlight.com. The Arizona Pilots Association invites all for a long backcountry weekend in Young, starting with dinner Friday, followed by breakfast Saturday, an evening Corn-Fest and a chili cookoff. Camping and other accommodations are available for the weekend.

Looking to fly somewhere for free food? SocialFlight.com has some options plus camp-out events for The Weekender. EAA Chapter 1479 in Missouri will host a fly-in Saturday to kick off the Sound of Speed Airshow and Concert, sponsored by City of St Joseph and the 139th Airlift Wing.