Tag: Sun n fun

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Sun ‘n Fun Day Two

Day Two of the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo brought more sun… but also special connections and two new perspectives on the show.

First, my cousin Nolan joined us for the day. He’s an aspiring pilot just starting lessons and seeks a career in the industry. So, we toured the grounds, talking with a wide range of friends in roles at a broad spectrum of aviation companies.

He learned how to cleco in a rivet at the Daher booth in the Future ‘n Flight Career Fair, he tested out the new Bose Corporation A30s, and climbed up into the D-Day Squadron’s “Placid Lassie” on the warbird ramp. His take? You can translate a pilot certificate and that knowledge into so many professional paths in aviation. Indeed!

We also did a big loop of the flight lines with my longtime friend Patrick Gordon who has devoted his investment in pilot mental health to working in the HIMS program for Frontier, assisting pilots of any commercial background in getting their medical certificates back, especially in recovery. Thank you Patrick for all you and your peers at ALPA are doing to support pilots when they need it most.

Third, there was the night airshow… it’s becoming a tradition to join friends at Cirrus for a bite and a beer on the flight line before adjourning to the party (with hats!) at Whelen Aerospace Technologies and say hi to the Mike Goulian Aerosports team… thank you Mike and Karen and Nate for a special evening.

At the Daher booth in the Career Fair, we learn how to cleco a rivet. [Credit: Julie Boatman]
Stephen Yeates captures the action from the Cirrus Owners Suite on the flight line. [Credit: Julie Boatman]
I introduced my cousin Nolan to “Placid Lassie” and the D-Day Squadron. [Credit: Julie Boatman]
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Sun ‘n Fun Day One

Day One for JulietBravoFox Media at Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo… and just a few takes in addition to my favorite moments of the day.

  1. Top news of the day: While the respective OEMs had announced Piper’s M700 Fury and the Cirrus SR G7 series earlier this year, #SNF24 is the first official place to see those new models on display. Those who come to Sun n Fun are pilots… we want to touch the new airplanes!
  2. Hats off to Daher, though, for delivering a full lineup of solid news—and cupcakes!—at their exhibit. The TBM 960’s new take on a stunning scheme draws you in—but the beauty is not just skin deep. There are enhancements to Home Safe, pilot alerts, and progressive taxi context inside. More to come from the French OEM that continues to expand its stake in North America.
  3. Redbird returns… and the sim you see under a canopy on the corner between the FAA building and AOPA is a joint project with the Recreational Aviation Foundation. Inside the motion sim—which you can try out—lies a G1000 Cessna 182 going in to Ryan Field in MT, among other strips the RAF’s volunteer corps serves to protect.
  4. And… Kudos to the new press center! Everything (internet, power, check in, people) worked, and the new level of organization fixes so many issues from the past. To be a legitimate forum for industry news, you need to give those working the show from the media a quiet space in which to do so. It may be “spring break for pilots” and a great chance to catch up with colleagues, but we have a job to do. Thank you for meeting us there!

Looking forward to Day Two…