Sun n Fun Aeroshell Team demo video shoot

Sun n Fun 2010

The Night Airshow at Sun n Fun is always a special treat. This year, I helped my friends David and Michael LoPresti film the Aeroshell aerobatic team. You can see a clip of the video Michael took from two aircraft mounted cameras below:

In addition, here is a link to my still images of the 2010 Sun n Fun Airshow:

Sun n Fun 2009

My good friend David LoPresti met me at the Main Gate and the FUN began at Sun n Fun 2009! After a visit to the LoPresti exhibit and reminiscing with some Grumman owners from Alabama (Bayou La Batre, Grand Bay, Dothan), David and I made it to the flight line.

The warbirds were as impressive as always. And, right there, next to the warbirds ... I found my next airplane! A pristine Grumman Widgeon! OMG! This was a totally restored Widgeon that was NOT for sale. Even if it were, I am not sure my friends would have donated enough funds to make this possible. I would promise FREE trips to the Bahamas for donations to the "Buy a Widgeon Fund". Maybe Jimmy Buffett would help with the first donation, he knows the passion of owning and flying a twin engine seaplane.

The night airshow was awesome. It was my first night show at Sun n Fun and quite a memorable one. The AeroShell team's show was the best! AeroShell team member Gene McNelly was equipped with a LoPresti Boom Beam and what a difference it made. See the photos for proof!

Airshows, beautiful airplanes and good friends. Maybe next year our wives will join us David.

Vero Beach Airport at Sunset

Beautiful morning to fly ... The morning started with a Turbo Arrow test flight and then a flight in my Cherokee 180C to Sebring Airport for the Light Sport Expo. Curt LoPresti came along for the flight, as he was a featured speaker in a Forum at 2 pm. Beats driving a rental car, right Curt?

Well, since Trudi was at a quilt show in Orlando my internal GPS and autopilot found its way back to the airport to wipe down the leading edges of the Cherokee. Timing is everything and as the sun started to set the clouds created quite an impressive image. Lucky for me, the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 was still in the front seat and out it came. This camera with its Leica lens is a real gem!

Enjoy the sunset and a few other photos from the day.

Ercoupe Flying

My good friend Glen Davis who has a beautifully restored Ercoupe flew down from Spruce Creek, Florida to spend the day flying around central Florida. I thought we were just going to go to Okeechobee for breakfast but instead we flew to see Lynn Nelsen who lives in a fly-in community in Frostproof. Lynn has just finished a LSA airplane called the Lightning. It is really sleek and cool. We talked Lynn into joining us for lunch to KOBE. I was flying left seat, Glen is always great about letting QUALIFIED pilots take the controls. Once we got airborne, I pulled out the Canon HG10 HD camera and asked Glen to fly the Coupe. It was a little bumpy in spite of clear blue skies, but I have some good video to share.


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We enjoyed a tasty lunch at KOBE and we departed for Vero Beach with Lynn heading back to Frostproof. On the way back to Vero beach, perhaps 10 miles southwest of the field, Glen asked, "Is that the Cape in the horizon?" Indeed it was! The visibility was 50 miles!

It was one of those days in General Aviation that you cherish. The freedom of flight and good friends to share it with!

Happy Birthday Mike Harris

My massage therapist and friend, Kelly Walker, gave her father a special present on his birthday today. Mike Harris received an airplane ride in my 1967 Piper Cherokee 180C. We spent a little over an hour flying along the Vero Beach Coast, Blue Cypress Lake and over Mike's properties in Southwest Vero Beach. Mike is an accomplished pilot who flew in Vietnam. But, he has not been flying in general aviation for many years. His grandson Chase, who had already flown his Young Eagle flight with me a few months earlier, came along for the ride as did Kelly.