Sun 'n Fun 2021 "Fly me to the Moon"

       Pulling up to a jam-packed airfield filled with hundreds of aircraft waiting to be explored, smiling with excitement, I was back at the 47th annual Sun 'n Fun 2021 in Lakeland FL. at Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL). 

     Planes of every size, makes and shapes scattered across the multiple runways many tied down next to tents as pilots across the country filed flight plans here to fly-camp and show off their beloved aircraft.  This is the second largest aerospace expo in the country. What an impressive site of flying machines and talent among pilots and aircraft manufacturers.

    This year was a bit different for me.  I was volunteering for the Husky National STOL #shorterisbetter  competition series and that was very cool in itself.  STOL is short for Short Take-Off and Landing.  The aircraft range from Cessna 180's, 182's, Malls, Zenith Super Duty's and all types of modified tail draggers like Husky, Cub, Super Cubs, Carbon Cubs, Kitfox, Legend, and many more.  Some fitted with turbo powered snowmobile engines, others UL powered many tweaked with modified props, engine components and big 33" balloon tires on 6"rims for remote bush landings.  The action was fast and challenging soon you were cheering for your favorite plane and pilot.  Each day of the STOL series was different due to changing wind conditions direction and speed.  It really tested the pilots skill to adapt to the existing weather conditions.

    I was a line judge during the competition series standing on the flight lines grassy runway, measuring the moment the main gear (wheels) would either lift-off the ground or stop fully when landing.  Some take offs were as short as 18' - 26' and landings 28' - 36'.   Approaching planes hovering would just about stall dropping in just over the scratch line, brakes locked, skidding to a halt.   A skill that all bush pilots practice when landing or taking off in less than ideal conditions.

        Boosting the revs as the tail lifts, releasing the brakes and pulling back the stick until they shoot almost straight up all the while getting a nose full of burnt aviation fuel and pelted by prop wash.  How much fun is that, ahhh the smell of AV fuel in the afternoon. 

    That was not the limits of my volunteering as with others we had cooked dinner for the crew about 60pp several nights out of the 5-day event.  The rest of the time I was able to explore the barrage of planes, watching dazzling flying skills in the sky from the Blue Angels and incredible aerobatics as a C-17 buzzed the tower.  Jets thundering through the skies at mach speeds, synchronized flying teams dancing in air, it was all pretty spectacular.  Saturday was the grand finale a night time air show streaming gliders with fiery flares attached, to a 100 synchronized illuminated drones in a choreographed performance and of course a lengthy fire works display.  But wait, that's not all.....  Holy heck, we where about 2/3rds of mile away when KA- BOOM, Blinding Flash, instantly we felt the heat blast on our faces as it turned night into day and felt the shock wave tear through the air from the legendary and much anticipated Wall of Fire, the whole place went nuts!

        

 Catching up with friends, making new ones- it was a great time tipping a few frothy's, sipping tequila, talking story and sharing future plans.  Camping among the various RVs, caravans and Fly-campers was a wonderful experience all on its own.  Each morning at 7am, the tower at the grassy demo runway which was used for the STOL series would do a audio check by playing a time-honored classic Frank Sinatra tune over the PA system.  It was as if you were a long way from home giving you a taste of what you are pulled away from, like out of a scene from M.A.S.H.

"Fly me to the Moon."

Hope to see you on the Trail!!..

 🚙......