It’s easy to skip television this week because General Aviation News/SUN ‘n FUN Today hired me to report on news at the fly-in all week. Missing sleep much more than television, but this is a happy kind of tired. Last year I worked on the seaplanes beat, but this year due to high water levels (submerged dock, submerged ramp, etc) the Splash-In was cancelled. Click on this link to read articles I wrote last year.
So this year, I’m the roving reporter, chasing down the elusive Breitling Jet Team engineers who had to reassemble the Czech-made L-39C planes from parts crated and shipped here from Dijon, France. Meeting with missionary aviation pilots gathered from the ends of the earth to stay at the homes of local residents while they enjoy SUN ‘n FUN and spread the word about what they do. Getting the scoop on a Grumman Mohawk (N10VD) painted with the names of Vietnam war MIAs in a stirring tribute that’s being called a ‘flying monument.’ And I had the honor of documenting a ceremony in which the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award was presented to ten amazing legends in aviation.
Thunderbirds
Tomorrow I get to go see the Breitling Jet Team perform. This is the first stop on their first-ever North American tour. Oh, and the Thunderbirds are performing the same day. EEEEEEEeeeep. Pardon my geekasm. There’s just something about precision aerobatics in reeeeally fast planes that gets my pulse racing.
Ah, the smell of jet A and the roar of afterburners….So television? Meh. I’m having too much SUN ‘n FUN to miss the blinking box.