Best SUN ‘n FUN Ever

I have been involved with SUN ‘n FUN since 1997, volunteering in various areas. Since the formation of Lakeland Aero Club my involvement has increased. Lakeland Aero Club has had many different roles during the fly-in, from crewing EAA’s Ford Tri-Motor to airshow performer hospitality. For SUN ‘n FUN 2019 we did something quite different… we did what we normally do on a daily basis, with some help from our friends.

In the January issue of AviNation we told the story of our little Cub and our efforts to retrieve her from Oshkosh where she had blown an engine. We worked with the guys at Don’s Dream Machines to build and install a new engine and fly her home. It seems our big Cub got a little jealous of all the attention her little sister was getting and decided to blow her engine six weeks before the fly-in. Around the same time our friends at SUN ‘n FUN managed to damage the wing on their Super Cub.

Don’s Dream Machines is owned by C&D Aviation in Bessemer, Alabama. They built the sweepstakes Cub for EAA last year. Owners Don and Ron Wade were very impressed with our Vice President, Donovan Richards and made him an offer to go work for them last year. The experience he got here made him a valuable asset for their company. Donovan came down to assess the damage and saw a great opportunity and suggested that we build the engine and the wing in our hangar during the SUN ‘n FUN fly-in.

Tuesday, the first day of the fly-in saw the crankshaft bolted to the stand and the bent wing hung in the jig. Throughout the week the teams of teenagers worked on the projects under the watchful eyes of some of the best Cub restorers and engine builders in the country. Spectators crowded the hangar to watch the teens build the wing and engine. Most people were impressed by what they saw and made generous contributions to the cause. Several celebrities stopped by for a visit including Kevin and Mike from “Airplane Repo”, Patty Wagstaff and Greg Koontz, both long time supporters of the Club. Blue Angel #8, LCDR Adam Kerrick stopped by to check out the workmanship, pose for pictures with the students and autograph the side of the Cub. By Friday afternoon the engine was installed and running on the front of the big Cub and the wing ready to be covered.

Two of the 16-year old’s, Andrew and Kenny made a good enough impression on their mentors to get paid summer internships at C&D Aviation. I can’t wait to hear about their adventures when they return for high school in August. The Lakeland Aero Club got to show the world what we do every day and it was well received. We have a brand-new engine on our Cub, and we all had a great time!

So… for me, this was the best SUN ‘n FUN ever!