Sun 'n Fun 2008 has come and gone. Attending this premier EAA event is the start of the airshow and fly-in season. Walking the Lakeland grounds can be exhausting as well as exhilarating.

The Aeroshell demo team led off the airshow on Wednesday afternoon. One of the most active sponsored airshow teams in the country, the Aeroshell guys were everywhere. Their performance was flawless.

LSA is generating lots of excitement. Ultralight pilots are moving up to the LSA ranks in large numbers and baby boomer pilots are transitioning from traditional aircraft. Some are trying to lower the cost of flying, others are trying to beat medical restrictions. Does this mean general aviation as a whole is growing? Stay tuned as the numbers come in at the end of the year.

Kolb Fire Star II making early morning circuit of the ultralight landing area.

The powered parachute, with its colorful canopy, gets ready to launch into the calm early morning sky.

A powered parachute makes a low pass over the ultralight landing zone. These guys really looked like they were having fun.

Seaplanes make up a fairly small component of General Aviation in the lower 48 but seaplane pilots are a dedicated lot. The Splash-In moved to a new home this year at Lake Agnes on the Fantasy of Flight property. More than 100 seaplanes, from homebuilts to turbine amphibians, came to visit and put on a great show for the spectators.

The STOL Aircraft Company UC-1 Twinbee amphibian making a pass at Lake Agnes during the Splash-In at Fantasy of Flight on Thursday.

The Aero Adventure Adventura II was on hand at the Splash-In. As of Thursday they were on track to break their record for the number of demo flights in one week.

In classic yellow, the Piper PA18-150 on amphibian floats was a real attention getter at Lake Agnes.

Cessna 182 P on amphibian floats heads for the beach at Fantasy of Flight on Lake Agnes.

An Avid Magnum demonstrates impressive takeoff performance from the Lake.

Somehow a group of dedicated EAA members manage to restore and maintain warbirds, some 70 years old, and keep them flying in the air. Next time you see one of these great airplanes, thank the folks who maintain our aviation heritage and who will pass these remarkable aircraft on to the next generation for safekeeping.

A lone crew member from the North Carolina Air Guard takes a break high above the crowd on the warbird line.

Watching the faithful depart Lakeland would be just a little sad but for the fact that we will have a chance to do it all again at Oshkosh!

Michael A. Likavec, Contributing Editor & Photographer
janmikel@comcast.net

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