Florida Aviation Network

More than 50 Living Legends of Aviation attended the 2012 ceremony. Legends and other celebrities on the guest list included Harrison Ford, Freeman, Bob Hoover, Tom Cruise, Buzz Aldrin, Clay Lacy, Lynn Tilton, Burt and D*** Rutan, Carroll Shelby, Barron Hilton, Kermit Weeks, Joe Clark, Tony Bill, Julie Clark, and Patty Wagstaff, said an announcement of the event.

The Living Legends meet the third Friday of every January to recognize and honor individuals that have made significant contributions in aviation. The awarding organization describes its honorees as “aviation entrepreneurs, innovators, record breakers, industry leaders, astronauts and pilots who have become celebrities and celebrities who have become pilots.”

There are several active and retired who might appreciate this audio. It was sent to me by one of our production cerw who served in Viet Nam and spent lots of time in Helicopters.GodsOwnLunatics.mp3

We will be broadcasting daily from the SUN 'n FUN show site this year.  Tune in over the airwaves or internet.  Detail to follow. 

SUN 'n FUN 2012 Pre-Production meeting today at FOF then Thursday in Orlando.

Over-the-air TV enjoying revival in digital era
Broadcast TV is experiencing a renaissance as some viewers cut out cable TV and complement online video with broadcast TV signals, a trend some say may weaken the case for auctioning broadcast TV spectrum. TV antenna seller Richard Schneider says he sold 600,000 antennas through his St. Louis-based business, Antennas Direct, last year and expects to double that figure in 2012. Pay TV growth has stagnated in the past 18 months, while American households with only broadband and broadcast TV increased 23% to 5.1 million in the third quarter of 2011, compared with the same time a year earlier.

We need your help to advise folks: SUN 'n FUN 2012, the 2nd Largest Airshow in the United States will take place March 27 - April 1, 2012 in Lakeland Florida. During the event the volunteer FAA Production Crew (NASF) will operating from the CFAA Room 103 and a Satellite Uplink Truck next to the Sea Plane Association facility, SPA. We will be broadcasting over the Florida Aviation Network, PGTV, BrightHouse 622, Verizon 20, and Comcast 5 daily from 1230 until 1400. We will be streaming over the internet from various show sites throughout the day at: www.faaproductionstudios.com then click on "view live"

Several folks from our crew had a great time last night at the 84th Academy Awards celebration at th Enzian Theater with the FMPTA.

Florida has more private jets than Asia, executive says
While emerging markets are providing a boost to business jets, Florida still outshines other markets. "There are more planes on the ramp at Palm Beach on any given Saturday afternoon than there are in the whole of India and China," said Simon Pryce, group chief executive of BBA Aviation. Bloomberg

The latest is show is 03/05/2012 Managing Safety number 12030501. Host Obie Young interviews Lori Bradner, Central Florida Aerospace Academy (CFAA) science teacher about exciting new programs.

SUN 'n FUN TODAY

- The GA News publishes SUN 'n FUN Today, the official newspaper of the SUN 'n FUN Fly-In. The complimentary newspaper is published daily during the fly-in, with the first issue available on Monday, MARCH 26 and the last

issue on Sunday, APRIL 1.

Sun 'n Fun  Radio Station provides daily commentary on happenings around SUN 'n FUN, interviews with special guest and volunteers. . Tune

in and listen awhile, another way to enjoy SUN 'n FUN. You can listen two ways- If you're on the SUN ‘n FUN campus, tune your radio to 1510 AM.

The new

CENTRAL FLORIDA AEROSPACE ACADEMY (CFAA – a High School “career academy”) is located at the

year-round SUN ‘n FUN entrance across Doolittle Road from the Florida Air Museum. The CFAA will host the

SUN 'n

FUN EDUCATIONAL FORUMS

all week by providing indoor, air conditioned rooms for our presenters and guests. We

invite each of you to visit this wonderful new addition to the SUN ‘n FUN campus.

Amy Reports: With its largest attendance in a decade, the 23^rd annual WAI Conference, held in Dallas, from March 8-10, 2012, could best be described as big and upbeat. In addition to a new record attendance, dozens of companies and organizations were actively recruiting new employees, producing a positive and encouraging attitude for all participants.

“This year, our numbers were up almost 8% from last year, and an all time record for us," said WAI President Dr. Peggy Chabrian. “The official count is 3,350 attendees who represent all aspects and interests within the aviation community, including military, commercial, corporate and recreational flying.” 

We are making final adjustmenst to the control room for SUN 'n FUN 2012.  Are you ready? ***OBIE ***

Florida airport wins FAA award for safety
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Florida has received a safety award from the Federal Aviation Administration. The airport won the FAA Southern Region Runway Safety Partnership Award for making safety improvements to its runway and other operations. The regional award covers airports in eight states.

Sat Mar 17th Crew Reminder - Telecom tomorrow 0830.  Crew briefing 09:00.  Volunteer meeting 10:00

Attendance at the Sun 'n Fun fly-in and airshow in Lakeland, Fla., hit a record this year. "Our gate traffic for Friday alone was a record in the 38 years we've been putting on Sun 'n Fun," Sun 'n Fun President John Leenhouts said. The airshow for general aviation pilots and other pilots concluded Sunday.  Bay News 9 (Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.)

NASA said it has reached a breakthrough in the design of supersonic business jets. "It's the first time we have taken a design representative of a small supersonic airliner and shown we can change the configuration in a way that is compatible with high efficiency and have a sonic signature" that isn't a boom, said Peter Coen of NASA

Posted 4 Video Slide Shows with Music from SUN 'n FUN today.

Telecom this morning at 0830.   Updates on the Weather, Accidents, and our outreach programs.

General aviation had slightly more accidents in 2011, NTSB says
The National Transportation Safety Board released data last week that showed an increase in general aviation accidents in 2011. Civil aviation accidents in the U.S. rose to 1,550 in 2011 from 1,500 in 2010. General aviation accidents represented 1,466 of the civil aviation accidents in 2011, a slight increase from 1,439 in 2010. General Aviation News

NBAA :As the opening day for the 12th Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2012) got underway in Geneva, Switzerland today, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen reported that this year's show could be the largest yet.

New VFR Transponder Code for Gliders

In a notice issued on March 7, 2012, the FAA will now offer transponder code 1202 for glider pilots to use when not in contact with ATC. The new code will help ATC differentiate gliders, which have unique flight and maneuvering limitations, from other VFR traffic.

Anchorage, AK – Avemco Insurance Company President Jonathan “JJ” Greenway was a featured speaker at the 2012 Great Alaska Aviation Gathering, May 5-6, at the Anchorage International Airport. Greenway spoke about separating fact from fiction in his seminar “Top 10 Aviation Insurance Myths.”  

[Satellite TODAY 05-23-11]  SpaceX has successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon spacecraft to orbit. The company, which had to dramatically abort the mission at the last second May 19, finally completed the mission May 22.

The National Flight Academy in Pensacola, Fla., opened its doors this month. The $45 million facility boasts 30 aircraft simulators and other equipment to teach students about aviation during weeklong sessions.

At a press conference Tuesday in Reno, Nevada, Mike Houghton, president of the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA), announced that a $100 million insurance policy had been secured, paving the way for the National Championship Air Races to be held September 12-16 at Stead Airport

The latest is show is 06/04/2012 Managing Safety  number 12060401.  Rich Tillery interviews  Winter Haven, FL City Commissioner Jamie Beckett and Polk County, FL Tourism and Sports Marketing official Neal Duncan discussing the value of Sun n Fun to the Polk County economy and all the other attractions available to Sun n Fun visitors.

Look for expanded coverage by the Florida Aviation Network (FAN) of the 2013 U.S. Sport Aviation Expo held annually in Sebring, Florida.

During Sun 'n Fun 2012 the Florida Aviation Network (a project of the National Aviation Safety Foundation), was staffed by a volunteer production crew and was operated from a Satellite Uplink Truck next to the Sea Plane Association facility, SPA.  Daily, the crew broadcast over the Florida Aviation Network, PGTV, Bright House 622, Verizon 20, and Comcast 5, from 1230 until 1400. FAN also streamed via webcast over the internet from various show sites throughout the week of Sun ‘n Fun this past March.   

The Florida Aviation Network and the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo are working together to bring this same type broadcast coverage to the 9^th annual Sebring Expo to be held January 17-20, 2013. 

I will be the guest speaker at EAA Chapter 175 at Tampa Executive Airport on Saturday June 23rd, 2012.  I will be speaking about the Foundation's and Production Studios's support for SUN 'n FUN 2012.  I will share some behind the scene looks and comments.

http://youtu.be/85eAKd8aR5k

The National Aviation Hall of Fame has increased the stipend for its annual A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Educator of the Year Award and pushed back the deadline to submit nominations. The stipend was raised to $5,000 from $1,500, and will be awarded to a teacher who demonstrates effectiveness, creativity, and ability to maintain high standards for students or him- or herself, with aerospace as a core subject matter of the curricula. Nominations are being accepted until June 30 on the website.

Tomorrow  is the 3rd Saturday.  Don't forget the monthly telecom at 8:30.

Lunch today with Billy Henderson, the founder of SUN 'n FUN.  He is still very much involved in aviation.

The National Aviation Safety Foundation has received a “limited edition drawing” from Central Florida Pen and Ink Artist, Robert H. Score, Sr., celebrating recipients of the prestigious "Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award," and "The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award."  This drawing features a highly detailed replica of the Wright Flyer as well as vignettes of Charles Taylor, The Wright Flyer Engine, and Orville and Wilbur Wright.

In Great Britain, students as young as 14 will soon begin hands-on training for careers in business aviation thanks to a new type of educational institution being set up throughout the country with the support of major players in British industry. "Aviation will benefit because students will be better prepared
generally to enter the aviation industry either directly or via university,"
said Peter Mitchell, chief executive of the Baker Dearing Educational Trust,
which is developing a system of more than 30 University Technical Colleges
(UTCs) throughout Great Britain.

Why Fly.... Look at the I-4 Parking Lot ... Almost Daily.  : )

Florida Tech offers online aviation safety master's degree

Adults looking to expand their aviation safety knowledge have another avenue to do so remotely. The Florida Institute of Technology College of Aeronautics recently announced its online aviation safety master’s degree program. The 30-credit-hour, nonthesis program covers safety management systems, aviation safety analysis, complex aviation systems, accident prevention and investigation, human factors, and decision making. It is a companion to the school’s other online master’s degree program on human factors in aeronautics. According to the school, students will receive opportunities to conduct research and apply aviation theory.

Working on EAA 175 presentation.

Ref: CAP Summer of Safety

Who:  CFAA Squadron , Lakeland, Linder
What: CFR Demo by LAL Airport CFR Unit
When: 0730 July 19, 2012
Where: Doolittle Road Gate - Lakeland Airport
Why: Improve knowledge of CFR

Analysis: Number of glider pilots doubled in past 10 years
Columnist Daniel Russell delved into Federal Aviation Administration data to find out what types of pilots had increased in the past decade. According to his research, the number of glider pilots increased by about 2.5 times from 2001 to 2011. In 2011, more than 21,000 glider pilots in the U.S. had their airmen certificates.

Fla. aims to be hub for unmanned aerial vehicles
Florida is hoping to create a hub for unmanned aerial vehicles in the Sunshine State.  "The skies over Florida will look dramatically different in the years to come," Space Florida President Frank DiBello said. The Federal Aviation Administration predicts that about 10,000 commercial UAVs "could be active within five years," this feature says.

It looks like Debby will be a challange for Aviaton in Florida this week. Always check weather prior to flight. Be Safe.  : ) 

Piper Aircraft will celebrate 75 years of Piper Cub in July
Piper  Aircraft plans to celebrate its 75th birthday, as well as the 75th birthday of the Piper Cub, next month. The aircraft manufacturer will display a vintage Cubat the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2012, from July 23 to 29. The distinctive yellow Piper Cub first appeared on the market in 1937. General Aviation News

Managing Safety Host, Ben Coleman, joined dozens of Piper Cubs to arrive at  Lock Haven, Pa., for the twenty-seventh Sentimental Journey to Cub Haven Fly-In held June 20 through 23. The annual event celebrated the seventy-fifth anniversary of the venerable Piper J-3 Cub, which first flew from Lock Haven in 1937 and was produced there for 10 years.

Just spoke with Ben and he is working on th Sentimental Journey field remote now.