All the months of planning, all the schedule juggling, and all the daydreaming boil down to this: opening day at Sun ’n Fun. It was a warm night in the tent, but I fixed that with my battery-powered fan—which saved the day (or really, the night). Bill and I made our way to the currently named Sunset Grill for breakfast. They change the name every few years or so, but it’s been the Sunset Grill for at least the last couple.
Then in walks Jim Estes, an old and dear friend who moved from Atlanta to Florida to be near his children after his beloved Bobbi passed away. We’ve dearly missed him at EAA Chapter 690, and it was great to see him. Neither of us offered a handshake—we went straight for hugs around the neck. Hard to explain. It’s a Southern thing. We had talked about him coming to SNF, but it still felt like a pleasant surprise to see him walk up. At one point, we even discussed buying a Cub together. I can’t rule that out for the future.
Before the gates officially opened, I walked into the plush media tent—complete with electricity, Wi-Fi, comfortable tables and chairs, and—wait for it—air conditioning! Praise the Lord. In the old days, “media” meant pencil pushers like me, scribbling stories into a steno pad and typing them up later for filing with the home office. During SNF, we worked out of an un-air-conditioned storage house with spotty Wi-Fi. Now, many media folks are YouTube influencers who, I guess, are used to the finer things in life. We old-timers are happy to tag along and enjoy the new amenities.
Although it certainly warrants one, there’s no brass band for the gates swinging wide on opening day. There is, however, a certain spring in the step of the volunteers, vendors, and participants. After five days of heat and marathon walking, some of these folks will resemble the march to Bataan. But for now, it’s hard to quell their excitement. There are more people this year (ticket sales are up 20% over last year), and the displays are even more elaborate than in years past—think potted palm trees and grass rugs.
Sadly, Van’s Aircraft chose to sit this one out to conserve some post-bankruptcy cash. In consolation, Phil Lockwood has a display with his Rotax 916 engine in an RV-9A. And, of course, there are about a jillion RVs parked on the field.
That’s the best part of this wonderful show. Homebuilts of all persuasions fly in from all over the U.S. If you’re thinking about building a Zenith, a Lancair, or a Cub clone, there will be actual owners and builders here who can share firsthand stories about the challenges of construction and the joys of flight.
Opening day saw the usual Florida fog until a little after 10:00, but then it was as if God flipped a switch and the field went to clear and a million. Homebuilts, warbirds, ultralights, and general aviation aircraft began pouring in. What a sight. Each and every cockpit has a pilot. Each and every pilot has a story. It’s going to be a great week.
