A Fond Memory: Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo 2023

There's something special about about flying your airplane into an airshow or aviation festival. You truly feel accomplished when you fly the published approach, rock your wings on command, stick the landing on the dot specified, and then are greeted by the people on scooters who direct you where to park at the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo.

Meg Godlewski

Sunday, December 10, 2023 at 11:49 AM ET

Verified

Panchito soars through the moody central Florida skies during the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo's daily airshow. [Credit: Stephen Yeates]

Key Takeaways:

Thorough pre-flight planning is essential, encompassing route selection, aircraft performance, weight and balance, emergency preparedness, and carrying backup navigation and communication tools.
Pilots must meticulously review and understand the specific multi-page Notice to Air Missions (NOTAMs) for airshows, which detail unique communication procedures, traffic patterns, and temporary control tower operations.
Refining piloting skills such as specialty takeoffs, precision landings, crosswind approaches, go-arounds, and the specific wing-rocking identification maneuver is crucial for safe airshow arrival.
Maintain acute situational awareness during all phases of flight, especially taxiing, by adhering to ground marshal directions and watching wingtips due to high traffic and pedestrian presence.

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There is something extra special about flying your airplane into an airshow or aviation festival. You truly feel accomplished when you fly the published approach, rock your wings on command, stick the landing on the dot specified, and then are greeted by the people on scooters who direct you where to park.

That’s how it is supposed to go—and often it does go that well, provided you do your homework before you launch for the big event.