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Barrett flies by with the smoke system on. The Yellowbird's smoke density equals or exceeds any other plane we saw during the week.
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The four-bladed MT prop really sounds good... there's no mistaking the Yellowbird when it flies past!
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Even without a rotor, the Yellowbird can darn near hover.
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Our Skybolt taxis in from giving a ride.
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The front cockpit is big enough for a "real" person, and the visibility with the full bubble is outstanding.
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The Goetsch family wandering the flight line.
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Evan's hair matches his "Blast Off" shirt.
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Ethan was having a lot of fun as well. All the Goetsch boys like airplanes.
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Aaron talks with the Larsens (of 'Miss Ta Fire' jet dragster fame).
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Elaine Larsen is so enthusiastic about Piloti shoes that she brough several friends of hers over our tent and "made" them try them on!
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This Pitts S1 did well at Reno.
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This Pitts S2-S was on display near the IAC tent.
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Extra had this very eye-catching airplane on display.
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A more "normal" looking Extra.
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Gary Ward's beautiful MX2. This plane really had a top-notch finish. The new, all-carbon MX2 is one of the most advanced acro monoplanes around today.
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This cute little biplane was tearing around the patch over at Paradise City. He didn't stay down long enough for me to find out what it was!
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Fly-ins like SNF are the best place to meet others who share an appreciation for a variety of aircraft.
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The dust at SNF is legendary... after a week sitting in the parking lot, white cars become brown and show planes need constant dusting to avoid the "camouflage" look. It would be even worse if they didn't water the dirt roads and taxiways regularly.
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Diamond had this D-Jet mockup on display. We hope it's the mockup, because it's gonna take an awful lot of runway to take off in this configuration!
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Old, new, and a new version of the old.
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The price you pay for high performance in the air is a bit of awkwardness on the ground.
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This was interesting homebuilt is called the "ATL". Ought to have excellent visibility!
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This homebuilt is called an Aerostar I.
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Homebuilding gives us "mere mortals" a chance to live out our aeronautical dreams, even though few people ever get an opportunity to fly with the real Thunderbirds.
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This sharp BD-4 stood out on the flightline.
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Every plane needs a mascot!
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Gee, I wonder where this pilot went to college? Hmmm...
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Everyone was asking about this "preflight cowl"... sorry folks but it's just for show.
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The Bear 360 certainly isn't "cheap", but it's a lot easier to get into than a real F8F Bearcat (if you can even find one for sale!)
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There is a lot more to see than just fixed-wing aircraft. Gyros remain popular and their designs are advancing all the time.
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Bill Clapp's KR-2S flew a lot as well. If you get a chance to talk to Bill, ask him how he built a whole fuel system for all of $23.
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This Lancair sports some nice custom artwork.
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The Homebuilt HQ staff apparently wanted to make things easy on all the bleary-eyed, tired-out cross-country travelers!
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The Aeroshell team never fails to impress with their spectacular flying.
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The T-6 is a great airshow plane... big, loud, and maneuverable.
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In the early days of powered flight, the deadliest situation you could get into was an inverted flat spin. Now, it's something we do routinely just for fun!
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The Super Chipmunk has a classic style all it's own.
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Winglets used to be only for bizjets. Now they are standard features on many aircraft of all types.
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Composites have some a long way since the early slab-sided construction techniques developed in the 1960s and early 70s.
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This plane attracted a lot of interest... it's called the Phoenix.
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Those are the nav lights. No ugly, draggy units sticking out from the wingtips for these guys!
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These nearly-flush items are the anti-collision strobes.
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The Phoenix wing is made of carbon fiber.
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A P-51 and an A-10 perform in the USAF Heritage Flight.
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This is actually a composite image made from two separate photos.
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The Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) vendors are continuing to see a huge amount of interest.
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This plane, the Ikarus C42E, has a unique construction method. There is a big (6 inches or so) aluminum tube that actually supports the fabric-covered tail surfaces. The rear fuselage is actually a non-structural, aerodynamic shell made of composites. The LSA movement has introduced some unusual (and often ingenious) construction techniques to the industry as designers create modern aircraft that can still meet the LSA requirements.
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The Dova is a nice-looking LSA.
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The US Customs Service had a display. The bad guys have to be able to outrun a fairly small boat with 900 hp... not an easy task!
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If the bad guys think they're safe from being caught by taking their activities into the air (or by outrunning the patrol boats)... well, they have another thing coming.
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Aerolab (the OTHER Aerolab) had this low-wing fuselage on display. It's VERY loosely based on the venerable Pietenpol Air Camper.
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LoPresti was showing off the Swift Fury.
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This guy only lands to refuel and eat!
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A CGS Hawk takes to the skies at the LSA runway.
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Despite the multitude of light aircraft with "civilized" features like plush cabins, many pilots still prefer the exhilaration of being out in the breeze.
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Off on another mission around the patch!
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Just Aircraft has a popular line of LSA aircraft.
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The Drifter was a very popular aircraft during the 1980s, but this excellent design languished after problems with a series of companies that produced it. Many folks were thrilled to hear recently that Lockwood now has the rights and is bringing it back.
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Trikes are another fast-growing segment of the LSA industry. Can you see their grins?
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The M-Squared Sport 1000 epitomizes a simple, light aircraft built just for having fun.
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The Kitfox and Avid Flyers were just the start of a whole series of planes that have been developed and refined from a very basic, simple concept.
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The Hummel Ultracruiser is about as minimal as you can get with an all-aluminum enclosed aircraft.
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From this angle, it looks like Titan went to the next level and created a T-82 Twin Mustang. (OK, you just know that somewhere, out there, SOMEONE is seriously thinking about doing this!)
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The painted covering job makes this Sky Ranger look a little less "ultralighty" than others with more standard color schemes.
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Here's a blast from the past... a Pterodactyl... one of the more successful designs of the early ultralight movement. On the other side of the fence are two Easy Risers, another famous early ultralight design.
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Many folks were impressed by this scale Fieseler Fi-156 Storch replica. It looked "right". It will be about $90K. Full-flaps stall speed is all of 17mph!
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The Brokaw Bullet was an innovative, fast design resembling a military trainer. The final version that Dr. Brokaw built before he passed away was this turboprop.
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An RV sits peacefully beneath a mossy live oak as the sun sets over Lakeland.
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This Sidewinder is on display near the theater.
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