Sun N Fun Report

A forum for the proverbial airport bum who just wants to talk about anything and everything related to flying. Introduce yourself here !!

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captain_john
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Sun N Fun Report

Post by captain_john »

Well, I am back from Sun N Fun after really giving the credit cards a workout! I met ALOT of RV guys while there. It seems that you can't throw a dead cat without hitting one lately!

I arrived on Monday with my buddy Kevin Johnson ( www.kevinsRV7.com ) who is also a -7 builder and immediately grabbed a cab to Tampa Harley Davidson where our trusty steeds laid in wait!

Image

Having these bikes really made the trip fun! I think Sun N Fun is actually more fun than OSH. It is smaller, less commercial and truly a homebuilders paradise!

I immediately went to the 4 large hangars which served as the vendor pavilions. Here I found Desser tire and immediately placed an order for my tires and got an UNBEATABLE deal as well as an LED flashlight! Those guys are GREAT! Next to them was Barret Engines. I finally met Rhonda and she is a genuinely nice person! Monty answered some questions I had and I know that I am going to have a hard time deciding on an engine vendor because they are all so helpful!

Of course, I HAD to use the Aircraft Spruce coupon for $25 off and free shipping. I bought antennas there and a few other things. In the same hangar is Pacific Coast Avionics and I sprang for a whiskey compass and a few more incidentals.

All the vendors were very helpful. Mahlon was there and I chatted with Bruce Bohannon for a bit. He is like one of us! A real airplane nut! Rob Hickman spent a few minutes with me, but his AF3X00 products are so hot, he didn't have much time. That's cool, I understand. This panel with his stuff in it was from Accuracy Avionics:

Image

Really nice panel!!!

Out on the ramp area there were many plane I had never seen before! Here is some "tail" art:

Image

I knew my wife would just LOVE that one! <sarchasm> It did make the other planes happy, though!

Image

There were LOTS of sweet tailwheel side by sides there. (Are there really ANY OTHER kind of RV's?)

Image

Marc Ausman was there too. I think he must have flown the farthest. If not, he must have been on the short list.

Image

He didn't tie his plane down and they were very angry with him, so I did it for him. After all, he has helped me out many times with all my 390 questions with his www.io-390.com website.

I also saw: Bret Smith, Mitch Garner, Keith Uhls, Dan Landry, Robert Brooks, Tom Clark and many others. Sorry if I forgot anyone.

Returning home via Tampa Airport in the aluminum saloon was fun. Especially for the folks at TSA! They had a great time attempting to discern what the assorted components were that I had picked up along the way! The clecoes had them going for a solid 5 minutes! When they saw the very intimidating 6" safety wire pliers, there was a problem! They were too large to allow on board. There was a communication problem, but it all got sorted out when the pliers could be shipped conveniently right there at the terminal. Someone is making money out of that deal! It cost me $12 to ship them home!

All in all, it was a GREAT TRIP and I can't wait until OSH! I suppose I best get baning some rivets now so I won't have to deal with TSA again!

See you in Wisconsin!

:mrgreen: CJ
Last edited by captain_john on Fri Apr 20, 2007 6:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

Leighton
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Post by Leighton »

Can we expect some bad ass tail art on the Capt John wagon?


nice lookin' hog, are you thinking of trading in the Jeep monster to get your own one?

hahahahaha

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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

I have some custom paint ideas up my sleeve. I will be fairly humble straight outta the gate, though!

:wink:

I am going to stick to renting bikes. I don't need another machine to maintain!

:mrgreen: CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

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Wicked Stick
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Post by Wicked Stick »

John,

That looks like it was an awesome trip.
I'm envious of how much fun you guys had.

Thanks for sharing the pictures and story. It was great fun to read.
I give your report and A- ;)
Dave "WS" Rogers
RV-8 (125 hrs & counting)
N173DR

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cjensen
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Post by cjensen »

Yeah, good report John...but I'd have to grade you a bit lower than Dave. Where's the Subaru pics??? :P

B+ :evil: :mrgreen:
Chad Jensen
Missing my RV-7...
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http://verticalpower.com

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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Hahaha, you guys are BRUTAL!

I see my spelling error and some poor grammar, but I DON'T CARE! I AIN'T GONNA FIX IT!!!

:lol:

Next year if SNF falls on school vacation, let's ALL go down there and rent bikes!

It was AWESOME!

8) CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

tshort
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Post by tshort »

I didn't know you could rent bikes from a dealer ... was it pricey? What kind of "credentials" do they require - just a motorcycle endorsement on your license?
Thanks for the pics ... although they were a little skimpy on the tandem taildraggers :lol:

T.
Thomas Short
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dons
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Post by dons »

Thanks for the report, convinces me I have to attend at least one of the big shows when it comes time to buy stuff other than the standard kits. Nothing like seeing and talking to the people you are going to drop a lot of cash with.
Don Sinclair
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RV-7A (Fuselage)

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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Thomas, the bikes were about $190 per day and BRAND NEW!

You need to be 25 years old minimum, a motorcycle license and a $2,000 deposit (or credit card).

SO MUCH FUN! I just got back from my local HD Dealership (not a special trip, just happened by... really!) and that bike can be had for just under $20,000... out the door!

Hmmmmm, naw... not today.

There were lots of tandems, but I kept the pics to a minimum to allow for dial ups.

Awesome trip!

:) CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

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cjensen
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Post by cjensen »

Holy crap money bags!!! $190 a DAY? :o :o Cough, cough...I'll stick with my $30 a day Ford Focus... :cry:
Chad Jensen
Missing my RV-7...
Vertical Power support
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http://verticalpower.com

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RV7Factory
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Post by RV7Factory »

Good stuff John. Thanks for posting. Can you email me a full rez image of that panel? It looks almost identical to what I am planning and I would like to see it in greater detail. Thanks.
Brad Oliver
RV-7 | Livermore, CA
RV7Factory.com
Image

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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

WILCO!

Nice panel, huh?

8) CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

kevinsrv7
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Sun and Fun

Post by kevinsrv7 »

John great time huh? I think we started a fad renting harleys during sun and fun, sounds like a new buisiness to get into.
Anyhow, John great wright up! We had a blast. The droolfactor was quite high, I guess thats why we were the last ones to leave everynight?
Kevin

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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Kev, yah... were WERE the the last ones out the gate both nights!

Next year, should it fall on the school vacation I plan to do it again! The Harleys are a DEFINATE!

Glad to see you here as a member!

:) CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

Hard Knox
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Never will I complain again!

Post by Hard Knox »

Capn John:

You win! I'm with Chad. Us fat guys had to go for the $39 a day Grand Pricks out of Bartow. I got a car and a room for $190 a day and no deposit.

Great Pix, especially like the try out for dailyniner.com!
Thanks,

Robby "Hard" Knox
RV-8 N184RK Completed
RV-8 Fastback N82XS tail completed. Building wings.
Planning RV-10 N102XS. Building tail.
Ercoupe 415-C/D N93515 Wings recovered. Hanging Engine.
Rincon, GA

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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Hi Robby!

Welcome to RB!

Loosen up your wallet! You can spring for a bike!

:) CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

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cjensen
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Post by cjensen »

Great to see ya at Rivetbangers Robby!

CJ is the BIG spender around here! :wink:
Chad Jensen
Missing my RV-7...
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920.216.3699
http://verticalpower.com

Spike
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Post by Spike »

No joke. Jeeps, sleds, boats, he has it all. And to top it off his shop space looks pretty slick too.
http://www.rivetbangers.com - Now integrating web and mail!
Current Build: 2 years into a beautiful little girl

Hard Knox
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Bikes are like retractables!

Post by Hard Knox »

I had my gear up landing courtesy of a 70 year old babe in 1981. Love bikes, but 8 weeks in the hoispital and all the subsequent scars/operations keep me in the 03 Vette.

Bikes are safe, other drivers around you are not.

Safe hawging.
Thanks,

Robby "Hard" Knox
RV-8 N184RK Completed
RV-8 Fastback N82XS tail completed. Building wings.
Planning RV-10 N102XS. Building tail.
Ercoupe 415-C/D N93515 Wings recovered. Hanging Engine.
Rincon, GA

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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Awwww shucks... I just know what I like!

My dive gear is in for annual right now. Lookout lobstahs! Here I come!

:lol: CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

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