Flight Training - June 2013 - 8

CENTERLINE

By Adam Smith

FLYING ADVENTURES

PEOPLE YOU MEET ALONG THE WAY

F

lying to the Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In and Expo at
Lakeland, Florida, has become my springtime ritual since
I moved to the United States a dozen years ago. It’s a great
way to shake off the winter flying cobwebs, meet old friends,
make new ones, and experience all the sights and sounds of one of the
world’s great airshows.
The best flying adventure I’ve ever had
was taking my 1946 clipped-wing J–3 Cub
to Sun ’n Fun in 2008. It was a 2,800-mile
round trip, with 24 fuel stops, camping
under the airplane wing every night. Flying “low and slow,” I don’t think the Cub
made it above 1,000 feet agl the whole
trip. Just me, a simple old airplane, and a
handheld radio.
This year’s flight felt a lot more sophisticated as my friend Charlie and I cruised
down to Florida at 7,500 feet and 150
knots. Our 1955 Cessna 180 was plenty old
enough to be qualified to park in the Vintage Aircraft area at Lakeland. But, with
an iPad in each lap, an iPhone in each
pocket, and a portable ADS-B receiver on
the dash, the technology at our fingertips
was pure 2013.
We often hear about the rising cost of
aviation, but it’s worth pointing out that
prices have fallen dramatically in some
areas. The iPad has been a revolutionary
development, bringing immense technical capability into our cockpits at a very
attractive price. For a little more than
$1,000 we have access to features that
previously cost tens of thousands of dollars. This is exactly the kind of progress
that aviation needs! It has also made flying
easier, safer, and more enjoyable.
More affordable, too. My ForeFlight
app has a great little feature that overlays
avgas prices on a sectional chart. This
caused us to choose Allendale County,
South Carolina (88J), as the first stopping
point en route to Sun ’n Fun. Compared

to an average of the 10 nearest airports,
the price at 88J was 91 cents per gallon
cheaper. So on a 37-gallon fill-up, that one
app feature alone saved us $33.67.
We weren’t the only pilots attracted
by low-cost gas. Among the small gaggle
of airplanes gathered at the fuel pumps
was a very pretty Cessna 177RG Cardinal.
Chatting with its owner, Mike Sullivan, I
learned he writes a popular monthly column in the Atlantic Flyer newspaper.

PEACH STATE AERODROME museum in Georgia.

It was clear from our conversation that
Mike has a deep interest in the mission of the AOPA Center to Advance the
Pilot Community. We exchanged contact details, and he later sent me several
articles full of great ideas about how to
market aviation and grow the pilot population. Serendipitous meetings at random
airports are one of the things I love about
the aviation community.
Heading home from Sun ’n Fun, we
took another opportunity to pick up
some cheap gas, this time at Peach State

SERENDIPITOUS MEETINGS AT RANDOM
AIRPORTS ARE ONE OF THE THINGS
I LOVE ABOUT THE AVIATION COMMUNITY.
8/

FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

Aerodrome (GA2) in Georgia. Wow, what
a place! It checks pretty much every box
on my “perfect airport” list: grass strip,
vintage airplanes, excellent restaurant,
aviation museum, highly affordable flying club, even a fly-in community with
hangar homes.
We had lunch with Ron Alexander,
who has been the driving force behind
much of the airfield’s development. A
2013 inductee into the Georgia Aviation
Hall of Fame, Ron flew C–7 Caribous in
Vietnam before a 33-year career with
Delta Air Lines. His collection of vintage
aircraft includes a DC–3 and an original
1918 Curtiss Jenny that will fly again
this summer following a seven-year
restoration.
Ron sees the flying club as a particularly
important asset to the long-term health of
the airfield. Formed in November 2009,
Candler Field Flying Club puts a special
emphasis on offering affordable flight
instruction for young people. Aircraft
rates are kept as low as possible ($90 per
hour to fly a Cessna 172 or Citabria), and
a program is in place that allows young
people to exchange flying time in return
for helping out around the airport. Flight
instruction is often donated by a cadre
of retired airline pilots who enjoy giving
back through the club.
Although the outward appearance of
Peach State Aerodrome is reminiscent of
the past (the museum recreates Candler
Field, the old Atlanta airport of the 1930s),
the flying club’s vision could not be more
forward looking. With a very healthy proportion of members under the age of 20,
the club is well on the way toward building a new generation of pilots who will
keep their local flying community strong
for years to come.
Email Senior Vice President Adam Smith at adam.
smith@aopa.org.
Learn more about the Center to Advance the
Pilot Community (www.aopa.org/CAPComm).
http://www.aopa.org/CAPComm http://FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
Flight Training - June 2013

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