AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2022 - 102

31.4 %
FLY WITH AOPA
Hang out in Tampa
EVENTS /
Sun, fun, and friends in November
BY JULIE SUMMERS WALKER
The number of GA hours flown is projected to
increase by 31.4 percent from 2020 to 2042,
according to the FAA Aerospace Forecast.
What is a Hangout?
SUN AND FUN-THAT 'S what we think about when we envision a trip to Florida. The
beaches, the seafood, the beautiful weather, even the amusement and theme parks.
Florida is synonymous with fun. And in November, AOPA will up the fun factor in Tampa
at our second 2022 Hangout-Fly-In with AOPA at Tampa Executive Airport (VDF).
We'll join our exhibitors, sponsors, vendors, and friends November 4 and 5 to hang out,
attend seminars, meet other pilots, camp, and enjoy aviation the way it's meant to be-
fun-filled and fantastic.
The former Vandenberg Airport, Tampa Executive was once the site of a vegetable
farm owned by Jules Vandenberghe, an immigrant from Belgium. His two sons wanted to
learn to fly, so Julian and George established an airstrip on their father's farm. The location,
10 miles east of downtown Tampa, was a great reliever for the international airport,
so the Hillsborough Aviation Authority bought the Vandenberg farm and airstrip in 1985,
agreeing to not change the name for 20 years. Ironically, the name became confusing-it
was too similar to the famed Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Tampa Executive has two runways-one at 3,219 feet and the other 5,000 feet long. It
is a base for many area corporate jets. The FBO is Skyport Aviation.
Tampa is a vibrant city situated on Tampa Bay, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. It
is a hub for cruise ships, which visitors can watch leave the harbor from Peter O. Knight
Airport (TPF) on Davis Islands. Tampa is known as the cigar capital of the world, as
Vincente Martinez Ybor moved his cigar manufacturing facilities from Key West to Tampa
in 1885, and the industry flourished in the nineteenth century. Today Ybor City is an exciting
tourist area, with historic architecture, great restaurants, and, of course, cigar rolling.
Grab a Cuban sandwich or deviled crab, or visit the Columbia Restaurant-Florida's oldest
restaurant-while you're here.
julie.walker@aopa.org
102
AOPA PILOT / October 2022
AOPA is excited to bring pilots
together for our revamped
aviation fly-ins. We are calling
them Hangouts to capture the
spirit of these new events.
Pack your bags, fill your fuel
tanks, and join AOPA in the
sunny Southeast November
4 and 5 at Tampa Executive
Airport in Tampa, Florida.
These events offer a mix
of fun, food, learning, and
a chance to renew old
friendships and forge new
ones. AOPA Hangouts offer
the ultimate experience for
pilots and aviation enthusiasts
looking for an adventurous
escape back to the grassroots
fun of GA flying. During these
two-day informal events,
attendees can pitch a tent,
participate in educational
seminars, swap stories, and
enjoy friendly camaraderie
around the campfire.
Purchase tickets at aopa.org/
hangout
DID YOU KNOW?

http://www.aopa.org/hangout http://www.aopa.org/hangout

AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2022

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