L i g h t P l a n e Wor l d
Aerotrek instrument panel with Funkwerk radio and transponder in upper right corner of photo.
What Was New
in Paradise City
By Dan Grunloh
The ultralight and light plane area of the Sun 'n Fun
International Fly-In & Expo in Lakeland, Florida, acquired
its name "Paradise City" more than 30 years ago because
it truly was a paradise for ultralight enthusiasts from the
northern states still waiting for warm weather to return.
You could get a taste of the coming summer flying fun for
one week in April by traveling to Florida.
It was no different this year. While we were flying in
T-shirts at Lakeland-Linder Airport, our friends up
north experienced torrential rains, flooding, and up to
two feet of snow. Our biggest worry was if we remembered to put on enough sunscreen.
Sun 'n Fun 2013 had very few FAR 103 ultralights
not associated with a vendor. Perhaps the extreme
weather, the economy, and distance to travel to Florida
Photography courtesy of Dan Grunloh
discouraged them. The few notables were John
Moody, the "Father of Ultralights," in his 35-year-old
Easy Riser that started it all, and Randall Fishman in
his state-of-the-art, carbon-fiber ElectraFlyer ULS
electric-powered motorglider.
Paradise City also has been the place where new
products and airplanes are first introduced. New this
year was the shifting of the LSA Mall into Paradise
City with a major change in the roads and improvements on the runway. The changes were so new that
directional road signs had not yet been erected. The
move brought many familiar and new vendors into
the area. Dan Johnson, president of the Light Aircraft
Manufacturers Association (LAMA), declared the
new Paradise City a "home run hit" on his website
ByDanJohnson.com. During the nearly continuous run-
EAA Experimenter
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