Let’s Hangar Fly Together in the Tropics this Winter
You don’t often hear Martha and me promoting trips in vehicles that don’t get much above sea level, but an upcoming event has got us excited about cruising for days at MSL. The first annual SUN ‘n FUN “Wings at Sea” Western Caribbean Cruise is a vacation designed specifically for us aviation enthusiasts.
See the cruise quick links at the bottom of this post
Share the Fun with Pilots and Aviation Enthusiasts
By the third week in January, 2011 when this cruise will take place, you will appreciate SUN ‘n FUN’s goal—to bring together people who share a passion for aviation in a tropical, relaxing, stress-free environment. Join us for this mid-winter “de-icer” and we’ll tour beautiful Grand Cayman Island and Cozumel, soaking up the sun along the way. We’ll also enjoy wonderful food, entertainment and the company of aviation friends.
Take in a Presentation, or Two
During our 5-day journey, Martha and I have been given the honor of hosting two sessions with you while out at sea:
Our first session we call “What We Learned from Flying Around the World”—They always said the world was round, but we never knew it personally until we took off from San Diego heading east and wound up back in San Diego—still heading east. It was a life-changing trip and we’d like to share what we learned about flying in really strange places and the fascinating ways we are all the same, yet different.
Our second session is “How to Avoid Unwanted Adventure and Still Have Fun”—Soon after our own aircraft accident and the discovery of our own sense of vulnerability, we became self-proclaimed “born again pilots.” In this presentation, you will hear about some of our flight adventures and we’ll use these often humorous stories to illustrate how we combine our enthusiasm for flying with principles of safe cross-country travel. You will learn practical and insightful tools for your own risk management.
Of course, Martha and I look forward to enjoying meals and hangar flying with you every chance we get.
Bring the Family … and Enjoy the Ship
In between our presentations (which we hope you’ll attend!), the ship offers an amazing variety of ways to unwind, including:
- Spectacular three-story dining room
- Optional high-end restaurants
- Themed bars and lounges
- Day Spa and Fitness Center
- Expansive Casino
- Five-story theater
- Golf simulators and nine-hole miniature golf course
- Ice-skating rink
- Full-size basketball court
- Rock-climbing wall
- In-line skating track
- Royal Promenade
- Youth and teen facilities
And the Sun isn’t the Only Warm Feeling You’ll Get
Just by taking this vacation, you’ll be helping to promote general aviation. Maybe the best part of SUN ‘n FUN’s first annual cruise is that the net proceeds from it will be used to benefit year ’round educational programs at SUN ‘n FUN and its Florida Air Museum (FAM).
Plan to Join us January 15 through 20, 2011
The SUN ‘n FUN “Wings at Sea” Western Caribbean Cruise boards in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, leaving on January 15th and returning on January 20th. Cabins start at about $688 per person, which includes all meals, recreation, entertainment, taxes and fees—AND Sun ‘n Fun special events and receptions. Your reservation form and more cruise information can be found below.
Cruise Quick Links |
|
Martha and I just returned from Tel Aviv, Israel, where we spoke on risk management at the World Assembly of International Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. We were pleased that our talk was well received by those in attendance. Here’s a recap of the entire 25th annual IAOPA World Assembly, which focused on the future of General Aviation.
Having just completed our oceanic flight, we also became aware of a safety warning regarding the use of Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC). The alert warned of the erroneous presentation of Air Traffic Control (ATC) LOG data to a flight crew while in Oceanic FANS CPDLC operation. The alert was issued by EUROCONTROL for CPDLC problems encountered in the North Atlantic, but it could be a problem anywhere CPDLC is used in oceanic airspace. Though most folks won’t be affected by this, if you do use CPDLC, we wanted to make you aware.
The Safety Warning Message begins: “A recent incident occurred where a (data link) message to climb may have been sent to an aircraft without the ANSP Oceanic Ground System initiating it.”
You can read the entire Red Alert Safety Warning Message on www.skybrary.com.








