Antique & Classic Airplanes

First held in 1974 as a regional fly-in by the Lakeland, Florida Chapter the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) for sport aviation enthusiasts, it was named the Mid-Winter Sun 'n Fun the following year and by 1978 the event had become the second largest fly-in in the USA In 1980 the event was held in March instead of January and the grow of the week-long fly-in began to escalate to the proportions which are described and illustrated in this book. The 10th anniversary Sun n Fun 1984 saw 480 show aircraft register and a general attendance of over 100,000 people for the first time. Permanent facilities for the fly-in at Lakeland airport were then starting to appear or enter the planning stages. The year 1988 saw yet another date change, this time to mid-April to take advantage of slightly better weather and improved accommodation for the many thousands of visitors who were now converging on Lakeland each year from every US State and 37 other countries world- wide. Sun n Fun is big, but not too big. It's still fun and, blended with traditional Southern hospitality, the event has rapidly established itself one of the world's premier aviation 'happenings'.

Aviation Century The Golden Age is filled with tales of romance and adventure, of daring and bravado, as pilots break records, astound the public and prepare for war on a global scale. Their achievements became the stuff of legend, and their aircraft revered artifacts of a Golden Age. Between the World Wars a new wave of aviation pioneers took the technological advances forged in the heat of battle and applied them to aircraft in exciting new ways. An unprecedented growth in the manufacture of affordable light aircraft occurred, providing ambitious, extraordinary individuals with the means to conquer the sky. Aviators raced to be the first to fly over oceans, cross jungles and ice caps, look down on the continents' highest peaks, and travel distances faster than ever before. Many aviators died trying to achieve aeronautical immortality. Aerial daredevils entertained a wide audience through flying circuses and air shows. The spirit of adventure thrived after World War II with larger air shows and more thrilling aerobatics. In this book Dan Patterson's photographs of preserved and restored aircraft in museum and private collections are combined with rare archival photographs. Forewords for Aviation Century The Golden Age are by aviation legends Alex Henshaw and Tom Poberezny.