The AOPA activity tent will be buzzing throughout the Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In and Expo, April 21 through 26 in Lakeland, Florida. From mastering the fine points of tablets to the fine points of aircraft control, there will be dozens of free sessions available to sharpen skills, rub elbows with celebrity pilots, and have a little fun while learning.
The Breitling Jet Team will perform for the first time at the show, and team leader Jacques Bothelin will spend time talking about the team’s first North American airshow on April 26 at 10 a.m. Get “The Inside Scoop” on how Breitling pilots train and prepare for their routines, with a question-and-answer session to follow.
Jeppesen has two programs in the lineup, “Cleared for Takeoff” and “Climb Via…” with James Morgan, offering detailed information on charts, diagrams, and procedures with an inside perspective. Lt. Col. Kevin Roethe of the North American Aerospace Defense Command will brief attendees on how to avoid trouble with temporary flight restrictions, and what happens if an intercept is necessary. Aviation education legends John and Martha King will combine humor and personal experience from their own travels in a program they’re calling “Unwanted Adventure.”
Speaking of humor, Rod Machado will have you “Laugh and Learn” in one program, and equip you with ideas and strategies for dealing with emergencies in another session. A third Machado session will help smooth tension in the cockpit and make for more enjoyable flying for all: “Reducing Cockpit Stress Between the Sexes.”
Of course, AOPA staff will be well-represented in the lineup, with Bruce Landsberg leading a session on avoiding loss of control (among the NTSB priorities for general aviation) and George Perry leading an Accident Case Study live presentation (both of those on April 23). Perry also will lead an April 24 session, “Mind over Matter: Strengthening the Weakest Link,” that covers techniques to reduce errors and make the most of any aviator’s most important asset.
AOPA counsel Kathy Yodice will be the legal eagle covering “The Top 5 Things You Need to Know About FAA Enforcement,” a seminar full of valuable tips and strategies that could save pilots a lot of grief.
And while the vast majority of flights end as intended, Mike Grady will explain how to maximize your chances of survival in a worst-case scenario in “After the Crash: Surviving an Aircraft Accident.”
Other seminars at the AOPA Campus cover topics including iPads in the cockpit (AOPA’s Eric Rush will cover iPads in two seminars), upgrading your avionics, safety technique, and more. See the schedule and complete list of AOPA seminars featuring presentations from Sporty’s, Jeppesen, Garmin, Lockheed, John and Martha King, FreeFlight Systems, Avidyne, and NORAD.
Remember, as an AOPA member, you can get a $5 discount on the daily adult Sun ’n Fun admission pass and $30 off the adult weekly pass. Just enter promo code “AOPA217” when you purchase your tickets on Sun ’n Fun's website.
