10.6 hours, one 33-nm day, and $265.75 in fuel
As the Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In and Expo wound down April 25, forecasts called for rain, low ceilings, and reduced visibility throughout Central Florida the next day. The VFR-only AOPA You Can Fly Sweepstakes Cessna 152 would have to seize the moment or risk waiting out the next few days in Lakeland, Florida.
With the help of Sun ’n Fun volunteers and AOPA staff, the Reimagined 152 started on its way promptly at the end of the show. The last-minute change of schedule was typical of VFR flying: unpredictable, but successful through the help of friends in the general aviation community.
Back-to-basics flying in the two-seater has its advantages—like a total fuel bill of $265.75 for a 10.6-hour journey to AOPA headquarters in Frederick, Maryland—and a few drawbacks, like the time spent on the ground gazing at a lingering overcast. But the beautifully refurbished 152 turned heads and made a few friends on its journey up the East Coast.
At Sun ’n Fun, volunteer Wayne Harris shepherded the aircraft to a prime airside spot, to depart as soon as the flag lowered at the end of the airshow, and offered tips to help a pilot new to fly-ins make a smooth departure. The last-minute change from a Monday departure meant touching down at the end of the day with no prior arrangements, but with a call to the after-hours line at Space Coast Jet Center at Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Florida, the manager showed up promptly with tiedowns and a ride. Employees offered assistance throughout the next day, as marginal VFR conditions persisted ahead of a cold front.
A narrow window in the afternoon made possible a 33-nautical-mile hop to New Smyrna Beach—far enough to make it out the next morning, just north of what had become a lingering stationary front. The yellow airplane stayed around 2,000 feet, beneath an overcast up the coast, before reaching clear skies and smooth sailing in South Carolina and beyond—logging an 8.5-hour day of flying to make up for the previous day stuck on the ground.
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