Season opener
AOPA sweepstakes airplane makes debut at Sun 'n Fun
The AOPA Sweepstakes Aviat Husky makes its public debut at the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo this week in Lakeland, Florida. Sun ’n Fun is the second largest fly-in in the United States and attracts an estimated 200,000 attendees over six days.
Held April 14 to 19 at Lakeland Linder International Airport, Sun ’n Fun marks the unofficial opening of the airshow season. For 52 years, pilots, aircraft, families, exhibitors, and airshow performers have gathered from around the country to participate in this general aviation ritual.
Some attendees come to enjoy the daily airshow—one of the loudest on the calendar. Others camp with like-minded aviation enthusiasts in Sun ’n Fun’s wooded campground. The STOL competition on Paradise City’s 2,208-foot grass runway is yet another draw, as are the numerous exhibitors displaying aircraft and gear.
Mark Bellis and Charlie Stahl flew to Sun ’n Fun from Buffalo, New York, in a Cirrus SR20. “We first flew to Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base. I completed a flight review and Charlie earned his seaplane rating,” said Bellis. “Charlie’s a new CFI and he’s going to the Sun ’n Fun career expo. This is the fourth year I’ve flown down here. There is so much to do in the area.”
This year, attendees are also able to see AOPA’s twenty-eighth sweepstakes airplane—a 2024 Aviat Husky A-1C-200—and ask AOPA staff questions about this versatile aircraft’s features and capabilities.
During the Husky’s 725-mile trek from Frederick, Maryland, to Lakeland, the airplane proved to be a capable cross-country cruiser. With its 200-horsepower, fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360 engine and Hartzell Trailblazer composite constant-speed propeller, the Husky takes off in 442 feet and climbs at 1,100 feet per minute even when fully loaded. The airplane’s enormous 31-inch Alaskan Bushwheel tires limit its cruise speed to a leisurely 105 knots, but the view out of the airplane is terrific—especially with the door open—and the autopilot significantly reduces workload for the pilot.
The IFR-certified AOPA Sweepstakes Aviat Husky is equipped with impressive Garmin avionics, including a G500 TXi touch-screen primary flight display/multifunction flight display with engine indication system, a GTN 750Xi GPS navigator with nav/com, a GTX 345R ADS-B In/Out remote transponder, a G5 backup attitude indicator, and a GFC 500 three-axis digital autopilot with yaw damper.
As soon as the AOPA sweepstakes airplane landed at Sun ’n Fun, spectators gathered to ask questions, with two of the most common being: “How do I enter” and “When will you give the airplane away?”
If you are an AOPA member, you are automatically entered into the AOPA Sweepstakes. AOPA life members and members with automatic annual renewal receive five extra entries.
The entry period for the AOPA Sweepstakes ends on June 15. On or about July 13, independent sweepstakes administrator Ventura Associates International will conduct a random drawing from all eligible entries received during the entry period. Soon after, AOPA will surprise the lucky winner with the keys to the Husky.
“I stopped by the AOPA tent to renew my membership to make sure I’m entered to win the Husky,” said Bellis. “I’m a contractor working at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska and this would be the perfect airplane for me this summer.”
Several vendors announced new products at or before Sun ’n Fun, including Sporty’s PJ2 GPS handheld aviation radio with a built-in GPS, color screen, Bluetooth connectivity, and rechargeable battery; Garmin’s D2 Mach 2 Pro, its first aviator smartwatch with inReach technology; and Daher’s TBM 980 with Garmin G3000 Prime avionics.
Perfect weather, cool airplanes, and enthusiastic attendees should result in another memorable Sun ’n Fun in central Florida this week.
