Tuesday, 4 April
Worst weather of the week in terms of photography conditions, with high clouds in the morning and increasing throughout the day. Temperatures were brutally hot, but a stiff breeze kept us comfortable. The thunderstorms that were forecast thankfully stayed well north.
1. Highlight of the day was La Patrouille de France, in their only performance at Sun 'N Fun. The sparse crowd really seemed to enjoy them, and their A400M had a "new cargo plane smell" to it!
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
2.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
3.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
4.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
5. Showcase flybys precede the show each day. Wednesday saw a rather interesting formation featuring the HondaJet and a T-6 racer sponsored by... Honda. Shame they have to fly so high...
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
6.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
7. Team Aerostars closed out the display. Shame that the only day they got to perform in daylight had the worst skies of the week.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
8. This event is fairly popular with vintage aircraft owners...
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
9. ...especially ones who own former Austrian Air Force machinery.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
10.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
11.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
Wednesday, 5 April
Better weather today, with more sunshine, but even hotter, and without as much of a breeze to cool things down. Some sunburn was to be had...
12. The Thursday (which I skipped) was a celebration of Mustangs, so a lot of them arrived on the Wednesday.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
13. Including one with tip tanks.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
14. Most were silver.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
15. Very, very silver.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
16. Some less shiny than others.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
17. All lined up at day's end...
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
18. HondaJet missing its partner...
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
19. Also a showcase participant. Easier to shoot taxiing than from below...
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
20. This Blackhawk was the jump ship for the opening parachutists.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
21. It just wouldn't be an air show in the USA without a gaggle of T-6s/SNJs/Harvards knocking about...
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
22.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
23. The Mohawk flew every day. Mostly in the showcase. So, we mostly got to see its underside. But the bottom of a Mohawk is better than no Mohawk, so...
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
24. Lots of T-28s, too.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
25. "Hey, how come I can't go play with the Nanchangs?"
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
26.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
27. Panchito seems to follow me wherever I go. I think Panchito likes me. At least SOMEONE does...
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
28. I was rather looking forward to the "Class of '45" display. It's more of a series of formation passes than an aerobatic sequence, but really, who's going to complain about a Mustang and Corsair in the air together?
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
29. What's this? An L-39 that ISN'T painted up in fake USN markings? The horror...
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
30.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
31. According to the commentator, this is an F-33.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
32.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
33. Gene Soucy has been flying air shows since before I could pee standing up. Good to see him still in action.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
34. The F-16's display was technically a "practice" and thus we only got half of his routine. We did, however, get a full Heritage Flight!
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
35. Sadly, the A-10 doesn't do any extra passes after the Heritage Flight, so here's your Warthog fix. On takeoff.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
36. An extraordinarily shiny Mustang, framed by the Aeroshell team's smoke. Not to boast or anything, but I shot this handheld at 1/30. *gratuitously pats self on back*
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
37. Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, one of the best formation acts in North America. They always seem to fly with an on-crowd wind that pushes their plenitude of smoke in our faces.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
38. Hey, I can see myself!
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
Wednesday also featured the first of two night shows, the second being on the Saturday. Photographing the evening displays isn't easy, as 1930L seems a little late to start the displays that aren't actually equipped for night shows (e.g. T-33) and I opted to leave the tripod at the hotel for the displays with pyrotechnics. Thoroughly enjoyable, though.
39. Homebuilts taking their evening nap.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
40. Those thunderstorms thankfully stayed well to the east.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
41. As usual, the parachutists got things started.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
42. When I had to bump the ISO up to 800, and still wasn't getting decent images, I knew it was time to put the camera away and just enjoy the show.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
Friday, 7 April
After taking Thursday off to recover from two brutal days in the sun and watch ospreys going fishing, I was back at Linder on the Friday. The weather was absolutely abysmal. I mean, who the hell wants a bunch of blue sky behind the aircraft they're trying to watch?! And the temperatures! I didn't even break a sweat! I'll tell ya, enjoy your grey skies and torrential downpours when you've got them.
I jest, of course.
43. One of the coolest things about Sun 'N Fun is that the parking area is right next to the runway used by the microlights.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
44. The Florida Air Museum is also located on the airport campus, and has some rather nice exhibits, such as the Piper Jet (and the Sea Dart you can make out behind it, which isn't particularly easy to photograph due to the electrical generator plonked right next to it).
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
45. One need not purchase VIP tickets to get an aerial view of the Mustangs. One need only climb the air stairs to the KC-135 on static display.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
46. One needn't do squat but to squat if one wanted a lower angle.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
47. An unexpected highlight was the arrival of no less than four F-5Ns from VFC-111, in three different schemes.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
48. Two wore blue...
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
49. ...and two brown, with slight variations (the other one is pictured further down, on static display).
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
50. And if those weren't enough, this civvie F-5B took part in the daily warbird pageant!
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
51. Wasn't shy about showing some topside, either.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
52. As is their wont, the USN sent multiple examples of various types, such as a pair of T-6Bs.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
53. Eclipse 550 in the showcase.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
54. I've never heard anyone so enthusiastic about a Cessna 172 as the commentator for Auburn University's showcase flight.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
55. That's a wild paint job...
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
56. ...my eyes hurt.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
57. No, it's NOT a run-of-the-mill Aero Commander 500. It's a U-6A!
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
58. And back to the show proper...
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
59. Fact: The Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros was designed to meet a requirement for former U.S. Navy pilots to buy an affordable jet that they could pretend was whatever they used to fly.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
60. Friday saw LOTS of Mohawk action... all straight and level passes. Still. Mohawk.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
61. This is what a Mohawk looks like in the thick of battle. Or whenever it flies through a smoke trail left by T-28s.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
62. And another Mohawk image. Because Mohawk.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
63. Friday was a bit windy, so the T-6s stayed on the ground. The T-28s were laughing at them.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
64. "I want to be a B-25 when I grow up!" ~ T-28 in the slot.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
65. Avgeek: "Babe, will you marry me?"
Avgeek's girl: "Yeah, when a Beech Bonanza does aerobatics."
*Avgeek dials Jim Pietz's cell phone* "Hey, bro, I need a favor..."
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
66. If you tell me that the Euro Viper displays are better than the USAF one, I'll agree with you. Still, the USAF one is perfectly awesome.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
67. "Heh, leave that 'flying slow' stuff to those scrubs on the south side in the microlights."
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
68. I know, I know. EVERYONE shoots the dedication pass. Because it looks amazing.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
69. So, we get a four-ship Heritage Flight on the day nobody shows up, but Crazy Horse stays in her stable on the nice day.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
70. I wonder if Michael Goulian is a Patriots fan. He is from Boston...
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
71. Extras can do some crazy maneuvers, sure, but give me a big, slow, noisy Stearman any day.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
72. Flick roll? Snap roll.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
73. Finally, a clean shot of Aeroshell without any smoke in the way! I must say, they did an admirable job in what were by this time some pretty gusty winds.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
74. A different formation team closed out the show.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
75. Note to whomever hit a Caravan with an ugly stick: The Caravan is the last aircraft that needed to be hit with an ugly stick (F-35 notwithstanding).
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
76. Here's that other F-5.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
77. Well, look who lives in the USA now!
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
78. Is this Zeltweg? Where are the mountains? And all the Red Bull adverts?
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
79. Get your USN Orions while you can, especially on the East Coast. I'm pretty sure only VP-30 (pictured) and VP-62 (Reserve) still have 'em out this way.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
80. One last photo from the show proper.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
Unlike the Tuesday and Wednesday, the Friday had quite a large crowd - though I imagine the Saturday and Sunday shows were even more packed. Traffic seemed to flow smoothly, but instead of getting caught up in the rat race, I thought I'd spend an hour enjoying the perfect weather and watching microlights.
81.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
82.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
83.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
84.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
85. Hey now, watch where you're going! Don't be checking out the photographers!
(They waved to us just after I shot this. Nice fellows!)
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
86.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
87.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
88. Showoff.
Sun 'N Fun 2017 by Enki Orangebeard, on Flickr
Fun times.
