subject: _:nodeea3eecc69ef39941e7225258a10988e
obj: "Airplanes are big part of Sun \u2018n Fun, obviously.\nThe only part bigger are the people, such as the Exhibit Hosts committee, which is led by Bonnie Perkins.\nA crew of eight to 10 people worked for three days (from 7 a.m. to sundown or beyond) before the show to move in dozens of aircraft. Try as they might to plan, \u201Cthe best method for getting the aircraft to their respective spots are to go with the flow,\u201D says volunteer Pete Eide of Cincinnati, Ohio. After all, they must work around varied aircraft arrival schedules, aircraft display area set-up with the associated tractor trailers of materials, and loads of people. Throw in inclement weather like the deluge before the 2008 fly-in and challenges abound.\n\u201CCessna went into town and bought all the 3/4-inch plywood they could get their hands on. We used that to make temporary, portable ramps to move their aircraft into position, 8 feet at a time,\u201D says six-year volunteer Mike \u201CLadybug\u201D Clifton of Flagstaff, Arizona. \u201CAnd the great part about that experience was, when we had their aircraft in position, they turned the lumber over to us to use with other manufacturers. That\u2019s the true spirit of Sun \u2018n Fun.\u201D\nWhile the volunteer corps swell for set-up and tear-down, the core group included Perkins, Clifton and Eide, as well as Sandy McKenzie, Sherrod \u201CDoc\u201D Campbell, Vicki Bellino and Bob Shain.\nShain from Lektro, the tug company, donates a brand-new tug for use every year during Sun \u2018n Fun. After the show, the tug is cleaned up and delivered to its rightful owner. Shain has been coordinating this arrangement for more than 10 years.\nDuring the show, the crew transitions into more of a jack-of-all-trades group. They keep the outdoor exhibit area cleared and in smooth working order. Aircraft movements drop to fewer than a dozen each day.\n\u201CIn fact, we get to play \u2018good cop\u2019 during the week,\u201D noted McKenzie. \u201CWe\u2019ll find manufacturers\u2019 support vehicles parked or positioned incorrectly and get them to move it before the \u2018bad cops\u2019 have them towed. The manufacturers sure appreciate that.\u201D\nThe group also likes to have some fun. This year, after a long day of tugging aircraft, the crew came back to the grounds after dinner and put some rubber ducks, named for the crew, in a little pond in the Aviat display.\n\u201CThe exhibitors certainly have the spirit of aviation in general and Sun \u2018n Fun in particular,\u201D added McKenzie. \u201CThat makes our \u2018job\u2019 a joy.\u201D\nFor more information: Sun-n-Fun.org\nClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to Press This! (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)"@en-us