Sun ‘n Fun Renews Focus on Grassroots Homebuilders

As the old cowboy saying goes, you should dance with them that brought you. Sun ‘n Fun (SnF) Chairman and Executive Officer Gene Conrad made it a priority this year to build relations with those folks who created and built all that is SnF—aircraft homebuilders. One of the key things that Conrad conceived was to hire Anita Goddard, SnF’s new Aviation Engagement Coordinator. Her job is to help the organization better connect with pilots, and specifically homebuilt pilots.

One way to accomplish a mission objective is to find out who in the organization is doing things right and then give them the freedom and responsibility to make big changes. That person is Heidi Mogg, the queen (some say den mother) of Homebuilt Camping (HBC). She took over the job as chairman of HBC several years ago and has made it her goal to welcome homebuilt pilots into a convivial and fraternal camping environment. She turned a small registration tent into a very large tent, complete with dining and gathering areas, where homebuilders congregate throughout the show. As her legend began to grow, some pilots would decide to camp on the field with their brethren rather than get hotel rooms.

Gene Conrad and Anita Goddard gave Heidi their full cooperation to make life even better for homebuilt pilots and increase their attendance at SnF. Heidi, in turn, reached out to a friend and famous YouTuber Bryan Walstrom, who created the Experimental Aviation Channel. Their collaboration has resulted in many improvements in the Homebuilt Camping tent.

HBC has created a separate forums program, specifically tailored to the homebuilt community. The lead-off presenter this year is Alexandre Frota, a Brazilian pilot who is in the first leg of his journey to pilot a Van’s RV-10 around the world. Other presenters are “Fugi” Phil McLanahan, a veteran naval aviator and safety and maintenance guru, Alex Pearson, who is resurrecting the Thorp homebuilt, aerobatic aircraft designer Eddie Saurenman, and Chris Griewahn, who is helping builders to finish stalled projects.

Heidi is honoring all homebuilders who have won awards at SnF on her Homebuilt Corner Wall of Champions. Actually, it is only a tent wall, but it is pretty cool.

In past years, Homebuilt Camping has been known for food. No, they don’t have vendors come in and sell food; they just make it. Volunteers get together to craft meals for the pilots, and they just chip in to cover the costs. As volunteers will do, they sought to one-up each other, making more and more tasty and extravagant meals. There have been Italian Dinner nights, Mardi Gras parties, and steak and salmon grill extravaganzas. It is starting to get out of control. Heidi even brought in café lighting and a waffle maker this year to enhance breakfast offerings. Rumor has it that Homebuilt Corner is being considered for a Michelin star. The legend of HBC cuisine grew so much that non-homebuilders started to infiltrate the tent during meal times, leading to the issuing of snazzy rubber bracelets to separate the wheat from the chaff.

One of the most appreciated features of the HBC tent is the fraternal atmosphere for homebuilt pilots. For years, they labor to construct their machines, only having the impersonal internet for guidance. At SnF, they can talk face to face with other builders, gaining a wealth of experience. Where else, for example, can you sit down next to Bill Harrelson, a man who has piloted his self-built Lancair over both poles, or Jimmy Rickerson, who is flying a rare, actually homebuilt, Tecnam.

To enhance the living room feel of the area, Heidi has made sure that pilots have access to upgraded Wi-Fi and comfortable seating arrangements. She even made provisions to have the airshow commentators piped into the tent during performances. One of the best aspects of this homebuilder fraternity is that it is open and accepting to new pilots. Once you walk into the tent, you are part of the clan. The results have been remarkable. The numbers of HBC attendees are growing. To paraphrase Amity Island Sheriff Martin Brody in Jaws, “We’re going to need a bigger tent.”