Hi All

Slightly OT, but aero related

We are having a significant wedding anniversary in October this year and are taking the kids and grandkids to Orlando FLA for a couple of weeks in celebration - 7 all up. While trekking round the rides with the grandkids will be great fun, grandad would like to sneak off occasionally for an aeronautical fix :roll:
We're staying at Portofino Bay I believe (so my 'travel advisor' tells me )

Any local personal recommendations for hobby stores/air museums visits - anything with a good aeronautical bent would be good - more Wright brothers than jet jockey preferred - especially 20's and 30's.

I'm guessing the hobby stores are now probably just like the stores over here - full of BARFs and little else ? I used to frequent CA and NY areas regularly in the 80's and 90's with work and there were lots of really good shops then with stuff you just couldn't get in the UK.

A decent electronic/mechanical junk store would be fun too - US junk is up there with the best

TIA

Neil

 

Thanks all for the links !

Fantasy of flight is definitely on the list !

OK on the rides too - I can get my wife to sit at the front for me ))

I can literally see the Tattoo across the water from my front window - it's certainly something worth seeing - the format changes every year.

Hobbyshops are definitely big in the US

I'll program up the satnav when I get there (what I used to do was check out the yellow pages in whatever country we were in - my wife was always amazed that we 'happened' to pass a model shop while on vacation in another country :roll: )

I've changed our holiday itinerary - since Shaun is only a few hours south of Orlando, we'll all just stay free at his house for the fortnight - that'll be OK Shaun eh? - we're all house trained mostly -

Thanks again for all the links.

Cheers

Neil

 

Sorry for the late response.

As already mentioned, Fantasy Of Flight is a must see. Our club recently visited during an R/C exhibition of old time aircraft so we got to see scale as well as the real thing.

It is an exhibit that is fun for the whole family. Be sure to be there around 1:30 in the afternoon, when they take out one restored plane and fly it for your viewing pleasure.

As to junk/electronic stores, you won't want to miss Skycraft, http://www.skycraftsurplus.com/contact-us.aspx which is just off I4 on Fairbanks Ave. It is a just a short drive from Graves RC, one of if not the largest R/C supplier in the US. Planes hang from ceiling 4 and 5 deep at Graves.

There is a also a hobby shop on Colonial Ave, but I have not been to that one.

There are several AMA clubs in the area if you have a plane with you to fly.

Enjoy your stay. If you can venture out from Orlando about an hours drive, our club in Leesburg would be happy to have you stop by. We fly Mon, Wed, Fri outdoors and Sat, Sun indoors.

 

Hi All

Just returned from vacation in Orlando - weather was horrendous the first couple of days - 8" (200mm) of rain on the first day - even Scotland doesn't get rain like that ! - at least it was warm rain 'though Had to be bad during my Harry Potter 'Dragon Challenge' ride - we were all soaked

Managed to get to Skycraft surplus - what an emporium ! Scored a proximity detector for my laser cutter - only 5 USD ! If only my baggage allowance had been more, I could have taken home a jet inlet for a cruise missile

Dropped in to Graves RC - same issue with baggage allowance of course, but I filled up on Zinger wood props - they're quite expensive over here. Lots of other good quality US parts that don't arrive in the UK too - and they still have a good selection of 'real' models.

Highlight for me was an early morning trip to Fantasy of Flight - what a collection. Lots of extremely beautiful aircraft - and I couldn't believe that they had my favourite aircraft - the Bucker Jungman - in fact, they had a few Buckers - beautifully restored aircraft and all flyable. I guess that most of them will be like 'grandfather's axe' by now as they have to be up to FAA flying standards. Great place for a visit.

Thanks to all for the suggestions, we had a great time.

Cheers

Neil