Florida Jets 2000 was a great success for all who attended.
Success for the pilots can be defined as a huge runway with the wind aligned almost perfectly, plenty of opportunity to fly in near perfect weather, the sun not in your eyes most of the day and practically no crashes.
Success for the modelers who came to see what jets are all about can be defined as having a plethora of sport, scale kits, and turbine engines to view in action and the accessibility of most of the important manufacturers in the jet arena.
Success for the manufacturer can be defined as a perfect set of conditions to display their products, greet potential new customers and visit with their established base.
 |
|
|
These panoramic shots give you an idea on the size of this event. This picture was taken on Saturday during the noon time static display. |
|
 |
|
There were nine BVM Phantoms at Florida Jets 2000, six utilized the BVM single turbine conversion system - all flew very successfully. |
 |
 |
Jack and Geraldo Diaz exercised this 5 year old Phantom at least 15 times during the 4 day affair. Originally a twin Viojett powered model, it is now in its 2nd season with Pegasus power. They fly it "clean wing" for ultimate performance and proove beyond any doubt the integrity of the structure and control system. This 200mph scale fighter has logged over 400 flights. |
|
Allan Henry (center) gets assistance from Steve Jaworski in assembling his F-4. This model is another Viojett to Pegasus conversion using the new BVM system. Kent Nogy (left) works on the JR promo twin RAM powered Rafale. Early rudder flutter problems with this model were solved at this event with a simple aerodynamic fix. |
 |
 |
David Gladwin came from England to get the first flights on his Pegasus powered BVM F-4. He purchased the model 4 years ago, built it for twin Viojetts then used the BVM conversion system to install the Pegasus turbine. We had some wind to deal with on Saturday, but David and the other F-4 pilots handled it with confidence. With the first several flights accomplished, he says he can now enjoy detailing the model. Look for it at Superman 2000. |
|
Nine fabulous Phantoms (count the tails) were flying at this great show. Power systems ranged from the new RAM 1000 in Tommy Wood's and Billy Harrod's F-4's to AMT Pegasus's (4) to twin VIOFAN's (3). Bob Violett was justifiably proud of this gathering, his Blue Angel is now his favorite. Look for most of these and a few more to fly at Superman 2000. |
 |
 |
Hector Armaiz and Felipe Vidal gave a nod to the camera prior to spooling up a RAM 750 powered Bandit. They travel to several jet events each year from Puerto Rico and truely enjoy the sport. Both say they really appreciate the reliability and ease of operation of the RAM turbine engines. |
|
The BVM factory team demo models are surrounded with road pylons for some protection. All were flown as often as possible throughout the show. David Valdez flew the Maverick Pro (in foreground) and B.V. flew the F-4, Rafale, balsa Bandit, and MiG-15. |
 |
 |
Mr. Frank Tiano, the man that makes Florida Jets happen. This is not a club run event at the local field. It takes a lot of sponsorship and hard work to lease the airport runway, import an entire crew from West Palm and acquire and transport the necessary equipment. We all enjoy the results. Thank you Frank and your major sponsors, Pacer Industries (ZAP), Model Airplane News, FTE, RAMicrojets, and BVM. |
Florida Jets part II - click here