LAKELAND - As the sun set here Saturday evening, a feeling of imminent exultation seemed to permeate the grounds of Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In, edition 2002. And so many reasons loomed for the exact opposite. In the prior 24 hours, for example, two aviators ended their air-show adventure with an in-flight tangle over the arrival end of Lakelands Runway 27 Left, making the arrival neither great nor good. Neither the Piper Pacer or RV-6A could be flown away; nor could either aviator walk away. Tragically, the injuries to one of the pilots proved fatal.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/air-shows-events/special-report-sun-n-fun-2002