Story Stop Tour: Day 2 --SUN 'n FUN/McFarlane/LIFT Aviation

Summary

Day two of the Story Stop Tour takes Jacob and Shawn straight into the action at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh for three conversations that all circle the same idea: somebody has to build the thing before the next generation can use it.

First, a stop at the SUN ‘n FUN booth to trace how the Aerospace Center for Excellence turns curious kids — like the members of the Lakeland Aero Club — into licensed pilots, with insight from ACE's Eric Crump and SUN ‘n FUN CEO Gene Conrad on what it actually takes to fund that pipeline.

Then it's over to LIFT Aviation, where marketing lead Cody Wozniak explains how a single pair of shoes turned into a full line of pilot safety gear, and aerobatic performer Patrick McAlee explains exactly why he wears every piece of it.

Finally, a visit to McFarlane Aviation, where engineer Val walks through the unglamorous parts — fuel primers, shimmy dampeners, flight control cables — that quietly keep general aviation aircraft flying.

Key Points

The Aerospace Center for Excellence's mission — "engage, educate, accelerate" — funds year-round programs (Storytime, summer camps, scholarships, the Lakeland Aero Club) entirely through net proceeds from the SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo

Three Lakeland Aero Club members share how the program's glider-first training path shaped their paths in aviation — from powered flight, to aerobatics, to a seaplane rating scholarship

SUN ‘n FUN CEO Gene Conrad breaks down the scale of running the event: 3,000+ volunteers, 62 air traffic controllers, and a "logistical ballet" that funds ACE's "other 51 weeks"

LIFT Aviation's origin story starts with a single pair of pilot shoes at Oshkosh 11 years ago, built around a patented rudder-control heel slider

Aerobatic pilot Patrick McAlee explains why full safety gear — helmet, fire suit, visor, gloves — isn't optional, including a firsthand account of landing after an in-flight oil line failure coated his canopy

McFarlane Aviation's engineering team builds and bench-tests small, often-overlooked parts (fuel primers, shimmy dampeners, flight control cables) based directly on customer and pilot feedback