<p>LAKELAND | It runs through Dave Shallbetter's blood, a so-called pre-existing condition that has him driving north from Hypoluxo every year to Sun 'n Fun at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.</p><p>"I have a genetic affliction called aviation," Shallbetter said. "I grew up in an airport, aviation is in my blood."</p><p>If the telltale signs weren't enough — his windswept hair, for instance, or perhaps his hat, speckled with dozens of Sun 'n Fun aviation pins — Shallbetter's 34 years of experience at the festival can convince any passerby the man knows what he's talking about.</p><p>And as the chairman of Sun 'n Fun radio, Shallbetter gets his institutional knowledge of the annual aviation gathering by talking to a regular lineup of interesting people who filter through his radio shack stationed on a main thoroughfare at the week-long festival.</p><p>•<b>Check out our website for Sun 'n Fun stories, a map of the area, photo galleries, videos and tweets at:</b> <a href="http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=news11"><b>www.theledger.com/sunnfun</b></a>•</p><p>With a crew of more than 30 people, he'll put in hundreds of hours this week producing and distributing live radio segments from the events on 1510 AM and online at www.LiveATC.net/snf.</p><p>From journalists to engineers who work podcasts in the shack, Shallbetter's direction brings in an online listening base of about 44,000 people, he said.</p><p>"I try my best to keep the broadcast content widespread," he said. "Our schedule is pretty well booked out for the week."</p><p>Shallbetter attended his first Sun 'n Fun at 16 years old. In 1995, he started operating the radio station.</p><p>"I've seen Sun 'n Fun go from being a small fly-in to being the second-largest event of its kind in the country," he said. "The one constant in the 34 years that I've seen since I've come is the sense of camaraderie and family."</p><p>He paused, then added: "You come for the airplanes, you come back for the family."</p><p>What used to attract a handful of visitors has grown to bring in tens of thousands, he said. And he watches the gala as he churns out live broadcasts from the porch of the radio shack, wedged between a line of barbecue vendors and concession stands.</p><p>When Shallbetter isn't at Sun 'n Fun, the radio programming doesn't stop. Technological advances in broadcasting over allow him to produce a digital show that plays every day of the year, all from the comfort his own home. Archived interviews, podcasts and more loop all hours of the day, a continuous stream of aviation news and feature stories.</p><p>"In real life, I am a handyman," Shallbetter said. "I own a company called Dave to the Rescue."</p><p>One of Shallbetter's volunteers, Paul Batchleor, of Orlando, said this is his third year coming to the festival. A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Batchleor said it only took one visit to get him hooked to the annual event. He is commuting from Orlando every day of the week to assist with the radio operation.</p><p>"To come out here and not find something to do is to be totally lost," Batchleor said. "But, if you're going to be lost the best place to be is at Sun 'n Fun."</p><p>The two men said being at Sun 'n Fun is a learning experience, a place to exercise a curiosity not only for the sky and engines that get them there, but also the lingo of the craft. It's something many of the volunteers at the festival said they take seriously, that is, the opportunity to spread their own knowledge of aviation.</p><p>"When I was in high school, they were teaching us in aviation that we were the next generation," Batchleor said. "It's establishments like Sun e_SSRqn Fun that teach the next generation."</p><p>Every morning, people can tune into the live broadcast to get a rundown of what's to come that day. Then, as air shows kick off and planes jet into the sky, Shallbetter will sit on his porch and grab his microphone, working hard to complete another year.</p>
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.
0 意見:
Post a Comment