Legendary Bush Pilot and Award-Winning Author
To Appear At
Fantasy of Flight's Third Annual Roar n' Soar
"Bush Flying in the Far North"
Details Nearly Four Decades of Adventure
POLK CITY, Fla. (October 20, 2009) – The wild, amazing, and impossibly true stories of bush pilot George Erickson will add an extra burst of excitement to the Third Annual Roar n' Soar, the family-friendly All-American event at Fantasy of Flight. Featuring some of the world’s finest classic land, sea, and air racing machines, the aviation attraction’s fast-paced, two-day extravaganza takes place on the weekend of Nov. 7 and 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with doors opening at 9 a.m.
With his unique Power Point presentation based on adventures chronicled in his best-seller ‘True North: Exploring the Great Wilderness by Bush Plane' and its sequel, Back to the Barrens: On the Wing with da Vinci & Friends, Erickson keeps his audiences spellbound as he recounts some of amazing events and people he’s encountered. Flying solo in his Tundra Cub, the aerial adventurer has dipped a wing to polar bears, landed in the midst of musk ox and caribou herds, and searched the tundra for clues to the disappearance of a long-missing priest. He’s flown beneath flaring northern lights, over forest fires and faced life-challenging malfunctions including a dying engine. His love of nature and passion for adventure will be evident in shows presented at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7 and Sunday, Nov. 8.
Since the late 60s, Erickson, a recently retired dentist, history lover, science buff, lecturer and author has explored Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest and Yukon Territories and Alaska in a wide variety of aircraft, gathering the adventures detailed in his books, which he’ll sign for fans at Fantasy of Flight.
"Any time I can be around planes and pilots, I'll be there," says Erickson, whose website is www.tundracub.com."And many of the people who attend events like Roar n' Soar share my sense of adventure and zest for life, so we already have a lot in common."
Erickson, named Author the of the Year by the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame, is the former chairman of the Worthington (Minn.) Airport Commission and a former VP of the Minnesota Seaplane Pilots' Association. He has lectured all across the U. S. and Canada, including AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. His articles have appeared in Airways, Cessna Flyer, Piper Flyer, Motorcycle Tour & Cruiser, Northern Pilot, Private Pilot, Minnesota Flyer, Canadian Flight, the AOPA Pilot, and Arctic in Colour.
"When you consider some of the situations he's encountered flying into and above the wilderness, George Erickson’s passion for adventure and aviation epitomizes the essence of Roar n' Soar," marvels Kermit Weeks, Fantasy of Flight founder and creator, who is also an author, winning a Bronze IPPY Award in the 13th Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards for his recently published children’s book “All of Life is a School” (KWIP Publishing, $19.95). “People are going to get a real charge out of hearing his stories and getting signed copies of his book. And George is in good company – in our writer’s circle that weekend are members of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. We’re also showcasing other adrenaline-fueled adventurers and competitions.”
During the weekend festival, the Jaguar Club of Florida and Sun Coast Jaguar Clubs will host a timed slalom event for competitive drivers; extreme sport cycling demonstrations are powered by the pure muscle of expert bikers; classic race boats and gasoline- and nitro/methane-powered radio-control model boats will be screaming across Lake Agnes; and high-speed radio controlled aircraft and powered paragliders will be soaring across the sky.
As a commitment to the dedication and sacrifices of the military, Fantasy of Flight will recognize troops stationed overseas during the Veteran’s Day Weekend events. Homefront Hugs USA, a volunteer group supporting our American troops, will be at the event enlisting volunteers to box care packages to send to the troops overseas for the holidays. Children are encouraged to create cards to include at a station provided nearby. Roar n&’ Soar guests can receive a $5 discount by donating any of the selected items (with a limit of one discount per person, not to be combined with any other offer or discount): bulk package of beef jerky, multi-packs of chewing gum, packages of note cards, packages of protein bars, or a $20 AT&T prepaid phone card. Ker's WingHouse and Cold Stone Creamery will be dishing up wings and ice cream at the event, donating fifteen percent of their event sales to benefit the organization. To enlist as a Homefront Hugs care package volunteer, contact Alessanndra Kellerman at (412) 498-3855.
Special weekend event passes are just $15 for veterans and active military with valid ID, and include a free weekend child’s pass (ages 6-15). Special one-day adult tickets are $23 ($38 for two days), and include one free child’s ticket, with additional children’s one-day tickets at $12 ($19 for two days). Special rates cannot be combined with any other offer or discount.
Each ticket includes admission to Fantasy of Flight. For Roar n' Soar ticket and event information, call (863) 984-3500 or visit www.roar-n-soar.com.