2012 Sun & Fun / 2012 Maule M-9 235!

Sun & Fun 2012, held at Lakeland, FL (LAL) had lots of both sun and fun! There was beautiful weather and cooler temps which made everyone there happy. There was lots to do and of course lots of eye candy there, too (airplanes). I had never seen a B-29 even in static display so watching the B-29 "FiFi" take off was a special treat. I even got to chat with one of her crew: country singer Aaron Tippin. A real down home guy.

We talked with lots of customers and the response to the new 2012 Maule M-9 235 was most enthusiastic. Pilots really seem to appreciate all the years of investment and testing to bring about a new type Maule with a 300lb up gross. This aircraft is now FAA certified with the Lycoming IO-540 235HP and 2800lb gross weight. That will put useful load in the 1100lb range!!! Now that is hauling! Of course, the outstanding flying performance is the same as with all Maule STOL aircraft.

On April 19th 2012 I was asked my Maule Air to fly the lead airplane for a photo shoot with AOPA magazine who is doing a feature story on the new Maule M9. I flew with Brent Maule and photographer Chris Rose while Al Marsh of AOPA flew with Raymond Maule in the new M9. We flew down to the Gulf coast near St.Marks, FL for a beautiful back drop for the shoot which included the St. Marks lighthouse. Flying at 500' in tight formation (50 feet +/-)for an hour is demanding and hard work! The photos look wonderful and Al writes very well so look for the story in an upcoming issue of AOPA magazine.... RL, SR