Samsula-Spruce Creek News

he City of Port Orange held its annual Family Days Festival this past weekend Oct 1st through 4th. From a City-sponsored festival and neighborhood block parties, Family Days in Port Orange has grown to become the premier volunteer-staged and directed community event on Florida's Fun Coast, annually drawing more than 60,000 residents and visitors for a four-day celebration of Community Spirit and Civic Pride. Family Days is celebrated around the lake and gardens at Port Orange City Center...

They started before dawn to take advantage of the cooler air. The caravan assembled at State Road 44 and County Road 4118 started unfolding large colorful shapes in the dark. Event organizer Mark Roberson sent two small weather balloons skyward to test wind direction. A black balloon fizzled and zigzagged to Earth, but a white one drifted mostly east, then slightly northeast. The test verdict: A good day for ballooning...

This Saturday, the Spruce Creek Mavericks precision formation aerobatics went on a practice ride which was filmed by a camera fixed on the Number 3 airplane. The Mavericks Team is composed of several former armed forces and civilian airline pilots that have thousands of hours of experience and enjoy the challenges of precision aerobatics. Based at the Spruce Creek Fly-In, they often donate their time to worthy causes and the delight of attendees at various air shows and events throughout Florida. They fly RV-8 aircraft built from kits manufactured by Van's Aircraft, the world's most successful experimental aircraft company.