We're SO Bummed... ANN Gets Aced Out Again

A.C. “Doug” Douglass traveled to Sporty’s headquarters on August 8, 2004, to pick up his winnings: Sporty’s 2004 Skyhawk Sweepstakes airplane. Since Douglass is a student pilot, he came with a flight instructor, Scott O'Brien, who would fly the airplane back to Tallahassee while giving Doug some dual.

When Douglass was selected as Sporty’s 2004 Sweepstakes winner, he was not yet a pilot. However, within three hours of being informed by Sporty's Founder/Chairman Hal Shevers that he was the winner if he could qualify in time, Douglass had a third-class medical and a student pilot certificate. Becoming a pilot was not just a way to claim a valuable airplane, "It was a lifelong dream," Douglass said.

When Douglass and O’Brien returned to Flightline FBO at Tallahassee Regional Airport, they were greeted with a red carpet and a group of cheering friends and relatives.

Douglass has since begun flight training with Ron Fisher in Tallahassee. In fact, Douglass’s wife Pat is making plans to learn to fly too. He adds, “Pat and I are filled with gratitude for this huge gift and excitement for our new life.”

The 2005 Sporty’s Sweepstakes airplane will mark the 20th anniversary of Sporty’s Sweepstakes and will be awarded on September 14, 2005, to a lucky Sporty’s customer. This brand-new Skyhawk is special in that it is the 150,000th single-engine airplane produced by Cessna Aircraft. 

FMI: www.sportys.com