[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 108 (Wednesday, June 26, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H5197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO MR. BILL HENDERSON

  (Mr. SPANO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SPANO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a local legend who 
recently passed away in Lakeland, Florida.
  Mr. Billy Henderson had a passion for flying planes since he was a 
young man. As a matter of fact, he used to fondly say he started flying 
in 1946 when he was 16 years old and began legally flying 20 years 
later in 1968.
  Billy turned his passion into a life purpose, and in 1974, he and 
four others created SUN n' FUN, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting 
aviation education in central Florida.
  SUN n' FUN has grown from hosting a small fly-in, which attracted 900 
attendees, to the largest annual convention in Florida.
  Every year, more than 100,000 visitors come to Lakeland to watch 
pilots, such as the Blue Angels, show off the best that aviation has to 
offer.
  SUN n' FUN not only brings in $60 million to central Florida every 
year, but also has an impact beyond the convention.
  The organization operates the Florida Air Museum, which houses over 
100 aircraft, and sponsors over $2 million per year in scholarships for 
aviation education.
  Madam Speaker, the skies over Lakeland will never be the same without 
Billy Henderson, but they will be marked by his legacy for years to 
come.

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