Articles

Stunt Pilot lands LoPresti "Fury" at GA Aviation Campus of MGC

(MGC Aviation, Eastman Campus - 27 Nov 07) -- You surely have to be an airplane enthusiast to be a student at MGC's, Georgia Aviation campus. So when a stunt pilot like Corky Fornof drops in with the LoPresti Fury students flocked around this aircraft as soon as he landed.

Corky Fornof is touring with the Fury, stopping at air shows and aviation establishments all over the country. The Fury is a single engine, retractable two seat sport aircraft designed and built by LoPresti Speed Merchants. Initially, this airplane was designed by Roy LoPresti who has since passed. His son, Curt, has realized his fathers dream by manufacturing and marketing the Fury. This airplane was designed with the discriminating pilot in mind, burns less fuel with no added weight and can travel 222 mph. It has an iPod integrated into its system that is used not only for entertainment. This airplane is a "timeless classic", with the lines of a fighter, the performance of a Ferrari and the comfort of a fine touring sedan.

Corky Fornof is in himself a story and is a more than an airplane enthusiast. He has over 15,000 hours in over 287 different types of aircraft. He has worked as a test pilot, corporate pilot and formed the first civilian jet demonstration team. He is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the Motion Picture Pilots Association among others. He has planned, organized and flown some of the most thrilling aviation stunts in movies. Some of which you know of if you have seen movies like License to Kill, Face Off or Six Days and Seven Nights, just to name a few. You can check him out at www.corkeyfornof.com.

Corky Fornof and Curt LoPresti came to the Georgia Aviation Campus of Middle Georgia College for more than one reason. They came to inspire young aviation students and to foster a possible working relationship between LoPresti Speed Merchants and this aviation school. LoPresti has the need for some composite parts for their airplanes. Georgia Aviation Campus of MGC has a Composites Certification Program. AST Instructor, Rick Krontz, went to Vero Beach, FL to visit with Curt LoPresti and came back with some ideas about possibly including the manufacture of these composite parts to the Composites Certification Program. Rick explains, "LoPresti Speed Merchants is the foot hold we needed to give us more exposure and credibility to our program and campus. It will hopefully make our school, the community and airport more attractive to the aerospace industry and to show a capability to support aviation related companies here in the local area. Working with LoPresti gives us the exposure to other aircraft manufacturers in that a relationship between industry and education can prove to be beneficial to both. Our relationship right now is to help with Research and Development of aftermarket composite components that will improve performance of general aviation aircraft without having to increase horsepower. Our job is to help develop new products using the latest composite materials, processes and procedures to produce a part that will improve performance that is cost effective. The main focus for LoPresti is to utilize our students with their uncontaminated mind set and fresh new approach to help develop new concepts for improving designs not only for performance but to improve comfort and reduce the workload to the pilots for better situational awareness. I hope to introduce and develop a new capability to our airport to manufacture and repair aircraft composite parts. Our school can help establish new companies by advising, developing customized training and train the work force needed to make the company successful. We are pursing other Universities and Aviation industry to establish relationships in the Research and Development arena in advanced composites and manufacturing. If we can attract more industry that in turn means more jobs and more students."

This all seems very exciting for both LoPresti and for Georgia Aviation. And as a spokesman for LoPresti, Corky Fornof stated, " We are looking forward to your ideas!"

If this partnership "takes off" you may get a few more chances to see Corky Fornof fly in with the Fury. LoPresti airplanes may be a common presence in the sky above MGC's Georgia Aviation campus.