Battle Creek, Michigan-based Waco Aircraft, the only FAA-approved manufacturer of 1930s sport biplanes, is basking in the Florida springtime sunlight this week at Sun 'n' Fun 2019, bringing its YMF-5F biplane with amphibious Aerocet 3400 floats to the show. The company, which was founded in 1983, originally as the Classic Aircraft Corporation, wanted to revive the golden era of open-cockpit biplanes, and, under the guidance of Dimor Group, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based company, its skilled engineers and technicians have done just that.

The three-place airplane (the pilot flies from the rear and two passengers sit side-by-side up front) on display cruises at a leisurely 94 knots and has a 726-pound useful load. It features a 300-hp engine, MT constant-speed propeller, and Garmin VFR avionics. Optional equipment includes a landing gear kit to swap out the floats when water landings aren’t needed.

The company also has its Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 180-hp aerobatic biplane on display at the show. Finally, in the pavilion (location MD 19) there is the classic YMF-5 and a Dimor-owned Pilatus PC-6 on amphibious floats that Waco president Peter Bowers is happy to see attracting attention.

“We are at Sun 'n' Fun sowing seeds, which we hope grow into new customers for our great products,” he told AIN.

Waco provides no-cost transition training in customer aircraft for new Waco YMF-5D and Great Lakes aircraft—no tailwheel experience necessary. Other transition training can be found at the Troy, Ohio-based Waco Historical Society.