OK. It rained.. a lot... most of the day as a matter of fact... but there was NO truth to the rumor that Phil Boyer was caught outfitting an ark in case the rain kept up.

What was true, though, was the obvious dedication of thousands of people who braved the driving rain and uncommonly cool June temperatures to see the sights at AOPA's 2004 Fly-In. ANN's Jim Campbell was there, as he has been for many years in the past, and found this year's event to be "soggy, but tremendously worthwhile."

Here are some of the sights that caught his attention at this year's event...

This year's big giveaway airplane is a lavishly updated Twin Comanche -- which is getting a phenomenal face-lift. The bird was bought for less than $70K... but is getting twice that much more in new engines, updates, mods, avionics and a new paint and interior. This is going to be a GREAT prize for someone who could be our new best friend...

There was tremendous interest in the SMA diesel engine. With fuel prices rising faster than a Space Shuttle at launch, and increasing concerns about the availability of avgas over the next decade, many pilots are willing to look at diesel as an alternative for the new airplane they hope to purchase in the future, or as a retrofit to existing airframes.

Cirrus Design looked pretty smart this year for having brought their huge mobile showroom... literally a semi-trailer converted to serve as a traveling sales platform... which turned out to be the driest place out on the flightline. The new Cirrus SR22-G2s normally draw lots of attention, but having a dry place to check out a cockpit mock-up (inside the trailer) sure enhanced their appeal.

One of the other traveling showrooms at the AOPA Fly-In was staffed by the folks of the NASA SATS program. Inside, a number of video presentations and exhibits made a pitch for the future of GA and the immense power it might have in playing a positive role in America's transportation future. It's worth the time to check it out.

ANN's own Wes Oleszewski was in attendance, selling Klyde Morris knick-knacks and other wares. Wes enjoyed the chance to meet some of the many folks who read Klyde twice a week on ANN. Wes and ANN will shortly be unveiling news about Wes' forthcoming cartoon compilation book... which turned out be a truly hysterical read... we're REALLY pleased with how it turned out and will probably be unveiling it at Oshkosh.

Phil Boyer updated a soggy but attentive seminar audience on the latest in the world of aviation politics. Phil is still working on taming the Washington ADIZ but outlined a "walk before you run" plan that may curtail some of its influence. In addition to this, Phil detailed some of AOPA's political successes and programs as well as showing off the prototype of AOPA's new downloadable approach charts, that can be downloaded from the AOPA site.

One of the most interesting people to attend this event is aviation educator/author/humorist Rod Machado. If there's a line of people in an exhibit area, you can bet that Machado is somewhere nearby doing a book signing. In addition, his seminars are usually a SRO event. Rod makes the intricacies and technology of aviation not only more understandable, but more interesting, to boot. He's one of the few people that truly understands that if you want to teach someone something, you're best off if you can make sure that you have their undivided attention. His use of humor is an added aid to the incredible comprehension he brings to the material he teaches.

One of the more well-attended booths at the Fly-In featured the Lowrance portable GPS line. Their Airmap 1000 features one of the largest high-resolution monochrome displays available on a portable GPS... but the BIG news is that the next version, due to be introduced at this year's Oshkosh Fly-In is about to become available in COLOR... for only $1295. We have a feeling that this is going to be a HOT item. We hope to have an evaluation unit within a few days... we'll let you know how it performs...

There were a number of sleek composite Diamond DA20s and DA40s at the Fly-In. The two place DA20s are getting a lot of attention for flight schools, as they are well-built and well-supported. The DA20s pretty much have the two place market to themselves right now with the OMF-160 still seeking financial backing and the Liberty project still proceeding at a snail's pace (and now reportedly up for sale...). On a high note; we hear a hot rumor that the Diamond DA40 will shortly get certified for the Garmin G1000 -- a welcome update that could be as little as a few days away... we'll keep you informed.

FMI: www.aopa.org