Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark
{{Short description|Former private-use ultralight airport}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark
| image = Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark 1999.jpg
| caption = Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark
November 1999
| FAA = 44FD
| type = Private
| owner = Walt Disney World Company
| operator =
| city-served = Lake Buena Vista, Florida
| location =
| elevation-f = 102
| elevation-m = 31
| coordinates = {{coord|28|21|11|N|081|32|49|W|region:US_type:airport}}
| website =
| mapframe = yes
| r1-number = ALL/WAY
| r1-length-f = 424
| r1-length-m = 129
| r1-surface = Turf
| footnotes = Source: Federal Aviation Administration{{FAA-airport|ID=44FD|use=PR|own=PR|site=03275.*U}}, effective 2008-04-10
}}
Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark {{airport codes|||44FD}} was a private-use ultralight airport located in Osceola County, 13 nautical miles (24 km) northwest of the central business district of Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States.
History
It was privately owned by the Walt Disney World Company, and was used to launch aircraft used in the "Skyleidoscope" (1985–1987) and "Surprise in the Skies" (1991–1992) shows at the Epcot theme park.{{cite web |url=http://allears.net/tp/ep/skyleido.htm |title=Skyleidoscope - Epcot Archives |website=allears.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209183223/http://www.allears.net/tp/ep/skyleido.htm |archive-date=2007-02-09}}{{cite web |url=http://allears.net/tp/ep/e_sky1.htm |title=Surprise in the Skies - Epcot Daytime Spectacular 1991 |website=allears.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209182539/http://www.allears.net/tp/ep/e_sky1.htm |archive-date=2007-02-09}}
Although still listed active in FAA records as recently as September 2010, the facility closed for theme park use in 1992, when "Surprise in the Skies" ended. The land sat unused for nearly 10 years, when it was cleared for the second phase of Disney's Pop Century Resort, named the Legendary Years. Construction on the hotel was stopped after the September 11 attacks caused tourism to drop off, but development later resumed and the land of the former airfield is now the site of Disney's Art of Animation Resort, which opened in May 2012.
=Incidents=
{{main|List of incidents at Walt Disney World}}
On {{date|1987-08-01|MDY}}, a 27-year-old male cast member from Winter Garden was killed when the ultralight aircraft he was flying crashed during a show rehearsal. The pilot was practicing for Epcot's "Skyleidoscope" show at an altitude of 500–1000 feet when the ultralight suffered catastrophic structural failure, nosediving into the ground about 150 yards from the flightpark and 1.5 miles from Epcot.{{cite web |last1=Gandhi |first1=Prakash |title=Investigators: Wing Connector Broke Before Fatal Plane Crash |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1987-08-04-0180450153-story.html |website=Orlando Sentinel |date=August 4, 1987 |access-date=April 13, 2020 |archive-date=May 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508220257/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/ |url-status=live}}
Facilities and aircraft
Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark had one circular runway designated "ALL/WAY" with a 424 × 424 ft (129 × 129 m) turf surface. There were 20 aircraft based at this airport: 50% single-engine and 50% ultralight.
{{Clear}}
See also
{{Portal bar|Disney|Aviation|Florida}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Florida airports}}
{{Walt Disney World}}
Category:Buildings and structures in Osceola County, Florida
Category:Defunct airports in Florida
Category:Transportation in Osceola County, Florida
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