WINTER PARK, Fla. — It was a sight that marked the Winter Park landscape for decades: a flying saucer sitting on top of Skycraft Parts and Surplus.


What You Need To Know

  • Skycraft has operated out of a store near I-4 in Winter Park since 1974

  • It's moving to a new story on the corner of Edgewater Drive and Lee Road

  • The iconic flying saucer on top of the store was removed Friday for transport

The iconic UFO sat on the roof of the electronics supply store, which has been a staple on West Fairbanks Avenue in Winter Park since 1974. It was something that drivers on Interstate 4 or on Fairbanks saw and got a kick out of. After all, how many times will you see a flying saucer?

It’s been refurbished several times over the years — initially it had light bulbs around it and would spin.

“The best thing about it is when somebody says 'Skycraft, what’s that'?" said store owner Allen Fiedler. "Wherever I am, I say it’s the place with the flying saucer on the roof and they immediately say ‘Oh, OK! I know where that is'.” 

But the ship, and the red rockets that accompany it, is finding a new base of operations.

The flying saucer will be landing at 5021 Edgewater Drive in Orlando, with a new store, in the Northgate Plaza on the corner of Lee Road and Edgewater. 

Skycraft Parts and Surplus buys and sells electronic parts and supplies, wire and cable and other goodies that made professionals, do-it-yourselfers and just your Saturday hobbyists feel like a kid who walked into Santa's workshop.

“We buy and sell government and also commercial electronics, surplus, wire, hardware, cable, electrical,” said Fielder. 

The store was also frequented by TV and radio station engineers, movie teams and theme park technicians alike.

“When they were doing Star Wars or Back to the Future, we sold them a lot of things to build their cars and their props, because we had very unusual things that they needed," said Fiedler. 

The flying saucer was the idea of Allen Fielder’s dad who opened SkyCraft Parts and Surplus. 

The store's owner says I-4 Ultimate construction has made it harder on business though.

The flying saucer coming down also marks the end of Fiedler’s time with the business. He’s now passing it over to his son. 

“I hope they can have as much success as myself, and brother-in-law and sister who co-own with me as we’ve all enjoyed. It’s been a good life,” said Fiedler.   

A sign company will refurbish the flying saucer again before it goes up at the new Skycraft store, which is having an out-of-this-world reopening on Tuesday, Sept. 7.