Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo (officially styled SUN 'n FUN) is a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal ci ...

dedicated to the promotion of aviation education. It is best known for the annual week-long

fly-in A fly-in is a pre-arranged gathering of aircraft, pilots and passengers for recreational and social purposes. Fly-ins may be formally or informally organised, members of the public may or may not be invited, the gathering may be at an airport o ...

and

airshow An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are exhibited. They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground. The largest air show ...

Lakeland Linder International Airport Lakeland Linder International Airport is a public airport five miles southwest of Lakeland, in Polk County, Florida. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021 categorized it as a nati ...

, usually held during late March or early April. Previously called the Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In and Expo'', for 2020 the event was officially renamed the ''Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo'' in April 2019. In addition to the fly-in, at one time Sun 'n Fun also operated the Florida Air Museum and supported the Central Florida Aerospace Academy—an aviation-focused career academy operated by the Polk County School Board as part of

Kathleen High School Kathleen Senior High School is the second oldest of four high schools in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was originally housed north of its present location, at the site of the current Kathleen Middle School.Aerospace Center for Excellence, a non-profit organization that was established in 2014 to provide young students with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instruction.

History

The event was founded in 1974.

Other ventures

The Florida Air Museum at Sun 'n Fun, is also located on the Sun 'n Fun campus at

. In April 2010 Sun 'n Fun received a

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

7.5M grant from the Aviation Education Foundation for the new Central Florida Aerospace Academy building. The school is an existing aviation-oriented high school and career academy that is already located on the airport grounds. Completed in August 2011 it accommodates 500 high school students, increasing its current capacity of 175 students.

Notable events

The first weekend fly-in, called Mid-Winter Sun 'n Fun, was held in January 1975 at the Lakeland Municipal Airport and was limited to pilots and

Experimental Aircraft Association The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. Since its inception, it has grown internationally with over 200,000 members and nearly 1,000 chapt ...

(EAA), SESAC and FSAACA members. A total of 1,980 guests and 365 aircraft were present. The following year the fly-in was expanded to a full week and the City of Lakeland approved a lease for the convention site to be moved to the southwest quadrant of the airport. The public was invited on a limited basis. The number of visiting aircraft more than tripled compared to the first year, with 1,200 aircraft including 200 homebuilts, 180 antiques, 260 classics, and 28

warbird A warbird is any vintage military aircraft now operated by civilian organizations and individuals, or in some instances, by historic arms of military forces, such as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the RAAF Museum Historic Flight, or th ...

s on site.

Snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

fell at the airport for the only time in show history to date during the 1977 show. In 1992 The Sun 'n Fun Air Museum (now the Florida Air Museum) held its grand opening. In 1997 the Brazilian Air Force's Aerial Demonstration Squadron (known as the Smoke Squadron) was the featured act. In 2000 Airshow legend

Bob Hoover Robert Anderson Hoover (January 24, 1922 – October 25, 2016) was an American fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and record-setting air show aviator. Hoover flew Spitfires in the United States Army Air Forces during World W ...

performed the last flight of his

Shrike Commander The Aero Commander 500 family is a series of light-twin piston-engined and turboprop aircraft originally built by the Aero Design and Engineering Company in the late 1940s, renamed the Aero Commander company in 1950, and a division of Rockwell ...

at the fly-in. Two years later Bobby Younkin debuted the world's first aerobatic Learjet. During the 2004 show Bruce Bohannon and his turbocharged Exxon Flyin' Tiger set four time to climb world records. In 2011 on March 31, an

EF1 tornado The Enhanced Fujita scale (abbreviated as EF-Scale) rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage they cause. It is used in some countries, including the United States, Canada, China, and Mongolia. The Enhanced Fujita scale repla ...

hit the grounds of the airshow, resulting in damage to 40-50 aircraft, along with display tents and exhibits. Fifteen people received minor injuries. The airshow continued the next day. The 2015 show featured the first US performance of the Breitling Jet Team. In 2017 the show featured the French Air Force

Patrouille de France ), 1st Commandant of the Patrouille de France as of the official Aerial presentation on 14 September 1953, Commander of the 13th Aerial Brigade, World War II Veteran with 165 war missions. , identification_symbol= , identification_symbol_lab ...

aerobatic team, making it the second appearance in the US (the first being at the Melbourne Air And Space Show on April 1–3) in more than 30 years. The team flew one show on April 4.

References

External links

Official website
* {{coord missing, Tampa Bay Lakeland, Florida Recurring events established in 1974 Air shows in the United States Tourist attractions in Polk County, Florida Events in Florida 1974 establishments in Florida Aviation in Florida Aviation exhibitions

History

Other ventures

Notable events

See also

References

External links