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

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. Located along Interstate 4, I-4 east of Tampa and southwest of Orlando, Florida, Orlando, it is the List of municipalities in Florida, most populous city in Polk County. As of the 2020 ...

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

fly-in A fly-in, also called an aviation meet, is a pre-arranged gathering of aircraft, pilots and passengers for recreational and Socialization, social purposes. Fly-ins may be formally or informally organised, members of the public may or may not be ...

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 which they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground. The largest air ...

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 na ...

, 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 The Florida Air Museum, formerly known as the International Sport Aviation Museum and the SUN 'n FUN Air Museum, is designated as Florida's "Official Aviation Museum and Education Center." It features a display of aircraft including one-of-a-k ...

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. In October 2019 a reorganization made the fly-in part of the 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

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 (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

7.5M grant from the Aviation Education Foundation for the new

Central Florida Aerospace Academy 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.

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. Since its inception, it has grown internationally with over 300,000 members and nearly 1,000 chapters worldwide. ...

(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 Royal Australian Air Force's No. 100 ...

s on site.

Snow Snow consists of 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 througho ...

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

) held its grand opening. In 1997, the Brazilian Air Force's Aerial Demonstration Squadron (known as the

Smoke Squadron The Aerial Demonstration Squadron (, EDA), popularly known as Smoke Squadron (Portuguese: ''Esquadrilha da Fumaça'') is the Brazilian Air Force's air demonstration squadron. It is headquartered at the Brazilian Air Force Academy in Pirassununga, ...

) 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 War ...

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 later a division of Ro ...

at the fly-in. Two years later,

Bobby Younkin Bobby or Bobbie may refer to: People *Bobby (given name), a list of names * Bobby (surname), a list of surnames * Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh * Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea * Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwrit ...

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. On March 31, 2011, an EF1 tornado 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 The (, "French Acrobatic Patrol"), also known as the (PAF), is the precision aerobatics demonstration unit of the French Air and Space Force, officially commissioned in 1953. Using the French Aerial Aerobatics () unit of the French Air and ...

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
* {{Aviation in Polk County, Florida, state=expanded 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