The 50th Year of the SUN ‘n FUN Expo in Lakeland, Florida
US-FL—The SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo was held April 9th through 14th in Lakeland, Florida, at the Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL). It’s estimated that more than 200,000 attended this year’s event, which is the largest event held in Florida each year. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of this year’s fantastic aviation expo, which is often described as spring break for pilots.
SUN ‘n FUN Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Tuesday, April 9, kicked off one of the biggest aerospace expos in the world. In fact, many pilots and aviation enthusiasts put the trip on their calendars each year and plan the trip to Lakeland months in advance.
This year’s primary sponsor was Daher, which had the largest tent at the Future ‘n Flight Plaza. Daher operates in 15 countries and has three tech centers. Its revenue averages 1.65 billion pounds, and it employs 13,000 people in aircraft manufacturing, propulsion, aerostructures, and logistics. Aviation professionals could visit its tent and learn about its opportunities as early as 9 a.m. on opening day.
The SUN ‘n FUN Expo started every day at 7 AM with the opening of the parking lot gates. The gates to the expo grounds officially opened at 8 AM, and the entire event began at 9:30 AM with a historical marker unveiling at the Florida Air Museum. This historical marker commemorated SUN ‘n FUN and its 50-year history. That’s right. The first SUN ‘n FUN expo was held in 1974.
After the historic marker unveiling, attendees could visit the Aerospace Pavilion to learn about the latest advancements in aviation technology.
Guests could enjoy a great afternoon airshow just after lunch, from 1 PM to 5 PM. The first day also included the opening-day concert starring Dylan Scott and Sara Evans.
SUN ‘n FUN Wednesday, April 10, 2024
This year was especially eventful. The new Piper M700 flew in and made its debut. This is especially fantastic because it just received its FAA certification in March. Wednesday was also a day dedicated to the Bahamas. Visitors to the expo could attend an Island of the Bahamas presentation by Junkanoo, whose mission is to spread information about the Bahamas’ culture and history.
It was also a day to celebrate women aviators. At 11 AM, visitors could meet the Air Force Special Operations women, Captain Melanie Kluesner, and the F-35 demo team. At 5 PM, they could meet Lt. Marsh, who won the Miss America pageant. In fact, she was the first active-duty U.S. officer to win the pageant.
In the evening, AOPA celebrated 85 years, and the AOPA pilots got together for dinner and chats about flying and aviation.
SUN ‘n FUN Thursday, April 11, 2024
Thursday was WFLA Channel 8 Day. Attendees could see the Eagle 8 helicopter at 11:50 AM. Of course, before that event, there was still time to participate in a meet-and-greet of that day’s airshow performers, including Mike Goulian, Greg Koontz, Patty Wagstaff, and Polaris, at 11 AM.
Unfortunately, the airshow was canceled due to bad weather. However, that didn’t impact the evening entertainment. The evening’s entertainment included The Caribbean Crew Steel Drum Band at 5 PM. The Wing Aviation Drone Delivery was at 6 PM, and the evening movie was Airplane at 8:30 PM, which was a fitting and humorous end to a fantastic day of aviation adventures.
SUN ‘n FUN Friday, April 12, 2024
On Friday, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds performed at 4 PM with Derek Theler. In addition to the Thunderbirds’ performance, attendees could participate in the Thunderbirds Youth Outreach at 10:30 AM. There was a meet-and-greet with Patty Wagstaff, an aerobatic pilot and instructor. Visitors could also meet and listen to Lt. Colonel George Hardy, a Tuskegee Airman, at 3 PM.
SUN ‘n FUN Saturday, April 13, 2024
Saturday was a big day for SUN ‘n FUN. It kicked off the weekend, and Florida residents who got a pass for Saturday could enjoy Sunday for free. The day was full of aviation adventures. Visitors could start of the day by talking to the STOL pilots and listening to their aviator stories. The author’s corner at the Florida Air Museum featured Jana Leigh Shaeffer, Colonel Dan Petunias, and Margot Cheel.
In the hangar, guests could get an up-close look at the Army Aviation Center for Excellence, view the Zombie Vipers, and listen to Michael Goulian’s inspirational message.
The daily airshow was sponsored by AOPA and featured the Patriot Parachute Demo Team, the USN F-18 Super Hornet Demo Team, Rob Holland, Jim Peitz, the USAF Thunderbirds, and many other pilots and teams.
The evening airshow was even more spectacular, featuring the Polaris Ghost Squadron, the USAF F-18 Super Hornet Demo Team, the TITAN Aerobatic Team, Lee Lauderback, Manfred Radius and Ken Raider, among many others. There was also a pyrotechnics display and fireworks.
SUN ‘n FUN Sunday, April 14, 2024
Sunday was the last day for the SUN ‘n FUN expo. The week was sponsored by various aviation businesses, including Daher, AviNation, AOPA, Wing, Southwest Airlines, the Bahamas, American Honda Generators, and many other businesses. Attendees got to see a variety of civilian and military aircraft, and they got to speak with the featured STOL aviators. The last airshow of the week featured Jack Aces, the U.S. Airforce Thunderbirds, the U.S. Navy Legacy Flight, Larry Kelley, RJ Gritter, Patty Wagstaff, and the Class of ‘45, as well as many others.
This year’s SUN ‘n FUN was a memorable experience for everyone who attended. There was a nightly aerial circus, an STOL competition, a hot air balloon launch, drone flying, and a Shadow Strike simulator in 4D. If you couldn’t make it this year, SUN ‘n FUN hopes you’ll join them for the 2025 events.