Finally, a major aviation event is coming up once more: The 49th Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo – called Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-In and Expo until 2019. The Fly-In takes place from March 28th to April 2nd at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Florida and attracts more than 350,000 visitors and over 500 exhibitors each year.
The flugmagazin is on site and will report on interesting news from Sun ‘n Fun in Florida. You can click through a colorful picture gallery. Every day there are new photos from the mega fly-in. You might almost think you were there yourself…
If you want, you can camp at the Fly-In in Florida
At the Sun ‘n Fun in Florida there is a huge exhibition to see, numerous aircraft manufacturers, information stands, specialist literature, magazines, collector’s rarities, a spare parts market and various workshops for aircraft and model building. A pilot’s heart should burn here! More than 5000 private planes are expected at the field and more than 350,000 air show visitors.
But that’s not all: the audience can look forward to great air shows. Including the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, High Flight Mustangs – Lou Herschel and Ariel Loudi and the USN Blue Angels Jets. There is an overview of all air shows here.
Sun ‘n Fun: How much does the visit cost?
There is a large selection of tickets for the event. There are day, week or weekend tickets. A day ticket for adults costs 45 dollars (around 42 euros), young people from 11 to 17 pay 20 euros (around 19 euros) and children under 10 years of age are free. Adults who want to stay the whole week have to pay 170 dollars (around 158 euros), young people 70 dollars (around 65 euros). There is more information regarding the ticket offers here. Some tour operators also offer trips to the USA with a visit to the Expo – also from Germany.
Sun ‘n Fun in Florida has a long history
In 1974, the Lakeland, Fla., EAA chapter decided to hold a fly-in. The Southeastern Sport Aviation Council (SESAC) and the Florida Sport Antique and Classic Aircraft Association (FSAACA) joined these plans. The event celebrated its premiere in January 1975 at Lakeland Municipal Airport. However, it was only for members of the EAA, SESAC and FSAACA. More than 1980 guests with 365 aircraft visited the fly-in. Already at the second event there were big changes. It lasted a week, was public and more than 6,000 aviation enthusiasts from the USA, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands came with around 1,200 aircraft. Florida’s Sun ‘n Fun is now the second largest fly-in in the United States following EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
Highlights in the history of the event:
- Aerobatic pilot Bobby Younkin is the world’s first aerobatic pilot in a Learjet 23
- In 2004, Bruce bannon broke four climb records on his Flyin’ Tiger
A sad incident on March 31, 2011: A tornado hit the event site with wind speeds of up to 150 km/h. Around 50 aircraft are damaged, as are exhibition tents.
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Isabella Sauer
Isabella Sauer was born in 1991, studied communication science in Bamberg and then completed a traineeship at Auto Bild. She has been a journalist since she was young and has worked for major publishing houses, including Axel Springer and the Funke Media Group. Print, digital, social media – for Isabella, every content has the potential to be processed in a variety of ways. And how did she come to the flugmagazin? She has always been very interested in mobility. Whether by car, train, camper, airliner or bicycle: the world can be discovered from many perspectives. Now Isabella Sauer is in the air. She has been a PPL student pilot since March 2023 and is looking forward to familiarizing herself with a new subject.
