This past weekend I attended the 52nd annual Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In at Lindner International Airport in Lakeland. Every year I circle the dates on my calendar and this year it all came together. Sun ‘n Fun is one of the largest aviation gatherings in North America, drawing massive crowds and a wide range of aircraft, performers, and aviation activities. It is only exceeded by the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In was founded in 1974 by members of Lakeland Chapter 454 of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).
The expo served as the unofficial kickoff to the airshow season and attracted around 250,000 attendees to Lakeland. It featured everything from military jets and vintage warbirds to experimental and homebuilt aircraft, along with exhibits, workshops, and industry displays. Daily airshows were the main attraction of the weeklong event, featuring high-profile performers like the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, F-22 Raptor demo team, and Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet demo team. The weekend shows drew the biggest crowds, with dramatic aerobatics, heritage flights pairing modern jets with WWII aircraft, and a night show featuring fireworks and illuminated performances.
The event included aircraft displays and fly-ins from across the country, educational forums, workshops, and aviation career events. There were also short takeoff and landing competitions and demonstrations along with exhibitor booths showcasing aviation tech and services including NASA-related exhibits. One of the most popular exhibits was the NASA “Super Guppy”, an enormous cargo plane. It looks like a flying beluga whale.
I attended on Friday because there are usually slightly smaller crowds but nearly the same caliber of performances. Also, the weather was magnificent with clear skies and temperatures in the mid-80s.
In addition to the Thunderbirds, there were several other fun performers. The show was full of pyrotechnics and smoke. In fact, there were times when smoke obscured some of the routines and created challenges for photography. The fireballs from the simulation of exploding bombs was a thrill for fans during the Warbirds performance.
Redline Airshows is a two-person formation aerobatic team made up of a father and son. Ken Rieder is the team lead, and his son Austin Rieder is the wing pilot. They’re based in Cincinnati and are known for tight formation flying, while performing stunts. They fly Van’s RV-8 aircraft which are very agile and built for aerobatics. Top speeds reach around 230 mph. They are regular performers on the airshow circuit.
Michael Goulian is another recognizable pilot on airshow schedules. He flies a highly modified Extra 330 aircraft. His routines typically include high-speed tumbles and snaps, precision vertical maneuvers, low-altitude, high-energy passes, and sequences with smoke effects. He was also a longtime competitor in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.
USAF F-22 Raptor Demo Team showcased one of the military’s most advanced fighter planes. It was built by Lockheed Martin in the mid-2000s. It operates using stealth technology which makes it very hard to detect on radar. It can fly supersonic without afterburners and thrust-vectoring engines let it out-turn most aircraft. Advanced sensors allow it to track enemies long before being seen. It’s also capable of precision ground strikes and electronic warfare.
One of the most fascinating was the Red Bull helicopter piloted by Aaron Fitzgerald. He did things with a helicopter that seemed impossible. Here’s a photo of him flying upside down!
TITAN Aerobatic Team Is a relatively new but fast-rising act in the U.S. airshow scene, known for mixing classic formation flying with modern, aggressive aerobatics. They are a civilian formation aerobatic team founded by John Klatt, a highly experienced airshow performer and former military pilot. They fly North American AT-6 Texan aircraft.
TITAN’s aircraft are lighter, faster-responding, and more dynamic than the older warbird-style teams. They’re capable of high G-load maneuvers and are designed specifically for modern aerobatics. TITAN focuses on close formation passes, synchronized rolls and loops, breakaways where aircraft split in different directions, and high-energy crossing maneuvers.
The US Air Force Thunderbirds capped off the afternoon with their amazing precision show. The exhibition lasted almost an hour and featured many high speed maneuvers. The bright blue skies created beautiful backgrounds for the performance. It was a great finish to a great day.
For more information on the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In, check out the link below.
https://flysnf.org/about-us/about-sun-n-fun/
More photos have been uploaded to the Aviation gallery.
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