Sun 'n Fun
Sun 'n Fun is a Florida-based nonprofit aviation organization best known for its annual Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Sun 'n Fun is a nonprofit aviation organization based at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Lakeland, Florida. Its best-known public activity is the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo, a week-long aviation gathering that combines an aircraft fly-in, airshow, exhibition, educational programming, and opportunities for aviation enthusiasts to meet aircraft manufacturers, suppliers, pilots, builders, military representatives, and other members of the aerospace community. The event is generally held in late March or early April and has become one of the principal annual aviation gatherings in the United States. The organization dates its origins to 1974. Its first event, held in January 1975 under the name Mid-Winter Sun 'n Fun, was a comparatively small fly-in for pilots and members of aviation organizations. It attracted 365 aircraft and 1,980 guests. The event expanded to a full week the following year and gradually developed from a community-oriented fly-in into a large public aerospace exposition. Its program has included aircraft displays, homebuilt and vintage aircraft, warbirds, aerobatic performances, military demonstration teams, vendor exhibits, educational activities, and other aviation-related attractions. Sun 'n Fun has also operated or supported aviation-education institutions and facilities. The Florida Air Museum at Sun 'n Fun, located on the organization’s airport campus, documents and presents Florida’s aviation heritage. Sun 'n Fun has supported the Central Florida Aerospace Academy, an aviation-focused career academy operated through the Polk County School Board. In 2010, the Aviation Education Foundation provided a reported $7.5 million grant toward a new academy building. Completed in 2011, the facility increased capacity from approximately 175 students to 500. By 2022, the educational program had expanded to a temporary campus at Gilbert Airport in Winter Haven, associated with Winter Haven High School while plans for a permanent facility were developed. In 2014, the Aerospace Center for Excellence was established as a nonprofit organization focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education for young people. A 2019 reorganization made the fly-in part of the Aerospace Center for Excellence, aligning the event more closely with the organization’s educational mission. Sun 'n Fun and the Florida Air Museum also participate in fundraising and administration connected with the Ray Foundation, which supports aviation scholarships, including flight-training and continuing-education awards named for James C. Ray. The organization’s public identity was updated in 2019 when the event was renamed the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo, with the new name used officially beginning in 2020. Despite the change in event branding, the Sun 'n Fun name continues to represent the wider aviation nonprofit, its annual expo, its museum and its educational and scholarship activities. The organization’s positioning centers on aviation participation, public outreach, workforce development, STEM education, and access to flight rather than on the sale of consumer goods.
History
Sun 'n Fun began in 1974 as an initiative to create an aviation gathering in Lakeland, Florida. The first event took place in January 1975 at Lakeland Municipal Airport under the name Mid-Winter Sun 'n Fun. It was limited primarily to pilots and members of aviation organizations, including the Experimental Aircraft Association and other aviation groups. The inaugural gathering included 365 aircraft and 1,980 guests. The event expanded to a full week in 1976. The City of Lakeland approved a lease that allowed the convention site to move to the southwest quadrant of the airport, and public access was broadened. Attendance and participation grew rapidly: the second event included approximately 1,200 aircraft, among them homebuilts, antiques, classic aircraft, and warbirds. Over time, Sun 'n Fun developed into a major aviation expo and airshow, combining aircraft arrivals and fly-in activity with static displays, commercial exhibits, educational programming, and aerial performances. The event’s history includes a succession of notable aviation appearances. Snow fell during the 1977 show, an unusual occurrence that has been identified as the only snowfall at the event to that point. The Sun 'n Fun Air Museum opened in 1992 and was later known as the Florida Air Museum at Sun 'n Fun. The Brazilian Air Force’s Aerial Demonstration Squadron appeared in 1997. In 2000, aviation performer Bob Hoover made what was described as his final flight in a Shrike Commander at the fly-in. Bobby Younkin demonstrated an aerobatic Learjet in 2002, and Bruce Bohannon established four time-to-climb records with the turbocharged Exxon Flyin' Tiger during the 2004 show. The organization has also been connected with aviation education and youth development. The Aerospace Center for Excellence was established in 2014 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to STEM education and aviation-related opportunities. Sun 'n Fun supported the Central Florida Aerospace Academy, an aviation-oriented career academy operated by the Polk County School Board. A $7.5 million grant reported in 2010 helped fund a new academy building, which opened in August 2011 and expanded capacity to 500 high school students. The educational program later added a temporary campus at Gilbert Airport in Winter Haven, associated with Winter Haven High School, by 2022. A major organizational change occurred in 2019, when a reorganization placed the fly-in within the Aerospace Center for Excellence. Around the same period, the event’s public name was refreshed. Previously known as the Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In and Expo, it was officially renamed the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo for the 2020 edition. The name change emphasized the event’s broader aerospace, education, and technology scope while retaining the established Sun 'n Fun identity. The expo has periodically hosted prominent international demonstration teams. The Breitling Jet Team made its first United States performance at the 2015 show. The French Air Force Patrouille de France appeared in 2017, marking one of its limited United States appearances over the preceding decades. The organization’s aviation-education mission is also reflected in its scholarship work. The Florida Air Museum and Sun 'n Fun help raise funds for the Ray Foundation, which supports scholarships administered by Aerospace Center for Excellence staff, including awards for flight training and continuing education. On March 31, 2011, an EF1 tornado crossed the event grounds. It damaged roughly 40 to 50 aircraft, tents, and exhibits and caused minor injuries to 15 people. The airshow continued the next day, illustrating the event’s operational resilience. Today, Sun 'n Fun remains primarily an aviation nonprofit and event brand rather than a conventional commercial product company. Its activities center on the annual Aerospace Expo, aviation heritage, STEM and career education, scholarship funding, and public engagement with flight.
- 2022
Aerospace academy expanded to Winter Haven
[1]A temporary campus opened at Gilbert Airport in Winter Haven as part of the academy’s expansion through Winter Haven High School.
- 2019
Event renamed and organizationally realigned
[1]The event was renamed the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo, and a reorganization placed the fly-in within the Aerospace Center for Excellence.
- 2017
Patrouille de France appeared at the expo
[1]The French Air Force aerobatic team performed at the show during a period when its U.S. appearances were relatively uncommon.
- 2015
Breitling Jet Team made first U.S. performance
[1]The Breitling Jet Team gave its first performance in the United States at the Sun 'n Fun show.
- 2014
Aerospace Center for Excellence established
[1]A nonprofit education organization was established to provide STEM instruction and aviation-development opportunities for young people.
- 2011
New academy building completed
[1]The new Central Florida Aerospace Academy facility opened in August, increasing capacity to approximately 500 students.
- 2011
Tornado damaged expo grounds
[1]An EF1 tornado damaged aircraft, tents, and exhibits on March 31. The show resumed the next day.
- 2010
Grant announced for aerospace academy facilities
[1]The Aviation Education Foundation provided a reported $7.5 million grant for a new Central Florida Aerospace Academy building.
- 1992
Sun 'n Fun Air Museum opened
[1]The organization opened an aviation museum on its Lakeland campus, later known as the Florida Air Museum at Sun 'n Fun.
- 1976
Event expanded to a full week
[1]The gathering expanded from its initial weekend format and moved to a larger area of the airport under a City of Lakeland lease.
Products and positioning
A nonprofit aviation institution that uses a major public aerospace expo, museum activities, education programs, and scholarships to promote participation in aviation and develop future aerospace professionals.
Aviation event · 1975
Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo
The organization’s flagship annual event is a week-long aviation expo and airshow at Lakeland Linder International Airport. It combines a pilot and aircraft fly-in with public airshow performances, static aircraft displays, commercial and nonprofit exhibits, aviation merchandise and services, educational activities, and appearances by civilian and military demonstration teams. The event serves aircraft owners, pilots, aviation businesses, students, families, and general spectators.
Aviation museum · 1992
Florida Air Museum at Sun 'n Fun
Located on the Sun 'n Fun campus, the Florida Air Museum presents aviation history and aircraft-related exhibits, helping connect the organization’s public event with a permanent heritage and educational facility. The museum originated as the Sun 'n Fun Air Museum, which opened in 1992.
Aviation education
Central Florida Aerospace Academy support
Sun 'n Fun has supported the Central Florida Aerospace Academy, an aviation-focused career academy operated by the Polk County School Board. The program provides a pathway for high school students interested in aviation, aerospace, STEM subjects, and related careers. Its facilities and footprint have expanded beyond the original Lakeland setting, including a temporary Winter Haven campus established by 2022.
Scholarship program
Ray Foundation aviation scholarships
Sun 'n Fun and the Florida Air Museum support fundraising and administration associated with the Ray Foundation, which provides aviation scholarships through Aerospace Center for Excellence staff. Programs include the James C. Ray Flight Training Scholarship and the James C. Ray Continuing Education Scholarship, along with other awards intended to encourage aviation careers and participation.
Brand decisions
2019
Rename the event as Sun 'n Fun Aerospace ExpoStrategyBackground
The longstanding Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In and Expo had developed beyond a traditional pilot fly-in to include aerospace exhibitions, education, STEM activities, and broader public programming.
Action taken
The organization announced a new official event name, Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo, beginning with the 2020 edition.
Aftermath
The revised name retained the established Sun 'n Fun identity while communicating a wider aerospace and educational scope.
2019
Integrate the fly-in into the Aerospace Center for ExcellenceStrategyBackground
The organization’s event operations and educational activities were increasingly connected through a common nonprofit mission focused on aviation education and STEM development.
Action taken
A reorganization made the fly-in part of the Aerospace Center for Excellence.
Aftermath
The expo became more directly aligned with the center’s youth education, career-development, and aviation outreach activities.
Recent events
Sheltair partners with Sun 'n Fun to support ACE[3]
Reported:
Sheltair announced a partnership with the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo to support the Aerospace Center for Excellence. Sheltair, the expo's official fuel provider, committed to donating $0.10 per gallon of fuel uplifted during the event, in addition to an in-kind contribution.
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