How ANN Spent a Week At Lakeland’s Annual Aerospace Expo

The annual SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo is truly a magical and unforgettable experience for pilots and aviation enthusiasts alike. During our week at the show’s campus in Lakeland, Florida, the Aero-News Crew was hard at work to give visitors the resources they needed to make the most of their time. And, trust me, we enjoyed it as much as you did.

Our team was there a little earlier than most to host the SUN ‘n FUN Innovation Preview on March 31 at 4:00 pm. Dozens of aviation companies and organizations joined us for the event and debuted new planes, products, accessories, and other special announcements.

The expo formally kicked off the next morning, drawing in upwards of 200,000 attendees. We joined the crowds LIVE at the compass rose for the first SUN ‘n FUN Morning Brief at 9:00 am alongside Deltahawk CEO Christopher Ruud and representatives of Gleim Aviation.

From the start, Aero-News Network was also running the SUN ‘n FUN Digital Daily page. We kept the site jam-packed with exclusive stories, interviews, photos, and insider updates to ensure that visitors, both in-person and online, were able to learn more about the event than just the cool jets.

Speaking of cool jets, each day of the expo featured an airshow beginning at 1:00 pm. Groups came from far and wide to show off their skills, including the F-35A Lightning II Demo Team, the Jack Aces, the TITAN Aerobatic Team, and Redline Airshows. Several iconic individual performers also made their mark: Kyle Fowler’s Long EZ, Bob Carlton’s FoxJet Sailplane, Greg Koontz’s Super Decathlon, and many, many more.

The week of wonder moved forward to the expo’s first night airshow on Wednesday, April 2, and I must say, SUN ‘n FUN truly outdid itself. They brought out the F-16s, a heritage flight, the Redbull Airforce, and the Arythmia Paramotor Team, then wrapped up the show with a jaw-dropping drone demonstration, Nate Hammond’s GhostWriter act, and an expensive set of pyrotechnics.

The Blue Angels joined the fun on April 3, and the week flew on to the main event: Saturday Flight Live. From 1:00 pm forward, the Aero-News crew was out on the front lines streaming the entire day and night airshow.

The best part? ALL of this content is still available on our website, YouTube channel, and the SNFDD page. Our team had an amazing time bringing you the coverage you deserve, and we hope to see you back next year for SNF 2026.

FMI: https://snfdd.com, www.youtube.com/@aerotvnetwork