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2026 marked my first experience with the Sun N Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, FL. Held at the Lakeland-Linder International Airport (KLAL), this nearly week long expo features daily airshows, static displays of eras of aircraft, and a literal whos-who among vendors in the aviation community.
A friend and I settled on making the trip a few months back and our plan had been to fly our 1979 Piper Archer II down to the St. Petersburg Airport (KSPG). We even passed on cheap airline tickets in the weeks leading up to the trip because we were committed to fly down in our airplane, even though we did not plan to fly directly into the show.
But alas, as life tends to do, we were thrown a curveball. Our annual inspection was due at the beginning of April, and we scheduled it to start on April 1st. But, because aviation is never simple and often very expensive, an issue was discovered that unfortunately grounded the airplane. By the weekend preceding the show, it was obvious that our airplane wouldn’t be done in time for us to make the trip that way, so we had to pivot to commercial travel. And, of course, the tickets were no longer cheap. Although we were able to get decent seats on a direct flight from Dulles to Tampa (and on the return), they were significantly more costly comparative to the month before.
We arrived in the area on Tuesday, April 14th; spent Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at the show; and returned to Virginia on Saturday, April 18th. What follows are some key takeaways from the trip that might help you should you decide to attend in the years to come.
Airshows are mostly the same from day to day, however, there are exceptions. Certain demonstrations are not conducted daily. This year marked the first year where the typical daytime airshow and the night airshow was combined into a single long four and a half hour airshow. If they do this in the future, it’s a great way to see as many of the performers as possible, but, if you must attend one or the other on a given day, try to attend the night airshow at least once. It’s really something to behold as the sun dips below the horizon and the aircraft light up, using a variety of pyrotechnics to enhance their demonstration. Further, there are a number of pyrotechnics launched from the ground as well that really add to the effect and excitement of the show. If you do stay for the night airshow, I highly recommend bug spray, as the mosquitoes come out in vicious force at the sun goes down.
There are many exhibits, though they did seem to be fairly well arranged. My mistake as a first time attendee was not approaching the show a bit more methodically to see as much as possible. Some of my favorites included the NASA Super Guppy (absolutely massive), one of the NOAA Hurricane Hunters, and some of the vintage warbirds. Some of the aircraft exhibitors will sell memorabilia such as coins and patches and I’m not ashamed to admit I immediately purchased an NOAA Hurricane Hunter patch, worn by a pilot during a hurricane mission. That patch has seen things I likely never will.
Parking is a bit of a nightmare. Because of where the airport is located, the surface streets around the airport are not particularly capable of handling such a large volume of traffic. Expect minor delays accessing the show in the early part of the day, depending on what time you arrive, and expect substantial delays on departure, especially if you stay through the end of the day. Though how long it takes to get out is largely determined by how far forward you are parked when you arrive, we averaged 30-45 minutes each day getting out of the lot. The later you arrive, the further back you will be parked as lot attendants will guide you to a parking spot to ensure the lot is filled in neatly. The lot is all grass, and uneven, so a vehicle capable of handling that is key if you are renting a vehicle. We rented a Jeep Wrangler from the Tampa airport, and that was perfect.
The weather was absolutely excellent this year and somehow we had an entire week completely free of storms. However, in my experience of talking to others who have attended in prior years, this is a rarity, and there are usually some good storms. This week was incredibly warm and sunny, and because it is Florida, sunscreen is an absolute must if you burn easily. It will sneak up on you, I was prepared and still got a bit cooked.
Drink Water! There are a couple of places to fill up water bottles but they are few and far between. Water isn’t terribly expensive, but it isn’t cheap either, running about $5.00 for a 16.9oz bottle of water. I highly recommend bringing a refillable bottle or at least refilling a few of the bottles you buy to save a little money. Food is also quite expensive and your typical festival type food so think Hot Dogs, Burgers, Brats, Funnel Cakes, the usual. So, if able, you may wish to bring a small backpack cooler with you. I saw some of those about during the week and it seemed very wise. At the very least, if you don’t bring a backpack cooler, at least bring a backpack for the swag that is being handed out at the many booths.
There are SO MANY VENDORS. It is so easy to spend money, you will see tons of people lugging around their purchases. Many vendors offer deals on certain items during the show but I found that they weren’t necessarily such great deals as to make purchase worth it on the spot, especially if you aren’t local or have sufficient capacity in your airplane to take it all home with you. For example, you might save about 20 or 30 bucks on a thousand dollar headset, but unless you had planned to buy one anyway or really want it, discretion might be the better part of valor while shopping. Some vendors also leverage the show to introduce new products. Yes, I came away with a new Garmin D2 Mach 2 Pro, released the first day of the show (my wallet is still crying).
Take advantage of these, one of my regrets was that I did not attend more of these seminars. The two that I attended I found quite informative and the best part is that they are included as part of the show (or at least all of the listings I saw were included). From the pilots perspective, it was really nice to see that there is a focus on learning from others as much as there is about milling around to look at airplanes, watch airshows, and shop.
There is a ton of it, I easily averaged about 6 miles a day, and let me tell you that as I write this, the day after my return, that I am still feeling it. It’s a combination of the heat, the direct sun, and all the walking and it does take it out of you, even for someone in acceptable physical condition. It’s also very dusty around the airport grounds, the sand and dust kick up constantly and you’ll be covered in sandy dust and dirt within a few minutes of arriving at the show.
A small portable camping chair is a great idea to park yourself during the airshows, or when the feet just need a break. Keep in mind, however, that unless the chair is uber portable, you’ll probably want to leave it in the car while you’re exploring, and go retrieve it in time for the shows. I highly emphasize the words small and portable. I assure you that you do not want to carry a large heavy chair all the way from the parking lot into the show.
Bags did not seem to be a problem, I carried a smallish backpack with me every day, as did many other show attendees, and was given no grief for it whatsoever. Amongst the staples I recommend for your bag are at least a few sizable bottles of water, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, a hat, and maybe one of those cooling towels that cools when its wet (that would have been amazing all 3 days).
Overall, I think our plan worked rather well. Although we didn’t fly into the show this year, and that remains a bucket list item for me (as does EAA Airventure at Oshkosh), I think this was a great first way to experience the show so I know for the future how it all works. Without a doubt, I will be going back.
