The second largest airshow in the United States, Sun n Fun, took off on April 14th to April 19th in Lakeland, FL. The event featured shows such as aerial performances by the USAF F-22 Raptors and Thunderbirds, performances by aerobatic aviator Mike Goulian, performances by Red Bull Air Force, performances by Full Throttle Formation Team, and more! The event also featured many vintage airplanes on display as well as airplanes that flew in for the event.
Many people who flew in set up camp right outside of their airplanes. There were also many vendors such as aircraft parts retailers, aviation gear retailers, pilot groups such as AOPA, EAA, WAI, The Ninety Nines, and more. There were career tents for aspiring pilots with airlines like PSA, Southwest, SkyWest, Delta, Envoy, and more. Food trucks and merchandise were also available for purchase.
When asked what brought Griffin Watkins, a CFI, to Sun n Fun, he stated, “I came to Sun n Fun because I have never been but also because it is one of the biggest airshows. I am super excited to see the Thunderbirds and learn more about all the different types of aviators, companies and businesses, and more about the aviation community as a whole.”
When asked why he thinks it is important for pilots and non-pilots to come to sun n fun, Watkins stated, “I think it is important for everyone to come. It introduces people to the aviation world, and it gets them into it. Also, for pilots who are already flying, there’s plenty of things you can learn more about and get educated a little more. There is a career fare where you can learn more about the cadet programs and airlines and different jobs out there, so I think it gives everybody opportunities.”
Wally Muharsky, the pilot of the Citation CJ3+ jet, brought many young aviators from his local flight school to Sun n Fun. It was Muharsky’s 27th year coming to Sun n Fun. When asked what keeps him coming back, he stated, “The people, no, airplanes. It is just fun. It is a vacation for me, and I get to meet a lot of cool people and bring a lot of cool people here…not you guys,” he joked to the CFI’s he brought. When asked what inspired him to bring all the CFIs to Sun n Fun, Muharsky stated, “I realized how fortunate I was when I was younger in aviation and I am happy that I am in a position that I can pay that back.” Wally stated his favorite airplane at Sun n Fun was the A-10 Warthog. Jacob Haemmerle, a CFI, stated his favorite airplane at Sun n Fun was the P-51 Mustang.
Rob Cain, Father of Courtney Cain, a student from the flight school, shared his experience in the aviation community. He stated, “I fly for American Airlines. It started in kindergarten; I wanted to learn how to fly. In high school I started flying Cessna 172s, I went to college at Auburn and then worked for a company called Tran States, built time, and then started flying for the airlines.” When asked if events like these were going on during his training he stated, “There has always been airshows.” When asked, if events like Sun n Fun drive people towards the aviation industry, he stated, “Oh yeah definitely. It makes it more visible to the public and people get close to aircraft and join together to share the love of flying.” Cain stated his favorite airplane at Sun n Fun was the Corsair old World War II fighter.
Paul Wierse, a CFI, stated that his favorite airplane at Sun n Fun military wise, was the F-16s. He also said the Thunderbirds were cool to watch. He stated, “last night at the STOL (short field takeoff and landing) competition, it was super cool to watch all the tailwheel, big tire airplanes takeoff in 100 feet, land in 50 feet and kind of defy the laws of flying.”
Jeremy Jarrell, a CFI, stated he really enjoyed the airshows, the Thunderbirds, the STOL competition, and he also mentioned he was excited for the night airshow that was taking place that night. The night airshow consisted of a drone show, aerobatic routines, fireworks, flame sequences, and more.
Sun n Fun 2026 had a record number of attendance and many people look forward to doing it all over again next year.
