Wayne Boggs, long-time air traffic control supervisor at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, has replaced former astronaut Greg Harbaugh as operations director for Sun ‘n Fun, the event’s number two job.
Boggs joined Sun ‘n Fun in the fall of last year.
Boggs says the job “is really a dream come true.” Harbaugh, who left Sun ‘n Fun last May after five years on the job, is now chief executive of the Sigma Chi Foundation in Chicago.
Sun ‘n Fun President John Burton said he is glad Boggs accepted the job, commenting that, while his own strengths include building relationships, following through on ideas isn’t one of his strong points. Boggs, Burton said, complements him as “an operations person who gets things done.”
Boggs “has been involved in the highest levels of aviation for years,” Burton said. “We’re fortunate to have him here.”
Boggs sometimes flies to work in his Fairchild PT-19, a World War II-era flight trainer, from his home near Tampa. He served in the Marine Corps from 1963 to 1973, including a year-long Vietnam tour in 1969, as a door gunner aboard a helicopter. He worked for 30 years for the FAA, including 15 years as air traffic manager at Sun ‘n Fun.
And, yes, he does have a famous brother: baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs
