LAKELAND, Florida — The United States Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron the Blue Angels will be the featured performers at the 40th Annual SUN ’n FUN International Fly-In & Expo, scheduled for April 1-6, 2014, at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida.
“After a year of sequestration and no military participation at airshows, SUN ’n FUN is honored to host the first appearance of the Blue Angels in the southeast in 2014,” said SUN ’n FUN President & CEO John R. “Lites” Leenhouts. “It is exciting for us to offer our guests the stellar precision that represents the piloting skills of all naval aviators.”
The Blue Angels’ C-130, affectionately known as “Fat Albert,” begins each demonstration by exhibiting its maximum performance capabilities during a 10-minute performance.
Shortly thereafter, spectators will see the graceful aerobatic maneuvers of the four-jet Diamond Formation, in concert with the fast-paced, high-performance maneuvers of its two Solo pilots. Finally, the team illustrates the pinnacle of precision flying, performing maneuvers locked as a unit in the renowned, six-jet “Delta Formation.”
I love watching these guys as much as anybody but the area they fly in at sun n fun doesn’t make any sense.
They fly over the campground and other areas of the airport that they don’t allow anyone else to fly over.
And then they mark part of the campground with a yellow line that you can’t cross.
HUH?
It isn’t safe for me to be in my campsite?
YGBKM.
Sorry but this is ridiculous.
and you can’t see them so what is the point?
Keep them out in the airshow box where they belong and where they can be seen and enjoyed.
Rich,
We look forward to seeing you at Sun ‘n Fun this year!
There is a very good reason you are kept out of the campground in that area. The Aerobatic box for the Jet Teams at LAL during Sun ‘n Fun is 12,000 feet long and 2,700 feet wide. The southwest corner of the box goes into the campground area you are referencing. Per the FAA and in order for the Jet Teams to perform, this area has to be cleared. It would obviously make more sense to move the box further north in order to not impact this area and the homebuilt area during the event, but because of the industrial development that has occured on the north side of the airport this is no longer possible.
All the best!
Gene
It’s nice to see them back. After a year of the government doing their best to inflict pain as publicly as possible, the airshows went on without them and many didn’t miss the military demonstrations, while others enjoyed the lack of military thunder. Never-the-less, Welcome back Blue Angels.