SUN ‘n FUN plans Holiday Flying Festival

SUN ‘n FUN will host a Holiday Flying Festival and Car Show on Dec. 4- 5, 2020.

The two-day event will include a STOL competition, aircraft displays, an airplane and car show, plus food vendors, live music, and many other activities, on the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus at the Lakeland Linder International Airport (KLAL) in Florida.

Admission is free. Parking for cars is $20, while airplane parking is free (with donations accepted from pilots flying in), officials noted.

Proceeds will benefit SUN ‘n FUN’s Aerospace Center for Excellence STEM education programs, which were “deeply affected” by the loss of the annual SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo. Slated to kick off March 31, 2020, this year’s show was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Just a few hours after announcing the event, SUN ‘n FUN officials were busy selling parking passes and taking reservations for camping for the event.

It’s too early to say how many people will attend the show, but SUN ‘n FUN officials are estimating that it will attract between 5,000 and 10,000 people, according to Greg Gibson, Chief Marking Officer and Air Operations Director for SUN ‘n FUN.

Of course, weather and the ongoing impact of COVID-19 could affect those estimates, he notes.

“In cooperation with the Lakeland Linder International Airport and the City of Lakeland, we have crafted the weekend’s activity in total compliance with all local, state, and federal health guidelines to ensure that anyone attending can feel very comfortable that they and their families are safe while still having a fantastic show,” he says.

Gibson says the event is exclusively outdoors, with more than 300 acres of available area for attendees to spread out.

“We have a huge footprint here on the airport,” he says. “It makes sense to use it for an outdoor community function like this, especially with December’s nice Central Florida weather!”

Sanitizing stations will be available throughout the event, he says.

Masks won’t be required, because it is an all-outdoor event. But obviously it will be up to each person attending to “do as they see fit,” he says.

“We will have it so spaced out that it will be difficult to gather in large groups,” he says.

STOL and a Pilot Town Hall

Headlining the event will be a Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) competition, put on by National STOL in partnership with SUN ‘n FUN. More than 100 participants are expected to compete in this SUN ‘n FUN first, vying to see who can take off and land in the shortest distance for a cash prize. The contest will be live streamed online by Live Airshow TV.

On Saturday, Dec. 5 at 10 a.m., the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) will sponsor a General Aviation Town Hall, where pilots can submit questions and get answers on the state of GA in the COVID era.

Scheduled panelists include SUN ‘n FUN/ACE President and CEO John Leenhouts, AOPA President and CEO Mark Baker, and Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) President, CEO and Board Chairman Jack Pelton.

Other planned flying activities include a Friday evening Hot Air Balloon Glow and a night airshow featuring the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team and Wild Blue Rodeo.

On Saturday, a balloon launch is planned, plus fly-bys and sky typing on Saturday from The GEICO Skytypers. Airplane rides will also be available for purchase from local air ride professionals.

“There won’t be a formal airshow,” Gibson says, noting that people were already asking about that on the day of the announcement. “This will be an old-fashioned fly-in. More of a community festival where you can stretch your legs and stretch your wings.”

Cars and Kids

The car show will have several categories, including muscle cars, antique/classic, and exotic, according to organizers. The Lakeland Corvette Club is helping to organize the car show.

Food vendors will be onsite both days, and there will be numerous exhibitors from both aviation organizations and local businesses showcasing a variety of products and services.

On Saturday, Dec. 5, the Lakeland Linder International Airport is sponsoring the SUN ‘n RUN 5k, with proceeds benefitting Women in Aviation and the Lakeland Aero Club.

A children’s area is planned, with play areas and First Responder displays of fire trucks and law enforcement equipment.

Live music will be provided from local headliners The Cliff Brown Band and up and coming Nashville country music star Eli Mosley.