During the week of SUN ’n FUN, Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport becomes the busiest airport in the nation. But that’s nothing new for the airport, where there is always something new going on. Just since last year’s SUN ’n FUN, the airport opened its new U.S. Customs facility; cut the ribbon on the new NOAA building; a […]
Hurricane Irma can’t stop SUN ’n FUN
As the thousands of visitors walked around the SUN ’n FUN grounds this year, it must have been hard for them to imagine the devastation that Hurricane Irma brought to the airport just eight months ago. The hurricane roared through Lakeland on Sept. 10, 2017, with sustained winds of 100 mph and gusts over 120 […]
Aerostars new program invites kids to the party
The Phillips 66 Aerostars are tackling the pilot shortage head-on, debuting a new program at SUN ’n FUN aimed at kids. “All four of us are career pilots — 30-plus years each — and we’re looking around and there is a rather large demand for pilots,” said Harvey Meek, team lead. “We got to thinking […]
One signature changes everything
When he signed the $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill that funds the federal government through the remainder of this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, President Donald Trump changed everything at SUN ’n FUN — at least for this year. That’s because included in the bill is a requirement that the FAA cover all costs […]
Buddies embark on an aviation trip of a lifetime
When buddies Trey Brewer and Shiloh Dudley took off from St. Augustine, Florida, Friday morning March 23, 2018, they knew they were embarking on an adventure of a lifetime. And they wanted to share that adventure with the world. To do that, they created Aviation Overland Adventures, a YouTube channel where they will document their […]
A museum that proves nothing is impossible
Imagine this: A woman who moved to Oklahoma in a covered wagon has a son who grows up to fly to the moon. It’s not the beginning of an epic movie, but the real life of one of the state’s shining stars, Lt. General Thomas P. Stafford. Now 87, Stafford finds time every day to […]
The magic of making dreams come true
This story was updated in 2023 to reflect the new name of the organization from Ageless Aviation Dreams to Dream Flights. Back in 2011, Darryl Fisher took a flight that changed his life — and the lives of thousands of veterans and senior citizens. On a cross-country trip in a Stearman with his father, Darryl […]
Love is in the air — and on the water
As Valentine’s Day approaches, men around the globe are preparing to ask the most important question of their lives: Will you marry me? And many who want to make the proposal unforgettable turn to the skies — and the seas. Seaplane tour operations around the country report an uptick in proposal flights around this time […]
New airport opens on a bet
Dianna Stanger opened her new airport in Texas on a bet. “It actually started out as a bet,” she said. “My husband has his own golf course, Wolf Point Club, and I’m not a golfer at all, but he wanted to make our primary residence at the golf course because he was there every day. […]