Mark your calendars for aviation’s season opener during the 44th Annual SUN ‘n FUN International Fly- In & Expo presented by VISIT FLORIDA from April 10-15 in beautiful Lakeland.
Fly- In or drive- in, you are not going to want to miss the once in a lifetime chances SUN ‘n FUN is going to bring to you in 2018.
The world-renowned USAF Thunderbirds will return to the SUN ‘n FUN stage this year. The team will perform Friday- Sunday.
Paradigm Team
The Paradigm Team is made up of pilots from the United States, Spain, & France. Their ultralight paramotors allow them to create an engaging performance reminiscent of an aerial three ring circus as the 6 pilots to showcase the incredible maneuverability, precision, and performance of this relatively modern method of flight.
SOCOM Para-Commandos
The Para-Commandos are the US Special Operations Command’s premier aerial parachute demonstration team. They perform at high visibility events across the nation, informing the public about the US Special Operations Command; the command’s mission, and the contributions our 70,000 plus Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Department of Defense Civilians are making across the United States and in more than 70 countries around the globe.
The Para-Commandos are comprised of active duty Special Operators, such as Army Special Forces, Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, Air Force Combat Controllers and Marine Raiders.
Balloon Launch
Balloon events during SUN ‘n FUN include limited daily demonstration flights from the Light Plane field by commercial firms – usually at 7:00 a.m.
Saturday is the “big” event! Balloons will be launched in a traditional “Hare and Hound” race. As the name suggests, this event involves chasing a single airship after it takes off. This airship acts as the “hare” and floats in the air for a short while before other balloons are allowed to take off. The balloons that follow are the “hounds”, and the winning balloon is the one who lands closest to the “hare”. This is a sight you won’t want to miss, but you’ll have to get up early.
The Balloon launch (weather permitting) takes place between 6:30-8:00 a.m., Check out the BALLOON GLOW during our night air shows!
Admission Fees
Active military personnel with appropriate ID will receive free admission Tuesday – Thursday, and discounted tickets Friday – Sunday at the gate. Retired military with appropriate ID will receive discounted tickets Tuesday – Sunday at the gate.
- Active Military with appropriate I.D. will receive free entry to the 2017 Fly-In Tuesday – Thursday (April 5-7)
- Active Military with appropriate I.D. can purchase a daily admission ticket for $30 Friday – Sunday (April 8-10)
- Retired Military with I.D. or DD-214 form and photo I.D. can purchase a daily admission ticket for only $30 any day and every day during the Fly-In
- Adult Admission Weekly: $150.00
- Adult Admission Daily: $37.00
- Youth (11-17) Admission Weekly: $60.00
- Youth (11-17) Admission Daily: $15.00
- 10 & Under are Free
More Information at flysnf.org.