Won’t make the “Living Legends” dinner for Bob Hoover in Los Angeles this month? Perhaps you’ll grab another opportunity to dine with the legendary aviator and other aviation celebs at SUN ‘n FUN’s “Dinner with Legends” event — part of a full plate this year at the airshow season opener in Lakeland, Florida April 1-6.
Tentative guests for the April 2 dinner include Doolittle Raider Dick Cole, fighter ace Bud Anderson, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Dick Rutan, Tuskegee Airman Charles McGee, some of World War II’s WASPs and Hoover himself. You can dine at a heroes’ table for $750; it’s $500 a seat elsewhere. Proceeds benefit SUN ‘n FUN’s expansive aerospace education programs.
This 40th SUN ‘n FUN will offer the Navy Blue Angels’ first appearance in the South since sequestration with Friday-through-Sunday 4:30 p.m. shows.
And Captain Judy Rice plans to launch her SR22 “Think Global Flight” ‘round-the-world from SUN ‘n FUN. Saturday evening boasts an eight-act night-time airshow, including an inspiring sailplane performance by Manfred Radius.
Mid-week events include a “Museum Member Mingle,” an evening International Visitors Party and a first-ever International Youth “Dance Around the World” for the 13-to-18 crowd. (More than 8,000 international visitors are expected from some 82 countries.) There will also be a party celebrating SUN ‘n FUN Radio’s 20th anniversary.
Students, parents, teachers and local job-seekers will find an abundance of new education and career-planning opportunities. A Wednesday “Cradle to Career Fair” will feature college and employer exhibits. (Advance registration for the job fair is at Sun-n-Fun.org.) There also will be educational events for 1,000 local high schoolers and Saturday events for teachers.
EAA’s Ford Tri-Motor will be hopping rides throughout SUN ‘n FUN this year. (Advance reservations are available online.)
Admission will be discounted for any licensed Florida pilot or mechanic on Tuesday, April 1, and for ANY Florida resident on Sunday, April 6. And any Florida resident purchasing a full-fare admission on Saturday gets Sunday free!
Members of some 25 aviation organizations are eligible for discounted admission any day by presenting their membership cards and a promotional code available from their organization. The list of participating groups is comprehensive, from AOPA, EAA, ALPA and COPA to the Academy of Model Aeronautics, Florida Wing CAP, the Ninety-Nines and Women in Aviation.
SUN ‘n FUN reports that advance ticket sales are double last year’s pace.
For more information: Sun-n-Fun.org
Great to hear that advance sales are up this year. Always hard to get the true numbers from Sun ‘n Fun but the 2013 event was not as busy as previous years.
Having a confirmed Jet Team makes a huge difference.