Sun 'n Fun

[N826AW]

Has anyone here been to Sun 'n Fun? I'm considering making the trip down this year and had a couple of questions.

First, it runs from Tuesday to Sunday. Seems like overkill to spend that much time there. How many days would you recommend attending and which days? Is it a PITA to get there and park if you don't camp?

TIA

 

[bimmerphile]

are you flying yourself in? normal parking wasnt much of an issue, you can see most of the show in a day or two. night airshows are always cool, not sure which day those fall on this year. things seem quieter later in the week before it gets busier with locals for the weekend, but I didnt make it last year and 2021 was still in a covid recovery ish year.

 

[N826AW]

No, I'll either fly commercial down or I may make a road trip out of it and drive down.

 

[bimmerphile]

gotcha, vehicle parking isnt bad but can be a bit of a hike to get to your car. standard airshow/out in a field stuff

 

[CFI A&P]

Vehicle parking is on the south side of the field, off of Pipkin Road and runs fairly efficiently. Depending on your interests, one or two days is sufficient unless you have specific forums or airshow performers you’d like to stick around for.

If you plan on tent camping, be prepared for hot & cool, dry and rain. Some years it is over 80F and others it might be cooler during the day with lows in the 50/60s at night. Usually you can bank on at least one day of rain, maybe even severe weather. Such as 2011 when the AOPA Husky was damaged.

Lodging in the area is usually available with a few of the large chains and others in the area.

 

[Richman]

SnF is fine, and 2 days is more than enough. Hotels in LAL will be probably hard to find at this point, so you might be better off looking on the east side of Tampa. It’s about a 25 minute drive from there.

While SnF isn’t OSH by any stretch, it’s easily walkable, and the food options are much better. I’ve have noticed that the vendors have scaled back, even pre-COVID, and a few I’ve talked to have said they’re pairing back to one show / year, which means OSH.

For anyone that’s been going to SnF over the years, the construction around LAL the last 5-6 years is shocking, especially down County Line Road. It used to be just the Publix HQ and strawberry farms and not even that long ago. Now its wall to wall warehouses. I don’t think LAL is going anywhere because it’s now a major cargo facility, but I could see SnF getting squeezed out.

 

[bimmerphile]

SnF is fine, and 2 days is more than enough. Hotels in LAL will be probably hard to find at this point, so you might be better off looking on the east side of Tampa. It’s about a 25 minute drive from there.

While SnF isn’t OSH by any stretch, it’s easily walkable, and the food options are much better. I’ve have noticed that the vendors have scaled back, even pre-COVID, and a few I’ve talked to have said they’re pairing back to one show / year, which means OSH.

For anyone that’s been going to SnF over the years, the construction around LAL the last 5-6 years is shocking, especially down County Line Road. It used to be just the Publix HQ and strawberry farms and not even that long ago. Now its wall to wall warehouses. I don’t think LAL is going anywhere because it’s now a major cargo facility, but I could see SnF getting squeezed out.

ya it was a surprise showing up after covid and them making the PrimeAir scheduled flights “part of the airshow”
hoping they dont get squeezed either

 

[Adler]

Vehicle parking is on the south side of the field, off of Pipkin Road and runs fairly efficiently. Depending on your interests, one or two days is sufficient unless you have specific forums or airshow performers you’d like to stick around for.

If you plan on tent camping, be prepared for hot & cool, dry and rain. Some years it is over 80F and others it might be cooler during the day with lows in the 50/60s at night. Usually you can bank on at least one day of rain, maybe even severe weather. Such as 2011 when the AOPA Husky was damaged.

Lodging in the area is usually available with a few of the large chains and others in the area.

And now Amazon Prime 73's all night.

 

[CFI A&P]

And now Amazon Prime 73's all night.

Fo sho. During last year’s Saturday airshow, they paused the cool stuff for a few minutes while the Amazon push was happening. Even had a local Amazon rep and someone from the local chamber of commerce use the P.A. to explain what was happening, the boost in local economy, yada yada yada….

 

[Richman]

ya it was a surprise showing up after covid and them making the PrimeAir scheduled flights “part of the airshow”
hoping they dont get squeezed either

What follows is pure speculation on my part: The cargo operators will tolerate it until they don’t. The local government will back them 100%, and won’t care how many acres SnF owns, what they do for the economy, “squatters rights”, or whatever. My guess is the other operators are running on “cat time*”, and once that’s up, SnF will get the unceremonious boot.

Problem is the organization that runs SnF (many think it’s an EAA function, but it’s not) has a substantial investment in the land, facilities and infrastructure.

A deal will be cut, a check will get stroked, and SnF will move to someplace else more rural, like Ocala. The people who live in the homes just south of the airport, who no doubt complain about a few days of airplane noise a year, will find the skies darkened with freight planes, and they’ll be pining away for the old days.

* “cat time” is that time period where your cat will tolerate you messing with it, whether petting, brushing, playing, whatever. Once the timer is up, and that time is random and unknowable, you either stop or get the crap scratched/bitten out of you.

 

[Adler]

Fo sho. During last year’s Saturday airshow, they paused the cool stuff for a few minutes while the Amazon push was happening. Even had a local Amazon rep and someone from the local chamber of commerce use the P.A. to explain what was happening, the boost in local economy, yada yada yada….

...now imagine tent camping with that all night.

 

[N826AW]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. My idea of camping in 80 degree weather is staying at a hotel without a lazy river. The weekend leading up to Sun n' Fun is the end of spring training. I may fly down a few days early and watch my team start their second year in a row in last place.

 

[CFI A&P]

...now imagine tent camping with that all night.

 

[N826AW]

That is not camping.

 

[DropTank]

View attachment 69852

How'd you get a pic of Derg's van?

 

[Richman]

View attachment 69852

After seeing some rigs at SnF and OSH, this is the low rent district.