Sun 'n Fun 2026 touches down at Lakeland Linder April 14-19, and this year's lineup is stacked. From the USAF Thunderbirds and the F-22 Raptor demo to a brand new Wednesday Composite Air Show that blends day, twilight, and night into one performance, here's everything AZA students need to know before making the trip up from KTMB.
Lakeland Linder International (KLAL) • April 14-19, 2026
Sun 'n Fun is one of the biggest aviation events in the country, and it happens right in our backyard. If you're training at AZA or thinking about getting into aviation, this is the week to be there. Here's the rundown.
Flying in? The Sun 'n Fun NOTAM is a completely different animal from normal ops. Arrival and departure procedures are structured, the airspace is locked down, and Lakeland Approach runs it like clockwork. Read it, brief it, and know it cold before you launch. Do not show up and wing it.
USAF Thunderbirds. Six F-16s flying in formation right over your head. Videos do not do it justice. If you have only seen them on YouTube, this is the year to see them live.
F-22 Raptor Demo Team. Thrust vectoring, low-speed passes, the J-turn, a nose-high attitude that looks like it's cheating physics. One of the most impressive demos in the sky right now.
This is the one to circle on your calendar. For the first time, Sun 'n Fun is combining the daytime air show and the night show into one continuous performance on Wednesday, April 15. It starts in daylight, transitions through twilight, and rolls straight into the full night show with pyro and LEDs.
If you can only go one day, go Wednesday. This has never been done before at Sun 'n Fun, and it's going to be the day everyone talks about.
Textron is bringing their full lineup: Cessna Skyhawks, the Denali, Citations, and the King Air 360. You can walk up, sit in the seat, talk to the reps, and see the panels up close. Whether you're shopping or just dreaming, it's worth the time.
The vendor area is massive. Hundreds of exhibitors covering headsets, avionics, flight bags, training apps, and gear. Many vendors bring Sun 'n Fun pricing you won't find online the rest of the year. Bring a budget. Accept that you will go over it.
Sun 'n Fun is not just an air show. It's one of the best networking events in general aviation, period.
Real conversations with chief pilots, DPEs, and program directors happen at food trucks and in hangars. Those two-minute chats turn into job offers months later. It happens every year.
Come prepared:
Sun 'n Fun 2026 is shaping up to be one of the best years yet. Thunderbirds, Raptor demo, the brand new Wednesday Composite Air Show, Textron on the ramp, and networking that can change your career trajectory.
If you're an AZA student heading up, let your instructor know, we'd love to hear what you saw. And if you're thinking about flight training and want to see what aviation is really about, this is the week.