SUN ‘n FUN 2024 is right around the corner, and we are busy preparing for the return of some of our favorite aviators – WARBIRDS!!

The mission of our Aerospace Center for Excellence (ACE) is to “Engage, Educate, and Accelerate the next generation of Aerospace Professionals”, and we can’t think of a better way to usher them in than by introducing them to the fantastic history of the servicemen and women who have preserved our freedom with the aircraft you bring to our show. Thanks to your help, we’ve now pinned Private Pilot’s wings on 142 students under our scholarship program!

If you have not had the chance to meet some of these remarkable young people, I encourage you to ask! They are right here alongside you during the Fly-In, volunteering as ambassadors and showcasing the positive impact that your contributions are having. I also highly recommend a tour of the Lakeland Aero Club while you are here. The members of the largest high school flying club in the world have several vintage aircraft restoration projects underway, and you might even get a turn in their $125,000 full-motion Redbird Simulator that they built themselves!

To showcase the dramatic success we are seeing, I hope you’ll make it over to the south side of the campus to tale a tour of the brand new Ramus SkyLab Innovations Center, a 22,000 square foot expansion of the Florida Air Museum and is home to a convertible environment that will house exhibits, workshops, even Science on Sphere.

Your ongoing support has been critical in this new era, and on behalf of everyone here at SUN ‘n FUN / ACE I’d like to extend our warmest thanks and an enthusiastic invitation to join us again in 2024 SUN ‘n FUN is proud to be your partner, and we remain committed to building the Warbirds community and sharing your efforts to Keep ‘em Flying!

Warbird pilots will be in close proximity to The Island!  The Island!  Make sure to drop by and enjoy the refreshments, entertainment, and presentations throughout the day and into the evening.  This area will also provide support services like the Pilot Welcome Center, camp store, ticket sales, shower houses, Rideshare and Publix Instacart grocery delivery. Refreshments will be available starting Saturday, April 6,

SUN ’n FUN is pleased to invite WARBIRD owners to participate in an enjoyable experience at SUN ’n FUN. On a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the volume of aircraft types and rarity, warbird attendees may be eligible for some or all of the following benefits. Please register below!

https://flysnf.org/activities/aircraft/warbirds/

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Dear Fellow Warbird members; During these times of great uncertainty my thoughts are with you and your family for your safety and wellbeing.  Last week, EAA CEO Jack Pelton issued a statement which outlined the current status, policies and contingency plans for EAA and Airventure 2020.
On April 1st Sun N Fun made the official announcement that their event is cancelled for 2020.  EAA Warbirds of American supports their decision and pledges our full support to make their next Sun N Fun the best ever.

On March 26, 2020 Jack Pelton shared the following in a press release:  My fellow EAAers, I’m writing this to address the status of AirVenture Oshkosh 2020. Today we are still planning on having the event beginning July 20, 2020. In that context, I wanted to let people know how we’re approaching the planning process for AirVenture, and to help people understand the timetable as we sort through the ever-changing world events.”

You may read the entire message from Jack by clicking this link which will take you to the EAA website:

https://eaa.org/airventure/eaa-airventure-news-and-multimedia/eaa-airventure-news/eaa-airventure-oshkosh/03-26-2020-Looking-Ahead-to-AirVenture-2020

Our Warbird staff members (Bill & Kristin) have been working from home and will continue to do so until the danger has passed. Fortunately, today’s technology allows us to conduct the business of your organization and continue planning for Airventure.  There are and will continue to be challenges for each of you personally and for the organization as we continue with a hopeful attitude that we will all have the opportunity to gather in July to share the friendships and camaraderie.  Check the Warbird and EAA websites for updates and tune in to the Warbird Facebook page to enjoy special programming and reports from other members.

Stay Safe

Connie Bowlin

The post A note from Connie Bowlin, President EAA Warbirds of America appeared first on EAA Warbirds of America.

For over 45 Years, SUN ‘n FUN has brought millions of aerospace professionals, businesses, supporters and enthusiasts together each spring to celebrate the incredible wonder and limitless opportunities of flight.

In 2014, we proudly unveiled that the annual SUN ‘n FUN event would become the primary fundraiser for the Aerospace Center for Excellence (ACE), our STEM-based learning campus created to Engage, Educate, and Accelerate the Next Generation of Aerospace Professionals. At SUN ‘n FUN, serving our local Lakeland, Florida as well as the global aviation community has always been our ultimate mission.

This year, we will serve those same communities by assisting in the defeat of the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognize and acknowledge that this threat has changed the world we live in, and that it is our responsibility to join the fight to bring it to as swift an end as humanly possible.

We stand with our local, state, and national leaders in supporting public health practices that will bring this outbreak to a halt as quickly as possible. Even now, most of our staff are working from home in compliance with social distancing directives, with those that must come in adhering to strict isolation and sanitation policies.

Unfortunately supporting these initiatives will mean that the 2020 SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo will be unable to proceed as originally planned. Regardless of the financial impact, for the safety of all, we will move our 46^th event to join with the 47^th in April of 2021.

The annual SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo provides over $2 million annually for STEM education programs, flight training and aerospace-related college scholarships, and hands-on learning facilities. Based on the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus, this year-round institution reaches over 50,000 students annually, and provides free resources for educators to assist them in delivering high-quality STEM learning material.

To continue providing these critical resources, our team is working hard on bringing the spectacle and excitement of SUN ‘n FUN to you in the digital world! We will be utilizing the latest technology to host exciting events and content online in new and innovative ways. While we are of course disappointed that our traditional show must wait until 2021, we are invigorated and excited to announce several things to look forward to in the coming weeks in our brand new “SUN ‘n FUN at Home” Series.

We are in the process of a complete overhaul of our website, www.flysnf.org, in order to bring you a brand new digital experience. Here you will find ongoing updates and information on upcoming events, as well as details for current ticket holders and event partners.

We need your help to continue our mission, so please, visit the website and keep in touch with us on our social media channels. We’re already working on making 2021 the best event ever, and we’ll look forward to welcoming you back here next spring to celebrate the return of the SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo!

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