Sun 'n Fun Fly-in begins in Lakeland

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Get ready for another round of high-flying fun over Lakeland.  The annual Sun ‘n Fun Fly-in kicks off today.  

This is the 43rd year for the event, which will stretch across six days at Lakeland Linder Airport.  It will feature more than 500 aviation exhibitors and guests from more than 80 countries.

And, of course, there are plenty of aircraft.  Highlights this year include France’s national team, the Patrouille de France; the largest recent gathering of WWII P-51s, and the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels.

Organizers say the airshow contributes $450,000 to aviation education each year.

“Just to get a pilot’s license is over $12,000. To go to college for an aerospace-related degree, that could be upwards of over $60,000 or $70,000,” explained John ‘Lites’ Leenhouts, the CEO of Sun ‘n Fun.  “Sun ‘n Fun provides scholarships for multiple – hundreds -- of young men and women to go into those fields.”

The show runs through the weekend. 

LINK: Schedule and admissions information: http://www.flysnf.org/sun-n-fun-intl-fly-in-expo/