Sun 'N Fun fly-In

Sun 'n Fun Fly-In, one of the world's largest aviation events, takes place each spring at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.

The event features more than 4,000 airplanes, 500 exhibitors, daily air shows, a night air show, a hot air balloon launch, and nightly entertainment and speakers.

This year's night show featured some of the world's greatest aerobatics pilots.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds performed this year.

The Fly-In has grown from its first gathering staged in 1974 by the Lakeland chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association.

Organizers say the event draws approximately 160,000 visitors each year. It also brings in a host of aircraft ranging from experimental to home-built planes to commercial and military jets.

The gathering also includes an aerospace educators' workshop and an authors' corner at the Tom Davis Center, where Destination Aviation summer camps and other year-round youth aviation programs are held.

In addition to air shows and socializing, the schedule includes hundreds of hands-on workshops and forums covering a wide range of topics.

The 20,000-square-foot Florida Air Museum at Sun "n Fun houses a collection of experimental and home-built aircraft, as well as a library with thousands of aviation books, photos and magazines.

Admission to the museum is included with the ticket price for the Fly-In. The museum remains open late most evenings and features movies and food vendors.