Airventure vs Sun N Fun

FloridaPilot

FloridaPilot

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I attended Sun and Fun this past weekend and so far I have been 3 years in a row. I haven't been to Airventure yet but I will attend. Why do most pilots skip Sun and Fun and attend Airventure instead?

Some notables:

Diamond Aircraft didn't attend Sun n Fun this year!

Sun N Fun didn't seem as crowded compared to the past few years, (Weather was good)

Sun N Fun didn't market as much here in Florida I noticed, Not only that but for some reason signage to the event was very minimal.

What did you folks think of Sun N Fun this year?
 
We spent 3 days at Sun N Fun this year, after not attending since 2004.

While fun, and certainly worth attending, the differences between SNF and OSH are vast. For example...

1. We saw everything at SNF in two days. Twice.

2. In 34 years of attending OSH, we have NEVER seen "everything" at OSH, even in a full week. We always go home and see something posted that we never saw!

Sun N Fun is about the size of OSH in the early 1980s.
 
I actually thought sun n fun seemed more crowded than recent years. This is my 7th year in a row flying in and I noticed a decline in attendance after the tornado year and this year it appears to be back up to what it was before that. Sun-n-fun is an easy flight for me as I live only 90 miles away so I'll keep attending!

I've never been to OSH but I'm excited to make the trip this year and see it for myself!
 
How about replacing the "vs" with "and" as in Airventure and Sun N Fun?

My take - Florida is a little bit more out of the way. Airventure is older and well established as THE event.
 
FloridaPilot said:
Why do most pilots skip Sun and Fun and attend Airventure instead?
What did you folks think of Sun N Fun this year?
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Many pilots either have limited funds or limited time off of work for attending air shows. For me personally, if I could only afford to go to one or the other, it would be Oshkosh because of the size and diversity. Fortunately cost is not a limitation, but being able to get away from work can be a problem. EAA also has a great museum at Oshkosh. The air shows are so much more spectacular at Oshkosh. It is not uncommon to see war bird formations with 10 to 20 airplanes of the same type. How many war bird formation flights did you see at SnF? I didn't see any. As EppyGA/Randy stated, OSH is Sun N Fun on steroids.

Even though Oshkosh is the ultimate fly-in/air show, I still love Sun N Fun too. For me it is less than half the distance to Oshkosh. When the weather is nice like it was Thursday thru Sunday, I have a great time there. I accept Sun N Fun for what it is and don't try to compare it to any other shows. Even though it might not be the best air show of the year, it is absolutely the best airshow in the country in April. :p The only legitimate complaint I have of Sun N Fun this year was the flying billboard airplane that kept circling over our camping area in the evenings. I don't mind it so much early in the evening before bedtime, but it is super annoying when you are trying to sleep. :mad: Other than that I loved SnF this year and had a great time. I flew in around 1PM Thursday and only had one RV ahead of me in the Lake Parker arrival. When I left Sunday morning at 9:30, there was only one plane ahead of me leaving. I have never had it so easy flying in and out! I have been there when it was like flying into a swarming bee hive. :eek:
 
MickYoumans said:
I flew in around 1PM Thursday and only had one RV ahead of me in the Lake Parker arrival. When I left Sunday morning at 9:30, there was only one plane ahead of me leaving. I have never had it so easy flying in and out! I have been there when it was like flying into a swarming bee hive. :eek:
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I wasn't as lucky! Coming in was packed and of course the person in front of me wasn't nearly flying the published procedure, and leaving the line was HUGE, I got out on the front end but as we were climbing out my friends grabbed some photos and the line went from the beginning of Rwy 9 all the way to the general aviation camping area wrapped around each side of it!


As Mick said I think time and distance is another thing. For me OSH is over 800 miles Away, I've never been able to get enough time off work to be able to make the journey. And Florida is more out of the way, I would imagine Oshkosh, while north is more centrally located east vs west wise I'd imagine more pilots are closer to that than Lakeland
 
Actually diamond was at sun n fun but all the planes were at plant city doing demos. I looked over the da62 and they told me they sold 5 of them at 1.3 million during show and there were still few more days left. Cirrus was also at plant city doing demos. Eclipse thought they also might use plant city next year for demos. I was at the show 4 days and enjoyed it as usual. I didn't think it was as busy as I had seen it but all the fenders I talked with said they had been very busy. Sports told me they sold about 250 stratus 2s. Venders said people were actually buying.
 
I wish I had the time, between my cruise speed, time off other stuff on the plate and location, it's one heck of a commitment to get over there. Maybe if someone wanted me to fly with them in something pushing 200kts, but I'd just end up feeling naked without my own plane.
 
The extra 500nm is a butt buster, making the trip a two-day instead of one long day, in the 182. In the truck/trailer RV rig, it'd be a haul.

But I'd go to it if/when I had more time off.

Looks like I will, at least for the summer, but I didn't start soon enough for KLAL.
 
FloridaPilot said:
I attended Sun and Fun this past weekend and so far I have been 3 years in a row. I haven't been to Airventure yet but I will attend. Why do most pilots skip Sun and Fun and attend Airventure instead?
Click to expand...

Because Sun and Fun is at a complete end of the country and Oshkosh is more centrally located.
 
Jay Honeck said:
We spent 3 days at Sun N Fun this year, after not attending since 2004.

While fun, and certainly worth attending, the differences between SNF and OSH are vast. For example...

1. We saw everything at SNF in two days. Twice.

2. In 34 years of attending OSH, we have NEVER seen "everything" at OSH, even in a full week. We always go home and see something posted that we never saw!

Sun N Fun is about the size of OSH in the early 1980s.
Click to expand...

This!

I can probably cover SNF in a day and a half and I actually did. I also walked everywhere and didn't take the cart, (I got 35,000 steps on the fitbit so that it always nice I had to burn off that Amish Donut in the morning, They were good as usual)

bflynn said:
How about replacing the "vs" with "and" as in Airventure and Sun N Fun?

My take - Florida is a little bit more out of the way. Airventure is older and well established as THE event.
Click to expand...

Hello, I put in the vs not as a competition but to compare the two events. I haven't been to OSH so I wanted to know the advantages. Florida is a little out of the way but people from all over the world fly into OSH and I find that amazing with a single engine airplane.

Theboys said:
Actually diamond was at sun n fun but all the planes were at plant city doing demos. I looked over the da62 and they told me they sold 5 of them at 1.3 million during show and there were still few more days left. Cirrus was also at plant city doing demos. Eclipse thought they also might use plant city next year for demos. I was at the show 4 days and enjoyed it as usual. I didn't think it was as busy as I had seen it but all the vendors I talked with said they had been very busy. Sports told me they sold about 250 stratus 2s. Venders said people were actually buying.
Click to expand...

I'm really glad that SNF was a success, I thought it wasn't as crowded as last year but maybe that was just my perception. I go EARLY in the morning so that might have something to do with it. I still don't remember seeing anything Diamond related at the show.

denverpilot said:
The extra 500nm is a butt buster, making the trip a two-day instead of one long day, in the 182. In the truck/trailer RV rig, it'd be a haul.

But I'd go to it if/when I had more time off.

Looks like I will, at least for the summer, but I didn't start soon enough for KLAL.
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From Denver that would be one heck of a fun flight.

champ driver said:
Because Sun and Fun is at a complete end of the country and Oshkosh is more centrally located.
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I wonder though if both events switched in size and OSH was the size of SNF currently and vice versa would that change attendance for both places?
 
Haven't missed a sun n fun in the last twenty years ,it's spring break for pilots,show seemed a little les crowded this year.will be going to Osh again this year,like both shows but OSH is overpowering.
 
I find value in going to both and it had not occurred to me to compare them.

The only commonality I have seen is that they are both aviation events and both often have bad weather.

I find lots to learn and have always had a wonderful time at both.

I had a mission at Sun N Fun to learn more about the Airmen Certification Standards and how it will affect what I teach. I received both the NAFI and the FAA perspective Wednesday.

Sky Tec exceeded my expectations of customer and warrantee once again.

I very much liked the NTSB weather perspectives and received some wonderful personal instruction on identifying clouds and learned under what circumstances an aircraft can get pushed all the way to the ground (collapsing thunderstorms). I knew that but it was nice to have it reinforced and explained in more detail.

Some of the most memorable moments came from sitting down with pilots that I had never met.

I found this year’s Sun N Fun delightful!
 
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