Warbirds on Parade Sun ’n' Fun 2024

By Kev Baxter

WHO, WHEN, WHY, WHERE, WHAT?

Who?

Ian Allan Aviation Tours is a sister company to COAP.  Hailing from the days when this bunch of characters were young-ish, Ian Allan has been providing spotting tours and steam-driven, illustrated publications for railway geeks and latter-day, aviation delinquents since shortly before I was born.  So, quite a long time then.  Above, the Tour quaffed an ale or two in the salubrious surroundings of their Orlando hotel after our first day at Sun ’n’ Fun.  Incidentally, the flying programme was cancelled that day due to as many tornado warnings as we had beers, so we dubbed the Event: No Sun - Still Fun; especially watching our sprightly 81 year-old change gear and clip along at full stride beside me, in full, Scottish-mountain, wet-weather kit, when I explained what the klaxons that were howling actually meant.  Generally, the smiles were relief that hailstones hadn’t got us and our coffins had been dodged another day.  The smiles were tempered shortly thereafter by having to pay for the cost of a pint at Disney World prices; which, we discovered, is why ASBOs are so rarely doled out to any youthful miscreants on the premises of these fantasy lands.  One would have to sell a lot of drugs to visitors to be able to afford a round.

When? 

Described as ‘Spring Break for Pilots’, Sun ’n’ Fun began in 1975 as an Easter Holiday fly-in as a prelude to the airshow season.  Attracting less visiting aircraft than does Oshkosh, due to its geographical location in the far South-east of the USA and shorter days to get to and from it, the plethora of aircraft parked around Lakeland, Linder International Airport is still an impressively large total.  Many of the visiting aviators chose to camp alongside their aircraft, in the balmy Florida spring time, which speaks either of a steely-eyed, cast-iron constitution, or a wanton disregard for any sort of comfort given the stifling temperatures, humidity and level of hangover anticipated.  It was noted that most campers had arrived in tail-draggers and that their tent doors faced the empennage of their aeroplanes; hence, offering the shortest stumble to relief after the evening’s celebrations.  Thus, the term: Aviate, Navigate, Communicate was conveyed clearly in that ‘Flying Speed’ was achieved soonest, a suitable diversion was readily available and that, “Oooh, that’s better!” coming from a middle-aged gentleman of seemingly knee-high stature leaning on a tailplane, should indicate to passers-by to avert their gaze.  Celebrating its 50th year this year, the Organisers had still not sussed out that, when you’re a pilot, every day is party.

Why?

Why? Because we can and nowhere, but America, allows access to an active airfield during an airshow in quite the way they do. Guys on motorbikes with lumi-jackets and whistles clear the way for taxiing aeroplanes and, as it turned out, a bunch of RAF Air Cadets followed up encouraging people to stand back lest a T-33 Shooting Star sucks them, or their kit, down its Allison J-33. Shut down complete, canopy cracked, everyone have at it - marvellous!

Moreover, you get to meet the COAP guys, whose photography blows your socks off. Raimo Roonet, Black and White Boss of the Baltic, the young bloke here, braved the rays and joined me in the queue for lunch.

Where?

Where?  As mentioned previously, Linder International Airport, Lakeland, Florida has been the home of Sun ’n’ Fun for the last 5 decades.  The airfield is home to the Florida Air Museum, which provides Where?  As mentioned previously, Linder International Airport, Lakeland, Florida has been the home of Sun ’n’ Fun for the last 5 decades.  The airfield is home to the Florida Air Museum, which provides much interest and air-conditioned shelter from the sun and the odd tornado warning.

What?

The Stinson Reliant was used by the wartime Fleet Air Arm, so the modeller in me was delighted to see this example. 

Incorrectly restored with Bu Air No 658 rather than 657appended, it says here, the only Lockheed XFV-1 Salmon that ever flew is on display at the Florida Museum of Flying, together with many other interesting airframes.

 Who doesn’t love a Chippy? This ex RCAF T22 was resplendent under the foreboding storm clouds.

When you see your first Convair YF2Y-1 Sea Dart, aged 18, it is impressive; when you’ve seen 3 of the 4 ever built, aged 60, it turns out that the thrill never gets old - unlike you.

Grumman TBM-3E Avenger CAF.

Beech C-45 H looking sexy for her lack of polish.

C-47A Dakota 43-15935, N33VW wearing the markings of the 438th TCG

Beech RC-45J (SNB-2) looking sexy for all of her polish.

Bless her, her NOAA WP-3D neither rolled and looped quite like the 'Ace Maker’, nor did she have her Mam there to dress her that morning. Stop grinning and sort out your poopy-suit young lady!

Nanchang nose-art, it’s the size of the shark in the fight.

All in the best possible taste.

Ryan ST-L, Ollie, resplendently maintained.

Oh dear, I don’t fancy yours much; but your mistress…

Mag’s off, brakes off - push back please…

‘Afternoon Delight’; don’t mind if I do, thank you.

Any day we see an FM-2 Wildcat is a good one.

Rarer than hens’ teeth, this airworthy CAF, SBD Dauntless was giving rides; alas, beyond my means this time.

Vultee BT-13-based Aichi Val from the CAF’s Tora, Tora, Tora display.

Sponsored by Home Depot’s paint department, this ‘Val’ is about as accurate an imitation as Taylor Swift’s Iggy Pop.

Choking smoke obscuring any chance of a decent photograph? It must be the CAF reliving their Day of Infamy.

The Zero ‘Zeke’, Texan style.

Happy Days, all friends again.

Kermit Weeks’ ‘World’s Greatest Aircraft Collection’ mustered this single Sikorsky S-39 from his Base 20 miles away - controversial!

Ensuring that Sun ’n’ Fun’s quota of DE&I ‘Disney Bingo’ was well represented, this P-51C was marked for the Tuskegee Airmen’s 332nd FG. What nobody seems to realise is that the only adjective required before ‘fighter pilot’ is who’s air force you fly for; anything else is utterly irrelevant, you either have the aptitude, or you’re dead.

‘Quick Silver’ glimmering away with its iridescent paint and and mirror-shine.

The 353rd FG, formerly of RAF Raydon, Suffolk was well represented. ‘Little Witch’ was the mount of Lt Donald W Schoen of the 352nd FS.

Jerry Yagen’s P-51D, ‘Double Trouble Two’ parked up after its Heritage Flight duties were completed.

Sadly, the only glimpse gained of Rod Lewis’ newly restored Lockheed Constellation was at the back of the hangar behind C-FVWC, Vintage Wings of Canada’s freshly repainted Kittyhawk IV.

Curtiss Kittyhawk IV, C-FVWC has lost its desert scheme in favour of 49th FG scheme, 81 ‘Skeeter’, Darwin, Australia, 1942.