First time at Sun ‘n Fun

Last month marked my first visit to Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, and it was quite an experience. I went there as a member of the Aviation PhotoCrew for air to air photography and it exceeded my expectations. I won’t get into every detail of what it is we did there, as I plan to make a behind the scenes video. But I do want to share my experiences of my first fly-in and airshow in the US, comparing it to my experiences in Europe.

- The most obvious difference was the sheer number of aircraft. While I've attended several fly-ins in the past, I've never witnessed such a vast amount of planes gathered in one location. As expected, everything in the USA tends to be on a grander scale, and Sun 'n Fun was no exception.

- However, quantity aside, the quality was equally impressive. Unlike how I thought American airshows are, which often seem quite repetitive and boring, Sun 'n Fun had a wide range of aircraft, from warbirds to general aviation, and from jets to helicopters. And not the types you always see. Like the LC-130 on static display.

- Regarding static display, I found the atmosphere at Sun 'n Fun to be surprisingly relaxed. Unlike European airshows, where planes are typically behind fences, here, visitors could freely walk between the aircraft, offering a closer look.

- The flying displays seemed to be way lower and closer but they were somewhat less spectacular compared to European counterparts. Most displays consisted of flybys and lacked the intensity and variety I've come to expect from European airshows. The pyrotechnics on the other hand were way crazier than anything I’ve seen here. Hats off to Tora Tora Tora.

- Given that Sun 'n Fun was a fly-in, organizing air-to-air flights proved to be more challenging due to the unpredictability of attending aircraft. Additionally, half of the static displays were not announced in advance, making it impossible for us to coordinate with the crews beforehand to brief and plan air-to-air sorties. Despite this, we still managed to get plenty of subjects, thanks to the helpful and enthusiastic cooperation of the crews and airshow organization.

Ultimately, Sun 'n Fun presented a different experience from what I'm used to in Europe. Not better or worse, but certainly unique. I appreciated the combination of a fly-in and airshow, as well as the diversity of aircraft on display.

Having always dreamed of attending Oshkosh, Sun 'n Fun has only heightened my eagerness to go there. Who knows, maybe 2025 will finally be the year it becomes a reality.

If you really want to know what we did: click here.

✈️ Aviation

- USCG in action.

- Can’t publish a newsletter without a banger from Camden Thrasher. Finally go to meet him at Sun ‘n Fun and what a great dude he is!

- Another photographer I really have come to like. Going by the name of Rawimageformats on Instagram.

- The classic ‘flying through a hangar’ stunt.

🚀 Space

- Delta IV heavy’s last launch. I tried to catch the launch from the Skyvan while flying from Sun ‘n Fun but the weather was too hazy…

- Falcon 9 Launch as seen from a Raptor.

🎬 Movies

- Mission Impossible HALO jump behind the scenes.

📖 Books

- Finished reading ‘Red Moon Rising’ by Matthew Brezinski. The book is about the race (or lack of it) between the USSR and the USA to get the first satellite into space. Non-fiction, but it reads like a fiction book.

PR on the 5km and focussing on food

As my training block is coming to an end, I’m happy with how it turned out. I managed to achieve my sub 3 minute kilometer goal halfway through and now aim to finish with a PR on the mile. A few weeks ago I also casually ran a 18:59 PR on the 5km. Despite aiming for a 3:53 pace, I ended up doing it too fast and I broke my last record of just under 20 minutes. In the meantime I started focussing on getting better sleep for recovery. I’m now getting a solid 8 hours a night, but my deep sleep continues to fluctuate between half an hour and an hour and a half.

In the final weeks of my training schedule, I also focused on optimizing my nutrition. Pre-run, I've been fueling up with a shake consisting of banana, spinach, peanut butter, and dates, while ensuring proper hydration in the lead-up to my runs. Post-run, I've incorporated Greek yogurt with berries into my routine (protein), alongside fruit for breakfast and a salad for lunch (with a lot of beetroot for recovery).

These dietary adjustments have had positive results, as I've noticed improved energy levels during longer or intense runs and fewer instances of fatigue. The jello legs I sometimes had before, haven’t been an issue anymore.

While there's still room for improvement, particularly in terms of fueling strategies during runs, I'm eager to start a new training block for the 5 and 10km distances. Following the conclusion of my current block, I plan to take a two-week break, reducing my weekly runs from four to three and focusing on slower-paced runs.

After that I’ll be doing a proper base training aimed at increasing pace while maintaining a low heart rate. So by the time I’m adding speed work I’ll be at least 5 to 6 weeks after finishing this block. I’ll probably lose some of the pace, but the rest will feel good and will prevent injuries.

In the next newsletter I’ll share the proces of developing a training schedule for a PR on the 5km.