It was the winter of 1974 that a group of local aviators put together a fly-in that would grow over the next 40 years into an International Fly-In and Expo attended by hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts each year.
But Sun ‘n Fun isn’t the only one with an anniversary – Beechcraft Corporation, part of the Textron Aviation segment of Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT), announced today it will commemorate the 50th anniversary of its line of King Air turboprops with attendees at this year’s Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In and Expo April 1-6 in Lakeland, Fla.
The current production King Airs – the 350i, 250 and C90GTx – along with the Baron G58 and Bonanza G36 will be on display at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport throughout the event. If you are at the event this year, the company will celebrate the anniversary with cake, refreshments and giveaways at its static display at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
“We’re certain that among the 200,000 attendees expected in Lakeland, many will join us to honor 50 years of innovation in durability, utility and comfort while looking ahead to the future with all of our current production King Airs on display,” said Christi Tannahill, senior vice president, Turboprop Aircraft. “We’re also looking forward to joining in the celebration of the 40th birthday of Sun ’n Fun, an event that always offers an excellent chance to connect with our many enthusiastic pilots and owners.”
Company pilots flew the first official flight of the conforming prototype of the King Air Model 90 on Jan. 20, 1964. Since then, Beechcraft has delivered nearly 7,200 King Airs with the worldwide fleet surpassing 60 million flight hours.
While Sun ‘n Fun started as a gathering of pilots who shared a common passion for aviation, it has grown to welcome all who enjoy the inspirations and thrills that aviation offers. The 2014 event will attract an estimated 200,000+ visitors from Florida, North America and more than 80 other countries. The event is the largest aviation convention in the state of Florida and the first major international aviation event of the year in the Americas.
If you will be there, let us know! If you have any King Air related news, give us a shout at press@kingairnation.com! See you this week in sunny Florida!