LAKELAND, Fla. — Children are usually the most excited when watching the annual SUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland.
But this year, they won’t just be watching.
What You Need To Know
- SUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo featuring new event for children, called the Junior Aces Youth Area
- It features exhibits usually reserved for just adults, and allows kids to build, fly and experiment
- SUN 'n FUN at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland runs through Sunday
“They get to build an airplane, they get to fly flight simulators, they get to learn about weather, the science of circuitry and electronics, and sort of find their place in aviation,” said Erik Crump, Executive Director of the Aerospace Center of Excellence.
Crump showed the event's new area just for kids, called the Junior Aces Youth Area.
It features exhibits usually reserved for just adults, and allows kids to build, fly and experiment.
It’s an effort to attract more kids to aviation, and show them where the industry can take them.
“We have a demonstrated shortage of pilots and mechanics and that’s just to name a few in the aviation sector right now,” said Crump. “We want kids to understand that there is a place for everybody in aviation and there’s a fit for every single person. If you like airplanes but you also like finance, there is a job for you.
“If you like airplanes but you like marketing, there is a job for you. And, if you want to fly an airplane or fix an airplane, there are plenty of people here, just nextdoor to us right now in our career fair that would love to hire you.”
The Junior Aces Youth Area is located on the Expo Campus inside the Skylab Innovations Center.
The SUN 'n FUN Expo runs through Sunday at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.