Category Archives: sun and fun

The Aerospace Center of Excellence has a new Executive Director

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Lakeland, FL October 06, 2021 – The Aerospace Center of Excellence (ACE) announced today that Daryl Price has been appointed new Executive Director for the organization. An experienced business leader and aviation professional, Daryl will succeed Ed Young and assumed responsibilities on September 20th.

Relocating from Appleton, Wisconsin, Daryl will immediately begin having a direct impact on the ACE campus. After building and providing executive leadership to DJParagon, LLC for 22 years, his impact at ACE will be evident. DJ Paragon is a world class training and technology company specializing in strategic and tactical business integration and training of technical, operational and mission-critical business process systems. Leading the way, he developed and managed a world-class business training and technology company from inception to $18,000,000 annual revenue with 34 leading-edge emerging technology/data engineers and a customer presence throughout U.S. and 17 foreign countries.

President and CEO, John “Lites” Leenhouts states, “Daryl comes with a wealth of experience and knowledge, that partners exquisitely with a very engaging personality, all of which will be instrumental in leading our ACE Team as we bring the SkyLab Innovation Center to life.”

Daryl Price pursued Bachelor of Science Studies in Applied Mathematics and Physics from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and earned an Associate degree in Data Networking and Telecommunications from Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wisconsin. Over the years he has achieved various note-worthy accomplishments and certifications including: Aviation Crisis and Disaster Management-Critical Event Leadership; was a regular participant and speaker at the HAI International Expo and Safety Seminar, and achieved MCI-Critical Incident Management Certification. He is a commercial pilot in both fixed wing and rotorcraft and a seasoned CFI/CFII.

The Aerospace Center of Excellence’s (ACE) is a 14-building aerospace STEM facility located on the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus. ACE has vibrantly created a vision of building a brighter future through aerospace and aviation! This purposeful and innovative vision will soon come to life through the added leadership of Daryl Price.

Sun N Fun 21

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I attended #SNF21 and had a great time.  I gave 13 seminars while I was there and they were very well attended. Way better than I expected.

As far as the vendors, I was very pleased to see a lot of aircraft manufacturers supporting the show and the aviation industry.

I did walk through the building and while vendors numbers were lower than before, I was very surprise at the number of people and vendors.

Interestingly, a few vendors opted for what I would say was big “Billboard” instead of a “manned” booth. Personably, I didn’t stop and look at the billboard or the videos they were playing. I am guessing neither did many of the other attendees.  Probably should have had a real person in the booth, just saying.

Anyway, here are a few of the pictures I took.

 

F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team

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F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team

For Immediate Release
February 26th, 2021

Lakeland, Florida: The 2021 SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo is excited to welcome home U.S. Air Force Major Joshua “Cabo” Gunderson as he joins an exclusive airshow lineup as the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team pilot and commander.

F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team

Graduating from Bloomingdale High School in Valrico in 2004, Gunderson received an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy at age 17 and graduated in 2008. He dreamed of being in the seat of a fighter jet after seeing them perform at SUN ‘n FUN and other airshows he attended near his Central Florida hometown.

Gunderson is looking forward to the homecoming and said, “I am extremely excited about returning to my home state of Florida and flying at SUN ‘n FUN. I attended many SUN ‘n FUN events as a kid and loved seeing the military jets, so it’s an honor to pay that forward to future aviators.”

F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team
The F22 Raptor provides the USAF with a lethal combination of stealth, maneuverability, weaponry, and surveillance capabilities that make it unmatched by any other fighter, current or projected.

“We are very pleased to welcome Cabo and his team to Lakeland,” said Greg Gibson, Airshow Director and CMO for SUN ‘n FUN. “The Raptor is one of my personal favorites. The incredible maneuverability and its ability to demonstrate such agility and power while literally disappearing from the enemy in combat is truly amazing. I hope everyone will come join us to see what I mean when they see it perform in person!”

The F22 Raptor Demonstration Team is based at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, VA, and consists of 19 elite members that includes the pilot, safety officer, superintendent, team chief, multiple crew chiefs, avionics specialists, public affairs and aircrew flight equipment technicians. Together, the team visits local schools, hospitals, and participates
in various community events in addition to performing aerial demonstrations. The team is responsible for representing Air Combat Command, the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, and the United States of America at more than 20 air shows annually.

Fans can see “Cabo” put the Raptor though its incredible demonstration profile April 16, 17, and 18 at SUN ‘n FUN, and he will perform in two presentations with the aircraft daily. First, he will give an incredible high-performance display of jaw-dropping speed, precision and maneuverability, followed by the patriotic Heritage Flight, where the Raptor will be joined by a vintage P-51 Mustang in a moving formation tribute flight to honor our nation’s aviation heroes from all eras. SUN n’ FUN is honored to welcome Maj. Gunderson home to celebrate the past, present, and future of aviation.

The SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo is April 13th-18th. Come join the excitement and watch in awe as Maj. Gunderson joins the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and dozens of other performers in daily airshows, as well as hundreds of aircraft displays and outdoor exhibits in this historic return of one of the Bay Area’s mainstays in family entertainment.