Wednesday, April 15
Sunrise: 7:03am
Briefing: 6:15am
PM Briefing: 4:15pm
Sunset: 7:53 pm
AM: Paradise City Air Ops Tent
PM: Aviation Ranch Trailer
Important Flight Information and Briefing Details
Please be aware that all flight operations are weather dependent.
Due to the nature of the beast that an event this size is, please understand that some of the schedule may remain flexible and we may have to adjust according to weather, flight teams, and Air Boss demands. We are hoping to keep this running as smoothly as possible, but do be on alert for announcements that may be changing locations or times based on demand.
Important Information:
All crew and passengers will need to park in the Pink Parking/Refueling Lot located outside the gate and ride in with your pilot.
*For those flying throughout the week, all pilots and crew will need to complete volunteer registration so you qualify for your weekly entrance pass. All Pilots and Crew will also need to complete an additional waiver for Paradise City that allows you on the runway where we will be setting up. You will need a pass to enter for the briefing from the East Gate, please try to meet me prior to Sun N Fun to receive your pass. A representative will be available on Monday, April 13th in order for you to pick it up. If you encounter any issues at the gate, please text Jessica at 813-243-9507, and she will come to escort you. The gate will open at 6am and we will have a briefing at 6:15am. If you do not attend roll call and briefing you will NOT be authorized to fly. This does apply to morning flights as well as the evening demonstration glows.
We have created a text group for all pilots requesting to fly during the week in order to do a weather check the night before each flight. We do understand that not everyone will be staying onsite and we will try to make a decision as quickly as we can in case of fog, rain or wind that may not allow for flights
Balloon Headquarters: Throughout the week we will have the Aviation Ranch Trailer located in the Paradise City zone, just off of James C Ray. Someone will be available there from 7:30am -until 6:00pm.
***All refueling will be done in the same location as previous years, the far side of the Lindberg Lot. Refueling will be scheduled for 9am each morning.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
On Wednesday, we will be a part of the small balloon glow with the STOL competition. This balloon glow will be like a teaser for the rest of the week. We will use 2-4 small balloons and set up to add excitement to the show. If the weather does not cooperate we will provide a candle stick demonstration. We are part of the Night Circus Airshow, and we will be the show’s finale. The organizers are counting on us for a spectacular performance, so let’s stay focused and ready!
Thursday & Friday evening we will again put on a small glow with 2-4 balloons as part of the sunset for a media performance
Saturday morning we are hoping to create a spectacular performance with a Mass Ascension during the 5K run. We will have 2-4 Balloons that choose not to navigate the skies and stay behind to cheer on the 5K at the turns. This will allow the spectators to see the balloons fly and the 5k runners to share in the balloon experience with a more intimate encounter.
After flights and refueling on Saturday we will be hosting a luncheon at the Aerospace Pavilion by the Museum. There is very limited parking, therefore we ask that you leave your vehicles in the refueling parking lot and utilize the tram system or the Aviation Ranch Van for transport to lunch. We have arranged for transportation from that lot and will be supplementing with our own operations vehicles. Lunch will be at 11:30am and will be catered by Frescos.
On Saturday evening we are working on details to put on a very RED, WHITE and BLUE balloon glow to celebrate the 250th Birthday of America. We would like to scatter red, white and blue balloons throughout the airport and coordinate a spectacular glow.
This will be the first year in a long time that balloons will be a part of everyday at sun n fun and we want to make it special. From the morning launches to the evening activities we’re excited to make this a great year for balloons at Sun N Fun!
Links needed:
In an effort to get ahead, I have attached a link for all your crew to insert their information into the Hot Air Balloon Area (332) so we can get ahead of arm bands .
CREW
Access changes have been made to the volunteer information contained on the official SUN ‘n FUN website FLYSNF.ORG. The landing pages for the Chairman and Volunteer sections are now available behind a password-protected home page. To gain access, please complete the following steps.
- Click on Volunteer – Located in the dark blue header of the website.
- In the sidebar, select and click on Current Expo Volunteer Operations
- Enter Password: ILOVESNF2026 The site will keep you logged in for ten days.
PARADISE CITY
We will be using Paradise City as our home base this year! We enjoyed our adoption process last year and we are happy to still call it home.
On Wed, Feb 25, 2026 at 9:55 PM Jessica Warren <aviationranch22@gmail.com> wrote:
We are excited that you are interested in flying with us at Sun ’n Fun 2026!
Due to limited space this year, participation will be carefully coordinated. All required information must be submitted prior to acceptance into the event. Space is extremely limited, and completion of registration materials does not guarantee placement until you receive official confirmation.
If you have any questions during the process, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are happy to assist you.
One of the highlights we are working toward is a full Red, White, and Blue Balloon Glow in celebration of America’s 250th Birthday. We are looking forward to showcasing a patriotic display that represents the professionalism and beauty of hot air ballooning on a national stage.
Because of space limitations, official Acceptance Letters will be sent to approved pilots. Your letter will include:
- Your Pre-Registration QR Code for Light Sport Access
- Detailed arrival instructions
- Designated meeting location
- Gate entry procedures
- Additional operational requirements
We appreciate your interest and your commitment to representing ballooning with safety and professionalism at this premier aviation event.
We look forward to flying with you!
Warm regards,
The Aviation Ranch Team
