Before the crowds arrived and the airshow engines spooled up, our volunteers were already on the ramp at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (KLAL) — golf cart loaded, “TIE DOWNS” sign mounted, and ready for another long day under the Florida sun.
For six days at Sun ’n Fun 2026 — one of the world’s largest fly-ins and airshows, held each April just down the road in Lakeland — EAA Chapter 229 members showed up to help keep things moving on the ground.
Working the Ramp
Tie-down volunteers might not be the most visible assignment at a fly-in, but it is one of the most essential. When hundreds of general aviation aircraft fly in from across the country — from Cessna Skyhawks to experimental aircraft built by hand in members’ garages — somebody has to direct them to their parking spots and make sure every plane is staked and roped down before the afternoon thunderstorms roll through.
Our members did exactly that, working multi-day shifts across the full week. The golf cart became home base — decked in patriotic bunting, “TIE DOWNS” sign riding up top — rolling the flight lines from first light to last aircraft in.
The Team That Showed Up
What stood out this week wasn’t any single shift — it was the depth of the commitment. Members rotated through all nine days with the kind of quiet reliability that defines what a chapter really is. Safety vests on, EAA hats pulled low against the sun, doing the work that makes an event like this possible for everyone else.
No fanfare. Just chapter members doing their part.
One for the Memory Books
Sun ’n Fun draws remarkable static displays alongside the flying, and this year was no exception. Among the aircraft on the grounds was the NASA Super Guppy Turbine — a one-of-a-kind cargo aircraft with an enormous bulbous fuselage originally built to transport rocket components and spacecraft hardware for NASA missions.
One of our volunteers got something most people never do: a chance to step inside and stand at the controls. It is the kind of moment that reminds you why we show up early, work the heat, and put in the hours. Aviation keeps rewarding the people paying attention.
Join Us
To everyone who volunteered this week — thank you. You represented EAA Chapter 229 well on one of aviation’s biggest stages.
If you’d like to get involved with the chapter, we’d love to see you at our next monthly meeting: Saturday, May 2, 2026 at 9:00 AM at Hangar 100, KGIF Gilbert Field, Winter Haven. No commitment, no prerequisites — just come fly with us.