The P-51 Mustang, Sweetie Face, at Punta Gorda Airport. Photo by Dylan Campbell.

Since 1981, Punta Gorda Airport has been home to the Florida International Air Show. On November 7 and 8, the airport, which was built in 1941 as a combat pilot training base for the U.S. Army Air Forces’ Third Air Force, will play host to the Air Show once again.

From its inception, Punta Gorda Airport was designed as a space to test the limits of flight. While the airport’s post-war existence has been that of a commercial and private airfield, it’s fitting that some of the best and brightest in the aeronautical industry would come to Charlotte County to continue that legacy. The Air Show’s 2026 attractions range in size and scope—demonstrations include flights from the TA-4J Skyhawk, an iconic attack jet from the Vietnam War; the MiG-17 620, the most recognizable enemy fighter jet of the Vietnam War and Red Bull pilot Kevin Coleman.

The headlining act, however, will take place in Aarron Deliu’s Zivko Edge 540. Deliu is an internationally acclaimed Australian aerobatic pilot—the Air Master Cup Series Champion has made a career out of making the impossible seem routine. “I’m going to be bringing the heat this year,” says Deliu. “The Edge 540 is a one of a kind plane, it can pull +/-12 Gs. In the show I will go to +12Gs and -8.5Gs—in the plane I am grunting, sweating and hurting a little bit.”

Deliu is equipped with a microphone in the cockpit, allowing him to address the audience as he flies. “I communicate and connect with kids and adults alike while in the cockpit. It allows me to share my passion and hopefully inspire the next generation,” he says.

The Air Show’s attractions, however, are not just limited to what is in the sky. On the ground, an Alenia C-27J Spartan—a large, military transport plane—a Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk, a Coast Guard rescue helicopter and a T-6A Texan II, a single-engine turboprop aircraft used by the U.S. Military for pilot training, will all be on view.

Florida International Air Show, November 7 and 8, Punta Gorda Airport, 28000 A-1 Airport Rd, Punta Gorda

The P-51 Mustang, Sweetie Face, at Punta Gorda Airport. Photo by Dylan Campbell.

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