Day One of the third running of DeLand Showcase is complete. As Videoman Dave and I scoured the show grounds looking for good stories, we spoke to a few vendors reporting that 2018 has been a good year. Our video news gathering exercise brought a pleasant discovery. Many companies are reporting a solid year of sales. The light aviation industry is composed of many small companies. None are corporations the size of Cessna or Cirrus so they don’t require hundreds of unit sales to break even. A U.S. importer delivering 20 aircraft can experience a good year from sales and other services they offer. When several companies report noteworthy sales success it suggests the market is healthy and customers are buying airplanes they want to enjoy. In parallel, the used LSA market also appears active and a virtuous circle begins to take form. The show itself enjoyed the great organization we have come to expect from director Jana Filip.
DeLand Showcase 2018 Off to a Good Start; Industry Players Generally Upbeat as Year Closes
A view from Scott Severen's Jabiru J-230D cockpit as he approaches DeLand Showcase 2018.
Van's Aircraft RV-12iS — image by Roy Beisswenger / Powered Sport Flying magazine
Who Is Succeeding?
In one day, we did not speak to every vendor and we did not get to the inside booths yet. However, those we did approach for news and updates provided feedback that was significantly on the positive side. Here is a partial recap (again cautioning that this is not inclusive):Icon Aircraft A5 — image by Roy Beisswenger / Powered Sport Flying magazine
BRM Aero Bristell — image by Roy Beisswenger / Powered Sport Flying magazine
M-Squared SLSA version of Zenith's Cruzer — image by Roy Beisswenger / Powered Sport Flying magazine
Aeromarine-LSA Merlin PSA — image by Roy Beisswenger / Powered Sport Flying magazine