Big crowds constantly roved through 20 LSA on display in beautiful Palm Springs, California.
The 2006 version of AOPA’s annual Expo was a watershed event for Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft, IMHO. Last year, at the Tampa, Florida Expo, pilots were interested in LSA but it seemed more curiosity…”Maybe these aircraft will interest me in the future,” was a common statement. At the Palm Springs, California event, interest was much sharper. Pilots were talking about buying. And many pilots who earned their Private but have only rented, or those who took some lessons but never finished were now looking hard. GA airplane costs prevented many from getting involved and those flying enthusiasts now perceived a solution to the expense: LSA. *** AOPA again generously gave free space to LSA suppliers and they accepted in droves. Last year we had a dozen LSA at Tampa. This year, we had 20 models, one fifth of all airplanes on display at Palm Springs. A seminar I gave on LSA as affordable aviation was SRO (standing room only); they packed the large room to hear the state of the LSA industry. What an exciting time to be involved with light aviation!
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