Search Results for : Sebring Expo

INDUSTRY BITS — Flight Design has a new warranty program that should entice buyers. Called the XP (eXtended Protection) Warranty. The German company is extending the warranty without cost and even lengthening the Rotax engine warranty beyond what the engine producer offers. Of course, some conditions apply, but this is a strong move to assure buyers of their aircraft that Flight Design means to support customers in a professional manner. *** As part of its focus on premium service for its aircraft customers, Flight Design USA linked up with Dallas aviation dynamo US Aviation. This fast-growing aviation enterprise (and, yes, you read that correctly… growing) has a expanding presence on the Denton airport (DTO). They will now be an official factory-authorized service center for Flight Design. The Texas company offers such service for several LSA brands and has a dedicated facility for this work.
|||| Dynon will be holding 3.5-hour classes at Sebring to help users of their SkyView Synthetic Vision glass cockpits better use these very capable devices.

If you’ll pardon a little fun in my title, I’m pleased to offer a report from Chairman Bob Woods on the seventh running of the Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, abbreviated by many to simply Sebring LSA Expo. *** The total number of exhibitors was 147, a small decline from last year. Aircraft on display numbered approximately 135, about the same as 2010 and including some new or returning exhibitors such as Kitfox, Pipistrel, and Diamond. The Popular Rotorcraft Association had a presence this year with a promise to increase their footprint in 2012. *** Attendance was about 11,000, the same as last year (and I observe this count is larger than many other so-called “major” airshows —DJ). “Attendees were down slightly from 2009 due to extensive wintry weather up north, but Thursday was the best opening day we’ve ever had,” noted Bob. Saturday’s crowd was good, partly as Sebring offered reduced prices for Veterans.

Looking out the window, I see cold gray clouds and possible precip. Of course, it’s late Fall and this is the Northeast, so we call this Situation Normal. *** Which means it’s never too early to imagine warm weather and blue skies…which naturally leads our daydreams to the LSA kick-off aviation event of the year: U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, AKA Sebring: the pre-eminent happening for us sport flyin’ types since it debuted in 2005. *** It’s only 66 days until the show, which runs Jan. 20-23, 2011. Start making those travel plans, flyfolk! *** Sebring’s founder and head honcho, Robert Wood, is already busy wrangling the exhibitor lineup. *** “We actually have a waiting list for inside exhibit spaces and have very few outside spaces remaining for the January show,” he said just a few days ago. *** Many of the top makers are already signed up, including American Legend, Flight Design, Cessna and Piper.

Sebring is off and flying… well, like a homesick angel! It appears the sixth running of the show is as strong as it’s ever been. Tim Casey — head guru of Garmin‘s division for aviation portables plus avionics and radios used in nearly every LSA on the market — told me this evening, “I think traffic is nearly double last year [a record year for Sebring]. We completely ran out of literature on the second day!” The giant producer reported solid sales of equipment including their lovely new touchscreen Aera and their complete info glass screen package, dubbed the G3X. *** My pal, Jim Lawrence has been pumping out the blogs as you’ve seen right here (does this guy ever sleep?!) and more will come. In addition, my video partner, UltralightNews, has been working both of us hard to build up a flock of cool video clips. See the highlights here with a coming quick-take tour of the entire show grounds (see below)… followed in the weeks ahead by our continuing review of every Light-Sport Aircraft on the market.

I’m down at Sebring, Florida, waiting for the LSA Expo to begin tomorrow, and the weather is smiling: it’s lots warmer than the crop-freezing temps of a week or so ago. *** Out at the field, many exhibitors are setting up as I write this, hoping to start the year off right by scooping their share of the buzz and making some sales and strong leads. It’s been a tough year for almost everybody. *** I know of at least one big announcement on Thursday. I’m sworn to secrecy until then so let’s just say it should have a strong and positive effect on the entire LSA industry. *** Meanwhile, AvWeb reports this morning that deliveries of the Cessna Skycatcher will be delayed half a year or more, due to design changes after two spin accidents during the exhaustive flight test program. *** Discouraging no doubt to the 1,000 eager ticket holders who’ve bought delivery positions, but Cessna states its intention that Skycatchers, like all its other models, stick around in service for a long, long time.

If you like LSA or if you are following the development of this newest sector in worldwide aviation, you pretty much have to go to Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo. The sixth annual event opens in less than a week and it looks to be yet-another blockbuster affair. Here I’ll provide a few highlights, but I also expect to be surprised by some new presentations. *** The first airshow of a new decade may show a new hope for recovery in aviation. One of the biggest buzzes has to do with Piper Aircraft and their possible entry to LSA (as has been been widely reported). This matter is not settled yet but Piper will have an exhibit at Sebring (itself something new). *** We’ll also see the tandem high-performance MySky MS-1, a U.S. design that is moving closer to production; the new and beautiful P2008, the first to employ composite construction from Tecnam; and attendees can have a look at Rose Pelton‘s own Skycatcher, which will be on display in Cessna‘s space.

—Robert Wood, chairman of the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo that puts on the event, announced at the LAMA manufacturer’s dinner tonight that the attendance for opening day was the best Thursday in the five-year event’s history. *** —Take that, bad economy!

We all love the big aviation trade shows like Sun ‘n Fun and AirVenture. They offer something for everyone who flies… and that’s their problem. At such large shows you must walk extensively (or ride trams) to see all the aircraft in the Light-Sport Aircraft community. LSA Malls at these events help, but they can’t provide demo flying for purchase. *** Indeed, this latter reason is one of the most compelling for the January Sebring LSA Expo. All day, every day of the show, you can arrange for a demonstration flight, weather permitting. Notably, Sebring 2009 outdrew even AOPA’s Expo a few months earlier. *** Last year’s Fairfield, New Jersey one-day LSA Jambo produced by the Mid-Atlantic Pilots Association attracted a dozen LSA and 250 attendees. This year’s longer event drew 19 airplanes and 652 people. Of future plans, organizer David Simpson said, “Jambo will be bigger and better and will include flight reviews and demo flights throughout the day.” Jambo is tentatively slated for July 9th and 10th, 2010.