An all-volunteer crew — no one draws a salary to produce Expo — does a terrific job of preparing the Sebring airport. Steady crowds got to view several new aircraft offerings such as this FPNA Valor A-22 Capetown with newly-approved amphib floats.
Mornings start cool until the sun warms the day to shirtsleeve temperatures. Crowds are thick around popular displays and the action is surprisingly hot. For this first-of-the-year show following a dismal 2008, many wondered about attendance and if those visitors would be in a buying mood. The answers: pilots are streaming in and sales are happening! *** At the LAMA Dinner with 300 LSA professionals listening, Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo Chairman Bob Wood reported, “This is the best [opening day] Thursday we’ve had in the five years of Expo.” Vendors largely agreed, saying crowds were good, even heavy at times. Several reported aircraft sales on the first day. According to my visits to many airframe manufacturers or importers a sense of improvement is pervasive. This is a cautious optimism to be sure, but it’s a clear change from the gloom of the last few months. *** On Friday, airport ramps and taxiways were well populated with aircraft that flew in to examine the aircraft and other products on display. And as evidence of the growing importance of the Sebring LSA Expo, media events appeared well attended by writers, photographers, and video producers. Many exhibitors say Sebring has become an important selling show comparable to much larger events.
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