www.PSFmagazine.com | March-April 2019 | 9 8 | March-April 2019 | Powered Sport Flying Light Sport Expo Sebring 2019: Heaven for Light Sport Aircraft & Sport Pilot-Eligible Kit Aircraft I always try to arrive early to a show. That is what I did this year for the Sebring Expo. And happily, the weather was good for the opening, with January temperatures in the mid 70s (23 C). Blue skies prevailed although the air was bumpy according to several pilots who flew airplanes in for display. While a good many airplanes were already here early, an equal number were still not on the grounds at 6 PM, so some hustling had to occur… and it did! I attend seven or eight airshows every year. I’ve done this for many years. I’m here to assure you that the night before opening, the show grounds are utter pandemonium with no possible hope in sight of having everyone in position and ready for business by morning. It can’t happen… yet it does! One of the most marvelous transformations to be seen is a lonely expanse of concrete ramp turning into a colorful, energetic, ultimately cool place to hang out, look at lots of pretty airplanes of all kinds, talk flying to your old pals and new friends, catch a forum, participate in a work shop, take a demo flight if you’re in the market — heck, take several flights. That’s one of the main reasons people come to events like Sebring and the main reason vendors are here with their shiny airplanes. It’s a match made in heaven and everyone is invited! Here’s the report I made for each day of the show. Sebring Day 1 — Blue Skies and Handsome Aircraft Draw Receptive Crowds Sebring Day One was true to form for the 15th running of this grandaddy of Light Sport and Sport Pilot Kit shows. Airport manager Mike Willingham told me opening day attendance was better than opening day last year. He and the entire Expo team certainly benefited from good weather, a tad windy, but blue skies and temperatures hitting 80° F (27°C). This was my first chance to talk to a lot of businesses since the first of the year. One bit of news was that the government shutdown appears (or ‘appeared’ since it was declared over for the time being during the show!) to be having some effect on parts of the industry. One example regards faa inability to make inspections so a vendor can get the Special Airworthiness certificate needed to complete delivery of a new special light sport aircraft (slsa) (meaning final payments cannot be collected, no small matter to many lsa or spe kit enterprises). However, few vendors actually introduced the topic, suggesting the bad news may be localized. Overall though, we heard a continued positive outlook as we surveyed at DeLand Showcase in early November last year when many in the business told us about the good year they had just finished. Here are some specific things I noticed on day one: Volunteer Army — As is necessary but not taken for granted was a large group of helpful volunteers. Airshows, even the giants like Oshkosh and Sun ‘n Fun, could not happen without such willing help, often people taking vacation time to put in many hours helping the details turn out right. thanks to each and every one of them! Cruiser Aircraft , the importer for Czech Sport Aircraft, offered their new SportCruiser lte, a lighter, simpler, much lower-cost version of the popular Light Sport Aircraft. Powered by a Rotax 912uls2 100 horsepower by Dan Johnson engine, the lte model has one Dynon hdx screen, cloth seats, and reduced weight. Marketing and sales manager Josh Scheid said the combination, priced in the low $140s, is aimed at flight schools looking to offer a modern new aircraft to students and reap very low operating costs. “A lot of primary training finds students throttled down doing patterns and burning only 2.5 gallons per hour of lower cost fuel,” Josh noted. He continued, saying they can increase equipment to suit a flight school’s need, including certified Garmin gear to allow ifr flight training. John Williams , the longtime leader of Titan Aircraft, brought one of his impressive T-51 Mustang kits and a Tornado (photo) that reveals this hot number’s long, lean lines. Tornado can now be called an evolved design. From personal experience I attest to its crisp handling and lively performance. In the heyday for two-place ultralights, before Light Sport Aircraft arrived on the scene, Tornadoes in various forms were among the most dashing aircraft at shows. Its taut fuselage was often compared to a fighter jet, motivating some creative builders to equip and paint their Tornadoes to enhance that imagery. SilverLight showed off the clean execution of their removable full enclosure. American Ranger AR1 boasts a very large, clean canopy that was optically superb; I saw no distortions when looking anywhere on its great expanse of acrylic. Designer and business owner Abid Farooqui explained that two people are needed for about ten minutes to remove the big enclosure for the open air flying that many enjoy in pleasant months. A few more minutes are needed to install a motorcycle-sized windscreen that transforms AR1 into the open tandem seater the company first offered. Last year SilverLight enjoyed a good year of business. Sebring Day 2— Evolving Market for Light Sport Aircraft… New or Used “Duck and cover” was a phrase to describe the morning on Thursday, Day Two, at Sebring. Rain that lasted until late morning dampened turnout and you can’t blame those who stayed home because tomorrow, Friday January 25th, looks to be much better. It will be cooler (by Florida standards, Titan Aircraft’s Tornado, looking super sleek even with tundra tires Czech Sport Aircraft SportCruiser LTE represented by Cruiser Aircraft
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUwNDI3MA==