The eighth annual event for light sport aircraft, the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, will be held Thursday through Sunday this week in Sebring, Fla. The event features demo flights, educational forums, social events, and aircraft displays. Under new management this year, the show is expected to be a little more upscale, while retaining its traditional focus on personal attention for prospective buyers, with a wide range of LSA aircraft on display. Thursday evening, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association hosts a dinner gathering for all the vendors and players in the industry, with special guest Rod Hightower, the president of EAA. AOPA President Craig Fuller also will speak at a pilot town-hall event, followed by a question-and-answer period. After a pre-show downpour Wednesday, weather is expected to be good for the four-day event.
Among the newer LSA models that are expected at the show are Bristell’s next-generation low-wing airplane, with a wide cabin and an eight-hour range. The airplane was first shown at the AOPA Summit last September; click here for a video report. Gates open at 8 a.m. every day. A sport pilot fly-in to the Bahamas follows the expo, with takeoff from Sebring on Sunday. AVweb staff will be on site for the show, filing daily video and news reports.
