Sport Pilot Talk

ibgarrett · Joined: 04 Dec 2008 Posts: 147 Location: Westminster, CO

Please pardon me (or indulge me) for posting this advert of an upcoming Expo...

The Colorado Pilot's Association is sponsoring the first annual Rocky Mountain LSA Expo on Saturday, May 14th from 8am to 4pm. The event will be held at Front Range Airport (KFTG). The event will feature numerous Light Sport Aircraft, a fly-in pancake breakfast, a talk by Jeppesen on Transition to the Paperless Cockpit, and numerous aviation product vendors. In addition to featuring information about light sport aircraft, the expo will highlight the use of the Ipad in the cockpit. For more information, visit our website rmlsaexpo.com or email jbkelly4@hotmail.com. We welcome attendees and vendors!

Don't miss this exciting Expo!

I now return you to your regular forum discussion... Thanks.

zaitcev · Joined: 05 Jan 2010 Posts: 256 Location: Albuquerque, NM

A primer on flying into Front Range would be appreciated. I see that there's a little cutout in the Class B surface area for the Front Range, however the border of Bravo is very close. I would rather get cleared through Bravo. So, how is Denver Approach, friendly? Alternatively, any suggested arrival/departure routes with landmarks that would keep us clear of Bravo?

Secondly, what's the nearby hotel capacity? The expo opens at 9 a.m. and only runs for one day, which means at least one overnight stay on the surface of it.

ibgarrett · Joined: 04 Dec 2008 Posts: 147 Location: Westminster, CO

Front Range Airport actually isn't too bad for flying into or out of considering the air space. It is very close to the Class B, but from my experience Denver Approach is pretty reasonable. A fellow LSA'er flew in there for a meeting on this event a few weeks ago and the plane ahead of him wasn't paying close enough attention to their air space and came in a little high - so they were in the Class B airspace. The tower at FTG pointed it out to the pilot and made the appropriate correction.

Certainly not that I am recommending breaking the class barriers - but I think it happens enough in that area that the controllers are on a constant lookout for it.

This airport is in a tough spot for landmarks and arrival from the west. The Class B really gets tough in conjunction with the AFB just to the south west of the airspace as well. I will get some better recommendations for the flight in and I'll post them here in addition to updating the website with the information.

As for hotels in the area. KFTG has hotels reasonably close - but a car would absolutely be necessary for getting back and forth. I'll be updating the website with hotel information here soon.

There will be a free pancake breakfast for those flying in - starting at 8 a.m.

More information will be following soon. I wanted to get the word out now so it will start showing up on folks radar screens.

Brian

drseti · Joined: 28 Nov 2009 Posts: 1387 Location: Lock Haven PA

ibgarrett wrote: I wanted to get the word out now so it will start showing up on folks radar screens.

Thanks for doing that, Brian. I've already posted it to the Events page of my website (with a hyperlink to your page).

zaitcev · Joined: 05 Jan 2010 Posts: 256 Location: Albuquerque, NM

Denverites from PoA board gave these answers:
1. Denver will not grant transit through B, go under shelves.
2. Nearest hotel is at truck stop 5 miles away.
Also, La Veta AWOS is broken.

zaitcev · Joined: 05 Jan 2010 Posts: 256 Location: Albuquerque, NM

I have a couple of pictures on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zaitcev/5727354454/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zaitcev/5727354426/
Also
http://zaitcev.mee.nu/flying_lsa_fit_check

We took a Cherokee (for the payload), and what do you know - that same day Remos coughed up another oil pressure transducer. What would I do if that happened in FTG? Fly it without oil pressure, with temperature alone? Or ask the owner to fly in a replacement part?

ibgarrett · Joined: 04 Dec 2008 Posts: 147 Location: Westminster, CO

I saw you walking around checking out the planes. Height limitations are definitely going to be a problem w/ the LSA's. I'm 6'2" and manage to fit into most of them, but at your height, an LSA is going to be a tough order to fill.

Thanks for coming out to the show though - I know we all appreciated your being there. :)

Jack Tyler · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 3:21 pm Post subject:

It's great to see these regional LSA Expos being hosted as, even after 6 years, much about the class and the SP license seems the product of Ramp Wisdom. But golly, that looks like a small inventory of planes. Could Brian or someone else estimate the number of distributors/retailers who actually offered planes for viewing?

Based on the pics (thanks, Zaietev), one wonders if there will be a '2nd RM Expo'.

ibgarrett · Joined: 04 Dec 2008 Posts: 147 Location: Westminster, CO

Jack,

We were missing four vendors because of weather. In the days leading up to the event (and the day of), the weather was in and out of VFR across the region. Even the LSA tour canceled two of the four days because of weather. Even with that, we had 9 different plane vendors there representing Gobosh, Piper/Sport Cruiser, Jabarui (I think that's how that's spelled), Remos, Cub, Sirrus, Phoenix motor glider (my personal favorite for the show), Evektor and StingSport.

The weather over the course of the day reached a high in the low-40's and by mid-afternoon we were hovering around 38 degrees with mist. There were a small handful of planes that made it out by leaving early that day and the majority elected to hangar their planes overnight at Front Range.

I personally (so take that for what it is worth) estimate around 1,000 people in attendance over the course of the day. ALL of the vendors I spoke with appreciated the event and want to come back next year. Many of the attendees appreciated the show and want to come again next year as well.

At this point in time it is my intention to keep this alive for next season. There is no way this could have been done without the support of Front Range Airport, the Colorado Pilots Association, the volunteers from CPA and to all of the hard work that Chris Dillis at Skyraider Aviation and of Gobosh. We personally feel this is a much-needed activity in the Rocky Mountain Region. Had the weather been favorable, I think we could have seen a considerable number more of folks attending both in showing and viewing the event.

An endeavor like this takes time to build - but I think we are off to a good start. If anyone on this list feels otherwise, or has suggestions, I'm more than happy to listen. :)

drseti · Joined: 28 Nov 2009 Posts: 1387 Location: Lock Haven PA

ibgarrett wrote: At this point in time it is my intention to keep this alive for next season.

Glad to hear that, Brian. Do me a favor - when you have the date picked for next year, please advise me so I can post it to my website.

ibgarrett · Joined: 04 Dec 2008 Posts: 147 Location: Westminster, CO

Definitely - and we won't wait until 100 days before the event to pick the day this time! :)

Jack Tyler · Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 5:08 am Post subject:

Brian, thanks for the follow-up report. It's good to hear the vendors are high on the event, even if it was a small one this year.

As someone who had snow falling on him in that area one July 4th, my two cents would be to pick a later date next year. Of course, picking dates is always a challenge once everyone's schedules begin being folded together. Good luck!

ibgarrett · Joined: 04 Dec 2008 Posts: 147 Location: Westminster, CO

We had someone on the planning committee in charge of decent weather - but they lost interest and dropped out... :)

Seriously though weather in CO is a tough nut to crack sometimes. I've been golfing here on a 70 degree day in January and been shoveling 4 feet of snow in May. June/July and August can have some really wicked thunderstorms in the afternoon - but overall it isn't as bad as it sounds. I do agree that May probably isn't the best of months to have an event like this.

I just get so jealous of you guys having outdoor events in March/April in FL.

zaitcev · Joined: 05 Jan 2010 Posts: 256 Location: Albuquerque, NM

I think it was ok weather, just cold. My partner forgot his jacket in his car, as ABQ was downright warm all this time (+23..+26). Ceiling at FTG was above the Class B shelf anyway. We had no trouble getting in or out.