2013 Expo

If you're interested in all things Sport Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft, this is the place to be every January! Mark your calendars. http://www.sport-aviation-expo.com

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Flocker
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2013 Expo

Post by Flocker »

Hope it's not too early to get this post going...
Is anyone planning on attending next year's Expo? [Jan 17th-20th]
Looks like a great event.

http://www.sport-aviation-expo.com

Being a new Sport Pilot, I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts on previous years events as well.
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garbageman
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Re: 2013 Expo

Post by garbageman »

i will be there. Been to almost all of them. Seems to be getting smaller each year, but still worth going to. New web page this year, and an air show for the first time. Good time to take a Rotax class at Lockwood's. They have their usual tie in with the show.

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Re: 2013 Expo

Post by drseti »

I will certainly be there again, conducting three different FAA Wings safety seminars. I hope all my SportPilot Talk friends there will check the forum schedule, and come introduce themselves. I'm also bringing a guitar this time, and as a member of the Flying Musician's Association, will be singing a bunch of my original aviation folk songs. For an advance peek at some of those, browse to http://avsport.org/songs.

I was just at Sebring a couple of weeks ago, taking the Rotax heavy maintenance class at Lockwood (and renewing my other two Rotax ratings). I can highly recommend any of their courses.
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Re: 2013 Expo

Post by Flocker »

Is it easy to fly into?
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Re: 2013 Expo

Post by deltafox »

Recommendations for hotels, etc? Is it too late for hotel reservations?
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Re: 2013 Expo

Post by garbageman »

Chateau Elan Hotel is right at the airport, but any of the major brands on route 27 from the Holiday Inn south to route 98 would be fine. Sebring is not big.

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Re: 2013 Expo

Post by drseti »

Dave, when I was in Sebring two weeks ago for my Rotax heavy maintenance training, I stayed at Chateau Elan. Very nice room, with a balcony overlooking the hairpin turn of the raceway (I could watch the Andretti boys practicing). Decent bar, but marginal restaurant. While there, I made my reservation for Expo - and got their LAST room! (sorry...) Last year, I stayed at Inn on the Lakes. It was nice, and affordable, and a 10 minute drive from the airport.
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Re: 2013 Expo

Post by drseti »

garbageman wrote:an air show for the first time.
Yep, and Patty Wagstaff is performing. Worth the trip just for that!
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
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Re: 2013 Expo

Post by drseti »

Flocker wrote:Is it easy to fly into?
It's normally a non-towered airport, but I seem to recall they had a temporary tower in operation during Expo, so you'll want to have your Class D endorsement. I didn't actually fly in to Sebring, either time I've been there -- once flew commercial to Orlando and rented a car; the other time I hit weather, so left my plane in Ocala and drove down. But I did fly the pattern at KSEF (got a great demo ride in a Bristell last year), and it was no particular problem.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
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Re: 2013 Expo

Post by designrs »

drseti wrote:Yep, and Patty Wagstaff is performing. Worth the trip just for that!
I'd love to see Patty Wagsaff!! She is amazing.
Read her book "Fire & Air". It's out of print but can still be brought online.
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Re: 2013 Expo

Post by drseti »

I've just gotten the preliminary forum schedule for Expo 2013. In my volunteer capacity as an FAA Safety Team Lead Representative, I will be giving five safety seminars. Friday I will do two sessions of "If You Can Drive, You Can Fly" (an intro to LSA and Sport Pilot, primarily for non-pilots), one in the AM, one PM. On Saturday, I will have two sessions of "Stepping Up to Light Sport" (about transition training for Private pilots and above, making the change to LSA), also one AM and one PM. And on Sunday morning, I will be doing an LSA maintenance seminar, for both mechanics and owners. These all will count for FAASTeam Wings and AMT Award credit. You can sign up on http://faasafety.gov, although preregistration is not required. Hope to see some of you at one or more of those seminars (all to be held in the t-hangar marked "Forum Area 2").

As a member of the Flying Musicians Association, I will also be doing a concert (don't know the schedule on that yet) of some of my aviation folk songs. For those wishing a preview, see http://avsport.org/songs.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
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[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
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designrs
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Re: 2013 Expo

Post by designrs »

Wow Paul! You are a man of many talents & great energy!
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Re: 2013 Expo

Post by FastEddieB »

Karen and I are tentatively planning to visit.

We have a friend with a landing strip near Lake Placid and will plan to stay with him and fly in.

Probably time our visit to coincide with seminars I'd like to attend.

Fingers crossed!
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Re: 2013 Expo

Post by Jack Tyler »

Keep an eye on the wind forecast if flying into Sebring for the LSA Expo. The FAA does set up a temporary tower which they locate very near the Expo itself, but the year I was there the tower only provided service to the runway that runs parallel with the Expo boundary. This makes sense from a promotional standpoint, since many of the exhibitors offer rides to potential customers and prefer to use the active runway adjacent to the Expo grounds for efficient use of time. But if you've got a strong cross-wind forecast, like the year I attended, you could find a cross-wind easily exceeding the demonstrated cross-wind component of your a/c. The East Coast rep for the RV-12 whom I flew with did an excellent job of wrestling his a/c to the ground but he had a direct 20 kt cross-wind and there were many LSA flights that looked like low-level aerobatics. The FAA Tower was a very mixed blessing, IMO.

One other note: Last year (and perhaps the one before that?) transient parking was placed well away from the Expo grounds and the visitor was asked to take a shuttle out and round that side of the airport, only to arrive back near the Expo flight line. I heard a lot of grumbles about how inefficient that was - shuttles only run every so often, after all - and it was a long walk. So set your expectations accordingly...
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Re: 2013 Expo

Post by newamiga »

I will be flying my Aero AT-4 (Gobosh) down from Colorado again. I flew down commercial two years ago and then flew my plane in last year. It wasn't tough flying in. The procedures are published to make the entry along the coast of the lake. The biggest issue is as always keeping your head on a swivel as there can be quite a few planes coming in depending on time of day. It was nothing compared to flying into Oshkosh this year. It is really unnerving to have RV's coming right over your head. At least last year at Sebring it wasn't tough at all to fly in. I would of course recommend flight following as far as you can get it into there with planes converging from all different directions it can't hurt.

This year if the weather cooperates I am also signed up for the LSA trip to the Bahamas. It looks like a fun trip and short hop down from Sebring.

I stayed at the track hotel last year too and it was very convenient as they have a shuttle that takes you to the expo. Unfortunately this year it was full too soon. I stayed at the Holiday Inn at Lake Wales I believe two years ago and plan to stay there again. I contacted the FBO there and they responded very quickly to my request on a rental car. The shuttle system is also very convenient from the transient parking. As the OP mentioned you will not be parked at the FBO but rather on the far side of the field. The shuttle drivers are all volunteers as is everyone there and were some of the nicest people you would ever meet.

BTW hope to meet you in person this year Paul.

Carl
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