Sebring 2009.  I have to say-it was definitely an event to remember for the Light Sport Industry as well as for myself. Three people from Aviators Hot Line attended the Expo, Carol Harrison, publisher, Jacob Peed, sales manager, and myself, Mary Jurries, account executive.

The show began on Thursday, Jan 22 with some apprehension from the exhibitors. Apparently the previous year’s weather had not cooperated at all. This year it was pretty cold to begin with, but the days warmed up and everyone’s spirits boosted when people started mingling through the Expo. Paradise introduced a New SLSA at 1:00 at a press conference-the P-1 with hand controls. This was a big event due to the fact that people with physical limitations can now fly in a Light Sport Aircraft.

Thursday evening was probably the highlight for us at Aviators Hot Line. We were given the opportunity to sponsor the LAMA dinner and that was an honor for us. I gave demonstrations on the digital magazine while Carol and Jacob greeted people and served the beverages. It was great to meet so many exhibitors and LAMA members. I know that for all of us from Aviators Hot Line, it was a great opportunity to meet with previous customers as well as put faces to names of numerous people we have been in contact with. It was great to meet Dan Johnson and Randee Laskewitz, Bob Wood, and many, many others. Bob Wood announced on Thursday that Sebring had experienced the best Thursday ever in the history of the show.

Friday was a busy day for everyone involved. I’m not sure of an exact number, but I heard several people state that there were over 1,000 take offs and landings performed during the day. Friday topped the attendance out of any day for the show in five years. In fact, this year held record attendance for the past five years (reportedly over 11,500).

Every single exhibitor had people coming to them with questions, wanting more information, giving demo rides, even buying and selling planes. There were many new planes that had received their LSA or SLSA certification in the recent months making their debut at Sebring. These included the Lightning LS-1 from Arion, the FA-04 Peregrine from Hansen Air Group, the Rans S-19 Coyote II to name a few. People were enthusiastic to see new Light Sport Aircraft on the market and the owners were eager to show off the capabilities of each aircraft.

Saturday brought some general public out to the event, but the majority of the attendees were pilots or aviation enthusiasts; a quality attendance was the key. At our booth, we had many people stop by to sign up for our drawings (a GPS and Sunglasses), pick up a free publication, or watch a demo of our digital magazine. I think over all, we gave over 1,000 demos on our digital magazine. People were very receptive and loved it. Ahead of time we had decided we wanted to capture some of the Sebring Expo on video. So, on Saturday, Jacob & I went out and did some short interviews, videoed exhibitors in their booths, filmed take offs and landings of static displays, as well as covered several press releases. I managed to get a ride in a Jabiru aircraft on Saturday which was my first time ever in a Light Sport Aircraft. Thanks to Eric Evans for taking time to give me a ride and get some aerial footage of the show.

The events slowed on Sunday as people began getting ready for their travels home. I learned that this is the “Exhibitor Bonding Day”, as it is often the first chance for many exhibitors to get out of their booths and check out other vendors. I managed to speak to several vendors and dealers about our digital magazine and what I could do to help them out in terms of advertising.

Jacob and I headed out again to capture more video from exhibitors and vendors. Paul from M-Squared offered to let me go up in his Breese 2 DS to get a bird’s eye view from the sky. I have to admit it was a little scary, but amazing. I definitely want to get my Sport Pilot License after that! It was a rush and the highlight of my trip. Thanks to all the exhibitors who gave me a few moments of their time, either personally taking time to discuss the magazine, or doing an interview on camera. It was definitely a learning experience to personally listen to the owners, inventors, and dealers explaining more about their aircraft, products, and the capabilities of them all. We put together a few reels from those interviews/clips. Take a look at them - you may find yourself among them. We were happy to hear over 20 aircraft were sold during the event with many more sales on the verge in the near future. As we traveled home, we recapped on the trip; noticing that often times the economy is what you make of it. This year at Sebring, the light sport industry made the best of it and I think it is safe to say that this industry is off to one heck of a start in 2009.

February 2009 Light Aviation Edition

To view this article in original digital format, click the link below:

http://zmags.lightaviation.com/showmag.php?mid=wppwww#/page16/