Attendee Tells Aero-News That This Year's Event Seemed Bigger Than The 2016 Inaugural Show

Light Sport aviation enthusiasts were drawn to the DeLand Municipal Airport in Deland, FL for the second annual DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase on November 2-4. 

Central Florida pilot Ted Lubbers, who attended the show, tells Aero-News that this year’s show seemed bigger with more displays outside and inside. Three days of good flying weather meant that people considering buying an ultralight or light sport aircraft had many opportunities for a demonstration flight. There were 55 aviation exhibitors displaying kit or manufactured planes as well as avionics and other displays related to sport aviation.

This year the EAA included two of their SportAir Workshops each day and these workshops were taught by John Bracher. The morning sessions were a composite course covering the basics of fiberglass construction and the afternoon sessions were devoted to sheet metal construction techniques and riveting. These were two workshops this author took advantage of and learned a lot. Materials for these workshops were provided by Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Company, one of the show sponsors.

EAA’s Charlie Becker, director of chapters, communities & home built community manager, manned their booth, gave two forums on home building an aircraft as well as helping out at the workshop tent. He was one busy guy, usually with a cell phone to his ear.

Lubbers said that he and his wife Joan have been going to aviation events for several years, and they have become more aware of the number of young people who attend. There were several groups at this showcase that do a lot to interest young people in flying careers or to become private pilots.

There were other groups that do similar things represented here. Some of them grant scholarships to help youngsters become pilots or get them interested in homebuilding an airplane. They also recognize the long term need to interest kids in aviation. Some of the organizations that were at the Deland Sport Aviation showcase were, EAA's Young Eagles, AviNation, The Flying Musicians, and the Eagles Nest program.

Last year, 15-year-old Rachel St. Louis (pictured) from Machias, Maine was selling aviation jewelry in order fund the building of a Bush Cat kit airplane. Lubbers says she was there again this year, displaying and selling her jewelry and in front of her showcase trailer was the completed fuselage of her plane. She is doing all this on her own with the help of encouraging parents. By the way, she just turned 16 so it's likely that by the time next November rolls around, she'll have her private pilot’s certificate.

Next year the DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase will be held November 1-3, 2018.

(Images provided by Ted Lubbers)

FMI: www.sportaviationshowcase.com