Show Closed For The Day Friday

The threat of a major band of showers and thunderstorms prompted airport officials at Sebring Regional Airport in Sebring, FL, to close the show for the day Friday.

The forecast for Friday was never good. A line of strong thunderstorms were expected to come through the area during the day, ushering in much colder temperatures and high winds. Shortly after the show opened at 0900 EST Friday, Sebring airport executive director Mike Willingham made the decision to close the show for the day and suspended ticket sales.

Airport officials came through the indoor exhibitors' tent and told the exhibitors to pack up their displays in advance of the oncoming weather, and those with airplanes outdoors were scrambling to tie them down, anticipating a line of strong storms.

Those storms never materialized, though there was severe weather in other portions of the Florida peninsula to the west and south of Sebring, and the potential for severe weather remained a possibility.

By about noon, the overcast was lifting and the wind had picked up, but it appeared that the threat of severe weather had passed.

All that being said, the weather wasn't the only issue at Sebring for 2016. Several exhibitors who asked that we not use their names said that their companies had stopped offering demonstration flights because "the pattern is a mess" and that pilots were ignoring instructions posted in the NOTAMS for the area, among other issues.

Sebring airport officials said that they would make a decision by 1300 EST whether to close the show for the remainder of the weekend. Cold temperatures and strong winds are forecast for the remainder of the weekend.

(Staff images)

FMI: www.sportaviationexpo.com