Recently, we started featuring some of the people, planes and
products of the just-concluded 2009 US Sport Aviation Expo. During
this event, we chatted up a number of the attendees to seek their
insights on what interested them, the plight of our economic
malaise as it relates to the LSA game, and other topics. We found a
number of highly engaged folks, with a great deal of interest in
the LSA business who had a number of concerns, as well as opinions,
about the industry and its viability. Here are just a few of the
many remarks we recorded last month.
As previously noted, we're pleased to
say that the interest in the LSA market remains high and that there
does seem to be some buying activity, restricted as it is, by the
times we live in. To many, the LSA movement means an affordable
opportunity to do SOME flying and get a leg up on aircraft
ownership at prices far less than the average GA single... and
despite the few limitations placed on this market segment, that
seems to be just fine with a number of would-be pilots and aircraft
owners.
Of course, it helped that this year's volunteer-staffed event
boasted spectacular weather and the kind of positive vibe that is
missing from most other fly-ins these days... While some events are
obviously on the decline, the newer and more progressive offerings
of the LSA business do seem to be able to attract interest where
the "same old thing" plainly does not have the drawing power it
used to.
Sebring's boosters describe the event in this way: "The US Sport
Aviation Expo is a new and unique event. It is totally focused on
Light Sport Aircraft and the Sport Pilot certificate. It is a
business-type event, set up to enable people who are interested in
this new category of planes to conduct business. That is, they can
buy and sell planes, set up business relationships and seek a
location at which they want to do business. We totally depend on
volunteers to enable us to conduct the event. At this event a
person can learn about LSA, compare about everything available in
the LSA market, select a plane, get a demonstration ride, find
financing, arrange insurance, get transition training and fly
his/her new plane home. Over the past 5 years, literally hundreds
of planes have been sold at the event."
Over these past five years, we have found the event well-run,
apolitical, very well staffed and featuring solid amenities and
support facilities for an event of this scope. Much of the success
of the event is credited by any number of Sebring staffers to its
"Boss," Bob Wood. Kinda quiet and fairly thoughtful in manner, Wood
has presided over one of the Sport Aviation's few solidly
successful events in recent memory.
ANN spent a little time with Wood at the start of the 2009
event in order to find out why Sebring seems to be working -- as
well as his thoughts on the future of the LSA
industry.
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