LSA expo Sebring

frfly172

frfly172

Touchdown! Greaser!
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ron keating
Did the expo at Sebring this morning,they have increased the area of the show,but didn't seem to have an increase in exhibitors. Everything is more spread out. They do have a dedicated drone flying area.
 
I was wondering how it would be this year. With Jana, the previous lead of the show now doing the competing show in Deland, I was figuring it might be a bit slim. I knew that both RANS and Sport Performance Aviation pulled out this year. I wasn't sure how many others had as well. I had gone for the last six years in a row. I don't think I am going this year.

Carl
 
I've done Sebring for the last 3 years, and each year I've come away a little bit more disappointed than the previous visit.
Maybe the show is okay but it's just not meeting my expectations so I think I'll be giving it a miss for a while.
 
Karen and I are passing this year - a combination of too much else going on plus a year-to-year sameness plus not really being in the market for anything at this juncture. Still, I try to touch base with online friends, and it's worth it to me for that alone.

Last year the show closed down due to weather just as we were arriving (by car). Pressed on with our road trip, not feeling like we were missing much.

Maybe next year.
 
Art VanDelay said:
I think with the new third class medical reforms the whole LSA concept becomes null and void.
Click to expand...
I agree 100%. There is however opportunities to take the designs into the experimental class. Most of the modern LSA's can carry more weight and fly faster than they rate them as. I'm sure there will still be plenty of rich retirees though that will buy them. They were never a solution to getting more people into aviation, just keeping old people in aviation longer.
 
Art VanDelay said:
I think with the new third class medical reforms the whole LSA concept becomes null and void.
Click to expand...

Nope.

At least to my situation.

The ability to take an S-LSA to E-LSA is huge, allowing anyone to do maintenance and repairs, and with a 16-hour course to do one's own Annual Condition Inspections.

Though I might enjoy owning something like a Tiger again, going back to being dependent on A&P's for every little repair is a non-starter. For me, anyway.
 
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Grum.Man said:
There is however opportunities to take the designs into the experimental class. Most of the modern LSA's can carry more weight and fly faster than they rate them as.
Click to expand...

Not sure I'm following.

I took my Sky Arrow from S-LSA to E-LSA. However, I cannot modify my plane so as to exceed existing LSA standards -no constant-speed or flight-adjustable prop, no increasing gross weight beyond 1,320 lbs, etc.

Unless you meant something else.
 
FastEddieB said:
Nope.

At least to my situation.

The ability to take an S-LSA to E-LSA is huge, allowing anyone to do maintenance and repairs, and with a 16-hour course to do one's own Annual Condition Inspections.

Though I might enjoy owning something like a Tiger again, going back to being dependent on A&P's for every little repair is a non-starter. For me, anyway.
Click to expand...

I seem to remember the Sport mechanic course was a lot longer than 16 hours. Did they shorten it ?
 
FastEddieB said:
Not sure I'm following.

I took my Sky Arrow from S-LSA to E-LSA. However, I cannot modify my plane so as to exceed existing LSA standards -no constant-speed or flight-adjustable prop, no increasing gross weight beyond 1,320 lbs, etc.

Unless you meant something else.
Click to expand...

Meaning the manufacturers can market their kits as EAB with higher gross weights and cruise speeds instead of E-LSA.
 
Art VanDelay said:
I seem to remember the Sport mechanic course was a lot longer than 16 hours. Did they shorten it ?
Click to expand...

Art,

The course to get an LSRM/Maintenance is 80 hours and allows one to work on any Light Sport.

The course to get an LSRM/Inspection is 16 hours and allows one to do the Annual Condition Inspections on a particular Experimental Light Sport one owns - the plane is listed on the license. That's what I took and have done my "Annuals" since 2010.

And no course at all is required to maintain or repair an E-LSA. Anyone can work on an Experimental without restriction.
 
Art VanDelay said:
I think with the new third class medical reforms the whole LSA concept becomes null and void.
Click to expand...

I'm afraid LSA is going to continue as if nothing has changed. There was a class of people who had medical concerns but they aren't as numerous as they used to be. And I thinnk I would prefer a new CTLS to an old 182 if I had $150k burning a hole in my pocket. It has a chute. Speed and payload are inferior, but livable. A good tradeoff for getting a new airplane instead of the junk the poors have to fly.

Consider this: the most numerous LSA sold in U.S. is a Carbon Cub for $230k. Show me a certificated spam can in the same class. You think the people who buy those cannot get them some 182s?
 
There is still a market for LSA aircraft,some pilots will buy ,just to have the fun of flying,in a newer aircraft VFR.
 
There were some nice airplanes at show. I was impressed how quiet some were. There were several at Sebring I wouldn't mind in my hanger. One plane I was particularly impressed with that was there, even though it wasn't a Lsa was the tecnam 2006t. That is a sweet little twin. Almost had my wife convinced it might need to come home with me!
 
Yeah guys but think of it - before the Med reform if you were on the bubble in terms of maintaining a medical and already had say a 182 or a Cirrus and you wanted to continue flying - LSA or powered sailplane were the only game in town.
Now you can keep your 182 or Cirrus and still keep flying. You don't need to trade down anymore like you did or would have before.
 
I guess we'll see, but I suspect things won't change all that much. Over the last few years there were typically around 200 new SLSAs registered, and around 400 additional sport pilots added to the total pilot count. Neither of those are big numbers, I'd be surprised if the medical redo has much of an effect.

Only time will tell.
 
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