The South Carolina Aviation Association (SCAA) expects a large turnout for its first Southeast Aviation Show, SCAA President Eric Ramsdell said recently. The keynote speaker will be Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) President Craig Fuller.
Fuller will address the latest issues facing general aviation. “With the recent FAA shutdown, new proposed taxes on aircraft operations and other political issues surrounding aviation lately, he alone will draw many people with an interest in aviation,” stated Joe Frasher, Airport Director of the Greenville Downtown Airport, where the show will be held.
“In addition to a great speaker, two top publications in the U.S. for pilots, General Aviation News and Trade-A-Plane, are show sponsors that have advertised the event for months,” Ramsdell noted. “We are working very hard to make this event a huge success. In order to make it an annual event, it must really take off the this first year.”
The Southeast Aviation Show will be held Oct. 29 at the Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) in South Carolina. The event will showcase the latest aviation products, a static aircraft display and educational sessions.
Currently it has 34 booth displays and 20 static displays, and it keeps on growing, organizers note. On display will be a Cessna 172, Beechcraft Bonanza G36, Beechcraft Baron G58, Highlander, BMW cars, Land Rover SUVs, R44 Raven II 2009, PT-17 Stearman 41, Piper Meridian, Pilatus PC 12, Carbon Cub 55, Diamond aircraft, Cirrus aircraft, and more.
The growing list of exhibitors include: Aircraft Spruce and Specialty Co., Airwolf Aviation Services, Angel Flight, Applied Technical Services, BMW Performance Center, Century BMW, Champion Aerospace, Cirrus Aircraft Corp. , Civil Air Patrol, Premier Aircraft Sales, a Diamond aircraft dealer, Daher-Socata, Drumm Health Services, DTC DUAT Service, Dugger & Company, Eagle Aviation, a Cessna dealer, Eastern Aviation Fuels, Embry-Riddle University, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Fibrenew, Flight Design USA, Flight Standards District Office, Hope Aviation Insurance, Greenville/Camden/Donaldson Jet Centers, Hawker Beechcraft Corp., Just Aircraft, LLC, Lancair International, Land Rover Carolinas, Liberty University – School of Aeronautics, Med-Trans Corp/GHS Med Trans, Merrill Lynch, Michelin Aircraft Tire, Mint Air, Nationair Aviation Insurance, National Weather Service, P. F. Flyers, Pilots N Paws, Runway Cafe, S.C. Aviation Safety Council, S.C. Aeronautics Commission, Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, Shadowhawk Aviation, Skytech, Special Services Corporation, Stevens Aviation, SWT Aviation/CubCrafters, Tecnam North America, Tempest, Tempus Jets, Trade-A-Plane, US Trust, and Wings Over Greenville.
“The aviation community in the Southeast is very strong and we expect a great turnout for the first show,” stated Frasher.
You can register online. Admission is $5 for adults and kids and students are free.
The event has been marketed to many groups from high school guidance counselors all the way to experienced pilots. The show will offer something for everyone interested in aviation, organizers said. Education sessions will be held throughout the day. Aviation enthusiasts can learn how to become a pilot and experienced pilots can learn about latest technology. A listing of all the sessions can be found at SCAAOnline.com.
