Now available online is the daily schedule and NOTAM for the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, which is set for Jan. 14-17, at Sebring Regional Airport (SEF) in Florida.
More than 120 exhibitors are expected at the Expo, commonly known as the Sebring LSA Expo, displaying everything from headsets to tires to aircraft kits to ready-to-fly aircraft.
The Expo’s daily schedule, the current forum listing, the exhibitors’ showcase schedule, and the official FAA notice to airmen (NOTAM) for the event are now available online. Review them under the “Expo Information” heading.
Some of the events scheduled for the show include:
Air Park Day: Thursday, Jan. 15, is “Air Park Day” at the Expo, with George Gratton, a licensed real estate agent and airpark expert, presenting two forums at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. At each forum, attendees will be presented with a “dance card” and invited to visit all of the air park exhibitors on site. At 4 p.m., Gratton will host a “meet and greet” reception for those interested in airpark living, and he will award prizes to those with the most stamps on their card.
There is still time to help Sportair USA rename its Savage Cub and win an iPad Air with a one-year ForeFlight subscription. Three winners will be awarded their prizes at the Sebring Expo.
The Florida Aviation Network’s T-6 Texas Flight Raffle is also ongoing, with the winner to be announced Jan. 17 at the Expo. Raffle tickets are $10 each, six for $50, or 13 for $100. The winner will get a T-6 half-day experience with Stallion 51, including a 30-minute, hands-on flight. The raffle benefits the Florida Aviation Network’s movement to build a future for aviation in Florida. Learn more here.
Seaplane Splash-In: The Seaplane Pilots Association (SPA) will host a seaplane splash-in on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Lake Jackson adjacent to the Sunset Grille on Highway 27 in Sebring. Shuttle service is available from the Expo site to the seaplane base.
Additionally, SPA Executive Director Steve McCaughey will present a seaplane forum at 9:30 a.m. each day on the Expo site in Forum Area No. 4.
Keynote Speakers – Keynote speakers will give presentations every day at 1:30 p.m. in the Aviators Hot Line Show Center Tent. On Wednesday, Jan. 14, longtime AOPA Pilot feature writer Dave Hirschman will discuss how light-sport aircraft (LSA) have gone from the “fringe” to part of mainstream general aviation, and how the rest of the aviation industry hopes to emulate the LSA category in terms of technology and regulation as part of the rewrite of FAR Part 23.
On Thursday, January 15, the Expo will host a panel discussion moderated by Uncontrolled Airspace personality Jack Hodgson. The panel will discuss ways to keep aircraft ownership affordable and boost general aviation activity, as well as the pros and cons of various affordable aircraft options.
Panelists scheduled include: Charlie Becker, Homebuilding Community Manager, EAA; Tom Bliss, publisher, AVweb; Dan Johnson, president, Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association; Phil Lockwood, president, Lockwood Aviation; Brittany Miculka, senior manager, AOPA Pilot Community Development; and Drew Steketee, General Aviation News correspondent and former president of GA Team 2000 and Be-A-Pilot.
On Friday, Jan. 16, retired astronaut and entrepreneur Story Musgrave will talk about his experiences in space and his adventures since retiring from the astronaut corps. An astronaut for more than 30 years, Musgrave flew on six space flights, performed the first shuttle spacewalk, and was the lead spacewalker on the Hubble Telescope repair mission.
On Saturday, Jan. 17, United States Air Force Colonel Richard Graham (Ret.) will share insights from his involvement with the SR-71 Blackbird program. Graham spent seven years as an SR-71 Blackbird pilot, followed by several years as an SR-71 instructor. Once shrouded in secrecy, many of the details of this spy plane and the program surrounding it have now been declassified, and Col. Graham will share his personal experiences.