SEBRING, Florida — The U.S. Sport Aviation Expo kicks off today, offering a variety of aviation experiences from drones to demo flights, as well as the chance to drive various automobiles on the iconic Sebring Raceway.
According to Expo organizers, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicles will be available for a test drive experience on the raceway Wednesday through Friday, Jan. 25-27, 2017.
Drivers can register on site during the four-day event and receive a complimentary gift while supplies last. Drivers must be at least 18 years old, pass a breathalyzer, and present a valid driver’s license. Street test drives will be available on Saturday, Jan. 28.
Also featured at the Expo will be a Drone Race, with the audience watching from in the round, sitting in a huge net in the middle of the track.
“Racing drones will fly all around and directly over the spectator’s heads with this original and unique track design. At the same time, live camera views will be displayed on monitors for the spectators, along with scoring and a professionally produced live broadcast,” said Rhett Jarrett, Drone Zone co-chair.
The race runs in conjunction with the first-ever MultiGP sanctioned drone race at an aviation event, according to organizers. The top pilots from the main race will qualify to compete for the Hobbico-sponsored $5,000 prize purse on Saturday, Jan. 28. The Drone Race will feature Hobbico’s RISE Vusion Extreme FPV Race Pack.
“What’s unique about the Vusion Spec Race is that it levels the playing field by enabling everyone to race with the same out-of-the-box-ready FPV drone,” said Hobbico Air Team Manager Josh Schiff. “It’s going to be a true test of skill in this Spec Race because it’s just you and your flying ability against other pros of the sport.”
In addition to the Spec Race, flight demonstrations will take place indoors daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and “Fly-A-Drone” workshops will be on the hour, every hour.
Expo will be demonstrating both the professional, and recreational sides of the drone world, organizers note. Drone experts from all over the U.S. will be presenting forums on many aspects of drone ownership, Part107, 333, 336 safe effective operations and business management.
Of course, the annual sport aviation event also features sport aircraft, conventional aircraft, kit planes, powered parachutes, trikes, gyros, amphibians, and more.
That afterthought last line really sums it up.
Reads;
“Of course, the annual sport aviation event “also features sport aircraft?”
Also features?
Although I agree with the other comments regarding poor reporting on GA’s article here,
the expo itself was a watered down tribute to LSA. The events LSA marketing was woeful.
Pushing bottom dollar draws for the gate I understand, but I resent LSA being the afterthought this year’s expo represented. Sebring has a great idea with this new layout and aviation expo theme, but they need to change the name to Sebring Airport Expo to match the events location.
There was very little of this events marketing that embraced Light Sport Aviation anywhere.
The sport aviation exhibitors paid their way there but got less than 10% of the marketing or free ad attention. Actually, what little advertising was out there for the event just repeated articles and ads pushing drones, Jeep or car rides. Even rides in a M*A*S*H like helicopter or stearman got coverage. Never saw even the first ad for the majority of light sport exhibitors or their aircraft unless they were lucky enough to get an mention when they signed up for the 2017 event or be skyrunner.
No doubt 100% of the expo was fun, unfortunately 70% of the event had absolutely nothing to do with light sport aviation. I am not alone in this observation. Expo was great, but this the new direction no longer fits a sport aviation expo event. Change the name or change the marketing team.
This is truly a disappointing article. So many exciting things happening at Sebring in the world of general aviation (as in…”General Aviation News”) have been displaced by thinly veiled Chrysler and Hobbico sponsorships.
Seems you’ve reduced the reporting on the Sebring Sport Aviation Expo to a report on drones and car test drives about which I have absolutely no interest and find the subject matter quite boring and foreign to Sport Aviation. I hope the reporting soon returns to all things related to LSA airplanes.