GAN’s own Jamie Beckett featured at DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase

DELAND, Florida — General Aviation News columnist Jamie Beckett will be featured at the third annual DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase, which is slated for Nov. 1-3, 2018, at DeLand Municipal Airport.

“Coffee with Jamie” will feature Jamie Beckett, who is also the Florida ambassador for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), who will be on hand to chat with folks about a variety of AOPA programs, including You Can Fly, Rusty Pilots, high school STEM programs, scholarships, and more.

More than 100 exhibitors will be at the show, which bills itself as “Focused on Flying for FUN!”

Aircraft on display at the showcase include sport airplanes, amphibians, ultralights, rotorcraft and trikes, powered parachutes and paragliders, and “virtually every kind of experimental aircraft,” organizers note. Exhibitors touting avionics, engines, flight schools, tools, insurance, aviation handcrafted jewelry, pilot gear, and more also will be on hand.

Forums, workshops, demonstrations

The DeLand Showcase also will be hosting educational forums presented by industry experts, with many of the sessions eligible for Wings/FAA credits.

Keynote speakers include Paul Dye, editor of KITPLANES Magazine and the longest tenured flight director in NASA history, Gary Reeves, Master Flight Instructor and Chief Safety Pilot for PilotSafety, and Eric Burris, meteorologist, pilot, and personality at Orlando’s WESH Channel 2 News.

A hands-on workshop by Zenith Aircraft will allow attendees of all ages to take part in the building of parts for an actual aircraft. Workshops include a fuselage and wing build, as well as a specialized rudder workshop for those wishing to build a rudder to take home.

New to the DeLand Showcase is Plane Clean Detailing, performing on-site demonstrations of its cleaning process for aircraft owners. Twice daily, Plane Clean Detailing will be doing aircraft detailing demonstration, showing the do’s and do-not’s of cleaning your aircraft properly.

Attendees can purchase one-day tickets or three-day event passes 0nline, with a 20% discount if purchased online prior to Oct. 1, 2018.

Saturday at Showcase 2018 is “Student Day” with free admission for all students. On this day, the workshops, demonstrations, and forums are geared towards the student pilot.

The Flying Musicians Association, performing live music daily in the Show Center Tent, will also be providing a scholarship opportunity for musicians who want to become pilots.

The Showcase offers on-site concessions and underwing camping for visitors who fly in for the event.