Friday, September 18, 2009

LSA Show UP EAST!

Last weekend, under popcorn-cloud, clear blue skies, the Greater Boston EAA Chapter 106 put on a doozy of a local LSA air show that drew several hundred folks.
By my count 11 LSA models represented the industry, including the FPNA Valor (left), Flight Design CTLS (cockpit, right, with a guest and FD rep John Lampson looking on), and the Terrafugia proof-of-concept Transition “roadable” aircraft, in it’s final public appearance as work has begun on the Beta version. BTW...it drove in. ;-)
The show was held at the lovely Lawrence Muni airport (good name) in Andover, MA, just north of Boston.
The chapter created an enthusiastic, well-attended event that will stand as a good model for how to make it happen on the local level: pilots talking to pilots, not a big splashy corporate thang. Some demo flights, a local biplane ride vendor, and terrific food (bkfst or lunch, all you could eat for $5 or $7 - now we’re talking!)
In addition to those shown and mentioned here and below, LSA that flew in included the
Vans RV12, Sport Cruiser, Aerotrek A240 and Highlander Sport.
There were informative seminars too - a great idea for any gathering. Joe Monaco talked about LetsFly, a shared ownership program that I’ve written about for my Light Sport Chronicles column in dead tree Plane & Pilot (two issues from now). Carl Dietrich, CEO of the Terrafugia Transition roadable car project, updated us on that program.
And Lou Mancuso of Mid Island Air Service gave a thorough talk on buying and flying LSA. His FBO on Long Island is actively engaged in training and rentals with several LSA models.

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