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06/20/06 - HUNDREDS ATTEND CHICAGO-AREA EAA SPORT PILOT TOUR
EAA’s Sport Pilot Team spread the word about sport pilot/light-sport aircraft in the nation’s heartland Saturday, welcoming nearly 350 people to Chicagoland’s Lewis University Airport in Romeoville, Illinois.
EAA’s latest Sport Pilot Tour drew 13 ready-to-fly LSA examples, which were on display throughout the day with manufacturer’s reps standing ready to answer questions. EAA’s Ron Wagner gave attendees the sport pilot “skinny” during four well-attended presentations and answered a variety of questions from his audiences. EAA membership staff was also on hand, as was EAA Sport Pilot and Light Sport Aircraft Editor Mary Jones. Representatives of Blue Sky Aero flight school, located in nearby Morris, Illinois, also displayed the school’s Ikarus C42 at Lewis University.
Throughout the day, local FAA designated pilot examiner David Shadle issued 48 student sport pilot certificates, including one to A.J. Branson of Belvedere, Illinois. How he came to acquire that certificate showcased a true EAA moment.
Branson, whose 17th birthday was Saturday, wanted a student sport pilot certificate but was not an EAA member, so he didn’t qualify to receive the certificate for free. The EAA members present decided to give the would-be sport pilot a birthday present, collecting enough money to cover the cost of an annual membership so he could get his student pilot certificate that day for free.
Next on the tour schedule is Lakeville, Minnesota (Minneapolis area) on August 19 and North Andover, Massachusetts (Boston area) September 9. Between now and then, light-sport aircraft enthusiasts can see various LSA at the LSA Malls at the Arlington EAA Fly-In in Arlington, Washington, July 5-9, and EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006, July 24-30.
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Visitors at the EAA Sport Pilot Tour saw 13 aircraft
on display, including the Aeropro CZ EuroFox.
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Zenith Aircraft brought a Zodiac 601 XL.
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Flight Design's CT S-LSA.
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