July 2012
This spring was a whirlwind of activity as the intrepid PFA staff attended aviation shows as far-flung as Germany and Alaska. Shows are a great way for us to keep in touch with friends and colleagues. We also gain new members—and keep up with what’s new in the industry—by attending aviation shows. Just when you think everything that could be dreamt up has already been thought of, someone comes along with an innovation or a tweak that makes flying and owning a Piper safer, easier, more affordable, or in the case of some gizmos, just cooler. Here are some photos and our impressions from the spring aviation shows.
Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-in & Expo
March 27 – April 1, 2012
The show season always kicks off for us with the Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Fla. With its laid-back atmosphere and pretty grounds, this is one of my favorite shows. Thankfully this year’s show had near perfect weather. We had a good time reconnecting with old friends and making new connections.
We also had the pleasure of sharing cake with the staff at Piper Aircraft as they kicked off their 75th anniversary celebration at the show.
sun-n-fun.org
AERO Friedrichshafen
April 18 – 21, 2012
We’ve had European members in the association since the beginning, and it seemed fitting that we finally attend a show on their home turf. AERO takes place at Messe Friedrichshafen, a beautiful exhibition facility on the Friedrichshafen, Germany airport (FDH). This location is also the historic and current home of the Zeppelin factory and flights on a Zeppelin NT (for “New Technology”) were available to purchase.
The show is massive and features several buildings packed with exhibitors of all things aviation. PFA’s booth was in the North American Pavilion where we shared space with other companies from the United States and Canada. We were fortunate to work with Luann Alesio who helped us with all the details of exhibiting overseas.
The town of Friedrichshafen and surrounding countryside are lovely. Friedrichshafen sits on the shores of Lake Constance which borders Austria and Switzerland. A brief ferry ride can deliver you to either country or to other German towns on the lake. If you are looking for a way to combine your love of aviation with European travel, I highly recommend a trip to Friedrichshafen.
aero-expo.com
buchhorn.de
Alaska State Aviation Trade Show and Conference
May 5 – 6, 2012
Another show “first” for us this year was the Alaska State Aviation show in Anchorage. Renee Strouse, member services coordinator, and her husband, Jeff Strouse, pulled booth duty and attended the show on behalf of PFA. (Yeah, it’s a tough job!) The show was well attended, and Renee and Jeff both reported having a good time and connecting with fellow Piper flyers.
alaskaairmen.org
Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance
May 6, 2012
While the Concours d’Elegance is a car show rather than an aviation show, I’ve included it here as an idea for a fun day trip. Located about nine miles from the Santa Monica (Calif.) Municipal Airport (KSMO), this annual event features vintage cars and motorcycles, good food and drink, and tours of the historic Greystone Mansion.
Oh, and we still managed to find exhibitors with aviation watches, aviation books and aviation posters—and even had time to chat with our friend Randy Nelson from Swisstrax Corp., maker of flooring for garages and hangars. Seems if you look, you can always find a tie to aviation!
greystoneconcours.org
