Poberezny To Attend Flabob Tour Stop On December 2

The new, exciting way to get involved in flying with less time and expense is coming to Southern California early next month, when EAA's Sport Pilot Tour arrives at Flabob Airport in Riverside on Saturday, December 2, and Brown Field in San Diego on Saturday, December 9. Both tour stops will feature informative tour sessions and exhibits, interactive forums, and some of the brand-new, ready-to-fly light-sport aircraft on the market today.

The tour has already made successful stops in other major cities over the past year, including Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Boston. Each stop shows people how they can get into the sky as a pilot with less time and expense than they ever thought possible. The EAA says sport pilot cuts the cost and training in half for basic recreational flying.

"Now is the time for the many people who have dreamed of learning to fly or have wanted to get back into aviation at an affordable level," said Ron Wagner, EAA Field Relations Manager and self-professed 'sport pilot guru.' "Sport pilot was introduced to reduce the time and cost traditionally associated with flying and the infrastructure for your success is rapidly taking shape. The EAA Sport Pilot Tour opens the possibilities of personal flight to individuals and lets them know how to get started. There are light-sport aircraft on-site that can help you discover exciting ways to take to the sky."

The December 2 stop will be held at the EAA Chapter 1 facility in Riverside, CA while the December 9 tour stop will be at the EAA Chapter 14 hangar at Brown Field. Directions are available at FMI link below.

Attendees at the Flabob stop will also be able to spend some time with EAA President Tom Poberezny. While no formal presentation is planned, Poberezny says he’s looking forward to meeting EAA members, aviation enthusiasts, and light-sport aircraft exhibitors. He'll be on the field from 9:30 am to noon.

Among the activities at the Sport Pilot Tour stops are:

• Forums that explain what you need to begin realizing your own dream of flight;
• EAA experts who will answer your questions on how to get started;
• Aircraft that are available right now for fun flying, at less than half the cost of a traditional small aircraft
• Representatives from EAA and its local chapters, who can show you the fun, flying and friendship waiting for you in the world’s largest recreational aviation organization.
• In addition, EAA will issue sport pilot student certificates at the event, at no charge to EAA members.

EAA worked with the FAA for more than a decade to create a category of pilots and aircraft that meets the needs of those who fly purely for recreation. The sport pilot program accommodates the wide spectrum of aviation enthusiasts, ranging from the non-pilot to an experienced aviator looking for a simple, back-to-basics, way to enjoy flying.

"We’ll be showing our members, other aviators, and the public that this is an exciting time for recreational aviation, which is rapidly moving to the fore as an affordable outdoor-adventure pastime," said Wagner, who has met and talked with thousands of aviation enthusiasts about sport pilot during the past year.

FAA will participate with EAA during these tour stops, giving credit for "Wings" safety seminar attendance for participating in Sport Pilot Tour safety programs related to light-sport aviation. Other tour highlights include sport pilot forums, education for flight instructors, plus light-sport aircraft manufacturer displays and demonstrations.

FMI: www.sportpilot.org