Planes, Avionics, Flight Gear, Insurance... It's ALL There

It's almost here... AOPA Expo, which kicks off Thursday, November 9 in Palm Springs, CA. And word has it EVERYTHING that could be on a pilot's wish list -- from new aircraft to the latest avionics, from fly-in communities to flight training centers -- will be on display and available during the three-day event at the Palm Springs Convention Center in Palm Springs, CA.

The sold-out exhibit hall will open immediately following each general session. With more than 500 exhibitors, the hall includes aircraft manufacturers, avionics, flight gear, navigation tools, flight training services, and much more.

"AOPA Expo is a unique opportunity -- for both pilots and vendors," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "For pilots, just about anything they might be interested is available all under one roof. And for vendors, they've got the undivided attention of thousands of very interested potential customers."

All of AOPA's Member Products will be represented. There will be financing and tax specialists, charity and public service organizations such as Angel Flight and Civil Air Patrol, avionics manufacturers, and aviation software publishers. Shoppers can try out new headsets or "test drive" the latest GPS units.

In addition, Expo Platinum Sponsor DTC DUAT will sponsor an Internet Café that will be located inside the hall. Visitors are invited to stop by to check the weather before their flights, or check their e-mail.

And speaking of flying... if you're looking for a new aircraft, look no further than AOPA Expo. More than 80 aircraft will be on display for pilots and aviation enthusiasts to see up close at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

Headlining the display will be the AOPA Win a Six in '06 sweepstakes airplane, a 1967 Piper Cherokee Six. This will be the first public appearance for the Six following its new paint job and interior refurbishment (the plane is shown above in its pre-AOPA condition.)

The Win a Six plane also has new avionics and a newly overhauled engine. The state-of-the-art panel has a Sandel electronic horizontal situation indicator, a Garmin GNS 530 GPS, and an Avidyne EX500 multifunction display with satellite weather and traffic systems displayed on it, among many other panel upgrades.  A PS Engineering audio panel and entertainment system allows passengers to watch in-flight movies on three different screens.

The other aircraft on display represent a wide array of manufacturers: American Champion, Aerostar, Aviat, Columbia, Cirrus, Diamond, EADS Socata, Epic, Embraer, Liberty, Maule, Mooney, Pilatus, New Piper, Raytheon (Beechcraft), and Twin Commander. 

Homebuilders will also be VERY well represented. Glasair will have on display aircraft aimed at the home-builder market, as will Van's, and Velocity. And if fixed wings aren't your thing, Robinson Helicopters will showcase two of its models, as well.

The Eclipse 500 jet, Cessna Citation Mustang, and Adam A700 will also be on display... as will models from the new crop of light sport aircraft.   

See ya there!

FMI: www.aopa.org/expo