After being grounded last year because of COVID, the DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase (DSAS) is preparing to take off again in November.
Successful aviation events earlier this year in Lakeland, Florida, and Oshkosh, Wisconsin, make Jana Filip sure the three-day DeLand event will also soar.
“We’re working tirelessly to provide a record event so that we can finish up 2021 with a win — and to pave a solid path for a better future for the sport aviation world as we make our way to 2022 and much better times,” said DeLand Sport Aviation Administrator Filip in a news release.
The 2021 edition of the aviation showcase is poised for great things Nov. 11-13. This year, DSAS adds an Opening Day tribute to veterans, with complimentary admission for all vets on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
DSAS is an annual, three-day event that has a clear focus on recreational and sport aviation. It’s held on the DeLand Municipal Airport, and the weather in early November is perfect for a fun flying-centric weekend, the news release said.
The event is preparing for a record number of exhibitors featuring sport aircraft, ultralights, trikes, biplanes, rotorcraft, powered parachutes and paragliders, engines, avionics, pilot gear, and flight schools, as well as the latest sport aviation rage, STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) exhibitions.
According to the release, one of the keys to the success and prominence of the DSAS is the DeLand Municipal Airport itself — on a mission to become the center for sport aviation in the southeastern United States.
The airport is already home to U-Fly-It/Aerolite 103, BushCat by SkyReach, Rachel’s Jewelry, and East Coast Aircraft, as well as Chief Aircraft, AeroAdventure/WingBug, MT-Propeller, Skydive DeLand, and some 35 parachute-industry businesses. The DeLand showcase is bringing together aviation leaders, general aviation enthusiasts, and youth to enhance and promote aviation.
DSAS thanks returning Elite Sponsors Viking Aircraft Engines and Team Volusia Economic Development Corp., as well as new Elite Sponsor Seamax Aircraft. Sponsors AviNation, Aviators Hot Line, BushCat by SkyReach, and Gage Publications are a huge part of the DSAS experience, as well.
DeLand Municipal Airport has been building its Sport Aviation Village, a commerce park for the sport aviation industry, the news release said. Phases 1A and 1B are complete. Phase 1A includes six building sites for commercial-use hangars, and Phase 1B will see 20 additional T-hangars and three to four larger sites. Phases 2 and 3 offer sites for larger facilities.
Whether you’re looking for the best venue for all things sport aviation, or a home for your aviation business, the DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase and the DeLand Municipal Airport’s Sport Aviation Village are worth checking out, according to DSAS officials.
Online exhibitor registration is at s8.formsite.com/zgraph/deland-exhibitors/index.html.
Admission discounts and more are at www.sportaviationshowcase.com. For more information, call Filip at 386-626-7241 or email her at filipj@DeLand.
