Most Canadian pilots know about Sun ’n Fun and AirVenture but there’s another fairly major show that draws thousands to central Florida at the end of January. The Sport Aviation Expo at Sebring (the airport is right next to the famous race track) runs Jan. 24-27 and is aimed primarily at the lighter side of the GA but exhibitors run the gamut of industry players. While participants occasionally need a light jacket, the weather is a lot better than Canada’s in late January. There’s usually a good showing of Canadians at the show and among the founding exhibitors are Rotech Research, of Vernon, B.C., which distributes and services Rotax engines and Zenith Aircraft, the sister company to Midland, Ontario’s Zenair is particularly active at the show.

Zenith holds hands-on seminars on basic construction methods in which participants build the rudder from a standard kit. “The Zenith workshops are aimed at the first-time airplane builder and have become popular with sport aviation enthusiasts who are considering whether or not to build their own aircraft, but are unsure if they have the required skills, work-space and tools,” the company said in a news release. Participating…makes an excellent getaway for you and your spouse or a friend.”