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Sebring Airport Displays Sweepstakes Airplane

Jasmina Meyer, Highlands Today

John Hurst, general manager of Sebring Aviation, is displaying this Flight Design MC light sport aircraft which Experimental Aircraft Association will be raffling off during their annual fundraiser to benefit the Wisconsin organizationÕs Young Eagles program.

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: March 8, 2009

SEBRING - Light aircraft enthusiasts are stuffing the donation-box at Sebring Regional Airport for a chance to win a new light-sport aircraft in a national 2009 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Sweepstakes.

By going to the Sebring Airside Center at the Sebring Regional Airport, and for a suggested ticket price of a $1, they get a sweepstakes ticket for the new light-sport aircraft, valued at $129,823, said John Hurst, general manager of Sebring Aviation.

"The Sebring Regional Airport offered their terminal building to display the 2009 EAA Sweepstakes airplane, the all new Flight Design MC," said Hurst.

Sweepstakes tickets are available at the fuel desk inside the terminal building.

The German-designed MC (Metal Construction) is the first newly-introduced aircraft to be given away in the EAA's annual fundraiser, he said.

The job of disassembling and reassembling the plane inside the Sebring Regional Airport terminal was left to staff from Flight Design's Southeast U.S. distributor, Sebring Aviation, also known as Flight Design Southeast, the news release stated.

It took three men, including him, about a half a day to get the plane inside the terminal building and set up, Hurst said.

The MC aircraft was donated to the EAA by Flight Design of Germany and is offered as the grand prize for the 2009 EAA Sweepstakes, which benefits the Wisconsin organization's Young Eagles program, the news release stated.

The Young Eagles has introduced more than 1.4 million young people to flying.

"They take kids (ages 8 to 17) up for flights in light general aviation airplanes," said Hurst. There is a local Young Eagles chapter.

The kids' flights reportedly are free through the EAA.

"The EAA started out with guys working with kits at home designing and building aircraft and it has expanded to war-birds, antique airplanes and light sport airplanes," he said.

These light-sport aircraft are classified by their weight, speed and seating (1,320 maximum pounds at take-off, that doesn't exceed 120 knots or 138 mph, with two seats), he said.

The MC aircraft will be on display in the Sebring terminal building until Friday, April 17, when it will be removed and taken to Sun 'n Fun Fly-In 2009, in Lakeland, where it would be on display from April 21-26.

The MC is especially well suited to flight schools and any recreational pilot looking for a spacious, comfortable, easy to fly aircraft, said Hurst.

The aircraft is being produced in the Ukraine, he added.

Sebring Aviation ( www.sebring-aviation.com) represents Flight Design in seven southeastern states and is a member of the Lockwood Aviation family of companies.

The drawing to pick a winner of the new MC will be held Aug. 2 at AirVenture 2009, the large EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wis.

Tickets may also be obtained at www.airventure.org/sweepstakes .

Highlands Today reporter Joe Seelig can be reached at 863-386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com

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