Sun ‘n Fun closed in style over the weekend with a reported 5 percent uptick in traffic compared to last year’s show, according to organizers. Reports from companies attending the show varied. While all reported a drop-off in overall foot traffic, a number of them told Flying that the quality of the folks who stopped by to talk was very positive.
Sporty’s VP John Zimmerman said traffic at the booth, where the company was taking orders for a number of hot products, including a new ADS-B/AHRS unit, was slower than usual but that the business was good. A number of airframe companies echoed that sentiment, and there were even reports of airplanes being sold at the show, including one by Socata, which sold a TBM Elite. Redbird Flight Simulations’ Charlie Gregoire told Flying that sales of its Jay desktop flight simulator were “very good,” and that there was a steady stream of traffic at AOPA’s pavilion, where it was demoing the Jay to prospective customers.
