Page 15 - Volume 16 Number 1

At the airport’s Airfest display, entertainment and activities attracted pilots and enthusiasts alike. Among the new aircraft at the airport were a sleek new low- wing all-metal LSA, the Bristell, built in the Czech Republic. Blackhawk was busy demonstrating the capabilities of the XP42A 850- shp modification to the Cessna Caravan 208B, Socata’s TBM850 with the company’s Centennial paint job was on the ramp, Hawker Beechcraft showed its C90GT, G58 and G36 models and Pilatus, Kestrel, Epic and Avanti turboprops were on hand. Cessna had its CJ4 and the entire propeller line, from Caravan to Skycatcher, and the Total Eclipse, Phenom 100 and Cirrus SJ-30 light jets were displayed. Despite the sodden environs, a steady flow of attendees kept vendors busy.The 2011 Summit’s attendance was reported at 7,000 by the end of the convention, with another 17,000 keeping up with live streaming coverage on line. In 2007, when AOPA’s Hartford convention was still called “Expo”, nearly 10,000 attended in summer-like conditions; had the weather been better, this year’s total would have similar. The 2012 AOPA Aviati•on Summit will be held in Palm Springs, California, October 11 to 13. T&TJANUARY 2012TWIN & TURBINE • 13