27 April 2013
As AERO fulfils its position as the biggest and best GA expo in Europe, it’s great to see so many UK companies making their mark at the event. We caught up with just a few of them to see what they like about AERO.
Transair’s Tom Maloney commented that among the products that have proven particularly popular have been the Nomex flight suits, leather flying jackets and the Transair VFR charts. “It’s interesting that the customers here are generally younger than at UK shows and come with a much clearer idea of exactly what they want. It generally is a good event for us and this year’s proved to be no exception.”
<a href=’http://www.transair.co.uk’ target=’_blank’>www.transair.co.uk</a>
Paul Hendry-Smith of The Light Aircraft Company was at the show to exhibit his new German-registered microlight version of the Sherwood Ranger, available at the show for £15,000 as a kitbuild and £60-65 as a finished aircraft. “We’ve had a lot of interest from local pilots and have sold two models so far,” explained Paul. “It’s just such a pity that red tape means we can’t supply this microlight version of the aircraft on the British market.”
<a href=’http://www.g-tlac.com’ target=’_blank’>www.g-tlac.com</a>
Red-Air’s Macolm Stewart was also celebrating a successful sale at AERO, with an order for his C42B to be used as a glider tug. “This is always a great show for us and this sale makes it even better,” said Malcolm. “I should add that the order is on condition of the aircraft receiving it glider tug approval, but I’m very confident that will be through shortly.”
<a href=’http://www.red-air.co.uk’ target=’_blank’>www.red-air.co.uk</a>
Adams Aviation has enjoyed a strong presence at AERO for a number of years now, with its main business at the event being a combination of sale to individuals and B2B deals. One of its most popular products this year was the TS10 550N engine, which apparently has been attracting visitors to their stand by offering an alternative to the 520 engine for the Cirrus, offering an increase of between 25-50hp.
<a href=’http://www.adamsaviation.com’ target=’_blank’>www.adamsaviation.com</a>
Another regular exhibitor at AERO, Trig Avionics commented that it has received a massive amount of interest in its 8.33kHz radio and that a lot of time on the stand has been spent educating visitors about the requirements for fitting these comms. For more on the requirements for 8.33 radios, take a look at the April issue of FLYER.
<a href=’http://www.trig-avionics.com’ target=’_blank’>www.trig-avionics.com</a>
William Moore of Airbox, meanwhile, said that for him the strength of AERO is that it’s the only show which attracts pilots from all over Europe and as such it offers exhibitors the chance to show their products and what they can do to a wide range of people.
<a href=’http://www.airboxaero.com’ target=’_blank’>www.airboxaero.com</a>
Sebastian Pooley of Pooleys Flight Equipment echoed William’s comments, saying, “It’s been a really good show; it’s the fact that we can bring these products to a broader European market and give pilots access to products that they don’t otherwise get. This year in particular we’ve noticed that the visitors have come from further afield than in previous years.”
<a href=’http://www.pooleys.com’ target=’_blank’>www.pooleys.com</a>
For Nicholson McLaren AERO offered a valuable opportunity strengthen their position in Europe as well as offering a shop front for what the company can offer a wide range of pilots.
Andrew Blundell of Vertigo Covers also recognised the B2B potential of the event, stating that AERO allows him to show his products to a wide base of customers, both pilots and companies.
<a href=’http://www.vertigocovers.co.uk’ target=’_blank’>www.vertigocovers.co.uk</a>
Finally, as for FLYER – the only UK magazine with a stand at the event – it’s been a great event for all of the team. Thanks to everyone for calling by and saying hello. We’ll certainly be back next year. As for the immediate future, next weekend is the Popham Microlight Fair – we’ll see you there.
<a href=’http://www.flyer.co.uk’ target=’_blank’>www.flyer.co.uk</a>
