Zenith Aircraft Kit Building Workshop Returns to Florida: December 1 & 2, 2023

Zenith Aircraft Company is returning to Florida in early December to host its popular hands-on kit aircraft building workshop class. The workshop will be held December 1 & 2, 2023, on the Sun ’n Fun Expo campus (home of the annual Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo each year in April).

Registration for the workshop class in now open. Space is limited so register early to secure your space.

The Florida workshop will start on Friday morning, December 1st. The hands-on workshop class is aimed primarily at the first-time Zenith kit airplane builder, and has become popular with sport aviation enthusiasts who are considering to build their own aircraft and are unsure if they have the required skills, workspace and tools. During the workshop each participant builds and assembles their own Zenith aircraft rudder tail section from a standard Zenith kit, typically completed at the end of the first day.

The Sun ‘n Fun Expo campus in central Florida (conveniently located between Tampa and Orlando) is the “perfect time and place” to bring the Zenith workshops back to Florida this year, according to Sebastien Heintz, Zenith Aircraft’s president.

In the process of building the rudder assembly, participants tackle many activities including learning how to read drawings (blueprints) and work with assembly instructions (manuals) under the expert guidance of experienced staff. They learn the procedures for putting together an aircraft assembly, including drilling and riveting. In the end, they have an assembled rudder that is ready to install on a Zenith kit airplane.

“The rest of the kit is constructed the same way as the rudder, using the same tools,” said Sebastien Heintz, president of Zenith Aircraft Company. “People get far more out of the workshop than just a finished aircraft rudder: they go home with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to build their own airplane. Most importantly, they learn that kit building is enjoyable and something that can engage the whole family. Many of our prospective builders bring their spouses or other family member. With modern technology and good instructions, aircraft construction has become much easier than most people think, and our workshop classes are good examples of this: most participants now complete the rudder kits during the first day.”

The hands-on workshop is an excellent way to learn about building your own amateur-built kit aircraft and about the many advantages of owning and flying an airplane that you’ve built yourself. For many, building an aircraft (from a kit) is a very rewarding experience, and today’s modern kits make it easier and quicker to build than even before.
Standard workshop fees are just $375.00 (or $425 for the CH 750 Super Duty model) and include the complete rudder kit for a Zenith aircraft. Additional helpers, such as spouses or other family member, are encouraged to attend and can participate for free. To learn more about the workshop program, visit zenithair.com or call Zenith Aircraft directly: (573) 581-9000 (Mon – Fri, 8 – 5 Central). Prior registration is required for the rudder workshop class and workshop size is limited.

On Saturday, December 2nd, we'll host an informal regional Zenith fly-in gathering on the Sun 'n Fun campus. All Zeniths are invited to fly in for the day’s activities, and enthusiasts and current builders are invited to drive in or fly in to attend.
Zenith planes flying in will be parked in front of Sun 'n Fun Expo Hangar A and/or B. Contact Andy Ovans of Sun 'n Fun at 920-217-4205 for details about flying in.

Representatives from several engine companies are expected to participate to share information and details about engines installations in Zenith kit airplanes. We'll provide more details of the Zenith fly-in gathering as we near the event date.

The "Spirit of Lakeland" Zenith CH 750 Cruzer was built at Sun 'n Fun by local youth and mentors, and is equipped with hand controls (for pilots with disabilities) and has the repositionable "un-panel" (with a Garmin G3X and and iPad). Sun 'n Fun has started work on another CH 750 Cruzer, the "Fly it Forward" Zenith, in the Buehler Hangar, the same hangar where the workshop class will be held.

Last year's Florida workshop event was held at the Wheels & Wings facility in northern Florida (Cannon Creek Airpark in Lake City).

Watch this video from last year's event, and check out this video report from Experimental Aircraft Channel of the workshop and activities.

See the video from the 2020 event

Once again, Zenith Aircraft Co. will be traveling to Florida from Missouri in the Zenith cargo van, allowing the company to also deliver kits to builders along the way to central Florida from the kit factory in central Missouri. Let us know if we can deliver a kit or component kit to you on the way to or from Florida in early December!

Registration for the workshop class in now open: https://www.zenithair.co/zenithstore/product/december-workshop-flor...

Space is limited so register early to secure your space.