Not a pilot, but think you might like to fly? Chances are you can do it, according to Ted Sanders, chairman of the Learn to Fly Discovery Center.

By the time the convention is over, Sanders estimates he and his crew will have introduced some 3,000 people to their potential to take to the air. "Basically, we take people who have an idea that maybe they could fly and show them how they can get into aviation," he said.

Sanders, like most of the volunteers who staff the center, is a flight instructor and a member of the National Association of Flight Instructors. "We’ve got pretty good expertise here," he said.

Various stations around the Learn to Fly pavilion explain such related subjects as weather, navigation, design, and performance. Frequent speakers introduce visitors to the potential for flying. There also is a light-sport airplane for visitors to examine, and a place for those who are interested to apply for their sport pilot student certificates.

Student certificates are available without the FAA issued third-class medical certificate and with little more than a driver’s license. A full sport pilot certificate can be earned in half the time it takes to obtain a private pilot certificate.

The Learn to Fly Discovery Center is located just west of AeroShell Square (Box #45 on the map). A list of presenters, times, and topics can be found in the Info Guide.