ByDanJohnson.com

When the Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo launched back in 2004 — the same year the SP/LSA regulation was released — the central Florida location began serving a then-new aviation segment. For 15 years this show grew and prospered …until it ended in 2019. (Sebring’s timing now appears foresightful because the next year, 2020, started the world down the Covid path that put enormous financial pressure on other events.)

Sebring Expo accomplished its principal goal for the race-city airport: to put it on the aviation map in a definitive way. Led by longtime airport manager Mike Willingham, Sebring enjoyed a remarkable run and the young LSA industry benefitted greatly from their event. If you’re curious about how and why Sebring called it quits, check this first and second article on the subject.

Not long after Sebring first opened its visitor gates, another small event started in the unlikely town of Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Lead by longtime airport manager Chris Collins, the Midwest LSA Expo began in 2009. LSA had existed barely five years at that point but the apparently-inexhaustible Chris won over many vendors and visitors with his exceedingly helpful and friendly crew. Everybody loves Chris and his volunteer Orange Shirters.

Longtime Magni Gyroplane dealer Greg Gremminger featured a whole line at Midwest 2022.

In several of its final years, Sebring was administrated by Jana Filip, who won points from everyone for putting on a first-class, professional event. Jana later went on to develop the DeLand Showcase event. Now, she is teaming up with Chris and I’m willing to bet this will further help cement “Midwest” as one of the country’s important shows, certainly for those of us who like light aircraft.

This year, 2023, Midwest will match longevity with Sebring. Assuming it continues into 2024 and beyond, Midwest will become the “grandaddy” of these sector-specific shows. If you haven’t attended (or exhibited) perhaps 2023 is the year you should start.

Fifteen Years, and Counting

“Here We Grow,” asserted Jana for Midwest! “This will be the 15th Annual Midwest LSA Expo. Dates are set for September 7th–9th, Thursday through Saturday.”

Held annually at the Mt. Vernon Outland Airport (KMVN), Midwest is focused on showcasing all things light aviation. Although the event serves the LSA, Sport Pilot-eligible kit-built aircraft and 103 ultralight communities, all segments of aviation are welcome.

Indeed last year, the KR builders group held their event concurrently on the same grounds (nearby image from 2022). It makes for a nice crossover.

One of the most desirable aspects of the Midwest LSA Expo at Mt. Vernon (KMVN) is the opportunity to demo fly aircraft. For my work, it’s the #1 event to fly and photograph aircraft. In this view Tom Gutman Sr. and Jr. of Airtime Aviation fly Flight Design CT-series models for a photo shoot.

“A show known for its hospitality, charm, and aircraft sales, the intent for the 15th annual show is simply to make it bigger and better! The Midwest LSA Expo will remain the same ‘hometown-feel’,” Chris assured. “Visitors will simply have more goods, services, and activities to enjoy!”

Chris was pleased to partner with sport aviation show specialist, Jana Filip. “She will be concentrating on new and returning exhibitors, increased promotions, along with more media presence, and a tremendously enhanced attendee experience,” added Chris. “Midwest Expo welcomes the vast show experience, talents, and wide array of relationships Jana will bring to Mt. Vernon!”

“Midwest Expo will feature the best of the best in the sport aircraft communities to include Light-Sport Aircraft, ultralights, kit planes, powered parachutes, powered paragliders, trikes, gyroplanes, amphibians and more,” said Chris.

“Jana will be concentrating on the addition of avionics, engines, propellers, aircraft supplies and pilot gear for the shopping enjoyment of the aviation enthusiast,” he added. “Forums, workshops, and keynote speakers are also being organized, and again this year demo flights will be available all day, every day for those shopping for a new aircraft.”

If you live within range — people travel from all over the USA and even foreign countries — Midwest Expo offers free admission, free parking, and free camping. Based around the terminal building at KMVN, visitors will find a very popular restaurant (seriously, local residents regularly fill the place). In addition, forums are held indoors plus everyone appreciates clean, proper restrooms.

“Stay tuned as we work to spin the 2023 Expo onto our website, and we will provide more information in the coming weeks,” Jana advised. “Exhibitor Registration will be forthcoming soon, and we will also keep you apprised of developing news via our website and Facebook page as we roll forward towards the 15th annual Midwest LSA Expo.”

One last personal observation: Chris and crew have evidently found the right weekend as weather has been pleasant most years. It’s warm but not hot and usually offers plenty of sunshine and blue skies.

Midwest Expo 2023 will again be a must-go event. It’s currently the only show of its kind in the U.S. I’ll be present. You?!

ARTICLE LINKS:

• Midwest LSA Expo, event website
• 15th annual Midwest LSA Expo — September 7-9, 2023 — Thursday thru Saturday
• Jana Filip email, for exhibitor and other information about Midwest ’23
• Sebring Expo shut-down articles, on this website

Photo by Vickie Betts of Powered Sport Flying magazine and LAMA‘s membership manager.

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These new-millennia flying machines have inspired multiple names. While an eventual winner is determined, a common handle seems to be the rather awkward “eVTOL” — for electric vertical takeoff and landing. A range of abbreviations are also used: UAV, UAM, UAS, autonomous aircraft, and several others. I like multicopter — because all of them involved multiple propellers doing the lifting.

Most commonly, you hear “drone.”

Yet “drone” is further confusing because we haven’t separated crewed aircraft from uncrewed aircraft and this is a major distinction. FAA has also made this separation, so for this article, I will only speak of crewed aircraft, that is, a flying machine with a pilot using controls to direct its flight. In addition, I will also stick solely to single place aircraft that can theoretically qualify as a legitimate Part 103 ultralight vehicle.

Let me first extend a quick thanks to IEEE’s Spectrum magazine for making me aware of entries I’d missed. You can read their article on Opener’s BlackFly; it’s quite interesting.

Only Part 103 Candidates

I’ve discovered five current-day entries seeking to go to market using FAR Part 103 (PDF). They aren’t alone. I’ve written about others with a similar goal: Jetson One, Kitty Hawk Flyer, and Scorpion. Except for Jetson that remains a player, the others evidently saw greener turf runways elsewhere.

The Spectrum article refers to 350 aircraft developments in the eVTOL field, spanning 48 countries. How many will make it to market and succeed? When will public acceptance allow executives to zip over urban congestion in their buzzing contraptions? Will FAA ever finish regulating them? All these questions are unknown.

However, if asked to bet on any near-term success, I’d guess it will be a Part 103-qualifying “recreational multicopters” because anything larger remains years away, perhaps decades. Therefore, in this article, I will only touch on some genuine 103 entries. Not all will succeed but one or two might show us the way forward.

All models featured here are single-seat aircraft that may possibly qualify for Part 103 regulations. Two of these companies, Lift Aircraft and Opener, have engaged LAMA to form a Technical Standards Committee (TSC) to evaluate their compliance with aviation’s simplest rule. (So far, so good.) Jetson is a Swedish company with unknown plans to use TSC approval. Ohio-based Ryse claims to be pursuing 103 status for aircraft aimed at farmers and ranchers. Alauda from Australia appears focused on a crewed electric racing machine (who knew, right?). As I’ve already written about Jetson, Lift’s Hexa (Texas), and BlackFly (California), I’ll refer to those articles and give only fresh information here.

All companies are linked throughout the article. If these catch your fancy, please contact the companies directly. I will only be writing about these aircraft more extensively once they are actually for sale on the open market.

Forget Walter Mitty;
Rev Up Your George Jetson

Ryse Aero — In the words of its developer, the vehicle named Recon has a water landing system (a similar argument used by Lift’s Hexa) with “six independent outrigger floats and two fuselage floats for landing with a 250-pound occupant.” The floats are a key component as the use of multiple floats gives Recon a weight allowance it requires. Is this working around the rules? Nope, even FAA is ready to sign off on such projects.

Recon is compact (like all of these), only 15.5 feet long, 7.5 feet wide, and just under five feet tall. It weighs a reported 286 pounds, though more detail was not available.

“Powered by six electric motors, the carbon-blade propellers spin at 2,000 rpm and when flying it’s not very loud,” claimed the company. Mick Kowitz, CEO and founder of Ryse Aero, is also quick to point out how easy it is to fly, noting that with as little as 45 minutes of training a user can be in the air. As with all 103 multicopter entries, redundant computer controls help a novice pilot fly without incident …or at least that’s the claim. Consider this…

“It’s easier to operate a flying ATV than you think — or, at least it was for me. That’s not a humblebrag either. It was designed so any idiot like me — who backs up into his recycling bin every time he pulls out of the driveway — can jump in and use it,” wrote Tony Ho Tran for the Daily Beast. Is it a good thing that a complete newbie can get in and fly one of these?

Beyond first-time pilots, Ryse Aero aims to help the agricultural community with a lot of acreage to monitor. The U.S. start-up is working on a single-seat eVTOL vehicle that could be operated by farmers, winemakers, or park rangers with minimal training under the FAA’s Part 103 rules. No pricing has been announced at this time.

More Info: Ryse Aero

Alauda Aeronautics — Ryse seems to have conventional ambitions — at least for a multicopter developer — but Alauda does not.

Based in Australia, Alauda Aeronautics said, “[We are] building performance electric flying cars” and “racing to deliver a revolution in personal air mobility so everyone will own a flying car.” On their website, information is very sparse but they quickly introduce the reader to Airspeeder, the “world’s first series for electric flying cars.” While their website suggests Alauda also has more orthodox goals, they appear focused on air racing vehicles. Alauda supports Airspeeder developer Mike Pearson as he forms a new league.

He wrote, “From the dawn of the age of the motor car, it has been racing that pushes innovation. We have Formula 1 to thank for the key performance and safety innovations we take for granted today.” He added, “Our mission is to build the ultimate performance flying car [that] will define a new mobility revolution.”

Alauda’s all-electric aircraft, which is expected to have a range of 25 miles and a Part 103-compliant top speed of 63 mph, could be used for tasks such as inspecting crops and rounding up livestock, goals similar to those expressed by Ryse Aero.

So few facts are available that it is impossible to evaluate if Alauda can meet Part 103’s Advisory Circular AC-103-7 (this is the document successfully used by Lift and Opener to obtain FAA’s blessing on their Part 103 ambitions).

More Info: Alauda Aeronautics

Jetson — Hailing from Sweden, Jetson has been generating tons of good press longer than most others and has attracted tens of millions to watch its promotional videos.

Jetson reported their Jetson One is “built to comply with existing FAA regulations,” though they don’t state which rule. We presume Part 103 as anything higher on the certification scheme is not yet ready for market. However, unlike Lift and Opener, they have not reached out to LAMA for TSC confirmation.

Whatever their long-term strategy, Jetson said this, “The entire 2022 and 2023 production is sold out, but we are accepting orders for 2024 delivery.” Whoa! Sold out through this year? According to their website, this translates to 226 units ordered. Not bad before the first shipment has been made.

What will one of these machines set you back? “A down payment of $22,000 is required [at the time of ordering]. A final payment of $70,000 when your Jetson One is ready for delivery at the factory.” Does $92,000 sound affordable to you?

To see what I’ve had to say about Jetson before, see this article.

More Info: Jetson

Lift Aircraft Hexa — This Texas company has some of the most intriguing ideas I’ve seen in this space. I know this entry a bit more than the others as I served on the TSC that evaluated their Hexa for compliance to Part 103. Yes, thanks to — count ’em — no less than seven floats (six satellite floats on each gear pylon plus one fuselage float), Hexa gets enough extra weight allowance that even with 18 motors and 18 batteries (under each motor), it can qualify as a Part 103 ultralight vehicle. Speeds are controlled by computer.

Distance and location are also computer controlled and that’s perfect for Lift’s initial plan.

You don’t care how much this one costs (it would be over $300,000, they suggest) because Lift doesn’t plan to sell it to you. They will rent it at one of their “vertiports.” Planning several around the country, you can show up, pay the fee, sign the waiver, and take an hour’s instruction before you go fly your own Hexa solo, for your first-ever multicopter flight. The aircraft will be geo-fenced to contain its lateral movement and a safety pilot will stand by to take over if you somehow manage to overwhelm the computer controls.

I’ll tell you what… if Lift offers a flight near me, I’ll do it. Will you?

More Info: Lift Aircraft

Opener BlackFly — The one aircraft of all these that we’ve seen fly at Oshkosh (not one year but two) is BlackFly. To aviators, this is a kind of proof the others have yet to demonstrate. In the January 2023 issue of Sport Aviation, members can read a lengthy article about BlackFly and their performance at EAA’s big summer celebration of flight.

“Traffic congestion and long commutes are two leading causes of stress and reduction in quality of life,” believes Opener. “Countless hours are wasted on roads each day, idling in traffic, time that could be better spent with family and friends.” Who can argue yet range anxiety and a lack of experience flying this unorthodox aircraft may hold back buyers. That’s OK as it is often “early adopters” that start the trend.

“Our vehicles are intended to liberate the public from the restrictions of two-dimensional road travel by opening up a new world of untethered three-dimensional flight,” said Opener. “Compact and simple, our vehicles are pioneering a new era of stress-free travel.”

Do you want to commute to work in your BlackFly? If it arrives on market as promised for the price of “luxury SUV,” that might mean your commuter aircraft will sell for under $100,000. If so, would you consider that affordable?

Here’s what I wrote earlier about BlackFly.

More Info: Opener

So, Should They?
…sell multicopters as “103s”?

Pilots outside the Part 103 space (which means most pilots) often raise an eyebrow at the phrase, “No pilot’s license required.” In several conversations, I’ve sensed considerable discomfort from many such aviators. Look, I get that we’re all proud of the effort we put into acquiring each certificate level of aviation knowledge and we may be disturbed by the idea of flying with others who have no formal training.

The guy who can have anything, including a flight into space on his own rocket, Jeff Bezos checks out Lift’s Hexa as Lift CEO Matt Chasen observes.

First off, nearly everyone who has already entered Part 103 has prior experience. Sure, some could use more yet is that so different from other forms of aviation? That pilot on the tarmac has all the right credentials but hasn’t flown in ten years. The individual next to him has no license but flies his Part 103 more than 100 hours per year. Who do you want in the air with you?

However, most of these multicopter developers plan to sell to the general public and train them how to fly in 45 minutes. Is that realistic? Or prudent? The pilot in you may say “No!” Yet with computer assists as we’ve seen even on household drones for years, these things may turn out to be safer than our beloved fixed or flex wings …or at least they will be when the flight control software is judged “extremely robust.”

So, do you believe it is wrong that companies offer these 103 multicopters saying, “No pilot’s license required”? Would you fly one of these (after checking everything very carefully)?

I would!

ARTICLE LINKS (Part 103 Multicopters):

• Ryse Aero Tech, factory website
• Lift Aircraft Hexa, articles on this website
• Opener BlackFly, article on this website
• Alauda Aero, factory website
• Jetson Aero, factory website
• IEEE Spectrum article on Opener BlackFly

Prior 103 Multicopter Entries:

• Kitty Hawk Flyer, articles on this website
• Hoversurf Scorpion, articles on this website

FAR Part 103 Regulation Documents:

• Part 103, the base regulation
• Advisory Circular AC-103, field guidance for FAA officials asked to evaluation an ultralight vehicle
• Airport guidance for Part 103 operations

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