Just out of a 3-day stomach bug sick bed, I must still be a bit delirious ’cause that old Sinatra tune, “Love is wonderful, the second time around” keeps winding through my fuzzy brain. *** No doubt I’m subconsciously morphing into music the news I got yesterday from old hang gliding pal and ultralight/light sport entrepreneur John Dunham that he’s back, in the biz he made so successful in the ’80s – Second Chantz Aerial Survival Equipment. *** His company sold more than 4,000 ballistic recovery systems when it was in operation, and has documented more than 70 saves worldwide. *** You can read all the gore-y details on John’s blog linked above but a brief bio must include his deep hang gliding/ultralight/LSA background as pilot, test pilot, instructor and savvy manufacturer/businessman from the early ’70s. He’s an all-around talent, this guy! *** John’s Flight Design West biz in Nevada marketed several LSA including the Flight Design CT and the lovely (and we hope soon-to-be-resurrected) Lambada motorglider.
Archives for March 2010
It’s B-A-C-K! Second Chantz Returnz to Chutz
Once Upon a Time… Two companies competed vigorously for the airframe (ballistic) parachute market. One was BRS. The other was Second Chantz, run by longtime proprietor and system designer, John Dunham. In a deal back in 1995, John agreed to cease competing with BRS, which went on to fame and fortune with the parachute for Cirrus airplanes and LSA. *** Now, zap forward a decade and a half. BRS is working hard to be a military contractor, and — while still pursuing the airframe parachute business with a couple larger customers — their corporate focus is elsewhere. I say “good luck with that” but the light aircraft community badly needed another company to offer services: repacking, repairs and maintenance, and new systems for aircraft BRS had no time to assist. *** Why start a company now, after 15 years of being out of the business, and with the country in a deep recession?
New EFIS for Light Sport
This week’s Dallas AEA (Aircraft Electronics Assoc.) Convention has tons of cool new electronics. Of note to sport pilots is the G3X system from Garmin. It’s a PFD (Primary Flight Display) and MFD (Multi Function Display) system that’s built around Garmin’s GDU 370/375 displays. Intended for LSA and Experimental category aircraft, the non-certified system can display information across one, two or three screens. The single screen version with all capabilities lists at $3995. The full G3X system that will include ADAHRS (Attitude/Heading Reference System), EIS (Engine Information System), magnetometer and temperature probe, once available, will go at an estimated price of $9,995.00. *** Garmin will display the system at Sun’nFun in two weeks. Be there or be square!
Meanwhile, Back At the Electric Ranch…
The Creative Solutions Alliance (CSA) is a nonprofit organization, founded by Erik Lindbergh, grandson of Charles “Lucky Lindy” Lindbergh, that just announced his creation of the Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize (LEAP). *** In stirring language as quoted to AOPA’s Alton K. Marsh, Lindbergh says, “We are literally teaching the next generation to imagine and create their future.” *** The idea, as we’ve seen in the past with similar contests such as the Orteig Prize (1st Atlantic crossing won by Lindbergh) Kremer Prize (human powered flight – Gossamer Condor), and the X-Prize (1st private suborbital space flight), is to “promote the practical development of electric aircraft by recognizing specific advances in this emerging cleantech (sic) industry.” *** Prizes will be awarded for: *** Best Electric Aircraft: keyword in this category is practical, and it can be an Experimental, LSA or Certified aircraft. *** Best Electric Aircraft Sub-System: component systems that advance the field of electric aircraft *** Best Electric Aircraft Component Technology: Individual components such as batteries, motors, power electronics etc.
Meanwhile, Back At the Electric Ranch…
The Creative Solutions Alliance (CSA) is a nonprofit organization, founded by Erik Lindbergh, grandson of Charles “Lucky Lindy” Lindbergh, that just announced his creation of the Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize (LEAP). *** In stirring language as quoted to AOPA’s Alton K. Marsh, Lindbergh says, “We are literally teaching the next generation to imagine and create their future.” *** The idea, as we’ve seen in the past with similar contests such as the Orteig Prize (1st Atlantic crossing won by Lindbergh) Kremer Prize (human powered flight – Gossamer Condor), and the X-Prize (1st private suborbital space flight), is to “promote the practical development of electric aircraft by recognizing specific advances in this emerging cleantech (sic) industry.” *** Prizes will be awarded for: ** Best Electric Aircraft: keyword in this category is practical, and it can be an Experimental, LSA or Certified aircraft. ** Best Electric Aircraft Sub-System: component systems that advance the field of electric aircraft ** Best Electric Aircraft Component Technology: Individual components such as batteries, motors, power electronics, etc.
Spring Buzzzzz…
Everybody laments the high cost of LSA ownership: here’s an alternative…especially if you like true bugs-in-teeth aviating like our winged forefathers…uh, and foremothers of course…er, forepersons? Sheesh. Staying PC is so last week. *** Manfred Ruhmer, the German hang glider world champion and one-time distance record holder of 435 miles (current record is 444 mi.!), has been working on his own electric-powered trike – named the Icaro 2000 Pit-Trike. *** Chalk up that curious name to translation from the Italian. Maybe it grabs the air like a pit bull? Icaro’s price page calls it Nano Trike – take your pick! *** BTW, a “trike” is a wheeled undercarriage, powered by a pusher-prop powerplant, that allows a conventional foot-launched (or aero-towed) hang glider to fly under its own power. *** The trike unit without hang glider wing lists between $11,000 and $15,000 US, reports my pal Dan Johnson, before shipping, *** and you still have to add your own hang glider – another $3K to $6K.
Cool Electric Aircraft… Beginning the Future?
Electric is hot! Even in a dull economy with sluggish airplane sales, the spark of electric power is crackling with life. Numerous projects have been announced and organizations like EAA are making way for electric airplanes to showcase themselves at big shows like AirVenture. *** Now, from an Italian manufacturer comes the work of world champion hang glider pilot, Manfred Ruhmer, and his Icaro 2000 electric weight-shift trike. *** OK, you may be a pilot who wants structure around yourself and perhaps a glass cockpit with autopilot or the maximum speed permissible. But check out the video below. To me, it looks like a dream… very low noise (except for a whir from the prop blades — blades that fold back when you cut power); easy, one-handed flying; a low cost way to see the countryside on a pretty day. The video showed the electric-powered trike being flown by an expert but I can imagine the fun I could have with this.
Florida LSA Schools Coming On Line
Cessna’s in the hunt for flight schools, like everybody else. Word comes via a city blog that Orlando Flight Training is ramping up a Sport Pilot training program that will use four Cessna Skycatchers at its Kissimmee Gateway Airport facility. *** The piece claims OFT is the first to offer the C-162 in Florida, and plans to have them operational this summer. *** While we’re at it, let’s highlight a few more Sport Pilot ops in the Sunshine State: *** ^ Another Sport Pilot training program at Apopka is Grizzly Aviation Services. It also uses a Gobosh 700S, which rents out at $97/hr. *** ^ Yet another Orlando-area operation is Orlando-Gateway Sport Pilot Training LLC, which gets things done out of Kissimmee Airport with a Remos GX and a SportCruiser. *** ^ Mike Z.
New In-Cockpit HD Camera
I saw this bad boy at Sebring in January and was taken with its potential for flight schools, airplane dealers, insurance companies and plain old pilot fun. *** Dave Graham of Gobosh introduced me to the go-getter guys behind it. They call themselves Light Sport Group. *** More details: *** It’s called the Contour HD A/V-ator Edition. *** It’s adapted from a popular HD helmet camera. *** It shoots in full High Definition (1080P – P is for progressive, which is the smoother-viewing of two specs, the other being I, for interlaced). *** My favorite feature (in addition to the HiDef) is the 135-degree lens that, if you mount the cam behind the pilot in a typical LSA, will show the entire cockpit, panel and what’s outside the windscreen. *** Here’s a video from the company’s website that speaks to the product’s merits all by itself: *** The system includes the camera, Light Sport Group’s proprietary noise-cancelling circuit, plug-and-play aviation headset adapters for clear cockpit audio, a Contour-specific suction cup mount, an 8GB SD memory card, and internal rechargeable battery.
Info from Engine Gurus; via Video or eLearning
Rotax gurus Phil Lockwood and Dean Vogel updated their “Rotax 912 Engine Introduction” DVD with a free nine-minute YouTube posting. On-camera, the dynamic duo covered the new AeroShell Sport Plus 4 engine oil, new oil pressure sender, 10% ethanol guidelines, details of the Rotax 912 2,000-hour TBO (Time Between Overhaul) plus a demonstration of how to get the updated Rotax information. See Rotax on BeASportPilot.com. *** Online and video entrepreneur Paul Hamilton published an on-line eLearning course for renters, students, pilots, owners and mechanics. Paul stated, “This is needed by FBOs, schools, instructors, and manufacturers to qualify operators for ‘basic’ operation of Rotax 912 engines. This is especially important for pilots and mechanics transitioning from classic aircraft engines (Continental/Lycoming).” *** The eLearning course provides video from Lockwood and Vogel plus classical text for the course covering the proper oils, fuels, coolants, starting and idling.