I caught up with a fellow hang glider pioneer from the 70s’, Scott Severen of U.S. Aviation, Denton, TX who filled me in on the latest events for his broad-based Light Sport/GA service and repair center. *** U.S. Aviation is a large, well-established aviation service center that does it all: flight training, aircraft and avionics sales, service and maintenance (for general aviation as well as LSA). *** Scott has been involved with Indus Aviation and its Thorpedo LSA aircraft for years. That project is moving to a China-based manufacturing base and “It’s a big process to pull it all together,” he says. He was just over there, assembling a couple Thorpedos to support the transition. *** “It will be a beautiful facility over there once it’s built. We’ll still do parts and aircraft sales in Dallas, and US Aviation will assist in factory support of the Thorpedo; it’s one of several LSA we do.
Archives for March 2012
Sun ‘n Fun Day Three: Take Dieux
Here’s an aerial shot from my Courier flight of Paradise City, the Light Aircraft runway at the southeast end of the field that will soon be used year round. Many upgrades, including filling the dreaded ditches that used to run lengthwise. *** The attendance looks down from recent years but I haven’t put boots on that ground yet, time to head over there for a look. *** And below is a shot of the B-29 “FIFI” that crossed our nose on the Courier flight this morning. Not often you get a B-29 in your sights these days…not often at all, at any distance.
Sun ‘n Fun Day Two: Take Four
Bret Koebbe of Sporty’s Pilot Shop introduced me to a cool new ADS-B weather uplink product, the Stratus. *** US built by Appareo Systems, it’s a completely portable, wire-free, subscription-free weather solution that works in conjunction only (so far) with the Foreflight ap for the iPad. *** The Stratus provides ADS-B-based weather, Nexrad, Metars, TAS, Airmets, Sigmets, TFRS, “the whole nine yards of everything that’s included with ADS-B” as Bret describes it, all wirelessly transmitted to your in-cockpit iPad. *** It uses the iPad’s WiFi connection, and can be broadcast to more than one iPad in the cockpit. Just open Foreflight, link it to the Stratus box, and you’ve got all your weather info with you. *** The ADS-B weather coverage will be coast to coast-complete sometime in 2013. *** It’s a simple device: eight-hour battery, wire free, built-in ADS-B antenna buiilt into the box, and also includes WAAS GPS with 1-2 meter accuracy.
Sun ‘n Fun Day Two: Take Three
Ran into my old pal Dave “Higs” Higdon who’s been an aviation journalist/photo Iron Man for decades. We go back to the early ultralight days of 1981 I think, and Dave has hammered out a long and respected career producing quality insights and images for the aviation industry, willing to work harder than most of the rest of us. *** So here’s a plug for hisUncontrolled Airspace: News & conversation about the world of General Aviation flying website. *** Lots of entertaining jabber about all things aviation, including contributions from people like my old collaborating pal Jim Wynbrandt, who like Dave is an avid pilot and aviation journalist and widely respected in the industry. *** It’s an aviation-centric podcast, which presents itself this way: “Every week the UCAP gang gathers in the virtual hangar to talk about all things GA. You can listen-in as some of General Aviation’s most knowledgeable, opinionated, and plain-speaking characters, do some online hangar-flying.”
Sun ‘n Fun Day Two: Taildraggers R Us
Tecnam North America is banking on what CEO Phil Solomon believes is a strong market interest in taildragger LSA. *** Tecnam is putting their R&D into attracting some of that market share with the revamped P92 tricycle gear S-LSA into a tail dragger version, and adding in some spice to boot: either a Lycoming YO-233-B2A or a Rotax 912/S2 powerplant is available to power it. *** The new version of the long-popular, well-proven P92 comes with a host of typical Tecnam quality features too, including a new wood-grain panel, adjustable seats, luggage compatrments, map and storage compartments on the door, epoxy corrosion proofing, lock/key entrance, tinted windows and lots more. *** Hydraulic toe brakes, electric flaps and lots more to join the electric trim and free castoring tail wheel. *** I’m hoping to fly it the week after the show, if some paperwork issues with the brand new plane get resolved.
Sun ‘n Fun 2012 Day One
Sun ‘n Fun got off to a great start with weather in the low 80’s, a helpful breeze and lots of new buildings and of course massive traffic jams coming in to the show because some things should never change no matter how many improvements are made. *** Seriously, the Sun ‘n Fun folks do a great job and there are many new things on the field to make life more enjoyable for spectators and those of us here to work.First up: Jim Dehart of Atlanta Light Sport Aviation was excited to show off his school’s new FK12 Comet with the first-in-US Lycoming IO-233 fully aerobatic light sport engine. *** “The airplane is really powerful,” Jim says, “and at 696 lbs. will be a real performer.” *** He quotes the horsepower at 125 hp but I’ve seen it at 116 max everywhere else so either I’ve got it wrong and there’s a bump in power from the inverted fuel/oil system on the aerobatic version (standard carburetted version also available, as well as a Rotax version, or he meant to say 116 hp.
Young Sport Pilots Featured at Sun ‘n Fun 2012
Remember when you were 17? For a pair of Sport Pilots that age, Wednesday at Sun ‘n Fun 2012 will be a day they remember, possibly for the rest of their lives. How cool is that?! *** According to the good folks at Breezer Aircraft USA, “On March 29th, the Sun ‘n Fun air show will open with an event which people all around have declared impossible!” To kick off the show, two Central Florida Aerospace Academy students will use a pair of Breezers to perform a precision formation fly-by to open the afternoon air show. The two pilots are Juniors in high school. *** The Central Florida Aerospace Academy of Kathleen High School is home to some of Polk County’s most advanced students. CFAA is housed in a snazzy new building just across the street from the Florida Air Museum on the Sun ‘n Fun campus.
Sun ‘n Fun (and Splash) This Week
The Searey from Kerry and Wayne Richter’s Progressive Aerodyne — guided by new principal, Adam Yang — just sent out word that the popular design celebrates its 20th anniversary this year by “making a big splash at Sun N Fun!”The Searey, perhaps the most successful kit amphibian ever (and which is still on the trail of certifying its latest LSX model to the LSA ASTM standard — they thought they’d have it done by end of 2011) will be at the show in demonstrable abundance. *** Five will be on exhibit from the nearby factory, and a “very large ‘Gaggle’ of Seareys” is expected to arrive en masse on Thursday, March 29th at 10:00 a.m. — 20 or more from the cohesive and enthusiastic Searey community of more than 500. *** Half an hour later a smaller group will overfly the Sun ‘n Fun crowd. *** The Searey will be on display at three locations: Booth 58, the LSA Mall and the Seaplane Pilots Association display.
Pushing the Envelope
Supersonic flight pioneer and WWII ace Chuck Yeager is famous for using, if not coining, the term “pushing the envelope,” which has entered the popular lexicon for just about anything to do with growth and meeting challenges. *** In that vein, since the day the Light Sport category became a fixture of the aviation regulatory landscape, there have been calls to do everything from abolish it outright to expand it’s current parameter. The parameters invoked to arrive at the perfect light aircraft involve the Usual Suspects: faster, bigger, stronger, heavier, better load, no altitude restrictions etcetera etcetera etcetera. *** In that vein, I want to share with you some cogent email comments received from Plane & Pilot magazine reader Dr. Barry Gloger who puts forward a well-reasoned argument for reworking the LSA concept. *** Whether you agree or not with his point of view, it’s hard to refute his logic, since it’s based on his expertise in the actual physical size of the “average American.” *** And now for The Usual Disclaimer: his viewpoint does not necessarily reflect my opinion or that of the staff of P&P mag.
FAA’s 20-Year Forecast; Focus on Light-Sport
FAA issued its 20-year forecast for aviation showing growth prospects for business jets and Light-Sport Aircraft. It also forecasts a decline in the total number of piston-powered aircraft. Viewed from a distance, this might seem beneficial to Light-Sport Aircraft producers and sellers. Reasonably, FAA’s report appears to suggest recreational pilots will enjoy more hours aloft in a growing fleet of LSA. *** Against a backdrop of what seems to be continuously increasing prices for avgas — some believe 100LL might even disappear — the fuel efficiency of LSA becomes more important. For example, Rotax just launched their 912 iS fuel-injected engine boasting a 21% reduction in fuel consumption, taking the popular engine from burning about five gallons per hour to a theoretical four gallons in an hour of flying. Should we LSA enthusiasts celebrate these facts? *** Regretfully, I find FAA’s forecast improbable (see details below). Not that the agency’s number crunchers are wrong; in fact, I hope they might be right.