Some people have long believed that Part 103-legal weight shift trikes or single place powered parachutes may be possible but I’ve often heard the pronouncement, “You cannot make a legal three axis Part 103 airplane.” I wonder if those folks are ready to admit their error?
Those attending the 2015 Sebring Expo will want to examine the new Aerolite 103 with a Briggs and Stratton four stoke, all freshly mounted and looking better than ever. That you can fly such an airplane without a pilot’s license or medical, without N-number registrations, and buy one ready-to-fly for an affordable price amazes more than a few pilots. However, mostly those machines — a few have been available for some time — use two stroke engines in order to stay within the very confining 254 pounds of empty weight. If you don’t care for two stroke power …Wait no more!
You might remember seeing such a machine at Sun ‘n Fun 2014.
Archives for December 2014
It’s Winter, So Seaplanes Are Flying … Uh, What?
On this website, we zoom around the world following Light-Sport Aircraft, from near the Arctic Circle — you know, where Santa and the wee elves are pulling some heavy overtime about now — to the warm balminess of Southern California. I know of what I write, having once lived in the snow belt and now hanging with the family in Palm Springs, California for Christmas. It seems everywhere I look I see LSA seaplanes in sea trials and this is happening in the dead of winter.
Why be surprised? Perhaps you’ve noticed boat shows happen in the winter months. When living in Minnesota, I was always amazed that boat shows were held in January and February, a time of year when it would be months before the ice melted from the state’s 10,000 lakes to allow use of those boats. Yet this is when people were shopping, I suppose anticipating an upcoming season of boating fun.
Fun, Powerful, Gnarly … that’s AirCam
What would you like for a Christmas present, perhaps if you won big in a lottery? Well, you’re a pilot so I might guess that some airplane has caught your fancy. Me, too. Like most pilots a number of desirable airplanes catch my eye but also like most pilots, I cannot afford to have one of each that appeals to me. High on my list of wished-for airplanes is Lockwood Aircraft‘s Air Cam. I have quite a few hours flying one example or another. I even earned my multiengine rating in one, as part of an article I wrote years ago.
As part of the required hours of training to take the flight check — no written test is involved for a multiengine rating — I engaged an old friend and multiengine instructor, Richard Johnson. An Air Cam owner, Sebring dentist Ron Owen, graciously supplied his Air Cam.
Finland’s Atol Amphib Begins Water Tests
Ah, the Christmas season is soon upon us (or already is judging by familiar music playing on every speaker you hear). It sounds like a great time to go put your new seaplane in the water … especially if you live up by the Santa Claus toy workshop. Wait a minute! Can that be right? Yup! Atol Avion Ltd., recently notified us, “We have finally performed first water taxi tests of our production prototype on December 14th, 2014 at Rovaniemi, Finland. After thorough systems tests, water taxi tests were performed on Kemijoki River near the Arctic Circle … just a few miles from Santa’s home. Our plane worked as planned and proved to be even better than expected.”
As a Florida resident, I have plenty of local acquaintances that think such an exercise sounds crazy, to be out water testing an amphibious airplane in winter. They mean here in Florida where it’s on the cool side … you know, 50s and 60s.
BRM Aero’s Bristell Gains New U.S. Distributor
BRM Aero‘s Bristell got off to a good start in the USA two years ago. Unfortunately, after an initial burst of positive reviews and good response from pilots, the distributor at the time stumbled. A failed association with the now-defunct Aviation Access Project undermined the efforts but that association had nothing to do with the Czech aircraft producer. So, after a year or so of discussions and evaluation, BRM Aero found a new, high-quality representative.
In early December 2014, Bristell Aircraft, a New York corporation, officially accepted the appointment to represent the aircraft of BRM Aero. “Bristell Aircraft is an American company whose roots go deep into the highly-structured world of FAA-certified aircraft,” said Lou Mancuso, director of Bristell Aircraft. Over the last year, Lou has worked directly with BRM Aero “to develop, customize, and standardize aircraft specifically for the North American market.” Lou and his team bring 68 years of aviation sales, service and training success and appear well suited to the endeavor.
Fresh American LSA & Ultralight Exports
Wait! “…Exports?” I realize that might look like a typo. Did I intend to write LSA imports? Nope, exports is the correct word. Back in the early days of Light-Sport Aircraft, circa 2005-6-7, the source countries manufacturing the LSA people were buying were of a high percentage European with the Czech Republic leading the charge. Their penetration of the market was approximately two-thirds of all LSA. Then came the global economic recession, which happened as the industry began to mature. All were affected: domestic and international companies and pilot consumers. Some handsome imported aircraft never found a market.
In any downturn, some managers adapt quicker to the changing economy. They find a way to offer new aircraft to keep the momentum. Neither were American companies sitting on their thumbs. European builders had a head start because the European-style ultralights they had been manufacturing were close to what FAA allowed as LSA, so many models could be rapidly adapted to meet the Yankee marketplace.
Belgium D-Motor Declares ASTM Compliance
In the world of FAA-accepted Light-Sport Aircraft, engines choices have been limited to Rotax, Jabiru, and HKS adding to updated versions from certified engine producers such as Continental and Lycoming plus the big Titan engine from ECi. Now, according to the U.S. importer, that rather exclusive club is joined by Belgium’s D-Motor, while earlier reports suggested the UL Power engine is also pursuing ASTM compliance. “We invested 500 hours testing the LF26 D-Motor from summer to fall,” said Doc’ Bailey of Renegade Light Sport, the importer. ASTM requires 100 hours testing by the airframe manufacturer before the engine can be accepted by FAA for installation on a Special LSA.
Doc’ has been in regular contact with the Light-Sport office of FAA. The agency does not audit powerplants the same way as airframe manufacturers, partly as the airframer must add to the engine builder’s testing, but it does keep track of which components the airframe maker has tested.
Working Aircraft … for the Fun of Flying
In two industry meetings held during 2014, Light-Sport Aircraft manufacturers, organization leaders, FAA personnel, and other interested parties reviewed a list of changes that would improve the 10-year-old SP/LSA regulation. Some items represent minor changes the agency could make fairly quickly. Others are more challenging. Number one on the list involves FAA allowing certain commercial LSA operations when flown by qualified pilots. Even if no great resistance exists — and reasons for optimism are present — this could be some time coming as regulation change is complicated in today’s federal government. Another area of intense interest is electric power. While unleashing development of LSA using electric propulsion also requires regulation change, an exemption might allow technical progress before rule change could occur. Recently another group with many more years of effort already invested was able to earn such an exemption. Ed Pitman of Pitman Air recently announced Exemption 11104.