News from Sebring Expo 2017…
The thirteenth annual running of the Sebring Expo is history concluding on Saturday, January 28th. By most accounts it was a solid event. Show organizers were blessed with wonderful weather no doubt helping foot traffic to be substantial each morning and early afternoon. Several vendors told me they booked orders for aircraft and if anyone had negatives of substance they were not brought to my attention.
Kudos to principal organizer Bev Glarner (a full video interview with her will follow) and to airport director Mike Willingham for changing up the show in several successful ways.
On Friday of the event, I appeared as a guest on the Florida Aviation Network with host Diego Alfonso. We chatted about several matters that Light-Sport Aircraft or light kit-built aircraft enthusiasts and business owners may find of interest.
My goal in the interview was to hit a few topics generating high levels of attention at this time.
Archives for January 2017
Sebring…Meet Elf, a LSA Motorglider from Ekolot
News from Sebring Expo 2017…
“We had a lot of interest in Elf,” said Don Reece, the man behind Apogee A.C.E., the Florida dealer for Ekolot. Indeed, though even smaller and tucked behind Ekolot’s better known Topaz, Elf caught the attention of Videoman Dave and I as we scoured the Sebring exhibit grounds looking to shoot video of any aircraft or development of interest. We get to do this at many shows so catching our attention means something. (Watch for an upcoming video on Elf after editing is complete.)
Ekolot Elf — It looks small and is physically smaller because Elf seats comfortably (but narrowly) a single occupant. It read “Light-Sport” on the outside but it has not completed the proof of compliance as of Sebring 2017. However, that’s the plan after an FAA regional office told importer Krzysztof “Kris” Siuba that Elf was too fast for Part 103 and any attempt to remedy that would be fruitless so it could not qualify for FAA’s simplest, least regulated category.
Legend Cub Continues to (Slowly) Tear Up the Skies
At last fall’s inaugural DeLand Showcase event, I got a chance to fly Legend Cub on their own Legend Floats. I’ve interviewed Legend folks about this model, but flying one was still on my to-do list.
American Legend Aircraft Company was one of the very first in the Light-Sport Aircraft business and they’ve now fleshed out their product line of pretty yellow taildraggers… though, of course, they don’t have to be painted yellow even if almost everyone orders them this way. I guess it’s a vintage look thing, but I’m here to tell you these Cubalikes are nothing like your granddad’s Piper Cub (thank goodness, as Legend has made many desirable improvements).
One of the biggest changes is the wide variety of engines this company has offered. They started with the Continental Motors‘ venerable 100-horsepower O-200, added the 120-horsepower Jabiru 3300 six cylinder model, then tapped the 115-horsepower Lycoming O-233, and now Legend offers the mighty 180-horsepower Titan, offered these days by Continental following their acquisition of ECi of Texas.
Vickers’ Wave Is Gearing Up Quickly for 2017
Pilots not closely following Light-Sport aviation can be excused for thinking only one LSA seaplane is available. Established LSA companies like Progressive Aerodyne and their Searey or Scoda’s Super Petrel or Airmax’s SeaMax or any number of aircraft to which floats have been fitted may be somewhat baffled by the outsized attention Icon Aircraft’s long-delayed A5 receives from aviation and non-aviation media. On the other hand, most leaders of these companies do admit that Icon’s media juggernaut also brings attention to LSA seaplanes in general.
With that in mind, are you ready for one that might out-WOW the A5? You cannot ride a Wave today, but 2017 may be the breakout year for this impressively-configured LSA seaplane entry from the other down-under country of New Zealand.
Indeed, principal, Paul Vickers — the namesake of Vickers Aircraft — wrote at the end of 2016, “Great strides have been made in the past months here at Vickers.
Duc Hélices’ New Factory Hosts Engineer Students
In my experience, pilot love learning about engines. Yet without a prop, that engine may run fine, but nothing happens to the airplane other than converting a tank of fuel into noise. To get up and go, you gotta have a prop. How about a beautiful composite one?
DUC Hélices New Factory — French propeller manufacturer DUC Hélices moved its facility late in 2016, relocating from Lentilly to Frontenas on the Villefranche-Tarare Airfield.
Last year marked a turning point in the evolution of DUC Propellers, the company said. A relocation project was launched in April 2016 with the primary goal to move the company to the Villefranche-Tarare aerodrome to be at the heart of its business. “This move will allow [us] to expand our premises and modernize further. The move started in November of 2016 and an inauguration or grand opening will be completed by spring 2017.”
Shortly after the big move, DUC was pleased to welcome engineering students from Centrale Lyon Engineering School the new site at the Villefranche-Tarare Airfield (LFHV) for a presentation of the facilities and DUC’s design and manufacturing activities (nearby photo).
Guardian Adds More Cockpit Power for iPad Users
If you own an iPad, iPhone, or its Android equivalents — wait a minute, have we any pilots who don’t own one or more of these handy gizmos? Well, if you’re among the many, you need power for your favorite handheld tool. When I fly commercial and I’m in the gate house waiting for my flight, I appear to be like everyone else… looking for a free outlet to juice up my devices.
Now, your cockpit does not have to be one of those places of searching. Thanks to Guardian Avionics, you can recharge in flight in your GA airplane that was manufactured with a cigar lighter outlet.
Guardian Power Port — The Tucson, Arizona company introduced a new and simple USB power upgrade option for aircraft owners who have an old 12 volt cigarette lighter socket in their current panel. Guardian’s Power 250-101R Dual 2.1 Amp USB Power Supply with a 0.9″ diameter round faceplate is designed to fit a standard round cigarette lighter socket opening in the instrument panel.
California Power System Announces Rotax Classes
Rotax Maintenance Classes — If you are a professional or wanna-be pro in the maintenance or overhaul of Rotax engines, you must take factory-approved training. You have choices in such training by recently California Power Systems announced a series of classes.
• Rotax 2-Stroke Service Course is for technicians wanting to rebuild or maintain all water-cooled and air-cooled 2-stroke Rotax aircraft engines. Learn to perform a complete engine rebuild with failure analysis and a focus on preventative maintenance. —March 6-7, 2017.
• Rotax 912 / 914 Service Class is for technicians wanting to service 912-series engines or owners wanting to do their own scheduled maintenance. This course will give any FAA A&P or LSA Repairman certificate holder the credentials to perform all scheduled maintenance and level #1 troubleshooting procedures. —March 8-9, 2017.
• Other classes include: a 912 / 914 Maintenance Class for technicians wanting to perform more in depth maintenance tasks.
What Effect Will “BasicMed” Have on Light-Sport?
Are excited general aviation pilots kidding themselves about BasicMed? At least one prominent light aviation expert thinks so and judging from comments I’ve received, I am inclined to say this is much more common than some want to believe.
The number of inquiries or comments I have received compels me to speak to this subject. Several readers or viewers asked variations on this question, “Will this have an adverse effect on Light-Sport Aircraft?” I’ll offer my response and then add some other comments.
Aviation medical reform is nearly complete (BasicMed becomes effective May 1st). Many pilots may be waiting to qualify. Most need only to fulfill the requirement for an online evaluation every two years (free from AOPA) plus needing to see a doctor every four. If they did not earn a third class medical in the last 10 years, they must get that out of the way first. This is potentially a big problem as many let their medical lapse for various reasons.
Levil Aviation Makes iLevil 3 Do Even More
In the new world of BasicMed — got that shortened phrase in your vocabulary yet? — more pilots seem likely to return to the air. While some worry about what this means for sales of Light-Sport Aircraft and light kits that can be flown without a medical, I’m not worried. In fact, more pilots returning to the skies means more prospects for LSA airframe manufacturers and sellers, including pilots selling a LSA they already own. Welcome back to blue skies, aviators!
One company deserves to be in the focus of those returning pilots as well as the legions of current recreational or sport pilots (…that is, those of you who haven’t been sweating the medical requirement because you have been flying your LSA and light Sport Pilot-eligible kits). I refer to a company that is a neighbor of mine here in Florida: Levil Aviation.
Levil makes those little boxes that are capable of making your iPad much more useful.
Paul Poberezny’s Home Like You’ve Never Seen It
Have you ever flown the ultralight area pattern at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh? Quite a few readers of ByDanJohnson.com have done so or have at least seen their buddy’s photo or video while flying above the world’s most famous airshow.
Usually the aerial views you see are of the jam-packed area to the north with giant military airplanes, bizjets, and innumerable groupings of all manner of aircraft from spam cans to homebuilts and everything in between.
Those of us who love light (lightest) aviation are drawn to the ultralight area… “down on the farm” …the area now cleverly named “Fun Fly Zone.” If you fly the weirdly shaped pattern of the ultralight area, you have almost certainly seen EAA founder Paul Poberezny‘s house with a view that might look something like the one above (courtesy Google Earth).
“Pope Paul” died August 22, 2013 at the age of 91 after a amazing career spanning more than 70 years of flying and building arguably the most interesting member organization in aviation.