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Announcing: Launch of the Part 103 List, a One-of-a-Kind Resource in Affordable Aviation

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To welcome a brand new year in affordable aviation, I am pleased to announce the launch of our Part 103 List. This new list presents 87 Part 103 entries for models built by 56 manufacturers.
Too many people believe this is a minor sector with “no fixed wing aircraft that qualify.” They’re wrong; we have 37 fixed wing producers alone. Some others among the general aviation pilot population thought that Part 103 ultralights had disappeared completely. They could not be more wrong.
Not only are plenty of Part 103 ultralights being produced, they come in many diverse shapes and plenty of them are being sold.
Clearly, it’s about time a list like this one got published to put the record straight!
Let’s Review…
Part 103 Ultralight Vehicles are a special category within the FAA regulations. How special? Here’s the important points:

These most affordable aircraft need no FAA registration (no N-numbers required).

Welcome to Affordable Aviation!

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A N N O U N C I N G … ! The Part 103 List is now available. Check out our newest resource feature supporting your interest in affordable aviation. Read everything on this website with no paywall — though we appreciate your support through membership.
This the largest resource for information about light, recreational, affordable aviation — thousands of articles and videos and much more. Check our growing library of short videos on the ByDanJohnson Affordable Aviation YouTube channel.

In addition, you can find nearly 1,000 LSA and Sport Pilot kit videos featuring Dan on Videoman Dave’s “Light Sport and Ultralight Flyer” YouTube channel + view hundreds of our best videos archived here in a searchable format.

Have you tried our Market Share resource, called Tableau Public? Tap or click the big blue button or hit this link to get a graphical help file on how to use it.

Part 103 Ultralight List

Welcome to our newest feature — Launched in January 2022 (Upgraded 1/18/22)
Part 103 Ultralight Vehicles are a special category within the FAA regulations. For one, they are not called “aircraft” as that helped detour around burdensome regulations for FAA approved aircraft. Instead, FAA called them “vehicles.”

The rule that brought 103 Ultralights into recognition was written in 1982 and has never been changed. It is the simplest, least intrusive FAA regulation available, so brief that it can be printed on the front and back of a single sheet of paper.
Why Is Part 103 So Great?
Part 103 Ultralight Vehicles are specially privileged. How are they special?

They do not need any FAA (N-number) registration.
They need no pilot certificate of any kind.
Therefore, no aviation medical is required to fly one.
The manufacturer can build a 103 ultralight ready-to-fly or in kit form so long as it meets the explanations offered in AC-103-7 — the official guidance for FAA field officers to use in evaluating if a flying machine qualifies as a 103 ultralight.

A Multicopter for the Rest of Us? Part 103 eVTOL Hexa Is Preparing for a U.S. Tour

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You can hardly follow any media without finding some article about the latest whizzbang electric propulsion multicopter project that “will transform urban transportation!” Or so they breathlessly exclaim.
Fine. I look forward to going from a downtown hotel to the airport in minutes versus slogging through ground traffic for an hour. Will these arrive in some near future? Maybe. Even if they do arrive sooner than later, would a pilot feel entirely comfortable flying in an autonomous, computer-controlled aircraft? Only you can answer that question.
You might get a chance sooner than you think.
Whatever you think right now, would you change your mind if you got to fly one of these machines, safely, of course?
Since autonomous operation is part of the plan, a current-day Lift Aircraft Hexa could take over any time and land safely on its own. Heck, my ancient (3-year-old) DJI drone can do that, with zero input from me.

Wrapping Up 2021 — News Bits and Expectations for the New Year Ahead

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Now that 2021 is historical and following two years of Covid uncertainty and business interruptions, many readers can breathe a sigh of relief for an better 2022.
We have two full years remaining before FAA’s Mosaic regulation becomes active. During that time you’ll need to respond to the proposal I predict we will see at Oshkosh 2022 (only seven months away). Until then, what might happen in the world of light aviation?
I don’t know any better than you. The future is as unknowable as ever. So many things can happen …who expected Covid-19? With my eye to the sky I’m pleased to start the new year out with some fresh news. Here are five stories to kick off 2022.

Rotax Power
141 Horses …and
Sometimes the changes are big (iOS 15.0). Sometimes the changes are incremental (iOS 15.2). Significant changes often arrive through small steps forward. News from Rotax Aircraft Engines represents one of those smaller yet valuable updates: more electrical power.

What I’m Flying — Pilot Report on Van’s RV-12

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Over the years, curious pilots have asked me what aircraft I fly. I’ve had the pleasure to evaluate a great many models; the number crossed 400 a couple years back. My usual quip is that this experience makes me a pilot of many and a master of none. I usually add that anyone with a good number of hours in their own airplane knows far more about it than I do.
However, I have gotten to fly a small number of airplanes for a higher number of hours. The most recent such experience is with a Van’s RV-12, because a neighbor of mine at my home airport allows me to enjoy his airplane. It’s a nice arrangement that I value highly; thanks, Joe!
I usually avoid identifying what I’m flying for a couple reasons. First, I don’t own a Light-Sport Aircraft because that can get uncomfortable in an industry where I fly one after another to report on them.

Seeking a Higher Altitude — Flight Design’s F2 and Icon’s A5 Go for Certification

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Rather loudly and persistently I beat the drum about “affordable aircraft,” but readers also enjoy learning about other aircraft. I will never write about jets or multimillion-dollar turbines but I will continue to follow any “light” aircraft that meets LSA parameters now or after the Mosaic rule.
In this article I will describe how two aircraft are pursuing conventional certification: Flight Design’s F2-CS23 and Icon’s A5.
Contrary to common language, LSA are not “certified.” Instead a manufacturer declares they meet ASTM standards and FAA “accepts” that declaration. Frequently at first, FAA audited producers in a point-by-point check of their declaration plus verifying that producers use generally-accepted best practices in their manufacturing. Companies with prior approvals may not be required to undergo an audit; it’s always FAA’s choice.
I’ve been involved with ASTM for many years and I can attest to these standards being very rigorous. They were welcomed by many countries where they are in active use.

Ready to Buy in 2022? What About Factory Support …or Mechanics?

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The last airshow of 2021 is over. The Christmas holidays are beginning to dominate everyone’s calendar. Yet recreational pilots — being enthusiastic aviators — are thinking about flying in 2022.
The Covid pandemic of 2020/2021 appears not to have slowed enjoyment of flying for fun… for most of us anyway. I sincerely regret anyone who suffered during this period but sport aviation has held up surprisingly well.
In this article, I will tackle a couple reader questions, the sort I hear all the time. To answer several people with one response, I asked reader John Joyce if I could use his question and name. He consented, so here we go…
Buyers Without Remorse
John started, “Skyleader 600 looks like a great aircraft. I had actually just noticed this model a couple days ago because there is a used one listed for sale on the Web. As a potential first time buyer, I would be interested to have you address the question of service for these smaller manufacturers.

Affordable Aviation — Can You Find a Budget-Meeting Aircraft for 2022?

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This website regularly promotes affordable aviation. Can you genuinely find an aircraft you like that is affordable? If so, are the smaller shows — ones I call “sector-specific” — the place to find them?
Those two questions come up all the time on ByDanJohnson.com.
When you read Flying magazine or AOPA Pilot, the odds are low that readers of this website will find something they can afford. Both titles do a high quality job of covering aviation and I am glad they continue (though Flying is scaling back their print magazine to just four times a year). Yet the aircraft these two periodicals cover are almost never something I can afford; you may feel similarly.
The fact is most aviation magazines and the bigger airshows are full of aircraft most of us cannot afford.
DeLand Showcase
Midwest LSA Expo
and Affordability
First the good news. Yes, you can find affordable aircraft (here is a series of examples).

Thinking about 2022? — Check Out Skyleader 600, One Deluxe Light-Sport Aircraft

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You’ve seen this airplane before but recreational flying enthusiasts with a good memory may ask, “Hmm, that looks a lot like an older LSA …what is it?”
Those LSA veterans may be recalling Kappa KP5, one of the earliest entries on our SLSA List (#9). It was originally sold under the European brand name Jihlavan and that challenging name for Americans may be a good reason the Czech producer changed to the better marketing name, Skyleader.
For the last few years, Skyleader has been represented by Michael Tomazin doing business as Skyleader North America.
I caught up with Michael at Sun ‘n Fun 2021. He had flown the aircraft clear across the U.S. as he is based on the west coast, in Madera, California. You can hear his description of that jaunt in the video below.
In the interview, Michael also provides other desirable features of the Skyleader 600.