Sebring Day One was true to form for the 15th running of this grandaddy of Light-Sport and Sport Pilot Kit shows. Airport manager Mike Willingham told me opening day attendance was better than opening day last year. He and the entire Expo team certainly benefitted from good weather, a tad windy, but blue skies and temperatures hitting 80° F (27°C). Videoman Dave and I recorded several new video interviews for you. One of the first will be our classic race-around tour of exhibits on opening day. We also talked to many in the business. The government shutdown appears to be having some effect on industry. One example regards FAA inability to make inspections so a vendor can get the Special Airworthiness certificate needed to complete delivery of a new SLSA (meaning final payments cannot be collected, no small matter to many LSA or SPE kit enterprises). However, few vendors actually introduced the topic suggesting the bad news may be localized.
Sebring 
I attend seven or eight airshows every year. I've done this for many years. I'm here to assure you that the night before opening, the place is utter pandemonium with no possible hope in sight of having everyone in position and ready for business by morning. It can't happen. …yet it does!
One of the most marvelous transformations to be seen is a lonely expanse of concrete ramp turning into a colorful, energetic, ultimately cool place to hang out, look at lots of pretty airplanes of all kinds, talk flying to your old pals and new friends, catch a forum, participate in a work shop, take a demo flight if you're in the market — heck, take several flights. That's one of the main reasons people come to events like Sebring and the main reason vendors are here with their shiny airplanes. It's a match made in heaven and you're invited!
Here's an early glance. Come on down to 
"This variation will now be reintroduced to the Americas," reported Tom Peghiny, President of 
“The approval allows the company to deliver certified aircraft for delivery in Europe and the rest of the world,” said Joerges.
“This is good news for owners of CTLS-ELA aircraft currently operating under EASA’s Permit-to-Fly and for new customers looking for an advanced EASA certified light aircraft,” explained Flight Design general aviation COO, Daniel Guenther. “We can now offer owners of CTLS-ELA aircraft operating across Europe to bring their planes back to Flight Design for upgrading and conformity confirmation to allow them to have a permanent Restricted Flight Certificate (RTC).” Planning for the upgrade program is in the final stages and customers will be informed about the details in February 2019.
Flight Design observed that the company’s CT-series aircraft have been sold around the world since 2008 as Special Light-Sport Aircraft. "CTLSi-ELA brings a well proven platform, the security of an all carbon fiber airframe with an aircraft emergency rescue system and the high technology of all Flight Design aircraft," officials said.
If you like Light-Sport Aircraft and if you like statistics, you are going to love this article.
We report details in two primary ways for two primary periods. The periods are "All-Fleet," meaning all LSA or other Sport Pilot-Eligible aircraft that have been registered since 2004 when the rule was released; and, "Calendar Year" meaning the January to December period of the previous year. We have been doing both for several years but our reports were confined to fixed wing or "Airplane" Special Light-Sport Aircraft. That is now changing to a broader view that includes all registrations (see next).
In the Kit/Other category, Zenair/Zenith (616) leads Van's Aircraft (531) and Rans (436). The trio of leaders are well ahead of the next tier that includes AutoGyro (167), Progressive Aerodyne (153), CubCrafters (144), Kitfox (119), Powrachute (110), 
Above, we reported fully-built aircraft separately from kits and other types in this post but you can combine them using Tableau. You can also arrange in several other ways or look at a single or few brands.
Both fully-built LSA and kit aircraft — using our ASTM compliance qualifier — can be flown by someone using a Sport Pilot certificate. Therefore, we include all LSA-like aircraft that are technically not a Special Light-Sport Aircraft — Experimental Amateur Built kits, for example — as "Sport Pilot Eligible (SPE)," a term coined by a former EAA representative, Ron Wagner.
Not only can we rank Special LSA and SPE kit builders separately — as we should; they are very different business models — but we trust you observed that we can also include weight shift control "trikes," powered parachutes, motorgliders, Lighter-than-Air, all the classes of LSA beside fixed-wing airplanes. We further accommodated modern-style gyroplane as SPE kits because they are strong sellers could qualify as Special LSA if FAA decides. We were never able to include all aircraft types in the past due to data entry challenges that Steve Beste solved by his rigorous definition and execution of how we collect the numbers. See his explanation 
All of us who enjoy flight know much about this, but things are changing and perhaps fast enough to push many of us current-aviation experts into a discomfort zone.
As you have 
However, for short-range urban transport, multicopters may be unstoppable.
Such transportation is the goal of Lift Aircraft, a Texas startup that hopes to change the way people travel.
An article in an online publication called 
Lift has also listed many features they believe provide 
"Divvying up the skyline" where skyline means airspace sounds rather threatening to current pilots. Many pilots have told me they worry about drones or multicopters interfering with the enjoyment of their aircraft, or worse, causing safety problems.
Those concerns may be real but the new flying machines identify the weakness in our current ATC system, great as it has been for aviation safety. It simply takes so many highly-paid controllers with hundreds of facilities and a need for ever-increasing equipment sophistication.
That paragraph quoted above sends a message. ATC depends on up to 6,000 workers to move 5,000 aircraft around the skies safely. Imagine millions of new flying machines and the old system begins to look creaky. Already, many criticize FAA for using out-dated computers and other equipment and federal employment system that creates high costs. Can the tech world improve on this?
Every day, the FAA's Air Traffic Organization provides service to more than 43,000 flights and 2.6 million airline passengers across more than 29 million square miles of airspace. 
Imagine you are flying along in your well-maintained Light-Sport Aircraft with its reliable engine. You are flying a long distance over all sorts of terrain, including vast stretches of water. All is humming along and the miles or kilometers are clicking past. What an experience to fly around the world! Very, very few pilots will ever tackle such a grand challenge.
Then, the unexpected happens. Your engine quits. You have a plan. You trained for this and you are experienced. You leap into action.
Imagine that you find an acceptable landing area but the location is very remote. That seems rather likely when flying all the way around the planet.
Touchdown goes OK. The airplane is undamaged. You are fine. However, you cannot raise anyone on the radio and you are not sure your airborne mayday call was heard. You might trigger the ELT or other satellite device you brought but rescue means staying with the aircraft. Depending on the situation, that might not be optimal.
Now… imagine all this if your means of moving around is by wheelchair. This adds a huge extra dimension of difficulty, even for a determined and fiercely independent person. What once was a daring aviation adventure could now become a battle on the ground.
Handiflight's goal is both simple and enormous at once: "A challenging and inspiring global adventure promoting the inclusion of disabled people and values such as commitment, fraternity, and fellowship."
Handiflight 2018/2019 hopes to "contribute to changing people’s perceptions of disability and combating prejudices and exclusion" and to "turn dreams into reality, face new challenges, explore new pathways, discover new horizons by flying … across the most amazing and demanding areas of our planet. An additional goal is to "strengthen the global network of disabled aviators all around the world in collaboration with the 
The truth is, electric aircraft go way back, to even before the Wrights' famous flight 115 years ago. An article about the newest LSA candidate — a 
These unwieldy-looking flying machines are also some of the best priced and funnest aircraft you can consider. Plus, FAA regs say you can get a Sport Pilot certificate in a powered parachute in a mere 12 hours, the lowest requirement of any Light-Sport Aircraft. These facts make powered parachutes among the most approachable of any aircraft.
Roy Beisswenger's monumental effort — the large format (9 x 12 inches) volume contains about 400 pages — is significantly applicable to all forms of flight. The book contains Federal Aviation Regulations, test guides, and a glossary that almost any sport pilot would value.
If you've seen Roy's 
When Rotax debuted their new 915iS engine at an Oshkosh press conference, Sling designer Mike Blyth raced forward at the end of the conference to closely examine the new power plant. It was clear to me this answered a creation he had in mind and now we can see the fruit of his ambition: the new Sling TSi.
Since the 
For Oshkosh 2018, 
In addition to the Taco Bar treats (it is Southern California, after all, just a few miles from the Mexican border), attendees can hear about a most unusual Builder Assist experience.
The “Main Event” will feature a presentation by Wayne and Matthew Toddun who traveled to South Africa to build their Sling TSi. Not only did the father and son travel half way around the world to build their Sling TSi, the aircraft was subsequently re-assembled in Oshkosh and shown to visitors before it was flown back to Los Angeles.
TAF said that according to Matthew Toddun, "When my dad decided to purchase a new Sling aircraft for us to learn to how to fly, he went for the very best, the brand new Sling TSi!” Matthew continued, “When he decided [to pursue] a build assist program, he wanted the best assistance that we could get.”
”That is when our life-changing opportunity came about,” related Matthew. “[We would] travel to South Africa to build the first conforming Sling TSi. We spent a little over two weeks working side-by-side with the experienced factory crew, learning the ins and outs of our new plane, and assembling it piece by piece.” It was this Sling TSi that was revealed at Oshkosh 2018.
TAF USA also announced, “Next Year we are starting the Sling Pilot Academy to help prepare pilots for the airlines.” However, If you’re not in Southern California or don’t wish to travel to Torrence, you have another attractive alternative run by a veteran flight trainer.
One year ago, I was touring around China thanks to my good friends at 
Reporting from the recently-concluded Zhuhai air show, Xin tweeted, "Liaoning GA Institute, China has upgraded their electric LSA called RX1E-A" — the "-A" denotes this change. "The brochure claims a two-hour charging time and a maximum duration of two hours." Both are worthy achievements.
"The electric motor comes from a European supplier," reported Xin. "Liaoning engineers have also installed a whole airframe parachute. The organization received 10 orders from a Chinese operator."
Read more about electric aircraft, Willi, and Aero in 
Besides the electric aircraft from Liaoning, Xin tweeted, "China is also opening the door for kit-built aircraft." While these have not been officially recognized until very recently, that is changing as the populous country cautiously embraces the ideas of private aviation.
The nearby image shows the first experimental category aircraft in China. Approval was given to this aircraft from Europe. Note the "B-X001" tail number, Xin observes. "CAAC (the Chinese FAA) established the news experimental category in May 2018," reported Xin. "More kit-built airplane models will be built in China," he predicted.
If you'd like to follow Xin on Twitter, search for 
The experimental Top Cub is based on the Part 23 certified Top Cub CC18-180, originally designed by CubCrafters and acquired by Top Cub Aircraft Inc., a subsidiary company of Liaoning, in 2015.
Imagine you are in charge of marketing for French propeller manufacturer, 
Those many breathless stories in mainstream media about autonomously flown air taxis may paint a very different, possibly exciting image of the future of flight, but they may also be years, or decades, away.
Vehicles like Kitty Hawk's Flyer could get to the market much sooner, assuming FAA throws up no roadblocks — I don't see the agency doing that, drones have registered more than a million units giving FAA extra duties but also knowledge, and leverage. Indeed, the drone/multicopter development must be music to the regulators' ears.
Multicopters are also music to ears of prop makers. While 
Last spring, 
Duc Hélices has enjoyed considerable success in the U.S. market, thanks to persistent effort at airshows by their capable Michael Dederian. At LSA events these days, I see two brands all the time: Sensenich from Plant City, Florida and Duc Hélices from Frontenas, France.
To better serve their growing U.S.market, Duc will open a new facility at the Sebring, Florida airport. To celebrate, Duc Propellers USA will host an official opening party in Hangar C2 (442 Hendricks Field Way). People attending the event are invited at 6 PM on Friday January 25, 2019. To confirm or ask questions about the kick-off party, contact Mrs. Héloïse Jonda at her 
A while back with an 
One More Thing… Because this post is about airshows and because 2018 events are now history, our left column has 
Lift
Flight Design said this "is a daring adventure by physically challenged pilots to fly around the world starting very soon, on November 18, 2018. Company CEO Lars Joerges announced that the German manufacturer is a contributing sponsor to the undertaking. The flight will be conducted using a CTLS aircraft.
According to Flight Design, the globe-girdling flight will start from Geneva, Switzerland and will plan to visit 40 countries in five continents while traveling more than 49,000 miles. The flight plans to make “150 stops to meet, share, inspire and promote the inclusion of disabled people worldwide,” organizers said. The goal is to raise funds for Handicap International and is further sponsored by the Lions Clubs International, a fraternal organization that raises money for worthy causes.
Handiflight is a non-profit association formed in Gruyère, Switzerland in 2007. The organization hosts what they call the biggest fly-in for disabled pilots from all around the world.
After 10 years of successful events, Handiflight is now tackling a new goal: “To fly around the world to explore new horizons, look for new challenges, combat prejudices and promote the inclusion of disabled people.”
“We met with Daniel Ramsier, one of the organizers of the Handiflight,” said Joerges. "We were very inspired by his vision and wanted to be part of this adventure.” Primary pilots Paolo Pocobelli, Guillaume Féral and Mike Lomberg will lead an international team of more than 15 pilots with physical disabilities.
Upon the completion of this flight it will mark the third flight around the world for a CT-series aircraft. The first time occurred in 2007 by two pilots from India to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the Indian Air Force. The second round-the-world flight was Azimuth 270, a flight by Yannick Bovier and Francisco Agullo, two Swiss Airbus pilots who flew a westward flight around the equator of the Earth in 2010. Soon will begin this great and inspiring flight by Handiflight!
Seamax
Inside the tent, we did an interview with 
The end of the year is approaching. We just wrapped Halloween and now begin the headlong rush into the holiday season. However, before all that retail excitement starts, here comes the third running of the 
Reason 
Reason 
You can probably add a few more reasons of your own, but the key is to show up and enjoy yourself while checking out a good flock of Light-Sport Aircraft, light kit-build aircraft, and ultralights. Inside the display tent you will find a good collection of accessories, tools, and other gear pilots want.
Oh, here's one more reason. Come see 