Two publications — GA News’ “The Pulse” and AvWeb reported on a letter from Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) urging FAA to help airports encourage auto gas supply. While his reasoning has a political quality (no surprise in this election-charged atmosphere), the point for LSA enthusiasts is that this could help increase availability of Mogas at airports. Since the Rotax and Jabiru engines that power the vast majority of LSA actually prefer automotive fuel as experts say it burns cleaner and provides a more efficient use of fuel — plus it costs significantly less! — congressional pressure on FAA could be a game changer. The downside is that many in aviation’s more influential ranks are focused on withering supplies of 100LL Avgas and for unexplained reasons, some continue to resist supplying Mogas at airports. Waxman’s letter refers to a report by FAA’s Unleaded Avgas Transition Aviation Rulemaking Committee report released in February 2012.

News from Russian sport aircraft producers is rare. Though the old USSR had a vast military aircraft complex that hasn’t translated to recreation aircraft the way it did in the formerly Soviet Czech Republic, where many of our LSA originate. However, that doesn’t mean efforts are absent. We’ve seen some uptake of LSA (like Pipistrel) into Russia but here I’ll portray an unusual Russian development. It may not find a U.S. market but I find it intriguing. The designer, Anatoly Geralevich Szukov, calls his work the result of “garage aviation,” a surprisingly American term (think: Apple computer coming from Steve Jobs’ garage) for a very different project… from Russia. Instead of meaning a source of innovation, however, Szukov uses the garage term because his development allows people to store their aircraft in a normal garage. Szukov’s U.S.-based contact didn’t provide an English name for Szukov’s company (though if you read Russian you might deduce it).

Do you support the idea of “energy independence” by using ethanol blended into your fuel? Are you aware that politics drives the use of ethanol? Do you know that ethanol is reaching what’s called a “blend wall” — as soon as next year — and that this could have major consequences for ethanol-laced fuel? Sounds rather wonky, I know. Yet this matter affects the fuel for our aircraft engines in a very direct way. Although Rotax and Jabiru can handle 10% ethanol, the blended fuel can be very hard on engines not designed to handle the damaging aspects of water-absorbing alcohol in fuels. Pilots like their engines to last and to run consistently, so any ethanol presence in fuel can be serious. Outspoken zero ethanol (E0) advocate Kent Misegades wrote in GA News, “Ethanol producers have found themselves under more pressure than ever in recent months, with numerous efforts afoot to grant waivers or even repeal the Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) production mandates that have resulted in the nearly complete adulteration of our nation’s fuel supply in recent years.” He relates recent events such as a drought in corn-producing states contributing to higher gas prices and increased cost of feed for livestock plus the fact that ethanol, a highly-corrosive substance, may not be pumped through fuel pipelines so it must be trucked or shipped by rail or barge.

In light of recent developments, perhaps some ups and downs of FAA’s involvement with Light-Sport aviation can offer perspective. First some background; then an appeal for your help on behalf of LSA. POSITIVE In the summer of 2004, precisely 35 years after the day Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon, FAA gave birth to Light-Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot. An agency of the government wrote a regulation obeying a 1995 law saying government agencies should relax the reins whenever reasonable. Presto! SP/LSA. In essence, the idea was to set aviation free from heavy-handed regs like Part 23 while also taming what some saw as the “wild west” of ultralight aircraft. This shrewd move propelled a rather fantastic 127 new SLSA models in only seven years… like nothing in aviation, worldwide, ever. For three years, LSA sales were firecracker hot! NEGATIVE A couple years after the birthing, FAA started evaluating the producers.

One of the most storied companies in the entire light airplane space is Quicksilver. Their iconic models have populated the skies more than any other recreational aircraft brand… yes, more than Van’s (7,000+), Rans (4,500+), and Challenger (2,500+) combined! In fact, in 2002 and 2003, Quicksilver by itself outsold Cessna, Piper, and Beechcraft combined! Now, that’s a performance any aircraft company would love to match. Recently this company, which has what our nation’s president might call “a good narrative,” acquired new ownership, the fourth such transition in the five decades it’s been in existence. Quicksilver Manufacturing became Quicksilver Aeronautics. Thanks to increased energy and fresh directions from Will Escutia and Dan Perez, the California company is attracting new retail businesses to become part of Team Quicksilver. One of the newest is Flying & Living LLC, located in Queretaro, Mexico. Here’s another reason for envy from other producers.

One of the longest suffering participants on the ASTM committee that writes certification standards for Light-Sport Aircraft is Greg Gremminger, the remarkably mild-mannered chair of the gyroplane subcommittee. Demonstrating patience like Job in the Bible, Greg has labored to change FAA’s mind about granting Special LSA status to gyros. He has completely struck out but deserves loud applause for sticking with it so long despite such intransigence*. Regardless of the years-long challenge, at the Midwest LSA Expo in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, Greg managed to put a good spin on the present situation. Gyroplanes were an American phenomenon at one time. The Benson Gyro was as close to a household word as gyros get. Many others joined the parade over the years. Today, however, the main action is European based and the reason is probably that aviation authorities across the pond are more accommodating. While gyros were indeed part of the LSA regulation that arrived in summer 2004, they were never given SLSA status due, Greg reports, to intraagency squabbling.

Randall Fishman virtually invented the electric aircraft. That’s a rather big statement yet I stand behind it. Randall first showed a functional electric trike at Oshkosh 2007. He’s been on a tear ever since and his ULS is his present state-of-the-art, his fourth generation of electric aircraft design. *** I use three words to describe ULS deliberately. It’s electric. That’s obvious but singular. Fishman’s Electric Aircraft Corporation is presently selling electric powered aircraft. You can also buy an electric eSpyder from Yuneec or an eGull from Earthstar but after that, mostly what you hear about electric aircraft are developments… fascinating but just developments. Electric Aircraft Corporation is ready today. *** ULS is gorgeous. You can see that for yourself and I have to presume you agree because it is simply beautiful in its sweeping lines, slippery smoothness, and overall elegance. It wowed visitors to Oshkosh 2012 and it’ll do that at any airport I submit.

Some say LSA are too expensive. With some topping $200,000 (or even more), that rings true… in some cases. Yet more budget-friendly models are available and Oshkosh 2012 unveiled another. Now Zenith Aircraft‘s kit STOL CH 750 is available as a fully-built LSA. The price? A bargain $74,900, an intro price, admittedly, but regularly it’ll still be only $84,900. By any measure, that’s a good deal. Take the intro price back to when LSA was announced in summer of 2004 and the figure would be barely over $60,000, just as most expected then. *** The new manufacturer is Tenn-Air run by Pete Krotje (already active with Jabiru and Arion) who licensed the design rights from Zenair Ltd., to produce the all-metal high-wing as a SLSA. The updated 750 offers a much larger cabin compared to the still-produced 701. It is powered by the 120-hp six-cylinder Jabiru 3300 engine, has a EIS engine monitor system, Garmin SL-40 comm radio, intercom, Sensenich prop, basic flight instruments, and 6×6 tires at the low introductory price though you can spend a bit more for full glass panel displays.