Beringer and its team of 32 employees, has progressively moved up in the ranks of widely-used wheel and brake systems, distinguishing themselves by the safety, reliability, and innovation of its distinctively-colored products.
At Beringer in France, a team of 25 designs, certificates, and manufactures its products while their seven-person USA division "focuses on retail and warehousing for the North-American market, providing customer support and local contact to its customers.”
The leaders of Beringer reported, "We did not set out to create 'good enough' wheels and brakes. We sought to create exceptional wheels and brakes, with the goal of providing peace of mind to pilots during the most critical phases of flight." Smart, because while pilots love to go fast, they definitely appreciate a strong set of brakes at the end of the flight.
With its roots in wheel and brake systems, Beringer expanded into landing gear with the Alaskan Landing Gear for Cub-type airframes featuring 12 inches of oleo-pneumatic absorption. Their Shock Wheel system for LSA and ultralights equipped with spring gear gives 8 inches of absorption. Most recently, an innovative three-piece aluminum spring gear called B’Flex was added to the product line.
Established in 2012, Beringer Aero USA relocated from Chicago, Illinois to Greenville, South Carolina. Their newly-acquired facility adjacent to the Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) is the North American outlet for the French manufacturer operated for 37 years by the Beringer family. Initially specializing in motorcycle wheels, forks, and brakes, the company turned to aviation in 2009. Through almost four decades, Beringer has never stopped innovating.
"Representing a culmination of decades of production, testing, and experience, Aerotec+ offers a fundamentally new package designed for safety and increased performance," said Beringer.
Two floating brake pads provide cooling from all sides, therefore lowering operating temperature for reduced pad wear and better caliper protection. Furthermore, the brake pad back plate has cooling fins to increase surface area and is made of a special steel alloy rated for higher temperatures that provides 20% more torque.
Aerotec+'s brake disc has been redesigned with a special steel alloy to increase the coefficient of friction while also handling higher temperatures while the brake caliper has been redesigned to increase rigidity for higher piston loads and incorporates new cooling fins to help dissipate heat. Beringer said Aerotec+'s 20% added torque translates into 15 to 30% greater kinetic energy meaning reduced landing distances.
What goes up must eventually stop and Beringer is determined to slow you down easily.
You know the expression: “What goes up, must…” What goes up must come down and after it does, something needs to stop it. Here’s where one company has staked its claim. France’s Beringer left the high-speed action of motorcycles for even faster aerial machines …yet slowing them to a gentle stop is a matter the company takes very seriously. Judging from all the easily-recognized Beringer hardware I see gripping the wheels of our favorite aircraft, the company appears to be doing remarkably well. Happy Birthday, Beringer! In the rolling hills of Woodruff, South Carolina, at Triple Tree Aerodrome, Beringer Aero USA celebrated its 10-year anniversary in the fall of 2022. Beringer and its team of 32 employees, has progressively moved up in the ranks of widely-used wheel and brake systems, distinguishing themselves by the safety, reliability, and innovation of its distinctively-colored products. At Beringer in France, a team of 25 designs, certificates, and manufactures its products while their seven-person USA division “focuses on retail and warehousing for the North-American market, providing customer support and local contact to its customers.” The leaders of Beringer reported, “We did not set out to create ‘good enough’ wheels and brakes.
Then he finished the aircraft, flew it, and proved it could make weight. Later Jörg worked with a three-cylinder internal combustion engine that seemed to fit the era well. He wasn't done as you'll see below.
Corsair is "a microlight single seater fulfilling different national regulations such as England's SSDR or the U.S. Part 103, yet it is capable of +6 and -4 g without compromises on safety," explained Jörg.
Designed and built in Germany, Corsair has an extremely strong carbon primary structure composed of laboriously-assembled carbon tube. "Furthermore," Jörg added, "the complete cockpit area is constructed as a Kevlar reinforced safety cell." Of course, this being a German design, an aircraft rescue system with a ballistic parachute is available as well. Germany requires such equipment.
"If you want to start your own project and build an aircraft on your own," Jörg observed, "Corsair is not only available ready-to-fly but also as a kit."
This video interview was recorded three years ago, before Covid, on my last visit to Aero until 2023.
https://youtu.be/sFiwdv_ozJc
And here's a shorter review of the aircraft before it flew, featuring in-flight views at the end.
https://youtu.be/k5EF-RU8qMs
As many who attended Sun 'n Fun 2023 learned and even more discovered via online news — Flying Media has acquired the ByDanJohnson aviation brand and all of the written, photographic, or video content created under the tagline, "By Dan Johnson."
This content dates to 1976. Since the mid-1990s, much of this work migrated from print to the web. Work on the website began in 1999… a mere four years after the World Wide Web was birthed by the Netscape browser.
Building a website was very challenging then — we called it "stick-built," as every line of code to make it work had to be written essentially from scratch. WordPress, which today delivers ByDanJohnson.com and about one-third of all websites worldwide, did not exist in 1999. Google was new. Facebook had yet to launch. No one had heard of YouTube. Apple's iPhone was years away. Tick tock was something only a clock did. A lot happened in 20 years.
It was a formative period to go online. I got lucky with the timing. Being very early to move from print to web, I benefitted from being able to refine the website and build an audience long before most of today's web outlets existed.
As Flying takes completes its takeover around April 1, 2024, ByDanJohnson.com will complete a full 20 years of publishing… an eternity in Internet time. Flying will rebadge ByDanJohnson.com as AffordableAviation.com. I purchased this website domain name many years ago with exactly this change in mind.
“The LSA category is the most exciting part of the aviation industry," Craig said in Flying's announcement. "It offers affordable access to some of the most advanced general aviation aircraft in the market. With the changes expected under Mosaic, we expect an explosion in new aircraft models, innovative technology, and more affordable offerings for pilots and aircraft owners. Affordable aviation is coming to general aviation and Flying Media Group plans to capitalize on this opportunity by providing far more coverage and content related to the category, across all of our channels.”
I can hardly tell you how pleased I am that Craig and Flying magazine (and several online products) will carry the affordable aviation flag into the future. For nearly a century, Flying has built a reputation and audience unmatched throughout all of aviation. To join such a prestigious, well-known and well-respected aviation publisher is very satisfying.
Part 103 ultralights — that nobody, including me, can count accurately — appear to be doing very well. Light-Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot kit-built aircraft were 
Since it wasn't side by side that did it, was it the way the canopy seemed to hinge forward and nearly off? Was it the dual-boom empennage?
No, it was something much simpler.
Jindrich and Ondrej could see what the other side-by-side gyro producers were doing and they clearly set out to further those design efforts. The earlier designs simply don't have all the innovative ideas that Nisus does.
I realize that a substantial majority of my readers prefer fixed wing aircraft so I keep a rather close focus on conventional three-axis flying machines. However, I like trikes and gyroplanes, too, and they deserve regular coverage for those enthusiasts.
Nisus uses a primary structure welded from chrome molybdenum steel tubes (25crmo4 NBK), reducing weight while ensuring a rigid form and enhanced safety. The inside of the cabin is fully layered with a carbon Kevlar hybrid for occupant safety.
The empennage is a rare (though not unique) gyroplane design with double rudders to improve low-speed maneuvering at low speed, such as during landings.
✔️ Simple but necessary. How do you tie down a gyroplane. Not by its "wings." Instead, Nisus provides tie downs on all three wheels.
✔️ Nisus' engine cowl unlatches in three places on each side. Pilots must remove the cowling to check the oil. Why the added step? This careful pair of designers wanted to be sure pilots examine the whole engine before flight, not merely check the oil quantity. The engine cowl is secured by latches, not screws; they have guide pins to help seat each latch properly. It only takes a few minutes. Nonetheless, Rich said they have asked about hinging the cowl panels to make this inspection easier. Their goal was good but removing the cowl seems burdensome.
✔️ Nisus uses an integrated throttle, wheel-brake lever, and prerotator handle grouped for one-hand operation. Rich said that Nisus prerotator spins up the rotor quickly (15-20 seconds) and you can go full power as this happens. With a simple hand gesture, you can relax the wheel brake and release the prerotator without removing your hand from the throttle. This makes great sense in an important phase of flight.
✔️ A glove box aft of the throttle quadrant has inside it a zippered lining that when unzipped gives access the control cables and more for inspection… another minor but clever way to check your bird before flight.
Let's begin with a focus on the modest cost of Merlin. I promote affordable aviation all day long. That word "affordable" means something different to every single pilot so every time I use the word someone is going to tell me, "It's still too expensive."
Look I get it. I'm a consumer, too. Plus, who doesn't enjoy a deal? So here's the short answer: "Finished Price: $34,000." That's a direct quote from 
One main reason given by Brad Damm, the company's vice president of sales and marketing, is because customers asked for it. However, Brad has several other good reasons, which he shared in the video below.
"We invested in several new technologies to make the Carbon Cub UL even lighter and better performing than its predecessor, the Carbon Cub SS," stated CubCrafters. "The goal is a new airplane that features multi-fuel technology (mogas and/or avgas), fully meets ASTM standards, and carries two adult people with a full fuel load and a reasonable amount of baggage at a takeoff weight of 600 kilograms or 1,320 pounds."
Key to the development of the new aircraft is CubCrafters’ collaboration with BRP-Rotax, said CubCrafters, because the engine maker chose top launch their new 160 horsepower turbocharged engine on the Carbon Cub UL. The new 916iS engine is lighter, more fuel efficient, and thanks to turbocharging, can produce more power than the normally aspirated CC340 engine on the Carbon Cub SS (especially) in higher density altitude scenarios.
“Our Carbon Cub was first introduced in 2009 and has been a successful aircraft for both CubCrafters and the entire backcountry flying community,” stated Patrick Horgan, CubCrafters President and CEO. “Now, we’re reimagining the Carbon Cub by incorporating the latest in pre-preg composites, more titanium components, and innovative manufacturing techniques, along with the best new engine and avionics technologies for even more performance and versatility.” Brad further elaborates some of these upgrades in the video below.
Emphasizing their global aspiration, Patrick added, “We believe this aircraft will make a major contribution to unlocking the enormous potential of the international marketplace."
The production version of the new aircraft is slated to be initially built, certified, and test flown as a Light-Sport Aircraft at the CubCrafters factory in Yakima, Washington, but it will also meet Ultralight category requirements in many international jurisdictions.
“The aircraft can remain in the LSA category for our customers in Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and even the United States, but it can also be deregistered, exported, and then reregistered as an Ultralight category aircraft in many jurisdictions in Europe, South America, and elsewhere,” explained Brad Damm. “This is a concept we’ve looked at for the last several years. Our kit aircraft program has always been strong in overseas markets, and now we are very excited to have a fully factory assembled and tested aircraft to offer to our international customers.”
The UL concept of a lighter and even better performing version of the Carbon Cub for international markets was first seen for a stunt in Dubai, UAE. A technology demonstrator version of the aircraft was able to successfully land and take off again from a 27-meter (about 90 foot) diameter heliport that is suspended 56 stories above the ground on top of Dubai's iconic skyscraper, Burj Al Arab hotel as part of a recent Red Bull project that inspired audiences worldwide.
Much more information about the Carbon Cub UL, including a product launch Q&A, engine technical specifications from Rotax, and video and still images of the aircraft and engine for editorial use can be found on this 
Quicksilver is now more stable than it's been since the very beginning back in the late 1970s. That's because in the last ownership shift, Bever and family bought the whole shebang. They purchased everything except the GT500 but covering the entire product line from the MX or Sprint/Sport series to the single seat GT400. It took several semi-truck loads to bring it all from southern California to Reserve, Louisiana.
Their rescue of the Quicksilver line and preservation of the brand was warmly received by the legions of 'Quick' enthusiasts. Well beyond 15,000 Quicksilver models have been delivered, making the brand one of the most successful marques in all of aviation. To my knowledge, only Van's Aircraft has delivered more kits to pilots.
Air Tech, Inc., has a broad product and. service capability. They have all the original Quicksilver parts, many accessory items (never produced by Quicksilver, Inc.), and can aid repair on any Quicksilver model.
Air Tech, Inc., mainly sells kits but they do own the Special LSA credential for the Sport S2SE, making this popular aircraft a proper training aircraft to fly the rest of their line. A buyer of the SLSA model is permitted to offer paid flight instruction and rental of the aircraft under LSA regulations.
Aero 1000 is an adaptation of a junior-Indy car race engine. The base powerplant is manufactured by 
In Battle Creek, Michigan a European businessman, Dieter Morszeck, has invested more than $30 million to create a modern airplane factory capable of producing such complex yet handsome designs as the Waco biplane. For 2023, that facility has a new occupant, Junkers Aircraft. Both are owned by Dieter and this man is serious about aviation.
Mr. Morszeck made his money in the luggage business. His brand, Rimowa, is known widely for its corrugated exterior, leaving an earlier Junkers aircraft built similarly to be dubbed the "flying suitcase." This is a delicious bit of serendipity because now his former luggage business can be expressed in an airplane… one that draws people's attention wherever it shows up. I observed pilots keen to sit in A50 Junior simply to experience a bit of history.
For additional information on A50 Junior, please 
A Swiss team was engaged to create the first example of A50 Junior in the modern age. Now that the prototyping is done and Special LSA approval has been granted from FAA, A50 can enter the U.S. market and its first buyers are already stepping up.
As you might expect from an aircraft of this highly detailed construction, this is not the least costly SLSA on the market. However, for those filled with desire, the first 29 airplanes — a nod to the year of its first introduction in 1929 — will be sold for about $195,000. I predict they won't have too much trouble finding buyers, especially as many LSA are now approaching (or have exceeded) that price.
Junkers isn't done. An A52 model with side-by-side seating and retractable gear could enter the market as a Mosaic LSA or mLSA. Dieter and his team are already pondering that move and, again, their U.S. factory is set up and ready to produce.
How about 160 horsepower!? That's a 19-horse or 13% gain in power, all essentially from the same engine core? With Mosaic set to allow four seaters, heavier airplanes, greater speed, and probably retractable gear, the newest 916iS seems perfectly situated for Mosaic.
However, since the new rule won't allow deliveries before early 2025, does that mean a long wait for a 916iS? No, as it not made expressly for Mosaic. Indeed, BRP-Rotax already has a launch customer: CubCrafters.
The popular Cub maker has never used Rotax. They used their own engine (one they had manufactured to their specifications). Understandably, the European engine maker is pleased to win CubCrafters as a new customer.
Rotax observed, "Our Rotax 916iS/c showcased its power for the first time in the new CubCrafters Carbon Cub UL, a new engineering prototype equipped with the 916iS."
"Working with Rotax on the 916iS/c has been a great collaboration. We are excited to launch our latest products together and make them available worldwide," said Patrick Horgan, president and CEO of CubCrafters. "The powerful and smooth single lever operation Rotax 916iS/c is outstanding, bringing the latest engine technology to the Carbon Cub family." Patrick added that 916iS/c is compatible with fuels available worldwide.
However, Rotax literature specified other variations, such as the 916iS (no "c"), which they describe as the ASTM compliant engine, making them suitable for LSA today and Mosaic LSA or mLSA in 2025. The 916iS/c is certified by EASA (Europe's rough equivalent to FAA). Commonly, reciprocal agreements between CAAs in western European nations and FAA in America allows the U.S. agency to accept EASA's approval and vice versa.
Helicopters (and, finally, fully-built gyroplanes) are also expected to be permitted under Mosaic. As rotary aircraft often prefer higher power, 916iS appears to offer a good fit.
Since 915iS has been winning converts steadily, I predict a wonderful response to the latest and greatest from the largest supplier of light aircraft engines in the world.
Strap your seat belt securely, clear the sky ahead and push that SLC throttle to the max. Hoo-yah!
Over his many years in the business, Paul has created various models, tried a variety of engines, and strengthen (and proven) his M-Square airframe to allow more potent engines and greater carrying capacity. He has added cockpit enclosures and windscreens. You can fly all M-squared airplanes on floats.
Yet what really sells these airplanes is their friendly, accommodating flight qualities and a durable platform that can work for years.
So, how can he do even better? Please read on…
Paul and his team did a handsome installation even refitting an earlier exhaust system above the engine. They had to clear the airbox on top and keep the heat away from nearby fuel lines but this mount looked quite efficient to my eyes. Paul and I even joked that the muffler itself may produce a bit of lift as it appears somewhat airfoil shaped and operating in clean air.
Perhaps the most surprising news, though, was that Rotax now says the 912iS produces 105 horsepower versus the even 100 horsepower that we have used for many years.
Another major change will be the installation of a Dynon SkyView avionics. Of course, this provides many useful functions but among them Paul can now offer full ADSB In and Out. For an aircraft used to train new pilots, having such state of the air digital electronics will better prepare students.
With a new engine and new avionics, will Breese 2 get too expensive? Affordability is different for each of us but for an aircraft used to train pilots, making it a commercial aircraft, Paul's 2023 price of $75,000 strikes me as a very fair deal. The engine and avionics alone cost him half the selling price. As I told him and others discussing that number, "Tell me something that did not go up 30-50% in the last two year." With the prices on almost everything ratcheting up, I see that as a very fair value.
If you have comments, I'd love to read them below.
Meanwhile, stay tuned for much more from 
Maybe these new-fangled flying contraptions have numerous (indecipherable) names because they're still deciding which way they're headed?
I believe aircraft like these are nearly inevitable and I not only don't resist, I'm rather enthusiastic about them. I'd love to get picked up from my driveway and whisked by air to an appointment across town in minutes, free of clogged roads. C'mon, UberAir!
However, that dream may be years in the future. Oh, the technology is nearly ready now. It hasn't been proven to be in-the-field robust yet but engineers know today most of what they need to make air taxis viable. Their much bigger challenge? Gaining public acceptance and winning regulatory approval. That could take a long time. Meanwhile…
Before joining Jetson, Stéphan worked for 
Some who try eventually hit upon the right formula but no one says this is easy. Technology has been particularly helpful to smaller enterprises, especially those that serve customers widely dispersed across the country. Whatever you think of social media, the fact is they help those with specialized interests find people who can provide services.
One fellow has found his magic carpet. His instruction calendar has a few available slots in 2023 but he has already almost filled this year's schedule book. How did one man succeed and who is this story about?
That work has been gratifying — and helped move the entire LSA industry forward — but Roy's personal choice of flight and his passion is focused on powered parachutes.
While he was working in this field and building his enterprise, Roy and I linked up in a new way in 2014, the 10th anniversary of SP/LSA. Roy had compiled many aspects of the regulation that could be improved. He assembled an impressive booklet of desirable changes complete with suggestions. Working together, Roy and I drew people from industry, from membership associations, and from FAA to a meeting at Sun 'n Fun nine years ago.
Roy's hard work on advocacy for LSA — for which I was honored to be his partner at twisting FAA's arm — has paid off in a big way. The coming regulation incorporates every initiative that Roy and I proposed for Mosaic.
But important as this work may be, that's enough about advocacy. Let's talk about flying machines!
Roy's training program begins before the student gets to the airport. Anyone anywhere can start by studying a book Roy wrote on the subject. Roy’s Powered Parachute Book has 470 pages of content covering every aspect of flying powered parachutes. The inch-thick, large-format book is densely illustrated with many beautiful graphics that help explain everything. Roy admitted, “Writing a book wasn’t nearly as hard as illustrating the book.”
He combines the textbook with online training using the Brainscape app. Roy explained, “There is a lot of material to retain when learning to fly. By starting the ground training at home, students are able to get through the flight training, the knowledge test, and the check ride that much faster and stress-free.”
Thanks to a commitment to the safest practices, in the 30 years that Roy has been training powered parachutes, his program has been injury-free.
One of the key advantages of powered parachutes is their simplicity. These aircraft are designed to be easy to operate, and they require minimal training to fly. This makes them an ideal choice for people who are new to aviation, or who are looking for a more relaxed flying experience. The slow flying speed of powered parachutes makes them ideal low altitude sightseeing aircraft.
As an experiment, this article was triggered by Roy asking ChatGPT to write a draft as though it was written by me. Roy tweaked it and sent it to me for final editing.
Is that still an AI-produced document? Well, yes and no. It certainly changed through human input. However, it was helpful to move things along more quickly and that's one of the benefits many are seeing with this new technology. Since pilots are quite technically interested and adept, I thought readers would enjoy hearing about this use of AI.
In those two decades, LSA have arrived and flown in nearly every country on Earth.
A few years ago, I evaluated total worldwide market size — see 
We know Chinese money is invested in (or wholly owns) many of general aviation's top brands, including Cirrus Design, Continental Motors, Mooney, Diamond, Icon Aircraft, and others. However, money flowing to those companies does not support sales in Asia-Pacific. Most of those enterprises are mainly active in the USA and have only small operations (if any) in China or around the Pacific nations.
However, that is slowly changing. Since my travel around China in late 2017, many changes have occurred.
AeroJones has a patient investor with a longer horizon and the company has rewarded him by steadily increasing business.
While those developments continue, the Taiwan-owned company has clearly demonstrated their ability to build airplanes. A tour of AeroJones' production facility showed off a modern, orderly shop with well-trained personnel building CTLS aircraft.
AeroJones was established in 2013 and is completing its 10th year in business, a noteworthy accomplishment it will celebrate officially in 2023.
A decade ago, AeroJoes signed a contract with German CTLS developer Flight Design. After receiving extensive training from company engineers, AeroJones turned on their factory machinery. Gaining government approval — a kind of Type Certificate is required by CAAC, China's FAA — took many months. This was all new ground for both company and officials.
In those ten years, the AeroJones team learned to build a high-quality Light-Sport Aircraft and do so with repeatability. The company recently completed its #50 CTLS.
"We are #2 in China and #1 in the World," said Hsieh "Tai" Chi-Tai in news last year. Another China producer, Sunward with its 
Like all such producers, AeroJones does their primary assembly work using non-airport facilities. They then disassemble, transport, and reassemble their aircraft at an airport some hours away. At that location, training is conducted and newly-manufactured aircraft are test flown.
Until recently, that is the method used to deliver all light aircraft in China. It's a large country and truck delivery adds a lot of extra work and time.
Last year. AeroJones broke new ground and air-ferry-delivered a new CTLSi to a customer (
With a delicious 10-day spacing between them — time to rest up a bit after a vigorous week — later in April comes 
Organizers of the 49th event announced major plans for this popular airshow that kicks off the recreational flying season. My focus is on LSA, Sport Pilot kits, and ultralights. At Sun 'n Fun, that means Paradise City, where big things are happening. You would not be wrong if you scanned this article and saw increased interest in this part of the overall Sun 'n Fun grounds.
Perhaps it is the potent combination of new leadership and bubbling pilot energy. Perhaps new attention is related to the coming Mosaic regulation. No matter, the area known to many readers as Paradise City or the Ultralight Area — or Light Planes, as Sun 'n Fun now labels it — appears newly energized for 2023. This follows a solid year in 2022 when the overall market sector I follow was 
The other sponsor is a new aircraft manufacturer, 
Rotax Aircraft Engines
Super Petrel has a long history; some 400 are flying around the world. In addition, the current producer, 
The timing was perfect as Rodrigo has always said, “You begin with the engine and build the aircraft around it.”
Besides the more potent engine, Scoda engineers have been busy. The latest version shows several improvements.
Larger tires with 
The fuel system now has two separate header tanks located behind the baggage compartment resulting in a 60% increase in capacity. On-board fuel has been increased as well.
"Remarkably, the aircraft empty weight is nearly the same as the current Super Petrel LS model with Rotax 914 at 870 pounds," said Roger. "The ballast water system now has a gauge on the G3X along with a panel switch to add or remove water while while operating the aircraft on the water," he added.
The landing gear is electrically actuated and hydraulically operated with a mechanical release behind the pilot seat. The doors are gone and replaced by the full canopy. The canopy can be completely operated by hand or, once unlocked, operated by a hydraulic assist. Visibility has been greatly improved with the new canopy design.
"In the beginning we were offering the aircraft with either the Rotax 912iS or the 915iS engines," Roger recalled. Yet, "All twelve aircraft sold thus far have been the 141-horsepower 915iS engines. We decided to take the 912iS off the table."
How does that deal sound? You buy a subscription for $40 — which you should get anyway — and you are automatically entered in the prize drawing for an aircraft worth $200,000 or more. If you give a friend a gift subscription, you get an additional entry, and you can give up to 10 gifts. Somebody is going to win and the odds are fantastically better than any state lottery. You won't be competing against millions of others. In my mind, winning a free airplane sounds like a great way to start a new year! Even if you don't win, you'll get a beautiful aviation magazine each month.
Flying magazine prize organizers said the winner can choose between the two aircraft. "Tecnam Astore is a great two-seat LSA featuring a Rotax 914 turbocharge engine, leather interior, and an all-glass cockpit." I have 
This year our favorite recreational flying area of the Lakeland show is sponsored by two leading names in aviation. Flying magazine is a sponsor of Paradise as is Junkers Aircraft.
You know the magazine but Junkers, though the brand may sound familiar, seems to recall an earlier time. Indeed, the storied German name has been around nearly a century, since the early days of aviation. Now… they're back and they are coming to America!
Welcome to Junkers and their American importer and partner, 
Who cares about boats (or seaplanes) in the dead of winter? Well, what better way to endure icy streets and frigid temperatures than to go look at boats and dream of using them come summer — Plan Ahead!
As with airplanes, boats can't be built overnight, so ordering early ensures that when the lakes finally do open up, fun starts quickly thereafter.
Aventura has been in operation for many years and has hundreds of their aircraft flying. These were produced by different business operations over the years but the company is in its most stable form today under the leadership of Alex Rolinski.
Recently, 
The company's Aventura II seaplane "is a versatile aircraft that is designed for recreational and commercial purposes, with safety requirements." Alex listed several worthy reasons to consider their Aventura:
Water Operations: "This allows for access to remote locations," wrote Alex, "including the ability to explore areas that are difficult to reach by other means of transportation, providing you with a beautiful experience, different from any other airplane operation!"
I add an argument that landable bodies of water outnumber airports by at least ten times and if you include every body of water that might permit an emergency landing, the number goes off the charts. You can safely land an amphibious seaplane in many more places.
Short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability: "Aventura II seaplane can take off and land in relatively short distances, making it useful for operations in areas with limited runway space." See specifications below.
Durability and reliability: "Aventura is built with high-quality materials and is designed to withstand the rigors of operating in various environments."
Safety: "Aventura models are equipped with multiple safety features and are designed to meet or exceed industry safety standards, besides a faultless history of accidents. This airplane never had a structural failure in more than 20 years of operation," reported Alex.
Utility: "Aventura II an be used for a variety of purposes, such as recreation, sightseeing, fishing, wildlife observation, and more."
Affordable: "Aventura II is fuel-efficient, keeping operating costs lower. The Kit is the most affordable seaplane in the market, and takes around 250 hours to build."
Customizability: "Aventura II can be configured to suit a variety of different needs, with options such as panels (from analog to full glass), wheels, skis, and six engine options."
Maneuverability: "Aventura models are highly maneuverable, which allows for precise control and handling in a variety of different conditions."
Comfort: "Aventura II is designed to provide a comfortable and enjoyable flying experience, with features such as a spacious cabin with or without windows that offer excellent visibility."
Alex believes — and my own experience agrees with his view — that a seaplane like Aventura II can open up many new possibilities for adventure, access to remote areas, and the ability to explore new places.
In early 2023, prices start at $60,000 for an Aventura II kit. The factory can walk you through numerous options or features you may want to provide a more specific price and time availability. However, Alex presently states that kits are available in four months.
An Aventura LSA starts at $119,900. Kit versions are available in six months. A fully built model needs a direct quote from the producer. Various types of equipment can be fitted. Aventura II models are available as a kit, an "assisted" kit, a fully-built Special LSA model or you could elect an Experimental LSA, for example, if you want to do all you own maintenance.
You truly need to see these performances to believe what determined pilots in suitable aircraft can do. I encourage all to come on down to sunny Florida for Sun 'n Fun 2023 and check out the action in Paradise City (formerly the "Ultralight/Lightplane Area" and now badged as "
Like its counterpart at AirVenture in the Fun Fly Zone (also the former Ultralight Area), crowds can get close enough to see the STOL performances in great detail. Usually you have to arrive early enough to get a place at the fence. I've seen spectators 10-deep at both events.
Paradise City hosts Sun 'n Fun's "other" runway, a grass strip that's been steadily improved enough that the local 
Before 
Using his powerful Viking engines but also adding adding a super-special humongous landing gear arrangment to maximize rotation-for-takeoff performance Jan Eggenfellner created his Monster STOL.
As regular enthusiasts know, most of the top performers use taildraggers. Yet Zenith clearly does well with tricycle gear, even the regular version; the video below illustrates this.
Congratulations to Hamish Crowe for his first place finish at the 
Fellow Zenith pilot Daniel Wright finished in second place flying his blue and white Zenith STOL (registration JRM) with a takeoff roll of just 19.0 meters (62.3 feet) and landing roll of 30.7 meters (100.7 feet), for a combined distance of just 49.7 meters (163.1 feet). Both pilots can be seen performing in the short video below.
Naturally, Van's isn't the only company aware of what FAA is planning. Any other company or individual who participates on the ASTM committee can know most of the same information. Indeed, this is where I get most of my knowledge about Mosaic as 
Jabiru
Montaer
The Airplane Factory
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For FAA, this is somewhat new ground. It's unusual for the agency to release this much information about a regulation before they issue it. These things change internally as different FAA departments weigh in, so they usually keep their cards close to the chest until the NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rule Making) is near final form. All this relates only to the airframe.
A different FAA group handles pilot privileges and who gets to fly what size aircraft with how many people on board. They are much less involved with ASTM committee work. That is why we have much less information about what the agency plans regarding pilot certification or flight operations.
After Covid, so many things changed for so long that, today, it's getting hard to remember how it was. EAA hosted (in-person) Ultralight Days for some years, with a wintery gathering of aviation's lightest flying machines at their splendid facilities right behind the HQ building. Specifically I mean Pioneer Airport. Covid played a role in suspending that event.
Yet EAA's helpful experts, led by Charlie Becker and Timm Bogenhagen, had a fresher idea. While corporations were Zoom-meeting with staff and clients, Timm and Charlie sprung into action. In the new age of working remotely, how could EAA convey lots of knowledge to their members and how could non-members get a great object lesson in how experts can help?
Using their system that worked beautifully for homebuilders, EAA cooked up Virtual Ultralight Days.
EAA said, "Subject matter experts of the ultralight community will present webinars on the lighter side of recreational aviation including how to get started in ultralights; how-to instructions on a variety of ultralight aircraft such as gyroplanes, powered parachutes, and trikes; and overall informative topics on maintenance, airport operations, safety inspections, and more."
That covers a lot of ground. How could EAA gurus deliver all this useful information? One word: Webinars… and plenty of them. In about two weeks — over February 21-22-23, 2023 — EAA will present five seminars a day, a total of 15 highly information presentations. See all sessions referenced below.
Yet that's not all the interaction you can have. During these talks, EAA can survey listeners. As one of the presenters, I am excited about this. When I give a talk in person, I often start out asking some questions of attendees so I can better suit my remarks to their interest and experience. On a webinar the presenter cannot see his or her audience so how do they know who is watching? Surveys will help plus give you a chance to interact.
"Anyone can register for any presentation," EAA said, "by going to their 
If you like a topic, you check the time, register, and EAA will send you a drop-dead-simple button to click. If that time doesn't suit you, no problem as you can watch the recorded version later. It may take a short time to get these ready but then they will be available for a long time. For example, I enjoyed a couple presentations from 2022.
EAA began Virtual Ultralight Days last year on the 40th anniversary of Part 103 becoming part of the FARs.
I hope you can tune in — or watch later. Following is the entire schedule or see Article Links below to quicken your search.
