One of the most beautiful areas in the 48 states is Washington state, especially in summer. So, no wonder the third largest fly-in of the USA takes place north of Seattle in July. Some 50-60,000 visitors attend. With Boeing nearby, tons of seaplane activity, plus being relatively close to aviation-crazy Alaska, Arlington is the major western event. This year it will be even better as Arlington has its own LSA Mall, modeled after the same concept at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. *** Thankfully, I'm recovering well from my injuries in early April and will attend. If you can come to Arlington, look me up in the Mall on the 5-6-7th of July. Later in July, I'll do duty in Oshkosh's LSA Mall from July 23-30. I hope to see you at one of these or at a Sport Pilot Tour stop -- Minneapolis (Aug. 19), Boston (Sep. 9), Riverside, CA (Dec. 2) San Diego (Dec. 9), and Houston (Feb. 17, 2007). It's great to be back in the airshow circuit!

The country's third largest metro area will soon be visited by a collection of Light-Sport Aircraft plus hundreds of pilots and friends interested in Sport Pilot. On Saturday, June 17th get out and enjoy these activities -- EAA experts will answer questions on the Sport Pilot license. You can sign up for a free Sport Pilot certificate if you're an EAA member. You can close-up examine SLSA in a relaxed environment that will give you time to ask your questions and try on the aircraft for fit. The Sport Pilot Tour brings all this to an airport near you, this month on the outskirts of the Windy City. Food is available. The event is free. All Sport Pilot Tour stops are staged near areas with large general and pilot populations to insure the best results. Minneapolis will be next (Aug. 19), Boston (Sep. 9), Riverside CA (Dec. 2) San Diego (Dec. 9), and Houston (Feb. 17, 2007). When one comes to you, get out and see it.

Earlier this year at Sebring Cessna officials including boss Jack Pelton made a stealth visit to the LSA Expo (see SPLOG of January 14, 2006). Well, a bizjet hiding among Light-Sport Aircraft wasn't particularly stealthy but they were apparently serious. Today the rumor mill kicked into overdrive with the big company's formal announcement that it is "studying the feasibility of developing and producing a Light Sport Aircraft (LSA)." Cessna said they'll have have a mockup in the LSA Mall at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006 and noted that LSA represents "the highest growth sector of general aviation." This announcement is both exciting and more than a little scary for current LSA providers. Cessna jumped into the Very Light Jet (VLJ) market with their Mustang, and they are supposedly creating a "Cirrus Killer." The storied brand is glancing over its shoulder in several aviation markets. Big companies are often less nimble than small players. Cessna indicated they will make their decision about a LSA early in 2007.

As I've traveled for EAA approaching major flight schools to interest them in pursuing Sport Pilot training and using LSA, I've often heard one retort. These large general aviation schools -- using Cessna, Piper, Diamond -- say, "We've gotten poor reports about Rotax." The problem appears to stem from Diamond's original Katana powered by a 912 Rotax. While European A&P mechanics knew the engine, American maintenance people did not. Diamond didn't fully train mechanics so they handled the engine incorrectly. Eventually, engine reliability suffered. Now, one of the country's top sellers of Rotax engines aims to change that unfortunate perception through education. Former Cirrus executive, Dean Vogel, has teamed up with Phil Lockwood to form the Aero Technical Institute (ATI). They'll start May 25-26 offering training sessions on Rotax powerplants. Courses will be at Lockwood's sprawling operation at the Sebring airport and perhaps ATI will travel to A&Ps later. As the GA community learns more about Rotax maintenance, I hope their attitude will change. Hopefully it'll be ATI to the rescue!

One of my favorite lines comes from a man associated with trying to perfect the airplane convertible to a car. Molt Taylor is reported to have said, "An airplane will get you from one place you don't want to be to another place you don't want to be: the airport." Indeed too many American airports are simply places to get your plane out of the hangar...and leave. How handy would it be to fly in, land, and quickly transform your plane into your automobile? So, the aerocar idea remains alive. Now, a development team associated with highly regarded MIT is promoting the Transition. Why cover a concept in the early stages? Because Transition is being built to meet LSA definitions. While looking novel, I especially like that you carry the wings with you when motoring on the highways (check their web movie). Most other concepts call for removing the wings, a cumbersome process at best.

The U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in October 2004 was the first event to focus exclusively on Light-Sport Aircraft. ou never get a second chance to make a first impression. With that in mind, you might ask how visitors regarded the first U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, held in Sebring, Florida, from October 28-31, 2004. The Expo was the first of its kind aiming at the new Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) segment, and it was a focused event, featuring only LSAs and ultralights. Is that two strikes against it or two good reasons for it to succeed? From what I could see, those who attended the Sebring event were satisfied. Set aside for the moment reports elsewhere that the show was sparsely attended. It was the first of its kind. And as word of mouth is accepted to be the best marketing tool for shows, the attendance figures should present no surprise. The vendors were satisfied, and visitors also seemed to feel good about the selection of aircraft, the availability and ease of demo flights and the wide array of educational forums. At the Show The four EAA forum tents were well attended with a good many speakers reporting most seats filled. Personnel from the FAA and EAA gave talks on the new Sport Pilot rule from various perspectives, and vendors gave listeners details of their aircraft or services. Topics also included fractional ownership of LSAs (yes, just like the bizjet owners), insurance, powerplant maintenance, building or repair advice, aircraft design advice, appropriate weather for flying, weight-shift aircraft, Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA) services to producers, networks of places to fly LSAs, LSA business opportunities for CFIs and FBOs, and business marketing services. In short, if you wanted to know more about Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft, the Sebring forums were an excellent way to bulk up your knowledge. While the Expo was going on, the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) held its first ever symposium for general aviation CFIs and FBOs. With nearly 50 persons attending, NAFI held two mornings of meeting room lectures by various experts including aviation educators John and Martha King, former SkyStar President Ed Downs, insurance expert Bob Mackey, EAA ultralight chair-person Carla Larsh and others. Each day in the afternoon, attendees went to the Expo where arrangements had been made to allow them to take flights in LSAs that interested them. Nearly all took flights as desired after the first day, and most went back for more on day two. Sebring was judged so successful that NAFI Executive Director Rusty Sachs said the organization was planning additional symposia to be conducted elsewhere. Demo Flight Delights Perhaps the main attraction of Sebring was the chance for potential customers to fly with vendors in their aircraft. Several vendors reported steady action throughout the event. After Thursday and Friday (with a big Saturday to follow), air operations personnel reported about 500 flights taken, so final numbers surely exceeded 1000 flights. Assuming attendance guesses were right, between one in three and one in five visitors took a flight. Instead of encountering the long walks found at some events, visitors to the Sebring Expo found displays concentrated enough that they could stroll the grounds and see all the planes and services in a shorter time. The smaller venue also made it much easier to move a plane from its exhibit space down a taxiway (using the engine rather than walking it) to the flightline. Many aircraft used the Runway 14/32, while others joined the general aviation pattern on Runway 18/36. Powered parachutes and others used a grassy area to the west of the Runway 14/32. These options meant more demo flights were taken to the satisfaction of those who came hoping to do precisely that kind of evaluation flying. Demo flights in LSAs at Sebring were not the once-around-the-patch hops common at major airshows. Given the open surroundings and cooperation of the airport, flights were commonly 20 minutes or longer, and visiting pilots could get a good sense for the handling and performance of an aircraft. Kudos must go to the vendors and volunteer staff for facilitating these flights. Despite the steady flying at an airport simultaneously serving normal GA operations, Sebring Chairman Bob Woods was especially pleased that the Expo was incident free. "We had no ground accidents, no air accidents, and everything went smoothly and safely," he said. New Aircraft and Familiar Names There were many notable Light-Sport aircraft introduced at Sebring. Here's a sampling of them: IndUS Aviation's Thorpedo, with its six-cylinder Jabiru powerplant, is based on the Thorp T-211. In fact, the company sells a Part 23-certified T-211 with a Continental powerplant but recently fitted the Jabiru 3300. The additional 20 hp made for a strong performer in this enjoyable aircraft. Aspects of the Thorp's design, developed in the 1940s, eventually showed up in the prolific Piper Cherokee series. (www.indusav.com; 877/GO-INDUS) An interesting aircraft was on display as a result of company officials of Opus Aircraft buying the design rights from England. The ARV Super 2 tried the U.S. market once before, but that Minnesota-based effort never got off the ground. Opus Aircraft has set up operations at the Rockingham County Airport in Stoneville, North Carolina. (336/573-3779) Stellar Aircraft flew its AstraTrike, which is powered by the air-cooled, four-stroke, twin-cylinder HKS 700E engine. Developer Allistair Wilson has long been a trike enthusiast, though he flies all manner of fixed-wing aircraft. After his British supplier, Pegasus, pulled out of the U.S. market following a lawsuit, Wilson chose to create his own trike. Available at present with a Rotax 503 or the HKS, the trike is a well-engineered design that incorporates the numerous changes desired by a trike expert. Some may think LSAs are becoming too expensive, but the Astra trikes are priced from $15,995-$19,995, the latter with the four-stroke engine. (www.astratrike.com; 812/384-4760) AveoTech has a new deal with German designer Wolfgang Dallach, creator of the Fascination. The latter airplane is too speedy for the LSA rule, though the retractable-gear version will be sold as an Experimental/Amateur-Built kit. A fixed-gear, fixed-pitch prop model, AveoSport WD, has been prepared for the U.S. market. Denton, Texas-based AveoTech has become a partner with Dallach and will represent his designs, among others. AveoTech also has a line of instruments and accessories. (www.aveousa.com; 210/568-3795) Florida resident Jack Harper (once a rep for the Dallach company mentioned above) showed and repeatedly flew his Lil' Breezy B-Model, which vaguely resembles the more famous Breezy but is done in ultralight style. (www.harperaircraft.com; 904/778-0021) A new company, Reliant Paracraft Aerosports, showed its new powered parachute, which resembles one formerly marketed as the Destiny Fusion. The new rig features a cockpit enclosure and an open look quite different from many powered parachutes, most of which have structural tubing around the occupants. The Florida-based outfit bills its aircraft as the "ultimate off-road vehicle," and Harley-Davidson fans will surely recognize the logo. (www.flyawaytoday.com; 239/283-2103) Many stalwarts of the industry exhibited at the inaugural Expo, and their names are recognizable. Rollison Light-Sport Aircraft displayed its top-of-the-line Remos G-3 Mirage and a more modestly priced EuroFox. Rollison has ceased importing the Ikarus-Comco C42, and that job has now been taken over by a British company. (www.rlsa.us; 812/384-4972) Flightstar brought both of its American-designed models plus the CT2K import. The latter model is a sleek, high-end LSA. As the American representative for the HKS four-stroke engine, Flightstar-related company HPower is well positioned to take advantage of the new LSA regulations. (www.fly-flightstar.com; 860/875-8185) Interplane showed its attractively priced SkyBoy, which at $29,900 ready-to-fly is one of the LSA segment's great bargains. No wonder a good number have already been sold. U.S. importer Ralph Mandarino, a former auto executive, also owns the factory in the Czech Republic. (www.interplaneaircraft.com; 313/882-3400) North Carolina-based B Bar D Aviation brought not one but three of its attractive Fantasy Air Allegro 2000 imports. Company pilots flew a good number of interested parties, and proprietor Doug Hempstead said there was excellent interest from Sebring visitors. (www.bbardaviation.com; 336/449-7770) Evektor, the Czech producer of the SportStar and EuroStar, was present for the ASTM meetings that kicked off the Florida event. Weather prevented their aircraft from arriving until Saturday evening, but even at that U.S. sales  rep Jeff Conrad was pleased at the response. (www.sportaircraftinternational.com; 830/896-8910) Hummel Aviation boss Terry Hallet brought an UltraCruiser Plus, which well-known competition pilot John Jacob kept flying throughout the event. This UltraCruiser was designed by Morry Hummel (of Hummelbird fame) after he recovered from a serious accident at an advanced age. (www.flyhummel.com; 419/636-6700) Kappa 77 USA showed its stylish Kappa 77 from the Czech Republic. The staggered seating, all-metal LSA was flown to Florida from Pennsylvania by affable proprietor Ed Miller. (www.flykp5.com; 570/977-1125) Hansen Aero brought two very different aircraft, both designed and built in Italy. For years this Georgia-based company has offered the tandem-seat Sky Arrow and the Tecnam line of aircraft including the P-96 Golf. (www.hansenaero.com; 770/427-6311) Quicksilver Manufacturing was represented by its local dealer, Floatplanes and Amphibians. This Sebring-based company specializes in adding floats to the Quicksilver line and also represents other brands such as AirBorne trikes. (www.floatplanesandamphibs.com;  863/655-3770) Powrachute powered parachutes is one of the industry's leading producers of these fun-to-fly aircraft, which are eligible under the LSA category. Powrachute leads with new product design and have proved their abilities by fitting a T-58 jet engine to one chassis as a dramatic marketing maneuver. (www.powrachute.com; 620/429-1397) An early import to gain a solid American following is the Sky Ranger. Designed in France and built in the Ukraine, the Sky Ranger is now being represented by Doug Koenigsberg, based in Hedgesville, West Virginia. (www.skyrangeraircraft.com; 304/754-6010) SportAir USA showed its attractive StingSport aircraft and flew numerous demo flights during the event. This mostly carbon fiber design turns heads everywhere it flies. It is imported and represented by Bill Canino of Little Rock, Arkansas. (www.sportair-usa.com; 501/228-7777) Sportsplanes.com representative Josh Foss is rapidly setting up a network of centers around the country to handle fully built and other aircraft from Zenith Aircraft and other brands. His centers will be of help to traveling pilots needing services. (www.sport planes.com; 801/420-6176) Jabiru USA showed its broad product line including the popular engines from Australia, but also the Jabiru J400 and the shapely Esquale import from Spain. This Wisconsin company was to move to Tennessee at the end of 2004. (www.usjabiru.com; 800/522-4781) Aero Adventure is the producer of the popular Aventura line of boat-hull ultralights, among other designs, but this Florida company also makes a line of interesting ground vehicles. (www.sea-plane.com; 321/635-8005). While Spectrum Aircraft's twin-engine models don't qualify as LSAs (the rules limit them to one engine), the Sebring-based company has several other eligible models all designed and built in the Ukraine. These include the A-20 Varlet, a two-seat,100-hp pusher design featuring a cantilever wing. (www.spectrumaircraft.com; 863/655-9299) Buckeye Aviation is one of the original producers of powered parachutes and has thousands flying. The company is still at the forefront of innovation with new fairings for the regular line and an interesting Aerial ATV that performs well in the air or on the ground. (www.buckeyeaviation.com; 574/892-5460) Another trike company showing at Sebring was Air Creation, the weight-shift aircraft builder from France. For a professional product, interested parties hardly needed to look further. The company's U.S. sales rep, John Kemmeries of Arizona, is also a part owner of the French company. (www.aircreation.net; 623/566-8068) Major American kit-aircraft producer RANS was present with a Coyote—which sold the first day, no surprise at $48,500 ready to fly—and the S-7 Courier. Owner Randy Schlitter said he should have brought more planes as he saw the sales potential of Sebring. (www.rans.com; 785/625-6346) Even a couple of "heavy iron" aircraft were on display at the event. A new Symphony 160 was available for purchase, and twin Part 23-certified Alarus models (based on Chris Heintz's Zenair line) from Aircraft Manufacturing and Development were exhibited. In addition, Sebring's long ramps were full of GA aircraft of all kinds, many of which had flown in to visit the Expo. There were also engines of note. You heard people talking about Florida-based William Wynne's 100-hp Corvair engine conversion installed in a Zenair 601 or "ZenVair" (www.flycorvair.com). Visitors could examine engine conversions involving such famous names as Harley-Davidson (www.hog-air.com; 888/782-7676) and BMW. Yet despite such well-known brands, Rotax continues to command the LSA powerplant market. Its largest U.S. representative, Lockwood Aviation Supply, is based at Sebring (www.lock wood-aviation.com; 800/527-6829). Even More Sebring? Nearly everyone agreed the layout was good and the organization was remarkable for a first-year event. But next year, the power generators should be located farther from places where people need to converse. Also, vendors who were assigned to a grassy area to the east didn't see the traffic they might have had visitors not been blocked by an active taxiway. When no airplanes were passing, visitors were free to cross, but the safety ropes were up often enough to discourage many. ring organizers are surveying  vendors to find out how they can improve the event. With a conviction to please exhibitors and visitors and a can-do attitude, Sebring seems sure to become a regular part of the American aviation airshow scene. The first U.S. Sport Aviation Expo was successful enough that dates have already been set for 2005; visitors should plan on October 27-30. I suggest making reservations for exhibit space or hotel rooms early. TO REVIEW ALL articles by Dan Johnson that have appeared in KITPLANES®, visit www.ByDanJohnson.com, which links to the KITPLANES® web site with  articles of interest.

even in a Light-Sport Aircraft World. Despite the intense focus on the FAA's new Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft rule, EAA's big summertime airshow brought the introduction of at least four intriguing, legitimate ultralights—aircraft that truly meet the 254-pound rule. Many observers believed LSA would sound the death knell for Part 103. I guess not! Not only were new ultralights common, their diversity was broad. You could see a fixed-wing, a weight-shift trike, a powered parachute and a helicopter. As if seeking to prove the new rule won't eliminate Part 103, these machines were proudly displayed by vendors who also supply larger, heavier models. Skymaster Light Trike One bright spot at EAA AirVenture was—literally—the glowing yellow Skymaster Light Trike. Excellent detailing kept viewers looking carefully. Mike Lane is the man behind the project at Skymaster. He's a hang-glider pilot looking for an easy way to launch in the flatlands of Wisconsin. His ultralight vehicle benefits from the supply bins at Skymaster powered parachutes, helping this prototype look production ready. Lane built the machine around a Hirth F-33 single cylinder, 28-hp engine that he says gives the Light Trike a solid 600-fpm climb rate. The simple aircraft weighs only 380 pounds gross and 198 empty (giving it a whopping 56 pounds to spare under Part 103). It can cruise at 55 mph and stalls at 24 mph. Skymaster boss Bob Bieser said at press time that a few changes will be made to the Light Trike, such as providing added occupant protection from the rather close propeller. After these final modifications, Bieser intends to put the "nanotrike" into production. Its price has not been set. Phoenix Aero 503 Powered parachutes have overwhelmingly been two-seaters, nearly all of them tandem. The few side-by-side designs are clearly in the minority, as are new  single-place units. Most manufacturers have solo models, but few promote them vigorously. Perhaps this is no wonder since they use most of the same parts and yet sell for significantly lower prices. Phoenix Powered Parachutes, however, prominently displayed its Aero 503 at AirVenture 2004. A large signboard revealed a price of only $10,795, complete and ready to fly, $4000 less than the company's comparable two-seat model. Tipping the scales at only 250 pounds, the Aero 503 can still squeeze in the most popular Rotax two-stroke and meet the rule's definitions. With a 46-hp Rotax 503 providing the thrust through a 62-inch Ivoprop, the Aero 503 is lifted by a Performance Design 400-square-foot canopy. At a normal cruise of 25 mph, the 5-gallon fuel supply will keep you aloft for 2.5 hours, Phoenix says. The carriage is smaller and lighter than those supporting two-seat powered parachutes, some of which have become large vehicles with powerful four-cylinder engines. Aero 503 stays on a diet that allows a takeoff run of 50-200 feet even with the smaller powerplant. Raceair Zipster Ed Fisher is a remarkable developer of Part 103-compliant aircraft. He's done it three times, and each was an award winner. An earlier model, the Zippy Sport, was used to help test Rotax engines for faster ultralights. Since Zippy Sport was sold to Green Sky Adventures, Fisher has designed and built the bi-wing Micro Mong, the monoplane Skylight, and now the Zipster. All three use small engines like the 28-hp Rotax 277 (no longer available from Rotax), and all are comfortably under Part 103's weight limit—yet they perform admirably. With designs as light as Fisher's, big engines simply aren't necessary. For those willing to register as Amateur-Built, Fisher says the Zipster can be fitted with larger engines such as the Rotax 503, VW engines or the 1¼3-Corvair conversion—all of which would make for robust performance. Zipster is a plansbuilt airplane with various components coming from Fisher and, possibly, fully built aircraft. Seeing how he regularly builds award-winning models, the latter idea may be quite appealing for those with a bit more budget. A first-time builder might take 1000 hours to assemble the Zipster, though experience can deduct a third of the time, Fisher says. Innovator Technologies Mosquito XE Just over a year ago, I wrote about Canadian John Uptigrove's Part 103-compliant helicopter, the Mosquito. He was back at this year's AirVenture to show his enclosed model, the Mosquito XE (XEL with floats). Last year's model, still available, had a skeleton look that captured the attention of lots of folks. The diminutive machine didn't look tough enough to fly until Uptigrove took it up and showed his mastery of the simple aircraft. Now the Mosquito has skin over the bones, transforming its appearance. An independent review in this magazine (KITPLANES® May 2004) gave the machine good points for control harmony. Though a Mosquito won't take you far on Part 103's 5 gallons of fuel combined with a 60-hp Zanzottera engine, rotary pilots can have a superb local area sightseeing machine. Helicopters require skills many fixed-wing pilots lack, but the company adds training to the price of the base machine (which is just more than $20,000). To fly as a Part 103 ultralight vehicle, the Mosquito XEL requiresfactory floatation. The FAA permits float-equipped 103 ultralights another 60 pounds for a total of 314 pounds. The Mosquito XE weighs 312 pounds, Uptigrove says, a perfect fit. Used 103 Ultralights All the aircraft mentioned are reasonably priced even for modest budgets. If they still cost too much, though, one alternative is used aircraft. Many older ultralight aircraft were light enough to qualify for Part 103. Each year at AirVenture the ultralight area features some "antiques." This year a sharp Kasperwing tailless ultralight was on display. Powered by a Kawasaki 340, this light aircraft should be a potent performer. Shopping for used aircraft can mean buying into somebody else's trouble, but careful examinations might uncover a gem for a small investment.For those willing to fly single-seaters and aren't in a hurry, there are several interesting choices. TO REVIEW ALL "Light Stuff" columns, visit www.ByDanJohnson.com, which links to the KITPLANES® web site with  articles of interest. For More Information: Skymaster Powered Parachutes 262/966-2533 www.flyskymaster.com Phoenix Powered Parachutes 574/892-4785 www.phoenixpoweredparachutes.com Raceair Designs 330/856-7520 raceairdesigns@aol.com Innovator Technologies, Inc. 403/669-3101 www.innovatortech.ca