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News & Video on Light-Sport Aircraft, Sport Pilot Kits, and Ultralight Aircraft

Van's Aircraft, Inc.

Website: http://www.vansaircraft.com

Email: info@vansaircraft.com

Phone: (503) 678-6545

Aurora, OR 97002 - USA

Reorganization Approved: Van’s Emerges From Chapter 11

By Marc Cook || 3 Comments

While the world of LSAs is diverse enough that the trials of Van’s Aircraft, which put itself into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late last year, aren’t quite the foundational matters they are among the homebuilt crowd, the fact that Van’s is represented with the popular RV-12 and companies that support it are also part of the LSA ecosystem suggests more than a little spillover. In the background, Van’s has been working hard to reset its business and emerge from Chapter 11. And on May 15 the company received good news in the form of an Oregon judge approving the company’s reorganization plan. While it seemed unlikely, there was always the possibility that the court would reject or modify the company’s proposal. In the proposal, Van’s has agreed to repay unsecured creditors 55% of the money they’re owed over three years on top of an “immediate” repayment of $3350 for those in the unsecured creditor class. It’s important to note that this class of creditor mainly includes customers who had deposits with the company when it began Chapter 11 protection and who also declined revised purchase agreements that came with an increase in kit and component costs of about 30%. According to filed documents, around 82% of those affected builders agreed to the new agreement, which dramatically reduced the pool of unsecured creditors. In the reorganization plan submitted to the court, Van’s said it “must show that it will have enough cash over the life of the Plan to make the required Plan payments and operate its business. Debtor’s [Van’s] primary revenue sources for the next three years will come from the sale of its eight different kit airplanes, one model of production ready-to-fly plane, and one future backcountry airplane kit.” The ready-to-fly airplane is the RV-12, of course, and the backcountry model is the RV-15, which the company also feels could make an excellent MOSAIC airplane down the road. Van’s has also committed to a corporate reorganization and implementation of a scalable MRP (material requirements planning) software suite that will give it much better visibility to real costs than it had before—all key requirements of a company projecting gross revenues of $69.5 million to $73.5 million per year between now and mid-2027. It’s interesting to note that Van’s had begun increasing the RV-12’s production rate through the 2021-23 time period (it filed for Chapter 11 in October 2023), fr https://youtu.be/vHt7duxQUzs?feature=sharedom 11 units in ‘21 to 20 aircraft in ‘22 to 28 in ‘23. Looking at registrations so far in 2024, the RV-12 has 25, trailing the Zenith CH 750 at 30 and ahead of the RANS S-21 at 24 and the Kitfox S-7 Sport at 17. https://youtu.be/vHt7duxQUzs?feature=shared

While the world of LSAs is diverse enough that the trials of Van’s Aircraft, which put itself into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late last year, aren’t quite the foundational matters they are among the homebuilt crowd, the fact that Van’s is represented with the popular RV-12 and companies that support it are also part of the LSA ecosystem suggests more than a little spillover. In the background, Van’s has been working hard to reset its business and emerge from Chapter 11. And on May 15 the company received good news in the form of an Oregon judge approving the company’s reorganization plan. While it seemed unlikely, there was always the possibility that the court would reject or modify the company’s proposal. In the proposal, Van’s has agreed to repay unsecured creditors 55% of the money they’re owed over three years on top of an “immediate” repayment of $3350 for those in the unsecured creditor class.

Aero Showcase Approaching — Tecnam Technical Partnerships — Van’s “Serious” Announcement

By Dan Johnson || 3 Comments

In this post, we'll look at three news items affecting the affordable aviation community. This article touches on the last LSA event of the season plus two market leaders, one from the US and one international, each with significant news.

Aero Showcase November 3-4, 2023

First up is some fun news to complete a vigorous year. In their second event, Aero Showcase is hosting a flock of airplanes at one of Florida's most vibrant recreational aviation airports. Partners Alex Rolinski and Doma Andreka return for the second annual of their own event, which follows on the heels of the DeLand Showcase that ran several years, all of which grew out of the Sebring LSA Expo. While the DeLand event is still growing compared to those earlier events, it enjoys a beautiful new facility and will present a good selection of airplanes. When I asked attendees at last year's first Aero Showcase, most thought the organizers did credibly well. The time of year is a perfect choice, judged from studying decades of detailed skydiving jump records — DeLand is a world center for sport parachuting. In addition, the snowbirds have not arrived en masse by early November, so restaurants have few waiting lists and hotel rooms and rental cars are more modestly priced than they will be from January through March. Using the apron out front of the new terminal building makes it easy on visitors and vendors alike. The Airport Restaurant & Gin Mill restaurant draws people from town on a steady basis. It's a matter of steps to a sandwich or a beverage. Onsite, Aero Showcase plans a Thirsty Husky Coffee Truck (Friday only) and an ice cream truck. For More Info — Aero Showcase event website

Tecnam Partnership

The partners at Aero Affinity have been busy, in fact moving in multiple directions at once. While they plan to start building a new hangar facility at the DeLand airport later this year, the enterprise has signed a new agreement with Tecnam, arguably the world's largest manufacturer of light aircraft. Formed in 1948, Tecnam is headquartered in Capua, Italy, and operates subsidiaries in Sebring, Florida, USA, and Brisbane, Australia.

photo by Philip Whitemam courtesy Tecnam

"Tecnam is pleased to announce a dedicated maintenance training program for the Americas, flight schools, service centers and all other interested parties in partnership with DeLand, Florida-based Aero Affinity Holding Company," the Italian manufacturer said. The several companies under Alex and Doma's direction sell airplanes, build airplanes, offer services, present training courses, and in their spare time, they put on the Aero Showcase mentioned above. Tecnam was obviously impressed.

Alex Rolinski (L) and Doma Andreka are flanked by Pasquale family leaders, Paolo (L) and Giovanni. Tecnam is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year after founding by the Pasquale brothers in 1948.

"To achieve the highest level of service, we are introducing customized training packages, provided by Tecnam's Technical Representative Partner, the DeLand, Florida-based Aero Affinity Holding Company," said Tecnam. "These will consist of multiple programs from our fleet, ensuring that our customers gain a great insight into our philosophy as aircraft pioneers." The courses will cover the entire Tecnam fleet, including Light Sport, with detailed overview of the entire Tecnam fleet or specific model requested and with special focus on airframe, engine, and systems. They will be offered in different editions for different locations such as Ontario, Canada or Florida and California.

Founding brother Luigi Pascale poses in front of the Tecnam Twin, one of his many designs. A tribute to famous designer.

At the end of the courses, participants will have a complete insight into the Tecnam world and be eligible to become an Authorized Tecnam Service Center. While the Tecnam deal is certainly important to this growing enterprise, Alex traveled for full factory training with Continental Aerospace motors to set up his company for diesel aircraft engine service work. Their heart is in LSA, but their vision is broad. For More Info — Tecnam factory website ••• Aero Affinity website

Van's Aircraft Difficulties

As last week ended, Van's Aircraft, producer of the world's most successful line of kit aircraft — and manufacturer of the LSA-compliant RV-12 — shared some "difficult information." In keeping with a strong reputation built over many years, the news was presented clearly, honestly, and forthrightly. Founder Dick VanGrunsven spoke on behalf of his company. "Van's currently faces serious cash flow issues, which must be addressed quickly to ensure ongoing operations," began Dick VanGrunsven. "We are confident we can work through this situation, but some changes are required." Through mid-November this year, "shipments will be delayed, kit orders will not be processed, and refunds will not be issued. We will be unable to conduct factory tours and demo flights," said Van's. Van's faced a sort of perfect storm that started when pandemic-driven price increases raised their costs. Then, an overseas contractor used an inferior primer, resulting in aluminum corrosion forming on a large number of kits. Next, Van's had some outsourced laser-cut parts that showed problems. Many builders alerted the company.

The newest Van's is the RV-15, quite a departure from earlier models. Article here.

Although Van's has carefully constructed their enterprise and has satisfied many thousands of customers, even a well-run company can run into multiple problems at once that can overwhelm them for a time. Van's will solve this and I hope their many customers, new and former, will not only cut them some slack but perhaps step up to help. Read Van's complete announcement here; video below
Direct from the Boss — The very best is for you to listen to the boss himself explain the situation  in the clear and concise manner for which he is known (video below; 3 minutes). Dick VanGrunsven, founder of Van's Aircraft, stepped up with his wife to provide additional funds to put the world's largest kit aircraft maker onto a sounder footing. https://youtu.be/3Qsfw6pmHe4?si=f4_ArDJVYDxZR0Ob

In this post, we’ll look at three news items affecting the affordable aviation community. This article touches on the last LSA event of the season plus two market leaders, one from the US and one international, each with significant news. Aero Showcase November 3-4, 2023 First up is some fun news to complete a vigorous year. In their second event, Aero Showcase is hosting a flock of airplanes at one of Florida’s most vibrant recreational aviation airports. Partners Alex Rolinski and Doma Andreka return for the second annual of their own event, which follows on the heels of the DeLand Showcase that ran several years, all of which grew out of the Sebring LSA Expo. While the DeLand event is still growing compared to those earlier events, it enjoys a beautiful new facility and will present a good selection of airplanes. When I asked attendees at last year’s first Aero Showcase, most thought the organizers did credibly well.

6 Mosaic High Wing Light-Sport Aircraft — FAA’s Coming Rule Will Create “mLSA” Sector

By Dan Johnson || 55 Comments

Darkest before dawn? I hear growing concern about FAA's new Mosaic regulation and what it will or won't do. An increasing number of comments I hear are variations of these words — "FAA is never going to get this done, and if they do, it will be a crappy rule." Why so glum? Maybe pilots are frustrated because FAA has delayed the release of Mosaic. This also happened almost 20 years ago with the Sport Pilot / Light-Sport Aircraft regulation. SP/LSA was anticipated for more than three years after the first announcement. However, Mosaic is coming and this time we know more about it than most regulations. Why? Because FAA must involve ASTM committee members along the way. (More on this? See at end.*) Earlier FAA rule writers did not reveal their work as broadly. Yet FAA is sufficiently pleased with industry consensus standards, ASTM's work, that they will use it on the next generation of GA aircraft (think: Cessna, Cirrus, etc.). Mosaic LSA standards can't be written after FAA releases the rule because then we'd have even more delay. So, FAA reps provide some details to ASTM and in this way we get some idea of what's ahead.

Here Come the High Wingers

Interested pilots saw recent coverage of Van's progress on their high wing RV-15. As I reported earlier about RV-15, Van's Aircraft personnel actively work on ASTM standards. This gives their engineers details about what is likely under Mosaic. Everyone is guessing, but informed guesses are better than mere opinions. 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 reported in this video. Just recently Sonex unveiled more about a new kit model. The Oshkosh, Wisconsin company has not done two things: they never sought approval as Special (fully-manufactured) Light-Sport Aircraft — although their kit designs can be flown by an aviator exercising Sport Pilot privileges. Neither has Sonex ever made a high wing design. They're now changing that; here comes "SH." (below) Light aircraft builders in the USA, Europe, Australia, Brazil, and South Africa are preparing aircraft I choose to call Mosaic LSA or mLSA. Let's have a quick look at six new entries.

 6 New High Wings

BRM Aero — Bristell has become a well-recognized brand, moving up to be one of the top high-end choices in LSA. Despite a diverse line of low wing designs, B8 is new. It will sold in America by Bristell USA. B8 is an all-metal, cantilevered high wing with a steerable nose wheel and 49.2-inch-wide cabin. Like most of the others covered in this article, it can carry more and reflects the industry belief that four seaters — or at least higher weight aircraft — are coming. BRM is ahead of many competitors with their high wing B8 model flying for several months already. This new entry also reflects Milan's son Martin Bristela taking over the business as Dad retires. Jabiru — J230D is a popular design, but one already approved for higher weight operation and with a roomy cabin that can accommodate four occupants… in Australia and some other countries, that is. Importer Scott Severen of US Sport Planes is preparing to offer a more capacious version. He may rename it and they may appoint it in special ways but this is an airplane Americans already fly. What most Yankee pilots don't know is that Jabiru's popular J230-D is a variation of the J-400 sold in Australia as a four seater. As such, it already has a tested gross weight well beyond LSA's 1,320-pound limit. That means the market-proven model is virtually ready for Mosaic and its higher weight allowance. Montaer — This Brazilian MC-01 is available in its home country as a four seat-capable design. It already has a higher weight limit so when Mosaic is released the task should be fairly simple for Montaer to gain FAA acceptance. Recently I flew the Rotax 915iS-powered Montaer MC-01. I hope to report on that exhilarating experience soon but my flight shows the powerful engine is worked out and ready for larger aircraft. A look inside Montaer's MC-01 shows how roomy it is and the design presently comes with a third door more than large enough to permit entry to an aft seat. The Airplane Factory (TAF) — Ahead of almost everyone (other than BRM Aero) is South African producer The Airplane Factory. Many aviators know this producer as they often fly their new design halfway around the globe to show it at AirVenture (before then frequently proceeding to fly the rest of the way around the planet). I reported more about this roomy, four-seat-capable design (it did have four seats at Oshkosh 2022). Here's my airshow article about Sling HW. TAF has already entered the U.S. market as a kit plane and, like all these bigger aircraft with larger engines, Sling HW is not inexpensive (see price estimates in above article). A fully built model will show these are not 1,320-pound present-day Light-Sport Aircraft. Nonetheless, such mLSA will expand the category. Sonex — The Wisconsin kit company's new SH — for Sonex Highwing — has a 42-inch interior cockpit width at the occupants’ shoulders. The fuselage certainly resembles the low wing members of the model line. The company said SH features easy entry and exit and offers a "step-in height" that less flexible or older aviators will appreciate. SH will be easily convertible from dual joysticks to a center-mounted control. Sonex's SH also offers removeable wings and they released new fuel system information and range estimates. SH will carry 30 gallons of fuel. Sonex even boasts that SH will offer aerobatic capability. SH has also been designs to allow aerobatics with two persons on board. Van's — As the world's largest kit aircraft supplier, Van's always commands media attention. When they introduce an all-new, first-ever design, the company can generate many article and videos. Indeed, I wrote this article about RV-15's introduction at Oshkosh 2022. I refer you to a thorough article on RV-15 below so I'll wrap up this review of high wing mLSA to come. However, I am positive the six aircraft just mentioned will not be the only entries. More Available — This article only covered new high wing designs, those that have not yet been seen on the market in the hands of owners. Yet many more high wings are available in the current LSA space. Go to PlaneFinder 2.0 and click the "Wing Position" category to see a long list of high wing LSA and SP kits. Instructions to use PlaneFinder 2.0 are provided via a button on the page. Bigger Yet? — Designs from Flight Design and Tecnam suggest some LSA producers will take this even further with full-size four seater designed expressly for such passenger loads. However, these are not the focus of this website as they may pursue a higher level of government approval than needed for true mLSA types.

More About RV-15 from Flying Magazine

A detailed article from our friends at Flying Magazine provides lots more info on Van's new RV-15 high wing. Those keen to know more about RV-15 are encouraged to read Jason McDowell's article. Pilots may believe Mosaic appears a long way off. Indeed, I estimate the rule can't go live before early 2025. In the meantime, as FAA deliberates and as ASTMers create fresh standards, the airframers will keep refining their proposed aircraft. Stay tuned!

ARTICLE LINKS:

 
* In order for ASTM committee members to be ready with industry consensus standards at the same time FAA's Mosaic rule is released for public use (approximately the beginning of 2025), rule writers must keep committee members somewhat informed, at least with regard to the airframe regulation proposals. If they did not, the standards-creating work could only begin once the regulation was released, and then we would have a delay of more months, maybe a year or two. 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.

Darkest before dawn? I hear growing concern about FAA’s new Mosaic regulation and what it will or won’t do. An increasing number of comments I hear are variations of these words — “FAA is never going to get this done, and if they do, it will be a crappy rule.” Why so glum? Maybe pilots are frustrated because FAA has delayed the release of Mosaic. This also happened almost 20 years ago with the Sport Pilot / Light-Sport Aircraft regulation. SP/LSA was anticipated for more than three years after the first announcement. However, Mosaic is coming and this time we know more about it than most regulations. Why? Because FAA must involve ASTM committee members along the way. (More on this? See at end.*) Earlier FAA rule writers did not reveal their work as broadly. Yet FAA is sufficiently pleased with industry consensus standards, ASTM’s work, that they will use it on the next generation of GA aircraft (think: Cessna, Cirrus, etc.).

2022 In Review — How Did LSA and Sport Pilot Kit Aircraft Fare During a Turbulent Year?

By Dan Johnson || 6 Comments

The year started with hope. As 2022 arrived, America and most countries (China excepted) were emerging from two years of difficult lockdowns and Covid. The good news was that a flood of money from the U.S. government had buoyed the stock market and I've long observed that in a rising equities market, LSA and SP kit aircraft sell well.

Taking off in a new year, some things remain the same. Zenith is still the clear market leader, but here's some nuances…

No one thinks this is because anyone sells stock to buy a Light-Sport Aircraft. Rather, it's something economists call the "wealth effect," where rising asset values give stockholders confidence that good times are here and they can buy an airplane to have fun. Then… Russia invaded Ukraine and global markets trembled.

Data source: FAA registration database current through the end of 2022 — graciously and expertly provided by Steve Beste. Category explanations are provided below.

Despite a year of war, of plunging stock markets and sky-high energy prices, of protests and riots in multiple countries, plus on-going supply chain strains and lingering Covid fears, the light aircraft nonetheless grew by a very healthy 18%, after rising 10% in 2021. The industry is now performing better than in 2019, the last year of relative sanity before Covid lockdowns. (See my full 2019 report here or track all LSA market history here.)

Let's Unpack the Numbers

I am using a different approach this year, partly to give added perspective given the challenging start to the 2020s. You can get so much detail on our Tableau Public market share data website — with an enormous THANKS! to Steve Beste for his faithful, timely, and precise work to present this info — that I felt it useful to summarize the results from my point of view.

Combining bright colors with beautifully-machined hardware, this "train" of eight Revo models from Evolution Trikes is certain to turn heads.

I grouped all the light aircraft data into these categories:
  • Combined Results, all categories, including fully-built, kit-built, factory-built kits (ELSA), and others, even portraying how FAA's 1990s-era Primary Category touches this segment.
  • SLSA and ELSA are presented as a group because all must start out identical to the SLSA model first accepted by FAA. After an ELSA owner takes delivery, that person can make changes without factory approval but then loses the chance to offer compensated flight instruction or rental of their aircraft.
  • SLSA-only covering only ready-to-fly, separated from ELSA. SLSA can be used for compensated operations like flight instruction and rental.
  • EAB and ELSA are shown as a group because in both cases the owner can alter and maintain the aircraft.
  • EAB-only separates the ELSA out of the strictly homebuilt segment.
  • ELSA are also shown separately as they can become quite different from the SLSA as which they began life. An owner can change avionics, interiors, add equipment, or even change the engine on an ELSA.
  • Two remaining, smaller categories include Experimental Exhibition category, used mostly by Pipistrel for its motorglider models, and the Primary Category that presently counts only AutoGyro. Models that pursued Primary Category back in the 1990s (example: Quicksilver GT500) have not continued with that approach.
Best Selling Model — Van's Aircraft and their RV-12 series (original 912 and newer 912iS) supplied 60 of the best-selling single model of light aircraft in the FAA registry for 2022. Of these, 13 were fully-built SLSA models; the balance of 47 RV-12s were Experimental LSA, though most left the factory essentially complete, I understand. Going the ELSA route has attracted a certain type of buyer. RV-12 alone accounts for 43% of all such aircraft registered in 2022. Powered parachute manufacturer, Powrachute accounted for another 15 of these and Wild Sky Goat (a weight shift) registered 6 more. The remaining 18 ELSA were produced by 12 other producers. One note reveals the presence of two Bristell USA aircraft that were registered ELSA to permit IFR operations (yes, that is possible; see video here and article here).

Icon Aircraft A5; recent report.

Best-Selling Special LSA — Do you think you can guess this one? OK, I'll skip the suspense and tell you it was Icon's A5, which registered 33 aircraft in 2022 to lead the ready-to-fly pack. In second, fourth, fifth and sixth places were Tecnam (19 SLSA), Vashon (15), Sling (13), and Super Petrel (11)*. I left out the #3 most-registered brand in 2022 as I found it nothing short of amazing. Despite a war in its homeland and suffering direct war damage, Aeroprakt added 17 aircraft to the FAA registry in 2022. Good U.S. partners help. One interesting factoid in the database is the 2022 registration of two Cessna Skycatchers. Since the model is long out of production — in fact, all remaining brand-new, partly-finished Skycatchers were chopped up and crushed in 2016 — one wonders how a pair of them were added to the database last year? Check all rankings and find tons of additional insights on our Tableau Public web page. Use the lowest blue sort box on the left column. Check the relevant boxes to turn on or off any category you want to review, wait one second and the web page will assemble that request into a table. This page includes all 10,056 aircraft in the Light-Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot kit categories. If you own one of these aircraft (registered with FAA), your aircraft is counted on this page.

Rans’ popular S-21 Outbound sits high on big tundra tires. (Zenith's CH-750 Super Duty is seen at the top of the page.)

Best Selling Kit Builder — Really, this should hardly be a surprise to anyone as Zenith has lead the pack almost as long as I've followed these statistics. Zenith has several models but their "Sky Jeep" CH-701 and -750 series contributes the bulk of their kit deliveries. Remember, kit sales don't precisely relate to registrations as owners have to assemble them first. This can take months to years. Trailing Zenith rather closely are the usual players: Rans (59), Sonex (45), Kitfox (38), and Just Aircraft (30). Right behind is Magni (16) because gyroplanes — other than AutoGyro's Primary Category models (5 registered in 2022) — must be built as kits until Mosaic corrects this FAA oversight. AutoGyro also sells kit versions (15 registered). Two pleasant surprises after these leaders are Quad City Challengers (15) and Progressive Aerodyne's Searey kits (10) though the latter company also sold 6 Special LSA models.

Flight school video series stars John and Martha King get their powered parachute ratings.

Among what I've long called "alternative aircraft" in this space, Powrachute powered parachutes registered 25 aircraft, including 16 kits and 9 SLSA models. In weight shift, Evolution Trikes was the leader with 11 registrations, of which 7 were SLSA. The company also reports good sales of its non-registered Part 103 aircraft, adding to their total. Data hounds — you know who you are — can dive way deep into the numbers on Tableau Public. You can find all about Light-Sport Aircraft using our popular SLSA List and discover a wide range of Part 103 ultralight vehicles on our Part 103 List. (The latter are not FAA registered so do not count in this report.) Now, go enjoy those new aircraft or a new-to-you used model you found last year!
* I used brand names and model names interchangeably in this article choosing the most common term to identify the subject. If you want more detail, type one or more words into our blue search bar at the top of the page to find any of the thousands of aircraft on this website.

The year started with hope. As 2022 arrived, America and most countries (China excepted) were emerging from two years of difficult lockdowns and Covid. The good news was that a flood of money from the U.S. government had buoyed the stock market and I’ve long observed that in a rising equities market, LSA and SP kit aircraft sell well. No one thinks this is because anyone sells stock to buy a Light-Sport Aircraft. Rather, it’s something economists call the “wealth effect,” where rising asset values give stockholders confidence that good times are here and they can buy an airplane to have fun. Then… Russia invaded Ukraine and global markets trembled. Despite a year of war, of plunging stock markets and sky-high energy prices, of protests and riots in multiple countries, plus on-going supply chain strains and lingering Covid fears, the light aircraft nonetheless grew by a very healthy 18%, after rising 10% in 2021.

RV-15 High Wing Debuts to Crowds at Oshkosh 2022; Does Van’s Know Something You Don’t?

By Dan Johnson || 4 Comments

Is it an LSA or is it not an LSA? Is that the question? When Van's broke the news that their latest RV-15 model was a high wing, plenty of pilots snapped to attention. This company has produced one winner after another; here is their latest. Its bare aluminum glistened in bright sunlight and drew crowds through every day of Oshkosh 2022. Will the model join the long line of distinguished RV models as a kit-built aircraft or could the company's first-ever high wing signify something else. After all, Van's did bring in-house full manufacturing of their successful RV-12 LSA. Does Van's know something you don't know? Oh, very probably they know far more than you know but the question digs at who knows what FAA is doing. Here's one company that may have a better handle on that than most others. Van's president Rian Johnson is the head of the ASTM F37 committee that is working closely with the FAA to formulate standards that will be used when the new breed of LSA come on the market, which I now predict will happen in 2025. Is Rian well informed in that position? Yes he is. Along with the rest of the committee's mostly-volunteer members, he gets access to information as FAA is willing to provide more. The agency is currently in an ex parte quiet period when it generally does not disclose details about a regulation in development. Yet if the consensus standards are to be ready when the regulation becomes active, ASTM standards writers must have some idea where the rule is headed. Rian is also a smart, thoughtful guy with years on F37 and he is motivated at the helm of Van's. In short, if I was airplane shopping or if I was another manufacturer evaluating what Mosaic will bring… well, I'd pay a lot of attention to any new aircraft coming out of Van's. Whatever the future may hold, RV-15 is one big, beautiful airplane…

New, BIG Van's RV

I took one glance at this aircraft and decided it was designed with a view of four seat capability. Specs confirm that stating "2+2" and a look inside (photo) shows the large interior volume. Certainly, this new entry can certainly carry a lot of camping, fishing, hiking, or other gear. You can even take your bicycle with you. As Van's reported, "We decided RV-15 needed "room to load two full-size mountain bikes in the baggage area without having to completely disassemble them." That should give you a better sense of the interior volume available. The mission was clearly stated: "The RV-15 prototype is flying. It’s a high-wing airplane. Back-country mission capable. And (of course) 'Total Performance'," the latter summarizing the company's mission statement in two words. Coming up with a new model that meets an RV expectation must be a daunting exercise for company personnel. RVs are revered for both their performance and their exquisite handling. I've had the pleasure to fly four different Van's models and each exhibited handling that was amazingly similar and simply wonderful in its control responsiveness and crispness. Any new Van's model has some mighty big shoes to fill. Despite the long and deep experience of this 50-year-old manufacturer, founder Dick VanGrunsven said about the company's first high wing design, "It was really more of a challenge than I think most of us had anticipated going into it." Think about that. This is a company that has created models 1-14 and their 15th was a challenge? That honest statement should tell you that bringing a all-new aircraft to market is a very significant task. The Oregon company took special pride in this 15th model. "We built almost every single part of this airplane in-house … every piece of metal that's on this airplane we processed ourselves," reported the company on a promotional video. Drawing on all their considerable talents, the team brought their prototype to Oshkosh to the delight not only of longtime Van's fans but to thousands of others that examined the display model in great detail. The prototype RV-15 will definitely see changes, various of their personnel told Oshkosh attendees checking out the new model. For example, to allow for changes after initial flying, the right seat location was filled with a fuel tank that will end up in the wings. Placing it where a person might sit will permit them to make any desired wing changes faster. As RV-15 is a prototype, many factors could change but to start, Van's engineers put a 220-horsepower, 4-cylinder Lycoming up front swinging an 80-inch prop. Takeoff roll is back-country short and the big engine should haul at least 900 pounds of useful load, or 600 pounds of payload with 50 gallons of fuel one board. Cruise is targeted at 140 knots. Many of RV-15's final specifications appear to match what experts expect in a Mosaic LSA.

Taildragger Only?

Expect more development despite the well-finished look of the RV-15 prototype. One such example involves Van's Aircraft's use of the letter "A." In the world of Van's, tagging this letter to back of one of the model numbers means it is a tricycle-gear airplane. The company is well aware that most pilots licensed in the last few decades have been trained in tricycle-gear aircraft. No question this makes for an easier trainer but nosewheel aircraft are no good in back country …or are they? Viking Aircraft Engineer leader Jan Eggenfellner has developed the idea further than most in the goal of winning STOL contests. His Monster STOL is an intriguing example of how far you can take a tricycle gear airplane to optimize STOL performance. Will Van's pursue an RV-15A and will it still work as an off-field aircraft? Their website observes, "Trike backcountry? Sure, at some point. Timeframe TBD." That comment is a reminder this is a project early in development. It may look significantly finished as seen at Oshkosh 2022 but they're still working on it. "We can’t tell you exactly when [it will be ready to sell]," noted Van's. "The way we work around here is like this: We fly the prototype, make changes, and adjust until it’s just right. That’s our top priority." Remember those big shoes RV-15 has to fill. While Van's continues work on RV-15, the company moves continuously with its wide line of RVs to lift more pilots into the air. Van's Aircraft had their usual sign at Oshkosh, updated to show 11,115 Van's models have taken to the air — they've sold many more kits than that but the number reflects those that have been completed and flown. Most pilots know Van's is the largest kit aircraft maker in history; it's hard to imagine another company passing them and RV-15 reinforces that message.

LINKS:

https://youtu.be/6E798c5smvQ

Is it an LSA or is it not an LSA? Is that the question? When Van’s broke the news that their latest RV-15 model was a high wing, plenty of pilots snapped to attention. This company has produced one winner after another; here is their latest. Its bare aluminum glistened in bright sunlight and drew crowds through every day of Oshkosh 2022. Will the model join the long line of distinguished RV models as a kit-built aircraft or could the company’s first-ever high wing signify something else. After all, Van’s did bring in-house full manufacturing of their successful RV-12 LSA. Does Van’s know something you don’t know? Oh, very probably they know far more than you know but the question digs at who knows what FAA is doing. Here’s one company that may have a better handle on that than most others. Van’s president Rian Johnson is the head of the ASTM F37 committee that is working closely with the FAA to formulate standards that will be used when the new breed of LSA come on the market, which I now predict will happen in 2025.

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

By Dan Johnson || 4 Comments

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. Secondly, when you are shopping for an airplane, it may be helpful to hear lots of facts about an airplane but what I think personally isn't important. We aren't the same. We have different experience, different expectations, and different goals in our flying. That fact is why I created PlaneFinder 2.0 to help you find your best airplane.

Flying the RV-12

With several dozen hours in an RV-12 I've come to more fully understand why so many pilots are enthusiastic about their RV, the majority of which are not -12s, yet the whole Van's Aircraft line (RV-3 through RV-14) share common characteristics. Among those are sprightly performance and simply marvelous handling. I will let the two videos below provide most of the nuts and bolts details that pilots crave. In the following words, I'll relate some of my experiences and discoveries after flying the -12 for more hours. To begin, I'm a high wing guy. Most pilots have a clear preference for high or low wing configurations. Some think low wings look "less awkward" and "more streamlined." They are entitled to that opinion, but for me, the number one reason to fly an aircraft with an engine is visibility… to observe a beautiful landscape unfold below. I've found aerial sightseeing is a common desire among aviators. If so, a low wing gets in the way. RV-12 places the wing sufficiently aft that from either seat you actually do have some downward visibility, but it is not as broad as a high wing design, especially one with cantilevered construction; no wing strut gets in your way. High wing airplanes are usually much easier to enter, a factor for older, less flexible pilots. Yet among low wing designs, RV-12 is easier as you enter from the front of the wing (see step in a nearby photo). You can use structure to help climb up on the wing and once you get to that point you can simply step onto the floor. You don't have to step in the seat as on some low wing aircraft. Most folks don't like having to do that and some low wing owners have a towel to put on the seat to keep dirty shoes off of it.

A wing step is partially shown at lower left. You can step down onto the floor before sitting.

I'm ambivalent about whether the engine should be in the front or the back. On a weight-shift trike, I love having a wide-open view up front. I've also enjoyed the AirCam which puts twin engines in a pusher configuration and sticks the pilot way out in front of the wing, giving enormous visibility. Tractor-engine aircraft offer some efficiencies pushers lack, for example, better cooling, a very important design aspect. Speaking of engines, Van's chose the Rotax 912 series for their RV-12 LSA entry. I think it was the right choice although pilots have other great choices from Continental, Jabiru, UL Power, plus a number of auto conversion engines that can be used on kit-built aircraft. I'm very familiar with Rotax's 9-series so having one haul me around in RV-12 inspires confidence.

The RV series of several models from Van's Aircraft use a similar all-metal construction.

Since RV-12's wings can remove, designers put the fuel in the cabin. I've never noticed any fuel smell but you may have 20 gallons of avgas or premium mogas on board and it is directly behind the right seat. In a severe upset, this could be troublesome. On the other hand, RV-12 is one of the easiest landing LSA on the market so any upset is that much less likely. RV-12 is "Made in America" and factory service is readily available plus thousands of RV owners can probably help or consult on any problems you may have. The RV-12 I flew (above in front of hangar) was a 51%-owner-built aircraft. After purchasing it, Joe hired an RV expert go over it thoroughly, correcting some builder deficiencies.

RV-12 captured flying over Sebring Airport during the Expo by extraordinarily talented professional photographer, Jim Koepnick.

Joe's RV-12 has a single, large (10-inch) Dynon touch screen plus autopilot with all the usual benefits of those avionics. It was never fitted with an airframe parachute as I'd always prefer. All these attributes and more (a total of 25 choices) form the basis of PlaneFinder 2.0. That feature — one of the most popular destinations on ByDanJohnson.com — is almost completely made up of this-or-that choices. It couldn't be much easier to use and many find it kind of fun to see how an answer changes the "Matching Aircraft" list that results. What PlaneFinder 2.0 truly does is narrow your choices, eliminating aircraft that don't have the features you want, leaving you with a smaller list of aircraft you can evaluate to find your best airplane. Try it. I'll bet you like it (free of charge after you register with only your email). That's enough about me and what I think of RV-12. Check out these two videos and learn more about Van's terrific RV-12. Happy flying! Tail winds, everyone! The nearby photo shows me on downwind for runway 6 at Spruce Creek Fly-In airport, a home to some 700 aircraft and hangar homes, 1,600 total homes, and around 4,000 residents. In-flight review — from Sebring 2014… https://youtu.be/Z1Mi_DgqgVM Post-flight review — more details… https://youtu.be/Q5TWZk-YRGo

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.

What’s Happening in Light-Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot Kits? Here’s Our 3Q19 Update.

By Dan Johnson || 1 Comment

This website seeks to offer a reliable source of market information for Light-Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot kit aircraft as a service to the light aircraft sector. If you follow light aviation intently as many readers do, knowing what aircraft and subgroups (within LSA and SP kits*) are thriving or stumbling can be of great interest. Thanks to our fantastic "datastician," Steve Beste, we know more now than we've ever known about aviation's recreational aircraft segment. You simply cannot find this information anywhere else. With Steve's superb help, following are a few stories within the numbers. If you don't care about market shares and just want to hear about aircraft, we won't keep you waiting long. However, for many, these figures are quite valuable and this is the only place you will find them. Let's dive in…

2019 Is a Good Year (so far)

We're only three quarters through the year but extrapolating from the first three quarters and assuming a steady pace (which is not a guarantee, of course), we see that all of 2019 should result in 724 new aircraft registrations in the light aircraft sector defined (by us) as Light-Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot kit-built aircraft. This is up more than 10% over 2018, which was up over 2017. The industry is having a good year and more pilots are flying these aircraft. One caveat in this positive result is that the fourth quarter of the year is typically slower with winter in the north and plenty of non-flying holiday activities drawing interest. Why? We don't claim to have all the answers but regular surveying of exhibitors at airshows revealed that many sellers say, "The market is good. People are buying." Of course, this is anecdotal not scientific but we heard it from enough vendors to believe they're feeling good about their enterprises. Many pilots backed up this finding with their own, personal assessment. If you want to do your own analysis, you certainly can using our completely free-of-charge Tableau Public web page** assembled for us and maintained to perfection by Steve. We vigorously encourage you to look for yourselves. Don't take our word for it. The data comes directly from FAA's aircraft registration database, then expertly massaged by Steve so the rest of us can make sense of it. To this data source, I apply my own decades of experience in the sector to make some observations.

Breaking Good

First, let's look at two broad categories: First is a grouping of all Light-Sport Aircraft — both Special (fully built) and Experimental (different from Experimental Amateur Built) — and, secondly, a defined flock of Sport Pilot kit-built aircraft*. This is the first time you've seen this because earlier, we segmented SLSA from ELSA from SP kits. This made it appear kits were growing faster than the LSA groups. In fact, they are nearly matched with kit-built aircraft. Viewing all light aircraft as a group, Steve noted, "The same six brands continue to lead the pack." He refers to the full fleet of light aircraft a Sport Pilot may fly — led by kit-built aircraft producers: Zenair/Zenith, Van's, Rans, Sonex, and Kitfox plus SLSA builder, Icon. Immediately under these six powerhouses of light aviation are five close contenders Searey-maker Progressive Aerodyne, AutoGyro, Just Aircraft, Powrachute, and Magni Gyro. While Progressive Aerodyne does well in both kits and fully built seaplanes and while Powrachute sells both as well, the rest are all kit makers. To look up any producer to learn more, use our Search capability (especially "Advanced Search") or go to our ever-popular SLSA List. Kit aircraft remain strong in the USA. This segment existed for many years before LSA came along although we only count since 2005*, while Light-Sport Aircraft go back no further than 2005. Honestly, one surprise about SP Kits and LSA is how close the two primary groups are.

Diving Deeper

Steve made a few other worthwhile observations. Among the increasingly active gyroplane community, "The low-cost Tango is coming on strong. It used to come with a Rotax 582 but their website says it now has a Yamaha FI engine. 4-stroke, 3-cylinder, fuel-injected, 1055cc, 130 horsepower engine." AutoGyro, Magni, and U.S.-based SilverLight lead the among gyroplanes but Tango's appearance suggests the market is open to newcomers, especially when they have good pricing. Using Tableau Public, you can go deep the weeds about any one subgroup by using the blue boxes on the left column to click or unblock lists. The site is amazingly versatile if you spend a bit of time with it. If you own an aircraft included in this analysis, you can absolutely find it; see for yourself. Another newer entry Steve highlighted was the Goat trike. He wrote, "Denny Reed’s [Wild Sky] Goat is a surprise success. He positions it as a super-tough outback machine." Denny is a deeply experienced trike pilot with more than 8,000 hours of instruction given. He finally made his own trike and it is one brute-tough machine. See more in our article and short video. Goat uses wings by North Wing, as do many other trike brands, but the Washington state producer is also having a better year for its SLSA trikes. Evolution Trikes' Revo sales are off a bit but they are highly focused on their fully-built Rev Part 103 trike and their new RevX. The latter is a kit; the former will not show up on FAA's registration database as Part 103 vehicles need not be registered.

Fixed Wingers

Steve is a trike owner and pilot. I also enjoy these "alternative" LSA (trikes, powered parachutes, and gyroplanes). I have enjoyed flying several models of each of these types and find much to love about them …significantly, they can be less expensive than almost any fixed wing aircraft. Are you unsure about "alternative" aircraft? You know the line: "If you haven't tried it, don't knock it." However, fixed wing continue to be, by far, the biggest group of LSA (partly as very few kit-built aircraft are "alternative" types). Among Special (fully built) LSA, Flight Design continues atop the ranking. They enjoyed a phenomenal start back in 2005-2006 and have never lost their leadership position. American Legend, Czech Sport Aircraft, CubCrafters, Tecnam, and Aerotrek (FAA still uses their Aeropro European brand name) remain very strong players in the top ten. However, some newbies are moving up the rankings. Through their start into serial production was long coming, the slickly-marketed A5 LSA seaplane has moved into the #2 position for 2019 (after Van's, which relies heavily on ELSA). Another up-and-comer is Vashon and their well-priced Ranger. BRM Aero and their Bristell are also making good strides upward. TL Aircraft, rep for the Sting and other TL models, is reviving that much-admired stable of aircraft. Meanwhile, Cessna continues to drop following the company's decision to exit the LSA space and crush all remaining aircraft, engines and all. Remos is another that is fading from its earlier strength.

A Quarter to Go

As we head into the final quarter of 2019 — and the final LSA show of the year, the DeLand Showcase — we will report the full year shortly into January 2020. The good news is that aircraft are selling, pilots are flying more than ever, and safety remains quite good. That's reason for celebration. Blue skies!
* "SP Kits" means Sport Pilot kit-built aircraft. Going deeper, "SP Kits" refer to amateur-built aircraft that can be flown by a pilot possessing a Sport Pilot certificate or exercising the privileges of Sport Pilot (meaning, for one, no aviation medical is required) while holding a Private Pilot certificate or higher. Since Sport Pilot, as a form of pilot license, only arrived in late 2004, we count all applicable kit-built aircraft that can be flown by a Sport Pilot. Although some of the same aircraft existed before January 1, 2005, we omit them as it cannot be said those older aircraft could be flown by someone with a Sport Pilot certificate. This also evenly and fairly compares SP Kits with SLSA and ELSA. ** When using Tableau Public — and please do so! — be advised this may work best on your desktop or laptop. The effort called "responsive" to make pages work on smartphones and tablets does not portray the information as conveniently.        

This website seeks to offer a reliable source of market information for Light-Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot kit aircraft as a service to the light aircraft sector. If you follow light aviation intently as many readers do, knowing what aircraft and subgroups (within LSA and SP kits*) are thriving or stumbling can be of great interest. Thanks to our fantastic “datastician,” Steve Beste, we know more now than we’ve ever known about aviation’s recreational aircraft segment. You simply cannot find this information anywhere else. With Steve’s superb help, following are a few stories within the numbers. If you don’t care about market shares and just want to hear about aircraft, we won’t keep you waiting long. However, for many, these figures are quite valuable and this is the only place you will find them. Let’s dive in… 2019 Is a Good Year (so far) We’re only three quarters through the year but extrapolating from the first three quarters and assuming a steady pace (which is not a guarantee, of course), we see that all of 2019 should result in 724 new aircraft registrations in the light aircraft sector defined (by us) as Light-Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot kit-built aircraft.

Old Becomes New — Van’s Brought a Light Aircraft Surprise to Oshkosh 2019

By Dan Johnson || 1 Comment

Cruising the grounds at Oshkosh, looking for aircraft to report, I looked around the all-new Homebuilt Area. This group has long occupied a fairly spacious grassy area in a good location south of the Warbirds Area, said to be Oshkosh's biggest draw. However, for 2019 EAA relocated the area bringing vendors closer to the densest customer traffic, which may encourage more attendees to examine their aircraft. Several exhibitors I spoke to seemed content with the new location. The new area had the usual collection of vendors, many of which qualify as Sport Pilot kits that can be flown with the certificate that needs no aviation medical. Quarters looked rather tight compared to past years, with airplanes somewhat shoehorned into the allocated space. Like all changes — and EAA has made a huge number of them in the fifty years the event has been held in Oshkosh — visitors and vendors will adapt quickly enough and soon we'll forget the old "North 40" where homebuilt kits once displayed. As I strolled through the new area, I passed by Van's Aircraft, already thronged by the many enthusiasts for this biggest-of-all kit builders. The Van's model that caught my eye looked to be almost ultralight sized (it isn't an ultralight: RV-5 carries a few too many pounds of weight, too much fuel, and has too-speedy cruising speeds).

(Re)Introducing RV5

Truthfully, Van's Aircraft Vice President and Chief Engineer Rian Johnson is only displaying a personal project. RV-5 was never offered for sale and won't be now. Yet the light aircraft enthusiast in me noticed it right away. Probably like most other attendees I wondered, "What is that? "Of course, we want people to focus on our current popular kits such as RV-8, -10, and -12," quickly added, "but I thought Oshkosh visitors might enjoy seeing a bit of Van's history." RV-5 dates way back to 1975 when it was built by Dick VanGrunsven and EAA 105 chapter members to evaluate several design concepts. Among the goals of the group, Rian explained, were light weight and fuel efficiency. RV-5 was never intended for production. RV-5's wings swing back over the flat aft fuselage for easier transport or more space-efficient storage. No control linkages need be disconnected thanks to a clever center-mounted mixer that stays in place when folding the wings. "Some years back, I was up in a loft storage area looking for something and uncovered a dusty airframe. When I asked Dick about it, he asked, 'Do you want it?' Be careful what you ask for," Rian noted although he did eventually tackle the restoration project marrying the airframe of RV-5 to the canopy of RV-2. The single seat design is small. A very lean Rian said he weighs 138 pounds and RV-5 is even somewhat snug for him so this is not an aircraft for pilots who tip the scales beyond FAA's 170-pound reference weight. That hardly matters, however, as this is not an active project for anyone but Rian. Needing only 40 horsepower to perform enthusiastically RV-5 is powered by a Rotax 447. Carrying 10 gallons of fuel, burning three gallons an hour at a 90-mph economy cruise, RV-5 has a range nearly 300 miles.

RV-5 Specifications (provided by Van's Aircraft):

  • Empty Weight — 312 pounds
  • Gross Weight — 577 pounds
  • Length — 16 feet 7.5 inches
  • Cockpit Width — 19 inches
  • Wing Span — 20 feet
  • Wing Area — 75 square feet
  • Top Speed — 120-125 mph
  • Cruise at 75% Power — 100+ mph
  • Stall "Dirty" — 41 mph
  • Takeoff Distance — 175 feet
  • Landing Distance — 300 feet
  • Climb Rate — 1,200+ fpm
Here's a short video look at the old yet new RV-5 on opening day of Oshkosh 2019… https://youtu.be/4m2w_AG3QPE

Cruising the grounds at Oshkosh, looking for aircraft to report, I looked around the all-new Homebuilt Area. This group has long occupied a fairly spacious grassy area in a good location south of the Warbirds Area, said to be Oshkosh’s biggest draw. However, for 2019 EAA relocated the area bringing vendors closer to the densest customer traffic, which may encourage more attendees to examine their aircraft. Several exhibitors I spoke to seemed content with the new location. The new area had the usual collection of vendors, many of which qualify as Sport Pilot kits that can be flown with the certificate that needs no aviation medical. Quarters looked rather tight compared to past years, with airplanes somewhat shoehorned into the allocated space. Like all changes — and EAA has made a huge number of them in the fifty years the event has been held in Oshkosh — visitors and vendors will adapt quickly enough and soon we’ll forget the old “North 40” where homebuilt kits once displayed.

DeLand Showcase 2018 Off to a Good Start; Industry Players Generally Upbeat as Year Closes

By Dan Johnson || 2 Comments

A view from Scott Severen's Jabiru J-230D cockpit as he approaches DeLand Showcase 2018.

Day One of the third running of DeLand Showcase is complete. As Videoman Dave and I scoured the show grounds looking for good stories, we spoke to a few vendors reporting that 2018 has been a good year. Our video news gathering exercise brought a pleasant discovery. Many companies are reporting a solid year of sales. The light aviation industry is composed of many small companies. None are corporations the size of Cessna or Cirrus so they don't require hundreds of unit sales to break even. A U.S. importer delivering 20 aircraft can experience a good year from sales and other services they offer. When several companies report noteworthy sales success it suggests the market is healthy and customers are buying airplanes they want to enjoy. In parallel, the used LSA market also appears active and a virtuous circle begins to take form.

Van's Aircraft RV-12iS — image by Roy Beisswenger / Powered Sport Flying magazine

The show itself enjoyed the great organization we have come to expect from director Jana Filip. She's an impressive and experienced leader of these shows, backed up by her multi-talented husband Gary and a strong core of volunteers, many now with three years of experience in their logbooks. These sector-dominated shows — most vendors are in the light aircraft game though some display larger aircraft — usually have modest foot traffic. If you crave dense crowds, go to Oshkosh or Sun 'n Fun and get in line for, well… everything. However, if you want face time with someone from whom you are considering an airplane purchase, DeLand and the other LSA shows have a clear edge.

Who Is Succeeding?

In one day, we did not speak to every vendor and we did not get to the inside booths yet. However, those we did approach for news and updates provided feedback that was significantly on the positive side. Here is a partial recap (again cautioning that this is not inclusive):

Icon Aircraft A5 — image by Roy Beisswenger / Powered Sport Flying magazine

Icon Aircraft's production engine appears to be firing on all cylinders, according to Tampa Regional Sales Director Scott Rodenbeck. We heard about delivery numbers growing from five aircraft a month to 10 a month and a forecast for 15 shipments in December. These numbers will show up on our market share report based on N-number registrations. Increased production has reduced the delivery wait to only seven or eight months, down from literally years back when the California company was taking deposits left and right but not yet manufacturing.

BRM Aero Bristell — image by Roy Beisswenger / Powered Sport Flying magazine

Bristell USA is having a banner year that should end close to 20 units sold for the deluxe and superbly equipped Bristell LSA, reported company leader Lou Mancuso and right hand man, John Rathmell. Beside delivering strong sales for Czech producer, Milan Bristela, Lou's growing enterprise is also establishing a flight academy at the Sebring airport to offer younger pilots a lower cost path to careers as pilots. We will have video on this development. Duc Hélices is another company choosing Sebring for their operation, reported Michael Dederian, the company's main face at airshows — after a few seasons nearly all producers know him. The popular French prop maker is opening a subsidiary in early 2019 to better serve U.S. customers. They plan to celebrate the American enterprise at the Sebring Sport Aviation Expo on January 25th.

M-Squared SLSA version of Zenith's Cruzer — image by Roy Beisswenger / Powered Sport Flying magazine

Van's Aircraft made a big change this year. After bringing in ready-to-fly manufacturing to the world's largest manufacturer of aircraft kits — the immensely popular RV line — Van's is backed up for nearly a year, reported Atlanta-based, Vic Syracuse. That wait may come down as the company ramps up its new in-house production, but it's clear RV-12 is a success story. We recorded an interview with Vic about the new model, now known as RV-12iS. Yes, it uses the Rotax engine but that's not all the changes in the renewed model. Paul Mather of M-Squared Aircraft is opening new doors. He continues to build his M-Squared models as he has for many years but now the longtime veteran of light aircraft manufacturing has diversified to provide builder assistance to owners wanting a Zenith CH-750 Cruzer powered by the Continental Motors O-200D engine. After a slow start activity has picked up and Paul is pleased with the aircraft he's added to his stable. We plan a Video Pilot Report using the model seen at DeLand

Aeromarine-LSA Merlin PSA — image by Roy Beisswenger / Powered Sport Flying magazine

Chip Erwin of Aeromarine-LSA also reported growing sales for his well-priced, fast-assembling Merlin PSA (Personal Sport Aircraft). Besides sales to customers, he is using the single place aircraft for some government duties and these activities are keeping the Florida businessman on the move, literally, and from a business evaluation. We shot a video with Jay Kurtz of South Lakeland Airport (which many Sun 'n Fun attendees know very well). After building 40 (yes, 40!) aircraft, his most recent project has been the Quick-Build Merlin. After just a single day, I'm excited to see what happens in two more days of the DeLand Showcase 2018. Look for another report tomorrow.

Day One of the third running of DeLand Showcase is complete. As Videoman Dave and I scoured the show grounds looking for good stories, we spoke to a few vendors reporting that 2018 has been a good year. Our video news gathering exercise brought a pleasant discovery. Many companies are reporting a solid year of sales. The light aviation industry is composed of many small companies. None are corporations the size of Cessna or Cirrus so they don’t require hundreds of unit sales to break even. A U.S. importer delivering 20 aircraft can experience a good year from sales and other services they offer. When several companies report noteworthy sales success it suggests the market is healthy and customers are buying airplanes they want to enjoy. In parallel, the used LSA market also appears active and a virtuous circle begins to take form. The show itself enjoyed the great organization we have come to expect from director Jana Filip.

Van’s Aircraft To Bring RV-12 Manufacturing Fully In-House; Here’s the Q&A…

By Dan Johnson || 1 Comment

Building kits for homebuilders and assembling fully built aircraft are two very distinct business models. In the early days of Light-Sport Aircraft, European producers enjoyed a head start in fully-built aircraft as their regulations were more accommodating. American producers were the kings of kits, an effort that calls for good assembly instructions and technical support plus groups that can help each other. These two activities represent night and day differences. However, in the years since the regulation arrived, American companies have significantly caught up. Indeed, as September and the 14th anniversary of the SP/LSA rule arrived, Van's released news of a major change. "Van’s Aircraft is excited to announce that it is establishing its own aircraft assembly facility and team at its company headquarters in Aurora, Oregon," the world's largest kit producer said. "Future RV-12iS and RV-12-iST SLSA aircraft models will be assembled and delivered at this new facility." As many readers know, nearby Synergy Air was Van’s assembly partner for several years. "[They have] done a tremendous job for Van’s and our customers," stated Van's. Synergy Air will continue to work with Van's but will return to concentrate on builder-assist activities. Van's issued a series of questions and answers to address this fairly significant change.

What is happening and why?

RV-12 SLSA airplanes will now be built and delivered by Van’s Aircraft at its Aurora, Oregon facility. Several years ago, Van’s set out to implement a comprehensive SLSA program. Synergy and Van’s partnered to build the various components of the complete SLSA program. Synergy worked with Van’s from the onset of the program to apply their expertise related to the marketing and aircraft assembly portions of the program. The natural evolution and success of both businesses has brought us to where we are today. Synergy has become even more focused on the business of assisting Van’s Aircraft’s customers in building their RV airplanes. As the SLSA program has matured, Van’s has expanded its workforce and capabilities to include marketing and aircraft construction. This change represents the next logical step in both companies’ successful business growth.

How does this affect Synergy?

Synergy will focus on its popular builder-assist program, which has become that company’s key area of business emphasis and expansion over the past couple years.

What about earlier SLSA purchases? Who will provide support?

All SLSA aircraft have been and will continue to be fully supported by Van’s Aircraft. That will not change. Van’s technical and business support teams remain ready to support every customer that owns and flies our airplanes. The Van’s support team serves as your point of contact for any support needs you may have related to the RV-12.

Will the price change? How do I communicate with Van's?

Van's does not anticipate or plan to make any price changes as a result of this business change. Just as before, you can contact Van’s Aircraft at 503-678-6545 or you can email the SLSA support team.

What should I expect?

You can and should expect excellent quality from a business that continuously strives to improve its products and services. Van's approach is to delivering the highest quality products. Our aircraft assembly and delivery department — a dedicated team focused on just that portion of our business — is staffed by experts with years of RV-12 building experience. Van's will, as always, strive to adopt and leverage new, innovative processes and technology to drive its ongoing quality program.

I have an airplane ordered already. How will this affect delivery?

As part of this change, Van's is staffing a dedicated SLSA build team that is co-located at our Oregon factory, the design of which will allow us to increase throughput and enable even quicker delivery of RV-12iS SLSA aircraft. Van's will leverage its existing people, experience and processes to optimize our future ability to deliver more efficiently, as well. We do not anticipate schedule delays as a result of the change in production staffing and location. Any RV-12iS currently in production with Synergy will be finished at Synergy’s Eugene facility. Any aircraft not yet started will be completed at and by Van's Aircraft. Van's anticipates delivering aircraft that are already on the schedule on or before the estimated delivery dates we’ve previously communicated to individual customers.

Was there a problem between the businesses?

No, not at all. This change is the result of mutual successes, and represents a natural and positive evolution of both businesses. It will enable both companies to deliver even more, both in partnership and separately.

What about builders assist at Synergy?

Just as it makes sense for Van's to take on SLSA assembly work at this time, it also makes sense for Synergy to focus on its growing and key business: builder-assist services for people who are building their RVs. In fact, Synergy is growing and recently expanded beyond its Eugene, Oregon facility when it opened a second builder-assist center in Georgia. The company concluded, "These changes are great for Van's Aircraft, great for Synergy Air, and good news for our mutual customers."

Building kits for homebuilders and assembling fully built aircraft are two very distinct business models. In the early days of Light-Sport Aircraft, European producers enjoyed a head start in fully-built aircraft as their regulations were more accommodating. American producers were the kings of kits, an effort that calls for good assembly instructions and technical support plus groups that can help each other. These two activities represent night and day differences. However, in the years since the regulation arrived, American companies have significantly caught up. Indeed, as September and the 14th anniversary of the SP/LSA rule arrived, Van’s released news of a major change. “Van’s Aircraft is excited to announce that it is establishing its own aircraft assembly facility and team at its company headquarters in Aurora, Oregon,” the world’s largest kit producer said. “Future RV-12iS and RV-12-iST SLSA aircraft models will be assembled and delivered at this new facility.” As many readers know, nearby Synergy Air was Van’s assembly partner for several years.

Major Benchmarks for Manufacturers Serving the Light Aircraft Community

By Dan Johnson || 2 Comments

Recently, a couple major benchmarks were reached by some of our important brand names. These notable achievements deserve mention given their relationship to the LSA and light aircraft sector that this website serves. One is an airframe builder and the other is a avionics giant.

Van's Aircraft's Immensely Popular RV-Series

According to a recent report in General Aviation News, "[When] David Porter took his first flight in his RV-7 on Nov. 24, 2017, he probably didn’t know he was making history. The Martinsburg, West Virginia pilot’s kit-built airplane became the official 10,000th Van’s RV-series aircraft." Van's labeled David's first flight as "official" because more than 10,000 RV-series kit aircraft are definitely known to be flying, but the company recognizes it may not know about all of them. President of his local EAA Chapter (# 1071), David spent three and a half years building his RV-7 from a standard kit. It was the first airplane he has built. His airplane was RV-7 #1,662 to fly, according to the Oregon company. Dick van Grunsven's Van’s Aircraft began selling RV-3 plans back in 1973. From this modest start the company now calculates that over the last 44 years a new RV has taken to the air every 1.6 days on average. Now, that is one impressive achievement, I believe.

2016 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show, Vans RV-7A. Both RV photos published by GA News

“No one is exactly sure when the 1,000th RV flew — our best guess is around early 1994,” company officials said in a prepared release. “The 2,000 mark was passed in November 1998, 19 years ago. The increase from 9,000 flying RVs to 10,000 took just 33 months or under 1,000 days.” Therefore, "About one new RV airplane leaves the ground each day, with 360 taking to the skies already in 2017." Great job, Team Van's!

Garmin's One Millionth

"We’re celebrating the delivery of our one-millionth certified avionics product from our manufacturing facility in Olathe, Kansas," announced the popular avionics producer. This large number does not include the huge number of sports or auto products and more made by Garmin over its three decade history. The milestone product was a GTX 3000 DI-260B compliant Mode S Extended Squitter (ES) transponder, which enables ADS-B Out transmissions, a timely offering given the last two years of push to fit GA aircraft with ADS-B Out before the 2020 FAA deadline. “Since our inception over 28 years ago, Garmin has been committed to providing superior products that are known for their innovation, reliability and intuitive design,” said Phil Straub, Garmin executive vice president, managing director of aviation. “This milestone is a testament to our long-established commitment to making significant investments in research and development, as well as the hard work and dedication of thousands of passionate Garmin team members that I have the pleasure of working with every day.” “As we celebrate this exciting accomplishment, I am very proud of how our teams have managed such significant growth, while maintaining the culture of our company as our founders set forth,” said Carl Wolf, vice president of aviation marketing and sales. “The breadth and depth of our certified aviation product line has expanded greatly over the years, allowing us to develop new markets for Garmin. This incredible milestone doesn’t even include the hundreds of thousands of portable and other non-certified products that our customers use every day. On behalf of Garmin, I wish to express my utmost gratitude to our loyal customers, our dealers and the aircraft manufacturers all around the globe, who have helped us to accomplish such a tremendous achievement in Garmin’s history.”

Decades of progress from the simple monochrome GPS 90 to the colorful and highly versatile touchscreen G3X.

Established by co-founders Gary Burrell and Dr. Min Kao — Gar' and Min, hence the company name — in 1989 in Lenexa, Kansas, Garmin was founded with its core roots in aviation. Today, the central U.S. corporation has evolved into five business segments with more than 11,000 employees around the globe. "From a single product," said Garmin, "the evolution of our avionics solutions has grown to serve multiple segments within the aviation industry, including general aviation, business aviation, helicopter, experimental amateur-built (EAB), defense and air transport." I'm sure Garmin meant to include LSA in that roster but many recent product releases by the company show it is pursuing the high end avionics market aggressively. In the LSA space the G3X Touch and Garmin 796 are the most popular devices with many supporting items benefitting the Garmin ecosystem of avionics. Congratulations to both Van's Aircraft and Garmin. We are lucky both company are involved in the kind aviation enjoyed by sport and recreational pilots.

Where do readers of General Aviation News live?

To close, I thought I'd again reference my friends from General Aviation News to show you their recently-offered map of where their readers are located. I submit to this Washington-state-based publication every month and know they provide a journal read enthusiastically by tens of thousands of pilots. As proof of their success at transitioning from only newsprint to electronic communication, GA News can boast the largest Facebook following (around 350,000!) of any aviation publication or organization. Great job publisher Ben Sclair and team mates! Subscribe to GA News and you can also receive their free The Pulse of Aviation e-newsletter.

Recently, a couple major benchmarks were reached by some of our important brand names. These notable achievements deserve mention given their relationship to the LSA and light aircraft sector that this website serves. One is an airframe builder and the other is a avionics giant. Van’s Aircraft’s Immensely Popular RV-Series According to a recent report in General Aviation News, “[When] David Porter took his first flight in his RV-7 on Nov. 24, 2017, he probably didn’t know he was making history. The Martinsburg, West Virginia pilot’s kit-built airplane became the official 10,000th Van’s RV-series aircraft.” Van’s labeled David’s first flight as “official” because more than 10,000 RV-series kit aircraft are definitely known to be flying, but the company recognizes it may not know about all of them. President of his local EAA Chapter (# 1071), David spent three and a half years building his RV-7 from a standard kit.

Van’s Aircraft — RV-12 (Video Pilot Report 2015 — Part 1 of 2)

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

Video Pilot Reports are some of the most popular of our hundreds of videos. They take more work and they have longer running time; this one on Van's Aircraft's very poplar RV-12 is presented in two parts. When you count RV-12 in both kit and SLSA fully manufactured versions, it is one of America's most popular LSA even though it entered the scene a later than some. In this pilot report, we'll try to tell you and show you why RV-12 is such a hit.

Video Pilot Reports are some of the most popular of our hundreds of videos. They take more work and they have longer running time; this one on Van’s Aircraft’s very poplar RV-12 is presented in two parts. When you count RV-12 in both kit and SLSA fully manufactured versions, it is one of America’s most popular LSA even though it entered the scene a later than some. In this pilot report, we’ll try to tell you and show you why RV-12 is such a hit.

Van’s Aircraft — RV-12 (Video Pilot Report 2015 — Part 2 of 2)

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

Here's Part 2 of our Video Pilot Report on Van's Aircraft's very poplar RV-12 is presented in two parts. In this second part, Dan Johnson recounts his experience flying Van's RV-12 filling in some details not presented during the in-flight portion of the evaluation. Although doing these VPRs is much more time consuming and take longer to watch, we hope you enjoy all the information they deliver.

Here’s Part 2 of our Video Pilot Report on Van’s Aircraft’s very poplar RV-12 is presented in two parts. In this second part, Dan Johnson recounts his experience flying Van’s RV-12 filling in some details not presented during the in-flight portion of the evaluation. Although doing these VPRs is much more time consuming and take longer to watch, we hope you enjoy all the information they deliver.

Van’s Aircraft — RV-12 SLSA (07/13)

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Van's Aircraft needs no introduction to most aviators. The company has more than 8,000 aircraft flying. One of these is their RV-12 LSA models. Mostly that design, like all their models, has been built as a kit. Van's wasn't sure they'd make ready-to-fly models when they started. However, through a nearby company, Van's made arrangements to offer the RV-12 as a factory-built Special LSA. Here company rep' Gus Funnel updates us on the latest information about this popular airplane.

Van’s Aircraft needs no introduction to most aviators. The company has more than 8,000 aircraft flying. One of these is their RV-12 LSA models. Mostly that design, like all their models, has been built as a kit. Van’s wasn’t sure they’d make ready-to-fly models when they started. However, through a nearby company, Van’s made arrangements to offer the RV-12 as a factory-built Special LSA. Here company rep’ Gus Funnel updates us on the latest information about this popular airplane.

Van’s Aircraft — RV-12 (0912)

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

MIDWEST LSA EXPO 2012 -- One of our series of many short videos from the fall show, this one on the Van's Aircraft RV-12. Most LSA are factory built SLSA but here is the clear-and-away winner of te Experimental LSA race of kit-assembled Light-Sports. More than 350 of the RV-12 kits have reportedly been sold and many are flying. Here we take a quick look at the RV-12 and place it in the family of RV models that have proven so popular.

MIDWEST LSA EXPO 2012 — One of our series of many short videos from the fall show, this one on the Van’s Aircraft RV-12. Most LSA are factory built SLSA but here is the clear-and-away winner of te Experimental LSA race of kit-assembled Light-Sports. More than 350 of the RV-12 kits have reportedly been sold and many are flying. Here we take a quick look at the RV-12 and place it in the family of RV models that have proven so popular.

Van’s Aircraft — RV-12 (0711)

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

The biggest kit-aircraft builder of them all - Van's Aircraft and their incredibly line of RV airplanes - entered the Light-Sport Aircraft arena with their RV-12. Here we take a look at the kit and its costs while designer Dick VanGrunsven sits on the wing nearby talking to customers. No surprise to anyone, Van's is the biggest success story in Experimental Light-Sport Aircraft or ELSA.

The biggest kit-aircraft builder of them all – Van’s Aircraft and their incredibly line of RV airplanes – entered the Light-Sport Aircraft arena with their RV-12. Here we take a look at the kit and its costs while designer Dick VanGrunsven sits on the wing nearby talking to customers. No surprise to anyone, Van’s is the biggest success story in Experimental Light-Sport Aircraft or ELSA.

4 LSA Brands — Low Wing All-Metal

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At the 2010 Midwest LSA Expo we did something new. We picked several aircraft of a similar description and pointed out their similarities and differences. This time we look at four all-metal high wing LSA: Rans Aircraft S-19 Venterra; Evektor Sportstar Max IFR, Van's Aircraft RV-12, and the Breezer Aircraft Breezer II. If you're searching for a high wing LSA, this video may help show your choices and help you make a purchase decision.

At the 2010 Midwest LSA Expo we did something new. We picked several aircraft of a similar description and pointed out their similarities and differences. This time we look at four all-metal high wing LSA: Rans Aircraft S-19 Venterra; Evektor Sportstar Max IFR, Van’s Aircraft RV-12, and the Breezer Aircraft Breezer II. If you’re searching for a high wing LSA, this video may help show your choices and help you make a purchase decision.

Van’s RV-12 Enter Rare Realm of Four Digits

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

Washington State customer Richard Bangsund picks up his new RV-12 empennage kit from Van's Aircraft. RV-12 photos courtesy of Van's Aircraft

I've enjoyed a front row seat for all eleven years that Light-Sport Aircraft have been part of the aviation firmament. In those years of closely following this industry, I've only seen companies reach the four digit horizon three times. What does that mean and why might you find it meaningful? First came Cessna's Skycatcher. More recently it was (quite convincingly) Icon's A5. Now, welcome Van's Aircraft. Cessna once claimed more than 1,000 orders for their now-discontinued Skycatcher LSA. The company delivered 271 of them (according to our review of FAA's N-number database) but we won't see any more. Icon reports more than 1,300 orders, making them Top Gun in the LSA roost, though they have delivered only one, to EAA's Young Eagles program. Then, we have Van's ... the undisputed leader of kit aircraft deliveries. In fact, the latter is nearly ready to enter the aviation stratosphere of five digits. • "On August 27, 2015 the shipping department at Van's Aircraft Inc. had several orders to fill," started the story from the Oregon-based kit giant. "By the end of the day, they'd rolled the 937th RV-12 kit empennage package onto the shipping dock, where it was picked up by a customer from Washington State, Richard Bangsund (photo). "What's the significance of '937'," asked Van's on your behalf? "Well, combined with the SLSA 'fly-away' RV-12s the company has constructed," the company answered, "the total number of RV-12 empennage kits produced and sold now totals ... one thousand." I'll do the math for you and show that means Van's & Synergy have manufactured 63 RV-12 SLSA. Van's went on to observe that RV-12 is the sixth RV design to exceed 1,000 unit sales and they added that four of those designs have exceeded 1,000 completions. By any measure this is a very impressive performance. "The number of flying RVs listed on the company's website now totals 9,178," noted Van's. Four hundred and seven of those are RV-12s. If you review our SLSA market share chart — a new one of which, for the first half of 2015, is in early draft form now — you may be confused. Van's is moving up but is clearly not at the top of the chart. Why? Because most completed and flying RV-12s were built as Experimental Amateur Built aircraft and our popular chart counts only factory built Special LSA. The RV-12s emerging from Van's building partner, Synergy Air, are currently ranked 13th place with 50 registered to the end of 2014. "All of us at Van's have known that the RV-12 is an excellent little airplane," said company founder Dick (Van) VanGrunsven. It's nice to see the word spreading in the market place." The word has certainly spread in his immediate family, said Van's Aircraft. Van and two of his brothers have built and fly RV-12s. So have a pair of company employees. Nothing shows belief in a product more than company personnel using it, I'd add. "RV-12s have also been completed by several groups of young people participating in the Teenflight and Eagle's Nest programs," stated the company. They added that Special LSA RV-12s are now operated by several flight schools, who report that their students love the way it flies, and often request the RV-12 even when other airplanes are available. "We're looking forward to the next thousand..." said boss Ken Scott. • Some dismiss the performance and say it doesn't count because "they're just ultralights," but Quicksilver reached the ultra-rare five digit space first, delivering more than 15,000 of their aircraft kits since the early 1980s, nearly every one of which also got airborne. That company, now named Quicksilver Aeronautics after the last ownership change, has also entered the fully built Special LSA space.

I’ve enjoyed a front row seat for all eleven years that Light-Sport Aircraft have been part of the aviation firmament. In those years of closely following this industry, I’ve only seen companies reach the four digit horizon three times. What does that mean and why might you find it meaningful? First came Cessna’s Skycatcher. More recently it was (quite convincingly) Icon’s A5. Now, welcome Van’s Aircraft. Cessna once claimed more than 1,000 orders for their now-discontinued Skycatcher LSA. The company delivered 271 of them (according to our review of FAA’s N-number database) but we won’t see any more. Icon reports more than 1,300 orders, making them Top Gun in the LSA roost, though they have delivered only one, to EAA’s Young Eagles program. Then, we have Van’s … the undisputed leader of kit aircraft deliveries. In fact, the latter is nearly ready to enter the aviation stratosphere of five digits.

4 things to See at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015

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The "Big Show" is just days away, so of course, journalists and readers are asking what will be present? The question is worthwhile, but often the most interesting discoveries are not foretold either to maintain secrecy or due to the last minute scramble to make a new project showable. Here are four products attendees may want to investigate. Watch for more previews. "What a journey so far, wrote Jordan Denitz, spokesman for The Airplane Factory USA! Globetrotters Mike Blyth with Patrick Huang of The Airplane Factory Asia have completed their first three legs on their way around the world in a Sling powered by the Rotax 912iS. Starting in Johannesburg, South Africa, they traveled to Namibia, Ghana, and Cape Verde. On Monday they were taking a well deserved rest after 37 hours and more than 4,000 nautical miles logged so far. "They are gearing up for the biggest hop yet, crossing the Atlantic," added Jordan. This will be the third such round-the-world trips for the Sling LSA from The Airplane Factory. Directors Mike Blyth and James Pitman flew the Sling 2 prototype around the world in 2009. Mike did it again in a brand-new four seat Sling 4 in 2011 accompanied by Jean D'Assonville. Mike has previously accomplished numerous very long flights in trikes. The adventurous pair plan to arrive at Oshkosh on Monday, July 20th. Their LSA will be on display at TAF's booth located in the EAA's North Aircraft Display/Homebuilt area where you can also see the four seat kit TAF-USA is selling to Americans. With any luck, I hope to get up in the Sling 4. Earlier, I reported Sling 2 had many wonderful qualities. Chesapeake Sport Pilot flight school, based in Stevensville, Maryland, has earned the first Vans RV-12 dealership in the United States, reported CSP owner and Chief Flight Instructor, Helen Woods. "The RV-12 is the most popular aircraft we have ever put on the flight line at Chesapeake Sport Pilot," she explained. CSP can now offer RV-12 for sale or rental. Van's Aircraft representative Kaitlyn Tepe said, "Partnering with Chesapeake Sport Pilot will give customers a better opportunity to be introduced to the RV-12 locally. CSP offers the whole range of services for the RV-12 from flight training and rentals to maintenance and flight reviews." Chesapeake Sport Pilot was recognized by AOPA as one of the top flight schools in the country with the 2014 Outstanding Flight School award. The company described itself as "the nation's largest light sport flight school." CSP reported more than 20,000 hours of Light-Sport flight instruction over the past eight years. In LSA Seaplanes Icon may get lots of press for the first delivery of their attention-generating A5, but another company offers a well-proven and evolved design that you can get much more quickly. You'll also save a bundle. While it doesn't offer electric folding wings, Progressive Aerodyne's Searey does offer manually folding wings. AirVenture Oshkosh visitors can see the arrangement in detail. "One of the most frequently asked questions about the Searey LSA is, 'Can the wings fold?',"  reported company officials. Indeed, folding wings are an option on the factory-built Searey SLSA Sport and Elite. "This is a great option for those interested in trailering the aircraft or storing it in a narrow space," said Progressive Aerodyne. "We will be displaying one of the folding-wing- equipped Searey Elites at our main booth." A few lucky souls — your faithful reporter hopefully among them — will get to take a flight in the A5. However, more importantly, YOU can take an evaluation flight in a Searey while you are visiting Oshkosh. Act soon! "To schedule a demo flight in the Searey Elite at Oshkosh send an email. They urge you to include "OSH DEMO REQUEST" in the subject line of your email. Then make your way to the seaplane base — EAA offers regular free bus transportation — and get ready to smile broadly. Belite entrepreneur James Weibe sounds the like the tech seller he formerly was, "The most affordable, easy-to-build, legal ultralight you've ever seen ... is coming to AirVenture 2015." He calls his goal a "Part 103 air adventure" and said, "We think we've nailed it!" A new strutless Belite design is the company's first low wing entry and quite a departure from the Kitfox Lite — since renamed and significantly evolved in various directions — that James started to offer. The new model-to-be uses trailing link suspension, free-castoring nosewheel, tricycle gear, and "nice coca-cola lines on the rear fuselage," said James. The new design will use carbon fiber fuselage/cabin construction over wood/foam core. It will have 28 feet of span, a broad 53-inch chord, and weigh 180 pounds without powerplant. If you want to help bring the new bird to market, you can join the fun. "We'll be funding the development of this project through KickStarter." He promises big savings on the kit to those who participate, "plus other fun rewards." Stay tuned ... more to come!

The “Big Show” is just days away, so of course, journalists and readers are asking what will be present? The question is worthwhile, but often the most interesting discoveries are not foretold either to maintain secrecy or due to the last minute scramble to make a new project showable. Here are four products attendees may want to investigate. Watch for more previews. “What a journey so far, wrote Jordan Denitz, spokesman for The Airplane Factory USA! Globetrotters Mike Blyth with Patrick Huang of The Airplane Factory Asia have completed their first three legs on their way around the world in a Sling powered by the Rotax 912iS. Starting in Johannesburg, South Africa, they traveled to Namibia, Ghana, and Cape Verde. On Monday they were taking a well deserved rest after 37 hours and more than 4,000 nautical miles logged so far. “They are gearing up for the biggest hop yet, crossing the Atlantic,” added Jordan.

LSA Market Shares — Fleet and Calendar 2014

By Dan Johnson || 2 Comments

Image of Searey in flight by Searey Canada.

As spring approaches and with major airshows like Aero Friedrichshafen in Germany and Sun 'n Fun in Florida about to trigger a new season of recreational flying, it is time for an annual update of Light-Sport Aircraft market shares. Our well-known "fleet" chart appears nearby; this table refers to all Special LSA registered with FAA in the United States since the first aircraft was accepted by FAA almost ten years ago (on April 5, 2005). We again post our Calendar 2014 tally that shows the success only in that year as a means of drawing attention to those brands and models performing the best in the last twelve months. We remind you that these charts use as their source the FAA registration (N-number) database, that is then carefully studied and corrected to make the most reliable report possible. However, two points: (1) this report will still have some errors as the database on which we rely has some faulty information ... though we believe this to be modest and, as noted, we correct it where we can; and, (2) aircraft registrations are not likely to be perfectly in sync with company records of sales for a variety of reasons. Other organizations ask companies to report deliveries and this, too, can have weaknesses, but we stand by our chart and the text report as the most factual details we can locate. It is also worth noting that we only attempt to tally the Top-20 for ranking yet we draw your attention to the "All Other Producers" category that, by itself, represents the largest segment at 15.7% or about one in six aircraft. Further, we repeat the chart notes that these figures are only fixed-wing airplanes, which leaves out weight shift, powered parachutes, gliders, gyroplanes, and other worthy categories. We wish to include them but the information has proven too unreliable so in the interest of the most accuracy we can report, we regretfully omit these interesting aircraft. As you can see from the nearby Calendar Year 2014 Report, CubCrafters again lead the field. They have done well for several years, however, the most notable movement of the year was from worldwide kit airplane manufacturer, Van's Aircraft who works with Synergy Air to build ready-to-fly RV-12s. Seemingly overnight, Van's appeared on our fleet chart and rocketed up to the #13 spot. Given the Van's RV-series popularity and the existence of a large number of RV-12 kits, it seems clear Van's will overtake several other producers in the years ahead and rise to near the top of the chart. More on that below. Another up and comer, not even on last year's fleet chart, is Progressive Aerodyne's Seayrey amphibian SLSA. Over many years this company has delivered more than 600 kit versions of its amphib. They won FAA audit approval to make SLSA models in late 2013 and went right to work filling demand. They've also won Chinese TDA approval and may break into that market, which many expect to explode. Clearly, Searey is leading the charge on LSA seaplanes even while some other interesting designs go through design and production exercises. Regular top players such as Flight Design, Tecnam, Aerotrek, American Legend, Czech Sport Aircraft, and Pipistrel — some of the top and best-established brands — also fared well in 2014. Yet another appearing for the first time is Quicksilver Aeronautics. They won FAA audit approval to sell SLSA versions of their immensely popular kit aircraft in late 2014 and notched up their first Special LSA sales. The company can boast more than 15,000 kit aircraft flying. A couple other honorable mentions go to Bristell (BRM Aero), which though new, is seeing good interest; Sling, which is rising and has a four seater kit to offer as well; and deluxe motorglider Phoenix. Their numbers were not big but these companies are ones to watch, we believe. Others holding up their brands include Evektor with its sleeker Harmony, Aeroprakt, and Jabiru (the last went through a manufacturing evolution and can offer even better pricing). As we show an image of the handsome Van's RV-12, we want to bring your attention to the small print alongside the Van's rank. This company, known for their kit-making prowess — with more than 9,000 delivered and flying — has registered 314 kit versions of RV-12 for a total impact of 364 aircraft. Were we to combine these, they would vault to second place, ready to challenge longtime leader Flight Design for the largest LSA fleet in the country. You may also note that our chart this year, for the first time, incorporates a number for "identifiable" kits, either as Experimental LSA (ELSA) or Experimental Amateur Built (EAB) models. The figure we felt we could correctly identify amounted to 797 airplanes (again ... no weight shift, powered parachutes, or gyros), which represent an additional 29%. If we could gather reliable details on the WS, PPC, and gyro fleet, we might add another 25% or so. Based on the greater EAB community in the USA, kit LSA aircraft may begin to add significant numbers and if we can tally them accurately we will continue to reference them. As we consider Searey's strong performance in 2014, we again note that this is a company that cut its teeth with kit production. Over 600 have been sold and more than 500 are reportedly flying. Searey kit owners make a very strong and closeknit group of seaplane pilots with one of the largest amphibious populations anywhere. As most readers will know, we can expect several other interesting seaplanes in the years ahead, from companies like Icon, MVP, and Vickers plus others. We are also aware of several other landplane LSA designs in the works and then will come electric aircraft (assuming FAA can find a way to invite these aircraft into the LSA fleet, which unfortunately is far from certain at this time). Yet all we present above is only the American market. The USA may be the largest single market but the rest of the world invites comparison to the famous 80/20 rule. The USA has roughly 20% of all recreational aircraft but other countries are excellent markets for lower-cost, fuel efficient, and modern airplanes. When we add them all, using powerplant production as a measuring stick, we believe the total market for light aircraft exceeded 3,000 airplanes in 2014. With GAMA reporting 986 single engine piston general aviation aircraft for the same year, it is clear the light aircraft segment is substantially larger and for these aircraft, we believe the global future is bright.

As spring approaches and with major airshows like Aero Friedrichshafen in Germany and Sun ‘n Fun in Florida about to trigger a new season of recreational flying, it is time for an annual update of Light-Sport Aircraft market shares. Our well-known “fleet” chart appears nearby; this table refers to all Special LSA registered with FAA in the United States since the first aircraft was accepted by FAA almost ten years ago (on April 5, 2005). We again post our Calendar 2014 tally that shows the success only in that year as a means of drawing attention to those brands and models performing the best in the last twelve months. We remind you that these charts use as their source the FAA registration (N-number) database, that is then carefully studied and corrected to make the most reliable report possible. However, two points: (1) this report will still have some errors as the database on which we rely has some faulty information … though we believe this to be modest and, as noted, we correct it where we can; and, (2) aircraft registrations are not likely to be perfectly in sync with company records of sales for a variety of reasons.

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