Did you read “Jet Access” and think this article was not for you? I get that but please read further. Jet Access is not about airlines or military. It isn’t even about jet engines or biz jets. It is about flight school operations and which aircraft the operators find optimal. Spoiler Alert: Light-Sport Aircraft win. Here’s the question of the hour: “Why are leading flight schools world wide choosing Evektor LSA to replace their aging legacy fleet of flight training aircraft?” The question is posed by Evektor’s U.S. Director of Fleet Sales, Steve Trerotola. Answers follow… Evektor Is #1… Forever You may not have heard quite as much from Evektor over the last couple years. That’s because they’ve been head-down puzzling over America’s legal system, a challenge for many foreign producers. Based in a different country, some manufacturers feel insulated from lawsuits but given America is by far the world’s largest aviation market, well… it’s wise to think differently.
Evektor Aerotechnik Harmony LSA
Website: http://www.evektor.com
Email: sales@evektor.cz
Phone: (420) 572-537-111
Kunovice, -- 686 04 - Czech RepublicU.S. Distributor is Evektor (Dreams Come True)
Website: http://www.midwestsportplanes.com/
Email: midwestsportpilot@gmail.com
Phone: (800) 883-1897
Dayton, OH - USADo Light-Sport Aircraft Make Good Trainers …or Do They Not? That Is the Question.
Flight School Owner
Sunrise was founded and is personally supervised by Michael Church, a national flight training authority, honored by the FAA as Safety Counselor of the Year and recognized as a Master Flight Instructor and Master Aerobatic Flight Instructor. Church has logged more than 11,000 hours of flight instruction given. What does he have to say about his experience with LSA?photo by Stephen Trerotola
Experience — Then and Now
Any owner can get jazzed about an airplane he or she recently bought. The excitement of a new purchase can overwhelm the pragmatic aspects of longer-term ownership. Here are Mike Church's thoughts six years ago, in 2013. Later on, we'll update his perceptions.photo by Stephen Trerotola
photo by Stephen Trerotola
How about Mechanics?
A flight school owner might be expected to be positive about purchase he made. What happens when Sunrise mechanics are asked about their views of Evektor airframes and Rotax powerplants?What Do Instructors Think?
Instructor don't own the equipment nor must they repair it. Here's a sampling of what various Sunrise instructors say. "SportStar is excellent for training. It has nice control responses."photo by Stephen Trerotola
One of the controversies surrounding Light-Sport Aircraft has to do with that first word: “light.” Early on, one aircraft importer lobbied to remove the word as it was negatively viewed, he believed. Article updated (5/17/19) with newly released video with Sunrise Aviation owner, Mike Church (see below). Indeed, outside of the LSA world, many pilots I’ve spoken to believe these aircraft are too lightly built to hold up in flight training, one of the most demanding of all flight activities. “Yes, an experienced pilot may love a LSA,” they may concede, “but these aircraft cannot hold up to regular flight instruction duty.” Enthusiasts may be biased but what would an actual flight school operator say? To get it straight from the horse’s mouth, I inquired of Sunrise Aviation. This substantial flight school has for more than 40 years operated out of the very busy John Wayne airport in Orange County, California.
DeLand 2017 Day One is History; Flying the Evektor Harmony LSA (Video)
Enjoy this quick look at Harmony LSA
https://youtu.be/ARGiIrs946YWe spent the first day of the second year of this event zooming around DeLand Showcase 2017 shooting several videos for you and I have a sample MiniVideo for you to view. This short take is modest compared to the more professionally-edited ones my video partner SportAviationMagazine.com will produce from the footage we shot today. Here’s the link to Videoman Dave’s YouTube channel where you can find hundreds more. Long days at the show filled with interviews, photo taking, and discussions with industry leaders and aircraft representatives swallow most of the available time. Yet these brief videos provide quick views and I hope to add more at DeLand and other events. Offer a comment if you like them. The Evektor Harmony LSA is represented in the USA by Dreams Come True, run by Steve Minnich (who by the way has flown the subject aircraft some 700 hours …though the aircraft obviously has received plenty of care and attention).
Evektor — Harmony LSA
First on the market way back in 2005 was the Evektor SportStar. This grundbreaking Czech design will always carry the distinction of being the first Light-Sport Aircraft to be accepted by FAA. In this video, Steve Minnick of Ohio-based family business, Dreams Come True, helps us better understand the newer, more advanced Harmony. This video was shot at the Midwest LSA Expo and promotes the DeLand Showcase, two great LSA-focused events.
Evektor — Harmony and Sportstar (2012)
Evektor is, was, and always will be the very first Special LSA to earn an FAA airworthiness certificate in the United States. But this company has not rested on those noteworthy laurels. Evektor and their U.S. representatives, Dreams Come True and AB Flight, have continually upgraded the airplane. In this video Art Tarola details some new offerings announced at AirVenture 2012 to help flight schools acquire and maintain the SportStar or Harmony.
Evektor is, was, and always will be the very first Special LSA to earn an FAA airworthiness certificate in the United States. But this company has not rested on those noteworthy laurels. Evektor and their U.S. representatives, Dreams Come True and AB Flight, have continually upgraded the airplane. In this video Art Tarola details some new offerings announced at AirVenture 2012 to help flight schools acquire and maintain the SportStar or Harmony.
Evektor — Harmony LSA News (2012)
Evektor has adhered closely to a principle called CANI... Continuous and Never Ending Improvement. The Czech company's aircraft have seen exactly that, a series of continuous changes. In this video, AB Flight's Art Tarola tells us about some changes that might please aircraft buyers. Art and Steve Minnich of Dreams Come True are the key representatives of all Evektor aircraft. Check it all out in this video.
Evektor has adhered closely to a principle called CANI… Continuous and Never Ending Improvement. The Czech company’s aircraft have seen exactly that, a series of continuous changes. In this video, AB Flight’s Art Tarola tells us about some changes that might please aircraft buyers. Art and Steve Minnich of Dreams Come True are the key representatives of all Evektor aircraft. Check it all out in this video.
Evektor — Harmony LSA
Evektor, the first ever Light-Sport Aircraft has been busy updating their Sportstar for years. In 2011 they brought their Harmony LSA to America with even more changes. This time the wing shape went from rectangular "Hershey Bar" shape to a tapered tip along with many other changes. Co-importer Art Tarola helps us understand all the differences.
Evektor, the first ever Light-Sport Aircraft has been busy updating their Sportstar for years. In 2011 they brought their Harmony LSA to America with even more changes. This time the wing shape went from rectangular “Hershey Bar” shape to a tapered tip along with many other changes. Co-importer Art Tarola helps us understand all the differences.
Evektor — Harmony LSA (Full Length Pilot Report)
FULL-LENGTH VIDEO PILOT REPORT -- After well over 100 shorter-length video reports on Light-Sport Aircraft and other Sport Pilot-eligible flying machines, Dan Johnson and the Light Sport and Ultralight Flyer are pleased to offer our first full-length pilot report. Here you'll find 45 minutes of flying footage and detail commentary that can help decide which airplane you want to buy. Grab a beverage, sit back at your computer, mobile device, or TV and enjoy this ground-breaking review of the new Evektor Harmony LSA. (Run-time: 45 minutes)
FULL-LENGTH VIDEO PILOT REPORT — After well over 100 shorter-length video reports on Light-Sport Aircraft and other Sport Pilot-eligible flying machines, Dan Johnson and the Light Sport and Ultralight Flyer are pleased to offer our first full-length pilot report. Here you’ll find 45 minutes of flying footage and detail commentary that can help decide which airplane you want to buy. Grab a beverage, sit back at your computer, mobile device, or TV and enjoy this ground-breaking review of the new Evektor Harmony LSA. (Run-time: 45 minutes)
LSA Alive & Well: Slings in Stock; Evektor Sales
Sling kits in stock at The Airplane Factory USA.
Evektor's highly-evolved Harmony LSA with its elegant compound-angled wing.
The Great Recession was the pits … for nearly all industries and most employees or small business owners. That’s hardly newsworthy. However, the recovery from the recession — that government economists insist ended years ago — has been a long time coming. For too many out-of-work pilots, that recession lingers with us yet. Fortunately, the aviation economy appears to be improving. Although registrations didn’t show it for 2013, the year provided more sales for sellers if not more airplanes for their customers. Now, the hope is that airplanes will emerge from factories faster and the general health of the industry will improve, which is good for seller and buyer alike. A couple companies have proof that things are looking up and I’d like to tell you a little about them. First is South Africa’s The Airplane Factory (TAF) and their rep’, TAF USA, led by Matt Litnaitzky and associate Ryan Ruel.
Video Pilot Reports… Want More? We Deliver!
Evektor's new Harmony LSA is the subject of our first full-length, two-pilot video review.
Video info and entertainment is burgeoning these days. YouTube has become one of most-visited Internet websites; you can watch videos on subjects of every conceivable description (plus many you could not have conceived). *** In the aviation world, videos are also common. AOPA, EAA, AvWeb, Aero-TV, Loop-TV, and others offer video to further your knowledge and enjoyment of aviation. Folks just seem to love watching videos. Now, we are pleased to offer you something a little different from the others and in so doing we promise to remain true to Light-Sport and all Sport-Pilot-eligible aircraft. *** After producing more than 100 shorter-length video reports on Light-Sport Aircraft and other Sport Pilot-eligible flying machines, the Light Sport and Ultralight Flyer and I are pleased to collaborate on the first two-pilot, full-length, all-video pilot report. Here you’ll find almost an hour’s worth of flying footage and detail commentary from a couple experienced evaluation pilots that can help decide which airplane you want to buy.
Evektor Harmony LSA Becomes SLSA #119
Evektor's new Harmony SLSA will make a first U.S. appearance at AirVenture 2011. photo courtesy Evektor/Dreams Come True
Evektor has tapered the wings from the Sportstar's "Hershey Bar" shape, easily seen in this view. photo courtesy Evektor/Dreams Come True
Harmony is now SLSA #119. photo courtesy Evektor/Dreams Come True
Evektor will always be First… that is, the Czech company gained the very first Special Light-Sport Aircraft approval back in April 2005 and no one can ever take that first-in-class title away from them. Now they are also the newest approval, before AirVenture 2011 anyway. Congratulations to Evektor Aerotechnik and their U.S. representatives including Steve Minnich’s Dreams Come True operation in Dayton, Ohio. *** “I got a call right at lunch time that the Evektor Harmony LSA, N905EH, just received her airworthiness certificate,” Steve wrote on July 13th. How is Harmony different than the SportStar series (SE, Plus, Max, Max IFR)? Steve helped out with an informative summary. *** “The wing and tail surfaces are tapered and the wings and horizontal stabilizer have greater span so the wing area is actually the same. Both rudder and ailerons are larger giving a higher crosswind capability and the rudder pedal linkages exit through the floor rather than penetrating the firewall.