How about if the aircraft was essentially free? And what if you could choose between two highly-desirable models? What if the only cost to get your "lottery" ticket was to subscribe to a popular magazine?
Gee, fellow flying fans — I'd say that sounded like the bargain of 2023. It's the most lucrative giveaway that has been unveiled in the LSA space since it began almost 20 years ago.
A couple years ago, the magazine — long headquartered in New York — relocated to Chattanooga, Tennessee. A new organization took it over under the banner of Flying Media. After this major move, Flying first went to quarterly while it boosted its presence online. After a year getting the electronic side running at full speed, Flying Media returned the print magazine to monthly even while keeping its thick, premium look and feel. The pages are smartly designed and full of great images and content.
LSA enthusiasts may be particularly interested to hear the top man in the organization is an LSA pilot and enthusiast. The leading magazine will keep a focus on jets and other high-end aircraft, but they have a fond view of lighter aviation and have plans to expand such coverage. They say you'll hear more about this at Sun 'n Fun.
How does that deal sound? You buy a subscription for $40 — which you should get anyway — and you are automatically entered in the prize drawing for an aircraft worth $200,000 or more. If you give a friend a gift subscription, you get an additional entry, and you can give up to 10 gifts. Somebody is going to win and the odds are fantastically better than any state lottery. You won't be competing against millions of others. In my mind, winning a free airplane sounds like a great way to start a new year! Even if you don't win, you'll get a beautiful aviation magazine each month.
Flying magazine prize organizers said the winner can choose between the two aircraft. "Tecnam Astore is a great two-seat LSA featuring a Rotax 914 turbocharge engine, leather interior, and an all-glass cockpit." I have 
This year our favorite recreational flying area of the Lakeland show is sponsored by two leading names in aviation. Flying magazine is a sponsor of Paradise as is Junkers Aircraft.
You know the magazine but Junkers, though the brand may sound familiar, seems to recall an earlier time. Indeed, the storied German name has been around nearly a century, since the early days of aviation. Now… they're back and they are coming to America!
Welcome to Junkers and their American importer and partner, 
I regularly say this website follows aircraft you can afford. Whenever I write that word, I know someone will object saying that (fill-in-the-price) is too expensive. I get that. We all have a different budget and our budget can change quickly. How about if the aircraft was essentially free? And what if you could choose between two highly-desirable models? What if the only cost to get your “lottery” ticket was to subscribe to a popular magazine? Gee, fellow flying fans — I’d say that sounded like the bargain of 2023. It’s the most lucrative giveaway that has been unveiled in the LSA space since it began almost 20 years ago. Thanks, Flying! When I was a young pilot — quite a long time ago — one of the first aviation magazines I ever read was Flying. You could buy it on any newsstand. With a 96-year history, anyone getting involved in flying ended up reading Flying magazine.
Fortunately, you can stay where it's warm and just watch — thanks to new videos from DeLand. While I missed my 
The following information and quotes come from a 
One of my favorite tales was taken from an old Delta Air Lines house magazine, the sort sent to employees of the company before email invaded our lives. Airlines have their own meteorology departments and the Delta guys once wrote, "Every time you forecast the weather, you know you're wrong; you just don't know by how much or when. If you are ever right, never let 'em forget it." Ah, yes, remember when we correctly forecast that big storm, back in 1967? I got a lot of chuckles from telling that story.
Weather forecasting is much better today, but statistics can often be wrong despite best efforts. Along this line, I heard from a reader, an engineer in Italy, "In your article '
In this update article, I wish to correct that shortcoming and add a couple more pieces of information. The result of my deeper examination pushes sport and recreational aircraft closer to 50,000 worldwide.
My Italian reader, who preferred I did not use his name, wrote, "Apart from being the country from where several LSA aircraft arrive — he mentions 
The Italian engineer continued with his amplification, "Although the number (13,000) includes 'ancient' aircraft from the '80s that might be out of commission now, I can confirm that well over 6,000 aircraft are flying from hundreds of grass strips and aerodromes across the country." As such, this places Italy — correctly so, based on corroborating information — in the top tier of countries with a large base of light and sport aircraft.
"The reason why [the aircraft count] is not so obvious," he further clarified, "is that the certification of pilots and aircraft is done outside of ENAC (Italian equivalent of FAA) and therefore does not get reported in the usual channels where numbers of registered aircraft are accounted."
"Ultralight (generally meaning the European name for light two seaters, not the U.S. superlight single seaters) registrations for Italy follow the [aircraft registration] format I-1234, or I-A123 now that we passed 10,000 registrations. I have seen I-C1xx (can't remember the exact number, but it means that we passed 13,000 registrations already)." He added, "I think we had over 2,000 in the last five years or so."
Looking at the pilot side of the equation, he noted, "On a forum I read the impressive number of 17,500 active ultralight pilots."
"So, despite the obvious intention of keeping a low profile to make sure that the Revenue Service does not develop some new creative tax to hit a vulnerable sector, it looks like there are plenty of pilots and planes filling our skies," the Italian writer concluded. He then invited, "Come visit and we'll be happy to show you around." That's an offer I'd like to take when I also wish to visit the large Tecnam facility in Italy.
My source finished his message saying, "I fly a older Aeronca with American N-numbers using an FAA Private certificate and therefore I don't even show up in that list."
I also managed to overlook two other countries of note. My apology and the only excuse I can offer is that 
