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Phoenix Air s.r.o. Phoenix

Website: http://www.phoenixair.cz/Phoenix_Air_main.htm

Email: storm.composites@seznam.cz

Phone: (420) 724-084-966

Usti nad Orlici, -- 562 01 - Czech Republic

U.S. Distributor is Phoenix Air USA

Website: https://phoenixairusa.com

Email: ed@phoenixairUSA.com

Phone: 303-587-0174

Longmont, CO 80504 - USA

Flight of the Phoenix (Motorglider) — Top 50 Video Star Is Back with News

By Dan Johnson || 14 Comments

The Top 50 video series has gone over very well and continues with this post about the Phoenix LSA motorglider. If you thought it disappeared and were unhappy about that, have I got good news for you!

Top 50 Videos are a production of Light Sport and Ultralight Flyer YouTube channel.

I am aware of a very positive development regarding Phoenix that I am working to confirm. As soon as I have fuller details I will update this article but the prospects for LSA motorglider look promising. In North America, Phoenix Air USA is run by Ed Babovec (email) and he is excited about 2024. …more as it unfolds.

A lean, clean flying machine, Phoenix taxis for takeoff.

Motorgliders as a subset of all aircraft enjoy some very special privileges that endear them to the recreational flying community. In particular, motorgliders do not require an aviation medical. That alone makes them desirable but long-gliding capabilities make them safer to some pilots and simply more enjoyable to others. Let's look a little more deeply.

ePhoenix (Why Not?)

Equipped a gasoline engine, Phoenix comes with either the 80 or 100 horsepower Rotax ULS that has powered so many aircraft in light aviation. In fact, for this particular aircraft the 80 horse version (image below) is an especially tempting engine, with its nearly-bulletproof operation and its ability to use 87-octane autogas that can be obtained almost anywhere. Despite a highly workable gasoline engine that many will prefer, the temptation of electric is especially strong with Phoenix. Think about optimal benefits of electric propulsion. I have long stated that Part 103 ultralights are already the first to be highly functional with electric propulsion, precisely because they are so light and their mission so modest. It's a simple formula: lighter weight = less batteries = less expense = a workable aircraft in 2024. That Part 103 ultralights aren't trying to travel long distances makes electric even more viable.

ePhoenix with retractable main gear. Note the smoothly integrated tail wheel.

Beside Part 103, I can think of two other categories that could benefit from electric: aerobatic aircraft and motorgliders or self-launching sailplanes. The former only needs perhaps 20 or 30 minutes of power for an aerobatic demonstration and electric motors offer high torque that aerobatic pilots crave. Motorgliders only need power for a few minutes to get up 2-3,000 feet where lift is easy to catch in a long-gliding aircraft. Neither aircraft type needs long duration from its powerplant. I've had coverage on the ePhoneix motorglider (this article) and a video on the development appears below.

(Gas or Electric) Landing an Aircraft that Glides 32-to-1

Motorgliders have various forms of appeal. Some folks are enticed by taking one of these machines aloft and seeing how long they can work the air without a power source. I am one who enjoys that kind of flying challenge.

Spoilers on the wings are essential to land a 32:1 gliding aircraft.

Other folks respect that capability but mostly want to fly the aircraft as an efficient cross-country cruiser, one that has a great safety advantage by virtue of its long reach, should the engine go quiet on the pilot. The challenge with such a long gliding performance is getting one of these special flying machines on the ground without having a three-mile-long runway. Motorgliders come with the controls to handle them safely. However, pilots have to learn some new tricks. Here's how the factory pilots the expert Phoenix pilots say to conduct landing. "The Phoenix motorglider is a taildragger with a twist. The tailwheel is controlled by the rudder pedals via cables to the rudder and steel rods connecting the rudder to the wheel. The tailwheel never “breaks free” or castors. Also, the main wheel disc brakes are controlled by a lever on the left control stick, which operates both main wheel brakes equally when used; no differential braking. "Phoenix can be landed using the three-point or wheel landing. Wheel landings (landing on the mains and then holding the tailwheel off until speed is reduced) are easier and can be made with more precision than three-point landings but the three-point landing is critical when there is a crosswind blowing (because the tailwheel is on the ground and tracking can be controlled with the rudder pedals). "The 15 meter (49 foot) wingtips give the Phoenix a 32:1 glide ratio, which means a lot of float or ground effect. Begin with the 11 meter (36 foot) wingtips that produce a 20:1 glide, which reduces ground effect and the amount of patience required by a learning pilot. "When the spoilers are fully deployed after touchdown with the short tips, the plane remains planted on the ground with less chance of a bounce even if the plane touches down with extra energy.

Phoenix can go from a 36-foot span (as shown) to 49 feet by adding plug-in wing extensions; see video for installation.

"Landings involve the same techniques with long or short tips with one major difference. With the long tips and fully deployed spoilers, there is still enough wing producing lift to be able to enter ground effect and make a normal landing. However, there is not enough lift produced with the short tips with full spoilers, so we never enter ground effect with full spoilers with the short tips. We initially teach using a half-spoiler landing technique for both 15 meter and 11 meter spans." If not satisfied with the landing aproach, Phoenix experts say to go around. "Close the spoilers and add full power. Phoenix climbs fast and gets you out of the danger zone in a hurry. A balked landing and go-around is a tool every pilot should have and be ready to use." Once on the ground, they say to "keep about one pound of force on each rudder pedal to keep them aligned in the neutral position. Apply very light pressure to one side or the other for directional control. It only takes very small adjustments on the rudder pedals when the plane is rolling at 40 knots. Keep the spoilers full open until clear of the runway. When doing touch and goes, don’t be too quick to close the spoilers on the go or you may get airborne unexpectedly or lose control directionally as the tailwheel comes back off the ground. Slow way down to 20 knots or so before closing the spoilers and adding power for another take-off," finished the experts. Once you feel entirely comfortable with landing one of these flat-gliding aircraft, you're ready to go up aloft and use that magic to your benefit. Think of it this way: A 15 meter (49 foot) wingspan Phoenix generates a 32-to-1 glide. That means if you are up only 2,000 feet above the surface, you can still glide more than 10 miles before you're on the ground. That's a safety margin every pilot can appreciate, even if you have to train a little bit to use it effectively.

ARTICLE LINKS:

With more 200,000 views, this 2011 video was and remains a hit. Please note this is a 13-year-old video in every way. I trust you understand technology was not then the quality we take for granted today. https://youtu.be/F0jrEb70rj0?si=sSPS71KkQRxin72j A couple years later, we did this update of an electric, retractable Phoenix at Aero Friedrichshafen n Germany. https://youtu.be/pQtiCMb-2Hc?si=J7ZtSwg8bL7q2KrK

Phoenix is such a sleek aircraft it works well with the 80-horsepower Rotax ULS engine that enjoys a long-proven history and can use 87-octane auto gas, available almost anywhere.

The Top 50 video series has gone over very well and continues with this post about the Phoenix LSA motorglider. If you thought it disappeared and were unhappy about that, have I got good news for you! I am aware of a very positive development regarding Phoenix that I am working to confirm. As soon as I have fuller details I will update this article but the prospects for LSA motorglider look promising. In North America, Phoenix Air USA is run by Ed Babovec (email) and he is excited about 2024. …more as it unfolds. Motorgliders as a subset of all aircraft enjoy some very special privileges that endear them to the recreational flying community. In particular, motorgliders do not require an aviation medical. That alone makes them desirable but long-gliding capabilities make them safer to some pilots and simply more enjoyable to others. Let’s look a little more deeply.

Phoenix Air — electric ePhoenix (2013)

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

We know the elegant Phoenix, a sleek motorglider that also enjoys flying powered cross country flights (more on an especially long flight in another video). At Aero 2013 we had a chance to visit with Martin Stepanek about Phoenix Air's pure-electric aircraft called the ePhoenix. Martin helps us understand the details of electric power in a modern, efficient Light-Sport Aircraft.

We know the elegant Phoenix, a sleek motorglider that also enjoys flying powered cross country flights (more on an especially long flight in another video). At Aero 2013 we had a chance to visit with Martin Stepanek about Phoenix Air’s pure-electric aircraft called the ePhoenix. Martin helps us understand the details of electric power in a modern, efficient Light-Sport Aircraft.

Phoenix Air — Phoenix (motorglider)

By Dan Johnson || 1 Comment

If you love long, shapely wings, here's an airplane to warm your heart. But it's more than an LSA airplane... in fact, it's a motorglider and a most impressive one at that. For soaring enthusiasts Phoenix is one of the most attractive choices among all Light-Sport Aircraft. But it can cruise fast and long while providing a huge safety measure of a very long glide in the unlikely event her engine should fail. See standard multiple wings and more in our video presentation of Phoenix.

If you love long, shapely wings, here’s an airplane to warm your heart. But it’s more than an LSA airplane… in fact, it’s a motorglider and a most impressive one at that. For soaring enthusiasts Phoenix is one of the most attractive choices among all Light-Sport Aircraft. But it can cruise fast and long while providing a huge safety measure of a very long glide in the unlikely event her engine should fail. See standard multiple wings and more in our video presentation of Phoenix.

eAirplanes at Aero 2015 Plus Major Motor News

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With Aero mere days away now, excitement is growing for the electric aircraft event-within-the-event. Visitors can tour around the entry foyer hall where the e-flight-expo will be located. This year offers a few highlights, provided to me from my publisher friend Willi Tacke in Germany. One aircraft not many Europeans and even fewer Americans have seen is the Chinese RX1E made by the Liaoning Ruixiang General Aircraft Manufacturing Company. An electric motorglider, RX1E earned its CAAC Type Design Approval (TDA) earlier this year using ASTM standards (article). Willi reported, "The Chinese team lead by chief developer Professor Dr. Yang Fengtian is now seeking certification in other countries such as Germany or France. Some companies will not be attending not because their projects have stopped but because they are at critical junctions. Among those missing will be the Volocopter from e-Volo nor any man-carrying aircraft display by Yuneec — which last year showed their eSpyder that had just won German approval. However, the company will be present with their drone/UAV models and their electric powered skateboards, the latter seen at AirVenture 2013. Martin Stepanek from the Czech company Phoenix will show his electric powered Phoenix motorglider. This lovely aircraft has been sold successfully in the USA by Jim Lee but we have not seen the electric version on this side of the Atlantic. Fortunately, you can catch our video on it. Willi wrote, "A newcomer at the e-flight-expo is Chip Erwin from Florida. His company Aeromarine-LSA has developed a new light electric drive with a new brushless motor. He uses this device to power the Italian tube and fabric ultralight, Zigolo." Chip told Willi that his new motor weigh 6 kilos (13 pounds) and has up to 30 kW (40 horsepower). That ought to make this super lightweight aircraft perform amazingly well. "The global market leader of gyrocopters, AutoGyro, will show, like last year, its joint venture with Bosch General Aviation," reported Willi. "This project is supported by the EU and shall research if and how e-motorization will be possible for gyros with their higher need of power compared to fixed wing planes." Bosch is adapting components for aviation that were previously used in automobiles. See our AutoGyro Video Pilot Report here. The biggest news in this category is the aviation market entry by a megacorporation, Siemens (2014 revenue: $98 billion). "Siemens is choosing a different way to enter, compared to Bosch," wrote Willi. "In 2011 Siemens started a program to become a supplier of motors, because the company is confident of a future market for hybrid electric motor devices for planes with two to 100 seats. A Siemens division based in Erlangen, Germany has been working with miscellaneous aviation manufacturers of general aviation aircraft and airliners, for example such companies as Pipistrel and Boeing." At Aero, Siemens will show a much more powerful electric motor. The company has been testing a 261 kW or 255 continuous horsepower motor that weighs only 50 kilograms (110 pounds). "We will put this motor in the air this year," promised Frank Anton, who is head of aviation development at Siemens and is also responsible for other electric drive systems especially for railways. Siemens is focused not only on the motor but on the full propulsion system: motor, hybrid combustion motor, generator, batteries, and the controls. Aero has become known to many of us who make the annual pilgrimage as a place where you can find interesting ideas that are not commonly seen at American airshows. The e-flight-expo will be a key element of this but I will attempt to keep readers aware of other interesting developments. Join me as I report from Aero 2015 next week.

With Aero mere days away now, excitement is growing for the electric aircraft event-within-the-event. Visitors can tour around the entry foyer hall where the e-flight-expo will be located. This year offers a few highlights, provided to me from my publisher friend Willi Tacke in Germany. One aircraft not many Europeans and even fewer Americans have seen is the Chinese RX1E made by the Liaoning Ruixiang General Aircraft Manufacturing Company. An electric motorglider, RX1E earned its CAAC Type Design Approval (TDA) earlier this year using ASTM standards (article). Willi reported, “The Chinese team lead by chief developer Professor Dr. Yang Fengtian is now seeking certification in other countries such as Germany or France. Some companies will not be attending not because their projects have stopped but because they are at critical junctions. Among those missing will be the Volocopter from e-Volo nor any man-carrying aircraft display by Yuneec — which last year showed their eSpyder that had just won German approval.

Aero Friedrichshafen Video Bonanza

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A solar-panel-equipped Pegasus hangs above a display of several electric aircraft.

Conducting a rare interview with Paolo Pascale, the managing director of LSA giant, Tecnam, in front of their new Astore. See our video.

Lightsport and Ultralight Flyer had to arrive early in the morning to get this shot of the Fk 51 Mustang without a crowd around it.

Conducting an interview on the D-Motor that is preparing to go through ASTM standards approval. Some photos courtesy Lightsport and Ultralight Flyer

We were busy at Aero Friedrichshafen 2013, knocking out more than 30 videos for your viewing information and entertainment. That's more than seven videos per day and a sum of more than five hours total running time (more than three Hollywood movies in minutes of viewing time). With these and all the videos shot at Sun 'n Fun the week before Aero started, we expect to offer more than 300 videos on our LSA Video page. I'd like for you to understand how much effort that represents. I'd also like to thank BRS Parachutes, ICP North America, and Renegade Light Sport Aircraft for providing financial assistance to Lightsport and Ultralight Flyer. Without their support, these videos would not likely have been made. Today, I uploaded more than a dozen new videos to ByDanJohnson.com. We have many more coming. The newest ones include • Introduction to Aero and what you'll see • Tecnam's aerobatic Snap • FlyEco's Diesel engine • FK 51 replica Mustang • Yuneec's electric-powered eSpyder • lightweight electric aircraft • Zlin's customizable Bobber • ICP's Savannah taildragger and new engine • BOT SpeedCruiser with D-Motor • BRM Aero's Bristell taildragger • Phoenix Air's electric-powered ePhoenix • Nando Groppo tri-gear and, • one from AirVenture 2012 on the Zenith CH-650. You might better understand the work it takes to make a video by relating to major motion picture films from Hollywood or other movie making centers. You've probably seen "Making of ..." videos where the concepts, equipment, and tasks are explained in detail. Of course, Hollywood spends millions of dollars and often hundreds of man-hours for scenes that sometimes last just a few seconds. Naturally, my effort with Lightsport and Ultralight Flyer, which uploads to YouTube channel "UltralightNews" isn't the same as a big-budget Hollywood production. Nonetheless each video is no small effort and I'd like to give you just a glimpse. First you have to travel to where the action is, be it Sun 'n Fun in central Florida or a week later in southern Germany. Then you carry equipment and supplies for literally miles (or kilometers) at these big events to get to where airplane projects are being shown. Before shooting starts, you work with representatives that know their products and run through a routine to be used in video taping that is similar to live-studio productions ... that is, we coach the people being interviewed as to what they can expect and how to follow our lead. To save time and make the final production effort simpler, we try to keep editing to a minimum. These are not staged or scripted events and we work hard to avoid retakes. All interviews are essentially live action and we are grateful for those whose native language is not English as they participated. Honestly, though, all the above is the easy part. Once the video is captured much more is required. "Static" shots — those scenes you see while the interview continues on an audio track — are often shot early in the morning before crowds gather around new aircraft. Company video is secured to add action. After logging all the footage editing starts. This is at least a full day task for every one of the 10-minute videos you see here and on YouTube. Now that we have about 300 videos "in the can," we offer a library with the viewing-minutes equivalent of more than 33 full-length Hollywood movies. Believe me, we don't have Hollywood's multi-million dollar budgets nor do you pay anything to watch the videos. Thanks to all our subjects for their creative work designing airplanes and products and to Lightsport and Ultralight Flyer for the substantial post-production effort.

We were busy at Aero Friedrichshafen 2013, knocking out more than 30 videos for your viewing information and entertainment. That’s more than seven videos per day and a sum of more than five hours total running time (more than three Hollywood movies in minutes of viewing time). With these and all the videos shot at Sun ‘n Fun the week before Aero started, we expect to offer more than 300 videos on our LSA Video page. I’d like for you to understand how much effort that represents. I’d also like to thank BRS Parachutes, ICP North America, and Renegade Light Sport Aircraft for providing financial assistance to Lightsport and Ultralight Flyer. Without their support, these videos would not likely have been made. Today, I uploaded more than a dozen new videos to ByDanJohnson.com. We have many more coming. The newest ones include • Introduction to Aero and what you’ll see • Tecnam’s aerobatic Snap • FlyEco’s Diesel engine • FK 51 replica Mustang • Yuneec’s electric-powered eSpyder • lightweight electric aircraft • Zlin’s customizable Bobber • ICP’s Savannah taildragger and new engine • BOT SpeedCruiser with D-Motor • BRM Aero’s Bristell taildragger • Phoenix Air’s electric-powered ePhoenix • Nando Groppo tri-gear and, • one from AirVenture 2012 on the Zenith CH-650.

Long, Lovely Wings … Even Longer Flight

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

I think Phoenix is one the loveliest aircraft in the LSA fleet. Of course, I have a rather large bias as I'm a soaring enthusiast and this is one fine soaring machine in the SLSA fleet, able to compete fairly with a pure glider. I'm also a fan of importer Jim Lee, a modest, soft spoken man with a deep honesty streak. He's also a world-renown soaring champion. Yet what just catches my eye again and again are the long, lovely, shapely, slippery wings of Phoenix, which lead me to present the photos you see with this article. These views came from Jim's long flight from his home base not far from mine in Melbourne, Florida to Bogota, Columbia. That meant a long water crossing from Key West to the Mexican coast, then south to Belize and on around to his destination (see route map). Jim wrote a blog of this entire experience featuring many photos and I'll bet most pilots would like to read it. You may never attempt such a long flight over such demanding terrain — immense stretches of water, tall mountains, and dense forests — but you can fly vicariously with Jim through his portrayal. You may not think of yourself as a soaring pilot so perhaps a SLSA like Phoenix does not initially appeal to you even while you cannot deny its beauty and the efficiency of its design plus a cockpit comfortable enough for such a long voyage. However, plenty of others see Phoenix's capability. Importer Phoenix Air USA came in tied for an impressive sixth among all SLSA for registrations in 2012. For a specialty, niche aircraft, that is a great credit to both the aircraft and Jim's gentle but persuasive selling methods. His success means that if you want one, you'll need to plan on a wait. It won't take anywhere near as long as a new Ferrari, but you'll have to be patient. The good news is the reward at the other end puts big smiles on the faces of new owners. During the wait, Jim is lauded for providing information about the process from the Czech builder. Interested in more info about the aircraft used for this long flight? Here are some teasers: • glide 32:1 • power cruise 115 knots • stall 38 knots • useful load 612 pounds • range 900 nm (power on). For those unfamiliar with glide angle performance, get this: Phoenix can glide, engine off, for more than 30 miles from only 5,000 feet above the surface. For its base price buyers receive wing extensions that give Phoenix two distinct (yet pleasant) personalities. Via the two wing configurations, a 49 foot motorglider wing reduces to just 36 feet with the insertion of different wing outer sections. When luxuriously outfitted with an EFIS, autopilot, airframe parachute, radios, and transponder, Phoenix is one of the higher priced Light-Sport Aircraft but compared to "full-sized" motorgliders Phoenix's price tag is actually modest. You can read more in this earlier article or this one or watch our video. You can also read fellow blogger Jim Lawrence's view (with this disclaimer: like me, Jim is a soaring enthusiast so we are both quite taken with Phoenix). Even if you are not excited by flying engine off, keep in mind Phoenix's great performance in glide and its superb efficiency combined with surprising speed. For the 2,211 nautical mile delivery flight to Bogota, Phoenix flew 20.6 hours for an average speed of 110 knots. Sweet!

I think Phoenix is one the loveliest aircraft in the LSA fleet. Of course, I have a rather large bias as I’m a soaring enthusiast and this is one fine soaring machine in the SLSA fleet, able to compete fairly with a pure glider. I’m also a fan of importer Jim Lee, a modest, soft spoken man with a deep honesty streak. He’s also a world-renown soaring champion. Yet what just catches my eye again and again are the long, lovely, shapely, slippery wings of Phoenix, which lead me to present the photos you see with this article. These views came from Jim’s long flight from his home base not far from mine in Melbourne, Florida to Bogota, Columbia. That meant a long water crossing from Key West to the Mexican coast, then south to Belize and on around to his destination (see route map). Jim wrote a blog of this entire experience featuring many photos and I’ll bet most pilots would like to read it.

2012 LSA Market Shares — Cubs & Surprises

By Dan Johnson || 3 Comments

Our annual review of LSA Market Share brings our updated fleet chart and a second chart showing prior-year registrations. While sales of new SLSA remains below par, the market appears to be experiencing spotty but regular recovery from earlier low points. The first half the year foretold a better recovery but the last half of the year stalled somewhat. Regardless, based on traffic to this website, LSA interest is higher than ever. For January 2013, ByDanJohnson.com set all-time records in Unique Visitors and all other measuring criteria Thank you for your support! 2012 Market Share report — Nearby, we present our standard market share numbers. Our original chart remains consistent, illustrating the "installed base," or "fleet size." Because we know many of you seek recent-year information we are repeating the Calendar Year chart that debuted last year. For the second year in a row Cessna lead in 2012 with an impressive 94 registrations though this is down 30% from 134 in 2011. While Cessna looked to set a new record with 76 registrations (152 annualized) in the first half of 2012, their pace slowed sharply in the second half, adding only 23, perhaps a result of their announcement about switching to Primary Category as a means of entering the European market. The Wichita giant is singlehandedly restarting Primary Category with the first such application in nearly 20 years, a decision that may inspire other companies to go this route. Perhaps the most noteworthy story in 2012 registrations is an even better performance by CubCrafters. The Washington State company added 48 new registrations, up 33% from 36 in 2011. Company marketing boss John Whitish reported 52 SLSA sales, which prompts us to ask that you read the notice at the end of this article. Congratulations to CubCrafters, clearly a company to keep watching. A remarkably steady climber is Aerotrek, which took the #3 slot for 2012 registrations, a notable improvement from their #5 spot in 2011. Despite some reports that all SLSA are expensive, Aerotrek has a very attractive price point and an impressively built, folding wing aircraft available in tailwheel or trigear. Aerotrek consistently replies to our listings, with the goal of making our FAA registrations report more precise. This happens, for example, when sales occur to Canada with no N-number assigned or when a SLSA drops down to ELSA perhaps as the owner wants to make design changes (which is allowed as is owner maintenance). Other companies also see differences explained by deregistration, accidents that remove the aircraft from the registry, or simple errors in data entry after a sale. Regardless of the variables in counting registrations versus sales, bravo to Aerotrek! Based on their faithful feedback we have been able to improve our accuracy. Other top guns in 2012 include perennial leaders like Flight Design, which remains convincingly atop the overall fleet and added 11 more registrations during the year and American Legend which revived from a sluggish 2011 to add 11 SLSA in 2012. SportCruiser importer US Sport Aircraft fulfilled the last of the PiperSport orders and rewrote their distributor agreement with Czech Sport Aircraft; they added another 10 SLSA in 2012. In a pleasant but unexpected turn, importer Phoenix Air USA added an impressive 10 SLSA registrations of their extremely lovely motorglider. Congratulations to all these leaders. A member of the exclusive Over-100 Club listing only eight SLSA producers is Tecnam. The Italian company showed renewed vigor logging six registrations in the second half of the year. They also successfully completed an FAA audit in Italy. Among their five SLSA models, four are high-wing models yet their low wing Sierra has 51 units flying in America, more than any other Tecnam model. Another European producer with facilities in Italy is Pipistrel, which overcame regulatory hurdles in mid-year and has begun delivering SLSA to Americans. They also logged six in the last half of the year. Both Tecnam and Pipistrel report active sales outside the USA. Unfortunately, one former high flyer, Remos, lost its U.S representative and has become very quiet though earlier this year, their CEO said they had recovered from the previous CEO's high-spending ways. We are watching a few companies not on our fleet chart. One new entry to the SLSA scene is Bristell, in a new partnership with fractional ownership provider, AAP. They join some other companies that have not been active long enough to get on the fleet chart, but nonetheless deserve attention. These companies include World Aircraft Co., which is bringing all production to their Paris, Tennessee facility. Breezer is now established on the Sun 'n Fun campus and more is expected from them. Sky Arrow producer Magnaghi has new life and may resurge. Aero's AT-4 (formerly known as Gobosh) is back with new representation. Just Aircraft got rave reviews on their SuperSTOL model and this mostly kit company is enjoying a solid run of business something like 100% kit producers Zenith Aircraft and Sonex. While mentioning kit builders (not on our SLSA list), we must include Van's Aircraft, which has seen registration of 203 RV-12 kits. We are also watching the pulse on seaplanes lead this year by Progressive Aerodyne, which earned SLSA approval even as FAA increased their oversight via highly detailed audits. Congratulations to the SeaRey team for this significant accomplishment. This brief look at the LSA market is not complete. One observation is that the "All other producers" category is now the largest percentage, indicating small producers continue to develop sales. Some companies not reflected in our Top-20 and Top-10 charts may emerge into these lists in the future. Others that have been in the Top-20 but which are no longer producing new aircraft were omitted. However, all SLSA models are covered in our SPLOG reports and you may also examine our Featured Aircraft (right column of most pages) for more exciting Light-Sport Aircraft and other aircraft Sport Pilots can fly. As I have said for years, a loud shout-out is owed to Jan Fridrich of the Czech LAA for the LSA Market Share report. Jan is also head of LAMA Europe and a tireless worker for the advancement of Light-Sport aviation. He invests many hours to analyze data for each report. Thanks, Jan, on behalf of all ByDanJohnson.com readers. During 2013, we will work to solicit comments from producers to evaluate the sales versus registration numbers. This is not an easy task and no promises are made yet the effort seems worthwhile in the pursuit of better information. Notice: As always, we observe for you that all numbers here are derived from FAA's N-number registration database and are subject to data entry errors. Figures presented are not identical to sales recorded by the companies though over time the numbers draw closer. UPDATE 2/13/13: GAMA held a press conference today where they released their industry numbers. Get more on GAMA here, but this is where their figures relate to the Light-Sport market. Piston aircraft, singles and twins, suffered a minor drop, only 1.9% down; GAMA did list some LSA in their report but did not use them in summary tables. Turbines were up and GAMA added agricultural crop-spraying planes to their membership; many ag planes are turbine powered. Jets were down slightly more at minus 3.4%. Like the Light-Sport industry, GAMA is hoping for improvement in 2013 and they announced some interesting initiatives to this end.

Our annual review of LSA Market Share brings our updated fleet chart and a second chart showing prior-year registrations. While sales of new SLSA remains below par, the market appears to be experiencing spotty but regular recovery from earlier low points. The first half the year foretold a better recovery but the last half of the year stalled somewhat. Regardless, based on traffic to this website, LSA interest is higher than ever. For January 2013, ByDanJohnson.com set all-time records in Unique Visitors and all other measuring criteria Thank you for your support! 2012 Market Share report — Nearby, we present our standard market share numbers. Our original chart remains consistent, illustrating the “installed base,” or “fleet size.” Because we know many of you seek recent-year information we are repeating the Calendar Year chart that debuted last year. For the second year in a row Cessna lead in 2012 with an impressive 94 registrations though this is down 30% from 134 in 2011.

First Half 2012 LSA Registration Update

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

BRM Aero's Bristell appears to be an up-and-comer.

Jim Lee has quietly been logging a slew of orders for his smooth motorglider.

Aerotrek continues to be a solid selling aircraft, and offers one of the lower price points among LSA.

We've been getting requests for market share information and I am happy to provide an update, thanks to my European associate Jan Fridrich who does the hard work of sifting through FAA's database. I remind you that his efforts are not merely tallying whatever FAA publishes. In fairness, Jan has to evaluate many pieces of information and judge accuracy of the entries. This isn't because FAA's registrars are bumbling fools that cannot enter data accurately. The challenges come from sheer number of brands (90) and models (127) over a mere seven years... unprecedented in aviation history. To that add the variations of Experimental Amateur Built (EAB), Special Light-Sport Aircraft (SLSA), Experimental Light-Sport Aircraft kits (ELSA) and converted two-place ultralights to LSA status. Then factor in that some standard category or homebuilt aircraft meet the LSA parameters of weight and speed and such so some people consider them "LSA," when in fact they mean they can be flown by some possessing a Sport Pilot certificate. My onetime EAA associate Ron Wagner coined the phrase "Sport Pilot eligible" to describe these aircraft. So now we come to the first half of 2012. Cessna appears the clear and away winner of the registration sweepstakes with an impressive 71 registered aircraft logged in six months (11.8/month). Jan reports a good number of these are registered in Cessna's corporate name so they do not equate to deliveries though they are newly hatched LSA. In all of 2011 Cessna registered 11.2/month so Shenyang Aircraft in China is finding a steady pace of production. Following well behind but still leading the rest of the pack is CubCrafters with 28 more registrations in the first half (4.7/month), a faster pace than their 2011 performance of 36 (3.0/month), indeed greater than 50% more production than last year when they also came in second after Cessna. American Legend managed to slightly up their 2011 pace to register seven new LSA in the first six months of 2012, trailed by Flight Design with six, followed by a tie between Jabiru U.S. and SportCruiser at five each. One surprise is Phoenix, the sleek motorglider builder, whose U.S. importer registered four in 2012 but reports having sold 20. "We cannot keep up with orders from customers," Jim Lee reports, "even though the production rate has increased." Bristell registered three and was followed by a chain of companies registering two apiece: Arion and their Lightning, Renegade and their Falcon, World Aircraft and their Spirit, and Canadian Light Aircraft and their Bush Caddy. Quite a few more companies at least got on the log and I think it's fair to say the first half of 2012 represents an improvement over 2011. That's great and we'll hope for more progress in the Light-Sport Aircraft sector. Update 9/5/12 — Shortly after we released the nearby chart, we heard from Aerotrek that we had undercounted their registrations. Besides our regrets — we do strive for accuracy — we repeat the comment that FAA's database can be a confusing place. Aerotrek's Rob Rollison sent detailed information to support his registration of six new LSA (the earlier report was for two) in the first half of 2012. He reported three each of the A240 tricycle gear models and A220 taildragger models were registered. Aerotrek continues to enjoy positive developments. In defending his registrations, Rob wrote, "Every plane I receive from [manufacturer] Aeropro is already sold — we are sold-out eight months in advance at the present time (and it's been this way for over a year)." Contratulations to Aerotrek and Aeropro. We looked into the data more deeply and corrected the chart. DISCLAIMER: As always we remind readers that the information presented in the text above and in the nearby graph is derived from registrations as logged by FAA Registration Branch. Figures are not sales or deliveries though over time, these values will tend to be very close. Also, the registration database used for this report may no longer include aircraft that were removed from the registry, slightly altering the numbers. Such removals can occur when an aircraft is shipped out of the USA, is destroyed by an accident, or is taken from Special LSA category to another category like Experimental LSA. Every effort has been made to report the most accurate information available.

We’ve been getting requests for market share information and I am happy to provide an update, thanks to my European associate Jan Fridrich who does the hard work of sifting through FAA’s database. I remind you that his efforts are not merely tallying whatever FAA publishes. In fairness, Jan has to evaluate many pieces of information and judge accuracy of the entries. This isn’t because FAA’s registrars are bumbling fools that cannot enter data accurately. The challenges come from sheer number of brands (90) and models (127) over a mere seven years… unprecedented in aviation history. To that add the variations of Experimental Amateur Built (EAB), Special Light-Sport Aircraft (SLSA), Experimental Light-Sport Aircraft kits (ELSA) and converted two-place ultralights to LSA status. Then factor in that some standard category or homebuilt aircraft meet the LSA parameters of weight and speed and such so some people consider them “LSA,” when in fact they mean they can be flown by some possessing a Sport Pilot certificate.

Green Flight Challenge Down to Final Three!

By James Lawrence || Leave a Comment

The eGenius all-electric CAFE Green Flight Challenge competitor. photo courtesy Eric Raymond

eGenius, designed by Univ. of Stuttgart engineeers. photo courtesy Airbus

Updates 10/4/11 and 10/5/11 — Congratulations to Pipistrel for their unprecedented third win at a NASA Challenge. Picking up a cool $1.35 million, the company won with their unorthodox dual Taurus G2 fuselages joined by a larger, centrally-mounted electric engine. The custom-configured, four-seat aircraft achieved an amazing 403 passenger miles per gallon of fuel (or its equivalent). After this string of wins, Pipistrel has firmly placed itself in the lead position among highly efficient light aircraft and those powered with electric motors. *** NASA claims the prize purse was the biggest ever awarded for an aviation competition. In second-place a much smaller but still hefty check for $120,000 went to the German eGenius team, NASA announced. *** Read more from our friends at AvWeb and at Flying online. In addition, Aero-News offers a video with more on the potential of electric power (scroll to or search for "The Green Flight Challenge"). —DJ The CAFE Green Flight Challenge is at last underway — it was originally planned for mid-July — and as of the end of today's flying, just three of the original 13 entrants are still qualified to keep going for the $1.65 million prize money. *** The event, centered in Santa Rosa, California (between Los Angeles and San Francisco), is sponsored by Google and is seeking to advance public awareness and the technologies of electric and high-efficiency flight. Electric-driven aircraft have garnered most of the advance press, though most of the electric entrants have either been eliminated or couldn't get their aircraft ready in time.It's a pretty simple task: fly 200 miles averaging 100 mph or greater... with one teeny tiny hitch: fuel burn or fuel equivalent use (electric or electric/hybrid) can only be one gallon of fuel. That's right: one (1) gallon. Put another way, that's 200 mpg. Daunting, to say the least. *** Every task day there are different challenges to test the full mettle of each aircraft and pilot, such as a strictly economy run, a maximum decibel test, then the final speed/economy run on the last day. *** One entry, the Eco-Eagle, in the works for 2 years from Embry-Riddle Aviation University, was just disqualified because the race rules specify a two-place airplane must fly with two people, not just a pilot and an equivalent copilot weight in the other seat. But Embry-Riddle's rules specify only one ERAU participant can fly in a competition event. The Eco-Eagle also did not have a fully functioning airframe parachute system, although one was aboard, and that violated another CAFE requirement. *** The officials, with full consent of the other competitors, will allow the aircraft to fly in the race as a demonstration aircraft, and although it's not eligible for an award, it will be interesting to see how it fares against the others. *** Gotta say, somebody didn't do their homework. Those poor kids at Embry Riddle worked for two years and nobody figured out they wouldn't be legal because of a basic rule: flying with all seats filled? Hard to figure that one, but kudos to the team and the competitors for encouraging the ERAU team to be part of the event: they've certainly earned it. The aircraft was performing very well in practice runs according to varied reports from the field. *** In a bit of a surprise, old friend Jim Lee in the Rotax-powered Phoenix USA is one of the three remaining competitors (along with Pipistrel's Taurus G4 and Germany's e-Genius)! Jim's a master at squeezing every last bit of performance out of whatever he flies (as I've written before, he held the distance hang glider record for years back in the '80s and is an accomplished sailplane pilot). And he really loves nibbling the thermal potential in his elegant, high tech Phoenix motorglider, for which he's also the U.S. distributor. *** Ah, my misspent youth: if only I could afford one... or a Pipistrel Vinus or Sinus... or Eric Raymond's Sunseeker... alright kid, snap out of it. *** I don't know yet what happened to the electric version, the PhoEnix, other than it couldn't be made ready for race date in time or perhaps wasn't performing up to expectations. *** Many people are reporting that it's the electric version that's flying, but Jim's comments in the video below would seem to put the kibosh on that. Too bad PhoEnix is out, it was a promising entry... but also kind of cool that a gas-powered motorglider is even in the finals. Good hunting Jimbo! *** Having the stock 100 hp Rotax-powered Phoenix in the final running should be a great PR boost too for what is already the sweetheart motorglider of the LSA genre. Motorgliders are gaining more attention from pilots who want more than point A to point B flying on their plates. *** One of the other two remaining entrants is the Pipistrel Taurus G4 (this link goes to Pipistrel's Michael Coates's gallery of GFC photos, worthy of a look). The G4 is in essence a purpose-built joining of two Taurus G2 electric motorglider fuselages onto a larger wing with an electric powered motor-only pod at wing center — a wild jump of ingenuity because being able to carry four passengers, two in each pod, (which CAFE rules require them to do) does qualify the aircraft to carry the equivalent of four gallons of gasoline in electric power storage capacity — one gallon per person is the rule, for 200 miles at 100 mph. The G4 may turn out to be a winning strategy, if the economy is there.The final entrant is e-Genius, built by University of Stuttgart aeronautical engineers and students and a formidable entry in its own right. *** Today's event required all entrants to meet the noise level ceiling of 78 dBA during full-power takeoff, as measured from 250 feet away. All three (four counting the non prize- qualified Eco-Eagle) met the challenge.

Updates 10/4/11 and 10/5/11 — Congratulations to Pipistrel for their unprecedented third win at a NASA Challenge. Picking up a cool $1.35 million, the company won with their unorthodox dual Taurus G2 fuselages joined by a larger, centrally-mounted electric engine. The custom-configured, four-seat aircraft achieved an amazing 403 passenger miles per gallon of fuel (or its equivalent). After this string of wins, Pipistrel has firmly placed itself in the lead position among highly efficient light aircraft and those powered with electric motors. *** NASA claims the prize purse was the biggest ever awarded for an aviation competition. In second-place a much smaller but still hefty check for $120,000 went to the German eGenius team, NASA announced. *** Read more from our friends at AvWeb and at Flying online. In addition, Aero-News offers a video with more on the potential of electric power (scroll to or search for “The Green Flight Challenge”).

PhoEnix: “E” as in Electric

By James Lawrence || Leave a Comment

Scoop time! I've been having so much fun lately writing the electric flight article (now rescheduled to Aug. issue of Plane & Pilot) that it's bringing electrifying news from the universe to my email inbox. Jim Lee, that hard working, happy-flying distributor for the Phoenix motorglider I was gobsmacked with at Sebring, told me today about the PhoEnix all-electric version of the Rotax-powered motorglider that is selling like hotcakes here and abroad. Here's some of what he had to say: "Reporting from the Czech Republic where I am spending 2 weeks assisting in the production of our new electric PhoEnix. The weather has been great... soaring 5.5 hours in the last two days... I see that your blog has sort of turned into an electric blog lately, so that gave me the idea to report to you first on our electric project. Orders for the Rotax Phoenix are pouring in, so we had better stop flying and start working." Oh, for that challenge: to fly, or handle orders for your aircraft! Here are excerpts from the blurb Jim sent:
  • Our Phoenix SLSA glider won the 2011 Sun 'n Fun Outstanding Fixed Wing LSA award (with congratulations to all, Jim!)
  • PhoEnix has retractable gear, variable pitch propeller, a modified Discus wing, and a new super streamlined fuselage. (photos)
  • The prototype PhoEnix debuted at Aero Freidrichshafen in 2010. • PhoEnix proto number two is about to begin first test flights!
  • "Phoenix Air believes that the attributes of the PhoEnix will give it the winning edge in the Green Flight Challenge."
Check the Challenge link above, or here's the short tell: • Team aircraft must fly 200 miles in under two hours using the energy equivalent of one gallon of gas per occupant. So far, 13 teams have entered, including Jim Lee in the PhoEnix. Not all will show. Location: • Sonoma Co. Airport, Santa Rosa, CA, and don't I wish I still lived in Santa Barbara so I could go! • Date: July 11-17, 2011. The Kicker: Prize money is $1.65 million! The award is sponsored by NASA, which wisely realizes there are lots of innovations coming directly from grass roots aviation and it wants to cull the best.Some of the competitors:
  • Greg Cole/Windward Performance's Goshawk, a 50-foot span electric two-seater
  • PC Aero's LEAP award winning Elektra 1, single seat electric
  • Scott Sanford/Yuneec is listed with the E1000, 4-seat electric, but don't expect to see that as the company's President Tian Yu just announced it at AERO and there's been no word of even a mockup, much less a prototype... although wouldn't it be super cagey for it to show up with four people on board, (which would allow the energy equivalent of 4 gallons of fuel?)
  • Eric Raymond (known for Sunseeker solar-powered sailplanes) with the eGenius two-seat electric sponsored by Airbus.
  • The Taurus Elektro G4, sode by side electric motorglider.
Clearly, the minimal battery storage capacity of current technology is not diminishing enthusiasm... not to overlook the go-for-it stimulus of a 1.65 megabuck prize either. Good luck all! This ought to be a history-making event.

Scoop time! I’ve been having so much fun lately writing the electric flight article (now rescheduled to Aug. issue of Plane & Pilot) that it’s bringing electrifying news from the universe to my email inbox. Jim Lee, that hard working, happy-flying distributor for the Phoenix motorglider I was gobsmacked with at Sebring, told me today about the PhoEnix all-electric version of the Rotax-powered motorglider that is selling like hotcakes here and abroad. Here’s some of what he had to say: “Reporting from the Czech Republic where I am spending 2 weeks assisting in the production of our new electric PhoEnix. The weather has been great… soaring 5.5 hours in the last two days… I see that your blog has sort of turned into an electric blog lately, so that gave me the idea to report to you first on our electric project. Orders for the Rotax Phoenix are pouring in, so we had better stop flying and start working.” Oh, for that challenge: to fly, or handle orders for your aircraft!

A Day In The Office

By James Lawrence || Leave a Comment

"...through footless halls of air..."

Hard at work: Jim Lee, left, and me

Ready for sky: Phoenix with the long wing extensions.

Climb over 1000 fpm at 57 knots

A beautiful Rotax 912 ULS (100hp) installation

Wonderful aerodynamic lines and just plain beautiful.

Nothing like getting some air. *** Thanks to Jim Lee of Phoenix Air USA, I finally had my desire: Jim and I flew the fabulous new Phoenix LSA motorglider, with both wingtips (max span: 49 feet!) out of his home base at Melbourne International Airport, Florida, and I have to say simply this: it cured my winter blues.Or to paraphrase Renée Zellwegger, "Shut up. Just shut up. You had me at liftoff." *** To say the Phoenix lives up to its advance billing is understatement, plain and simple: it's a wonderful airplane for anybody who desires to have friendly Light-Sport handling (2 second roll rate, 45° to 45°), wonderful engine-off soaring performance (200 fpm sink rate), excellent and comfortable XC cruise (100 knots at 75%), comfortable, semi-reclined seats, great visibility with the sleek bubble canopy and forward rake of the cowl, beautiful lines, wonderful engine package... need I go on?I'll let the pix do the talking for now. Expect my flight report in Plane & Pilot magazine soon. *** Tomorrow... Sebring 2011 Light-Sport Expo! *** Stay tuned for my daily reports. The rumors be flyin' about lots of exciting new developments in what we all hope is a move-up year for the economy, and the aviation industry.

Nothing like getting some air. *** Thanks to Jim Lee of Phoenix Air USA, I finally had my desire: Jim and I flew the fabulous new Phoenix LSA motorglider, with both wingtips (max span: 49 feet!) out of his home base at Melbourne International Airport, Florida, and I have to say simply this: it cured my winter blues.Or to paraphrase Renée Zellwegger, “Shut up. Just shut up. You had me at liftoff.” *** To say the Phoenix lives up to its advance billing is understatement, plain and simple: it’s a wonderful airplane for anybody who desires to have friendly Light-Sport handling (2 second roll rate, 45° to 45°), wonderful engine-off soaring performance (200 fpm sink rate), excellent and comfortable XC cruise (100 knots at 75%), comfortable, semi-reclined seats, great visibility with the sleek bubble canopy and forward rake of the cowl, beautiful lines, wonderful engine package… need I go on?I’ll let the pix do the talking for now.

The Smooth and Long of the Phoenix LSA Motorglider

By Dan Johnson || 9 Comments

Jim Lee kindly brought his stunning Phoenix to my new home at Spruce Creek Fly-in.

Long 49-foot wings help Phoenix glide 30 miles on only 5,000 feet of altitude. Yes, the prop is stopped... and can be feathered for lower drag.

With the sunset glowing on her wings, Phoenix reveals a motorglider's smooth, complex curves.

Yesterday, I was again grateful for my residence at Spruce Creek Fly-In, the large airport community near Daytona Beach, Florida. Why? Because after a lucky last-minute phone call, I zipped over to the airport restaurant and went flying with Jim Lee in his new Phoenix. *** Now, I'm a soaring enthusiast, so a LSA motorglider already starts well up my wish list. But this Phoenix, whew! She's simply gorgeous with slippery compound curves and the handling is marvelous. *** Much more than simply a soaring machine, Phoenix climbs like the proverbial homesick angel and can cruise faster than many LSA. It also comes standard with two wing configurations — 49 feet stepping down to 36 feet — so you really get two airplanes in one. (Not only that, but if you need to put Phoenix in a hangar, you can remove the long wingtips to squeeze down to a 34-foot span, hardly any wider than a "standard" LSA.) *** Inside the cockpit, the 43-inch wide space is handsomely appointed and you have a few controls and an instrument not typically found in LSA. You have some prop controls — get the full LSA Glider explanation to understand how this works. Plus any self-respecting soaring pilot wants a variometer to find lift; Phoenix provides this with a small instrument that also makes sounds that allow you to keep your eyes outside the cockpit. *** You'll want to pore over the specifications and I've only given a brief review here. I hope to fly Phoenix again soon when we can explore soaring conditions. But here's a few tidbits: • glide 32:1 • power cruise 115 knots • stall 38 knots • useful load 612 pounds • range 900 nm (power on). *** Phoenix isn't cheap, but you get a lot for the money. Base price is presently $149,000 including those wing extensions that give Phoenix two distinct (yet pleasant) personalities. When luxuriously outfitted with a highly readable EFIS, autopilot, airframe parachute, radios and transponder, Phoenix can hit $165,000. Those who have investigated motorgliders will see this as modestly priced. You don't get these lines and this kind of performance for a bottom-dollar price. She's a specialty aircraft but since Lamabada left the scene, Phoenix occupies this special space all by her lonesome. Jim has a long list of good prospects so I wouldn't wait too long to check out this Czech beauty. I know I'm in love; my attempt at photos doesn't do her justice.

Yesterday, I was again grateful for my residence at Spruce Creek Fly-In, the large airport community near Daytona Beach, Florida. Why? Because after a lucky last-minute phone call, I zipped over to the airport restaurant and went flying with Jim Lee in his new Phoenix. *** Now, I’m a soaring enthusiast, so a LSA motorglider already starts well up my wish list. But this Phoenix, whew! She’s simply gorgeous with slippery compound curves and the handling is marvelous. *** Much more than simply a soaring machine, Phoenix climbs like the proverbial homesick angel and can cruise faster than many LSA. It also comes standard with two wing configurations — 49 feet stepping down to 36 feet — so you really get two airplanes in one. (Not only that, but if you need to put Phoenix in a hangar, you can remove the long wingtips to squeeze down to a 34-foot span, hardly any wider than a “standard” LSA.) *** Inside the cockpit, the 43-inch wide space is handsomely appointed and you have a few controls and an instrument not typically found in LSA.

I Rise, Cried the Phoenix

By James Lawrence || Leave a Comment

All photos courtesy Jim Lee of Phoenix Air USA

Looking out the window at falling snow (and it's only November 8th... Bah!), back from a two week vacation to Europe and Turkey, and mired in writing a big LSA buyer's guide for Plane & Pilot mag, I've only got a few minutes to splash up some photos of what to me is a big event: the ASTM certification as an SLSA of the Phoenix motorglider! *** See Dan Johnson's post below where you can follow his links to Jim Lee's sites for more info on the exciting news we've been waiting for some time to hear. *** The Phoenix is the more-than-worthy "sequel" [by another, unrelated company] to the Lambada SLSA motorglider that turned a lot of pilots on (including me and Dan). When two breakups last year clouded its future, a lot of us were glad to hear from Jim that the Phoenix was waiting in the wings to take its place. *** So congratulations Jim, glad to see it's a happening thing. *** He just completed a recent cross country trip and posted some beautiful shots on the soaring and motoring high above my old stompin' grounds in the Sierra Nevada Range of California... read all about it for an up close and personal account on Jim's blog. *** And even if you're in a better clime than I, don't feel bad about my snowboundedness. I'll be in sunny Florida in January hoping to fly the gorgeous Phoenix at the Sebring Sport Aviation Expo. *** Mark your calendars and start searching for accommodations: it's Jan. 20-23, 2011.

Looking out the window at falling snow (and it’s only November 8th… Bah!), back from a two week vacation to Europe and Turkey, and mired in writing a big LSA buyer’s guide for Plane & Pilot mag, I’ve only got a few minutes to splash up some photos of what to me is a big event: the ASTM certification as an SLSA of the Phoenix motorglider! *** See Dan Johnson’s post below where you can follow his links to Jim Lee’s sites for more info on the exciting news we’ve been waiting for some time to hear. *** The Phoenix is the more-than-worthy “sequel” [by another, unrelated company] to the Lambada SLSA motorglider that turned a lot of pilots on (including me and Dan). When two breakups last year clouded its future, a lot of us were glad to hear from Jim that the Phoenix was waiting in the wings to take its place.

Stirring My Soul — Phoenix Rising

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

Long and slender, notice the compound wing angles on the new Phoenix SLSA. photo courtesy Phoenix Air

The comfy Phoenix cockpit. A glass screen digital instrument is available. photo courtesy Phoenix Air

Soaring champion Jim Lee sits on the wing of his new Phoenix motorglider. photo courtesy Phoenix Air

I've had the pleasure to fly more than 350 light airplanes of every conceivable description. Most of those experiences brought a smile to my face. A few genuinely stirred my soul. Though I started in powered aircraft I found my way to gliders and to soaring, which I freely admit is my favorite aviation challenge. To rise high above the Earth using only swirling currents of air is magical. *** An extra benefit was acquiring confidence about landing without an engine. To many power pilots, an engine-out landing is scary. But every landing in a glider involves but one approach. You know what? You get comfortable with it and now when I fly a power plane, I don't worry as much about a loss of power. My power plane will just become a glider and I know how to handle that. *** So with great anticipation over an eventual test flight, I am delighted to announce the Phoenix was certified as SLSA #111 in August 2010. Immediately afterward, U.S. importer Jim Lee of Phoenix Air USA flew the slender winged bird from California to Florida! Check out his travel blog; it's written in a brief, enjoyable style with some terrific photos. *** Offering a few tidbits before a full pilot report to follow... Phoenix has full span flaperons that operate on lovely, compound angle wings that end in tasteful winglets. She's a picture of grace. Phoenix can also swap wings. Jim reported, "It takes about a minute to remove both [span extending] wingtips, and another minute to install the short tips." Check these install images. A center console houses the flap, airbrake, and trim with separate levers for the spoilers and flaps so that they can be used independently. *** Specs: span 49.4 feet (can be reduced to a 34 foot "hangar span" in 60 seconds); glide angle 32:1; cruise with full-span wings, 120 mph; cruise with shorter wings, up to 136 mph; useful load 612 pounds and 456 pound payload; climb 1,200 fpm. *** The first airshow debut of Phoenix will be at Sebring 2011. Here's one worthy of a close examination.

I’ve had the pleasure to fly more than 350 light airplanes of every conceivable description. Most of those experiences brought a smile to my face. A few genuinely stirred my soul. Though I started in powered aircraft I found my way to gliders and to soaring, which I freely admit is my favorite aviation challenge. To rise high above the Earth using only swirling currents of air is magical. *** An extra benefit was acquiring confidence about landing without an engine. To many power pilots, an engine-out landing is scary. But every landing in a glider involves but one approach. You know what? You get comfortable with it and now when I fly a power plane, I don’t worry as much about a loss of power. My power plane will just become a glider and I know how to handle that. *** So with great anticipation over an eventual test flight, I am delighted to announce the Phoenix was certified as SLSA #111 in August 2010.

Phoenix Rising: The Next Big Thing?

By James Lawrence || Leave a Comment

Caught up with Jim Lee recently to find out what's up with the Phoenix motorglider I wrote about here a few weeks back. *** The good news is his full time devotion to making Phoenix the Next Big Thing in LSA motorized soaring flight.  He's renamed his Urban Air company Phoenix Air USA. *** Believe me, if you haven't tried a motorglider, you're missing one of aviation's greatest experiences. *** Imagine cruising along as fast as 115 knots on a thermally active afternoon.  Up ahead, a big, white cumie cloud with a flat, gray bottom presents an irrestible invitation. *** Here's where the fun starts: as you get closer, you turn off the engine, feather the prop, trim up for minimum sink, and start looking for the lift under the cloud.  In a minute or two your search is rewarded with a good, strong push under the left wing - That's lift calling your name! *** You quickly bank the Phoenix left, the vario starts singing, and up you go toward cloud base.  Yee haw! *** After an hour or so of working the lift and drifting downrange, you flip a couple switches, turn the key, and the Rotax 912 ULS hums to life and off you go. *** For a real (not imaginary like this one) flight report, read Jim's right here.  He compares the Phoenix to the Lambada, which it essentially replaces as that airplane is no longer in production. *** Jim seems to like everything about the Phoenix, including it's 15-meter span, excellent sink rate, and the economical long range cruise given its beautiful all-composite streamlined shape. *** I'd hoped to fly the Phoenix at Sun 'n Fun last April because I fell in love with the Lambada.  But delivery to the U.S. was delayed. *** Now, sez Jim, two are on the boat from Europe, with another coming soon after. *** Even with current sluggish LSA sales numbers, there's little doubt this is one airplane to watch: if it's even a bit better than the Lambada I flew, as Jim claims, anybody with a hankering for motorized gliding flight will be smitten too. *** BTW, Jim is no longer representing Evektor in the U.S. (more details on Evektor's direct marketing plans soon, as I receive requested details from the Czech headquarters.) ***     ---photos courtesy Phoenix Air USA

Caught up with Jim Lee recently to find out what’s up with the Phoenix motorglider I wrote about here a few weeks back. *** The good news is his full time devotion to making Phoenix the Next Big Thing in LSA motorized soaring flight.  He’s renamed his Urban Air company Phoenix Air USA. *** Believe me, if you haven’t tried a motorglider, you’re missing one of aviation’s greatest experiences. *** Imagine cruising along as fast as 115 knots on a thermally active afternoon.  Up ahead, a big, white cumie cloud with a flat, gray bottom presents an irrestible invitation. *** Here’s where the fun starts: as you get closer, you turn off the engine, feather the prop, trim up for minimum sink, and start looking for the lift under the cloud.  In a minute or two your search is rewarded with a good, strong push under the left wing – That’s lift calling your name!

Phoenix Correction

By James Lawrence || Leave a Comment

Whoopsie.  In my last post on the Phoenix motorglider, I had some incorrect info that Jim Lee set me right on, so here's the skinny. *** Urban Air USA, which Jim represented and which imported and marketed the Lambada motorglider is being purchased, he said, "with plans to return the Samba XXL (composite low wing SLSA) and Lambada (SLSA motorglider) to production." *** Jim also notes Phoenix Air S.R.O. and his Lee Aviation LLC, dba Phoenix Air USA, are completely different companies with no relationship to Urban Air. *** Also, I'd mentioned Evektor's new direct-sale program, but Mr. Lee also noted that Evektor is still working out the details and may not do direct sale ops but some other program instead. *** I've got queries into the Czech company and will update once I hear. *** Thanks for the clarifications, Jim!

Whoopsie.  In my last post on the Phoenix motorglider, I had some incorrect info that Jim Lee set me right on, so here’s the skinny. *** Urban Air USA, which Jim represented and which imported and marketed the Lambada motorglider is being purchased, he said, “with plans to return the Samba XXL (composite low wing SLSA) and Lambada (SLSA motorglider) to production.” *** Jim also notes Phoenix Air S.R.O. and his Lee Aviation LLC, dba Phoenix Air USA, are completely different companies with no relationship to Urban Air. *** Also, I’d mentioned Evektor’s new direct-sale program, but Mr. Lee also noted that Evektor is still working out the details and may not do direct sale ops but some other program instead. *** I’ve got queries into the Czech company and will update once I hear. *** Thanks for the clarifications, Jim!

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