Is it because of tariffs? Another reason? Or simply a good idea? Does it matter why you’re reading about AJ Sport? U.S. government policies swing and sway the world in remarkable ways. That’s a whole story in itself, but the way aircraft suppliers respond to the situation they are facing can be instructive. To be clear, AeroJones Aviation is not reacting to tariff changes. This company, headquartered in U.S.-friendly Taiwan, has been working toward entering the American market for years. For more than a decade, AeroJones has been the officially-licensed producer of Flight Design’s CTLS and CTLSi for Asia-Pacific. They don’t simply import and sell units built in Europe. They do 100% of the fabrication, assembly, and production test flights in the Asian theater. They’ve delivered more than 50 aircraft and have won multiple CAAC airworthiness approvals. A video to follow soon features SilverLight Aviation‘s Abid Farooqui describing several notable changes the company achieved.
New “Made-in-USA” Aircraft — Welcome AJ Sport to the LSA Fleet
Experienced flight instructor Phil Mednick showed me around AJ Sport on a beautiful spring day in Florida.
Slick, Yes, but…How Much?
The first aircraft assembled in Florida are being offered at $171,000. The Taiwanese outfit will fabricate fuselage sections following orders from AeroJones USA, the FAA-recognized manufacturer. The U.S. operation will join these elements with the Rotax engine from Austria and modern avionics from American companies. Many other components are also American and all work is finished in SilverLight's base at Zephyr Hills airport close to Tampa, Florida. Support for the aircraft will be provided from the USA.AeroJones Aviation personnel joined Abid Farooqui (not pictured) at Sun 'n Fun 2025 to support the launch of AJ Sport. To my left: Chi-Tai Hsieh (people call him "Tai," as in Taiwan), Production Manager Jack Lin, and engineer Eason Chen (R).
First AJ Sport buyer Werner Teissen poses with his new Light-Sport Aircraft.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: AeroJones USA AJ Sport (LSA) all information supplied by manufacturer
- Wingspan — 29 feet 5 inches
- Length — 22 feet 3.5 inches
- Height — 7 feet 8 inches
- Seats — 2, side-by-side
- Interior Cockpit Width: 49 inches
- Max Takeoff Weight — 1,320 pounds
- Payload — 480 pounds
- Baggage (max) — 126.5 pounds
- Fuel (total usable) — 34 gallons
- Powerplant — Rotax 912iS 2 Sport
- Max Speed (Vh) — 120 knots
- Cruise Speed (75% power) — 110 knots
- Range — 830 nautical miles
- Takeoff Ground Roll — 500 feet
- Takeoff Distance to Clear 50 ft Obstacle — 1,235 feet
- Landing Ground Roll — 420 feet
- Landing Distance Over 50 ft Obstacle — 1,184 feet
CONTACT LINKS:
- AeroJones USA — Link to AeroJonesUSA.com
- AeroJones AJ Sport LSA entry — AJ Sport info
- U.S. based designer, developer, producer of multiple aircraft — SilverLight Aviation