AERO 2009 NEWS — An even more sophisticated Fk9 ELA maintains the clean, simple lines of the Mark IV shown at bottom on floats as operated by seaplane flight school expert, FK Lightplanes USA, based in Miami, Florida. Hansen Air Group has Georgia and California locations.
Most American pilots don’t recognize the brand FK Lightplanes, though many do know of one of their models. Cirrus Design based their celebrated entry into Light-Sport Aircraft upon the Fk14 Polaris. This lovely low wing looks enough like a Cirrus that the Duluth, Minnesota manufacturer selected it as their platform to offer what they called the SRS. *** The producer of the best-selling SR22 felt they needed to “Cirrus-ize” the Fk14, but now with the GA industry in sharp decline the company put the SRS project on hold to focus on their Vision jet (which sells for 10X more). *** Yet FK Lightplanes also builds a handsome high-wing model, which has gone through significant refinements in more than a decade on the market. “We’ll still make our Fk9 Mark 4 [the earlier model],” said company director Peter Funk, but his company is now launching the Fk9 ELA (as in European Light Aircraft), a version that more closely matches LSA specifications. It has higher maximum takeoff weight and appears roomier even to include a new baggage door. *** FK is also enjoying broader representation in the USA as importer FK Lightplanes USA joined forces with Hansen Air Group to represent the Fk9 series in America.
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