I often tell reporters and others that we must all keep in mind that Light-Sport aviation is an industry only six years old, a mere toddler in the realm of general aviation. In that time we’ve seen an astonishing development of all kinds of flying machines, 115 models deep. And this while industry had to write its own certification standards, establish dealer networks, build up supply chains to customers needing parts… from all over the globe, and much more. Contrarily, general aviation is many decades old and most of these systems have been established. *** Those GA folks, with all their experience, offer a way to help LSA grow and mature. LSA producers can learn a lot from these veterans. With that in mind, it may be interesting to hear a few comments from GA leaders. *** In an AIN Online article, writer Matt Thurber begins noting that experts ask the question, “[Is] general aviation (GA)… declining or poised for a renaissance generated by new interest in light sport aircraft (LSA) and avionics technology?” In a thorough response to the inquiry, Thurber cites the following general aviation aircraft production numbers: In 2009 only 1,587 aircraft were shipped, according to GAMA statistics, down from 3,029 in 2008 and a record 3,279 in 2007 (since a high of almost 18,000 aircraft in 1978).
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Remos: New Dealer & Boy Scout Pow-Wow
Remos continues to build its U.S. sales/service network. The company just “promoted” Tom Pekar’s Success Aviation, near Houston, from a Pilot Center to it’s 16th Aircraft Dealer in the U.S. *** The new dealer has two Remos GX demos, one with an autopilot. Both are used in the school. *** “Most flight training operations involving the GX use about 3.2 gallons of fuel,” he says, “compared to over 5 in a Cessna 152 and close to 9 in a Skyhawk.” *** With the price of avgas jumping up the way it has been of late, flight schools nationwide have to at least be giving renewed thought to adding LSA trainers to their fleets. *** One of the tangible bonuses the GX brings to its quality build and superb handling characteristics (my personal view: it’s as sweet to fly as any LSA out there) is its capability of flying with the doors off.
Hot Off The Water
To the answer “Progressive Aerodyne!” comes the Jeopardy question, “What LSA company thumbs its nose at the bad economy?” *** Certainly one of the most-fun LSA flights I’ve had in some time came at the controls of that company’s SeaRey amphibian.My LSA pal Dan Johnson recently wrote up a piece on the amphib which spurred me to excerpt some highlights in advance of my own flight report on the lively sea bird coming soon in Plane & Pilot magazine. *** Wayne and Kerry Richter, second and third generation founders of Progressive Aerodyne, started back in the ‘70s with many memorable UL birds they created with dad/grandfather Stanley Richter. The company then was Advanced Aviation and it put out, among other craft, several iterations of a very popular ultralight amphib: the Buccaneer.Building on that success, as Dan notes, Progressive Aerodyne popped out 31 Experimental Amateur Built kits in 2010.
SeaRey Sales Prove Popularity of Amphibians
Progressive Aerodyne and their popular SeaRey amphibian represent a current-day success sufficient to generate envy in most airframe sellers. Consider these results: Searey delivered 31 kits in 2010, an average 2.5 per month during a lousy year. Plus, in just three weeks since Sebring another 14 SeaRey kits have been ordered, upping the monthly average to 4.0. True those SeaReys are Experimental Amateur Built (EAB) kit models and so don’t compare directly with SLSA sales. *** In less than three years, company spokesman and sales director Darrell Lynds (formerly with SportairUSA) took the company from one kit a month to its current pace, along the way building a list of 1,700 very interested potential buyers. He says his 2011 orders are cash-in-hand and projects a solid year for the amphibious seaplane producer. This adds to a remarkably loyal following of 600 SeaRey aircraft builders. How can the central Florida manufacturer be doing so well?
Flying Cessna’s LSA Skycatcher
Honestly, I never thought I’d see this day arrive. As I started work
on a Cessna aircraft review for the pages of Light Sport and
Ultralight Flying magazine, I thought, We’ve come a long way.
When this publication was started 35 years ago, it was titled Glider Rider
and it featured hang gliders. Coverage then expanded to include powered
ultralights, and now light-sport aircraft (LSA) are included in the mix.
This month I’ve written a pilot report on Cessna Aircraft’s Skycatcher
LSA, the first Cessna in modern memory not built to FAR Part 23 standards,
that is, not type-certified by the U.S. government. Some may say ultralights
“grew up” to become light-sports. But I say that Cessna has moved
(returned?) to very light aircraft designs. I consider their arrival significant.
It isn’t simply that you can buy a brand-new Cessna for $112,500 (more on
the price later). The more important point to Light Sport and Ultralight
Flying readers is that the Skycatcher flies similarly to what light aircraft
enthusiasts fly.
Sleek, Comfortable and Fun; The Sinus Motorglider
Many Americans will agree
the name of this aircraft is odd, and that may be a kind word for the common reaction to “Sinus.” Is the name that important? Sinus (pronounced Seen-us), the aircraft, is a sleek, slender machine capable of impressive performance.
Any soaring-attuned pilot can easily live with the name Sinus for the 49-foot span and, get this, 28-to-1 glide performance! On first glance, except for its elegant, shapely, and thin wings, the Sinus looks like a proper light sport airplane. Pilot Matevz Lenarcic flew one around the world solo, in 80 days, and with zero ground or air support (see “Microlight Motorglider Flies Around the World,” April ’05 UltralightFlying! magazine).
What’s In a Name After All?
Let’s consider that name. U.S. dealer Robert Mudd says Pipistrel – the manufacturer – prefers to pronounce it “seen-us,” not “sighn-us.” They say this refers to a perfect sound wave or sine wave rather than a head cold.
Larry Newman, 2011
Larry Newman, 63, one of the seminal manufacturing/marketing dynamos in the early days of hang gliding who made the successful transition to ultralights, has died after a reported 3-year battle with pancreatic cancer. *** Larry was a flamboyant entrepreneur who successfully sold his ElectraFlyer hang gliders. *** When people started sticking motors on the foot launched craft, he came out with a new company, American Aerolites, to produce the Eagle ultralight. *** I first flew the Eagle with Plane & Pilot Publisher Steve Werner back in 1983. I remember it vividly: while Steve was up on a test hop, I was taking photos of his flight next to the runway at Coronado Airport, north of Albuquerque, near Larry’s factory…and I got stung twice by fire ants.I almost jumped out of my jeans, it hurt so bad. I thought I’d been shot in the leg. I could barely see the critters but what a painful wallop they packed.
Maverick Goes Mega-Viral!
The dark horse, literally, to claim the Flying Car throne is the all-black I-Tec LSA-certified Maverick Sport. *** We’ve talked about it here a lot, and now the “airable” dune buggy seems to really be catching on with the public. *** I-Tec turned the flying car concept design on its head by designing a lightweight off-road car first: the ability to fly it was always the 2nd priority in the design phase. *** The result is a lightweight, off-road-sturdy, flying car that will — and this is straight from I-Tec’s Steve Saint — accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. *** Holy flying Jaguar XKE, Batman! *** To prove it’s road chops, Steve and the I-Tec crew drove it 1,500 miles to Oshkosh last summer with the paraglider-like wing tucked into its roof pouch. *** In a preview of the 18-hour days they would face while swamped by a fascinated public at Airventure, the crew never made a fuel stop en route that took less than an hour — everybody had to know everything about the Maverick.
Corbi Alto is #112 SLSA!
In my post after last spring’s EAA Sun ‘n Fun convention in Lakeland, FL, I told you a bit about the Corbi Alto 100, a new, purpose-built SLSA (see List) that entrepreneurs Ron Corbi, a longtime figure in aviation, and Dan Coffey said should be done by the end of the year.
True to their word, I got an excited email from Ron today that read, “It’s finally an SLSA!” Congratulations to all the crew at Corbi Air, an established aircraft sales outfit in Salem, OH that’s been a family business for more than 50 years.
The Czech Republic-designed Direct Fly Alto was reworked by Ron and Dan to enhance what they called the aircraft’s “maintainability,” by including features like American-made brakes, bucked rivets replacing pop rivets, an electronic electrical system and a Dynon Skyview…all for $99,995.
As you can see, the canopy slides forward for easy entry opening in flight.
Part 103 Enthusiasm Continues; Welcome E-Spyder!
Part 103 continues to step from the shadow of Light-Sport Aircraft. We’ve had aviation’s simplest rule (worldwide!) for 27 years and with few exceptions, most of those years saw Part 103 producers laboring in near-obscurity. *** Now, however, a new flurry of activity has developed at the beautiful intersection of genuinely lightweight aircraft with electric power. The very latest to roll into the spotlight is Flightstar‘s E-Spyder, which took its first flight today. E-power from Yuneec in China meets an all-American airframe. The accompanying photos show what a clean matchup these components achieve. *** Flightstar mounted the twin lithium polymer battery packs on either side of the design’s robust main fuselage tube. Electric motors are more user-friendly in nearly every way, but you have some new learning to do. For example, experts advise never allowing lithium polymer batters to drain completely. Fortunately, the Yuneec controlling hardware provides warning systems to help you manage this task.
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