The year started with hope. As 2022 arrived, America and most countries (China excepted) were emerging from two years of difficult lockdowns and Covid. The good news was that a flood of money from the U.S. government had buoyed the stock market and I’ve long observed that in a rising equities market, LSA and SP kit aircraft sell well.
No one thinks this is because anyone sells stock to buy a Light-Sport Aircraft. Rather, it’s something economists call the “wealth effect,” where rising asset values give stockholders confidence that good times are here and they can buy an airplane to have fun.
Then… Russia invaded Ukraine and global markets trembled.
Despite a year of war, of plunging stock markets and sky-high energy prices, of protests and riots in multiple countries, plus on-going supply chain strains and lingering Covid fears, the light aircraft nonetheless grew by a very healthy 18%, after rising 10% in 2021.2022 In Review — How Did LSA and Sport Pilot Kit Aircraft Fare During a Turbulent Year?
The year started with hope. As 2022 arrived, America and most countries (China excepted) were emerging from two years of difficult lockdowns and Covid. The good news was that a flood of money from the U.S. government had buoyed the stock market and I’ve long observed that in a rising equities market, LSA and SP kit aircraft sell well.
Taking off in a new year, some things remain the same. Zenith is still the clear market leader, but here’s some nuances…
No one thinks this is because anyone sells stock to buy a Light-Sport Aircraft. Rather, it’s something economists call the “wealth effect,” where rising asset values give stockholders confidence that good times are here and they can buy an airplane to have fun.
Then… Russia invaded Ukraine and global markets trembled.
Data source: FAA registration database current through the end of 2022 — graciously and expertly provided by Steve Beste. Category explanations are provided below.
Despite a year of war, of plunging stock markets and sky-high energy prices, of protests and riots in multiple countries, plus on-going supply chain strains and lingering Covid fears, the light aircraft nonetheless grew by a very healthy 18%, after rising 10% in 2021. The industry is now performing better than in 2019, the last year of relative sanity before Covid lockdowns. (See my full 2019 report here or track all LSA market history here.)
Let’s Unpack the Numbers
I am using a different approach this year, partly to give added perspective given the challenging start to the 2020s. You can get so much detail on our Tableau Public market share data website — with an enormous THANKS! to Steve Beste for his faithful, timely, and precise work to present this info — that I felt it useful to summarize the results from my point of view.
Combining bright colors with beautifully-machined hardware, this “train” of eight Revo models from Evolution Trikes is certain to turn heads.
I grouped all the light aircraft data into these categories:
- Combined Results, all categories, including fully-built, kit-built, factory-built kits (ELSA), and others, even portraying how FAA’s 1990s-era Primary Category touches this segment.
- SLSA and ELSA are presented as a group because all must start out identical to the SLSA model first accepted by FAA. After an ELSA owner takes delivery, that person can make changes without factory approval but then loses the chance to offer compensated flight instruction or rental of their aircraft.
- SLSA-only covering only ready-to-fly, separated from ELSA. SLSA can be used for compensated operations like flight instruction and rental.
- EAB and ELSA are shown as a group because in both cases the owner can alter and maintain the aircraft.
- EAB-only separates the ELSA out of the strictly homebuilt segment.
- ELSA are also shown separately as they can become quite different from the SLSA as which they began life. An owner can change avionics, interiors, add equipment, or even change the engine on an ELSA.
- Two remaining, smaller categories include Experimental Exhibition category, used mostly by Pipistrel for its motorglider models, and the Primary Category that presently counts only AutoGyro. Models that pursued Primary Category back in the 1990s (example: Quicksilver GT500) have not continued with that approach.
RV-12 photo from Van’s Aircraft RV-12 website. Here’s my pilot report on RV-12.
Best Selling Model — Van’s Aircraft and their RV-12 series (original 912 and newer 912iS) supplied 60 of the best-selling single model of light aircraft in the FAA registry for 2022. Of these, 13 were fully-built SLSA models; the balance of 47 RV-12s were Experimental LSA, though most left the factory essentially complete, I understand.
Going the ELSA route has attracted a certain type of buyer. RV-12 alone accounts for 43% of all such aircraft registered in 2022. Powered parachute manufacturer, Powrachute accounted for another 15 of these and Wild Sky Goat (a weight shift) registered 6 more. The remaining 18 ELSA were produced by 12 other producers. One note reveals the presence of two Bristell USA aircraft that were registered ELSA to permit IFR operations (yes, that is possible; see video here and article here).
Icon Aircraft A5; recent report.
Best-Selling Special LSA — Do you think you can guess this one? OK, I’ll skip the suspense and tell you it was Icon’s A5, which registered 33 aircraft in 2022 to lead the ready-to-fly pack. In second, fourth, fifth and sixth places were Tecnam (19 SLSA), Vashon (15), Sling (13), and Super Petrel (11)*. I left out the #3 most-registered brand in 2022 as I found it nothing short of amazing. Despite a war in its homeland and suffering direct war damage, Aeroprakt added 17 aircraft to the FAA registry in 2022. Good U.S. partners help.
One interesting factoid in the database is the 2022 registration of two Cessna Skycatchers. Since the model is long out of production — in fact, all remaining brand-new, partly-finished Skycatchers were chopped up and crushed in 2016 — one wonders how a pair of them were added to the database last year?
Check all rankings and find tons of additional insights on our Tableau Public web page. Use the lowest blue sort box on the left column. Check the relevant boxes to turn on or off any category you want to review, wait one second and the web page will assemble that request into a table. This page includes all 10,056 aircraft in the Light-Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot kit categories. If you own one of these aircraft (registered with FAA), your aircraft is counted on this page.
Rans’ popular S-21 Outbound sits high on big tundra tires. (Zenith’s CH-750 Super Duty is seen at the top of the page.)
Best Selling Kit Builder — Really, this should hardly be a surprise to anyone as Zenith has lead the pack almost as long as I’ve followed these statistics. Zenith has several models but their “Sky Jeep” CH-701 and -750 series contributes the bulk of their kit deliveries. Remember, kit sales don’t precisely relate to registrations as owners have to assemble them first. This can take months to years.
Trailing Zenith rather closely are the usual players: Rans (59), Sonex (45), Kitfox (38), and Just Aircraft (30). Right behind is Magni (16) because gyroplanes — other than AutoGyro’s Primary Category models (5 registered in 2022) — must be built as kits until Mosaic corrects this FAA oversight. AutoGyro also sells kit versions (15 registered). Two pleasant surprises after these leaders are Quad City Challengers (15) and Progressive Aerodyne’s Searey kits (10) though the latter company also sold 6 Special LSA models.
Flight school video series stars John and Martha King get their powered parachute ratings.
Among what I’ve long called “alternative aircraft” in this space, Powrachute powered parachutes registered 25 aircraft, including 16 kits and 9 SLSA models. In weight shift, Evolution Trikes was the leader with 11 registrations, of which 7 were SLSA. The company also reports good sales of its non-registered Part 103 aircraft, adding to their total.
Data hounds — you know who you are — can dive way deep into the numbers on Tableau Public. You can find all about Light-Sport Aircraft using our popular SLSA List and discover a wide range of Part 103 ultralight vehicles on our Part 103 List. (The latter are not FAA registered so do not count in this report.)
Now, go enjoy those new aircraft or a new-to-you used model you found last year!
* I used brand names and model names interchangeably in this article choosing the most common term to identify the subject. If you want more detail, type one or more words into our blue search bar at the top of the page to find any of the thousands of aircraft on this website.
The year started with hope. As 2022 arrived, America and most countries (China excepted) were emerging from two years of difficult lockdowns and Covid. The good news was that a flood of money from the U.S. government had buoyed the stock market and I’ve long observed that in a rising equities market, LSA and SP kit aircraft sell well.
No one thinks this is because anyone sells stock to buy a Light-Sport Aircraft. Rather, it’s something economists call the “wealth effect,” where rising asset values give stockholders confidence that good times are here and they can buy an airplane to have fun.
Then… Russia invaded Ukraine and global markets trembled.
Despite a year of war, of plunging stock markets and sky-high energy prices, of protests and riots in multiple countries, plus on-going supply chain strains and lingering Covid fears, the light aircraft nonetheless grew by a very healthy 18%, after rising 10% in 2021.
Most commonly, you hear “drone.”
The Spectrum article refers to 350 aircraft developments in the eVTOL field, spanning 48 countries. How many will make it to market and succeed? When will public acceptance allow executives to zip over urban congestion in their buzzing contraptions? Will FAA ever finish regulating them? All these questions are unknown.
All models featured here are single-seat aircraft that may possibly qualify for Part 103 regulations. Two of these companies, Lift Aircraft and Opener, have engaged 
Recon is compact (like all of these), only 15.5 feet long, 7.5 feet wide, and just under five feet tall. It weighs a reported 286 pounds, though more detail was not available.
“It’s easier to operate a flying ATV than you think — or, at least it was for me. That’s not a humblebrag either. It was designed so any idiot like me — who backs up into his recycling bin every time he pulls out of the driveway — can jump in and use it,” wrote Tony Ho Tran for the Daily Beast. Is it a good thing that a complete newbie can get in and fly one of these?
Based in Australia, Alauda Aeronautics said, “[We are] building performance electric flying cars” and “racing to deliver a revolution in personal air mobility so everyone will own a flying car.” On their website, information is very sparse but they quickly introduce the reader to Airspeeder, the “world’s first series for electric flying cars.” While their website suggests Alauda also has more orthodox goals, they appear focused on air racing vehicles. Alauda supports Airspeeder developer Mike Pearson as he forms a new league.
Alauda’s all-electric aircraft, which is expected to have a range of 25 miles and a Part 103-compliant top speed of 63 mph, could be used for tasks such as inspecting crops and rounding up livestock, goals similar to those expressed by Ryse Aero.
Jetson reported their Jetson One is “built to comply with existing FAA regulations,” though they don’t state which rule. We presume Part 103 as anything higher on the certification scheme is not yet ready for market. However, unlike Lift and Opener, they have not reached out to LAMA for TSC confirmation.
What will one of these machines set you back? “A down payment of $22,000 is required [at the time of ordering]. A final payment of $70,000 when your Jetson One is ready for delivery at the factory.” Does $92,000 sound affordable to you?
Distance and location are also computer controlled and that’s perfect for Lift’s initial plan.
“Traffic congestion and long commutes are two leading causes of stress and reduction in quality of life,” believes Opener. “Countless hours are wasted on roads each day, idling in traffic, time that could be better spent with family and friends.” Who can argue yet range anxiety and a lack of experience flying this unorthodox aircraft may hold back buyers. That’s OK as it is often “early adopters” that start the trend.
When A5 was finally accepted by FAA as a Special LSA, the company shrewdly arranged to get on the cover and be the lead article in the same month of American aviation’s top three magazines (by circulation): Flying magazine, AOPA Pilot, and EAA Sport Aviation. I’ve been around and observing aviation publishing for a few decades and I’d never see such a triple play before. These magazines are friendly to each other but nonetheless compete vigorously. The rarely (never?) want the same cover story as their rivals. Icon accomplished this without spending a dime advertising with the publications.
Getting the sophisticated aircraft into production took several years longer than anyone expected. The initial price of $139,000 ballooned 250% over a few years to more than $350,000. The company prepared a purchase contract that was so burdensome that many orders cancelled. It was later greatly scaled back.
As it continually raised money, Icon eventually became owned more by Chinese interests than all other investors. Seeing the continual flow of red ink on the books, the new owners forced changes and dismissed founder and president, Kirk Hawkins, who had led the organization through impressive — though expensive — achievements. For many months after Hawkins’ departure, it was not clear who was in charge and that is never a good thing for a company… or its customers.
The company’s original engineers had been convinced by Kirk to leave Scaled Composites, the celebrated Burt Rutan development company that built SpaceShipOne among many other radical designs. One by one, those engineers left. Other executive staff also departed, perhaps uncertain about the path forward. A final-attempt lawsuit that made the Wall Street Journal business pages was resolved in the stockholder’s favor. Kirk was out.
My chance to fly A5 came at the 2015 edition of AirVenture. See 
Challenges
For the past few years that torrid pace slowed… just as it has in every other industry I’ve examined. However, in aviation it is uncommon for a good airplane to actually disappear forever. Designs worth their avgas often manage a come-back, a term meant to show a return to market for a flying machine some may have written off earlier.
One thing MS-1 did not have going for it: the design arrived to the party amidst so many other new designs that it was easy to get lost in the crowd. Proprietor and principal investor Dieter Canje wisely set the project aside while the dust cleared.
“MySky MS-1 is making a comeback, with an ecological twist,” said Dieter. “We believed our MySky MS-1 was a promising light aircraft project about 10, 12 years ago. Unfortunately, MySky Aircraft never made any efforts to put the model into production.”
Why did you not put MySky MS-1 in production in 2010?
“In 2015, we formed MySky Eco with the intent to modify MS-1 into an electric aircraft,” Dieter said. “But we found that the time was not ready yet. Even now, endurance and range limits its use to flight training. However, there is strong demand in this market segment.”
What is MySkyECO MS-1L?
Can a tandem aircraft be used for flight training?
Electric has appeal but a method of extending range on an electric airplane would be useful for longer missions than flight training. “We are working on a range extender based on the rotary engine concept, using Jet-A,” said MySky.
Aircraft seen in nearby images is the VL3, a plane formerly designed by Vanessa Air and produced by Aveko. Americans first came to know a variation of this model as the 
Add another three years taking us to 2015 and JMB began fully producing the fuselage and wings, work that had previously been subcontracted. Today, JMB Aircraft is in full production at their Chocen, Czech Republic facility.
CEO Jean Marie Guisset gathered and addressed all JMB Aircraft employees (nearby image) and said, “This is another unique landmark for JMB. We are improving our product every single day, and the biggest thank you goes to all of you who are standing here, because you are the ones who make it happen.”
A well-evolved design, Evolution is a 250-knot-cruise aircraft that can climb 4,000 feet per minute powered by its Pratt & Whitney turbine powerplant. About 100 of these cabin-class speedsters are flying around the world.
At this year’s AirVenture Oshkosh, the two companies exhibited together (image), giving them a good venue to launch their fresh collaboration. Officially, JMB will take over the production of the Evolution at their facility in Czech Republic, as well as help with the sales and marketing. The part of Evolution Aircraft based in the United States will handle research & development and provide services and maintenance.
Both companies are passionate about their aircraft, each extreme speedsters in their class. It would appear a well-considered and sound collaboration.
In the middle of the last decade, long before Putin’s aggression, LSA market leader Flight Design went through a German-imposed reorganization. While difficult, the company emerged stronger and more stable.
Despite such hardships, Flight Design’s German leaders and team closed ranks and moved production to Šumperk, Czech Republic, near the country’s northern border with Poland, about 100 miles east of Prague.
In light aviation, we have a roughly similar situation. Rotax provides somewhere around 70-80% of all engines for aircraft in the light aircraft space globally. The remaining 20-30% is divided between Continental or Titan, Jabiru, ULPower, and a growing collection of converted auto engines (though the latter, without ASTM approval, are used only on kit aircraft or ELSAs).
So, Jabiru may not be #1, but the “down-under” company achieved a significant benchmark when they shipped number 4,000 of the 2200 series. Jabiru’s 3300 six-cylinder 120-horsepower model is well past 3,000 engines shipped. Therefore, almost 8,000 airplane owners are carried into the sky by Jabiru. Contrasted to the entire American LSA, ELSA, Sport Pilot kit-built aircraft fleet of almost 10,000 aircraft (see 
“These Pipistrel powerplant entries are for electric-powered aircraft as the 
Other powerful engines are available, for example, the even-higher-horsepower Titan from 
Although no one is saying it today, I perceive that his is a smart play to prepare for Mosaic LSA. Given a cabin that has already accommodated four seats and three doors to serve all those seats, adding an engine powerful enough to carry four makes Montaer a shoe-in to offer such a model in 2025 after the new regulation should emerge.
Montaer wrote, “[We have] the roomiest cockpit in the entire LSA category. Montaer MC-01 was originally designed as a four-seater aircraft in Brazil (when different regulations applied), therefore, the removal of the two back seats, with an existing third door, produces impressive room for cargo. Also [we offer plenty of] legroom for pilot and passenger.” The company added a line that should work for lots of pilots: “No challenge for the big guys.”
However, with the 915iS engine on a present-day LSA two seater, this bird is going to soar. Climb rate shown in the specification box nearby is for a 912iS-powered MC01. With another 41 horsepower, the “Monster Montaer” should shoot upwards like a homesick angel. If someone in a MC01 915 challenges your Skyhawk to a climb contest, don’t take the bait. You’ll lose… by a wide margin.
Before the Covid panic hit worldwide, Montaer was accepted by FAA as a Special LSA after the company verified that it had met all ASTM Standards for Light-Sport Aircraft. Shortly afterward, in 2021, Montaer established a presence at DeLand Municipal Airport, Florida airport by partnering with Shalom Confessor of the 
The reference is to an additional control added to allow pilots without the use of their legs to operate the MC01 (nearby image). Such pilots have a few choices but Montaer’s entry is modern and handsome.
Is is even possible to fly an aircraft without all these advanced devices and services? Who would want such a simple aircraft?
North Wing carefully prices everything they sell — from full-sized aircraft to small accessories — on their website. All shoppers can applaud such full disclosure while budget-conscious buyers especially appreciate the forthright way North Wing does business.
However, very long flights in an open cockpit airplane are rare. The very first such involved four open cockpit Douglas World Cruiser aircraft, which Donald Douglas modified from his DT-2 torpedo bomber.
“Born in Berlin,” Rotax continued, “Andreas Zmuda has been an adventurer since he was a young lad. He hitchhiked all over Europe with a backpack when he was 15, before he emigrated to Venezuela in the early 1990s and gained a fascination for other cultures, traditions, and ways of life.”
In November 2010, Andreas met Doreen during an Amazon expedition through Peru, Bolivia and Brazil, where he was the expedition leader and Doreen was a tourist.
For a short time both Andreas and Doreen returned to freezing-cold Germany, but this only lasted a few months. They were much too motivated to experience new adventures, so they decided in summer 2012 to sell everything they had and take off for a 160,000 kilometer-long (100,000 mile) world record flight through 101 countries, which would last for the next few years.
Beyond that, flights across Central and South America included their own special perils
Full Disclosure — Andreas and Doreen did not fly the entire route shown on the nearby map. Remember, this flight took place during some of low points of the global Covid panic. As Andreas wrote earlier on Facebook, “These are really crazy times at the moment and we will fly from Madrid to Portugal in February, but then [we will] transport the trike in a container to South Africa. Flying along the west coast [of Africa] is just not possible right now.” This was also a time of supply line constraints and container shipping expenses that quadrupled. Shipment of the trike involved considerable delays.
Yes, those of us in countries where private aviation is well-established take for granted the privilege of flying cross country. In fact, it’s one of the great joys we love to experience. It’s a fantastic way to see the country. That’s simply doesn’t happen in China. …Or, it didn’t. Things are changing and one company has forged ahead despite the challenges.
Still the Aeros team continues to build and deliver their flying machines, ranging from hang gliders to trikes to the Sky Ranger three-axis airplanes (
Fox T is another wing for nanolight trikes, created for “those who want to feel the simplicity and real pleasure of bird-like flying,” said Aeros. Fox T offers low and slow maneuverable flying. “Fox T has been developed from our beginner Fox glider and has been reinforced and adapted exclusively for flying with nanolight trikes,” Aeros clarified.
When I visited this company many years ago, they were new in western markets. Fortunately for them, a wealthy Saudi Arab businessman and flying enthusiast helped bankroll the new company.
First, among the better-informed recreational pilot population, virtually all know what a Part 103 ultralight is but most think they remain a small percentage of the aircraft being sold to pilots each year. Many also think a legitimate three-axis Part 103 is no more than a fantasy — one critique is that most fixed-wing 103 entries exceed allowed weight.
In numerous conversations, I’ve expressed my belief that Part 103 ultralights sell at approximately the rate of new Light-Sport Aircraft. Most folks find that hard to believe. I understand but this reveals how invisible these flying machines tend to be. Part 103 ultralights are frequently flown from fields, distant from controlled airports. As they don’t fly fast or make a lot of noise they somewhat dissolve into the background of aviation.
Chip has a long background that many know. He was the originator of the SportCruiser that remains one of the top LSA sellers in the USA. He developed the affordable 
It appears the rebadged model is truly ultralight but what’s more valuable to Yankee enthusiasts may be the Made-in-America approach Chip is taking with partner Paul Mather (of 
The collaborators will offer dual configurations: an advanced kit and fly-away model, either possible thanks to the gentle regulation of 
The designer and Chip say that TrueLite will cruise at the maximum speed allowed under Part 103 and consume only two gallons per hour. Even with Part 103’s tight limit of five gallons maximum, this leaves more than two hours of flying (at cruise power setting).
The first public display of the TrueLite and the TrueLite on floats is planned for the 
The short answer, I told them, is yes. A good many LSA were initially designed and subsequently tested to higher weights than the 1,320 pounds permitted under present FAA rules. What will happen to these 1,320-pound LSA when higher weight Mosaic LSA come out, some asked? Will these current LSA become obsolete?
I believe they will not, because any LSA you buy today will work just as well under Mosaic. It may not carry as much or have some other attribute, but neither will current LSA cost more as will larger and better equipped Mosaic LSA.
Inflation is on almost everyone’s mind these days …globally, by the way. So let me trot out the old expectation for Light-Sport Aircraft from a couple years before the LSA rule finally emerged.
Nonetheless, a certain number of buyers will go for models I’ll call “Mosaic LSA.” For example, a buyer considering a new LSA now could pay $150-175,000 for a well-equipped top brand and after Mosaic comes out, get a new certificate that permits carrying more weight. Others will choose to sell their 2022 LSA for a 2025 Mosaic LSA.
That’s ten excited pilots and several vendors that found attending worth their time and expense. We did not canvas all vendors but I’m aware of of a pair of Flight Design F2 sales, one or two Montaer MC01s with 915, and two Fusions, one with a 915 and the other with 912iS. I also understood good sales prospects for BushCat and Aero Adventure, so in all, a solid event.
Planning a Repeat
Hopefully the title did get your attention but it asks a legitimate question for buyers of new potentially-Mosaic-compliant Light-Sport Aircraft.
So, buyers of this airplane (and I repeat, MC01 will not be the only such choice) may be able to acquire a present-day 1,320-pound LSA and later get it bumped to perhaps 1,600-1,700 pounds, maybe more.
“Our new model will debut and be on display at the 
Earlier this year, Montaer announced a 
Remember, seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere. New Zealand is now emerging from winter (during our summer) and is beginning its warmer climate. The summer months in New Zealand are December, January, and February so the weather is getting nice down under.
One of the explanations for the longer development cycle was that 
Water launch to flight is still pending but the down-under LSA seaplane was satisfied with the initial float evaluation.
“I have been waiting longer than a decade to see the Wave in her natural environment, and she did not disappoint. Not only does she look amazing, but the water handling was also impressive,” Paul added.
For years this company has led the segment I’ve dubbed “Sport Pilot kits” — those kits that a builder can fly using Sport Pilot privileges. Lead by Sebastien Heintz, Zenith continues a long stride ahead of other worthy competitors.
While Van’s RV-12 leads for a single model (47 registered so far in 2022), Zenith is the clear leader in this space. For 2022, the Mexico, Missouri-based manufacturer has already almost matched 2020 and 2021, and those were good years. Through nine months of 2022, Zenith has registered 73 aircraft putting the company on pace for 100 new aircraft for the calendar year. Zenith is followed by Rans at 48 and Van’s at 47. Zenith is running 50% ahead of either and has maintained such a strong market position for years.
Mexico, Missouri’s Hagan Brothers Field is a pastoral setting that is about perfect for airplanes such as Zenith produces.
This weekend perhaps thousands of light, sport, recreational aircraft owners will take their ultralights (or other light aircraft) into the sky for a kind of “virtual” airshow, except it isn’t computer simulators. It is only virtual in the sense that nearly all aviators will help create an “airshow” without seeing another aircraft. “Analog” might be a better term than virtual.
“The genesis of WUFI dates to 2014 after an impromptu three-way conversation between Koen Van de Kerchhove of Belgium, and Bill Esker and Paul Lindamood of the United States. The initial discussion took place on the 
The trio of organizers suggested that a “virtual” fly-in could be very feasible, and even though such an event would not allow aircraft to convene at one place, it would allow pilots all around the globe to take part by sharing the same sky, on the same day. “So in an abstract but very tangible way, a world fly-in was possible,” explained Mike, Administrator of WUFI 2022. “Thus, the World Ultralight Fly-In was born. And the slogan, ‘One Day, One Sky’ was coined.”
Since 2015 the fly-in has been held every year, with thousands of participants representing all areas of light aviation. In those seven years, numerous articles have been published around the globe highlighting the unique flying event.
“One sky, where boundaries of country and language disappear, and all pilots are truly equal in their collective love of the majesty and exhilaration of flight,” organizers state.
