The last airshow of 2021 is over. The Christmas holidays are beginning to dominate everyone’s calendar. Yet recreational pilots — being enthusiastic aviators — are thinking about flying in 2022.
The Covid pandemic of 2020/2021 appears not to have slowed enjoyment of flying for fun… for most of us anyway. I sincerely regret anyone who suffered during this period but sport aviation has held up surprisingly well.
In this article, I will tackle a couple reader questions, the sort I hear all the time. To answer several people with one response, I asked reader John Joyce if I could use his question and name. He consented, so here we go…
Buyers Without Remorse
John started, “Skyleader 600 looks like a great aircraft. I had actually just noticed this model a couple days ago because there is a used one listed for sale on the Web. As a potential first time buyer, I would be interested to have you address the question of service for these smaller manufacturers.Ready to Buy in 2022? What About Factory Support …or Mechanics?
The last airshow of 2021 is over. The Christmas holidays are beginning to dominate everyone’s calendar. Yet recreational pilots — being enthusiastic aviators — are thinking about flying in 2022.
The Covid pandemic of 2020/2021 appears not to have slowed enjoyment of flying for fun… for most of us anyway. I sincerely regret anyone who suffered during this period but sport aviation has held up surprisingly well.
In this article, I will tackle a couple reader questions, the sort I hear all the time. To answer several people with one response, I asked reader John Joyce if I could use his question and name. He consented, so here we go…
Buyers Without Remorse
John started, “Skyleader 600 looks like a great aircraft. I had actually just noticed this model a couple days ago because there is a used one listed for sale on the Web. As a potential first time buyer, I would be interested to have you address the question of service for these smaller manufacturers.
“By way of example,” John continued, “there are nearly 300 SportCruisers registered in the US, as well as nearly 350 Flight Design models, but only 3 Skyleaders. I’m not picking on Skyleader; there are many manufacturers with just two, five or 20 registrations in the database.”
Matter of fact, our N-number database is another useful reference we offer. You can use the ByDanJohnson.com Tableau Public link to find every single LSA in the U.S. registry (you’ll have to drill down a bit, but here’s an infographic on how to do that).
John continued, “I imagine it’s easier to find a mechanic who is familiar with something that has hundreds of units in operation, rather than just a few. If I want to buy a less common aircraft, do I have to think about availability of qualified service ahead of time? Do I need to locate a mechanic first, even before settling on a particular model? I’ve never owned an airplane before, so this is a big unknown for me.”
A line of SportCruisers, sold today by Cruiser Aircraft. The model was briefly known as PiperSport.
Regarding mechanics — If a LSA uses all-metal construction, you can find capable mechanics almost anywhere. If your dream plane is largely composite, finding a mechanic can be much harder. The larger companies like Flight Design, building their CT series from almost all carbon fiber offer varying levels of training. If a dealer or mechanical shop obtains factory training — as does Airtime Aviation, the largest seller for Flight Design anywhere in the world — their people can fix anything and may be able and willing to work on other brands.
In the LSA world, the manufacturer dictates who gets to work on their airplanes so it’s best to go direct to the source to learn the availability of qualified mechanics. You can find nearly any LSA company using our SLSA List (loaded with links).
Light-Sport Aircraft are not simply a U.S. phenomenon. This view shows the interiors of a line of CTLS aircraft built by AeroJones serving the Asia-Pacific market.
If your dream LSA uses a Rotax engine, you will have little trouble getting service because the big Austrian powerplant manufacturer has trained hundreds of mechanics.
Continental-powered LSA can also be maintained by many Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) mechanics, virtually anywhere in the world.
Jabiru engines are maintained by Arion Aircraft (also producer of the Lightning-series of kit-built or fully-built SLSA aircraft). As Jabiru engines were designed to be simple to facilitate repair, any A&P can also work on them.
Other engines may be more challenging but all have some service centers, though perhaps not close to you.
Some LSA organizations have focused on providing service to many brands. One such is U.S. Sport Planes located in the north Dallas, Texas metropolitan area. Run by Scott Severen — the North American Jabiru importer — U.S. Sport Planes has a long history of working with numerous brands.
Others offer similarly broad service, such as Aero Adventure, which can work on multiple seaplane brands. My best advice is to contact the manufacturer or the importer of the aircraft that interests you and ask who can assist you closer to home.
Please remember, though, that LSA suppliers or mechanics aren’t McDonalds restaurants you can find everywhere. They are all specialized service providers. You may need to travel to them but as they are experts, it may be worthwhile to engage them versus a general A&P who may not know your particular airplane. Even after 17 years, LSA are still the “new kids on the block” so some mechanics may not wish to service them.
What IS Affordable?
Another reader, Dan E., made other comments I frequently hear. He wrote, “The definition of what people consider ‘affordable’ varies widely.” Not only does it vary by every individual; it can change depending on many other circumstances.
A vintage Cessna 150 in flight. Thousands are available at modest prices. They could qualify to be flown using a Sport Pilot certificate in 2024.
“For me,” Dan wrote, “a used $35K Cessna 150 or a $45K Piper Cherokee 140 are affordable, but a new $150-200K two-seat SLSA is not, and I have neither the time nor the interest to build my own ELSA.”
In truth, an ELSA (Experimental LSA) typically will not save much but can bring some other advantages. To save a more significant amount of money, you’ll need to build an Experimental Amateur Built (“51% rule”) aircraft. This will take a bigger investment of your time, but with the coming MOSAIC regulation professional builder-assist centers are expected to expand notably.
Lots of Piper Cherokee models are also available. Get a qualified mechanic to look one over carefully before buying; some have “colorful” histories.
Dan finished, “I thought that making entry-level planes more affordable through mass production to get more pilots flying was the original purpose of the LSA movement? What we ended up is a bunch of boutique manufacturers, each offering SLSA that appeal to someone who might otherwise buy a sportscar in the same price range.”
The truth is lots of people had expectations about the Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft regulation introduced in September 2004. “Mass production” was never one of the goals.
Likewise, some membership organizations expected a huge new wave of pilots that would join their organizations. That was not a realistic assumption, either. What we did get was a simpler pilot certificate with no medical exam required and a profusion of aircraft of many types. When the choices are many, the suppliers may be smaller. In fact, I have often used Dan E’s term “boutique manufacturer” and I still think that is appropriate.
Since Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft was introduced, we got 156 new models and we now have many good used LSA, often with just a few hundred hours on them. If you look long enough, I’m confident you can find something worthwhile, and you can find somebody to keep it maintained for you. A central goal of ByDanJohnson.com is to help you find them.
Can Anyone Help?
The good news? — After 17 years of Light-Sport Aircraft, a nationwide — even a worldwide — network of aircraft sellers, maintenance centers, flight schools, and builder-assist centers are available. You can can look throughout this website by using our Advanced Search to find them. Keep in mind you may need to travel to find the right airplane or the right mechanic.
This is U.S. Sport Planes based in Denton, Texas (DTO). Aviation. Curiously, that’s a Kappa KP5 in the front left, the predecessor to the Skyleader that started this article. They are prepping it for a new customer, perhaps you?
I cannot personally address every inquiry but you can find most enterprises using the resources on this website. For many years, one of our most-used features is the SLSA List, which is filled with links. Using it will work better than most search engines.
Finally, in the age of social media, many aircraft types have a Facebook group that caters to that brand. Pilots who own the aircraft of your dreams can be very helpful in finding good purchases or good mechanics. Of course just because you “read it on the Internet” doesn’t mean a fact is true. Please seek out second (or more) opinions before buying and before engaging a mechanic. The better companies will get great reviews from their customers.
Good luck and tail winds, everyone! Fly safely and often.
Here are some vintage videos showing what may now be used Light-Sport Aircraft. Visit Dave Loveman‘s Light Sport and Ultralight Flyer YouTube channel for hundreds more.
And, here’s a whole playlist of very affordable Light-Sport Aircraft aircraft… (28 short videos).
The last airshow of 2021 is over. The Christmas holidays are beginning to dominate everyone’s calendar. Yet recreational pilots — being enthusiastic aviators — are thinking about flying in 2022.
The Covid pandemic of 2020/2021 appears not to have slowed enjoyment of flying for fun… for most of us anyway. I sincerely regret anyone who suffered during this period but sport aviation has held up surprisingly well.
In this article, I will tackle a couple reader questions, the sort I hear all the time. To answer several people with one response, I asked reader John Joyce if I could use his question and name. He consented, so here we go…
Buyers Without Remorse
John started, “Skyleader 600 looks like a great aircraft. I had actually just noticed this model a couple days ago because there is a used one listed for sale on the Web. As a potential first time buyer, I would be interested to have you address the question of service for these smaller manufacturers.
This website regularly promotes affordable aviation. Can you genuinely find an aircraft you like that is affordable? If so, are the smaller shows — ones I call “sector-specific” — the place to find them?
The truth is that every time I survey vendors at these two events — plus the 
Aeropup is a “back to basics flying machine with modern engineering,” said Don when we spoke at DeLand Showcase 2021. He added that it is “extraordinarily rugged and an extraordinary value.” What kind of value?
I cannot / should not fail to mention 
Speaking of electric propulsion — though not so much about affordability — I can never overlook 
Finally, floats. If you like flying off the water — or the safely aspect of quadrupling your available landing areas — you gotta have something to keep your bird out of the drink. Several other producers make floats but an old friend, Lavern Dence, showed one of the coolest ideas I’ve seen on light aircraft floats. No, I don’t mean his use of a beautiful color-speckled carbon fiber, which looks reddish in the nearby photo but his business card made from the exotic cloth had blue accents; either way it is very striking.
Those LSA veterans may be recalling Kappa KP5, one of the earliest entries on our SLSA List (#9). It was originally sold under the European brand name Jihlavan and that challenging name for Americans may be a good reason the Czech producer changed to the better marketing name, 
In the interview, Michael also provides other desirable features of the Skyleader 600.
To save you plowing through a 4,200-word article — though some may enjoy the great detail — I present some excerpts below …again noting this that is not the latest info. To truly grasp what a fine Light-Sport Aircraft Skyleader 600 is, I urge to you link up with Michael Tomazin at an airshow. He attends the big events and you may also find him again at the 
Several years ago, company engineers altered the design for American consumption, widening the cockpit to 47.2 inches, 8 inches wider than a Cessna 172 Skyhawk.
With fixed gear and prop, glide remains a very respectable 14:1 (for comparison, a Cessna 150 has a published glide of 9.5:1). I could feel our test plane stretch a glide and sink slowly.
You can read the entire report for lots more information if you wish, but here’s the way I started the earlier report, “I’ve felt before and confirmed again that KP-5 (now Skyleader 500) is one of the sweetest handling Special Light-Sport Aircraft in the fleet.”
Great existing designs, a high-end model, other fascinating forays that upped the game, and a full market of choices — what does a new high-end entrant have to do? A lot! Breaking into this well-supplied sector of light aviation demands an impressive entry. Vickers appears well poised to bring something truly interesting and one built with the future in mind. It also got the 
In retrospect, 2021 improved on surprisingly good results for 2020. Pilots are buying and flying — great! — while producers are maintaining or growing; both are good outcomes we can celebrate.
It may be too early for this kind of thing, and I don’t typically go very far into gift suggestions. I know most of you visit ByDanJohnson.com to read nuts-and-bolts information and airplane flight qualities, but many pilots have those dark, cloudy days of winter ahead when flying our recreational aircraft is less predictable.
Such is the nature of developing a small aircraft. Most aircraft buyers have little idea about the million and one things that must come together to create a design.
Nonetheless, I was pleased to receive a notice that Ion found a buyer for the project, a venture capital company at that. This will not be a mom-and-pop-funded project.
Located near the University of California San Diego, the capital company is involved with other projects including business jets and eVTOLs plus medical and financial products. Since the acquisition is recent, it is premature to describe where and how Gaea will produce the aircraft.
After the acquisition, Tim updated his earlier communications, “The 
Back in 1998 many pilots were doubtful about Cirrus.
Rotax powers all kinds of recreational vehicles and recently announced, “
BRP President and CEO José Boisjoli invited guests of honor from the parent company plus Rotax employees to celebrate this success.
Yet designers have been hampered from making such changes, partly as they are burdened by a certification system that is simply too rigid to make the effort of approval worth it for small numbers of specially-equipped aircraft.
In the more intimate world of recreational aviation, the industry is composed of much smaller enterprises. A lighter regulatory hand (using ASTM standards instead of full FAA certification) allows easier airframe customization for specific purposes — such as hand control fittings and linkages — and this system allows changes on a dramatically faster schedule.
It may be tough to abide by many pages of rules yet some developers have made special efforts for pilots that lack the use of their legs.
Founded in 2013 in Bahia, Brazil by aeronautical designer Bruno de Oliveira, Montaer developed MC01 as a fresh Light-Sport Aircraft based on the 
When Bruno created a hand control, he integrated it as smoothly as everything else on MC01 (check all the pictures to see for yourself). The handle accommodates throttle movements (fore-and-aft) and rudder/nosewheel movements by twisting.
Recently Bruno wrote, “I am so happy to announce this delivery. We got the handicapped-adapted airplane registered to its new owner, Gary Hansen of Wisconsin.” He added that prior U.S. representative Ed Ricks helped assemble Gary’s MC01.
Alex added his congratulations, “USA has another Montaer MC01 aircraft flying today, a bold project adapted for a physically handicapped person. A few months after submitting the project to FAA, we achieved acceptance so the aircraft can be released to its customer. We are sure Gary will be very happy with his machine.”
You may love your LSA or Sport Pilot kit or an ultralight aircraft, but nearly all pilots occasionally dream of owning — or at least flying — a P-51 Mustang.
As you see from the timeline above, it has taken a while for the twists and turns of development to unravel themselves. Now ScaleWings appears to be firing on all cylinders. Recently, ScaleWings announced they starting shipping Quick Build kits (see nearby image).
SW-51 began life as the FK-51. Alert readers will recognize that “FK” refers to FK Lightplanes, a German design company lead by Peter Funk. For years, Peter manufactured popular designs such as FK-9 that sold hundreds of units. Peter developed other designs including the biplane aerobatic Comet, the sleek Polaris LeMans, and several wonderful vintage recreations. His interest was in the creation and development of designs, though; Peter was less enamored of the manufacturing side of the business, so he turned to others.
FK, working with ScaleWings as a consultant, hoped to build one a week starting as early as 2015. It never happened. Whatever the challenges Rolland faced, they proved insurmountable. Production of all FK airplanes slowed to a crawl. FK-51 went dark.
Christian and Sebastian recently sent news about ScaleWings Aircraft launching shipments of a “Quick-Build Kit” of the SW-51 Mustang.
So… can you afford this beauty? Nautrally, that depends on your individual budget. Kit prices reflect the work involved in fabricating parts.
Kit manufacturers do not apply for the aircraft registration so they often have to determine their flying fleet by other means. Readers can investigate further with our complete list of registered light aircraft using 
Excalibur is listed on FAA’s 51% approved list, Tom assured, meaning that the low build time has been through the FAA Kit Evaluation Team’s multi-page checklist to assure the owner does truly build 51% of the kit as per current regulation. For those less certain of their skills, builder-assist centers are allowed now and this idea is set to develop further as FAA’s issues its in-the-works 
Excalibur can also carry a good load. Tom said it has a 600 useful load capacity. With the standard 10 gallons of fuel, that leaves a whopping 540 pounds for occupants and gear. Fuel capacity can be optional increased to 28 gallons.
As Tom suggests about Excalibur, all those Avid Flyer variations claimed to have differences… “improvements” their developers prefer to call them.
I’m a great enthusiast of soaring flight. Over decades of sampling a large number of aircraft of every description, I’m still drawn to a machine, which lacking any kind of powerplant, relies on the performance of the design and the skill of the pilot to stay aloft. I remain fascinated with locating rising columns of heated air. Circle well enough into one of these invisible thermals and you may be rewarded with an invigorating sensation of lift, of riding the swirling airmass thousands of feet into the air …silently. It’s mesmerizing to observe the ground fall away as you are propelled higher and higher.
Though awkwardly named, to English speakers at least, Sinus boasts long and slender but very hard-working wings that permit this SLSA motorglider to glide 27:1, giving the ability to reach more than 10 miles from only 2,000 feet above ground (assuming no lift or sink). Even if you don’t care about soaring, a glide path that flat can get you to a safe landing in many more situations.
You can 
Roger wrote, “A local glider pilot, John Wahl, has been forecasting mountain wave for the Moriarty, New Mexico area but never getting much real feedback as to the accuracy of his predictions.” Mountain waves form when moving air rises over mountainous terrain. As the air rushes up the slope, layers above repeat the lift. Upper air is pushed aloft by the lower atmosphere climbing a mountain’s windward side
Robert continues, “In late October 2021, he forecast wave for a Saturday so I borrowed Hugh Bivin’s Sinus, N21PX, and took John along to see if the wave would be as forecast. We had his plots of where it should start and end geographically. We had oxygen, a data logger, warm clothes, and a sense of adventure.
“We saw a line of clouds had formed along the forecasted direction. We got to the upwind side about 15 miles west of Moriarty and turned to run parallel to it. These were the roll clouds [sometimes associated with wave conditions] but really did not look much like a traditional roll cloud. They were just a line of not very tall cumulus. But we started to see an increased climb rate some distance upwind of them. We were about 8,500 feet above sea level. I slowly brought the power to idle but we did not climb, so I returned back to climb thrust. A short time later I tried that again and we found ourselves climbing with idle power. I shut off the motor and feathered the prop. We were still climbing! It became very quiet.
“John was very happy, as was I. His forecast was validated under unusual conditions.
“This flight could not have been done except in a motorglider, and the fact it was done in a Sinus made it all the more interesting. I figured we used about 3 gallons of fuel. The flight was not just for fun but to validate John’s forecast model; so there was a strong sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Today the manufacturing of CGS’s Hawk line falls to two entities after the brand’s most recent rescuer, Terry Short, chose to focus on his own strengths. Terry had saved the design from its second owner after the original creator, Chuck, retired from the business. When Terry got busy building airplanes and supplying parts, he realized that it was a more diverse enterprise than originally anticipated. Therefore he was open when Bob Santom approached him.
In 2017, Bob Santom and his wife Marlene came to agreement and the Santom family took over rights and production of all CGS Hawk single-seat aircraft. This includes the Classic, Arrow I, Sport, Plus, and Ultra. As he operates “CGS Hawk Single and Ultra,” Bob is assisted by his two sons, LB and Jonah, though the latter is part time as he has a full-time gig with Cirrus Design. 
In 2019, Terry also reached agreement with 
When Danny Dezauche took over the design, he did what he could, but I examined what he received and he faced a major challenge. The documentation needed quite a bit of work. Danny kept the brand alive but he was realistic about the daunting amount of work ahead. It was probably appropriate when 
With Hawk, you just buy sewn Dacron “sails,” a term carried over from the days when such wing coverings were adapted from sailboat sails. You slip them on, tighten them up, and you are largely done. Years later, when replacement may be needed, you can simply buy a new set of sails, which is much lower cost and far less labor than recovering (though dope and fabric coverings may go many years with no need of replacement). Dacron sails are $3,100 so the covered kit price is $15,600 before engine.
Whatever your choice, the engine may run $3,000 to $6,000. Add a few instruments and a couple other refinements and your Hawk Ultra could total $22,000 to $25,000 in flying form.
Let’s keep a focus on aircraft affordability. Look, we love recreational aircraft. In how they deliver enjoyment, they are closer to boats, RVs, and motorcycles than they are to a Cirrus SR22 or a Bonanza.
FAA’s July 2021 enforcement action opened a Pandora’s Box and has dramatically affected flight instruction in recreational aircraft of many types.
Based on many airshow conversations, I believe many of you share some qualities with Wes. He’s a longtime A&P mechanic who works for HondaJet in avionics using his electrical engineering background. Let’s just say he’s handy and knowledgeable. Many kit builders I’ve met also bring skills and experience to a project.
In Wes’s case, his electrical engineering skills and hands-on experience encourages him to seek out interesting aircraft which have work remaining or repairs needed for its electrical system. You may possess particular skills you could apply similarly.
This method didn’t always work perfectly. An investment in a Van’s RV-3, for its engine in particular, proved to be a “learning experience.” Wes hoped he could energize a Beech Skipper that needed a more potent engine but a required STC turned out not to be available, so that project was less profitable.
Numerous reports involve rising inflation in the last year. What’s driving this? Despite public spending at levels never seen before, inflation had seemed tame and the economy appears remarkably strong even after the last year and a half of dislocations and restrictions?
Numerous importers of LSA and other products have told me how their container shipping expenses have shot skyward faster than a Blue Origin space flight with a billionaire on board. I’ve heard many quote between double and triple the rates per container compared to a couple years ago. Welcome to the world of inflation-stimulated price increases combined with tariffs, sanctions, and taxes… all of which are on the rise globally.
The bad news is… until then, uncertainty is the watchword. When people don’t know what is ahead — either on the producer level or at the consumer level — individuals tend to hesitate. Aircraft sales people have full order books right now and hopefully that will sustain them through any dry spell.
Simply put, a LSA selling for $81,000 in 2021 is priced the same (in purchasing power) as $60,000 was in 2004 when the SP/LSA rule was announced at Oshkosh that year.
On the final day of the 
Various other producers have adapted this general shape and developed their own versions. I’ve reported on at least six such: CH-750 (the original, along with the 701); ICP’s Savannah of Italy, SP30 from Russia, Sila from Serbia, and G1 from France. Even this list is not complete. G1 was reportedly modeled after yet another, the now-discontinued Alisport Puma. Clearly, this is a popular form of aircraft. Read G1 America’s 
Mark said they estimate someone with average mechanical aptitude will need only 300 hours to assemble the kit. A customer who has built any kit previously could possibly assemble G1 in significantly less time, Mark believes.
Since to my similar talk a year ago — when I introduced the then-recently-devised term of Light Personal Aircraft …which is now gone! — lots and lots of pilots have written wondering if this or that general aviation airplane could be included as a LSA. Here’s my response.
So, how could a Sport Pilot be allowed to fly a larger aircraft, or possibly one with four seats, or one with retractable gear? All that is up to Flight Standards, the group that makes decisions about pilot privileges and flight operations. Unlike the aircraft certification department that is giving more work to industry (who might then chose methods they prefer), Flight Standards is unlikely to hand over any work to the industry.
I flew 
As head of Magnus Aircraft’s U.S. operation, Doma is an ideal candidate. He has worked in the factory in Hungary for some years, as head of communications and marketing. As the Hungarian company sought to pursue business in America, the leadership sent Doma to Texas to help Fusion 212 earn its SLSA Special Airworthiness Certificate.
