Getting into the New Year garage cleanup spirit, the FAA has amended its Part 61 flight training rule, finalized in 2009, with some needed clarifications and corrections.The stated purpose is to “revise the training, qualification, certification, and operating requirements for pilots, flight instructors, ground instructors, and pilot schools.” *** The primary change as it relates to our corner of the aviation universe: Flight examiners giving the checkride for the Sport Pilot ticket do not need a medical certificate as long as they have a U.S. driver’s license: i.e. the same self-certification of competence to fly requirement that governs the Sport Pilot license qualification. ***
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Beauty and the Bird — Do Esthetics Matter?
Even those who are not Apple fans agree the trend-setting California company’s focus on design beauty draws attention to their products. From their position near the back of the pack a dozen years ago, Apple has become the most valuable tech company in the world. Could this be due to their highly-refined sense of esthetics? More to the point of aviation enthusiasts, is artful design an ingredient in pleasing customers? *** I don’t know what all buyers are thinking but beauty has long enhanced the appeal of most consumer products. It seems the so-called niche aircraft producers have gotten this message perfectly well. Especially this is true for those products that have emerged since Light-Sport Aircraft burst upon the aviation scene. *** Creators of new LSA seaplane designs in particular seemed to have found the religion of design esthetics. Icon leads the pack with their stunning — and extremely well presented — A5.
LSA News Bits as 2011 Draws to a Close
In 36 hours or so, Chief Pilot S. Claus will be on final for a few billion chimneys worldwide. Here’s what’s popping up in one of my last looks at LSA news webwide for 2011. Meanwhile, my best wishes for a Merry Flying Christmas and new flight horizons for all in 2012! *** Cubcrafters flexes its market success muscle with a new manufacturing facility and the hiring — yes, hiring! — of new personnel to build its popular LSA Piper Cub clones. *** A newly leased 15,000-square-foot building near the Yakima, Washington airport boosts existing capacity by almost 40% and is already in operation. Congrats to CubCrafters and we wish you continued success. *** Included are a new welding shop and CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) machine shop. *** The new space will make room in the main plant for an R&D facility and an updated, more centralized parts department. *** Owner Jim Richmond says, “Our planes are selling well, and if we get even a little help from the economy, we will need to increase our production rate.” *** Check out those job openings.
FK Lightplanes Earns SLSA #123: FK12 Comet
As they’ve done numerous times, Hansen Air Group — a team of dedicated pilots, nearly all of whom fly or formerly flew airliners for their day job — has helped shepherd another Light-Sport Aircraft through the ASTM standards process to get a FAA airworthiness certificate. The Altanta area importer has done this with several aircraft including some Tecnam models, Sky Arrow, and Peregrine. In recent months, Hansen took over U.S. import duties for FK Lightplanes, which has facilities in Germany and Poland. *** Welcome to SLSA #123, the dashing FK12 Comet biplane. FK12 is the first-ever biplane to win SLSA approval, the second qualified LSA for FK Lightplanes, and the second LSA type to arrive in the USA for aerobatic flight (the first was the Snap from SportairUSA). FK12 made a first official U.S. appearance in the LSA Mall at AirVenture 2011 (as did Snap).
A Pair of New SLSA Arrive Before AOPA Summit 2011
Just in time for this year’s AOPA Summit, welcome to a pair of Special Light-Sport Aircraft, numbers 121 and 122: the first, the formerly named NG 5 LSA, rebadged as the Bristell Fastback by importer Liberty Sport Aviation of Pennsylvania; and the second being the fourth approval for Pipistrel, specifically for their Sinus motorglider (previous Pipistrel approvals included the Virus, Virus SW, and Taurus). *** NG 5 LSA was not previously offered in the U.S. though it was sold in Europe as the NG 4 from Roko Aero. When Roko closed its doors production stopped for the NG 4. It became NG 5 as the company reformed into BRM Aero. Changes occur in any industry but Bristell Fastback designer, Milan Bristela, is a steady hand on the joystick known for his foundational work on the SportCruiser (for a year known as the PiperSport) that is presently ranked #2 in U.S.
The Great LSA Tour Continues Down Texas Way
At the recently concluded Midwest LSA Expo in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, SportairUSA boss Bill Canino and American Legend rep’ Dave Graham confirmed the continuation of a successful series called the LSA Tour. This traveling show-after-the-show concept set in motion a plan to follow airshows with a tour of several LSA manufacturers or importers. The idea is that many interested aviators cannot make the airshows for various reasons. So, as exhibitors head home they schedule a series of stops that may bring the show to your home field. *** The start of the LSA Tour followed the Sebring show in January 2011 with a series of stops in Florida. Then after the Sun ‘n Fun show, a group of vendors went to Georgia and North Carolina. Another series happened in Colorado. Now they’ll be invading Texas, specifically the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, an expansive aviation concentration of 50 airports within the 30 nm traffic area surrounding DFW, according to Graham.
Broad Smiles After AirVenture Oshkosh 2011
Reports continue positively for results at AirVenture 2011… despite FAA’s partial shutdown, a media frenzy over the USA’s debt ceiling, a roller coaster ride in the stock markets, and a continuing bum housing market plus general uncertainty. If you can smile after all that, things must be improving. *** GAMA’s report of Type Certified aircraft deliveries for the first half of 2011 shows sales remain far below manufacturing capacity. Thanks significantly to Cessna’s hastened deliveries of Skycatcher, the LSA sector is surviving a bit better; of course, LSA sell many less units than GA and account for much smaller dollar volume. Here’s more evidence of improvement… •• Icon Aircraft announced they secured 143 delivery position sales ($286,000 raked in) at AirVenture for their sexy new A5, expected on the market perhaps by 2012. Icon generously donated 10% of the take to EAA Young Eagles program. •• Flight Design continues to log orders for its LSA but their new four seat C4 has now garnered nearly 100 delivery position orders (at $7,000 apiece).
AirVenture 2011 Wrap-Up and Summary
Oshkosh 2011 is history. By numerous accounts, this was a vast improvement over 2010 when the comments commonly went, “Well, I had some interest (in my airplane) and I hope to sell one or two… maybe.” This year I had easily 30 conversations revealing either outright positive successful results or varyingly robust mood indicators such as, “Looks like aviation has life in it again.” I heard from sellers and customers and rarely had to solicit their opinions. *** A number of aircraft purveyors said they took cash deposits and wrote firm contracts. I estimate about 30 aircraft sales by this method. Companies like Icon, Flight Design, and Terrafugia sold a large number of future delivery positions (more than 50, more than 60, and “several,” respectively). *** Icon neared or crossed the 500-on-order point, partly by “testing elasticity” in the pre-order market by lowering the A5 seaplane deposit to $2,000 from $5,000.
LSA Registration Numbers: The Gang of Six!
Winged buddy Dan Johnson and his colleague Jan Fridrich, head of LAMA Europe, just posted Jan’s exhaustive parsing of the LSA registration data and came up with some shockers. *** Dan calls it the LSA Market Share Report. The first thing he notes is apparent stability in the marketplace: overall registration numbers for the first half of 2011 are about the same as last year, he says, so at least the industry didn’t fall off from that tough year. The pace is on track to better 2009’s 177 total registrations and 2010’s 202. *** In 2010, 48 came from Cessna, which, when subtracted from the total, gives you 154 for the whole year for the rest of the fleet. *** So, looking again at 2011’s first half of 126, subtracting Cessna’s numbers from the total of 126 yields just 72. *** Double that (144) and we could end up with even fewer registrations than 2010, (not counting Cessna) although at just 10 less it’s not an earthshaking falloff unless you want to be a worrywart and consider 2009, which had 177 total…and none from Cessna.
Aero 2011: LSA Companies Grow… Expanding Into GA
Update 9/24/14 — Added to the models below, South Africa’s The Airplane Factory is also offering their four seat Sling 4. This model is flying but a decision about certifying it has not been made at this time. It is presently available as a kit-built airplane.
Some of the more successful Light-Sport Aircraft producers have their eye on the market for larger aircraft, those able to seat four… or more. While continuing to manufacture their LSA models, three companies showed bigger aircraft or mockups at Aero 2011 and one other company has already done extensive test flying. Look out Cessna, Piper, Diamond, and Cirrus! Those familiar GA brands are about to get new competition. *** The first of this emerging segment was the Evektor Cobra, dating back more than four years. Previously marketed at shows like Oshkosh, Cobra was promoted with alternate powerplants of 200 and 315 horsepower. Joining Cobra in the roughly 2,500-pound gross weight category (approximately the weight of a Cessna 172) are three newcomers: Tecnam’s P2010, Flight Design’s C4, and Pipistrel’s Panthera (photos).
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