Do you know when you’re an airshow junkie, ‘er… enthusiast? Answer: When you actually enjoy observing the set-up process. I’ve made the following observation many times.
The night before opening, with literally hours before the show starts, the place appears in a state of chaos. Pandemonium reigns. Vehicles, crates, equipment of every kind is seemingly strewn about as if by a storm (which did do some damage on Saturday night, ironically most affecting those who started earlier).
Every show I think, “No way can they get this or that exhibit ready in the 10-15 hours before the main gates open to hundreds of thousands of visitors.”
Yet every show on opening day, I find myself saying, “What?! It’s all done!” Did they work all night? Even if staff was willing to work all night, it seemed unlikely to get the job done mere hours earlier. Maybe it’s magic or Santa’s Elves.
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It’s Winter, So Let’s Talk Seaplanes — Aero Adventure’s Affordable Amphibious Aircraft
It’s cold up north. So, time for a winter boat show? What’s that got to do with seaplanes? Why don’t organizers present the Minneapolis Boat Show in spring or summer? Fact: Minnesota owns 30% more boats per capita than any other American state. Wisconsin is in third while South Carolina is second. Florida leads the nation in registered boats but it has a larger population than Minnesota.
Who cares about boats (or seaplanes) in the dead of winter? Well, what better way to endure icy streets and frigid temperatures than to go look at boats and dream of using them come summer — Plan Ahead!
As with airplanes, boats can’t be built overnight, so ordering early ensures that when the lakes finally do open up, fun starts quickly thereafter.
Affordable Aventura
I know the word “affordable” is packed with meaning and that it signifies something different to each individual. Nonetheless, I think it’s correct to state Aero Adventure makes some the most affordable amphibians* on the market.
Aero Showcase — Day Two: Was This the First Mosaic LSA Show?
As I departed DeLand airport on Saturday at the close of Aero Showcase 2022, I recalled multiple conversations with attendees regarding the airplanes on display. Over and over I was asked if one of the displayed aircraft could benefit from a higher weight under Mosaic rules.
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.
However, many — perhaps a third, maybe half — of all LSA on the market today have actually been constructed and tested to carry somewhat higher weights.
Aero Showcase — Day One: Inaugural Event Starts Well with Sales Logged
I have long recognized that one of the toughest things a group can do is decide to launch and operate a new event. I think this is probably true outside of aviation as well but it’s certainly tough to do with airshows where weather is one of many factors you need to consider.
With that in mind I would say that Day One of Aero Showcase 2022 — the rebadged and revised version of the five-year-old DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase — should be judged a success.
Coming Together
As I arrived on Friday morning, a weekday and therefore a workday for many, I was pleasantly surprised to see nearly every airplane present had a small cluster of people around it. Organizers benefited from a beautiful day in the mid-70s and the outlook for Saturday is equally good. Weather is forecast in the upper-70s with mostly sunny skies and almost no chance of rain.
It’s Almost Fall 2022 and It’s Time for Two Favorite Light-Sport Aircraft Aviation Events
As Labor Day approaches each year, pilots in the Midwest U.S. — and some from much further away — start heading to Mt. Vernon, Illinois. About an hour’s drive East of St. Louis, Missouri, Mt. Vernon is home to a dedicated sector show that has emerged as a favorite.
This is the 14th year for the Midwest LSA Expo, so airport manager and all-around good guy Chris Collins is starting to psyche up for his benchmark 15th year in 2023. Putting this in perspective, that’s as old as the Sebring LSA Expo ever got before it disbanded. I’ll bet Chris never really thought about running one of the most established shows in the country.
While I cannot speak for every attendee, I can tell you that vendors return year after year for a very good reason: they sell airplanes. Pilots can thoroughly examine an airplane and perhaps make their decision.
Flying the TL Sport Aircraft Stream — Tandem Speedster: Solid and Predictable
After Sun ‘n Fun 2022 ended, as pilots were flying home to bases across the USA, a couple aircraft stopped nearby at the DeLand Airport. As this is only a 25-minute drive from my office, I grabbed the chance to fly both the TL Sport Aircraft Stream and their high wing Sirius.
I captured video from multiple cameras for each aircraft; watch for our video pilot report soon. While the video is in editing, I will give a short review of the Stream. This was a new experience for me.
As flown, TL’s Stream is in Experimental-Exhibition category. That will suffice for a few examples, but the future involving Mosaic may be inviting for Stream, so the model could get a leg up on some competitors by establishing a U.S. presence before Mosaic becomes the governing regulation.
Immersive Tandem
My demo pilot, TL Sport Aircraft boss Trey Murdaugh offered the front seat but I requested the aft seat so I could better observe his actions; it also helped record video.
PREVIEW: Sun ‘n Fun 2022 — What I’m Checking Out at the Season-Opening Airshow
When Sun ‘n Fun 2022 starts, a signal can be heard ’round the world. The message? It’s time for a new season of recreational flying.
After we got the LSA Mall set up to receive a flock of airplanes, I was able to get around the sprawling Sun ‘n Fun campus to see what else I planned to cover as the show begins. It starts Tuesday the 5th and runs through Sunday the 10th. I hope you can make it but if not, I’ll be reporting on the aircraft that I think may interest you.
One extra treat — for me and for you: my YouTube partner, Videoman Dave has been able to escape Canada and turned up at Sun ‘n Fun. We’ll return to our usual drill of roving around doing video interviews. I’m happy as Dave is highly knowledgeable about the same kind of aircraft I report and we’ve learned to work well together, making somewhere approaching 1,000 videos.
AeroSport, LLC
AeroSport, LLC BushCat offers a distinctive Light-Sport Aircraft within reach of almost any budget and available in multiple configurations. BushCat by SkyReach is fun and capable and available as a kit fully-built SLSA or ELSA.”
Up or Down? How Flies the Light Aircraft Industry in this Strange Year?
By any measure 2020 has been an unusual year. While millions were thrown out of work by lockdowns to prevent the virus from spreading, we all read or hear that plenty of other workers can work from home or have businesses that cannot be restricted by government decrees.
In this context, how might the aviation industry be holding up? We read — and some brave travelers have experienced first-hand — how the airline industry is in a deep hole, prompting large layoffs.
In this third quarter report for the calendar year, I’ll look at some numbers for general aviation manufacturers as well as the light aviation industry that has my full focus.
The short answer: some are doing surprisingly well.
Light-Sport Aircraft
Before I launch into an analysis, I must extend grateful thanks to Datastician Extraordinaire, Steve Beste, who does such a comprehensive job compiling and demystifying data from FAA’s aircraft registration database.
Did It Work? Midwest Light-Sport Expo 2020 — the Year’s Final Airshow
Lots of doubters expressed their opinions in the weeks and days before Mt. Vernon’s 12th running of this sector-specific event. Did it work? Were the naysayers right or wrong?
I will express one person’s opinion but reflect a number of comments I heard: “Thank goodness for Mt. Vernon airport manager Chris Collins and his contingent of orange-shirted volunteers who hosted this event,” making it another success.
To me, “success” means no accidents (none happened) and a decent turn-out that got pilots in new aircraft and vendors the sales that sustain them (both happened).
Summarizing Midwest 2020
In a typical year, Midwest attracts 1,500 or more pilots for the three days of event. My casual estimate is that 2020 was at least as strong as before and perhaps it was even up a bit. No one knows more. Midwest does not charge a fee to enter and more than one entry gate would make any effort to count heads futile.