With the chance to fly and learn both Dynon SkyView and Garmin 796, I have become a fan of each. Dynon is dominant in Light-Sport Aircraft instrument panels for very good reasons. They work well and don’t cost an arm and a leg. Their Synthetic Vision is superb. However, much as I have come to love those big, beautiful, all-color digital instruments, you must resort to a button or joystick to make changes. Those of us spoiled by our smartphones and iPads have become accustomed to touch. So, no wonder that I also fell in love with the all-touch 796. It works a lot like my iPad and finding things is reasonably easy … a few functions are hidden behind menu layers but on whole, the 796 is a brilliant bit of engineering design. However, in bumpy air, I’ve had to learn a technique of hanging a thumb or finger on the bezel to steady my hand as I try to select certain functions by touch.
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Mid-November 2012 LSA News Wrap
Good to Go in China Things are happening in China. “So, what’s new,” you say? “We’ve been hearing about China for months.” Things may move slowly in China but this week, Airshow China is happening in the southern city of Zhuhai and my colleague, Jan Fridrich is present. He reports that some LSA are displayed including Triton’s Mermaid and SC3D (based on the SportCruiser), Flight Design’s CTSW, Colyaer’s Freedom, and some other aircraft he is working to identify. Watch for a followup article. Triton is the new China-based factory run by Chip Erwin. ••• LSA leader CubCrafters gained Type Certificate approval in China for their Part 23-certified Top Cub. General Manager Randy Lervold said they have taken no steps with the LSA models but that they expect to pursue that in the future. Meanwhile, though the company announced the sale of two Carbon Cubs in Europe, they are taking a similarly measured approach using Permit to Fly privileges for now.
LSA News Wrap — Rotax-Icon-Tecnam-More
Another busy week finished a very active August that has seen high readership… for which we sincerely thank you. Following are some brief news stories in the LSA space.
*** ROTAX “EMERGENCY AD?” Aviation media was all over the Rotax “Emergency AD” story, but is that entirely accurate? Aren’t LSA subject to manufacturer-issued SBs or Service Bulletins rather than Airworthiness Directives, which are normally issued by FAA for certified aircraft? Well, “yes,” said Rotax expert Phil Lockwood. He explained that the matter in question — some fuel lines that need to be replaced — was a result of a vendor change bringing some incorrect components. “Rotax issued a Service Bulletin last spring on this subject,” Phil added. The so-called “emergency AD” was triggered by an EASA issuance primarily for certified Rotax engines in Europe. Rotax BRP is a very careful company that is quick to correct problems and this was something of delayed reaction that again appears to show the certified world may not respond as quickly as the LSA sector.
LSA & Lightplane Highlights at Oshkosh 2012
In the near future, we’ll present fuller stories of some of the following short bits from Oshkosh 2012. With UltralightMews, we shot videos on most of the following, too, so watch for those as we can post them. Enjoy!
CESSNA & PRIMARY CATEGORY Early on in the week, Cessna announced they would transition their LSA Skycatcher to Primary Aircraft status. That requires a Type Certificate and FAA production approval but the Wichita giant can do this handily even if will add some cost. More on in a later article. However, here’s a way Cessna can recapture some 80 orders from Europeans cancelled earlier this year. On a more fun note, it was a pleasure to meet all nine of their youthful ambassadors that worked in the Discover Flying Challenge program. We shot a video featuring each participant and we’ll post that as soon as possible. (In the near future, we’ll feature a brief review of Primary Category versus LSA.)
AHOY, AKOYA!
SeaMax Illustrates a Point About Niche LSA
One of the oft-repeated questions about this new thing called Light-Sport Aircraft is: “When will the shakeout occur? When will some of these 75 companies [who certified a SLSA] disappear… and which ones will fail?” *** First, my ability to see the future is no better than anyone else. We’ve lost a few suppliers (Taylorcraft, Urban Air, Spain’s CAG, Higher Class). But as a longtime observer of many sport aviation segments, here’s my view: (1) The current market leaders — the top dozen or so — will likely remain as they’ve already proven themselves. Remember, many overseas brands have world markets so they don’t rely 100% on U.S. sales. And should they fail, it will most likely be due to business practices, not their aircraft design. A few newcomers will enter the top ranks, including such legacy brands as Cessna (which has presently delivered so few Skycatchers that the giant manufacturer is not yet in the Top 20).