Search Results for : Gobosh

More than 20 Top LSA You Can Buy
The light-sport aircraft industry hangs in there, although sales numbers, as with general aviation, still struggle to gain safe altitude in the stormy economic skies. Encouraging item: LSA sales in 2009 represented nearly 25% of all GA piston purchases. Another surprise: Most of the 107 models available for sale here and abroad are still in production with more new models in the pipeline! Nobody’s getting rich (this is aviation, remember?), but most makers believe the turnaround will come. That’s the spirit!
And with the Euro taking heat against the dollar lately as Europe goes through its own econoclysm, U.S. prices for foreign-produced LSA could drop. Many airframe makers lowered prices, but the industry still faces challenges: ongoing dyspepsia imbued by the sluggish recovery; market recognition… many people still aren’t aware of what an LSA is, maybe that’s why 20% of all U.S. sales in the U.S.

For all you LSA California Dreamers out there, one of the oldest LSA schools in the southwest is worth a closer look.*** San Diego Sport Flyers has been rolling the LSA dice for more than two years now and reports it has grown to 50 members and claims to get “several calls per day pertaining to the Sport Pilot license.” *** AOPA recently praised the LSA school for its “right stuff” — and that was an unsolicited rave. *** The school just added a Legend Cub to the fleet and plans to bring on the Icon A5 once it’s through testing and development, too, sometime next year. *** Already online are the Gobosh 700, SportCruiser and Sting Sport shown. *** Tom Ellery, President of the operation, told Plane & Pilot editor Jessica Ambats recently that two high school students just got their Sport Pilot tickets and a 70-year-old student will solo soon.

Could my spot survey of just a few LSA companies at the show be the harbinger of better things to come?  American Legend Aircraft prez Darrin Hart told me yesterday his company had sold three S-LSA and two Texas Star Cub kits…only three days into the show. *** Dave Graham of Gobosh reports two sales of the popular low-wing Gobosh 700. *** CubCrafters has tallied at least one sale so far. *** And Paradise Aviation’s Chris Regis had one firm sale and another one ready to ink. *** You go gang!

After a few days in a new location for 2010, the LSA Mall hosted by LAMA and supported by Aviators Hot Line / Light Aviation Edition has proven to be a hit. On Friday (day 4), crowds were especially thick. All 18 airplanes in the Mall were often surrounded several deep. *** Winds finally moderated into a beautiful Florida day. Cameras, videos, and phone cameras clicked furiously as visitors pored over the flock of shiny aircraft. *** In particular the PiperSport attracted waves of attention but all exhibitors appeared busy throughout the morning and early afternoon (when people stream into the event). I’ve taken reports from several manufacturers that sales are popping. This is notably different from Sebring where people showed interest, took plenty of demo flights, said they wanted to buy, and then… nothing! *** Sales have been dead slow in early 2010 and my best guess is that potential buyers — who often have the money to afford these airplanes — are hesitant while they wait for the economy and their financial picture to stabilize.

I’m taking a short setup break here in the LSA Mall at Sun ‘n Fun to post this SPLOG. It’s the evening before the big show opens and this is a happening place. Vendors everywhere are scurrying to turn pandemonium into a highly organized show by morning. It’s windy but beautiful with temperatures in the low 80s and low humidity. C’mon down! *** The LSA Mall is a new location and by most reports, the location is even better than last year’s dynamite spot, with walkway or road access to two long rows of Light-Sport Aircraft. We’ve got $35,000 and $40,000 SLSA (M-Squared and CGS Hawk LSA) plus top brands like Piper (top photo, and see legend for more brands present), Flight Design, Remos, and leaders like Jabiru offering special bargains. We might squeeze one more airplane but I consider the LSA Mall full to capacity and ready to please.

Cessna’s in the hunt for flight schools, like everybody else.  Word comes via a city blog that Orlando Flight Training is ramping up a Sport Pilot training program that will use four Cessna Skycatchers at its Kissimmee Gateway Airport facility. *** The piece claims OFT is the first to offer the C-162 in Florida, and plans to have them operational this summer. *** While we’re at it, let’s highlight a few more Sport Pilot ops in the Sunshine State: *** ^ Another Sport Pilot training program at Apopka is Grizzly Aviation Services.  It also uses a Gobosh 700S, which rents out at $97/hr. *** ^ Yet another Orlando-area operation is Orlando-Gateway Sport Pilot Training LLC, which gets things done out of Kissimmee Airport with a Remos GX and a SportCruiser. *** ^ Mike Z.