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.
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Midwest Light-Sport Aircraft Expo — What to See at 2020’s Last Airshow
I hope you can attend 2020’s Midwest LSA Expo — the last airshow in 2020. If you cannot attend, rest assured your trusty reporter will be onsite and gathering all the info on the coolest aircraft I can find.
What will be available? Well, if I am honest, we will have to see when we arrive to be certain. In these virus-impacted times, things have a lousy way of changing at the last minute, however…
Those who attend should see a few aircraft that few Americans have seen before. Here’s a quick take, not forgetting the statement about how arrivals can be altered beyond the wishes of any particular vendor.
Rare and/or New Aircraft
MC-01 by Montaer — We almost didn’t see it. Insurance has been getting harder to find and more costly. That’s true for all aircraft but the situation is especially challenging for a new design (even if it significantly resembles an earlier design).
DeLand Showcase 2018 Off to a Good Start; Industry Players Generally Upbeat as Year Closes
Day One of the third running of DeLand Showcase is complete. As Videoman Dave and I scoured the show grounds looking for good stories, we spoke to a few vendors reporting that 2018 has been a good year. Our video news gathering exercise brought a pleasant discovery.
Many companies are reporting a solid year of sales.
The light aviation industry is composed of many small companies. None are corporations the size of Cessna or Cirrus so they don’t require hundreds of unit sales to break even. A U.S. importer delivering 20 aircraft can experience a good year from sales and other services they offer.
When several companies report noteworthy sales success it suggests the market is healthy and customers are buying airplanes they want to enjoy. In parallel, the used LSA market also appears active and a virtuous circle begins to take form.
The show itself enjoyed the great organization we have come to expect from director Jana Filip.
Light-Sport, Light Kit Aircraft and Ultralights at Sun ‘n Fun 2017
The big show at Lakeland, Florida is open and happening. Today (Tuesday April 4th) is opening day; the event runs through Sunday, April 9th. Along with Videoman Dave, we’ve already starting making the rounds and we’ve found plenty to see.
As you see in the photos, Evolution Trikes made a dramatic announcement of a new weight shift trike model called Revolt. In communications, they’ve spelled it RevoLT, which you could interpret to mean Revo (their super deluxe model) Light. Yet it’s probably more correct to call it a different Revo without the fancy pants but with some cool new features.
Among them, Revolt has giant tundra tires not often seen on trikes. Paired with that long shock absorber legs worthy of a SuperSTOL or Outback Shock. Like their lower priced single seater, Rev, Revolt does away with the forward strut, sometimes called a compression strut, which leaves both occupants but particularly the front occupant or solo pilot with an enormous unobstructed view.
MVP.aero’s “Omniplane” Tour
You have to love the English language (or maybe hate it for the same reason): New words keep arriving in conversations. Team MVP used the term “triphibian” to mean a Light-Sport Aircraft seaplane entry that could land on runways, waterways, or snow. Of course, many amphibious seaplanes could make a similar claim so perhaps it took something even better. Enter “Omniplane.” Is this the plane that can do it all?
In May of 2015, MVP.aero went on tour, hitting the west coast area known as Silicon Valley, then traveling over 2,000 miles to Daytona Beach, Florida … as luck would have it, right to my home airport of Spruce Creek (technically in Port Orange, Florida). The airplane was trucked across the country as today it is only a well-traveled mockup while the company raises funds to complete engineering and enter production.
Silicon Valley and Spruce Creek are excellent places to seek investors that understand the magic.
Light Aircraft Weight … More or Less?
Several aviation sources recently carried news about Icon Aircraft and their A5 LSA seaplane development. Icon Aircraft has been waiting — surely with increasing impatience — for FAA to answer their formal request for exemption to the Light-Sport Aircraft gross weight parameter. FAA normally replies in 120 days, however, more than a year passed and all that arrived was a request for more detail. One can imagine the cries of angst at Icon. Many have wondered when (or if) this handsome aircraft will go to market but if you were part of their leadership, what would you go into production with … a 1,430-pound seaplane or one at the new requested weight of 1,680 pounds? Either way, what if FAA later changed their mind about an exemption they might grant. Recent news about the IRS makes us all aware government agencies don’t always operate as we expect. What a vexing situation for Team Icon.
More Cool Stuff at Europe’s Aero 2013
Photo Galleries — Thanks to my good friend and LAMA Europe collaborator, Jan Fridrich, I offer this link to his many photos of Aero 2013. Photo legends are written in Czech language so few Yankees will be able to read them. As the old saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words” so Jan’s photo review is worth hundreds of thousands. Enjoy and I’ll add more in the days ahead. Meanwhile Thanks, Jan! • Aero is a special show for many reasons, but one of the best is that we can view so many airplanes we never see in the USA — and fascinating designs many of them are, indeed. UltralightNews YouTube channel and I are working hard to collect lots of videos including a quick tour of many airplanes you can’t buy in the USA … yet.
Super Authentic P-51 Replica — Roland Hallam, the South African boss of light aircraft producer FK Lightplanes in Poland, showed us around the dazzling FK 51 Mustang project.
Light Sport Aircraft – Sidebar 2
Light Sport Aircraft Manufacturer List*
American Fixed-Wing Manufacturers
Brand
Sample Models
Telephone
E-Mail
Website (www. assumed)
Ace Aircraft
Corben Baby Ace/Jr. Ace
706-886-6341
aceair@alltel.net
exp-aircraft.com/aircraft/ace/ace.html
Aerocomp
Merlin
321-453-6641
info@aerocompinc.com
aerocompinc.com
Arnet Pereyra
Aventura I and II
321-635-8005
info@sea-plane.com
sea-plane.com
Avid Aircraft
Mark IV Bandit
406-682-5615
sales@avidair.com
avidair.com
Capella Aircraft
Capella SS Fastback XLS
512-288-4161
webmaster@capellakitplanes.com
capellakitplanes.com
CGS Aviation
Hawk Classic/Arrow
440-632-1424
chucks2000@core.com
cgsaviation.com
Earthstar Aircraft
Gull 2000 Odyssey
805-438-5235
gull438@aol.com
thundergull.com
Fisher Flying Products
Complete line of aircraft
701-493-2286
ffpjac@daktel.com
fisherflying.com
Flightstar
Flightstar IISL IISC
860-875-8185
fstar@mail2.nai.net
fly-flightstar.com
Flying K
Sky Raider I and II
208-445-7529
flyingk@micron.net
skyraider.com
Golden Circle Air
T-Bird I and II
515-834-2225
sales@aircraftsuper-market.com
goldencircleair.com
Hurricane
Clip Wing Hauler
904-935-0356
mkhytek@aol.com
Leza AirCam
Drifter
863-655-4242
aircam@ct.net
lezaaircam.com
Loehle Aircraft
P-40 5151 Mustang (fixed gear) Spad
931-857-3419
info@loehle.com
loehle.com
Phantom Aircraft
Phantom X-1 X-1e
616-375-0505
phantom@complink.com
phantomaircraft.com
Preceptor Aircraft
N-3 Pup Ultra Pup
828-286-1926
preceptor@blueridge.net
preceptoraircraft.com
Progressive Aerodyne
SeaRey
407-292-3700
searey@bellsouth.com
searey.com
Quad City Ultralights Aircraft
Challenger I II Clipped Wing
309-764-9515
daveatqcu@aol.com
quadcitychallenger.com
Quicksilver Manufacturing
Sprint Sport GT400/500
909-506-0061
quick@pe.net
quicksilveraircraft.com
RANS
Coyote Sakota Airaile Stinger S-7
785-625-6346
rans@media-net.net
rans.com
Rocky Mountain Wings
Ridge Runner
208-446-6699
rmwwings@aol.com
realflying.com
SkyStar
Kitfox IV Lite Lite Squared
208-454-2444
sales@skystar.com
skystar.com
Slipstream Industries
Genesis Revelation
920-787-5886
mail@slipstreamind.com
slipstreamind.com
Spectrum Aircraft
(Aeroprakt) Vista-Cruiser Vulcan Valor
863-314-9788
jhunter@strato.net
spectrumaircraft.com
The New Kolb Aircraft
Complete line of aircraft
606-862-9692
tnkolbaircraft@sun-spot.com
tnkolbaircraft.com
Titan Aircraft
Tornado I II
440-466-0602
titan@suite224.net
titanaircraft.com
Zenith Aircraft
601XL 701
573-581-9000
info@zenithair.com
zenithair.com
Imported Fixed-Wing Manufacturers
Brand
Sample Models
Telephone
E-Mail
Website (www.
Rans Stinger
The original concept and final design Stinger appear to share only two things. First is the name – S-17 Stinger – and the second is the little bumblebee logo. In every other case I could discern, the finished Stinger is a totally new design from Randy Schlitter’s original idea.
Stinger version two flew for the first time on September 10, 1999. Barely a week later, I found myself aloft in the new ultralight. Normally, I’m not anxious to jump into a manufacturer’s brand-new design. I much prefer waiting until they have the design fully worked out.
However, Randy Schlitter has an excellent reputation for airplanes that seem to fly right off the drawing board (or out of the CAD program these days). He’d put some hours on the Stinger and had given it his blessing. I observed him fly it first and by all measures, it appeared to be ready for evaluation flying.