ByDanJohnson.com

After you finish Easter Sunday dinner with the family, how about going out for a spin on your new Scorpion 3 Hoverbike? Is this merely an April fools joke?

Apparently not. Video appears to prove this machine, though with the state of the art in digital effects, anything you see can be fiction.

As many of us prepare for the start of Sun ‘n Fun 2018 in barely over one week, we hope to see numerous flying machines of interest. My visual partner, Videoman Dave and I will be onsite in Lakeland, Florida — and the following week at Aero Friedrichshafen in the south of Germany. Our mission is to collect a large batch of video that we hope will educate and entertain enthusiasts of light aviation.

I do not expect we will be covering Scorpion 3, but I have to admit I found the idea fascinating. It certainly shows what could happen when you merge a motorcycle with a quadcopter plus software to help control it.  Even though I’m unlikely to ever fly such an apparatus, I envision doing so could be… well, electrifying (or should that be “electriflying?”).

“Hoverbike Scorpion 3 is an extreme sports machine for those who are not afraid of height and speed,” the Russian company developing the machine said. “You can store it at home or in the garage.”

“In most countries, registration or a pilot’s license is not required when the aircraft weighs below 250 pounds or 115 kilograms,” Hoversurf Inc., said. In the USA, such a vehicle qualifies under FAR Part 103. In some European countries you might fly Scorpion under the 120-kilo class (Germany) or SSDR (England).

At the full listed empty weight of Scorpion 3 hoverbike at 229 pounds or 104 kilograms with its battery, I see no reason why you could not legally operate it. Speed is listed at 43 mph, a Part 103-compliant pace that could easily be constrained with current software …similar to controls for Kitty Hawk Flyer.

The main protection against an unfortunate outcome is probably the software operating the four electric motors. Most readers have seen a quadcopter operate virtually on its own. The DJI Vision I own will fly itself back to the starting point if I simply switch off the controller. If I run it low on battery, it will take over from me (without my input) and get itself back to the starting point before the battery dies. This is likely to continue improving as the pace of development is furious with billion dollar companies pouring resources into this kind of aircraft.

“Steel duct protection” is provided, evidently to keep soft body parts from contacting spinning props, and Scorpion 3 comes with a “Safety Lock.” I suppose this keeps your 12-year-old nephew from taking it out for a spin while the rest of the family is digesting their Easter Sunday dinner.

The hoverbike is advertised for $59,900. “Reserve your Scorpion 3 today for delivery in 6 to 18 months,” the company advised. “Scorpion 3 deliveries [will begin] in the U.S. based on when you made your reservation. Reservation holders will receive an email when it’s time to place their order.” Hoversurf lists an R&D base in the Nevada and shows its headquarters in Burlingame, California.

Ready? Me? I think I’ll wait to examine one (and maybe have my head examined) before I place an order, but I must admit I found the idea intriguing. No, I’m not April foolin’!

Specifications

• Range — 13 miles or 21 kilometers
• Maximum Speed — 43 mph or 70 km/h
• Endurance — 20 minutes (with SD LiPo battery)
• Empty Weight (no batteries) — 110 pounds or 50 kilograms
• Total Weight (with batteries) — 229 pounds or 104 kilograms
• Batteries — 3 boxes with a handle 39 pounds or 18 kilograms each
• Battery charging time – 3 hours
• Battery replacement time – 1 minute

The company indicated that flight time will be about 40 minutes after development of a new battery configuration.

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The aviation industry — led by a flock of alphabet member organizations — is clinking champagne glasses over the “defeat” of ATC Privatization. To some observers, this looks like a case of contented naval-gazing. Meanwhile, another development made the mainstream news today. It may not be reported in the aviation press.

Most of the above-referenced alphabets fought the battle — ostensibly against the airlines — over access to the air traffic control system that means so much to those flying, say, their Cirrus SR22 Turbo from Chicago to Washington, DC. IFR support from ATC may be somewhat less vital to recreational flyers.

While sport aviators also go cross country and a few employ the IFR system, most of us who fly for fun probably spend more time knocking around the airspace close to home, spotting fun things on the ground, giving short rides to friends, or pairing up with our flying buddies to trek off to a pancake breakfast or for a too-expensive hamburger. The truth is, we simply need ATC to enter Class B airspace less often.

Meanwhile…

Although the smiley-faced alphabets are happy to have beaten back the hated and vilified Privatization (which it was not, as any decent free-market economist could explain in a sentence or two), something else is happening in air traffic control. I just found out about it and you may not know until now.

Over 1,000 people attended a conference on …get this — a completely (and genuinely) private air traffic control effort. What do I mean?

Here’s today’s lead in an article in the Wall Street Journal: “The commercial drone industry wants to create a privately funded and operated air-traffic control network, separate from the current federal system, to enable widespread operations at low altitudes.”

And by “commercial drone industry,” we’re talking about some truly immense companies, not dinky light aircraft corporations… like Diamond, Cirrus, or Mooney (all Chinese owned, as a side comment). The enterprises supporting this much-truer “privatization” include such towering behemoths as Amazon, Google, Airbus, and Boeing. These entities have many billions of dollars at their ready disposal.

Here’s looking at you, kids. Can you see this while flying for fun? Your Dynon or Garmin or MGL might be able to help.

“Proponents envision one day using automated cellular and web applications to track and prevent collisions among swarms of small unmanned aircraft flying a few hundred feet above the ground,” wrote WSJ’s Andy Pasztor.

“The intent is to develop a ‘totally different, new way of doing things,’ Parimal Kopardekar, NASA’s senior air-transport technologist who first suggested the idea of an industry-devised solution.”

Amazing Commentary

Pasztor continued his story, “The FAA — which has relied on designing and deploying custom-built technologies and often taken a decade or more to belatedly roll them out — would not finance or run the anticipated system for drones.”

ATC without FAA? Really!?

“For many of the engineering challenges, ‘the technology to do this is basically off the shelf,’ including communication principles and software repurposed from cellphone companies, according to Gur Kimchi, vice president of Amazon Prime Air,” who added that “answers for some of the most vexing technical questions could ‘take a year or two.’” Think how seamlessly you are handed off from cellphone tower to tower and you motor around the metro area.

Just “a year or two?” That may represent the difference between private groups doing things compared to FAA’s publicly-funded, multi-decade Next Gen development.

Why the rush? “Recreational operators have registered more than a million unmanned aerial vehicles with the FAA, and many times that number are expected to use domestic airspace by the end of the decade. Some 70,000 U.S. drones are registered for commercial purposes.

Who Cares?

The alphabets that are trying to assure speedy, transport-oriented GA planes get fair and affordable access to ATC may not care too much about what happens at low altitudes. Sport flyers may feel differently, though.

Can you envision a potential for conflict? As they watch out for each other, we hope drones also watch out for us.

If you spend your time flying around at 1,000-1,500 feet AGL, you may be in between the other spaces — ATC’s higher altitude, in-the-clouds operation or drones buzzing hither and yon at 400 feet. Our smaller airplanes operating a lower altitudes might be impacted more significantly by delivery drones.

Pasztor continued, “The pace and scope of such [drone ATC] advances are ‘really not an FAA decision,’” according to Jay Merkle, a senior FAA program manager and airspace planner. Any new approach to air-traffic control is a decision for the entire drone community, he told the conference, and success is bound to ‘depend on how well the industry will come together.'”

Here’s an important aspect of this article: “Amazon and other companies have explicitly said industry will shoulder the bulk of the costs,” wrote Pasztor.

“To promote broad-based support,” he explained, “Amazon and other companies with big ambitions in the drone world stress that their focus is on finding answers to serve the widest possible range of operators.”

I hope that last part remains true and that it includes those of us flying manned aircraft for fun.

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The great spring airshow everyone knows as Sun ‘n Fun starts in about six weeks. One day after the big event kicks off (on April 10th), Time Trials are planned. Such trials are not new but this year brings something new.

For 2018… “Sport Pilot-eligible aircraft* cruising 120 knots or less may compete in the Sport 20 Time Trials,” wrote Sprint Chairman, Craig Payne. “Classes will be established for land, amphibious, bush planes, and gyros.” He added that this event is intended for Sun ‘n Fun exhibitors and their sponsored entries as a means to show off their aircraft in front of the crowd. In prior time trials, private individuals have also run the course.

Immediately following the Sport 20 comes the Sprint 20 for aircraft capable of cruising over 120 knots.

The “Gentlemen, start your engines” auto-racing line does not precisely apply as the aircraft race against the clock not each other. “From side-by-side staging on the runway, competitors will be flagged off, one at a time at 30-second intervals. One nautical mile down the runway, timing will begin and terminate when returning overhead.” Additional details will be briefed to participating pilots.

Instead, Craig explained, “Both contests require sharp navigation and precision course heading changes to achieve the best results.”

“A modest, non-refundable entry fee will be charged to cover the cost of trophies and incidentals,” however, this is primarily a volunteer activity.

Knowledgeable narrators will man the announcer’s microphone so that the crowd can follow the action, Craig said. The Sport 20 Time Trials sounds good for vendors hoping to promote their aircraft and it’s also good for customers who want to compare performance of various models of interest to them.

How Cool Is This?

“But…” someone may say, “If ‘Sport Pilot-eligible’* aircraft can only go 120 knots, what’s the point of racing?” My observation is that this is less about speed and more about precision flying.

Competitors will run a 20-mile course for time, starting from the main runway at Sun ‘n Fun. Launching in 30-second intervals, the timing starts one mile after takeoff so aircraft are up to speed. “Recovery” or their landing after running the course will likely happen at the Paradise City turf runway.

An observer will be positioned at each turn point to provide assistance to anyone running the course. A helicopter will also be aloft for additional safety, Craig indicated.

The takeoff and the finish line will all be highly visible to Sun ‘n Fun crowds so this represents a wonderful opportunity to promote your wares or to learn more about an airplane that may interest you.

This is the sixth year of the Sprint 20 Time Trials, but this is the first year to feature a category for Light-Sport and light kit aircraft. If you are interested or your company wishes to participate — or if you want your company to participate so you can better understand their aircraft — I encourage you to contact Craig about entry.

The Sport 20 Time Trials event #1 are only a few weeks away so don’t drag your tailwheel getting involved. The following video provides more info…

* I applaud Craig for using “Sport Pilot-eligible” correctly. Some people say “Light-Sport” aircraft when referring to a kit-built aircraft. They probably mean an aircraft that fits the LSA parameters (speed, weight, etc.) and can be flown by someone using a Sport Pilot certificate. FAA uses “Experimental Amateur Built” to identify these aircraft. Sure, it’s just words, but I’m happy to recognize the more accurate “Sport Pilot-eligible” term first heard from Ron Wagner, a key EAA employee at the time the SP/LSA regulation was released.

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While I doubt airliner behemoths Boeing or Airbus are aiming to create aircraft you might buy, their work along with other developers, may nonetheless lead to something new in the future for recreational aircraft pilots and buyers.

According to a report in Wired magazine, “On the morning of January 31, eight buzzing rotors lifted a black bubble of an aircraft off the ground for the first time … Vahana Alpha One spent 53 seconds aloft, under its own power and autonomous control. It reached a height of 16 feet. The flight may not sound like much, but the team from Airbus … and aerospace experts say such flights of experimental aircraft mark the start of a fundamental change in the way we get around.”

Writer Jack Stewart goes on to state, “Alpha One … is a full-scale demonstrator of a single-person, vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The idea … is to remake the way we fly. Instead of piling dozens or hundreds of people into big jets that fly back and forth between airports, these little VTOL aircraft would work much like personal cars, taking a few people (or just one) on short trips in and around cities.”

Team Vahana poses for a group photo with their creation.

Thirty Vahana engineers, funded by $150 million* from Airbus, worked for two years to make their aircraft ready for its January flight. The Wired article noted, “Now the Vahana team faces a challenge more beguiling than making this funky thing fly: convincing the bureaucrats to let it loose in American skies.”

Meanwhile, in an early pairing with Boeing, ride hailing pioneer Uber reportedly plans to launch air taxi networks in Dubai and Dallas as soon as 2020.

So, What’s This Got to Do with Sport Pilots?

You probably don’t want an air taxi …even if you might take one sometime in the future just as we’ve learned to do with the Ubers and Lyfts of the world. Air taxis, whatever their size, serve a transportation role.

I see nothing wrong with that, but those of us involved with recreational flying prefer to do the piloting, to enjoy the skies in our own personal way.

However, does that mean you would not fly a quad- or octocopter, especially if it was mass produced and affordable?

What if this thing could be flown with regular controls like the ultralight, light kit, or LSA you presently love? What if it turned out to be a hoot to fly? What it if had capabilities beyond your fixed wing, gyroplane, trike, or powered parachute. My own radio-controlled drone flies well in wind. Its gyro stabilized camera is amazingly smooth even in gusty conditions …and mine is a antique, a whole two years old.

This “Passenger Drone” looks to be a piloted aircraft with joystick. Would you fly it?

Will the future of recreational flying be transformed the way Vahana developers and Uber envision? A look at electric autos lead by Tesla with its Autopilot capabilities suggest driving in the future may be remarkably different, possibly safer, possibly more eco-friendly, possibly even more fun in ways we cannot currently imagine.

Could tomorrow’s sport aircraft be radical revolutions? Or will this all die down and we’ll just keep flying the aircraft we have today? I’m very certain recreational flying isn’t threatened by these new developments but the aircraft we fly might evolve to become vastly different than what we have at the start of 2018. Stay tuned…!

You can see several more projects in development in this article from New Atlas. It’s full of pictures and promise but only time will tell what will succeed in the marketplace.

* $150 million may rival the investment made by all LSA companies combined.

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We started a few shows back doing a drive-by shooting (except in a good way). In this effort, we pair up on a golf cart with Videoman Dave running the camera and yours truly trying my best to keep up and not flub my lines.

All this is extemporaneous (a fancy word for un-scripted) so if I stumble now and again with an airplane fact, please pardon the error. We like to knock these out and that doesn’t allow for retakes. I think I got most of it right or at least Dave managed to edit out any disqualifying errors I may have made.

According to new Sebring Expo Program Manager, Janice Rearick, we have a few facts to pass along from Sebring 2018.

More than 100 exhibitors displayed their wares. As mentioned in our earlier report, a good number of aircraft were sold and Janice indicated, “Several vendors we surveyed waved long sheets of leads collected at the show.” When vendors succeed, we pilots get more and better aircraft choices with better service from healthier companies.

Overall activities were aided tremendously by a small army of 300 volunteers. Many airshow regulars have often heard that these shows cannot happen without those volunteers so when the chance presents itself, give a thank-you to any volunteer you meet.

Over 700 people attended more than 60 forums in four tents (though some may have been counted twice if they attended more than one).

Nearly 1,000 kids were transported to Sebring’s Expo as part of their YAZ, or Young Aviators Zone. I observed several of these flocks and it’s always great to see young people being exposed to aviation.

Sporting a Sebring social media promo is Bettina Cosima Larrarte of the wonderful World Directory of Leisure Aviation.

The 2nd annual drone races happened in the Drone Zone, an area populated by about 115 racers, each of whom were supported by two or three people as they vied for prizes of several thousand dollars. The racers formed 11 teams and the area itself had about 40 volunteers. Anyone who looked could see drone racing is a possible way to reach out to young people interested in flight, even if their interest may not present include what pilots in that area call “full-size aircraft.”

Finally, welcome also to new airport manager, Zach Easton, reporting to longtime airport director, Mike Willingham. Zach will likely take the title of Expo Director, said Janice.

If you can attend Sebring Expo in 2019 the dates have been announced as January 23-26. For those who could not attend the 2018 event, here’s our race-around video.

I urge you to visit Videoman Dave’s YouTube channel and, more importantly, subscribe to help support the production of these videos that people love. He reported the channel is now generating 2.5 million minutes per month of viewing!

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Let’s be clear. Boeing, Airbus, Google, Amazon, and other immensely deep pockets are not seeking to build fun flying machines for you and me. Well… not initially, at least. And even that statement is somewhat wrong based on the development of the Kitty Hawk Flyer (video below).

Big money doesn’t begin investing hoping to sell 100-200 aircraft per year. Such a performance would be more than acceptable to most manufacturers of Light-Sport Aircraft, light kit aircraft, or ultralights. Indeed, 200 deliveries a year would qualify as a major success for most such builders.

The billionaire class dreams much bigger, probably thinking they can sell many thousands of aircraft or much higher cost aircraft than we recreational aviators want to buy. Most will center on doing transportation or package delivery. Most will not seek to increase your weekend flying fun.

You know what, though? Neither did the Wright Brothers or the other pioneers of flight have recreation in mind. Even Francis Rogallo‘s work that lead to modern hang gliders was done to help NASA bring back payloads from space. Recreation came later.

As with most developments in a dynamic economy, spin-offs happen. One idea fails but produces another that catches fire. Discoveries in one field can lead to progress in a seemingly unrelated field.

I don’t think it’s too far-fetched to think we may be on the cusp of a new revolution in flight.

How Far We Have Come

I have spent an entire career in recreational aviation. I was on the front lines for hang gliders as they became amazingly sophisticated. I was deeply involved as engines were added to hang gliders to become ultralights, which themselves gradually became increasingly capable. Most recently, I’ve been a cheerleader for Light-Sport Aircraft and light kit-but aircraft as they ushered in numerous developments that are now being considered for Type Certified aircraft.

This history — which I would not trade for anything — leads me to wonder if we might be on the verge of a new chapter in flying for fun. Could it be electric? Might it be a multi-copter? Is it possible the next aviation revolution will not look like those aircraft that previously gave me pleasure? Perhaps!

Will that still be “real” flying? Such a judgment depends on the beholder. I considered hang gliding to be extremely “real” flying. I was similarly inspired by ultralights (even if I did lose some hearing after flying with two-stroke engines). Likewise, I’ve been highly impressed with LSA designers who have thought up dozens of variations, some of which are remarkably handsome aircraft.

Each time the new kid arrived on the block, somebody from the previous generation was dismissive. I’m trying not to be one of those as I observe these new creations. I hope you will join me in keeping an open mind.

I can hear multiple gripes about the Kitty Hawk Flyer in the video below but I have to say that I’d love to give this thing a try once I believe it be sufficiently wrung out by braver pilots than me. Honestly, on a hot Florida day while having fun with friends at one of the state’s many lakes, Flyer looks like a hoot. The video below is rather Hollywoodized but nonetheless shows how developments by big boys with their pockets bulging with money could… just might lead to things I’d enjoy flying in the future.

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