ByDanJohnson.com

Wind blows across the dunes here in Nags Head in a way that first drew the Wright Brothers 114 years ago. Indeed, a couple miles north a memorial commemorates the famous bicycle shop owners who made history in this breezy outpost on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

For 45 years, an event has occurred on these ever-shifting dunes qualifying it as one of aviation’s longest-lasting events. To some eyes, it may also be one of the most fun, a nearly innocent way to take to the air in the lightest of wings. Many do it barefoot, and here, that’s perfectly fine.

This is the grandly-named Hang Gliding Spectacular. The staff who run it refer to it simply as “Spec.”

The old saying about not flying higher that you want to fall practically defines sand dune flying on Jockey’s Ridge. The idea: fly from an 85-foot-high, rather gently sloping sand dune using the wind and your skills targeting a set of concentric rings at the base of the dunes to see who can most closely plant both feet in the bulls eye. Not many do. It’s harder that hitting that little center ring on a dartboard.

Fun abounds and no wonder. “Spec” is sponsored by Kitty Hawk Kites supported by other local businesses. Kitty Hawk — Nags Head — the Outer Banks… this is a major tourist haven. Mile upon mile of beach houses are rented to millions of tourists from all over the east cost.

All those folks are looking for some fun on their vacation and Kitty Hawk Kites owner John Harris‘ multiple businesses give many ways to enjoy the area. His hang gliding school, established in 1974 has probably trained more hang glider pilots than any other school on Earth. Many went on to fly airliners and other working aircraft. Another large bunch of them still enjoy this simple and inexpensive way to go aloft.

Not all hang gliding is sand dune flying, of course. Impressive flights of many hundreds of miles have been achieved and competitions occur around the world showcasing truly expert pilots using high-tech gliders and gear. However, nearly all these “sky gods” learned to fly in a manner similar to what happens here at Kitty Hawk Kites.

Powered aircraft pilot might not think this appeals to them. That’s understandable. Yet those of us who spent years in hang gliding can attest to the good times this kind of flying provides. More than any other aircraft, a hang glider comes closest to delivering the childhood fantasy of your arms as wings. Angels of the sky? Maybe, but if you fly, you know the enjoyment going aloft can bring; sand dune hang gliding is another fine way to enjoy the air.

This short video produced at the 2016 event gives a flavor of the festivities and gives an up close glimpse at the dune flying.

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April 2017 logged 12 years of Light-Sport Aircraft. The FAA regulation creating the category was introduced in 2004 but it was at Sun ‘n Fun 2005 that the agency presented Evektor SportStar and the Flight Design CT the first and second Special Airworthiness certificates.

European producers dominated the early days of LSA as they were already producing ready-to-fly aircraft under rules in those countries. American companies most made kits but came up to speed quickly after the SP/LSA regulation was introduced.

My friend and LAMA associate, Jan Fridrich, gave a presentation at Aero 2017 showing many graphs that examine this new airplane sector and how it has developed over the last decade. This article looks at a portion of his analysis.

In those dozen years, the market has developed interestingly.

In the first vigorous years of growth — filling pent-up demand for a two-seat aircraft pilots could fly without a medical — European light aircraft producers dominated the market (chart). Jan’s home country, the Czech Republic, was one of the most prolific, in the early days leading all other countries. Czech designs remain a key player but the field has shifted.

Manufacturers in the USA have significantly caught up with Europe.

Van’s Aircraft, the leading kit producer, joined the LSA party first with kit aircraft after first proving the design met the standard by building one Special LSA. Subsequently, they added a fully-built model of their RV-12 in an allowed partnership with another builder. CubCrafters arrived on the scene later and for a few recent years lead all other builders in annual production. (I’ll post a full 2016 market share report in a couple days.)

In addition to the two above, American producers included companies such as American Legend, Rans, Progressive Aerodyne (Searey), Just Aircraft, Arion, Kitfox, Glasair, North Wing, SilverLight, Quicksilver, and CGS Aviation. For a few years, Cessna looked to be a major player though they subsequently (literally) scrapped the effort. Another American name, Icon, also burst on the scene with the best marketing in the industry and amassing a large number of deposits.

Beyond airframes, American companies have succeeded in avionics, engines, and other gear: Dynon, Garmin, TruTrak, Continental Motors, Sensenich, Guardian, Levil, and others.

In a field a vibrant and innovative as Light-Sport Aircraft, you can expect more development and, it turns out, this can help all of aviation.

The 80/20 rule applies to Special LSA production as it does in so many other places. Note that this graphic refers only to three-axis airplanes as that FAA database info is reliable. Alternative aircraft such as weight shift trikes or powered parachutes may account for 25% more aircraft in the SLSA fleet.

Indeed, what these charts do not show you is how LSA have affected — and benefitted — the general aviation sector. Let me count some ways.

At Aero and around the USA, general aviation proponents are celebrating the rewrite of regulatory standard Part 23 that, in many pages, lists the requirements to win approval of a “certified” aircraft. The rewritten rules will rely on ASTM industry consensus standards that aim to ease the effort and greatly reduce the cost of certifying an airplane. This new standard relied heavily on the LSA experience and might never have happened had not LSA paved the way.

The new BasicMed rules that allow a pilot to fly a GA aircraft without a medical came about significantly because of the good results of Sport Pilots — or pilots exercising the privileges of Sport Pilot using their higher certificate but without a fresh medical.

In these and other ways, Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft maintain clear advantages — lower cost, less regulatory burden, the most modern equipment, higher fun-factor — over general aviation. SP/LSA is not going away and one way to be assured of this is the global phenomenon of LSA acceptance in a growing number of countries. Indeed, 2014 statistics show LSA out-delivered GA single engine piston aircraft by more than three to one.

These facts are a good reason to celebrate and continue support Light-Sport Aircraft.

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Mainstream media outfits exploded with news of Google’s flying car. Although such news outlets rarely seem to notice recreational aviation other than when an accident occurs, the reports I read did a respectable job of covering flying car projects we already knew about (reported here and here earlier; some projects have advanced, some have dropped out, and others have arrived).

One glance at the images tells you this is no “flying car,” as no car is involved. More accurately, Kitty Hawk’s Flyer is an ultralight vehicle in the water thrill craft or all-terrain vehicle category … making it sort of one of “ours,” if I’m permitted to stretch the possessive.

Funded by Google founder, Larry Page — an uber rich tech personality — Kitty Hawk is not simply an exploratory project. They actually plan to sell this cool little rig. Flyer is an open-seated, 220-pound empty weight octocopter with seat (saddle?) for one person. Powered by eight battery-powered propellers, it is a man-carrying drone for sport flying.

Like it or not, airplane building is becoming more an information technology. Wings, props, and stability still must follow the laws of physics but these alternative aircraft, these “copter aircraft” don’t look like the ones recreational or sport pilots fly today. They don’t operate the same either.

In early test flights, aerospace engineer, Cameron Robertson, worked two joystick-like controls to pilot Kitty Hawk above Clear Lake. His initial flight rose only 15 feet above the water, circled over the lake not far from from shore, and landed after about five minutes on a floating landing pad at the end of a dock (video below).

Pal-V is a gyroplane concept flying vehicle.

The Kitty Hawk company wants to be one of the first on the market and plans to start selling its vehicle by the end of the year …yes, this year (2017). However, they caution, “The go-to-market Flyer will have a different design than the prototype Flyer that appears in our April 2017 photos and videos.”

One unusual response from the company. You might not even think to ask, but can Flyer be flown over land? “No. The Flyer is designed to be flown over fresh water,” they said.

Kitty Hawk Flyer is one of several prototypes the Mountain View, California company is developing. They hope to appeal to enthusiasts and hobbyists willing to pay $100 for a three-year “membership” with several benefits including a $2,000 discount on the retail price of a Flyer.

Samson‘s Switchblade brings conventional wings inside the vehicle.

Readers of this website recognize that, given its specs (such as we know at this time), Kitty Hawk’s Flyer can operate under FAR 103 and the company acknowledges use of this regulation. As with all Part 103 vehicles, no pilot license, no medical, no registration, and no N-numbers are needed. It can be sold ready-to-fly. You must steer clear of controlled airspace without ATC permission, avoid congesteded areas and a few other things, but the entire 103 regulation can be printed on the front and back of a single sheet of paper.

Thanks, Mike Sacrey (and several FAA associates), for writing Part 103 back in 1982. No one then could predict a company called Google or an aircraft called an octocopter but both are here and the list below shows we’re going to see more flying cars or “copter aircraft.”

Recommended — A website I often visit, unrelated to aviation, had some good words to say but also a collection of 10 short videos about flying car/weird flying machine projects. I recommend you check this article out at least for the videos. If you can’t wait, following is a very short clip of Kitty Hawk flying.

Flying Car Developers

More than a dozen companies — several of which have been covered on this website — are presently in development, including:

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