ByDanJohnson.com

By Dan Johnson || November 12, 2015 Leave a Comment

Around the world, starting early for many like this Louisiana paraglider, pilots joined the virtual flying called World Ultralight Fly-In or WUFI. It went so well a 2016 event is planned.

Pilot and WUFI participant Doug Smith showed the true colors of a fellow ultralight enthusiast.

Participating aircraft owners got into the WUFI event in various ways; this gyro pilot put the logo and slogan on the underside of his flying machine.

In this fetching image WUFI participant Dave Kukura flies his stealthy black Beaver in a low pass. All WUFI ’15 pilots got a handsome certificate like the one shown for principal organizer Paul Lindamood.

That was before key promoter Paul Lindamood began putting out what seemed hourly updates to the group’s Facebook page. The power of social media is unveiled for serious events such as Arab Spring or whimsical photo flash mobs. In our world of recreational aviation, WUFI ’15 proves the new media is also very useful.

Good for Paul and the WUFI gang of open air pilots. My tongue-in-cheek title notwithstanding — I am definitely not a Marx enthusiast — WUFI surely qualifies as the project that put more open-air (and other) ultralights or ultralight-types in the air on one day, all around the world. To see where they all launched, see the map below.

“One Day. One Sky. Be a part of it.” That was the slogan and invitation from the Dayton Ultralights WUFI. With the drumbeat of social media encouragement and with the second, ambitious goal of entering the Guinness Book of Records … how did they do?

According to main man Paul, “The final numbers to date (a few days into November 2015), 900 virtual pins were located on the map, with a pin being pilots who previewed their location on the world map showing their intent to fly, weather permitting.” This significant population hailed from 46 countries.

“What a great way for pilots to come together all over the world to share their love of aviation,” said Doug Smith (painted face photo). The organized effort has also done great things for membership in the group known as Magnificent Men and their Flying Machines (abbreviated as MagMen). As this article posted, main man Paul said the group had grown to nearly 2,000 members. Clearly the idea has been motivating.

Organizers say the first World Ultralight Fly-in was picked up by numerous TV news stations, publications, and online resources. Anecdotal stories include these: “We had guy from Mexico who wanted to fly WUFI so bad he flew to his wedding rather than miss it! Another guy flew four different categories of light aircraft (paramotor, tandem paramotor, skydive, and sailplane) during WUFI day on October 10.” Tim Heylbut, an avid flyer from Australia said, “This has been (and is) the greatest action taken towards uniting ultralight pilots around the globe.”

But what about that record book attempt? “We are still counting actual certificated 2015 flyers for Guinness — it’s over 532 and we’re not done.” They are presently verifying each one, as required. “We had an amazing start, but what we are finding is a real enthusiasm across the world for a sense of community among these pilots.”

Paul explained that the idea was to have an event for the grassroots types of machines. Such machines can’t as easily attend venues like Oshkosh due to speed, range, and weather limitations. “However, they can share the same sky on the same day,” exclaimed Paul! “We’re finding that language, location and political barriers all but disappear within the smiles of this unique brotherhood of flyers … and the sisters as well.

“The Guinness response is still pending,” Paul said. “It goes very slowly and we can’t do much but wait. They say on their website they get 1,000 entries a week.”

As they prepare for a second effort next year, Paul stated, “We are developing a world wide team of WUFI ‘captains’ — individuals who will recruit from their individual countries — plus WUFI experts in all primary segments of recreational, open air aircraft from powered parachutes to weight shift trikes to gyro, to airplanes and beyond.” The group plans to execute an even more comprehensive WUFI 2016.

For the successful 2015 event, Paul wrote, “Thanks to all the WUFI captains!” He listed Marc Carofano, USA east — Thomas Fleming, USA south — Rafael Cortés, Puerto Rico — Yf Yen, Malaysia — Michel Mahler, France — J’m Smith Lobo, China — John Bullpin, UK — Paul Escott, Australia — Adolfo Bikkesba, South America — Jacqueline Costa, Portugal — Tobie Lépine, Canada — plus representatives in Indonesia and Wales.”

More “captains” will follow. Indeed, being a good promoter, Paul and his Ohio-based group are already soliciting for more leaders and participants for WUFI 2016.

Co-creators, Bill Esker and Paul Lindamood from the USA with Koen Van de Kerckhove from Belgium were extremely gratified by the exceptional turnout and enormous amount of support worldwide. The event spanned virtually every category of recreational aircraft imaginable, with pilots as varied as the countries they represented.

Kerckhove said, “The goal of the flying event was to show that grassroots, open air aviation is alive, attainable and affordable.” He added, “It is also a love and a bond that bridges all geographical boundaries. We look forward to the 2016 event and expect a tremendous increase in the participants.

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After many years in aviation and being a regular on the (trade) airshow circuit, I know one thing: it is darn hard to start a new event. So when The World Ultralight Fly-In announced its ambitious run at a Guinness Book world record, I thought it was a very fun idea but probably quite hard to assemble. That was before key promoter Paul Lindamood began putting out what seemed hourly updates to the group’s Facebook page. The power of social media is unveiled for serious events such as Arab Spring or whimsical photo flash mobs. In our world of recreational aviation, WUFI ’15 proves the new media is also very useful. Good for Paul and the WUFI gang of open air pilots. My tongue-in-cheek title notwithstanding — I am definitely not a Marx enthusiast — WUFI surely qualifies as the project that put more open-air (and other) ultralights or ultralight-types in the air on one day, all around the world.

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Light-Sport Aircraft … Going the Distance

By Dan Johnson || November 9, 2015 Leave a Comment

Michael Smith and son pose with the Southern Sun Searey.

Surely a very welcome sight for two aviators who need a stretch: Majuro (PKMJ) in the Marshall Islands

Yellow line is the route and red circle is where the Sling pilots were at the time. Yikes!

Similar to the Quantas flying boat, Boeing’s B-314 had multiple levels, large passenger compartments, a dining room, and seat unfolded to become beds. In the nearest engine nacelle, a mechanic works on the engine in flight. Flight crew had large tables to review maps.

The invitation started out, “Join all of us at Progressive Aerodyne and the City of Tavares on Friday, September 11 for a presentation by Michael Smith about his epic Searey flight from Melbourne, Australia to Central Florida. Michael will give a presentation at the beautiful Tavares Pavilion on the Lake about his incredible journey.” Unfortunately, I can’t attend as I’ll be working the Midwest LSA Expo in Mt. Vernon, Illinois that weekend. However, many readers probably cannot attend either so here’s a bit of Michael’s story.

In the not-too-distant past, documenting a trip like his probably meant appealing to a magazine or publishing a book. Either would be challenging and by the time it was printed and distributed, it would be dated. Thank goodness for the Internet and a website called TravelPod that allowed many to follow in near real time.

At the outset, Michael wrote, “The plan is to loosely follow the Qantas Empire Flying Boat route of 1938 from Sydney to London in the Searey amphibian aeroplane named ‘Southern Sun.'” Of course, Quantas was a giant flying boat and the S.S. Searey is tiny plus Michael would fly solo.

His blog continued, “The story of the grand flying boats on the pre-war era I found captivating. All of the research I was doing [for my flight] came together when [I visited] an excellent exhibition of the Flying Boat era in Sydney. I snapped up photos of dsplays, maps, itineraries and the like, and decided, one day, I would really like to do that.”

Michael notes that his Searey has “a similar range to the flying boat airliners of 1938 … just a little less amenity and comfort.” He observed, “Those planes were conceived with [ocean-crossing] ship comfort in mind, with three levels of decks, lounge chairs, even mini golf.” Then he added dryly, “I lack most of those facilities …”

Unlike a record-setting dash, Michael chose to make his an enjoyable expedition, pausing in each city for a day or two “to seek out the old landing spots and hotels that were used” by the airline companies. For those of you who read his travel blog, you can find plenty of info with numerous photos chronicling his discoveries along the route.

While the first legs allowed more frequent stops, departing England got serious. Admitting that unlike the airlines, “I don’t have the range to do Ireland to Canada direct,” Michael shows his explorer side saying, “I’ve always been keen to see a few islands in the North Atlantic.”

This comment sums up the North Atlantic crossing, “Deep down … I was apprehensive about this flight. It was only a 575 mile leg, and while I had fueled the plane close to the gills to give me spare range, it’s a long passage over some very cold water.”

You might think he would simply climb to the safest altitude but that’s not possible Michael discovered. “Flying VFR over the Atlantic means staying out of controlled airspace, which starts at 6,000 feet, and as [I was] heading west that meant 4,500 feet.” It is more important to watch winds at various levels to minimize fuel use. Having extra height to extend a glide is less meaningful over the North Atlantic. Despite his apprehension, 9.2 hours later he landing in Iceland.

I recommend you read about Michael’s long trip via his regular posts on TravelPod . He’s quite an engaging writer and in this way you can follow his experiences. I found it a fascinating travelogue.

Is Michael done with these long distance flight? It certainly does not sound like it, and after a success flying half-way around the world, who knows? Here’s how he ended his 53-part travel blog, “I’m flying home with Qantas on Monday. On the whole ‘what’s next question,’ that needs some thinking, but I do note on today’s track map there is an interesting island south of Florida that Americans can’t currently visit …” I’ll bet we see more from Michael.

Another Very Long Flight Underway … In a completely different attempt, we continue following the flight of a Sling LSA as it circles the globe. (See earlier article.) Flying even farther than Michael Smith and the SS Searey, these fellows have no boat hull under them as they cross two oceans. However, they have experience as TAF aircraft have now three times done a circumnavigation of the Earth. So much for LSA not flying long distances (though one of the TAF flights was their four seater, presently built as a Experimental).

The U.S. Sling company wrote, “The 2015 Sling Around the World Expedition is once again underway! After a month’s rest in Los Angeles, Patrick Huang of the Airplane Factory Asia was joined by Jean d’Assonville of The Airplane Factory USA, a veteran Sling circumnavigator, and the two took off from Torrance, California for Hawaii on Saturday, August 29th.

“Once situated in their trusty steed — the South African registered Sling ZU-TWN — the pair made a quick fuel stop in San Luis Obispo, CA (KSBP) and then began the non-stop flight to Hawaii. They originally planned for a stop in Maui, but after favorable tailwinds and a fuel burn of 4 GPH, they amended plans and flew even further to Honolulu, PHNL. Total flight time was around 21.5 hours and fuel used was 102 gallons.

“After a check of the weather they determined it would be best to make a quick turn around and were back in the air the very next day. They took off from Honolulu at 7:38 Pacific time on Monday, August 31st and began the long journey to Majuro (PKMJ) in the Marshall Islands. They were in constant communication with TAF’s team in both the USA and South Africa, who navigated them around a few Pacific Ocean storms (image). Some favorable tailwinds were seen initially and after 19.5 hours and over 2,000 nautical miles, they landed on the beautiful coral atoll of Majuro.”

The Sling trip is underway as this is written but, as with Michael Smith’s voyage, you can follow the pair en route. This blog link describes the trip. Or go to TAF USA’s Facebook page.

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Among the critiques some old school pilots employ when trying to marginalize Light-Sport Aircraft is that these aircraft are not suited to flying long distances. I’ve reported several around the world flights (check this article and here’s another) but that’s hardly all the long flights. The invitation started out, “Join all of us at Progressive Aerodyne and the City of Tavares on Friday, September 11 for a presentation by Michael Smith about his epic Searey flight from Melbourne, Australia to Central Florida. Michael will give a presentation at the beautiful Tavares Pavilion on the Lake about his incredible journey.” Unfortunately, I can’t attend as I’ll be working the Midwest LSA Expo in Mt. Vernon, Illinois that weekend. However, many readers probably cannot attend either so here’s a bit of Michael’s story. In the not-too-distant past, documenting a trip like his probably meant appealing to a magazine or publishing a book.

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Aircraft of Copperstate 2015 Continued (Part 2)

By Dan Johnson || November 7, 2015 Leave a Comment

Copperstate 2015 crowds were good on Friday and Saturday as shown by a throng examining this Scoda Aeronautics Super Petrel LS seaplane.

Kitfox’s new STi model with John McBean and Dan preparing to go aloft for a Video Pilot Report.

Sling LSA was one of two The Aircraft Factory models we flew at Copperstate 2015.

Just Aircraft’s SuperSTOL painted in the colors Rotax BRP uses for their fuel-injected 912 iS Sport engine.

However, Copperstate generates a particularly strong response from manufacturers and representatives of Light-Sport Aircraft, light kit aircraft, and utralights. That makes it a must-go show for our team at ByDanJohnson.com and Dave’s SportAviationMagazine.com YouTube channel that so many of you seem to enjoy.

Like other shows, many of you approached us at the event and expressed your ongoing interest in the video content we create. We are very pleased about your loyal viewership and will continue to work hard to build our growing video library … already at 400+ videos and moving steadily to 500 and beyond. Dave started his channel before I joined the party and his channel now offers around 1,000 videos … lots to enjoy!

KITFOX STi — Around the globe, everybody knows Kitfox. Some 6,000 kits have been sold and owner John McBean is sure of more than 4,000 flying all over the world. (Many countries don’t report such things so he was estimating conservatively.) No matter the precise count, Kitfox qualifies as one of the most successful kit aircraft of all time.

John and his group have also achieve Special LSA status for the Super Sport model, sometimes referred to as Series 7. Dating back nearly three decades Kitfox is a very familiar shape, but what you might not know is all the updates that have occurred over the years. While early Kitfoxes had a reputation of being very light on the controls and a bit jumpy in yaw, that’s all ancient history for the models produced under John and Debra McBean’s careful guidance.

Yet making the aircraft more refined and more enjoyable to fly is not all the Kitfox’ers have been doing. At Copperstate I went aloft with John in the STi, which stands for “STOL inspired.” With substantial changes to the wing (more chord, for example) and 29-inch tundra tires, the STi left the runway in even less distance than a typical Kitfox, which is no slouch in that department. The flight with John proved he is a consummate professional with very adept in-flight practices that show his years of experience. I believe you’ll enjoy the VPR this flight created.

SLING LSA and SLING 4 — From way down under in South Africa comes the Sling. Ha! That long distance is no big deal, really. This company has flown multiple models all the way around the world | not once, not twice, but three times! I guess that answers all questions about the cross country capability of this handsome design | or designs. Yep, at Copperstate, I got to fly the Sling LSA but also the Rotax 914-powered Sling 4, their kit-built four-seater entry.

Sling was a bit late to the LSA party. While The Airplane Factory had been operating in South Africa and selling in other countries, The Airplane Factory USA only brought in the first Sling in 2012, SLSA #125 out of 136 so far. When it arrived, Sling displayed some very interesting lines; I especially like the angular engine cowl shape. Obviously, the designers believe the craft is very solid as they were willing to make ’round the world flight #1 almost immediately after the design was completed and built. That’s confidence! Main man Mike Blythe brings tons of experience to the table and it shows.

However, The Airplane Factory’s presence in the USA owes a debt to Matt Litnaitzky and his team. While also tending to the build-up of MGL Avionics , Matt has calmly and steadily nurtured TAF’s models now including a Sling SLSA and EAB kit in both tricycle gear and taildragger plus a roomy four seat Sling 4 kit that boasts 1,000 pounds of useful load. I got to fly both at Copperstate and we did a fourth VPR on the LSA model. Look for it when the editing chores are done.

JUST SUPERSTOL — At the Flying Magazine Aviation Expo in Palm Springs, California the week before, Videoman Dave and I sharpened our focus on women in aviation. We shot four new videos about women pilots and aviation participants and we continued that at Copperstate in Casa Grande, Arizona.

We didn’t fly in SuperSTOL as we had already done that at Sun ‘n Fun (video) with Just Aircraft designer, Troy Woodland. Instead we focused on this SuperSTOL because Hutch Hudgins was aided by wife Ann Summerton in building this example. Their five month effort on six days a week moved to even longer hours every day of the week before they needed to head back to Montana. Every step of the way, this aircraft was a husband and wife project. Sharp readers may observe that this SuperSTOL is painted in the colors Rotax uses for their fuel-injected 912 iS.

A nurse by profession, Ann was no delicate flower guilted into helping her husband. With obvious pride, she threw herself into the project just like Hutch and the result is first a vastly greater familiarity with literally every part on the SuperSTOL but also a deep and genuine interest in the airplane. Now the couple will host builders of SuperSTOL at a builder assist center they are creating where folks can come assemble their kit with supervision from Hutch and Ann (when she’s not helping other folks in her nursing role). More info will appear in the video that follows.

We have more videos coming about women in aviation that we think you’ll enjoy! Click back often.

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In this Copperstate Part 2 article we resume the list of aircraft Videoman Dave and I reviewed at the show south of Phoenix, Arizona in Casa Grande. To remind you, this was the 43rd running of this show that invites all sorts of aircraft — and many dozens did fly in each day plus others did fly-over demonstrations. However, Copperstate generates a particularly strong response from manufacturers and representatives of Light-Sport Aircraft, light kit aircraft, and utralights. That makes it a must-go show for our team at ByDanJohnson.com and Dave’s SportAviationMagazine.com YouTube channel that so many of you seem to enjoy. Like other shows, many of you approached us at the event and expressed your ongoing interest in the video content we create. We are very pleased about your loyal viewership and will continue to work hard to build our growing video library … already at 400+ videos and moving steadily to 500 and beyond.

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VPRs & More at Copperstate 2015 (Part 1)

By Dan Johnson || November 7, 2015 Leave a Comment

The main view above was taken toward the end of the day. On Friday and Saturday the ramp was packed with show planes and a large number of aircraft that flew in for the day.

Videoman Dave takes his camera aloft in the AirCam with Phil Lockwood.

A couple members of Videoman Dave’s fan club wanted to pose for a photo in front of the Bumblebee Revo that we fly for a Video Pilot Report. Amy Saunders (L) and Nicole DeLuca both fly the Revo. Nicole is in training and Amy has flown from Florida to Oshkosh and to the West Coast and back. The Bumblebee-themed Revo belongs to Henry TrikeLife.

Updated 11/5/15 with video at end …

We went. We flew (and flew). We shot video … lots of video. Videoman Dave’s dual hand held cameras got a workout as did our six Garmin VIRB cameras. We did more of our popular interviews but we also captured multiple angles on several aircraft as we continue to build our expanding library of VPRs or Video Pilot Reports.

Nearly always hard at work on terra firma, Dave went aloft (photo) to get some air and to capture aerial images. Dave took a seat in the twin-engined AirCam with company designer and boss, Phil Lockwood so you can see Copperstate 2016 from the air.

Honestly, I can hardly imagine how Dave keeps track of those hours and hours of video much less organize them into the productions you enjoy to the tune of 1.5 million minutes a month of viewing. Quite a number of you came up and offered Dave and I appreciation for this effort and we most assuredly like the encouragement this represents. Don’t worry. We’ll keep making more!

Started 43 years ago in 1973 Copperstate Fly-In has been a stalwart of western shows supporting a large pilot population in Arizona and surrounding states. Copperstate is a volunteer run, non-profit organization, which they describe as “dedicated to promoting recreational and general aviation through events, scholarships, and public education.” Copperstate’s leadership added, “Proceeds from the Copperstate Fly-In help support scholarship programs for youth seeking careers in the aerospace industry.”

Between 5,000 and 7,000 people come out to view aircraft and more, this year including (on Saturday) a large collection of gorgeous vintage automobiles. Late October in Arizona is a beautiful time of year with abundant sunshine but lacking the scorching heat of summer.

AIR CAM — This constant flying of airplanes for Video Pilot Reports … it’s hard work but somebody has to be willing to do it. OK, that was a tongue-in-cheek comment as I take very little encouragement to climb into the front seat of an AirCam. Doing so over the beautiful landscape (to my eyes, anyway) surrounding Copperstate was pure pleasure. That this is also my job just proves the right kind of work can be a joy.

Before the event started, I went aloft with Lockwood Aircraft main man, Phil Lockwood. This was our first VPR since the Midwest LSA Expo in early September and we had to fiddle with our flock of VIRB cameras to get everything set. Phil and his sales manager, Robert Meyer were very patient but we finally went airborne with all cameras recording both video and our audio conversations while aloft. We hope you’ll enjoy this when it is posted. (Please be patient; video editing is very time consuming work.)

AirCam is such a pleasure to fly. Of course, it performs extraordinarily well with 200 horsepower pushing it enthusiastically into the sky. However, I learned from Phil that in modest cruise, he can reduce fuel consumption to 3.5 gph … and that’s for BOTH engines. AirCam can also fly slowly with full authority thanks in part to its huge vertical fin. It looks right-sized on this aircraft but in my opinion looks aren’t what matter. Flying qualities are superb on this aircraft and that big tail is a major reason why. I look forward to tell you more on the VPR.

REVO — Speaking of powerful machines with good performance, how about Revo? Hoo yah! I’ve described Revo as the most deluxe weight shift trike built by anyone and I stand by that comment after experiencing not one but two Revos at Copperstate. Revo is also one of the best performing trikes I’ve flown. This rig will blaze along faster than 100 mph, the virtual sound barrier for weight shift aircraft.

Now in talking to other trike enthusiasts at the event, some said more than $100,000 for a tricked out Revo is too much and that it’s too fast. That’s fair. If you want something more modestly priced, you have many choices including some desirable aircraft from North Wing and others … but also from Revo maker, Evolution Trikes. Their single seater Rev, which I have yet to fly, can be had for much less than $20,000 ready-to-fly as a Part 103; many options are available, which will increase cost and move it out of 103 but the point is you have several choices from Evolution.

Price aside, even after six years of observing Revo, I remain amazed at the level of detail Larry Mednick and his team have engineered into their top-of-the-line aircraft. The trike carriage is a brilliant melding of art and function but I want to mention the wing. Also their own configuration, some believe a trike this heavy cannot handle well. Indeed, that’s been true with several other trikes, but Revo handles with remarkable ease and it’s trim systems (pitch and yaw) work beautifully. If you never tried a weight shift, here’s one to consider early although it may spoil you for any other model. See more in the VPR when it’s ready.

In Copperstate Part 2, I’ll cover our work on the Kitfox STi, a pair of Slings, and more women in aviation as we look at a special SuperSTOL. Click back soon!

Catch one of our first Women-in-Aviation videos with Amy Saunders of Evolution Trikes below …

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Updated 11/5/15 with video at end … We went. We flew (and flew). We shot video … lots of video. Videoman Dave’s dual hand held cameras got a workout as did our six Garmin VIRB cameras. We did more of our popular interviews but we also captured multiple angles on several aircraft as we continue to build our expanding library of VPRs or Video Pilot Reports. Nearly always hard at work on terra firma, Dave went aloft (photo) to get some air and to capture aerial images. Dave took a seat in the twin-engined AirCam with company designer and boss, Phil Lockwood so you can see Copperstate 2016 from the air. Honestly, I can hardly imagine how Dave keeps track of those hours and hours of video much less organize them into the productions you enjoy to the tune of 1.5 million minutes a month of viewing.

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Here Is My “I Have a Drone” Speech

By Dan Johnson || October 28, 2015 Leave a Comment

I believe we can capture great video, for example, of airplanes taking off in ways not possible with either ground-based cameras or via air-to-air photography. Love them or hate them, drones can produce certain images that are simply not possible any other way. Plus, I wanted to investigate and learn about this new range of aircraft.

My primary goal is to take my drone to airshows and, after securing permission from the show organizer, use it to give you a better perspective. When it can be used safely, a drone should allow more intriguing viewpoints of Light-Sports, light kits, or ultralights during take off and landing.

Not long ago, I acquired a DJI-brand Phantom 2 Vision+ drone. The quadcopter comes with a three-axis gyro-gimbal stabilization that allows smooth filming even in windy or moderately turbulent conditions. The Vision 2+ holds a tiny video camera that produces 1080p-quality video and/or 14-megapixel still photos. Using on-board Wi-Fi Vision+ sends what is called first person view (FPV) to your Apple iOS or Android device that is held by clamp to the remote controller. The smartphone screen shows what the camera is seeing along with other data such as height, distance, battery life, orientation, and more.

Drone Source proprietor Ron Bishop wisely counseled my use of prop guards as I learned to fly the Phantom. The good news is that if you let go at any time and don’t bump the two joy sticks (one for throttle and yaw; the other for fore/aft, right/left), Vision 2+ will hover smoothly and hold altitude and position until you give it a further command.

Phantom is remarkably smart. Should you lose radio signal, Vision+ rises to about 55 feet, above common obstacles, and then will fly back to the launch point completely on its own. You can program the Phantom to autonomously (without human input) fly a course of up to 16 waypoints. If the battery gets low Vision 2+ comes home and lands without input. All this costs about $1,000 and prices will inevitably fall as drones develop at “Internet speed.”

“The world’s largest retailer by revenue recently asked the FAA for permission to use outdoor unmanned aircraft to test everything from package delivery to inventory management,” reported the Wall Street Journal. “Wal-Mart’s interest in drones [follows] … industries such as farming, filmmaking, and construction.”

Amazon, Google, and DHL are testing drones for the final leg of package delivery, often said to be the most inefficient and expensive part of delivery logistics. Although the agency seemed to move lethargically at first, FAA has established a new office headed up by former EAA LSA champion, Earl Lawrence. Things are moving faster now. Wall Street Journal reported, “FAA has issued more than 2,000 approvals in the past year to use drones commercially and the agency has recently accelerated such approvals.”

Cool as flying and using drones may be, it is increasingly more complicated as authorities insert themselves. Purchase prices are the least of your concerns. My drone ran a bit north of $1,000 and you can spend $3-10,000 for more professional units. This pales in comparison to shooting photos with a helicopter.

However, if you want to use a drone professionally, to be paid for the images you create, you will need a 333 Exemption. I am currently in this process with assistance from others. Typical of efforts to gain a license or other government approval, the task is tedious at best.

Next you’ll need to obtain a pilot’s license if you don’t already have one. Powered Parachute instructor and Designated Pilot Examiner, Roy Beisswenger, has had a busy summer training pilots who seek to fly drones to, for example, take real estate photos. The fastest way to a Sport Pilot certificate is through powered parachutes, which require only 12 hours (assuming good aptitude).

Now, FAA wants to register drones … sigh! OK, I’ll do it all and perhaps all the regulatory steps will bring order and enhance safety. Certainly, I’ll learn a lot. Fortunately, it is quite enjoyable to fly one of these things and the FPV is exceptional. The resulting images are excellent. Watch for some good visuals on this website and in our videos. Drone on …

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I have a confession to make. I … have a drone (with a nod to Dr. King and his “Dream” speech). No, I have not abandoned my love of flying inside the cockpit; far from it. However, in my role as an aviation journalist and with my goal of creating great content, I wanted to explore the new realm. I believe we can capture great video, for example, of airplanes taking off in ways not possible with either ground-based cameras or via air-to-air photography. Love them or hate them, drones can produce certain images that are simply not possible any other way. Plus, I wanted to investigate and learn about this new range of aircraft. My primary goal is to take my drone to airshows and, after securing permission from the show organizer, use it to give you a better perspective. When it can be used safely, a drone should allow more intriguing viewpoints of Light-Sports, light kits, or ultralights during take off and landing.

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BREAKING NEWS – Quicksilver Closing Factory but…

By Dan Johnson || October 26, 2015 1 Comment

All photos with this article were shot by pro aviation photographer James Lawrence, whom interested parties can contact through his website.

For several years, I have known the principals of the company — Will Escutia and Daniel Perez — and spoke with both of them this morning (Tuesday, October 20th, 2015). What follows is directly from the horse’s mouth, as they say.

In any such fluid situation, the news is more difficult to accurately report because not every decision is made. For example, if the company was bankrupt and going completely out of business (which phrase was used by another aviation reporter), the predicament might simply be reported as such. Yet that is not the case according to Quicksilver president, Will Escutia.

“We will not manufacture from our California plant,” started Will. “We cannot support the structure of a physical plant in California.” Many businesspeople know that running an enterprise in the Western state is very complex, with extensive regulation of even the smallest company. California also presents a very challenging employment environment, where an employee can cost much more than the hourly wage or salary they are being paid.

Quicksilver is also using equipment to manufacture that is increasingly aged. Those tools are fine for the job and anyone who seen a Quicksilver kit can instantly recognize the quality. However, times have changed and older manufacturing hardware has given way to new methods so while dealing with higher cost labor, Quicksilver has to maintain factory implements that demand more attention.

All this became too much to support by the business available. Sales of aircraft, which had been more robust, became insufficient when volume turned down even a small amount.

The official words blessed from company lawyers are succinct, “The international corporation, Flying Spirit Aircraft, that owns the intellectual property rights, is working through third party suppliers to make it possible for customers to continue receiving support including technical support for its SLSA.

“It is contemplated to provide replacement parts through third party companies and based on demand, these third party companies may elect to supply full kits later on. An auction will be held on November 3rd, 2015 to talk with interested parties in Temecula, California.”

Dan Perez functioned as COO or General Manager. He recently informed dealers and other insiders, “Running a business that includes a strong manufacturing component is complex. Fixed costs are quite high since we have two buildings, personnel to operate equipment, and engineers to solve problems. We have to pay for maintenance, building insurance, utilities and other overhead.” Anyone who has operated any kind of manufacturing plant knows exactly what Dan wrote although private buyers may not recognize the day-to-day difficulties.

“In order to offset these costs, sales of aircraft are needed in addition to the usual replacement parts, otherwise the stress on the business becomes unbearable,” Dan continued.

“Although we saw an increase in aircraft sales from 2012 to 2014, 2015 has turned out to be a year with lower demand. Tremendous efforts were placed in order to reduce costs dramatically. However, this has not been enough and therefore a very significant reorganization of the company is underway in order to have a much, much leaner company with much lower fixed costs.”

“In 2015, we were operating below breakeven so our debt was increasing,” said Will. Instead, he stated, “We plan to follow an outsource model,” which he explained means that they are negotiating with third parties, including some very longtime Quicksilver outlets such as Lousiana’s Air-Tech. Indeed, Air-Tech principal Gene “Bever” Borne has been associated with Quicksilver aircraft decades longer than the current owners.

“Liquidation became the way to go, so we can do something else,” continued Will. “We will liquidate the inventory and tools to pay off debt, but we will continue to work with third parties.”

“First, we want to assure availability of parts and components,” added Will. It is presently unknown how the company will handle fully-built aircraft. As reported here, Quicksilver won FAA acceptance in July 2014 to make a Special LSA version of their Sport 2S.

While most readers and nearly everyone in aviation knows Van’s Aircraft is perhaps the largest seller of kit aircraft (at more than 20,000 delivered, according to last reports), Quicksilver is the kit giant of aviation. More than 15,000 of their kits have been delivered and nearly every one of these is flying all over the world. Van’s is nearing the 10,000 mark of completed aircraft. While those RV models are more complex aircraft, the build effort for which is more significant, the fact remains that Quicksilver is aviation’s success story regarding kits that are owner flown in large numbers.

However the story unfolds in the weeks and months ahead, I expect Quicksilver aircraft models to continue to fly and to be sold. If owners Escutia and Perez are successful in selling the assets in an auction coming up on November 3rd, Quicksilver manufacturing may go on relatively smoothly. Regardless of the auction outcome, some enterprise or collection of enterprises are certain to continue to make parts and service a fleet of many thousands.

I will keep reporting this news as it develops. Please click back often.

Watch our video interview with longtime Quicksilver national sales representative, Todd Ellefson to see a beautiful GT500 restoration, an example of how these desirable aircraft will continue flying despite the current turmoil.

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Aviation news outlets and social media are buzzing with the news that Quicksilver Aeronautics is closing its factory. For example, Aero-News Net — always a quick reporter of such news — is calling the event a “dissolution.” This is not incorrect; it comes directly from a document previously issued by Quicksilver’s lawyers (see more below). However, letters from lawyers often portray things in very black and white terms and the situation is somewhat more nuanced than that. For several years, I have known the principals of the company — Will Escutia and Daniel Perez — and spoke with both of them this morning (Tuesday, October 20th, 2015). What follows is directly from the horse’s mouth, as they say. In any such fluid situation, the news is more difficult to accurately report because not every decision is made. For example, if the company was bankrupt and going completely out of business (which phrase was used by another aviation reporter), the predicament might simply be reported as such.

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Racing Down Electric Avenue … Here Comes Airbus

By Dan Johnson || October 20, 2015 Leave a Comment

Airbus made big news back in July when a race developed to see who would cross the English Channel first in an electric powered airplane. Of course, the whole thing was a bit moot because it had been done years before. Longtime electric pioneer Eric Raymond of Sunseeker Duo noted, “It was already done in 1981 by the Solar Challenger, which flew from Paris to London at 14,000 feet. [Famous hang glider pilot and manufacturer Gerard] Thevenot even flew an electric trike across.

Both 2015 flights crossing the English Channel (around 20 miles over water or a bit over 30 as E-Fan flew) seem rather modest compared to the ocean-spanning attempt by Solar Impulse 2.

Airbus’ E-Fan 1.0 flew 46 miles to Calais in France in 36 minutes at an altitude of about 3,500 feet. The tandem two-seat E-Fan uses a wingspan of 31 feet that produces a 16:1 glide. Its twin ducted electric motors with variable-pitch propellers are powered by a series of 250-volt lithium-ion polymer batteries. Hugues Duval’s miniature airplane, the Cri Cri, beat E-Fan to Calais by about 12 hours. The tiny aircraft has only a 16 foot wingspan lifted by two 35-horsepower Electravia electric motors. Cri Cri flew at 65 mph. According to reports, Duval’s Channel crossing took only 17 minutes, which was good as his battery life was said to be 25 minutes. He benefitted from being launched by another airplane (see earlier article).

A third electric Channel-crosser, Pipistrel, was denied a chance to beat them both when electric motor maker, Siemens, suddenly refused to allow the company to fly its motor over water (though one wonders how the motor was supposed to know it was no longer over land where it performed just fine). Here’s an earlier article about Pipistrel’s WATTsUP, since renamed Electro.

All the corporate race-across-the-Channel drama notwithstanding, the future for electric power has the smell of inevitability, if for no other reason than giant Airbus dropping tens of millions into their development. Why would they make such an investment? Simple: electric airliners are in their future. Airbus stated its goal of creating a 100-passenger electric hybrid planes that could enter service by 2030. I’ll discuss that below (also see image).

The advantages of electric propulsion are several, according to Airbus: lower noise that doesn’t bother airport neighbors; reduced carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (NOx), and particulate emissions; and, reduced vibration. All three benefit the pilot as well. For example, when I flew the eSpyder, lower noise was more pleasant and made me aware of noises on the ground that I would never have heard with a headset on and a reciprocating engine roaring. Less vibration is also not only a lesser wear factor for airframes but also for engines and the pilot will benefit physiologically. You might not notice reduced emissions as viscerally but cleaner air surely benefits everyone.

Airbus Group plans what they call the “world’s first series production electric planes,” specifically E-Fan 2.0 and 4.0 aircraft, the latter being a four seater. Work on the new all-electric, battery-powered two-seater pilot training version and the four person hybrid electric motor/combustion engine version will be pursued by Voltair SAS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airbus. The two models will be built at a 16,000 square foot facility located at Pau Pyrénées Airport in the southwest of France, sometimes called “Aerospace Valley.”

Construction of the E-Fan assembly line is to start next year and a first E-Fan 2.0 should fly in late 2017. Airbus Group committed about $22 million for development of the E-Fan 2.0 production aircraft. They will build to European CS-LSA certification using ASTM standards at a gross weight of under 600 kg (1,320 pounds). So, the two seater will be a Light-Sport Aircraft even if it may not be called that. The hybrid four seat E-Fan 4.0 is targeting 2019.

Spending by jet engine maker Rolls Royce began in 2012 with nearly a billion dollars for metals, composites, vehicle integration, electronics, systems engineering and information technologies. Airbus joins with Rolls Royce and others, all captioned under something called the DEAP project for Distributed Electric Aerospace Propulsion. Their goals include reducing CO2 emissions by 75%, NOx by 90%, and noise by 65% compared to standards in 2000.

As the nearby image shows, the airliner concept involves three ducted fan motors on each side of the fuselage (looking much like the E-Fan’s motors though much larger). Such a system will obviously required a far higher level of integration with the airframe than just slinging a high bypass jet engine under the wing. An advanced gas-powered unit would provide power for the six motors buried in the wings. Airbus refers to this a “serial hybrid propulsion system.”

Coming back to the present day to the smaller airplanes that fascinate readers of this website (and those who watch our YouTube videos), you might wonder, “Why spend time on projects aimed at 2030 to 2050?” All you need do is consider how giant companies spending many hundreds of millions of dollars can result in developing technologies useful for Light-Sport Aircraft, light kits, and ultralights.

Although we already have electric-powered ultralights that work quite well for single pilots (see short article here and here; a video; or, a full-length article) and while we have emerging LSA that should do duty as flight trainers and local area fun flying, taking bigger strides is necessary for an airline design. Such esoteric ideas as superconducting machines (motors) and cryogenic cooling intended for airline use may be tested on LSA and light GA planes.

While all this sounds rather far-out, a kind of science fiction story, the urgency for lower emitting, quieter airliners, and what will surely be escalating fuel costs may drive some interesting concepts that small airplane makers can use.

Small companies can be very nimble and may more quickly employ ideas behemoth companies like Airbus and Rolls Royce can’t put into use for years. I can’t fully imagine where this electric future leads us but electric power for aircraft is certainly coming.

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At the recently concluded Palm Springs Expo, a keynote address was provided by George Bye, the man behind the Sun Flyer project that aims to put electric two seaters into flight schools. Pipistrel is already selling into this market with its Electro (video) and while only a small number of aircraft are in use, the race is on for more … much more. Airbus made big news back in July when a race developed to see who would cross the English Channel first in an electric powered airplane. Of course, the whole thing was a bit moot because it had been done years before. Longtime electric pioneer Eric Raymond of Sunseeker Duo noted, “It was already done in 1981 by the Solar Challenger, which flew from Paris to London at 14,000 feet. [Famous hang glider pilot and manufacturer Gerard] Thevenot even flew an electric trike across.

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Flying a Sling Taildragger in America

By Dan Johnson || October 14, 2015 Leave a Comment

If you haven’t checked out this cool feature, you should do so. You can click on and off more than 20 different aircraft characteristics, all simple yes-or-no type entries. As you do so, the “Matching List” changes to show the aircraft that meet your criteria. From that list you’ll see links that let you read more content (written and video) available on this website. You must register to use PlaneFinder 2.0 (your email is all that is required and after you do so we’ll send you a regular English-word password that you can change), however, PlaneFinder 2.0 is completely free, like most of our content. Go have fun!

Many LSA are available as nose wheel, tricycle gear airplanes. Some are taildraggers. Some go both ways. If you’re not sure about your ability to fly a taildragger I have two things to say: (1) LSA taildraggers are not that challenging to fly for a variety of reasons (some of which I’ll mention below), and, (2) taildraggers look so cool.

So, I don’t know about you but when I heard about the Sling taildragger I almost started an involuntary Pavlovian drool. I’ve enjoyed flying Sling in nosedragger form — see this article — but, ooh la la, a taildragger … now that get’s my blood flowing freely.

“I flew about 20 hours in the Taildragger while it was here [at our Torrence, California facility],” said U.S. importer Matt Litnaitzky of The Airplane Factory USA. He also reported flying a few more hours in South Africa a year ago. The Airplane Factory is a South African producer of Sling, Sling 4 — their four seater — and who knows what else might be coming from this hard-working manufacturer.

“The Sling Taildragger is almost identical to the regular [tricycle gear] Sling LSA, save for the landing gear configuration,” Matt continued. “It features dual toe brakes, whereas the tricycle version is delivered standard with direct steered nosewheel and hand-operated brake.”

As a taildragger, differential braking such as with toe brakes, is important to allow better ramp maneuverability. However this introduces the potential for the dreaded ground loop. So, let me address this for a few lines.

For those that may be new to taildraggers, a ground loop is not really a “loop” in the common aeronautical use of that word. It means that, due to the mass of aircraft aft of the main gear, should the pilot let the tail end move too far toward either side with some element of momentum in that movement, the tail can come more aggressively to the side.

With a high wing or low, a sideways moving tail can cause a wing tip to strike the ground, whether somewhat gently or more forcefully. When a wingtip located far from the aircraft center of mass drags on the ground, leverage causes even more movement the wrong way and that can result in quite a twirl on the ground … the “ground loop.”

Usually the damage is not too significant and it is the pilot’s ego that is more seriously wounded. However, with enough force and speed involved, it can be quite a bit worse. Being relatively light aircraft usually landing at fairly slow speeds, and often having a lower deck angle — meaning the nose is not particularly high compared to the horizontal — LSA ground loops are much less likely and not as much bad stuff happens when one occurs.

The solution, instilled by a quality taildragger checkout from a knowledgeable instructor or experienced pilot, often involves what is called “happy feet.” If you keep your feet moving on the rudder pedals — using a series of small regular movements, to prevent the tail from getting too far to one side or the other — the ground loop is easily avoided. On something like a DC-3 this is a very big deal. On most LSA, it simply shouldn’t dissuade you from trying a taildragger. Did I mention they look SO cool?

Until I can fly Sling taildragger, I’m happy to pass along Matt’s further comments.

“During taxi, the Sling Taildragger provides sufficient visibility down the runway to see straight ahead without S-turning,” said Matt. He elaborated, “The gear geometry is such that when the tail comes up on the takeoff roll, the aircraft remains extremely steady on the runway, with very little steering input required.

“In flight she shares the same light control harmony that the standard Sling has, since it is the same airplane. Three-point landings are a breeze in the Sling Taildragger and control is easily maintained on the rollout.

“The Sling LSA Taildragger [sells for] approximately the same price as the Sling LSA (starting at $135,000), but the gorgeous lines of the Sling are accentuated by the aggressive nose-up stance on the ground.

All photos with this article were captured by photographer Evan Byrne, whom interested parties can contact at his aerial photography web address. Thanks, Evan!

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Light-Sport Aircraft comprise an diverse gaggle of some beautiful airplanes. Choices are available in a dizzying array of configurations and variations. In fact, so many selections are available to you (as Special LSA) that I created PlaneFinder 2.0 to help folks narrow the decision to a few that might best suit your needs, interests, experience, and budget. If you haven’t checked out this cool feature, you should do so. You can click on and off more than 20 different aircraft characteristics, all simple yes-or-no type entries. As you do so, the “Matching List” changes to show the aircraft that meet your criteria. From that list you’ll see links that let you read more content (written and video) available on this website. You must register to use PlaneFinder 2.0 (your email is all that is required and after you do so we’ll send you a regular English-word password that you can change), however, PlaneFinder 2.0 is completely free, like most of our content.

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Tomorrow (Starting Today) Is Huge for Ultralights

By Dan Johnson || October 9, 2015 Leave a Comment

Casey Moseley said his airplane is prepped and ready to join the fun on October 10th.

Since most ultralights are relatively slow flying, sub-87 knot, airplanes (and that’s a good or great thing say enthusiasts including yours truly), it isn’t practical to gather perhaps thousands of ultralights at a single field to fly them all at once. Nor would trying be safe. Yet in the age of social media and Internet communication, it is possible to request that thousands of ultralight owners around the globe prepare their flying machines and get them into the air on the same day. Could it be a record-setting event? Maybe.

Tomorrow is already underway on the other side of the International Date Line, so as Hammed Malik of Kilcoy, Australia shows in the nearby photo, he’s already aloft on October 10th. He may be one of the first but this is going to occur again and again over the next 36 hours or so as the planet spins around to face the sun at different times, thanks to the tireless effort of Paul and his social media flying compatriots.

As the sponsoring Dayton (Ohio) Ultralight group advised earlier, “Ultralight enthusiasts anywhere on the planet are invited, including any aircraft considered an ‘ultralight’ — aircraft such as fixed wing ultralights, powered parachutes, weight shift trikes, powered paragliders, hang gliders, or, “any imaginative, magnificent flying machine.”

If you have an ultralight and want to get in on the action — and possibly help WUFI make it into the Guinness Book of Records — post your photo to the group’s Facebook page.

As you can see on the worldwide map below, a large number of pilots have indicated they will join the airborne party and hopefully even more will choose to act as the deadline draws near. The more the merrier … and the more likely of earning a place in the record book.

Nonetheless, one important message came from Jim Konst, who wrote on the Facebook page, “Some of us have not flown recently, but now have a deadline. Some of us will have iffy weather, but will fly anyway. Keep in mind that your flight does not have to be an epic cross country. You have to leave the ground and take a picture. That is all. I imagine gusts and crosswinds will be our biggest challenge. We all know how to fly, we all know when to fly, and we all need to remember when to stand down. Be safe.”

Having often flown “for the camera” myself, I add my memory of a few close encounters to Jim’s advice to be careful. This idea here is to fly for fun and, Guinness record or not, make sure you only fly if the situation is safe and you and your magnificent flying machine are fully ready for the flight! Then … go have a ball!

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It’s already tomorrow (Saturday, October 10th) somewhere. Here in the USA, I write this on Friday the 9th, and tomorrow in America is going to be big, big day for small aircraft owners. As Facebook juggernaut, Paul Lindamood has promoted with multiple Facebook posts per day for weeks, it is nearly time for WUFI … the World Ultralight Fly-in. Actually, that time is now! Whoo hoo! Since most ultralights are relatively slow flying, sub-87 knot, airplanes (and that’s a good or great thing say enthusiasts including yours truly), it isn’t practical to gather perhaps thousands of ultralights at a single field to fly them all at once. Nor would trying be safe. Yet in the age of social media and Internet communication, it is possible to request that thousands of ultralight owners around the globe prepare their flying machines and get them into the air on the same day.

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Continental’s Titan Engine to Power Vickers Wave

By Dan Johnson || October 6, 2015 Leave a Comment

Vickers is completing all component elements including the CNC bullet sump (top) and tooling for the fuselage.

At the time, this potent powerplant raised eyebrows for two reasons.

First, it seemed an excess of power for the then-new lightweight class of airplanes FAA had just regulated into existence. Most had been using one of the 9-series engines from Rotax, which in some cases was itself a move up from a two-stroke Rotax 582 providing 65 horsepower. CubCrafters limited power after takeoff to maneuver within the regs, though, honestly, who would continue using so much power in cruise or while sight seeing?

Secondly, the Cub-style airframe is already near the upper LSA empty weight calculation so CubCrafters’ engineers had to add many costly carbon fiber elements to keep the empty weight low enough to fit in the class. Compared to the Rotax 912, Titan beefy engine adds considerable weight so the airframe diet represented considerable work. All the handsome carbon fiber also boosted the price of the CarbonCub to breathtaking levels.

Nonetheless, the company made it work so well that they have set the pace for airplane deliveries in the LSA space for several years. Since they broke the mold, however, other companies such as American Legend and Zlin have installed the engine to offer essentially the same performance characteristics … and they’ve been able to push the price down to levels ByDanJohnson.com readers are more likely to embrace.

However, one strongly emerging class of airplane is the LSA seaplane, and you might think that this higher-empty-group of designs could benefit from more power. Indeed, Rotax recently announced their new 915 model (video) offering 135 horsepower. Given the Austrian company’s vast global network and overwhelming market acceptance, the 915 seems destined to be a success story.

However, 915 won’t arrive on the market until 2017, the company detailed at their Oshkosh press conference. In the meantime, another LSA seaplane has seen an opportunity.

In May 2015, Continental Motors Group, a division of China aviation giant, AVIC, announced it purchased all the asset of Engine Components International, or ECi, maker of the Titan engine and other engine parts. Simply put, the Titan 300-series is now part of Continental Motors, giving the powerplant added funding and a massive international network. The acquisition gives Continental a strong foothold in the experimental market via ECi’s Titan line of engines, which includes the X320, X340 and X370 models, which, interestingly, are all based on Lycoming type designs.

In our video below (or click here) ECi’s Miguel Soto tells you more about the Titan engine used by Vickers.

I’ve followed and written about Vickers Aircraft‘s coming Wave here and here. Along with Icon and MVP.aero, Wave appears to be a third generation design in the 11-year-old LSA world. All three models have superb design ideas — each different in their own ways — and represent state-of-the-art creations among Light-Sport Aircraft.

With a new announcement, Wave is increasing the ante significantly.

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Big power is not just for LSA taildraggers anymore. A few years back, CubCrafters surprised the LSA world with its installation of the most powerful engine in the LSA space. The western U.S. company mounted a Titan engine from ECi making the modest Cub-like airframe perform far better than the old versions from the Piper company. At the time, this potent powerplant raised eyebrows for two reasons. First, it seemed an excess of power for the then-new lightweight class of airplanes FAA had just regulated into existence. Most had been using one of the 9-series engines from Rotax, which in some cases was itself a move up from a two-stroke Rotax 582 providing 65 horsepower. CubCrafters limited power after takeoff to maneuver within the regs, though, honestly, who would continue using so much power in cruise or while sight seeing? Secondly, the Cub-style airframe is already near the upper LSA empty weight calculation so CubCrafters’ engineers had to add many costly carbon fiber elements to keep the empty weight low enough to fit in the class.

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Going Aloft in Paradise Aircraft’s New P1NG

By Dan Johnson || October 3, 2015 Leave a Comment

I’ll get into the aircraft changes in a moment but first let me remind you what Paradise Aircraft has done. The brand is well established in the southern hemisphere country where they manufacture a line of two and four seat aircraft. These designs have found favor with Brazilian farmers some of whom operate vast operations that are distant from the population areas so they use aircraft to manage their enterprises.

If you’ve followed the news, you may know the natural-resources-rich Brazil has experienced an economic decline as commodity prices have fallen, driven heavily by China’s pullback on those purchases while its economy cools. The government of Brazil did not keep up with the changing times and current president Dilma Rousseff is suffering from very low approval ratings. I discuss this not to review geopolitics but to help explain why companies like Paradise chose to set up shop at the Sebring airport in Florida.

During 2014 Paradise investigated opportunities around central Florida, looking at facilities at the Sun ‘n Fun airport in Lakeland and at the Sebring airport. Like Tecnam, they settled on the latter, joining longtime Sebring resident, Lockwood Aircraft Supply and their AirCam kit manufacturing operations.

After announcing this decision in January 2015 and moving some initial aircraft to Sebring, things went quiet. At a local EAA chapter meeting at my home airport of Spruce Creek (7FL6), I was asked by a couple about Paradise and why no more news was forthcoming. A call to main U.S. representative Bert Motoyama ended up producing a visit with a chance to fly the newest model, P1NG.

Bert and his associate Randy “RW” Burnley flew up and, over coffee, explained that they had to prove their operation to FAA before they could proceed which overall effort took more time than anticipated. The reason relates to the planned assembly of Brazilian fabricated aircraft. As Sebring will substantially participate in the manufacturing effort, FAA regarded the operation as a “remote manufacturer” resulting in a more detailed examination. Bert and RW prepared carefully and successfully passed the review.

Because of a punishing 35% export tax, Paradise will send airframes which the Sebring group will complete. They’ll add many components including the engine as less value shipped from Brazil lowers their tax bill. This makes sense and it is also efficient to source many American parts in-country rather than ship them back and forth.

After the business discussion, RW invited me to go fly with him and I jumped at the chance. It’s been a few years since I flew the earlier Paradise P1 and I anticipating renewing the experience. Our video below (or click here) discusses some of the changes.

Let’s start with entry to P1NG, which is much easier. Why? Although not particularly visible, Paradise extensively redesigned P1. Noe and his engineers made the door four inches taller and six inches wider (front to rear). Though you still need to duck your head a bit on entry, just like most other high wing airplanes, the less flexible among us will find it much easier to get in P1NG.

The door windows are no longer shaped with a teardrop cut-out, but the overall window area is larger, aiding visibility. The plexiglass is also bowed or bubbled out to give more room inside.

Paradise has always had a quality interior finish, but P1NG is even more polished with an automobile-like interior. What dominates your view, though, is the dual yokes. While most LSA elect joysticks (that many of us admittedly like), yokes are the most common control in aviation, which may ease the transition of Cessna and Piper pilots to Light-Sport. Some argue you have more lateral control with a yoke than with a joystick that can bump into your legs on full deflection.

The interior is roomy up front, but it’s the aft cabin that sets P1NG apart from most other aircraft, somewhat resembling the volume of a Jabiru, and for the same reason: this airframe can be a four seater in its native country.

Paradise has long supported a model with hand controls and Bert said such a version of P1NG is on its way. The large aft area could carry a wheelchair with ease, after assuring proper anchoring and weight and balance loading.

P1NG flies as good or better than the original, which is to say very well. Refreshing my experience recalled the Paradise flies much like a Cessna 150 except with better performance. It felt very solid with responsive yet cooperative handling to which any Cessna pilot will adapt almost immediately. It takes off and lands predictably like the discontinued model from the Wichita giant.

Stalls occurred at almost ridiculously low speeds, in the high 30s power on or down into the 20s power off, at which speeds ASIs become notoriously suspect. When the airplane stalled, one wing dipped ever-so-slightly and recovery was almost immediate even without adding power.

You can see and hear more about P1NG in our video below but suffice it to say that Paradise has lost none of its original appeal and has gained in several worthy ways. With the U.S. operation getting up to speed, I predict we’ll again start seeing more “Pings” in the air. I’ll be keeping my eye on this company for you.

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Yes, they call it “Ping” among themselves but it is actually P1 NG, as in Next Generation. “Ping” has a few American user-friendly changes from the earlier P1 brought about by comments from U.S. representatives of the Brazilian design. I’ll get into the aircraft changes in a moment but first let me remind you what Paradise Aircraft has done. The brand is well established in the southern hemisphere country where they manufacture a line of two and four seat aircraft. These designs have found favor with Brazilian farmers some of whom operate vast operations that are distant from the population areas so they use aircraft to manage their enterprises. If you’ve followed the news, you may know the natural-resources-rich Brazil has experienced an economic decline as commodity prices have fallen, driven heavily by China’s pullback on those purchases while its economy cools. The government of Brazil did not keep up with the changing times and current president Dilma Rousseff is suffering from very low approval ratings.

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Video Pilot Report: Icon Aircraft A5 LSA Seaplane

By Dan Johnson || September 29, 2015 Leave a Comment

Icon has come a long way since it was first announced but the finished product is a roaring success at design, brilliantly aimed at its target market of new or returning pilots.

Call it the Quintuple Crown of aviation marketing, capturing five magazine covers in the same month. Think about what that took to achieve.

A5’s interior looks like a luxury car, by very explicit design. Remember, they hope to appeal to non-pilots thus a more familiar (and handsome) interior was needed.

In addition to their engineering staff, Icon retained Adam Morrison of Streamline Design to consult on meeting ASTM standards, about which Morrison is an international expert. A tribute to their engineering staff and Streamline, Icon easily passed FAA audit in June 2015.

Come on along for our Video Pilot Report on A5, appearing just below. Before the engine even started I was already smiling. So might you.

Production of one of these VPRs is a two-part effort. First, I invested some time to get to where Icon did their demo flying (away from all the other flying locations associated with Oshkosh). Weather and the company’s desire to take aloft a reported 150 of their waiting owners forced a couple schedule changes. Since returning home, we worked with several helpful folks at Icon to assemble all the right video pieces. Finally, Dave invested many hours editing what you see below (or here).

Our video should show you most of what you want to see about this impressive LSA including water takeoffs and landings, in-flight maneuvering, stalls (such as they are), low flying over the water, and the interior of the airplane including Icon’s highly emphasized Angle of Attack indicator. At times, the audio is a bit abrupt because the noise-canceling quality of the connection stopped when we were not talking yet I think you’ll find lots to like in the 25-minute video.

Thanks to their very professional marketing and shrewd planning, Icon Aircraft grabbed the golden ring, capturing no less than five of aviation’s top magazine covers in the same month. I’ve been in aviation longer than I care to admit and I don’t believe I’ve ever seen that. It is the airplane equivalent of winning horse-racing’s Triple Crown. Icon has since been flying a number of journalists from non-aviation publications.

If you read those pilot reports in print magazines, you observed that every author gave glowing reviews. Were those writers swayed by Icon’s superb media handling or is A5 that good? It’s a valid question. After I returned from my flight more than one person hearing my complimentary assessment said, “Aw, you just drank the Icon Kool-Aid.”

You can believe I succumbed to the Icon “reality distortion field” (a phrase attributed to another great marketer, Steve Jobs) but I have overwhelmingly good things to say about A5. The LSA is artistically achieved, flies well, is comfortable, and oozes outdoor sports sex appeal. They nailed the stall characteristics that can confound new pilots, who have been the company’s primary target since I first met CEO Kirk Hawkins while on the EAA Sport Pilot Tour back in 2005 … a time when he remembers being “just one guy with a business card.”

After my flight and before returning to Wittman Regional Airport, I sat for nearly an hour in TJ’s restaurant where Icon did their demo flying so I could type notes on my iPad. What appears below are some of the balancing remarks.

I flew with Craig Bowers, an ex-military jet jock. His military training showed in various ways (as you might notice on the video below) but that background gave him a solid grounding in the use of an AoA indicator. The instrument is widely used on fighter aircraft. I have deep respect for AoAs, and Icon has done a lot to increase pilot awareness of it. However, most recreational or GA pilots are not used to flying with one and it takes some relearning. You’ll hear Craig often refer to “on-angle white.” This is AoA talk and perhaps the best thing I can recommend is for you to watch the AoA — the uppermost instrument in front of the pilot — as we maneuvered. While AoA use may not be automatic for pilots used to keeping a sharp eye on airspeed, most will quickly adapt to the Icon AoA presentation. I’ve often used the AoA indicator in Dynon‘s SkyView instrument — this can be added for very modest hardware cost — but I don’t find their implementation as informative. Like others, they use a series of colored lines and chevrons where Icon’s simple analog wing-airfoil needle is much clearer in my opinion.

A5 handling is very predictable and reassuring. I’d call it about as good as it gets for a student pilot, or for that matter, for most of us. Those of you who love aerobatics or seek feather-light handling with snappy response might be less satisfied. Icon has repeatedly said they seek those two million Americans who got their Student Pilot certificate and then abandoned the pursuit, perhaps as life got complicated for them. I sincerely hope Icon can sell every one of them an A5 and I wholeheartedly applaud the effort to go after that largely-ignored market. A5 handling should suit all returning students.

As you heard in the video, I’d prefer an altimeter better suited to seaplane flying, which is commonly done at low altitudes. The installed single pointer model moves only about one centimeter for 1,000 feet; we never went above that altitude in 25 minutes of flying. I’d also like a more tactile trim button. The installed one slid fore and aft and you had to check an indicator to know where it was set. Finally among my few gripes, a forward-opening canopy can be difficult to escape in an upset although open side windows would allow egress for determined occupants. Of course, such a problem is remedied by not forgetting to have the gear retracted on water landings. One downside of open windows — which I otherwise loved immensely — came in the rough water conditions of the day. I got doused good once when we caught a wave. Fortunately, the iPhone I had belt-clipped on the outside survived the soaking.

Some pilots yearn for the fastest airplane they can fly without a Medical and they benefit from numerous LSA choices that can hit the 120-knot (138 mph) speed limit. Icon’s A5 is not one of them. A few speeds for you — cruise is 85-95 knots with what I’d call a relaxed cruise at 75-85; maximum speed (or Vh) is listed in the brochure at 95 knots or 109 mph; stall comes at 39 knots with full flaps and 45 clean. We cruised the shoreline at low altitude at 70 knots at 4500 rpm at which power setting the Rotax 912 iS burns around 3-3.5 gph. As you hear on the video, sink rate with the prop windmilling in a stalled configuration is about 900 fpm; although it would be a very firm touchdown, this is slower than the descent rate under parachute.

Speaking of the latter, Icon’s brochure states, “Due to Icon’s exemption to the U.S. LSA weight limit … the Icon Complete Airplane Parachute is mandatory for U.S.-registered A5 aircraft. Complete Airplane Parachute pricing is not included in the estimated price.” The comment brings up the last gripe I’ll offer. Any seaplane costs more than a comparable land plane. Modestly priced models like Searey or Super Petrel run $150,000 or so, already beyond many budgets. Icon with a parachute and popular options will run well over $200,000 in 2015 dollars.

Here’s a few more stats — Icon said useful load is 430-550 pounds. With, say, 15 gallons of fuel, you’ll have 340-460 pounds of payload. A5’s baggage area can hold 60 pounds. Craig believed we flew at an empty weight of 1,075 pounds, which included four Go-Pro cameras and their mounts but an unstated amount of fuel.

In closing, I would give Icon an A-minus grade. A5 is imaginatively designed and should satisfy a large percentage of pilots or wannabes. No airplane ever designed is perfect for every buyer and neither is A5. Yet had I worked to create this flying machine I would, rightly so, be immensely proud of my achievement. I salute Team Icon’s effort and wish them the best as they ramp up production to meet a record-setting order book of some 1,500 deposits.

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The Video Pilot Report below may be one of the most anticipated VPRs my video partner Dave and I have produced. I did the flying at AirVenture Oshkosh 2015 on Lake Winnebago in late July, but because Icon preferred to provide the video footage, it has taken some weeks to put it all together. Production of one of these VPRs is a two-part effort. First, I invested some time to get to where Icon did their demo flying (away from all the other flying locations associated with Oshkosh). Weather and the company’s desire to take aloft a reported 150 of their waiting owners forced a couple schedule changes. Since returning home, we worked with several helpful folks at Icon to assemble all the right video pieces. Finally, Dave invested many hours editing what you see below (or here). Our video should show you most of what you want to see about this impressive LSA including water takeoffs and landings, in-flight maneuvering, stalls (such as they are), low flying over the water, and the interior of the airplane including Icon’s highly emphasized Angle of Attack indicator.

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Cleaning Your Flying Machine Without Damaging It

By Dan Johnson || September 28, 2015 Leave a Comment

Who doesn’t want their favorite aircraft (or car or boat) to look all shiny and clean?

Bucket Wash is one of Composiclean’s primary products.

Composiclean has some other worthy products, like the non-adhesive, stick-on solar screens you can attach anywhere or the squeegee that I see so many airshow vendors use on their showplanes; the squeegee expands to 22 inches of wipe, handy for removing morning dew.

Avoid putting your costly touchscreen avionics at risk by cleaning them with harsh products.

I know you like reading about aircraft. I like writing about them (and doing videos about them … more on that soon with a very special one in final editing right now).

However, most pilots also like their airplanes to be all clean and shiny. Well, they don’t get that way without effort and without the right products. The truth is, you can use the wrong cleaners on some aircraft components and it could cost you much more than you care to consider.

So, for your weekend reading, let me tell you about a couple cleaning product companies I’m glad are in the business. Welcome to Composiclean and iCloth Avionics.

Composiclean’s Ken Godin said, “[I saw] a lot of people doing damage to their airplanes using harsh products. I thought I should fix that.” In the process, Ken realized he had the makings of a business that would cater to enthusiasts of any vehicle that involved composite materials.

Maria Devins is Composiclean’s VP of Sales & Marketing. She noted, “The products work great on anything: planes, cars, motorcycles, and boats … whatever you ride, drive or fly. [Our] repeat customers say it’s the best stuff they’ve ever used.”

Composiclean has been in business for almost ten years and recently scored a major success. “We have been working with strategically located dealers and our own company website … but it’s time for mass distribution,” Maria said, “We are excited for the opportunity to work with a large and established distribution company as Wing Aero.”

Wing Aero focuses significantly on training items but has branched out in some other directions, now including cleaning products. As a flight instructor many years back, I recall asking the occasional student to go clean up after a flight that cause the loss of lunch, making a mess of the cockpit. We didn’t have the Right Cleaning Stuff in those early days but both myself and the humbled student probably wished we had.

Wing Aero national sales manager Jonathan Folds said, “We’ve been supplying FBOs and the general aviation industry for 29 years. We provide easy access to aviation training materials for both flight and maintenance programs, accessories, charts and now we’ve added Composiclean products.” He added a company endorsement, “Composiclean products are wonderful. We use them ourselves.”

Another product I have tried out myself is iCloth. (Yeah, big old Apple certainly has made “iThings” a part of the language, hasn’t it?) Despite the me-too name, this product has much to recommend it.

According to GA flat screen provider Aspen Avionics, “Using any chemical or material other than isopropyl alcohol will void the product warranty.” Whoa! That’s a rather serious warning.

Indeed, look at the nearby image. iCloth Avionics said “Someone hit this Garmin GNS430 with a harsh chemical. A factory bill will approach $1,000.” On top of that, it doesn’t even look clean. I’ll bet that was a bummer, so take a word from the wiser. About their individually-wrapped, no-drip, no-mess wipes, iCloth said, “[Our product] does not contain damaging NPEs, ethyl alcohol, silicone or ammonia.” They go on to report their mini wipes are used on aircraft built by Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, and Bombardier.

If it’s good enough for airplanes costing many millions of dollars, I guess it follows that you should consider iCloth for your Dynon, Garmin, MGL, and other digital screens.

I’ve also found they work well on my new Honda Odyssey that has multiple touch screens, cleaning them beautifully with no damage. Plus I’ve tried them on my Apple iDevices (iPad, iPhone, Mac) without any mishaps.

Everyone likes a clean machine. Get the right (cleaning) stuff from Composiclean or iCloth and you’ll be safer and all your flying buddies will be so impressed with your machine’s shine.

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I know you like reading about aircraft. I like writing about them (and doing videos about them … more on that soon with a very special one in final editing right now). However, most pilots also like their airplanes to be all clean and shiny. Well, they don’t get that way without effort and without the right products. The truth is, you can use the wrong cleaners on some aircraft components and it could cost you much more than you care to consider. So, for your weekend reading, let me tell you about a couple cleaning product companies I’m glad are in the business. Welcome to Composiclean and iCloth Avionics. Composiclean’s Ken Godin said, “[I saw] a lot of people doing damage to their airplanes using harsh products. I thought I should fix that.” In the process, Ken realized he had the makings of a business that would cater to enthusiasts of any vehicle that involved composite materials.

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American Legend Running On All (3?) Cylinders

By Dan Johnson || September 24, 2015 Leave a Comment

Under wraps at the start of AirVenture Oshkosh 2015, Superior and Legend surprised many with their rapid installation of the new offering.

Darin Hart (L), of American Legend speaks with Scott Hays of Superior in our video interview.

Gemini Diesel was installed on an American Legend airframe barely three months after its debut.

The Sulphur Springs, Texas company has built an impressive line of Cub-like aircraft, available as Special LSA or kits.

As our Sun ‘n Fun 2015 video shows, we have been following Superior Air Parts new Gemini Diesel 100 engine. The latest news in this development is a launch installation on an American Legend Aircraft Company airframe shown at AirVenture Oshkosh 2015 just three months after its debut. The two companies, both from Texas, parlayed their close proximity to one another to get the install done in a short time.

Recently Legend announced they would start making the diesel available to customers. My expectations are that such an engine will especially help Legend’s out-of-USA sales because in many part of the world avgas is hard to find at any price but diesels are good at burning many fuels, some of which will much more available. As Legend has ASTM approval, they can sell in a number of countries. Superior has announced they are pursuing ASTM approval for Gemini.

The Sulphur Springs, Texas company announced, “We began offering a 100-horsepower Gemini Diesel engine as a factory option on the Legend Cub. The new Gemini Diesel 100 from Superior Air Parts is a high-torque, highly efficient powerplant. Mounted on the Legend Cub, the Gemini Diesel offers numerous benefits never before available to Cub operators.”

American Legend observed that Gemini Diesel can run on a variety of available fuels including Jet A, diesel, and bio-diesel. “While many see diesel as the future of aviation,” Legend said, “it is indeed a nearly universal and increasingly available fuel today. The Diesel-Cub combination bodes to be an extremely popular option for Legend Cub buyers and in a growing number of locations worldwide.”

Superior Air Parts is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Superior Aviation Group, a leading manufacturer of FAA approved aftermarket replacement parts for Lycoming and Continental aircraft engines. The company sells a line of traditional engines often used on homebuilt aircraft. The diesel, derived from a British design, is a new foray for the experienced company.

Superior’s Gemini 100 uniflow diesel is a distinctive design employing six pistons in a horizontally-opposed arrangement of three cylinders functioning with a two-stroke operation. “Compared to same-class avgas engines, the Gemini is lighter in weight, yet higher in torque at lower RPM,” said Legend. They also believe maintenance and reliability are eased because Gemini 100 boasts fewer moving parts, like most diesels.

“At an installed weight of just under 200 pounds,” Legend continued, “the Gemini Diesel is expected to deliver aircraft performance numbers comparable to the Continental O-200-powered Legend Cub.” However, they note, “Gemini Diesel will produce greener operations with greater fuel efficiency.” Reportedly, Gemini outputs much lower emissions, and delivers up to 20-percent lower fuel burn than avgas piston engines of comparable power.”

The Gemini Diesel option on the Legend Cub will be particularly appealing to owners who operate in remote locations and in parts of the world where 100LL avgas is expensive or difficult to find. “The Gemini Diesel option will really expand the reach of Legend Cub pilots,” stated Darin Hart, president of American Legend Aircraft Company.

In summary, the Gemini Diesel 100 engine advantages include:

High power-to-weight ratio
Higher engine torque at lower RPM
Highly efficient, two-stroke diesel power
Up to 20% lower fuel burn than conventional engines
Runs on Jet A, a global fuel solution with better availability, quality, consistency and pricing
Greener operations with lower emissions
Extended range on less fuel
Mechanically simpler design, with fewer moving parts
Available as a Legend Cub factory engine option

Hear an interview with American Legend boss Darin Hart and Superior Air Parts VP Scott Hays in one of our newest videos:

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We see and hear a continuing focus on electric airplanes including here at one of your (I hope) favorite websites. We’ll continue to hear more about electric but the whirring motors are not the only innovation in powerplants. In true, another project with a completely different sound may be more meaningful in the short term and that statement is even more true outside the United States. As our Sun ‘n Fun 2015 video shows, we have been following Superior Air Parts new Gemini Diesel 100 engine. The latest news in this development is a launch installation on an American Legend Aircraft Company airframe shown at AirVenture Oshkosh 2015 just three months after its debut. The two companies, both from Texas, parlayed their close proximity to one another to get the install done in a short time. Recently Legend announced they would start making the diesel available to customers.

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LSA’s Perfect Storm… Can Good News Follow?

By Dan Johnson || September 21, 2015 Leave a Comment

Criquet Aviation’s Storch was grounded in America after FAA found insufficient compliance with ASTM standards and FAA regulations. photo courtesy Criquet Aviation

Storch can still be built as a 51% kit (if FAA OK’d). Compare Storch prices. photo courtesy Criquet Aviation

Criquet Aviation won initial FAA approval as SLSA #113. photo courtesy Criquet Aviation

At Summit 2011, EAA and AOPA jointly announced they will pursue driver’s license medical privileges for pilots wishing to operate GA airplanes with less than 180 horsepower with only two persons on board in day VFR. Combined with ongoing events in the LSA industry it seemed a “perfect storm” was brewing. *** The Storm includes: three years of sluggish sales (’09, ’10, and ’11); FAA’s intensified auditing of companies and the agency’s virtual shut down of Criquet’s Storch*; and, the threat of reduced sales following the EAA/AOPA announcement. Any new regulation about driver’s licenses medical is at least a year or two away and perhaps as many as five years — it may never be approved despite a mighty push by two large membership organizations combining their clout. Indeed, five previous tries failed. Nonetheless, many LSA sellers expect sales to slow further as some pilots elect to keep their medical until the proposed rule may become law. *** Good news? No matter the threat of a perfect storm, good news always seems to bubble to the surface. Companies organized specifically to build SLSA may be less challenged by the Storm. I think of Icon and its solid fundraising even in a difficult economy. I also think of Terrafugia and its niche LSA. Some current manufacturers are well equipped to meet all standards and regulations. They are also battle-hardened companies likely to survive the present economic downturn. In fact, just yesterday I heard from a trusted friend that a successful team is reorganizing to introduce a new SLSA (more on that when I’m at liberty). *** Conversely, a company that originally organized to sell 51% kits or ultralights may not have all the structure needed to meet SLSA demands. The business models are distinctly different. *** More good news? LSA have much more to offer than simply being an aircraft that does not require an aviation medical. Buyers can examine more than 120 diverse choices of flying machine with excellent performance and handling, high-tech instrument panels, modern safety gear, large cabins, high useful loads, low operation costs, low noise, and more. In fuel efficiency alone — plus mogas options — Light-Sport Aircraft can still compete handily. *** A 1971 Cessna 172 that could perhaps be flown with a driver’s license medical may cost less but it’s, well… old, and probably worn. Supplies of those older GA aircraft won’t last forever; don’t forget the two-decade period when single engine models were barely produced. A new 172 costs more than twice the most expensive SLSA. *** While concerned, I’m not truly worried. My prediction is the LSA industry will survive its perfect storm.

*At the end of August 2011, FAA sent notice to all field offices nationwide with instructions not to issue any new SLSA airworthiness certificates for the Criquet Storch, effectively halting the business of Criquet Aviation USA and their importer/assembler, U-Fly-It. FAA did not ground the three Storch aircraft already flying in the USA but referred to “possible safety of flight issues” which could stop all flying of the American Storches. FAA has also conducted what they call “prototype audits” of CubCrafters and Tecnam including both the latter company’s U.S. and Italian operations. In the future the agency plans to visit many more operations, in and outside the USA.

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The Age of YouTube & Video Pilot Reports

By Dan Johnson || September 18, 2015 Leave a Comment

Videoman Dave almost literally bending over backwards as he checks the Garmin VIRB camera on the SkyReach BushCat.

Ron Waechter poses beside his “Ferrari Red” Aerotrek as used for the VPR.

We look over the shoulder of SportairUSA‘s Bill Canino while flying the 180-horsepower Zlin Outback. Note the very light camping gear in the foreground; it all packs down small for bush duty.

Onboard the “see-through” Aeroprakt A-22 with U.S importer, Dennis Long.

One year after going live, I began to add news via a blog, which I called “Splog,” for Sport Pilot web log. Videos started in 2008 and by 2015, news and video have become the primary content items.

You might be surprised to hear ByDanJohnson.com predates YouTube, which began when three former PayPal employees created a video-sharing website. The Internet domain name YouTube.com was activated on February 14, 2005 and the website went public in November of that same year. Google subsequently bought it but even Google is only 17 years old; it went live on September 4th, 1998. New as it is in the world of aviation the SP/LSA rule is actually a couple months older than YouTube. I don’t know about you but I find that rather amazing.

For about seven years, Videoman Dave and I have been making 5-10 minute videos about Light-Sport Aircraft, light kit aircraft, ultralights, and light GA aircraft. We have partnered on more than 400 of these and many more are coming. See most of them here, organized for easier location, or find all of Dave’s 1,000+ videos on his YouTube channel. Some of these are approaching one million views and the group generates more than 1.5 million minutes of viewing every month.

Along the way we began to make what we now call Video Pilot Reports or VPRs. In the age of YouTube, this is the equivalent of detailed pilot reports or aircraft reviews I used to write for several aviation magazines. I find it exciting to return to the roots of this website albeit in the electronic form that dominates culture today. The videos are watched around the globe although I regret my Chinese readers cannot currently view these YouTube-hosted videos; perhaps things will change in that fast-evolving country.

Making VPRs is significantly more work than doing the interviews that make up the bulk of our video library. These are longer videos, up to 30 minutes or so, sometimes broken into two parts.

As we work on these videos, we are attracted to locations like Mt. Vernon, home to the Mid-West LSA Expo. We like the airport run by the very capable and popular Chris Collins as it is far easier to achieve these video productions. The airplanes are readily available and — after we’ve found camera locations and mounted them — we can in literally five minutes or less climb on board and be in the air. No other event, with the possible exception of Sebring, offers such swift access to the runway. Also, the airport itself is large and wide open and the surrounding area is accessible for in-flight maneuvering without having to stray too far away. That is hugely valuable.

The work effort begins as we mount a number of cameras. We use up to seven Garmin VIRB cameras plus Dave uses his larger camera to shoot takeoffs and landings from the ground. To provide many views, VIRBs are mounted outside in multiple locations and we use three or more inside, two of which capture audio from our cockpit communications. The effort is broken into three segments.

Shot on the ground before entering the cockpit we cover … How and where the airplane is built, its construction and materials, the powerplant, gear, canopy, and other major or distinctive features. We present a basic description and may compare the subject to other aircraft.

After entering the cockpit, we cover such “human factors” as entry, cockpit layout, visibility, seats and rudder pedal adjustment, ventilation, instrumentation, switches, and control systems along with any special characteristics of the subject aircraft.

Finally, we roll out to the runway and go aloft for a 30-60 minute flight exploring taxi, ground steering and braking, takeoff techniques and measurement, evaluate initial and en route climb. We will do a full regimen of stalls including power-off or landing approach stalls, power-on or departure stalls, and accelerated or stalls in turns. We will evaluate handling qualities in dutch roll coordination exercises, do steep turns, turns-over-a-road, aileron- or rudder-only turning, and high and slow speed handling. We will measure high and low speeds and finally return to the airport for some landings, attempting to investigate (if conditions permit) normal, short, and soft field techniques with flap use and slipping as recommended.

So, VPRs have become a valuable part of this website and the enterprise of Videoman Dave. I leave you with this thought: Every minute of the day, 24 hours a day, seven days a week … 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube. We are pleased to be part of that tsunami of content and hope you continue to watch and enjoy. As the Frito Lay company used to advertise about their Dorito-brand snack chips … Consume all you want. “We’ll make more.” Even better than Doritos, all our videos are free.•

In October Dave and I are traveling to the Flying Aviation Expo in Palm Springs, California and immediately afterward to the Copperstate show south of Phoenix where we will add many more videos to the library.

• We offer our videos for free but they are definitely not free to make. Your support of Dave’s YouTube channel and this website are essential if we are to keep making more.

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When this website went live a few months before the Sport Pilot & Light-Sport Aircraft rule was announced at Oshkosh 2004, it began life as an archive of several hundred pilot reports I had written for a number of print magazines in aviation. That launch seems a long time ago … it has been eleven and a half years. (Development started only a few years after the World Wide Web emerged and ByDanJohnson.com went live in April 2004.) One year after going live, I began to add news via a blog, which I called “Splog,” for Sport Pilot web log. Videos started in 2008 and by 2015, news and video have become the primary content items. You might be surprised to hear ByDanJohnson.com predates YouTube, which began when three former PayPal employees created a video-sharing website. The Internet domain name YouTube.com was activated on February 14, 2005 and the website went public in November of that same year.

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SLSA N-Number Registrations in First Half 2015

By Dan Johnson || September 10, 2015 Leave a Comment

Pipistrel’s long-winged Sinus did quite well during the first half of 2015.

Florida-based Progressive Aerodyne is surging in sales since winning SLSA acceptance. They have also cracked the Chinese market.

SLSA deliveries in the half-year period totaled 97 units, with 91 of those coming from 15 manufacturers, showing that the famous 80/20 rule still generally applies … more than 80% of the market is supplied by less than 20% of the builders. It also implies the majority of those companies who previously earned FAA acceptance for their LSA models are either quite slow or inactive in the U.S. market.

We’d prefer to describe vigorous growth but the so-named Great Recession seems to be lingering on; at least it appears the much-talked-about recovery has left most of aviation still looking for improved business. Evidence of a still-troubled global economy is even clearer when you consider the wild stock market gyrations of recent weeks.

Even while some sectors and companies continue to struggle, some are more successful. In this first half 2015 LSA market share report, we’ll hit some highlights and save a more detailed analysis for the full 2015 year report early next year.

One LSA businessman asked, “I know some companies out there may be claiming [many sales].” Yet other than Icon — and previously Cessna — I have never heard of any company that claimed to have sold large numbers of airplanes. Most of the more successful producers have moved steadily forward without any big leap in sales.

The laborious research done so faithfully by my friend and LAMA Europe business associate, Jan Fridrich, allows me to report first half 2015 numbers. Jan’s study of FAA’s N-Number registration database shows four companies with decent results. Of course, “decent” is a relative term. If you compare airplane sales — at any level from hang gliders to bizjets — to automobile sales or smartphone deliveries, the numbers look microscopic. Remember, the entire world has somewhere over one million pilots and only one in four of them might own an airplane bought any time in the last quarter to half century. Building airplanes is not a volume business and aircraft production is probably closer to that of exotic supercar manufacturers. One hundred sales in a year is a great performance and very, very few companies hit or exceed that.

Special LSA registrations are running almost identical to 2014’s figures. This can be viewed positively in the sense that it is better than GAMA’s reported 12% decline for the first half of 2015. Regretfully, both sets of numbers show continued softness in aviation, whether general or sport/recreational.

Figures for the LSA industry appear to be about a quarter of GAMA’s Single Engine Piston category that compares most accurately with SLSA registrations. However, as I’ve often observed, the U.S. market is by far the largest for general aviation airplanes where sport and recreational sell better outside the USA. When you consider the rest of the world, LSA or LSA-type aircraft may sell two to three times the number of certified aircraft sold in America. Unfortunately, widely differing national systems make it very difficult to count aircraft in other countries. We prefer to report solid information rather than guesstimates even if it makes the industry look smaller than it is. For a look at global figures see this article and this one, which was updated here.

Our numbers also reflect only fully manufactured LSA as those are the only aircraft we can reliably count when researching FAA’s registration database, regretfully omitting weight shift, powered parachutes, motorgliders, and of course, gyroplanes. Nonetheless, we do have some valid information for ELSA (at least for the most recognizable companies, such as Van’s Aircraft). Adding known ELSA and those Experimental Amateur Built models boosts the total.

In the first half of 2015, CubCrafters remains the strongest seller logging 23 new registrations or about one a week. The western U.S. producer is steadily approaching Flight Design’s once-unassailable #1 spot although Icon is a company that could dramatically alter the market share ranking if they are successful at serial production of their large order book.

Pipistrel registered 17 SLSA in the first half of 2015, which looks to be the second best performance after CubCrafters. The European company also sells a fair number of motorglider types registered differently from SLSA. Indeed 14 of the 17 were their long winged Sinus that offers interchangeable wing extensions (see video).

Progressive Aerodyne has also accelerated smartly since winning FAA acceptance of their SLSA version of their popular Searey that has been quite successful as a kit-built model. The Florida seaplane producer has also cracked the China market and may soon become the number one LSA seller in that country. They’ve already sold a dozen Seareys and have several more orders in the pipeline. If China grows as many anticipate, this American company could move forward quickly, especially in a region where airports remain in short supply.

Other companies that did reasonably well in the first half of 2015 include Jabiru (who also reported good sales at Oshkosh that should show up in our report covering the second half of 2105), Tecnam, SportCruiser, Flight Design, Aerotrek, American Legend (with their powerful Super Legend), Rans (S-7LS), and the lovely Phoenix LSA motorglider.

Postscript — I don’t know how many of you saw AOPA writer Al Marsh’s article, but the following appears to show a fairly rosy future for Light-Sport and Sport Pilot. Of course, as Al notes, FAA cannot see the future better than anyone else. Nonetheless, here’s what he wrote:

“Where is general aviation headed? The truth is, nobody knows, but the FAA is paid to try to predict the future. Earlier this year the FAA released these numbers that are as good as any at predicting the future.”

593,499 Total number of pilots in 2014 — predicted to increase to 617,000 in 2035
174,883 Number of private pilots in 2014 — predicted to drop to 163,600 in 2035
120,546 Number of student pilots in 2014 — predicted to drop to 112,200 in 2035
44.8 Average age of a U.S. pilot in 2014 (Note: LSA pilots tend to be markedly older)
139,890 Number of aircraft in the piston-engine fleet in 2014 — predicted to drop to 125,935 in 2035
198,860 GA fleet total in 2014 — predicted to increase to 214,260 in 2035
2,200 Estimated Light-Sport Aircraft fleet in 2014 • — predicted to increase to 5,360 in 2035
5,157 Number of Sport Pilots in 2014 — predicted to grow to 14,950 by 2035

• I do not know where FAA found this number since their own database shows more than 2,750 SLSA through December 2014 based on a study of the agency’s registration data.

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The U.S. market for Special Light-Sport Aircraft continues to grow at steady pace, modestly better than the trend for single engine piston certified aircraft as reported by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association for the first half of 2015. SLSA deliveries in the half-year period totaled 97 units, with 91 of those coming from 15 manufacturers, showing that the famous 80/20 rule still generally applies … more than 80% of the market is supplied by less than 20% of the builders. It also implies the majority of those companies who previously earned FAA acceptance for their LSA models are either quite slow or inactive in the U.S. market. We’d prefer to describe vigorous growth but the so-named Great Recession seems to be lingering on; at least it appears the much-talked-about recovery has left most of aviation still looking for improved business. Evidence of a still-troubled global economy is even clearer when you consider the wild stock market gyrations of recent weeks.

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VIDEO — Check Out the Speedy Swiss Risen

By Dan Johnson || September 5, 2015 Leave a Comment

In this newest posted video, you see the gorgeous Risen from Sea-Avio.com (SEA is Swiss Excellence Airplanes). Update June 2020 — SEA is now Porto Aviation Group. Now, this is not simply one more entry in the increasingly crowded Light-Sport or (European) microlight market. This may be the fastest airplane in the fleet and is certainly — if not the fastest — one of the speediest airplanes to use the Rotax 912 ULS engine. In the video you’ll hear some figures from Alberto Porto, the developer of Risen. Watch the video.

At several airshows a year, Videoman Dave and I chase around the grounds and conduct interview of airplanes we find that we believe are new in some way or have qualities we think you may find of interest. We commonly do between 20 and 40 of these, so while we are done gathering material before the show ends, once Dave goes home, the real work begins.

As they are done and as I get the time to post them, I will advise you of new ones of interest. However, before I do that you can find many of the new ones plus all the earlier ones on the SportAviationMagazine.com YouTube channel. When you watch these videos here you can arrange them by date posted or by alphabetical listing. That’s good as we have around 400 videos and many more to come so finding them can be challenging. Each video has a short description to help you see if you want to watch it.

Please check back here often and visit the YouTube channel soon. Your support of that YouTube channel allows Videoman Dave to do his work. Please consider subscribing.

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In addition to what you can read on ByDanJohnson.com, we have a growing library of videos. When I attend airshows, I frequently hear from attendees that they thoroughly enjoy these 8-12 minute productions. I have the fun job, seeking out airplanes and speaking to the developers behind them while on camera. After that my video partner, Dave, does the big job of editing these things into what I consider to be very nice productions. You get views of the airplane, hear the details, and see more about them than any other way than attending the airshow yourself. In this newest posted video, you see the gorgeous Risen from Sea-Avio.com (SEA is Swiss Excellence Airplanes). Update June 2020 — SEA is now Porto Aviation Group. Now, this is not simply one more entry in the increasingly crowded Light-Sport or (European) microlight market. This may be the fastest airplane in the fleet and is certainly — if not the fastest — one of the speediest airplanes to use the Rotax 912 ULS engine.

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Gyroplanes and Autogyros … Same or Different?

By Dan Johnson || September 1, 2015 2 Comments

The proof of concept aircraft flies; importer Cobus Burger said the “design has changed.”

Note ballistic parachute inside the tail boom. all images courtesy Phenix Aero

Americans like and do fly gyroplanes, of course. Most associate the type with the Bensen Gyrocopter, but the history record reveals its overseas start. Again today, gyros are predominantly a non-U.S. phenomenon, a fact LAMA is trying to change through its advocacy efforts to press FAA to reconsider the fully built SLSA gyro as once envisioned under the SP/LSA rule.

While most pilots can identify a gyroplane, they mentally picture an aircraft with the engine in the rear. That isn’t always the case, though.

How about the “odd” looking gyroplane pictured with this article, with its tractor engine? This configuration is sometimes called an autogyro while Bensen-style designs used the term gyrocopter. Today most use FAA’s preferred “gyroplane.”

We’ve seen some other development of the front engine autogyro, for example the stylish and handsome (though non-Light-Sport Aircraft) Bulldog developed in Britain.

Nonetheless a clear majority of gyroplanes use a pusher configuration that some say is useful as it assures significant airflow over the tailplane. Experts say the use of vertical surfaces aft of the aircraft has significantly aided the stability of gyroplanes. While most gyroplanes we see in the USA are pushers, Phenix Aero based in Colorado is acting to balance the equation.

The U.S. importer portrays their product this way. “Invented by the Spanish engineer Juan de la Cierva to create an aircraft that could safely fly at slow speeds, the autogyro was first flown on 9 January 1923, at Cuatro Vientos Airfield in Madrid. De la Cierva’s aircraft resembled the fixed-wing aircraft of the day, with a front-mounted engine and propeller in a tractor configuration to pull the aircraft through the air.”

After de la Cierva, a Spanish engineer, participated in a design competition in 1921 to develop a bomber for the Spanish military his three-engined aircraft stalled and crashed during an early test flight. Troubled by the stall phenomenon he vowed to develop an aircraft that could fly safely at low airspeeds. The result was the first successful rotorcraft, which he named Autogiro in 1923.

For more of the colorful history of the autogyro and gyroplane, check this detailed article with further credit back to Wikipedia.

All Phenix models share the same basic features of two side-by-side seats in a fully enclosed composite carbon fiber fuselage, much like the most recent European pusher configuration gyrocopters (see photos in this article).

The rotor blades are extruded solid aluminum. Digital EFIS instruments are provided by MGL Avionics. The cabin has a spacious and comfortable interior (photo) with good visibility and a cargo area behind bulkhead.

Thanks to Phenix using turbo charged, fuel injected engines from MW Fly, the company boasts “great performance and fuel economy.” Powerplants range from 130 to 150 to 190 horsepower, although these engines have no U.S. certification and have not declared meeting ASTM standards. This does not presently matter since all gyroplanes in America receive airworthiness certificates under Experimental Amateur Built. Earlier models of the Phenix, first introduced in 2009, used the Rotax 914, offering a quick solution were FAA to finally allow SLSA gyroplanes.

One of the most interesting features is a ballistic recovery parachute mounted at the far aft end of the Phenix. As I used to work with BRS Parachutes, I picked up on this right away. BRS engineers often worked on emergency airframe parachutes for helicopters and gyroplanes but that spinning disk flies around right where the parachute wants to go after deployment. Supertough Kevlar connecting bridles that attach parachute to airframe can withstand the whack of a rotor but not the thinner nylon lines that support the parachute. In most deployment scenarios the conflict was sufficient to postpone parachutes for gyros, although a few interesting ideas were proposed by other developers (see last news item in this article). The rear location might remedy the problem.

Phenix Aero adds, “The tractor configuration of the engine, plus placing the thrust in line with the center-of-gravity, eliminates the tail-wagging, bunt-over and power-pushover tendencies some pusher engined gyroplanes have.” Some who have flown the aircraft felt it had a rather long takeoff roll but landing roll is very short in videos available online.

Phenix is presently marketed in the USA by Cobus Burger of Phenix Aero International, LLC. Reach him at 303-903-2148 or via email.

Article updated 9/2/15 with newer aircraft images courtesy of Cobus Burger.

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(Images updated 9/2/15) Are you intrigued by airplanes that spin their wings? Helicopters are out of the budget for most pilots but have you ever sampled a gyroplane? Whatever your answer, you should know that Rotax Aircraft Engines reports selling more 912 powerplants to gyro producers than to any other airplane segment. Most of those are sold outside the USA. Americans like and do fly gyroplanes, of course. Most associate the type with the Bensen Gyrocopter, but the history record reveals its overseas start. Again today, gyros are predominantly a non-U.S. phenomenon, a fact LAMA is trying to change through its advocacy efforts to press FAA to reconsider the fully built SLSA gyro as once envisioned under the SP/LSA rule. While most pilots can identify a gyroplane, they mentally picture an aircraft with the engine in the rear. That isn’t always the case, though. How about the “odd” looking gyroplane pictured with this article, with its tractor engine?

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Van’s RV-12 Enter Rare Realm of Four Digits

By Dan Johnson || August 28, 2015 Leave a Comment

Washington State customer Richard Bangsund picks up his new RV-12 empennage kit from Van’s Aircraft. RV-12 photos courtesy of Van’s Aircraft

What does that mean and why might you find it meaningful?

First came Cessna’s Skycatcher. More recently it was (quite convincingly) Icon’s A5. Now, welcome Van’s Aircraft.

Cessna once claimed more than 1,000 orders for their now-discontinued Skycatcher LSA. The company delivered 271 of them (according to our review of FAA’s N-number database) but we won’t see any more. Icon reports more than 1,300 orders, making them Top Gun in the LSA roost, though they have delivered only one, to EAA’s Young Eagles program. Then, we have Van’s … the undisputed leader of kit aircraft deliveries. In fact, the latter is nearly ready to enter the aviation stratosphere of five digits. •

“On August 27, 2015 the shipping department at Van’s Aircraft Inc. had several orders to fill,” started the story from the Oregon-based kit giant. “By the end of the day, they’d rolled the 937th RV-12 kit empennage package onto the shipping dock, where it was picked up by a customer from Washington State, Richard Bangsund (photo).

“What’s the significance of ‘937’,” asked Van’s on your behalf? “Well, combined with the SLSA ‘fly-away’ RV-12s the company has constructed,” the company answered, “the total number of RV-12 empennage kits produced and sold now totals … one thousand.” I’ll do the math for you and show that means Van’s & Synergy have manufactured 63 RV-12 SLSA.

Van’s went on to observe that RV-12 is the sixth RV design to exceed 1,000 unit sales and they added that four of those designs have exceeded 1,000 completions. By any measure this is a very impressive performance. “The number of flying RVs listed on the company’s website now totals 9,178,” noted Van’s. Four hundred and seven of those are RV-12s.

If you review our SLSA market share chart — a new one of which, for the first half of 2015, is in early draft form now — you may be confused. Van’s is moving up but is clearly not at the top of the chart. Why? Because most completed and flying RV-12s were built as Experimental Amateur Built aircraft and our popular chart counts only factory built Special LSA. The RV-12s emerging from Van’s building partner, Synergy Air, are currently ranked 13th place with 50 registered to the end of 2014.

“All of us at Van’s have known that the RV-12 is an excellent little airplane,” said company founder Dick (Van) VanGrunsven. It’s nice to see the word spreading in the market place.”

The word has certainly spread in his immediate family, said Van’s Aircraft. Van and two of his brothers have built and fly RV-12s. So have a pair of company employees. Nothing shows belief in a product more than company personnel using it, I’d add.

“RV-12s have also been completed by several groups of young people participating in the Teenflight and Eagle’s Nest programs,” stated the company. They added that Special LSA RV-12s are now operated by several flight schools, who report that their students love the way it flies, and often request the RV-12 even when other airplanes are available.

“We’re looking forward to the next thousand…” said boss Ken Scott.

• Some dismiss the performance and say it doesn’t count because “they’re just ultralights,” but Quicksilver reached the ultra-rare five digit space first, delivering more than 15,000 of their aircraft kits since the early 1980s, nearly every one of which also got airborne. That company, now named Quicksilver Aeronautics after the last ownership change, has also entered the fully built Special LSA space.

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I’ve enjoyed a front row seat for all eleven years that Light-Sport Aircraft have been part of the aviation firmament. In those years of closely following this industry, I’ve only seen companies reach the four digit horizon three times. What does that mean and why might you find it meaningful? First came Cessna’s Skycatcher. More recently it was (quite convincingly) Icon’s A5. Now, welcome Van’s Aircraft. Cessna once claimed more than 1,000 orders for their now-discontinued Skycatcher LSA. The company delivered 271 of them (according to our review of FAA’s N-number database) but we won’t see any more. Icon reports more than 1,300 orders, making them Top Gun in the LSA roost, though they have delivered only one, to EAA’s Young Eagles program. Then, we have Van’s … the undisputed leader of kit aircraft deliveries. In fact, the latter is nearly ready to enter the aviation stratosphere of five digits.

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