Some long-awaited revisions to the Sport Pilot Rule have just been released and as we’ve anticipated in earlier posts, there are positive improvements. *** First up: the restrictive 10,000-foot maximum altitude limitation for Light Sport flight, which among other scenarios restricted flying over high terrain such as in the Rockies, was amended to allow flight above the limit, with one important condition: pilots must remain at or below 2,000 feet AGL — whichever is greater. *** The proposal to change the original maximum altitude was made to address concerns of LSA pilots about flying safely in the mountains or over large bodies of water. *** Another concern was keeping sufficient altitude over sensitive wildlife areas, where 2,000 feet AGL or greater is often required. *** The rule change only allows for greater-than-10,000 feet if that altitude doesn’t put the airplane more than 2,000 feet above ground level.
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Sebring Day Three: Thorpedo changes
Scott Severen of Indus Aviation took me through a bunch of upgrades to its T211 Thorpedo — the first U.S. SLSA to earn ASTM certification. *** Among the numerous enhancements include: *** curved glare shield *** numerous instrument panel changes including a stall warning light and horn *** digital compass *** GA-style circuit breakers *** cabin heater that “actually works!” says Scott. *** removed side panels to give more effective cockpit room *** A locking canopy has been added, as well as lumbar-contoured seats which have three inches more supine inclination, a contoured stick with a palm rest and adjustable headrests. I sat in the Thorpedo and found it very comfortable. *** The IFR-equipped (for training) Thorpedo is meant as a flight school airplane. *** Dang nice paint job too!
Flight Design Out West
I was out in L.A. last week and had the distinct pleasure to hop a flight out of Santa Monica Airport, an old haunt of mine, with Flight Design USA‘s California sales rep, Karine Noel. *** Karine was a perfect hostess. She’s just set up shop to demo the company’s top-o’-market line of LSA. *** But she’s more than just another pretty face. *** Her GA chops include a stint flying for JetDirect Aviation and CFI/CFII, IFR and Commercial Multi ratings. *** That pedigree should prove a real asset when showing and translating the virtues and nuances of Light Sport flight to GA pilots, who often underestimate the sophisticated handling and performance of LSA. *** We launched in Karine’s CTLS demonstrator on a clear, cool morning, flew out over famed Malibu colony, then climbed to 5,000 ft over the wonderful Santa Monica Mts. to boat around at 120 knots for awhile.
Steady Subtle Changes Add Up to the Max
Evektor’s SportStar became the first-ever Special Light-Sport Aircraft a little over four years ago, a distinction no one can ever take away from the Czech company. Yet that exclusive title has not encouraged the company to rest on their laurels. While Evektor has not re-certified their airplane (for example, like Flight Design and their CTLS, Remos and their GX, or TL Ultralight and their Sting S3), the design has nonetheless changed (photos). SportStar was also one of the first success stories gaining entry to the GA flight school market.
Now for Oshkosh 2009, Evektor will launch their Max model in two variations. Their SportStar Max BT (“Basic Trainer”) is the entry model, fleet priced at $110,000. But flight schools that focus on instrument training may opt for the $155,000 Max IFR model which comes equipped with the certified Rotax 912S (different than the ASTM-compliant “ULS” version).
Tecnam’s All-Metal Italian Beauties
Announced in July ’04, the Light-Sport
Aircraft (LSA) category is still relatively new, and has
yet to celebrate its fourth birthday. But many of the airplanes
getting all the attention today were not born in
the last 3 1/2 years. Many have rather long histories,
some in Europe’s microlight category and others in countries
that have applicable standards.
Among the longest in production is the Tecnam family
of airplanes. The central Italian company reports more
than 2,000 of their light planes flying in what may be the
largest fleet in this market segment. Given this company’s
track record, these airplanes have gone through
rounds of improvement. Our subject this month, the
P2002 Sierra, came from the P-96. The numbers relate to
the year of development and show the low-wing Special
Light-Sport Aircraft (SLSA) from Tecnam has a dozen
years of history.
Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam (the company’s complete
name) is 57 years old and traces its roots back to
the 1950 P48B Astore.
Flight School Economics – IndUS Primary Trainer
I’ve lost track of the model count for Cessna’s 172, but the lesson of specifying an airplane to a task is not lost on IndUS Aviation. During Oshkosh, marketing man, Scott Severen announced the Thorpedo PT…not PT as in “Cruiser,” but Primary Trainer. Nor is it the Thorpedo LP, the company’s earlier model designation for LoPresti-inspired speed mods and visual enhancements. That variation was about gaining speed, where the PT suggests a basic flight trainer. *** Increasingly, mainstay LSA producers like IndUS are refining their product for instruction. Severen explained the cost effectiveness of the new PT model, “Savings are derived from are the four cylinder 85-hp Jabiru engine, which only burns 3.5 gallons per hour. With a lower cost TBO of 2000 hours coupled with the easily maintained all-metal airframe you have profitable trainer on the flight line.” *** My experience with the 80-hp Jabiru on the SkySkooter shows it to be capable in all but high elevations and then still markedly better than, say, a Cessna 150.
Renewed Breezer II SLSA Ready for Delivery
They are lining up, literally, at Sportsplanes.com’s Plant City, Florida airport (PCM) assembly station. Michael Zidziunas — everyone calls him “Mike Z” — assembled three of the new Breezer II SLSA and arranged for DAR inspection. Mike Z is a well-known flight instructor and licensed mechanic working in the LSA arena. *** Last fall, at the AOPA Expo, Josh Foss of Sportsplanes.com unveiled the new Breezer II. The all-metal low wing was introduced more than a year earlier but disputes over the design rights and manufacturing put a halt to shipments. Since then, German designer Ralf Magnussen found a new investor, Dirk Ketelsen, a builder of windmills for electric power generation. They established a new 17,000 square foot plant near Husum, Germany (west of Hamburg at the North Sea coastline) where Josh reports they can build more than 100 aircraft a year.
Tecnam Sierra — The Italian Job
Before Cessna announced its
light-sport aircraft (LSA) prototype,
the Wichita, Kansas-based
aircraft manufacturer investigated the
airplanes produced by Costruzioni
Aeronautiche Tecnam, aka Tecnam.
Cessna’s interest was likely stimulated
by Tecnam’s 50-year history of
aircraft manufacturing. The company
traces its roots to 1950 and the P48B
Astore. You may also be familiar with
its twin-engine Partenavia series of
aircraft that emerged in the 1970s.
The Pascale brothers founded
Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam
just after World War II, but the company
was reorganized in 1986. Based
today in Casoria, Italy, Tecnam is a
large operation with 36,000 square
feet of facilities near the Naples Capodichino
airport.
A second facility is located
in Capua, where the final assembly
line is adjacent to
an airport where flight tests
are conducted. “Professor”
Luigi Pascale, the 82-yearold
patriarch of Tecnam,
remains the guiding light
of the company. He reportedly
still does all first flights of Tecnam
airplanes. The company’s design approach
is backed with the latest Catia
V5 software, wind tunnel tests, and
close associations with Italian aero
institutes and universities.
Have it your way…CH-601 XL or XLi
The strongest interest in readyto-
fly special light-sport aircraft
(S-LSA) to date has come
from pilots operating Cessna, Piper,
Mooney, and other general aviation
(GA) aircraft. It is estimated that more
than 100,000 currently certificated pilots
are looking at their prospects for
maintaining an up-to-date second- or
third-class FAA medical and considering
the LSA option. Many are concluding
that LSA are worthy airplanes
and recognize that downsizing to an
LSA two-seater can meet their flying
goals, a fact that has driven a good
share of LSA sales thus far.
Thousands of those pilots have private
or higher certificates with instrument
ratings. They’re accustomed to
having a full panel and want one even
if flying in instrument meteorological
conditions (IMC) isn’t in their plans. In
fact, flashy dual-screen plus electronic
information and navigation panel
layouts have proven quite popular in
many S-LSA, even though they add tens
of thousands of dollars in cost.
AMD’s CH-601 XL Goes Ballistic
For years BRS Parachutes sold emergency systems to ultralight pilots. Then along came Cirrus Design, who installed the CAPS (Cirrus Airframe Parachute System) on their SR-20 and SR-22 models as standard equipment. It was a bold and unproven tactic, but today, the SR-22 is the best selling general aviation aircraft in the world. Did the parachute help that success? “Absolutely,” says Cirrus president, Alan Klapmeier. Light-Sport Aircraft producers commonly offer parachute systems: Flight Design CT uses a BRS 1350 HS as standard equipment; TL’s StingSport comes with Galaxy. *** Now Aircraft Manufacturing and Development (AMD) has added the BRS to a long list of available safety features: Amsafe seat belt airbags, lightning protection (on the IFR certified CH-601 XLi model), Tetra foam seat cushions (to absorb “G” loads on hard touchdowns), and a FAR 33 certified aircraft engine, the Continental 0-200.