Patty Wagstaff and LSA? This week brings the start of the Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo and excitement is high. Following are some news items to those who follow this event and the light, recreational aircraft space. On Friday, January 18th, Sebring EAA Chapter 1240 is sponsoring a dinner featuring aerobatic expert Patty Wagstaff who will perform at the event … with such an airshow being a first for Sebring. Proceeds will support youth aviation education programs. •• The Sebring EAA chapter has engineered a rare partnership between the chapter, the airport, and the local school board to provide educational activities for kids. This sufficiently impressed aviation philanthropist James Ray that he ended writing a check for the entire structure, a new 60 x 70-foot building at the Sebring Airport with classrooms and facilities including a large hangar space where high school children are involved in restoring two aircraft.
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Pipistrel Benchmarks, News, Developments
Known for their several lucrative wins at the NASA Challenge events, Pipistrel also logged market successes in the USA and around the world during 2012. The manufacturer with a range from weight shift trikes to electric-powered gliders to Light-Sport Aircraft to their four-seat Panther in development has become a company to watch. At the end of the year, the Slovenian company with a production facility in Italy had plenty to discuss.
Most notably, the company built their 500th aircraft from the Sinus/Virus family. These sleek machines include the Sinus (“Seen-Us”) motorglider, the Virus (“Veer-Us”) lightplane and shorter-winged version called the Virus SW. The company proudly announced, “Together with the other models and the powered-hang gliders, this means we have made well over one thousand flying devices!” Aircraft number 500 buyer was Charles Dalglish from Australia. The aircraft was handed over to distributor Michael Coates whose organization includes U.S. sales.This year Coates recorded his 100th delivery.
If It Works For Morgan Freeman…
In case you don’t know about Able Flight, here’s a link to the organization’s website, and another to its donation page. This wonderful endeavor helps paralyzed and otherwise physically challenged people, both civilian and war-wounded, to achieve their dreams of flight by taking them through a complete Sport Pilot training course or even LSA Repairman classes.
Able Flight uses specially-outfitted Sky Arrows, CTs, and other LSA to make it possible. Charles Stites is the big hearted, hard working guy who keeps it all moving along, and every dollar… every single dollar is well spent and deeply appreciated.
I’ve donated to Able Flight in the past and if you can send them even $5 to help this great program along, please consider it today, since it’s Giving Tuesday, which I suppose is the good sibling version of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Tecnam’s New Entry-Level (and Affordable!) LSA
Tecnam North America’s CEO Phil Solomon dropped me a line yesterday to make sure I heard the news that there’s a new, all-metal, budget-priced Tecnam LSA, just released, that should generate some enthusiasm among the “LSA: too expensive!” crowd.
Called the P92 Echo Classic Light it’s priced at $74,999, and that’s fly away from Richmond, Virginia “with no added costs for anything,” says Phil! “The idea is to meet the needs for pilots, flight clubs and partnerships,” he told me, “who want the lowest-cost, fully-built metal aircraft from a major manufacturer.”
“The structure is identical to all the P92 series (a 20-year production success) but to save weight the control surfaces (flaps, ailerons, rudder, stabilator) are fabric covered. The main gear and nose gear are the same as the Eaglet but to save weight the wheels and tires are smaller. As you know the sprung steel landing gear mated to a metal airframe is excellent at absorbing less than perfect landings!” I think by “as you know” he means he’s heard about my landings…doh!…but also that metal airframes have been the standard of General Aviation training for decades precisely for their ability to minimize the embarrassments and damage that the laws of gravity cause.
Leaf Peeper Round Up
As fall colors begin to pop their chromatic yumminess on New England, it’s time to do some shotgun Light Sport factoid gathering.
Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo Model Airplane Contest: Pandering shamelessly to the inner kid in all of us, as well as the kids we bring to the event, the LSA event this coming January 17-20 will hold a model airplane contest. Count me in! Five categories – age 6 and under, 7-10, 11-14, 15-18 and Adult give everybody a chance to walk away with a prize. Can I sign up in the 11-14 category or are these biological age groups?
Just back from a car trip down to the friendly crew at New Garden Flying Field southwest of Philadelphia, where Airport Manager Jonathan Martin made me welcome so I could finish up the photo side of my story on the Pipistrel Alpha Trainer which runs in the next issue of Plane & Pilot magazine.
Light-Sport Aircraft… at Home and Abroad
My European associate and friend, Jan Fridrich, coined a phrase a few years ago: “Global LSA,” he said, meaning the ASTM standards set could be used in any country and thereby create a worldwide market for recreational aircraft. Already a few accept the standards and many are considering or are already using some variant. So, in this post, let’s review some international successes for LSA.
Tecnam is one of the most prolific of all LSA producers and not just because they have multiple approved models. Recently, they sold a pair of P2008s to New Zealand. Waikato Aero Club CEO Richard Small said, “The new planes have a number of advantages over traditional aircraft. Manufactured from modern materials [Tecnam] planes are more fuel efficient and quieter. They also have full electronic flight display screens. Our pilots are thoroughly enjoying the upgrade.”
Pipistrel has logged sales globally as well and booked four orders for their new Alpha Trainer into Russia.
LSA & Lightplane Highlights at Oshkosh 2012
In the near future, we’ll present fuller stories of some of the following short bits from Oshkosh 2012. With UltralightMews, we shot videos on most of the following, too, so watch for those as we can post them. Enjoy!
CESSNA & PRIMARY CATEGORY Early on in the week, Cessna announced they would transition their LSA Skycatcher to Primary Aircraft status. That requires a Type Certificate and FAA production approval but the Wichita giant can do this handily even if will add some cost. More on in a later article. However, here’s a way Cessna can recapture some 80 orders from Europeans cancelled earlier this year. On a more fun note, it was a pleasure to meet all nine of their youthful ambassadors that worked in the Discover Flying Challenge program. We shot a video featuring each participant and we’ll post that as soon as possible. (In the near future, we’ll feature a brief review of Primary Category versus LSA.)
AHOY, AKOYA!
Quick LSA Review of What’s Expected at Oshkosh
I have several targets on my radar for follow-up at the big show that starts July 23rd. Here’s a beforehand review; details will follow. ||||
*** LSA seaplanes will generate plenty of interest, I think, with Icon‘s latest announcements and the dreamy new Lisa Akoya (photo). Both are superslick but not to be outdone by the SeaRey, which already has nearly 600 flying. SeaRey builder Progressive Aerodyne is hard at work on SLSA status. Adding the SeaMax into the mix, LSA seaplane enthusiasts have lots of great choices… and then come the floats for other planes. Lotus is back and Zenith is a trusted supplier of many years. You’ll be able to see both sets of floats in the LSA Mall. While you’re in the LSA Mall, you can check out AMT’s air conditioning for LSA plus the Belgium D Motor.
Oshkosh Saturday
Pipistrel in particular seems to be riding the crest of ever-growing reputation. It’s new Alpha Trainer, which I’m scheduled to fly tomorrow morning, lucky me (I’m the first US journalist I think to have the privilege), is already selling and selling well, with at least a couple checks changing hands at the show earlier in the week and another sold by Rand Vollmer, the Southeast Pipistrel go-to guy, today, the $83,000 ($89,000 with shipping from Slovenia and U.S. set up and other costs factored in) is staged to make a big play for individuals and flight schools who are ready for an aircraft that is truly cheap to fly (2 gph in training takeoff/landing circuits, 3-3.5 gph at 107 knot cruise…and all this on an 80 hp Rotax 912!) and representative of a progressive, brilliant design team that promises more exciting developments in years to come. *** Exciting as in the Panthera 4-seat Ferrari-like cruiser that is currently in development for 2013 delivery as a certificated airplane in Europe…2015-6 in the U.S *** Pipistrel is a bold, imaginative company of forward thinkers like company founder Ivo Boscarol, award-winning engineers like project leader Tine Tomazic and savvy marketers like U.S.
Terrific Oshkosh Airventure 2012 App from Sporty’s
For all you smartphone and iPad users, here’s a great guide to Oshkosh from *** Sporty’s Pilot Shop. You can read all the details here, and I’m posting a couple of my own screens. *** There’s lots to like, because anybody who’s been to the Big Show (it’ll be my 32nd year this year) knows it’s totally overwhelming trying to figure out where to go to see what and figure out when, etc. *** There are several main-screen menus: *** Get Here for pilots flying into the show, with arrival procedures to follow for how to best get to your destination (Seaplane Base, parking at Wittman Field) along with NO TAMs and lots moreSchedules of daily airshow performers (they can change from day to day), Forums, Workshops, Evening Events and Daily Highlights, as well as a My Schedule for saving your own custom “to do” listFacilities which gives detailed maps of the entire grounds as well as exhibit hangar maps with individual booth numbers, which you can use to track down companies you want to visit with the menu tab…Exhibitors: This page has a complete list of every exhibitor on the field, alphabetically listed and with each company’s booth number in hypertext.
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