ByDanJohnson.com

The large Pipistrel display near Air Show Central makes it clear: this major LSA Slovenian company has come to play, and play big.

The Pipistrel SW (Short Wing) has been flying with the brand-new Rotax 912 iS fuel-injected engine that made such a big spash at Sun 'n Fun,

Designer and visionary thinker Tine Tomazic, left, and U.S. (and Australian) importer and latest Raspet Award winner Michael Coates

Another look at the Sky Arrow. The rear seat is raised for superb visibility for both instructor and pilot.

There's even a little prop on the front that you give a spin to start the simulator program!

Check this out: a six-screen Piper Cub motion simulator from Redbird.

The Pipistrel Virus SW with Rotax 912 iS fuel injected engine.

Photographing Dan Johnson caught in the act of photographing a new LSA

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. importer Michael Coates and hard-working, professional dealers like Rand Vollmer. I love this company, I have no reservations about saying it. When I think of Pipistrel and the aircraft it has already produced, not to mention some still-secret electric-powered aircraft in the pipeline, I smell the future of aviation. *** The paradigm has shifted, and visionary companies like Pipistrel will lead it. *** Time to sack out. Even a breezy day in Wisconsin summer heat takes it out of you. Enjoy the pix. More tomorrow on the Alpha. *** A brand new Sky Arrow from new owner Magnaghia was on display in the Hansen booth near the LSA Mall. This 20-year-old design is ASTM-approved and a popular tandem trainer with the Able Flight program for physically challenged student pilots that’s thriving at Purdue University.

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Todd Ellefson of Quicksilver talks about the company's move into LSA

There's no place like Oshkosh

Just put in my first day at the show, only doing 3 days this year, plus a layover day to pick up any after-show-convenient flight reports. *** Todd Ellefson, Will Escutia and Daniel Perez and the new owners of Quicksilver, the venerable ultralight company, announced it will pursue ASTM conformation certification for two of its time-proven models, the GT-500 and Sport 2S, as S-LSA and E-LSA. Quicksilver has sold more than 15,000 aircraft over the years, and has one of the most beautiful, slam-dunk, bolt-together kits you’ve ever seen. I built several in the early 1980′s: absolutely impeccable, easy-build kits. *** The FAA verification process has already begun toward offering models as Experimentally Amateur Built kits as well, which will allow two-seat former Ultralight category Quicksilver models that were phased out when the Light Sport Aircraft category came into being to have a home again. *** Although a good percent of the many, many Piper Cubs have gone home, there is still a distinct marigold presence of dozens of the classic bird that brought civilian flying almost singlehandedly to the nation back in the ’30s and ’40s. *** I had the pleasure of speaking to several Cub owners for an article I’ll be doing to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the wonderful Cub. Great folks one and all. *** Randall Fishman, that intrepid electric-powered aircraft entrepreneur, debuted a new electric-powered Ultralight motorglider, the ElectraFlyer ULS. I spent a good hour plus talking with Randall and will share more as time and sleep needs allow. Herewith a few pictures and comments: *** Capable of one or two hours of sustained flight; a beautiful, twin-boom, all-carbon fiber composite airframe; 20 hp equivalent electric motor in pusher configuration; 24:1 glide ratio; lands less than 24 mph stall; built and tested to +4-2G utility load in Czech Republic; steerable nosewheel; flaperons; dive brakes; takes off in 250 feet or less; sink rate middle 200 fpm range. *** And it’s in production now with 90 day delivery, available also with gasoline power. The production prototype I saw is just slightly on the rough side, but mostly little cosmetic touches still need polishing off. Randall, if he can get production out of his overseas airframe builders, could have a winner on his hands: a viable electric aircraft, not a vaporwing, and for $59,000. I wish him luck. He ran up the engine. The carbon fiber prop sets up a nice fluttering sound, like a fan, when sitting still but Randall says when moving it’s quiet. I thought it was quiet just running up on the ground! *** The beautiful, slightly dihedral, compound-tapered wing is evocative of the Phoenix S-LSA motorglider. Keep your eyes on this one, it may end up being the first electric airplane that’s really for sale in America.

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Leaving LSA for the greener (and roomier) skies of the Primary Aircraft category.

First Piper, now Cessna…wow, didn’t see this coming. *** Even though I’m not arriving in Oshkosh until Friday, this newsflash hot off the wire can’t wait. I just picked this up from the Wichita Eagle. In brief, it says: *** Cessna just announced they’ll move the C-162 Skycatcher into the Primary Aircraft category. It will no longer be a Light Sport Aircraft . This on the heels of news that the Wichita-based aviation giant had pulled it’s European marketing and EASA CS-LSA certification efforts because of the cost and complexity above and beyond certifying to the U.S. Light Sport category. *** The company said switching to Primary Aircraft will aid in the certification process with countries worldwide, which certainly includes Europe’s EASA CS-LSA standards, which you can think of as FAA Airworthiness Lite, or looked at another way, LSA Heavy. *** Cessna was quick to add that the Skycatcher will still be flyable by pilots with a sport pilot license. It also reported it is already at work with FAA on the Primary designation. That process includes a Type Certificate and a Production Certificate. *** The Wichita Eagle ended its piece by saying this: ”The joint Cessna/FAA team included requirements from EASA CS-LSA into the program which will allow the Skycatcher to be accepted into Europe through a simpler validation effort, following FAA approval.” *** On the face of it, it looks to be a marketing move. Let’s look a bit deeper: *** The official FAA language for the Primary Aircraft Category, effective as of Dec. 31, 1992, describes it this way: *** “A primary category aircraft is of simple design and is intended exclusively for pleasure and personal use. A primary category aircraft (airplanes, gliders, rotorcraft, manned free balloons, etc.) may be unpowered or powered by a single, naturally aspirated engine, with a 61 knot or less stall speed limitation for airplanes and a 6-pound per square foot main rotor disc loading limitation for rotorcraft. A primary category aircraft may have a maximum certificated weight of no more than 2,700 pounds, a maximum seating capacity of four, and an unpressurized cabin. *** Although a primary category aircraft may be available for rental and flight instruction under certain conditions, the carrying of persons or property for hire is prohibited.” *** It’s no secret by now that the Skycatcher was hamstrung by the 1320 lb. full gross limitation of the Light Sport category. I’ve talked with flight schools and owners who have lamented that the empty weight blossoms well beyond 850 lbs. with just standard equipment aboard.Canadian Owners and Pilots Association called out two years ago on its blog, “Fill up the tanks (144 lbs) and this particular 162 will carry 311 lbs of people and baggage, or most likely 304 lbs with some oil in the engine. Compare this to my old Cessna 150, with its empty weight of 1065 lbs, which would carry 408 lbs of people and cargo with full fuel. It is hard not to conclude that the 162 is not really much of a two-seater.” *** Lou Mancuso of Mid Island Air, a 66-year FBO and flight school on Long Island, NY, recently told me he had bought three Skycatchers…but canceled the remaining two orders after flying with the first one, “strictly because of payload. It’s a wonderful airplane: a strong, great flying plane, it just weighs too much. 865 lbs.empty weight with no payload restricts how heavy your passenger can be and how much fuel you can carry. *** “We flew it in our school and with 400 lbs. of pilot weight – me and a 190 lb. pilot, not abnormal passenger weights at all – the onboard Garmin computer said our total fuel load to keep from going over gross was…11 gallons! With the reserve I recommend of 7 gallons, that means we had just 4 gallons for our mission fuel…less than 1 hour! *** “Some other LSA have the same problem: planes that weigh in excess of 850 lbs., they’re really toys because you can’t go any place in them. I’ve owned some LSA that, when flown at gross weight, couldn’t get above 9000 feet. The Bristell, the only LSA in my current training fleet, climbed at gross to 13,000′ and had more room. It’s empty weight is 100 lbs. less, and in an LSA, that means a lot more performance. You want that capability sometimes to get up above clouds or the haze layer, so having a plane that weighs 750 as opposed to 850 and higher is a big deal.” *** Of course, he’s talking about Private Pilot or higher rated pilots when he says flying at 13,000 ‘, but the point is well taken. If you’re getting rocked and socked at 7,000′ and it’s likely smooth at 9,500′, you’d like to be able to pop up there as quickly as possible…or just get there! *** Anyway, back to the Skycatcher: clearly the move to Primary Aircraft will give the C-162 a lot more room for flight with full tanks and two normal size people aboard, which won’t hurt their sales and should help reduce the bailouts from their current committed customers. What remains to be seen is how much more weight, if we can speculate for a moment at least, the aircraft will safely carry without compromising load limit safety factor too much. Certainly another 100 lbs. or so of fuel won’t drastically affect those numbers…and will deliver the Skycatcher to a much broader and happier envelope of flying possibilities than its current realities. ***

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HUD displays let you keep eyes outside without missing critical readouts.

“Situational Awareness” is one of those phrases you hear a lot when aviation safety is the topic… and when isn’t aviation safety the topic in a cockpit? *** New on the market is a device to allow pilots to keep their eyes on the skies… while also having instrument readouts right in their field of view. *** HUD, or Heads-Up Display, a military technology that allows pilots to get all the info they need without having to scan the instrument panel so often, is here for the small aircraft screen. Milan, Italy-based PAT Avionics is the maker of the new G-HULP. *** HUD displays let you keep eyes outside without missing critical readouts *** Marco Mille, Chief Technology Officer for PAT, says this about it: “After three years of research and development, (HUD) technology is finally available to make experimental and light sport aircraft pilots safer.” *** The G-HULP allows pilots to easily monitor readouts such as air speed, altitude and course data, while looking forward, since the information is projected on a transparent glass display right above the instrument panel in the pilot’s direct forward view. There’s no more taking your eyes away to the panel in a critical or workload-intensive moment. *** A laser projector system makes it all work. There are currently two versions: G-HULP Stand Alone (approx. $5,500) and G-HULP for Dynon SkyView (approx. $5,000). G-Hulp, says Mille, is also “fully customizable”. *** To find out more, check out the website linked above or if you’re going to Oshkosh next week, the device will have its debut at the PAT Avionics booth, space #4128 in the Exhibit Building D. *** Download the Sporty’s Oshkosh info app if you’ve got a smartphone, it’ll help you find it, and that space, a lot easier.

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Main Screen of Sporty's Airventure App

Lots of maps for finding your way around

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. Just touch the number and you’ll go right to the map of the area its in, with its booth highlighted with a red pin! Can’t beat that: Sporty’s provided a valuable service for showgoers, if you’ve got a smartphone, I urge you to download this app, it’s really useful, well thought out, and a snap to navigate…and it’ll save you miles of walking, trust me. I used it last year and it saved me hours of aimless wandering, because Oshkosh is nothing if not all over the map!

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Catching up from the road after 3 weeks (1 day to go) in Hamburg, Germany on family business and a laptop double-meltdown (don’t ask). *** The Sling is a South African LSA that made a splash in 2009 with a ‘round-the-world flight just received its official S-LSA Airworthiness certificate, making it #125 on the official list.The Airplane Factory in Johannesburg, and more than 60 have been delivered worldwide. Developed in 2006, and with more than 100 orders total to date, the company is hoping the Sling will compete successfully in the crowded U.S. market. *** The staff is made up of 75 full timers — no garage band airplane company here — and produces five ready-to-fly Slings per month, and even more in kit form. *** For the U.S. market, the Sling will also be offered in kit form, either as an E-LSA or Experimental Amateur-Built. *** The Airplane Factory of Torrance, CA will wrangle the U.S. distribution, marketing and support for the Sling and plans to stimulate community-based aviation enthusiasm and participation with “innovative” flight training (not sure what that means yet) and a flying club, which is a business model increasingly used across the country and done right, brings a real win-win philosophy to LSA flying.This first Sling, the newly registered N511NG, is based at Torrance Airport (KTOA) and will fly to Oshkosh this summer and be on display in Booth #305. Stop by and check out this latest all-metal, stylish sliding-canopy addition to the ever-expanding LSA universe. It’s a fun company with a seasoned product and deserves a close look.

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Evektor SportStar RTC photo courtesy Evektor

Flight Design CTLS

American-made Rans S-7 Courier

Czech Sport Aircraft PS-28 photo courtesy airlines.net

* REVISED June 21: Missing text at end replaced. * *** Some big news developing recently regarding the European Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) certification of the first three light sport aircraft in its new category designed to legitimize ASTM-certified LSA. *** The new category is called EASA CS-LSA. We’ve talked about it before, see below, but this is a significant step forward and here are some of the highlights. *** The three planes are names we’re all familiar with: the Flight Design CTLS-ELA, Czech Sport Aircraft PS-28 Cruiser (which is known here as the Sportruiser and was, for a year, the Piper Sport), and Evektor’s SportStar RTC (stands for Restricted Type Certificate). The Cruiser was the first to be awarded the cert, with the CTLS-ELA coming right after. Both were heralded at the recent Aero convention in Europe, while the SportStar was announced a few days ago. *** As in the U.S., aircraft certified in the European LSA category must have a max of two seats and 1,320 lbs. all-up weight. *** The newly adopted EASA category accepts the ASTM standard but adds a few wrinkles, (translation: higher certification costs for makers) including requirements for greater scrutiny over design, production and requirement of a type certificate, (technically EASA calls these DOA, POA and TC). Simply put, they make for a Part 23-style addition beyond the ASTM spec, which boils down to higher prices for manufacturers, which will be passed on to buyers of course. *** Still, as I’ve noted in previous blogs, it does mean American producers, should they wish to jump through the additional EASA hoops, will now be able to sell SLSA in Europe, something that was not allowed before. *** Another benefit to both manufacturers and customers: under the EASA CS-LSA category, the RTC (Restricted Type Certificate) will allow broader use of light sport aircraft, including charter and other commercial enterprises, along with flight training of course. For companies, dealers and flight schools seeking ways to maximize the earning potential of LSA purchases, that’s a real step up. *** In a side note, recently Cessna put a halt to European sales, saying the European LSA rules are too costly. Cessna has several hundred Skycatchers still slated for delivery worldwide, and the Wichita aviation giant has been climbing the registered aircraft charts the last year as it has dramatically ramped up production and shipping of the aircraft it announced many years ago but which was delayed for some time by design problems that required reworking and testing. *** Cessna says it may get back to selling in Europe if it can crunch the financial/regulatory constellation favorably. The Skycatcher got a big bump in price several months back. It’s now listed at $149,000. *** Reprising in brief my post of about a year ago:a *** EASA’s CS-LSA stands for Certification Specifiction for Light-Sport Aircraft. *** American makers have been at a disadvantage in that they couldn’t sell in Europe. By now having an accepted EASA equivalent to the ASTM-certified LSA-category, if (and it’s a big if for smaller manufacturers) they can strap on the additional costs of qualifying for the European market, they’ll be more competitive, since two out of three LSA on the U.S. market come from overseas, which has made it tougher for Yankee birds to find a home with a zip code. *** Working against everybody, makers and dealers alike here at home, has been the high Dollar/Euro exchange rate. It’s dropped in recent weeks to $1.25 per €1: it was $1.41 last year. *** And as I wrote last year here, perhaps the biggest impact of EASA CS-LSA on American companies would be the effective discount to European buyers of American LSA…although that’s been knocked in the head too by EASA’s protracted process of adopting the standard. *** The difference could be decisive in making a sale, to whit: a $141,000 American LSA would have cost €100,000 in Europe a year ago. At the current exchange rate, that same European buyer is now looking at €112,136: an increase of more than €12,000 for, among other factors, EASA to be able to say it didn’t just follow lock step and adopt the perfectly workable and proven ASTM standard. Institutions, governments et al don’t like to be thought of as copy cats, apparently. *** Thus the potential competitive advantage for American manufacturers has been notably reduced. *** And meanwhile, back at the U.S. ranch, European-made LSA might very well also drop in price, once distributor inventories are depleted and new orders come in, which would only increase competition on the home front. *** What a headache to be in the aviation business, eh? *** But the takeaway good news has to be that the worldwide market and regulatory framework is maturing and finding a consensus of sorts. Governments and financiers will always have fun yanking us back and forth, but at least there’s a bit more opportunity for airplanes to be sold everywhere, and that’s good for everybody in the industry, one would hope.

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This is pretty cool, I have to say: a flying…what, waterbike? Winged pontoon? Powered box kite? Here’s the home page for *** Flynano: and doesn’t this supremely giddy pilot in the illustration remind you of U2′s Bono? Hmmm…backer? Person of Interest? Is Lindsay Lohan going to buy one? Stay tuned… *** A year ago, I wrote about these enterprising and clever folks behind the Flynano project. They made a (cue: drum roll) big splash at Europe’s 2011 Aero show when they introduced the mockup. Frankly, I confess to a tad of private skepticism: it looked like a long shot to ever fly, let alone actually come to market. That’s why I try to curb my public expressions of criticism: it’s so easy to be proven wrong. *** I was concerned that although the boxwing concept — a joined upper/lower wing, tailless design — has been proven, (and even marketed in Europe as the Sunny Boxwing, see video at bottom), the Flynano could easily have been just another blue-sky, briefly-ballyhooed project, like so many that have come down the pike (do the name Moeller Aircar ring a familiar note?) *** Yet how cool indeed ‘twould be if this easy-fly skimmer-bug of a recreational aircraft that only operates from the water could actually fly? *** Now I must confess I’m wearing egg — or lake water — on my face, because Flynano has indeed flown…under electric power yet…and the developers say they hope to bring it to market as an ultralight-style aircraft by the end of the year. Congrats to all at Flynano! *** Here’s the vid: *** *** I won’t hold my breath expecting Flynano to be in production by year’s end — production predictions are almost universally wildly optimistic (except in the case of LSA maker Pipistrel, which seems to revel in the satisfaction of keeping its promises) — but after watching the video on the website linked above, it does at least seem to be airworthy. How airworthy remains to be seen but it could turn out to be a fun ride game changer for the aquatic thrill seekers among us. *** My one casual viewing of the video did raise some questions: the short-coupled boxwing aerodynamics do seem to induce some pretty pitch-sensitive oscillations. Deft piloting may be required here, which would require a training version of Flynano. And the bottom wing so close to the water on a very, very flat and undisturbed water surface seems to relegate the craft to lake or broad-river flying…on light-wind days. Doesn’t look like it would be suited for ocean or even mild-wave operations. *** Yet there are placid bodies of water big and small just about everywhere in the world. All, though, are subject to wind waves, which can come up in a hurry. And since the Flynano is not an amphib — it’s meant for water only — it seems likely this will be a vehicle people would use like they use jet skis, for close-to-water zipping around to wow the girls and guys on the beach and so on. *** Flynano could turn out to be a budget-challenged pilot’s Icon A5. By the way, big news looms on the horizon about the long-awaited A5, which just recently demonstrated for FAA its impressive stall resistance capabilities. I’m sworn to secrecy but soon as the story pops, I’ll post here. *** But it’s an intriguing little critter for sure. I’ll hope to be disavowed of my reservations as they progress because it looks like it could be a whale (porpoise?) of a lot of fun to fly. Latest projected price is €32.000, or just over $40K. *** Meanwhile, here are a couple videos of the Sunny Boxwing, an ultralight that was built in Germany throughout the 90′s. It demonstrates the nimble, fun-flying, (and highly stall-resistant) features of the boxwing concept. *** *** This is the European certified version. *** *** And this is the original, low-rez promo (filmed in the 90s) from the designer that has some pretty flying footage. For an old ultralighter and LSA pilot like m’self, it looks like a lot of fun.

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Will flight medicals as we know them for at least some GA aircraft soon be a thing of the past?

LSA like this FK12 Comet can be flown by a Sport Pilot, with only a driver's license rather than an FAA flight medical.

Although we Sport Pilots only have to self-certify (and have a driver’s license) to legally fly Light Sport Aircraft, *** the success of the self-certification “medical” has no doubt factored into AOPA and EAA’s joint proposal to FAA to expand the concept to include Private Pilots. *** To add your comments to the FAA page about such a medical exemption, go here…the end of the comment period is near, so if you have a take on this topic, let it fly.

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The fabulous FK-12 Comet. is being outfitted with an aerobatic Lycoming 233 engine

Renegade's FK12 Comet and its new Lycoming mill

The Lycoming 233 LSA in a Renegade Falcon

The all-composite Renegade Falcon

Camo and combat and races, oh my!

The SeaMax amphib is getting a Lycoming 233 soon too!

I’ve been a (budget) international jet setter the last couple months so figured it was time to update through an e-chat with *** Chris “Doc” Bailey, who’s heading up a hydra-like push at Renegade Light Sport to get the Lycoming IO-233-LSA engine in as many birds as possible. *** I’ve talked before about the many-pronged attack Doc and crew have been making to test and distribute the new 233 powerplant. A lot of folks who have always flown “conventional” aircraft engines and haven’t been won over by Rotax’s 2000 TBO and excellent safety record have been following Doc’s development work closely. *** As you can see, the Renegade Falcon, which also mounts the Lyc 233, is a real dazzler of an SLSA. It’s in production, a few have been delivered with more on the books, and recently Doc’s been outfitting the FK12 Comet biplane with the AE (aerobatic) version of the 233 powerplant (see my story on the nifty bipe with Rotax power in this issue of Plane & Pilot) . *** Without further intro, here’s the ever-voluble Doc Bailey’s enthusiastic update on all the irons Renegade has in the fire: *** “We are in the final stages of getting our Comet up and running with the new Lycoming AE IO 233 engine. We have been tasked by the Hansen brothers to install the engines in their Comet as well. We will be installing all the Lycoming Comets in the US. *** “We also are the new distributor for the Comet in the central and western United States. *** “We are pulling out all the stops on ours. It has 8″ Synthetic vision display, a smoker, Sensenich ground adjustable props (we have the first two for Lycoming ever made for production), fuel injection electronic ignition system, Vetterman cross tube exhaust system…the works… *** “We also hope to represent the SeaMax, and will put the Lycoming engine in that baby too. We plan to give ICON A5 fans a run for their money with this Lycoming-powered SLSA Amphibian that we think will take off in less than 400 feet on water. Plus we can give our clients a delivery date. *** “We’re also testing a new full FADEC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FADEC) system for the Lycoming engines and just introduced our new mock landing gear panel so students can train for retractable gear in our Falcon 141 trainer. It’s really cool… pull the gear switch down and the three lights comes on as if they were locking the gear down. Should you forget, the audio alarm goes off at 45 knots just before flare speed to remind the pilot he’s about to land with the “gear up”. *** “We plan to fly three Comets to Oshkosh this year… Our orange one will be in the Lycoming tent, along with the Falcon (it’s third straight year.) *** “Our permanent Comet (aerobatic) demo plane is getting it’s certification Monday or Tuesday. *** And we are going to start a SAR Sport Aviation-style race circuit with the Comets and Falcons competing for the Comet cup. This will be like a Red Bull race course only all the aircraft will be set up exactly alike so there is no individual performance advantage, much like an IROC event. *** “It will be the skill of the pilot that day that wins, not the superior aircraft. The other great thing is what the clients watch race on Sunday they can buy right from the factory on Monday. Also during the course of the season competitors can never fly the same plane twice. Truly it will be races set up for the best pilots, not the superior machines: two races per day per pilot, best combine times win. *** “We are looking for sponsors such as Garmin, Monster, Budweiser etc … They will in fact own the racing aircraft. We already have Kansas NASCAR Speedway wanting to hold the first event. We think that at this point the aircraft will be weighing only 745 pounds and have an HP rating of 124 hp. *** “This truly should be a huge boost for Sport Aviation.” *** But wait folks…there’s more! *** “Then we have Tim Benham, an F 14 combat pilot, who has been one of our dealers for two years. He is an instructor for Annapolis cadets, was an instructor at *** NAS Miramar at the TOP GUN school. He’s getting our dog fighting school up and going. We will attach a laser tag system to the aircraft with small smokers. If the laser light hits, it smokes for a couple of seconds. A heavy hit smokes for about 5 seconds and with a ‘kill’ shot the smoker comes on and stays on shut off by the losing pilot. This can be done in the Comet and the Lycoming AE IO 233 Falcon as well. *** “Both are 6G (load factor) planes and this is going to be really exciting. We painted our tail dragger like a P40 and it just grew from there… *** “We will paint some aircraft like ME-109s, Japanese Zeros and of course our hero the P40. This should come to fruition by December or so. We are testing the laser systems now and outrigging the AE engines in the Falcon and Comets now.” *** Thanks for the update Doc…now get back to work! *** ***

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LAMA head and LSA subject matter expert, Dan Johnson

The *** Federal Aviation Administration just released a document about its assessment regarding the performance of the LSA industry, specifically in regard to LSA producer’s, shall we say, sub-par performance toward compliance with the ASTM airworthiness standard set out in the very definition of the Light Sport category. *** U.S. LAMA head and Light Sport industry Carnac the Great (for you older Johnny Carson Show fans) Dan Johnson was interviewed by Bloomberg news. The story summarizes what Dan says was over an hour’s worth of interview to make sure the reporter got the story right. Beyond a few media AlarmThink insertions, it was a fairly decent and accurate overview of, says Dan, what he told the writer. That’s always a welcome sign that journalism has not completely gone over to the infotainment dark side. *** You can read the piece here. *** Dan also has his own take on the FAA announcement, with some relevant links for you, (see nearby article titled: “FAA Clarifies Who Is a LSA Manufacturer”). *** The bottom line? A mini-tempest in the LSA teapot: as Dan concludes, “I believe the better companies have little cause for concern, but all producers and their importers…should review their paperwork and records carefully.” *** And to close with what I mean by “AlarmThink”, here are some semi-amusing excerpts from the Bloomberg piece: *** The headline: Sport-Plane Makers Warned By FAA To Stop Evading Rules. In fact, the industry has been “warned” about this, repeatedly, for some time now. This latest release from FAA is just an official announcement that it’s patience isn’t unlimited, that the industry needs to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s in its documentation procedures, and that it invites public comment for 90 days, as Dan notes in his blog post. *** The use of the term “crackdown” . Well, no, it’s really not. More like a “Industry folks, probably not so smart to assume we aren’t paying attention.” *** The phrase: “violating safety standards and could be shut down“. *** If it went to extremes, yes, companies could be hammered. Public safety is after all FAA’s mandate and they’d be right to shut someone down for sloppiness in any part of their manufacturing process, including repeated failure to keep track of important verifications that proper work has been done. After all, having a rogue LSA industry doesn’t help anybody. Still, this is a bit of uberdrama. *** And finally this, placed at the bottom of the article when I would think it belongs right up at the beginning: ”Most of the violations uncovered by the FAA involved a failure to keep paperwork…” *** BTW, bunches of online aviation news organ ran with this today.

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The BushCat (formerly the Cheetah) is a good example of a "budget" LSA. It offers a good range of LSA performance and excellent durability, yet it's base price is below $50,000.

LSA come in all shapes, sizes and costs.

Ben Sclair, who publishes General Aviation News, wrote a nicely thought out piece on the nuances of the high cost of flying, with a focus on LSA in particular. He laments the black/white thinking that permeates such discussions and makes a decent case for that time-worn truism, if you really want to do something, you’ll quit grousing and find a way to do it. *** Ben makes some worthy points, give it a look here.

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Light-Sport Aircraft is a growing part of the service work at Guardian Aviation.

LSA Repairman skills plus a fresh AMT certificate lead to a full-time job for Tim Misegades.

It’s not all wrenches; to get the AMT certificate meant hitting the books.

Kent Misegades is a regular writer for GA News and has helped here at ByDanJohnson.com. Recently he proudly told me of his son Tim’s experience… a worthy story. ||||

“My youngest son followed the usual route through high school and then into college, pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering at North Carolina State University just as I did in the late 1970s. Unlike his old man, Tim grew up around R/C models, homebuilt airplanes and boats, race cars, and whatever else I could manage to convince my loving wife of 30 years that her husband and two sons needed in our garage shop.

*** “A natural stick-and-rudder pilot since he was very young, Tim also spent a great deal of time as a volunteer in my EAA and IAC chapters. When it became clear that his heart was not in engineering, I suggested he consider opportunities emerging in the relatively young SP/LSA community. Our research uncovered a LSA Repairman class being offered at the Blue Ridge Community College in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, not far from our home near Raleigh, NC. That was in the summer of 2009.

*** “Not only did he complete the course with flying colors, but during one weekend he received his Phase One Rotax Repairman certificate, thanks to Dean Vogel of Aero Technical Institute who taught the class at the Blue Ridge College. A visit to Sebring, Florida the same fall resulted in Tim’s earning his Phase Two Rotax certificate. As soon as he returned from his LSA classes, he sent an updated resumé to Tom Malechuk, owner of Guardian Aviation Services in Siler City, NC (5W8), where Tim had worked part-time in the past. Malechuk’s reply came quick — he was offered a full-time job!

*** “The shop liked his past work and had planned to offer their services to owners of LSA aircraft and Rotax engines, which were becoming part of their established general aviation business. Since then, Tim has worked under Tom’s tutelage, gaining the experience and credentials needed to sit for the A&P exams. Since he lacked experience with turbines and complex systems not found on most GA aircraft, he attended a two-week prep course at the highly-regarded Baker’s School of Aeronautics in Nashville, TN, where he took the exams recently, passing with high marks.

*** “Tim returned home exhausted, but proud to be a full-fledged Aviation Maintenance Technician
(AMT). Judging from the hundreds of job listings at the AMT recruiting company JSfirm, Tim’s job outlook is quite bright. Many of his friends from high school are living back at home with their parents, a college diploma on the wall, and $40,000 in school debt.”

*** Can an interest in LSA lead to a job in aviation? Kent concludes, “Fact: the LSA Repairman rules allowed my son to get a taste of the AMT profession quickly and at low cost. This led to a full-time apprenticeship and now an A&P license that is recognized around the world. SP/LSA is not only about airplanes; it has enabled a young man to find a satisfying career and obtain financial independence at a very young age. Thanks from his grateful parents to all who have made this possible.”

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The Storch SLSA ran into the manufacturer definition problem head-on. Read the earlier post.

Manufacturer organization LAMA recently sent a letter detailing how industry should prepare for a FAA visit.

CubCrafters received a FAA “prototype audit” that reportedly went well.

Today, FAA issued its anticipated notice of policy that clarifies who can qualify as a manufacturer. You may wish to read the entire policy statement and, as government documents go, this one is fairly easy to read and comprehend. The agency also welcomes comments. *** Since this hit cyberspace, I have spent the better part of my day on the phone with reporters who scour websites and government agency postings for such material. A couple were mainstream reporters who really have no understanding of aviation, much less Light-Sport Aircraft. Some others, including a reporter for Bloomberg, follow aviation and understand FAA’s policy rather well. Yet few of them live in the world of LSA like I do, so hours were spent explaining the basic concept. *** While the words in FAA’s policy statement have threatening overtones, the reality is that industry was previously briefed. Earlier this month, LAMA, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, sent out a letter telling the LSA producer community what to expect from a FAA visit to their facility… but again, LAMA was only reminding producers what they already know — or what they should already know. *** When a LSA manufacturer declares that they meet the ASTM standards, they sign a form FAA calls the 8130-15 (isn’t this stuff fun?). That form gives FAA the right to visit and see all the documents and processes used by a manufacturer to build their LSA. Signing that form means a manufacturer claims to fully meet every line of the ASTM standards used to “certify” LSA. Meeting the ASTM standards means a producer agrees to perform an annual audit of themselves to be sure they have all the required documents and meet all the quality processes needed to repeatedly build an airworthy LSA. Missing a single document of the hundreds they should have means a manufacturer is technically not in compliance — though this does not necessarily mean they are not building a safe aircraft. *** One of the primary purposes of FAA’s policy statement is to define more clearly who is and who is not a manufacturer. An importer that assembles a LSA from a shipping container is not a manufacturer, though some presented themselves that way. This does not change the aircraft but the importer does not meet FAA’s definition of a manufacturer and that can affect how well they can support the aircraft from an ongoing safety standpoint. *** In all, as I told the reporter from Bloomberg, this is primarily an example of FAA tightening up on the industry’s practices. It does not mean the aircraft they sold is unsafe, but it does mean they are not precisely following the rules and, later on, a customer buying that aircraft may not be well served regarding vital safety information (a major concern of FAA). It should be observed that operational safety is presently “acceptable,” to use a term FAA officials have frequently stated. *** All this is why LAMA sent its letter and why LAMA offers independent (non-FAA) auditing services through its partnership with Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Does the LSA industry have a big problem based on FAA’s policy statement? The answer is no but the companies representing these aircraft need to show they fully meet the standards and can prove it. Plus, if a company says they are the manufacturer, they need to be able to prove that to FAA’s satisfaction. I believe the better companies have little cause for concern, but all producers and their importers, if any, should review their paperwork and records carefully.

Update 7/6/12 — To hear an update on this story, you can listen to this AvWeb podcast. —DJ

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Sebring’s iconic vintage control tower near the center of action for the LSA Expo.

Sebring’s new 2013 layout map. If you like, you can download a larger version.

Sebring attracts strong crowds, including 2012’s record 16,000 attendees.

OK, even to me it seems rather early to be writing about Sebring 2013. (I’m a huge fan, having attended all eight Expos.) The event is months away and summer just arrived so why are we thinking about next winter? Truth be told, you don’t get anywhere in the airshow biz without planning months, even years, in the future. So, to their credit, organizers of the Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo — a mouthful most of us just abbreviate as “Sebring LSA Expo” — are laying plans for the ninth Expo well in advance.

*** Today, those organizers, lead by last year’s new boss, Jana Filip, sent out a new grounds layout. I’ll be headed down to Sebring on Monday with FlightTime Radio entrepreneur Milford Shirley in his Cherokee for a meeting with the Sebring honchos and folks like Jacob Peed from Aviators Hot Line plus Bahamas guru and Breezer importer, MikeZ. One possible plan is for FlightTime Radio to broadcast from the show. That’s cool but, as those late night infomercials love to say… “That’s not all!” A number of other new features will be discussed and those of us not on the organizing committee will probably learn more about next year’s plans.

*** One thing I hope to hear more about is the new layout. But it’s pretty clear this is a significant change and I like what I see. Let me point out some things that I could see on the full page version of the nearby layout. (1) Notice the diamond-shaped central area labeled “D.” This is a new space for a presenting sponsor so if you want to literally be the center of attraction, better act soon. (2) The food court has a new location (“H”) right smack in the center of things. The food vendors will probably love that but so will everyone attending as one thing always sells at shows: food. (3) The headliner AeroShell tent (“G”) is also much more central. This is where we hold the opening night LAMA Dinner for LSA professionals along with other events like the volunteer dinner and more. It’s also where folks go to eat in some shade and I like that it’s in a central place rather than off to the side. I’ll bet AeroShell likes it, too, and this rewards their generosity in making the big tent available for all to use freely. (4) The inside exhibit tents are now positioned left and right (or northwest/southeast) of the food court, another good relocation, IMHO. (5) Around these central locations are the many airplane vendors that comprise the best draw to the event.

*** After I hear more, I’ll keep updating ByDanJohnson.com visitors on the biggest and best established LSA Expo in the country. Last year set visitor records (reportedly 16,000 attendees) and I’m thinking 2013 will be even stronger. It wouldn’t hurt to start thinking about your travel plans now. The dates are January 17-20. Next year’s theme is, “Where Innovation Meets Aviation.” I’m going! Are you?

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