ByDanJohnson.com

The new Bristell will be at Expo next week.  Photo courtesy BristellUSA

Dynon’s SkyView

EAA’s Rod Hightower to speak

The show I look forward to the most every winter is the Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, the premier gathering of Light Sport industry vendors in America. *** This is the eighth go ’round for the expo; each year it offers more pure fun for LSA pilots present and future. *** This year sports a noticeably upscale look, with new management (show founder Robert Woods remains very active in the show) and a stronger promotional flavor. *** Major sponsors this year include our own Plane & Pilot! *** The four-day gathering, which kicks off next Thursday, Jan. 19, promises to be the biggest show yet. *** Lots of return and new LSA exhibitors, display booths with the latest hot gear, and symposiums, including the new Bristell low wing monoplane and Pipistrel Sinus 50-foot span motorglider, both of which I hope to fly for future reports. Avionics leader Dynon will hold full on classes to teach the many ins and outs of its powerhouse SkyView EFIS display… for free! EAA‘s new head honcho Rod Hightower will speak at the annual LAMA dinner Thursday night.There’s a ton more things to talk about, check it out right here for all the details. *** If you’ve got a hankering for early Spring- style LSA tire-kickin’ and demo flying, program Sebring into your GPS and get on down thar!

Compress Post ...

Flight Design has a new and improved warranty.

Dynon will conduct training classes for SkyView.

SeaRey will host a customer workshop.

EAA made many changes to employment recently.

Sebring kicks off the new year on January 19-22.

Aviators Hot Line will help LSAers fly to the Bahamas.

INDUSTRY BITS — Flight Design has a new warranty program that should entice buyers. Called the XP (eXtended Protection) Warranty. The German company is extending the warranty without cost and even lengthening the Rotax engine warranty beyond what the engine producer offers. Of course, some conditions apply, but this is a strong move to assure buyers of their aircraft that Flight Design means to support customers in a professional manner. *** As part of its focus on premium service for its aircraft customers, Flight Design USA linked up with Dallas aviation dynamo US Aviation. This fast-growing aviation enterprise (and, yes, you read that correctly… growing) has a expanding presence on the Denton airport (DTO). They will now be an official factory-authorized service center for Flight Design. The Texas company offers such service for several LSA brands and has a dedicated facility for this work.

|||| Dynon will be holding 3.5-hour classes at Sebring to help users of their SkyView Synthetic Vision glass cockpits better use these very capable devices. Darn it. At airshows, I don’t have the luxury of time to attend such a long class. Yet, lucky me! The west coast company is holding a couple classes before Sebring near my home on the big Spruce Creek Fly-in airpark. More on this after I go through the class.

|||| SeaRey is holding an owner/builder’s workshop and open house at their lakeside factory near Tavares and Leesburg, Florida. The timing will appeal to folks on their way to the Sebring Expo starting the day after SeaRey’s open house. Of all the LSA seaplanes, SeaRey has by far the largest number of actively flying aircraft (nearly 600).

|||| ASSOCIATION BITS — EAA pulled the trigger a major restructuring, announcing the departure of several leaders including VP Adam Smith (formerly their museum director), ace aerial photographer Jim Keopnick, Young Eagles director, Steve Buss, and video chief, Rob McAllister. *** All totaled, the Appleton, Wisconsin newspaper reported online that EAA, “…fired or laid off nearly 30 people Thursday (January 12th) as part of a restructuring plan that eliminated some positions and created new ones.” Interestingly, the paper also reported, “Miracle on the Hudson co-pilot Jeff Skiles… will serve as vice president in charge of chapters and youth education.” Additionally, “…the organization [will] conduct a search for a vice president of marketing.” And finally, “EAA also created a new vice president position to oversee its annual AirVenture event, but the position has not been filled.” In a special emailing, Flying magazine reported, “EAA also reportedly eliminated its electronic publications department.” *** My guess is some heads are shaking in Oshkosh. As I worked with many of these good people during the 2004-2006 period, I want to wish all departures the very best as they move forward.

|||| SEBRING BITS — Aviation big shots will be plentiful at Sebring with visits from AOPA President Craig Fuller (back for his second year in a row; he spoke at the LAMA Dinner last year); GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce who will again meet with industry leaders; and EAA President Rod Hightower who will address the LAMA Dinner in 2012. Who knows? Maybe other luminaries will join the parade. *** Sebring has many new features this year as it switches management. One is a proper send-off to a group of LSA pilots who will fly across the ocean to the Bahamas on the last day of the show. Aviators Hot Line and a group of sponsors are preparing for the second LSA fly-out to the island nation. I went last year to find it riveting to fly out of sight of land and then to enjoy the magic of the Bahamas, which is a very airplane-friendly destination.

Sebring is going to be very interesting this year…!

Compress Post ...

Plane & Pilot magazine is one of the world’s leading aircraft publications.

LSA Editor James Lawrence assembled a guide to the best selling Light-Sport Aircraft.

Aircraft Spruce is now promoting Rain-B-Gon.

Years back I eagerly awaited Buyer’s Guides from several magazines. These were once the “database” used by many aviation writers to keep up with aviation’s rather amazing outpouring of all manner of aircraft. Several magazines competed for the most detailed entries. *** Then in 1995, the World Wide Web was born. At first changes came slowly. As the new millennium arrived (when this website was started) the web sharply accelerated in usefulness. Today, it is ubiquitous, literally so in the hands of anyone with a smartphone or iPad. *** Printed airplane Buyer’s Guides trying to list every single entry were hopelessly upstaged with web pages where the data could be enormously thorough and continuously updated. Indeed our SLSA List and our service-provider FIRM List are popular enough that we gave them their own top-of-the-page tabs. As the print publication community, in and out of aviation, struggles to incorporate the web and adjust their content to their strengths, Buyer’s Guide appear to be an endangered species. *** The good news? Light Sport & Ultralight Flying magazine’s annual Buyers Guide will appear in February (instead of its usual January release). Meanwhile we have the Plane & Pilot Buyer’s Guide issue in their January/February issue for 2012. *** Listen, I love the internet for all its speed and depth. But this P&P issue is a winner. The title — probably the second-largest circulating non-member aviation magazine — has done exceptionally well for the Light-Sport community with their own LSA Editor-at-Large (also our contributor): James Lawrence, who has created generous LSA coverage. *** So, no surprise to see a nice LSA Buyer’s Guide section plus another installment of Jim’s “Light-Sport Chronicles.” Read the Buyer’s Guide now plus we’ve asked to reformat for ByDanJohnson.com later as we did with Jim’s 2010 Review. *** Since not everyone is seeking LSA, P&P also has great Buyer’s Guide sections for Piston Singles, Piston Twins, and Turbines. Rounded out with a headset guide and other informative articles, the west coast Werner Publishing team did well.

|||| Got windshield wipers on your LSA? Unless you have a Terrafugia Transition on order, your LSA will not have windscreen wipers. Some bigger aircraft have them but lightplanes that don’t use glass windows don’t use wipers effectively. *** Pilots want to see where they’re going and Dynon‘s SkyView Synthetic Vision is not the whole answer, cool as those big infoscreens are. *** Aviation mail order giant, Aircraft Spruce has a low-cost answer. “Rain-B-Gon rain repellent is a hydrophobic coating technology that forms a chemical bond and causes the raindrops to bead up and blow away from the windshield,” explained Aircraft Spruce. “This new innovative technology is designed especially for plastic Acrylic and Lexan windshields, and has no alcohol which can harm plastic.” Check thousands of aviation products at Aircraft Spruce.

Compress Post ...

Floats always add sex appeal to land planes, don’t they?  photo courtesy Tecnam

Jim Lee finishing the NASA speed run.  photo courtesy NASA.

Pretty Phoenix.  photo courtesy Jim Lee

A couple fun things before I lose the day entirely.Just got word from Tecnam today, via Plane & Pilot publisher Mike McMann, that the Italian aircraft producer has adapted one of my favorite LSA, the P92 Echo and Eaglet (trainer version), for water operations. *** Dubbed the P92 Sea-Sky Hydroplane, this waterbird should prove to be yet another fun entry into the SLSA sweepstakes. *** My impression of the Eaglet remains: a lively, forgiving, fun-to-fly all metal trainer that I expect will appeal even more with web feet, for those of aquatic inclinations. *** Some details: The Hydroplane is the 6th generation model of the successful P92. *** Takeoff run is spec’d at under 200 meters, along with “an impressive climb rate” from its 100-hp Rotax engine. And I wonder how the Eaglet’s landing performance, for example (26 knots, full flaps, no power) will translate to the water and extra weight. *** The Hydro will be produced at Tecnam’s new composites production facility, home to both the Tecnam P2008 and Tecnam P2010 four-seat GA up-and-comer, in Capua, Italy. *** There’s nothing much online about it yet; I’m hoping it will make it to Sebring mid-month, or Sun ‘n Fun in April. |||| Gliders and the Impossible Turn Also just heard from friend and soaring pilot/instructor/longwing trendsetter Jim Lee, last heard from when he flew the only conventionally-powered aircraft in the NASA Green Flight Challenge last fall that won Pipistrel’s Taurus Electro G4 a cool $1.35 million prize. *** Jim acquitted himself admirably with the Phoenix motorglider at that event. *** He dropped me an e-note to add his glider-centric take on my Impossible Turn post here of a couple days ago. *** Take it away James: “For one, in any aircraft, don’t follow the centerline of the runway (after) take off unless required by parallel runways or tower ops. Veer downwind of the runway on climb out, then if the engine quits, you only have to make a 180, not a 270. Glider pilots are required to practice, and perform on the checkride, a turn back to the runway from 200 feet. It is easy in a glider. I can do 100 feet, and I have seen 50 feet done in a real emergency when the towplane flew into a hangar. 500 feet is easy in a small Cessna with practice. [Even] 400 feet is easy, and 300 feet is doable in an LSA with practice.” *** Jim heads up Phoenix USA out of Melbourne, Florida. I’ve flown and reported on the Phoenix and it is one wonderful all-around dreamship.

Compress Post ...

Everyone gets the big scare speech early on in their flight training: “If you lose power on takeoff,” say our trusty CFIs, with the requisite sobering tone of voice, “DO NOT try to return to the airport if you are below X feet above ground… always find an emergency landing area somewhere ahead.” *** Everyone has their favorite altitude number for “X”, which is a factor of many variables, including aircraft engine off glide ratio and density altitude. Usually it’s a comfortably conservative number, say 1000 feet minimum AGL. *** There’s a good reason for that cautionary buffer zone of course: many pilots — and passengers — have died trying to make the killer turn back to the airport from too low an altitude. *** In an attempt to demystify the infamous “Impossible turn”, AOPA online managing editor Alyssa J. Miller goes about the worthy business of investigating firsthand just how high one should be above launch airport altitude to feel safe about turning back for that oasis of engine-out safety: the runway. *** It’s all based on aviation journalist Barry Schiff’s “Impossible Turn Maneuver Checklist,” also replicated in the article. Miller’s goal is to “find out how much altitude you need to turn around safely—not to try to turn the aircraft around in a pre-set amount of altitude.” *** It’s an important distinction, that difference between knowing the absolute minimum altitude you’ll need vs. having a mindset of “must turn in 500 feet” to wrestle with. *** And she does a service thereby for all of us by accumulating some real world numbers. *** Taking wing, she climbed to a safe altitude with CFI Sandy Geer, then recorded several repetitions of: • simulated engine failure on takeoff • stabilizing to best glide speed • turning 270 degrees (a turn left or right dictates you will need more than just 180 degrees to line back up with the runway) • flaring, as if performing a landing • then recording the total altitude lost from pulling the power. *** Miller’s best altitude loss number was 300 feet in a Cessna 172! The average altitude lost for the entire group of simulations was between 300 and 500 feet. I’m itching to try this in an LSA… especially a motorglider. *** After discussing their efforts, they each settle on a minimum above ground comfort altitude: CFI Reed’s is 1000 feet AGL, while Miller says she might consider 750 feet her personal minimum. *** Both note that in a true emergency situation any number of distractions will lead to greater altitude loss, or as we say Webside: YRMV (Your Results May Vary).   *** It’s a thought-provoking read, with a helpful accompanying video.   *** At Sebring next month, I’m going to add this maneuver to my pilot report flight list, which should also give me some interesting comparison figures between different models of LSA, since all flights will take place from the same airport.  *** Meanwhile, read the whole AOPA article. Update 1/4/12 — See the second part of this article on January 4, 2012.

Compress Post ...

photo courtesy Aviation Advertiser

Getting into the New Year garage cleanup spirit, the FAA has amended its Part 61 flight training rule, finalized in 2009, with some needed clarifications and corrections.The stated purpose is to “revise the training, qualification, certification, and operating requirements for pilots, flight instructors, ground instructors, and pilot schools.” *** The primary change as it relates to our corner of the aviation universe: Flight examiners giving the checkride for the Sport Pilot ticket do not need a medical certificate as long as they have a U.S. driver’s license: i.e. the same self-certification of competence to fly requirement that governs the Sport Pilot license qualification. ***

Compress Post ...

Icon’s A5 seaplane. photo courtesy Icon Aircraft

Lisa’s Akoya. photo courtesy Lisa Aircraft

The EQP2 is an electric powered seaplane in development. art courtesy Equator Aircraft

The Swiss Arrow Copter, ironically made in Austria. photo courtesy FD-Composites

Evolution’s Revo trike. photo courtesy Evolution Trikes

Even those who are not Apple fans agree the trend-setting California company’s focus on design beauty draws attention to their products. From their position near the back of the pack a dozen years ago, Apple has become the most valuable tech company in the world. Could this be due to their highly-refined sense of esthetics? More to the point of aviation enthusiasts, is artful design an ingredient in pleasing customers? *** I don’t know what all buyers are thinking but beauty has long enhanced the appeal of most consumer products. It seems the so-called niche aircraft producers have gotten this message perfectly well. Especially this is true for those products that have emerged since Light-Sport Aircraft burst upon the aviation scene. *** Creators of new LSA seaplane designs in particular seemed to have found the religion of design esthetics. Icon leads the pack with their stunning — and extremely well presented — A5. Hot on Icon’s tail (from a design standpoint though trailing far behind in orders taken) are the French Akoya and the Norwegian Equator, the latter an electric-powered aircraft still in development. *** In Europe, where gyroplanes seemed to have developed a high state of design prowess, several entries display art-book clean lines, smoothly integrating functional features into the overall design. In weight shift trikes, many solid designs exist but Florida’s Evolution Revo took the lead in hitting design notes with perfect pitch. *** Are these advanced creations necessary because they are specialty aircraft? Perhaps. If you represent a smaller share of the aviation pie, maybe you have to run while others can walk. Regardless of the motivation, it is clear from the accompanying photos that all these companies took industrial design to a new level. In my opinion, all these shown here (and more examples exist) have broken new ground. *** So we come back to the market aspect of truly impressive design. Does it sell airplanes? Are customers captured by the shapely lines of these aircraft? As all are relatively new, only time will tell us for certain. Yet Icon’s considerable success in garnering more than 700 delivery position orders is as significant as their ability to raise funds from investors. *** While I will not offer photos, the fixed wing aircraft crowd is hardly sluggish in handsome designs. The last three years have seen the debut of other beautiful aircraft including the FK Lightplanes LeMans that so captivated attendees of the German Aero show in 2011. Tecnam announced their sleek P2008 to American at Sebring 2010 after debuting the aircraft to Europeans a few months earlier. SeaMax is another seaplane with many design innovations complimented by smooth lines. You can never leave out such lovely birds such as the Phoenix motorglider with perhaps the most distinctive wings of any entry in the LSA space. European producer Pipistrel turns heads with their several designs that appear born of a sailplane background. Evektor’s Harmony looks great benefitting from a longtime effort of CANI (Continuous and Never-ending Improvement). The list goes on and if I tried to enumerate all of them, I’d surely miss some. *** The point is that in developing an amazing 123 new SLSA in just six and a half years, this newest-of-all aircraft sector is also paying close attention to the appeal of beautiful design. They may not profit as incredibly as has Apple Inc., but they surely inspire pilots to give a closer look at some of the finest looking aircraft in all of aviation.

Compress Post ...

photo courtesy Remos Aircraft

photo courtesy CubCrafters

photo courtesy Rans Aircraft

photo courtesy Remos Aircraft

In 36 hours or so, Chief Pilot S. Claus will be on final for a few billion chimneys worldwide. Here’s what’s popping up in one of my last looks at LSA news webwide for 2011. Meanwhile, my best wishes for a Merry Flying Christmas and new flight horizons for all in 2012! *** Cubcrafters flexes its market success muscle with a new manufacturing facility and the hiring — yes, hiring! — of new personnel to build its popular LSA Piper Cub clones.  *** A newly leased 15,000-square-foot building near the Yakima, Washington airport boosts existing capacity by almost 40% and is already in operation. Congrats to CubCrafters and we wish you continued success. *** Included are a new welding shop and CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) machine shop. *** The new space will make room in the main plant for an R&D facility and an updated, more centralized parts department.   *** Owner Jim Richmond says, “Our planes are selling well, and if we get even a little help from the economy, we will need to increase our production rate.”  *** Check out those job openings. SportAirUSA, that broad-based purveyor of several LSA models and instrument panel goodies, adds to its avionics offerings with the Adventure Pilot iFly GPS, a 7-inch touch-screen moving map based on FAA sectional charts (I own one myself — very cool unit). *** The company also reports the iFly will be standard equipment on the Snap! singleseater and an installable option for its Sting, Sirius, Savage Cub, and SeaRey LSA. Starting price is $549. The iFly comes loaded with the U.S. sectionals, IFR low en route charts, geo-referenced approach plates, airport diagrams, and more.  *** JUSTNET, the Justice Technology Information Network, an arm of the Office of Justice, posts a summary of LSA considered for law enforcement duty, and more detailed looks at each aircraft evaluated. The page is part of the Aviation Technology Program, which looks at a broad range of low-cost aviation technologies as alternatives to conventional GA aircraft in law enforcement aviation units — typically helicopters and FAA certified aircraft.  *** Some familiar SLSA models evaluated: Rans Coyote, Tecnam Eaglet, Sky Arrow. Powered parachutes and autogyros are also considered. *** The overview cites the high cost of acquiring and maintaining these aircraft (new Cessna 172: $300,000) and serves up the economic viability of various types of LSA as a dramatic alternative to for maintaining the long arm of the law skyward. *** In particular, the report calls out Light Sport Aircraft as well as small unmanned aircraft systems (“sUAS” — how institutions love acronyms!) and moored balloons… moored balloons? Remos Aircraft keeps growing its dealer/service center network. Latest addition is Light Sport West of Sacramento, California. A Remos GX was added to the GA training fleet based at Sacramento Executive Airport (KSAC). *** Light Sport West joins a growing number of FBOs nationwide who are realizing LSA offer appeal, economy and fun flying to flight students.

Compress Post ...

For the past 11 years, the Powered Sport Flying Radio Show covered topics for all sorts of recreational aircraft.

Aviation entrepreneur Roy Beisswenger. photo courtesy EAA

After 28 years on the job EAA editor Mary Jones announced a major change.

GA News was lead for many years by Dave Sclair who passed away last summer.

Twice in the past I’ve written about changes at the top of aviation leadership in 2011. We witnessed the departure of leaders in various market-leading companies. Likewise, aviation organizations have gone through a similar metamorphosis. In this third (and final?) installment, we’ll explore changes in aviation media. *** In this week headed into the Christmas holiday I participated in the second-to-last edition ever of Roy Beisswenger’s Powered Sport Flying Internet radio show. This is not sad as PSF Radio has had a decade-long run, which translates to well over 500 two-hour broadcasts. Thousands enjoyed the live performance but even more thousands listened to archived shows that you could capture off the PSF Radio website or from Apple iTunes as a podcast. Roy hinted that podcasts could continue but for now he’ll concentrate on his magazine (Powered Sport Flying) and his Easy Flight powered parachute flight instruction business. Roy described the latter and its introduction of new folks to flying as one of his great joys. After the show produces its final broadcast next week, Roy will have more time to attend airshows and that will enhance his magazine coverage. Keep watching this light aviation entrepreneur. Hearty congratulations, Roy, on a job very well done with PSF Radio! *** In another December announcement, longtime EAA editor Mary Jones said she will move to part-time status with the big member organization. After 28 years, Mary’s decision was facilitated by yet another change: the move of Flying magazine editor-in-chief Mac McClellan to Director of Publications for EAA publications. Mary developed a loyal and appreciative audience among the light and sport aviation community in her many years of writing and editing. She lead the association’s Experimenter magazine and more recently Sport Pilot before both titles were retired (association decisions having nothing to do with Mary’s capable leadership). Her latest position before stepping down was to lead EAA’s flagship Sport Aviation magazine. Mary is not flying off into the sunset. She’ll continue her work with EAA publications but on a three-day-a-week basis that will allow some other pursuits and bit more time to relax and not sweat the ever-present deadline pressure. Along with many others, I offer a most sincere thanks to Mary, a champion of affordable aviation. *** Our good friends at General Aviation News lost two stalwarts of their enterprise in 2011. Professional newspaperman and company patriarch, Dave Sclair passed away last summer and editor Tom Norton died more recently. Both losses were significant; Dave and Tom had decades of experience and encyclopedic knowledge of aviation. Fortunately, Dave’s son Ben has done what I consider to be a magnificent job of taking over the reins of the country’s only biweekly, and much-loved, aviation newspaper. *** Change is normal, inevitable, and indeed necessary in the natural development of business and in life. So while welcoming new chiefs, I salute each of the pioneers above and thank them for their dedicated service. Will the changes continue? Of course they will, though perhaps not at the pace set in 2011. We look forward to what 2012 holds. Aviation remains an exciting industry to observe. *** Merry Christmas, everyone!

Compress Post ...

image courtesy Pipistrel 

photo courtesy Dan Johnson

photo courtesy Dynon Avionics

photo courtesy Sebring Expo

Flight Design CTLE photo courtesy Flight Design

|||| News travels fast these days: Just ask Herman Cain. New tech net scraper Gizmag just ran a blurb on the Pipistrel Alpha that I covered earlier. Gizmag’s focus is on Alpha’s low cost, which as they note is less than €60,000 (currently about $80,000). *** Now consider this: if the euro continues to go through its troubles and drops further against the dollar, imagine a quality SLSA, like the Alpha promises to be (it’s based on a years-proven design — the Vinus/Sinus — with hundreds now delivered), priced at, perhaps, $70,000. For all of us who’ve decried the high costs of LSA, might this be the price point/airplane that would help break the LSA sales logjam? |||| Dynon plans Hands-On SkyView Training at Sebring. Who among us hasn’t sat for the first time in a new LSA and felt brain overload when confronted with an unfamiliar EFIS display? *** One of my initial — and most stressful — challenges during my Sport Pilot training was figuring out where to look and how to work those info-jammed screens while also getting to know the airplane. Helping out with that comes a promising and much needed program, to debut at next month’s Sebring Light Sport Expo. (That’s right, kids, Sebring is just around the corner… more on that below). *** Dynon Avionics will offer free courses on how to wrangle the SkyView, its runaway hit EFIS display. *** The 3.5-hour classes will be held all four mornings and the first three afternoons at Sebring. Working SkyViews will be set up so people can get some real hands-on tutoring without having to RTFM (Read The Freakin’ Manual, which apparently only 1.4% of the U.S. population can abide). *** Class size will be limited to the first 15 people who sign up. The classes will be held at the nearby (like, walking distance from the show) Chateau Elan Hotel and Conference Center. *** Kirk Kleinholz, CFII and SkyView expert, will handle the professorial duties. This first set of classes will be free: ongoing classes will have a fee, so get in there, pilots, and sign up! |||| Sebring Expo Looms! Yes chilluns, the big winter LSA show is truly stepping it up this year, with a much-ballyhooed new presence and a much bigger feel, judging by the number of promo emails I’ve gotten for months now. Rather than rehash the 2012 offerings, just go Sebring’s website. *** Alright, just a couple teasers, I can’t resist (and I can’t wait to get down there myself!): ••• “Exotic” vacation packages will be auctioned ••• Registered exhibitors include Flight Design, which will bring its CTLE law enforcement special ••• NASA Green Flight Challenge winner Pipistrel will bring several models (alas, not the winning electric one-off Taurus Electro G4) and, ••• the EAA Piper Cub J3 Sweepstakes contest airplane is expected to be on display. Y’all get your tickets now, hear? ••• EAA’s new head man Rod Hightower will give a presentation at the annual LAMA Dinner. ••• Tons of events, factory and general demo flights and lots more to look forward. *** Did I say I can’t wait? Now if only winter would truly arrive in the northeast (it’s 58 degrees again today!) I’ll have even more motivation to jet southward — not that Sebring leaves any need for that — this is simply the biggest all-LSA event in the country.

Compress Post ...

J. Guy Reynolds about to do his thing. photo courtesy The Journal

Evektor SportStar.  photo courtesywww.lightsportaircraft.ca

Here’s a story to give us all some cheer as we slide into final on the Holiday Season. *** An article in Martinsburg, West Virginia’s The Journal newspaper chronicles the exploits of one T. Guy Reynolds Jr. , a local pilot who just celebrated his birthday by spreading his wings in his Evektor SportStar. *** “No big deal”, you say? Ah, but this gentleman is one year shy of being a centenarian …that’s right, he just turned 99 years old! That makes him, says the article penned by John McVey, likely the oldest pilot in the state. *** And we have to ask …maybe the nation? *** “I wanted to fly on my 99th birthday,” he said. “I enjoy it, and my airplane is very nice to fly.” *** The SportStar model was the first to win ASTM approval back in 2005 as a legal SLSA and continues in its latest iteration as the Harmony…my flight report is due out in the next issue of the magazine. *** Evektor’s airplanes appeal to pilots like Mr. Reynolds with long aviation backgrounds, since it’s a familiar, mostly-metal airframe with good long range legs and comfortable interior to back it up …these things get more important as we get older! I’ve logged around 30 hours in the Evektor Max and its successor Harmony so I’m more expert on this subject than many …it’s an excellent long-leg airplane for the posterior regions. *** The article goes on to report that Mr. Reynolds began flying, in a Ford Tri-Motor, before most of us were even glints in our parent’s eyes: in 1929! He founded Martinsburg’s Civil Air Patrol squadron and was its first commander in 1943. Taking on challenges late in life seem to be a habit …Reynolds had in fact laid off flying in the mid-’50s in order to raise a family and didn’t resume until 2004 …at age 92. *** He made his first parachute jump on the day he turned 93. What a Guy! *** “I keep very positive — that’s how I’ve lived so long. I’m still happy and thank God for that every day.” *** Happy Birthday to you, sir!

Compress Post ...