ByDanJohnson.com

AirBorne’s $20,000 Part 103 Thermalite offers as good a view as you’ll find. photo courtesy Scott Johnson

Going fast is what Arion’s Lightning appears to do even before firing up its 120-hp engine.

Open cockpit flying in a proven-beyond-a-doubt Quicksilver 2S gives two a grand view.

Smart transportation? The CTLS can zoom along at nearly 120 knots but it also offers terrific visibility. So does the Smart convertible at half the speed.

I’ve observed aviation for more years than I’m comfortable admitting. As an aviation journalist I’ve often had a front row seat. I’ve talked to a ton of pilots (one of the great joys of my life is to have met so many fine folks). Over those years, I’ve distilled the kind of pilots we are to one or the other. Yes, just that simple: this kind or that. *** I believe you either fly to “Get Up,” or “Go Long.” Go Long flyers include all those who want to go some distance in their flying machine. Flying your own plane is a great way to travel. Speed is a big part of why flying is useful but that quality is merely one aspect of the enjoyment. *** Me? Sure, I like to Go Long. I’ve logged hundreds of hours of cross country flying, to all corners of America and some out of the USA. A fair number of flights were on an IFR flight plan, most were easy VFR cruises, and all of it was educational and inspiring. Sometimes it was even practical transportation. My rough calculation is that flying (in the airplanes I’ve been privileged to fly) was up to three times as fast for about twice the cost in fuel, compared to driving. *** But I readily admit that mainly… I’m a Get Up kind of pilot. I get bored (not to mention uncomfortable) flying for hours at a time in as straight a line as possible. Neither do I need to fly particularly fast. An old gearhead saying is, “Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?” Slower flying is fine for me. I like to see the planet from above. I like learning about my surroundings by viewing them from aloft. I also like to catch thermals, an aviation activity that provides endless new experiences within 25 miles of almost any airport. I could name dozens more reasons why meandering around the sky is fun. *** None of these kinds of flying require you fly a great distance from your home airfield. In conversations at airshows over the years I’ve found a significant percentage of all pilots fly for similar reasons. More flights take off and land at the same airport than go the distance. *** If you want to go places, fast is good and faster is better. Operating a GA airplane at speeds above 200 mph gobbles up the miles on regional travel. The trouble is that when going national in our great big country, 200 mph still isn’t that fast. Even in a jetliner at 500 mph, America is a vast expanse that takes hours to cross. *** I’ve long said that if the world of Star Trek ever arrives we will all say, “Beam me up, Scotty.” Why travel any other way than instantaneously? …if you could. But in that fantasy world, pilots would still fly for fun. Beaming magically around the planet would not replace the wondrous visibility found from an open cockpit ultralight. I think all pilots would still enjoy flying airplanes even if Captain Kirk’s transporter was practical and inexpensive. Wouldn’t you? And if you say, “Yes!” does that make you a “Get Up” pilot? Isn’t it about the view and experience more than hustling down a numbered airway to the next airport?

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Enlightening news today from Vit Kotek, Marketing Manager for Evektor, that ties up the loose ends on the recent parachute deployment of an Evektor SportStar. *** Vit’s statement, edited only for clarity: *** “An accident of the SportStar RTC aircraft occurred during flight tests at Kunovice airport (LKKU) on 18th May, 2011. The test pilot was performing spin testing at aft C.G. The pilot successfully completed the program, after completing 30 spins. *** Then he decided to perform a maneuver, which we’re still not fully clear about, which put the airplane into a flight condition the pilot could not recover from. *** He activated the ballistic parachute system which deployed successfully. *** The airplane suspended below the parachute landed on a lake close to the airport and sunk after five minutes. The pilot swam safely to the shore. The airplane was fished out after six hours. The pilot was not injured. *** The event proves the proper functioning of the ballistic recovery system and its installation, even though the airplane was partially damaged. *** The accident is being investigated by the Czech Air Accidents Investigation. Evektor-Aerotechnik wants to note that the accident happened during flight tests and not during normal airplane operation. *** Further, more than 800 successful spins have been completed on the Eurostar and SportStar type since 2001 and tested airplanes always demonstrated very good spin recovery characteristics. *** The last successful spin testing of the SportStar type was performed less than a year ago, and all required abnormal control use techniques for spin recovery were tested. *** Microlight and Light Sport Airplanes are spin prohibited in normal operation.” *** Thanks to our good friend Art Tarola of AB Flight in PA, the Northeast Evektor guy, for that update, and we’re glad the factory confirms the pilot wasn’t hurt.

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Iran’s Free Bird in flight. photo courtesy H. F. Dorna Company

photo courtesy H. F. Dorna Company

The shapely JetFox was designed in Italy and will now be produced in Malaysia. photo courtesy Light Sport Aircraft Pilot

Launching their new aircraft in a downpour didn’t prevent the company pilot from getting some attractive help. photo courtesy “The Star Online”

Most of what our media reports about Iran is bad: Islamic militants. Contested elections. Brutal suppression of dissent. Nuclear ambitions. What we don’t hear is about the country’s light aircraft producers. Then consider Malaysia. Do you think of that country relative to aircraft production? Do you think of it in any way? My guess is most Yankee aviators haven’t given either country much thought (except maybe in a negative context). *** Yet here is Free Bird. An article appearing on Iran’s PressTV began, “Iranian aviation researchers have designed and built an all-composite ultralight aircraft to meet the country’s training, border control, surveillance and recreational needs.” The researchers are evidently employees of manufacturer H. F. Dorna Company, which “was established in Tehran in 1988 as a private company specializing in design and manufacture of light-sport aircraft.” *** Managing director of H. F. Dorna, Yaghoub Entesari, was reported as saying, “[Free Bird’s] full composite structure conforms to ASTM technical standards and falls under the micro-light category under Iranian law.” Free Bird is said to fly more than 500 miles with a maximum airspeed in level flight of more than 150 mph (which is beyond FAA’s LSA rules). Based on company literature, pricing appears competitive but no mention is made for any glass cockpit options, unusual in today’s market unless such gear is not available or permitted in Iran. *** Given U. S. government problems with Iran I don’t expect we’ll soon see any of these in America, but the company reports 19 have been sold. |||| Equally distant from American shores is Malaysia. Discovered via an article in The Star, local company Euroala Industries Sdn Bhd., acquired all the production rights, design and know-how of JetFox [from previous owners including Italy’s EuroALA].  The Malaysian company stated, “Taking advantage of the lower cost of labour in Malaysia, the company has set up the production plant near Kuala Lumpur where it will continue the production of JetFox aircraft to supply to the traditional market in Europe and the USA while positioning itself to tap the newly emerging markets in the East.” *** Euroala Industries found some support at high levels of government. According to the news report, “‘Light-sport aircraft have a tremendous future in the country and will be well accepted locally,’ Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said. He said the sport, which had previously only been accessible to the rich, was now more affordable to all Malaysians.” *** Euroala Industries recently announced it was ready to start producing the JetFox. A few years ago I flew the model and for its day, this was a handsome microlight-type airplane with some genuine Italian style. Its cockpit was perhaps a bit tight for Americans, especially during entry, but might well serve Asian pilots. The company reports 140 JetFox aircraft have been delivered worldwide (by the original Italian producer).

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An Evektor SportStar under canopy and descending to the water.

Note pilot in water to right of sinking airplane.

The SportStar about to be hoisted to shore by crane

An
anonymous source sent me an account (in Czech) and photos of an incident in Czech Republic that reportedly occurred when an Evektor SportStar, flown by an “experienced pilot”, was unable to recover from a spin.   *** It happened on May 18 over a lake near Ostrozska ​​Ves.  You can see the pilot climb out of the cockpit once it hit the water, before the aircraft sunk. *** These are some of the best photos I’ve ever seen of an actual deployment, rivaling the YouTube video of an Argentine Rans pilot doing aerobatics and suffering a wing loss in negative G yet was saved by the airframe ‘chute at an extremely low altitude — a real heart stopper, that one.  *** The Czech ambulance staff called to the scene treated the Evektor pilot for bruises and exposure. He was otherwise uninjured… very good news! *** Because Lake Ostrozska is an important source of drinking water for a large surrounding population, there was considerable concern that the 17-plus gallons of gas still onboard might escape from the plane and kick off an “environmental disaster,” according to an online Czech news source. *** But the coolheaded pilot reportedly shut off the fuel as the aircraft descended under canopy. *** Police divers from Brno located the wreckage underwater around 7:30 that night about a quarter mile offshore, then used inflatable bags to gradually raise the aircraft to the surface and bring it closer to shore. *** Around midnight firefighters called in a crane to lift the plane and swing it to land. Accident investigations by Czech Republic’s equivalent of the NTSB are under way. *** The report goes on to say Evektor staff immediately began to disassemble the machine and transport it to the nearby factory. Marketing Manager Vit Kotek is quoted as saying,  “I will follow the investigation. The plane looks almost undamaged.” *** He noted this is the first such event for an Evektor. An airframe parachute is standard equipment on the SportStar, which has been extensively spin tested according to company sources. I’ve queried the U.S. distributor for comment on the accident, but he’s still digging for info and hasn’t reported back yet. *** Whatever the problem with the airplane or its pilot turns out to be, here’s yet another compelling case for the value of airframe parachutes to save lives after unforseeable or unavoidable peril.

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A full-enclosed AutoGyro operates on floats. photo courtesy AutoGyro

The Swiss Arrow Copter displayed superb composite design.

Magni Gyro showed their side-by-side M24 Orion model.

Handsome hardware, the Rotax 912 engine, and other refinements go beyond the Bensen Gyro.

Rotary wing aircraft have not been my focus. But I could hardly miss a flock of streamlined gyroplanes at Aero 2011 and I wondered why we don’t have these in the USA? To get an answer I went to Powered Sport Flying publisher and Internet radio producer, Roy Beisswenger, who covers the gyro scene in America… *** Roy explained, “While gyroplanes seem to be languishing in the USA, they are becoming a thriving part of the sport aviation market in Europe. The main reason focuses on the regulatory path in many European countries, which gyroplane manufacturers can follow to produce ready-to-fly ships. In contrast, the FAA specifically does not currently allow gyroplanes to be certified as Special LSA. Instead, U.S. manufacturers are required to offer either Part 27 aircraft (the rotorcraft equivalent of Part 23) or Experimental Amateur Built (EAB) kits. This has hampered the introduction of several fine designs from overseas because European manufacturers are forced to produce only partially-built gyros for the U.S. market, in essence dismantling a functioning aircraft design to squeeze into the EAB category. *** Few European manufacturers see the value of producing incomplete work and setting aside proven quality control processes to enter the U.S. market because they see a safety concern as well as an extra burden. After all, it takes a considerable commitment in time and money to produce builder instructions for steps normally accomplished in their own factories. *** The inability of American producers to manufacture ready-to-fly gyroplanes has also interfered with their businesses. Many pilots don’t have the desire, skills, or time to build their own gyroplanes. It is also difficult to get American designs accepted overseas where ‘ready-to-fly’ is the way the market and regulations are going. *** Meanwhile, in Europe, gyroplanes are being produced with enclosed cockpits, some with side-by-side seating. Fit and trim is equivalent to the fixed wing aircraft also being produced there. Another great feature is increased stability. The gyroplanes are pusher models, but they offer extended tail booms with large rudders and horizontal stabilizers. The powerplant of choice is the Rotax 912, again like most of the European light aircraft. *** Despite obstacles, some of the European gyroplane manufacturers are setting up American distributorships. Two of the biggest names being offered in the U.S. are Magni, an Italian brand, and AutoGyro, a German brand. U.S. Magni distributor Greg Gremminger has done a lot of work in recent years to educate the American market about the new generation of gyroplanes. His work is finally starting to pay off as the FAA takes another look at gyroplanes. *** FAA regulations offer a process for fully built SLSA gyroplanes to be produced and sold, but it is more difficult to accomplish for gyroplane producers than any other aircraft LSA type. The FAA is requiring a safety study of the category before they will commit to ASTM standards for the aircraft. Building and certifying a fleet of aircraft to study is something of a chicken-or-egg dilemma that is being worked out between government and industry. Someday Americans may also be offered the freedom to buy and fly a factory-built and certified SLSA gyroplane.”

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Flight instructor Ken Godin helps a Light-Sport student check fuel quantity.

Quad City Ultralight boss Dave Goulet fuels his Challenger with autogas.

U-Fuel offers turnkey fuel station installations for airports that see the opportunity.

As the battle rages on regarding a replacement fuel for 100 LL avgas, sport aviation enthusiasts already have another, cheaper fuel option. The best news is they potentially have an enormous support group (even bigger than Facebook, if you’ll permit that comparison). Here’s what blogger Kent Misegades wrote… *** “Consider these numbers:  According to GAMA, there are approximately 165,000 piston-engine aircraft registered today in the United States. Since 1982, some 65,000 autogas STCs have been sold by Petersen Aviation and the EAA. A growing part of the GA fleet, America now has around 2,000 new SLSA (and many thousands more ELSA) registered. Nearly all of these use engines designed to run on autogas. Fuel is sold at approximately 3,500 FBOs on the 13,000+ airports registered in the country. Autogas is currently sold at just 100 of these airports.” (Talk about your missed opportunities! —DJ). *** “By contrast, in 2006, the U.S. DOT reported approximately 251 million registered passenger vehicles that purchase fuel at over 110,000 gas stations. It is estimated that nearly all of these vehicles are affected negatively by the presence of ethanol in fuel, with problems ranging from lower fuel mileage to serious damage caused to their fuel components. Especially sensitive are vehicles without modern computer-controlled fuel injection and mixture controls. The situation is even more serious for off-highway engines found in boats, ATVs, snowmobiles, power tools, and more. *** Of the nation’s 17 million pleasure boaters, 16 million tow their boats to water and purchase fuel at the local gas station.  Most of these use outboard motors that can suffer serious damage when ethanol blends are used. All told, it has been estimated that nearly 650 million engines in vehicles and other machinery are negatively affected by the presence of ethanol in fuel. For airports who are able to think outside the fence when offering U-Fuel‘s aviation-quality, ethanol-free Sport Fuel brand of autogas, there is a huge potential for fuel sales. *** If only 1% of the owners of these 650 million engines were to buy Sport Fuel at their local airport, this would represent millions of new customers for struggling airports. An added benefit would be the opportunity to introduce the pleasures of aviation to a sector of the population that might never otherwise stop by their local airfield. These recreation enthusiasts could be impressed that their local airport is doing something to reduce lead emissions from our aircraft.” Disclosure: Kent represents U-Fuel.

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Martin Wezel, left and Tian Yu. Behind is the tandem-engine-powered E1000.

Yuneex’s four seat twin tandem motor e1000

As I write an article on the current state of electric flight worldwide, sad word comes that prolific, talented German aeronautical engineer Martin Wezel has died in the crash of the prototype Yuneec International E1000 electric airplane. *** Wezel’s company, Flugzeugtechnik Wezel, was well respected for its gliders and microlights, which included the Sting and Sirius SLSA. His Apis and Viva designs were also being developed by Yuneec for electric power. The E1000 design may also have been Wezel’s. *** A new, tandem-motored four-seat design, it was being developed for market by Yuneec but also to compete in the NASA CAFE Green Flight Challenge, the $1.65 million-prize competition that’s coming up in July. *** E1000 was also entered in EAA’s upcoming Electric Aircraft Competition (Oshkosh 2011 in late July). Not evident at this point is whether another E1000 was built or will be tested. *** Details are sketchy for what was just the airplane’s second flight. Launching from Yuneec’s home airport in southern China, it suffered a catastrophic failure of the tail section at 130 feet altitude just seconds later. *** The aircraft reportedly crashed into a lake next to the runway. Wezel died two hours later at a local hospital. *** The ballistic parachute system on board may have been deployed. It likely would not have had enough altitude to completely deploy: most ballistic airframe “saves” occur at a minimum of 400 feet. *** Yuneec’s Chairman Tian Yu eulogized Wezel on the company website: *** “I, personally, feel extremely sorry to have lost Martin. He was an extremely competent collaborator and most of all a very dear friend. Martin’s passion for flying was a constant inspiration to all. My deepest sympathies and condolences to Petra, Martin’s wife, the Wezel family and all who knew and worked with Martin Wezel.” *** We echo Mr. Yu’s comments in extending our condolences to Martin Wezel’s family and friends.

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Weight shift instructor and DAR, Terri Sipantzi poses beside one of his Airborne XT-912 LSA. photo courtesy Precision Windsports

LAMA’s audit includes a thorough document review followed by an on-site factory visit.

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University’s Eagle Flight Research Center personnel will do ASTM compliance audits in conjunction with LAMA.

Weight shift instructor and FAA Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) Terri Sipantzi wrote an excellent editorial about the FAA’s plan to start inspecting new SLSA or new companies producing LSA. Terri’s piece was well written and accurate. He quoted me but I find it surprising to be the only one publicly talking about this matter even though FAA has said (at AirVenture 2009) that they would be doing more inspections. This is not new information. I am merely beating the drum louder as FAA gets closer to doing what they said they would do. *** Yet Terri left out an important point… Industry could provide such oversight. In fact, I believe industry oversight could be the more effective method to increase compliance and potentially therefore safety, which — to put a fine point on it — is the ultimate goal of certification schemes. All these parts — standards, certification oversight, manufacturing best practices, quality control systems, third party audits — have one purpose: Safety. The good news, according to several speeches by the FAA Administrator, is that LSA safety is reasonably good. *** LAMA has been offering third party oversight but a major problem exists. LAMA (or any group that might perform third party audits) must charge for the service. FAA does their oversight using taxpayer money. When FAA wants to audit, you can’t say no. The LAMA audit is voluntary; no one is obligated to pursue any third party approval (LAMA or otherwise). Regretfully, only a very few companies have requested an independent audit. *** FAA could mandate some third party oversight system. Presently, only LAMA offers such service but others could also step up if qualified. To assure it has top-notch credentials, LAMA engaged Embry Riddle to perform audits. *** Let me be clear. I am not an advocate of government forcing producers to get a LAMA audit. I don’t really want government to force anything. Yet some “teeth” must be in the program. In fact, very powerful forces guide the market even now. *** I believe FAA is only one of no less than five entities that reinforce safety, and I believe the agency is not the most important. Here’s my upside-down hierarchy of how safety is pushed onto producers: • 5th most important — Media articles can condemn an aircraft that has problems; • 4th most important — FAA and their oversight can shut down poor operations; • 3rd most important — Trial lawyers and legal liability enforce best practices by punishing failures; • 2nd most important — Insurance companies can choose not to insure aircraft they consider of questionable safety; no insurance equals far fewer sales; and, #1 most important — Customers won’t buy aircraft they doubt nor aircraft meeting a certification method they don’t understand or that they question. *** Most U.S. aviators still have a woefully slight understanding of the real workings of SP/LSA and I believe this is an essential reason why sales have not met initial expectations. Of course, the light aircraft market is more complex than just certification, but confidence in products like airplanes is essential. Third party oversight is part of building trust; healthy markets insist on oversight. The only question is: Will government or industry provide the oversight?

Update 5/13/11 from Terri Sipantzi — “With respect to safety and based on my experience with the FAA survey (Terri refers to the Assessment), I don’t think [the planned FAA visits] will do much to improve safety directly, though they might have an impact indirectly. My experience with the FAA on the aircraft side (as a maintenance professional and a DAR) is that the FAA is more concerned with the paperwork than they are the actual aircraft. ….. If I were dishonest I could fill out beautiful paperwork without ever looking at a plane. How safe is that? And, as I stated in my article, the FAA survey team spent over 90% of their survey time with me going over paperwork and took only a cursory glance at the aircraft. However, their inspections might affect safety indirectly in that companies who are not very disciplined today may get their act together in all the relevant areas out of fear of failing the FAA inspection. *** Finally, I concur with the list of safety enforcers [above]. I think the market is a far better influencer of safety than the government. This is a pretty small community and word gets around.” —TS

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Cessna is on track to ship 150 Skycatchers this year

In this post there’s both good news and bad news. *** First up: blog reader Pete Zaitcev commented on my blog yesterday that the Front Range Airport (FTG) visit, on May 14, by the LSA Tour #3 will coincide with the Rocky Mountain LSA Expo. *** FTG is about 25 miles east of Denver at Watkins, CO. The event is sponsored by the Colorado Pilots Assoc. *** Looks like a fun time and a smart call for the Tour to plan a stop there. Thanks Pete!More good news:  Cessna Aircraft delivered 106 aircraft in the first quarter, up from 80 a year ago, and much of the increase comes from deliveries of the 19 Skycatchers. Cessna’s Bob Stangarone has told me the company expects to have delivered 150 by year’s end. *** The unhappy news concerns two LSA crashes. *** A PiperSport crash cost a young CFI his life in Florida. Various news reports citing eyewitnesses indicated a possible in-flight fire, flat spin, loss of a wing in flight and the crash, with subsequent fire and secondary explosion. *** The pilot’s body was found 3/4 miles from the crash. That and personal effects strewn between the crash site and the pilot’s body indicate he either bailed out of the airplane without a parachute, or was ejected during flight — horrific to contemplate either way. The pilot was reportedly a skydiver. *** Since all PiperSports during their brief manufacture under the Piper banner were delivered with airframe parachutes, inflight fire remains a compelling possibility for the crash. *** Sad and sobering: condolences to the surviving family of the 24-year-old pilot. *** A happier ending to another crash involves a Flight Design CT that struck a telephone guy-wire during an emergency landing on a country road in the South… and lost the entire right wing! *** The good news is the pilot survived, as reported by Steven Jones for WSPA-TV (CBS) in northwestern South Carolina, after the plane ended up nosing into a ditch. The plane is owned by Major Dude’s Flying Circus of Wilmington, DE. *** Jones writes that no one was injured. “After the plane,” the web story says, “a Flight Design CT model, took off… the pilot called Augusta Control and reported a ‘rough running’ engine. *** Later, the pilot called and said he was experiencing engine failure and going down. *** Two people were on board when the plane made it’s emergency landing. A wing snapped off on a guy line of a nearby utility pole.” *** The CT is an all-composite airplane and, clearly, its cabin offers reassuring crash protection.

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Dave Graham of Legend Aircraft just sent out word that the next LSA Tour launches tomorrow for a 4-day swing up the front range of the Colorado Rockies. See the list of locations below. *** “We’ve adopted the four-day format,” says Dave. “The six-day tour is just too tiring.” Reporting on the Tour’s recent swing through the Southeast, Dave reports about 250 people came out to the Greenville, SC location. There was a restaurant, good support from the hosting FBO, and “some business was done that day.” *** Not all the venues were as cooperative as they could have been, he says, but considers this a work in progress and expects advanced planning will help sharpen up the logistics and overall experience down the road. *** Check prior reports on the Georgia LSA Tour and Florida LSA Tour. Each dealer brings a demo airplane which gives potential customers a great opportunity to strap on the aircraft and compare apples to apples — which can be a challenge at major airshows, with aircraft booths spread all over the place amid the background noise of other aviation attractions. *** Good luck folks on your third LSA Tour! *** LSA TOUR #3 SCHEDULE: • Thursday, May 12, 2011 — Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport in Fort Collins / Loveland, Colorado (KFNL) • Friday, May 13, 2011 — Centennial Airport in Denver, Colorado (KAPA) • Saturday, May 14, 2011 — Front Range Airport in Denver, Colorado (KFTG) • Sunday, May 15, 2011 — Meadow Lake Airport in Colorado Springs, Colorado (KFLY) *** If you live near these areas and want to see some great Light-Sport Aircraft, come on out!

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For Its Fifth Anniversary, ByDanJohnson.com Releases PlaneFinder 2.0 … Another Free Service
WORLD WIDE WEB / July 1, 2009 – ByDanJohnson.com is pleased to announce the return of PlaneFinder, now relaunched as version 2.0. PlaneFinder 2.0 helps pilots or prospective pilots interested in Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) to determine which LSA is the best one for them. It may also be fun for current experts to see how planes compare. PlaneFinder uses 24 criteria to make these determinations although it not necessary to reflect your preference in all 24 categories for the system to help. Perhaps the best news: It’s completely free! PlaneFinder 2.0Since their arrival on the aviation scene in 2004 (with first approvals in 2005), almost 100 models of fully-built Special Light-Sport Aircraft have been brought to market. These models come from 70 manufacturers, about two thirds of which originate outside the United States. Many have unfamiliar brand names and the sheer number of these models can make it challenging even for veterans.
With flight experience in approximately half the LSA models on the market and regularly studying all of them, publisher Dan Johnson has evaluated all certified Special Light-Sport Aircraft in each of 24 categories (not all categories apply to all planes). To benefit from the PlaneFinder 2.0 matching system, website visitors need only click a few buttons.
“Each time you click a button, our “Matching SLSA” list instantly changes to reflect all airplanes matching that description,” reported Dan Johnson. “The categories are also very simple (this-or-that type) categories, for example, -High wing or low wing?-“
“We kept PlaneFinder 2.0 lean and light, with quick-read questions and responses,” added Johnson. “If you need more info to select your response, hover over any highlighted title and a hint box will pop up more fully explaining what the category means and how aircraft were evaluated.”
You can change your PlaneFinder 2.0 category responses as often as you wish to refine your ideal feature set. Or you can Reset and start all over. It’s easy and it’s fun. “Go try it,” encourages Dan!
When ByDanJohnson.com went live in April 2004 (four months before the SP/LSA rule was announced), the website was organized around a feature called PlaneFinder. Intended as a means to offer advice to pilots seeking their ideal aircraft, PlaneFinder version 1.0 proved to be more complicated than needed plus the ultralights and kit-built light planes addressed in the original version were giving way to Light-Sport Aircraft.
“Reluctantly, we quietly put PlaneFinder [version 1.0] on hold while we followed the emergence of LSA within the world of aviation,” remembered Johnson. “But we’re pleased to get PlaneFinder 2.0 live and operating.”
PlaneFinder 2.0 is offered as a free service by ByDanJohnson.com, however registration is required. After leaving your email address, a temporary password will be sent allowing full access to PlaneFinder 2.0 without charge.

Click here to view PlaneFinder 2.0

Some Interesting PlaneFinder 2.0 Numbers (updated May 2011)…

115Number of Special Light-Sport Aircraft models on the SLSA List, in order of certification
83Number of manufacturers supplying the 115 models – with links & more on the SLSA List
25Number of decision categories on PlaneFinder 2.0
2,875Number of evaluations made to allow PlaneFinder 2.0 to work its magic

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Built for slipping through the air: the PhoEnix electric motorglider.

View from tail: Gear retracts up into normal baggage area.

Electric motor installation.

Check out that shadow for a sense of the high aspect ratio. Photo: Jim Lee

Photo courtesy Jim Lee

Picking up my electric aircraft coverage again with an email from Phoenix Air USA kingpin Jim Lee with the latest updates on the PhoEnix electric motorglider NASA/CAFE race entry, which just came out of the paint shop and has all its pretty parts put together…and a beautimous bird she is indeed.”We put the PhoEnix together,” Jim tells me, “my last day in Czech so we could finally see what it looks like. Man am I excited now! I can’t believe that I will be the one to fly such an amazing ship.” Color me green with envy. *** Jim’s deep and broad soaring background should stand him in good stead tweaking every last ounce of performance from the gorgeous, one-off soaring bird. *** He’s also got a few more details on his Phoenix blog. Here are some highlights: *** Conceived for the NASA CAFE Green Flight Challenge… “A race that offers big bucks for the winner ($1.65 million total), but with a bar set so high that it is unlikely that anyone will win it. But if any aircraft can do it, the PhoEnix can!” • A modified Schempp- Hirth Discus wing installed as a shoulder wing to make room for the… *** retractable gear; • Electrically driven gear, swings back into the wheel wells (the baggage compartment of the original Phoenix); •wings 14.5M (47.5 ft.) span, optimized for the 100 mph minimum required speed for the 200 mile race course; • race begins July 10 north of San Francisco. *** Finally, here’s Jim beaming at the end of Sun ‘n Fun last month after receiving the Outstanding Fixed Wing Light Sport Aircraft Award. *** Congrats James, it’s a worthy winner for sure!

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Artist’s rendering of the C4. It’s not your grandfather’s CTLS. Image courtesy Flight Design.

C4 mockup at AERO. Photo courtesy Loop Magazine

Although this isn’t an LSA story per se, it comes out of Flight Design, the top-notch, top-selling LSA company in America, so I thought you’d be interested to know the company debuted its C4 4-seater at Aero last month and just came out today with some pricing and delivery numbers along with some specs. *** Perhaps the most interesting number to me is the $250,000 “target” price for the American market, along with a €220.000 price for Europe and the rest of the world outside the U.S. *** When’s the last time we saw a new, state-of-the-art 4-seat airplane at a price close to that? *** Also noteworthy is the minimal disparity between the overseas and U.S. prices, reflecting the company’s desire to minimize (yea verily, to almost negate!) the currently soaring euro/dollar exchange rate imbalance. *** Some interesting details about the all-carbon fiber composite airplane: • Engine choice: two engine options to best suit fuel availability and cost in the owner’s region: either a traditional aviation engine that can run on auto fuel, or a turbo diesel engine that burns Jet A fuel. Actual engine brands have yet to be finalized. • Avionics suppliers are still being firmed up as well. • First Delivery: Set for 2013 • Early Bird Buyers: At Aero, more than 30 C4 orders were taken. Orders and deposits are now accepted online or through Flight Design’s worldwide network of dealers. ••• Specifications: (subject to flight test confirmations) include useful load of 1,320 lbs.; • maximum take-off weight of 1.200 kilograms (2,640 pounds); • max cruise of 160 knots @ 6,000 feet MSL. • Range of 1,200 nautical miles with the avgas engine at 65% power or… • 1,700 nautical miles with the diesel engine at 55% power; • Fuel capacity: 70 gal. • Cockpit dimensions: 52″ wide, 47″ at rear seat, head clearance in rear for a 6 foot 7 inch passenger.Matthias Betsch, CEO of Flight Design, says this: *** “Our ongoing customer surveying shows us that price tops the demand list from customers and we believe our prices can result in sales volumes of 200 to 500 aircraft per year.” *** As I’ve noted here before, if you’d like to put in your $.02 in the design/configuration process, you can still do that as the final design is still in flux: Get involved in the survey. You might even win a Garmin aera 500 GPS for your trouble. *** Flight Design plans to certify the C4 to several international standards ensuring compliance with both EASA and FAA regulations. *** The German company has already successfully gone through several rigors including LAMA and ISO audits. It also just gained EASA Design Organization Approval that permits it to progress on its own schedule with only oversight monitoring from EASA, which minimizes a lot of cost and time drag on the process. *** Best of success to this progressive company which has done so much to help establish the LSA movement in America with its quality aircraft and broad and growing sales and service network.

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PhoEnix’s feathering prop, standard on Rotax SLSA too. Photos: Jim Lee

PhoenixAir’s speculation of what Pipistrel’s special Taurus Electro looks like. Photo: Jim Lee

PhoEnix after getting it’s new coat of paint. Photo: Jim Lee

I heard again today from Jim Lee who’s still overseas helping prep the PhoEnix electric motorglider for July’s big, $1.65 million CAFE Green Flight Challenge (GFC) fuel-efficient flight competition in Santa Rosa, CA. *** Jim sent along photos of the electric nosecone with integrated feathering prop/spinner assembly. First test flights of the PhoEnix are planned in a couple weeks. *** BTW, the enhanced streamlining afforded by the much smaller e-motor boots the lovely creature’s performance from L/D 32:1 to 36:1 — a 12.5% increase! That’s great for soaring and also means less power required to sustain flight, the Big Picture for endurance at this stage of electric aviation.  *** The GFC PhoEnix entry will be powered by a 44 kW motor and controller developed in house by Phoenix Air. *** Lipo (lithium polymer) batteries, popularized by the RC model industry for their light weight and high storage capacity, will hold the electric “gas”. *** I’d asked Jim earlier how they were going to get the airplane over, joking that perhaps they’d ferry it across. You’ll see his wry response below. *** Note also his take on the cooperation between Pipistrel’s Taurus Electro team, also entered in the Green Flight Challenge, and the PhoEnix team. This brings back fond memories of the dawn of hang gliding, ultralight, then LSA flight, where pilots helped out fellow pilots because the goal was to share the joy and accomplishments with as many people as possible. ***  Once flight contests and market competition ramped up, that “one-for-all” spirit dwindled, as it inevitably does. *** Yet I’m mindful of the spirit of mutual support and shared enthusiasm that exists today in the LSA industry, where entrepreneur/pilots like Bill Canino of SportAir USA, Tom Peghiny of Flight Design and Dave Graham of Legend Cub, each with a distinctly different flying background, regularly help out their fellow pilots even though they’re all in competition for a small pool of sales dollars. *** The recent Georgia LSA Tour is a great example, I’ll have an update on that soon. *** So here’s that fraternal spirit again with the PhoEnix team inviting the Pipistrel team for a visit. Even if it is too late to steal ideas, they certainly don’t have to help one another, especially with all those greenbacks at stake.  *** Makes you want to rethink this whole competition thing from top to bottom, doesn’t it?   *** Here’s Jim’s email: “I have enclosed a spy drawing of the Pipistrel entrant to the GFC. Two Taurus joined together by a center wing a la Twin Mustang of WWII fame. Pretty interesting, eh? The Pipistel boys visited us a few days ago to look at our design. Anyway, from their description we put together this drawing. Everyone realizes that it is too late in the game to copy each other and the prize is too hard to win so cooperation is in order.” *** Jim went on to answer a question I had about flying the PhoEnix which, unlike the SLSA version, has retractable main gear to optimize performance. Jim had brushed me up (I’m a lazy FAR reader) on the FAA regs, which allow a person with only a glider rating to fly a self-launching (powered) sailplane without a flight medical. This time, I asked him whether the same allowance held for a retractable-gear glider, and here’s his reply: *** “There are only 3 logbook endorsements with the glider rating: self-launch, aerotow, and ground launch. Practically every glider is a taildragger for decreased drag (except for a few oddballs). Most gliders have retractable gear. Many are ‘high-performance.’ Some have variable pitch or folding or feathering props. There are no endorsements for any of this as there are with airplanes. So a glider rated pilot with a self-launch endorsement can fly a retract motorglider.” *** And finally Jim’s tongue-in-cheek response to my question about bringing the PhoEnix to California for the GFC in July: *** “We will fly the PhoEnix across the Atlantic east to west. We don’t have quite enough battery storage to make the whole flight, so we will have to soar a container ship across. We are looking into sailing schedules out of Bremerhaven now. The GFC will be a piece of cake once we do this! :-)” *** Thanks again Jim Lee for giving us an inside look to what I very much believe will be an historic event.

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