Named “Ultra Air,” the newest Hawk Single sounds like it might be Apple’s new laptop computer. In our analog world, Hawk Ultra Air is nearly the exact opposite… except it is a light aircraft. Many might say it’s “ultra” fun so, hey!, the model name works.
“Less is more” is also a phrase that might apply to both Hawk and Apple. Hawk Ultra Air looks lighter and slimmer by removing the fabric enclosure. Appearing lean and minimal has appeal to many consumers.
Forty one years after its splashy introduction, Hawks now number more than 2,500 aircraft, a fine accomplishment for any manufacturer but especially for one so modestly priced and significantly hand built.
Saying Hawk is “hand built” speaks to some of the work Bob Santom, and his son LB have done as they took over one segment of the Hawk lineage. They have laboriously reassembled some earlier aircraft making extensive notes and preparing for continued manufacture, but became better informed than when they started.Never One to Be Humble, Hawk Ultra Air Is Looking Better Than Ever in its Fifth Decade
Named “Ultra Air,” the newest Hawk Single sounds like it might be Apple’s new laptop computer. In our analog world, Hawk Ultra Air is nearly the exact opposite… except it is a light aircraft. Many might say it’s “ultra” fun so, hey!, the model name works.
Hawk Singles and Ultra offers full kits or fully-built Part 103 aircraft. Ultra Air seen below is their latest, still with 2018 prices.
“Less is more” is also a phrase that might apply to both Hawk and Apple. Hawk Ultra Air looks lighter and slimmer by removing the fabric enclosure. Appearing lean and minimal has appeal to many consumers.
Forty one years after its splashy introduction, Hawks now number more than 2,500 aircraft, a fine accomplishment for any manufacturer but especially for one so modestly priced and significantly hand built.
After discovering the original, work began to restore the #1 Hawk. This article describes some of the effort.
Saying Hawk is “hand built” speaks to some of the work Bob Santom, and his son LB have done as they took over one segment of the Hawk lineage. They have laboriously reassembled some earlier aircraft making extensive notes and preparing for continued manufacture, but became better informed than when they started.
One part of their Hawk education was a thorough restoring of Hawk #1 (article). As they worked to discover more about the first-article Hawk, they learned the passion and loyalty attached to this beloved aircraft.
The phrase was so often repeated it earned its way onto a tee shirt: “It’s Hard to be Humble When You’re Flying a Hawk.”
Affordable in a
Particular Way
In a phone conversation with Bob while preparing this article, I kidded him that his website needed some updates. Ultra Air is not found as a model, for example. As we discussed the challenge of maintaining a website, I discovered something startling in the lack of update.
Despite showing July 2018 dates about prices on the CGS Hawk website, those numbers remain current! Let me restate. The price of a Hawk Ultra — now the Ultra Air version — has not gone up in price over the last five years! Tell me anything in your life that compares. Nearly everything you buy has gone up 50-100% or more in the last three years alone.
So, I can say with confidence that you can likely still buy a Hawk Ultra airframe kit for $12,500 (no increase since 2018) and you can assemble it in 250 hours. Add a Polini 303 engine for $6,000 plus basic instrumentation or other minor accessories and you’ll invest about $22-23,000 to get airborne in a brand-new CGS Hawk. Mount a used engine and you could airborne for less than $20,000. In 2023 America, that is an excellent price.
Who needs the fabric enclosure? Hawk Ultra Air looks open and light yet maintains the nose cowl and windscreen for pilot comfort. I saw it accommodate a 145 pound pilot and a 250 pound pilot.
You can also get a Hawk fairly fast. Even after taking a handful of orders at this year’s Oshkosh, Bob quoted “between 90-150 days for delivery.” That’s less than many other kit producers.
A factory built Hawk Ultra Air adds $7,500 but has you airborne for about $30,000 although the delivery lag then rises to “nine or 10 months.” Bob noted that “assuming a 250-hour average build time, our fee implies $30 per hour for factory assembly.” Of course, we imagine Bob, LB, and Al Hernandez can do it faster than the average builder, but this fee still represents a bargain, I’d say. As Bob notes, “My lawnmower repair guy charges $65 an hour.”
The striking tail design and the lime green cloth attracted lots of attention.
CGS Hawk Single and Ultra as a company, producing only the single seat line of Hawks, has been manufacturing “12, 13, 14 per year over our six years,” recalled Bob. “This year I expect we’ll produce 16-20, of which about one in 10 will be factory built. Most choose kits and I encourage it,” he added. “You become intimate with your airplane and can fix anything.”
What About Two-Seaters?
This article has looked only at single place Hawks like Ultra Air, but those who want two seaters are served by another enterprise. As the original CGS Aircraft company evolved to its current state, Bob Santom and LB have focused exclusively on the single seaters where Joseph Shirley‘s CGS Aviation has been at work on the two-seat Hawk line. A couple years ago Joseph showed what he’s capable of doing with the Hawk Tundra (article) as I named it.
We didn’t see the two-place Hawk organization at airshows this year, but I did run into a young engineer who is working with Joseph. Our paths crossed while attending AirVenture 2023. He was excited to tell me how their team is going deeply into a full CAD rework of the Hawk SLSA and other two-place models.
I know from personal experience at following the Hawk for many years that engineering documentation was not developer Chuck Slusarczyk‘s strong suit. His design has clearly proven itself through decades, but the original engineering work was closer to back-of-the-envelope sketches. Like other gifted designers, Chuck simply knew it all in his head.
Hawk Single and Ultra’s installation of the Polini 303 engine that keeps Ultra Air within Part 103 (assuming basic equipment).
Both organizations have pursued putting all components into CAD so drawings can be sent electronically to machine shops, practically the only way to do it anymore. “We have all the machined parts and many other fittings complete in CAD files,” Bob said. “We’re about 75% done at building DFX files we can ship to our suppliers.” Both single and two-seat Hawks will be the better for this yearslong effort.
Once again, this story supports my belief that as many Part 103 ultralights are sold in America every year as Special LSA. Hawk Single and Ultra has been gradually (wisely) increasing their pace and the customers are ready.
At it for seven years now, building single place Hawks, Bob emphasized, “I wouldn’t trade those seven years for anything. It has been a learning experience but we have met so many great people, pilots who love their Hawk.” Now with Hawk Ultra Air capturing attention and given its modest cost, I feel sure CGS has a bright future.
ARTICLE LINKS:
- CGS Hawk Single and Ultra, company contact info and articles on this website
- CGS Hawk Single and Ultra model information including price, on manufacturer’s website
- CGS Hawk two-place aircraft including Special LSA model, company contact info on this website
Hear about Hawk #1 in this video — Yes, the original CGS Hawk dating back to the very early 1980s, even before we had Part 103 ultralights. Bob Santom and LB restored this piece of light aviation history; this video documents the beginning of the project.
Named “Ultra Air,” the newest Hawk Single sounds like it might be Apple’s new laptop computer. In our analog world, Hawk Ultra Air is nearly the exact opposite… except it is a light aircraft. Many might say it’s “ultra” fun so, hey!, the model name works.
“Less is more” is also a phrase that might apply to both Hawk and Apple. Hawk Ultra Air looks lighter and slimmer by removing the fabric enclosure. Appearing lean and minimal has appeal to many consumers.
Forty one years after its splashy introduction, Hawks now number more than 2,500 aircraft, a fine accomplishment for any manufacturer but especially for one so modestly priced and significantly hand built.
Saying Hawk is “hand built” speaks to some of the work Bob Santom, and his son LB have done as they took over one segment of the Hawk lineage. They have laboriously reassembled some earlier aircraft making extensive notes and preparing for continued manufacture, but became better informed than when they started.
I’ve studied this pretty closely — thanks SO much to Roy Beisswenger for his effort to make a 
I use the phrase “Mosaic-Ready” when talking about this Jabiru Elite because importer Scott Severen of 
On Jabiru Elite’s panel, US Sport Planes specified a Garmin Suite composed of two G3X touch screens with Garmin Flight Director, Autopilot, ESP (Electronic Stability Protection, which assists with overbanking, overpitching, over- or under-speeding), traffic and weather on screen, two COM radios, USB A and/or C ports, panel lighting… plus some particular interesting deployment of digital safety capabilities discussed below.
However, the clever people who designed and manufactured these wonderful devices have taken it all a big step further by allowing that information to be fed directly to your airplane so that it can do things for you.
Those examples now seem simple in comparison.
Jabiru adds to the development by taking device capabilities and presenting a simple-to-find button on the instrument panel. The Smart Glide feature even sets up the radio to the correct channel to get assistance when you arrive (one reason why the closest airport might not be the best airport for an emergency).
After asking numerous vendors at AirVenture in late July and more at Midwest in early September, I heard lead times commonly stated at more than one year, many well beyond that, and at least one quoting five years out.
My presentation was a distillation of 318 original pages into a 45-minute presentation. Some described it as “drinking out of a fire hose.”
After going through the entire document twice and multiple times for some portions, more is yet to be discovered (though I’m getting weary of studying it.)
In swooped Ken McConnaughhay from Searcy, Arkansas, on the same airfield as longtime Aeroprakt importer Dennis Long. Dennis has been assisting Ken as he takes over importing, sales, and service of Alto NGs.
My headline implies that Alto NG is not expensive. That’s one of those loaded phrases rather like “affordable.” So let’s state right up front that as equipped as seen in the pictures accompanying this article, Alto NG sells for $147,500.
That explanation may not help you afford Alto NG but $147,500 for a handsome, well-equipped aircraft with a large 
When I asked Ken to describe some of the performance criteria of the airplane, he summarized, “It’s not the fastest airplane in the LSA fleet but neither is it the slowest.” He related that he commonly flies at altitudes of around 7-8,000 feet and at that altitude he will see 108 knot cruise from his power setting of 5000 RPM, where he reported burning about 6 gallons per hour. Dennis Long advised Ken that operating at 4700 or 4800 RPM brings burn rates closer to 4 gallons per hour.
“It’s suitable for a beginner pilot, because of its gentle flight qualities,” Ken added. “However, I’m proof that it’s also satisfying to an experienced corporate pilot.”
ARTICLE
In this article, I will give you a glimpse of what you can see if you can attend on Friday and Saturday. For those that cannot come, this will provide some taste of what happens in Mount Vernon, Illinois in early September. Hopefully, you can come in 2024.
What this illustrates is that the Midwest LSA Expo (about an hour’s drive east of St. Louis) has become a standard bearer in the aviation calendar. Indeed, this is Midwest’s 15th event, tying the longest-running prior such show, which was the Sebring Sport Aviation Expo. After beginning these LSA-focused shows, Sebring concluded its 15-year run in 2019.
Rob Rollison, the longtime importer of this very successful brand of modestly-priced LSA, has long maintained a very steady rate of business because his supplier overseas in Europe has maintained an prudent approach to business. This has helped that manufacturer remain very stable but it also means delivery times now reach about one year. Rob indicated most customers are willing to wait. It was good to see him back in Mt. Vernon with his handsome airplanes and new trailer.
In some ways, the Texas company, which is directly associated with the Brazilian organization, is ahead of the game because Brazil’s ANAC has already created a very Mosaic-like regulation with minor differences. Approving that aircraft in their home country should make for a much easier entry to the U.S. market and this Hondo, Texas organization is ready to roll.
Joe Ord’s Piston Aviation operates at Creve Coeur airport in the St. Louis area. They offer a wide range of flight instruction and list their prices right on their home page. You can tell by the nearby image that this company has a sense of style and they had handsome, custom-painted aircraft on display. Again you see the commitment people make to the Midwest LSA Expo if Piston will bring aircraft that could be in flight training to display for you at the show.
While Vashon’s prices have risen slightly over the last couple years – along with virtually everything else you buy — they are still affordable to a wide range of pilots and have particular appeal to some by virtue of their use of a Continental O-200 powerplant. Lots of pilots and mechanics are familiar with that engine and, combined with a new and spacious airframe, the company is finding customers. Clearly, they find some of them right here in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.
However, Trey is also nicely positioned for Mosaic with his other two aircraft that did not travel to Mt. Vernon. One is the tandem-seating Stream, which I flew with him after Sun ‘n Fun 2022. That was a fine experience in a beautiful-flying aircraft. I look forward later this year to a flight in their side-by-side Mosaic-ready entry called Sparker that is the highest performing of their line. Of course, prices follow capability, so the Sirius or Sting may be the more affordable buy, but this company has got choices for you.
The Mexico, Missouri based kit producer also hosts one of the largest events of its kind in the country, in fact, drawing even more people to it than the Midwest LSA Expo. Now in its 32nd year “Homecoming” is a must-go for any Zenith enthusiast. I’ve never been able to make it because it occurs right after the Midwest event but I hope many of you can and will attend. You can learn a lot at their event plus enjoy the camaraderie of others with similar interests.
A couple years ago my wife and I each took a flight with Greg and had a marvelous experience. I’m not qualified to fly gyroplanes solo, but I have learned from some experiences and I see the magic that so many enjoy. Greg was one of the original people to fight for 10 years asking FAA to finally allow fully-built gyroplanes. They wore him out without saying yes, but when Roy Beisswenger and I started our advocacy work, we took up the case again. Between his efforts and ours, I’m pleased that we will finally have factory-built gyros available for those enthusiasts.
“We did retool and redesign the aircraft and invest in the tooling necessary to be able to produce the majority of the aircraft in-house. This redesign and investment cost more than the original design of the EMG-6. This set the project back by nearly two years.
Work also continued with the MGM Compro motor system. This was early in electric aircraft development; motor and controller delays also stymied the EMG project.
Brian yearned at the end of our phone call, “I’m dying to get back on it. I have three in the rafters and I have motors [and many other components].” The tooling did travel from California to Missouri, he noted.
Or, at least express yourself if you are dissatisfied with the product FAA offers. While I urge you not to rant, you can most certainly offer constructive criticism, but that will be most effective if you add a possible solution for them. That will not be possible for everybody, but some of you will be inspired in various ways, and I hope you’ll all give it a shot.
Fun flying in northern climates might begin to slow but in the southern half of the U.S., flying for fun is entering its best season.
In Mount Vernon, Illinois, 2023 will be the 15th running of the Expo, and I have zero doubt it will happen again in 2024.
Activities include two full days of educational seminars and workshops, an aircraft show, contests, social activities, as well as a Zenith barbecue dinner on Friday evening plus a fried-chicken dinner with awards presentations on Saturday.
This year Aero Showcase will broaden its focus from only Light-Sport Aircraft to include general aviation brands to offer a wider scope of aircraft and products.
“Rod bought Phil out in 2005 and continued the adventure at Jabiru,” wrote Mick Halloran, now Executive Director of Jabiru. “After thirty-five years of inspiration and perspiration, Jabiru stands as Australia’s premier aircraft manufacturer, with one of the world’s best affordable touring aircraft and even more remarkably, one of the few light aero engines in continuous production. Rod built a team that has delivered (at the time of writing) 2,124 aircraft and 7,223 engines, has a customer list that spans the world and a complex international supply chain.” Mick summarized, “It’s a global enterprise run from a couple of sheds in Bundaberg (Queensland, Australia, on the country’s east coast).”
“Two months ago, I took over the business,” he wrote. He reported previous roles in the “big corporate world,” at companies such as British Aerospace and Lockheed Martin. He worked in the USA and Europe as well as Australia, “on everything from the original design of the Joint Strike Fighter.”
Amazingly, it’s not all bad. While heads of state send troops into harms way, most of a nation’s citizenry merely attempts to live a normal life amid the chaos of war. Doing business and living your life while bomb warning sirens shriek is something most Americans can’t grasp, thankfully.
Yet, “They are back to ten aircraft per month,” said Andy. “Their best-ever steady performance was 12 aircraft per month before Covid and then Russia’s invasion. So, they are doing surprisingly well.”
After A-32’s introduction five years ago, Aeroprakt has continued to upgrade A-22 even after the original was greatly streamlined to arrive at A-32.
After eight months of 2023, Andy’s 
But… uggghhh! Who wants to read this stuff? If it doesn’t put you to sleep, it might infuriate you.
It just got a lot easier, thanks to 
“Now, with the advent of FAA’s Mosaic,” continued Shalom, “MC-04 enters the market as a ‘family-size’ aircraft that boasts a formidable powerplant, the turbocharged Rotax 916iS with 160 horsepower that gives cruising speeds of 132 knots while ranging of 800 nautical miles, and a rate of climb hitting 1,300 feet per minute.”
As a single point, price is important to nearly all consumers. Even in 2023, Aerolite 103 is available for around $25,000 (details below). That price comes after three years of high inflation (you know how many prices have increased significantly), after the upset of Covid and its effect on supply chains, after quadrupled shipping costs, and after the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine. Despite an overload of upsetting, price-increasing actions, 
Dennis moved 
I love the Aerolite 103. I flew one on several occasions and found it a friendly flying machine with no evil qualities that will fly exactly as you’d expect.
Add a fuel engine from Hirth or MZ for 28 to 50 horsepower for a cost of $6,500 to $13,500. You can also choose an electric option that runs from $10-14,000.
AEROPRAKT
HAWK ULTRA AIR
AQUILAE
FUSION NANO GYRO
GOGETAIR 750
All that leaves out how well it flies, which developer Nick Pfannenstiel reported was the #1 appeal of the airplane. So after enjoying an easy, relaxing flight in your Jenny, you land to be swarmed by people who believe they’ve just witnessed a piece of history fly into their lives.
“Thousands of surplus Jennys were sold at bargain prices to private owners in the years after WWI and became central to the barnstorming era that helped awaken the U.S. to civil aviation through much of the 1920,” according to Wikipedia. “It was the first airplane many people ever saw,” said Timber Tiger Aircraft.
Early Bird Aircraft created their “Generation 1” Jenny at two-thirds scale. The “Generation 2” Jenny by Timber Tiger Aircraft is a three-quarters scale replica featuring “improved hardware, improved documentation, more accurate replica looks, more advanced kit preparation, and reinforcements in key areas,” explained Nick.
Jenny is offered in a variety of kits. Start with a basic kit (for experienced builders) for $6,900. A group of extra kits can be bought separately: quick-build wing kits, a snazzy louvered engine cowl kit, and several others. All that’s lacking is an engine, prop, instruments (and perhaps an electrical system), tires and tubes, plus covering and paint.
Here is another entry that qualifies as affordable (though that means something different for each person reading). “Estimated average cost to build to completion is $25,000 to $45,000,” said Nick at AirVenture Oshkosh 2023. Here’s how that breaks out.
Where did American Aircraft come from and how does it relate to earlier aircraft associated with prolific Columbian aeronautical designer Max Tedesco (using his somewhat Americanized name)?
Now at AirVenture 2023, I spoke again with Danny Labovic who had worked with the man from Sila. Although he gave it a good effort, he said it proved impossible to work with the Sila developer and he ended the relationship.
Like all Max Tedesco designs I have examined, Freedom is an all-metal construction, accented with chromoly steel in stressful locations along with limited use of composites. From my previous experience in his creations, I would expect slow stalls in the mid-30-knot range, spirited climb rates beyond 1,000 feet per minute, and quite cooperative handling. Max has been designing light aircraft for 50 years and he knows his trade based on my discoveries when flying earlier entries.
The bigger and more accurate picture is that KFA is yet another light aviation success story for South Africa
The gray-over-black Explorer looks familiar to Oshkosh attendees. I overheard more than one person say it “looks like a Kitfox.” This comment is not original or accurate because even Kitfox started out as a modification of an Avid Flyer, the true original of this planform by designer Dean Wilson 40 years ago. Many other variations on the theme have been developed over the decades.
Even though Safari XL must be Experimental Amateur Built, KFA is happy to support different skill sets with a variety of kit packages. Beside the basic kit that may consume 700 hours, the company offers at least two levels that are commonly called quick-build kits.
Part 103 has always been a choice — no medical, N-numbers, or pilot certificate needed — yet not everybody wants that. A great many pilots desire a two seater, even if they nearly always fly it solo. You usually pay more for a two seater, making it less likely to be affordable.
Does “complete” mean a full parts kit? Yes, including wing coverings but everything else you need as well: 80-horsepower Rotax 912 (more than enough; I thought one flew well even with a 582), Kiev 3-blade prop, custom exhaust system, carb heat, Kanardia instruments, and engine instruments.
If you prefer a smoother fuselage, the Nynja model is available for $10,000 more ($59,985, still quite a value in 2023).The extra funds buy a composite fuselage exterior plus a 100-horse 912.
Construction features include: Pin-jointed tubular construction; no welded structure; only straight tubes are used (except wing ribs), which aids assembly; airframe uses aircraft grade 2024 aluminum tubing. Other parts are made from steel and stainless steel.
Since 2017, Britain’s 
For those that want ultimate STOL, the original long wing is also available on request.
The night before opening, with literally hours before the show starts, the place appears in a state of chaos. Pandemonium reigns. Vehicles, crates, equipment of every kind is seemingly strewn about as if by a storm (which did do some damage on Saturday night, ironically most affecting those who started earlier).
I close out this tour of set-up day at AirVenture Oshkosh 2023 with a look at an AirCam.
Tom Peghiny of Flight Design USA fame, wrote, “Jan Jilek is one of the design engineers of Future Vehicles as well as their test pilot. He is also a talented aerobatic performer. We flew together in a few planes while I was working in Sumperk, CZ [as a consultant to Flight Design].”
Dingo’s main landing gear is welded from thin-walled steel tubes and bolts to the fuselage. Tail gear is steerable and straightened by spring. Ailerons and elevator are connected to the stick by push-pull rods, and the rudder is connected to welded pedals by cables.
Dingo is a single-seat open cockpit biplane, powerplant in pusher configuration, a classic taildragger with a T-tail empennage. It was designed with a focus on easy and quick assembly. That promise is aided by using match-hole technology that assures a homebuilder without fancy jigs can accurately assemble Dingo subassemblies. This is now widely used in LSA but it is far less common on Part 103 entries.
“The detailed assembly directions include both a PDF manual with excellent CAD drawings and parts lists of each assembly and companion videos of how each assembly is built,” noted Future Vehicles.
Leaders encouraged F37 committee members (more than 200 persons around the world), “Once the NPRM is posted (see below!), if you have available time, please try to review as much as you can and capture your questions/comments for group discussion next week [at AirVenture 2023 meetings]. These are generally pretty lengthy documents. We’ll all be freshly digesting the NPRM, so everyone’s perspectives and interpretations will be important to help bring clarity as quickly as possible.”
From FAA’s official lead…
