On ultralight aircraft, the installation of an airframe parachute was estimated at a third to half of all aircraft. In general aviation, the use of such a system on the Cirrus Design line of aircraft created thousands of airframe parachute owners. In Light-Sport, three producers — BRS, Magnum (Stratos 07), and Galaxy — have installed airframe parachutes on a solid percentage of SLSA. Sounds like it’s all taken care of, right? Wrong! *** The trouble with existing producers is that little or no new development work is being done for Part 103 ultralights, powered parachutes, or trikes. Likewise many kit-built aircraft have no supplier willing to customize an airframe parachute for their (possibly one-off) airplane. Now, that’s changing. *** An old friend, John Dunham, once ran Second Chantz, the other airframe parachute company in the USA (besides BRS). In the mid-’90s, he made a deal with BRS and left the business.
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Sun ‘n Fun Day 2: Toto, Are We…?
…back in Kansas? Little Totomeister, I gotta say, the winds blew so strong today I saw a full chicken caesar salad in its covered plastic container sail horizontally by my head like a UFO on a mission. *** I even had to postpone a photo shoot until tomorrow at dawn. Oh joy. *** No complaints though. It was a gorgeous day which started out with a very enjoyable hour-long demo flight in the Rans S-6ELS, a lovely airplane I’ve touted lately for its low price – $63,000. *** My demo pilot, Mark Pringle (“Just like the potato chips,” he said) took me up for some turns, dutch rolls, stalls, and a couple landings in a mildly bumpy airmass, at least for 8:30 this morning. *** First impressions (look for my flight report in an issue soon) — throttle in, rolling down the runway, one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two…hey, we’re airborne already? That lightweight flivver fairly hopped into the air.
The Second (Chantz) Around
Just out of a 3-day stomach bug sick bed, I must still be a bit delirious ’cause that old Sinatra tune, “Love is wonderful, the second time around” keeps winding through my fuzzy brain. *** No doubt I’m subconsciously morphing into music the news I got yesterday from old hang gliding pal and ultralight/light sport entrepreneur John Dunham that he’s back, in the biz he made so successful in the ’80s – Second Chantz Aerial Survival Equipment. *** His company sold more than 4,000 ballistic recovery systems when it was in operation, and has documented more than 70 saves worldwide. *** You can read all the gore-y details on John’s blog linked above but a brief bio must include his deep hang gliding/ultralight/LSA background as pilot, test pilot, instructor and savvy manufacturer/businessman from the early ’70s. He’s an all-around talent, this guy! *** John’s Flight Design West biz in Nevada marketed several LSA including the Flight Design CT and the lovely (and we hope soon-to-be-resurrected) Lambada motorglider.
It’s B-A-C-K! Second Chantz Returnz to Chutz
Once Upon a Time… Two companies competed vigorously for the airframe (ballistic) parachute market. One was BRS. The other was Second Chantz, run by longtime proprietor and system designer, John Dunham. In a deal back in 1995, John agreed to cease competing with BRS, which went on to fame and fortune with the parachute for Cirrus airplanes and LSA. *** Now, zap forward a decade and a half. BRS is working hard to be a military contractor, and — while still pursuing the airframe parachute business with a couple larger customers — their corporate focus is elsewhere. I say “good luck with that” but the light aircraft community badly needed another company to offer services: repacking, repairs and maintenance, and new systems for aircraft BRS had no time to assist. *** Why start a company now, after 15 years of being out of the business, and with the country in a deep recession?
Flying through Turbulence; Even Big Boys Affected
Most producers in the Light-Sport Aircraft sector welcomed the LSA market entry announced by Cessna and Cirrus at Oshkosh 2007. July of last year looks like the “good old days,” as aviation from LSA to VLJs — essentially all of GA — is roiled by global economic uncertainty. *** Compounding the challenges, Cessna had an “unrecoverable” spin incident with their Skycatcher 162. Even BRS got drawn in with a rocket-deployed parachute that for reasons yet unknown didn’t save the airframe. Both companies are sure to work out these issues; test failures are an accepted part of aircraft development. *** Cirrus stepped down to a 3-day workweek (AvWeb article) to cope with slowing sales. Like Cessna, Cirrus is managing multiple developments. Their jet project consumes plenty of resources so when watching costs, it’s little surprise that the Duluth company might put their SRS Light-Sport project on the back burner.
Fixed Wing or Flexible…TampaBay Has Choices
Our SLSA (Special Light-Sport Aircraft) List is popular with visitors and often generates a heads-up from alert readers about some new SLSA approval that snuck under my radar. This time the heads-up made me aware of new models in two forms. *** Please welcome TampaBay AeroSport’s Apollo Fox airplane and Monsoon weight-shift trike, to which I’ve assigned SLSA numbers 80 and 81. TampaBay, aka Apollo Aircraft, has been deeply involved with Light-Sport Aircraft for some time and previously won approval for the Delta Jet trike, which sells for a reasonable $38,000. Monsoon is a sleek, highly-engineered trike available with Rotax 582 or either 912-series engine for $45,000 to $58,500. *** In early 2008, the Florida Zephyrhills airport-based TampaBay also won an airworthiness certificate for their fixed wing Apollo Fox airplane. This European two seater is a variation of the popular design originated by Avid and Kitfox.
Big Crowds at the Sun ‘n Fun LSA Mall
Sun ‘n Fun 2008 is history, but planning is already underway for the 2009 event. Event boss John Burton confirmed we will again have the LAMA-hosted LSA Mall right at the front gate next April 21-26. A major success at this year’s Lakeland, Florida airshow, the industry Mall presentation featured 17 Special Light-Sport Aircraft. Weather prevented Fantasy Air’s Allegro from attending. Two days before the event, a tornado crushed a Sting S3 planned for display. And work at Quicksilver Manufacturing postponed the exhibit of the GT500 (they’re finishing SLSA approval, reports national sales manager, Todd Ellefson). *** The 17 who were in the ’08 LSA Mall enjoyed significant traffic all week and virtually every visitor to Sun ‘n Fun was at least exposed to Light-Sport Aircraft in a wide variety (although we were not able to enlist any trike or powered parachute companies).
Surprising Value in an Unsurprising Design
On September 1, 2004, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released the long-anticipated Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft regulations, a new aviation segment called light sport aircraft (LSA) was created. Some saw LSA as a bridge between ultralights and general aviation aircraft, but are LSA so different from ultralights? The answer is a mixed yes and no.
Yes, many aircraft look different in that the extra weight they may possess allows them to have full composite fuselages, a panel full of instruments even including fancy glass cockpit hardware, plus they can be delivered ready to fly even as 2-seaters. That’s different than our ultralight trainers or our amateur-built recreational aircraft that resemble those trainers. Prices for these light sport aircraft have pushed them beyond the budgets of many pilots.
On the other hand, these aircraft needn’t be all that different from ultralights. The new rule doesn’t require that they weigh the maximum 1,320 pounds.
Third Generation CT; Flight Design Announces LS
Flight Design leads the LSA flock maintaining a market share of more than 20% since the start of SLSA certifications almost three years ago. Their first American export was CT2K, fine tuned in 2006 for U.S. pilots as the CTSW. Now sport pilots around the world can welcome the CTLS, the third generation of this successful design. *** Longer and sleeker, LS was lengthened 14 inches and has a list of new features. Although you can add a few options (leather seats and autopilot, for example) the base model has everything a Sport Pilot could want including Garmin radio, transponder, and GPS with XM, dual Dynon glass displays, and BRS parachute…all standard. *** The company says every mold on the all-carbon fiber aircraft was changed. You can see this in its larger cabin with aft windows, the wingtip treatment, and in a more “adult” look to the design.
Quik Approval for UK Trikes; SLSA Numbers 60 & 61
Two weight shift aircraft from England carried the list of Special Light-Sport Aircraft past the 60 mark. Welcome to the P&M Aviation Quik and Quik GT450, our two newest SLSA models and the 7th and 8th weight shift aircraft (adding to 5 powered parachute models and 48 fixed wing airplanes, 2 of which fall into the Glider category). P&M Aviation was formed from a merger of Pegasus Aviation and Mainair Sports, the two leading UK trike builders. *** The P&M Quik models are modestly priced compared to other trikes from Europe. You can buy a Rotax 912-powered Quik for just over $50,000, which is substantially lower than other 912 trikes. The price tag also qualifies as one of the least costly SLSA. *** P&M Aviation USA is the American importer of the British brand. They’ll be at Sebring 2008 where you can see the Quik models with a larger control panel to allow for more instruments.
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