The list of aviation companies involved in one way or another with China is getting so long I won’t try to show them all here. Big companies like Cirrus Design or Continental are included. So are LSA manufacturers of various brands. Some business are setting up dealerships (Quicksilver, others). Others have arranged Chinese partners to build planes in-country (Flight Design, Zenith, others). Several companies have been fully acquired by or have received substantial funding from Chinese enterprises (Icon, others) and I’m aware of more that we will hear more about in the weeks and months to follow. The U.S. government and many other nations have borrowed from the Chinese government so a nearly unfathomable amount of dollars or other currencies are parked in China. However, most of the aviation financial arrangements are private, showing that, like their government, Chinese business people have plenty of funds to invest.
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Good Weather Smiles on Sun ‘n Fun … Sales Logged
The weather, big crowds, safe flying and airshow speed, action, and thunder combined to make Sun ‘n Fun 2014 one to remember. As reported in AVweb, top man John “Lites” Leenhouts was quoted, “We’re up 20 percent overall, as of Saturday night, over our average for the last 12 years.” As proof of crowds that seemed to grow to a crescendo, multiple long lines of people buying entry passes on Saturday caused ticket sellers to run completely out of Saturday one-day arm bands. They had to start using Friday arm bands to get everyone in who wanted to enter. Acts like the Blue Angels, “Fat Albert” — the Blue Angels C-130 Hercules support aircraft that did its own high-banking act — and a F-22 Raptor captured attention. When we drove off the grounds Sunday evening as airshows are normally winding down, we witnessed literally hundreds of people clustered outside the gates to watch the airshow.
Garmin Goes Touch with New G3X Avionics
For a billion-dollar, publicly-listed company Garmin (stock symbol: GRMN) has repeatedly displayed the nimbleness of a start-up enterprise. As if to prove this point Garmin announced several new products for the start of Sun ‘n Fun. And for those of us who need some introduction to these new gee-whiz gizmos, the company has a seminar tent just north of Hangar D where you can learn it all from the experts. No wonder Garmin remains one of the most trusted names in aviation. (My trusty auto Garmin will be leading me around the winding roads of Europe as we head over to Aero immediately following Sun ‘n Fun.) So … G3X Touch, now in a giant 10.6 display • GTR 20 remote comm controlled through the touchscreen • Angle of Attack (AoA) info when paired with their GSU 25 ADAHRS and GAP 26 probe • and, you can even watch VIRB (Garmin’s HD action camera) video in a PFD inset.
LSA Off to Sun ‘n Fun — Excitement Building!
Super Petrel LS from Edra Aeronautica — As described in our earlier article, Edra Aeronautica was nearly done with their acceptance by FAA to be able to sell their handsome biwing Super Petrel LS in the U.S. as a Special (fully manufactured) Light-Sport Aircraft. The “almost” is gone now and Daytona Beach, Florida-based importer Brian Boucher of Florida Light Sport Aviation has the pink Special Airworthiness card in his LSA to prove it (photo). Brian’s business also represents the Flight Design CTLSi, so he has two distinctive Light-Sport models he can demonstrate. Florida Light Sport Aviation is based at the Spruce Creek Fly-in (just like ByDanJohnson.com!); he and wife Jean will be at Sun ‘n Fun in space LP-38 past the LSA Mall in Paradise City. Another Super Petrel LS will be available for examination in the LSA Mall as will his CTLSi. Brian is an airline pilot but enjoys Light-Sport Aircraft when he isn’t jetting around the globe.
Fly/Drive Concept Introduces Flying by LSA
This last weekend I did something I’ve never done before. It worked much better than I expected and I want to pass along the idea for others to consider. It won’t always work but it could help introduce more people to the pleasure of flying. Four friends and I took a trip from my home near Daytona Beach, Florida to the Florida Keys with a stay in Marathon Key plus ground and aerial tours of Key West. This trip was some time in planning; I referred to it as a fly/drive vacation. We used the long weekend trip to celebrate a special birthday. You can likely interpret what “fly/drive” means quite easily but let me put some detail to the story.
For the flight I used a four-partner-owned Flight Design CTLSi so the first step was to schedule the plane with the owners. No problem as we were leaving Friday and would return Monday.
Sunseeker Duo … Ultimate Solar Electric Aircraft?
Years ago when we were just getting started in our flying careers, one fellow I paid attention to was Eric Raymond. Eric was a very talented hang glider pilot who strove to fly in the highest performing aircraft … at that time the Manta Fledgling, a “fixed wing” hang glider with a category leading glide angle in those days. (Today’s “flex wing” hang gliders significantly surpass the Fledge’.) Eric was also a daring aerobatic hang glider pilot long before most folks knew you could fly a hang glider in that manner. In other words he’s been a leading edge pilot for a long time. In recent years he’s been flying an all electric, solar-boosted glider across Europe. Yet he remained restless, seeking the very most he could do with electric power, which as most readers know, is still in the rapid development, not-quite-ready-for-market stage. Thanks to Flight Design USA boss Tom Peghiny for alerting me to Raymond’s latest progress.
Blue Skies Over the Bluest Water Imaginable
On the Fourth Bahamas Fly Out in January 2014, a group of four Light-Sport Aircraft and one Cessna 172 made the short hop to Bimini Island of the Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It may only be 50 nautical miles but at a cruising altitude of 3,000-5,500 feet you definitely fly out of sight of land … yes, thousands of miles of ocean and no land to be seen from the cockpit. Do I have your attention yet? Even the ever-dependable Rotax 912 that powered all four LSA seems to run rough shortly after land disappears behind you. A pilot briefing from a Bahamas flying expert gave all pilots the preparation to deal with a problem en route but an actual emergency would be a major dilemma for those on board.
Fortunately no such challenges arose. Experts were also on hand to help pilots file the international flight plans that have become much more complicated since 9/11.
Update on the 2013 LSA Marketplace
At least aviation is not bowling! Recent articles say the number of American bowlers has plummeted from nine million to two million, a drop of 78%. Compared to that the aviation industry looks far more durable (line chart). Indeed, aviation in all sectors is facing challenges but we are buoyed by reports in the same newspapers that say Americans are feeling more financially secure since stock markets are up substantially and houses are selling faster and at better prices. However, as we’ll show below, 2013 is one of those transition years. That means that sales have been occurring at an increased pace, but due to companies assuming a defensive posture in the 2007-2011 downturn, production is now lagging behind sales just as it was in 2005-2006 when LSA burst on the scene. I’m optimistic that 2014 is going to be a much stronger year. I am not the only one. “I feel we will be experiencing two significant growth years in 2014 and 2015 based on the continued aging of the pilot population and the pent-up demand in the marketplace,” said Tim Casey, Garmin‘s sales manager for portables, LSA, and experimental aircraft markets.
Planes, Cars, & More at Festivals of Speed
Festivals of Speed is not your “everyman” show tour. Aimed at wealthy folks, Joe Sabatini’s FoS extravaganza is quite different than the usual airshow fare. Some very distinctive aircraft drew plenty of attention … if you could tear your eyes away from a large gathering of magnificent supercars or scores of beautiful people. The event was based at the Orlando International Airport, which meant flying a few Light-Sport Aircraft into the Class B jetport and assembling in and around the giant hangar at Galaxy Aviation FBO. Opening night was hob-nobbing with the well-to-do types that can supposedly afford the goods on display. Via silent auction, Festival of Speed also benefits charities such as Arnold Palmer Hospital For Children.
For the first time, Light-Sport Aircraft were invited (and not asked to pay what surely is a steep price of entry). Representing the fleet were Progressive Aerodyne‘s SeaRey and Flight Design‘s CTLSi.
LSA Air; Jabiru Service; MGL XTreme; 90th Birthday
Cool It! — Scott Severen of US Aviation — the central Texas general aviation dynamo — is a man on a mission. He showed an AMT FlyCool installation (video) on a Flight Design CTLS at Sun ‘n Fun that was a surprisingly clean installation considering he brought all the air conditioning parts in his airline luggage. By AOPA’s fall Summit, he had refined it considerably (photo). Now the installation features a handsome louvered right side baggage door that brings fresh air in and exhausts warmer air. The panel switches are permanent and in the warm Texas sunshine, the system had great appeal. It adds surprisingly little weight (22 pounds); cost varies by installation but is much less expensive than old style air conditioning systems for airplanes. One downside is a loss of some luggage capacity but for example, a flight school wouldn’t care. Their students could chill instead of sweating through their flying lesson.
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