At Midwest LSA Expo on Day Three, I interviewed two leading sellers in the LSA or Sport Pilot kit space, one imported model and one U.S. brand. They represent different approaches to the business yet each has been successful, one for 35 years and one for 40 years. These conversations were a great way to end Midwest 2023 on a high note… and on an exceptionally beautiful day.
I use the phrase “Mosaic-Ready” when talking about this Jabiru Elite because importer Scott Severen of US Sport Planes believes this company is poised and ready to be a Mosaic LSA or mLSA.
Right after I interviewed Scott, I spoke with Michelle Schlitter of Rans, who noted their S-21 Outbound, which qualifies as a SLSA today at 1,320 pounds, can quickly be “Mosaic-Ready” at 1,800 pounds at which it’s already been tested.
Other producers are also close to or at Mosaic-readiness.
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Beautiful Bargain — Alto is Back, Again! Looks Great and Costs Surprisingly Little
At Midwest LSA Expo on Day Two, I gave my first Mosaic talk to a SRO room. The video turned out well so following some editing on the Q&A session that followed, I pledge to get this up next week.
My presentation was a distillation of 318 original pages into a 45-minute presentation. Some described it as “drinking out of a fire hose.”
The Q&A added another 30 minutes. Pilots in the audience helped me better understand this Mosaic monster. I hoped that would happen and I’m pleased it did.
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.)
Beyond Mosaic
After a vigorous discussion about FAA’s new rule, I was keen to get outside among the airplanes that I enjoy. In particular, I wanted to have a closer look at Direct Fly’s Alto NG.
Ahead of Its Time, Rainbow’s EMG — Electric Motor Glider — Proved Idea of Electric Part 103
Nine years ago, in 2014, electric aircraft were mostly experiments and the beginning was challenging. Several ill-fated projects attempted to electrically power airplanes that were inappropriate for such a powerplant. Batteries of the day had lousy power-to-weight ratios. Enough juice to lift and fly a two seater, much less a four seater, by an electric motor made for very short duration flights, measured in minutes not hours. An electric Cessna 172 project never succeeded; hardly a wonder.
Similar challenges face more than 350 air taxi start-up businesses. Sure, someday you might zip around big cities using UberAir but I think that remains years in the future. Range anxiety felt in electric cars becomes much more intense in an aircraft.
On the other hand, electric Part 103 aircraft enjoy two enormous advantages: (1) they only need to fly 30 minutes to an hour to deliver all the fun their owners have in mind; and (2) since Part 103 aircraft are the lightest in powered aviation, lifting them by electric power and batteries is far more achievable with today’s technology.
Midwest Expo 2023, Zenith’s Homecoming, Aero Showcase, and a New Owner of Jabiru
When AirVenture Oshkosh ends, you can almost hear a national sigh as if to denote the flying season is over. EAA’s magnificent summer celebration of flight leads to Labor Day and into fall.
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.
As if to prove the point, coming up soon:
15th annual Midwest LSA Expo,
Zenith’s 32nd Annual Homecoming event follows the Expo, with even larger crowds,
Aero Showcase’s second event is scheduled and being promoted, and
down under — where Australis is exiting winter (yeah, weird, huh?) — big changes for Jabiru
Midwest 2023
I’ve taken to shortening the event name to “Midwest (Year)” because I say or write it so often. This show — as you might expect, in the Midwest USA — has become a foundation of my aviation calendar. I only missed one year due to a hurricane in Florida where I live.
Here’s Some Good News from Ukraine — LSA Manufacturer Aeroprakt Is Building Steadily
We are awash in bad news from Ukraine. Some is honest reporting of the extremely difficult circumstances for many in the war-racked nation. Yet media does not always grace itself, always finding the worst of the news to report in somber tones.
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.
Aeroprakt, builder of the very successful A-22 and A-32 series of Special LSA, suffered directly when a missile hit their flying club building (report here, scroll to last video). Their main factory remains in the central city of Kyiv, where it has been for many years. I visited this location back in 2003 so they’ve been stable for more than 20 years.
Future Vehicles s.r.o.
Future Vehicles created, builds, and delivers worldwide the charming Dingo, a modern version of a popular design from the ’60s (Hovey Whing Ding). Dingo is fun, super-affordable, and is easy to fly, operate, and maintain. Available in kit or ready-to-fly for a price you can probably afford!
Making a Study of Mosaic Easier and Faster — LAMA & USUA Join Forces to Help You
FAA proposed regulation has powerfully captured the attention of many pilots. Pilots have tons of questions. We have some answers. Everyone has a lot to read.
But… uggghhh! Who wants to read this stuff? If it doesn’t put you to sleep, it might infuriate you.
Overall, FAA’s proposal has been warmly received as it opens the door to more capable aircraft that a Sport Pilot can fly. That’s good but the document has problems, too. Following are four examples…
This article is a longer, more challenging read than one about an aircraft.
If you prefer to listen or watch, I recommend the podcast and a video below.
Mosaic’s language invigorated many readers when the NPRM expressed support for a Sport Pilot (certificate holder) to fly at night — with proper training and a logbook endorsement. Yet then the proposal refers to other FAA regulations that require BasicMed or an AvMed. If you must have a medical, you are not exercising the central privilege of Sport Pilot.
Here Come Mosaic LSA or mLSA — Montaer’s MC-04 and Texas Aircraft’s Stallion
Is this an exciting time for aviation? Have you been one of the many pilots anticipating Mosaic and the promise it brings for more capable aircraft? The new proposal is loaded with ideas we requested.
As with the SP/LSA rule of nineteen years ago, these features of Mosaic are stimulating all sorts of expectations …but also some worry.
One concern is that new four-seat mLSA with all the bells and whistles will be expensive. Well, they will be — compared to current-day LSA. Yet they will still be half the price of a roughly comparable Part 23-certified aircraft. They will also perform better while using less fuel. Plus, they will be new and nicely equipped with the latest in digital instrumentation.
Contrasting that is an entire fleet of legacy GA airplanes that many pilots have been yearning to fly using a Sport Pilot certificate (or using the no-medical feature of Sport Pilot with their higher FAA ticket).
Back to Our Top-50 Videos — Aerolite 103 May Be the Top Seller Among True Ultralights
Among the couple hundred readers who commented on my recent Mosaic article, several referenced Private Pilots who consider a Sport Pilot to be “unqualified.” I’ve heard that, too. In fact, I’ve heard similar comments my entire long career.
It’s a pecking order thing, I suppose, a natural human response, but I dislike when one aviator puts down another. Is a hang glider pilot somehow less than a power pilot? Is a LSA pilot doing a lesser job flying than a GA pilot? Indeed, is the humble prop pilot somehow less than a jet pilot? Are pilots who like rotary or seaplanes oddballs? I think not but such opinions are too-commonly heard.
Similarly, why are pilots so ill-informed about Part 103? Most pilots have heard of the category yet most of them know next-to nothing about the aircraft type. Contrarily, I can say this: the ones who learn about Aerolite 103 know this is a right-proper light aircraft and they want more… for less.
AirVenture Oshkosh 2023 Is Done; Here’s an Overview Done On-Air with EAA Radio
It’s all over — EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the world’s largest-attendance airshow event. It’s a delicious, if somewhat overwhelming, drink out of a firehose for an entire week.
Oshkosh has something for every pilot and more than any one person can see.
I’ll mention this news briefly as I wish to pay respect to fellow pilots. Two crashes on the weekend after we departed resulted in four fatalities reportedly including one passenger. My sincere condolences to the surviving families. Oshkosh has had safe years with no loss of life but when so many airplanes assemble, mathematical odds suggest a crash is going happen despite heroic efforts to make the event as safe as possible.
During the week of Oshkosh, a few days were rather warm. Cooling rains came mostly at night, sparing the airshow but surely soaking campers in tents. The campgrounds were full to the edges and EAA opened multiple other locations to handle the overflow.
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