The Great Recession was the pits … for nearly all industries and most employees or small business owners. That’s hardly newsworthy. However, the recovery from the recession — that government economists insist ended years ago — has been a long time coming. For too many out-of-work pilots, that recession lingers with us yet. Fortunately, the aviation economy appears to be improving. Although registrations didn’t show it for 2013, the year provided more sales for sellers if not more airplanes for their customers. Now, the hope is that airplanes will emerge from factories faster and the general health of the industry will improve, which is good for seller and buyer alike. A couple companies have proof that things are looking up and I’d like to tell you a little about them.
First is South Africa’s The Airplane Factory (TAF) and their rep’, TAF USA, led by Matt Litnaitzky and associate Ryan Ruel.
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Garmin Team X on a LSA Development Tear
Next month, in April 2013, the Light-Sport Aircraft industry celebrates an anniversary. It will be the eighth year since the first Special LSA approval was granted by an FAA Designated Airworthiness Representative in 2005. Evektor‘s Sportstar was first, followed hours later by the Flight Design CT and then an amazing outpouring of innovation now stretching to 131 SLSA models approved. That’s better than four brand new aircraft every quarter for 32 straight quarters; worldwide aviation’s never seen anything like it. Most of the early brand names in the industry were new, at least to Americans. Yet along the way, some famous aviation names joined the party.
We’ve seen entries from Piper, Cirrus, Cessna, Lycoming, Sensenich, and Wipaire Floats plus the major member organizations embraced Light-Sport in their own way. One multibillion dollar company to serve the sport and recreation community has been Garmin.
VP-X Electronic Circuit Breaker meets EFIS
Vertical Power has a cool line of electronic circuit breakers that make it easy to monitor the status of your electrical system. *** With so many LSA going to glass cockpits, having general and specific information about the state of your electrics displayed right on your EFIS screen is crucial to safe flight. *** The company’s VP-X Sport and VP-X Pro modules now work with many popular EFIS display panels. Most recent to jump on board is the popular Dynon SkyView 7″ and 10″ EFIS display panel systems, which Dynon’s Robert Hamilton expects to be fully integrated by the end of this year. *** Both VP-X units will also display with other popular panels from AFS, GRT, MGL and Garmin G3X. *** The concept is simple and powerful: to allow monitoring of the overall health of electrical systems, view and control the status of individual circuits, and respond to circuit faults.
Rocky Mountain LSA Expo 2012 Wrap-Up
Roving reporter Dave wraps up coverage of the Rocky Mountain LSA Expo event. —DJ ||||
“Cessna is one of the most recognized names in the aviation industry. Last year it lead the LSA market for new registrations. So I was surprised to hear again and again, ‘Look, there’s a Skycatcher; this is the first time I’ve ever seen one.’ Honestly, I heard that phrase or one very similar to it at least 30 times!
*** “Flights, Inc., was at the Rocky Mountain Light Sport Aircraft Expo for the first time. They operate one of the largest Part 141 flight schools in Colorado, teaching with Cessna 172s and 182s, Piper Seminoles, and now, the Cessna Skycatcher. ‘The Skycatcher is the only light sport aircraft built by a mainline aircraft manufacturer,’ reported the big flight school. ‘It is also one of the few light sport aircraft powered by a Continental 0-200 engine.’ They elaborated, ‘This gives Skycatcher a better power-to-weight ratio than a 172, with the 100 horsepower calculating to 13.2 pounds per horsepower.’ Flights Inc., added that this gives the Skycatcher excellent short field landing and take off performance and, remember, we’re talking about a mile-high location with soaring density altitude.
Tim Casey Explains All-Things Garmin
Tim Casey is just plain full of it. Garmin’s jovial, well-recognized manager of the instrument company’s aviation hand-held and LSA line of avionics products, is one knowledgeable character. In fact, he is so full of information that his one-hour seminar at the Midwest LSA Expo only scratched the surface of the seemingly limitless capabilities of the company’s digital instrument line. For example, synthetic vision comes preinstalled on the G3X and if you want, the Garmin unit can even be wired to show the closure of doors. *** I enjoyed his review of the Garmin G3X line used in some LSA and plenty of homebuilt aircraft. It’s a deluxe system that costs $14,500 for the full dual-screen unit… BUT, if you act before the end of 2010, you can secure a whopping 25% discount, saving you $3,600. Garmin also makes the increasingly common GPSMap 696, or the 496 used in a large number of LSA.
iCub, Meet Smart Cub
Those hard-working stalwarts at Legend, the number one U.S. producer of LSA, keep finding interesting things for folks like me to write about. • Trish Jackson is an Ohio native who flies Airbus freight carriers all over Europe. She learned flying from her mother at age 13 and still remembers a memorable quote mom made on a flight: “Look at these rivers. It’s like God carved them out with his finger.” *** Trish owned a vintage Cub at one point in her career, but a couple years ago felt the urge to own one again — a brand new one. She kicked some tires and lit some fires for a year or two, then took a Legend Cub demo flight. *** Last April she joined the annual Legend rite of spring gaggle — a trip I had the distinct pleasure of making in 2008 — to fly formation with a bunch of Legend Cubs from Sulphur Springs, TX to Lakeland, FL for the annual Sun ‘n Fun spring flyin.
Best LSA Picks of 2010
More than 20 Top LSA You Can Buy
The light-sport aircraft industry hangs in there, although sales numbers, as with general aviation, still struggle to gain safe altitude in the stormy economic skies. Encouraging item: LSA sales in 2009 represented nearly 25% of all GA piston purchases. Another surprise: Most of the 107 models available for sale here and abroad are still in production with more new models in the pipeline! Nobody’s getting rich (this is aviation, remember?), but most makers believe the turnaround will come. That’s the spirit!
And with the Euro taking heat against the dollar lately as Europe goes through its own econoclysm, U.S. prices for foreign-produced LSA could drop. Many airframe makers lowered prices, but the industry still faces challenges: ongoing dyspepsia imbued by the sluggish recovery; market recognition… many people still aren’t aware of what an LSA is, maybe that’s why 20% of all U.S. sales in the U.S.
New EFIS for Light Sport
This week’s Dallas AEA (Aircraft Electronics Assoc.) Convention has tons of cool new electronics. Of note to sport pilots is the G3X system from Garmin. It’s a PFD (Primary Flight Display) and MFD (Multi Function Display) system that’s built around Garmin’s GDU 370/375 displays. Intended for LSA and Experimental category aircraft, the non-certified system can display information across one, two or three screens. The single screen version with all capabilities lists at $3995. The full G3X system that will include ADAHRS (Attitude/Heading Reference System), EIS (Engine Information System), magnetometer and temperature probe, once available, will go at an estimated price of $9,995.00. *** Garmin will display the system at Sun’nFun in two weeks. Be there or be square!
Sebring Day Two: Flight Design Update
I was lucky enough to get Matthias Betsch, Flight Design’s CEO, all to myself for a few minutes and here’s what he had to say: *** General update: “A hard year but better than we expected. In the last two to three months, we’ve had quite a pickup. Here in the States dealers sold their stock so they have to buy more airplanes…they have to buy more so I think that is good!” *** The year ahead: “I don’t think we’ll get back to 2007-2008 this year, but I do think it will be a 30% recovery. The rest we will do in 2011.” *** On the new Flight Design MC: “It’s a different character. The LS is more sporty, speedy, responsive. The airplane feels much heavier than it is. That’s what we wanted: an airplane for flight schools which is very forgiving, easy to land, to fly. It’s also ideal for older pilots who are used to very stable airplanes.” *** MC vs.
Sebring Revs to High Speed; Catch the Videos
Sebring is off and flying… well, like a homesick angel! It appears the sixth running of the show is as strong as it’s ever been. Tim Casey — head guru of Garmin‘s division for aviation portables plus avionics and radios used in nearly every LSA on the market — told me this evening, “I think traffic is nearly double last year [a record year for Sebring]. We completely ran out of literature on the second day!” The giant producer reported solid sales of equipment including their lovely new touchscreen Aera and their complete info glass screen package, dubbed the G3X. *** My pal, Jim Lawrence has been pumping out the blogs as you’ve seen right here (does this guy ever sleep?!) and more will come. In addition, my video partner, UltralightNews, has been working both of us hard to build up a flock of cool video clips. See the highlights here with a coming quick-take tour of the entire show grounds (see below)… followed in the weeks ahead by our continuing review of every Light-Sport Aircraft on the market.
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