One of the longest-awaited Light-Sport development projects has been Vickers Aircraft’s Wave, a sophisticated amphibious LSA seaplane. Following the media-drenched Icon A5, Vickers in New Zealand took their time to get Wave right.
Remember, seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere. New Zealand is now emerging from winter (during our summer) and is beginning its warmer climate. The summer months in New Zealand are December, January, and February so the weather is getting nice down under.
One of the explanations for the longer development cycle was that Vickers Aircraft was making a massive effort to reduce part count to aid manufacturing and reduce cost. Wave first announced $189,000 but this will likely come in substantially higher …along with everything else you are buying these days. Similarly, A5 arrived on the market more than ten years ago at $139,000 but has risen to beyond $350,000. Some of that could be due to manufacturing challenges, exactly the reason Paul Vickers insisted on taking the time needed to control expenses.
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Zenith Aircraft’s 30th Anniversary Homecoming Extravaganza; Company Leads Sector
Shortly after the Midwest LSA Expo each year, a nearby company hosts a homecoming for its builders. Maybe you’ve heard of them: Zenith Aircraft? Truth is, the odds are reasonably good that you’ve either built a Zenith kit, contemplated building one, or flew in one.
For years this company has led the segment I’ve dubbed “Sport Pilot kits” — those kits that a builder can fly using Sport Pilot privileges. Lead by Sebastien Heintz, Zenith continues a long stride ahead of other worthy competitors.
Our Tableau Public view of the LSA and Sport Pilot kit marketplace was recently updated through 3Q2022 — thanks to Datastician Extraordinaire, Steve Beste!
While Van’s RV-12 leads for a single model (47 registered so far in 2022), Zenith is the clear leader in this space. For 2022, the Mexico, Missouri-based manufacturer has already almost matched 2020 and 2021, and those were good years.
Midwest LSA Expo Wrap-Up — Metrics Reveal the Strength of These “Sector-Specific Shows”
Sun ‘n Fun does it. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh did it. Why not the smaller, sector-specific shows? Indeed, why not? I refer to reporting of show statistics when the event concludes. In modern vernacular, these are “metrics.”
The likable and longtime manager of the Mt. Vernon, Illinois municipal airport, Chris Collins, has been forwarding some “metrics” from this year’s 14th annual event. Whatever you choose to call the numbers from an event, they provide useful information on how the show performed.
One comment measurement is the number of airplanes sold or the quantity of interested pilots who expressed real interest. Trying to get hard information is like nailing Jello to a wall. We get tidbits and potential but hard facts are hard to assemble. A genuinely interested person ready to make a deal could experience problems right after the event. Some (understandably) need to check with their spouse; that sometimes alters a decision.
Midwest LSA Expo 2022 Presentation — What We Know about FAA’s Mosaic Regulation, with Q&A Session
I am honored that the room was full to standing room only capacity but even that gratifying turn-out at the Midwest LSA Expo 2022 represents a fraction of pilots keen to learn more about Mosaic. I refer to a forum at the event, a talk that has been well attended since I began attempting to keep up with FAA’s latest moves on the new LSA regulation.
For the majority that could not attend in person, the entire talk is featured below. In particular, I think you may enjoy the Question & Answer portion starting at 32 minutes into the video. See the list of questions below for specific times — in case you know most of this but simply wanted to ask a certain question.
I’ve been predicting for months that if FAA was to stay on schedule — a schedule they set — the agency had to announce Mosaic at Oshkosh 2022.
Midwest LSA Expo; Day 3 — Flying Orlican’s M-8 Eagle… a Perfect Flight School LSA?
Problem: The fleet of aircraft trainers in the USA is getting old. The familiar, reliable standard is the Cessna 172. While these are being made brand new, their base cost has risen to half a million dollars. Meanwhile, much more affordable vintage 172s normally have dated instrument panels and the airframe often looks well-worn. Built in the last decade or so, nearly all LSA have fully digital cockpits among other modern features. [Update 9/15/22 — see new info regarding trim. —DJ]
With their goal of getting a good pilot job, flight students that visit schools today want to pursue their training in something more contemporary. They definitely need experience with digital avionics as that’s what they’ll encounter in a professional cockpit.
“LSA are the future of flight instruction [airplanes],” stated Chip Griewahn. Before he sold the business, he operated a very successful flight school in the Savannah, Georgia area called Fly Corps Aviation.
Midwest LSA Expo; Day 1 — The Sleek, Affordable, Foldable, Trailerable Swan 103
While I have been familiar with AVI’s Swan for several years, having earlier seen it at the German Aero show, this was a first appearance for Swan in the United States. What’s brand new is the Swan 103 model made specifically for FAR Part 103. The new model made its American debut at the Midwest LSA Expo. [September 9 UPDATE: Tom Bartlett’s contact info has been added; see “Article Links” toward the end of the article. —DJ]
This is the 14th running of the popular show in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. It’s what I call an intimate, sector-specific show. By that I mean it is all the sort of aircraft I cover on this website… Light-Sport Aircraft, Sport Pilot-eligible kit aircraft, and ultralight aircraft.
Thursday is regarded as one of the slower days of the three-day event — some vendors only attend on Friday and Saturday. Yet at least two airplanes and maybe three or four were sold on opening day.
Four Stroke Power for Light-Sport Aircraft Aircraft? YES! …a Modern Rotax 582 Replacement
A common question from affordable aviation enthusiasts asks about four stroke engines, either for genuine Part 103 ultralights (available but somewhat more challenging) or for very light aircraft. Such inquiries are commonly for aircraft that have previously used a Rotax 582.
The last two-stroke offered by the big Austrian engine manufacturer — builder of the ubiquitous 9-series four-stroke engines — was the Rotax 582. Producing 65 horsepower and earning a good reliability rating over many years, the 582 has been a dependable powerplant for the lightest powered aircraft that are larger and heavier than genuine Part 103 ultralights.
2020 Sensation!
The one and only airshow in 2020 was the Midwest LSA Expo… about to start this week!
Two years ago, in preparation for the show, Chip Erwin lit up the blogosphere with his Merlin Lite entry (image below). Here’s more about that all-metal, weight-making Part 103 aircraft (our most-read article of 2020, which was then our strongest year ever).
It’s Almost Fall 2022 and It’s Time for Two Favorite Light-Sport Aircraft Aviation Events
As Labor Day approaches each year, pilots in the Midwest U.S. — and some from much further away — start heading to Mt. Vernon, Illinois. About an hour’s drive East of St. Louis, Missouri, Mt. Vernon is home to a dedicated sector show that has emerged as a favorite.
This is the 14th year for the Midwest LSA Expo, so airport manager and all-around good guy Chris Collins is starting to psyche up for his benchmark 15th year in 2023. Putting this in perspective, that’s as old as the Sebring LSA Expo ever got before it disbanded. I’ll bet Chris never really thought about running one of the most established shows in the country.
While I cannot speak for every attendee, I can tell you that vendors return year after year for a very good reason: they sell airplanes. Pilots can thoroughly examine an airplane and perhaps make their decision.
While FAA Reworks Mosaic, Other Nations Are Moving Ahead — Is USA Falling Behind?
Capitalism and competition are one thing. Government policies and actions are quite another. You already know this.
Sometimes, however, these two seemingly-opposite concepts aren’t so different. What does this have to do with Light-Sport Aircraft?
American pilots, like aviators in other countries, must obey regulations in the nation where they operate their airplanes. Yet the same requirement is not necessarily true for those who produce the airplanes we enjoy. Producers, it turns out, have choices.
Under an arrangement called reciprocity, manufacturers in certain nations (Note 1; see at bottom) can meet their local regulations and FAA will then accept such aircraft without them going through the American certification system. What results is a form of competition between government regulatory agencies.
European builders may be early users and beneficiaries but American companies could use reciprocity as well.
Readers may remember that when Cessna was still promoting their ill-fated Skycatcher SLSA, they considered pursuing 1990’s-era Primary Category.
RV-15 High Wing Debuts to Crowds at Oshkosh 2022; Does Van’s Know Something You Don’t?
Is it an LSA or is it not an LSA? Is that the question?
When Van’s broke the news that their latest RV-15 model was a high wing, plenty of pilots snapped to attention. This company has produced one winner after another; here is their latest. Its bare aluminum glistened in bright sunlight and drew crowds through every day of Oshkosh 2022.
Will the model join the long line of distinguished RV models as a kit-built aircraft or could the company’s first-ever high wing signify something else. After all, Van’s did bring in-house full manufacturing of their successful RV-12 LSA.
Does Van’s know something you don’t know? Oh, very probably they know far more than you know but the question digs at who knows what FAA is doing. Here’s one company that may have a better handle on that than most others.
Van’s president Rian Johnson is the head of the ASTM F37 committee that is working closely with the FAA to formulate standards that will be used when the new breed of LSA come on the market, which I now predict will happen in 2025.
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