Search Results for : MG 21

News from Russian sport aircraft producers is rare. Though the old USSR had a vast military aircraft complex that hasn’t translated to recreation aircraft the way it did in the formerly Soviet Czech Republic, where many of our LSA originate. However, that doesn’t mean efforts are absent. We’ve seen some uptake of LSA (like Pipistrel) into Russia but here I’ll portray an unusual Russian development. It may not find a U.S. market but I find it intriguing.
The designer, Anatoly Geralevich Szukov, calls his work the result of “garage aviation,” a surprisingly American term (think: Apple computer coming from Steve Jobs’ garage) for a very different project… from Russia. Instead of meaning a source of innovation, however, Szukov uses the garage term because his development allows people to store their aircraft in a normal garage. Szukov’s U.S.-based contact didn’t provide an English name for Szukov’s company (though if you read Russian you might deduce it).

AOPA during its annual Summit convention that ended October 13th announced during the event a program that makes a lot of sense: a national network of flying clubs with the aim to grow general aviation at all levels.
We’ve been talking about alternatives to the modern steep cost of private flying for some time now, and have advocated owner partnerships and flying clubs as clear alternative solutions to keeping costs under control, bringing more people into flight training and pleasure flying, and for that matter keeping airplanes from getting “stiff” sitting sometimes for weeks or even months, unflown, in hangars – because surveys and studies show most recreational pilots fly an average of just 50-100 hours a year, and in seasonal regions that can mean mostly in the good weather months.
I’ve written of a veteran pilot I know who flies for an airline as an instructor/examiner – he’s the guy in other words who makes sure the other airline pilots who fly you and me are in top form.

For my next column for Plane & Pilot magazine, and to grow a dialogue here on the blog (diablogue?), I’m putting out a call to all Light-Sport pilots across the country (and around the world!) for your input on some topics we all think about and kick around with our flying pals. Think of it as a kind of open ended survey.
I’d appreciate your take on one, some or all of the questions below: whatever you’ve got time for. You can contribute here, on my Facebook page, or send your thoughts direct to a special email I’ve created at this special email address.
I’ll read and compile everything you send and will include your names unless you’d rather remain anonymous. The more concise your answers the better but if it takes more words to share your POV, please feel free to go for it and I’ll do my best to cherry pick the best insights and info.

As fall colors begin to pop their chromatic yumminess on New England, it’s time to do some shotgun Light Sport factoid gathering.
Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo Model Airplane Contest: Pandering shamelessly to the inner kid in all of us, as well as the kids we bring to the event, the LSA event this coming January 17-20 will hold a model airplane contest. Count me in! Five categories – age 6 and under, 7-10, 11-14, 15-18 and Adult give everybody a chance to walk away with a prize. Can I sign up in the 11-14 category or are these biological age groups?
Just back from a car trip down to the friendly crew at New Garden Flying Field southwest of Philadelphia, where Airport Manager Jonathan Martin made me welcome so I could finish up the photo side of my story on the Pipistrel Alpha Trainer which runs in the next issue of Plane & Pilot magazine.

One of the most storied companies in the entire light airplane space is Quicksilver. Their iconic models have populated the skies more than any other recreational aircraft brand… yes, more than Van’s (7,000+), Rans (4,500+), and Challenger (2,500+) combined! In fact, in 2002 and 2003, Quicksilver by itself outsold Cessna, Piper, and Beechcraft combined! Now, that’s a performance any aircraft company would love to match.
Recently this company, which has what our nation’s president might call “a good narrative,” acquired new ownership, the fourth such transition in the five decades it’s been in existence. Quicksilver Manufacturing became Quicksilver Aeronautics. Thanks to increased energy and fresh directions from Will Escutia and Dan Perez, the California company is attracting new retail businesses to become part of Team Quicksilver. One of the newest is Flying & Living LLC, located in Queretaro, Mexico. Here’s another reason for envy from other producers.

This has been a tough semi-decade for people in the Light Sport industry with big ideas. And for people everywhere with this kind of thinking: ”Hey, let’s throw a few million bucks at this mega-concept and see if it changes the world!” *** Cessna’s Skycatcher endured a couple non-recoverable spins and parachute deployments in its intensive test program en route to earning SLSA certification. The process delayed deliveries by a couple years and no doubt the setbacks cost the aviation giant an uncomfortable percentage of its initial 1,000 pre-orders (Cessna has never divulged just how many orders it lost). *** Not long after the LSA category was made official in 2004, Icon Aircraft writ its name in stars across the promotional universe with one after another high-profile, flashy presentations at major air shows. Its beautiful, all-composite A5 amphibian also garnered a lot of pre-order support from a new customer base dazzled by the A5’s heavily-pitched fun-in-sun, jet-ski-like utility and ease of operation.

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.