Right after Sun ‘n Fun, the e-flight Expo kicks off for the third time at “Aero” in Friedrichshafen, Germany, April 13-April 16. *** Bunches of new aircraft and propulsion technologies along with the awarding of the Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize (LEAP) will mark the gathering of 550 exhibitors from 26 countries. *** The e-flight name stands for more than electrical flight innovations: ecological and evolutionary advances in flight regardless of their nature are embraced, although electric is certainly leading the show. *** Erik Lindbergh, grandson of Charles Lindbergh, will present his foundation’s prize for outstanding achievements in the development of electric flight. *** This year should bring several exciting advances in electric flight . I’ll be doing a broad story for Plane & Pilot magazine soon on what’s up and what’s coming. *** Another highlight of the Expo is “History for the Future of Flight”, a tantalizing assemblage of descendants and close relatives of last century’s aviation pioneers: Claude Dornier, Igor Sikorsky, Marcel Dassault and Count Zeppelin.
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AOPA to FAA: Let CFI-S Hours Count for the Private License!
There’s been some controversy lately regarding FAA’s mandate that flight training towards the Sport Pilot license is not allowed to count toward the Private Pilot (PPL) and higher licenses and ratings unless the instructor is a certificated CFI, rather than a CFI-S (as FAA delineates Sport Pilot-only instructors). *** Recently, AOPA petitioned the FAA to change the regulations and allow those hours to count for all higher levels of certificated airmanship. *** The pilot member organization picked up support along the way from EAA, GAMA (General Aviation Manufacturers Association), and NAFI (National Association of Flight Instructors), all of which are now petitioning FAA to change these regs: FAR Part 61.99 and 61.109. The specific language asks FAA to “permit the instruction time received in pursuit of a sport pilot certificate to be credited toward the instruction requirements of additional certificates and ratings.” *** Of course, getting advanced ratings requires training from a qualified CFI.
Flying Cessna’s LSA Skycatcher
Honestly, I never thought I’d see this day arrive. As I started work
on a Cessna aircraft review for the pages of Light Sport and
Ultralight Flying magazine, I thought, We’ve come a long way.
When this publication was started 35 years ago, it was titled Glider Rider
and it featured hang gliders. Coverage then expanded to include powered
ultralights, and now light-sport aircraft (LSA) are included in the mix.
This month I’ve written a pilot report on Cessna Aircraft’s Skycatcher
LSA, the first Cessna in modern memory not built to FAR Part 23 standards,
that is, not type-certified by the U.S. government. Some may say ultralights
“grew up” to become light-sports. But I say that Cessna has moved
(returned?) to very light aircraft designs. I consider their arrival significant.
It isn’t simply that you can buy a brand-new Cessna for $112,500 (more on
the price later). The more important point to Light Sport and Ultralight
Flying readers is that the Skycatcher flies similarly to what light aircraft
enthusiasts fly.
Sleek, Comfortable and Fun; The Sinus Motorglider
Many Americans will agree
the name of this aircraft is odd, and that may be a kind word for the common reaction to “Sinus.” Is the name that important? Sinus (pronounced Seen-us), the aircraft, is a sleek, slender machine capable of impressive performance.
Any soaring-attuned pilot can easily live with the name Sinus for the 49-foot span and, get this, 28-to-1 glide performance! On first glance, except for its elegant, shapely, and thin wings, the Sinus looks like a proper light sport airplane. Pilot Matevz Lenarcic flew one around the world solo, in 80 days, and with zero ground or air support (see “Microlight Motorglider Flies Around the World,” April ’05 UltralightFlying! magazine).
What’s In a Name After All?
Let’s consider that name. U.S. dealer Robert Mudd says Pipistrel – the manufacturer – prefers to pronounce it “seen-us,” not “sighn-us.” They say this refers to a perfect sound wave or sine wave rather than a head cold.
Larry Newman, 2011
Larry Newman, 63, one of the seminal manufacturing/marketing dynamos in the early days of hang gliding who made the successful transition to ultralights, has died after a reported 3-year battle with pancreatic cancer. *** Larry was a flamboyant entrepreneur who successfully sold his ElectraFlyer hang gliders. *** When people started sticking motors on the foot launched craft, he came out with a new company, American Aerolites, to produce the Eagle ultralight. *** I first flew the Eagle with Plane & Pilot Publisher Steve Werner back in 1983. I remember it vividly: while Steve was up on a test hop, I was taking photos of his flight next to the runway at Coronado Airport, north of Albuquerque, near Larry’s factory…and I got stung twice by fire ants.I almost jumped out of my jeans, it hurt so bad. I thought I’d been shot in the leg. I could barely see the critters but what a painful wallop they packed.
Sebring Wrap Up…and Beyond
I’d call this Day 4 but rush-deadline work for the mag intervened after the last day at Sebring so just getting to it now. *** The Sebring experience gets better every year, I believe precisely because Bob Woods keeps it consistently valuable without tricking it up with a lot of extraneous booths selling things like Miracle Kitchen Knife or iPhone WonderMuffin Pocket Baker and the like: it’s an LSAshow, pure and simple, and a great opportunity for folks to crawl out from wherever winter is tap-dancing on their heads and let them see, compare, fly and even buy aircraft and peripheral stuff.Many airframe makers reported sales at the show, or expected deals to close afterward. Exhibitors hope for sales of course, but realize folks often need to go home, reflect on what they’ve seen, then push the button or think more on it. *** I’d say from everybody I talked to, optimism was rekindled that 2011 will be better than the last — a real toughie.
Sebring Day 1: Cessna’s Skycatcher Update
Cessna’s Skycatcher program is really gaining traction. I had a fun chat with Julie Filucci, Mgr of Cessna Pilot Centers (an excellent formation stick too — she flew for my Cessna shoot a year ago). *** Matt Tutton, an Orlando Cessna dealer, and Bob Stangarone, Cessna’s VP of Corp. Communications also weighed in the haps in Wichita. *** By the end of 2010, 30 Skycatchers had been delivered, mostly to flight schools across the U.S. *** “We expect to deliver 150 more by the end of this year,” says Bob, “and more than that in 2012, although we don’t have an exact number yet.” *** Cessna’s working tirelessly working away at that backlog that initially climbed to 1000 orders when the scratch-built LSA was first announced a few years back. *** Both Julie and Matt Tutton had recent long XC trips with the Skycatcher. Julie’s reached out to Oshkosh from Wichita, while Matt’s went southeast from Wichita to Orlando.
A Day In The Office
Nothing like getting some air. *** Thanks to Jim Lee of Phoenix Air USA, I finally had my desire: Jim and I flew the fabulous new Phoenix LSA motorglider, with both wingtips (max span: 49 feet!) out of his home base at Melbourne International Airport, Florida, and I have to say simply this: it cured my winter blues.Or to paraphrase Renée Zellwegger, “Shut up. Just shut up. You had me at liftoff.” *** To say the Phoenix lives up to its advance billing is understatement, plain and simple: it’s a wonderful airplane for anybody who desires to have friendly Light-Sport handling (2 second roll rate, 45° to 45°), wonderful engine-off soaring performance (200 fpm sink rate), excellent and comfortable XC cruise (100 knots at 75%), comfortable, semi-reclined seats, great visibility with the sleek bubble canopy and forward rake of the cowl, beautiful lines, wonderful engine package… need I go on?I’ll let the pix do the talking for now.
Piper Tells PiperSport Maker: “CzechMate!”
In a tersely worded and OMG-style announcement, Piper Aircraft today said today it “will terminate its business relationship with Czech Republic-based Czech Sport Aircraft to market that company’s Light Sport Aircraft, citing differences in business philosophies.” *** Piper’s CEO Geoffrey Berger said, “After a year working with Czech Sport Aircraft, Piper determined that it is in our company’s best long-term interests to discontinue the business relationship…Clearly, the company (i.e. Piper) has a different business perspective and approach to the market than Czech Sport Aircraft,” he added. *** Piper excited the LSA world with its announcement last year, when helmed by former CEO Kevin Gould, that it would virtually take over rebadging, and upgrading, the popular but problem-plagued Czech Sport Aircraft SportCruiser, a beautiful and popular aircraft. *** “We at Piper have a close affinity with this emerging segment of the marketplace,” Berger continued, “and we have great expectations for the LSA industry.
Breezing through the Bahamas
While my former home state of Minnesota grappled with enough snowfall to collapse the Metrodome’s inflated roof, I’m still hanging out in the Bahamas (yeah, I know, tough job…). *** After the First International Sport Pilot Fly-in concluded all but a couple Breezers flew home. Our group of four, lead by islands expert and U.S. Breezer importer Mike Zidziunas, took a pair of Breezer LSA south to an island called Staniel Cay (pronounced “key” unless you want to easily identified as a tourist). The experience was spectacular in many ways. The trusty Rotax 912s ran smoothly and confidently for as one of the Fly-in pilots put it, “Your engine doesn’t know it’s over water.” *** On the planned trip home, assuming strong headwinds die down following passage of the same giant cold front that dumped all the snow in parts of the U.S., we plan to wend our way through some visually stimulating inter-island flying at low altitude.
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