Earlier I wrote about several changes of leadership at LSA producers. Here’s a similar story, one I find quite amazing for its breadth. Consider this… The following organizations — some of the biggest and most influential in aviation — have seen longtime leaders depart: EAA, Sun ‘n Fun, Sebring Expo, and a couple years ago, AOPA. We’re used to frequent leadership changes at FAA, where people seem to move between jobs like a game of musical chairs, but the preceding private organizations had consistent leaders for a decade or more. *** Most recently, Tom Poberezny retired as Chairman of EAA. His departure was abrupt, with a hastily arranged press conference on day two of AirVenture followed by no Tom for the rest of the show he has managed for decades. The decision was speculated to be contentious but regardless of back office maneuvering, it seems a missed opportunity to publicly acknowledge more than a half century of guidance by the founding Poberezny family.
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Let’s Go Flying with Dynon’s SkyView
[UPDATE 2/9/10 — Check our new LSA Video entry showing you around the first Special Light-Sport Aircraft installation of SkyView (and Garmin 696) in a CTLS… then go watch the video below.]
*** Talk about your “Wow! Factor,” Paul Hamilton’s new video for Dynon really shows off the amazing capability of the company’s SkyView avionics system featuring synthetic vision. Go along for a flight during bright daylight and into the dimming sun over mountainous terrain. You can see the real image and compare how SkyView synthesizes it. After viewing the system in flight, I predict your choice of words will include: “Impressive!” Dynon’s SkyView setup costs about $5,500 for a single 10-inch screen, though this price is a small fraction of the cost of a Type Certificated system. *** Paul is a veteran videographer and website publisher focused on the light end of aviation. Start here and work your way around his several content websites.
A Sleek Mystique
But this airplane offers no mystery …
Most pilots will find
nothing mysterious
about the Mystique. In
fact, many readers already
know its manufacturer,
Interplane Aircraft, which
also manufactures the
Skyboy that achieved early
success before light-sport
aircraft (LSA) were given
official status.
Yet to American pilot
eyes, the Mystique is a
new bird on the horizon.
It earned its special lightsport
aircraft (S-LSA)
airworthiness certificate
shortly before the U.S.
Sport Aviation Expo in
mid-January 2007. This is
the second S-LSA approval
for Interplane; Skyboy won
approval in October 2006.
Let’s Meet the Distributor and Manufacturer
Many LSA pilots have come to
know Doug and Betty Hempstead,
the proprietors of several aviation
companies based at the Sanford-Lee
County Regional Airport in North
Carolina. Doug and Betty operate a
flight school, two import enterprises,
and plan to embark on final assembly
of airplanes in the United States.
The Hempsteads import the Allegro,
manufactured in the Czech
Republic by Fantasy Air, under the
Fantasy Air USA name.
Cirrus SRS Orders + a dozen LSA & an Ultralight
SEBRING 2008 — Opening day started fast with press announcements from Cirrus — the GA company started taking orders for their SRS — and from Flight Design as the company unveiled their much-anticipated CTLS. But that was hardly all as the fourth Sebring Expo got going. I found a dozen newsworthy airplanes at the event and I may have missed some (I’ll keep searching). *** Gobosh introduced the 800XP, a sleek composite companion to the metal 700S. Sport Aircraft Works offered their just approved Dynamic LSA with fixed gear and prop. Skykits showed their shiny new Rampage with electric slots and Fowler flaps, and Urban Air USA showed their Lamabada LSA motorglider for the first time at a U.S. airshow. SportairUSA revealed their third generation Sting S3 with a new wing design and other updates.
Jabiru USA Brings 4th SLSA to Market
SEBRING 2008 UPDATE — Like rapid fire, approvals and preparations for the Sebring Expo are coming quickly. In less than a month before Sebring we’ve seen approval of the SeaMax amphib; Rans’ all metal S-19; the super-wide S-Wing; all-new Flight Design CTLS; composite Dynamic WT9; long-gliding Lamabada, and many upgrades to the Thorpedo 120LP and 85LP. Now, welcome the fourth Jabiru: J230-SP. *** Good for flight schools, Jabiru USA president Pete Krotje added, “It’s ideal for those longer cross country trips.” J230-SP has achieved European JAR/VLA certification and Pete elaborated that J230 is one of the most tested LSA in the world because it passed all of the FAR Part 23 testing for strength, stability, and spin recovery. It has been drop tested from five feet at its design gross weight of 1,540 pounds with no serious damage. When operated at a gross weight of 1,320 pounds, design strength is reported to exceed ASTM standards by a good margin.
Lockwood to Help Educate A&Ps on Rotax Powerplants
A&P acceptance (or lack thereof) is a leading reason for Cessna’s decision to use the Continental O-200D in Skycatcher. Surveys through their Cessna Pilot Centers showed that a majority of FAA-licensed mechanics preferred an engine they already know. Most lack knowledge of the Rotax 9-series that powers the majority of the LSA fleet. And when an expert knows little about a new product, human nature compels him to resist. *** Trying to educate A&Ps on the best-selling LSA engine is one task of Rotax service center operator, Phil Lockwood. This winter, he’ll be giving hourlong presentations for A&Ps (and owners), trying to encourage to A&Ps to take a pair of two-day courses to bring them up to speed with the Austrian engines. *** Of 62 presently approved SLSA models, only 8 (13%) use another engine (Continental or Jabiru). Starting in 1973 with the ultralight market, Rotax has produced more than 125,000 aircraft engines.
Flying the Rans S-19; SLSA Version in Process
Most light aircraft enthusiasts know Rans. One of America’s leading builders the Hays, Kansas company has delivered more than 4,000 aircraft. Rans achieved Primary Category certification for their high wing tandem S-7 Courier in the 1990s. That program fizzled through no fault of Rans’ but after meeting industry consensus (ASTM) standards their S-7LS again won approval as a Special Light-Sport Aircraft. *** Sales of the model ranks the company at #17…5th among U.S. builders. That position seems bound to rise when Rans adds the low wing side-by-side S-19 as a SLSA (so far it’s been offered as a 51% kit). Look for their announcement at the Sebring Expo. *** Recently I attended EAA’s Hall of Fame ceremony as designer Randy Schlitter was inducted into the Homebuilders category. Since he flew to Oshkosh I got the chance to fly his ’19 for an article to appear in EAA’s Sport Pilot.
See Nothing New in Part 103 Airplanes? Look Again!
Even though FAA has said Part 103 will not be changed, many pilots see few fixed wing airplane choices truly meeting the definition.
Some trikes and powered parachutes can manage it but many lament, “Yeah, but no three-axis designs.” If you agree, be prepared to eat your words. Here comes Interplane’s ZJ Viera.
The brand-new composite design is no dream. It’s gone through a proof-of-concept stage and is now flying as a preproduction prototype. Those attending Sebring Expo 2008 can visit importer LSA America‘s display.
Does it genuinely make weight, the toughest part of F.A.R. Part 103? Based on factory info…YES, and by a generous margin!…thanks to modern materials and simple design.
Will ZJ be affordable? “Yes,” says former Interplane owner Ralph Mandarino. The company priced a basic ready-to-fly monowheel ZJ at $19,800. They’re flying it with the Hirth F33 but as it appears well under the max empty weight of 254 pounds, ZJ engineer and Interplane CEO Marek Ivanov could investigate other engines including four-stroke or electric.
Sleek Design Is Workhorse; Remos G-3 “Trainer”
Rob Rollison imports the gorgeous Remos G-3. [2007 UPDATE: The new importer is Remos USA. Call: Toll Free: 888-838-9879] He is working closely with German designer Lorenz Kreitmayr to certify G-3 as a Special Light-Sport Aircraft. Early sales will be to sophisticated buyers that see the sleek machine as a personal aircraft with impressive performance. But at the Sebring Expo 2006, I met a German instructor who sees it differently. Josef Sporer somewhat hesitantly bought a G-3 to see if it would work in his flight school. After an astounding 20,000 landings and 3,500 hours on one aircraft, he is so convinced of the aircraft’s sturdiness for instructional use that he’s added a second one. So while the Remos aircraft looks like a dream, and boasts good gliding and cruising performance, it qualifies quite well as a trainer, too. Built since 1997, more than 164 are flying around the world.
Lockwood Delivering Drifter Kits; Air Cam Coming
When I first met Phil Lockwood, he was selling Drifters. That was more than 20 years ago. In that time the venerable Drifter ultralight went through several owners and many changes. A Drifter model even hailed from Australia for a time. But in a combined deal including the Air Cam — which Phil designed — all design rights, inventory, tooling, documentation returned home…to Lockwood enterprises (Read July 5, 2006 SPLOG). A 7,000 square-foot addition enlarges Lockwood’s facility to house the new activity. On a tour of this facility after the Sebring Expo I saw the stockpile of components that demanded a new building. Initially Phil expected only to supply Drifter parts to service about 1,000 aircraft flying around the globe. But early demand has staffers shipping a few kits even while they complete the factory. Lockwood also plans to deliver full Air Cam kits bringing this hugely delightful aircraft back to regular production.
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