After taking a few days off to boat around Lake George, NY and shoot the Red Bull Air Race in New York City, it’s time to catch up on what’s been happening. *** The Transition “Roadable Aircraft” (I can’t help but prefer the chummier “flying car”) just got a weight exemption nod from FAA for an additional 110 pounds of MTOW (max takeoff weight). That nudges the vehicle up to 1,430 pounds. *** Terrafugia‘s request for the bump is meant to provide “…the structure and equipment necessary for compliance with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) which are not found in other Light Sport Aircraft.” *** They’re talking about things such as airbags, energy absorbing crumple zone and protective safety cage. *** Interestingly, Transition’s maker Terrafugia initially asked for an MTOW of 1,474 pounds. FAA in effect said “You can have what we gave the amphib makers, but no more.” *** This evokes the ultralight days, when the original 150 lb.
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They’re Home! Twin Solo Round-the-World Flights
Two Swiss pilots embarked on a round-the-world flight on April 30 and 51 days later they are back home in Switzerland. Yannick Bovier, 37, and Francisco Agullo, 41, created an expedition they call “Azimut 270” to celebrate 100 years of aviation in Switzerland, a country known for its natural beauty and for being bankers to the world. *** The dynamic duo returned safely on Saturday, June 19 after crossing two oceans, confronting suspicious government officials for country overflight permission, paying high landing and permit fees, battling fatigue and loneliness, performing routine maintenance that comes with so many hours logged, plus having to watch what foods they consumed during flight legs that several times started before dawn and ended after dark. (On-board bathrooms have yet to be installed in the first Light-Sport Aircraft making such biological necessities a real challenge). *** Starting on the last day of April, the duo leaped the Atlantic to Brazil by May 8 and then crossed the Caribbean to Miami, Florida, USA by May 13.
Noteworthy LSA Project Shuts Down
I’ve had my head buried in pilot reports, image processing and P&P’s 2010 LSA Buyer’s Guide. Guides in particular never seem like they’ll be such a mind-numbing chore yet every time the same number of eyeball-jittering, typing finger-stiffening days roll by. Look for it in the Oshkosh issue, late June I think. *** There are 107 registered LSA models on the books. I couldn’t write about all of them so went with the top-selling 20, realizing even then some great airplanes get left out, so I factored in another couple dozen or so that stand a good chance of garnering market share in the future. *** Most if not all The Magnificent 107 remain in some state of production – a minor miracle given our sluggish economy. Even more new designs approach ASTM certification this year. Clearly it’s going to be a big pie — with a lot of small slices — for a long time to come.
Twin Solo Round-the-World Flights Land in Miami
As they connect the dots of their plan to circumnavigate the world in celebration of 100 years of aviation in Switzerland, Yannick Bovier and Francisco Agullo have now spanned one immense body of water. The pair of twin Flight Design CTLS “Ecolight” aircraft cleared a big hurdle with the jump across the Atlantic from Africa to Brazil (map photo). Bigger bodies of water await the dynamic duo, two young European airline pilots. But before setting out across the Pacific, they will cruise across the USA to receptions like that which greeted the pair in Maimi. *** Flight Design USA’s John Gilmore says, “These kind of very long distance flight show pilots that Light-Sport Aircraft like CTLS can fly long distances reliably and efficiently.” All round-the-world flights so far in LSA have used the Rotax 912; this engine recently increased its Time Between Overhaul (TBO) to 2,000 hours, a comparable value to long-proven engines like Continental and Lycoming.
The Longest Flight
Two wild-and-crazy Swiss airline pilots decided to take a busman’s holiday – one hell of a busman’s holiday – by taking two Flight Design CTLS S-LSA on a little jaunt, in celebration of the birth of aviation in Switzerland 100 years ago. *** Their destination? The airport they launched from April 30th: Sion, Switzerland. *** The catch? Before they return to Sion, they’re flying around the world! *** Dan Johnson’s got a detailed writeup on his Splog but the short tell is the pilots, Yannick Bovier and Francisco Agullo, will fly 27,500 miles over 18 countries, five continents and two oceans. *** Both craft are modified to carry extra fuel – 120 gallons each, instead of the stock 35 gallons. *** They’re also carrying survival gear including water ditching rafts as their route crosses both the Atlantic (Africa to South America) and the Pacific (America to Viet Nam). *** As of today they’ve made it across from Africa to Natal, Brazil.
CT Circles the Planet… Again!… in Pairs!!
Way back near the dawn of Light-Sport Aircraft… in 2007, two Indian military pilots flew a CT around the world to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Indian Air Force. (CT later became one of the first LSA used in an Indian flight school.) *** On April 30th, two Swiss airline pilots took off on another round the globe flight to honor the 100th anniversary of the first flight in their country back in 1910. But this is a different effort than the 2007 Indian circumnavigation. The Swiss pilots — Yannick Bovier, 37, and Francisco Agullo, 41 — are using Flight Design’s newest model, the CTLS… and they’re using two of them! Yep, each qualified pilot will fly his own CTLS, and to keep things straight, they’ve named their aircraft Celine and Dreamcatcher. They’ll emulate South Africans Mike Blythe and James Pitman’s globe-girdling flight by going east-to-west.
Cool Sectional Map-Based Portable GPS
Hands down my favorite of the entire Sun ‘n Fun show was the iFly 700 GPS which has nothing to do with the iPhone but is, for pilots, just as cool for its innovative features and really affordable price: $499! *** Super easy to do a flight plan: Tap an airport with your finger on the screen and menus pop up to select a waypoint or as your final destination. *** Never buy another sectional; they’re continually updated as part of the $69/year subscription service, which also includes IFR enroute charts and lots of other features. *** The company owner/designers told me there will be some eye-popping software upgrades coming down the pike. These guys have the programming mojo — one designed the Orbitz travel site for example. *** It comes with a suction mount, power cords, remote, carrying case and tons of features. *** Watch this company, it could be the beginning of a major product for in flight navigation.
One Production Skycatcher Here… 999+ to Follow
It begins! The long awaited arrival of Cessna into the ranks of Special Light-Sport Aircraft has begun, with the first Shenyang-produced Skycatcher arriving in Wichita. The company reports taking more than 1,000 orders. At Oshkosh 2009, company officials said production would commence as originally planned in 2009 but that 2010 will be the year of substantial deliveries from their Chinese contract manufacturer. Soon, we’ll begin to see registered Skycatchers show up on our market share reports. *** Magazine reporters started to gain access for evaluation flights, though the first of those occurred on a slightly overweight prototype. Initial reports were positive, mirroring comments from Cessna managers who have gotten to fly the prototypes. Performance and payload are factors sure to be gauged by additional flight reviewers as production versions become available. So far, flights have occurred on the #2 prototype that was rebuilt after an incident following spin tests; that aircraft landed under parachute canopy and did not sustain major damage.
Meanwhile, Back At the Electric Ranch…
The Creative Solutions Alliance (CSA) is a nonprofit organization, founded by Erik Lindbergh, grandson of Charles “Lucky Lindy” Lindbergh, that just announced his creation of the Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize (LEAP). *** In stirring language as quoted to AOPA’s Alton K. Marsh, Lindbergh says, “We are literally teaching the next generation to imagine and create their future.” *** The idea, as we’ve seen in the past with similar contests such as the Orteig Prize (1st Atlantic crossing won by Lindbergh) Kremer Prize (human powered flight – Gossamer Condor), and the X-Prize (1st private suborbital space flight), is to “promote the practical development of electric aircraft by recognizing specific advances in this emerging cleantech (sic) industry.” *** Prizes will be awarded for: *** Best Electric Aircraft: keyword in this category is practical, and it can be an Experimental, LSA or Certified aircraft. *** Best Electric Aircraft Sub-System: component systems that advance the field of electric aircraft *** Best Electric Aircraft Component Technology: Individual components such as batteries, motors, power electronics etc.
Meanwhile, Back At the Electric Ranch…
The Creative Solutions Alliance (CSA) is a nonprofit organization, founded by Erik Lindbergh, grandson of Charles “Lucky Lindy” Lindbergh, that just announced his creation of the Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize (LEAP). *** In stirring language as quoted to AOPA’s Alton K. Marsh, Lindbergh says, “We are literally teaching the next generation to imagine and create their future.” *** The idea, as we’ve seen in the past with similar contests such as the Orteig Prize (1st Atlantic crossing won by Lindbergh) Kremer Prize (human powered flight – Gossamer Condor), and the X-Prize (1st private suborbital space flight), is to “promote the practical development of electric aircraft by recognizing specific advances in this emerging cleantech (sic) industry.” *** Prizes will be awarded for: ** Best Electric Aircraft: keyword in this category is practical, and it can be an Experimental, LSA or Certified aircraft. ** Best Electric Aircraft Sub-System: component systems that advance the field of electric aircraft ** Best Electric Aircraft Component Technology: Individual components such as batteries, motors, power electronics, etc.
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