Recreational aviation can be hugely rewarding in many ways, but creating a well-functioning and useful business in this sector of flying has challenges.
Some who try eventually hit upon the right formula but no one says this is easy. Technology has been particularly helpful to smaller enterprises, especially those that serve customers widely dispersed across the country. Whatever you think of social media, the fact is they help those with specialized interests find people who can provide services.
One fellow has found his magic carpet. His instruction calendar has a few available slots in 2023 but he has already almost filled this year’s schedule book. How did one man succeed and who is this story about?
A Full-Service
Individual
I’ve known Roy Beisswenger, founder and proprietor of Easy Flight, for many years. I have long tracked his journalistic work for ultralights and LSA enthusiasts (Powered Sport Flying magazine) and we established a closer working relationship almost ten years ago as we sought change to regulations from FAA.
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It’s Almost Here! — Sun ‘n Fun 2023 Theme “The Magic of Aviation” and “The Island”
Whoo, Hoo! It’s almost showtime! April 2023 seems destined to finally overcome all the Covid baggage as attendees sign up in droves for Sun ‘n Fun.
With a delicious 10-day spacing between them — time to rest up a bit after a vigorous week — later in April comes Aero Friedrichshafen. Get ready for plenty of reporting from these two events.
Both events have new leadership in 2023. A time for changes. Fresh ideas are emerging. What can you expect at this years airshows? With Sun ‘n Fun 2023 starting in about two weeks as this is written, let’s focus on Lakeland, Florida first.
Organizers of the 49th event announced major plans for this popular airshow that kicks off the recreational flying season. My focus is on LSA, Sport Pilot kits, and ultralights. At Sun ‘n Fun, that means Paradise City, where big things are happening. You would not be wrong if you scanned this article and saw increased interest in this part of the overall Sun ‘n Fun grounds.
“Ultra Petrel?” How Do You Make Super Petrel Even Better? Add Power And Call It “XP”
I have followed Super Petrel since before it went to Brazil* more than 20 years ago. I mention this to make two points.
Super Petrel has a long history; some 400 are flying around the world. In addition, the current producer, Scoda Aeronautica, has continually made changes to the design. The video below identifies some of this history.
What’s new for 2023 is the Super Petrel XP and it’s boost to big Rotax power, the 915iS fuel injected, turbocharged, intercooled engine that seems to be steadily supplanting all prior models.
Smoother & More Powerful
Super Petrel XP
“Eight years ago, Rodrigo Scoda and his team of engineers at Scoda Aeronautica began a secret project to redesign the aircraft from the wheels up,” started the update explanation by Roger Helton president of Super Petrel USA. “About one year into the project, they and other OEM aircraft manufactures were invited by Rotax to attend a meeting and were informed of the new 915iS engine.”
The timing was perfect as Rodrigo has always said, “You begin with the engine and build the aircraft around it.”
Besides the more potent engine, Scoda engineers have been busy.
How’s This for Affordable? …FREE! You Could Win One of Two Premium Special LSA!
I regularly say this website follows aircraft you can afford. Whenever I write that word, I know someone will object saying that (fill-in-the-price) is too expensive. I get that. We all have a different budget and our budget can change quickly.
How about if the aircraft was essentially free? And what if you could choose between two highly-desirable models? What if the only cost to get your “lottery” ticket was to subscribe to a popular magazine?
Gee, fellow flying fans — I’d say that sounded like the bargain of 2023. It’s the most lucrative giveaway that has been unveiled in the LSA space since it began almost 20 years ago.
Thanks, Flying!
When I was a young pilot — quite a long time ago — one of the first aviation magazines I ever read was Flying. You could buy it on any newsstand. With a 96-year history, anyone getting involved in flying ended up reading Flying magazine.
Stealing the STOL Show — Zenith Wins Again in New Zealand (Where It’s Summertime)
A winning airshow attraction over the last few years has been STOL competitions. STOL stands for Short Takeoff and Landing. Believe me, these pilots totally obsess over “short.”
You truly need to see these performances to believe what determined pilots in suitable aircraft can do. I encourage all to come on down to sunny Florida for Sun ‘n Fun 2023 and check out the action in Paradise City (formerly the “Ultralight/Lightplane Area” and now badged as “Light Planes“).
Like its counterpart at AirVenture in the Fun Fly Zone (also the former Ultralight Area), crowds can get close enough to see the STOL performances in great detail. Usually you have to arrive early enough to get a place at the fence. I’ve seen spectators 10-deep at both events.
Paradise City hosts Sun ‘n Fun’s “other” runway, a grass strip that’s been steadily improved enough that the local Lakeland Aero Club, associated with the onsite high school, can and does conduct flight operations during the 51 weeks of the year when the show isn’t happening.
Follow the Skyleader 400 — Czech Producer Offers Wide Variety in Light Aircraft
When Light-Sport Aircraft arrived on the scene almost 20 years ago, one early model that caught my attention was Kappa KP-5. This was one of the first of several brands unknown to Americans then. Others went on to become fixtures in the LSA space: Flight Design, Tecnam, Evektor, and Aeroprakt, among others.
Over some years, light aircraft models that arrived under the name Kappa were rebadged as Jihlavan and then Skyleader. In truth, it’s been Jihlavan all along but Americans have an easier time saying Skyleader. The company has been a busy development engine lead by engineer Antonín Píštěk while the enterprise is lead by CEO Radek Filip, also an engineer.
In the center of the model lineup, Skyleader 200 to Skyleader 600 are descendants of that first Kappa KP5. Contrarily, GP One and UL-39 Albi (article) are distinct designs that do not derive from the 200-400-500-600 series.
Invasion of the Part 103 Multicopters — Surveying 5 Entries, All “No Pilot License Required”
These new-millennia flying machines have inspired multiple names. While an eventual winner is determined, a common handle seems to be the rather awkward “eVTOL” — for electric vertical takeoff and landing. A range of abbreviations are also used: UAV, UAM, UAS, autonomous aircraft, and several others. I like multicopter — because all of them involved multiple propellers doing the lifting.
Most commonly, you hear “drone.”
Yet “drone” is further confusing because we haven’t separated crewed aircraft from uncrewed aircraft and this is a major distinction. FAA has also made this separation, so for this article, I will only speak of crewed aircraft, that is, a flying machine with a pilot using controls to direct its flight. In addition, I will also stick solely to single place aircraft that can theoretically qualify as a legitimate Part 103 ultralight vehicle.
Let me first extend a quick thanks to IEEE’s Spectrum magazine for making me aware of entries I’d missed.
It Was a Very Good Year — Icon Is Back on Heading with Their A5 LSA Seaplane
Some might say Icon Aircraft has experienced a rather turbulent flight. The company came off the starting line boldly with splashy marketing including an immense, fancy tent right at the entrance to AirVenture. Each year at Oshkosh, the company hosted an annual party with special features and free drinks. It became a must-attend event for those lucky enough to get an invitation.
When A5 was finally accepted by FAA as a Special LSA, the company shrewdly arranged to get on the cover and be the lead article in the same month of American aviation’s top three magazines (by circulation): Flying magazine, AOPA Pilot, and EAA Sport Aviation. I’ve been around and observing aviation publishing for a few decades and I’d never see such a triple play before. These magazines are friendly to each other but nonetheless compete vigorously. The rarely (never?) want the same cover story as their rivals. Icon accomplished this without spending a dime advertising with the publications.
Come Back… Cleanly! MySky Returns with Plans to Make Flying Friendlier
Once upon a time, I was able to report three or more new Special Light-Sport Aircraft every month. That was more than a decade back when the pace of new arrivals seemed faster than a rocket parachute deployment. Lots of airplane developers from all over the globe wanted a piece of this promising LSA action with its greater freedoms and breathtaking pace of innovation. New models were announced with regularity.
For the past few years that torrid pace slowed… just as it has in every other industry I’ve examined. However, in aviation it is uncommon for a good airplane to actually disappear forever. Designs worth their avgas often manage a come-back, a term meant to show a return to market for a flying machine some may have written off earlier.
Here is such a story.
MySky MS-One
From the day I laid eyes on it, I liked the tandem seating, comfortable cockpit, and sturdy construction of MySky’s MS-1 or MS-One.
JMB Aircraft Delivered #500 of their Blazing-Fast VL3 Light Aircraft + Evolution News
Fifteen years ago, in 2007, Guisset brothers Jean-Marie and Jean-Baptiste were dealers in France and Belgium for a company then known as Aveko. Driven by a passion for flying that started when they were only fourteen years old, the brothers were successful enough that at one point they could claim to have sold more than 85% of the aircraft produced by Aveko.
Aircraft seen in nearby images is the VL3, a plane formerly designed by Vanessa Air and produced by Aveko. Americans first came to know a variation of this model as the Gobosh G700S although that faded about the time JMB took over production. Some years went by with no U.S. presence for the European low-wing aircraft.
Five years later, in 2012, the Guisset brothers’ acquired Aveko. Shortly after, they started to upgrade the aircraft, pushing the aircraft to fly faster (article). They also upgraded the interior; see current state-of-design in a nearby image.
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