Sport pilot and light-sport aircraft,
what’s it all about?
If you’ve ever thought about
learning to fly, returning to
flying, or resuming flying lessons
that you started years ago,
congratulations; your timing is
just about perfect! This rule provides
new opportunities for you as well as
anyone who has dreamed of owning
an aircraft.
This article will summarize how
SP/LSA affects you. We’ll keep it simple;
when you’re ready for more,
EAA offers many ways to become
more informed (see “For More
Information”). Like many activities,
flying has its own language with
abbreviations, acronyms, forms, and
numbers to make discussing it faster.
Veteran pilots throw this lingo around
casually and often baffle those who
aren’t involved. We’ll avoid such jargon
in this article, and we’ll only use
abbreviations after we’ve explained
them.
Let’s Get Started!
SP/LSA has two basic components:
“Sport pilot” refers to a new pilot
certificate you can earn (the FAA calls
them certificates as opposed to licenses);
“Light-sport aircraft (LSA)” refers
to a new category of aircraft.
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GT Ultralights: A Versatile Trike Supplier
Ukrainian airframe producer Aeros has risen from complete obscurity in the early 1990s (after the Berlin Wall fell) to wide recognition in recreational aviation. Although powered ultralight and light-sport aircraft enthusiasts may not immediately know the brand, hang glider pilots around the world are very aware of the name. The current reigning world champion hang glider pilot is Oleg Bondarchuck, a Ukrainian pilot who works with Aeros.
This young company emerging from the former Soviet mantel also makes an ultralight sailplane plus two powered aircraft. Aeros produces the Sky Ranger 3-axis airplane (under agreement with its French designer), and it has designed and markets its own trike. The company also supplies trike wings for other producers like Antares. By any normal measurements, Aeros is a versatile company.
Many ultralight and LSA pilots probably know the Aeros Velocity trike, and may recall its earlier name, Venture. In those days, it was sold by Sabre Aircraft alongside the trikes that Arizona company made here in America.
LSA Market Shares Based on FAA Registry
Lots of people want to know…customers, insurance companies, dealers, membership organizations, and, of course, all the manufacturers and importers. We all like to keep score. While I believe FAA data has some delay in reporting, it is a reputable source of info. Here’s what their registrations show through the end of March, 2007. *** Flight Design remains #1 at 21% — #2 American Legend remains the largest U.S. producer with 13% of all registrations. These two are followed by #3 Evektor at 8% — #4 TL Ultralights (StingSport) at 7% — #5 Tecnam at 6% — #6 Fantasy Air at 6% — #7 AMD (CH-601) at 5% — #8 LSA America (Skyboy) at 4% — #9 CubCrafters at 4% — and #10 Jabiru at 3% of all SLSA registrations. These aircraft account for 552 aircraft or 77% of 719 registered SLSA airplanes.
U.S. Built A-22 Valor Wins SLSA #49
After I flew the A-20 and A-22 near Aeroprakt’s Ukraine factory, I felt sure these designs would find their way to the U.S. market. Now that Sebring-based Float Planes and Amphibs (FPNA) assumed import operations from Spectrum Aircraft, you can buy planes like the great-flying A-20 Vista or the tractor engine amphib A-24 Viking. FPNA also builds an amphibious float system for trikes and sells other lines like Quicksilver ultralights and powered parachutes. *** But their newest achievement on March 31st, a couple weeks before Sun ‘n Fun 2007, was SLSA approval for the A-22 Valor. FPNA is the manufacturer of this model, purchasing the fuselage and selected other components from designer Aeroprakt in Ukraine, but building 60% of the airplane themselves including wings, avionics and panel work, engine installation, plus all plumbing and electrical. FPNA owner Shawn Okun says the Orlando MIDO office gave their approval.
TC’s Trikes and North Wing Team Up on Coyote
Two years ago, I flew and reported on the only model TC’s Trikes offered. Though their line had little depth, the Tennessee company built their own wing and chassis. Many trike chassis builders purchase wings from other sources, much like happens universally in powered parachutes. TC’s Trikes did it all based particularly on their needs as an active flight school operation.
In today’s light aircraft world, a wider product line addresses more pilots, which makes a more viable business. Given the pace of refinements, it can be tough to keep up. Yet TC’s Trikes had a track record in the East, selling more than 100 trikes of their own and other brands. Pairing up with another company, if the fit was right, could be smart business.
A match was found between TC’s Trikes and Washington state-based North Wing Design. TC’s Trikes had something North Wing lacked – a presence in the Eastern USA.
What To Do?
Some buyers are unsure how to weigh the decision between ultralight and the new light-sport aircraft. While Heldeberg Designs works on their statement of compliance to new ASTM consensus design standards, here’s some advice to Blue Heron owners from Heldeberg Designs:
“Single-seat, FAA Part 103-compliant aircraft (e.g., the Spirit 103) will have to do nothing. Part 103 will continue on in its current form.
“Older 2-seat ultralights will have to transition from the current exemption-based coverage granted by EAA, ASC, and USUA, to Light- Sport [Aircraft]. These aircraft will have to be inspected in order to receive an N-number as an Experimental Light-Sport Aircraft (ELSA). This will apply to all 2-place powered parachutes that were purchased before the new rule became effective, and provides for a 2-year transition period. This process will require owners to register their aircraft with FAA, and then have them inspected by an LSA Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) in order to be qualified as an ELSA aircraft.
Modern Age Blue Heron PPC
Here we are
in the spring of 2006 wondering about the future of ultralights in an age seemingly gone crazy about Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft (SP/LSA). For powered parachute manufacturer Heldeberg Designs, the answer is easy. They’ve been preparing for the LSA program for a long time. How will they fare?
Today, we have a great divide* between ultralight pilots on one side and LSA enthusiasts on the other. The ultralight pilots see rather modest benefit to becoming Sport Pilots flying ultralights converted to Experimental Light-Sport Aircraft (ELSA). One major downside is that most such aircraft will have to settle a sales tax bill (states become aware of the aircraft when owners obtain their N-numbers). Other limitations include not flying over 10,000 feet or being required to perform an annual condition inspection. And this is by no means a complete gripes list.
The LSA contingent responds, “That ship has sailed. SP/LSA is here.
Composite Two-seater (CT)
In the fall of ’01, I wrote in Ultralight Flying!, “The CT is the tip of an iceberg, in my opinion.” When I flew that first CT in the USA, few Yankees had seen the aircraft. I felt the German design represented the beginning of a flow of European aircraft coming to America. What a difference a couple of years make!
Thanks to adept and steady promotion, Americans may best identify the coming breed of proposed Light-Sport Aircraft by pointing to the Flight Design CT2K. While this means no disrespect to trikes, tube-and-rag ultralights, or powered parachutes, the CT’s unusual, smoothly-contoured shape is now well known to many Americans. Though the brand is fabricated in the Ukraine and assembled in Germany, it crosses the Atlantic as a prototypical candidate for FAA’s proposed Light-Sport Aircraft category.
Rollison Light Sport Aircraft imported the first U.S.-based CT I flew. The design is now brought in by Flightstar Sportplanes and HPower HKS engine honcho Tom Peghiny.
Buckeye Convertible
I never really noticed before just how much the Buckeye Industries powered parachute carriage looked like a trike carriage. Maybe you didn’t either, but in your mind’s eye, remove the prop guard and see if you don’t agree. They aren’t identical, of course, but the visual relationship is uncannily close considering the two aircraft types developed separately.
What a perfect situation. Ralph Howard’s family members and friends have built Buckeye from “nothing” to one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers, all in the ’90s and without even using the entire decade! Whatever combination of talent, money, timing and luck was involved in this tale of success, the Howards want to keep it going strong. That won’t be easy, but these Indiana Hoosiers may be up to the task.
Take the momentum of a reported several hundred powered parachute units sold each of the last few years. Revise the hardware slightly to expand into the manufacture of trikes, and you have a potent mixture that could emerge as one of America’s largest trike builders.
Canadian-Based Savannah Wins SLSA #39
The first Canadian company to win SLSA approval was Summit and their powered parachute, itself the first (and still only) such to declare compliance with ASTM standards. Now comes the High River, Alberta-based Savannah (photo). Skykits Corporation president Eric Giles — whom I met at his display at the Arlington Fly-in — called to say he had gained approval for two Savannahs on August 15th, becoming the 39th SLSA. Savannah was created in Italy as a variation of the CH-701 though to many eyes it enjoys a more pleasing appearance. Savannah is available in three models all using the same fuselage but with different wings. The standard Savannah offers fixed, leading-edge slats while the VG model uses vortex generators to increase STOL capabilities. Savannah ADV has a tapered wing featuring electrically operated slats and electrically operated double-slotted flaps with separate ailerons. For those seeking a utility airplane with very short takeoff and landing, Savannah offers a new choice.
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