A few days ago a couple Super Petrel XPs arrived in Florida.
March 18, 2024

Mosaic is coming! Are you ready? OK, Mosaic is still around 15 months away (based on FAA’s often-repeated statement).
February 29, 2024

The Top 50 video series has gone over very well and continues with this post about the Phoenix LSA motorglider.
February 21, 2024

For some years, Rotax Aircraft Engines has invited their worldwide flock to Wels, Austria.
February 10, 2024

Some pilots can hardly wait for Mosaic. It takes all kinds, of course.
February 7, 2024

Are you ready for Mosaic? Let’s be crystal clear. You have almost no time left to comment on FAA’s proposed rule.
January 17, 2024

As the end of the year approaches and as excitement builds for 2024, I have some news items of interest to the light aircraft community.
December 23, 2023

Last summer, when EAA AirVenture Oshkosh exploded with news that FAA released Mosaic, nearly all the attention was on increased weight and speed, and capabilities like retractable gear, controllable props, even multiengine or turbine aircraft.
November 28, 2023

I write about affordable aviation whenever interesting material is available. This website will eventually (probably by August or September) move to the AffordableAviation.com domain that I purchased many years ago.
July 24, 2023

Oshkosh is nearly here again so it must be seaplane flying time.
July 10, 2023

When this series started, Icon’s shapely A5 LSA seaplane topped the list.
June 22, 2023

At Aero Friedrichshafen 2023, visitors saw numerous aircraft that could qualify as Mosaic Light-Sport Aircraft or mLSA.
June 18, 2023

If the bright green didn’t catch your eye, the unusual placement of the propeller probably did.
May 17, 2023

In the last couple years a rivalry erupted among companies in Europe aiming to be the fastest LSA-type aircraft*.
April 20, 2023

You know the expression: “What goes up, must…” What goes up must come down and after it does, something needs to stop it.
April 16, 2023

All week at Sun and Fun 2023 my eye kept drifting to a rather distinctive gyroplane.
April 8, 2023

CubCrafters has never made an aircraft powered by Rotax. Images accompanying this article portray their very first example using the 9-series engine in a model intended for production.
March 31, 2023

In a splendid professional presentation, Waco Aircraft unveiled their newest vintage-style aircraft.
March 29, 2023

Sun ‘n Fun 2023 — Day 1 During 2023, in only three months, I’ve lost count how many airframe producers have told me a story that goes something like this… “We (some manufacturer) offer two 100-horsepower choices: a Rotax 912ULS (carbureted) and 912iS (fuel injected), plus the new 141-horsepower 915iS (fuel injected, intercooled).
March 28, 2023

M-Squared Aircraft is one of the light sector’s pioneering airframe producers.
March 27, 2023

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.
March 13, 2023

I have followed Super Petrel since before it went to Brazil* more than 20 years ago.
March 6, 2023

Some might say Icon Aircraft has experienced a rather turbulent flight.
December 29, 2022

Once upon a time, I was able to report three or more new Special Light-Sport Aircraft every month.
December 21, 2022

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.
December 15, 2022

When I was a kid, I was a New York Yankees baseball fan.
December 4, 2022

Pilots love airplanes (duh!). Pilots also love engines, especially when they are truly powerful.
November 30, 2022

Rotax’s 9-series engines have propelled several aircraft in round-the-world flights. One major user of the Austrian powerplants is  The Airplane Factory in South Africa.
November 21, 2022

When I asked “Mosaic LSA?” in the lead image of this article, was I simply being provocative?
October 20, 2022

One of the longest-awaited Light-Sport development projects has been Vickers Aircraft’s Wave, a sophisticated amphibious LSA seaplane.
October 18, 2022

We leave the grounds of Oshkosh ghosted with images of planes that attracted major interest.
August 8, 2022

Somewhere, it seems like a group of light plane developers must have held a meeting and decided that low wing manufacturers needed to broaden their line to include high wings.
July 29, 2022

EAA has reported that the Warbird displays (ground and flight) are the single biggest draw at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
July 28, 2022

Talk about being ahead of its time, Junkers’ A50 Junior was designed to 600 kilograms / 1,320 pounds …93 years ago!
July 11, 2022

Our concluding report from Europe’s most interesting airshow (certainly for those interested in affordable aviation) speaks to the challenges for big event organizers in the restrictive atmosphere of Covid mandates.
May 16, 2022

Sun ‘n Fun started the recreational flying season as it always does, taking place this year in the beginning of April.
May 11, 2022

Over many years as an affordable aviation journalist I have learned two things.
May 3, 2022

How about this? Among the loudest “buzz” at Aero Friedrichshafen 2022 was the introduction of turbine engines on Light-Sport Aircraft.
April 29, 2022

Long in development to incorporate a raft of distinctive ideas, Vickers Wave took its first flight last month, mere weeks before the launch of Sun ‘n Fun 2022, which kicks off a new flying season.
April 3, 2022

Welcome to the newest Special Light-Sport Aircraft in the fleet: Savage Norden.
April 1, 2022

Pilot, builder, owner Roger Jennings is singular in an uncommon way.
March 18, 2022

It’s always exciting to welcome a new entry into recreational aviation.
February 11, 2022

Now that 2021 is historical and following two years of Covid uncertainty and business interruptions, many readers can breathe a sigh of relief for an better 2022.
January 1, 2022

Over the years, curious pilots have asked me what aircraft I fly.
December 29, 2021

Rather loudly and persistently I beat the drum about “affordable aircraft,” but readers also enjoy learning about other aircraft.
December 21, 2021

UPDATE 11/28/21 — Vickers Aircraft sent fresh images and additional comments.
November 27, 2021

Two decades into the new millennia, few aviation companies can claim impressive growth.
November 7, 2021

North American’s World War II-era P-51 Mustang has consistently won polls of pilots asking to identify their favorite aircraft.
October 26, 2021

As AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 starts, we have arrived at a long-awaited beginning to the world’s biggest airshow.
July 25, 2021

Most of us would be mighty pleased to sit comfortably and gaze upon our pace-setting aircraft.
June 25, 2021

How does modern-day Rotax relate to the Wright Brothers? Here’s a trivia test for light aviation enthusiasts.
June 16, 2021

“Winds are going to be rather sporty,” observed AirCam developer, Phil Lockwood, as he and Robert Meyer and the AirCam team finalized arrangements for another fly-out, this one to Jekyll Island (09J).
June 14, 2021

Summer is fast approaching and for much of the northern hemisphere, that means seaplane flying.
June 11, 2021

Recently I interacted with a reader, someone considering a light aircraft for purchase.
June 7, 2021

This flying dream has been years in the making. Admittedly, it’s a big project, but so authentic is this 70%-scale P-51 Mustang lookalike that I think I see you already starting to drool.
June 2, 2021

The appeal is obvious. What pilot doesn’t like the idea of flying faster?
May 30, 2021

Down under, heads are down and wrenches are wrenching. A team in New Zealand has been working for years on what might be the most sophisticated new aircraft to emerge …well, anywhere among Light-Sport Aircraft but certainly in LSA seaplanes.
May 26, 2021

We continue with further coverage from the first major airshow in almost two years… THANKS to Sun ‘n Fun 2021 for helping present these interesting aircraft and more.
May 9, 2021

Usually, aviation journalists attending airshows seek the latest and greatest in aircraft.
April 17, 2021

Perhaps you knew years ago that Brazil was an aviation beehive of activity.
April 16, 2021

Think about this: A Rotax-powered aircraft capable of high-speed cruising at 185 miles an hour?
April 15, 2021

Americans have seen Comco Ikarus‘ C42 before. At least three different importers have represented C42 versions to the U.S.
April 9, 2021

Affordable is a word I often hear as I explore the ever-expanding world of light aircraft.
April 2, 2021

“Nynja lifts off after a ridiculously short ground roll and soars skyward at a precipitously steep angle.
March 16, 2021

Welcome our newest entry to the Special LSA fleet: Montaer’s MC01.
February 28, 2021

One of the most successful airplane designs of all time is the Quicksilver.
February 17, 2021

Back when Light-Sport Aircraft were still youngsters in aviation (LSA are teenagers now), Ron Corbi imported the Direct Fly Alto 100.
December 23, 2020

When I first reported about — and did videos about — Just Aircraft’s Part 103 entry back in 2017 and 2018, lots of readers got excited.
December 17, 2020

In the earliest Light-Sport Aircraft days, nearly 70% of available models came from Europe.
November 11, 2020

➡️ Update 11/3/20 — A new video interview with Flight Design USA importer Tom Peghiny appears at the bottom of this article.
October 29, 2020

After thousands of articles, I’ve have heard over and over about two common ingredients sought by pilots who visit this website: Affordability and Availability.
October 16, 2020

If you flew better than 9,000 hours solely to give trike instruction, you would tend to develop ideas about how an aircraft can better fit the type of flying lessons you want to give.
August 26, 2020

Although a mirror reflection of the greater global economy, many pilots are stunned that airshow after airshow has fallen to the virus.
August 12, 2020

You can call modern gyroplanes “wanna-be” helicopters if you want but that might miss a few important points.
June 25, 2020

If you pay any attention to LSA seaplanes, you should already know about Aventura.
June 22, 2020

In our strongest month ever, April 2020, our biggest story was about the Swedish Blackwing “Speed Monster.” Pilots almost universally admire a beautiful and fast aircraft.
June 8, 2020

In the last couple months as we’ve all been struggling under the lockdowns happening across the country (and around the world), some of our best-read articles have been about going fast using the most powerful engines.
May 31, 2020

The need for speed is hard wired into humans, it seems.
April 30, 2020

Five years back at my favorite airshow in Europe — Aero Friedrichshafen — I could not pass the supersleek blue and black low wing from Sweden, my father’s ancestral home.
April 18, 2020

This first year I ever saw Randy Schlitter fly one his models at an airshow seems a hundred years ago.
April 17, 2020

The Coronavirus madness is far from being a U.S. problem. Naturally, we tend to focus on our own part of the world …as we must.
April 14, 2020

While I continue to worry about the cash crunch faced by two of my favorite shows, I am still driven to provide content as if those shows had occurred this year and not been postponed to 2021.
April 11, 2020

As everyone on the planet knows by now, aviation has nary an airshow in sight.
April 7, 2020

Way back when, long before the birth of the Light-Sport Aircraft segment (in 2004), lots of us flew ultralights.
April 5, 2020

How does one LSA brand rise and stay above others? Many reasons can be introduced; all possibly valid.
February 29, 2020

Copperstate is proving to be as valuable for the collection of Video Pilot Reports as Midwest and DeLand.
February 9, 2020

It started with a seemingly simple product. Since long before recreational aircraft arrived, the invention that launched the Rotax brand was a “rotary axle,” a freewheeling hub that advanced the then-state-of-the-art in bicycles.
February 1, 2020

How about this for a great way to start off the new year — a brand-new airplane?
January 9, 2020

The last airshow (DeLand) is over. Recreational aircraft across the snow belt are secured in their hangars.
December 25, 2019

“The DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase (DSAS), conducted from November 14-16, 2019 at the DeLand Municipal Airport in Florida, has completed a careful look at ticket sales, gate receipts, exhibitor numbers and other data… and is happy to report that the 2019 Showcase eclipsed the 2018 attendance by over 20%,” reported lead organizer, Jana Filip.
November 28, 2019

In mid-October, FAA provided another update to the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association.
October 17, 2019

The weeklong celebration of flight known around the planet as “Oshkosh” is now history.
August 8, 2019

More from Aero as Day 3 closes. Because of the number on display — and because several readers asked — this post will focus on electric propulsion in two distinct forms.
April 13, 2019

You wanna go fast? Of course you do. What pilot doesn’t want to go fast?
April 4, 2019

This Just In! Follow the Sling TSi LIVE tomorrow, Sunday March 31st, 2019, as the new model flies this route: KTOA – KLAL (Coast to Coast) • Torrance, California to Lakeland, Florida, a distance of 1,900 nautical miles Intended Departure: Sunday at 4 AM Pacific • Landing Florida before 7 PM Eastern in a flight forecast to take “under 12 hours” at a predicted speed of 160 knots (184 mph), at altitude.
March 30, 2019

Let me admit right up front: I am a big fan of AirCam.
March 29, 2019

I have to admit my pleasant surprise. This tie-up of Copperstate and Buckeye Air Fair might be exactly what is needed to generate a major show in the Southwestern USA.
February 9, 2019

When Rotax debuted their new 915iS engine at an Oshkosh press conference, Sling designer Mike Blyth raced forward at the end of the conference to closely examine the new power plant.
December 12, 2018

Day One of the third running of DeLand Showcase is complete.
November 2, 2018

This week kicks off the truly gigantic trade show known by its sponsoring organization’s abbreviation: NBAA, or in common lingo, “Enn, Bee, Double A.” While not taking up the extensive terra firms of Oshkosh, NBAA actually has more paying exhibitors.
October 16, 2018

Updated September 26, 2018 — This article has been updated to include more producers.
September 24, 2018

The big Italian company that LSA enthusiasts know very well through models such as P92, Sierra, and P2008 has a large and growing presence in global aviation.
June 6, 2018

April has been busy… starting with a week of Sun ‘n Fun; then a gathering of LSA seaplanes at my home airport the day after; followed by three days of Aero Friedrichshafen in Germany (it runs four days but I had to miss the first); concluding with a journalists-only event at Rotax Aircraft Engines.
April 26, 2018

Yes, yes, I know — in-flight adjustable props are not permitted on U.S.
April 25, 2018

When most pilots think of imports, they assume a foreign manufacturer builds an aircraft in another country, finds a U.S.
April 14, 2018

Besides LSA seaplanes, one area of furious development (and sales) is gyroplanes, the term modern industry prefers to “gyrocopter,” which was actually a branded name used since the days of Igor Benson.
April 5, 2018

As the 2018 flying season launches, a long-awaited powerplant from Rotax Aircraft Engines is beginning to arrive in the USA and to be shipped on to customers for installation.
March 1, 2018

Sebastien Heintz of Zenith Aircraft in Mexico, Missouri is one of the more vigorous promoters in light aviation.
February 6, 2018

Along with many others, I’m sure, I’m presently en route from Daytona Beach to Sebring, Florida as the 2018 or 14th running of the U.S.
January 23, 2018

What a great Christmas present for the Rotax Aircraft Engine team members (lower photo).
December 23, 2017

In the late ’90s, an earlier iteration of Remos Aircraft delivered their first aircraft, a G-3 Mirage, originally designed by the very talented Lorenz Kreitmeyer.
May 8, 2017

Surely all readers know that Rotax-brand engines dominate the light aircraft landscape.
May 6, 2017

Recently, Vessel Co., Ltd., and Flight Design made a joint announcement after debuting their new KLA-100 low-wing, light aircraft at Aero Friedrichshafen 2017.
April 25, 2017

Could Light-Sport Aircraft, light kit aircraft, and even ultralights benefit from in-flight adjustable propellers?
April 13, 2017

How is it that Rotax so dominates the supply of engines to light aircraft?
March 27, 2017

Rotax Maintenance Classes — If you are a professional or wanna-be pro in the maintenance or overhaul of Rotax engines, you must take factory-approved training.
January 22, 2017

In a show as vast at EAA’s AirVenture Oshkosh, it is presumptuous to attempt covering everything of interest.
August 7, 2016