Two wildly divergent events occurred in the last few days. They are completely unrelated yet they show the global interplay in modern light aviation.
March 6, 2022

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

The last airshow of 2021 is over. The Christmas holidays are beginning to dominate everyone’s calendar.
December 16, 2021

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 is one for the history books. Initial reporting from the big member organization suggests 2021 was a return to normal attendance and exhibitors were not far behind.
August 8, 2021

As you readers must know, I prefer to focus mainly on the airplanes, on light aircraft.
July 29, 2021

Taking a welcome break from FAA news, let’s check out our favorite topic: cool new airplanes.
July 9, 2021

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

➡️ 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

I hope you can attend 2020’s Midwest LSA Expo — the last airshow in 2020.
September 5, 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

It’s almost July and any active pilot knows what that means: Oshkosh!
June 29, 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

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

What a great day to start off the Midwest LSA Expo!
September 6, 2019

Once upon a time in the then-new world of Light-Sport Aircraft Flight Design lead the pack for airplanes delivered and registered.
June 13, 2019

A funny thing happened on our way to quarterly reporting of LSA and Sport Pilot kit market shares.
June 8, 2019

Jetting straight from Sun ‘n Fun, we were able to arrive at Aero Friedrichshafen by noon on opening day.
April 10, 2019

At a major show in China called Zhuhai visitors saw something: a new 6-axis LSA flight simulator.
February 13, 2019

As a new season of flying is upon us (even while northern pilots may still be still shoveling snow), one company continues their vigorous comeback.
January 21, 2019

At the season ending DeLand Showcase show, Flight Design was ably represented by John Hurst.
November 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

For most years of Light-Sport Aircraft one aircraft model convincingly lead the parade.
March 14, 2018

Two years ago, Flight Design was the number one producer of Light-Sport Aircraft in the USA backed by strong sales in other countries.
January 22, 2018

In December 2017, South Korea’s Vessel Co. won what was described as “safety certification” from the Transport Ministry for their new two-seat light aircraft called KLA-100.
January 7, 2018

Sometimes I am told I have the best job in the world.
December 3, 2017

When Rotax moved their 912 iS Sport project from engineering to production, the big Austrian engine manufacturer elevated their already-immensely-popular 9-series engines to a higher level.
November 17, 2017

My video partner must be working around the clock as he prepared a blizzard of videos for release starting November 1st.
October 30, 2017

Given a successful Midwest LSA Expo, you could say the “LSA show season” is underway.
October 7, 2017

A good friend in aviation journalism and Editor-in-Chief of Plane & Pilot magazine is Robert Goyer.
September 28, 2017

After more than a year, a resolution was reached for the airplane that topped the charts in the LSA space since Day One.
August 2, 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

At the Midwest LSA Expo, we had a chance to speak with one of market leader Flight Design’s midwestern dealer, Tom Baker.
August 19, 2016

We’ve seen AMT’s FlyCool light weight, low power draw air conditioning system before in other Light-Sport Aircraft but it had not yet been done in the CTLS.
August 19, 2016

At Sebring 2013, we made the rounds speaking to sellers of various Light-Sport Aircraft.
August 19, 2016

Perhaps it’s to be expected that the leading seller of Light-Sport Aircraft in the USA has now entered the public service aviation market with their CTLE, the “LE” standing for Law Enforcement.
August 19, 2016

Flight Design has lead the Light-Sport Aircraft market since Day One, selling variations of its all-carbon fiber CT series including the present-day CTLS.
August 19, 2016

If you’ve tried flying with floats (or in a boat-hulled aircraft) you already know the appeal.
August 19, 2016

The leading seller of Light-Sport Aircraft is Flight Design and CTLS is their third-generation of the popular CT series.
August 19, 2016

Dynon Avionics has arguably become the largest supplier of LSA avionics in the form of computer screen displays of engine monitoring and flight instruments.
August 19, 2016

At the Midwest LSA Expo 2010, we started something new using multiple aircraft and offering their differences and similarities.
August 19, 2016

While Flight Design has released two newer models (the CTLS and all-metal MC), it was the CTsw that helped the German Flight Design company continue to be the market leader, even after four years and nearly 100 new models followed the CT series into the American market.
August 19, 2016

HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO — You crash landed your airplane at an airport.
July 16, 2016

Breaking News … Recently Flight Design in Germany sent a letter to their dealers including this statement, “We have applied for a planned receivership which allows for reorganization of the company.” What does this mean?
February 19, 2016

Aero 2015 is open! The halls are full of shiny airplanes displayed with the usual European sense of style and panache.
April 15, 2015

Much of what we hear and know about airplane populations is centered on America.
September 26, 2014

For more than 100 years, cars have had accidents and if they were severe enough, the results were poor (photo).
August 12, 2014

Something of a stealth invasion is beginning. I refer to an emerging flock of four seat Light-Sport Aircraft.
August 12, 2014

Since the beginning of Light-Sport Aircraft almost ten years ago — this summer at EAA AirVenture, the SP/LSA sector will celebrate its tenth anniversary with special functions — Flight Design has continuously led the fleet size statistics as seen in our market share charts.
February 19, 2014

Festivals of Speed is not your “everyman” show tour. Aimed at wealthy folks, Joe Sabatini’s FoS extravaganza is quite different than the usual airshow fare.
November 30, 2013

Across the northern U.S. states and across much of Europe it was a lousy, cold, snowy winter.
May 22, 2013

Patty Wagstaff and LSA? This week brings the start of the Sebring U.S.
January 16, 2013

After flying more than 350 different aircraft models, I became rather adept at what some pilots call “stick wiggling.” The reference is for all the actions you take to physically fly the plane.
December 19, 2012

Yes, as the pics show, I did indeed take advantage of a rare, calm, beautiful, warm (for winter) day in New England to drive over to Tom Peghiny‘s Flight Design USA and take my first hop in a fuel-injected Rotax-powered LSA: the new CTLSi.
December 6, 2012

The first iLSA are flying in the USA. Springboarding from Apple’s famous iDevices, why not iLSA?
December 5, 2012

Good to Go in China Things are happening in China. “So, what’s new,” you say?
November 16, 2012

My European associate and friend, Jan Fridrich, coined a phrase a few years ago: “Global LSA,” he said, meaning the ASTM standards set could be used in any country and thereby create a worldwide market for recreational aircraft.
September 25, 2012

Anyone who has tried to borrow money in the last five years knows how tough it has become.
June 19, 2012

Flight Design of Germany — in cooperation with U.S importer Flight Design USA — just signed an agreement with emergency parachute maker, BRS, to provide the 1350 LSA ballistic system on all CT aircraft sold in the USA.
March 16, 2012

Video info and entertainment is burgeoning these days. YouTube has become one of most-visited Internet websites; you can watch videos on subjects of every conceivable description (plus many you could not have conceived).
December 4, 2011

Since the beginning of LSA time, way back in 2005 (when the first LSA was approved), LSA have arrived on American shores from overseas factories.
November 15, 2011

Light-Sport Aircraft can be working aircraft (think: flight instruction and rental, each potentially a commercial activity) but read about this new twist.
September 10, 2011

Update 9/24/14 — Added to the models below, South Africa’s The Airplane Factory is also offering their four seat Sling 4.
June 27, 2011

The LSA movement may have struggled along with the rest of civilian aviation over the last three years.
December 29, 2010

The folks at the CT Flier Forum kick off their 4th Annual CT Fly-in this coming Oct.
September 9, 2010

Flight Design has maintained their substantial lead in market share partly through a strategy of steady innovation.
August 27, 2010

Here’s a hot item that should shake the dust off the notion that LSA are little toy airplanes.
July 19, 2010

I had some fun today talking with Jim Sweeney, guest host of Roy Beisswenger’s Ultraflight Radio Show.
July 13, 2010

Two Swiss pilots embarked on a round-the-world flight on April 30 and 51 days later they are back home in Switzerland.
June 22, 2010

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.
May 16, 2010

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.
May 3, 2010

After a tough winter in most parts of the USA, spring evidently arrived early with 80-degree temperatures as far north as Minnesota… all before Sun ‘n Fun.
April 3, 2010

I was lucky enough to get Matthias Betsch, Flight Design’s CEO, all to myself for a few minutes and here’s what he had to say: *** General update: “A hard year but better than we expected.
February 2, 2010

Much has been written about Cessna’s Skycatcher incidents, those spin investigations that caused the loss of one airplane and a parachute deployment from another.
January 14, 2010

I was out in L.A. last week and had the distinct pleasure to hop a flight out of Santa Monica Airport, an old haunt of mine, with Flight Design USA‘s California sales rep, Karine Noel.
January 9, 2010

If you study FAA’s registration database as I do, you’ll quickly discover that Flight Design and its various CT models have a strong presence in the USA (the world for that matter, with 1,500 flying, according to the company).
December 21, 2009

Word of a few interesting developments arrived in my inbox, bringing with them new questions.
October 11, 2009

All photos by EAA Chief Photographer, Jim Koepnick This article appears on ByDanJohnson.com thanks to permission granted by EAA and the willingness of author, Ed Downs.
September 25, 2009

Most folks have probably never heard of ASTM International document F2295, Continued Operational Safety Monitoring of a Light-Sport Aircraft.
September 25, 2009

Viewed from the LSA Mall, AirVenture 2009 was much more than the summer’s big celebration of flight.
August 5, 2009

Sales are subdued all over aviation but it isn’t stopping the top performers in the Light-Sport Aircraft marketplace.
July 13, 2009

We continue to see the effects of the last year of economic turmoil in Light-Sport Aircraft market shares.
May 12, 2009

Exhibitor Chris Regis of Paradise USA (representing the P-1) reported “good visitor traffic” and “excellent organization” from the people behind the Heart of Texas LSA Expo.
March 10, 2009

With one month to go (and it’s hard to imagine a big December), we have figures to report for this most extraordinary year.
December 12, 2008

These days, “oversight” is a heavily used word on national media.
October 24, 2008

Earlier it appeared that the Flight Design MC would be the first Light-Sport Aircraft ever displayed at the giant National Business Aircraft Association show.
October 7, 2008

Lots more fun than a military build-up but bearing some resemblance, companies across the USA are preparing for Sun ‘n Fun starting Tuesday the 4th.
September 10, 2008

OSHKOSH UPDATE — At a ceremony on EAA AirVenture’s show-center location, AeroShell Square, Flight Design unveiled another new LSA, their second of 2008, the first being the CTLS which debuted at Sebring in January.
August 18, 2008

Amid furious preparations for Oshkosh, CAFE Foundation, the efficiency folks, announced teams that will vie for a second year of prizes.
July 23, 2008

I can identify four factors in the economy presently affecting airplane sales: Potential customers (often with plenty of assets or creditworthiness) see the value of their stock portfolio going up and down like a roller coaster; worry over their once-soaring real estate, now down markedly in some areas; witness the continuing rise of the euro-dollar exchange rate, bringing much higher prices for many LSA; and, fret over a climate of political uncertainty during another election cycle.
May 14, 2008

Sun ‘n Fun 2008 is history, but planning is already underway for the 2009 event.
April 20, 2008

Lots of folks are wondering about, or complaining about, the seemingly high prices of Light-Sport Aircraft.
March 15, 2008

Flight Design leads the LSA flock maintaining a market share of more than 20% since the start of SLSA certifications almost three years ago.
December 10, 2007

Most pilots know AOPA, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, has been fighting the user fee battle…and they’ve been doing well resisting the might of the U.S.
October 14, 2007

Odds are you’ve heard of LAMA, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, founded in the earliest days of ultralights and gaining renewed importance in this era of Light-Sport Aircraft.
September 17, 2007

Within 24 hours of getting home from Sun ‘n Fun, several industry leaders including Evektor America’s Jeff Conrad, Flight Design USA’s Tom Peghiny, Jabiru USA’s Ed Ricks, and BRS parachute’s Gregg Ellsworth packed up and headed off to California.
September 17, 2007

In a year of facilitating independent audits for Special Light-Sport Aircraft, LAMA, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, completed reviews of six companies: IndUS (Thorpedo); Jihlavan (Kappa KP-5); Aeropro (EuroFox); Flight Design (CT); Czech Aircraft Works (SportCruiser, Mermaid, & Parrot); and Evektor (SportStar).
September 17, 2007

At Oshkosh I took the chance to speak with several general aviation leaders — CEOs of top general aviation companies and presidents of leading membership organizations.
September 17, 2007

Market leader Flight Design seems hot as a pistol and appears to be validating their plan to substantially increase production.
August 28, 2007

Many other airplane categories have tried round the world flights, but it’s now been done by a Light-Sport Aircraft.
August 20, 2007

The Czech Republic featured in the last few SPLOGs may not be well known to Americans, but Ukraine seems yet another world away.
June 26, 2007

In the 15 months since the first two special light-sport aircraft (S-LSA) were introduced at the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida, a wave of S-LSA have taken to the sky.
May 4, 2007

Sun ‘n Fun 2005 started off with a bang when Flightstar Sportplanes’ Tom Peghiny heard the Flight Design CT he imports was one of the first Special Light-Sport Aircraft to be given its airworthiness certificate.
February 6, 2007

A Bold Yet Efficient Euro-Designed Light-Sport Aircraft Flightstar imports the CT2K in anticipation of the light-sport aircraft rule.
October 23, 2006

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.
October 23, 2006

I hope you enjoyed your Labor Day holiday. Over this long weekend Randee and I headed to Boston for the EAA Sport Pilot Tour on Sept.
September 4, 2006

This month I wrote a pilot’s report about two widely different aircraft, both of which are imported by Rollison Airplane Company.
January 1, 2003