Folks at Sebring 2014 noted some unoccupied exhibit spaces. As always, a few thought exhibit sales were down but another explanation are no-shows. With the northlands enduring one of the more cold and snowy winters of recent memory, a few aircraft that planned to display never left their hangars. I’ll follow with about the whys and wherefores for other companies, too, but one notable miss was Kitfox, a company that for years has made the long trek from Homedale, Idaho. You might think they just didn’t want to fly diagonally across nearly the entire U.S. in a hard winter and who could blame them? Yet the company offered a more nuanced explanation.
“Our decision to not attend the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida was a tough one, but was driven by our desire to deliver the best customer service possible. [Sebring] has been a valuable show for us in the past but due to our backlog of orders and the fact that our small, dedicated team of professionals hand crafts each Kitfox SLSA and Kitfox kit, we would have diminished manpower just as our product back order has been increasing.” That’s good news for Kitfox and is a common situation for LSA providers as they experience growing sales after some slow years.
First Wrap-Up of Sebring 2014; Aircraft Debuts
It was cool but abundant sunshine provided good conditions for an excellent event at the tenth Sebring. Morning winds died down and allowed plenty of demo flying opportunities and even for those who didn’t go aloft, the Manufacturer’s Showcase allowed visitors to see numerous aircraft doing low fly-bys. The combination of readily available demo flights that could be conducted with a minimum of hassle thanks to great support from contract tower personnel and the display of most LSA or light kits in recreational aviation offered ample opportunity for buyers to step up … and sales action appeared quite strong, a sure sign of improving conditions after years of sluggishness.
Many exhibitors reported multiple sales, proven by deposits changing hands and orders being written. Ken Scott of Van’s Aircraft — which works closely with Synergy Air, builder of the ready-to-fly RV-12 SLSA — said it was the best show ever for his company.
Zenith Now Shipping CH 750 Cruzer
Zenith Aircraft based in Mexico … Missouri, to be clear, is one of the most solid and impressive kit producers in the light aircraft world. Chris Heintz designs were previously manufactured as fully built LSA by another company. Though that organization discontinued some years back the kit supplier and its models have thrived as before, every year delivering a number of airplane kits that could make other producers jealous. Last year Zenith introduced their newest model as a variation of their very popular “Sky Jeep,” known officially as the CH 750 STOL. Giving the airplane more cross cruising capability resulted in an airplane logically named Cruzer. Simply put by 20-year Zenith demo pilot veteran Roger Dubbert, “Some of our customers wanted an aircraft that would go a little faster.” The total change added about 20% to cruise speed compared to the 750 STOL. Recently, Zenith announced shipment of the first CH 750 Cruzer kits.
CubCrafters Welcomes a New Certified Sales Center
Plenty of aviation companies, certainly in the light end of the industry, are happy to welcome a new dealer. CubCrafters elevates this position to a certified sales center and the Yakima, Washington company recently secured a new one fleshing out their national map more fully (graphic). CubCrafters announced the appointment of Innovation Aircraft Sales (IAS) as their new Certified Sales Center covering the Midwestern United States. IAS is now the exclusive authorized dealer for new and pre-owned CubCrafters aircraft including the Sport Cub S2 and Carbon Cub SS LSA models, as well as the Part 23-certified Top Cub. IAS will serve North & South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois and most of Nebraska from their base at Creve Coeur Airport (1H0) in St. Louis.
The LSA manufacturer announced facts about their newest outlet. As President and CEO of Innovation, Jeff Baber began his association with CubCrafters at SunCountry Aircraft Sales in 2012.
Van’s Confirms 2014 Production of RV-12 SLSA
We’ve seen “legacy” general aviation builders depart the Light-Sport Aircraft scene. The reasons are varied but certainly this is highly competitive space with frequent innovations applied and clean-sheet designs emerging like clockwork (more than one per month for ten straight years!). Once a company becomes accustomed to the profits turbines and jets can generate, small piston aircraft looks like a lean market. However, as one major name exits another arrives. A year and a half ago at AOPA’s last Palm Springs, California Summit, Van’s Aircraft announced their entry to Special LSA through an arrangement with Synergy Air. It was something of a toe in the water for the large kit builder. To no one’s surprise, they sold out immediately. After spinning up operations to build and deliver the first batch, Van’s and Synergy evaluated and chose to continue onward with building ready-to-fly airplanes.
Dick VanGrunsven, founder of Van’s Aircraft, Inc., and Wally Anderson, head of Synergy Air, recently announced that production of the RV-12 SLSA will continue in 2014.
Update on the 2013 LSA Marketplace
At least aviation is not bowling! Recent articles say the number of American bowlers has plummeted from nine million to two million, a drop of 78%. Compared to that the aviation industry looks far more durable (line chart). Indeed, aviation in all sectors is facing challenges but we are buoyed by reports in the same newspapers that say Americans are feeling more financially secure since stock markets are up substantially and houses are selling faster and at better prices. However, as we’ll show below, 2013 is one of those transition years. That means that sales have been occurring at an increased pace, but due to companies assuming a defensive posture in the 2007-2011 downturn, production is now lagging behind sales just as it was in 2005-2006 when LSA burst on the scene. I’m optimistic that 2014 is going to be a much stronger year. I am not the only one. “I feel we will be experiencing two significant growth years in 2014 and 2015 based on the continued aging of the pilot population and the pent-up demand in the marketplace,” said Tim Casey, Garmin‘s sales manager for portables, LSA, and experimental aircraft markets.
Prototype Skycatcher Flies; CEO Pelton Feted
A Russian business aviation website released early news of Cessna making their first Skycatcher flight in Wichita, Kansas. LSA news spans the globe…when it’s about Cessna. *** Jets.RU correspondent Paul Richfield wrote, “Cessna’s 162 Skycatcher prototype flew for the first time on March 8 with test pilot Dale Bleakney at the controls. The one-hour mission included flight maneuvers to assess the stability and controllability of the new design.” Big deal, you say? We have 75 approved SLSA models; they all took a first flight and you heard about few, if any, such flights. True, but none of them was Cessna. Even if the aircraft may appear unremarkable to you, LSA market entry by the $5 billion a year aircraft manufacturer is remarkable. *** The prototype Skycatcher is the first of three airframes to be built in Wichita, Cessna said. Next will be their “first production model,” while a third is slated to be an engineering test article to meet ASTM standards.
Cessna’s “First Lady” gets Skycatcher #1
For those who missed the announcement back in 2007 when the Cessna C-162 Skycatcher was first announced, the planned delivery of the very first production airplane will stay in the Cessna family, as the happy owner is none other than Rose Pelton of Wichita, Kan. *** In case that name sounds familiar, it should: hubbie Jack Pelton is Cessna’s CEO. *** “When I first saw the Skycatcher mockup at Oshkosh in 2007, I knew that was the aircraft I wanted to learn to fly in,” said Mrs. P. “I couldn’t be more excited…” *** More than 1,000 of the new, all-metal, Continental O-200D-powered SLSA have been ordered. *** Also in the next issue of Plane&Pilot, you’ll want to check out the story of King Schools’ new Web-based training system for sport and private pilot certificates. It’ll be available through the Cessna Pilot Center network of flight schools.
Midwest School Gets First Skycatcher
Here’s a spot of welcome news for all those who’ve been waiting to get their hands on a Cessna 162 Skycatcher: Kansas Aviation, Inc. gets first honors for putting the long-delayed S-LSA into service for flight training and rentals. *** An interesting note: the school is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yingling Aircraft, Inc., one of three domestic sites Cessna picked to assemble and test fly the Skycatcher once it arrives from the Chinese factory where it’s fabricated. *** The airplane was first delivered to a retail customer, Bravo Sierra Group, which leases the aircraft to Kansas Aviation for use in its Cessna Pilot Center (CPC). *** Rental rate harkens back to the day when sub-$100/hr rental rates were common: the Skycatcher is available at $98 per hour wet. *** Dave Tiday, the school’s manager and Chief Flight Instructor, believes the Skycatcher “will be key to developing the next generation of pilots.” *** Powered by a Continental O-200D, 100-hp air-cooled engine with a fixed-pitch propeller, the Kansas Aviation C-162 has a Garmin G300 avionics system with a single, split-screen PFD (primary flight display) and an MFD (multi-function display).
Cessna Ships 50th Skycatcher
Here’s an item we’ve all waited for: Cessna exercising it’s production mojo by shipping its 50th production Skycatcher S-LSA. *** The company manufactures and ships the C-162 from its Shenyang Aircraft manufacturing site in China to the US final assembly facility (Yingling Aviation, Wichita, KS). *** Current Cessna projections call for 30 total deliveries by year’s end, with another 150 more in 2011. *** The skies will be white with Skycatchers before long! *** That’s welcome and none-too-early news for the industry as well as all those Skycatcher owners who’ve been patiently waiting delivery, which includes flight schools across the country hoping this will be the next 150/152. *** Price is holding steady at $112,000, including a Garmin G300 avionics deck and the Continental O200D engine. Cessna has also added five flight training schools to its network, which bumps its U.S. presence to more than 280 Cessna Pilot Centers.
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