Major Italian producer Tecnam today announced the launch of the P92 Classic Light microlight. This is the seventh-generation model in Tecnam P92 range of airplanes, which this year celebrated 20 years of production. The company reports that over two decades of service, “P92’s worldwide fleet now stands at nearly 2,000 aircraft with 200,000 flown hours. The P92 Classic Light is the 13th variant and follows on from the launch earlier this year of both the P92 Tail Dragger (video) and P92 SeaSky Hydroplane.
In concert with the international announcement, Tecnam North America confirmed it will launch the new P92 Echo Classic Light priced at $74,999 through to the end of 2012. For those that recall the original promise — of a fully-built LSA for about $60,000 — this price meets that expectation if you only factor in the time value of money, that is, $60,000 in 2003 (the year before SP/LSA) is $75,459 in 2012 dollars.
The Gigantic NBAA Show… and LSA?
Strolling around 1,073 exhibitors at the National Business Aircraft Association’s show in the Orlando Convention Center is something like walking on another planet, at least for a recreational / Light-Sport Aircraft enthusiast. The displays, while not as lavish as in years past, are elaborate and expensive; several were two-story-high affairs with lunch being served to jet buyers on the upper deck.
Surreal as it was, I found something surprising: quite a few of the people I talked to knew about Light-Sport and those that did relaxed their facial expression after hearing me identify my work as “fly for fun.” I felt it brought out the joy of flight in people who mostly pursue aviation as business transport or working aircraft. Higher salaries do not equate to a higher passion for flight.
The one and only LSA I saw was the Sky Arrow, now from Magnaghi Aeronautica, and that Sky Arrow was just a model on a stand.
Long, Winding Approval Tale — SLSA #128
A most remarkable thing happened recently. No, I don’t mean the sudden resignation of EAA president Rod Hightower. I refer to a recent (September 27, 2012) approval of a brand new Special LSA. Why is that noteworthy, especially as it is #128 on our SLSA List? Everyone in the business of LSA and most other alert readers have followed the long, winding, still-evolving path of FAA approvals in the fall of 2012. Specifically, FAA has released an order that says any new model from an existing LSA supplier or any LSA from a new company must be blessed by FAA headquarters in Washington DC. The Aircraft Certification branch must be informed first and an inspection judged necessary cannot be done by a DAR (Designated Airworthiness Representative… the people who have approved all other nearly 3,000 LSA in America). Under the new dictate, any new-model approval must be done by an FAA Air Safety Investigator.
LSA Not Durable Enough…? Nonsense! Here’s Proof
Again, I heard a common refrain. This time was at the recently concluded AOPA Summit 2012 in Palm Springs, California. I was speaking with some GA fellows, the kind — like so many — that know well of Light-Sport Aircraft but have opinions about them based on speculation or heresay. This time it was the familiar, “LSA are nice little airplanes, but they are too lightly built to hold up to the duty of a traditional flight school environment.” I’ve heard this statement so many times I’ve lost count.
Right before the above conversation, I had been visiting with my editor/publisher friend Ben Sclair of GA News fame and Kitfox Aircraft co-owner John McBean. Ben and I were admiring a handsome tundra tire-equipped, taildragging Kitfox that looked immaculate — as John’s airplanes usually do. Truly, it looked almost new. It was not. I told the GA “experts” in the opening conversation that they needed to go look at this particular Kitfox to see how well a LSA can endure flight training.
Flying the Airplanes of Sebring 2012… (Part 2)
LSA America builds the Czech-designed Allegro in America as one of the first companies (but not the last, I suspect) to cross the Atlantic. Ironically, this results in an aircraft less expensive than other LSA that come from Eastern European countries where we once thought low wages and high aviation skills would upset U.S. airplane manufacturing. Funny how life works out, and in only six or seven years. *** Doug and Betty Hempstead, who used to import Allegro from Fantasy Air, took a long and winding road to American production finally teaming up with another developer in Roseburg, Oregon. When the other company shut down the Hempsteads had to start all over again. Finally they succeeded in bringing the Allegro to U.S. manufacturing under the company name LSA America. The North Carolina company was visible at Sebring 2012 where I took an opportunity to fly a Made-in-the-USA Allegro.
Van’s Announces Fully Built (SLSA) RV-12
Honestly, I didn’t expect much LSA news at AOPA’s Summit in Palm Springs, California this week. Despite several LSA on display (Kitfox, Evektor, Flight Design, Arion, Jabiru, SportCruiser, Skycatcher, and CubCrafters), the AOPA event is not a common place for Light-Sport announcements. Certainly I didn’t expect the world’s largest * supplier of kit aircraft to offer a fully built Special LSA.
Van’s Aircraft, Inc.. reported, [We are] pleased to announce a new program to build completed, fly-away, RV-12s.” The Aurora, Oregon company detailed a working agreement with Synergy Air to manufacture the airplanes in the U.S.A. Synergy Air is a well-established company providing instructional seminars, videos, and builder assistance to complete kit airplanes, located at the Eugene, Oregon airport.
Van’s noted, “Nearly 200 kit-built RV-12s have been completed and flown as ELSA and EAB aircraft, accumulating thousands of hours in the hands of typical pilots.” Under LSA rules, the company famous for their line of RV models had to fully build one RV-12 in order to sell ELSA kits.
Light-Sport Aircraft… at Home and Abroad
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. Already a few accept the standards and many are considering or are already using some variant. So, in this post, let’s review some international successes for LSA.
Tecnam is one of the most prolific of all LSA producers and not just because they have multiple approved models. Recently, they sold a pair of P2008s to New Zealand. Waikato Aero Club CEO Richard Small said, “The new planes have a number of advantages over traditional aircraft. Manufactured from modern materials [Tecnam] planes are more fuel efficient and quieter. They also have full electronic flight display screens. Our pilots are thoroughly enjoying the upgrade.”
Pipistrel has logged sales globally as well and booked four orders for their new Alpha Trainer into Russia.
$30 Burger — LeaseBack — Aircraft Tour
A fun thing happened this weekend. Such pleasures occur regularly across the USA where we enjoy so much aviation freedom. This time I got in on part of the weekend fly-out. Plus, I want to celebrate a thriving LSA flight school, another one supported by an arrangement called “leaseback.” I’ll also highlight our newest video that I hope you’ll enjoy.
Successful LSA Flight School — First landings is a central Florida flight school dedicated to LSA. They use five of them in their school including two Remos GXs, two SportCruiser/PiperSports, and a Cessna Skycatcher. First Landings is run by young entrepreneur Adam Valencic and he and his cadre of youthful flight instructors are keeping his fleet busy, averaging an admirable 70 hours a month per LSA, he reports. First Landings is based at Orlando/Apopka Airport (X04). Any flight school would be proud to claim such numbers, so great job, Adam!
Sunny Skies for England’s LAA Rally
Our roving British journalist, the always-entertaining Dave Unwin, reports on the UK’s LAA Rally event, giving ByDanJohnson.com readers a taste of light aviation in England.
After an even grimmer British summer than usual — we’ve just experienced the “wettest drought” since records began; a dry spring followed by flooding rains — the weather Gods smiled benignly on the 2012 LAA Rally. The Rally is basically the UK’s version of Oshkosh (albeit several orders of magnitude smaller) and is run by the Light Aircraft Association, formerly the PFA or Popular Flying Association, which is the Limey equivalent of the EAA. The event has been staged at several different airfields over the years, and is currently held at Sywell in Northamptonshire.
Despite the parlous state of the economy, this year’s Rally had a real buzz, and it wasn’t just all the two-stroke engines. In spite of EASA’s best efforts it would seem that the lighter side of UK aviation continues to thrive.
SLSA #127, SAB Vulcan, Appears at MW LSA Expo
SAB’s Vulcan isn’t entirely new. The design has existed in Europe and arrived in the USA more than two years ago but stealthily avoided our radar as a Special Light-Sport Aircraft until the 2012 Midwest LSA Expo at the Mt. Vernon, Illinois airport. The secret is out now and Vulcan C-100 has been added to our SLSA List and comes at #127.
Basically, the Italian SAB Aviation jumped the Atlantic into the American LSA market with their derivative of the famous Falco kit aircraft. The low-wing all-metal design first arrived to importer Phil McCoy and his Florida-based Light Sport America enterprise. McCoy promoted the introduction at Sun ‘n Fun 2010 but evidently didn’t complete the process for the Vulcan C-100 to earn its Airworthiness Certificate.
Representation at the Midwest LSA Expo was by the team of Niley Church and Valter della Nebbia under the business name SAB Aviation of Americas.
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