Belite Aircraft

Belite’s Chipper Two-Seat Light Kit Aircraft Proves Itself

Belite entrepreneur James Weibe has successfully used his tech industry background to raise interest for his latest project, this time his first two seater called Chipper. (It was named Pipper but that apparently energized the anxieties of Piper Aircraft lawyers so James altered the name.) James has informed his Facebook and email readers with continual […]

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Avionics (Instruments) for Big and Little Guys

I guess I’m still old fashioned. I still call those things in front of the pilot “instruments,” although the preferred term for a panelful of them shifted to “avionics.” At least most people and I have stopped using “gauges.” Choose the term that works for you, but mail order giant Aircraft Spruce just sent offerings […]

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Single Seat SeaLite Amphibian from Belite Flies

It seems like we discuss seaplanes (the boat hull variety of airplanes) more than floatplanes (land planes with floats added). Rare are any of these a single seater and one that might fit in Part 103 for ultralight vehicles (meaning no pilot license, no medical, and no N-numbers are required). Yet some like the flexibility […]

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Hit or Myth? Flying with an All-Duct-Tape Covering

James Weibe is a different sort of airplane pioneer. He doesn’t make an LSA. He bought the rights to the former Kitfox Lite and has gone through several iterations of changing and improving the airplane. This makes sense considering his background in the computer accessory field, where he learned the constant upgrade path so common […]

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Judging Winners Sun ‘n Fun 2010

I once followed judging at shows like AirVenture and Sun ‘n Fun. In fact, an aircraft I helped inspire — a modernized primary glider called the SuperFloater — won Outstanding New Design at Sun ‘n Fun 1995. Judges closely examined homebuilts, kit or restored vintage airplanes, and warbirds. If they included factory built aircraft, I […]

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Going Multimedia (Reluctantly at First)

Lots of other aviation news organizations embraced multimedia before ByDanJohnson.com did. We figured online was already quite lively with hyperlinks and true interactivity as represented by our exclusive PlaneFinder 2.0 feature. *** About a year ago, of UltralightNews approached me with an idea to do brief reviews of LSA. I accepted his invitation and today […]

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Belite’s Carbon Fiber Part 103 Ultralight Vehicle

If you’ve been around aviation long enough you’ve heard the Q&A: “Know how to make a small fortune in aviation? Start with a large one!” Yet aviation can always use fresh talent, so welcome former tech entrepreneur, James Wiebe, turned aviation businessman. From his days building Mac peripherals under the name Newer Technology (and reaching […]

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Part 103 Belite Flies; Electric Power Coming

Part 103 ultralights seem eclipsed by the attention awarded to Light-Sport Aircraft. But a Wichita tech entrepreneur who sold his business is now pursuing aviation focused on the airplane formerly known as the Kitfox Lite. *** James Wiebe bought the rights to the single seater, opened shop as Belite Aircraft, and immediately started replacing aluminum […]

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