J230-SP

Darkest before dawn? I hear growing concern about FAA’s new Mosaic regulation and what it will or won’t do. An increasing number of comments I hear are variations of these words — “FAA is never going to get this done, and if they do, it will be a crappy rule.” Why so glum? Maybe pilots are […]

“Duck and cover” was a phrase to describe the morning on Thursday, Day Two at Sebring. Rain that lasted until late morning dampened turnout and you can’t blame those who stayed home because tomorrow, Friday January 25th, looks much better. It will be cooler (by Florida standards, 60°F) but clear skies are forecast. Plus, it’s […]

We and many other journalists have arrived in EAAworld and are gearing up for another big event. Here are two aircraft announcements of interest and one avionics offering. More will follow. Jabiru USA has news prices and new gear for their speedy line of kits and LSA. Jabiru USA Sport Aircraft is celebrating ten years […]

Revised Article UPDATED: 6/5/15 / New total LSA and LSA-like chart (at bottom) — At best statistics can be fluid and hard to state precisely. In response to my request for any Australian input below, Neil Jansen responded, “I found some data sourced from the authority that manages such aircraft categories in Australia (Recreational Aviation Australia).” […]

In the Light-Sport Aircraft industry, many companies are celebrating fairly young birthdays, at least compared to 80-year-old legacy companies in the GA space. One of those is Number 8 ranked Jabiru, with more than 100 airplanes delivered in the USA. That is whole aircraft with that name, but remember, this is one only a very […]

What do sugar cane harvesting equipment and light aircraft and engines have to do with one another? The former was the original work of Jabiru founders Rod Stiff and Phil Ainsworth. The latter is what occurred after a trip to Europe back in 1988. While they traveled, the other partners voted them out of the […]

I had some fun today talking with Jim Sweeney, guest host of Roy Beisswenger’s Ultraflight Radio Show. *** Our first topic was the state of the LSA industry. I first picked my pal Dan Johnson’s satellite-view brain of the LSA Big Picture to glean we’re looking at an industry that is weathering the economic storm […]

I am not aware of any other airplane company on Earth that builds both airframes and powerplants. Jabiru does. The Australian company has been doing this for years and has supplied approximately 2,000 airframes and more than 6,000 engines to the light aircraft market, according to Jabiru USA boss, Pete Krotje. That’s cool, but if […]

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. More good news: After its coldest winter since the early 1980s Florida is extremely pleasant now, warm with low humidity. *** Indications are the economy continues bearing down […]

In the upcoming Learn To Fly issue of dead tree Plane and Pilot, I wrote an overview article covering the Sport Pilot license. *** Helping me out with some valuable insights was Jim Sweeney, well-known ultralight/Light Sport teacher/expert who really knows his FAA regs. *** One comment Jim made: FBOs have been slow to embrace […]