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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 […]

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 […]

Bad as in-flight break-up accidents are, many opinions often blur the big picture. Last spring NTSB recommended FAA “ground the fleet,” so to say. FAA chose further study. When additional CH-601s became involved, media and organizations jumped on the bandwagon. Let’s review. *** The focus is on the CH-601XL, of which about 1,500 kits have […]

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 […]

Light-Sport Aircraft are nothing if not diverse. We have all manner of aircraft on our SLSA List of 104 approved models. Germany’s FK Lightplanes illustrates diversity through their trio of models: high wing Fk9 series; biplane Fk-12; and low wing Fk14. *** In May 2009, the newest iteration of the Fk9 series was flown by […]

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 […]

Some have likely forgotten that the Allegro was the third Special Light-Sport Aircraft ever certified, following only Evektor’s SportStar and Flight Design’s CT. It was also a market leader early on…in fact, it did so well, Fantasy Air (the now-bankrupt Czech designer and producer) still holds the #12 position even without a sale in nearly […]

Consider the Zenair / Zenith / AMD family of enterprises… Following family patriarch, Canadian Chris Heintz (the designer) are Missouri-based son Sebastien Heintz (the kit supplier) and Georgia-based son Mathieu Heintz (the aircraft producer). Another sibling, Michael Heintz acts as a dealer in California. The Heintzes also have a family of aircraft models. *** Zenith […]

At Oshkosh, FAA held a meeting to announce their LSA Assessment Project. The agency that gave birth to Light-Sport Aircraft in the summer of 2004 is now embarking on a fact-finding tour they say will judge the “health of the industry,” part of their “aviation safety oversight.” Sounds rather ominous, doesn’t it? However, officials also […]

In the late 1970s, Mazda popularized the rotary engine for their RX-7 sports car. Such engines are particularly known for their smooth running operation. Many aviators can appreciate low-vibration powerplants but especially those flying the lightest of recreational aircraft, namely Part 103 machines. *** Now, M-Squared has partnered to offer such a combination. Revolution Rotary […]