Manufacturers

Named “Ultra Air,” the newest Hawk Single sounds like it might be Apple’s new laptop computer. In our analog world, Hawk Ultra Air is nearly the exact opposite… except it is a light aircraft. Many might say it’s “ultra” fun so, hey!, the model name works. “Less is more” is also a phrase that might […]

At Midwest LSA Expo on Day Three, I interviewed two leading sellers in the LSA or Sport Pilot kit space, one imported model and one U.S. brand. They represent different approaches to the business yet each has been successful, one for 35 years and one for 40 years. These conversations were a great way to […]

At Midwest LSA Expo on Day Two, I gave my first Mosaic talk to a SRO room. The video turned out well so following some editing on the Q&A session that followed, I pledge to get this up next week. My presentation was a distillation of 318 original pages into a 45-minute presentation. Some described […]

One sure way to know if a show works is to observe vendor participation over a number of years. As this is my 14th year attending the Midwest LSA Expo, I can tell you 2023 represents a strong turnout. Companies come back year after year because it works to connect them with interested customers. Both […]

Nine years ago, in 2014, electric aircraft were mostly experiments and the beginning was challenging. Several ill-fated projects attempted to electrically power airplanes that were inappropriate for such a powerplant. Batteries of the day had lousy power-to-weight ratios. Enough juice to lift and fly a two seater, much less a four seater, by an electric […]

Mosaic was a subject of intense conversations at AirVenture Oshkosh 2023. In a surprise to many of us, FAA released the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) for Mosaic ahead of schedule. Lots of people who needed to study it were already en route to the EAA show for a week, 10 days, or more. […]

When AirVenture Oshkosh ends, you can almost hear a national sigh as if to denote the flying season is over. EAA’s magnificent summer celebration of flight leads to Labor Day and into fall. Fun flying in northern climates might begin to slow but in the southern half of the U.S., flying for fun is entering […]

We are awash in bad news from Ukraine. Some is honest reporting of the extremely difficult circumstances for many in the war-racked nation. Yet media does not always grace itself, always finding the worst of the news to report in somber tones. Amazingly, it’s not all bad. While heads of state send troops into harms […]

FAA proposed regulation has powerfully captured the attention of many pilots. Pilots have tons of questions. We have some answers. Everyone has a lot to read. But… uggghhh! Who wants to read this stuff? If it doesn’t put you to sleep, it might infuriate you. Overall, FAA’s proposal has been warmly received as it opens […]

Is this an exciting time for aviation? Have you been one of the many pilots anticipating Mosaic and the promise it brings for more capable aircraft? The new proposal is loaded with ideas we requested. As with the SP/LSA rule of nineteen years ago, these features of Mosaic are stimulating all sorts of expectations …but […]