CH 701/750

A winning airshow attraction over the last few years has been STOL competitions. STOL stands for Short Takeoff and Landing. Believe me, these pilots totally obsess over “short.” You truly need to see these performances to believe what determined pilots in suitable aircraft can do. I encourage all to come on down to sunny Florida for Sun […]

Shortly after the Midwest LSA Expo each year, a nearby company hosts a homecoming for its builders. Maybe you’ve heard of them: Zenith Aircraft? Truth is, the odds are reasonably good that you’ve either built a Zenith kit, contemplated building one, or flew in one. For years this company has led the segment I’ve dubbed […]

For years, one company has led the fleet of light aircraft. Regular readers of this website already know who it is: Zenith Aircraft. The company may be at the back of the alphabet but they are first in deliveries*. This particular year, however, the company based in Mexico, Missouri celebrates its 30th anniversary. Beginning in […]

Sebastien Heintz of Zenith Aircraft in Mexico, Missouri is one of the more vigorous promoters in light aviation. He and his 25-year-old company are all over social media and advertise in big magazines. This week his news came from about as far away as possible, from way down under in New Zealand. “A Zenith STOL, […]

Zenith and Zenair are closely-linked enterprises with different leaders in different countries. In recent years, the three Heintz brothers took different responsibilities for the business founded by dad, Chris Heintz. An aeronautical engineer, Chris founded Zenair Ltd., in Canada in 1974 and parleyed his design pedigree into a flock of airplanes that have sold by […]

Engine suppliers must love Zenith Aircraft, perhaps as much as their many airframe owners. For 23 years, the kit company based in Mexico, Missouri has supplied about 200 kits per year to buyers all over the country and around the world. That is a selling performance any light airplane company would like to boast. One […]

Summer’s big show is over and most aviation business folks are back home having that love/hate affair with email that piled up while we worked the event. On whole, the success story is strong. Airplanes sold, crowds were good, accidents were few, and the weather was not smoking hot like it has been in years […]

Rotax BRP is offering a new warranty extension program but it plans more. The Austrian supplier of some 80% of the powerplants used in Light-Sport Aircraft and light kit aircraft is also building a flight school locator for training operations that use their engine. Consumers have some locator services now — in fact, our own […]

Zenith Aircraft is one of the country or world’s most successful providers of kit aircraft. Several thousands of all models are flying. One of their most popular is the “Sky Jeep,” otherwise known by the more pedestrian designation, CH 750. Plenty of reasons tell the story of why Zenith in Mexico, Missouri can sell solidly […]

China, China, China … Americans hear a lot about this fast growing country although financial news outlets say growth is slowing as its economy matures. American pilots have been hearing plenty, too. Sometimes it seems like an unending list of companies (Cirrus Design, Continental Motors, Mooney Aircraft, several LSA seaplane manufacturers and various other enterprises) […]