Affordable Aviation

Explore Affordable Aviation by Dan Johnson on Plane & Pilot Magazine — your guide to light-sport, ultralight, and experimental aircraft. With decades of Dan’s experience, this section offers pilot reports, model comparisons, buying guides, and expert tips designed to help you get airborne affordably and confidently.

25 Years of the Rotax 912; Celebration in Austria

Twenty five years ago the world celebrated a major event in human history: the tearing down of the hated Berlin wall. That was 1989 and the same year brought forth another great occurrence in human freedom (for a completely different reason). That year, Rotax Aircraft Engines introduced their then-brand-new Rotax 912 … or 9-series as […]

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R.E.S.T. — Rotax Offers Extended Warranty

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 […]

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Zenith Flies the Rotax 912iS on their CH 750

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 […]

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2013 Light-Sport Market Share Report & Analysis

UPDATE: May 27, 2014 — “A vigorous debate ensued …” might be one way to refer to a four-way discussion from around the globe. Over the last few days, LSA industry folks in distant lands worked on market share details. Michael Coates is the Australian-based U.S. distributor for Pipistrel, an aircraft fabricated in Slovenia and […]

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Icon Confirms Vacaville, California for Production

I have been following Icon Aircraft closely since I first met top gun Kirk Hawkins on the EAA Sport Pilot Tour back in 2005. Then he was one man with a business card and a dream. In the nine years following, Icon has become, well … an icon of light aviation. Almost everybody knows this […]

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Just on Fire! SuperSTOL Leads to 500th Kit

We all have favorites … foods, websites, movies, and of course, airplanes. I have favorites, too. This doesn’t mean my favorites are better than others, nor that anyone else may agree with me. That’s OK. Properly caveated, I have to say one of my favorite airplanes is Just Aircraft’s SuperSTOL. Flying it at last Sun […]

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Aero 2014 Review … Starting to Think AirVenture

Life has settled down a little after the rush that began at the end of March. Five weeks back, Sun ‘n Fun was approaching to kick off the season of recreational flying. Aero in Germany followed with only a one day break before boarding the airliner to Europe followed by plenty of follow-up and contemplating […]

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Zenith’s CH 750 Is a Success In China

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) […]

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New SLSA (#135) is Quicksilver’s Sport S2SE

Once upon a time, a couple years before the SP/LSA was announced at AirVenture 2004, I thought the odds were high that Quicksilver would be the very first Special LSA to hit the market. Several other industry veterans agreed. Their GT500 was the very first to earn FAA’s Primary Category approval, back in 1993. This […]

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Summer Is Here; Flying the Edra Super Petrel LS

Winter has finally released its icy grip on the northern states that were so punished over the past few months. Here in the “Sunshine State” of Florida, it feels like summer. So what do pilots do in the summertime, in Florida? Go fly seaplanes, of course? What else? Indeed, quite a flock of seaplanes and […]

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