Affordable Aviation

The folks at the CT Flier Forum kick off their 4th Annual CT Fly-in this coming Oct. 14-17 and it sounds like a blast…unless the sight of the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon and Zion Canyon aren’t enough eye candy to get your mojo working. *** Rooms are available at a $49 […]

The following is taken from FAA’s “Light-Sport Aircraft Manufacturers Assessment” Final Report issued May 17, 2010. It has not been edited or changed in any way other than to format for Web posting. Light-Sport Aircraft Manufacturer Assessment —– Final Report —– Issued May 17, 2010 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report presents the results of the Light-sport […]

Perhaps you’ve noticed we have not been reporting market share information as often as we once did. Two reasons: (1) the market has matured, meaning the leaders are distancing themselves from niche producers and the rank positions aren’t moving around as much; (2) in the economic doldrums, the numbers simply haven’t been changing as quickly. […]

Friday attendance seemed lighter than last year. Blame Thunderstorm Morning! One downpour sent sheets of water an inch deep flowing across the exhibition tarmac. *** But nothing dampens sky-bound enthusiasts for long — before long, we drowned rats re-emerged and started aviating as the skies slowly cleared and sunlight finally popped out around 4 pm. […]

[UPDATE 2/9/10 — Check our new LSA Video entry showing you around the first Special Light-Sport Aircraft installation of SkyView (and Garmin 696) in a CTLS… then go watch the video below.] *** Talk about your “Wow! Factor,” Paul Hamilton’s new video for Dynon really shows off the amazing capability of the company’s SkyView avionics […]

One of Czech Republic’s leading LSA makers, Evektor-Aerotechnic, has upped the ante with its Turbo-powered SportStar MAX, a lovely LSA that I flew with the standard powerplant recently and will have a report in Plane & Pilot coming up soon. *** The new muscle comes courtesy a turbocharged Rotax 914 UL, which takes the MAX […]

Those hard-working stalwarts at Legend, the number one U.S. producer of LSA, keep finding interesting things for folks like me to write about. • Trish Jackson is an Ohio native who flies Airbus freight carriers all over Europe. She learned flying from her mother at age 13 and still remembers a memorable quote mom made […]

Powerhouse digital instrument maker Dynon Avionics just came out with software version 5.4 for its EFIS-D10A, EFIS-D100 and FlightDEK-D180 units which are in widespread use in LSA and homebuilt aircraft. The upgrade addresses refined pitch control, including some new user-adjustable parameters that optimize autopilot performance for each individual aircraft. *** The idea, explained Dynon, is […]

Landing on water with your wheels down is a confirmed aviation no-no. Land planes that try it often get flipped over upside down, when escaping the cabin becomes a real concern. Every seaplane pilot I know has a mantra he or she repeats, “I’m landing on water so the wheels must be up.” Most simply […]

We’ve all seen the ads: “Full IFR-Equipped LSA!” A few top-line models offer such instrument packages, such as Flight Design CTLS, Evektor MAX, Tecnam’s P2008. But is an LSA legal to fly IFR? Quick tell: Yes — when flown by an appropriately rated pilot. We already know that a Sport Pilot license holder can only […]