Affordable Aviation

Evektor USA’s main man Jim Lee took me up for an enjoyable float above the clouds today in the SportStar Max, the top-line evolution of the SportStar which won the first ASTM SLSA designation back at the beginning of the category. *** Above the line of scud clouds murking things up below 2500′ or so, […]

The day started at 6 with a drive up to the airport in the fog. I sat with Jim Koepnick and friends, waiting for the fog to lift for our 7 a.m. shoot with the PiperSport. *** Never happened. *** Jim’s the long-time head of EAA’s photo department: if you’ve seen some of the zillions […]

Scott Severen of Indus Aviation took me through a bunch of upgrades to its T211 Thorpedo — the first U.S. SLSA to earn ASTM certification. *** Among the numerous enhancements include: *** curved glare shield *** numerous instrument panel changes including a stall warning light and horn *** digital compass *** GA-style circuit breakers *** […]

61-year-old Italian aircraft manufacturer Tecnam has a whole fleet of LSA and general category aircraft at the show, serving notice they’re here to stay. *** At a reception tonight, U.S. Distributor Heart of Virginia and the Tecnam executive team, lead by CEO Phil Solomon, made a bold prediction: they intend the company to be the […]

Piper Aircraft’s Prez/CEO Kevin J. Gould made it official today at Sebring: the company has entered into a new, worldwide-exclusive distributor licensing agreement with Czech Sport Aircraft that will bring the SportCruiser to market – by April! – under the new name PiperSport. *** As I reported yesterday, Piper did not buy into the company […]

I was lucky enough to get Matthias Betsch, Flight Design’s CEO, all to myself for a few minutes and here’s what he had to say: *** General update: “A hard year but better than we expected. In the last two to three months, we’ve had quite a pickup. Here in the States dealers sold their […]

Sebring is off and flying… well, like a homesick angel! It appears the sixth running of the show is as strong as it’s ever been. Tim Casey — head guru of Garmin‘s division for aviation portables plus avionics and radios used in nearly every LSA on the market — told me this evening, “I think […]

Breezer dealer Mike Zidziunas had a double-good day. *** First, a potential buyer he’d been working with whipped out a blank check and said, “How much do I fill it in for?” *** Congratulations Mike! *** He also announced the German company has named him sole U.S. Distributor for the Breezer II, which he’ll take […]

Anyone familiar with the Jess Anglin Spacewalker homebuilt from the 1980s will see its genetic pedigree in the new low-wing Sporster that’s been a kit airplane for some time and is undergoing ASTM development, to be offered before long as an SLSA. *** For now (I need some sleep) here some eye candy to whet […]

Garmin’s Tim Casey debuted two spiffy new software packages for owners of the G3X glass cockpit. *** The first package brings expanded monitoring of flight functions and engine performance to the unit/s (you can gang in up to three screens on your panel). *** Tres cool: the G3X is completely user-customizable, perfect for LSA and […]