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.

Flight Design… “Has a Map for That”

If you study FAA’s registration database as I do, you’ll quickly discover that Flight Design and its various CT models have a strong presence in the USA (the world for that matter, with 1,500 flying, according to the company). Since CT was first certified in April 2005 — the second LSA to win Special LSA […]

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Launchin’ Hangar Flyin’ — C’mon for a Flight!

Greetings fellow LSA fans! *** Welcome to Hangar Flyin’ *** I’m Jim Lawrence, *** Light Sport Editor at Large *** We’re starting this blog so you’ll have a webby place for your questions, burning issues, rants (keep ’em clean) and for when you just feel like dropping by to stay in touch. We’re up, and […]

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More for You Visitors… Same Price: Free!

The Internet has transformed life in countless ways. Running an e-commerce website involves providing useful services, most commonly at no cost to visitors. In keeping with this new paradigm, several of the most popular features on ByDanJohnson.com are free — PlaneFinder 2.0; LSA Videos; SLSA List; FIRM List; LSA Market Info, Industry database; many articles; […]

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China Certifies First LSA

An important development in the globalization of sport flight was just announced by Flight Design, the German maker of the CT line of LSA that leads in sales here in the U.S. *** The parent company announced its CT line had received Type Design Approval TDA-LSA-0001A from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), as […]

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Remos “Insolvency”

Remos, German makers of the popular Remos GX composite SLSA, has been the subject of a lot of wagging tongues the last few days. Rumors abound as to what it all means, with innuendo-slinging around the company’s alleged lack of timely disclosure surrounding its financial difficulties. *** The man who seems to have his finger […]

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Two Jabirus Fly to the Land of the Long White Cloud

The newspaper Bay Of Plenty Times just posted a story bylined by Julia Proverbs that the popular Australian SLSA Jabiru has migrated to its down-under neighbor New Zealand. A flight school run by Euroflight International of Tauranga, (north island) just bought and flew two Jabiru LSA models to replace the school’s aging Cessna 150s. *** […]

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“Win-Win” Used LSA Sales Program

SportairUSA, North American distributor for Sting and Sirius LSA models, just launched an interesting sales/service program for “pre-owned” LSA that should prove attractive for buyers and sellers alike. *** Here’s the pitch: *** SportairUSA will sell every pre-owned LSA that’s certified for the program with a six month, 50 hour warranty. *** Bonus: five hours […]

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$50/hour Flight Training?

Holy Economics 101, Batman! *** X-Air LLC just sent out a release that caught my eye. *** X-Air is the Bend, Oregon-based LSA manufacturer that makes an ultralight-style flivver directly targeted at those recreational flyers and wingabees (flight-dreaming wannabes, get it?) on a tuna sandwich budget. *** The tube-and-fabric, fun-flying X-Air LS has a lot […]

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AOPA Picks LSA for Sweepstakes Giveaway

AOPA kicked off its annual Aviation Summit, in Tampa, FL this year, with a pretty cool announcement: it’s annual Sweepstakes Giveaway aircraft will be an LSA: the Remos GX. *** The news here is this is the very first time the pilot’s membership organization has made their big prize a Light Sport airplane. *** Remos […]

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FAA Recommends Safety Mod for Zodiac CH601XL

AMD, makers of the Chris Heinz-designed Zodiac CH601XL and CH650 light sport/experimental built aircraft, just got some bad news from the FAA. *** In its Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-10-08, FAA urged pilots and current builders not to fly either model until they make structural modifications to the aircraft. *** Yet another accident involving a […]

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