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.

NH:What’s New

SELECT TOP 40 BUTTON, MENU, ITEM, A.*, M.NAME FROM #Application.TablePrefix#ARTICLES A JOIN #Application.TablePrefix#NAVIGATION N ON A.ARTICLE_ID = N.ARTICLE_ID JOIN #Application.TablePrefix#MAGAZINES M ON A.MAGAZINE_ID = M.MAGAZINE_ID WHERE ARTICLE_TYPE_CD IN (1, 2, 5, 9) ORDER BY A.LAST_UPD_DT DESC Recently added articles: We add 15 to 20 new pilot reports per year and the list below will show […]

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Lockwood to Help Educate A&Ps on Rotax Powerplants

A&P acceptance (or lack thereof) is a leading reason for Cessna’s decision to use the Continental O-200D in Skycatcher. Surveys through their Cessna Pilot Centers showed that a majority of FAA-licensed mechanics preferred an engine they already know. Most lack knowledge of the Rotax 9-series that powers the majority of the LSA fleet. And when […]

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Traditional, Brand New, $88,995 — SLSA #62

What did you have to be thankful for last week when the nation paused for a day? Paul Klomhaus and his group at Eagle Aviation were nearly done with their Special Light-Sport Aircraft approval. No doubt they were thankful all the hard effort was drawing to a close. Yet Thanksgiving Day dessert came when the […]

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Quik Approval for UK Trikes; SLSA Numbers 60 & 61

Two weight shift aircraft from England carried the list of Special Light-Sport Aircraft past the 60 mark. Welcome to the P&M Aviation Quik and Quik GT450, our two newest SLSA models and the 7th and 8th weight shift aircraft (adding to 5 powered parachute models and 48 fixed wing airplanes, 2 of which fall into […]

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Sport Aircraft Works Revs Up; Hits 3 Benchmarks

October 2007 was the One for Sport Aircraft Works, U.S. importer of Czech Aircraft Works (CZAW) airplanes. They registered #41 SLSA with FAA, they took order #101 for their SportCruiser, and they sold a pair of SportCruisers to the #21 school to adopt the brand and become a Sport Aircraft Pilot Center. Customer deliveries reached […]

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Flying the Rans S-19; SLSA Version in Process

Most light aircraft enthusiasts know Rans. One of America’s leading builders the Hays, Kansas company has delivered more than 4,000 aircraft. Rans achieved Primary Category certification for their high wing tandem S-7 Courier in the 1990s. That program fizzled through no fault of Rans’ but after meeting industry consensus (ASTM) standards their S-7LS again won […]

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More than 1,000 SLSA Airplanes Registered with FAA

October 2007 brought another top finish for Jabiru USA. FAA registrations of J-250 and J-170 led the industry for the second consecutive month contributing to their rise in the ranks. Czech Aircraft Works logged a good increase and moved up in the chart. And, CubCrafters continued their steady climb. *** In a fresh look, this […]

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See Nothing New in Part 103 Airplanes? Look Again!

Even though FAA has said Part 103 will not be changed, many pilots see few fixed wing airplane choices truly meeting the definition. Some trikes and powered parachutes can manage it but many lament, “Yeah, but no three-axis designs.” If you agree, be prepared to eat your words. Here comes Interplane’s ZJ Viera. The brand-new […]

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Certifying LSA

A Review of the Industry Consensus Standards Method In the aviation world, the new light sport aircraft category is all the rage, with interest at aviation trade shows climbing off the charts. New aircraft certified using ASTM International industry consensus standards recently reached model number 50, with all approvals coming in less than two years, […]

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Got An LSA Opinion? SportairUSA Wants Your Input.

The customer is king…even before becoming a customer. StingSport seller SportairUSA has launched an online survey to find out what you think. Will you waste your time? Not if you have an opinion and want someone to listen carefully. You could also pick up $100 in cash for your time and have a chance at […]

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