Affordable Aviation

You might think hurricanes in the first two years would dampen the spirit of the Sebring LSA Expo, but fortunately organizers have proven up to the task of building a new aviation event. Sebring overcame its weather challenges to become a significant show next occurring January 11-14, 2007. The U.S Sport Aviation Expo at Sebring, […]

EAA’s Sport Pilot Tour ran its last presently scheduled event at Brown Field in San Diego, California on a beautiful December 9th. Based on registrations and vendor conversations, I estimate more than 700 interested people came out to see eighteen Light-Sport Aircraft models. Both numbers represent a zenith for the series that has gone coast […]

A fleet of shiny Special Light-Sport Aircraft assembled at historic Flabob Airport despite persistent high winds in the southwest. Under an usually clear blue sky, a record 17 models gathered at the vintage airport in Riverside, California. EAA promotional efforts attracted about 600 LSA-oriented attendees. Hosted by EAA Chapter 1 in their excellent facility provided […]

The first of two EAA Sport Pilot Tour stops will occur December 2nd at the famous Flabob Airport in Riverside, California. One weekend later on December 9th the last of the series will be hosted by Brown Field in San Diego. Both events appear ready to break all records for the number of display airplanes. […]

Yesterday, I paid a visit to Cessna Aircraft and was generously hosted by John Doman, their VP of worldwide prop aircraft sales, Roger Martin, director of prop marketing, and Darren Jones, one of Cessna’s LSA Core Team members and a principal author of the business case being prepared to show Cessna and Textron management why […]

Dallas, Texas-based IndUS Aviation earned their second SLSA model approval with certification of the T-11 Sky Skooter. Powered by the four cylinder, 85-hp Jabiru 2200, Sky Skooter becomes the lighter sibling to the potent Thorpedo, which uses the 120-hp Jabiru 3300 on the same airframe. Compared to IndUS’s T-211 with the Continental O-200 engine, the […]

To say the pace has been frenetic for professionals in the LSA industry is both understatement and nothing new to those involved. Most LSA pros are working “day and night” (as one put it) just to get all the work done. It makes for a very exciting time as well as an exhausting one. The […]

On the same day Van first flew his RV-12 LSA and on the same day AOPA’s Expo 2006 opened with a fleet of LSA on display, LSA Aero president Don Langford received #44 SLSA certification for the Freedom from Troy Hart of the Memphis FSDO (photo). The following week Decatur, Alabama-based LSA Aero delivered the […]

The 2006 version of AOPA’s annual Expo was a watershed event for Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft, IMHO. Last year, at the Tampa, Florida Expo, pilots were interested in LSA but it seemed more curiosity…”Maybe these aircraft will interest me in the future,” was a common statement. At the Palm Springs, California event, interest was much sharper. […]

The newest Special Light-Sport Aircraft to win approval will help the industry close out a spectacular year. In 2005, starting only by mid-April, 23 designs have won their airworthiness certificate under the ASTM Consensus Standards. For the year, #23 goes to Aircraft Manufacturing and Development of Eastman, Georgia. The AMD Zodiac CH 601 XL is […]