Affordable Aviation

The first-ever DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase finished on a high note with a sold-out flock of vendors giving kudos to event director Jana Filip and her team. I spoke to most exhibitors and heard zero complaints. By itself that’s rather unusual. Perhaps they were cutting the new show some slack but more likely their enthusiasm […]

One company making a splash at the brand-new DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase event that opened today was AeroJones, occupying the first two spaces inside the entrance. I’ve written about this company before but since spring a striking change has occurred. Flight Design — originator of the market-leading CT-series of LSA — has completed a court-appointed […]

The first-ever inaugural event of the DeLand starts tomorrow, November 3rd and runs through the 4th and 5th (THursday, Friday, Saturday).I hope you are planning to attend. The exhibitor spaces are full sold and several aircraft were in place by Wednesday afternoon before the show. C’mon down and check out the newest event in light […]

Are you interested in light aircraft? “Check.” Interested in cool looking flying machines? “Check.” Enjoy following the latest trends in flying? “Check.” Interested in autonomous (pilotless) flying? “Umm… Not sure?” Interested in an Autonomous Airbus Air Taxi? “Hmm… no, not really?” Interesting in getting your Eight-Engine Rating? “Ah, No!” However you answered and whatever you […]

I guess I’m still old fashioned. I still call those things in front of the pilot “instruments,” although the preferred term for a panelful of them shifted to “avionics.” At least most people and I have stopped using “gauges.” Choose the term that works for you, but mail order giant Aircraft Spruce just sent offerings […]

The stories we hear about North Korea are usually bad. OK, I’ve rarely heard anything good so I guess the news is just about all bad. However, we hear about North Korea from mainstream media and government officials, neither of whom seem interested in good news about this reclusive Communist state. On whole, it seems […]

The lines are separating a bit. Once we had a flock of LSA priced closer to one another than today. While some are put off by splashy marketing from companies offering LSA priced north of $200,000, your choices do include fixed wing aircraft for $50-80,000 and alternative (weight shift, gyro, and powered parachutes) LSA for […]

First a personal tale and then something completely different… In the last week, I encountered something brand new to me, although old as the ocean. I refer to Hurricane Matthew, which swept through my home area of Daytona Beach late last week. You haven’t seen anything new on this website for a few days because, […]

Over and over I’ve heard about the cost of Light-Sport Aircraft. Indeed, some are approaching $200,000 and at least four have smashed through that barrier (CubCrafters, Icon, Terra Fugia, and Lisa). Now, I’ll grant you $200K+ for a two seater is fairly breathtaking. But… In each case above and for those many others in the […]

WUFI ’16 — It’s tomorrow in New Zealand. Weird as it seems to write that, the down-under nation is 17 hours ahead of those of us on America’s east coast. So, pilots in that nation will lead the parade as ultralights and other open-cockpit aircraft kick off the World Ultralight Fly-In on October 1st, a […]