Affordable Aviation

Aviation powerhouse Aircraft Spruce (officially Irwin International Inc.) announced it had recently completed agreements to buy California Power Systems (CPS); both are California-based enterprises. This shows what CPS had accomplished through 30 years in business but it also shows that Aircraft Spruce remains committed to Light-Sport Aircraft, by far the largest users of the Austrian […]

Predictions of a great thinning of the herd… of a consolidation of LSA producers to a handful of leaders never came to pass. No wonder, when the new Special LSA acceptances keep piling up. What I find quite fascinating is that the four newest SLSA were Made-in-American aircraft or seven of the last ten. The […]

Every year before the big shows, I often hear from journalist friends working for other publications. This year as other years, they need advance knowledge to get things started for print publications working on longer deadlines than those of us in the online publishing game. To help my fellow writers, I’ve been keeping a tally […]

Among all the engines that lift Light-Sport Aircraft and light kit aircraft into the air, a few names dominate the field. To be used in a Special LSA, the engine has to meet all the requirements of the ASTM consensus standards. That is tough enough that currently we have Rotax, HKS, Continental, and Titan, with […]

In the beginning … the light aviation world was void and without form. Those were the earliest days of light powered aircraft that people could truly afford. I refer way back to the late 1970s following a period when hang gliders were the darlings of the affordable aviation world. Hang gliders evolved in various dimensions, […]

It’s springtime and all across America as the weather enters an inviting phase, pilots are getting out their ultralights, light kit aircraft, and the Light-Sport Aircraft. Doing a very thorough check of the airframe is obviously important but thoughtful pilots will not overlook their engine. For years now, all manner of light aircraft are lifted […]

Older readers may remember, “The Russians are Coming,” a silly movie about a supposed Russian invasion from 1966. It was a comedy set during the Cold War. Here in the new millennia a different sort of aviation invasion appears to be happening. This time it’s the Brazilians and they are not so much invading as […]

In my years as a hang glider pilot — and for many friends who enjoy unpowered paragliders — the idea of what’s called a “top landing” is something of the holy grail. Such a feat can now be rather commonly achieved, especially by a slower flying paraglider, but is nonetheless quite thrilling to launch from […]

Article updated March 9, 2016 — Skybound Aviation in Cape Girardeau, Missouri has been appointed the “exclusive resource” for Remos G3 and GX parts in the USA. The company operated by Glenn “Mac” McCallister and Bev Cleair is open for service 6.5 days a week (not Sunday mornings) and is also a dealer for Remos. […]

It was the ninth annual LAMA Dinner at Sebring 2016. Each year, the organization has tried to do something different and this year broke new ground. In the past LAMA has brought in speakers such as AOPA then-president Craig Fuller, EAA then-president Rod Hightower, and FAA ex-administrator, Randy Babbitt. Except for the last, they were […]