Splog

Oshkosh is over but wait! There’s more! *** One of the surprise hits last year was the Midwest LSA Expo lead by capable Chris Collins. Held at Mount Vernon Outland Airport (MVN) in Illinois, the new show attracted 42 airplanes and 30 exhibitors and what was reported far and wide as a focused and motivated […]

I am not alone in thinking Part 103 ultralight aircraft are the ideal platform for initial development of electric powered aircraft. Sure, someday you’ll be able to fly your 2-4 seater for 300-400 miles or more, recharge in the time it takes you to use the facilities, and be on your way again. But today, […]

A gentleman at Oshkosh asked me a question about Sport Pilot Instructors and I’m afraid I gave a misleading answer. Even though I inhabit the SP/LSA space all day long every day, it isn’t hard to get a detail incorrect. My expertise is on the LSA side and less so the SP side, so I […]

More than 20 Top LSA You Can Buy The light-sport aircraft industry hangs in there, although sales numbers, as with general aviation, still struggle to gain safe altitude in the stormy economic skies. Encouraging item: LSA sales in 2009 represented nearly 25% of all GA piston purchases. Another surprise: Most of the 107 models available […]

In the wake of its week long focus on electric-powered flight at the just-concluded Oshkosh AirVenture 2010, EAA just announced a $60,000 prize to “speed development of electric flight technology.” *** As I posted earlier here, during the World Symposium on Electric Aircraft, Erik Lindbergh awarded his LEAP prize to three companies for their contributions […]

Randall Fishman’s ElectraFlyer Trike pumped me up. As a trike enthusiast, my real interest is soaring. A lightweight trike with an electric motor offers real advantages (see my earlier SPLOG). I want to climb high enough to find lift, shut off the power, and hop from thermal to thermal. To me, that’s pure flying! An […]

Oshkosh has been deluged with a record downpour the last few days, which complicated arrivals because of the soggified grass fields…where most of the planes park and campers do their camping thing. *** Many airplanes were turned away over the weekend but nothing deters the Airventure show, which must go on. *** Several things already […]

All-electric airplane fans, this’ll stand your hair on end!  Next month’s 2010 EAA Airventure at Oshkosh, WI – easily the biggest air show in America every year – will feature activities focusing on the most exciting developments in electric flight all week long. *** Visitors to the show will find display booths, daily forums and […]

Green Tech is hot in Silicon Valley. Electric power-augmented and flex-fuel cars are selling well. Why not alternative energy Light-Sport Aircraft? Two companies showed electric airplanes at AirVenture 2007. *** Sonex revealed their own green technologies including a full-electric Waiex with a 200-amp motor that is 90 percent efficient and operates on 270 volts of […]

Back finally from 12 days at Oshkosh and the DC-3 fly-in that preceded it, I’m cranking out images and stories gathered there but couldn’t wait to get this one to you. *** Below is a condensation of my column that will run in the November issue. It involves an airplane that caught everybody’s eye when […]