Splog

More than a decade ago, Tony Anderson started teaching students how to fly on floats. Today, his family enterprise spreads across three aviation businesses. In a recent visit I was most impressed to witness what the Andersons have built. From their home base with hangar right on an in-town lake to the North Perry Airport […]

With the delivery of their 88th Legend Cub, the Sulphur Springs, Texas-based company handily confirmed its well-out-in-front leadership among American companies building SLSA. If fact, among the entire fleet, Legend is a solid number two behind Flight Design and its CT, a good margin ahead of next-best producers Fantasy Air, TL Ultralight, Evektor, Tecnam, and […]

Continuing the tour of floatplanes (yes, I remember it’s winter up north even while I tour the tropical south, but what a good time to think about warmer days to come)…we paid a visit to the home field of Sport Aircraft Works. SAW is the U.S. marketing arm for Czech Aircraft Works (CZAW) and their […]

If you want a forum for Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft, you need look no further than SportPilotTalk.com. This comprehensive and professionally designed website will let you sound off on a variety of topics. You can also find many links to other valuable resources. Adventure Productions has a complete line of DVD and printed book […]

For years BRS Parachutes sold emergency systems to ultralight pilots. Then along came Cirrus Design, who installed the CAPS (Cirrus Airframe Parachute System) on their SR-20 and SR-22 models as standard equipment. It was a bold and unproven tactic, but today, the SR-22 is the best selling general aviation aircraft in the world. Did the […]

In 2005, NASA teamed up with the CAFE Foundation (best known for flight testing aircraft for EAA) to host the Personal Air Vehicle Centennial Challenge (PAV CC), a $250,000 annual flight competition for small aircraft . “PAV CC is modeled after the ‘X Prize’ and embodies NASA’s commitment to the first ‘A’ in NASA: Aeronautics,” […]

My wife, Randee, and I are finding lots of good reasons to winter in Florida (while our home state of Minnesota gets buried in snow). Here’s three of those good reasons: SeaMax, Mermaid, and Drifter on Lotus floats. Float flying in winter is different…and fun! *** I have now flown the SeaMax three times. Yesterday […]

Michigan-based Prestige Aircraft recently rolled out their first U.S.-built Storm Rally. Examples of this attractive high wing aircraft seen at airshows like AirVenture 2006 were manufactured by the Italian company that created the design. Now, Prestige builds the Rally under an agreement with Storm Aircraft and plans to add the low wing Century and amphibious […]

At airshows or other gatherings, I’m always amazed at how many pilots attend talks on engines like the Rotax 912. For those who thirst for more, here’s the newest DVD from ASA‘s Freedom to Fly video series on the operation and maintenance of a Rotax 912. ASA’s program covers a wide range from checking the […]

How to extract more performance from a 60-year-old design? How about a nose job? Pilots understand a smoother shape lends more speed to a design, but you may not sense the total gain possible without adding horsepower or burning more fuel. General aviation companies like Mooney, Cessna, and Piper hired LoPresti Speed Merchants to help […]