General Aviation Aircraft

Explore Plane & Pilot Magazine’s Aircraft section for trusted reviews, detailed pilot reports, and expert comparisons. From legendary trainers to cutting-edge designs, we help pilots evaluate performance, specs, and ownership experiences to make confident decisions in the air and on the ground.

CESSNA 152/152 “AEROBAT”

1978’81

2008 In Review; a Look at the Year for LSA Sales

With one month to go (and it’s hard to imagine a big December), we have figures to report for this most extraordinary year. We’re all (painfully) aware of the economic predicament, but how has this impacted light-sport aviation? Here’s my observations. *** In 11 months, the industry has increased fleet size by 35% to 1,510 […]

LSA Buyer‘s Guide

Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or Fudge-Ribbon Granola-Mocha Delight? How’s a pilot to choose which bird to buy?

The Hottest Four Seaters

A look at new fixed-gear, four-seat singles

New Storm Brewing; Rallying Back to the Market

People keep waiting for the “inevitable market shakeout,” where smaller LSA companies begin leaving the business. In our current economic climate, business failures are far more common than usual. So, how many companies have gone away? Answer: hardly any. In fact, some that went dormant are coming back. And, several more companies and airplanes remain […]

Approximately two years after unveiling its much-anticipated PiperJet, Piper Aircraft recently gave members of the media, Piper dealers and prospective owners a firsthand look at the jet. Piper’s unveiling consisted of both a ground viewing and aerial demonstration over the Vero Beach, Fla., factory. With more than 200 visitors on hand, Piper provided many new details on the jet’s performance, design and certification status.

BEECHCRAFT “STAGGERWING”

1932’48

ALEXANDER SCHLEICHER

Founded by Alexander Schleicher in 1927, the company is the world’s oldest sailplane manufacturer. The company makes both pure sailplanes and motorgliders, with entries in every category, from the entry-level ASW 21 to the remarkable ASW 28 and its 48:1 glide ratio. The ASW 28 series also offers a retracting engine and optional solar panels […]