Blog

This has been a tough semi-decade for people in the Light Sport industry with big ideas. And for people everywhere with this kind of thinking: “Hey, let’s throw a few mill bucks at this mega-concept and see if it changes the world!” Cessna’s Skycatcher endured a couple non-recoverable spins and parachute deployments in its intensive […]

Top General Aviation manufacturer Cirrus Aircraft, which makes the Cirrus line of four-seat, all-composite aircraft, just announced it’s partnering with another composite company, one that’s had its share of delays in getting to market: Icon Aircraft. The Icon A5, a sleek, highly-promoted amphibian SLSA, has gathered several hundred orders although the company, formed in 2005, […]

Another beautiful day. Warmer, but humidity not stifling and a steady breeze was evident most of the day. Not a huge crowd compared to some earlier years but many LSA and GA exhibitors alike reported good, focused interest and not a few sales. Pipistrel in particular seems to be riding the crest of ever-growing reputation. […]

Just put in my first day at the show, only doing 3 days this year, plus a layover day to pick up any after-show-convenient flight reports. Uncharacteristically, Oshkosh had a truly beautiful weather day after a week of 100 degree days and microburst winds and thunderstorms that sent people scurrying hither and yon. The crowds […]

Edit: There was some confusion after I first posted this a few days before Oshkosh, so I hope this addendum clears things up: First Piper, now Cessna…wow, didn’t see this coming. I’m referring to Piper leaving the LSA field after dropping the PiperSport a couple years back. Similarly, Cessna will no longer list the Skycatcher […]

Hola – greetings from Chico. One month down, and three to go. I’m missing Oshkosh but since I made Sun & Fun and will be there again next year, not too sad…although I miss seeing my friends. A few of them are giving me updates though! Fire season in Northern California has been pretty busy […]

“Situational Awareness” is one of those phrases you hear a lot when aviation safety is the topic…and when isn’t aviation safety the topic in a cockpit? New on the market is a device to allow pilots to keep their eyes on the skies…while also having instrument readouts right in their field of view. HUD, of […]

I just wrote up a piece for the Tech Talk Dept. of Plane & Pilot on the iFly 720 GPS, a really amazing, super-affordable, Air Gizmo-dockable unit that’s got more features than Carter had pills (that’s a reference for older readers). Here’s my lead from that article, out in the next issue : “If you […]

For all you smartphone and iPad users, here’s a great guide to Oshkosh from Sporty’s Pilot Shop. You can read all the details here, and I’m posting a couple of my own screens. There’s lots to like, because anybody who’s been to the Big Show (It’ll be my 32 year this year) knows it’s total […]

In case you hadn’t heard, this is the Year of the Cub…the 75th anniversary celebration of that wonderful proto-LSA, the Piper J3 Cub. Of course, I’m excusing my post on the FAA-certified J3 here because it is also legal to fly as a Sport Pilot, along with many other venerable Golden Age flivvers. I fly […]