MOSAIC

Let me do the obvious first. Mosaic has for some weeks been in what agency personnel call their “quiet period.” This is when FAA is finalizing a regulation and will no longer respond to info requests. Public comment windows are long closed. Short take — We know only a little more than we did a […]

As we Floridians prepare to face Hurricane Milton starting later today, I’m pleased to give an update on one of our leading companies in the LSA space. I refer to Flight Design, which gained fame for the enviable success of its CT-series aircraft (CT2K, CTSW, CTLS, CTLSi, CT Super). In the United States, more of […]

As part of the Oshkosh Live streaming television the Firecrown aviation division (which includes this site as well as KITPLANES) did from AirVenture, I sat down with Rian Johnson, who is, in addition to his role as head of design engineering at Van’s Aircraft, the chair of the ASTM F37 committee working on MOSAIC industry-consensus […]

A lot has been written about the contents of the MOSAIC NPRM and many people and organizations have been able to comment on it to the FAA. Much of the commentary has been around the extension, or in some cases, curtailing of existing privileges for Sport Pilots, aircraft that can fit into the Light Sport […]

Oshkosh offers something for every pilot and more than any one person can see. I’ll mention this news briefly as I wish to pay respect to fellow pilots. Two accidents on the weekend after we departed resulted in four fatalities, reportedly including one passenger. My sincere condolences to the surviving families. Oshkosh has enjoyed safe […]

Pilots who have attended the Aero Friedrichshafen show in Germany may have spotted Pegaso since it was first exhibited in 2018. Six years later, the model lacks American representation, so ‘Yankee’ pilots generally don’t know this flying machine. This is Pegaso, a European ultralight that expresses a beautiful style we expect from Italy. Promecc is […]

ICON Aircraft released news about the 2024 A5: a gross weight increase to 1,570 pounds. This comes on the heels of a December 2023 announcement that the FAA had granted its A5 amphibious light sport aircraft (LSA) type certification in the primary category. “After nearly two years of rigorous R&D, testing, and production preparation, Icon […]

Today’s Bargain Buy on AircraftForSale blends classic taildragger fun with docile handling in one of the most economical packages available on the market. Essentially a Cessna 140 without flaps or an electrical system, the 120 was offered as a less-expensive version of the former. Like most 120s, this one has been equipped with an electrical […]

Light sport aircraft (LSA) have been part of the aviation firmament for almost 20 years and over that time some models established themselves even as newcomers regularly arrived. The way the FAA accepts—not “certifies”–-these airplanes allows for rapid improvement, which has stimulated surprisingly fast progress. Here are three favorites—two tried and true, and one relatively […]

Some pilots can hardly wait for MOSAIC. It takes all kinds, of course. Many aviators want to use sport pilot’s no-medical aspect to fly a Cessna or Piper that they can buy inexpensively (or may already own). That makes sense. These affordable aircraft are familiar and proven, even if they are products of the 1950s […]