Introduced in 1958 as a more powerful 172, the Skylark was originally equipped with a 180 hp geared version of Continental’s O-300. While owners generally enjoy the engine and report good reliability, it came with a relatively short overhaul interval/TBO of 1,200 hours and challenging parts and service availability. This unique Skylark eliminates these concerns entirely with a 230 hp Continental O-470R.

Pilots interested in a uniquely capable Cessna that bridges the gap between the 172 and 182 should consider this 1962 Cessna 175 Skylark, which is available for $75,000 on AircraftForSale.

With a 50-gallon fuel capacity, reliable manual flaps, and a constant-speed propeller, this Skylark provides many of the 182’s most desirable features at a price that’s tens of thousands less. The airplane’s new owner can expect many years of reliable service, with only 480 hours since major overhaul on the engine and 1,800 total hours on the airframe.

Inside, the panel is basic but complete and in good condition. Radios are placed up high for ease of access, and the “six-pack” configuration of primary flight instruments is far more orderly than many other aircraft of the era. A JPI fuel flow computer adds a modern touch, while ADS-B Out ensures you’ll have access to Class B and C airspace. 

The airplane includes logs and has no corrosion or hail damage. As the seller points out, the addition of a STOL kit and big tires will make this a fantastic bushplane for off-airport adventures.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

The post Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1962 Cessna 175 Skylark appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Essentially a larger version of the Piper Vagabond, the Clipper is a small fabric-covered taildragger that was originally equipped with the 115-horsepower Lycoming O-235. This example has been upgraded to a 150-horsepower Lycoming O-320. Although the Clipper’s lack of flaps might be somewhat limiting on extremely short strips, the additional power combined with a low empty weight of just over 1000 pounds ensures little runway will be required for takeoff. Cushy, oversized 8.50 tires are an ideal choice for rougher surfaces.

• READ MORE: PIPER PA-15/PA-17 “VAGABOND”/PA-16 “CLIPPER”

Inside, the Clipper differs from most other aircraft. One of the few types that combines control sticks with side-by-side seating, it provides classic stick-and-rudder flying without subjecting your companion to a view of your back. It does, however, also provide a back seat for an additional passenger or a pile of gear. The clean, uncluttered panel sports a smart assortment of upgrades, such as a digital com radio, an intercom, digital engine instruments, and a panel-mounted Garmin GPS. An integrated iPad mount ensures you won’t have to fumble with suction cups or less-reliable tablet holders.

This Clipper also provides peace of mind, with a low 2,200-hour airframe time and only 400 hours on the engine since the last major overhaul in the 1990s. The seller reports perfect compression and has all logs available upon request. Additionally, a set of sealed wing struts has eliminated the requirement to perform ongoing, repetitive airworthiness directive inspections. Finally, the seller is including a set of vortex generators to make the already responsive controls even more crisp. 

Pilots interested in a unique vintage aircraft with economical operating costs should consider this 1949 Piper PA-16 Clipper, which is available for $55,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

The post Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1949 Piper PA-16 Clipper appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

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 years with no loss of life, but when so many airplanes assemble, mathematical odds suggest that something is going to happen despite incredible efforts to make the event as safe as possible

In the heat of Oshkosh 2023, people proved adept at finding shade where they could, in this case, that offered by a tailplane and fuselage. During the week, a few Wisconsin days were rather warm. Cooling rains came mostly at night, sparing the airshow but surely soaking campers in tents. The campgrounds were full to the edges, and the Experimental Aircraft Association opened multiple other locations to handle the overflow. AirVenture’s campground metric—Camp Scholler can accommodate 40,000 campers, and that wasn’t enough—plus thick throngs of people to weave around anywhere I walked on the showgrounds suggested a great turnout to me. Indeed, EAA president and CEO Jack Pelton reported more than 677,000 visitors.

MOSAIC and More

Given the FAA’s earlier-than-predicted release of the highly anticipated NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking), it’s no wonder that the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) was on the minds of many aviators. The two things that are no longer included are drones and multicopters. Once they were removed, the regulation went forward swiftly.

MOSAIC burst upon the scene bearing some unanticipated surprises. Through its proposal, the FAA has confirmed that the industry did well regulating itself. The FAA has said repeatedly, “We want industry to do more.” ASTM International’s F37 light sport aircraft (LSA) committee members have clearly done an impressive job.

Various groups will closely examine the NPRM, producing summaries as soon as possible, so you can digest it and compose your response. I hope each of you will let the FAA know what you think, but write your own words. Scanning technology allows the FAA to group identical responses as one response, so say whatever you think, but don’t copy and paste language others have proposed. Also, be polite and constructive—ranting will not help.

• READ MORE: The Practical Magic of Economical Buys

Fly at Night?

Here’s one part of the NPRM that generated many comments. The question was raised: “Can a sport pilot fly at night…without a medical?”

One commenter wrote: “‘The FAA stated at a forum…[at Oshkosh 2023] that, yes, the intent is that for night flight a medical or BasicMed is required. The reason given was that they did not have enough trust in state driver agencies to adequately check eyes.”

I’m sure the person heard and quoted the FAA guys correctly. However, reading the Federal Register release of MOSAIC, I still believe the agency will use endorsements to allow sport pilot certificate holders to receive training in pursuit of skills for night flying, retractable gear, adjustable props, and even IFR. The language in the NPRM supports this on page after page.

More Aircraft Coming

I know what most readers enjoy, and fortunately I have the same interest. The following flying machines are ones I will be writing about in the days and weeks ahead at ByDanJohnson.com (a member of FLYING Media Group to become AffordableAviation.com over the next few months). By no means are these all the intriguing aircraft I saw at Oshkosh, but they are ones I think you will enjoy the most.

Aeroprakt A-32 Vixxen

I simply have to admire the Aeroprakt team, led by designer Yuri Yakovlev. Everyone on the planet is aware how its home country of Ukraine is under immense pressure from every direction, including Russian missiles flying and bombs dropping. How the team can keep it together is something of a miracle and certainly a credit to its dedication and resolve.

During AirVenture, former importer Dennis Long, who’s still helping, texted to say Aeroprakt had built its 1,500th aircraft. The company isn’t just repeating, though—it’s still innovating. One Aeroprakt on display, the A-32 Vixxen, featured a third door (similar to Jabiru J-230D, Montaer MC-01, and KFA’s Safari XL) to make loading baggage easier and allowing use of the aft space in the Vixxen’s roomy cockpit. New importer Andy Humphrey, who operates as Heavenbound Aviation in Johnstown, Ohio, showed me another Aeroprakt at Oshkosh that was fully equipped for IFR, a use he noted is “permitted for Special LSA when used for IFR flight or recurrent training.” A standard in development by ASTM should allow flight into IMC that is not presently advised.

Hawk Ultra Air

We’ve known Hawk for many years as it celebrated 40 years in 2022 (as did the Part 103 regulation). Today, one organization, CGS Aviation, builds the Special LSA version. In Oshkosh, I met a new engineer hired at CGS who confirmed it is going through the two-seater carefully, creating all-new CAD files that never existed with the original. This is a very worthy effort but prevented the company from displaying at AirVenture.

Bob Santom and son LB focus solely on the single-place CGS Hawks, including models that qualify for Part 103’s wonderful privileges. It turns out both CGS enterprises can stay busy. At AirVenture, the Santoms exhibited their open-cockpit Hawk Ultra Air. I thought it looked good with no Dacron skin covering the structure. I observed different pilots enter the cockpit—one weighing 165 pounds and one 240—and both seemed to fit easily. A 200-to-250-hour build for beginners, the display Hawk Ultra Air makes 103 with an airframe parachute, tipping the scales at a completely proper 278 pounds empty.

Aquilae

The name means eagle in Latin, a great moniker for an airplane even if everyone will ask how to spell it and say it—“ACK-will-ay.” Does it look familiar to you? It did to me as I toured the ultralight area at AirVenture. I had a hint, though.

Mark Mellicker represented the G1 STOL at airshows for the last couple years. As so often happens in aviation and any other business, events changed the organization and another company at AirVenture told me it was representing G1. So I had two clues when I saw Mellicker by the shiny, new airplane. He decided to go on his own and, voila, Aquilae.

When I write more about this, you will see it has a wing-fold system that many buyers like. It’s a large-ish, STOL-capable design like G1, but both G1 and Aquilae owe their design heritage to the Alisport Yuma from Italy, though that look significantly resembles the Zenith 701, the granddaddy of such designs.

Fusion Nano Gyro

I readily admit I was charmed by Fusion’s Nano Gyro when I saw it and reported on it from AirVenture 2021. However, it needed a different engine, and Jeffrey Boyd was already on it with European producer Fusion Copter.

At AirVenture this year, Boyd of Fly Ultralight Nano (FUN) showed an example propelled by a Hirth F23 engine producing 50 hp. He says it has behaved well for him and actually enjoyed success with sales of the modestly priced (less than $30,000) Part 103 aircraft. Big two-seat gyros are fun and essential for training, but once you know how to fly this type of aircraft, Nano might be the last one you ever need.

I tried it on for size in 2021 and loved the way it felt and fit. Now with more substantial and dependable power, I’d bet many more will arrive in the U.S. However, it’s already seen a good run as Fusion now has 35 flying around the world, and Boyd has led the charge in selling 21 units in the U.S. That’s a performance of which he can be proud.

GOGetAir G750

Here’s an aircraft I’ve seen for a few years at the German show, AERO Friedrichshafen, and enjoyed for those 25 years. But it seems appropriate to bring attention to a four-seater as that category will be coming in 16 months if we get “MOSAIC LSA” or MLSA.

Shannon Hankins and Alan Jackson from Scissortail Aerosport LLC are representing the G750 in North America. GoGetAir Aircraft is a fairly new company, arriving on the scene during what might be called the COVID-19 era. It started before the pandemic but had to immediately survive that trying period with its handsome aircraft.

The timing of Scissortail and GoGetAir is marvelous, being right on the cusp of MOSAIC being released. In the meantime, the FAA has registration categories, such as experimental exhibition, that allow the import of a small number of fully assembled aircraft to test the market. By late 2024 or early 2025, we should see MOSAIC become official regulation and then the G750 will easily fit the MLSA category, assuming the company chooses to pursue and declare compliance with ASTM standards. Naturally, we have yet to learn how the FAA will audit a new producer like GoGetAir, although third-party audits have been discussed.

The G750 is a four-seater, powered by the Rotax 915iS. This will be a very common combination when MOSAIC officially arrives, but the G750 also demonstrates style and a beautifully compound-curved leading and trailing edge wing.

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the October 2023 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine. 

The post A New Lighter Side of Oshkosh appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

This is Pegaso, a European ultralight that expresses a beautiful style we expect from Italy.

Promecc is better known for its low-wing Sparviero, but Pegaso drew many admiring looks at Aero 2023.

Let’s take a deeper look at an aircraft that can help imagine what we’ll see as Mosaic emerges from FAA rule making in the second quarter of 2025.

Promecc Pegaso

Promecc Aerospace specializes in the design and manufacture of European-style ultralight aircraft predominantly using carbon fiber construction. As is more common in Europe, the company behind Pegaso and Sparviero has a larger operation involved in professional aviation.

The company’s first design, Sparviero, which translates to Sparrowhawk in English, was introduced in the early 2000s. This low-wing design evolved into the faster Freccia Anemo (in English: Fast Arrow) that was introduced in 2011, with a new wing design and aerodynamic refinements that produced a cruise speed of 260 kilometers per hour (140 knots) on 100 horsepower.

European aviation journalist Marino Boric, writing for the ByDanJohnson website stated, “Italian ultralight manufacturer Promecc, with deep roots in manufacturing of commercial aviation subassemblies, brought to Aero Friedrichshafen their Pegaso all-composite, sleek, high-wing aircraft, which derives from the low-wing Freccia.

“Pegaso offers now a new, more ergonomic interior and Marino reported it was “ready for series production.” Its access doors are now front-hinged, “making cabin entry much easier.”

The well-established, fast, retractable-gear, low-wing aircraft Freccia, which successfully passed the static load tests for the 600-kilogram (1,320-pound) certification in Germany, was also showcased together with Promecc’s best-priced fixed-gear low-wing.

In addition to the Rotax 912 and Rotax 914 turbo, the newer Freccia RG has the more powerful Rotax 915iS under the cowling. As Marino heard from company owner Mauro Dono at Aero 2022, the event was “terrific good” with several sold aircraft. It was not reported if Promecc plans to add the 915iS or (more increasingly, designers say) Rotax’s newest 160 horsepower 916iS. To my eyes, the Pegaso could easily accommodate the larger engine in its long, spacious nose cowling.

Promecc informed Marino that it contemplated bringing its aircraft to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. If they do, I can imagine a warm response to this handsome airplane. Of course, pilots always want to know the price and Marino believed Promecc’s were enticing.

Marino reported that the company intends to offer to the U.S. public the full range of aircraft as factory built but also as “price-competitive” kits.

Kit prices in Europe: Sparviero €40.000 ($43,500 at posting), Pegaso €65.000 ($70,800), and Freccia €69.000 ($75,000). The full configuration of these kits was not known as this article went online. However, that much detail is moot until someone offers to represent the aircraft here because builder support from Italy would be challenging.

What may be most interesting is the potential for those relatively modest kit prices to translate into more affordable factory built prices once American representation is secured.

Here’s how Promecc describes the technical qualities of Pegaso:

• The fuselage is made of carbon fiber and resin certified for aviation industry
• The wing spars and every structural support are completely made of carbon fiber
• Painted with two-component polyurethane varnish, very resistant to UV rays
• The undercarriage is strong and flexible and made of composite materials
• The cockpit is spacious, ergonomic with a sporty finish
• Side-by-side ergonomic seats
• The cockpit is yet comfortable setting and offers excellent visibility
• Plexiglass canopy is available in transparent or with blue tint

How would Pegaso perform if Promecc engineers could fit the potent Rotax 916iS? The 160 horsepower engine has many designers planning installation.

With only 100 horsepower, Pegaso can achieve a cruise speed of 255 kilometers per hour (138 knots). Never exceed speed is 300 kilometers per hour (162 knots). Pegaso’s cantilevered wing construction may not allow MOSAIC weight capability (up to approximately 3,000 pounds is expected) but its sleek lines assure it can slip through the air smoothly.

Qualify Pegaso to ASTM standards with Rotax’s potent 916iS and the Italian producer could have a MOSAIC candidate on its hands. Of course, this still leaves the not-trivial challenge of establishing a distribution beachhead in the world’s largest aviation market. That’s an effort yet to be determined.

As Promecc is a producer of professional aviation components, it may be able to manage efficient manufacturing processes and use its size for economies of scale in the purchase of raw materials. Its work with other large producers may give it connections to create U.S. representation.

This combination of attributes could give the Italian company market entry into the world of MOSAIC—and what a beautiful shape it brings to the fleet.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
all data supplied by the manufacturer

Maximum Takeoff Weight — 1,320 pounds
Maneuvering Speed — 98 knots
Stall Speed — 38 knots
Cruise Speed — 119 knots
Takeoff Roll — 490 feet
Landing Distance — 720 feet
Fuel Capacity — 2 wing tanks holding 14.5 gallons each

The post Pegaso: Another Light Sport Airplane You Probably Haven’t Seen appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

On three separate visits to Rotax, I was able to attend one of their Fly-in events, plus a special visit just for aviation journalists.

Beautiful and inviting as Wels is, this is not an easy visit for folks from the company’s far-flung customer base in nearly every country on Earth. So, in addition to inviting the world to their headquarters event, Rotax is going abroad.

Get ready for Rotax’s World Tour 2024

The Biggest goes Bigger

BRP-Rotax is the Austrian subsidiary of BRP Inc., “a leader in the development and production of propulsion systems for the recreational and power sports markets,” according to the company.

Founded in 1920, BRP-Rotax builds innovative Rotax four-stroke and two-stroke high-performance engines used in products such as Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo personal watercraft, Can-Am onroad and offroad vehicles, as well as for karts and sport planes. More than 1,700 employees work in Gunskirchen with a smaller, separately-quartered group focused exclusively on aircraft engines (considered a premiere job within the enormous facility).

Headquartered in Quebec, Canada, BRP has annual sales of CA $10 billion from over 130 countries and a global workforce of close to 23,000.

In the light aviation community, the Rotax name dominates with more than 75 percent of the market. Rotax works directly through a network of national distributors, which in turn serve more than 250 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)… or, simply, aircraft manufacturers to you and me.

If it’s light and flies, odds are high it is powered by a Rotax engine.

• READ MORE: CubCrafters Votes for New Rotax Powerplant

Given its globe-spanning reach, the company’s World Tour 2024 will bring the company directly to customers and businessmen alike. Read below what each of the locations has to offer.

Rotax announced from Gunskirchen, Austria on February 6, “The Rotax Fly-In event, which in the past exclusively took place in Wels, Austria, will be rolled out internationally, as announced last August. Brazil was the first stop of the Rotax Fly-In world tour, reflecting the high interest in BRP events far beyond Europe, with almost 200 aviation enthusiasts in attendance.”

Rotax’s Fly-In World Tour “serves as a platform for all aviation enthusiasts and curious minds to celebrate the aviation community, discover new developments, and put things to the test.,” the company wrote. “In other words, the Rotax Fly-In World Tour is a new international aviation festival. Similar to the Rotax Fly-In in Austria, all events are designed to be informative and entertaining, maintaining the quality standards of BRP-Rotax. The events will be organized and hosted by the independent distribution and service partner network.” 

“Being able to announce such an impressive lineup in the first year highlights once again the commitment of our network partners. This event series is exactly what our customers have been asking for,” said Peter Oelsinger, general manager, BRP Rotax.

Welcome from Each Location

Rotax Fly-In Australia

April 12-14

Location: Parkes Airport, Parkes (NSW 2870), Australia

Organizer: Bertflood Imports Pty, Ltd.

“Explore the World of Rotax Aircraft in a friendly and informal environment at the Fly-In 2024 at Parkes Airport in NSW. See the latest Rotax engines and chat with like-minded pilots and flight enthusiasts from Australia and all over the world. Visit the aircraft demonstration area and see the latest new aircraft. Listen to expert speakers and get great tips on engine maintenance. Rotax has provided a fantastic program with exciting activities and catering. Don’t miss out–come and join us!”

Rotax Fly-In Austria

August 23-24

Location: Weiße Möwe Wels (LOLW), Austria

Organizer: BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG

“Discover the world of Rotax Aircraft in a casual atmosphere at the Fly-In 2024 in Wels. Chat and share your experiences with like-minded pilots and flight enthusiasts from all over the world. Rotax has planned a program with exciting activities and catering. Don’t miss it!” This beautiful town in Austria is also near the Rotax factory; if tours are offered, by all means, go. —DJ

Rotax Fly-In Canada

September 7

Location: Vernon – Rotech Motor Ltd. (CYVK), BC Canada

Organizer: Rotech Motor Ltd.

“The Rotax Fly-In World Tour is set to visit Canada in a very big way. Vernon, B.C., Canada, is home to the world’s first Rotax aircraft engine distributor—now with a flourishing community of Rotax pilots. Don’t miss this chance to visit such a beautiful region of The Great White North with like-minded aviators.”

Rotax Fly-In Argentina

October 26-27

Location: Aeroclub La Cumbre (SACC), Argentina

Organizer: Ultralight SRL

“Beautiful Argentina has yet another attraction to see. La Cumbre, near the city of Cordoba, is one of those destinations not to be missed. La Cumbre, meaning ‘the peak,’ is sure to be one of the peaks of 2024. This World Tour event will be filled with fun, community, food, and flying, of course!”

The post Rotax Aircraft Engines Fly-In World Tour 2024 appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

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 with mostly analog instruments and powerplants that burn 10 to 15 gallons of 100LL per hour.

Another group, owners of modern LSA, wants a little more weight than allowed by current regulation. Still, others may want to fly at night or in IFR or to use an economical LSA for some form of aerial work.

Then we have what I’ll call the MOSAIC LSA crowd. These are pilots with larger budgets—perhaps they sold a Cirrus or Bonanza and have equity to put toward a new aircraft. These experienced pilots are accustomed to well-equipped aircraft with generous cruise speeds.

Sparker directly addresses the last group. I got to experience this first-in-the-U.S. airplane when TL Sport Aircraft owner Trey Murdaugh brought it from Charleston, South Carolina, to my home airport, Spruce Creek Fly-in, near Daytona Beach, Florida.

• READ MORE: The Fastest Piper Single Ever Is Revealed, the M700 Fury

Sparker Arrives in the U.S.

Spruce Creek Fly-In is a place, not an event. It’s the world’s largest private airport, with more than 700 aircraft based at the field. That means lots of pilots, many whom have long flying histories, often with the airlines.

Show up at Spruce Creek (7FL6) on a nice flying day with a sharp new airplane, and you are almost certain to draw a crowd. Sparker did. We almost had to shoo people away so we could get on with our demo flight.

We enjoyed a lovely Florida day in early February as you can see in the images or in the fresh new video below.

Our demo flight took us from Spruce Creek (7FL6) to DeLand (KDED) and back with maneuvering in between. We operated at altitudes of 1,200 to 4,500 feet on a mild day in the low 70s with modest humidity. My focus was on aircraft maneuvering and flight controls, because the deluxe instrumentation is already familiar to pilots and because I would use Murdaugh’s experience at flying from South Carolina for cross country speeds and fuel burns; these provide real-world experience, not a test pilot’s controlled findings.

Sparker Deluxe

An aircraft is not just simply a bunch of performance specifications. Creature comforts are also important in this class of flying machine. Sparker satisfies.

Any producer looking to sell an advanced aircraft such as Sparker better make it deluxe, and TL did. From its 50-inch-wide cockpit (a foot wider than a Cessna 172), Kevlar cockpit cage, and potent engine, to its airframe parachute, Sparker lacks for little. Yet “little” isn’t what TL designers sought.

Large comfortable seats are fixed in position, but rudder pedals adjust electrically. A button in front of each outside-mounted joystick smoothly moves pedals to meet your feet. The joysticks bristle with buttons for trim control, PTT, autopilot off, or frequency toggle.

The seats have tall back support and are electrically heated for colder climates or higher altitude operation. You can load up those seats with some larger pilots.

At its new gross weight (1,652 pounds, according to Murdaugh), Sparker has a useful load that accommodates (get this!) two 230-pound occupants, plus 75 pounds of luggage, plus 34.5 gallons of fuel. Numbers like that cover most requests I’ve heard. “You’d be hard-pressed to max-out Sparker’s useful load,” Trey concluded.

All instruments are within a comfortable reach and TL installed more screens than other LSA, a total of three 10-inch Garmin G3X Touch EFIS units. Various IFR avionics are also available to complement the Garmin suite. Autopilot controls are mounted in the center T-console for easy adjustment.

Here’s perhaps the best innovation on Sparker. This is a retractable gear aircraft and you can’t see the gear (as on most low-wing retracts). Usually, designers offer lights or some other gear position indicator. You have to believe the equipment. On Sparker, you can believe your eyes as designers thoughtfully added a nearly-invisible, belly-mounted tail camera that faces forward. This provides unmistakable confirmation of gear position presented to the pilot on one of those big screens. Perfect!

If that’s still not enough, TL designers made some slick panel pull-out trays that can hold a smartphone or iPad mini to use with a navigation app. Oh, yeah, the tray also has a cup holder.

• READ MORE: Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1960 Cessna 210 Centurion

Sparker By the Numbers

Sparker descends from a line of impressive aircraft—Sting, Sirius, and Stream—and it shows. Using skills acquired over 34 years in business, TL’s newest model is loaded with special features you won’t find on most LSA or mLSA candidates.

It’s built mostly of carbon fiber with Kevlar reinforcements around the occupants. The main spar is also carbon fiber. Capable of an 11 G ultimate load, Sparker felt absolutely solid and rigid in the air, even when banked aggressively back and forth.

Essentially a side-by-side version of TL’s tandem Stream, Sparker uses the wings and tail of the earlier model, which was released in 2015 as Rotax was debuting their 141-horsepower 915iS engine. Our demo Sparker had this potent engine and Murdaugh provides climb rate, cruise speed, and other numbers in the video below.

He also noted that TL anticipates installing mostly the newer 160 horsepower Rotax 916iS engine, which launched with a 2,000-hour TBO. In the video Murdaugh provides some detail about performance expected with the more powerful engine.

One area I discovered may require TL’s focus as MOSAIC approaches. Sparker’s stall was well controlled and mild but it came at 58 knots. FAA proposed a 54 knots clean but many have commented to raise this by a few knots. Regardless, I feel sure TL engineers can compensate.

As we reduced speed to slow flight in preparation for stalls, Murdaugh put flaps down without lowering the gear. Immediately, an unmistakable alarm began to warn a landing pilot that the gear was not extended. You cannot ignore this sound.

My usual Dutch roll coordination exercise went well after only a few reversals to figure out the control applications. Sparker needs approximately equal amounts of stick and rudder. The controls are slightly heavy but the aircraft is very responsive. The dampened handling makes Sparker comfortable as you are less likely to overcontrol. As my experience grew Murdaugh permitted me to bank steeply where I found Sparker eager to do my bidding. Even in very steep banks, Sparker maintained altitude easily.

I performed the landing back at Spruce Creek with Murdaugh relaxed after I had demonstrated I could feel the airplane fairly well. Reducing to 90 knots on downwind to lower the gear, we slowed to 75 knots on final before putting down full flaps (45 degrees) to slow to 70 over the numbers. Touchdown was smooth and easily controlled. Brakes are quite strong and we turned off easily before maneuvering to a parking space.

Sparker is going to please the MOSAIC crowd. At $327,000, this is no Part 103 ultralight or sport pilot kit aircraft. You’ll need a generous budget, but you will get a lot for your money. So far as I could see, TL didn’t miss a trick with Sparker. Check it out in person at Sun ‘n Fun.

The post Affordable Aviation: Sparker Packs in a Lot for the Budget appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Find Your Dream Plane

Maybe you haven’t explored these tools, but you might find them fun and worthwhile.

• PlaneFinder 2.0 — Answer a few this-or-that questions and the system reduces a long list to matching aircraft.
• SLSA List — Every light sport aircraft that has won FAA acceptance, with links to more info.
• Part 103 List — For those who want fun flying machines that won’t exceed their budget.
• Advanced Search — Search through brands, models, or providers on an extensive database.
• LSA Market Info — Search the most comprehensive record of all LSA and SP kits in the U.S.; sort many ways.

All these resources are free to use (although your email is requested to use PlaneFinder 2.0). I hope you’ll go explore the Affordable Aviation (byDanJohnson) website thoroughly. 

Still, nothing beats an airshow, where you can actually examine, touch, and sit in an airplane that catches your fancy. For a half century, airshows have dictated my annual calendar. These events bring together the best of aviation and form a target-rich environment for anyone shopping for, or selling, an airplane.

Airshows 2024

This list is not exhaustive. These are the events I’ve attended for many years. 

Sun ‘n Fun / April 9-14 — Happy Birthday! Sun ‘n Fun will celebrate 50 years this year. Starting out as an EAA regional fly-in, Sun ‘n Fun has grown to the second largest airshow in the U.S., and the one that kicks off the recreational flying season year after year. While Sun ‘n Fun has branched out into education, a museum, and many other activities (not unlike EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh), it is the spring airshow at the perfect time of year that draws attendees by the hundreds of thousands. This year at Sun ‘n Fun, look for the new LSA Mall with some very special coming attractions as new LAMA president Scott Severen takes over the Mall with professional assistance from Jana Filip of Sebring and DeLand Expo fame.

Aero Friedrichshafen / April 17-20 — Easily my favorite aviation event in Europe, Aero Friedrichshafen also has a big birthday in 2024; this will be the 30th running of the popular event that draws many from all over Europe. If you want to see aviation development in its brightest bloom, I recommend Aero, where more interesting aircraft appear than at any other show I have attended. The event commonly occurs soon after Sun ‘n Fun but takes place almost exclusively indoors, so attendees are comfortable (and well fed). Most important, visitors will be dazzled by beautiful displays of handsome aircraft one after another after another… it’s simply a delicious event.

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh /July 22-28 — Turning 70 in 2023, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is the undisputed king of airshows. If you can only attend one event in 2024, this is surely the best one, although you are already late to find lodging. Oshkosh swells from a normal population of around 50,000 to close to half a million during the week. Chicago and Atlanta may vie for the busiest airport in the world for 51 weeks of the year, but during Oshkosh, this event rises to the very top measured by flight operations — the busiest airport in the world for seven days. If it flies and you want to see it up close and person, AirVenture is the place. By all means GO, but start your planning now. It’s not too soon.

Midwest Aviation Expo / September 5-7 — Since this is a year of benchmark editions of airshows, why not Midwest? The event taking place at the Mt. Vernon, Illinois airport (KMVN) is doing two big things this year, The show has renamed itself Midwest Aviation Expo, from Midwest LSA Expo. Having “LSA” in the name when it began in 2009 was a great idea but the event has always featured more than LSA, though it has plenty of them. In addition, Midwest has drawn Part 103 ultralights on one side and numerous kit builders on the other. Beside offering a good selection of airplanes with no entrance fee, no parking fee, and great facilities including a very popular restaurant, Midwest has long had a mission to please everyone that comes, vendor or attendee. Now for 2024, this show celebrates its 16th running, making it the longest-running event among sector-specific event. Congratulation to team Midwest Aviation Expo!

DeLand Aero Showcase / October 18-19 — Formed after the DeLand Sport Aviation Expo was discontinued by city officials, this restructured event is now in the capable and energetic hands of Alex Rolinski and Doma Andreka. If you don’t already know these fellows (think about Aero Adventure and Magnus Aircraft), you may want to pay attention. This pair of entrepreneurs has ambitious plans to expand at DeLand Airport, already a hotbed of recreational flying and sky diving. DeLand Aero Showcase is on for its annual event in mid-October when Florida enjoys wonderful weather but also ample hotel rooms and rental cars. Fly south like the birds when it gets cold back home. The Sunshine State welcomes you and so does Aero Showcase.

The post Affordable Aircraft: Find Your New Dream Plane in 2024 appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Like many of you, I have enjoyed the advancing development of the light sport aircraft space, leading to MOSAIC LSA in about 15 months. Additional operational capabilities, plus features like autopilot, synthetic vision, and powerful, compact engines, all can build a very exciting airplane.

With MOSAIC, the list gets even longer: more weight, more seats, more powerful engines, plus retractable gear, adjustable props, even aerial work for entrepreneurs. Wonderful, I agree. Some pilots have asked for more and industry members, with the FAA, have been working to achieve these potentials.

Yet this is a path to ever-more complex (and expensive) aircraft. Have you been waiting for MOSAIC LSA? If yes, your wishes may be answered in 15 months. If not, please continue reading.

Simple

Sometimes I find my attention returning to the easy pleasures of sightseeing around the local area, basic stick-and-rudder flying, feeling the air.

While features like modern economic autopilots make cross-country flights easier, operational procedures for sophisticated instrumentation absorb my time. Using this great gear becomes almost second nature, a muscle memory, if you fly often. Yet, as with apps on your computer or device, you must invest time to keep up with software changes and the particulars of operating digital avionics offered by Garmin, Dynon, MGL, and Kanardia (among others).

I applaud study and learning. These make your flying safer and more enjoyable. But time spent poring over manuals and software upgrade installation necessarily takes time away from simply going up for a fun hour in the sky.

My real joy in flight is simply looking around, aerial sightseeing, enjoying the view of my surroundings from a airborne platform few other humans will ever experience. I don’t need autopilot for that. As much as any phase of flight, I thoroughly enjoy a series of takeoffs and landings, honing my skills. For that I don’t need a fast aircraft and I don’t need to carry anything with me so payload is less important.

For the visceral joy of flight, you may find it optimal to, well, keep it simple. The more capability you add to an aircraft, the more you have to manage, pay for, stay updated on, maintain, insure, and all the rest. Complex aircraft that can do many things will demand more of owner and pilot. They can deliver much more but you have to keep up with them.

Aviating can be simply about the physical act of flying. It doesn’t all have to be about sleek designs, cool tech, or powerful engines.

Then, cost. Buying and maintaining increasingly complex aircraft is its own taskmaster. While maintaining even the simplest aircraft is still vitally important, we do now have choices in very light electric aircraft that require far less maintenance, not to mention no oil spills. Plus, your neighbors will hardly know you’re flying.

Today, not in some indistinct future, you can buy and fly an electric aircraft. I don’t doubt electric motors will power larger aircraft in the future, but who wants to wait—and who will be able to afford the batteries needed to provide four-seat cross-country flying?

If your goal is some delicious airtime on a calm, sunny afternoon, the simplest aircraft are darn hard to beat. Plus, they cost a lot less.

Light

Light is a key ingredient in keeping aircraft affordable. Require more material inputs, and you increase costs in a multitude of ways. Physically larger, heavier aircraft cost more—maybe a lot more. You’ll need more power, and your skill set must be kept in tighter tune. True, light aircraft are more affected by turbulent air. So what? If it’s that kind of air, I might choose to ride my bike rather than fly.

Light also means using less fuel, which will continue increasing in price. Every government seems to fantasize about an all-electric future. Whether an improvement or not, it ain’t happening tomorrow when the flying is great. A lighter ICE aircraft sips fuel at a far slower rate but that airframe may also be fitted with electric propulsion, today. Several brands offer an electric option. How many four-seat electric aircraft have you seen? Yeah, me too. None. Heavier aircraft will be a far greater challenge to electrify.

Affordable

Affordable is a major focus of this website. If you can’t afford it, then you are somewhat doing a Walter Mitty, dreaming about owning some shiny new speedster that you may never buy. If you can’t afford flying, you won’t fly, or will fly less. Those aren’t good choices.

Yet keeping an airplane’s cost affordable means not having every feature imaginable. The very best airplane in the world may be the one you can actually buy, maintain, and have the pilot chops to enjoy.

All this is so basic, so simple, that you may wonder: why bother writing about it? As I contemplate what MOSAIC will deliver, I feel good about the new choices pilots will have. If your budget allows a new MOSAIC LSA, great! If not, you may need to make other selections. Fortunately, you have plenty of choices.

As the new year arrives, we face complicated times. Elections (all over the globe), multiple  wars, unbelievable amounts of government debt (also around the world), and ever-expanding regulation mean the challenges to keep flying may be great.

With all that in mind, how about a nice hour-long sunset flight in an aircraft your budget can cover. What could be finer?

I hope you enjoy all the flying you can afford in 2024!

The post The Value of a Light, Simple Aircraft appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

While it’s true recreational aviation is not the cheapest activity you could enjoy, neither is flying only for folks with thick wallets. If you keep an open mind, some aircraft are likely to fit your budget.

Pilots who fly for enjoyment—aerial sightseeing, short cross-country trips, $100 hamburger fly-outs, and more—can acquire affordable aircraft if they are willing to look a little further.

Taking a survey of the light sport aircraft and/or experimental segments of the market, I offer seven suggestions. I provide a range of aircraft types, but each that is discussed is only one of the numerous others of a similar type available in the light aviation fleet. The choices you have are truly quite amazing. Let’s take a look.

SkyReach BushCat by AeroSport

With operations in Wisconsin and Florida, AeroSport has for many years represented South Africa’s BushCat from SkyReach, one of the most affordable airplanes in the entire LSA fleet.

Base priced at below $100,000, the BushCat adds value through its versatility. The BushCat can be bought ready to fly, as a kit, as a tri-gear or taildragger, on floats or not. It is roomier inside than it may appear. At 52 inches, the BushCat has one of the broadest cabins among all LSA. For comparison, the ubiquitous Cessna 172 has a 39.5-inch-wide cabin.

The Bushcat’s tough and light Dacron-Trilam fabric covered aircraft—needing no paint, which reduces added weight—offers a generous payload and a fuel load (24.8 gallons) good for six hours of flying. Additional features include a center joystick, dual rudder pedals, and unique dual throttles at the end of each outside armrest that fold up out of your way to ease entry and exit.

The BushCat was formerly known as the Cheetah from Rainbow Aircraft. When SkyReach took over manufacturing and professionalized the organization, it rebranded the aircraft as the BushCat. It also made a series of positive improvements to an airplane that flew well, which SkyReach has continuously upgraded and improved ever since.

AeroSport represents the BushCat from two geographically desirable locations in the U.S. Run by Daniela and Jeremy Knoll, the company’s home base is in northern Illinois in Wonder Lake, making it almost a neighbor of the Experimental Aircraft Association about 140 miles to the north in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. AeroSport’s hanger and maintenance facility is located at Galt Airport (10C).

More recently, AeroSport and its partners purchased a large hangar and established a sales, service, and maintenance facility at the DeLand Municipal Airport (KDED) in central Florida. Branching out to a climate that works year-round, the Knolls made a major facility investment and hired Troy Scholte to be their on-site director of maintenance in DeLand.
Scholte provides full manufacturer services for all BushCat aircraft models, but he can also work on conventional (standard category/Part 23) aircraft using his A&P/IA credentials.

If the BushCat doesn’t meet your needs, AeroSport is also a dealer for TL Sport Aircraft and TAF Sling models, and each of these well-established companies offer several models.

Flight Design CTLS by Airtime

“Flight Design is pleased to announce the availability of the (Rotax) 914T option for the CTLS GT 2020,” the German company told journalists amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This also came as the newer, more powerful Rotax 915iS was about to be introduced. Today, that creates an opportunity for some buyers.

The CT-series is the most successful model among all 158 special light sport aircraft (SLSAs) the FAA has accepted. More than 400 are flying around the U.S. Many of these are in excellent shape with fairly low hours, making them possibilities for a pilot who wants top of the line at less-than-new retail.

While the company has been focused on its new F-series, the CTLS remains in production and is actively being sold. The popular model fits regulations in many countries. Another producer, Taiwan-based AeroJones Aviation, builds the model for the Asia-Pacific market. It added another 50 aircraft to the fleet.

The CTLS is well known for its spacious 49-inch-wide interior, huge visibility with no side struts to block your view, sprightly top-of-the-category performance, and tremendous range. CTLS carries 35 gallons of fuel, letting it run nearly 1,000 sm (869 nm) nonstop. With these characteristics, CTLS makes a great country flying machine. As proof, several models have been flown all around the world.

“The design team did a beautiful job integrating the Rotax 914 with the turbocharger and intercooler into the new longer cowling of the CTLS GT 2020,” said company leader Daniel Guenther.

One visual clue of the potent engine is a large NACA inlet. Rotax’s 914 Turbo engine produces 115 hp for a limited time and helps the CTLS operate to higher altitudes and from higher elevation fields.

“CTLS GT is a thoroughly modern aircraft that can reach 140 knots (ktas at altitude) and can climb at better than 2,000 feet per minute,” Guenther said.

With the addition of the Rotax 914T option, the long-running CTLS extends its range again. Numerous other used models are available in America and around the globe powered by the carbureted Rotax 912 and the fuel injected 912iS.

Arion Lightning

Perhaps you’ve noticed that U.S. companies often offer aircraft kits while their European counterparts lean toward fully built aircraft. These two manufacturing activities require very different capabilities.

The Europeans had regulations that encouraged fully built aircraft, while those in the U.S. were restricted by expensive regulations. Thanks to work by EAA over many years, kit building filled the gap. U.S. companies became good at offering kits and supporting builders. One such company emerged when light sport aircraft burst on the scene more than 20 years ago.

Arion Aircraft, based in Shelbyville, Tennessee, offers a U.S.-owned, designed, built, and supported line of aircraft assembled mostly from U.S.-sourced components. At a time when many fine light sport aircraft come from overseas, some U.S. pilots prefer to deal with a company in their own country, in English, and in U.S. currency.

Pilots were captivated by the airplane’s graceful lines and speedy performance. Arion’s credibility was secured after the producer underwent one of the FAA’s intensive audits—six officials scoured the design and facilities for three full days. Led by owner Nick Otterback, Arion completed this exercise successfully, proving its design integrity and manufacturing quality.
New or used, Lightning LSAs are commonly powered by the Jabiru 3300 6-cylinder, 120 hp engine, which gives the model thrilling performance. Yet some pilots want a different engine or other changes, and Arion can accommodate them by offering kits.

Some Lightning builders elect the UL Power engines, and Arion has demonstrated a Lightning with a Lycoming O-320 at 160 hp. When it does not need to obey the LSA rule’s 120-knot speed limit, the Lightning can blaze along at speeds approaching 200 mph. Nonetheless, it stalls at 45 knots clean.

Handling is crisp and clean while not being touchy, and a pilot can land it without special skills.

A new Lightning can top $150,000, but used models can save a large percentage of the original price. Alternatively, you can opt for a standard kit and build it in as small a space as a one-car garage, taking about 500 hours for the average builder.

With engine, propeller, interior, paint, and instruments on top of the kit price, you could get airborne for less than $100,000.

Aero Adventure Aventura

Lots of pilots love the idea of seaplanes…their purchase cost, not so much. Amphibious floats are surprisingly costly. Fitted to a Cessna 210, the float installation and approval alone will cost more than an entire LSA seaplane. On the other hand, the 210 can carry much more, but you see the contrast.

As enjoyable as seaplanes may be, they commonly represent a high acquisition cost with extra maintenance needed. One Florida company offers a vastly more affordable alternative.

Aero Adventure is now a key partner in Aero Affinity, a new organization at the DeLand, Florida, airport, home to several other light aircraft companies about 30 miles inland from the Atlantic coast. Aero Affinity offers a variety of aircraft for most needs and budgets—new and used, kit or fully built. It will also service all of them making a convenient one-stop shop.

Seaplanes are uniquely enjoyable, offering far more places to land than any wheeled aircraft, and usually provide a low-altitude view many pilots only see during takeoff and landing. Given landable bodies of water far outnumber airports, seaplanes even include a safety premium.

If I’ve convinced you seaplanes are desirable but expensive, how much does an Aventura II kit-built aircraft cost when a typical owner completes the building job? The answer in late 2022 was less than $60,000, though we’re all aware prices have been rising rapidly in all areas, so you’ll want to check the current cost. Owner build time is only in the area of 250 hours, depending on your skills and work practices.

What if you don’t want to build? Extending its capabilities, Aero Adventure won SLSA acceptance from the FAA, so it can now offer a fully built SLSA model base priced around $125,000 (please check for the latest quote), which must be regarded as a bargain in ready-to-fly seaplanes.

In business for more than 20 years, Aero Adventure is led by Alex Rolinski, a former banker with an A&P certificate and an energetic young team in DeLand. Aero Adventure can boast some 200 Aventura models built, a conservative estimate since kit builders are not required to report progress to the manufacturer. Adding predecessors like the original Buccaneer, the fleet approaches 1,000 aircraft, showing the appeal of this affordable design.

Zenith CH-750

Readers know off-road vehicles but how about “off-airport” flying machines? Even if you don’t use that term, you may know one of the favorite aircraft that appeals to so-called backcountry pilots. I refer to Zenith Aircraft’s best-selling CH-750.
Many refer to it as the “Sky Jeep.” One glance at an example explains the term of affection.

Evolved over the years from the inventive mind of the late Chris Heintz, the CH-750 has a long and successful history with hundreds of delighted owners. Nearly all were built with its kit, an activity the Mexico, Missouri, company supports wonderfully well. Today, Zenith is professionally run by one of Heintz’s three sons, Sebastien Heintz, the company’s leader for more than 30 years.

Upgraded in 2008, the CH-701 got a bigger, wider, more refined-looking sibling, the CH-750. Though it visually resembles the CH-701, the 750 stands 2 inches taller and is 11 inches longer with a 2-foot-9-inch greater wingspan, bumping wing area to 144 square feet from 122 on the CH-701. Weight also rose to the LSA limit of 1,320 pounds. Since then, the company has continued to tweak and upgrade its line.

Along with Van’s Aircraft of the RV-series fame, Zenith is among the most prolific kit providers, leading the light aviation segment year after year. One way it has kept the energy is by supporting a variety of engines so pilots can have their preference. Choices have become increasingly powerful.

Takeoff in a CH-750 remains swift with its high-lift slotted wing. Even a more heavily loaded CH-750 can clear the deck in 100 feet or so. Center-stick handling is light and easy, a characteristic you find on all of Chris Heintz’s easy-to-build designs.

Zenith has found a ready market with lots of buyers for its CH-701 or CH-750 models. As STOL (short takeoff and landing) models, Sky Jeeps aren’t built for speed. For pilots who prefer a higher cruise speed to travel cross country, Zenith introduced the Cruzer a few years back. It dispenses with the slotted wings and fat tires. Fitting wheelpants and using only a single-wing strut and a cleaner wing, Cruzer adds 10 knots, yet it can still manage a very short takeoff and landing and retains the easy flying qualities of Sky Jeep.

Unfinished kit projects or a supply of used models offer purchase choices to budget buyers.

Alternative Aircraft

A trio of aircraft tick the box for great less-well-known options outside of traditional airplanes for the pilot seeking an affordable flight experience. They include:

• Gyro Technique VX-1 Gyroplane kit

• Evolution Revo or Revolt Weight Shift

Gyro Technique VX-1 Gyroplane

All of the aircraft we’ve discussed so far are conventional fixed-wing, three-axis aircraft, but traditional airplanes only represent part of the magic. A broad group of nonconventional, non-fixed-wing aircraft also populate the LSA space. One of the most popular is the gyroplane.

Some people still say “Gyrocopter,” but that is a brand name from Bensen. Over the past 15 years, European designers took early blueprints and developed the category into some very impressive rotary-winged flying machines. They also improved flight characteristics and made modern gyroplanes easier to fly. Gyroplanes distinguish themselves from nearly all light fixed-wing aircraft by flying well in windy conditions.

Along with the push to build ever-slicker models, the gyroplane industry dedicated itself almost exclusively to two-seat aircraft. Some have added side-by-side seating to tandem. Not everybody needs two seats.

Older U.S.-built gyroplanes such as the Bensen Gyrocopter were single-seaters. Maybe that was best then, when stability was different than today. However, as modern gyroplanes returned to popularity in the segment, single-seaters started a modest revival.

I discovered Gyro Technic’s VX1 at the Midwest LSA Expo in Mount Vernon, Illinois. Developer and machine shop business owner Denis Schoemaker has created a thoroughly modern gyroplane with all modern advances but in single-seat form.

Buyers often say they want a second seat for a friend or their spouse, yet more often than not, these aircraft are flown solo. A single-seat aircraft has some advantages, and pilots can merely enjoy themselves without having to assure their passenger is comfortable. Single-seaters can also cost less, partly because they don’t need as much engine.

Combine these attributes with some of the finest, beautifully accented machine work you’ll ever see, and Gyro Technic truly has something.

Evolution Revo or Revolt

If you’ve ever checked out trikes, also called weight shift control aircraft (FAA’s preferred term for the type), you may already understand the joy of highly simplified control input and great portability at much less cost than fixed-wing aircraft.

Some people think of a (weight shift) trike as a motorcycle of the air. The analogy isn’t perfect, but let’s go with it. Have you ever closely examined a modern motorcycle? Many have become metallic works of art—with price tags to match.

Even veteran cyclists may want to give a close look at a stunning entry from Evolution Trikes called Revo. If you have any interest in trikes, Revo is definitely one you must check out closely to fully appreciate its depth of innovation. In every detail of its construction, Revo is highly impressive. Prices start below $100,000 for the top-of-the-line model. Evolution also offers Revolt (or RevoLT), Rev X, and Rev, the latter a Part 103 entry. New prices start at less than $20,000.

Run by trike pilot extraordinaire Larry Mednick and his wife, Amy (also a trike pilot and instructor), Evolution is a central Florida company located at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (KZPH), not far from Tampa. With an all-American design and production, Evolution Trikes can provide U.S.-based customer service.

Revo and its siblings are highly evolved creations in the weight shift world. If you take a close look at any Evolution machine, you’ll uncover some of the detailed thinking that went into these best-of-breed flying machines.

Our Take

Let me repeat: You have many more choices than those portrayed here. This was a good, varied sampling, but it was only a rather narrow glimpse into the affordable aviation field.

Please visit ByDanJohnson.com, where you can search for written articles or video links to nearly every light aircraft that might be called affordable. In the next few months, ByDanJohnson.com will transition to AffordableAviation.com.

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the August 2023 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine. 

The post The Practical Magic of Economical Buys appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Me too.

I look forward to more reporting on aircraft. Nonetheless…

MOSAIC has given us an inside look at how the FAA works. Many improvements resulted when the industry worked in harmony with government officials. Nonetheless, careful study found areas of concern in the NPRM. Recent articles in other publications hit essentially the same points as I did in my talk. Those points were partly my thinking, but I also relied on other experts to whom I had posed a variety of questions.

Still, some of the best commentary has come from non-experts—regular pilots who were concerned about a certain part of the NPRM and explored it thoroughly. With this in mind, I was keen to hear from my audiences at the Midwest LSA Expo 2023.

• READ MORE: The MOSAIC Comment Window Is Half Gone

What follows represents my distillation of a number of questions that were asked in lengthy Q&A sessions following the two presentations. Several conversations developed between people in the audience, and therefore asking you to listen to all of that would not be engaging. I attempted to faithfully reproduce those questions and comments, and my responses, below.

Aircraft Descriptions

If my LSA has been restricted to 1,320 pounds to meet current regulation, will a pathway exist to use a higher weight if the aircraft has been appropriately tested?

The answer depends. If your aircraft is Experimental Amateur Built, you are the manufacturer and can change what you want. So if you want to fly on drivers license medical at a higher weight — so long as you clean stall at 54 knots or less — you can do so. On a Special LSA, the manufacturer will have to redeclare that they meet all applicable ASTM standards at the higher weight and could then start supplying aircraft with higher gross weights. However, that does not mean they will go backwards compatible and make all earlier aircraft so capable. A manufacturer would have no idea how the aircraft had been maintained or operated and they may not want to take on the added risk.

Some producers may not make aircraft specific to the U.S. market…

I agree, but many CAAs, especially in smaller countries, mirror FAA regulations closely. Since the U.S. aviation market remains the largest in the world, many producers cannot ignore American rules.

Will the FAA allow a sport pilot, perhaps by endorsement, to carry more than one passenger?

This represents a good place to urge your comment. If you believe a sport pilot, with added training and an endorsement, should be allowed to fly on a drivers license, say so.

What weight limit is applied to MOSAIC LSA?

No weight limit is specified. Instead, aircraft size is well governed by specifying clean stall at 54 knots. That is VS1 not VS0, clean—not flaps out. The purpose is to limit aircraft size and does not relate to slow flight or landing speeds.

Why the 54 knot clean stall? Why not with flaps?

Understand that the FAA’s point about a 54-knot clean stall is to provide a means of limiting the aircraft size. It works well for that, but this can also be easily defended by the pilot (show the FAA the POH) and verified by the FAA (by examining the POH). It’s a simple solution.

I fly a Beech Sundowner, a [Cessna] 172-like aircraft. The POH states a 62-knot clean stall. If I add vortex generators to it and lower the stall speed to 54 knots, will it qualify even though the POH will still say 62?

Since Sundowner is a Part 23 certified aircraft, it would require an STC to add anything to the airframe. At that time, a modification could be added to the POH but FAA officials in various places will not initially know how to handle this. The problem is, how do you know it stalls at 54 or less, and how do you defend it? The cost to demonstrate convincing evidence that stall is now lower than the POH states may be excessive.

You referred in one slide to “high performance.” That term and “complex” are already defined in Part 61. If it has an adjustable prop, a 200 horsepower engine, and flaps, it is “high performance.” If it is retractable, it is “complex”, although it may not also be “high performance” (ex: a C-172 RG is complex but not high performance).

The FAA perceived a gap between LSA and Part 23 certified aircraft; they evidently see pilot certification similarly in discussing endorsements. While MOSAIC LSA gain many capabilities, sport pilots remain bound by other rules. It was not clarified how a sport pilot qualifies for “high performance” operations. We hope endorsements will suffice; they’ve worked well for 19 years of SP/LSA.

Will aircraft from other countries that have met other certification systems be accepted under MOSAIC?

The commenter refers to a government arrangement called “reciprocity” where one country accepts the methods of other countries. It comes as part of the Bilateral Safety Agreement. While the FAA will accept such approvals, they are still likely to assure an aircraft still meets every line item in ASTM standards for MOSAIC LSA.

Sport Pilot Privileges

If I already have retractable experience or night experience, can I use that as a sport pilot under MOSAIC?

You will have to get an endorsement, it appears, but any instructor who sees a lot of related recent experience in a logbook and flies with you for verification may be willing to endorse your logbook accordingly in short order. If you are not current with those skills, that person may recommend added training.

Is the reason for the medical requirement to fly at night related to color blindness?

The FAA did bring that up at EAA AirVenture 2023, saying that when the states give you a drivers license, they don’t adequately test for this. Personally, I find the argument weak to require pilots to pursue a medical over the relatively remote possibility that they might one day need a light signal from the control tower.

Couldn’t I just go to a doctor and only have my vision checked for color blindness?

That would make a worthy comment and would appear to address the FAA’s stated concern.

Will the opportunity to fly IFR be available to sport pilots without a medical?

Given the FAA’s attachment to medicals, that seems unlikely. However, the same response about the weak relationship between medical possession and aviation safety remains.

As pilots age, insurance companies want more frequent medical visits (even if the FAA may not). Will the insurance companies accept drivers license medical on MOSAIC LSA?

That’s a worthy question but not one about MOSAIC. Insurance companies are private and can require any evidence of medical fitness their contracts specify. They have accepted LSA use on drivers license medical and as I keep saying, no one has presented compelling evidence that possession of an aviation medical assures the flight is safer. What insurance companies do in the future is more a matter of the reinsurance market than an FAA regulation. At present, any pilot over 75  will find challenges getting insurance, regardless of that person’s health.

Have any parts of sport pilot flight instructor been changed?

That is not an area on which I am as well informed but, yes, I saw several references to SPIs. I urge you to use the USUA/LAMA study guide and use its search capability to look up that part more fully yourself. Then, please comment. 

• READ MORE: Your MOSAIC Study Guide

Are you still saying that, assuming no change in the 90-day comment window, this will not go live until the end of 2024 or early 2025?

Yes, although an extension may be granted to a group of maintenance companies in which case the rule will be pushed back at least an additional 90 days.

If multi-engine is being allowed, how do you qualify for that?

This is another of those clues that this NPRM seems a bit rushed to market. FAA Aircraft Certification will permit multiple engines/motors, but the Flight Standards Group did not address pilot qualifications. A conventionally-acquired multi-engine rating is far less applicable today because designs include multiple electric motors, advanced computer controls, and many other technical capabilities the FAA never confronted.

What do you mean by “equal work” for powered parachutes or weight shift?

This refers to NPRM language that effectively discriminates against those aircraft types. A pilot cannot take advantage of the opportunity to use LSA for aerial work because a commercial pilot certificate is required and none is available for those aircraft types. They should have equal opportunity to perform aerial work; they may be perfectly suited to some tasks.

How fixed is the FAA on one passenger only? Could the agency be convinced otherwise?

First, the restriction is on the pilot not the aircraft. A private pilot with a medical could use a four-seat mLSA with four people on board, assuming weight and balance allows. Regarding the FAA’s flexibility on this, given its tight cling to medicals even though the evidence for them is weak, I suspect convincing the agency to let sport pilots fly three passengers is a long shot, but you can certainly comment if you have reasons to believe this is wrong.

What was the YouTube address for the MOSAIC Masterclass videos?

Go to YouTube and search “@EasyFlight.” Some may find it easier to consume MOSAIC through a series of videos.

Maintenance

Could you take two seats out of a six-seat legacy GA airplane, so it only has four, assuming it has a clean stall of 54 knots or less?

This is a “What if”-type question that can go on too long, but essentially if the aircraft has four seats and a clean stall of 54 knots, it can qualify to be flown by a pilot using sport pilot privileges, although only with two persons on board. In order to modify a Part 23-certified aircraft, however, you’d have to get a STC and your local FSDO or MIDO will not be up to speed on MOSAIC initially, so they may not understand the request.

Can a second owner of a LSA take a course to do maintenance on that aircraft?

This can happen today but some questions have been raised under MOSAIC. Rainbow Aviation expressed reason for concern on this. It is more expert on maintenance and I deferred to the company’s knowledge. 

It appears it will be more restrictive, will take more effort to get LSRM credentials. Any such action will reduce mechanics, already in short supply. Existing A&Ps don’t have enough experience or training on Rotax or Jabiru.

You appear to understand correctly. This is an area where I defer to those with greater knowledge so I have been recommending the Rainbow Aviation YouTube channel as it has been outspoken on this.

Are We About Done with MOSAIC?

Yes! Of course, I will continue to report on MOSAIC developments and news but now it is time for me to formulate my own comments to the FAA. I hope you found all the MOSAIC information useful. I hope you will comment.

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