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.

“After nearly two years of rigorous R&D, testing, and production preparation, Icon is excited to announce that it has increased the gross weight of the A5 by 60 pounds, resulting in a new useful load of 490 pounds (up from 430 pounds),” the company stated.

How can ICON do that before MOSAIC arrives? Isn’t the limit 1,430 pounds, as permitted on LSA seaplanes or floatplanes? Well, no.

ICON did not initially use all the gross weight given to it. After engineers proved the structure could carry more weight, the company could make the change and amend its ASTM documentation for the FAA, a task made easier as Icon has already worked closely with the FAA on a Type Certified version of A5 in the primary category.

• READ MORE: The Icon A5: An LSA Amphib That Handles Like A Dream

As the A5’s Rotax 912iS burns less than five gallons of fuel per hour, the company says “this equates to an additional two hours of endurance or the ability to carry more baggage or heavier passengers.”

Backwards compatibility is of interest to present A5 owners. “All 2024 A5s will include this weight increase, and the solution can also be retrofitted on previous models as part of an option package that includes a 4-blade lightweight propeller from eProps that delivers increased performance and additional weight savings,” ICON said.

Said Jerry Meyer, ICON’s CEO: “In response to feedback from our owners and prospective customers, we elected to undertake further research and development to test the airframe and fully understand what we needed to do to increase the useful load. The solution is a reinforcement of our commitment to innovation, and a 60-pound increase is significant, especially in the LSA category.”

4-Blade eProp

In conjunction with the gross weight increase, Icon said the 4-blade propeller that it announced in 2023 is now standard on all new A5 LSA. The company said “eProps’ new propeller provides a 21 percent reduction in ground takeoff roll in standard conditions, increasing the versatility and safety of the aircraft.”

“The 4-blade propeller is a huge upgrade to my ICON A5,” said Santiago Masdeau, an A5 owner based in south Florida. “I’ve flown more than 100 hours with the original 3-blade and now I have around 20 hours on the new carbon fiber 4-blade. Immediately, I noticed less vibration and noise, better acceleration, and improved takeoff distances. I’ve also experienced an increase on my cruise speed at 5,000 rpm and lower fuel burn. The entire experience is better, and it looks amazing, too!”

A 2024 A5 Limited Edition starts at $409,000 with the Garmin G3X Touch available as an upgrade. Additional options include autopilot, a digital attitude indicator, a variety of signature paint schemes and colors, and Sirius XM Weather.

The company believes that type certification will allow Icon to expand its market potential around the world, especially in countries that have not yet adopted ASTM standards. The type certified version of the 2024 Icon A5 starts at $434,000.

The post ICON Bumps Useful Load of A5 LSA Seaplane 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.

The post MOSAIC at a Glance appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

MOSAIC as a completed regulation is still 16 months away, according to the FAA’s oft-repeated statements about how long it needs after comments have closed. The agency has a lot of work remaining on this proposed regulation.

After a group of maintenance organizations asked for more time, the FAA extended the comment period to January 22. After that, the FAA begins huddling internally to review all comments and make other changes.

Besides the FAA, ASTM’s LSA committee also has its hands full creating industry consensus standards needed to allow acceptance of these airplanes. If you have any capacity or interest to help, they’d love you to join them. You do not need to be an engineer or technical expert.

Many LSA producers are hustling hard to develop existing models into larger, more capable mLSA designs. A few brands are already flying, and I have reported on several of these.

Go Get Some Air

This Slovenian GoGetAir G750 design is a new-to-the U.S. aircraft, though it has a decade of history in Europe.

GoGetAir’s G750 evolved from an aircraft I had seen earlier in Europe called One. A stylish design, One used a sports car approach, with two rear seats of limited carrying capacity. One Aircraft was designed by Iztok Šalamon after he founded that company in 2014. One Aircraft shut down operations in 2019 when GoGetAir was established.

“We took the things that we love and we have built on them,” noted the Šalamos. “The result is the innovative GoGetAir line of aircraft. In order to achieve the best possible comfort for the pilot during G750’s nine-hour endurance, the aircraft is equipped with adjustable rudder pedals as well as with adjustable seats and three different foam density of seat cushioning for maximum comfort.”

“GoGetAir is the only aircraft in the category that features large forward-and-upward-hinging doors for easy entry,” said the Šalamos, referring to them as “Lamborghini-style doors.” They added, “Pilot and passengers are protected with a Formula-1-like full-carbon roll cage with Kevlar protection.

“In addition, every G750 is equipped with a BRS parachute system designed around a solid-fuel rocket housed in the front fuselage that pulls the parachute to full deployment within seconds.”

Europe-based light aviation journalist Marino Boric wrote, “GoGetAir’s G750 aircraft from Slovenia is one of very few 2+2 aircraft with an MTOW of 750 kilograms [1,650 pounds], which on first glance looks like a smaller version of Cirrus’ piston SR series.”

A Cirrus SR20 weighs about twice as much as G750 but has a roomy aft seat. Though the term is no longer common, “2+2” indicates a second row of seats with a lesser amount of leg room.

GotGetAir observed, “G750’s aft seat can be used for baggage or you can also take two children up to 55 pounds each and not more than five feet tall. When those aft seats are filled, some baggage can still be stored in the small space behind the seats.”

Even though you cannot fill G750 with four large adults, this is an ideal MOSAIC LSA for sport pilot certificate holders. Those pilots will not be allowed to take four persons aloft, but might enjoy the extra cabin space.

G750 Performs

Offered first with the 100-horsepower Rotax 912, a 115-horsepower Rotax 914 turbo engine enables more robust performance with take-off in less than 500 feet and a climb rate more than 1,000 feet per minute

Now, GoGetAir offers the turbocharged, intercooled Rotax 915iS for a performance boost up to altitude. See the nearby chart to compare engines and performance.

GoGetAir is reasonably fast, a nice bump from today’s LSA, offering cruise at 138 knots, or 159 miles per hour. Other MOSAIC LSAs may strive for higher speeds but may be more compact to reduce drag. The G750 is intended for comfortable cross country travel.

With Rotax 915, the G750 takes off in less tha 400 feet of ground roll and can climb at 1,500 feet per minute. The G750/915 will burn 6-7 gallons per hour cruising at altitude. Under ideal conditions, full tanks of 35 gallons offer a range of nearly 1,000 nautical miles.

“Due to its huge flaps, [the] G750 is easily operated on [a] 1,500 foot runway,” said GoGetAir. Stall speed for all three engine sizes is a modest 43 knots, or 49 miles per hour. With proposed MOSAIC stall speed limits coming in at 54 knots (or possibly faster) the G750 is well within MOSAIC parameters.

GoGetAir G750 Safety Features

• Rocket-propelled emergency airframe parachute
• 4-mm-thick certified glass front windshield for bird and other object penetration protection
• Passenger compartment roll safety cage; designed and tested cabin construction with car-style crash resistance
• Doors designed to be opened in case of a roll-over
• Full Kevlar cabin interior for protection from object penetration
• Single-spar design—both spars overlap and are bolted together to the fuselage, adding to construction stiffness and safety
• Panel retracts in case of crash
• Three hinges on every moving surface; four on the flaps
• Glide ratio of 17.5:1 for lower fuel consumption and higher safety in case of engine failure.

GoGetAir in the U.S.

Shannon Hankins & Alan Jackson from Scissortail Aerosport represent G750 to North America. “Scissortail is the authorized North American Completion Center for the GoGetAir’s G750. We offer full in-house support during final assembly at our facility located in Tulsa, Oklahoma [KRVS].” Of course, its reference to assembly is before MOSAIC when the company could deliver a fully-built G750.

The timing of Scissortail and GoGetAir is excellent, with only 16 months or so before MOSAIC is released. In the meantime, the FAA has registration categories such as experimental exhibition that allow import of a small number of fully-assembled aircraft to test the market.

By the second quarter of 2025, MOSAIC should become official regulation and then G750 will easily fit the mLSA category assuming the company chooses to pursue and declare compliance with ASTM standards.

G750 is a costlier choice as will be many mLSA. At $270,000 to $340,000, depending on optional equipment and finishes, G750 is helping to define a price point for MOSAIC LSA. Extra seats and extra capabilities cost real money.

While we all wait on MOSAIC, Scissortail can refine its operation and deliver a few experimental exhibition aircraft to earn feedback from U.S. pilots. Contact Hankins or Jackson for more or to arrange a flight demo.

The post Scisssortail Aerosport Imports GoGetAir G750 appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

If you are looking to buy, getting a current owner to part with their pride and joy could be challenging. The Earthstar website is functional but does not appear to have been updated in some time.

Thunder Gull owners or pilots may be purists, insisting nothing compares to their Gull, yet some interested buyers are aware Titan Aircraft makes a very similar aircraft. The Ohio company remains active, attending airshows and displaying its Tornado line.

Gull 2000

The earliest designs from Beierle’s inventive mind were called Thunder Gull. I recall seeing these at airshows in the ’90s being flown as an experienced driver might operate a sports car. Wing span is a mere 20 feet. When you sat in the fully-enclosed cockpit it looked like you could open the door and reach out to touch the wingtip. Thunder Gull’s diminutive size made it as sporty and agile on the ground as it is in the air, a rare capability for most airplanes.

Later came Odyssey, a side-by-side, staggered-seating two seater. It only had a 26 foot wingspan. Most light aircraft in the space use 30-36 foot wingspans on aircraft that did not carry any more payload. Consequently, I viewed Thunder Gull’s wing design to be “hard working.”

Later still came Soaring Gull, with what looked to be a long wing at 28 feet, still shorter than most other comparable aircraft. This gave Soaring Gull a solid 16:1 glide ratio according to Earthstar, meaning any experienced soaring pilot could easily keep Soaring Gull aloft for a long time with the engine shut down. This fact later led to electric power, which I’ll touch on below.

As you examine this design, you see Beierle’s design philosophy. He sought to make the most efficient aircraft he could. One definition of that was a flying machine that uses the least fuel. Beierle defined himself as “a minimalist,” and this sentiment is carried throughout his highly-optimized aircraft.

For the then-new millennia, when we successfully avoided the predicted terror of Y2K (remember that?), Beierle came out with Gull 2000. You can read my full pilot report from 2003 for lots of detail about the aircraft.

As Gull 2000 arrived, Beierle had gotten married and his strict minimalism lead to improvements in creature comforts. Notably, the Gull 2000 is wider than previous Thunder Gull aircraft.

Here’s how Beierle promoted his new creation: “Prototypes were flown over 5,400 hours. Considerable care has been taken in the design and testing process,” he wrote.

“The result is a stall and spin resistant aircraft with superior handling qualities both on the ground and in the air. The responsive ailerons provide roll control throughout a stall attempt. The beginning flyer will find an easy to fly, stable, and forgiving aircraft.

“The Thunder Gull 2000 and Odyssey models maintain the responsive and nimble control necessary for the demanding pilot. All of the Earthstar Aircraft models are fun cross-country machines and have been flown from coast-to-coast many times.

“Flight tested to a “G” loading of +5.9 and -3 and are designed to +6 and -4 yield. The ultralight model has been certified to meet the FAA’s FAR-103 requirements. VNE for all models is 120 miles per hour.”

Electric eGull

Beierle made an efficient aircraft, and one measure of success was to use less fuel. As the new millennium arrived, interest in electric propulsion was growing. Given his goals, Beierle quickly adopted the idea and his electric experimentation began. While giants like Boeing and Airbus spend billions on electric propulsion concepts, electric airplane development of affordable aircraft is often done on tiny budgets by entrepreneurs like Beierle.

This is also a fast-changing field, perhaps explaining why finding an electric-powered Earthstar Gull will be especially difficult. Nonetheless, the efficiency of Beierle’s Gull design combined the high torque of an electric motor with a low airframe weight to make a highly-workable electric propulsion design.

Combine Gull 2000’s more user-friendly interior with the design’s great flying qualities and power it with a potent electric motor and you really have something fun!

Here is the video interview with Beierle about his electric propulsion investigations. The second video below looks like a duplicate but is a different production.

Just a year ago, Dave updated his coverage of Earthstar and Thundergull. Flying scenes are featured and fans of Videoman Dave Loveman may enjoy hearing his familiar voice asking questions of Beierle.

The post An Electric Propulsion Pioneer appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

The FAA has announced a 90-day extension for the comment period on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) titled Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC), according to an Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) press release.

Originally published on July 24, MOSAIC aims to revise regulations governing the manufacture, certification, operation, maintenance, and alteration of light sport aircraft (LSA). 

The proposal’s primary goal is to enhance safety, performance, and privileges under sport pilot and LSA rules, with a focus on suitability for flight training, limited aerial work, and personal travel.

The NPRM, as published in the Federal Register on July 24 (88 FR 47650), originally had a comment period set to conclude on October 23. With the extension, interested parties now have until January 22 to provide feedback on the proposed changes.

• READ MORE: A MOSAIC Q-and-A

This move comes in response to a formal request from several aviation organizations, including the AEA, Aeronautical Repair Station Association, Aviation Suppliers Association, Aviation Technician Education Council, Helicopter Association International, International Air Response Inc., Modification and Replacement Parts Association, and the National Air Transportation Association. These organizations jointly submitted the request on August 29, expressing the need for additional time to thoroughly review and assess the extensive amendments proposed by MOSAIC.

While much of the public’s attention has been drawn to the potential expansion of sport pilot privileges and the increased weight and performance allowances for LSA, organizations like AEA are concentrating on four key areas that may affect its member companies and employees. These are continued operational safety, limitations on modernization and upgrades, personnel, and repetitive rulemaking.

The FAA’s decision allows the public and relevant organizations to more thoroughly identify inconsistencies, duplications, or unintended consequences that may arise from the proposed changes. 

• READ MORE: Your MOSAIC Study Guide

This extension also underscores the importance of engaging industry stakeholders and the public in shaping the future of LSA regulations. This opportunity to provide valuable insights and feedback on the MOSAIC proposal ultimately contributes to the ongoing process.

The post FAA Extends MOSAIC Comment Period 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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Zenith Aircraft Company hosted its 32nd annual Homecoming fly-in and open hangar days on September 15 & 16 at its factory located at Mexico Memorial Airport (KMYJ) in Mexico, Missouri. Zenith builders and fliers from around the country flew into the Homecoming, one of the largest of its kind in the nation. Organizers proclaimed the 2023 event as the “best one yet” and thanked everyone who visited and participated.

The grassroots event provided both educational and fun activities for all visitors, made up primarily of Zenith builders, owners, and pilots, as well as future builders, and pilots, and enthusiasts.

Highlights included hands-on workshops, seminars, and panel discussions where experts, as well as Zenith builders and flyers, shared their experiences. The Zenith Homecoming celebrates Zenith builders and flyers, and they came out in force once again, with several dozen flying into the event from around the country in their beautifully finished Zenith kit aircraft.

The educational seminars and hands-on workshops kept visitors busy throughout the day, learning about building and flying kit aircraft. Back by popular demand, volunteers hosted a women’s-only workshop to introduce women to kit aircraft building. Visitors toured the modern Zenith Aircraft kit production facilities (including a sneak-peak at the major expansion currently underway at the Zenith factory) to see and to learn how the all-metal aircraft kit parts are fabricated, while Zenith Aircraft staff and volunteers demonstrated the ease of the kit assembly with modern final hole size match-drilled parts.

The late summer/early fall weather allowed for outdoor socializing and dining, with record attendance at the evening dinner events, held outdoors on the ramp in front of the factory and surrounded by aircraft.

Select suppliers and vendors (who supply products and services needed to finish and fly kit aircraft) were invited to participate once again at the Zenith Homecoming, meeting with new and existing Zenith aircraft builders, owners and pilots, and sharing information about their services and products. Long time sponsors, such as Aircraft Spruce & Specialty, have continued to support the Zenith Homecoming event year after year, and suppliers and sponsors offered great prizes that were awarded to lucky visitors.

Area EAA Chapter 944 provided a hot breakfast of pancake and sausages both mornings, sponsored by Wheels & Wings (builder assistance services) on the first day, and by KITPLANES magazine and AVEMCO aviation insurance on the second day.

The strong Zenith community of builders and owners continue to make Zenith the number one brand of light sport aircraft in the United States (based on actual FAA registrations). There was an outstanding representation of the many Zenith kit airplanes flying today, with numerous custom configurations (engines, avionics, paint schemes and more!).

EAA’s Charlie Becker visited to provide an update on FAA rules and initiatives affecting homebuilt aircraft and Sport Pilots, updating visitors about the FAA’s MOSAIC NPRM.

Zenith Aircraft also hosted guided factory tours and kit assembly demonstrations to showcase the newest kit technology (utilizing CNC final hole size match drilled parts and components). Visitors were able to see up close all the airplanes that were flown in, and meet with the owners (also usually the builders) of the custom-built airplanes. Organizers estimate that more than 500 visitors were on hand over the two days and about 50 planes flew in for the Homecoming. As part of the annual homecoming festivities, Zenith hosted a “dinner banquet” on Friday evening. This year’s event featured record attendance with more than 280 guests.

Other sponsors and supporters of the event provided many of the popular prizes awarded to visitors, including Dynon Avionics, UL Power engines, Garmin avionics, Viking Aircraft Engines, EarthX batteries, Matco (wheels and brakes), DUC propellers, AeroLEDs, EAA, AVEMCO, and many more.

The high-wing Zenith CH 750 Cruzer and the sleek low-wing Zenith CH 650 for sport pilots. With builder choices in mind, all Zenith aircraft kits are designed to offer builders a wide variety of suitable engines, avionics, and custom kit options. Zenith Aircraft builders typically build their own airplanes in 400-500 hours from a complete kit, or can choose to build from component kits, quick build kits, or scratch-build from plans (blueprints) only. The STOL CH 750 Super Duty, a short take-off and landing (STOL) airplane with a rear jump seat, is the latest model from Zenith Aircraft and introduces a new “unpanel” repositionable glass panel display (that completely replaces the traditional instrument panel). The company hosts monthly hands-on workshops held at the factory in central Missouri to allow potential first-time builders to learn all about building their own aircraft. The popular and highly recommended workshop learning experience includes a demonstration flight in the airplane as well as a factory tour.

The company posted more photos of the Homecoming activities on their Facebook page.

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared on kitplanes.com. 

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Flight Design general aviation, the European manufacturer of the F2 and CT series of aircraft, is increasing production at its new Sumperk factory in the Czech Republic. The LSA manufacturer noted that the first two production F2-LSA models are now heading to U.S. importer Airtime Aviation in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

According to Flight Design, the order list currently stands at more than 100 aircraft, and production is increasing to support four F2 aircraft per month by the end of 2023. The company said this was made possible in part by support from the Lindig Group, a majority shareholder.

“The kind and timely support from the Lindig Group, the staff in Sumperk and Kherson [Ukraine] has made this possible. It takes a lot of commitment to create and sustain an aviation business,” said Daniel Guenther, CEO of Flight Design. “We thank everyone involved, our staff, our dealers worldwide, and especially [Lindig Group CEO] Sven Lindig. He has stood beside us through the most difficult times.”

Not the least of these challenges was retrieving four CTLS airframes from the factory in Kherson and getting them to customers in Europe. The company noted that the completion of airframes will continue through 2023 and then move to production of new airframes by a manufacturing partner.

Flight Design is anticipating an increase in business as a result of the FAA MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification) project, in particular regarding its F2 series.

The Flight Design F2 entered the American market in 2021 and its design continues to evolve.

The F2-CS23 is approved as a European Union Aviation Safety Agency type-certified GA aircraft in Europe, and the validation process has progressed with the FAA. It is expected that the F2-CS23 will be popular with flight schools and in rental fleets.

“The F2 in its current S-LSA form can carry a much larger payload,” said Tom Gutmann, owner of Airtime Aviation. “We expect to increase the payload of the new F2-LSA aircraft that are now being delivered under MOSAIC and think there’s even more that can be done within MOSAIC.”

The company is also continuing the development of the Flight Design F4, the four-seat version of the F series. The F4, described as a larger version of the F2, is equipped with a Rotax 916 turbocharged powerplant and designed to carry four adults.

The F4 passed a design review earlier this summer and is moving toward the prototype stage. The company noted the F4’s systems and tooling are identical to the F2, which should make the process go quicker.

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