The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) made waves earlier in the month when it announced it disagreed with some aspects of the MOSAIC NPRM as written, and it was hard at  work on detailed comments to the FAA to outline its concerns. 

• READ MORE: GAMA Takes Issue With Aspects of MOSAIC

In the past, GAMA has often paired up with the Experimental Aircraft Association and other “alphabet” aviation groups in public comments and statements. 

The EAA submitted comments just ahead of the comment period’s close, in concert with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, National Business Aviation Association, and the National Air Transportation Association.

The comments by and large support the proposed rulemaking as written, but do draw attention to particular points that could use extra consideration. It’s easy to find summaries of most of the salient points, but as a student of aviation whose journey has been marked by some of the particular economic forces that have put pressure on GA in my lifetime, the following point in the document drew my eye: 

The average age of general aviation aircraft is estimated to be nearly 50 years. Despite hours flown in single-engine piston aircraft being at their highest in at least a decade, the fleet itself is inexorably aging. Between 2012 and 2021, the total airframe hours of the average single-engine piston aircraft increased by 8.4%. New type-certificated aircraft remain stubbornly out of reach for most small flight schools and private operators, offering no immediate solution to this unsustainable trend. 

The FAA’s MOSAIC proposal, which expands the definition of aircraft allowed to meet design and production standards set by industry consensus standards rather than prescriptive FAA regulations, is a key component in reversing this trend. This approach has brought certification costs down to the lowest practical level for factory-built aircraft while maintaining a high level of safety, as demonstrated over the past 20 years. 

At somewhere between half a million and $1 million—or more, in some cases (depending on whether you’re looking at a Cessna or, say, a Diamond), most new, OEM-produced four-seat aircraft are out of my reach financially. I think this is true for most of the general aviation community—and it certainly is for me. The primary market for these new GA piston aircraft is flight schools—and typically only flight schools with the financial resources to offset that cost with higher income. 

And as the associations’ comments note further into the document, the proposed MOSAIC changes could mean good things for flight schools in particular, because “Most aircraft used for training and rented by fixed-based operators are four-seat models, demonstrating the need to expand the category. Having two additional seats in larger, more capable light sport aircraft would aid market desirability. Many existing flight schools utilize the ‘Gemini’ method of flight training, whereby two students are partnered and always observing one another during the conduct of a lesson.”

But what about individual private pilots, who won’t necessarily want to move on to aviation careers or advanced training? With the average individual annual income in the U.S. falling at just under $60,000, the cost of a new flying machine is currently anywhere from seven to 14 times that mark. Five decades ago, a new airplane was somewhere between $12,000 and $50,000, and the average salary in 1978, a banner year for GA aircraft sales, was $15,060. You begin to see the gap here, and suspect this might have something to do with why fewer of us can indulge in a new airplane like our parents or grandparents. 

How did we get here, and can MOSAIC really help? 

The answer to both is, it’s complicated. While 1978 was an unprecedented year for aircraft sales, with roughly 18,000 new airplanes moving into hangars across the country, there was trouble brewing on the horizon that foreshadowed the decline of the industry in the ’80s. 

There were some landmark lawsuit cases against OEMs beginning in the 1960s that set legal precedents for litigation directed at manufacturers when something went wrong with GA aircraft. By the 1980s, the aviation world was mired in liability suits.

At the time, GAMA and other associations pointed to product liability lawsuits as the deciding factor in the rise of costs, and the groups’ lobbying efforts eventually led to the 1994 General Aviation Revitalization Act, which limited product liability for manufacturers to 18 years. This helped OEMs secure insurance (insurers had been withdrawing business across the industry due to these lawsuit issues) and resume manufacturing and marketing with some confidence. 

And yet, the resource-cost gap for the average pilot has continued to widen—even in today’s used aircraft market. To some degree, that’s accounted for by smaller flight school’s demand for more affordable aircraft, which adds competition to the market for some of those 40 or 50-year-old machines. But, why didn’t GARA have its intended effect—assuming that was to bring the GA market share for individual buyers back up to the glory days.

In 1995, a couple of researchers, Lawrence Truitt and Scott Tarry, asked similar questions in an in-depth study for that year’s June issue of the Transportation Journal, American Society of Transportation and Logistics, Inc. Their article, The Rise and Fall of General Aviation: Product Liability, Market Structure, and Technological Innovation, pointed out that the factors affecting GA economics were more nebulous and complex than the litigation legislation could account for. 

They pointed to the oil crisis of the 1970s, the general recession of the 1980s, the increased longevity of existing airframes, and even a training boom among veterans brought on by the looming threat of losing primary flight training GI benefits. 

The economic and political landscape holds some uncanny similarities to today, with pressures coming from the post-Colgan Air crash legislation, which raised flight training hours needed for airline transport certification (and has something to do with the flight school pressures on the used aircraft market in particular), several recent economic downturns, fluctuations in oil prices, and the lingering effects of a pandemic that affected supply chains and parts prices globally. 

Can MOSAIC help revitalize GA airspace, which accounts for somewhere around 5% of our nation’s GDP? Well, as these associations point out—it looks hopeful. There’s significant potential for some reduced pressures on OEMs and the certification process. There’s increased potential for aviators to participate in this economy on an individual scale. Assuming the FAA carefully considers the full potential impact of its proposal, the future for GA could be very bright indeed. 

I, for one, will believe it when I see it. 

The post My Take on MOSAIC, as Our Comment Window Closed 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.

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.

In fact, the light sport (U.S.) and ultralight (European Union) segments are in a period of hot growth, with a wide range of models hitting the scene, from both well-known and just-starting-out manufacturers.

At the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, in late March, we witnessed the dramatic entrance of two new LSAs going through the acceptance process—the Junkers A50 and the CubCrafters Carbon Cub UL—along with the Rotax 916iS that promises up to 180 hp in a turbocharged package. While all have ties to Europe, they will be manufactured in the U.S.

Crossing the Atlantic to AERO 2023 at Friedrichshafen, Germany, we saw not only the Junkers A50 joined by the A60—and the new Rotax on display—but also the big splash into the market of Elixir Aircraft’s first two-seat model. Already certified under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) CS-23 regulatory basis, the Elixir has been picked up by several flight schools on both sides of the pond.

Though new prices for each aircraft fall into the $190,000 to $300,000 range—and push the idea of affordable aviation—they represent significant value over the traditional four-seat designs long promoted by the major aerospace OEMs.

This trio of aircraft also hit the mark in another area of affordability—relatively low operating costs. The Elixir achieves this through its efficiency, both of design and fuel burn, while the Carbon Cub does so in terms of performance. All use Rotax engines, well known for their ability to sip fuel. A low parts count and good support networks—and in the case of the Carbon Cub, the ability to perhaps be part of the building and maintenance processes—will keep the costs on the low end.

That way you can spend more time in the air, where you belong.

Junkers A50

The open-cockpit A50 Junior special light sport aircraft (SLSA) crafted of corrugated metal gained FAA acceptance in February—and the throwback to the golden age of flight made its grand entrance at Sun ’n Fun in March.Junkers Aircraft—now the parent company to the WACO marque as well—hosted an introductory event at its WACO Kitchen restaurant at the Sheltair FBO at the Lakeland Linder International Airport (KLAL) the afternoon before the official opening of the show on March 28.

In Battle Creek, Michigan, Euro-pean businessman Dieter Morszeck has invested more than $30 million to create a modern airplane factory capable of producing such complex yet handsome designs as the WACO biplanes. For 2023, that facility has a new occupant, Junkers Aircraft.

Both are owned by Morszeck, who made his money in the luggage business. His brand, Rimowa, is known widely for its corrugated exterior, causing an earlier Junkers aircraft built similarly to be dubbed the “flying suitcase.”

Taking the 1929 design from Hugo Junkers and updating it to the modern era, Junkers Aircraft has begun manufacturing the two-seat, low-wing, aluminum-skinned sport airplane at its U.S. facility in Michigan.

The original 80 hp Armstrong-Siddeley Genet radial engine has been swapped out for the 100 hp Rotax 912iS with a two-blade, ground-adjustable MT propeller. In the rear cockpit—from which the day-VFR-only airplane is flown when solo—the Garmin G3X with a 10.6-inch display provides for overall aircraft control and navigational power, with a companion 7-inch G3X display up front.
Other safety improvements over the traditional design include a Beringer braking system and Galaxy ballistic recovery parachute. The airplane has already come in under SLSA parameters with a maximum takeoff weight of 1,320 pounds and suitability to the training environment—particularly if you would like to evoke the golden age of flying as you learn the basics.

The first 29 aircraft are offered at €179,000 or about $193,500 at current exchange rates. An A60 model with side-by-side seating is also in the works.

Price: $193,500 (first 29)
Powerplant: Rotax 912iS
Seats: 2
Max cruise speed: 111 knots
Endurance: 5 hours
Max useful load: 615 lbs.
Takeoff distance, over a 50-ft. obs.: 984 ft.
Landing distance, over a 50-ft. obs.: 1,355 ft.

CubCrafters Carbon Cub UL

CubCrafters has never before made an aircraft powered by a Rotax engine. Images accompanying this article portray its first example using the 9-series engine in a model intended for production. Most of its factory pilots or dealers have never flown behind a Rotax.
Yet the Carbon Cub UL is also the first aircraft in the world to be fitted with the Austrian engine maker’s newest 916iS powerplant. Why did the Washington state company do this?

One main reason given by Brad Damm, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing, is that customers asked for it. However, Damm has several other good explanations that he shared.

“We invested in several new technologies to make the Carbon Cub UL even lighter and better performing than its predecessor, the Carbon Cub SS,” said the company in a media release. “The goal is a new airplane that features multi-fuel technology (mogas and/or avgas), fully meets ASTM standards and carries two adult people with a full fuel load and a reasonable amount of baggage at a takeoff weight of 600 kilograms or 1,320 pounds.”

Key to the development of the new aircraft is CubCrafters’ collaboration with BRP-Rotax, said CubCrafters, because the engine maker chose to launch its new 160 hp turbocharged engine on the Carbon Cub UL. The new 916iS engine is lighter, more fuel efficient, and thanks to turbocharging can produce more power than the normally aspirated CC340 engine on the Carbon Cub SS especially in higher density altitude scenarios.

“Our Carbon Cub was first introduced in 2009 and has been a successful aircraft for both CubCrafters and the entire backcountry flying community,” said Patrick Horgan, CubCrafters president and CEO. “Now, we’re reimagining the Carbon Cub by incorporating the latest in pre-preg composites, more titanium components, and innovative manufacturing techniques, along with the best new engine and avionics technologies for even more performance and versatility.”

Emphasizing the company’s global aspiration, Horgan added, “We believe this aircraft will make a major contribution to unlocking the enormous potential of the international marketplace.”

The production version of the new aircraft is slated to be initially built, certified, and test flown as a light sport aircraft at the CubCrafters factory in Yakima, Washington. But it will also meet ultralight category requirements in many international jurisdictions. “The aircraft can remain in the LSA category for our customers in Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and even the United States, but it can also be deregistered, exported, and then reregistered as an ultralight category aircraft in many jurisdictions in Europe, South America, and elsewhere,” said Damm.

“This is a concept we’ve looked at for the last several years. Our kit aircraft program has always been strong in overseas markets, and now we are very excited to have a fully factory assembled and tested aircraft to offer to our international customers,” Damm concluded.

The cockpit of the Carbon Cub UL should be familiar to Carbon Cub SS drivers. The UL concept of a lighter and even better performing version of the Carbon Cub for international markets was first seen during a pubicity stunt in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A technology demonstrator version of the aircraft was able to successfully land and take off again from a 27-meter (about 90-foot) diameter heliport suspended 56 stories above the ground atop one of Dubai’s iconic skyscrapers, the Burj Al Arab hotel, as part of a recent Red Bull project meant to inspire audiences worldwide.
—Dan Johnson

Price: TBD
Powerplant: Rotax 916iSc, 160 hp; turbocharged
Seats: 2
Max operating altitude: 17,000 ft.
(based on engine specs)
Max useful load: 1,320 lbs.
Takeoff distance, over a 50-ft. obs.: TBD
Landing distance, over a 50-ft. obs.: TBD

Elixir Aircraft

Elixir Aircraft, a new French manufacturer, has gone from zero to delivering airplanes in just eight years.

The low-wing two-seater is powered by the 100 hp Rotax 912iS, and it’s well suited to the training mission for which the company has marketed it. It’s already certified under EASA CS-23 and is currently undergoing FAA validation. The Elixir features a simple cockpit in its most cost-effective version with standard features, though it’s still capable enough for IFR training—with the Garmin 3X Touch, G5 electronic flight instruments, and GTN 750 NXi multifunction display in the cockpit, along with its Smart Glide functionality, and a GI260 angle of attack indicator.What sets the spin-resistant airframe apart is its minimum of parts—the composite structure has been designed from OneShot carbon fiber components and has no spar, ribs, or stringers. The low parts count not only helps achieve manufacturing efficiencies but also drives a lower operating cost, as little as $37 per hour. Robust landing gear also serves well for student laps around the pattern. A BRS ballistic parachute recovery system comes standard.Elixir plans another model, powered by the 140 hp Rotax 915 series and targeted to private buyers on an IFR mission. It will feature a full glass cockpit as well.

The company has delivered 10 units since February 2022, with plans to scale up production at its facilities in La Rochelle-Île-de-Ré airport (LFBH) on the west coast of France. In early May, it passed the 100-employee mark, and it has new funding in progress for building out additional facilities. With agreements signed by Mermoz Academy in France and Cirrus Aviation in Sarasota, Florida, the trajectory of the Elixir appears to be headed nowhere but up.

In fact, the company is already planning with its U.S. partners to develop a final assembly center in the Sarasota area, with the intention to continue to build the aircraft in La Rochelle, and then containerize them for shipment to Florida and reassembly. The move will give the company an important footprint in the North American market—and in particular for the multiplicity of flight training organizations it hopes to serve. The company’s founders also belive its young average age—in the mid-30s—assist it in the flight training market. 

Price: $300,000 (estimated)
Powerplant: Rotax 912iS, 100 hp
Seats: 2
Max cruise speed: 125 knots, eco cruise
Climb rate: 800 to 1,300 fpm
Endurance: 6 hours
Max baggage weight: 55 lbs.
Takeoff distance: less than 1,000 ft.
Landing distance: less than 1,200 ft.

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

The post Affordable Aviation Grows With New Aircraft appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Recreational flying fans… I don’t know about you but I’m getting pretty tired of studying MOSAIC [FAA’s Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification proposed regulation]. It’s been on my mind every day since the FAA issued it on July 24, 2023, just before EAA AirVenture Oshkosh started.

I’ve studied this pretty closely—thanks SO much to Roy Beisswenger for his effort to make a Study Guide. [Beisswenger is founder and proprietor of Easy Flight] This is not an easy read but it has much we want plus a few things we question or want changed.

If you want some part changed, you have to comment. I can comment and many others have. That’s good but the FAA needs a loud response. With 39 days left at posting time, 389 pilots have commented. Your comment is still needed.

A series of Masterclass videos on MOSAIC may be found here.

The FAA’s comment period for the MOSAIC Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) will close on October  23.

To ensure my facts were as accurate as possible, I consulted several other experts, each focused on specific areas of interest.

Linked with my own experience — serving on the ASTM committee for many years, going to visit the FAA in their government offices in Washington, D.C. (several times), and discussions with the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA) board plus numerous other aviation leaders—the video below provides the best information I can offer at this time. 

Is it a perfect understanding of all things MOSAIC? No, I keep uncovering new tidbits buried in this lengthy document. Others have often pointed out things I missed.

The video below provides as much detail as possible as quickly as possible in a form not too difficult to consume. It also draws attention to areas where people have found problems or have unresolved issues with what is presented.  The video tries to illustrate these simply and clearly. I hope you’ll have a look.

Where are the Comments?

If you get through all 45 minutes of the video presentation below, you will discover that the Q&A portion does not appear. This portion of our discussions went on nearly as long as the formal presentation. It simply got too long and took too much editing.

I was fascinated when during Q&A, discussions erupted on their own. Being particularly passionate about a part of MOSAIC and our privilege to fly, attendees often spoke to one another without my input. This was invigorating to witness but it was sometimes challenging to hear what people said, and not in every case could I keep up with the conversations. In short, I think you’d find it less useful than what I will present.

I am going through all of those comments carefully and will summarize them in printed form, which I think will be much easier to consume.

While I work on that, I encourage you to do what the video suggests: go up to the search bar at the top of this page and type in MOSAIC. That will bring up everything I’ve written about the NPRM in chronological order. A few articles on Mosaic Light-Sport Aircraft will be sprinkled among rule-oriented articles but all have some useful information.

A few of those articles generated lots of comments. In fact, at the time I gave these two talks, this website had generated more total comments than the FAA’s website—a fact I hope will change dramatically in a new direction soon. I know people tend to wait until toward the end to act but pilots shouldn’t cut the deadline too close.

If the FAA’s new rules are important to you, I urge you to watch this video. 

Helpful Links

• USUA/LAMA MOSAIC NPRM Study Guide, download a PDF document with bookmarks and helpful organization
• A MOSAIC Study Guide
• Make a comment, direct link to FAA’s comment page
• Read what other commenters have said, FAA comment page

The post FAA’s MOSAIC Comment Window Is Soon Closing appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Here is a glimpse of what you can see if you can attend on Friday and Saturday. For those who cannot come, this will provide some taste of what happens in Mount Vernon, Illinois, in early September. Hopefully, you can make it in 2024.

Every vendor highlighted here brought two, three, or even four aircraft to show. That’s very rare, even at EAA AirVenture or Sun ‘n Fun.

• READ MORE: Affordable Aviation News of the Week

What this illustrates is that the Midwest LSA Expo (about an hour’s drive east of St. Louis) has become a standard-bearer in the aviation calendar. Indeed, this is Midwest LSA’s 15th event, tying it with the longest-running prior such show, the Sebring Sport Aviation Expo. After catalyzing these LSA-focused shows, Sebring concluded its 15-year run in 2019.

Who’s Here?

AeroTrek returned after a few years’ absence and it came in force. As of opening day, three aircraft had arrived and two more are expected. In addition, the company showed off its new open trailer ,which looks enormously easier to load and secure so long as you’re not trying to drive all the way across the country. For transportation in a local or regional area, this looks like a great choice with significantly lower costs.

Rob Rollison, the longtime importer of this successful brand of modestly-priced LSA, has long maintained a steady rate of business because his supplier in Europe has maintained an prudent approach to business. This has helped the manufacturer remain very stable but it also means delivery times now reach about one year. Rollison indicated most customers are willing to wait. It was good to see him back in Mt. Vernon with his handsome airplanes and new trailer.

Texas Aircraft appeared at Midwest LSA some years back when its Colt LSA was a new entry in the game. Now the company reports it just delivered the first batch of airplanes to a nearby flight school and it is excited about the future of MOSAIC with its new four-seat Stallion model already flying in Brazil.

In some ways, the Texas company, which is directly associated with the Brazilian organization, is ahead of the game because Brazil’s ANAC has already created a very MOSAIC-like regulation with minor differences. Approving that aircraft in its home country should make for a much easier entry to the U.S. market and this Hondo, Texas organization is ready to roll.

Bristell representative Piston Aviation reports running an active flight school operation. I plan to discuss this further with the company to see how its flight school operates with the LSA of today. In the MOSAIC preamble, the FAA said extra weight was needed to make LSA into viable flight school aircraft, but I think it’s missing that these aircraft are already working well in that environment, assuming good flight school management and properly-qualified instructors. (To be forthright, Piston also operates Piper Cherokees.)

• READ MORE: The MOSAIC Comment Window Is Half Gone

Joe Ord’s company operates at Creve Coeur airport (1H0), Maryland Heights, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. It offers a wide range of flight instruction and lists its prices right on its homepage. You can tell that this company has a sense of style and it had handsome, custom-painted aircraft on display. Again, you see the commitment people make to the Midwest LSA Expo if Piston Aviation will bring aircraft that could be in flight training to display for you at the show.

Vashon brought two of its Ranger LSAs to Midwest LSA perhaps five years ago, and the company has been back every year since—and it doesn’t come with just a single airplane. I hope you’re starting to get the message that these companies like this show and they don’t come here just to bond with their fellow vendors. They know they will meet people like you. Likewise, people who come to this event tend to be serious and ready to take their aviation interest to the next level.

While Vashon’s prices have risen slightly over the last couple years–along with virtually everything else you buy—they are still affordable to a wide range of pilots, and have particular appeal to some by virtue of the use of a Continental O-200 powerplant. Lots of pilots and mechanics are familiar with that engine and, combined with a new and spacious airframe, the company is finding customers. Clearly, it finds some of them right here in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

TL Sport Aircraft had two of its four models on display at Mt. Vernon. After a couple of U.S. distributors didn’t work as well as expected, Trey Murdaugh’s company is bringing a more business-like approach. At Midwest LSA, he appropriately had on display a TL-3000 Sirius and an S-4 Sting. The latter (in an earlier model) was the #5 aircraft accepted by the FAA as a Special LSA out of 158 now on our SLSA list.

However, Murdaugh is also nicely positioned for MOSAIC with two other aircraft that did not travel to Mt. Vernon. One is the tandem-seating Stream, which I flew with him after Sun ‘n Fun 2022. That was a fine experience in a beautiful-flying aircraft. I look forward later this year to a flight in the company’s side-by-side MOSAIC-ready entry called Sparker that is the highest-performing of their line. Of course, prices follow capability, so the Sirius or Sting may be the more affordable buy, but this company has got choices for you.

Zenith arrived with two of its popular sport pilot-eligible kit aircraft, the Cruzer and Super Duty. Probably most readers are aware that Zenith is the leading kit builder in the light aircraft space (as only one Van’s model can presently qualify as an LSA). This should surprise no one as these aircraft are highly proven, and the manufacturing of Zenith kits has become quite sophisticated under the leadership of Sebastien Heintz.

The Mexico, Missouri-based kit producer also hosts one of the largest events of its kind in the country, in fact, drawing even more people to it than the Midwest LSA Expo. Now in its 32nd year, “Homecoming” is a must-go for any Zenith enthusiast. I’ve never been able to make it because it occurs right after the Midwest LSA event but I hope many of you can and will attend. You can learn a lot at the event plus enjoy the camaraderie of others with similar interests.

Magni Gyro rep Greg Gremminger brought two gyroplanes, as he often has. Gremminger is one of those regulars that has made every Midwest LSA event, along with a handful of others. It helps that he’s based nearby, but this has proven to be a good event where he can give rampside talks about gyros to people who are interested. He’s done this for years, and every time I’ve seen quite a collection of people listening intently as he describes his rotary-winged aircraft and how they fly.

A couple years ago my wife and I each took a flight with Gremminger, and had a marvelous experience. I’m not qualified to fly gyroplanes solo, but I have learned from some experiences and I see the magic that so many enjoy. Gremminger was one of the original people to fight for 10 years asking the FAA to finally allow fully-built gyroplanes. He didn’t get a yes, but when Roy Beisswenger and I started our advocacy work, we took up the case again. Between Gremminger’s efforts and ours, I’m pleased that we will finally have factory-built gyros available for enthusiasts.

All this and more was available on opening day, despite weather challenges to the east, holding up the arrival of some aircraft. BushCat is expecting two aircraft, as is Jabiru. What I believe this list shows is that these companies are all willing to spend the money and take the time to bring multiple aircraft to the Midwest LSA Expo. One of the main reasons the show is popular and successful is the great ease of getting a demo flight in an airplane. Get on the schedule and when it’s your turn, it takes literally a few minutes to get airborne. Marvelous! Plus, entry to the show and parking are FREE.

MOSAIC and More

I will have more on other aircraft that are at the show and other activities that I observe. In addition, the whole place is buzzing with talk of MOSAIC, as you might expect a month and change after the FAA dropped its new proposed regulation on the U.S.

These members of Midwest LSA Expo’s orange shirt brigade worked to keep flight demo operations humming and safe. Thanks to all the orange shirters!

I look forward to the question-and-answer session at the end of my two talks (Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m. Central). I’m pleased to give out what I believe is good information on the new proposed rule, but the most valuable interplay comes from pilots expressing their concerns and opinions. If you’re in the area, please join us. If you can’t make it. I will plan to record it and I’ll get the video up as soon as I can.

Stay tuned for more from the Midwest LSA Expo 2023!

The post Opening Day at the Midwest LSA Expo appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

It’s a pecking order thing, I suppose, a natural human response, but I dislike when one aviator puts down another. Is a hang glider pilot somehow less than a power pilot? Is a LSA pilot doing a lesser job flying than a GA pilot? Indeed, is the humble prop pilot somehow less than a jet pilot? Are pilots who like rotary or seaplanes oddballs? I think not, but such opinions are too commonly heard.

Similarly, why are pilots so ill-informed about Part 103? Most pilots have heard of the category, yet most of them know next to nothing about the aircraft type. Contrarily, I can say this: the ones who learn about Aerolite 103 know this is a right-proper light aircraft, and they want more for less.

As a single point, price is important to nearly all consumers. Even in 2023, Aerolite 103 is available for around $25,000. That price comes after three years of high inflation, after the upset of Covid and its effect on supply chains, quadrupled shipping costs, and the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine. Despite an overload of upsetting, price-increasing actions, Aerolite 103 remains a terrific bargain by almost any measure.

Most of that success at keeping Aerolite 103 affordable is due to just two men.

Dynamic Duo

In the video below, nearly a half million viewers have heard inventor Terry Raber describe his Aerolite 103. Raber built and delivered several hundred of these, it is reported. But many years ago he chose to exit aircraft manufacturing to pursue other interests. He connected with former Challenger build shop operator, Dennis Carley, who has breathed new life into the enterprise.

Carley moved Aerolite to Deland, Florida, and began to set up manufacturing. Prior to Aerolite, he won awards for his craftsmanship. He built more than 100 ultralight and experimental aircraft over a 20 year period, experience that proved valuable when he began manufacturing Aerolite 103.

After moving all of Raber’s inventory and tooling to Florida in January 2013, he reported 20 sales in his first full year of business: a worthy achievement for a re-startup.

Carley’s pace has never stopped. Over the decade he has operated U-Fly-It, the company increased to present capacity of 50–60 Aerolite 103 aircraft per year. I’ve seen him maintain this pace for several years. Over a decade he has likely doubled the fleet that is approaching 1,000 aircraft (based on Raber’s reported “400 or so” during his 15 years of operation, plus steady production by U-Fly-It.)

Raber may have departed from the aviation scene but he did a wonderful job of invention. A former CGS Hawk kit builder and Quicksilver MX assembler, he fused a vision for a simply-constructed aircraft that could stay within Part 103 while offering features other ultralights of the day were not providing.

From the start, Aerolite boasted features others lacked, including:

• A control yoke — most others used joysticks
• Full, conventional three-axis control — common now but wasn’t then
• Electric flaps — few Part 103 ultralight offer flaps, and rarely electric
• Discreet (separate surface) ailerons; not full-span flaperons
• Partial enclosure with a nose cowl and windscreen — open cockpit designs were common
• Tricycle gear — many used standard or taildragger types to save weight
• Hydraulic brakes — brakes were not common on Part 103 ultralights due to the weight constraints of Part 103 plus slow landing speeds
• An aluminum fuel tank, not a plastic one that discolors in time
• Sewn Dacron wing, tail, and surface coverings were common but they save the weight of paint

I love the Aerolite 103. I flew one on several occasions and found it a friendly flying machine with no evil qualities that will fly exactly as you’d expect.

What Aerolite won’t do: You don’t buy an airplane like this to fly long cross country flights. Obviously, you can’t carry passengers. Staying within Part 103 means you are limited to 63 miles per hour and five gallons of gas, good for an hour or two of flying depending on how much up-and-down fun you are having. Some pilots call all these points limitations. Others know the joy such for-fun-only aircraft can deliver.

Aerolite 103 is a full-featured Part 103 ultralight that requires no pilot license of any kind, no N-numbers, and no medical, for less than the average selling price of a new car in the U.S. in 2023. I can attest to its fine flying qualities and long proven design.

Aerolite 103 Price & Value

A complete airframe kit sells for $16,950 including a fully-anodized tube-and-gusset aluminum structure with your choice of sail colors, nose fairing and windscreen, electric flaps, shock-absorbing main gear, steerable nose wheel with suspension, four-point restraint system, 5-gallon aluminum fuel tank, visual fuel quantity gauge, Dacron wing, tail and surface covering that needs no painting, aluminum wheels, tubeless 13 x 5 x 6 Carlisle 4-ply tires, and hydraulic brakes.

Add a fuel engine from Hirth or MZ for 28 to 50 horsepower for a cost of $6,500 to $13,500. You can also choose an electric option that runs from $10-14,000.

A fully-assembled Aerolite 103 runs from $27K–$35K depending primarily on engine selection.

A kit is available with approximately a one-year delay and a fully-built Aerolite 103 will take a bit longer. Like a few other producers I know, Carley has operated U-Fly-It wisely, growing to a workable size but without gambling money on bigger facilities and a larger payroll to build aircraft faster when the market can be unpredictable. U-Fly-It has stable employees that know their tasks well and the business appears to operate with a minimum of friction.

I’ve questioned Carley if he can genuinely run a profitable business at these modest prices. He says yes, and his endurance in the business gives proof to his response.

The post Aerolite 103 May Be the Top Seller Among True Ultralights appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

What if I told you it was ahead of schedule? Is that an unbelievable claim? Perhaps, but the proof is right here, right now. 

Consider the following communication from the ASTM committee working on LSA standards. In case you don’t know what that is, ASTM is an industry standards group that operates privately, creating and getting agreement on standards used by the FAA to accept light sport aircraft into the aviation fleet (this is different than conventional FAA certification.)

Big MOSAIC News

From almost the beginning, the FAA has moved faster than most of us imagined. At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 the FAA announced it would remove the drone portion of MOSAIC, which was delaying the overall regulation as that community works out its issues. FAA officials said removing all that language could take some months. In fact, it was done in a few weeks. That told me something. Once the internal or procedural impediments to progress are removed, the MOSAIC team can move swiftly.

The FAA official I videoed last year at AirVenture claimed that the regulation would be ready by August 2023. Days later, still at AirVenture, other FAA officials said about him, “Oh, he’s usually rather optimistic.” They were implying it might not happen by that date. Maybe they were trying to allow some wiggle room.

Later, when I reported the official’s August 2023 statement and gave talks referencing it, I would estimate a third of all those listening or reading doubted the FAA would meet its own deadline. The belief isn’t all wrong; the FAA has missed deadlines before.

One thing no one thought: that the FAA would complete the thing ahead of schedule.

Now, Hear This…

“[ASTM] received this communication this morning—Wednesday, July 19, 2023—from Jim Newberger, who is the FAA lead for the MOSAIC rule development (officially his position is: production & airworthiness section; AIR-632; aircraft certification service). This is exciting news and will definitely impact, positively, our discussions,” stated leaders of the ASTM committee for LSA, Rian Johnson and Adam Morrison.

Leaders encouraged F37 committee members (more than 200 people around the world), “Once the NPRM is posted, if you have available time, please try to review as much as you can and capture your questions/comments for group discussion next week [at AirVenture 2023 meetings]. These are generally pretty lengthy documents. We’ll all be freshly digesting the NPRM, so everyone’s perspectives and interpretations will be important to help bring clarity as quickly as possible.”

From the FAA’s official lead:

“I wanted to let you know that the office of the federal register is scheduled to:

• Post the related MOSAIC notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for display today at approximately 11:15 ET.
• Publish this NPRM in the Federal Register on Monday (July 24, 2023).

“After the above milestones, you may use the following info to search/locate the NPRM on Regulations.gov:

• Document 2023-14425, category PROPOSED RULES
• Docket ID is docket no.: FAA-2023-1377; notice no. 23-10
• Rulemaking identification number (RIN) is 2120-AL50
• The subject of this document is modernization of special airworthiness certification
• The submitting agency is (FAA) Federal Aviation Administration

Feel free to share this information with the F37 committee and take advantage of opportunities explained in Monday’s publication for providing comments.”

Message for Readers

I know this material will not digest easily but it affects the future of flying. I hope many of you will read the NPRM, discuss it among your pilot friends, and think about how you will offer responses to this rule. You should have at least 90 days to comment.

Thanks to longtime F37 committee member Anna Mracek Dietrich, checking this out got much easier. Here you go…

https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2023-14425.pdf

Happy reading! It runs 318 pages.

The post FAA Ahead of Schedule on MOSAIC appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

• Read More: Light Sport Aircraft Are Here And Flying!

The Stallion S-LSA would be the Hondo, Texas-based company’s inaugural aircraft to receive approval under the FAA’s proposed LSA 2023 regulations.

The first prototype of the Stallion S-LSA was constructed at the Inpaer facility in Campinas outside of Sao Paulo. It is presently undergoing flight testing to gather data for the finalization of its design and eventual certification—hopefully—under the FAA’s new LSA 2023 S-LSA framework. 

• Read More: From The Editor: Light Sport To Cabin Class 

“While we await the FAA’s decision on the LSA 2023 requirements, the Stallion is already in the ASTM approval process in Brazil. We anticipate commencing the same process in the United States in early 2024,” said Kyle Braga, Texas Aircraft’s North American sales representative. “Our plan is to showcase the Stallion at next year’s Sun ‘n Fun event in Lakeland, Florida.”

In acknowledgment of the contributions of chief designer Caio Jordão, Braga said, “his guidance has been instrumental in bringing the all-new Stallion to fruition.”

The Texas Aircraft Stallion S-LSA offers the following preliminary specifications:

• Four-place, S-LSA
• 200 hp Lycoming IO-360 engine
• Extra-wide doors for easy passenger access
• Welded Chromoly safety cell
• All aviation-grade aluminum airframe
• Maximum cruise speed: 135 knots*
• Best economy cruise speed: 120 knots*
• Stall speed clean: 58 knots*
• Stall speed full flaps: 52 knots*
• Maximum range: 1,144 nm at best economy cruise*

*Note: All specifications are preliminary and subject to change.

The post Texas Aircraft Manufacturing, Inpaer Collaborate to Introduce Stallion S-LSA appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Gear up with an adjustable prop and flown at common cruise altitudes, it’s clear that Superveloce lives up to its name. Just a quick note that while Superveloce is LSA-like, with features such as retractable gear and higher cruise speeds, this aircraft does not qualify as a present-day LSA.

What could the typical pilot expect while flying Superveloce? Porto Aviation lists the cruise speed at 75 percent power from Rotax’s 915iS at 200 knots true airspeed at 9,000 feet. Compared to other LSA I have examined, this tops the list (although some other fast designs aren’t too far behind).

Porto Aviation, previously quartered in Switzerland, is now a bit further south in Italy. Flying across his former country and the large Bodensee lake to Friedrichshafen, about 200 miles, took Porto just over one hour. By car, this would take over four hours. For a large country like the U.S., Superveloce can get you around fast. It also has an impressive range. No wonder Yankees are buyers.

How Fast Is Superveloce?

OK, it’s fast, but…

Isn’t this well beyond LSA speeds? Yes, it is. Superveloce must be sold in the USA as a kit-built or it might be imported (in limited numbers) as Experimental Exhibition or some other experimental category. However, when Mosaic is released, based on what we expect at this time, Superveloce could qualify. We do expect retractable gear, in-flight adjustable props, higher stall, and faster speeds, although we do not yet know if Sport Pilots will be allowed to operate this aircraft with that certificate.

Engines such as Rotax’s 915iS can bring the 9,000-foot cruise true airspeed close to 200 knots burning just under 7 gallons per hour and able to range more than 800 nautical miles. No wonder Superveloce gets a pilot’s heart pumping strongly.

With its smaller “speed wing,” can Superveloce stay within LSA regs?

You might rightfully wonder about that but although stall rose six knots from the earlier Risen model, it still claims a best-flaps stall at 43 knots indicated, which is within current LSA parameters and safely below the 50-knot stall speed expected under Mosaic regulations, though we have not yet seen FAA’s Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) to verify this number. A key reason Superveloce can achieve this sane stall speed from a speed wing is the brilliant execution of Fowler flaps.

Looking Back; Looking Forward

At the beginning of 2010 Alberto Porto and his partners started construction of the first Risen prototype. Two years later on a sunny Swiss morning in March 2012, the Risen aircraft made its maiden flight.

After work to refine the model and to prepare for production the first aircraft ready for customers was unveiled on April 15th, 2015 at AERO. My video below was recorded at this debut.

Eight years later, this project is mature with 25 flying, 10 of which are in the United States and interest is steadily growing.

Now that his airplane-building company has satisfied more than two dozen customers, Alberto is planning ahead. He is actively supporting American builders — by in-person visits on some occasions.

As Mosaic arrives and he can meet relevant ASTM standards, Alberto wants to establish a U.S. operation, possibly doing final assembly or more as the market develops.

The post Speed Propels Porto Aviation to Records and Sales appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.