The same concepts we use in defensive driving apply to flight operations to help us mitigate risks of violations, incidents, or accidents. A little attention to flying defensively may convert those thoughts into mitigation of potential risks in our flight operations.

If you maintain constant situational awareness and utilize all available resources, that’s conducive to safe general aviation operations. Unlike commercial flights with robust support systems, GA pilots rely on their skills and instruments. Vigilance, monitoring traffic, and staying attuned to changing weather conditions contribute significantly to safety.

Avoiding Distractions During Flight Operations

A distracted pilot turns into one that misses critical checklist items, ATC communications, or loses situational awareness. Any of these lead a pilot down a path that could result in further complications—or worse. Keep interaction with passengers, other tasks you might want to perform during your flight, or even management of the resources used in the flight deck—such as an electronic flight bag (EFB) device—to periods where the workload is minimal and you don’t sacrifice attention necessary to complete more critical tasks.

Keeping distractions to a minimum is especially important during critical phases of flight. Setting up for an approach, taxiing at a busy airfield with complicated diagrams, during the actual takeoff and landing, or receiving an updated weather briefing in flight are a few examples of this.

The sooner you can ascertain a risk is present, the earlier you can make a defensive flying decision and avoid…undesired conditions.

Predicting Risk Ahead and Mitigating It Sooner

More than ever before in aviation, we have the ability to try to predict potential hazards and mitigate them at earlier points in our flight operations. A key example is having onboard weather information continuously feeding us updates. We can use it to look further ahead for weather along our route or see updated climate conditions for our destinations that might hint at our need to initiate an alternate plan if minimums are becoming a concern for us in IFR or VFR conditions. When you do this, you can make a decision hundreds of miles away instead of just getting 20 to 30 miles from your destination and being surprised by an AWOS/ASOS/ATIS broadcast that now shows the weather has degraded significantly. The sooner you can ascertain a risk is present, the earlier you can make a defensive flying decision and avoid proceeding into undesired conditions.

Traffic information systems in our panels—or fed to our EFB—help us predict other traffic that may be nearby through awareness of its position. Taking this into consideration, we can receive clues regarding other traffic sequencing to fly the same approach we plan or help us avoid encountering traffic conflicts that might otherwise result in aircraft coming too close together.

Communication and Coordination

ATC services are generally available to IFR and VFR flight operations throughout most of the country—so use them for most flights. Certainly, most pilots understand they are using ATC services when operating in IFR or VFR conditions while on an IFR flight plan, and they must talk to ATC within certain airspace, typically Class A, B, C, and D. But too few pilots leverage air traffic control when outside of these requirement areas, though its services are broadly available.

• READ MORE: Communicate Like a Pro Pilot

A short cross-country in Class E or G airspace might not require the use of ATC services, but a quick request for flight following along the route can help them communicate with you and potentially other aircraft—and perhaps help you avoid other aircraft sharing the frequency. With ADS-B and transponder service over much of the airspace, it is a good practice to fly with a second layer of protection, helping you enhance awareness of potential risks.

I have a few flight training operations at which I provide tests regularly that will get flight following from local ATC when pilots head out to a practice area to train or test. A training flight introduces the risk of the instructor and pilot becoming distracted from their overall situational awareness while briefing and conducting specific maneuvers. Having ATC communication established can give you the chance to be warned about traffic in the area or if another aircraft is flying into the same practice area. You can then adjust position and altitude or even discontinue a maneuver and reposition if the traffic is going to provide a conflict.

If you are operating near an airport, monitor the local CTAF frequency for an idea of what other traffic is doing, including aircraft flying in or out of that airport. This is especially true if you’ll be flying in the traffic pattern and practicing takeoffs or landings. A good habit is to listen to the local frequency about 10 miles out as you approach so as to have enough time to hear other aircraft sequencing into the pattern. You may fly a few miles to the side of the airport to delay your approach instead of having two aircraft enter the downwind at the same time.

• READ MORE: Pro Tips: Situational Awareness For Private Pilots

Listen while on the ground also. Many times I will be listening to the CTAF, or at a towered field, the ground and tower frequencies as I do a run-up, while waiting in sequence, or as I approach a runway for takeoff. This can help build a mental picture of who might be in the pattern, whether they are likely to be ahead or behind you, or if there are other factors that might cause you to avoid unnecessary communications at a particular time.

For example, I was flying recently and listening to the tower frequency while we were doing our run-up and on the ground-control frequency. While monitoring, I overheard that the tower had an inbound aircraft that was having a gear indicator malfunction and that they were going to “roll services” for the aircraft in case it was needed on the landing. It was a great tip for me to just hang tight for a minute in our run-up area and let the situation play out instead of getting on tower frequency and asking for a takeoff clearance with a potential emergency developing.

The good news was that the aircraft landed without incident, and we were only hanging out for a few extra minutes. By listening in proactively, we avoided adding extra radio communications to the mix and allowed ATC to effectively manage its challenges without extra distraction.

Defensive Flying and Safety Culture

Thinking proactively and defensively—and acting as such—is part of a personal safety culture. It is a mindset for our operations that serves to help us identify, avoid, and mitigate risks before they cause problems. It is also one that we can espouse and allow to serve as an example for other pilots.

This is especially relevant when we are trying to foster a safety-centric environment within flying clubs, flight training operations, corporate flight operations, or even just among peers. The goal is to encourage open discussions, share experiences, and learn from each other’s mistakes to collectively enhance safety standards. We can all share ways we can be more proactive and defensive in our flying activities.

Developing the ability to recognize potential risks and being adaptable in handling unforeseen situations are essential traits of a defensive general aviation pilot.

• READ MORE: Best Pilot Kneeboard Options in 2024

Embracing and implementing principles of defensive flying significantly contribute to mitigating the risks inherent to flight operations. It is part of a commitment to safety and a mindset that helps ensure each flight, regardless of scale, remains a secure and enjoyable experience for pilots, passengers, and those within the airspace. Each pilot who operates in this manner helps elevate the safety standards within the overall aviation community. Defensive flying in GA is a fusion of skills, adaptability, and a proactive approach to safety. 

The post Risk Mitigation Through Defensive Flying appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

“Know your limitations and don’t exceed them”

is common advice for aviators. That statement is all well and good, so far as it goes. It generally encourages you, as the pilot, to do a good job of preparing for each flight and keep up your stockpile of skills by regular training and practice. In doing so, you’ve made sure you’re not going to overstep your abilities. The problem is, there’s more than this one limitation involved in the average flight, beyond just the perils that can be met by our piloting ability. We need to consider the full range of hazards we’re facing, and that involves more than just assessing the pilot’s ability.

The pilot in command (PIC) of a flight certainly has to make sure that he or she’s not exceeding the capabilities they’re able to muster. Knowing when to say “no” is vital to survival, something we need to consider not just at the beginning of the flight, but throughout its progress. However, the aircraft has limitations of its own, ones established both by its design and practical performance. And the operating environment presents its own limitations on our activity, quite aside from the skills of the pilot and innate performance of the airplane.

All three sets of limitations will combine to affect the outcome of our flight. We may be the best pilot ever born, but we can’t force a tired Skyhawk to climb above its genuine absolute ceiling, undefined by any performance chart. And the finest example of a Cirrus SR22 is not going to want to lift a full load out of a backcountry strip on a warm afternoon with a density altitude reading five digits. Each of these three constraints—pilot, airplane, and environment—needs its own consideration to assure adequate safety.

There Are Pilots—Then There Are Pilots

We all like to think we have the right stuff, that we’re the proverbial “good stick” who can exercise every privilege on our certificate to the utmost perfection. On any given day, however, we can be just a little bit off our game. Remember that time you tried for a squeaker landing to impress the kids and you dropped it in with a thump? Face it, if this is your first real low-visibility takeoff into a low cloud deck in a year, you may be legal to do it, but should you?

Your piloting limitations are not a solid wall, but a fluid barrier that rises and falls with your recent experience, fatigue level, and even the amount of preparation. A hastily thrown-together trip into unfamiliar territory means raising your personal minimums for the departure. You should go only if the weather is as benign as forecast, good alternates exist, and you feel good about doing it.

There’s a country song by the late Toby Keith that goes, “I ain’t as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was.” That optimistic outlook doesn’t apply to pilots with rusty skills. Face it, you took that multiengine commercial check ride decades ago. Can you fly a zero-thrust, single-engine approach to minimums today? Probably not without some practice.

The point is, meeting the POH performance figures is a job for factory test pilots who fly every day. Establish your limitations based on needing half again or double those handbook numbers—plan to aim low and finish high. Always underpromise and overdeliver, not the other way around. You should never write checks with your mouth, or your thoughts, that your body can’t cover. Stay honest in your relationship with the airplane. You can get away with lying to other pilots, but don’t ever try lying to your aircraft about your abilities. That will come back to kill you.

• READ MORE: Pro Tips for Private Pilots: ADS-B, Are You ‘In’ or ‘Out’?

This Plane Has Always Before…

Every aircraft, even my 1946 Aeronca Champion, comes with a set of operating limitations. Beyond the ones printed on paper, there are also practical ones determined from experience. It doesn’t matter how good the pilot is, or how nice the old bird’s running, those limitations are still exactly that—limitations. Don’t ask the airplane to do more than it can. In most pilot-error accidents, the outcome was determined when the pilot made a decision to proceed outside the aircraft’s capabilities. Too many pilots have believed the brochure brag of a 700-mile range and have flight planned accordingly, to their eventual regret. Fuel is consumed in hours and minutes, not miles. Unfortunately, getting away with stretching the gas supply once or twice tends to tempt you into applying it as a matter of course.

Always ascertain which of the airplane’s bits and pieces of equipment are not available. Yes, you ought to be able to fly any procedure without the autopilot’s help, but if you’re faced with a three-hour trip in the clouds, single pilot, do you really want to do that? Sure, you might be good enough to fly an ILS down to 200 feet above the touchdown zone, but if the airplane’s glideslope needle is flagged, you’re going have to miss at the localizer-only minimums. Your superior skills aren’t the limitation; the airplane’s capability is. Be ready to work with what you have left, and that means respecting new limitations.

I have one airplane in my hangar that can only carry 500 pounds of payload with the fuel tanks topped off—that’s it, if I’m going to respect the max-takeoff-weight limit, and I will. I know better than to ask that airplane to do more than it can. We often have to work within the limitations of the aircraft we’re flying. Piloting skills have nothing to do with it. Let’s be real, part of that “pilot stuff” is making the right decision to not exceed the limitations of the equipment, whether it’s because of the engine, airframe, radios, or endurance.

This means knowing what is and isn’t possible with a given airplane’s published limitations. I once had to do a photo shoot from a Piper Cherokee Six with its rear door removed, which is allowable and safe. But then the customer wanted some shots from the other side, and he asked if we could remove the front door and shoot out that opening. No, I said, that’s not permitted by the aircraft operating limitations, and it would be an experiment I wasn’t about to conduct.

Today Is Not The Day

The operating environment often generates additional limitations over and above those of the pilot and airplane. On a recent morning, I was scheduled to test-hop an experimental plane to check rigging, a simple task well within both my own and the aircraft’s limitations. But the reported ceiling was only 400 feet at the appointed hour. So, despite the readiness of the pilot and airplane, the flight was delayed until VMC prevailed.

I often abort a flight in the old Champ for wind reasons. I’ll fly in crosswinds up to 10 mph, but no more, because I know the aged mechanical brakes aren’t able to prevent weathervaning above that figure. Taildraggers boasting more weight, better brakes, and a locking tailwheel may have higher wind limitations, but every day is different, and its conditions must be evaluated, quite aside from the pilot’s and airplane’s own limitations.

For flight in icing conditions, which should actually be called “flight avoiding icing conditions,” we need an airplane equipped for the task and a pilot who’s skilled in its use. It’s not just working boots or TKS that gives us the capability to deal with icing. It’s also important to have a fast climb rate to quickly reach nonicing airspace above the icing layer. In the absence of such performance, we’ll consider the environment to be unsuitable for flying that day.

Even the best airplane, flown by the best pilot, cannot overcome the limitations imposed by extreme operating environments. Thunderstorms, wind shear, severe icing, thick fog, strong crosswinds, and density altitude producing a negative climb rate are all factors that absolutely must be considered in the context of our ability to fly.

We have some wonderful airplanes in the marketplace, outfitted with some truly amazing avionics suites and supported by a great ground-based ATC system. Purchasers of some of those million-dollar singles have been told they can go anytime, anywhere. Not so. There are still times when the limitations of the operating environment prevail.

On Deciding

Aeronautical decision-making, or ADM, is a fashionable buzz phrase that is, in reality, as old as flight itself. Deciding to begin or continue an act of aviation requires consideration of every limitation we’re about to approach. Sometimes our total package of limitations is unbalanced by the aircraft itself, and sometimes it’s the environmental conditions of the day. And sometimes we’re just not feeling up to it. Never let someone else’s decision to fly become your own. Respect all of the limitations.

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the MARCH 2024 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine.

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For years, my older sisters and I looked forward to the annual autumn apple-picking trek. Spending warm days in the orchards using long picking poles to pluck only the best apples, competing to find the biggest ones, felt a bit like living in a postcard. A little later in the season, during the peak of fall foliage, that made-to-order impression grew even stronger, though our parents tended to avoid the area during that period. Too crowded, they would say.

Poughkeepsie, a classic college town on the east side of the Hudson River, is a hub of activity and a great headquarters for year-round valley vacation activities from snow sports in winter to hiking, biking, and fishing in spring and summer. Just following the winding country roads to surrounding towns makes for memorable scenic tours. My family made numerous stops here over the years for weekend getaways and when my sisters and I began visiting colleges. While the trips elicit fond memories, the downside—as you might have guessed or perhaps experienced yourself—lies in getting there.

Our chosen destinations always involved long, droning stretches on the Garden State Parkway, New York State Thruway, Interstate 84, or older state highways where the miles never passed quickly enough. Sometimes I would look up from the back seat of the car and spot Cessnas, Pipers, and Beechcraft traveling in roughly the same direction. Knowing that Poughkeepsie possessed an airport, I imagined these airplanes heading there and wondered how much sooner they might arrive.

Getting There

Fast-forward about 40 years to a trip that finally answered my question. I was flying a Cessna 172 with my instructor on my way to Hudson Valley Regional Airport (KPOU), a Class D field that pilots simply call Poughkeepsie. The time had arrived to perform the landings at a towered airport required for my private pilot certificate. Flying to Poughkeepsie from my home airport in Sussex, New Jersey (KFWN), confirmed the obvious, that even “slow” airplanes like the 172 are significantly faster than cars. The flight took less than 30 minutes, or about a third of the time required to drive.

Last summer I drove about two hours to drop off our son at a camp in Poughkeepsie. When it was time to pick him up, my wife and I flew our Commander 114B from Essex County Airport (KCDW), which is close to our home, to KPOU in 20 minutes. The flight seemed even shorter because we were able to spot our destination soon after slipping out from under the New York Class B that covers KCDW. Realistically speaking, the airplane turns a day trip into a jaunt and gives travelers more time to spend in this cool town.

• READ MORE: Old Aviator Tales

The Airport

Like many fields of a certain age, KPOU began as part of the airmail network developed during aviation’s golden age. In the run-up to World War II, it also served as a training base for the U.S. Army Air Forces and cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, just down the river.

Postwar, as passenger service blossomed, Poughkeepsie’s location roughly halfway between New York City and Albany (KALB) helped establish it as a regular stop on routes between Washington, D.C., and Canadian cities, including Montreal and Ottawa. During the 1940s and ’50s, Colonial Airlines, which flew Douglas DC-3s and DC-4s, conducted multileg flights covering territory from Ottawa to Bermuda.

From the mid-’60s through the late ’80s, commuter airline Command Airways operated a hub at KPOU with service to more than a dozen destinations from Manassas, Virginia (KHEF), to Burlington, Vermont, and including several stops in New York, ranging from John F. Kennedy International (KJFK) to Ithaca (KITH) and Binghamton (KBGM). As larger airlines began rapidly acquiring smaller carriers, they cut many destinations from their schedules. Today there are no airlines operating from Poughkeepsie, but the GA community is vibrant and welcoming.

Things to Do

The FBO, Flight Level Aviation, can help you arrange a rental car for the drive into town or beyond. On short visits we have borrowed the airport crew car to dash in for a quick meal or other errand. Taxis and rideshares are available as well. Next time I visit, I might bring my folding bike that fits neatly into the Commander’s baggage compartment. How you choose to get around will depend on how much ground you want to cover. Once in town, there is enough going on within walking distance to keep most folks busy. Poughkeepsie is also tantalizingly close to other hot spots like Kingston, New Paltz, and Rhinebeck, all within short drives.

Flying stokes my appetite, so when I arrive, I like to stop for breakfast, lunch, or coffee at one of the area’s many fun, family-run eateries such as the Poughkeepsie Grind, for breakfast and coffee, or Rossi’s, which turns out fantastic focaccia, sandwiches, and other traditional Italian fare. The range of cafes and restaurants reflects the variety you might expect in an area with so many colleges nearby. Vassar College, Marist College, and Duchess Community College are right in town, and it often helps to note where the students are eating. They will point you to the best spots.

Poughkeepsie is home to numerous art galleries, shops, and interesting boutiques. It is a good place to walk and explore neighborhoods with a range of personalities. Once again, the proliferation of schools gives the place an encouraging, youthful vibe.
When our sons were younger, this town and the surrounding area was ideal for introducing them to the notion of going to college someday, long before they grew interested in any particular school. Today our younger son has his eyes on Vassar after visiting last summer. I have noticed an uptick in his work ethic lately.

The area’s campuses are full of attractions, including galleries, tours, and sporting events. We had an architectural field day the first time we walked through the Vassar campus. It boasts a beautiful collection of Edwardian- and Victorian-style academic buildings and residence halls inside a perimeter of colonial faculty offices and homes. Then visitors come across something unexpected: Noyes Hall, a curved, stylish mid-20th century dormitory designed by Eero Saarinen. It is the kind of sight that makes you want to apply to college again.

Another must-see for those interested in history, architecture, and home decor is Locust Grove, former estate of Samuel Morse, who invented the telegraph and developed Morse Code. The 45-room home was built in 1852 on expansive grounds with views of the Hudson River. The particularly well-preserved house provides visitors with a distinct sense of well-to-do Northeast lifestyles of the 1800s. Guided tours are available.

In the interest of walking off that big meal, you can head for the Walkway Over the Hudson, one of Poughkeepsie’s truly unique attractions. The former railroad bridge stretches across the river to the town of Highland on the west bank. The span is breathtakingly high and surprisingly long—about 3 miles across and back. On previous visits, I have noticed many people if not most trekking only as far as the halfway point, which is where you get the best view. The walk is good exercise and a great experience.

While flying might make it possible to turn Poughkeepsie into an easier day trip, I would rather spend the night there and fly home the next day, or the day after. With the amazingly wide range of accommodations available, from a straightforward high-rise DoubleTree by Hilton to the Dome House Retreat in nearby New Paltz, there is something for everyone.

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the MARCH 2024 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine.

The post Packing Up for Poughkeepsie appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

I flew again as a passenger before I fully understood my condition, and staring at the clouds out the Boeing 757 window, I came to a realization that I am only capable of in my most introspective moments: Aviation is not rational. Flight cannot be depicted through an analytical description of the scientific principles discovered by Isaac Newton and Daniel Bernoulli and pioneered by Orville and Wilbur Wright. It cannot even be put down to psychological explanations of a desire to be “above,” or the process of technological advancement.

Without evidence, I believe that flight has fascinated humans since we first left the trees. We have always stared at the birds, longing to join them in the lofty space that, until the last century, belonged to them exclusively. Aviation is a romantic field, populated by romantic minds with a classical bent. Beings that can sit and break down every aspect of the technological wonder that is their mount and spout off the four forces or the hazards of a thunderstorm with ease. But when caught staring at a cloud or asked what makes the tires “squeak” on the runway in an excellent landing, their romanticism comes to the fore.

A good pilot will tell you the procedure. They will know the boldface by heart, the correct method for intercepting a holding pattern. They will complete the emergency checklists diligently and speedily, without missing a step. They will debrief their learners on shoddy techniques and share their ideas for fixing mistakes. A good pilot puts the airplane where it needs to be.

The great pilot knows the reason behind the checklists, techniques, and procedures.

The great pilot flies with an understanding of the aircraft in relation to themself, how they fit into the system that is the aircraft and crew. The learning pilot thinks about the techniques they have been taught, studies the procedures, and memorizes the checklist. They have their own techniques and use the checklist to confirm what they already know—that the system is working together well. Or confirming they missed something, tracking down the elusive feeling of incompleteness, where only the checklist can show your own idiocy.

The great pilot is making decisions throughout every maneuver, between lines of approach, power settings, or precise angles. They always start with known settings and adjust, the same as a student, but the process happens quickly enough to allow for experimentation and constant minor changes that attempt to optimize everything the plane is doing. The great pilot merges with the airplane, and together the single organism finds a way to the destination.

The great instructor will show their learners the joy of flying. They will talk the whole time, telling the until recently landlocked soul the correct pitch and power setting or the right angle of bank to complete the turn in time. They will do it all correctly, and it will look effortless. It will seem as though the airplane is doing what they ask without being told. As a learner, my only thought was, “Why isn’t it that easy when I have the controls?” As an instructor, I realized it was.

I have always maintained that I could teach a monkey to fly. Being a pilot is easy. Pull back, little trees; push forward, big trees. Set the right pitch, power, and bank angle.

Being an aviator, however, you have to experience for yourself. There’s something about flying that can’t be taught. It can only be learned, alone among the clouds. A fascination with the wind, a hunt for more groundspeed. A friendly negotiation with the controller for a straighter line toward the destination or a shorter pattern to the initial approach fix. But one thing above all: self-reliance.

Pilots are typically pictured as the height of arrogance. Zipper-suited sun gods, looking down on everyone, constantly sneering at danger and anyone who tells them no. In my firm opinion, this is not a fair stereotype. Confidence in your skills and belief in yourself are requirements to truly be a great pilot.

To be reliable to yourself, you have to believe, not just that you can do it, but that you are one of the best. When I face that mountain strip or stormy day, I have supreme confidence in my ability to overcome, because if I don’t, the airplane will kill me. One moment of doubt, one look back over my shoulder, and the mountain rears up in the windscreen, the dark rain cloud in the distance swallows me whole.

Yet pilots are also the humblest people out there. Every aviator has read a safety investigation and said, “There but for the grace of the flying gods…” We are the first to admit our mistakes in the debrief, the first to tell a student about the time we messed that up too. Our confidence comes in the moment, approaching every situation with cool, calm, collected self-confidence. I have screwed up before, and I will again, but not this time. This time, I’ll be perfect. Just like I (almost) always am. The attitude isn’t an accessory. It’s a necessity.

Aviation teaches us about the system we are all a part of. My mind, connected to the machine through handles, wires, and pushrods, fits in as a part of the larger whole. Together, I and the craft soaring through the air create a painting, a masterpiece of impressionist beauty. The winds may be against me, Mother Nature may roar to take me into her fold, but my airplane and I will always slip the surly bonds, accomplish our mission, and return braver and wiser. I am not a part of the machine. I am the machine. My brain reaches out tendrils to every part of my craft, guiding me through the updrafts and downdrafts, all to fit into my piece of the picture created by the aviation enterprise, to accomplish my specified goal, even if that is simply to enjoy.

I am an integral part of a network. People, airplanes, radio waves, and weather patterns all flow together like the colors in Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. I make up a critical piece of the painting. The mission brief, the study of the destination and terrain, the preflight, the takeoff, the descent, the debrief, lunch at the airport, the flight home. It is all necessary for the picture to make sense and for the colors to come together. My $100 hamburger is the key.

Or is it an addiction? Is my raving just an outgrowth of my withdrawal, my fear of never getting my fix again? Maybe the romance of aviation is just a cover for a bunch of guys and gals to go out and have their fun, prancing above the average bird.

The effortless glide of a perfect liftoff opens up the heart. The view of a cloud from above, the perfectly executed holding entry, the hurtling (but completely controlled) descent 5 knots below max speed—all of it speaks to a beauty only experience can comprehend. The air-minded person sees flying as necessary for life. They enjoy every moment they’re in the air. They spend irrational amounts of time and money to be there. And they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the JAN/FEB 2024 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine. 

The post Zen and the Art of Airplane Operation appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Top Picks

The Evektor Harmony is a next-generation model following its SportStar, which will forever hold the title of the first special LSA accepted by the FAA in April 2005. Flight Design’s CT was accepted on the same day.

Being first often conveys some advantages, but in an industry where new ideas often emerge, a successful producer cannot long rest on its past achievements. Based in an aviation-rich area of the Czech Republic, Evektor steadily upgraded SportStar through a series of alterations. Later, the company introduced Harmony with added sophistication.

The Harmony uses a more advanced compound wing—the leading edge does not form a straight line—to bring performance to the top of the category (restricted by present regulation, which may change with a new rule known as MOSAIC, or Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certificates). Pilots who fly a Harmony say it feels like a legacy GA airplane.

Evektor Harmony: 

• 120 knot cruise
• 615-pound useful load
• 46-inch-wide cabin
• 700 nm range

The Jabiru J-230D, hailing from Australia, is the result of years of development, beginning long before LSA came along. When FAA’s rule hit in 2004, the Down Under designer and manufacturer was quick to adapt its kit products to the new market.

J-230D resembles the company’s J-400, a four-seater. That many seats aren’t permitted on an LSA, so out they came, leaving an aft interior bigger than a Cessna 150. A third door sized for people brings the easiest luggage area loading among LSA, so taking along your pet is easily accomplished.

• READ MORE: Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1952 Cessna 170B

Jabiru is a rare airframe builder that also makes its own engine. When you hear the word “Jabiru” (a large bird), you need to think airplane and powerplant, though the engines are also used on other airframes. A J-230D with the 6-cylinder Jabiru 3300 can readily hit the top speed among LSA.

Jabiru J-230D: 

• 120 knot cruise
• 507-pound useful load
• 45-inch-wide cabin
• 675 nm range

The Texas Aircraft Colt relies on the great success of a predecessor Brazilian design, but the Colt is all-American. One of the newer aircraft to the LSA fleet in the U.S., developers had the advantage of seeing what pilots were buying…and what they were requesting.

With its conventional yoke control, the Colt breaks a familiar mold in LSA, an overwhelming majority of which use joysticks in various forms. A refined aircraft, Colt is beautifully appointed inside and out, attracting pilots seeking a legacy GA airplane look in a ground-up-new design that can be operated by a sport pilot or higher-certificated pilot exercising the no-medical privilege of LSA.

• READ MORE: Don’t Forget Your Hangar Maintenance

Built entirely in Hondo, Texas, with solid local support, the Colt joins the best of an experienced Brazilian aircraft designer with American know-how and airplane building capability right here in the U.S.

Texas Aircraft Colt: 

• 118 knot max cruise
• 469-pound useful load
• 44-inch-wide cabin
• 800 nm range

Seaplane LSAs

Seaplanes quickly earn a special place in some aviators’ hearts because of the unique ability to land on water and for the versatility that amphibious gear affords. FAA recognized this interest and allowed 110 pounds more gross weight for qualifying seaplanes, and it also permitted amphibious gear. With a water bird, you have vastly more places to make a landing, whether for a pleasant visit or an emergency.

Vickers Aircraft closely observed American brand Icon after the California designer made a big splash with its A5 LSA seaplane. New Zealand-based Vickers saw an opportunity to achieve even more with its Wave.

Engineers took a different approach to creating the Wave. Using modern CAD methods and software similar to what Boeing or Lockheed practice, Vickers worked for years before unveiling a product, but when they did, it flew “right out of the box.” The company remains in testing as it works toward FAA acceptance but believes it can swiftly move to manufacturing because of the detailed preparation work. Indeed, elements are already being produced.

The Wave first tempted buyers with prices substantially below Icon’s eye-watering $375,000, although continued improvements and the latest engine from Rotax have pushed up its costs. Wave is an intriguing new amphibian loaded with special features and boasting a large interior complete with sliding doors.

Vickers Wave: 

• 120 knot max cruise
• 650-pound useful load
• 53-inch-wide cabin
• 1,850-pound max gross weight (via granted FAA exemption)

Scoda Aeronautica’s Super Petrel started its life in France. It was much different before the team at Edra, now Scoda Aeronautica, took over in Brazil. Here’s another seaplane entry from the South American nation that is big in aviation. The Super Petrel sets itself apart from all others with its biwing construction. You may not think that’s logical in the modern world, but Super Petrel is a highly efficient aircraft. Plenty of wing area helps it leave the water faster.

The shorter the water run, the less strain on an airframe. LSA seaplanes are masterful at this task, jumping off the water in a few seconds. Higher power to weight helps, but Scoda wanted to go even further.

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Scoda’s XP designation for the Super Petrel means extra performance, but you also get more airplane. The airframe was extended by 10 inches, bringing with it a bounty of benefits, including more luggage area. With Rotax’s potent 141 hp 915iS engine atop the center of gravity, the Super Petrel will leap out of the water with great energy.

Scoda Petrel XP: 

• 110 knot cruise
• 570-pound useful load
• 46-inch-wide cabin
• 330-foot water takeoff

Special Appeal

We like different cars, houses, and movies. We like specialized aircraft as well. These three serve different purposes. One is a highly refined “Cub-like” design from Europe. Another is one of the new batch of high-wing LSA aimed at the coming MOSAIC regulations. The third is another brand-new design that takes performance to the edge of what the FAA may allow under the new rule.

Zlin’s Norden is what some call a “Cub-like,” in that it somewhat resembles the iconic Piper Cub. It could hardly be more different despite its familiar fuselage shape and planform. Norden fairly bristles with features and refinements.

The Norden is a STOL performer with aluminum-structure wings equipped with electrically controlled leading-edge slats. It has been designed and tested for short-field and off-runway capabilities. While this new model gained FAA acceptance in early 2022, the Norden follows several other models, each building on the previous.

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The Norden flew excellently with 100 hp, because of its relatively low weight. Now fitted with the 141 hp Rotax 915iS, the airplane wants to jump into the air at the slightest encouragement from its pilot. 

A wide door allows easier access to both tandem seats. Norden is well equipped with modern avionics, so while you might fly it in unprepared areas, you’ll be fully prepared with information on big bright screens.

Zlin Norden: 

• 118 knot max cruise
• 518-pound useful load
• 45-degree Fowler flaps
• 800 nm range

The Airplane Factory’s Sling HW, or High Wing, is an all-new design clearly aimed at FAA’s coming MOSAIC regulation. A quick glance at the specifications below illustrates that Sling HW is well outside the current regulation for LSA. That’s OK for now. It can start with a kit or import a few aircraft in the experimental exhibition category.

Numbers are bigger than for a present-day LSA, and that’s great if you seek extra capability. Be prepared to pay for it. Most MOSAIC LSA unveiled to date are often priced well into the $200,000s, and several exceed $300,000. Still, that’s much less than a comparable legacy GA aircraft, and the Sling HW is big, comfortable, and well-equipped. A sleek composite exterior helps it outperform comparable models. 

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These MOSAIC LSA or mLSA are going to greatly expand the LSA range, and Sling producer TAF has long been an innovator. It is also supremely confident in its designs and loves to demonstrate that by literally flying a new design all the way around the world. The Sling has done so several times.

The Aircraft Factory Sling HW: 

• 142 knot max cruise
• 1,000-pound useful load
• four-seater
• 830 nm range

TL Ultralight’s Sparker is the newest from the well-established Czech producer. The company’s name refers to a European term for an aircraft type smaller and lighter than light sport aircraft. Yet the Sparker is ready for the newest FAA regulation basis even before it’s released.

The Sparker follows a tandem design called “Stream” that introduces ideas carried into it. One big leap forward—especially when the airframe is propelled by Rotax 141 hp 915iS engine—is cruise speed. At 170 knots, the Sparker becomes competitive with legacy aircraft like Cirrus’ SR20 at a fraction of the price.

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Fast for cross-country flying, the Sparker boasts a generous cabin and spacious luggage area, easily accessed through a door on the pilot’s side. The panel also supports the pilot with three Garmin G3X touch screens. Deluxe throughout and handsomely built, the Sparker is ready for Mosaic. The first models in the U.S. will be certificated as experimental exhibition.

TL Ultralight Sparker: 

• 170 knot max cruise
• 548-pound useful load
• 49-inch-wide cabin
• 750 nm range

Affordable

Affordability is critical for many. Those with larger budgets can choose from many grand choices, but that leaves out too many pilots—or, more important, perhaps, would-be pilots. The fantastic news is that despite high inflation and other challenges, low-cost aircraft are available with diverse choices.

Aerotrek’s A240 has been so consistently popular that deliveries stretch out several months. Although worth the wait, impatient buyers enjoy a growing supply of used Aerotrek models, represented since the beginning of LSA by Rob Rollison.

The Kitfox is a well-known design that evolved from the earlier Avid Flyer, as did the Aerotrek. A resemblance is easily seen, but the designs have differentiated over many years of manufacturing (the pioneering Avid Flyer predates LSA by many years). 

In the Czech Republic, Aeropro has been steadily producing aircraft since 1990 and can now boast more than 650 aircraft flying around the world with the U.S. as a significant market. Aeropro chose not to grow sharply at early demand, instead keeping a calm hand on the throttle. As a result, the company built an experienced workforce with low turnover fabricating aircraft in a simple yet highly professional manner. Loaded with qualities, such as folding wings, and with sprightly performance, Aerotrek boasts a reasonably modest price tag.

Aeropro A240: 

• 112 knot max cruise
• 570-pound useful load
• 44-inch-wide cabin
• 525 nm range

The Orlican M-8 Eagle is an airplane that looks familiar yet isn’t quite what you expect. As soon as I explain that it’s an 80 percent-scale Cessna Skylane, some will recognize it immediately. Overall, it’s about half the plane: half the seats, half the useful load, and half the weight. However, it’s also one-third the price, comparing a M-8 Eagle to a new 182.

Orlican is unknown to most Americans, but the company has been in business for 60 years and does high-caliber work for major aircraft manufacturers. The principal designer created a similar aircraft for another company but left to join the much larger Orlican to see his Eagle to market.

Flying the machine shows further differences. A Skylane flies as a large luxury car drives, a bit ponderously compared to the far more responsive Eagle. Handling is sprightly without touchiness, a welcome combination. A composite exterior helps Eagle reach nearly the LSA speed limit.

Orlican M-8 Eagle: 

• 118 knot max cruise
• 592-pound useful load
• 46-inch-wide cabin
• 650 nm range

The Merlin Lite is a single-seater, one of only two in this article. The Merlin Lite can qualify as a Part 103 ultralight vehicle and take advantage of the least regulated sector in all of aviation. The entire rule can be printed on both sides of a single standard piece of paper. No pilot certificate is required, nor is a medical, or even N-numbers. Some say this is freedom in aviation.

However, pilots who believe they know Part 103 ultralights conjure an image of a super simple “tube-and-rag” aircraft, where the pilot sits out in the open flying 35 mph…not that we should find anything the least bit wrong with that. Whatever your Part 103 impression, the Merlin Lite will make you think differently.

Here’s an all-metal, fully enclosed, well-equipped aircraft that you can acquire for less than the average price of a new car in 2023. While a single-seater may not fit everyone’s needs, airplanes are commonly flown solo, so why pay for what you rarely use?

Merlin Lite: 

• 55-knot cruise
• on floats or motorglider
• all-metal
• least regulation/lowest cost

Kit-Built

Building your own aircraft is much more than saving a buck. For most, it is a learning experience, use of craftsmanship, or simply an absorbing hobby. When you’re done assembling your own airplane, you will know it in a way few pilots know their airplanes. You can also have precisely what you want, and you can change it anytime you wish.

Lockwood Aircraft’s AirCam is no LSA, but it might qualify as a MOSAIC LSA. Meanwhile, the AirCam has been such a hit that 200 have been built as kits. An AirCam looks somewhat unorthodox with its twin aft-mounted Rotax engines on a half-open-cockpit design, but you need to know why it looks this way.

The AirCam was custom-designed and built for one job: taking National Geographic-grade cover story photos of Namibian jungles and wildlife in Africa. The country’s terrain is utterly unforgiving. Clearings are few and small. The photographer, seated up front for photo missions, needs huge visibility and no obstructions. Plus, they wish to fly at the speed of nature–that is, slowly. An AirCam accomplishes all this like it was designed for it…because it was.

Yet pilots have discovered the AirCam offers flight qualities and versatility unmatched in any other aircraft, and that has created a growing group of AirCam enthusiasts. Some fly on floats, in some cases with three tandem seats. 

Lockwood AirCam: 

• climb on one engine
• 800-pound useful load (Gen 3), 
• loiter at 30 knots
• 6-hour endurance

Composite FX’s XET is perhaps the most unusual aircraft in this selection, but for some it may be completely mesmerizing. XET is the high end of a line of single-place helicopters, the smallest of which (XEL model) can qualify as a Part 103 ultralight needing no pilot certificate. Hundreds are flying successfully, a tribute to the original Canadian design by a non-helicopter pilot.

Today, the XET is expertly built by Composite FX in northern Florida. The company has vast experience in composites, and the owner is a helicopter fan. The linkup worked well, and today the company has a steady enterprise with a loyal following.

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The “T” in XET stands for turbine. Composite FX’s engine shop modifies T62-T2A Solar Turbine engines, often used as an auxiliary power unit, and they produce a steady 95 hp. In the hands of skilled helicopter pilots, performance on the XET is impressive. Kit-built, the XET can get airborne for less than $100,000. That’s amazing.

Composite FX XET: 

• 70 knot cruise
• 400-pound useful load
• 10.5 mph fuel burn
• 1.9-hour endurance

CGS Aviation’s Hawk is for fun. Trying to identify a work purpose would completely shoot down its charm. This article started with lines about elevating yourself and perhaps finding joy in the air. Of all the aircraft in this piece, Hawk may be most likely to put a smile on your face.

All aircraft here are top choices. Depending on your interest, these machines are capable of displaying impressive performance. The Hawk is a far simpler proposition. Designed in the early 1980s with more than 2,500 flying, it exhibits easy handling, stable flying, economic purchase and operation, low maintenance, and modest cost. What’s not to like?

• READ MORE: Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1979 Beechcraft Skipper

The Hawk is versatile, available as a Part 103 ultralight (through a related company), a kit aircraft, or a fully built special LSA, so you don’t have to build. The best proof you can find—ask any owner what he likes about his Hawk and allow plenty of time for that conversation.

Hawk Arrow II:

• 70 knot max cruise
• 550-pound useful load 
• tricycle or tailwheel
• 300-hour build time (fully built available)

You have many more choices than those portrayed above. This was a broad and varied sampling, but it was only a narrow view of the affordable aviation field. To offer a sampling of the 158 aircraft the FAA has accepted as special (fully built) light sport aircraft, plus more than 100 kit-built models, I’ve divided the 15 subject aircraft into five categories. 

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These 15 aircraft are good representatives but between them account for just 6 percent of the models available. Buyers enjoy many diverse choices, one of which might be perfect. I encourage you to explore more fully at ByDanJohnson.com (to become AffordableAviation.com over the next few months), now a member of the FLYING Media Group family.

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the September 2023 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine. You can subscribe here.

The post Top Picks in Today’s Light Sport Aircraft Market appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.