• READ MORE: American Champion Citabria, Super Decathlon, Scout

With docile ground handling, the Citabria is often used as a tailwheel trainer and is a fantastic way to get into tailwheel flying. In the air, the fun doesn’t stop, as the 150-horsepower Lycoming O-320 sports an inverted oil system that enables extended aerobatic flight. 

This particular Citabria has undergone extensive renovations, including new engine components, rebuilt landing gear and brakes, and an entirely refreshed interior with new carpet, upholstery, and headliner. Perhaps most significantly, all fabric was replaced in 2001 with Polyfiber—a job worth tens of thousands of dollars that will likely last for many decades.

With 1,115 hours on the airframe and engine since major overhaul, the airframe time is relatively low, and the engine is halfway to its 2,000-hour TBO, which should also provide many years of trouble-free ownership. With no damage history and complete logbooks, this Citabria looks to be an exceptionally clean and well-sorted entry into fun aerobatic and tailwheel ownership.

• READ MORE: Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 2004 Maule MXT-7-180A

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

The post Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1973 Bellanca 7KCAB Citabria appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

I’ll mention this news briefly as I wish to pay respect to fellow pilots. Two accidents on the weekend after we departed resulted in four fatalities, reportedly including one passenger. My sincere condolences to the surviving families. Oshkosh has enjoyed safe years with no loss of life, but when so many airplanes assemble, mathematical odds suggest that something is going to happen despite incredible efforts to make the event as safe as possible

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

MOSAIC and More

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

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

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

• READ MORE: The Practical Magic of Economical Buys

Fly at Night?

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

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

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

More Aircraft Coming

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

Aeroprakt A-32 Vixxen

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

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

Hawk Ultra Air

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

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

Aquilae

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

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

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

Fusion Nano Gyro

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

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

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

GOGetAir G750

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Promecc Pegaso

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
all data supplied by the manufacturer

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

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

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.

• READ MORE: This Incredible Plane: The Convair F2Y Sea Dart

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.

• READ MORE: Robin DR Series Singles. France‘s longtime favorite wood and fabric four-seat plane

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. 

• READ MORE: Affordable DIY: Hands-Free Flashlight

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.

• READ MORE: Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1979 Cessna Skylane 182RG

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.

• READ MORE: Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1965 American Champion Citabria

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. 

• READ MORE: Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1959 Piper PA-22-150

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.

We’ve focused on deals under $100K for our Bargain Buys series so far, but we could not resist checking out the 1979 Cessna Skylane RG that popped up on the listings this week. You just don’t see many 182s going for less that $150,000, so we thought we’d take a closer look. 

The combination of utility and every-pilot-can-fly-this-ness of the 182 series makes it perennially popular, and this 182RG is no exception. The owner has had this model since 2005, and they have upgraded to a Cessna P210, which provides a little more speed and altitude capability. Nevertheless less, the 182RG for sale has 4,680 hours on the airframe, and a good IFR package in the panel. 

So why is it on sale for $125,000? It’s been flown well past TBO on the engine (3,256 hours!) so you will probably need to budget for a new one. That will add roughly $60K to $75K for a new Lycoming O-540 powerplant unless you go for a less expensive option. It also has a bit of damage history, a gear-up landing in 1984 that is accounted for in the airframe and engine logs.

But for the right buyer, this could be a reasonable way into Skylane ownership.

READ MORE: Why the Cessna 182 Skylane Is a Top Used Plane

Interested in more deals like this? Check out AircraftForSale.com and our new PlanePrice feature that gives you a window into the opportunities that are out there.

Need help financing your dream? Visit our professional team at FLYING Finance for the best way to back your aircraft acquisition plan.

The post Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1979 Cessna Skylane 182RG appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

1965 American Champion 7ECA Citabria

It just looks like fun sitting there on the ramp. The Citabria (that’s “airbatic” spelled backwards) speaks to pilots who want to test out their skills in aerobatic flying, or just have fun flying low and slow with friends into grass strips. American Champion is still making the series, but the original offers up a good deal for the right pilot.

This 1965 Citabria comes with its last Poly-Fiber recovering accomplished in 2002-2004, with rebuilt wings and a new wood spar in 2004 as well. The aircraft has 1,173 hours on it, with the Continental O-200 clocking 837 hours since major overhaul. The seller says it’s flown 48 hours in the last 6 months, making it far from a hangar queen. It has a uAvionix skyBeacon for ADS-B compliance.

For an asking price of $45,000, this Visalia, California-based tailwheel star can be yours.

READ MORE: American Champion Citabria, Super Decathlon, Scout

Interested in more deals like this? Check out AircraftForSale.com and our new PlanePrice feature that gives you a window into the opportunities that are out there.

Need help financing your dream? Visit our professional team at FLYING Finance for the best way to back your aircraft acquisition plan.

The post Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1965 American Champion Citabria appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Many aviators want to use sport pilot’s no-medical aspect to fly a Cessna or Piper that they can buy inexpensively (or may already own). That makes sense. These affordable aircraft are familiar and proven, even if they are products of the 1950s with mostly analog instruments and powerplants that burn 10 to 15 gallons of 100LL per hour.

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

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

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

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

Sparker Arrives in the U.S.

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

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

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

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

Sparker Deluxe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sparker By the Numbers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1979 Beechcraft Skipper

The 1970s boomed in general aviation, and each of the major manufacturers—Cessna, Piper, and Beechcraft—jumped in with a two-seat training aircraft that echoed their house style. While Piper had the Tomahawk, and Cessna the 150, Beech made a stately entry with the BE-77 Skipper.

The Skipper was set up for both private and instrument instruction with a reasonable panel at the time. This California-based 1979 model hasn’t seen much additionally since those days, though it does have a SkyBeacon for ADS-B compliance. The Skipper has 2,370 hours on the airframe and 250 hours since its major overhaul in June 2023, when the annual was also completed.

We’ve rated it a fair deal in our PlanePrice beta test at $69,500.

READ MORE: Beechcraft Skipper

Interested in more deals like this? Check out AircraftForSale.com and our new PlanePrice feature that gives you a window into the opportunities that are out there.

Need help financing your dream? Visit our professional team at FLYING Finance for the best way to back your aircraft acquisition plan.

The post Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1979 Beechcraft Skipper 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.

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.