LSAs have arrived – and they are here to stay.
That’s the message from Corvin Huber, president of Remos, which just announced that FIT Aviation, LLC, a part of the Florida Institute of Technology, has added new Remos GX aircraft to its training fleet.
“This is a small step for FIT, but a large step for our industry,” he said. “An LSA has been selected for training by one of the industry greats.
“By their actions, Florida Tech has issued a strong endorsement for LSA as a viable flight training tool,” he continued. “What’s significant here is that FAR Part 23 aircraft are now being replaced by newer, more technologically advanced LSAs. This is clearly a paradigm shift in aviation training.”
The Remos will be used for primary flight training, as well as for time building exercises relating to the university’s professional pilot training program, according to Nick Frisch, director of FIT Aviation. They will also become part of Florida Tech’s flying club.
FIT Aviation has already taken delivery of one Remos and anticipates receiving another one after Oshkosh. As the university retires some of the older Pipers in its fleet – which numbers more than 40 – they will be replaced by Remos LSAs. Frisch said no firm numbers have been decided, but anticipates that about 11 Remos will be in the fleet as planes retire.
The LSAs will be used to train FIT students who are not in the professional pilot program, as well as residents of Melbourne, Florida, where the university is based. Frisch projects “significant growth” in the flight school’s numbers with the addition of the Remos aircraft.
“This creates an opportunity for the university and the city,” he said. “I don’t know how much it will grow.”
As part of its continuing dedication to aeronautical education, Florida Tech opened the $5.1 million Emil Buehler Center for Aviation Training and Research at Melbourne International Airport earlier this spring. The center serves as home base for FIT Aviation.
One of the things that sold the university of the Remos GX was the folding wings.
“We’re in hurricane country,” said Frisch, “and we have a new hangar that’s designed to withstand hurricane force winds. The fact that we can fold the wings on the Remos allows us to store four of them in place of one aircraft that won’t fold up.”
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