SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON
If you study FAA’s registration database as I do, you’ll quickly discover that Flight Design and its various CT models have a strong presence in the USA — and the world for that matter, with 1,500 flying, according to the company.
Since CT was first certified in April 2005 — the second LSA to win Special LSA certification after Evektor’s SportStar — the German brand has steadily planted CTs across America. You can see a CT at more airfields than any other brand by more than double; the next closest is the American Legend Cub.
An online map recently developed by the company shows the locations of more than 300 CT aircraft in the United States.
The distribution is surprisingly even, with obvious concentrations in big aviation states such as Florida, California, and Texas/Oklahoma, with another area of strength in New England, home base of the U.S. importer. This success is thanks to the early and capable work of Flight Design USA and its boss, Tom Peghiny.
Flight Design has also been busy overseas. The company pioneered use of something called Permit to Fly in Europe, allowing sales of the CTLS; it delivered the first LSA aircraft approved in India; and Flight Design won the first-ever Type Design approval for an LSA in China.
At the same time, the company developed another design using all-metal construction called the MC (CT is 98% carbon fiber), and it is working to create a hybrid engine using a powerful electric motor for boost power and emergency use.
For more information: FlightDesignUSA.com, CommunityWalk.com/CTAirplanes.