Part 103 ultralight activity was not the news I expected to report from SUN ’n FUN 2015, certainly not as my first report.
But after an intense week shooting video interviews at SUN ’n FUN, I am impressed to report that Part 103 is much more than alive and well.
For those that may have missed this unique category, Part 103 ultralight vehicles (the FAA’s deliberate wording) are single-seat flying machines of varying description that need no medical, not even a pilot license, no N-number registration, and can be sold ready-to-fly. The entire FAA regulation can be printed on the front and back of a single piece of paper.
Adding to the charm of rarely having to interact with a government agency in order to have some fun in your airplane are a couple similar efforts in Europe. Germany has its 120-kilogram class (264 pounds) and England has its SSDR category (Single Seat De Regulated).
Between these two and the now-32-year-old Part 103, fixed wings, trikes, powered parachutes, and even helicopters that can keep their weight down to 254 pounds empty (278 with an airframe parachute, even more with floats) and can keep their max speeds to 55 knots max and 24 knots stall are given unusual flexibility in these times of government pushing to heavily regulate many activities. Celebrate 103!
So, with that in mind, we toured the grounds of SUN ’n FUN making video interviews with designers and their aircraft. At vendor after vendor, we encountered something I did not expect. Several Part 103 producers were featuring new aircraft and every one I spoke to related good sales and phones ringing with interest.
Quicksilver’s single seat Sprint uses the twin cylinder opposed Hirth F23 that provides 50 horsepower to achieve wonderful performance in a Part 103 ultralight.
As longtime light aviation expert and Quicksilver specialist “Bever” Borne put it, “I’m selling airplanes to [some of the same] customers I had 30 years ago. Since then they went off and bought an experimental, then a Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA), perhaps followed by a Cessna or Piper. Now, they’re back. They tell me that after all that experience they realized the first ultralight they bought from me was still the most fun flying they had and now they want to return to their roots.”
Bever is not alone in his perception. Aerolite 103 producer Dennis Carley took over production of this charming aircraft in late 2012. In 2013 he sold 20 airplanes, not bad for a start-up year (adding to his other business of building aircraft for customers). In 2014, he sold 40 Aerolites. Now, flush with orders following airworthiness approval in Germany earned by his dealer in that country, Vierwerk, he is forecasting 60 Aerolites for 2015.
“That is my current maximum capacity,” Dennis related, and that’s before he potentially starts offering a four-stroke-powered model.
Another vendor, Chip Erwin of Aeromarine-LSA, is seeing more interest in his Zigolo and he has an all-new electric propulsion unit to offer for it Plus, he plans to offer not one, but two, single-place aircraft with a four-stroke engine that he says is singular.
Not left out of the mix, weight shift trike producers are showing better staying power than powered parachute producers that have become a bit thin.
Powrachute is still going strong, but many others are curiously quiet. Powrachute, with the fanciest carriages in the business, has created a sideline of producing trike hardware for Evolution Trikes, and they exhibit some of the finest metalwork in light aviation with numerous special features you rarely see on even the better fixed wing aircraft. Evolution showed its newest aircraft as promised at Sebring earlier this year.
Called Rev, I plan a full story on this trike as it is so unique that a paragraph cannot do it justice. When you read that story, you’ll see what we examined at SUN ’n FUN: The strangest-looking contraption imaginable, until you realize its purpose. Rev — shortened from Revo, the super-deluxe trike that I consider the Cadillac or Mercedes of weight shift trikes — is a single-place Part 103 machine that can go from flying to ready to roll into a trailer in six minutes, by a single person. We saw and videoed them doing precisely that. It’s an amazing construction that, like the Revo, seems to leave no detail unconsidered.
I look forward to telling you more about Rev, a surprisingly complete machine with a modest and affordable starting price of only $17,900.
Thinking of highly detailed aircraft for modest prices, we also looked at and videoed the Fly Hard SkyCycle showing the most stunning paint job I saw anywhere on the grounds of SUN ’n FUN. Mike Theeke’s SkyCycle on display was an out-and-out effort to win — get this! — his ninth award in as many years at the show.
What do you do when you’ve already won eight awards in eight years? Well, you’re seeing it in the above photo and this machine is also Part 103 and costs less than you might think … although not with the 15-layer-deep airbrushed paint job. You see the nose cowl where the quality was easiest to photograph, but the same treatment was executed on the wheelpants, engine parts, and even the BRS parachute canister. Combined with metal-flake finish on the wingstruts, the appearance was nothing short of stunning.
On the opposite end of Part 103 in light aviation, here come the Light GA or LSA 4.0 airplanes, four seaters from LSA producers that are building like an ocean wave. In between, we see continued strength in LSA.
Despite a still-recovering world economy, some years after the recession supposedly ended, global light aviation is doing remarkably well, in my opinion. I follow the light aircraft industry as closely as I can and I see it as healthy and vibrant, though more sales and less interference would both be welcome.
Mark Stotes, you can find a great deal of information on the new REV at the Facebook page of Evolution Trikes. Scroll down and you’ll find photos, videos, specs, pricing and options. Their website is not yet updated for the REV.
Gene Golfus, I flew a 2-stroke Rotax 582 for five years, over 550 hours, with ZERO engine problems of any kind.
Gosh! I’ve been flying my 2 cycle Rotax 582 trike for 15 yrs and NEVER had an engine quit ! 2 cycle engines are very reliable! I love flying trikes1
Glad to see more affordable options in the Part 103 world. Some (many?) of us don’t have the thousands upon thousands of extra dollars necessary to fly GA, or even LSA for that matter. With the right training, UL’s like these allow an “average Joe” to safely get into the air. And with the most enjoyable type of flying at that…low and slow! (It’s amazing how many ultralight pilots I run into who have serious hours logged in complex aircraft, who say that for pure fun nothing beats a good ultralight.)
Happy to see the new Rev, too. Although I think Evolution Trikes should have named it something else. When you do a Google search for “Evolution Trikes, Rev”, Google sometimes thinks you mistakenly dropped the “o” from “Revo”. 😉 I would have named it something else for Internet search reasons alone. Name aside, happy to see innovation in the Part 103 space!
I started almost 25 years ago with a Sabre Trike. Helped in their factory for about 15 years helping build and did all the marketing materials.
After they closed in 04, I built my first trike (103) and have recently completed my second.
103 has been my passion. While all my friends ran off and bought Cessna’s, I stayed with my little 103.
Fly simple, fly safe, fly 103. Love it.
Glad to see this. I really liked the Aerolite, great for late afternoon spying Ha HA HA
I am a PP, and i fly an RV9A. I have been to Attitude Aviation in Livermore to fly an “open Cockpit ” biplane but , one is so down in side,, poor vision versus , an “ultralight which that has no cockpit.
I would like to hear more about ? Ultralights, but what i think is the more interesting machine is a two seat, that can land on water, and because it is a two seat, it would be an LSA ,not an Ultralight. I have a pilot’s license but , I like others would think it wise to have instruction in such a machine, not just go take off in a single seat ultralight. The whole conversation about how to have training, or better be able to rent time in a two seat ultralight”, that can land on water,, One of the concerns is two cycle engines and the maintenance issues make these machines a concern.
Trikes with weight shifting controls are not the aileron, rudder modern airplane controls from Curtiss most of us may prefer.
Realistically as your article discusses;
They tell me that after all that experience they realized the first ultralight they bought from me was still the most fun flying they had and now they want to return to their roots.”
This is like the obvious big hole in flying,, flying this kind of ultralight , is amazing, in the wind, out there,,with a rudder and an elevator and ailerons, like an airplane.
Two seats makes the most sense for training both , initial and further training.
Two seats makes the most sense for fun , sharing flying, so fine , it needs a sport pilot ticket, i have a Private Pilot but , still, where is the training?
Where is the rental fleet so a competent flying school can keep it up to specs?
Where is the appropriate machine , the safe and reliable engine , not a 2cycle engine that pretty much will fail, according to many .
I love my RV9A but it does not touch the out there wind in your face feel of a QuickSilver , two seat,, flying close over the water,, landing on the water, lifting up and I wish they were more available. I wish the training to make flying them safe were more available.
I believe if private pilots , recreational pilots got to fly a few times in a Quicksilver, with a big engine, and light components, (wires not struts) on and off water, and low and slow, that they would be stunned and pleasantly surprised at this kind of flying. I only mention the Quicksilver because it is my experience. I do not like the cone or closed nose ones as well, and i do not like the trikes with weight shifting as well but , i love that they are more like a motor bike in the sky, they are no cockpit , instead of open cockpit – that really means, lots of in the way machine. Biplanes, open cockpit, are tail draggers, bad in taxi, more dangerous, worse vision on the runway and , more drag and stuff in the way flying. Biplanes cost a great deal more both for the plane and to learn to fly them.
I think there is a a very great deal of positive to be said for something like ultralights but i favor two seaters for training and sharing the experience.
gg
Let’s go flying. Loved the article and the excitement. I recall that outside of Tucson was a flying club with champion Macafee. I want to join the fun.
How do you train to fly an ultralight?
“Cadillac or Mercedes”: a contradiction in terms. Typical of the “flake” reviews of the lighter version of air-frame constructors and LSA industry barkers. Constant promotional reviews of dubious “successful” best yet machines. Pretty though!
Ah, thanks for the comment Alfie. Every once in awhile I need to be reminded that “aviation snobbery” is alive and well. (Although it’s still just as unbecoming.)
You’ll be happy to learn, no one will force you to buy any of the quality machines currently available in the LSA and UL spaces. You’ll be spared the indignity of – gasp!!! – flying a fun, safe and economical airplane that doesn’t have a 70 year-old engine design and doesn’t cost $200/hour to own.
So is the Rev available, and if so is there a website?
A write-up on Evolution Trike’s Rev will be coming soon. You will be able to read this on http://www.ByDanJohnson.com next week. I appreciate your comments and readership! Meanwhile, go to http://www.evolutiontrikes.com/index.htm. Their website doesn’t show too much on Rev yet, but I understand they are taking orders. Delivery has not started yet but should follow fairly soon.
Google “rev trike” for pity sake, Mark.