General Aviation News

A drool-worthy collection of LSA seaplanes

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SUN ‘n FUN 2018 ended a record event on a Sunday. Traveling home Monday, I had less than a 24-hour turnaround before jetting across the Atlantic for Aero Friedrichshafen 2018, which started Wednesday. As on a roller coaster, all I could do was hold on tightly.

For an aviation buff, the month of April is something like being a kid in a candy store. So many fun airplanes. So few days to absorb the images, stories, people, and excitement.

Sandwiched in the partial day between getting home from SUN ‘n FUN and blasting off to Europe, one more cool thing happened: A gathering of Light-Sport seaplanes. [Read more…]

35 years and counting at Rans Aircraft

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One of the most celebrated names in light aviation is Rans, a company name that both hinges on and reflects its designer and company boss, Randy Schlitter.

Recently this now-familiar producer celebrated 35 years since the initial flight of its first single-seat aircraft.

When the company first flew its S3 Coyote I three and a half decades ago, most observers had no idea where the Kansas company was headed…or if it would even last.

For that matter, the company that showed at SUN ‘n FUN back in the mid-1980s consisted of one fellow and his interesting little Part 103 ultralight vehicle. Most show goers probably never even considered this modest entry would lead to one of the most important companies in the light aircraft space.

Very likely Randy himself didn’t know, though he has proven a shrewd entrepreneur and prolific developer for many years, driven by that fire burning in his belly. [Read more…]

Will you fly the aircraft of the future?

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This article may either excite you or annoy you.

I understand. I have mixed feelings about a new class of airplanes I don’t understand as well as familiar, legacy ones.

Perhaps like you, I’m annoyed because I didn’t foresee this and because these new proposed machines are not my experience over many decades of flight. Nonetheless I’m also excited as I enjoy new technologies and how they can help us in myriad ways.

However, it may not matter what you or I think.

You and I may be the veteran pilots of the USA (and perhaps the world). We have years of experience. Americans account for around half of all the pilots, half of the airplanes, and half of the flight hours in the world.

Yet much like veterans of the auto industry, we are in danger (or is it a benefit?) of being upended by the world of tech. The Information Age is upon aviation in ways we never envisioned. [Read more…]

Let the airshow season begin

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The 14th running of the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo vigorously launched the 2018 season of airshows. The show ran Jan. 24-27, 2018, at Sebring Regional Airport (KSEF).

The central Florida airport — directly adjacent to the famous Sebring Raceway — hosts the annual event and lucked out with an opening day of gorgeous weather of clear blue skies and modest breezes in the high 70s. More than 100 vendors exhibited and plenty of shiny new aircraft were available to examine. [Read more…]

Enjoy your freedom to fly in 2018

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American pilots are extraordinarily fortunate. We have a freedom to fly that many around the world can barely comprehend, much less enjoy as we do.

Yes, I’m well aware many American aviators don’t pay much attention to flying outside U.S. borders. Indeed, around 80% of all general aviation airplanes are located in the USA, also home to more than half of all the pilots on the planet. We also have the most public airports and those don’t include many flying fields. No wonder we can be inwardly focused.

In addition, a large share of the airplanes produced anywhere and the innovations they boast originated in the land of the free. Lucky us!

I hope you will enjoy every minute you can spend aloft in 2018. [Read more…]

The triumph of LSA

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In barely over a decade, Light-Sport Aircraft have had an enormous impact on the world of aviation.

Is that too strong a statement? “Where are all these LSA,” you might ask? How on Earth can I justify writing “…had an enormous impact?”

Fair questions, all. Let me answer. [Read more…]

Big achievements by a small manufacturer

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“It simply won’t work,” say too many pilots. “You cannot run a business making only 50 airplanes a year. To build good, safe airplanes, you must operate a large enterprise.”

If you are one of those naysayers, are you sure about that?

I write about the world of light aviation, a segment of recreational aircraft spanning hang gliders to Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA). In that space, we have only a few companies that make 100 aircraft a year; most are far smaller.

Are these micromanufacturers too small to build reliable aircraft or to provide a reasonable living for their employees and owners?

Based on many years of writing about these companies, I can attest they are not too small. One proof of their right size is that many of these small companies boast very low employee turnover. Another is their steady innovation. [Read more…]

Atol triphibian for sky, sea, or snow

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To many observers, the development of Light-Sport Aircraft seaplanes is fast-paced, inventive, and intriguing. You may have read about entries from the USA, Europe, or New Zealand. How about Finland?

“Finland has 188,000 lakes,” said Anssi Rekula, cofounder and sales director for Atol Avion, producer of the Atol LSA seaplane. “We know the joys of water flying, as well as the demands. Many of Finland’s lakes are remote and require range and reliability to access, so we designed the Atol 650 for this environment.” [Read more…]

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