SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON Much lamenting has been heard regarding the price of LSAs. It isn’t hard to understand given prices that now exceed $140,000. Was such inflation supposed to happen? I’ve explained how this occurred, and the biggest culprit, by far, is the exchange rate difference between dollars and euros. (Other factors include the […]
Legendary ‘Van’ flies his own RV-12 to work
SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON Cessna‘s LSA entry helps to validate the concept of industry consensus standards in lieu of government certification. SkyCatchers will populate airports as shipments ramp up in 2010. Other big companies also are looking at LSA — as most LSA enthusiasts know, Cirrus offered an entry, though work has stalled, and late […]
Belite: Fresh talent gives rise to new LSA
SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON If you’ve been around aviation long enough you’ve heard the Q&A: “Know how to make a small fortune in aviation? Start with a large one!” Yet aviation can always use fresh talent, so welcome former tech entrepreneur, James Wiebe, turned aviation businessman. From his days building Mac peripherals under the name […]
Beware the “sound bite” solution
GUEST EDITORIAL By MICHAEL KRAFT, senior vice president and general manager, Lycoming Engines I commend Janice Wood for taking on the avgas issue (“Preparing for the end of 100LL”) and reporting objectively the comments made at this year’s AOPA Aviation Summit in Tampa. The past and present story of 100LL has technical, political, economic and historical […]
Questions erupt for Remos; new investment heralded
SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON After announcing the selection of the Remos GX as the 2010 giveaway airplane, AOPA leaders are surely breathing a sigh of relief now that Remos has issued a reassuring statement. Earlier rumors threatened to cast doubt on those who participated in the sweepstakes announcement (including yours truly). Along with others in […]
Triple Play for FK
SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON LSA are nothing if not diverse. We have all manner of aircraft on our list of 104 approved models. Germany’s FK Lightplanes illustrates diversity through its trio of models: The high-wing Fk9 series (pictured above); biplane Fk-12 (pictured below); and low-wing Fk14. In May, the newest iteration of the Fk9 series […]
LSA in the spotlight at AOPA
SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON In its first year as the AOPA Aviation Summit (versus Expo), the 70-year-old, 415,000-member organization made lots of changes, large and small. Among the most notable under capable new president Craig Fuller was much greater attention to LSA. Here’s the fast-read update: AOPA announced its 2010 Sweepstakes airplane is a Remos […]
Flying the MS-1
SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON Lucky me. On a warm, sunny day I drove less than a mile to Spruce Creek Airport’s Downwind Cafe where I met the developers of MySky (the company) and the MS-1 (a new LSA model). After a tasty lunch we strolled over to the company’s facility and hangar. All the while […]
Light at the end of the tunnel
SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON Saying 2009 was a breathtaking year is no overstatement. The last air show of the season is now history and reflections on 2009 reveal a year of hardship for aviation. Cessna laid off more than half its workers and the Wichita giant’s problems are mirrored throughout general aviation. Seemingly invulnerable jet […]