Feature

The newly appointed national representatives for Italy’s Tecnam are deeply experienced general aviation folks. The original national distributor, still very much involved, comes from an entire family of airline pilots. So why are these experienced aviators — who have a combined 150 years of aviation experience — messing around with Light Sport Aircraft (LSA)? The […]

Experiencing sticker shock at the avgas pump these days? Beyond cruising at reduced power settings to conserve fuel, what else can be done? Perhaps Power Flow Systems (PFS) of Daytona Beach, Fla. has the answer, providing more speed for the same fuel consumption or the same speed you now enjoy at a reduced burn. No […]

A gyroplane looks like a cross between an airplane and a helicopter. First developed in the 1920s, the gyroplane is one of the oldest forms of aviation technology. However, gyroplanes are not very common in the general aviation world, perhaps because of a reputation for being difficult or dangerous to fly. It’s an undeserved reputation, […]

The Allegro 2000 is no Johnny-come lately, except in the U.S. Certified by the FAA in May as a Special-Light Sport Aircraft, the Allegro 2000 has been flying for about 12 years and can be found in 16 countries. So far, about 1,200 have been delivered. Built by Fantasy Air in Pisek, Czech Republic, you […]

Well, it took awhile. Ever since Sun ‘n Fun 2005, I had been lusting to fly the Columbia 400, touted as the fastest production recip available today. Problem is, they’re selling so fast that Aero Sport Inc., the Columbia dealer for the state of Florida, has difficulty keeping a demonstrator in inventory. In the end, […]

You may have seen it when it arrived on these shores back in the early 1970s. Then again, maybe not, other than as a picture in a trade journal. After all, to date there are only 70 examples registered in America. Strange, because it has beautiful lines, respectable performance, twin engine reliability, is certified for […]

When the FAA awarded the first two Special Light Sport Aircraft Airworthiness Certificates at Sun ‘n Fun 2005, many — who had been waiting years — found cause for celebration. The award of the first two certificates to Evektor’s SportStar and Flight Design’s CT signaled the beginning of a very interesting race. One design competing […]

With five years the generally accepted norm as to whether a company survives or goes out of business, it seems safe to say that Duane Swing, chairman and owner of Velocity Aircraft, has found the magic formula. Migrating from Ohio to Sebastian, Fla., in 1992, Swing had a dream: to purchase the assets of Velocity […]

When some people buy a kit plane, they grossly underestimate how long it will take to build their dream machine. They spend hours building jigs and doing prep work for a few precious minutes of assembly. Then there’s the cleanup process, which takes even more time. “And you feel like you are not getting anywhere,” […]