A few years ago, John Meekins decided he wanted a seaplane. An industrial real estate developer who lives on a lake in the Seattle area, he didn’t want to have to drive to the airport to fly his plane. He tried out a Lake and a Seawind, but found they just weren’t right for him. […]
Aircraft
Flying the Peregrine
One of the perks of being a flying journalist is that it gives me the opportunity to fly aircraft that many pilots don’t, like the record-setting Light Sport Aircraft, the FA-04 Peregrine. The low-wing airplane, built by Fleming Air in Germany, is imported by the Hansen Air Group of Kennesaw, Georgia. “We came up with […]
Husky now available with G500
Aviat Aircraft now offers the Garmin G500 panel mount, which provides moving map displays, artificial horizon and information about true airspeed, rate of climb, winds aloft, altitude and heading. The unit can be linked into most autopilot systems. It is possible to upgrade the G500 over time so that it might eventually have all the […]
First Sirius LSA available for demo flights
The first Sirius SLSA from TL Ultralight is now available for demo flights. SportairUSA, the North American distributor for the Sirius and the Sting S3, is offering introductory flights at the North Little Rock, Arkansas, Municipal Airport (ORK). The first delivery will occur in mid-April at the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In, according to company officials. […]
X-Air now selling factory direct
X-Air is now selling its Light Sport Aircraft directly from the factory. The company is offering demo flights, flight training, sales and service at its headquarters in Bend, Oregon. The company also is planning to establish a number of flight centers around the United States. “We have been selling aircraft through Sportsplanes.com,” said Matt Verdieck, […]
‘Texas Raiders’ has new home
“Texas Raiders,” one of 12 remaining airworthy B-17s, has a new home. The G-model Flying Fortress, owned by the Gulf Coast Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, has been undergoing restoration for the better part of eight years at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) in Houston. Soon, the bomber will be flown to David Wayne […]
Flight Design debuts CTLS Lite
Hearing concerns over increasing prices and decreasing payloads in Light Sport Aircraft, Flight Design has created the new CTLS Lite, which lowers the price and substantially raises payload. “We hear about more and more interest for a lighter airplane, but one that costs less and carries more,” explained Flight Design CEO Matthias Betsch. “Now, based […]
Cessna Citation CJ4 gains Type Certification
Cessna Aircraft Co.’s Citation CJ4 has gained type certification by the FAA. Deliveries are set to begin later this year. The Citation CJ4 is the newest and largest member of the CJ family of business jets consisting of the Citation CJ1+, CJ2+ and CJ3. The CJ4 is approved for single-pilot operations and shares a common […]
AmphibCub takes off
The economic slowdown had at least one bright spot for the aviation industry: New products. Case in point is the AmphibCub, a collaboration between the folks at Baumann Floats and American Legend Aircraft Co., which manufactures the Legend Cub, one of the most popular Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) on the market. Amphibious aircraft are nothing […]