STEVENSVILLE, Md. — Chesapeake Sport Pilot flight school has earned the first Van’s RV-12 dealership in the United States. The new dealership agreement allows Chesapeake Sport Pilot to sell new, factory built RV-12 aircraft to customers. “The RV-12 is the most popular aircraft we have ever put on the flight line at Chesapeake Sport Pilot,” […]
Light Sport Aircraft
Making aviation affordable and fun
It is no surprise to anyone that aviation has become expensive. Some four-seat, single-engine airplanes retail for nearly $1 million! Those airplanes are fast, comfortable, and superbly equipped, but at those prices few pilots have a large enough budget to allow for purchase of a new aircraft. The great news is that not all airplanes are […]
ICON given green light to begin deliveries
LOS ANGELES — FAA officials have completed a compliance audit at ICON Aircraft’s Tehachapi, California, facility, which led agency officials to issue the first Special-Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) airworthiness certificate for ICON’s A5. With this milestone complete, ICON will now begin customer deliveries for the A5, which has a backlog of more than 1,250 orders, according to company […]
Legend Cub gets carbon fiber amphib floats
SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas — Now available are carbon fiber amphibious floats for the Legend Cub and Super Legend. Designed and manufactured by American Legend Aircraft Co., the LF1500A floats allow for takeoffs and landings on both water and terra firma, according to company officials. The LF1500A floats are purposely built for the Legend Cub and Super Legend. The floats […]
Analyzing statistics on worldwide aviation
Thanks to a solid effort by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), I have data that can be used to assess the number of recreational aircraft around the world. That organization is significantly focused on business aircraft, but did include all levels of aircraft in their country-by-country review. Whatever the actual level of accuracy — […]
First flight for first customer ICON A5
ICON Aircraft reports that its first customer aircraft completed its inaugural flight April 24 at the company’s R&D facility in Tehachapi, California. “Following a successful high-speed taxi test, A5 ASN-1 (Aircraft Serial Number 1) took to the air and performed its initial flight flawlessly,” ICON’s Craig Bowers reported. Test pilot and Lead Aero Engineer Jon […]
Part 103 ultralights are hot
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 […]
Aero Adventure continuing upward
Does the Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) world seem somewhat obsessed with seaplanes? Certainly, it appears that’s where a good bit of the most innovative thinking is occurring. However, to observe that is to focus only on the newest designs, the most innovative of which have yet to hit the market and may be years away. For […]
First flight: Merlin LSA
Glasair Aviation’s new light-sport aircraft, Merlin, took its first flight through the skies above Arlington Municipal Airport (KAWO) in Washington state, April 7. Following detailed validation testing, including engine run-up, high-speed taxi, and ground roll lift off, the team at Glasair stood back and watched as Merlin departed the surface of runway 34 with test-pilot […]