The Light-Sport Aircraft movement is coming of age. During the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo held in Sebring, Florida, last month, many LSA manufacturers showed off the next generation of their designs, including Evektor Aircraft. The Czech Republic-based company, which has the distinction of producing the first LSA certified in the U.S., showcased the Evektor Harmony […]
Pilot Report
Flying the Skycatcher: The CFI’s perspective
Cessna’s Skycatcher was designed for the Light Sport Aircraft category, as well as to lower the cost of entry into aviation. It was also designed to be a teaching platform that could ostensibly replace the Cessna 150 series in flight schools. I have more than 300 hours in Cessna 150-series aircraft, of which a little […]
Flying the Kitfox LSA
One of the benefits of the Light Sport Aircraft movement is that it has paved the way for manufacturers of kit aircraft to enter the world of ready-to-fly designs. One of the more recent entries into the fly-away models is the Kitfox S-LSA from Kitfox Aircraft LCC of Homedale, Idaho. It’s designed to appeal to […]
Pilot’s Report: Piper Matrix
BY J. DOUGLAS HINTON, For General Aviation News What company would build a single-engine, cabin class, unpressurized aircraft when virtually every other airframe in its class is pressurized? Piper Aircraft would, based on extensive interviews with customers and a “comprehensive market research study second to none,” according to Kevin Gould, president and CEO. “We talked […]
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 […]
Flying a Legend
When Legend Aircraft Co. unveiled plans to produce a modern version of the Cub, I admit I was skeptical. Usually, when you try to remake a classic, it falls short of expectations. The Legend Cub, manufactured in Sulphur Springs, Texas, manages to avoid the “remake” curse because, frankly, it is not a remake of the […]
Flying the Flight Design CTLS
Two-place airplanes are often used as trainer aircraft because they are less expensive to rent than four-place designs. Yet once that private pilot ticket is in your hand, you may look for a larger airplane for cross-country flights because a two-place is just too cramped to be comfortable over long distances. But that won’t be […]
Flying the Cirrus SR22 G3
When trying to explain the ergonomic factors, safety and luxury of Cirrus airplanes to aviation novices, I usually describe them as what happens when you cross a Lexus automobile with a business jet. That was before the Cirrus SR22 G3 came out. I now have to describe the design as the pairing of a jet […]
Flying the Boeing 40C
By ADDISON PEMBERTON, For General Aviation News What’s it like to fly a 1928 Boeing 40C? Since restoring this vintage plane, I’ve flown it for more than 130 hours, including a trip from New York to San Francisco in September 2008. The aircraft is very sturdy and gives one the feeling of great comfort and […]