General Aviation News

Oshkosh 2019 winners

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When 12,000 airplanes converge on one airport, you know some of them will be so special, so engaging, and so compelling that they will motivate pilots to investigate more deeply or perhaps pull the trigger on a purchase.

One essential purpose of the Experimental Aircraft Association‘s annual convention is to help pilots become aware of aircraft they may want to examine and perhaps experience for themselves. Since most of us cannot afford multiple airplane purchases, some guidance about the best-in-category might be helpful.

Be advised, though, the following does not try to be definitive or exhaustive. Many other great choices might be available, but these are the ones that caught my eye.

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Flying into Oshkosh at 14 in an ultralight

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One of the early arrivals at the 2019 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh was Henry Scott, who flew an ultralight from his home in Virginia to the big show in Wisconsin.

I’ve frequently had the pleasure to fly into KOSH during the show. Every time, it’s been an eye opening experience, literally and figuratively.

Now, imagine making such an epic arrival in an ultralight aircraft…‘er vehicle, cruising at 40 to 50 mph. Of course, a Part 103 ultralight means flying solo, so you do your own head-swiveling to look for traffic. Your planning better be solid to make this a reasonable task.

Go even further and imagine doing all this while you are 14 years old! Sound crazy? Yeah, it might seem that way, but in an hour-long conversation with Henry’s father William, I came to admire the preparation for his son’s flight.

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The new Flight Design family

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Once upon a time in the then-new world of Light-Sport Aircraft, Flight Design led the pack for airplanes delivered and registered. The German company held that #1 ranking for a decade.

Then came a pause in the juggernaut that is Flight Design. The company’s expenses outran its revenues and a major restructuring was forced upon it by the German legal system. This was 2015, but at Aero Friedrichshafen 2019, the company was again looking strong. Its prominent space in Aero’s gymnasium-sized exhibit halls was filled with interesting machines, including the distinctive Horten flying wing that debuted at the event.

Horten, the company’s several fixed wing designs, and the Rotorvox deluxe gyroplane all now operate under the parent name, Lift.

Attracting the most attention from tens of thousands of attendees to Aero Friedrichshafen was F-series, especially F2 that looked closed to what Flight Design has produced for more than 15 years.

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Do LSA make good trainers?

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One of the controversies surrounding Light-Sport Aircraft has to do with that first word in that term: “Light.”

Early on, one LSA importer lobbied to remove the word as it was negatively viewed, he believed.

Indeed, outside of the LSA community, many pilots I’ve spoken to often say these aircraft are too lightly built to withstand the rigors of flight training, one of the more demanding of all aviation activities.

“Yes, an experienced pilot may love a LSA,” they may concede, “but these aircraft cannot hold up to regular flight instruction duty.”

Enthusiasts may be biased in favor of LSA, but what would an actual flight school operator say?

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The speedy LSA of Europe

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At the April European airshow Aero Friedrichshafen, visitors saw several fast designs already flying in Europe. These are clean-sheet new creations that can hit 200 mph on 100 horsepower, priced at a fraction of the best selling general aviation aircraft.

Will we see them here in the USA? I bet we will, and sooner than you may think.

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New LSA: East meets West

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Two recent announcements have aroused spring fever in pilots and they could not be more different.

One comes from Europe. The other was unveiled in Texas. East meets West.

From the East is a flying wing design based on work by Reimar and Walter Horten. While unorthodox to pilots of general aviation designs, the idea has clear appeal that even the U.S. military has used.

From the West, the second new entry is originally a Brazilian creation that will be fully built in Hondo, Texas. The new Colt should be a great fit to those who raise their eyebrows at the Horten wing.

Such diversity is a hallmark of the Light-Sport Aircraft sector that continues to churn out new ideas in many variations. What a great time to be a pilot. [Read more…]

Flying the Sling TSi

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Is it possible for an aircraft to be more than it appears? Yes, quite easily, it turns out — and the new Sling TSi by The Airplane Factory provides an excellent example.

Changes to Sling TSi appear to center around the use of the most powerful Rotax engine yet offered by the Austrian producer that dominates the world market for light aircraft powerplants.

Yet, notable as the new Rotax 915iS Turbo may be, that is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Below the surface, Sling TSi offers many further refinements and the new design is worthy of a deeper look. [Read more…]

Rotax’s powerful new 915iS

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At a journalists-only event at Rotax Aircraft Engines, several of my fellow writers and I got the opportunity to fly the new 915iS.

As we took turns evaluating the brand-new Rotax 915iS, company leaders told us that besides official Rotax pilots and selected airframe builders, we were among the first to experience the powerful new engine from the world’s leading producer of engines for light aircraft. [Read more…]

A match made in heaven

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One of the marvelous transformations to be witnessed is a lonely expanse of World War II concrete ramp morphing into a colorful, energetic, ultimately cool place to hang out, look at lots of modern airplanes of all kinds, talk flying to your old pals and new friends, catch a forum, participate in a workshop, and take a demo flight — or several — if you’re in the market for a new airplane.

In fact, taking a demo flight is one of the main reasons people come to events like the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida, and is the main reason vendors bring their shiny, new airplanes.

It’s a match made in heaven and all pilots are invited. [Read more…]

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