Now that 2015 has entered the history books, we will slowly begin to see statistics for the year. My guess is that most aviation media will completely miss one of the big picture perspectives. This oversight does not represent a knowledge failure, but instead reflects a U.S-centric focus on general aviation. In the world of […]
Splog
Flying Icon’s A5 LSA seaplane
The Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) sector is aviation’s newest and most prolific with numerous outstanding aircraft available from Europe and the United States. Europeans seemed to own the category at first because regulations on the other side of the Atlantic permitted companies to fully build very similar aircraft. When the FAA caught up by releasing the […]
Quicksilver closing factory, but…
Aviation news outlets and social media are buzzing with the news that Quicksilver Aeronautics is closing its factory. For example, one online news source is calling the event a “dissolution.” This is not incorrect as it comes directly from a document previously issued by Quicksilver’s lawyers (see more below). However, letters from lawyers often portray things in very […]
Four LSA under $96,000
Yet if you think $65,000-95,000 is still too much, I can identify several aircraft that sell brand-new, ready-to-fly for less than $49,000, but that will be an article for another time …
Electric aircraft … Going mainstream?
Can electric aircraft truly become part of the national or worldwide fleet? You might discount the possibility, but then consider Airbus. When I was a youngster, I remember a TV commercial with a song jingle that went, “Electricity does more for you each day.” (Despite the decades that have passed, the tune still plays in […]
AirVenture news: LAMA President’s Award, new Rotax engine
During AirVenture, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association gave a press conference to a full house. LAMA officials reported the association enjoyed a terrific opening day in its mission of advocacy for Light-Sport, light kit, and ultralight aircraft. Partnered with the U.S. Ultralight Association (USUA), LAMA participated in two very productive meetings, one with EAA’s advocacy […]
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 […]
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 — […]
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 […]