The first flight of the Belite Chipper with the Rotax 912UL engine was held June 19. Belite’s James Wiebe posted this video of the flight: Wiebe also released these performance observations: Initial established climb about 600 fpm; Highest climb rate seen about 830 fpm; Flaps 15°; Ailerons in droop mode; Went around the pattern several […]
sport pilot
Merlin quick-build kit earns 51% approval
The FAA’s FAA’s National Kit Evaluation Team (NKET) recently evaluated the Merlin’s Quick Build Kit, and it passed by .01%, according to company officials. “You can’t get more builder-friendly than that,” says Aeromarine President Chip Erwin, from his build center in Florida, where two customers are completing their Merlin PSA kits right now. Two more […]
First VFR flights to Cuba
After the last guy in office decided Cuba could be visited by Americans, a growing flock has been doing so. Europeans have been going for a long time; now Yankees can, too. One thing no one has been doing is flying VFR to Cuba. According to John Craparo, this was the first time in at […]
CubCrafters tops LSA market
A dozen years after the FAA created aviation’s newest sector, we have a new leader among manufacturers of fully built Light-Sport Aircraft. CubCrafters has been moving upward, with several years hitting 50 deliveries. In 2016 the west coast builder finally topped perennial leader Flight Design, which slipped to second place. The CT builder had occupied […]
Can you fly IFR in an LSA?
Think about IFR in an LSA this way: Can you fly IFR in a homebuilt aircraft? Can you do so in a Cessna 172?
Fully manufactured LSA and IFR
ASTM’s F37 committee is composed of people with technical knowledge who achieved a challenging task: Start with a blank sheet of paper and create aircraft standards for the Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) sector. That this group did so in just a few years on the leanest of budgets is a credit to their dedication. These volunteers from […]
Shock treatment
Once upon a time, the producer of a yellow LSA taildragger installed the industry’s most powerful engine, resulting in a performance leader. This gambit succeeded handily and the builder enjoyed several strong years of sales. Others looked upon this success and saw that it was good. So, of course, being aviation entrepreneurs, others worked to […]
Lightsport Man overcomes obstacles to take flight
You’ve heard the idiom “the sky’s the limit.” Well, for Johnathan Smith, this phrase has, indeed, been taken literally. Smith, 47, heard all his life that, because of his stuttering, he would never be able to accomplish his dream of becoming a pilot. However, he proved everyone who said that wrong. “I was born with […]
EAA Sport Pilot Academy returns in 2017
EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — The Experimental Aircraft Association’s Sport Pilot Academy, which immerses people in a three-week course that concludes with earning a sport pilot certificate, returns in 2017 with three sessions throughout the year. The all-inclusive course at EAA headquarters in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, features dedicated aircraft and instructors focused on successful completion […]