In 1989 something remarkable happened. You might remember the fall of the despised Berlin Wall that separated Germany. Certainly that was a remarkable event in human history, but it wasn’t the only noteworthy occurrence that year. Not far away in Wels, Austria, something else happened that, for pilots, was also important. In 1989, Rotax Aircraft […]
sport pilot
Flight testing completed for SD-1 Minisport
After a long winter and spring dodging the Utah weather, SkyCraft’s SD-1 Minisport has completed flight testing, meeting all the performance requirements needed for S-LSA certification, according to company officials. The plane was found to have good longitudinal and latitudinal stability and exhibited no issues with flutter, vibrations, or dangerous stall/spin tendencies, company officials noted. […]
A solid beginning towards collaboration
Various events are bubbling to the surface as we approach the 10th anniversary of the Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft (SP/LSA) rule this summer. One of these activities occurred at SUN ’n FUN: The USUA/LAMA Safety & Industry Light-Sport Conference. USUA is the United States Ultralight Association, a group focused on pilots. If you believed ultralight aircraft […]
ICON to relocate to Vacaville
LOS ANGELES — ICON Aircraft will relocate to the City of Vacaville in Northern California, located approximately 50 miles northeast of San Francisco. Beginning in the first quarter of 2015, the company will begin operating in a 140,000-square-foot facility adjacent to the Vacaville airport, also known as the Nut Tree Airport. ICON intends to consolidate […]
Tecnam ramps up at Sebring Regional Airport
SEBRING, Fla. — Tecnam took possession of a new 21,000-square-foot facility at Sebring Regional Airport on April 28 and delivered its first aircraft from this U.S. facility. “Even though we just moved in, we have accomplished our first delivery, a P2008 Turbo to a customer that purchased at U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in January. From […]
Quicksilver earns FAA acceptance for SLSA
Quicksilver Aeronautics has been informed by FAA that its audit to produce the Sport 2S model as a Special Light-Sport Aircraft has been satisfactorily concluded. The model will officially be known as the Sport L-S2S and marketed as the Sport S2SE. “We are very pleased about this accomplishment,” said Quicksilver Aeronautics President Will Escutia. “Daniel […]
The next wave in LSA
Even as we come to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft rule in 2014, many general aviation pilots have only recently become fully aware of this large and growing fleet of more than 134 designs. Let me repeat: That is 134 new aircraft models in less than 10 years, a pace of […]
Pilot Report: SAM LS
SAM LS Designer Thierry Zibi and I met at Sandpiper Aviation at Meacham Airport in Fort Worth during October’s AOPA Summit. We chatted for about an hour prior to climbing aboard the tandem two-seater — named for Zibi’s son — for a flight around the area. Thierry told me SAM LS prototype we were going […]
SAM LS takes off
“Wow! What….is…that?” That was the most common reaction when people first set eyes on the SAM LS at AirVenture 2013. The round-cowl Light-Sport Aircraft made its American debut at the annual event. The combination of a round cowl, tear-drop shaped wheel-pants and a side-hinged folding canopy give the airplane a decidedly classic look. To many people, the […]