Most of what our media reports about Iran is bad: Islamic militants. Contested elections. Brutal suppression of dissent. Nuclear ambitions. What we don’t hear is about the country’s light aircraft producers. Then consider Malaysia. Do you think of that country relative to aircraft production? Do you think of it in any way? My guess is most Yankee aviators haven’t given either country much thought (except maybe in a negative context). Yet here is Free Bird.

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After a pause in new SLSA, Pipistrel burst onto the scene with multiple approvals — three at once — reports Michael Coates, the importer for Pipistrel USA. We raced to get these placed on the SLSA List because it’s news, but also because FAA uses this list to verify new models before assigning them N-numbers. Read more about the new models at ByDanJohnson.com

What do the following LSA have in common? Skycatcher, Paradise P1, Remos GX, SeaRey, and PiperSport. The answer: All the companies supplying these LSA have gone through major management changes in 2011.

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I’ve observed aviation for more years than I’m comfortable admitting. I’ve talked to a ton of pilots (one of the great joys of my life is to have met so many fine folks). Over those years, I’ve distilled the kind of pilots we are to “one or the other.” Yes, just that simple: This kind or that. I believe you either fly to “Get Up” or “Go Long.”

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Sometimes you’re in the right place at the right time. Well, OK, I’m biased but I think pretty much any time at Wallaby Ranch — the iconic hang gliding facility south of Disney Orlando — is a good time. When it also happens to be “Demo Days,” Wallaby is a jumping place!

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Dan Johnson, president of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, is an expert on Light Sport Aircraft.

On the national scene, electric automobiles are generating lots of media attention, while the government has been subsidizing and using persuasion and incentives to whip up more interest and development activity for electric-powered vehicles. So, should it be any wonder that aviation has joined the party with electric-powered aircraft?

Such a national push — plus $1.65 million — will surely generate new enthusiasm. Wait a minute! [Read more...]

Dan Johnson, president of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, is an expert on Light Sport Aircraft.

Question: What looks like two motorgliders flying in really tight formation sharing an engine… er, a motor, literally between them? Can this Burt Rutan-looking aircraft (pictured) win the big dough? And I mean seriously big money with a purse of $1.65 millon!

Called the Pipistrel Taurus G4, the prize-seeking aircraft rolled out of the Pipistrel factory in Slovenia for the first time recently. [Read more...]

Dan Johnson, president of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, is an expert on Light Sport Aircraft.

Pilots interested in a floatplane LSA and airplane sellers seeking floats lost a good supplier recently when Baumann Floats, based at the South St. Paul, Minnesota, airport closed its doors.

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One of the early success stories in Light-Sport aviation was the Allegro. The #3 Special LSA to be approved started out so strong that even after three years of no sales following the collapse of the Czech Fantasy Air company, Allegro still holds the #14 spot on the SLSA Market Share chart. When Fantasy Air ceased manufacturing, many wrote off the metal wing, composite fuselage LSA, but they judged too soon.

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Weight shift instructor and FAA Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) Terri Sipantzi wrote an excellent editorial about the FAA’s plan to start inspecting new SLSA or new companies producing LSA.

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