What's Up!?
To learn more, we reached out to one of the most Light-Sport Aircraft, Sport Pilot kit aircraft-friendly insurance agencies, AIR, a fun abbreviation for 
"With quoting becoming almost automated for many aircraft, insurance underwriters found themselves having to find new ways to stay competitive," she added. "This meant broader policies, more flexible training requirements, and of course, a lower rate."
These changes lead insurance companies to what is called a “soft market.” Pilots and aviation business owners often benefited from flexible underwriting and record low premiums.
"Senior pilots have been greatly impacted in this hardening market," Victoria continued, "specifically those in retractable gear and multi-engine aircraft. If a single engine piston fixed tricycle-gear aircraft can fit your aircraft needs, this will often result in a better rate and insurability on your aircraft insurance." Her advice seems nearly written to boost the LSA industry.
After a number of years with relatively modest rates for aircraft insurance — at least for the more easily insured aircraft and operations — rates have increased, even for experienced pilots with good records. What’s Up!? To learn more, we reached out to one of the most Light-Sport Aircraft, Sport Pilot kit aircraft-friendly insurance agencies, AIR, a fun abbreviation for Aviation Insurance Resources. My primary contact at AIR is Gregg Ellsworth, who was given an award in 2018 for being at every Midwest LSA Expo. He’s also a regular at most airshows and many sport pilots have come to know this man. Short Answer: Aircraft Insurance Market Fluctuates Thanks to rapid increases in technology over the last decade, insurance became ever-more competitive. “Ten years ago a quote for a Cessna 172 may have taken a day or two to receive all available quotes back,” said AIR agent, Commercial Pilot, and CFI, Victoria Neuville.
I can think of three worthy methods to fly what you want: 1️⃣ Buy a used LSA, either Special or Experimental — many great choices are available and a growing number of professional sellers can help you connect to an especially good used model and then provide back-up after the sale. 2️⃣ Shared purchase or expenses — where you help an aircraft-owning friend with his cost of ownership in return for access (this is what I do). 3️⃣ Kit-built Sport Pilot certificate-eligible aircraft — especially if you are handy and have space, but even if you are inexperienced or don’t want to invest the time, many kits demand less hours and lots of them have Quick-Build options that sharply reduce the hours you must expend.
On the other hand, "new is nice" is a common expression for a reason. That new airplane smell and knowing you are the first owner is as satisfying as being able to customize the aircraft to your liking.
To make their aircraft affordable to more pilots, Texas Aircraft Manufacturing said it has arranged "a new financing program for its Colt-S and Colt-SL Special LSA." Fly-Away Financing is the result of a partnership between Texas Aircraft and Hondo, Texas-based Community National Bank. According to the company, "Prospective aircraft buyers can now access an online form to calculate their down payment, loan terms and total monthly payments." Contact 
“Imagine owning a brand-new, fully-equipped Colt-SL for about the same cost as a much older, less advanced, pre-owned aircraft,” says Texas Aircraft CEO Matheus Grande. “Our Fly-Away Financing offer doesn’t just make it affordable; Community National Bank has streamlined the loan approval process to make it as easy as possible.”
I have written about Colt and you can 
"With the variety of special Fly-Away Financing rates we can offer," said 
I was immediately drawn to Elf for two reason: One, I love soaring flight, which represents one of the most enjoyable challenges I've found in flying. "Hooking" a thermal and riding it thousands of feet upwards with the engine off or idling is not only magical; it's also a good skill development exercise. Two, Elf was initially promoted as a Part 103, which I believe is aviation's most charming — and certainly least-regulated — segment. Low prices, no pilot license required, no N-numbers, no medical of any kind …well, no wonder Part 103 aircraft are selling so well the last few years.
In Germany they have the "
This long, slender, cantilevered wings draws me in like a bees to honey. If it does the same for you, this is one sleek choice. Surprisingly, it won't cost an arm and leg. In fact, the kit KR-010 is base priced at $39,000 plus a shipping fee(2). Elf is quite complete for this price tag but you can bid it up into the $40,000s by adding an airframe parachute and com radio.
As Kris describes the single seater: "KR-01A Elf is a full composite single seat SLSA that operates like a motorglider. It uses Parabeam® vinyl-ester resins composite material resulting in an amazing empty weight of 264 pounds, to qualify for the German 120-KG Class."
"Elf was designed by Jerzy Krawcyk of Ekolot by utilizing the early work of Slovenian-American Alex Strojnikun," explained Kris. "Elf features removable cantilever wings, cockpit under bubble canopy with tricycle fixed landing gear. The power-plant is a two-stroke engine with aft-folding composite propeller blades and can be equipped with ballistic parachute."
The producer of Elf and the also-very-handsome Topaz plus another model named Junior comes from PPHU Ekolot, a Polish manufacturer based in the city of Krosno. Formed in 1995 by director Henryk Slowik, a successful Polish business man, the chief designer is Jerzy Krawczyk, an aeronautical engineer who graduated from Warsaw Polytechnics – Aircraft Design and has 35 years of experience in designing aircraft.
Headquartered in DeKalb, Illinois, Kris operates NIU Group doing business as Ekolot America,
the distributor and importer for Ekolot.
Wing Span — 35.2 feet
"Following a recent certification process with extensive inspection of its new factory," the company reported, "Seamax's R&D team have worked to raise the bar bringing state-of-the-art technologies to the M-22. The company has heard customers' requests and accepted the challenge to add new capabilities to the Seamax M-22." One of those requests was from an experienced pilot seeking equipment to file for flight in the IFR system.
The newest buyer is Todd Lang, a Captain for a major U.S. airline and a combat veteran fighter pilot with 40 years of aviation experience. With more than 11,000 hours logged and a logbook full of ratings including a CFII (Certified Flight Instructor Instrument) certificate, Lang is ready to enjoy his Seamax but he also wants to do instruction with it.
"But as these pilots gain experience, don’t we want them to keep learning? In my case, I’m a CFII, and my daughter has her Private Pilot certificate. She would like to have an instrument rating, but she doesn’t want to go rent an airplane if we are going to purchase an airplane. When I made the decision to purchase the Seamax, I probably would not have spent the money strictly for water fun. With the IFR option, we can go to the lake and have fun then shoot an approach when we come back." (See Captain Lang's impressive bio at the end.)
"I have been flying for 40 years," Lang continued, "and I’ve always wanted to own my own airplane. Over the years I have looked at a lot of airplanes, but I never reached a motivation level to actually write a check. The older airplanes and flying from A to B just never inspired me and with a family of four, I was always looking at four-seaters." Then the situation changed.
"I had a paradigm shift when I saw a Light-Sport seaplane with [the latest] avionics," Lang noted. Since his children are now adults, he doesn’t need four seats. "In fact, some one-on-one time with my family members sounded nice," he added.
While he acknowledged "several very nice amphibious airplanes are available in the market, but [the others were not] for me. Seamax stood out with its clean, polished look and very light weight. We also wanted the folding wing option and that one feature eliminated some other choices.
"We plan to do most of our operations on freshwater lakes," Lang explained, "but occasionally take a trip to the Bahamas or the Keys and Seamax seems like it would stand up to the saltwater a little better with very few metal parts exposed.
I’m embracing the whole “low and slow” concept. Going to the lake is a blast." That's not all that motivated Todd.
"As a history fan," Lang went on, "I’m also thinking about following Lewis and Clark’s trail, or the Oregon trail." He sees the Seamax as about perfect for this kind of adventure. "It may have taken me 40 years but I think I have found my dream plane!"
Let's get back to that part of the announcement that speaks about IFR flying.
He is right in that LSA are not "certified." They are "accepted" by FAA as complying to the ASTM standards. Speaking of which…
A longtime expert with years of experience working on ASTM committees wrote, "Please refer to F37 standards on SLSA. [F37 is the committee designation for ASTM people working on standards for Light-Sport Aircraft.] The aircraft can fly in IFR but not into IMC. This limitation allows for instrument training. FAA has no opinion on it as this is part of the standards that the OEM states in the 8130-15 document [the FAA form used by manufacturers to declare their aircraft complies with all ASTM standards]. If the person wants to build the aircraft, assuming it can be an Experimental Amateur-Built aircraft, they [must fly with] a Private Pilot [or higher] certificate with instrument rating and a correctly-equipped plane. Then it can be flown IFR with no restrictions."
Another correct response, yet all these accurate comments still don't reveal the whole story.
A further conundrum about IFR in LSA is that no express prohibition is stated in the regulations. The restriction comes from ASTM in a standard document that FAA subsequently accepted, giving it the weight of regulation. However, the ELSA option (as used by 
Most western nations have kit programs of some kind but since their regulations have longer allowed fully-built aircraft, the European brands tend to slightly lead in SLSA deliveries while American producers thoroughly dominate kit-built aircraft sales.
Two other reasons also account for this situation.
A kit-built aircraft can lower the total cost of acquisition in trade for you investing your time. Many find those hours highly enjoyable and educational so kits may always be popular. In addition, a kit-built aircraft builder can do his or her own maintenance although a ELSA can qualify for this advantage as well.
"It's an interesting year for Jabiru," Scott declared!
During the Coronavirus panic, Jabiru Australia designed and began 3D printing face shields, collaborating with other businesses in Australia using 3D printers to increase production volumes. This has been well received as it has kept employment up plus fulfilled a need in the country.
Here in America, Scott enthused, "In the U.S., 2020 started out flying high and fast! While activity slowed a little with the pandemic, even with the major aviation shows cancelling, the market is returning to a vibrant pace."
"We are now offering all three kits," Scott noted. He referred to the J170-D two door; the 230-D three door, and 430-D four place aircraft. "The kits are suitable for home assembly or with builder assistance in Tennessee," Scott added.
To learn more, visit the 
You can call the title "clickbait" if you want, but I've long had a strong interest in space flight and SpaceShipOne certainly was far lighter than any manned spacecraft NASA has launched.
Still, even this light and relatively simple spacecraft is about as far from Part 103 ultralights as you can get.
It's the main man behind this space adventure that may be of greater interest to pilots of any certificate.
I was initially captured by the video below. When I realized it was an interview with Burt Rutan, I was drawn to see what this tell-it-like-it-is fellow had to say.
I'll keep this short as it doesn't relate to Light-Sport Aircraft, kit-build aircraft Sport Pilots may fly or ultralight aircraft. For you true believers — don't worry. I don't plan to repeat this.
The members of the Able Flight “Class of 2020” are as follows (numbered according to photo, not in any order of importance):
Chris Murad (1) of Georgia. Chris recently graduated from Georgia Tech with an aerospace degree. He became paralyzed in 2016 when shot during a robbery as he was leaving work. Chris will train at Purdue University.
Joshua Martin (2) of Texas. Joshua is a graduate of West Point who trained and served as a Special Operations helicopter pilot before losing his lower left leg due to a motor vehicle accident in 2018. With his scholarship, Joshua will return to flying by earning his fixed-wing pilot certificate. Joshua will train at Purdue University.
Michael Price (3) of North Dakota. Michael is a graduate of Penn Foster University in Fargo, ND, and had his first flight as part of an introductory program in 1997. That same day he became paralyzed due to injuries from a car accident. Michael will train at Purdue University.
Steven Curry (9) of Virginia. Steven served in the U.S. Army in both Afghanistan and Iraq. His plans to secure a Warrant Officer training slot to become a helicopter pilot ended when injuries from an IED required the amputation of his left leg below the knee. Steven with train at Aviation Adventures in Virginia.
David Snypes, Jr. (10) of New York. David is a veteran of the U.S. Army having served from 2009 to 2016, including tours in Afghanistan. In 2016, he lost the use of his left arm due to injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. David will train at Purdue University.
The preceding list is only for this year. 
Instead, I want to take you back in time, way back to January …a whole four months ago. What a different world we lived in then. Coronavirus was not on the minds of many Americans — nor, at that time, even on the minds of Chinese citizens, though leaders might have had some inkling.
In January 2020, the aviation community, certainly the Light-Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot kit aircraft sector, was stunned by the 
Other than the pure thrill of logging a high groundspeed, going fast is only useful when you're going somewhere. If perhaps your goal is aerial sightseeing then slow (and probably low) is the way to go. If you have to go fast, remember that old saying from auto racing: "Speed cost money; how fast do you want to go?" This equally applies to aviation.
FAA actually drew a speed line back in the early 2000s when the SP/LSA rule was being written (just as now with the LSA 2023 rule in the works). No, I don't refer to the 120-knot speed limit we'll discuss below. I refer to a slower speed, the one implied in the minimum 20 hours required for a Sport Pilot certificate.
Rule writers separated Light-Sport Aircraft as sub-87 knot and faster. At the time the rule was released, this made sense. America was still flying lots of what we now loosely call "ultralights." These aircraft were simply built, half the empty weight of most LSA today, and flew slower, usually under 100 mph …87 knots.
Then LSA got glass cockpits, leather interiors, high performance engines, autopilots, and more. Prices went up accordingly and today we have a bifurcated market — just like FAA once envisioned, with simpler sub-87 knot airplanes and faster but more costly models.
For plenty of pilots, 100 mph is fine for most of their flying including regional travel. Those who yearn for speed or want to travel interstate or cross country want the fastest machine they can afford.
The aircraft I've written about recently — 
BRM Aero was early to begin work with Rotax's new 
"Vne, Velocity Never Exceed, is an indicated air speed," Lou started in a reply to a Facebook audience. "For example, When the 915iS powered Bristell Speedster is flying at 12,500 feet with a true airspeed of 170 miles per hour or 147 knots, the indicated airspeed is only 118 knots. The Bristell has a 157 knots Vne." A good 
Our most-read story of 2020 was this 
"A few weeks earlier," he continued, "we started high-speed taxi tests. We noticed immediately that this aircraft is something special. The turbo-charged engine (
"On Tuesday the weather conditions were perfect. We decided to fly at 10,000 feet. The [FAI] criteria that the course could only be flown once made it even more intense. At the first turn, I climbed some 300 feet, and returning to altitude she accelerated to 219 knots (405 km/h). I felt extremely tense and had a hard time keeping the ball in the center. Overall I am happy that I managed to fly a pretty good course. On the straight course, we got 212 knots average speed. It was great to celebrate the success with my co-pilot Fredrik Lanz, and the rest of the Blackwing team.
"The flight testing will continue in spring and summer. After 50 hours of flight testing, we can start taking passengers.
"The aircraft used for the record is a standard BW600RG with the Rotax 915iS engine. In order to optimize the drag, we only had one outside antenna and sealed some of the gaps."
Once again, my heartiest congratutions to Niklas, Fredrik, and Team Blackwing, for a job well done!
"JMB Aircraft is proud to announce some achievements from the past few months," the company wrote recently. "After more than 100 hours of flight test with two planes, we manage with success to perform a V-dive test reaching an indicated 381 kilometers per hour and 425 km/h (229 knots) true air speed. This enable us to safely increase our VNE up to an indicated 340 kilometers per hour (184 knots)."
On April 25th JMB added, "With all nominal operating parameters, we climbed to FL180 in 13 minutes with one short level off due to a too-fast climb reported by ATC. The conditions were ISO +7 degrees Celsius (45°F) and 600 kilogram MTOW. Our test pilots performed a level flight of several minutes at maximum continuous power and reached 380 km/h (205 knots) true airspeed, breaking the mythical 200 knot barrier."
I suspect the LSA-like airspeed race isn't over yet, especially given the previous record holder — Risen, from a formerly Swiss, now Italian company renamed as 
I am pleased to serve a need for news during a month when we should have been covering 
Several sources close to EAA leadership have said a decision will come in early May, however, it doesn't take a genius to figure that. EAA is grappling with matters such as when hundreds of tents or thousands of portable bathrooms must be ordered, or finalizing the call to a not-small army of volunteers to begin the trek to Wisconsin. Such major plans must be started well in advance of the event slated for July 20-26th.
If you back-calendar from when EAA needs those tents and so much more to be ready I think you get to a date that is fast approaching.
Cancelling a show is frightening stuff for show producers (EAA, Sun ‘n Fun, Aero, etc.), especially when the event represents a substantial share of their annual budget (a lot for Sun ‘n Fun and Aero; somewhat less so for EAA). Other than their accountants and top leadership, few know the hard facts but it is clear these events bring in plenty of the dough needed to run the enterprises that organize the shows. I have heard all sorts of comments, such as "AirVenture accounts for upwards of 60% of the EAA's annual income." Honestly, I doubt that for EAA but for Sun 'n Fun and Aero, the percentage could even be higher. Oh, my!
I hope for the best for all these vital events but I’m concerned.
A prime motivator for E-Fan is Grazia Vittadini, Airbus' Chief Technology Officer. She wrote, "When I first started my career at Airbus, the notion of electric flight was considered a far-off pipedream. Today, it’s a reality." Yet that future may not involve their much-promoted E-Fan.
Now, 
Even during the lockdown, 
While the following information covers only one quarter of the year and while it does not reflect much of the pandemic effects, we nonetheless found a few tidbits of interest. For the data hounds among you, we invite you to visit our market share and airplane registration database website called 
Among Special (fully-built) LSA registrations, 
Ernie was the man behind Carlson Aircraft along with his wife, Mary. This pair introduced Sparrow, a Part 103-capable single-place ultralight plus larger models like Sparrow II and XTC.
I won't say they've been lost to pilots but they've been hiding. Now, out of the history books will return the Sparrow, thanks to David Cooper, the man behind 
"In the next couple weeks, we will get our website up and running," he forecast, but until then David invites a call or text to 574-214-3660 or theecoop@comcast.net.
I asked about plans on the table at this early stage.
"Plan One," David said, "is to carry on the legacy of Ernie Carlson's designs. Production will be in kit form."
"All welded parts will be done at the factory," he assured. "Other fast-build kits with factory-built ribs will be part of the offering."
In addition, for Carlson airplanes already built and flying, David and partners' new operation will offer replacement parts. I'm sure that will be most welcome by those flying Carlson aircraft.
"We hope to keep costs low to make the price of kits affordable," David added …music to the ears of this website that maintains a focus on affordable aviation.
To further support and build on the Carlson line, David will seek both American and overseas sales.
When Will Sparrow Debut (Again)?
"We plan to have a first kit available before Oshkosh this year," stated David.
As I have understood, EAA is planning a go/no-go decision for Oshkosh fairly soon. Given the huge amount of effort to put on a show like AirVenture and including the gargantuan task of building the army of volunteers it takes to put on the event, a decision simply has to be made in the next couple weeks or so.
I don't know about you, but I have all my fingers crossed for a "Go!" decision. Hope springs eternal!
Learn more about Sparrow in my 
As alert readers may have noticed, Mini-Max shares something with the 
"When I asked why Wayne moved to Tennessee from Indiana, Scott recalls, Wayne replied, 'Winters were too brutal. So I put my snow shovel in the back of my pickup truck and headed south. When they no longer recognized what that shovel was, I figured I was safe. That was Tennessee.'” It sounds just like my memory of the man — logical, simple, decisive.
More Wayne wisdom from Scott: “Keep things simple, design around common materials and lengths.” ••• “Some of the simplest designs are some of the hardest to design.” ••• “Sometimes, you need to stop sanding and paint.”
And finally, one of my favorites: “Wheelpants are like lipstick: They make it look better so the airplane must perform better.” Logic like that is hard to beat. Thanks, Wayne (and Scott, for remembering)!
Videoman Dave wrote, "In 1984, while attending the Sun 'n Fun convention, I watched as a little single seat ultralight aircraft took to the air in some very gusty, cross-wind conditions. These were conditions that had grounded most of the other ultralight aircraft on the field," yet off into the air went this very light and surprisingly compact ultralight aircraft. Dave refers to Wayne's Mini-Max of course.
Build time is between 250 and 350 hours. Mini-Max can be built in a small area such as a single car garage. No special tools or equipment needed because much like the Fisher aircraft that had Wayne's hand in them, Mini-Max plans were full-sized; you work directly on very large sheets of paper. This helps newbies but also ensures greater accuracy as builders work to put all the "popsicle sticks" in exactly the right locations.
The Mini-Max line of aircraft has a strong following on the Internet. "Thousands of kits have been sold and are flying throughout the world," said Dave.
Cruise is an honest 55 to 60 miles per hour and stall speed is roughly 25 miles per hour.
At the time of production of this video 
During this coronavirus mess, Sweden has been in the news because authorities did not fully lock down the country. Some closures were recommended and certain folks (older, immune-deficient… you've heard all this repeatedly) were encouraged to self-isolate. Yet pictures show restaurants, streets, and other public venues with plenty of people. Sweden has had deaths, of course, every one of them tragic. Yet it will provide a good baseline with which to judge the effectiveness of lockdown procedures from draconian to… well, Swedish.
However, the greater freedom enjoyed by Swedes allowed an impressive flight only a few days ago.
The two pilots from the south of Sweden set two new world records and have filed for FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) recognition.
Niklas (pilot and CEO of Blackwing) and Fredrik reported their record attempt…
"On Tuesday, April 14th, weather conditions were excellent in Landskrona to try to set a world record," they said. "We flew in cold air, which made the conditions of 10,000 feet for our turbocharged Blackwing 600 RG almost optimal," said Anderberg.
While laying claim to two new world records, to gain proper recognition of their achievement, the performance must now be checked and approved by the International Aviation Sports Association, 
For the official record in Class UL aircraft RAL2T (Movable Aerodynamic Control / Landplane / Flown with two persons / Thermal Engine), previously recognized record holders include:
"The quality and finish of his aircraft and kits has to be seen to be appreciated," Dave added. I completely agree. I have often told Randy how I admired the factory finish of the airplanes he presents to interested pilots at airshows. A stickler for getting it right, Randy demurs my admiration but anyone who has closely examined his models at an event knows I am not exaggerating.
Then and today, most Rans models have been made available in both tricycle gear and taildragger configurations. 
Kit assembly time for these fairly simple aircraft was between 100 and 125 hours. "Rans' manuals and instructional building guides lead the industry in completeness," expressed Dave. "No special tools or jigs are required to build the planes and they can be built in a single car garage."
Cruise speed in S-4/5 is 55 to 60 miles per hour while stall, using optimal flaps, is 25 miles per hour.
The MX model abandoned the weight shift idea — this was too foreign to lots of potential customers. Instead, it used stick-and-rudder two-axis controls, but with a difference. The joystick connected to the elevator and rudder while the rudder pedals were connected to spoilerons on top of the wing.
The Coronavirus madness is far from being a U.S. problem. Naturally, we tend to focus on our own part of the world …as we must. Yet even far-away countries are also struggling — to protect citizens and to keep their economies afloat. It simply has to improve as the present situation cannot last.
Despite the challenging situation, progress continues in the distant nation of New Zealand. As in many nations, wide-ranging business support has also been rolled out, softening the impact of the lockdown and allowing New Zealand to move forward with minimal long-term disruption.
"Along with much of the world," Paul continued in early April, "New Zealand is feeling the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic with a state of emergency declared. With this four-week lockdown all non-essential companies are required to close or work from home."
However, he added, "This will also be the year we fly our much-anticipated Wave." Interest is indeed keen as proven by more than 120,000 views of the video shown at the bottom of this post.
Aircraft design and its accompanying release documents and part traceability often takes longer to create than the production of aircraft components and assemblies.
"While our technicians and workshop staff are safe at home with their families, our designers are using this time and working from their homes to finalise the remaining aspects of the design, prepare work and plan the actions required once we are able to get all staff safely back to work," observed Paul.
On a positive note, he reported the 
"Not currently being reliant on sales and having investors with long term vision makes Vickers a stable and strong company in this environment," explained Paul.
"This is our eleventh year working on Wave," noted Paul. "I am often asked why is it taking so long? The answer, you don’t want an aircraft to be rushed. It has to be right the first time, no shortcuts, no compromises and always safety first. Not once have I compromised on any of Vickers' core values, nor will I. Wave will be ready soon, but not before it is fully completed. It has taken the time that has been necessary to design and produce a truly incredible aircraft."
Earlier 
To gain perspective on the history of this well-regarded design, I reached out to an old friend who had extensive early experience with the original company located not far from his home.
"Right after Sun 'n Fun 1980, four prototype Mirage ultralights showed up at Skylark airport in East Windsor Connecticut," recalled Ken Godin, now known for his 
"Immediately after seeing these bright colored flying toys at Skylark, I rode my motorcycle to Windsor Connecticut where the Ultralight Flight Inc., facility was quartered. Ultralight Flight was housed in a old building of about 2,000 square feet that used to be summer housing for migrant tobacco pickers.
"I met Frank Riley, the president of the company, Fred Bell, the vice president, Dan Bell (Fred’s little brother) who was in charge of the shop," Ken remembered. "There were three other silent partners, attorneys in the Hartford area. Fred Bell’s sister, Diane, had a sail loft and sewed all of the wing and tail coverings. Another employee, John Dempsey, was the guy with the ideas and skills to design and test an airframe."
"Within a couple of hours of seeing the planes at Skylark, I had a new job in the 'machine shop' of Ultralight Flight. I made pretty much all the tooling to cut, drill, and bend aluminum tubing, make plastic bushings, and a wire jig for upper and lower wing wires and control cables for the Mirage.
Sun 'n Fun 1980 proved to be a big show in the then-new ultralight area. Interested spectators and business people sought dealerships in the new sector.
"Within a couple of months after the show, we had tooled up and set up a dealer network across the country that produced sales of 10 to 20 birds a week," Ken noted with enthusiasm! "We had a pretty well oiled machine and could really pump out kits."
"This went on for about a year when Dempsey came to the table with his idea for a much advanced aircraft, the Phantom. With a full length boom-tube fuselage, a double surface wing with upper and lower battens and full span ailerons as opposed to the Mirage’s spoilers, we all felt it had great potential. Our dealers loved the ideas. So, while we were banging out Mirage kits, Dempsey went to work on the Phantom. I was able to do a lot of work with him. As he finished a new control surface or fuselage component, I would build the production tooling for the part.
"About nine months later, when all of the load testing and checks and measures were done, we brought the new Phantom out to Skylark Airport for test flights. It was a pretty awesome time. It was an amazing flying machine, going well beyond Mirage.
"Just as we were finishing the production set up for the Phantom, we moved the facility a couple of miles away to a brand new building. Our shop more than doubled in size, to 5,000 square feet. We built all new custom workbenches for our purposes. Everything was set up well enough that our production team was making 20-30 kits a week for a couple of years. During that time we phased out the Mirage.
At the time of production of the following video The Ultralight Flyer would estimate the value of a used Phantom from the 1980s to be worth between $4,500 and $6,500.
More than 1,800 Phantoms were produced, said current builder, Phantom Aeronautics.
Beside going over the aircraft carefully as described in earlier installments of this Vintage Ultralights series, The Ultralight Flyer recommends that the buyer contact 
Lazair entered the market in the early 1980s and was sold in kit form. Kits took between 500 and 1,000 hours to build as they were basically a raw materials kit. The fuselage and tail section use aluminum tubing with bolt and rivet construction.
Power was originally supplied by two modified Pioneer Chainsaw engines of approximately 5.5 horsepower each. The Series 2 and 3 models used two, single-cylinder, 9.5-horsepower Rotax engines. These engines were mounted on the leading edge of the wings.
Climb rate on the Lazair Series 2 and 3 ultralights was approximately 450 to 500 feet per minute. Cruise speed was between 35 and 45 miles per hour. Stall is around 25 miles per hour.
From comments to 
"Pioneer engines are under powered," galactica one noted. "The Rotax 185s are good engines, parts are available, and performance is adequate. They should be upgraded to around 30 horsepower total," the commenter added, as "two engines in the 15-horsepower range would give Lazair proper performance."
The commenter's summary: "Total cost would be around $10,000 to fix it properly." With such an investment, you could claim one of the most intriguing aircraft anyone will see. It will definitely draw looks everywhere you fly Lazair.
