NEXT SHOWS: …both Sun ‘n Fun, and Aero Friedrichshafen are postponed due to coronavirus! Fortunately, you can enjoy fresh, virus-free content here and short videos on the ByDanJohnson YouTube channel. Plus, you can find a huge, ever-growing library of LSA and Sport Pilot kit videos featuring Dan on Videoman Dave’s popular YouTube channel + view hundreds of our best videos archived here in a searchable format. Thanks for your visit. We genuinely appreciate those of you who have become members!
Welcome!
NEXT SHOWS: …both Sun 'n Fun, and Aero Friedrichshafen are postponed due to coronavirus! Fortunately, you can enjoy fresh, virus-free content here and short videos on the ByDanJohnson YouTube channel.
Plus, you can find a huge, ever-growing library of LSA and Sport Pilot kit videos featuring Dan on Videoman Dave's popular YouTube channel + view hundreds of our best videos archived here in a searchable format.
Thanks for your visit. We genuinely appreciate those of you who have become members!
Had not both shows been cancelled or postponed, I would be gearing up for 
"Two years of hard job, more than 20 years of specific experience in this sector, invested into this new project. This new plane represents the sum of our vision, the expectations and needs coming from our customers and the desires of the STOL market. Design and elegance, innovations and safety, improved aerodynamics and performance, enhanced cabin comfort with new cargo capacity, reliability and strength, functionality and the potential to deliver new adventures, all come together quite well mixed."
"It took a long time to decide a new name," said Pasquale. "Why Norden? Why a “globe” designed in place of the standard “O” and then an inverted N at the end? Basically, because we were inspired by the main cardinal point, the mythical North and because we always try to think different, so why not to invert the N at the end for example? Thinking differently, in fact, allowed us to open our mind, reaching new limits.
"Norden is a name used to identify the beautiful Nordic and Scandinavian countries — Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland. These incredible lands, with northern Canada and Alaska, are linked to the concepts of adventure and STOL operations. It is no secret that true bush flying was invented in the genuine Northern Territories.” Great distances and remoteness helped Pasquale find a name that could both inspire great "adventures" and "long trips."
He also reported, "The standard tailwheel can now be upgraded to T3 tailwheel suspension system or even Acme Stinger. The standard bungee system can be upgraded with a custom made shock absorber system produced by one our dealers, or even with a more professional Acme Shock Pro Series system, designed for tough operations."
Norden's new cowling design is sleeker and streamlined, taking in mind the faster cruise speed planned for this plane, but is big enough to offer plenty of space for engine installation thanks to a new rounded bowl and firewall area, providing a refreshed look to the front of the airplane.
The base engine for this plane will be the 
Years ago at the very beginning of Light-Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot, 
Rainbow's 15-day Light Sport Repairman Maintenance Courses are taught in their new home facility in Kingsville, Missouri. These courses allow the students to obtain an FAA Light Sport Repairman Certificate with a Maintenance Rating (LSR-M), giving them the equivalent privileges of a Airplane and Powerplant (A&P) with an Inspection Authorization (IA), but limited to light sport aircraft.
Unlike the simpler, shorter LSR-I course, a person completing the longer, more involved LSR-M course may perform maintenance and inspections on anyone’s Special LSA or Experimental LSA and may charge for their services.
Rainbow's LSR-M class is an FAA approved workshop and an FAA certificate will be issued after successful completion. You do not have to own an aircraft. You do not need to be a pilot. You may charge for your services. The fee for the LSRM course: $4,195 or $3,995 (if paying in cash), which considering you can earn money afterward, represents a good bargain.
Classes before June this year are full, so the next opportunities are June 15 to June 30, 2020 and August 31 to September 15, 2020
"This, too, shall pass…" said my neighbor, Bill Chernish, who flies for Southwest Airlines. His industry is unusually battered by the coronavirus pandemic. His calm and forward-looking view is refreshing amidst the fear seen, well… everywhere.
For everyone around the globe, the word "coronavirus" or the clumsier "Covid-19" disease it causes, has been the major topic of conversations. Rarely have we seen one theme so dominate all the peoples of the planet. What comes afterward?
I have no crystal ball but two recent posts online gave me a lift. Perhaps you can feel similarly.
Delay, postpone, or cancel — that seems to be the question organizers of events faced in the current pandemic scare.
"Nevertheless," he continued, "it is still imperative for Messe Friedrichshafen (the exhibit operator's business name) to look to the future.
"Since the coronavirus forced us to postpone the Aero Friedrichshafen scheduled for April 1 to 4, 2020, we have considered many possible options for rescheduling the event to take place at a later date," Bosch explained. The result of these deliberations is that the next edition of the leading trade fair for general aviation will take place from April 14 to 17, 
Like tens of thousands of others, I so enjoy this event and was looking forward to the show that was to begin in just a couple weeks. I was able to back out of most booked travel and will start planning for the 2021 event.
Meanwhile, stay tuned here for more developments and we promise to keep uploading more light aviation content. That way you can still enjoy flying even if you're quarantined in your ______ (fill in your own blank).
—Thanks to good friend, Jan Fridrich, for making us aware of this news.
Relax, folks. We’re not going anywhere fast. Across all industries, shows and events have been “falling like dominos,” as publisher Ben Sclair put it when I called to discuss 
Later yesterday both the giant Florida theme parks Disney and Universal announced they will close Sunday through the end of the month. These Orlando-area businesses along with other theme parks draw 75 million visitors annually with a $75 billion economic impact, said officials, so even a few weeks of closure is a serious decision.
Earlier today (March 13), Sun 'n Fun leadership was head-down, in meetings, and consulting with others as they seek a direction amid the coronavirus turmoil. I am filled with empathy for the SnF crew. They are deep into planning plus physical actions with many people on the grounds for weeks as they prepare for the event. A lot of money has been spent that probably cannot be refunded.
The organization said, "With the full support of Polk County, the City of Lakeland, Lakeland Linder International Airport, and the FAA, at this time we are planning to postpone the 2020 Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo until May 5-10. We appreciate the unwavering support of our airport and community and hope everyone will make plans to join us here this May."
For many, this will bring a sigh of relief …even while the SnF crew is certainly overworked and stressed by recent events and having to reschedule a grand exposition.
Hopefully, by early May the scourge of this virus business will be behind us or fading fast and people will be anxious to attend the event and do something fun other than washing your hands constantly and looking at anyone sneezing or coughing with uncertainty.
C'mon on down and get a huge dose of healing Vitamin D — sunshine, that is! We will be on-site to report everything we can (see our next post for some aircraft to expect).
"The best practices of scientific and health resources are being followed as we prepare for our 2020 event. At 
How does one LSA brand rise and stay above others?
My tongue-in-cheek subtitle comes from the perspective of an average-sized pilot talking to the father and son team of Tom Sr. and Tom Jr. Gutmann. These gentle giants stand so tall above me that even Tom Cruise's acting box would not let me look this pair eye-to-eye.
Indeed, it is a tribute to the spaciousness of CT-series interiors that both these beefy fellows fit inside comfortably. Don't try that in a Cessna 150 (or even a 172)!
Flight Design's CT-series is roomy inside, 49 inches wide, a full 10 inches more than a Cessna 172. It also has super visibility. These facts are true of both CTLS, the current flagship of the German producer, and for the newest CT Super Sport, as seen in most of the nearby photos. The image of the two of us in the cockpit clearly shows that Tom Jr. and I have several inches between our shoulders and we were not smashed up against the door to produce this view.
Tom and I flew Super Sport at the 
What you don't get with CT Super Sport is the back window and hat rack cabin space of CTLS. The slight enlargement of the longer, fancier LS does indeed make the cabin feel roomier and you have less space for things you need in the cockpit — though the floor compartments in front of both seats will suffice for most things you may want to access during flight. Both models keep the ample storage area aft of the cabin but you cannot access that while flying.
For this review, Super Sport was equipped with the 
Coordinating closely with 
If you like airplane statistics and facts, this article may interest you. Some pilots don't follow such things while others eat it up (you know who you are). For these readers, we have a new perspective that many may find intriguing.
The comparisons below relate to the numbers of Single Engine Piston (SEP) general aviation (GA) aircraft on the U.S. registry compared to an umbrella group including SLSA, ELSA, and kit-built aircraft that Sport Pilots may fly (or those using a different certificate but exercising the privileges of Sport Pilot) …in other words, all the aircraft we cover on this website.
Even after more than 15 years of LSA and the kits that Sport Pilots can fly, the GA fleet still seems immeasurably larger. The truth is, we can measure it; in fact, we have up-to-date info and both are as accurate as FAA's database allows.
When you go global with these two aviation sectors, you find the USA has 80% of the GA fleet with the entire rest of the globe flying the other 20%.
The table is turned upside down for LSA/SP kits, where the USA has about 20% of the global total and all other countries account for 80%. However, the U.S. share appears to be increasing gradually since the recession of 2007-2009. As you can note that recession hit GA very hard; the GA industry has yet to recover to pre-recession registrations.
Take Cirrus out of the count and GA registered 448 aircraft from 15 producers, only 65% as many as all LSA/SP kit producers registered.
Although we have clear leaders in LSA/SP kits (see chart), the 690 aircraft come from an impressive list of 171 producers, more than 11 times more manufacturers than for SEP GA aircraft. This clearly illustrates what happens when you free up the design energy and productive spirit of small aviation companies.
Given a means of market entry, we saw the arrival of a new batch of manufacturers with a flock of new models to satisfy the diverse interests of pilots: from those seeking speedy cross country cruisers to back country taildraggers to special flying machines like gyroplanes, weight shift trikes, and powered parachutes. 
FAA permits two place hang glider for instructional purposes, and believe me, every one going for a flight is going to learn plenty. Still, an instructor needs to know his or her student and preflight coaching is essential. To achieve a perfect safety record, Mike has clearly set some proper techniques to work for him.
Check this figure — Over his years in business, Mike reports taking more than 5,000 tandem flights from hills around San Francisco. For comparison, imagine giving 5,000 Young Eagle flights. In that context, 5,000 becomes a very big number. You can do your own math on how long it takes to achieve that.
Each of Mike's tandem flights isn't walking out on the airport ramp and hopping in a plane for an hour. Coaching, driving up to the launch site, setting up the glider, launching into flight, and retrieving from landing consumes much more than an hour even if the flight itself may be short. Doing this thousands of times with excellent success speaks to using best practices.
So, Mike comes to flying 
Look at that cockpit view (a different angle shows in the video). What more could you need?
Mike keeps his AirBike on the same airport as 
Just one year ago, I flew Tucano for the first time. The small-scale fighter-like aircraft was dashing with its modified Rotax 912 producing 140 horsepower.
This year, that experience was updated with the Tucano 915iS. The newest from Austrian aircraft engine leader, Rotax, adds only one additional horsepower but with its turbocharger and intercooler, the comparison was striking.
In a phrase: Tucano 915 climbs enthusiastically from take off to 10,000 feet without a decaying rate of climb.
As you can see in the image below, Tucano 915 easily maintained well over 1,000 fpm; we went to about 9,500 feet. All the way, 915 appeared to easily compensate for the change in altitude that my ears confirmed was happening.
Before I can write about cruise speed or fuel economy with Tucano 915, I want to again remark that Tucano conveys a visceral appeal. It feels like you think a fighter cockpit should feel. The two I've flown were finished with military gray inside and you sit lower in the cockpit, covered by a huge, very sturdy canopy that affords a very wide field of view.
One of the reasons why Videoman Dave and I attend smaller events is because we can do a particular kind of work while visiting: Video Pilot Reports. We've now done many dozens of these (among some 700 total videos on Light-Sport Aircraft, Sport Pilot kit aircraft, and ultralights).
Interviewing developers, pilots, and enthusiasts about all sorts of airplanes is our stock-in-trade. People approach us at shows all the time expressing how much they enjoy these YouTube videos.
These range 7-15 minutes long, take an hour or so to shoot and a day or two (sometimes more) to edit and publish on 
Strapping six or seven cameras all over the airplane, discussing what we want to accomplish aloft, video recording takeoffs and landing, sometimes shooting video and stills from a second airplane, and then doing what we call a "stand up" near the airplane where we review the flight qualities discovered during an hour or so of flying. VPRs are a fun and a learning experience. Viewers appear to love them. Yet they drink up lots of time and trying to do these at a jam-packed major show is difficult or impossible. Hence, our love of events like 
After discovering the model a year ago, we did a interview with Garret Komm at last year's Copperstate. We followed up with more at EAA AirVenture Oshklosh last year as well. The two interviews have been seen some 70,000 times (both videos) and have introduced his Mule experimental amateur built kit to the many who enjoyed watching.
At 
To start this year's event, 
It started with a seemingly simple product. Since long before recreational aircraft arrived, the invention that launched the Rotax brand was a "rotary axle," a freewheeling hub that advanced the then-state-of-the-art in bicycles.
Get it? ROTary AXle. This goes way back; a patent was issued in 1906 to entrepreneur designer, Friedrich Gottschalk, only three years after Orville and Wilbur Wright (also bicycle guys) made their first flight.
Gottschalk owned a successful bicycle components factory in Dresden, Germany at the turn of the previous century. A cyclist himself, he became a full-support producer, making everything needed for bicycles: brakes, tires, seats, and more. "Anyone who considered themselves as a cyclist wanted a bicycle with a Rotax freewheel hub," said the Austrian company.
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To aviators, the company's compact and light weight engines are seen on many kinds of aircraft, supplied by more than 250 OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers).
"Our goal is always to maximize the fun and to minimize the weight," said Rotax. "Our experienced engineering team and a wide spectrum of R&D facilities guarantee Rotax can deliver customer-oriented solutions and exceed customer expectations."
All Rotax aircraft engines "are approved for operation with Ethanol 10, automobile gasoline, and aviation-grade fuels." In many countries where avgas is hard to find or unavailable, premium auto gas can be used — in fact, expert repair stations often report engines run on auto gas look even cleaner when brought in for inspection or maintenance.
"Low running costs and a design that pioneers power-to-weight ratio is why a majority of aircraft manufacturers worldwide place their trust in our technology," boasted Rotax. Distribution and service of the tens of thousands of Rotax aircraft engines and parts is performed by 200 authorized distributors, service centers and repair centers all over the world.
"As the largest producer of small gasoline aircraft engines in the world, our aircraft engines are the first choice of more than 250 aircraft manufacturers around the globe."
A handsome high-wing, side-by-side two seater, Scout’s lineage goes back to 1983, when Dean Wilson’s trendsetter-to-be Avid Flyer was first introduced.
His often-imitated design was the basis for Kitfox, Rocky Mountain’s Ridge Runner and the Flying K Sky Raider. The latter morphed into the Just Aircraft Escapade.
When 
Of course, the folding mechanism adds both weight and complexity (two things that light aircraft designers generally try to avoid), but the trade-off in this instance is worth it; the wing-fold mechanism does not add much weight or complexity.
Scout’s constant chord wings are braced by V-struts, with about half of the trailing edge taken up by the large, single-slotted mechanically-actuated flaps with four positions: 0°–10°–25°–40°. Ailerons extend to the cambered tips, which feature large LED position lights.
The tail consists of a very slightly swept-back fin and large rudder, a tailplane braced by a combination of struts and wires, and separate elevators. Primary controls are actuated by a mixture of pushrods, bellcranks, and cables. Longitudinal trim is provided by a large tab set into the trailing edge of the left elevator.
With a maximum width of 44 inches Scout’s cockpit and the extensive glazing gives it a very airy feel. The baggage bay behind the seats has an impressive volume of 17 cubic feet, and its open floor area can take up to 77 pounds. Unusually for an aircraft in this class the seats adjust, secured in position with a positive locking pin.
In another indicator of the high build spec there are toe brakes for both pilots. The tall, slightly curved sticks feel very natural, while levers for the flaps and trim are between the seats. The plunger-type throttle is mounted centrally just below the instrument panel, an easy reach from either seat.
Flight and engine instruments are a mixture of analog and digital — an 
Ambient conditions are slightly above standard atmospheric, with an airfield elevation of 196 feet and an outside air temperature of 66°F. We had about ten knots on the nose, the grass is short and the acceleration excellent. I doubt we used even the first 300 feet of the 2,700 available. Scout’s climb rate was equally impressive, the best rate of climb of 55 knots produced around 900 fpm.
Visibility in the turn — and indeed every phase of flight — was very good for a high-wing aircraft. An exploration of the stick-free stability around all three axes revealed it to be strongly positive longitudinally, weakly positive directionally and positive laterally. Slowing down to examine the stall confirms what I already suspected: this is a very well-mannered flying machine.
As the flaps extend they produce a very slight nose-down pitching moment that is easily trimmed out. There is no stall warning but the speeds are so slow and the deck angle so high that it’s obvious that something isn’t going well. With any flap deployed and irrespective of the power setting it always broke straight ahead, although with the flaps fully up it did have a slight tendency to drop the left wing. With full flaps and a hint of power we got the IAS down to 31 knots.
At the other side of the speed scale I got the distinct impression that it would probably exceed Vne in straight and level flight, though we didn’t try due to some turblence.
With Keith diligently taking notes, an examination of the cruise revealed that 5,100 rpm at 3,000 feet produced a TAS of 96 knots with a fuel flow of a bit more than four gph. This means that the range at fast cruise is around 360 nm with at least 30 minutes’ fuel left. Pulling the power down to 4,000 rpm saw the fuel flow drop to a bit over two gph. Fit the optional long range tanks and the maximum endurance rises to a butt-bruising eleven hours!
Back at launch airfield I discovered that, as with just about every other aspect of flying the Scout, it’s a very honest aircraft in the pattern, with perhaps the single caveat that pilots converting to it from older, heavier machines need to bear in mind that it has considerably less inertia than a Cessna 152 or Piper Tomahawk. Indeed, for the first few hours it’s probably prudent to stay away from using full flaps because speed bleeds away quickly. Maintain speed at 50 knots over the fence and Scout will touch down where you want it every time. Having got comfortable landing on the long runway 25 I finish off with a smooth three-pointer on the shorter length of turf that parallels the taxiway. Great fun!
One more thing: Folding Scout’s wings is both a quick and simple process while all the controls remain connected. That's great for those who want to use less hangar space or wish to trailer their Scout.
I honestly feel that TLAC has got a winner here! Obviously care needs to be taken with the weight and balance of the lightest version, but with a typical useful load in excess of 517 pounds the larger Scout is a very practical machine, with good numbers for speed, range and endurance, and the ability to carry a good load into and out of rather short strips. The folding wings are a big plus, while the ability to reconfigure from a nosewheel to a tailwheel quickly and easily could also be very useful. I liked it, a lot.
A huge thanks to our supreme "datastician," Steve Beste for making such swift and accurate reporting possible. I assure you that I've looked high and low for every year LSA have existed to find no comparable information.
As always, be advised that our data comes from FAA's aircraft registration database. That means it is impartial — hopefully meaning reliable and dependable — but it also means some massaging of the information is needed to be completely accurate. (
Overview
However, as he added, "All did not have the same experience. Kitfox registrations increased by 60% (as the Idaho company appeared to lose some momentum in 2018). Van's Aircraft grew by 44% and Rans by 20% but Zenair/Zenith and Sonex were modestly off their previous pace (see chart below)."
For reference, here is our 3Q19 market share report with additional details you might find interesting.
Steve wrote, "Regarding Icon's numbers, note that historical figures often differ from what was previously reported," in this case with Icon and its A5. He continued, "This happens because FAA continues to perfect its data. For example, for 2018 the agency reported 57 Icon A5s as '2018' aircraft but FAA data clerks switched 11 of those to '2019' once their late-in-the-year paperwork was done. Thus, we now report fewer than 57 Icons for 2018."
Despite these necessary adjustments, we maintain the figures used in this report are the best available and are of very high reliability. In fact, the adjustments Steve and I make are proof of the effort to report accurate, dependable data.
As always, I offer a loud and heartfelt THANKS! to Steve Beste for his work to make this information available.
In general terms, Steve noted, "Alternate aircraft offer a mixed picture."
He reported, "We have no change from our third quarter 2019 report: Gyroplanes registrations are slowing slightly but are still hot. Trike registrations are holding steady. Powered parachutes registrations are off a bit (nearby chart).
Gyroplanes
Weight Shift Trikes
About this Report — “SP Kits” means Sport Pilot kit aircraft referring to amateur-built aircraft that can be flown by a pilot possessing a Sport Pilot certificate, or a pilot holding a Private Pilot certificate or higher who is exercising the privileges of Sport Pilot — meaning no aviation medical is required. Since Sport Pilot, as a form of pilot license, only arrived in late 2004, we collect information from FAA's Aircraft Registration database for all applicable kit-built aircraft that can be flown by a Sport Pilot plus, of course, all Special or Experimental LSA. Although some of the same kit aircraft existed before January 1, 2005, we omit them as it cannot be said those older aircraft could be flown by someone with a Sport Pilot certificate. This also evenly and fairly compares SP Kits with SLSA and ELSA.
** When using our online market share reporting system called 
How about this for a great way to start off the new year — a brand-new airplane? Both pilot and manufacturer are smiling and with good reason: both are winners in this transaction, as it should be.
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As we kick off a new year and a new decade, it feels like the starter's timer has just been clicked into action. The next four years should prove to be highly interesting — and for all of aviation, not only Light-Sport Aircraft, Sport Pilot kit aircraft, and ultralights. Change can be difficult, but it's coming. For the most part, I feel this is heading in a great direction even if some may struggle with elements of the new rule.
Earlier, an 
In this article, I will answer some common questions. The goal is not to repeat the earlier info but to provide clarification. Call this an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) review.
Light-Sport Aircraft are being presented with new opportunities and I hope both manufacturers and pilots will take full advantage of all the new rule may offer.
Higher speeds
Perhaps more to the point, will FAA allow you to fly a 2,500-pound GA airplane with a Sport Pilot certificate …without getting a Class 1-2-3 medical? Alternatively, can a Sport Pilot fly a 3,000-pound new LSA? We don't know this either.
Our hope is that FAA will allow the Sport Pilot certificate to be used to fly heavier, more capable aircraft perhaps using the logbook endorsement method employed today. For example, a basic SP certificate does not allow flight into Class B airspace until the pilot has received additional training for this. However, after getting more instruction, a SP ticket holder can fly into Class B once securing only a logbook endorsement (no further testing is needed).
The last airshow (
One of the most anticipated of these new Light-Sport Aircraft seaplanes is the 
"As 2019 draws to a close, we are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership with 
Earlier, as Vickers' team anticipated a higher weight — as did 
We begin a new year shortly and will keep our focus on the many enjoyable light airplanes. This industry and the pilots it serves have an exciting four years ahead as 
How about 
Until that rule arrives — probably in late 2023 — "Whisper can be a nice step up in airspeed and weight limits within the Experimental Amateur Built class." Deon's now-Florida-based operation will offer Whisper in kit form or quick-built kit. It can be completed as a taildragger or tricycle gear (nearby photos).
Deon said Whisper will require about "half the airframe build time of an RV or Lancair in a very strong composite sandwich material, with UV and lightning protection." He reported the structure has been tested to handle a 12G load.
One is already approved and flying in the USA, Deon reported, using a slightly smaller Lycoming engine at present. Some 25 are presently flying in South Africa.
Whisper is, he added, "a fast and roomy aircraft, with a lower profile, making it about 10 knots faster than a RV 7." 