U.S. $4.99 • Can. $5.99
www.PSFmagazine.com | November/December 2021 | 3 2 | November/December 2021 | Powered Sport Flying We have the new improved Rotax 912 oil filteRs in stock. Benefits include improved filtration during cold start up and new anti back-flow valve. $19.95 Part # 825 012 laRge inventoRy of Rotax parts and accessories with same day shipping on in stock orders placed by 1:00 pm EST. Call 1-800-laRotax Parts: 863-655-5100 Service: 863-655-6229 www.lockwood.aero Phil lockWood Shopping for ROTAX just got easier Visit Lockwood Aviation’s newwebsite at www.Lockwood.aero We’ve revamped our website to take advantage of the latest in internet innovations and technology. More than 4,000 of our parts and supplies are now available for OnLine ShOpping! Using more than 2000 photos of engines, airframe parts, tools and supplies, our customers can completely configure and purchase Rotax Aircraft engines online — including the new 912 iS! USER FRIENDLY REAL-TIME ONLINE INVENTORY FLYWHEEL Balance Masters BALANCE MASTERS ROTAX 912 and 914 E n g i n e B a l a n c e r Balance Masters are Manufactured By: Sun-Tech Innovations Northridge, CA Sun-Tech@sbcglobal.net • BalanceMasters.com TEL: 818.882.8431• For Help Call 1-800-786-8324 Balance Masters-Rotax-912-ads Executive Editor Subscriptions Classified Sales Vickie Betts (800) 867-5430 E-mail: vickie@easyflight.com Web site: www.psfmagazine.com Technical Editor Layout & Design Display Ad Sales Roy Beisswenger PO Box 38 Greenville, IL 62246 618-410-8206 roy@easyflight.com Publisher Sport Aviation Press, llc 16192 Coastal Hwy Lewes, DE, 19958 Photography Valerie Layne Jim Smith Cliff Tucker Graphic Artist Tim Dilliner FeatureWriters Zen Boulden Kai Bode Dr. Bruce H. Charnov John S. Craparo Phil Dietro Jeff Goin Greg Gremminger Michael Hudetz Jeff Hamann Geoff Hill Dan Johnson Doug Maas Ira McComic Jim Smith Jim Sweeney Willi Tacke © 2021 Sport Aviation Press llc Powered Sport Flying™ Magazine is published bimonthly by Sport Aviation Press llc, PO Box 38, Greenville, IL 62246, (800) 867-5430. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any mistakes in advertisements or editorials. Statements/ opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect or represent those of this publication or its officers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, Sport Aviation Press llc: Powered Sport Flying™ Magazine disclaims all responsibility for omissions and errors. Periodicals Postage Paid number 000228 at Greenville, IL, 62246 and at an additional mailing office. postmaster: send address changes to: Sport Aviation Press, PO Box 38, Greenville, IL 62246. Volume 28, Number 3. Subscription Rates Annual subscription rates: $36.95 U.S. $48 Canada $90 International All monies US Funds Subscribe online at: www.PSFmagazine.com For more information call: (800) 867-5430 Welcome to another edition of Powered Sport Flying! There has been a big change, as you can see. The usppa has decided to begin a magazine of their own. We wish them well, and rather than compete with them, we have removed the section that was more specific to the powered paraglider crowd. We will still be covering the powered parachutes, of course. But this does make the magazine smaller than you’ve become accustomed to. As this is the final issue of 2021, we are doing a wrap-up of the events from the last half of this year. I attended four of these, and while I did take lots of pictures, I was fortunate enough to be able to get others to do the writing. So, in order of the events as they happened, we have first Mike Hudetz reporting on TrikeFest, held in Rochelle, Illinois, this past July. This was the first time that I was able to attend this one! Mike has the date set for next year, too. Moving on, Stephanie Gremminger has a report on the annual pra convention in Mentone, Indiana. Bad weather kept a lot of people away, but plans are in train for a big bash for the 60th anniversary event next year! Next on the calendar was the Midwest lsa Expo in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, which Dan Johnson has covered for us. I attend this one every year, and it never disappoints! Another first for me was the Zenith Homecoming in Mexico, Missouri. Sebastien Heintz has written the coverage of that event. They had some glorious weather and a lot of planes that flew in! I wasn’t able to attend the DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase, but Roy did, and he’s got some information on that event for you – mainly, the talk that Dan Johnson gave to update the proposed mosaic from faa. My congratulations, as well, to both Dan and Roy, who were inducted into the eaa Ultralight Hall of Fame. You can read about that in this issue, too! If you’ve got questions on the proper use of a radio while you fly, Roy’s Top Ten list covers that for you. As always, we also have press releases, the Calendar, and advertisers for you to look at. I would like to close out this year with a wish from me and Moral Support Canine Alec for a safe, happy, and fun 2022 for you all. Hope to see you next year at any of the events that we’re able to attend! Editorial
www.PSFmagazine.com | November/December 2021 | 5 4 | November/December 2021 | Powered Sport Flying FREE CATALOG! 1-877-4SPRUCE www.aircraftspruce.com 7 7 7 8 2 3 Press Pass Support Our Advertisers Twelve individuals who contributed greatly to recreational aviation were honored on November 11, 2021, as they were inducted into the eaa Sport Aviation Halls of Fame during a ceremony and dinner at the eaa Aviation Center in Oshkosh. The large group of individuals represent the Hall of Fame classes of 2020 and 2021, as the 2020 induction ceremony was canceled due to the covid pandemic. The 2021 inductees were: • eaa Homebuilders Hall of Fame: Flo and Bob Irwin (posthumous) • International Aerobatic Club Hall of Fame: Kirby Chambliss of Chandler, Arizona • Warbirds of America Hall of Fame: Carl Scholl of Chino, California, and Tony Ritzman of Ontario, California • Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame: Steve Nesse of Albert Lea, Minnesota • eaa Ultralights Hall of Fame: Roy Beisswenger of Greenville, Illinois The November 11 event also recognized the 2020 inductees: • eaa Homebuilders Hall of Fame: Frank Christensen of St. George, Utah • International Aerobatic Club Hall of Fame: Verne Jobst of McHenry, Illinois • Warbirds of America Hall of Fame: Mark Clark of Rockford, Illinois • Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame: Steve Dyer of Brighton, Colorado • eaa Ultralights Hall of Fame: Dan Johnson of Port Orange, Florida The eaa Sport Aviation Halls of Fame were established to honor the outstanding achievements of men and women in aviation who share the spirit of eaa and its community. Those inducted into the halls of fame are selected by their peers for myriad contributions made to their respective areas of aviation. 2000 and 2021 EAA Halls of Fame Inductees Honored Two of the inductees are well known to Powered Sport Flying Magazine readers. Both Dan Johnson and Roy Beisswenger were inducted during the ceremony. Dan Johnson (2020 Inductee) has a lifelong dedication to promoting and preserving light recreational aviation, beginning with his start as a hang glider pilot in Tennessee. He promoted the sport through his own magazine, Whole Air, and through his writing for numerous other aviation publications. Johnson worked with Ballistic Recovery Systems to help develop and promote ballistic recovery chutes for ultralights that improved the safety of the sport. He is also currently president and chairman of the board for the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, which advocates to the faa on behalf of the ultralight and light aircraft communities. Roy Beisswenger (2021 Inductee) has made significant contributions to ultralight flight as an instructor, event organizer, and media supporter. He is the only faa Gold Seal flight instructor to have earned the recognition through training powered parachute pilots, and has served on international committees that created competition and record-setting standards for the sport. He organized the World Powered Parachute championships in 2000, drawing competitors from four continents. He created the UltraFlight Radio Show and took over publishing UltraFlight Magazine, now known as Powered Sport Flying Magazine. He is also the president of the United States Ultralight Association. Dan Johnson and Roy Beisswenger at the ceremony. Dan Johnson making his acceptance speech
www.PSFmagazine.com | November/December 2021 | 7 6 | November/December 2021 | Powered Sport Flying + motors + instruments + propellers + radios + avionics + gps... helicopters fixedwing/lsA motorgliders eVtol special issue of Light AviAtion + evtol+ motors + instruments + propellers + radio + avionics + gps... 2021-22 > Australia $15.50 • USA $16.99 • UK £6.99 World Directory of MAGAZINE Certified Aircraft > Trikes > Gyroplanes > Helicopters > eVTOL > Motorgliders... Buyer's guide Flügel Das Magazin 2021-202 2 1 000aircraft... microlights, lsa, evtol certified AircrAft trikes gyroplanes Press Pass So… You Think You’re “Bulletproof”? You’re Not! Insurance professional, Michael Kerr, the ceo of Statewide Insurance Advisors, Inc, reminds us that, “All of us know of a fellow pilot who has had an aviation incident that resulted in severe injury or death. Facts show that often these pilots were very experienced and had hundreds if not thousands of flying hours logged.” Kerr points out that, “Many of these pilots had some type of a policy that was supposed to cover them. Fact is most don’ t cover the actual pilot, just the passenger. Additionally, these policies do not cover you if you’re severely injured.” Fortunately, there is an affordable solution to this problem. It’s called Life with Living Benefits. Michael explains, “Think about this for a second. If you were to become maimed due to an aviation accident and could not work. How would you take care of your family? How would you pay your bills? Let alone the premiums on your existing life plan that would only cover you if you had died (if you were covered at all).” Kerr believes that it pays to review your current policy and provisions and see if your policy has kept up with your love of flight. You can take advantage of his 35 five years of experience by calling or emailing him for information and a no obligation quote: 269-623-4584 or statewidemed@yahoo.com. World Directory of Light Aviation 2021/2022 Available Now The 2021/2022 edition of the most authoritative guide on light aircraft is now available. The updated edition of the World Directory of Light Aviation was published this fall. The directory provides a unique service in the flying world because it is the only annual guide that covers all of the aircraft that are flown for fun. Anyone wanting to keep up with what is new in sport aviation needs to have current copies of this guide on their bookshelf. Student pilots turn to it as well to learn about the different aviation disciplines and what is available on the market. Certified aircraft, homebuilts, Light Sport Aircraft, microlights, ultralights, trikes, gliders and rotorcraft are covered, along with their descriptions, photos, technical data and prices. Not to mention instruments, engines, accessories, propellers, flying organizations and yes, even more! In total, over 1000 aircraft are specified in a reference that has expanded to 300 color pages. The only areas absent are hang gliding and the para-sports. The section on vertical takeoff and landing (vtol) and multicopter aircraft continues to grow as these brand new flying machines –mostly electric– continue to enter the market. The manufacturer index, product index and importer index all help you navigate the directory when you are searching for specific products. The World Directory of Light Aviation is a reference book drawn from the world’s hundreds of thousands of pilots, professionals and other interested parties with important information. The best news is that it is inexpensive, costing only $16.99 plus shipping. You can get your copy today by visiting www.lightaviationguide.com.
www.PSFmagazine.com | November/December 2021 | 9 8 | November/December 2021 | Powered Sport Flying Light Sport Aircraft Support Our Advertisers Big Producer of Small Engines — Rotax Reaches a Major Production Benchmark Two decades into the new millennium, few aviation companies can claim impressive growth. In two decades, one company that everyone now recognizes as a climber is Cirrus Design and their successful SR-series of general aviation aircraft. I was close to the company during these years. Over and over I heard statements such as: “They’ ll never complete the design.” “They’ ll never get faa to approve it (especially with that parachute on board).” “They’ ll never raise the money to produce it.” “They’ ll never get production to a profitable level.” “They’ ll never develop beyond a single model.” Those doubters were wrong on all counts. Only a few years earlier, in 1992, Americans got their first glimpse of the 9-series Rotax engine. At the time, many aviation mechanics dismissed it as “…just a snowmobile engine.” They also turned out to be wrong. Starting with their lightweight, advanced-technology, liquid-cooled, 80-horsepower engine, Rotax developed a line of powerplants and went on to dominate the light aircraft market globally. As with those Cirrus naysayers, many skeptics of Rotax also had to take back their words. Big and Bigger Most pilots are very aware brp-Rotax is a big company with many products. Aircraft engines — the assembly of which remains a prized job within the Austrian company —make up a modest part of this sprawling industrial operation. The aviation division benefits greatly from its association with the larger enterprise. Rotax powers all kinds of recreational vehicles and recently announced, “We are celebrating a milestone: 10 million engines.” Pilots are aware 10 million engines goes far beyond aviation. One of the most popular aircraft in history, the Cessna 172, saw production of 44,000 units. The new millennia success story, Cirrus, delivered around 8,000 units. Check this list to see a lengthy compilation of world aircraft: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ most-produced_aircraft, representing somewhat more than one million units in all of aviation history. Wikipedia’s list doesn’t even try to capture the aircraft most of us fly; adding them would add thousands more. Nonetheless, the sum of all aircraft ever built would still total less than two million units. To put that figure in perspective, a single model of automobile can build that many units in a couple years. Volkswagen alone has built more than 20 million Beetles. Ford has shipped more than 35 million F-series pickup trucks. Toyota has delivered more than 50 million Corollas. Our World of Engines When Rotax can celebrate 10 million engines produced, all pilots know these are mostly for other vehicles yet the family of engines certainly includes aviation and Rotax is rightly proud of their achievements lifting airplanes into sky. At the factory in Gunskirchen, Austria on November 2, 2021, brp-Rotax looked back on a long success story. “Through our high-performance powertrains for the power-sports sector, [we have] firmly established [our engines] at the top of the world market. We are now pleased to celebrate a special milestone: On October 28, the 10 millionth engine was produced in Gunskirchen.” This particular anniversary production was a Rotax 900 ace Turbo 150, the power in Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles. Gunskirchen assembly employees joined guests from brp-Rotax’s Canadian parent company as Boisjoli thanked the team in his speech, congratulating them on their dedication. Major company officials attending the celebration in Upper Austria on behalf of brp were Thomas Uhr, Senior Vice-President Product Engineering and Manufacturing Operations Powersports, Anne Le Breton, Senior Vice-President Human Resources, Eric Lebel, Vice-President Human Resources and Minh Thanh Tran, Vice-President Corporate Strategy & Development and Global Transformation. Of particular interest to aviation enthusiasts —More than 175,000 Rotax aircraft engines have been sold since 1973. Of this number, 50,000 were four-stroke engines from the well-known 912/914 series. All Rotax aircraft engines are approved for operation with Ethanol 10, Mogas and Avgas. What comes next? Rotax keeps new developments close to their vest, but if the last 48 years have taught us anything, it is that Rotax continues to create new powerplants, always staying at the cutting edge of new technologies. It seems clear this will continue. Congratulations to our friends at Rotax! Thanks for helping us get and stay aloft all these years.
www.PSFmagazine.com | November/December 2021 | 11 10 | November/December 2021 | Powered Sport Flying Light Sport Aircraft Support Our Advertisers Midwest lsa Expo 2021 Many readers know I love this event, the Midwest lsa Expo at the Mt. Vernon, Illinois airport about one hour’s drive east of St. Louis, Missouri. Led by capable, enthusiastic, and friendly Chris Collins, this has become a regular event for many… that is, many vendors, many pilots, and me. I only missed once when we were facing a major hurricane in Florida. This was my 12th, but it’s officially the 13th annual running of the show. Why do people keep returning? Because pilots enjoy looking over aircraft in a more relaxed manner than is possible at crowd-jammed events like Oshkosh or Sun ‘n Fun. Airplane reps keep coming back because they make sales in Mt. Vernon. Many have said these smaller shows are better because they can spend the time with pilots as needed to answer all their questions. Once so satisfied, pilots in the market turn into buyers. It’s all good. On the second day of the event, I did a talk about coming changes in faa’s latest regulation. Midwest lsa Expo‘s forum organizers called the turnout a “record crowd.” Some 95 pilots entered their email on an faa Wings credit sign-in sheet and that didn’t include everyone present. This topic always generates lots of interest. A number of vendors told me they wanted to attend but couldn’t because they didn’t feel they could leave their exhibit. The event was that busy. That’s a great problem: plenty of people who want to talk to you. That Day 2, Friday the 10th, was a strong day, even better than Thursday’s good early start. Add in another beautiful day plus the Orange Shirt (volunteer) Crew doing a terrific job of taking care of everyone —Midwest lsa Expo has blossomed into a fine event. Even though foot traffic seemed good, any visitor could talk to a vendor as long as they wanted. It makes for well-informed consumers and satisfied exhibitors who can interact with customers and prospective customers and provide demo flights. After concentrating on faa rule making for the morning it was a great pleasure to go flying in the afternoon. Another beautiful day served up by Mt. Vernon. The green fields and forests surrounding mvn Outland Airport looked lush and verdant against a deep blue sky, picturesque stuff that. We'll talk about that soon. On the final day of the Midwest lsa Expo 2021, winds came up as predicted and energy levels began to come down to Earth, but it was a fitting conclusion to what appeared to be a very successful show. I talked to people from all over, several from California two thousand miles to the west. Most attendees were probably Midwestern pilots, but a surprising number of visitors came a long way, hailing from both coasts. The reputation for this event, now finishing its thirteenth year, has grown beyond what many once anticipated. I’d still call it a regional event but one with a long reach. Pilots came to examine aircraft, to see how they fit in them, to learn more about ones of particular interest, to learn more about developments in the industry, and to enjoy the camaraderie of fellow recreational pilots. Smiles were plentiful. Quite a few pilots made purchase decisions and went away with an order confirmation in hand. I spoke with numerous vendors who reported that at least one and in multiple cases more than one order was taken at the show. Many good prospects had ample time to talk to airplane reps and everyone seemed pleased about the experience. The only downside: lead times are up. Some vendors are quoting delivery well into 2022. Let's talk airplanes at the show! Built for Aerobatics: Magnus Fusion 212 One area of light aircraft flight — lsa, kits, or ultralights — that gets less attention is aerobatics. “Oh, we can’ t encourage that from Sport Pilots,” some lament, but those who say that are not considering one aspect of flight training that also gets less attention than it deserves: upset recovery training. Some call it unusual attitude recovery, but the purpose is to prepare pilots for potentially threatening positions where the pilot should promptly execute practiced control actions to restore normal flight. When I did conventional flight instruction many years ago, we always included spin recovery training, even for the Private Pilot certificate. In those days, before any student was signed off for a checkride, he or she had likely done full spins to recovery. We thought it made good sense for pilots to at least know how to perform when they find themselves in unusual attitudes. The handsome Fusion 212 you see in the nearby pictures was not initially conceived as a Light Sport Aircraft. It was first built to perform in a Red Bull flight demonstrations series for two years. When that Red Bull pilot retired from performing, the Magnus team wanted to create an aerobatic trainer, and, as they said, “Fusion 212 was born.” Magnus Aircraft in Hungary developed Fusion 212 as a training aircraft because while having a very strong wing, it also exhibits predictable flight qualities. When I flew it I found the controls brisk but not overly sensitive, a good combination. I also clearly recall, when maneuvering in Fusion, that it felt extremely solid. Later I learned that this aircraft uses a single-piece wing (as does the Cirrus SR series). This no doubt aided the tight feel I experienced. At that time the man in charge of Magnus in the usa was not stressing the aerobatic capability. In a 2018 article announcing the Fusion as the newest slsa in the U.S. market, this appeared: “This low-wing monoplane [has a] symmetrical wing profile that provides it
www.PSFmagazine.com | November/December 2021 | 13 12 | November/December 2021 | Powered Sport Flying Light Sport Aircraft Support Our Advertisers with superb aerobatic capabilities,” said Magnus Aircraft. However, the company advised, “While the aircraft has aerobatic capabilities … as a Normal Category slsa aircraft, Fusion 212 is presently limited to a maximum of 60 degrees of bank and a maximum pitch up or down of 30 degrees when operating in the United States.” Now, younger representative Doma Andreka speaks for the Hungarian company in revealing that they are pushing flight school sales when upset recovery training is offered. Fusion certainly looks the part. Perhaps it was a different (and striking) paint job on the 2021 model I examined at Midwest lsa Expo but I was immediately caught by the flatness of the upper wing surface. On looking at the also-flat underside I recalled that Fusion 212 uses a symmetrical airfoil, not uncommon on high performance aerobatic aircraft. Fusion’s span is also tight at just 27.3 feet plus it employs a dual-taper planform. Fusion’s cruciform tail is placed higher to be in clear air all the time. As head of Magnus Aircraft’s U.S. operation, Doma is an ideal candidate. He has worked in the factory in Hungary for some years, as head of communications and marketing. As the Hungarian company sought to pursue business in America, the leadership sent Doma to Texas to help Fusion 212 earn its slsa Special Airworthiness Certificate. In 2021 alone Doma reported selling seven aircraft and expects to log a couple more before the year ends. That’s a solid start to the refreshed Magnus America enterprise in the usa. Although this sturdy aircraft may be optimized for aerobatics, this is a comfortable traveling machine as well. Going cross country knowing an aircraft can handle turbulence is reassuring. As Doma next plans to promote Fusion 212 in the uberactive aviation state of Florida, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more Fusions and if some of them appear to be upside down… perhaps they are! Flying the Fusion & Chasing the Fox. I flew Magnus Fusion four years earlier. I liked it then and I like it even better now. This is one of the solidest airplanes I’ve ever flown. It simply feels tight and robust, quite comforting. Doma Andreka did a fine job flying the airplane showing me a standard demo routine as I requested. Having accumulated 400 hours in less than a year, it is clear he is at one with Fusion. My theory is that since I’m the lucky one getting to go up in these planes I should be asking the same questions you might ask if you were the one aboard. Fair enough? We shot a video with a couple cameras inside recording the conversation. Those Video Pilot Reports are more complex to edit but I hope you’ll see the Magnus slsa the way I did today. Chasing the Fox? —Yeah, that. Making my first landing in Fusion, a big bird, approaching from the left, appeared to land in the middle of the runway. “That ’s odd,” I thought, “but he’ ll fly off as we approach.” I was seated on the right and couldn’t see the animal as well. I continued. Doma could see better and said, “No! Go around! That ’s an animal on the runway.” It was a fox, I saw, as it scrambled to the north. Doma had promptly announced it over the radio to advise others in the pattern. Chris Collins and his orange shirted volunteers, always manning the radio, immediately went on ‘wildlife duty,’ chasing the critter off the runway. What service! We went around and my subsequent landing went quite well. Four Distinctive Features of the G1 stol On the last day, I recorded more video interviews including one with Mark Mellicker, the U.S. rep for the G1 stol. We had seen an example at both Sun ‘n Fun and Oshkosh 2021, so it was clear this company was on the move to market their short takeoff and landing entry in the kit aircraft space. When I studied G1 at Midwest, I discovered four features that differentiate this entry from those that look similar. The design is not new; it has more than a 20-year history in Europe where I had first seen it at the Aero Friedrichshafen show. In Germany a G1 displayed with wings folded and on a trailer caught my attention initially because it was fitted with hand controls, allowing a pilot without the use of his or her legs to fly the machine. I find this a worthy development to help others get in the air. That’s one feature. Only after the fact did I even pay attention to the wing fold, another distinction. Many light aircraft enthusiasts will note that G1 looks very similar to Zenith’s CH-750, a shape that has attracted numerous entries. Decades back, Chris Heintz designed the CH-701 and Zenith Aircraft in Mexico, Missouri later developed the 701 into the wider, more comfortable CH-750 variation. The U.S. company sells both models today, but the 750, with its bulging doors, can accommodate larger Americans better.
www.PSFmagazine.com | November/December 2021 | 15 14 | November/December 2021 | Powered Sport Flying Light Sport Aircraft Light Sport Aircraft by Roy Beisswenger Various other producers have adapted this general shape and developed their own versions. I’ve reported on at least six such: CH-750 (the original, along with the 701); icp’s Savannah of Italy, SP30 from Russia, Sila from Serbia, and G1 from France. Even this list is not complete. G1 was reportedly modeled after yet another, the now-discontinued Alisport Puma. Clearly, this is a popular form of aircraft. One unique aspect of G1, however, is its folding wings. Another quality is the curved-corner fuselage, which is made easier for builders thanks to use of precision matchhole construction developed with cnc equipment, plus a substantial amount of work already completed from the factory. Wing and fuselage are largely built before shipping to Canada and usa. Mark said they estimate someone with average mechanical aptitude will need only 300 hours to assemble the kit. A customer who has built any kit previously could possibly assemble G1 in significantly less time, Mark believes. Use of match-hole construction makes it far more builder-friendly. Wings and fuselage come significantly assembled with a minimum number of rivets already in place to keep the skins where they belong. Builders earn their 51% contribution by pulling a lot of rivets (among other duties). A hydraulic pulling tool — available for around $100 — would be a smart investment, saving not only your wrist muscles but also more consistently-pulled rivets. “Matchhole,” for those that don’t know, means that cnc equipment has punched rivet holes in the right places so precisely that a builder can literally take a bag full of clecos, join the skins more firmly, and start riveting. G1’s fuselage construction further sets it off from others. You may recall that a CH-701 has a rather boxy fuselage. This is probably easy for homebuilders but lacks the smooth appearance G1 shows with its gently curved corners. As the nearby image shows, this is possible again due to cnc, match-hole, and the factory using their jigs to get most parts already in the right place. In addition to riveting, plumbing, electrical and other construction steps, a primary task for the builder is to join the wings to the fuselage, a step of some precision to get the dihedral right, and to assure the wing-join mechanisms work to facilitate folding the wings. Not only does G1 have a folding wing mechanism, but I found it unique. Again, nearby images will show the base of the wing struts are arranged in such a way to allow the wing to pivot from the middle rather than the trailing edge, as is common in designs like Kitfox, for example. When I looked at G1’s wing fold, I couldn’t quite envision how it worked until Mark explained that the flaps and ailerons are also designed to flip up over the wing such that when you fold the wings they actually cover a portion of the fuselage, keeping the width within the 8 feet that is needed to trailer this on most roadways. Linkages stay connected. It’s a pretty slick method and one that shows this is not a copy of the CH-750. A fourth interesting aspect of the design is its fold-forward control sticks. They move together and have no pins or levers. You merely push the joystick forward to the floor. When doing so, you’ll feel the over-center design that holds it flat to the flow, greatly easing cockpit entry. Once in, just pull it aft and prepare to taxi. In summer 2021, the G1 kit sells for $39,500 and a build-center-assist ready-to-fly model can get airborne for $79,500, depending on equipment an owner wants and the level of finish desired. • The Deland Showcase is not the biggest show by far, but it is a nice, relaxed show that always allows vendors and interested buyers a chance to really visit with each other. It also bookends the fly-in season with pleasant Florida November weather which is very comparable to the pleasant Florida April weather that Sun ‘n Fun convention-goers enjoy. One person who wasn’t nearly as visible as he has been in the past was aviation reporter and popular YouTube personality, Dan Johnson. For the first part of the show he was otherwise engaged in Oshkosh, Wisconsin where he was inducted into the eaa’s Ultralight Hall of Fame. He did make it back from the chilly north in time to provide a keynote address on Saturday attended by airplane owners and sellers. Dan provided information gleaned from the faa at meetings in Oshkosh held during AirVenture this summer on the faa’s Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certificates (mosaic) rules rewrite. Some information is more certain, other decisions will depend on a part of the faa that has been a little opaque. Here are the important things he presented: • There are big questions out there such as will light sport aircraft (lsa) gain additional capabilities such as increased weight, increased speed, increased capacity, extra seats, retractable gear, in-flight adjustable props and more? Which of the new aircraft will Sport Pilots be allowed to fly? Answers have been hinted but another division inside the faa called Flight Standards will decide. • ‘Rotorcraft’ will be included in mosaic. This almost guarantees that gyroplanes will finally be able to be approved as fully-built aircraft. But the term rotorcraft can imply accommodations for helicopters, too. • Aircraft that have received weight exemptions should no longer have to rely on exemptions. Those increased weights may now be incorporated into the regulation so the exemptions (intended as a short-term fix) can be ended. Notable companies such as Icon and SkyRunner won’t have to rely on weight exemptions and other companies may build aircraft with increased weights without having to apply for exemptions. • New powerplant options will arrive in concert with the capabilities mentioned above. Deland Showcase Wraps up the 2021 Airshow Season
www.PSFmagazine.com | November/December 2021 | 17 16 | November/December 2021 | Powered Sport Flying Light Sport Aircraft Fly-In Fun by Sebastien Heintz Support Our Advertisers Kit aircraft manufacturer Zenith Aircraft Company hosted its 30th annual Homecoming (fly-in and open hangar days) on September 17 & 18 at its factory located on Mexico Memorial Airport (kmyj) in Mexico, Missouri. Zenith builders and flyers from around the country flew in to the Homecoming, one of the largest of its kind in the nation. The grass roots event provided both educational and fun activities for all visitors, made up primarily of Zenith builders, owners and pilots, as well as “want to be” builders and pilots, and enthusiasts from the outlying area. A highlight of the event is the stol (short take-off and landing) demonstrations. Zenith Aircraft is a pioneer in the stol industry, and has been designing and manufacturing stol airplanes since the 1980s well before they gained the popularity that stol and backcountry planes have today. Various engine and propeller manufacturers participated at the event to share information about their products and Zenith hosted various seminars over the two day event. Popular topics included stol flying, insurance and finance, avionics, and more. Several panel discussions were also held, including the popular engine panel discussion (with six different engine choices represented), and panel discussions on building and flying Zenith light sport aircraft. eaa’s Charlie Becker visited to provide an update on faa rules and initiatives affecting homebuilt aircraft and 2021 Zenith Aircraft Homecoming • A homebuilt sector with “greater range” is expected and with that a formalization of the professional build center concept that has been ongoing for some time. The Big Concept —All these changes are subject to a mantra within the faa: Keep Light Sport Aircraft “ light and docile.” What does that mean, exactly? Well, even the faa doesn’t want to define that. Instead, the faa wants industry and the flying community to define this. That means extra work for astm volunteer standards writers, but permits the recreational flying community to make these important decisions. Dan reported that he is pleased with much of what faa proposes. He noted, “These things have a way of changing in unexpected directions but since I’ve been listening to these rule writers for several years, I’ve gained confidence that most of the changes will be well received by pilots and manufacturers alike.” As to the show itself, Dan pointed out that, “The DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase is not an airshow, it is more of a trade show. While the public turnout could be low, every single person that comes in the gate is there to see these specific kinds of aircraft. And I heard from exhibitors that they wrote orders and collected significant leads.” Dan pointed out that, “The beauty of this show is that because there is less foot traffic, interested buyers can talk to the exhibitors for as long as they want and get all their questions answered. Plus, it is very easy to take a demo flight—we’re talking three or four minutes from the moment you decide to go fly until you are in the air. If you try that at [eaa] AirVenture, you’re going to use up half of a day to take a half-hour flight.” “At DeLand, it ’s the quality of the crowd that is important, not the size.” As for specific aircraft and equipment, Johnson reported on the following: “I was intrigued by a kit airplane called the Aeropup,” Johnson said, “which fits well into what I call the affordable aviation space. You can probably get in the air for less than $50,000 for a brand new airplane. I also liked the single-place Italian gyroplane called the Sprint Lite Gyro. And I loved the progress Viking Aircraft Engines is making with their modified 195-hp Honda 1.5L turbocharged automobile engines on the Zenith 750 Super Duty. Viking had one on display, standing up on giant tires with a big nose wheel suspension system. It looks like a monster truck in airplane form.” “The Zenith 750 Super Duty with a Viking engine is a very capable sport pilot kit. And if you have a sport pilot certificate, you could fly this airplane.” As to the outlook for the lsa and recreational flying markets, Johnson said lsa sales “ leveled off” during the past two years because of covid-19. “Plus, whenever the faa proposes a new regulation, it has kind of a cooling effect on the enthusiasm in the market because people question if the faa is going to change the rules. Should they buy now or wait, which creates uncertainty.” “We are poised for some really interesting future developments, some of which are related to the economy. I have discovered over my years in the industry that recreational aviation flows with the stock market,” he said. “If people see their stock portfolios are going up, they’ll be out buying recreational aircraft. If they see their stocks declining, they’re going to pull back. If the economy remains at least steady, I think lsa is going to do very well in the coming few years,” Johnson said.•
www.PSFmagazine.com | November/December 2021 | 19 18 | November/December 2021 | Powered Sport Flying Support Our Advertisers Sport Pilots. The company also hosted guided factory tours and kit assembly demonstrations to showcase the newest kit technology (utilizing cnc final hole size match drilled parts and components). Visitors were able to see up close all the airplanes that were flown in, and meet with the owners (also usually the builders) of the custom-built airplanes. Thanks in part to the great weather, more than 500 visitors were on hand over the two days and about 50 planes flew in for the Homecoming. As part of the annual homecoming festivities, Zenith hosts a ‘dinner banquet’ on Friday evening. This year’s event was well attended with more than 200 guests, and paid tribute to Chris Heintz, the aeronautical engineer behind Zenith “CH” designs who passed away earlier this year. Saturday’s activities started with a free pancake and sausage breakfast (courtesy of kitplanes magazine and Avemco aviation insurance) and concluded with a free fried chicken dinner and awards ceremony at the end of the day (courtesy of Aircraft Spruce & Specialty). Other sponsors and supporters of the event provided many of the popular prizes awarded to visitors, including Dynon Avionics, Citizens Bank (from western Missouri), UL Power engines, Garmin avionics, duc propellers, Rosen Sunvisors, Aeroleds, eaa, and many more. Zenith Aircraft Company is the number one light sport aircraft brand in the United States (based on actual faa registration numbers). For nearly thirty years Zenith Aircraft Company has been manufacturing easy to build and fun to fly aircraft kits designed by aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz. Zenith Aircraft produces kit aircraft with superb short take-off and landing capabilities demonstrated by the stol CH 701 and stol CH 750 models, as well as economical two-seat cross-country cruisers: the high-wing Zenith CH 750 Cruzer and the sleek low-wing Zenith CH 650 for sport pilots. With builder choices in mind, all Zenith aircraft kits are designed to offer builders a wide variety of suitable engines, avionics, and custom kit options. Zenith Aircraft builders typically build their own airplanes in 400-500 hours from a complete kit, or can choose to build from component kits, quick build kits, or scratch-build from plans (blueprints) only. The stol CH 750 Super Duty, a short take-off and landing (stol) airplane with a rear jump seat, is the latest model from Zenith Aircraft and introduces a new “unpanel” repositionable glass panel display (that completely replaces the traditional instrument panel). The company hosts monthly hands-on workshops held at the factory in central Missouri to allow potential first-time builders to learn all about building their own aircraft. The popular and highly recommended workshop learning experience includes a demonstration flight in the airplane as well as a factory tour. Thanks to all who attended – we look forward to seeing you next year!• Mexico Memorial Airport where Zenith is based. Photo by Vickie Betts. Pancake Breakfast. Photo by Sebastien Heintz Group photo on Saturday morning. Photo by Ken Stapleton. Chris Heintz tribute by WilliamWynne at the outdoor Zenith banquet. Photo by Clint Gosch. One of the many Forums. Photo by Vickie Betts.
www.PSFmagazine.com | November/December 2021 | 21 20 | November/December 2021 | Powered Sport Flying Weight Shift Control Trikes by Mike Hudetz After hosting 20 Trikefests, I have one thing to say: ”If you want to have a Thunderstorm, host a Fly-in.” We’ve been having one of the only get-togethers for us trike pilots just outside Chicagoland since 2000. It’s usually just before the big Oshkosh show (hence the alternate title PreOsh Trikefest) and we’ve seen temps over 100, below 60 and every kind of weather in-between. But try not to let that get in the way of the fling or the fun. If you’ve ever attended one of these two-day events, you know why our slogan is “Just Wing It.” Based on weather, who shows up, and the mood of the day, we’ll either sit around completely bored, or do anything that we can think of that hasn’t been tried in a trike. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself; it’s hard to believe you can actually have this much fun without killing yourself. Fortunately, we’ve had no deaths or injuries over the years, just a few bent trikes. Like most fly-ins, we usually have food, music, drinks and competition. We do the spot landing, bomb drop, and an event created for the Triker crowd only (since other lsa aircraft could not compete with the times). It’s officially called T.O.L.R.A.C. (Take-Off-Landing-Race-AgainstClock). The competitor starts the competition on the ground in a 100x100-foot marked out square area. When the stopwatch starts, he guns it and takes off and returns to the same square three times (two touch-and-goes and one full-stop landing). The stopwatch stops when he comes to a complete stop. The record for this three circles event is currently held by none other than Larry Mednick at one minute and 21 seconds, flying a Revo trike. It’s a fun event to watch with the occasional front fork breaking off on a hard landing. That usually gets a lot of laughs. Hanging Out at the Bar-Fly We’ll often have some presentations, such as how not to wreck your trike, demonstrations like dropping skydivers and/or blow-up dolls from trikes, Ed Haas and Bob the Bender flying their eclectic rc collection; and we’ve also had raffles with the first prize winner pulling the handle and ground-launching a brS rocket and parachute. This past summer, the event was held at Rochelle Airport (80 miles west of Chicago), which is also the home of csc, the second busiest drop zone in the Midwest. The first day of the fest, one of the skydivers offered a $500 reward if we could find his lost main parachute, which Support Our Advertisers Left: Larry Mednick going for the TOLRAC time record Below: The raffle winner ground launching a BRS
www.PSFmagazine.com | November/December 2021 | 23 22 | November/December 2021 | Powered Sport Flying Some of the trikes of Trikefest Left and Below: The Flightdeck Bar and Grill at Rochelle Airport Weight Shift Control Trikes he cut away at 10,000 feet. It was somewhere within five miles of the airport, which was surrounded by endless miles of corn and soybean crops three to five feet tall – so finding it was a long, long shot. But Ken and Deb Sutz of Georgia decided to give it a try, spotted it after about an hour and a half of searching, came back (after collecting it with a land vehicle) and collected their $500 cash, which they immediately donated to the Trikefest benevolent fund. The following day, a skydiver was accidentally sucked out of an ascending jump plane at 3000 feet, and was hooked on the tail. She cut away her main and pulled her reserve, but was severely injured in the process, and went down out of control, miles from the airport. Again, the trikes were asked if we could help in an effort to find her. We spotted her three miles west of the airport, about a half mile out into a bean field, barely moving, but thankfully alive. We flew the trike down low enough to read the closest street signs and radioed that back to the jump center, who conveyed that to the paramedic team that was already out looking for her. She had broken ribs and a broken shoulder, but eventually made a full recovery. We also had fireworks, a band, and the airport has a pretty cool bar and grill restaurant on the field called the Flightdeck that is within a short walk. This coming summer, the plan is to hold the PreOsh Trikefest at Cushing Field Airport again (its been at Cushing 15 out of the 20 times–65 miles sw from Chicago) on July 22 and 23, 2022. Cushing is an old farm that was converted to a country airport in the 60s and is a lot more casual than Rochelle. You can camp anywhere on the grounds (except on the runway) and we (A&M Airsports) take care of the coffee/donuts and a bbq , so people don’t have to worry about starvation, but donations are appreciated! Other than that, we’ll just be hanging out, catching up with old ‘bar-fly’ buddies, talking about how much better we are than the ‘stick-heads,’ and just winging it, as usual.• Ken and Deb Sutz, the happy winners of the $500 reward The happy owner of the recovered parachute Bud Cushing giving a brief presentation on the history of aviation and Cushing Field Krucker Cygnet owned by Cranwill Joseph
www.PSFmagazine.com | November/December 2021 | 25 24 | November/December 2021 | Powered Sport Flying USUA News Powered Parachute • Sub-Class: rpl1t / Paramotors: Paraglider Control / Landplane / Flown with one person / Thermal Engine • Category: Not applicable • Group: Not applicable • Course/Location: Cenes de la Vega, Granada (Spain) • Pilot: Ramón Morillas Salmerón (Spain) • Date: 9/17/2021 (Three Claims) • Claim Number: 19571 • Type of Record: Altitude • Performance: 7,025 meters (23,048 feet) • Current Record: 6,377 meters (20,922 feet) (8/3/2019–Aleksander Hirsztritt, Poland) and • Claim Number: 19572 • Type of Record: Time to climb to a height of 3,000 meters (9,843 feet) • Performance: 25 min • Current Record: 16 min 51 sec (12/26/2003– Istvan Kocsis, Hungary) and • Claim Number: 19573 • Type of Record: Time to climb to a height of 6,000 meters (19,685 feet) • Performance: 52 min 27 sec • Current Record: No record set yet. Powered Parachute • Claim Number: 19574 • Sub-Class: rpl1t / Paramotors: Paraglider Control / Landplane / Flown with one person / Thermal Engine • Category: Not applicable • Group: Not applicable • Type of Record: Distance over a closed circuit without landing • Course/Location: Adelsö (Sweden) • Performance: 457.94 km (284.55 miles) • Pilot: Roy Hoerten (Sweden) • Date: 9/14/2021 • Current Record: 303.3 km (188.4 miles) (7/19/2020–Daniel Tydecks, Germany) Powered Parachute • Claim Number: 19586 • Sub-Class: rpl2t / Paramotors: Paraglider Control / Landplane / Flown with two persons / Thermal Engine • Category: Not applicable • Group: Not applicable • Type of Record: Distance over a closed circuit without landing • Course/Location: Lillo (Spain) • Performance: 305 km (189.6 miles) • Pilot: Martin Carpio Garcia (Spain) • Members: Isidoro Ruperto Fernandez (Spain) • Date: 10/25/2021 • Current Record: 280.41 km (174.23 miles) (5/9/2020) FAI has canceled the following Class R (Microlights and Paramotors) World record: Powered Paraglider • Claim Number: 19397 • Sub-Class: rpf1t / Paramotors: Paraglider Control / Foot-launched / Flown with one person / Thermal Engine • Category: Not applicable • Group: Male • Type of Record: Distance in a closed circuit with limited fuel • Course/Location: Võle (Estonia) • Performance: 180.84 km (112.37 miles) • Pilot: Lauri Kadakas (Estonia) • Date: 10/30/2020 • Current Record: 170.50 km (105.94 miles) (2/10/2013–Chris Atkinson, Australia) • Reason for cancellation: No dossier received in due time by FAI Airplane • Sub-Class: ral2t / Microlights: Movable Aerodynamic Control / Landplane / Flown with two persons / Thermal Engine • Category: Not applicable • Group: Not applicable • Pilot: Krisztian Dolhai (Hungary) • Aircraft: Aircraft: Altus / Homebuilt powered by Rotax 912 (Four Claims) • Claim Number: 19514 • Type of Record: Distance in a straight line without engine power • Course/Location: Sarbogard–Földeak (Hungary) • Performance: 151.3 km (94.01 miles) • Members: Linda Orsolya Horvath (Hungary) • Date: 8/2/2021 • Current Record: 124.8 km (77.54 miles) (7/2/2013) and • Claim Number: 19515 • Type of Record: Distance in a closed circuit with limited fuel • Course/Location: Balatonfökajar (Hungary) • Performance: 219.1 km (136.1 miles) • Members: Linda Orsolya Horvath (Hungary) • Date: 8/3/2021 • Current Record: 209.9 km (130.4 miles) (10/17/2018) and • Claim Number: 19516 • Type of Record: Distance in a straight line with limited fuel • Course/Location: Balatonfökajar (Hungary)–Békéscsaba (Hungary) • Performance: 236.7 km (147.1 miles) • Members: Linda Orsolya Horvath (Hungary) • Date: 8/5/2021 • Current Record: 230.0 km (142.9 miles) (10/17/2019) and • Claim Number: 19539 • Type of Record: Distance in a closed circuit without engine power • Course/Location: Simontornya (Hungary) • Performance: 106.3 km (66.1 miles) • Members: Gabriella Csuha´né Szabó (Hungary) • Date: 8/10/2021 • Current Record: No record set yet. World Records and Attempts Fai has received the following Class R (Microlights) World record claims. The details shown below are provisional. When all the evidence required has been received and checked, the exact figures will be established and the records ratified (if appropriate.) If you are in the United States and would like to set an aviation world record, you should first read the current FAI Sporting Code. For Microlights, it is called Section 10 and can be downloaded for no charge from the microlight section of www.fai.org For Rotorcraft, the part of the Sporting Code you need to refer to is Section 9. It can also be downloaded for no charge. Then, contact the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) to learn more about how you can set your own record! Visit them at at www.naa.aero
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