By Dan Johnson
Light-Sport Aircraft's Future
EAA announced it will cease publishing Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft magazine. LSA content will be merged into their flagship Sport Aviation title, bolstered by a new eNewsletter called "Light Plane World" that will focus on LSA and ultralights. My colleague, Jan Fridrich, has coined the phrase, "LSA Global." I think he is onto something even as I ponder how ByDanJohnson.com should present the LSA field
LSA Market Shares Are Stable through August 2009.
As the challenging year for aircraft sales grinds on, Light-Sport Aircraft continue to hold their own. In tough times, when cash is tight, small enterprises may fare better than large companies. Their low expense structures, modestly compensated managers and employees, and lean manufacturing, as allowed by industry-standards certification, become strengths. But we see another quality. The half-million-plus general aviation pilots are more accepting of LSA today than three years ago. Organizations like AOPA are more fully embracing LSA, because their members are calling to ask questions. GA pilots make up most buyers of LSA and those aviators now recognize the brands and have begun to acquire faith in companies certifying themselves (though many are still reserving judgement). Through August, the LSA fleet has grown to just under 1,700 fully-built aircraft not including ELSA kits or alternative aircraft like trikes and powered parachutes, nor any converted ultralights. The LSA market leaders have remained about the same and held their same positions. I see four up-and-comers to watch: Aerotrek; American producer, RANS; Gobosh; and Brazilian entry Paradise. In addition to the top-10 that hold three-quarters of the market, these four brands are working hard and moving up. In 2010, we'll begin to see Cessna numbers plus a few new entries. It stays exciting here at aviation's entry level. CubCrafters identified additional SLSA not included in the accompanying chart. Such errors happen due to a large number of LSA models and the FAA database entry of them. According to better information, it appears CubCrafters has leapfrogged into the #5 slot, and the exclusive triple-digit club, with 100 total CubCrafters SLSA.
LSA-Only Expos... Everyone Likes Them!
We all love the big aviation trade shows like Sun 'n Fun and AirVenture. They offer something for everyone who flies... and that's their problem. At such large shows you must walk extensively to see all the aircraft in the Light-Sport Aircraft community. LSA Malls at these events help, but they can't provide demo flying for purchase. Indeed, this latter reason is one of the most compelling for the January Sebring LSA Expo. All day, every day of the show, you can arrange for a demonstration flight, weather permitting. Notably, Sebring 2009 outdrew even AOPA's Expo a few months earlier. Last year's Fairfield, New Jersey one-day LSA Jambo produced by the Mid-Atlantic Pilots Association attracted a dozen LSA and 250 attendees. This year's longer event drew 19 airplanes and 652 people. Of future plans, organizer David Simpson said, "Jambo will be bigger and better and will include flight reviews and demo flights throughout the day." Jambo is tentatively slated for July 9th and 10th, 2010. In a couple weeks, the Midwest LSA Expo kicks off its first show, in Mt. Vernon Illinois October 1-2-3. This well-organized event, which has attracted plenty of media attention, will present a whole field of exhibitors. Like Jambo, the Midwest LSA Expo is a pure-play Light-Sport Aircraft event. A month later, LSA will be prominently featured at the new AOPA Aviation Summit in Tampa, Florida. If you want to learn more about LSA, you have plenty of choices.