By Dan Johnson
AOPA Summit Broadens LSA Outreach
In its first year as the AOPA "Summit" (versus "Expo"), the 70-year-old, 415,000-member organization made lots of changes large and small. Among the most notable under capable new president Craig Fuller was much greater attention to LSA. Here's the fast-read update... AOPA announced their 2010 Sweepstakes airplane is a Remos GX; the company had multiple displays and aircraft. Cessna brought a SkyCatcher for reporters to fly. Craig Fuller had Icon A5 developer Kirk Hawkins on center stage. EAA's Earl Lawrence led a LSA panel of FAA and industry experts (including yours truly).
LAMA operated an LSA Mall area and had fruitful discussions with AOPA to advance goals of the LSA industry. SeaMax USA showed off their simulator seaplane running on MS Flight Sim. Tecnam North America, with several aircraft on display, announced new service centers for the popular Italian line of aircraft they now represent. Flight Design announced three new FD Pilot Centers. Dynon showed off their new SkyView in 7 & 10-inch screens. And, Garmin showed their new "aera" touch-screen GPS. In the LSA Mall at Tampa's bayside airport, hosted by LAMA and supported by Aviators Hot Line and Light Aviation Edition, Dynon, Aircraft Partnership Association and AirFleet Capital, LSA exhibitors included Progressive Aerodyne's SeaRey; Sportair USA's Sting S-3; Jabiru USA J-230; Arion's Lightning LS1; Aerotrek's A220; X-Air's LS; and Paradise's P-1. Outside the LSA Mall were RANS's S-19 and S-7 Courier; American Legend's Cub; and CubCrafters SportCub.
Heavy Topic for Light Aviation... LSA Safety
Others have written about LSA safety but did not reveal underlying facts. Here's the quick summary: While every loss is tragic to family and friends, LSA fatalities are not bad. Now some detail. According to FAA records in the four-year period from August of 05 to June of 09, Special Light-Sport Aircraft experienced 12 fatal accidents resulting in the loss of 18 lives. In 10 of the 12 accidents a licensed pilot was in control (not a Sport Pilot). Altogether, 10 manufacturers were affected. Only one, variations of the CH-601 produced by three companies, had multiple accidents and that veteran design remains under investigation. In 2007, a year of high sales and activity, the industry experienced five crashes and eight fatalities. All other years had half that or less.
What does FAA think of all this? Let's go to the top. As reported by Flight International new FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt spoke at Oshkosh 09 saying that the LSA accident rate is "...very compatible with what's going on in the rest of the general aviation world. The statistics reflect it. So the manufacturers are doing what they said they would do and the numbers reflect it. " Safety is an ongoing effort. One should never become complacent. But industry players have increased the amount and quality of transition training such that incident rates appear to be improving, according to leading aviation insurers. In the first week of November 09, another CH-601 was involved in a fatal accident. The pilot was solo but I have little other information except to report NTSB launched an investigation. CH-601-type designs are produced in ready-to-fly form by more than one company and kits are also delivered; this diversity makes evaluation of potential problems more challenging.
One Production SkyCatcher Here... 999+ to Follow
It begins! The long awaited arrival of Cessna into the ranks of Special Light-Sport Aircraft has begun, with the first Shenyang-produced SkyCatcher arriving in Wichita. The company reports taking more than 1,000 orders. At Oshkosh 09, company officials said production would commence as originally planned in 09 but that 2010 will be the year of substantial deliveries from their Chinese contract manufacturer. Soon, we'll begin to see registered SkyCatchers show up on our market share reports. Magazine reporters started to gain access for evaluation flights, though the first of those occurred on a slightly overweight prototype. Initial reports were positive, mirroring comments from Cessna managers who have gotten to fly the prototypes. Performance and payload are factors sure to be gauged by additional flight reviewers as production versions become available.
So far, flights have occurred on the #2 prototype that was rebuilt after an incident following spin tests; that aircraft landed under parachute canopy and did not sustain major damage. As Cessna absorbs the punishment of a shriveled bizjet market, the SkyCatcher is welcome bright spot. Cessna VP of Communications, Bob Stangerone -- one of the lucky fellows who has flown SkyCatcher, said, Modifications will need to be made to the first 10 or so SkyCatchers after they arrive until design changes include increasing the size of the tail, adding a ventral fin, and lengthening the rudder can be incorporated into the production line.