LSA “trike” over Kauaii

Kauai, Hawaii… what a great way to get to see a new place from a gorgeous perspective! And if you’re already a flight student, a wonderful way to build hours and try a new aircraft, as well.

In aviation, it’s often the case that if someone gets behind the controls of an aircraft, is allowed to “fly it,” and enjoys the flight, then there’s a good chance that person will take up flying — and there aren’t many other more beautiful places for this to happen than in Hawaii, taking introductory flights in Light Sport Aircraft.

I had the opportunity to fly in Kauai providing introductory trike instruction flights. It was amazing what a difference these LSA make in folks’ attitudes about flying, and in their ability to do it — encouraged by the beauty of the place in which they’re doing it. Many take control of the trike in 5 minutes and can fly it around the island with confidence.

It has been a great experience for me, to see this happening, while teaching in the islands: the experience of flying the trike and exploring parts of the island that the trike can take you to, brings those who try it a new perspective on learning to fly. Many want to take flying lessons afterwards. Will you?

About Paul

Paul Hamilton is recognized as an expert in the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) category. He is a pilot, flight instructor, aviation engineer, consultant, writer, video producer and business owner. Through his company, Adventure Productions, Paul specializes in teaching and informing people about flying (especially LSA) including students, pilots, instructors, mechanics, engineers and aerodynamicists.

Conventional, standard category LSA, such as a Piper J-3 Cub, are maintained the same way as their standard category brothers, such as a Cessna 172. There is no change to the way they have been maintained before the LSA category came along: they receive inspections annually, plus once more for every 100 hours of service if they are used for training or for-hire. The personnel allowed to perform maintenance and inspections are FAA certificated Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanics or an FAA-certified repair station.

For Special LSAs (S-LSA), like the Gobosh 800XP and Flight Design CTLS, inspection frequency is determined the same way as conventional standard category aircraft. The personnel allowed to perform inspections and maintenance are A&P mechanics, FAA-certified repair station, plus persons who hold the new LSA repairmen certificate with a maintenance rating. You become an LSA repairman with a maintenance rating when you successfully complete a 120-hour FAA-approved course.

Maintenance, repairs and alterations can be performed by A&P mechanics, an FAA-certified repair station and LSA repairmen with a maintenance rating. For some maintenance items specified by the manufacturer in the manual, the mechanic must receive training from the S-LSA’s manufacturer. Check the Aircraft Maintenance Manual for information on what the manufacturer specifies.

For experimental LSA, inspections can be done annually by FAA repairmen and A&P’s with inspection authorization, or by the owner — as long as they have passed a 16-hour course making them a LSA repairman with an inspection rating. Experimental aircraft can include Special LSA bolt-together kits, S-LSA that have been converted to Experimental LSA, and any ultralight trainer transitioned to an E-LSA. Anyone is allowed to perform maintenance, repair and alterationson an experimental aircraft.

If you’ve got a question about maintenance and inspections, post it in the comment box below where we can find it.

• Lifestyle. Imagine living your dream. What lifestyle do you want to create for yourself? With so many types of aircraft, you can to choose what you want, what’s best for you.
   
• Speed. If you want a new and sexy airplane that burns half the fuel and flies as fast as your friends at the airport, look at the new, top-of-the-line LSA high-performance composite airplanes, such as the Gobosh 800XP and the Cirrus SRS.
   
• Versatility. If you want to store your aircraft in a trailer similar to sailplanes, to travel around the country in your motorhome, or save money on hangar rent, consider an airplane with foldable wings, a Weight-Shift Control (WSC) or a Powered Parachute (PPC), all of which are easily transported.
   
• Taking it slow. If you want to fly low and slow above the countryside for a great view, look at the two ultralight type aircrafts, which are now classified as an LSA: Trikes (a.k.a. Weight Shift Control, WSC) and Powered Parachute (PPC) models.
   
• Limited budget. If you want to own your own aircraft but have a limited budget, consider the ultralight type airplanes (WSC and PPC) and the new Experimental LSA bolt-together kits. In fact, with the easy to assemble bolt-together kits, you can now do your own maintenance, which saves you money on upkeep. You can also purchase an aircraft as part of a group, so everybody shares expenses.

What is your situation?  How do these factors help you to choose the right LSA? Post your comments and questions in the Comment section below the video. 

About Paul

Paul Hamilton is recognized as an expert in the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) category. He is a pilot, flight instructor, aviation engineer, consultant, writer, video producer and business owner. Through his company, Adventure Productions, Paul specializes in teaching and informing people about flying (especially LSA) including students, pilots, instructors, mechanics, engineers and aerodynamicists.

The higher power-to-weight ratio in modern light sport airplanes—plus the new weight-shift and powered parachute aircraft—opens up more places to safely takeoff and land. You can now literally live the dream of flying into and out of your own property, small fields, beaches and narrow dirt roads.

Where would you like to be flying your LSA? Let me know in the Comment section below.

About Paul

Paul Hamilton is recognized as an expert in the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) category. He is a pilot, flight instructor, aviation engineer, consultant, writer, video producer and business owner. Through his company, Adventure Productions, Paul specializes in teaching and informing people about flying (especially LSA) including students, pilots, instructors, mechanics, engineers and aerodynamicists.

Visibility is practically uninhibited in LSA with open cockpit

Better visibility. LSA are designed to have better visibility, whether you choose one that’s considered “low and slow” or meant for a cross-country adventure. The powered parachute, Trike and the open cockpit conventional style airplanes have the best visibility. Each of them has no cockpit enclosure that would inhibit your view of the scenery all around you. Even the high performance S-LSA airplanes have better visibility out the windows.

More landing options. Depending on the type of aircraft you choose, you can even land on the beach, a small field or a lake.

More affordable. Since LSA are less expensive to purchase and operate, it’s more affordable for most people to own their own aircraft.

About as fast as Cessna 172. More and more, I am seeing the new high performance LSA airplanes replacing the old standard Cessna 172 used for transportation, because they fly about as fast and are less expensive to operate.

Visibility is greatly improved in the high performance airplane S-LSA

Although there will always be aircraft that fly higher and faster, from the single engine to the twin engine airplane, from the propeller to the jet, from the jet to the rocket. There is an increasing number of professional airline pilots—the ones who fly some of the fastest and farthest—who are transitioning to all types of slow and simple LSA. The reason, they say, is that LSA are simply more fun to fly.

Tell me why you are considering Light Sport Aircraft in the comments section below.

About Paul

Paul Hamilton is recognized as an expert in the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) category. He is a pilot, flight instructor, aviation engineer, consultant, writer, video producer and business owner. Through his company, Adventure Productions, Paul specializes in teaching and informing people about flying (especially LSA) including students, pilots, instructors, mechanics, engineers and aerodynamicists.

The conventional airplane style is the one that everyone recognizes. It has a narrow body with a propeller on the front, two wings and a tail. Examples range from the veteran standby Piper J-3 Cub to the modern advanced Icon A5.

Piper J-3 Cub

The other two popular categories have been operating as “ultralights” for over 30 years. First of those two is the Powered Parachute (PPC), the simplest aircraft in the world to operate and it flies at one speed—about 30 knots. You can think of it as “the dune buggy of the skies.”

As pictured here, the Powered Parachute is a cage structure pushed by a propeller on the back and carried by a square parachute above.

Powered Parachute (PPC) in flight

The second is the Weight-Shift Control (WSC), commonly known as the Trike. It is much like a hang glider, but includes an undercarriage and engine so it can take off and climb same as regular airplanes. It can fly at many speeds ranging from 20 to 100 MPH depending on the make and model. The Trike can be considered “the motorcycle of the sky.”

Trike in flight, called weight-shift control (WSC) aircraft by the FAA

Easy to learn

Each of these three LSA styles are easy to learn, but vary in their ease of operation. The Powered Parachute is the easiest with only one axis of control—that is, roll. The Weight-Shift Control (“Trike”) comes second easiest with two axes of control: roll and pitch. The standard, conventional airplane style has three-axis control (roll, pitch and yaw) making it the most difficult of the three. The less axes of control, the easier it is to fly.

What do you think of these different LSA styles of aircraft? Put your comments and questions into the Comments section below.

About Paul

Paul Hamilton is recognized as an expert in the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) category. He is a pilot, flight instructor, aviation engineer, consultant, writer, video producer and business owner. Through his company, Adventure Productions, Paul specializes in teaching and informing people about flying (especially LSA) including students, pilots, instructors, mechanics, engineers and aerodynamicists.

Actual aircraft models within the LSA category are extremely varied and include fixed wing, powered parachute, and weight-shift control categories. There is a number of existing “standard category” aircraft that meet the criteria of LSA, the most common of which is the Piper J-3 Cub. In the next few days, I’ll post FAQs that tell you about the different kinds of LSA aircraft, their maintenance and inspection requirements, as well as specific models of LSA. Subscribe to the newsletter or RSS feed to keep informed.

Regardless of the model, all LSA are guided by these specifications:

• Non-pressurized cockpit
• Two-person maximum, such as pilot and passenger or instructor and student
• Single reciprocating engine
• Fixed propeller and landing gear
• Maximum speed of 120 knots in level flight, full power
• Maximum stall speed of 45 knots
• Maximum gross weight of 1,320 lbs (1,430 lbs water)

Paul Hamilton with one of Light Sport’s most dynamic LSAs, a CTLS produced by Flight Design

For the newly certified LSA, there’s a Special Light Sport Aircraft (S-LSA) category. It represents a new set of rules that govern the design and manufacture of aircraft in the LSA category called “consensus standards” developed by industry and the ASTM, while being approved by the FAA. It allows pilots, manufacturers and the FAA to collaborate throughout this new process. Most significantly, this allows more control to be given to the aviation industry, and less to the government. It allows greater adaptability and quicker innovation; it also provides for an affordable certification for LSA.

What questions do you have about Light Sport Aircraft and the Sport Pilot License?

About Paul

Paul Hamilton is recognized as an expert in the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) category. He is a pilot, flight instructor, aviation engineer, consultant, writer, video producer and business owner. Through his company, Adventure Productions, Paul specializes in teaching and informing people about flying (especially LSA) including students, pilots, instructors, mechanics, engineers and aerodynamicists.

Throughout my life, I have learned that there will always be airplanes that can fly higher, faster and farther relative to what I am flying at the time. Pick any plane. I’ll name one that is better by the higher-faster-farther definition.

As you learn to fly, I am certain that you too will be tempted in this same way — it’s perpetuated by the opinions of wise aviation people you will meet. Be aware that it is not necessary to climb the higher-faster-farther ladder if you want to fly.

Understand that there are many types of aircraft that appeal to people for many different reasons. To pursue your passion for flying, continuously ask yourself:

“How high, fast, and far do I want to go?”

Paul Hamilton soaring on his hang glider at 12,000 MSL after launching from the mountains below at 8200 MSL

My Story

Coming around to my own answer to that question has had both frustration and adventure in it. But I believe my story will demonstrate why you should ask yourself the question at the beginning of your flying lessons and throughout.

At the beginning, my primary set of wings was a hang glider. It’s a thrilling, challenging, exhilarating and adventitious form of flying. This highly developed flying wing was the result of the work of Leonardo De Vinci, Otto Lilienthal, the Wright Brothers, and the NASA Rogallo wing, followed by 30 years of evolution.

Right out of college, I went to work for Lear Fan (Bill Lear of the Lear Jet), a company where everyone was involved in aviation. The consensus among my new mentors was that I needed to get into a flying club and start taking lessons in a “real” airplane. This was the first time I was hit with the “higher, faster, farther” challenge. And, by that definition, everything was “better” than my hang glider. So, I willingly followed this qualified advice and started lessons in a Cessna 150 and a Piper Cherokee PA-28.

Single engine Piper Cherokee airplane used for training

I shared my new flying airplane experience on a visit with my doctor, who was also a pilot with his private instrument rating. As you might expect, he too had an opinion about what qualifies as the best plane to fly. “You need two engines if you want to fly safe,” said my doctor. “I have a Cessna 310, so I’m not forced down if one of the engines fail.”

I started wondering how these words of wisdom—that twin-engine planes mean safer flying—would affect my future in aviation.

Fast-forward some time. I struck up a conversation with a person waiting in line to board a commercial flight. His bag had a Boeing name tag on it, so I asked, “Do you work for Boeing?”

Cessna twin engine airplane

“No,” he replied. “I am a consultant on their commercial jet development program.” The ensuing conversation showed me that he was an informed and seasoned professional. I had to know what he preferred to fly. “Jets only!” he exclaimed. “Turbines are much more reliable than pistons.” He spouted off some impressive figures backing up his claims, and summed up saying, “Turbines just go round smoothly and reliably.”

With my engineering background and knowledge, I found his statement is hard to argue with. I agreed that aircraft turbine engines are more reliable than reciprocating engines.

Twin turbine engine jet

I was beginning to think the first piece of advice—to fly a reciprocating single-engine—was getting a bit risky, but if I wanted to follow the higher-faster-farther path, that was my next step along the way.

Justification for the Safety Advice

Armed now with all this advice from people I greatly respected, one day I chose to make a more detailed preflight inspection of an engine than my instructor prescribed. In fact, on this day I insisted that we go to the extraordinary step of taking off the cowl and looking inside the engine compartment. We were amazed to find an orange shop rag in a position where it could have gotten into the cowling flap and stop the cooling flow—a potentially unsafe situation! This must be what the twin and jet guys were talking about, I thought, as their words about reliability and safety rang true in my mind. Apparently, the plane’s annual maintenance and inspection had just been completed, accidentally leaving the shop rag behind.

What a relief that I insisted on taking the extra time to do a thorough preflight. This was a good lesson, teaching me to perform a comprehensive preflight of an aircraft before every flight.

Unfortunately, during my next preflight inspection of the airplane engine, I found another surprising problem–a baffle that was loose. The instructor shrugged it off saying, “This is a club training airplane and the students take their toll on it.”

Yikes! Was this what I should expect from my airplane when learning to fly? Should I really be depending on others to determine my safety while flying?

The credibility of the higher-faster-farther advice was increasing and started to make more sense to me with my training airplane experiences. It appeared worth it, I thought, to climb the ladder and continue up this airplane pecking order. I continued some flying lessons in that Cherokee but it simply was not the same feeling, so I went back to pursue my first passion of flying for fun.

The lure of flying hang gliders—even adding an engine—simply beckoned me too much. Nothing compares to the freedom of flying with the wind in your face, each moment intense and invigorating. Even though I agree with the advice I received about twin prop and turbine engine planes, I enjoy hang gliding too much to let go of it. It’s the one form of flying that most resembles flying like a bird.

I continued to wonder, though, if I was making the right decision. Should I go back to the climb, riding the pecking order up to jets?

Gordon's Gemini capsule launches aboard a Titan 2 rocket

Final Confirmation from the Fastest

As an aircraft engineering consultant, I had the chance of a lifetime to meet astronaut Gordon Cooper. To me, he represented a pilot at the absolute top of the pecking order. Can you guess how many jets Gordon flew to pilot a rocket? You can bet that it’s an impressive list. I wondered though, what plane was he flying these days?

After a business meeting, Gordon and I walked out to his airplane, which was set up to fly with a unique fuel mixture, the topic of our business meeting. The airplane itself was a well used, single-engine Piper Super Cub. Nothing about it met my expectations about what Gordon would fly, with respect to the higher-faster-farther wisdom I had received.

So I had to ask, “Gordon, you have flown the fastest, highest and farthest of all the pilots in the world. Do you really enjoy flying this slow single-engine airplane?” Without hesitation, Gordon answered, “More than ever! I enjoy flying when I can relax and not work. Testing jets (especially rockets) is intense with extreme pressures. This plane offers me the sweet simplicity I need to just enjoy the experience of flying.”

Back to the Super Cub flying for fun and personal adventure

That conversation helped me to appreciate flying more simply—for the delight and enchantment of getting up in the air just for the fun of it with the wind in my face.

Today, with my focus on flying Light-Sport aircraft, I know many commercial jet pilots who like to fly single engine airplanes, trikes and powered parachutes for the fun of flying.

The Answer

Learning new skills in higher and higher performance aircraft is fun and challenging, but it is not necessary to climb the ladder and work your way up the pecking order. You should choose the level that fits your lifestyle. Having that clarity will allow you to focus solely on what drives your passion for flying.

About Paul

Paul Hamilton is recognized as an expert in the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) category. He is a pilot, flight instructor, aviation engineer, consultant, writer, video producer and business owner. Through his company, Adventure Productions, Paul specializes in teaching and informing people about flying (especially LSA) including students, pilots, instructors, mechanics, engineers and aerodynamicists.