Flying -- Theo might like this...

[kinzel]

Wanna think about flying your own brand new plane? Well, it migth be that you could go in with three or four friends and afford this one:

Srsly.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/06/0612_icon/index_01.htm

OH yeah, we got the Saltation episode up on time...

Comments

[baggette.livejournal.com]

Thank You!

I love you guys!

[(Anonymous)]

Burton from Montreal

Yea! We got our Monday Theo fix back.


Sadly I don't expect Light Sports Aircrafts to be around for too long. The same fate that befell general aviation will also happen to the Light Sports Aircraft type. Namely the lawyers will kill it after the inevitable fatal accidents with inexperienced pilots using visual lite flight rules and questionable maintenance polices. The insurance rates will be astronomical, not only for occupants of the aircraft but also for liabilities of damaging objects on the ground.

The whole idea of someone flying with less than VFR ratings in an austere equipped aircraft is frightening. Expect to see a lot of crack ups during landings.

In the hands of more skillful pilots, this aircraft type would be fun. The austere level of shipboard instructments and the puny piston engine make this craft type more akin to a ultra-lite than even a light general aviation aircraft.

Theo should like it.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Yes, I was thinking ultralite (UK microlight), both the plane and the licence (UK microlight licence, PPL/D, was 13 hours minimum, 20 hours expected). I'm worried about the level of maintenance and mechanical ability needed by the folding wings for safety, especially with their proposed "keep it in a garage like a jet-ski" attitude.

(They claim that most private planes use digital displays instead of proper instruments these days. Really? Admittedly my flight experience isn't very up-to-date but all the private Cessna and similar class planes I've seen (and there are a lot about still in the UK) have had "good old" analog displays for everything except the radio and nav gear.)

Yes, Theo would probably like it. So do I. But I don't want everyone trying to fly one...

[(Anonymous)]

Burton from Montreal

Well most new and recent general aviation in North America got the digital displays. It usually replaces whole clusters of analog readouts, since it displays multiple readouts. The new ones are also easier on the eyes at night and maintenance workload. There are still a few essential analog backups displays.

I don't think taking off and fly a small plane is that difficult in daytime with good weather for most people. Landing the beastie in one piece is however an art master by quite few.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

"Isn't it difficult to fly a plane?"

"No, flying a plane is fairly easy. Taking off is more difficult. Landing is very very easy. Surviving the landing, however..."

(Most people don't learn in tail-draggers these days. I did, and it's true what they said, if you can do touch-and-go circuits in a tail-dragger, with a cross-wind, anything else is easy by comparison. When you have a flying speed of 40 knots and a 60 degree crosswind at 25 knots gusting 30, and the tail wants to 'weathercock' as soon as it leaves the ground, I think Theo would call it 'interesting' (my instructor called it other things not suitable for a family post *g*)...)