What is a Light Sport Aircraft?
Light Sport Aircraft can come in many shapes, forms and designs. They can be built by manufacturers, from kits and even be home built and designed. Additional registration and inspection procedures may be applicable depending on the source of your LSA.
In the US the FAA says that a Light Sport Aircraft meets the following conditions.
- A Simple, low-performance, low-energy aircraft including airplanes, gliders, gyroplanes, balloons, airships, weight-shift control (trikes), and powered parachutes. Having a maximum weight of 1,320 pounds (1,430 pounds seaplanes).
- A Single reciprocating engines (which includes diesel and rotary engines, but does not allow jet engines). A Maximum stall speed of 45 knots (52 mph with no lift-enhancing devices). A Maximum top speed of 120 knots (138 mph).
- Fixed landing gear (except if equipped with amphibious floats, which can be repositionable once in flight).
- Fixed-pitch propeller (unless equipment is ground-only repositionable).
LSA News brings you news and articles from the LSA industry and is an excellent source of information for all of your LSA and Sport Pilot questions. LSA Manufacturers, Owners, Industry Vendors and LSA Operators including Sport Pilot license holders can all utilize the news and information available at Light Sport Aircraft News to stay current and up to date on the latest industry trends.
| Flight Design USA Announces More Demonstration Centers Second and Third Centers Operating in Santa Monica, CA and Portland, OR South Woodstock, CONNECTICUT / December 15, 2009 — Flight Design USA announced that its newest distributor, Flight Design West has located two new aircraft, one in Santa Monica, California and a second in Portland, Oregon as part of the growth of the aircraft sales and service outlets for the CTLS line of aircraft. The new facilities represent the company’s second and third locations on the West Coast. The first center was located at Lone Mountain Aircraft in North Las Vegas, Nevada. |
| Cessna Pilot Centers Gain FAA 141 Approval for New Training Course WICHITA, Kan., Dec. 14, 2009 - Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today recognized four Cessna Pilot Centers as the first training schools to gain approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 141 to use Cessna’s new Sport/Private Pilot Course in their private pilot certificate training programs. |
| Delivery Positions For The MYSKY MS-1 Now Available First Production Models Scheduled for November, 2010 SPRUCE CREEK FLY-IN, PORT ORANGE, FL: December 10, 2009. MySky Aircraft, Inc., developer of the MS-1 second-generation light sport aircraft, has announced that orders are now being accepted for the new airplane. The first deliveries of production models are expected in November, 2010. |
| RDD Becomes West Coasts Only Installation Center for Thermawing Company Expands Redmond Facility to Meet Demand for De-icing Equipment December 8, 2009 (Redmond, OR) – Today RDD Enterprises, LLC announced they are now an authorized installation center for Kelly Aerospace Thermawing de-ice systems for certified aircraft. “For many years RDD has been installing the experimental version of the Thermawing de-ice system, known as Therm-X™. |
| Pilot Journey Introduces Flight School Success Package Helps Flight Schools, Airplane Sales Organizations and Owners Nashville, Tennessee / November 30, 2009 — Designed to help flight schools add airplanes to their fleet, the Pilot Journey Flight School Success Package is a complete school marketing system. It is available at no cost from participating airplane manufacturers and dealers. |
| Flight Design Obtains Chinese Type Design Approval Flight Design CTLS Light-Sport Aircraft Also Approved for Production Leinfelden-Echterdingen GERMANY / 30 November 2009 — On 16 November 2009 Flight Design announced it finished all necessary proceedings and obtained the Type Design Approval TDA-LSA-0001A for the world best selling Light-Sport Aircraft, the CT. The approval was received from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, CAAC. Flight Design is now able to deliver the first LSA aircraft to the opening Chinese general aviation market. To do this, it was also necessary to obtain a Chinese Production Certificate. |
