Light Sport Aircraft Manufacturer News

More Fight Design Pilot Centers Improve Customer Convenience

South Woodstock, CONNECTICUT / January 18, 2010 — Happy New Year from Flight Design USA as the company announced adding four new flight schools to their growing roster of Flight Design Pilot Centers (FDPC). Now it is that much easier for student pilots to find quality Light-Sport Aircraft flight instruction to Sport Pilot, Private Pilot, and beyond. With the addition, Flight Design now boasts a network of 21 pilot centers using Flight Design Light-Sport Aircraft, which the company believes to be the largest in America.

Largest LSA Flight School Program Reaches Out to Potential Student Pilots

South Woodstock, CONNECTICUT / January 12, 2010 — Over the last year, leading LSA seller, Flight Design USA has enlisted a growing roster of schools to its Flight Design Pilot Center program. In order to supply those flight schools with quality leads for student pilots, Flight Design USA has partnered with Pilot Journey, a top-producing website catering to those seeking a place to obtain flight training.

Leading LSA Seller to Display CTLS at Country’s Largest Shopping Mall

South Woodstock, CONNECTICUT / January 7, 2010 — Normally, airplanes fly over the largest enclosed mall in the world as they approach runways for Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. But on January 10, 2010 Flight Design USA and the Metro Lakes District of the Boy Scouts of America will bring one in much lower by staging a Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) into the mall as a tool to raise awareness and support for “Project Extreme Day” at the Mall of America.

WICHITA, Kan., Dec. 18, 2009 - Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today delivered its first Model 162 Skycatcher Light Sport Aircraft during a ceremony at Yingling Aircraft in Wichita, Kan. Yingling is one of three U.S. re-assembly facilities for the Skycatcher.

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.

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.

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.

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™.

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.

New Horizontal Tail Improves Flight Handling for Floatplane Versions

Sebring, FLORIDA / November 24, 2009 — After buying all the rights to the Drifter series of light aircraft kits, Lockwood Aircraft has been delivering kits but also evaluating the design. Drifter is widely known as a hard-working recreational aircraft and a common use is flying on floats. With a new change Lockwood Aircraft has noticeably improved the flight characteristics of the popular design.