Sport Pilot Talk

The ready-built model will be a hair under $55,000. That includes a Dynon Skyview with GPS, synthetic vision and collision avoidance, digital engine and fuel monitoring.

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Af ... MP=OTC-RSS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p__Ga_fifV0 is a DJ video that provides a good look at the aircraft as it comes in its kit form. Shows you a lot you wouldn't as easily see in a completed model.

skycraftairplanes.com is the builder's website.

It's a little thing, even by LSA standards.

Here are some other articles on the plane:

http://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/lsasp ... es-12-hour

http://www.generalaviationnews.com/2013 ... minisport/

http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All- ... arket.aspx

I'm with SkyCraft so I'm biased when I say that I think we have an amazing plane. You might also wanna check out the current specs. They're a little skimpy right now since they're still based on the SD-1's flying in Europe, but as we finish up flight testing on our first one we'll be able to update the page with much more detailed info: http://www.skycraftairplanes.com/sd-1-minisport/

If they produced FlyBaby today, it would look like this. The 2-stroke engine is a bit of a disappointment, especially considering that S-LSA does not need to fit into 254 lbs empty.

I'm sure this may have been covered before in another thread , but how does a pilot 'train' or get checked out in a single seat LSA?

Nomore767 wrote:I'm sure this may have been covered before in another thread , but how does a pilot 'train' or get checked out in a single seat LSA?

Similar but slightly different question... I know that you don't have to have a tailwheel endorsement to fly a U-AB single seat TW aircraft (the wisdom of it is another question)... but can you do the same in a TW S-LSA?

Merlinspop wrote:

Nomore767 wrote:I'm sure this may have been covered before in another thread , but how does a pilot 'train' or get checked out in a single seat LSA?

Similar but slightly different question... I know that you don't have to have a tailwheel endorsement to fly a U-AB single seat TW aircraft (the wisdom of it is another question)... but can you do the same in a TW S-LSA?

From CFR 61.31
(i) Additional training required for operating tailwheel airplanes. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (i)(2) of this section, no person may act as pilot in command of a tailwheel airplane unless that person has received and logged flight training from an authorized instructor in a tailwheel airplane and received an endorsement in the person's logbook from an authorized instructor who found the person proficient in the operation of a tailwheel airplane. The flight training must include at least the following maneuvers and procedures:

Looks like you would need the endorsement.

3Dreaming wrote: From CFR 61.31
(i) Additional training required for operating tailwheel airplanes.

<thread drift>

It's interesting to note that this requirement applies to tailwheel airplanes, but not gliders. So, one can apparently fly a motorglider with a conventional landing gear, with no tailwheel endorsement. Seems strange to me, since the only differences between an LSA motorglider and airplane are the length of the wings and the featherable prop (plus substituting Vne for Vh).

</thread drift>

drseti wrote:

3Dreaming wrote: From CFR 61.31
(i) Additional training required for operating tailwheel airplanes.

<thread drift>

It's interesting to note that this requirement applies to tailwheel airplanes, but not gliders. So, one can apparently fly a motorglider with a conventional landing gear, with no tailwheel endorsement. Seems strange to me, since the only differences between an LSA motorglider and airplane are the length of the wings and the featherable prop (plus substituting Vne for Vh).

</thread drift>

I don't think I have ever seen a tricycle geared glider. Maybe that is why you don't need an endorsement for the glider.

Pipistrel makes a nosewheel equipped LSA motorglider. I've also seen one from Germany.

3Dreaming wrote: From CFR 61.31 ......
Looks like you would need the endorsement.

I sit corrected. Guess I need an endorsement if I ever build (or buy) a FlyBaby (I have no idea why that particular model appeals to me so much).

Sorry for the thread drift...entering correction angle.

drseti wrote:Pipistrel makes a nosewheel equipped LSA motorglider. I've also seen one from Germany.

Grob G109 always comes with conventional gear. However, Sonex Xenos can be built with nosewheel.

Hard to get past the truly fugly look of that airplane.

Does anyone know what's new with the SD-1 Minisport?

The last official news was on August 11, 2014:
http://www.skycraftairplanes.com/last-w ... sit-price/

Following a very successful EAA Airventure at Oshkosh, SkyCraft’s estimated lead time for an SD-1 Minisport is now 8 months, with first deliveries expected to be made this winter.

But before that, on July 8, 2014:
http://www.skycraftairplanes.com/skycra ... tory-utah/

Last month, SkyCraft Airplanes declared to the FAA that its SD-1 Minisport is compliant with all ASTM regulations for Light Sport Aircraft—one year after publicly announcing it would be producing the airplane ready to fly. SkyCraft now awaits an FAA audit, after which it will be able to make its first aircraft deliveries to its eagerly awaiting customers. The FAA has scheduled SkyCraft’s audit for two months from now.

So they are either waiting for audit, fixing up the discrepancies from the audit (and waiting for the follow-up), or ran out of money and went belly up. I wonder which one it is.

Dan Johnson wrote a couple of years ago that audits were backed up for a year, so I was surprised to see that FAA whittled it down to two months. However, it could be optimistic.

Judging by the recent YouTube videos, the original European SD-1 seem to come online continuously, but of course their kits were produced years and years ago.

The guy who shoots and produces videos for Dan Johnson, Dave, uploaded a video today, which is exactly a video they posted a while ago (same interview from 2014 Oshkosh), but it has a title "Skycraft SD-1 Minisport from Skycraft Airplanes USA fails to pass FAA audit.". That is unfortunate, and I don't know what that implies. If they merely go to the back of the queue and work the issues out, that would be acceptable, although not a good news to those who put deposits on SD-1.